Category Archives: Fear / Reverence for God

All Powerful / King of All, Compassionate, Fear / Reverence for God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Return to Me with All Your Heart

Joel 2 focuses on the coming judgment of YHWH on His people for their disobedience. Even as the mighty judgment comes, there is but one wise choice for those who have denied or rebelled against the LORD… repent.

Joel 2:12-13

12“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning;

13And rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.

The same is true for us today. No matter how bad your situation may be, do not give up. You cannot stand against or run from the judgment of YHWH. The only wise choice, the only hopeful choice, is to come before Him humbly and repent, asking forgiveness. Do not be fooled, however. Even if we feel like our situation is not dire or dramatic. We should still take care to return to Him with all our heart. Let us not just submit to Him in part, but completely. Let us not submit to Him resentfully, but joyfully.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to submit to You and repent from my wicked ways. Please forgive me and help me to embrace You with all my  heart. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, False Prophets / Teachers, Fear / Reverence for God, Jesus (hearing from God), Obeying God, Prophecy, Salvation, Tribulation

Jesus Prophecies About the Temple Destruction and His Return (Part 2)

Jesus continues His prophetic response to Peter, James, John and Andrew regarding three important questions in Matthew 24:15-31. They are having a private discussion on the mount of olives. The questions were: “When will the temple be destroyed?”, ” What will be the sign of Your coming?”, and “What will be the sign of the end of the age?” (If you missed it, we encourage you to read Part 1, before you read further here in Part 2.)

    15“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17“Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18“Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20“But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22“Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25“Behold, I have told you in advance. 26“So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 27“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28“Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

      29“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31“And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Jesus provides no specific answer as to when the temple will be destroyed. In fact He answers in a way that intermingles the description of the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age so that it is at times difficult to separate which comments apply for which event. He  answers as if both the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age may be described by a similar answer… as if one is a  foreshadowing one for the other.

Let us break it down verse by verse for more insight.

15“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

The abomination of desolation refers to the Roman army’s occupation of Jerusalem preceding the city’s destruction and the desecration of the temple resulting from the actions of Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the mid-2nd century BC. Specifically, he set up an altar to Zeus in the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and sacrificed swine on it around the year 167 BC.

The destruction of Jerusalem after the Jewish people rejected Jesus Christ as Messiah may represent a foreshadowing of the end of the world when Christ comes again after many reject Him.

16then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17“Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18“Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

This section of the prophecy clearly warns God’s people to be prepared. Recognize the signs and move quickly and urgently. There is no time to spare. It will be difficult. In regards to the Roman siege of Jerusalem, those who heeded Jesus’ prophecy were able to get out before the siege began, escaping to the countryside or wilderness. Those who were not prepared… who did not recognize the signs… would have been trapped in the middle of it.

So too we must prepare ourselves for the end of the age… the end of the world. We must be ready for it. The most important preparation is to turn from our wrong behaviors and thoughts (our sins)… to ask Jesus for forgiveness and make Him Lord of our life. (read more: The Message of the Cross – Salvation)

20“But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22“Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Followers of Christ were not spared the tribulation of the siege of Jerusalem by God removing them from the situation. If they were prepared and heeded Jesus’ prophetic warning to leave, then their time was less hard… but still hard.  So, too, will it be at the end of the age. Christians will not be spared the great tribulation, but can take refuge in knowing what it brings and through personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus encourages us to pray that our part of the tribulation would be more manageable… less harsh… so that we may endure it to the end. We should do as Jesus guides and pray.

23“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25“Behold, I have told you in advance. 26“So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.

Jesus’ comments here appear to apply more toward the end times rather than the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. He warns us clearly to watch out for the deception of false prophets who will claim to be Christ or speak for God. We must study scripture daily, seek God in prayer, and pray for God’s help to recognize the false prophets for what they are… lest they lead us astray. There are many today, leading people away from Jesus, claiming to teach His word. Each of us must heed this warning and take action in our lives to prepare. We must not be lazy in our study and prayer… doing it “when we have time”. We must seek first the kingdom of God.

Matthew 6:33 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

27“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Jesus is letting us know that when He returns… it will be in a manner very different than we may imagine and very different from every false Christ. The second coming of Jesus shall be like lightning… swift, unexpected, and powerful. There is some thought that even the manner in which the Romans came to conquer Jerusalem can be compared to this prophecy… again as perhaps a foreshadowing of the end of the age.

 28“Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

To be honest, this verse is a bit tougher to understand with confidence. It may refer to wherever a church or nation has rejected God… is dead to God… and is decaying… there God’s ministers of vengeance, the vultures, do their work of destruction so as to leave room for new life.

 29“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31“And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Verses 29-31 again reinforce that Jesus’ return will not be subtle. It will be magnificent and obvious for those who are prepared to recognize it. His return will not be something that is unclear at all but rather He will come in great power.

All the tribes of the earth will mourn… all those who have rejected Jesus and instead chosen another path fear the coming of judgment. If they do not fear it now… they will fear it as Jesus returns in full power and glory and they can no longer rationalize their denial and rejection of Him.

The angels are sent forth with great fanfare to gather those on the earth who have chosen and submitted to Jesus, for they were scattered.

For those of us who follow and submit to Jesus, this time represents a wonderful time for celebration! For those who reject Jesus , it is a time to dread… judgment comes and they are on the wrong side of it.

Thankfully, we do not have to fully understand prophecy to understand what Jesus is calling us to do to prepare. We are called to accept Jesus as Lord repenting from our sins, become disciples through constant study and prayer, and then go and make disciples of others. This is how we prepare for the end times… to be ready even though we do not know exactly when it comes. We know enough to recognize that we better devote our lives to Jesus and help others to do the same. That is how we prepare.

Get started by learning some key teachings:

Then we invite you to study the Bible with us daily through our devotions via email, Facebook, or on our website Latest Devotions page.

Click link to continue to Part 3 in this article series.

Please pray with me:

Father, please help me to come to proper relationship with You now. Let me not put it off, assuming it only matters that I am doing what is right when You return. Help me to strengthen my faith, my passion for Your word, to worship You, to spend time with You, to share the gospel with others. Help me to know when I hear from You. Lead me to repent of my sins. Help me to prepare now, this very day. Amen. 

If you have questions or want to know more, please Contact Us.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

Fear / Reverence for God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Marriage, Obeying God, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant

Marriage Can Draw Us Near or Drive Us Apart from Our Father

Ezra 10 can be a troubling chapter for many to read and digest. It wrestles with a very challenging situation. Yahweh told His people not to intermarry with others that had been in the promised land before he delivered it to them. There were good reasons as He knew intermarrying with these pagans would compromise and blend the way His people were living so that it would no longer be focused solely on His ways and relationship with Him. It would lead to separation between the people and their God.

After the exiles returned to Jerusalem, there were quite a few who intermarried with the people there. This came to the surface before Ezra, and we see a collective recognition that this was wrong and needs to be addressed. Ultimately it is addressed by those who intermarried “putting away” their wives. This is where the conflict comes up for most of us and we will explore some scripture below. Once married, and some with children, it is hard for us today to conclude that putting away the wives is the right solution. At least for that specific situation, the scriptures present it as an acceptable or appropriate answer. We are left to reconcile and reflect on that, hopefully to ultimately draw us nearer to the LORD.

For all of this, however, remember there was specific command not to intermarry in this specific situation. There is also a general principle that intermarrying with people of different spiritual beliefs or faiths is not acceptable.

Ezra 10

Reconciliation with God

      1Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly. 2Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. 3“So now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. 4“Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act.”

      5Then Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites and all Israel, take oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath. 6Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. 7They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, 8and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

      9So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. 10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel. 11“Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” 12Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, “That’s right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do. 13“But there are many people; it is the rainy season and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter. 14“Let our leaders represent the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us.” 15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

      16But the exiles did so. And Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of fathers’ households for each of their father’s households, all of them by name. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. 17They finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month.

List of Offenders

      18Among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. 19They pledged to put away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their offense. 20Of the sons of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah; 21and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah; 22and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.

      23Of Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.

      24Of the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri.

      25Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah; 26and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah; 27and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza; 28and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai; 29and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth; 30and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh; 31and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah; 33of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei; 34of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, 38Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42Shallum, Amariah and Joseph. 43Of the sons of Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah. 44All these had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

There are some clear themes. Put Yahweh first. Obey His commandments, and it is really important to do so. If you are in disobedience to His instructions, even in something very dear or important to you, turn back to His ways and repent. There should be nothing more precious to you than Yahweh. We have strength when we come together as a community to address sin that is pervasive in our culture. We are to be fully submitted to Yahweh. Not only should our own sin weigh heavy on us if we do not repent, but also the sin of our community or nation as well. This is harder when essentially living in exile within a nation that by and large is clearly not committed to living according to God’s ways. I would emphasize again that this issue of marriage highlighted here is not an absolute about marrying someone from another geography or nation or skin color. It has to do with intermarrying against God’s command with the specific group of pagans who inhabited the promised land and whose worship and faith were in conflict with the commands of Yahweh.

I do not try to claim that how the people responded in Ezra 10 is the absolute answer to marriages today where we find ourselves divided in our faith. There is clearly a warning not to intermarry with someone of a different faith. However, if that has already happened, or if one spouse comes to Yahweh through Yeshua after marriage, we find ourselves in a different situation. Paul speaks to this in 2 Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17

    14Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

16Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
“I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

      17“Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord.
“AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;
And I will welcome you.

1 Corinthians 7:10-16

    10But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband 11(but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.

      12But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. 14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. 15Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. 16For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

There is a bit of an important twist in differentiating in verses 10 and 12 what instruction is from God and what is from Paul. There is a difference, of course.

For reference, I am also including:

Deuteronomy 7:1-6

1“When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to take possession of it, and He drives away many nations from before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, 2and when the LORD your God turns them over to you and you defeat them, you shall utterly destroy them. You shall not make a covenant with them nor be gracious to them. 3Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them: you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. 4For they will turn your sons away from following Me, and they will serve other gods; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you. 5But this is what you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, smash their memorial stones, cut their Asherim to pieces, and burn their carved images in the fire. 6For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His personal possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Clearly there is a lot to digest here. Take time to consider it and reflect on it. Even if you can’t get full clarity on all of it, remember the core principles highlighted above to help avoid getting into this type of difficult situation. Seek the LORD for wisdom for any specific situation you may be experiencing. Seek wise and godly counsel as well.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, I pray You would lead Your people in holiness in regards to marriage. Unite Your people that they would draw near to one another and stand together. Let us remain distinct and apart from others around us who do not know or follow You. Please help us so that our daughters and sons are not led away from You through marriage, but rather strengthened through marriage in their pursuit of Your ways and a relationship with You. 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.

Fear / Reverence for God, Heaven and Hell, Purposeful / Intentional, Share the Good News, Thankfulness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Don’t wait for a sign!

Many of us know someone who has embraced the idea that they will accept Jesus when He gives them a sign. Others who may have accepted Jesus are waiting for a sign before they tell others boldly about Him.

This can be a trap! The truth is that God has already given us many signs and miracles. They are well documented in the Bible. If we wait for Him to send another sign before we accept Him or before we choose to share the good news of the gospel with others… it may be too late for us and for those we love.

In Luke 16:19-31 [NLT] Jesus tells us about Lazarus and a rich man.  Lazarus is a poor man who despite much hardship in his life accepted God. The rich man, despite much luxury and worldly gain,  rejected God. They both die and the rich man finds himself in hell, but able to see Lazarus in heaven.  He realizes it is too late for him and immediately thinks of those he loves…

“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him [Lazarus] to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’

Jesus Himself died for us and has risen from the dead. He was a public, recognizable figure. He was publicly brutalized with many witnesses and executed in broad daylight for all to see. After rising on the third day he was witnessed by hundreds of people over several weeks moving about in good health. All of this is well documented.

Sadly, most of the world and even most of those that have heard about Jesus Christ do not accept Him as Lord and Savior, even though He died and rose again to come back and tell us.

Don’t miss the opportunity to accept Jesus as your savior, to share Him with those you know, and to share the Good News even with those you don’t know as you interact with them in your daily walk.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to stand boldly for You and to submit and serve You with confidence. Help me not make excuses to be silent. Make me more uncomfortable to sit silently by not telling people about You than I ever would feel uncomfortable sharing the good news! 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, Fear / Reverence for God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Humility

Why Did God Allow This Hardship to Happen?

There is much suffering in this world and many situations that we as believers may struggle to understand. We may find ourselves asking, “Why did God allow this to happen?”. There will always be things we do not fully understand, but it is truly important to draw near to God during these times… draw closer to Him… do not let suffering or lack of understanding on your part separate you from God.

Proverbs 3:5-7  5Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. 7Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

From a practical perspective, when we are looking to God to help us out of difficulty or to help us prosper while experiencing it, if we allow ourselves to drift away from Him, we will be less able to hear His instructions and guidance. During these times we want to draw near and listen closely to what God has to tell us. I want to serve God and honor Him even in suffering and trials. I want to learn what He is trying to teach me and let Him use me.

Consider the death of Stephen and persecution of the early followers of Christ by those who claimed to be righteous… Jewish religious leaders. There was much persecution and suffering amongst the early church. The followers of Yeshua fled Jerusalem and spread the message of the gospel to other locations. Imagine if they would have just gotten mad at Yahweh and stopped following Yeshua to avoid a difficult situation… they would have been lost and Yah’s plan to spread the good news of Messiah across the world would not have progressed the way He desired.

The early followers of Yeshua obeyed Yahweh and proclaimed the good news to others despite persecution. They began by preaching to only Jewish people. During this time of suffering, though, they still trusted the LORD and when they heard His guidance to proclaim the gospel to Jews and Gentiles, they did. God brought a tremendous harvest of new believers from the Gentiles.  The early church believed and trusted Yahweh even during persecution and hardship. As a result, He was able to use them in a mighty way to the glory of His kingdom.

None of the early disciples of Yeshua were thinking… “If only we could be persecuted and scattered, that would be great.” or “We should preach to the Gentiles.” But they were faithful and served the LORD regardless of difficulty and circumstance. Praise and glory to Yahweh, the faithful servants flourished in the situation in which He planted them and then were able to hear His instructions to adjust their course and bring the gospel to a great number of believers. Now, 2000 years later, see how many followers of Yeshua were not among the Jewish people! How much of the harvest would have been missed if Yeshua’s disciples did not listen?

We can also see that in suffering, which came as a famine in this case, believers pulled together to help one another. This principle is important for us to remember. I am sure these early Gentile disciples did not fully and properly understand the instructions of Yah such as the Law. That is why Paul was there teaching for so long. Despite some variation in understanding and practice of how they pursued the LORD, they pulled together in unity. Of course, I am sure it helped to have a clear leader in Paul to teach them all they needed to know. We tend to lack that today, though many teachers are out there with differing understanding of how to live for the LORD.

Acts 11:19-30

The Church at Antioch

      19So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. 23Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. 25And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; 26and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

      27Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. 29And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. 30And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

Keep your eyes, ears and heart open for Yah’s direction for you in the midst of the difficulties you may be experiencing. How might He be using this situation or guiding you to further His kingdom? Do not despair, He is with you and can cause all things to work together for the good of those who believe in Him.

Romans 8:28  28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

How can you obey Yah and allow Him to use you in the midst of hard situations you are experiencing today? How can you help other disciples of Yeshua who are experiencing difficulty?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please raise up teachers like Paul to instruct and lead Your people in a return to Your instructions for how we are to live and worship. Help the disciples of Yeshua pull together to move toward restoration of living as Yeshua demonstrated, according to Your ways rather than the ways of man. Please help us have unity in moving toward proper understanding and living out of Your teaching in the scriptures. 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.

Blessed, Fear / Reverence for God, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Scripture (e.g. Bible), Seeking God, Teachable, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

What Does It Look Like to Do Right in the Sight of the LORD?

Most of us can identify with Josiah if we think about it. No, we are not king of Judah or another nation. However, for those of us who are seeking to follow Yeshua and live as He taught and lived, we can see ourselves surrounded by traditions of men mixed even within those around us who claim to follow Him. There are all sorts of customs and traditions now which are completely against biblical teaching from society but are embedded even with many churches. Even the traditions of many genuinely well intended people who are trying to follow Yeshua are mixed and mingled.

We see in Josiah a good example of what we need to do. We are not to simply accept things as they are, knowing that is not what Yah wants. We are not to simply add on the proper traditions and instructions on top of the man-made traditions and allow mixing and mingling of how we worship and live. Within the scope of our influence and control, we are to pull down the wrong traditions and turn away from them. We are to return to Yah’s ways! We must seek Him in the scriptures and not just accept whatever current church doctrine or a pastor teaches.  We must test everything and hold to what is good. We must turn away from the rest!

2 Chronicles 34

Josiah Succeeds Amon in Judah

      1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2He did right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images. 4They tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars that were high above them he chopped down; also the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images he broke in pieces and ground to powder and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars and purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins, 7he also tore down the altars and beat the Asherim and the carved images into powder, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Josiah Repairs the Temple

      8Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah an official of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. 9They came to Hilkiah the high priest and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the doorkeepers, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10Then they gave it into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and the workmen who were working in the house of the LORD used it to restore and repair the house. 11They in turn gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy quarried stone and timber for couplings and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. 12The men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to supervise: Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, and the Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments. 13They were also over the burden bearers, and supervised all the workmen from job to job; and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.

Hilkiah Discovers Lost Book of the Law

      14When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the LORD given by Moses. 15Hilkiah responded and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. 16Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and reported further word to the king, saying, “Everything that was entrusted to your servants they are doing. 17“They have also emptied out the money which was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hands of the supervisors and the workmen.” 18Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

      19When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes. 20Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 21“Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

Huldah, the Prophetess, Speaks

      22So Hilkiah and those whom the king had told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her regarding this. 23She said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, 24thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah. 25“Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place and it shall not be quenched.”’ 26“But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus you will say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel regarding the words which you have heard, 27“Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the LORD. 28“Behold, I will gather you to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.”’” And they brought back word to the king.

      29Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30The king went up to the house of the LORD and all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.

Josiah’s Good Reign

      31Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book. 32Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve the LORD their God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn from following the LORD God of their fathers.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please raise up leaders on a local, regional, national and global scale to lead Your people back to Your ways and away from the traditions of men for worship. Help each of us to have courage and discernment to lead in our areas of influence and control. Help Your people who are following Your ways increase in number and fellowship together. 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, All Powerful / King of All, Anger (unrighteous anger), Arrogance, Bitterness / Resentment, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Fear / Reverence for God, Obeying God, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Unteachable / Foolish, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Seek the LORD Before Partnering With the Unrighteous

There are some historical records in the Bible that rival any movie plot line today for intrigue, excitement, and plot twists. 2 Chronicles 18 is one of them. For context we must understand that Jehoshaphat is righteous in obeying the LORD and Ahab is not.

There are many angles we could explore in this action packed chapter that are timeless principles to live by. One of them I want to encourage you to focus on is the decision of Jehoshaphat, a righteous king of Judah, to be persuaded to come and fight alongside Ahab, a wicked king of Israel. Was that a wise decision? What did God say about the battle through His prophets? Did Jehoshaphat listen?

2 Chronicles 18

Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

      1Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab. 2Some years later he went down to visit Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. 3Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And he said to him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, and we will be with you in the battle.”

      4Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” 5Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” 7The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”

Ahab’s False Prophets Assure Victory

      8Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah, Imla’s son.” 9Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’” 11All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.”

Micaiah Brings Word from God

      12Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably.” 13But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak.”

      14When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” He said, “Go up and succeed, for they will be given into your hand.” 15Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”

16So he said,
“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
Like sheep which have no shepherd;
And the LORD said,
‘These have no master.
Let each of them return to his house in peace.’”

17Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

      18Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. 19“The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. 20“Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the LORD said to him, ‘How?’ 21“He said, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and prevail also. Go and do so.’ 22“Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.”

      23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?” 24Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself.” 25Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son; 26and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.”’” 27Micaiah said, “If you indeed return safely, the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people.”

Ahab’s Defeat and Death

      28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. 29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. 30Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.” 31So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel,” and they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God diverted them from him. 32When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33A certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the fight, for I am severely wounded.” 34The battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died.

The fact is that Jehoshaphat allied himself with Ahab by marriage. That may seem like a good idea to keep the peace between Israel and Judah, but it influenced Jehoshaphat to consider partnering with Ahab when there was not a good reason for him to do so. We should take great care when partnering with those who are not righteous for some earthly task or mission, especially if it is a mission of their choosing and not directed by God.

I do want to give Jehoshaphat some credit. He rightly saw through the false prophets and asked for a prophet of the LORD as a reliable indicator of what they should do. We, too, should ask the LORD to guide us in our major decisions in life and seek His answer. What baffles me though, is that once the prophet of the LORD spoke and indicated defeat, Jehoshaphat still went to battle with Ahab. That was a mistake. It almost cost him his life. The LORD  protected Jehoshaphat because he was righteous before the LORD and cried out for help. That is the LORD’s mercy in action, baling him out of a bad decision.

I suppose one last perspective I will highlight is a reflection on Ahab. He called the prophet Micaiah, a prophet of the LORD. He missed the point that he speaks what the LORD tells him and got angry at the messenger blaming him for prophesying “bad news”. If he would have humbled himself a bit, perhaps he would have remembered the point of the prophet is not to decide victory or defeat, but to tell you what the LORD says. The fact that tried to use deception and disguise to hedge himself against the prophecy and his death is once again telling. He is missing the point that you can’t hide from the LORD. If the LORD says you will die if you attack, you can’t hide in costume and avoid it.

If I were to sum up to a very high level, I would say we  all need to take caution, seek the LORD, and listen to Him before partnering with the unrighteous to accomplish something we think will work in our own eyes. Instead, remain partnered with God Himself and listen to His guidance.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me (and all Your people) to have wisdom in regards to with whom we partner and collaborate. Help lead and guide us. Thank You for Your protection, grace and mercy when we stumble and make mistakes. Thank You for Your blessing as we walk with You. Help us rely on You and You alone rather than the unrighteous men steeped in the ways of the world. 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, Fear / Reverence for God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Obeying God, Peace / Rest, Purposeful / Intentional, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

If You Seek the LORD, He Will Let You Find Him

If you seek the LORD, He will let You find Him. If you forsake Him, He will forsake you. This is a powerful message from the LORD. Take it to heart. The LORD does not change. This message is still true for us today. Pay attention to both parts. Too often we only want to pay attention to the positive half of the covenant.

2 Chronicles 15

The Prophet Azariah Warns Asa

      1Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, 2and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3“For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. 4“But in their distress they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. 5“In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6“Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. 7“But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work.”

Asa’s Reforms

      8Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD which was in front of the porch of the LORD. 9He gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who resided with them, for many defected to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. 10So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11They sacrificed to the LORD that day 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil they had brought. 12They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and soul; 13and whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14Moreover, they made an oath to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets and with horns. 15All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had sought Him earnestly, and He let them find Him. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.

      16He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from the position of queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah, and Asa cut down her horrid image, crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa’s heart was blameless all his days. 18He brought into the house of God the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils. 19And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

Asa’s faith and obedience was not just in words. He took bold action to show his loyalty and faithfulness before Yahweh. He took on some aggressive changes among his people and even with his mother. He put Yahweh first, as we should do still today.

It appears from verse 17 that he left some things undone. He was not perfect, yet his heart was blameless all his days. That is an encouragement to me. I have taken bold action in my life to put the LORD and His ways first, ahead of family and cultural traditions. It has created conflict and difficulty. However, I know I am still not perfect and have more I need to learn and do to fully honor my LORD. I find it encouraging that we need not be perfect in our execution to have our heart be blameless before the LORD.  We also see that God provided many years of peace for Asa. He was blessed because His heart was toward the LORD and that was demonstrated by his bold actions for the LORD.

Ask God to show you what there is in your life that you should remove. It may be holidays based in pagan roots, and replacing them with His holy days, the Moedim. It may be coveting. It may be loving others and making time to serve and help them. It may be many things. Seek the LORD and ask courage and discernment to make the changes you need to make to honor Him and put Him first. Take caution, however, if you find yourself claiming your heart is toward the LORD, but you take no action that reflects that. That may be an indication that your heart is not fully devoted to the LORD as top priority. Said another way, if someone had to prove your heart was to the LORD fully through the evidence of your actions… could they prove it beyond a reasonable doubt?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your word and Your Spirit. Thank You for inviting me to know, love, and serve You. Help me to be like Asa, with a blameless heart before You, taking bold action to turn my life and the lives of others I influence back to You and Your ways and away from cultural and family norms that conflict with Your ways. Raise up more workers to help in this harvest among all Your people who call upon Your name and seek You through Yeshua. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

Blessed, Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Learning To Pray Effectively, Obeying God, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Strong in Our Weakness, Submitted / Servant, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Do Right in the Sight of the LORD

Good things happen when we do “good and right in the sight of the LORD”. Our LORD can provide peace and success over challenges and enemies that we could not otherwise achieve. This principle applies in our personal lives today as it did thousands of years ago regarding war.

2 Chronicles 14

Asa Succeeds Abijah in Judah

      1So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days.

      2Asa did good and right in the sight of the LORD his God, 3for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim, 4and commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment. 5He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. 6He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and there was no one at war with him during those years, because the LORD had given him rest. 7For he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8Now Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing shields and wielding bows; all of them were valiant warriors.

      9Now Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10So Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up in battle formation in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.” 12So the LORD routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar; and so many Ethiopians fell that they could not recover, for they were shattered before the LORD and before His army. And they carried away very much plunder. 14They destroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the dread of the LORD had fallen on them; and they despoiled all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. 15They also struck down those who owned livestock, and they carried away large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

If we pull apart the events in this chapter of scripture a bit, we can highlight some key principles we should consider personally applying in our own lives.

1- Asa did right in the sight of the LORD before there was a war, before there was a direct challenge in front of him.

Don’t assume taking down the altars and false places of worship was without difficulty. People cling to their family and cultural traditions. There would have been resistance and disruption in this change. Asa did what was right anyway. I can point to some significant disruption in my life just pivoting away from celebrations based on pagan roots like Christmas and Easter to God’s holy days, or Moedim. It stirs up resistance to lead others through this change. It takes courage of conviction to proceed. It is not the easy path.  The easy path is to rationalize that these ungodly things are “ok” or focus on “what they mean to me” instead of what they mean to God. It can be hard to step away from family and cultural traditions in favor of what God wants us to do.

2- Asa was diligent in making preparations for defense before there was a battle. He did not just say, “God will provide”, and then do nothing. He trusted God but also prepared with purpose. He recognized that God was providing Him the peace and He should take advantage of it.

3- Asa called upon the LORD in His time of need, giving glory and honor to God as the one who can deliver them.

4- Asa waged war, even engaging in a conflict which by human eyes he should expect to lose. This action was evidence of his faith. His army fought and God blessed them. They did not all have a picnic and wait for God to disperse the enemy. One example of how we may apply this today could be that we pray against abortion, but we also organize, protest, communicate and engage with others around us, actively engage politicians and challenge them to support our views, vote based on what we say we believe… without rationalizing or compromising. Obviously this can apply to many things. Abortion is just one example today.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to trust in You fully, in peace and in conflict. Help give me wisdom for the decision I should make to have success in both peace and conflict. Please raise up the righteous and protect us as Your people. Defeat the wicked. Bring us peace that glorifies Your name. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

 

 

 

 

Devotions by John, Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Government, Obeying God, Persecution / Glorifying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant

Will You Live Fully for Yahweh? Or Will You Compromise When Threatened?

There are times when the decisions of those governing our nations have significant impact on our personal lives and may truly test our devotion and commitment to our LORD. It is not hard to see this playing out in our world today. Whether it is related to COVID or the government response to it which threatens personal freedom in many cases across the globe or whether it is persecution in Muslim countries like Iran and Afghanistan or atheistic countries like China, choosing to live boldly a life publicly committed to Christ can cause many to make difficult choices affecting their lives dramatically.

This is not a new situation. We can see an example of this in 2 Chronicles following the split of the kingdom after the death of Solomon. The Levites in Israel were removed by Jeroboam from their God given duties and he appointed his own priests and places of worship. The Levites had to make a choice about whether they would remain in such a situation or not. They would have to decide whether to leave their pasture lands and property behind in pursuit of living for Yahweh or whether they would make excuses to remain in the ungodly situation they found themselves in.

2 Chronicles 11:14-17

Jeroboam Appoints False Priests

      14For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD. 15He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made. 16Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. 17They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

This is not theoretical for people all around the globe today. It is real. Will I choose to live for Yahweh? Will I choose to proclaim Yeshua as the way? or will I go silent? Will I let government and employers determine how I will live because of the persecution that will follow… losing a job or losing one’s life?

I am fortunately not in a situation where my life or that of my family is at stake. I am, however, potentially impacted by government and employer mandates that may conflict with my faith. Most of us have to make a decision about how openly we share our faith in our workplace and what the implications may be. I am trying to prepare myself ahead of time for such a time as I see others experiencing today. I ask God’s help and I decide up front what I will or will not do. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD, even if there are significant ramifications.

I encourage each of you to seek God on this before you find yourself in such a situation. Be prepared. Take steps to get out of debt and live less paycheck to paycheck so you are not so dependent on employers or government. Can you stock up food? Can you save 6 months spending in the bank to give you cushion if you lose your job? Can you start gardening some of your own food? Can you build up your skills to be able to generate income on your own? There are many such steps as these to consider and consider them prayerfully.

I invite you to pray for me:

Father, please help me to prepare for difficult times that may come. Help me to be courageous to live for You and You alone. Let me not be coerced to live differently for fear of losing my job or my life. Help Your people everywhere with this type of situation. Raise up the righteous and be their shield. Strike down the plans of the wicked. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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