Category Archives: Righteousness / Serving God

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Holy / Set Apart, Justice / Judgment, Purposeful / Intentional, Repenting from Sin, Share the Good News, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

We Are Called to Be Salt and Light; Do Not Cause Others to Stumble

We are called by our Lord, Yeshua (Jesus in Hebrew), to be both salt and light. Salt helps preserve food and adds flavor to it, makes it more enjoyable. Light allows us to see well and avoid traps and missteps. We are to be both of these things when we choose to submit to and model our lives after Yeshua.

Matthew 5:13-16

     13“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

      14“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

If we, as disciples of Yeshua, fail to be salt and light, we have little or no purpose in this world. Our lives should reflect His teaching and His truth. We should lead others to Him by our example and our words. If we fail, and lead others astray, especially the children who are dependent on adults for so much, it is bad not only for those children, but for those who led them astray. God will hold us accountable for our influence on others, whether leading them to Him, or away from Him. We best pay attention and get it right.

Mark 9:42-50

     42“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea. 43“If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, 44[where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.] 45“If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, 46[where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.] 47“If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, 48where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.

      49“For everyone will be salted with fire. 50“Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

We are also warned in Mark 9 the importance of avoiding sin. Yeshua provides some dire sounding examples that probably shock most of us when we read them… better to cut off a hand, cut off a foot, poke out an eye… than to be cast into hell. This is not to say we should physically mutilate ourselves, but rather makes a serious point. Hell is a very bad place and it is forever once you are there. It is better to turn away from anything that leads you to sin and disobey God, even if it makes our life in this world more difficult or even downright harsh. This life is temporary. Do what you need to in order to stay away from sin and avoid leading others to sin.

Be the salt and the light to the world. There are eternal consequences for how we choose to live our lives… whether in obedience and faith or rejection and rebellion toward our heavenly Father. Choose wisely and then do not make excuses, for God will not listen to excuses when we face Him in judgment. We are either with Him wholeheartedly or we are against Him. There is no middle ground.

Revelation 3:15-16

      15‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hearing from God, Seeking God, Suffering / Adversity

Continue Seeking God, Even When You Don’t Hear His Voice

It is good that we study the Bible and teach our children about what God has done for His people in the past. Understanding God’s relationship with His people and the amazing things He has done throughout time is a great encouragement when we encounter difficult times or struggles that we do not understand. It helps to build our faith and trust in Him. It can encourage us to continue seeking Him even when we feel He is not answering or we don’t hear His voice.

Psalm 44

Former Deliverances and Present Troubles.

For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.

      1O God, we have heard with our ears,
Our fathers have told us
The work that You did in their days,
In the days of old.

      2You with Your own hand drove out the nations;
Then You planted them;
You afflicted the peoples,
Then You spread them abroad.

      3For by their own sword they did not possess the land,
And their own arm did not save them,
But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence,
For You favored them.

      4You are my King, O God;
Command victories for Jacob.

      5Through You we will push back our adversaries;
Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.

      6For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor will my sword save me.

      7But You have saved us from our adversaries,
And You have put to shame those who hate us.

      8In God we have boasted all day long,
And we will give thanks to Your name forever.

Selah.

      9Yet You have rejected us and brought us to dishonor,
And do not go out with our armies.

      10You cause us to turn back from the adversary;
And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.

      11You give us as sheep to be eaten
And have scattered us among the nations.

      12You sell Your people cheaply,
And have not profited by their sale.

      13You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scoffing and a derision to those around us.

      14You make us a byword among the nations,
A laughingstock among the peoples.

      15All day long my dishonor is before me
And my humiliation has overwhelmed me,

      16Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,
Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger.

      17All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten You,
And we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant.

      18Our heart has not turned back,
And our steps have not deviated from Your way,

      19Yet You have crushed us in a place of jackals
And covered us with the shadow of death.

      20If we had forgotten the name of our God
Or extended our hands to a strange god,

      21Would not God find this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.

      22But for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

      23Arouse Yourself, why do You sleep, O Lord?
Awake, do not reject us forever.

      24Why do You hide Your face
And forget our affliction and our oppression?

      25For our soul has sunk down into the dust;
Our body cleaves to the earth.

      26Rise up, be our help,
And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.

Are you facing a difficult situation in your life? Are you calling out for help from God but not understanding His answer? or wondering if He is answering at all? Call out to Him openly and humbly. Remember the times He has heard and answered the prayer of His people or even specific situations He has been present in your life in the past. Let these previous examples encourage you that He hears your prayer and can respond. We can trust Him, even if we do not understand His answer or why it seems He is not answering yet. Continue seeking Him in humble prayer and asking for His help.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Grace / Patience, Humility, Miracles

He Who Is Not Against Us, Is For Us

As followers of Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus) we can often get caught up in differences of understanding of doctrine to the point where we fight amongst ourselves. In pursuing important discussions about the true doctrine and teaching of Jesus we can be at risk of dividing the body of Christ, rather than uniting it. We can take an important lesson from Christ in how we address these situations.

Mark 9:38-41

      38John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” 39But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. 40“For he who is not against us is for us. 41“For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.

It is important to study, discuss, debate and actually follow the correct teaching of Jesus. We should appropriately rebuke those who identify as followers of Christ but practice or teach wrong doctrine. However, let us remember that those who genuinely call upon Jesus as Lord, even if they do not understand doctrine the same way that we do, are not our enemies. We should help one another as a body of Christ, working together. The true enemy is Satan, and he seeks to divide us so that we can be overcome by evil in the world.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Compassionate, Faith / Trusting God, Help / Serve Others, Slow to Anger, Submitted / Servant

Let’s Be Honest With God; He Already Knows Anyway

How often do we try to put our best face forward to God, to look our best, but then fail to express our deeper doubts or concerns or questions? While this is very normal in a human relationship, it can keep us from truly getting close to God. Besides, He already knows what we are thinking, so why don’t we just be honest with God about all of our concerns and questions?

Mark 9:33-37

    33They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. 35Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, 37“Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”

The disciples struggled at times like we do.  They made similar mistakes and had similar issues to overcome in their walk with Jesus. There were times when they did not feel comfortable answering His questions or asking their own… as if He did not already know. In today’s scripture we see an example of how gracefully Jesus addresses the situation. He first invites them to talk, then He just addresses the subject of the conversation they did not want to admit to Him they were having.

We should not overlook the particular here, as it is very significant. Greatness in the kingdom of God is not the same as greatness in the eyes of men. To be great for God means being servant of all. Further, to receive God we are not to do so with reservations and caveats, but as a little child does, wholeheartedly and without doubts. What a powerful message. Jesus did not want to miss the teaching opportunity with His disciples.

Let’s be honest with God. Share our concerns and questions and even doubts openly with Him and ask for His help. He already knows anyway. Let’s invite Him to help us.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Learning To Pray Effectively, Seeking God

Ask God for Clarity and Understanding

Jesus tried to prepare His disciples for what was to come, in particular as the time for His death and resurrection drew nearer. However, perhaps because he taught so often in parables, the disciples did not understand. What is more interesting to consider, is that they were afraid to ask Him. He certainly never hurt any of them, so it was not fear of physical harm. Perhaps it was fear of being embarrassed or letting Jesus down. Most of us can relate to this fairly well.

Mark 9:30-32

      30From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it. 31For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.” 32But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.

I find it quite often that I am seeking God, and yet not entirely clear on the specific direction for certain situations or decisions. My encouragement to each of you is to ask Him in situations like those. The Lord already knows when we don’t understand, so go ahead and ask Him for clarity in prayer. We should also take heed for when He sends an answer, lest we be biased in looking for the answer we want and miss the answer He is giving. Sometimes it really is that obvious and simple and we make it complicated… like the disciples as they heard Jesus tell them He would suffer and die, but they kept looking for some other meaning.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Merciful

Yeshua, Help My Unbelief!

Praise Yahweh that He sent us a perfect example for us to follow in order to understand how to live in the right relationship with Him. Yeshua demonstrates a marvelous example. I seek to study and learn from His example. Our faith is a key element of effective prayer. Yeshua stressed this over and over in His earthly ministry. However, He also recognizes our failures and treats us with grace and mercy. He knows our faith is not always as strong as it should be.

Pay attention to how Yeshua interacts with the man whose son is suffering in Mark 9. The man does not have absolute faith, but he simply asks Yeshua to help him in his unbelief. Yeshua answers his prayer.

Mark 9:14-29

      14When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. 16And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” 17And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; 18and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” 19And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” 20They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22“It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” 24Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” 25When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” 26After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. 28When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” 29And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

It is truly good news that we do not need perfect faith. We can humbly and openly ask our Father in heaven for His help to strengthen our faith. Praise Yahweh for His grace and mercy!

In what areas do you struggle to trust our Father? Come humbly to Him in prayer, in the name of Yeshua, and ask Him to help you in your unbelief.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please strengthen my faith that You are always with me, even in difficult times. Help me to know confidently that You are able to take care of any challenge in my way. Help me to stay strong in my faith even when You choose not to answer my prayers the way I am hoping/expecting. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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.

Faith / Trusting God, Hope, Learning To Pray Effectively, Prayer, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Strong in Our Weakness

Place Your Hope In Yahweh, Even In Difficult Times

It is easy for us to get discouraged when we experience hard times, when things do not go the way we expect or desire. When we feel overwhelmed, we may begin to feel distant to Jehovah. We are wise to recognize that we need Him in those situations and turn toward Him… seeking Him wholeheartedly for help.

Psalm 43

Prayer for Deliverance.

     1Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation;
O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

      2For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

      3O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your dwelling places.

      4Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.

      5Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.

Many of the Psalms begin with sorrow and difficulty. By turning to Jehovah and calling out to Him and trusting in Him they often end with hope and joy, even before the situation has been resolved or improved. Just reminding ourselves of our Father in heaven and engaging Him in true communication can be of great help.  Place your hope in Jehovah, even when times are tough.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Even in Hard Times, Obey the Lord’s Instructions

Zedekiah was at war. Babylon was pressing against him. He was going to lose. This was a high-pressure situation. At this time, God was also calling on Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem to turn back to His ways, to obey His instructions. The specific example used here was in regard to the treatment of Hebrew servants. The people obeyed at first but then turned back to their old ways. God was not pleased and there were consequences.

As we reflect on this passage of scripture, let’s seek to apply the lessons to our own lives. Just because you are going through a difficult time does not mean it is ok to turn away from God’s ways. In my life, I have experienced times when I was struggling with a key issue or issues. I was not fully at peace or finding rest in the LORD. I allowed myself to drift in my discipline to bring the family together daily for prayer and devotionals. It was not lack of faith. It was not lack of desire. It was almost a weariness from struggling with the challenges I was facing.

Regardless of the reason, hard times and challenges are not a good excuse for allowing ourselves to fall away from what the LORD is calling us to do, whether it is personal and specific to us or whether it is general in that everyone who follows God should be doing it.

Jeremiah 34

A Prophecy against Zedekiah

      1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, with all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying, 2“Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him: “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire. 3‘You will not escape from his hand, for you will surely be captured and delivered into his hand; and you will see the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he will speak with you face to face, and you will go to Babylon.’”’ 4“Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the LORD concerning you, ‘You will not die by the sword. 5‘You will die in peace; and as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you; and they will lament for you, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word,” declares the LORD.

      6Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem 7when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the remaining cities of Judah, that is, Lachish and Azekah, for they alone remained as fortified cities among the cities of Judah.

      8The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them: 9that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman; so that no one should keep them, a Jew his brother, in bondage. 10And all the officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, so that no one should keep them any longer in bondage; they obeyed, and set them free. 11But afterward they turned around and took back the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection for male servants and for female servants.

      12Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 13“Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘I made a covenant with your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, saying, 14“At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me. 15“Although recently you had turned and done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming release to his neighbor, and you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name. 16“Yet you turned and profaned My name, and each man took back his male servant and each man his female servant whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your male servants and female servants.”’

      17“Therefore thus says the LORD, ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,’ declares the LORD, ‘to the sword, to the pestilence and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18‘I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts— 19the officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the court officers and the priests and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf— 20I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. 21‘Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has gone away from you. 22‘Behold, I am going to command,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring them back to this city; and they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.’”

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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.

Faith / Trusting God, Greed, Guide, Persecution / Glorifying God, Submitted / Servant, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

What Does It Profit A Man To Gain The World?

Yeshua has a way of putting things in sharp focus for His followers.  If we are to follow Him, we must deny ourselves, shoulder difficulties, and follow Him. The world will often come against us. If we try to save our own life to do with as we will, instead of as God wills, then we will lose eternal life.

Mark 8:34-38

      34And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37“For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

If we seek after Yeshua wholeheartedly, we will experience eternal life. He will save our soul. If we pursue the worldly things we shall perish, even if we gain the whole world along the way.

Take time to reflect on verses 37 and 38 above. This is serious business. Do not be ashamed of our Savior or the word of God in this world or He will be ashamed of us when we come before God.

It is the ultimate “choose your own adventure” opportunity. Will you follow Yeshua to the Father? or Will you pursue the world? One must be master. You can not serve both or you will love one and hate the other (Luke 16:13).

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead and guide me through the Holy Spirit so that I would truly be passionate for You and not ashamed. Help me to pick up my cross and follow You. Help me be joyful in doing so. Help me to lay down my life for and devote my life for You and the gospel message of salvation You represent. Amen.

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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.

All Knowing, Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Submitted / Servant

Accept God’s Way of Doing Things Even When You Don’t Understand It

The Father’s ways are higher than our ways. We will not always understand why He does things a certain way. Nonetheless, we should strive to understand and accept things through His perspective and interests rather than our own. Sometimes there is death and suffering. Sometimes it serves His purpose and He not only allows it but brings it about. This does not make Him wrong because we don’t like it.

Mark 8:31-33

      31And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Is there something you are experiencing in your life that is difficult to understand? A death or illness of a loved one? We will not always understand why God heals or does not heal, but we can submit ourselves to serve Him and worship Him either way. We can set our minds to submit to Him. If we stumble in this, we can ask His forgiveness and we can always ask Him for help.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, I ask You to help me to see things through Your eyes. Help me not to judge with my own. Help me to be strong in my faith, even when things are difficult and I am having a hard time. You are good all the time. Amen. 

Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

—-

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.