Category Archives: Study the Word

Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Love, Loving / Kind, Seeking God, Study the Word

You Are Not Far From The Kingdom Of God

How can we sum up the whole of the law and the prophets concisely? How can we pull together a high level mission statement we can all get our minds around that is the foundation for all of God’s instruction?

Leave it to Jesus to bring about such a summary:

  • There is one God. We shall love Him above all else.
  • Love others as we love ourselves.

Mark 12:28-34

    28One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31“The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

What a wonderful summary. If we do these things in the way that God’s word instructs us, we are not far from the kingdom of God.

Take care, however. While the summary is a great tool to bring with us, we should also dig deep in study and prayer to fully understand God’s word for how to love Him and how to love others. Love does not mean we just stay happy with everyone no matter what they do… and neither does God. Love means we care deeply to help others understand what is best for them and that means establishing boundaries and clear sense of right and wrong. Not everything is ok and accepting all behavior is not demonstrating God’s love.

Will you make the investment to understand how to love God and love others? Will you live it beyond just words and let it direct your path in life? Let us challenge each other to go deeper into God’s word and live it out as a way of testifying to others about Him!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me understand how You define loving You and loving others. Help me to live that out in a way that is pleasing to You and brings glory to You. Help me to live joyfully and gratefully. 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.

Discerning / Judging, Heaven and Hell, Jesus (hearing from God), Marriage, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Share the Good News, Study the Word, Teachable

Be Ready In Season and Out of Season

Yeshua was always prepared to give an answer to help lead people to greater understanding of the kingdom of heaven. Whether the questioners sought to trap Him, or genuinely learn, Yeshua never missed an opportunity to make an important point to His audience. He was prepared to speak to the scriptures at all times.

Mark 12:13-34

Jesus Answers the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes

      13Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. 14They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15“Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” 16They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.

      18Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, 19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN’S BROTHER DIES and leaves behind a wife AND LEAVES NO CHILD, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER. 20“There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. 21“The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; 22and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also. 23“In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.” 24Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? 25“For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26“But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, and the God of Jacob’? 27“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.”

      28One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31“The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

We should study and learn from these thoughtful and quick responses which Yeshua gave as well as reflect internally upon our own preparation to provide an answer to those who may ask questions. Ask yourself… “Are you prepared to share God’s message? Are you willing to share God’s message?” Are you prepared to speak even if someone is baiting or trapping you with the question? 

Before you answer too quickly and move on in your day… ask yourself also “When was the last time you did share God’s message?”

2 Timothy 4:2

2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me be prepared to always speak of You and Your scriptures to others. Help provide for me the words to speak in wisdom to help others draw nearer to You and shut down those who wish only trouble. 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.

 

Study the Word

Study the Word

Study the Word

The world pushes non-Christian and false Christian values. As Christians we are called to reject the world and seek and follow Jesus Christ. We are to be set apart for God, to be holy. To do this effectively we must develop a clear understanding of God’s word and then submit to it. This requires that we do more than just go to church once a week.

God wants us to study His word daily to know Him more intimately. He provides the scriptures, inclusive of Old and New Testament, to tell us how we should live and how we should relate to Him and each other. We show love to Him by obeying His commands. How can we obey, if we do not clearly understand? How can we understand clearly if we do not study continuously? We must also allow ourselves to be teachable, that is to accept what scripture says even when it contradicts what churches teach or culture accepts. Only in this way can we actually change our behaviors to honor YHWH more faithfully.

Jesus demonstrated personally the importance of studying scripture and He learned it well. In fact, it is a clear understanding of scripture that allowed Him to avoid Satan’s deception when Jesus was tempted in the desert.

As a community of Christians, we can work together by sharing resources that help guide us to more deeply understand God’s word.

I have included in the subpages associated with this page books and other resources I personally recommend to help you study God’s word more deeply and to help you live in a way that honors God. It is very important to remember, however, that all we learn and study about God must be tested against the word of God in both the Old and New Testament and against the life of Jesus Christ, who was the word of God become flesh to dwell among us. All other resources, including our website, are subject to errors and must be tested against the proper interpretation of scripture.

We must not be lazy in avoiding the study ourselves, just trusting one teacher or another. Instead, you can seek out good teachers, validating them against the truth of scripture. Testing what they teach to the truth of God’s word. These are just tools to help. Ultimately only God’s word is without error.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please give me a passion for studying Your word, discernment to know the truth, and courage to change what I should, even when others will argue against me because common teaching and understanding of Your word is wrong. 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.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Seeking God, Study the Word, Teachable, Thankfulness

Key Teachings to Get You Started Following the LORD

The LORD has opened my eyes to many things in his word. The longer and more deeply I pursue him, the more intimate my understanding  of him and relationship with him grows. I hope the website as a whole is helpful and provides a lot of information you find helpful. I have laid out here some key teachings that he has put on my heart that I developed in a bit more detail and wanted to have easy to find and reference for visitors to the site.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, open the eyes of my heart to Your ways and help me be transformed to be more and more like Christ. Open up the sriptures to me that I would increase in understanding and help me see people and the world as You do. Grant me the courage I need to change my life as You call me to do. Help me to be teachable and thankful for Your guidance in my life. 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.

Am I on the path?, How do I get started?, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Scripture (e.g. Bible), Seeking God, Study the Word, Teachable

Torah Portions

The Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible, written by Moses) and the writings of the prophets are the scripture that Yeshua studied and taught from and likewise his disciples and Paul. There are many references to them throughout the New Testament. They are the foundation. They are not obsolete and meaningless as some would imply, but they can be challenging to understand in parts and in how to apply today. In large part this is because churches and seminaries do not teach all of it as relevant content to help is draw near to the LORD today.

We have all heard about plans to help read the Bible in a year. There is a similar, long standing concept by which the Torah portions are scheduled to be read over a year. I have started doing this with my family. There are many sites  available as reference and some not only provide the  references for each week, but also some teaching to support it. Some have broken it down for children as an audience and some have even 15 minute or less summaries for folks who may feel they can only invest that much each week. Others go deep and have hours of teaching.

I encourage you to try it and stick with it. You may be surprised what you learn. These are not meant to take you away from also studying the New Testament, but help you dive into all of God’s word.

  • TorahPortions/ffoz.com by First Fruits of Zion
  • BillCloud.com/audio-page/ has Torah Portions and Torah Tidbits by Shoreshim Ministries. It also has an excellent series I recommend called Returning to Our Roots.
  • Ruach Life with Yitro has some teaching available on youtube, simply search ‘Torah Portion Yitro’
  • MTOI.org by Messianic Torah Observant Israel has a weekly Torah study video you can join live or watch later on YouTube or Facebook.
  • Psalm119 Ministries has a series of weekly short videos called Parashah Points at 119ministries.com/teachings/video-teachings.
  • MessianicTorahPortions.com also included suggested New Testament scriptures alongside Torah portions weekly.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead and guide me to grow my understanding of Your whole word. Help me understand how to apply all of Your instruction to my life. Amen. 

Shalom

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.

Demons, Healer, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Miracles, Miracles, Study the Word, Teachable, Traditions / Holidays

Yeshua Was Accompanied with Signs and Wonders

Yeshua came in the flesh and taught with authority, in a way that was unlike the typical teachers. However, He taught from what we now call the Old Testament and He taught on Sabbath, on Saturday. He reaffirmed the Old Testament as completely relevant and still applicable through His actions and His teaching. He was accompanied by miraculous healing and casting out of demons, and it caused news about Him to spread and drew many to Him.

Perhaps one of the most curious facts is that the demons know exactly who He is and they fear Him. He silenced them so as not to reveal who He was until the right time.

Mark 1:21-34

     21They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach. 22They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 25And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. 27They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.

Crowds Healed

      29And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. 31And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.

      32When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. 33And the whole city had gathered at the door. 34And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

As we reflect on the example of Christ, we can still conclude that the teachings of the Old Testament are still entirely relevant. Would it make sense that Yeshua came to teach something that was no longer relevant?

Further, and contrary to what is commonly accepted, Yeshua recognized Saturday as Sabbath. It is man, not God, who changed this later in history. Even after His death and resurrection, His disciples still recognized Saturday as Sabbath.

Though many think there are no demons today, there is clear separation between casting out demons and healing sickness. They both still exist, though demons are largely discounted and thus ignored as they damage people’s lives today.

Yeshua was accompanied by signs and wonders, which emphasized that He was Messiah and to help spread the news for others to come to Him. This does not mean that miracles and healing and casting out demons does not still take place, but it may help explain why it is not as frequent as when Yeshua was here in the flesh. If it was the normal state of affairs, then it would not have gotten everyone’s attention when Yeshua did it.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help open up my mind to the insights embedded in Your word. Let the Spirit guide me and give me courage to challenge what is considered normal understanding of scripture based on study of what Your word actually says. Let me choose to pursue Your truth rather than what is taught and accepted broadly. 

Matthew 7:13-14

The Narrow and Wide Gates

      13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

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.

Guide, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Scripture (e.g. Bible), Study the Word

Find Insights in the Biblical Genealogies

When I first started reading the Bible, I admit my eyes wanted to glaze over when I got to the genealogies. I will not say they are the parts of scripture I look forward to exactly, but I do see where there are interesting gems hidden within. Of course, as I often bring up when discussing these, the most fundamental message may be to remind us the importance of family and that the Bible is not just a collection of stories. It is an historical document. Some sections of scripture, like the genealogies, are historical records.

Try to pick out at least three interesting facts from the genealogy in 1 Chronicles 6 and I will share some observations I made below.

1 Chronicles 6

Genealogy: The Priestly Line

      1The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 2The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 3The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 4Eleazar became the father of Phinehas, and Phinehas became the father of Abishua, 5and Abishua became the father of Bukki, and Bukki became the father of Uzzi, 6and Uzzi became the father of Zerahiah, and Zerahiah became the father of Meraioth, 7Meraioth became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub, 8and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Ahimaaz, 9and Ahimaaz became the father of Azariah, and Azariah became the father of Johanan, 10and Johanan became the father of Azariah (it was he who served as the priest in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem), 11and Azariah became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub, 12and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Shallum, 13and Shallum became the father of Hilkiah, and Hilkiah became the father of Azariah, 14and Azariah became the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah became the father of Jehozadak; 15and Jehozadak went along when the LORD carried Judah and Jerusalem away into exile by Nebuchadnezzar.

      16The sons of Levi were Gershom, Kohath and Merari. 17These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. 18The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 19The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households. 20Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son. 22The sons of Kohath were Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son and Assir his son, 24Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son and Shaul his son. 25The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth. 26As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah were Zophai his son and Nahath his son, 27Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28The sons of Samuel were Joel the firstborn, and Abijah the second. 29The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, 30Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.

      31Now these are those whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the ark rested there. 32They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem; and they served in their office according to their order. 33These are those who served with their sons: From the sons of the Kohathites were Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, 34the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 35the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 37the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 38the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. 39Heman’s brother Asaph stood at his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, 40the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, 41the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 42the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 43the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. 44On the left hand were their kinsmen the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, 45the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 46the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, 47the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. 48Their kinsmen the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

49But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.

54Now these are their settlements according to their camps within their borders. To the sons of Aaron of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the first lot), 55to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and its pasture lands around it; 56but the fields of the city and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57To the sons of Aaron they gave the following cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah also with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, 58Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, 59Ashan with its pasture lands and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands; 60and from the tribe of Benjamin: Geba with its pasture lands, Allemeth with its pasture lands, and Anathoth with its pasture lands. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.

61Then to the rest of the sons of Kohath were given by lot, from the family of the tribe, from the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities. 62To the sons of Gershom, according to their families, were given from the tribe of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Naphtali, and the tribe of Manasseh, thirteen cities in Bashan. 63To the sons of Merari were given by lot, according to their families, from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 64So the sons of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their pasture lands. 65They gave by lot from the tribe of the sons of Judah, the tribe of the sons of Simeon and the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, these cities which are mentioned by name.

66Now some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their territory from the tribe of Ephraim. 67They gave to them the following cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its pasture lands, Gezer also with its pasture lands, 68Jokmeam with its pasture lands, Beth-horon with its pasture lands, 69Aijalon with its pasture lands and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; 70and from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its pasture lands and Bileam with its pasture lands, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.

71To the sons of Gershom were given, from the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands and Ashtaroth with its pasture lands; 72and from the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands 73and Ramoth with its pasture lands, Anem with its pasture lands; 74and from the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 75Hukok with its pasture lands and Rehob with its pasture lands; 76and from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Hammon with its pasture lands and Kiriathaim with its pasture lands.

77To the rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari, were given, from the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasture lands, Tabor with its pasture lands; 78and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, were given them, from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasture lands, Jahzah with its pasture lands, 79Kedemoth with its pasture lands and Mephaath with its pasture lands; 80and from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, 81Heshbon with its pasture lands and Jazer with its pasture lands.

I pulled out a collection of nuggets that must have been important to the one documenting this record. He did not write details about everyone on the list. I found them to be interesting. I am sure there are quite a few more, depending on the level of detail of your study.

  • Azariah served as the priest in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem. The temple of Solomon was truly a significant moment in the history of God’s people.
  • Jehozadak went along when the LORD carried Judah and Jerusalem away into exile by Nebuchadnezzar. Note it was the LORD who carried His people into exile, not Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar was the vessel Yahweh used.
  • Land was distributed by lot, presumably so there would be no bias or favoritism or corruption in distribution of it.
  • I suppose there is another aspect that may be interesting. We read in many sections of scripture about the highlights, like Moses leading the people out of Egypt or the temple of Solomon. The truth is that there were many generations in between the significant events we are used to reading about and studying. Each of these names represents a real person, who lived their own life before God. Many we do not know much about. As long as the Bible may be, it is certainly not all inclusive of all those who walked with Yahweh during those generations. It is indeed a highlight reel to some degree.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to truly find joy in exploring the entirety of Your word. Help me to focus and learn more about You and Your ways every time I read. Let the Spirit guide me and help me not to be hurried as I study Your word. Thank You for providing Your word and the Holy Spirit to guide me. 

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.

Children, Faith / Trusting God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Study the Word, Traditions / Holidays

Yeshua Is the Passover Lamb

As the final days of his earthly ministry were passing, Yeshua led His disciples to prepare to celebrate Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Think about that for a few moments. Yeshua, God himself living among us, chose to spend some of the closing moments of His brief earthly ministry in preparation of Passover. It was clearly important to him and for good reason.

The timing is not coincidental that Yeshua would be sacrificed for our sins at Passover time. It was intended that way by our Creator. Passover not only reminds us of deliverance from bondage in Egypt but also foreshadows our deliverance from the bondage of sin through the sacrifice of Yeshua on the cross. Yeshua was sacrificed as our Passover lamb… dying for our sins so we can be set free from sin and death.

Mark 14:12-21

The Last Passover

12On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 13And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; 14and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15“And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” 16The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

17When it was evening He came with the twelve. 18As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me.” 19They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?” 20And He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. 21“For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

These celebrations are not “Jewish” tradition. They are not just somehow a meaningless or obsolete instruction from our Creator either. Now we who believe in Yeshua as Messiah have more reason to celebrate it than ever before! Passover and Unleavened Bread are part of God’s tradition for celebrating and remembering our deliverance from sin through Christ! It is a wonderful way to teach our children about the Creator’s relationship with His people.

Exodus 13:6-10

6“For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 7“Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders. 8“You shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9“And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt. 10“Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.

We should enjoy taking part in our Father’s appointed times rather than creating our own based on the traditions of men. It is not just that He tells us to… that got me started to look into it. Now I see how powerfully these celebrations tie into the core element of my faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and what a wonderful way it is to teach my children. As I reflected personally in this regard, it occurred to me. God has some pretty good ideas. (That is quite an understatement!)

I invite you to take some small steps even today to learn more about Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread and how it is not only a celebration of Yahweh freeing His people out of slavery in Egypt, but also a celebration of our being freed from bondage to sin through the death and resurrection of Yeshua!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for preparing a path to redemption and reconciliation for us with You. Thank You for sending Your son, Yeshua, to die for our sins so that we can be forgiven. Help me to have a thankful and joyful heart and fully submit to You! Amen. 

To study more on this topic, please review our category of posts relating to Holidays/Traditions (scroll down to move from one post to another) and consider the following.

Here are a few resources where you can learn more about the Moedim, the Creator’s calendar (often called the “Jewish” calendar).

 

I encourage you to invest time studying this topic and do not dismiss it. I have found it to be powerful in transforming the focus of our celebrations off of ourselves and rightly focused toward our Creator and Savior!

—-

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.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Study the Word, Thankfulness, Traditions / Holidays

Yeshua Observed the Moedim and So Should We

Even as Yeshua was preparing for crucifixion, as He knew that one of His closest followers had chosen to turn against Him, He still focused on observing the Moedim, the LORD’s appointed times, with His disciples. It was especially appropriate to celebrate Passover at this time considering that it is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Yeshua for our sins.

Passover reminds us of the LORD setting His people free from bondage to Egypt and consistent with Yeshua’s death on the cross as our Passover lamb (symbolically), we can now celebrate Passover including how Yeshua has set us free from bondage to sin!

Matthew 26:17-25

      17Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 18And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’” 19The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

The Last Passover

     20Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. 21As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” 22Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. 24“The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” 25And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”

To learn more, read Celebrating God’s Holy Days (Moedim).

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please open my eyes to all that is in Your holy word. Let it be a light to my path and help me to walk in Your ways. Thank You for sending Yeshua to die for my sins and create a way for me to be forgiven and reconciled with You. Turn my heart to embrace Your appointed times and let them draw me closer in my 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.

Purposeful / Intentional, Study the Word

Find Hidden Gems in the Genealogies

There are some hidden gems within the genealogies in the Bible. There is plenty for those who like to trace lineage of key characters or try to work out the age of the earth, but there are also small segments in some of the text which opens a small window into the lives of someone whom we do not see elsewhere in detail. In 1 Chronicles 4, you can find two that catch my attention.

  • Jabez is called out in verse 9-10
  • Starting in verse 38

You can spend some time trying to puzzle out why each nugget was included in the genealogies, but many others were not about the other names listed. I have a more detailed article on Jabez you can read for more thoughts on him (The Prayer of Jabez).

1 Chronicles 4

Line of Hur, Asher

      1The sons of Judah were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobal. 2Reaiah the son of Shobal became the father of Jahath, and Jahath became the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites. 3These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi. 4Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. 5Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 6Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 7The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar and Ethnan. 8Koz became the father of Anub and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum. 9Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.” 10Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.

      11Chelub the brother of Shuhah became the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12Eshton became the father of Beth-rapha and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah.

      13Now the sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. And the sons of Othniel were Hathath and Meonothai. 14Meonothai became the father of Ophrah, and Seraiah became the father of Joab the father of Ge-harashim, for they were craftsmen. 15The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh were Iru, Elah and Naam; and the son of Elah was Kenaz. 16The sons of Jehallelel were Ziph and Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel. 17The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. (And these are the sons of Bithia the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took) and she conceived and bore Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 18His Jewish wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. 19The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. 20The sons of Shimon were Amnon and Rinnah, Benhanan and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. 21The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were Er the father of Lecah and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea; 22and Jokim, the men of Cozeba, Joash, Saraph, who ruled in Moab, and Jashubi-lehem. And the records are ancient. 23These were the potters and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah; they lived there with the king for his work.

Descendants of Simeon

      24The sons of Simeon were Nemuel and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul; 25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. 26The sons of Mishma were Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son. 27Now Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many sons, nor did all their family multiply like the sons of Judah. 28They lived at Beersheba, Moladah and Hazar-shual, 29at Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri and Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David. 32Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen and Ashan, five cities; 33and all their villages that were around the same cities as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they have their genealogy.

      34Meshobab and Jamlech and Joshah the son of Amaziah, 35and Joel and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, 36and Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah; 38these mentioned by name were leaders in their families; and their fathers’ houses increased greatly. 39They went to the entrance of Gedor, even to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. 40They found rich and good pasture, and the land was broad and quiet and peaceful; for those who lived there formerly were Hamites. 41These, recorded by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and attacked their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and destroyed them utterly to this day, and lived in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks. 42From them, from the sons of Simeon, five hundred men went to Mount Seir, with Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, as their leaders. 43They destroyed the remnant of the Amalekites who escaped, and have lived there to this day.

Father, please help me to have strong desire to learn and study Your word. Please lead and guide me in the Spirit to open my eyes to the wisdom and insights contained therein. 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.