Category Archives: Righteousness / Serving God

Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Seeking God, Speaking, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets

When You Feel Totally Alone, You Can Still Turn to Our Heavenly Father

The chapters preceding 1 Kings 19 and the earlier verses in 1 Kings 19 record a dramatic journey for Elijah. He is zealous for Yahweh when others have turned away to serve false gods.

We quickly see that when we feel totally alone, we can find comfort in our heavenly Father.

1 Kings 19:9-21

Elijah at Horeb

      9Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

      11So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

      15The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; 16and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17“It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. 18“Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

      19So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. 20He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.

This scripture is rich with content. I love how the LORD comforts and supports Elijah in His time of difficulty, even as the LORD redirects him away from hiding out and gives him some marching orders. When Elijah feels totally alone, the LORD mentions that there are 7000 others who have not bowed to Baal. That’s not many out of all Israel, but Elijah is not alone!

There is a dramatic presentation for us to help us remember that at times if we are to hear from Yahweh, we must be quiet and still before Him and listen closely. There will be powerful distractions, but we need to focus and be still to hear from Him.

I think we can all be encouraged also to see that even a great prophet like Elijah sometimes did not know what to do and had to wait upon the LORD for guidance. Maybe this can be encouraging to us when we think we should have all the answers and we do not. Let us turn to and trust the LORD.

I also tend to get discouraged when I witness so much mixing and mingling of bad teaching with God’s word among those in the church today. It is really not that different than the days of Elijah. I am encouraged that the more and more we may feel alone as true followers submitted to Yeshua, that there is more of a remnant out there and they will be preserved. I am encouraged that the LORD may bring someone like Elijah to lead the people back to Him.

We should all be praying for the LORD to send workers for the harvest, to send messengers and teachers to lead His people back to Him. We should be praying for all who are called by His name to repent from their wicked ways and return to Him, that He would heal our land.

Do not overlook that to hear from the LORD we need to be still and know that He is God.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Compassionate, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Loving / Kind, Murder, Protector / Deliverer, Revenge, Selfishness, Strong in Our Weakness, Submitted / Servant

Having Faith Does Not Mean You Will Never Face Fear or Feel Overwhelmed

Just because Elijah served Yahweh and did so in a powerful way as a prophet, does not mean he never experienced fear or felt overwhelmed. Faith does not always cancel out fear or makes us feel like we can handle everything that comes at us.

The Father had just done mighty miracles through Elijah on Mount Carmel as documented in 1 Kings 18. During these events, he executed the 450 prophets of Baal, a false god whom Jezebel favored. This was after he hid for three years from the king during a drought brought on by Yahweh due to the wickedness of Ahab.  He had a tough couple years, and it seemed it was going to continue.

1 Kings 19:1-8

Elijah Flees from Jezebel

      1Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” 5He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” 6Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7The angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.

I find it interesting that Ahab would not kill Elijah, but would allow Jezebel to do so. Perhaps killing a prophet of Yahweh was one step to far even for him. We see the same in the beginning of 1 Kings 18, where it documents that Jezebel was killing the prophets of Yahweh, not Ahab. We also see Jezebel send the message saying “…so may the gods do to me…”. She was clearly lost in idols and false gods and zealous to destroy the things of the one true God.

So after all that Elijah has been through, having been part of the wonderous miracle of Yahweh on Mount Carmel, now he is filled with fear again and on the run. He is worn out and has had enough. He comes before the Father and asks to die. Our loving Father meets him in that place and provides for him and cares for him to revive and strengthen him. Don’t miss that it appears that these meals provided by Yahweh seem to have carried Elijah over the next 40 days on his journey to Mount Horeb. Supernatural to be sure.

Our Father knows what He asks of us. He knows what we experience for Him. He is able to sustain us and help us in any situation. Let us always turn to Him for our strength and courage and endurance.

I am reminded of Isaiah 40:29-31.

      29He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.

      30Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,

      31Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

And I am also reminded of how the LORD was with Joshua. The book of Joshua refers to God’s instruction for him to be strong and courageous four times in chapter 1 alone.

Do not think the LORD is not with you because you may feel scared. Do not think the LORD is with you because you are tired. Wait on the LORD and He will provide strength and endurance.

As a parting side note, that may make some uncomfortable… Yahweh gives every appearance with being pleased and supportive of the execution of the prophets of Baal. He did not consider it murder. They were misleading the people to follow after false gods and away from Him. In a way, it was like a war for the people of Israel.  Yet, Jezebel will not fair well in her pursuit to murder Elijah. It goes without saying, however, that we need be very careful in trying to apply such observations in our lives today. I do not recommend anyone take it upon themselves to kill others unless it is in self defense and you are fearing for your life or someone else’s.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Courage / Fear, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, False Prophets / Teachers, Idols / False Gods, Miracles, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets

The Faith of a Prophet – Elijah on Mount Caramel

The record of Elijah challenging the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel is a classic contrast of those who put their faith in false gods and those who put their faith in Yahweh. You see ultimately both side by side, played out in front of the people of Israel.

Those who trust in Baal are humiliated as Baal and all false gods have no power. By stark contrast, however, we see Yahweh deliver in spectacular fashion. He does not do so for Elijah’s glory, but for His own.

1 Kings 18:20-46

God or Baal on Mount Carmel

      20So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word. 22Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23“Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. 24“Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.”

      25So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” 26Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. 27It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” 28So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. 29When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

      30Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. 31Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. 33Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. 34And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.

Elijah’s Prayer

      36At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37“Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” 38Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.” 40Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

      41Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.” 42So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. 44It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’” 45In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46Then the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.

If we dig a little deeper we quickly see the depth of Elijah’s faith. He went to a wicked king who blamed him for the drought, rather than accepting that it was the king’s own sin that brought it on. He comes before the people of Israel to confront 450 priests of Baal. He is clearly outnumbered. He has such strong faith that he intentionally lets them go first and then makes his own challenge seemingly more difficult by pouring water over everything. Reflect for a moment on the strength of his faith.

Elijah was focused on Yahweh, not himself. He did not do this for his own glory, but for Yahweh. In the end, Elijah’s faith and courage to stand firmly and openly for the LORD brought glory to God and led many people back to Him.

Reflect personally on where in our lives we can make a public stand for our Father, for His glory and to bring others back to Him. It likely will not always be as dramatic as Elijah on Mount Carmel, but there are many opportunities where we can stand up for the LORD or remain quiet and fade into the background, avoiding putting the focus on Him. Ask our Father to help you stand firmly for Him and for His glory!

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Discipline / Correction, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant, Teachable, Through Prophets

When You Sin, Accept Correction and Avoid Blaming Someone Else

Israel was experiencing  the punishment of a drought due to the wickedness of Ahab as king. Let us not forget that it was said of him in 1 Kings 16:33 that he “did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him”.  It was not a secret. Elijah had confronted Ahab on behalf of Yahweh. With that in mind, let us read 1 Kings 18.

1 Kings 18:1-19

Obadiah Meets Elijah

      1Now it happened after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.” 2So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 3Ahab called Obadiah who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly; 4for when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.) 5Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.” 6So they divided the land between them to survey it; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself.

      7Now as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is this you, Elijah my master?” 8He said to him, “It is I. Go, say to your master, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’” 9He said, “What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death? 10“As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you. 11“And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’ 12“It will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you where I do not know; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. 13“Has it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, that I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water? 14“And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here”’; he will then kill me.” 15Elijah said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” 16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

      17When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” 18He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and you have followed the Baals. 19“Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Obadiah was a god fearing man. He took personal risk to rescue prophets of Yahweh. He was clearly afraid of Ahab, but did so anyway. What a difficult position for him to have to have in serving such a wicked king. It is interesting to read about him and reflect on what this experience must have been like from his perspective.

However, let us also consider Ahab. Ahab’s attitude reflects the attitude of so many of us when we are confronted by our sin and called to repent, change our ways to follow Yahweh. Ahab did much evil, more than any other king before him. He was confronted by a highly respected prophet of Yahweh. He experienced the power of Yahweh first hand in the drought, predicted by Elijah. But how did Ahab internalize this series of events?

Rather than repenting, as David would have done, Ahab blames Elijah as a troublemaker for Israel. Ahab completely misses the point that it is his wickedness that causes this trouble. He stays anchored in doing things his way and blaming Elijah. This is like the criminal who blames the judge for going to prison rather than accepting that it was his choice to steal that put him there.

Prayerfully ask the LORD to help you to accept rebuke and correction and to change behavior. Ask him to show you where you are doing things your way, or the way of man in our culture around us. Ask Him to teach you the wonderful ways of His law.

Do not let pride or a fear of admitting that you have done things the wrong way all your life keep you from turning to our loving Father today and walking with Him for the time you have remaining!

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Compassionate, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Loving / Kind, Miracles, Purposeful / Intentional, Share the Good News

Faith to be Healed; Faith to Spread the Good News

Even when confronted with miracles, such as dramatic healing or casting out of demons, we must still choose to believe. One can always come up with a reason to disbelieve, no matter the evidence in front of them. Verse 34 is an example of this in Matthew 9.

Matthew 9:18-38

Miracles of Healing

      18While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” 19Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.

      20And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; 21for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will get well.” 22But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.

      23When Jesus came into the official’s house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him. 25But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26This news spread throughout all that land.

      27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” 30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” 31But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.

      32As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him. 33After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” 34But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

      35Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

      36Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38“Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

The Pharisees in verse 34 rationalize away miracles as they witness them. They had decided already that Yeshua was not from Yahweh, and thus came up with ways to explain away the evidence in front of them. It is likewise with many today. There are many who though they have eyes do not see, though they have ears, do not hear. (Refer to Ezekiel 12:2 and Mark 8:14-21.)

Creation itself declares His glory, but people explain it away with fanciful notions that everything in this complex universe came out of nothing without a creative force behind it. My lawn can not even organize itself and stay looking nice without my mowing and caring for it. How then can the world do so in all its detail and complexity?

Take care not to explain away miracles that Yahweh does around you. Allow yourself to test them and test that the message associated with them is consistent with Yahweh’s instructions and character in the written scriptures. Then allow yourself to believe in what you witness.  There is more evidence for a divine Creator than for evolution and everything from nothing. It is not a blind faith.

I find verse 30 and 31 to be very intriguing. Why did Yeshua not want them to tell others? Was it good or bad that they did? What I can tell you is that they were obviously overwhelmed by what they experienced and could not help themselves but to tell others about Yeshua. I would hope all of us (myself included) would become a bit more like them in that we would boldly and joyfully share what Yeshua has done in our lives and point others to Him.

Challenge yourself to point at least one person a week toward Yeshua. Keep a journal of how you share and what comes of it. We may or may not know the impact we have on others, but we know we are called to share the gospel of Christ with others.

Read more – The Great Commission – Make Disciples of all the Nations

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Fasting, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways

John’s Disciples Ask Yeshua About Fasting

At one point, the disciples of John came to Yeshua and asked Him about why they and the Pharisees fasted, but the disciples of Yeshua did not. It is interesting that they are not appearing to ask about Yeshua, Himself, but his disciples.

Matthew 9:14-17

The Question about Fasting

      14Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16“But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. 17“Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Yeshua’s acknowledges that there is an appropriate time to fast, but highlights that for His disciples, now is not the time. He uses a clear metaphor of a bridegroom that emphasizes that while He is still among them, they should celebrate with Him and not mourn.

The other two examples of the wine skin and the cloth are not suggesting that Yeshua is changing the Torah or making up new things. We must understand that the fasting the Pharisees were doing was twice a week tradition they created, not one Yahweh instructed. Thus Yeshua was saying that it is not appropriate for Him to build observing the Torah correctly upon the traditions of men. It should be the other way around. To read more about the cloth and the wine skin, consider Barnes commentary.

Do not take this scripture to mean that Yeshua was saying the Torah  no longer fits and He was bringing “new teaching”. That is a wrong understanding. The fasting being discussed was not even instructed by Torah. Quite the opposite. Yeshua is not going to build His observance of Torah on the traditions of men, the Pharisees in this case. That would make a mess, like the cloth and the wine skin.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

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Why Did Jesus Dine with Sinners?

Tax collectors were not popular, and were often corrupt, in the time of Yeshua’s earthly reign. They were looked down upon by the Jewish people.  Yeshua not only called one to be among His close disciples, but He would also dine with them. Why?

Matthew 9:9-13

Matthew Called

      9As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

      10Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 13“But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

I think there is an important distinction here. Matthew left behind his tax collector job and became a follower of Christ. He repented of his wicked ways. He changed. He was called to be among Yeshua’s close disciples.

The rest of the tax collectors and sinners were dining with Yeshua, but were not among His closest disciples. They were indeed sinners in need of a “physician”.  Keep in mind that all of these people were likely Jewish. If not, then the same people who complained about Yeshua eating with sinners would have called out that He was eating with Gentiles, which was not thought to be appropriate. These were people who claimed to be among God’s people, but did not really follow Him.

We, also, must find appropriate ways to interact with those who are not really following Yeshua, even if they claim to be Christians. If not, how can we be a light to them? However, if we are to take someone into our inner circle of close friends, we should be careful to test their heart and if it is for Christ. They don’t need to be perfect, but they should be genuinely submitted to and pursuing Christ, as Matthew did by leaving his past behind him.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Yahweh Provides for Those He Calls

Our Father may ask us to do difficult things. Sometimes it may seem hard to obey. If He calls us to do something, He will provide. There may be hardships associated with our experience, but so too will there be blessings when we walk with our Father. We can see this in the case of both Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings 17. Sometimes He may actually be answering our prayers when He challenges us to do something we think is really hard. This is the case of the widow.

1 Kings 17

Elijah Predicts Drought

      1Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2The word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3“Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4“It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.” 5So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook. 7It happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

      8Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.” 11As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” 12But she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13Then Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. 14“For thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the face of the earth.’” 15So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through Elijah.

Elijah Raises the Widow’s Son

      17Now it came about after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18So she said to Elijah, “What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death!” 19He said to her, “Give me your son.” Then he took him from her bosom and carried him up to the upper room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed. 20He called to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, have You also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?” 21Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, I pray You, let this child’s life return to him.” 22The LORD heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived. 23Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” 24Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”

Another perspective worth highlighting is that Yahweh knew the widow would lose her son. He provided a connection to Elijah even before it happened, but it only worked out because she obeyed the Father in taking care of Elijah.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Family, Money / Finances / Wealth, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant, Suffering / Adversity

Our Commitment to Discipleship Will Be Tested at Times

Our commitment to discipleship will be tested at times. There are at least three key principles illustrated in today’s scripture in Matthew 8. See if you can pick them out, or find more, and I will highlight three after the scripture.

Matthew 8:18-27

Discipleship Tested

      18Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. 19Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 21Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 22But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”

      23When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

The three I will highlight today are as follows:

  • True discipleship, following and learning after Christ, means submitting to Yeshua and making Him a priority above the comforts we may (or may not) enjoy in life (e.g. nice house, car, phone, etc.). This does not necessarily mean we will be poor (e.g. Abraham, Joseph who became second in charge over Egypt)
  • True discipleship means making Yeshua a priority over our family and others we love. (This does not mean we are to disregard our family, but we must listen to Christ first and obey.)
  • True discipleship does not promise a worry free life in which we will have nothing scary or difficult. Those who speak for and follow after Christ often face difficulty. Faith to rely on our Father in the difficult times and rejoice even when things are not going well is very important. (e.g. Paul and Silas singing praises to Him while in jail for preaching the gospel)

Prayerfully reflect on these themes. If you picked up on another, submit it in a comment.

Shalom (Hebrew greeting meaning “peace”)

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Interceding for Others, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant

Yeshua Heals and Casts out Demons

I do not have all the answers for when Yahweh will or will not heal someone. It can be a very emotional subject, of course, when someone prays for healing and does not receive it. At a simplistic level, we must trust Him as a Father. We come before Him and ask and then He will decide. Matthew 8 is one of many places in scripture that records the power and desire of Yeshua to heal, which is also to say the power of the Father to heal.

Matthew 8:14-17

Peter’s Mother-in-law and Many Others Healed

      14When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him. 16When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.”

In this case healing was to fulfill prophecy and also to emphasize that Yeshua was Messiah. But our LORD can and still does heal. In most cases, individuals came to Yeshua to be healed. Coming in itself shows some amount of faith. They were seeking Him out. They asked, did not demand, that he would heal someone. Ultimately that is all we can do… to trust in Him, believe in Him, live submitted to Him, and bring our requests before Him without getting mad or losing faith if He chooses not to answer. In some ways, it is a deeper faith to trust Him even if we do not get that for which we are asking.

I should think we ought to also take note that there is a difference between illness and demon possessed. We largely dismiss the demon possession as an issue today, but why would we assume it is done away with? Is not Satan still coming against us? I believe as a society and even within the church we do not put enough focus on casting out demons being totally separate, though seemingly related by symptoms, from illness. Medicine will not kick out a demon. Ask the LORD to give you insight into this perspective. Maybe some need more prayer and less prescription medicine.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.