Category Archives: Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God

Put Your Faith in Yahweh and His Ways Rather than in Men

It is easy to read 2 Chronicles about Ahaziah and his father Jehoram (king of Judah) who allied themselves with the wicked kings of Israel (Jehoram of Israel and Ahab before him) and think they were foolish for doing so. It seems obvious when reading the text where it is all laid out for us plainly.

We see over a few generations, the king of Judah turn away from Yahweh’s ways and turn toward the ways of wickedness of man. However, when we are living our own lives it may not seem quite so obvious. When summarizing decades of our life in a few paragraphs, it gets condensed and often very clear. However, when living it out, one decision at a time, it may be much more difficult to discern, especially when it is our own lives and the changes are usually gradual, not huge strides.

We can see in 2 Chronicles 22 that moving away from God’s ways and towards the wicked ways of men is really bad. Surely, we know that already, but this is a concise reminder. Keep your guard up for the more gradual slide in your own life that may take place if you start to compromise and align yourself with the wordly and the wicked rather than taking a stand to be different and holy, set apart for God’s purpose.

2 Chronicles 22

Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram in Judah

      1Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men who came with the Arabs to the camp had slain all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. 2Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri. 3He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. 4He did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.

Ahaziah Allies with Jehoram of Israel

      5He also walked according to their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans wounded Joram. 6So he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had inflicted on him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

      7Now the destruction of Ahaziah was from God, in that he went to Joram. For when he came, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

Jehu Murders Princes of Judah

      8It came about when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers ministering to Ahaziah, and slew them. 9He also sought Ahaziah, and they caught him while he was hiding in Samaria; they brought him to Jehu, put him to death and buried him. For they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.” So there was no one of the house of Ahaziah to retain the power of the kingdom.

      10Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah. 11But Jehoshabeath the king’s daughter took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she would not put him to death. 12He was hidden with them in the house of God six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.

When we start moving away from the LORD’s ways, things get ugly. Once we remove a consistent standard of right and wrong, one that is objective and does not change over time, anything becomes permissible. It is not even just about God cursing us instead of blessing us. Consider in our scripture and what you see around you in life, how do people act and treat one another without God’s framework for right and wrong? It can quickly degrade. Some perceive anything as permissible in pursuit of power and glory and riches. How we live our own lives gets messy without the constant “north star” of God’s word leading us.

Most of us will not be king and will not be allying ourselves with other kings. However, whom to we partner with at work? at school? in our church? in our community? How do we handle family relationships with others who are far from God? Do we compromise how we live? or do we stand strong with the LORD in His ways even when others come against us or we feel like we stand alone?

Remember, when we stand with God, we are never alone! He is with us! I would rather stand by myself with God than stand apart from him with the company of men. (Again, this is easier to say than to live out, so do not be arrogant about it, but rather keep your eyes open and use discernment.)

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help lead and guide me. Let the Spirit dwell within me and give me wise council and discernment. Give me courage to stand for you even when if feels like I stand alone. Help me not to compromise what You teach even if it feels like I should do so to accomplish whatever goals I am working towards. Open the eyes of Your people around this nation and the world to see a clear distinction between worldliness or wickedness and godliness. 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.

 

 

I Rejected Jesus… But He Offers Another Chance!

Imagine you are in a public place, thriving with people going here and there. It is busy. Suddenly there is a commotion a man is leaping about and praising God. You recognize this man… he is… was lame. You have seen him daily on your walk and you know he can not… could not walk. Yet now you see he is leaping and praising God!

Intrigued, you come closer. The man is clinging to Peter and John, the disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus was executed not long ago. You were there. In fact you had been drawn in by the energy of the crowd and even called for Barabbas to be set free and Jesus to be crucified. Surely, you thought, this can not be the Messiah.

But now Peter and John have healed this man who could not walk! And they are declaring that Jesus was raised from the dead because He is the Messiah, God in the flesh to dwell among us. A sense of panic sweeps through your very core… you called for His crucifixion. How can that be forgiven? It surely must be too late… but it is not.

Peter and John, knowing all of this are calling for people to repent (turn away from their own wrong ways and turn toward God’s right ways of doing things) and turn to Jesus.

Your panic turns to regret and to joy as you realize that God is willing to forgive you and accept you. Then you feel like joining the man in leaping an praising God. You press in to hear more from Peter and John.

Acts 3:11-36

      11While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. 12But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13“The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. 14“But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. 16“And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

      17“And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. 18“But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. 22“Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 23‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24“And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. 25“It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’ 26“For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

All of us have denied Jesus in some way during our lives either. Sometimes it is by outright denial or rejection and sometimes it is more subtle… such as remaining quiet as others mock Him. It is hard to reconcile the level of forgiveness God offers through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even the crowds who had called for Jesus to be Crucified were not turned away by His disciples, but rather offered an invitation to join them in serving Jesus. All they had to do is turn away from their wrong ways of doing things and turn toward God’s way of doing things… often referred to as repenting of sin.

There is no sin so great that we can not repent of it, turn toward God, ask forgiveness and ask Him to be Lord of our lives. If you have denied Him in a big way or in small ways… repent, ask forgiveness and act differently next time… boldly proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ. All who repent and wholeheartedly call upon the name of Jesus will be forgiven!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for second chances! Thank You for forgiveness, grace, and mercy! I am a sinner in need of a savior. Thank You for sending Yeshua as Messiah. Please have mercy on me and help me to devote my life to You. 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.

Let Those Who Have Eyes See… But Many Dismiss Even Miracles

Preparing for His departure, Jesus had instructed His disciples to wait for the Helper whom God was going to send to them… the Holy Spirit. His disciples obeyed. They were right to trust and obey Jesus Christ, as we should also in our daily lives. When the day of Pentecost had come… God made the event clear to those who believe so they would have no doubt and be encouraged. It was an incredible and dramatic event. Once again, however, we see that those who refuse to believe… who refuse to see truth… can always come up with an excuse to let them turn aside from God even as He demonstrates the miraculous!

Acts 2:1-13

      1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

      5Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8“And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9“Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” 12And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”

What an exciting event. I can only imagine being there to experience it. What rejoicing must have been going on among the believers. Such a dramatic event that God Himself brought the crowds. There was no need for advertising or grandstanding. The believers just obeyed Jesus and let God bring the crowds. Then they seized the opportunity, with God’s power, and engaged the people who came for the sake of sharing the good news of the gospel!

All of our best efforts to bring the people to our podium amount to little if the Holy Spirit is not in it. And if God is in it… no one can stop Him. We are to obey God and pray for His Holy Spirit to move us and those to whom He would have us share the gospel.

Romans 8:26-31

      26In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

      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. 29For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

      31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Scripture consistently shows us that there are many who will just reject God and mock His people. In this case they dismissed the entire miraculous event claiming that the believers must be drunk… which is silly even given that people could clearly understand them speaking in multiple languages. Do not be discouraged when you encounter these mockers. It is not a personal reflection on you as God’s faithful follower, but rather a condition of their heart that they are responsible for changing with the help of the Spirit.

The Lord has instructed us in regards to the wicked and the mockers (also scorners). We do not prosper by listening to their counsel or letting them discourage us but rather by delighting in the law of the Lord and focusing on that day and night!

Psalm 1:1-3 1How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

Be encouraged. Live for God, applying His word to how you live your life. Let the Holy Spirit lead you. Thank God that He has given you eyes to see and ears to hear.

Proverbs 20:12 12The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made both of them.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit that you sent to be our guide and helper. Help me to recognize the Spirit and not reject Him. Please guide my words and actions when I am confronted by those who would mock you. Please open the eyes of the spiritually blind so that they may see and know 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.

Mocked, Beaten, and Executed… For Your Sins and Mine

Yeshua willingly laid down His life for us. He humbled Himself as servant to all. He suffered and died on the cross as payment in judgment of our sins, to pay the penalty of sin (death) on our behalf. Let us never overlook the gruesome treatment He suffered for us, that we deserve. He was isolated from His friends. He was beaten, mocked, and ultimately killed in painful fashion. He received no mercy or compassion. Those that loved Him, kept at a distance for the most part. As you read through the scripture… dwell on the fact that Yeshua chose to willingly endure this punishment for your sins and mine.

Mark 15:16-41

Jesus Is Mocked

      16The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. 17They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; 18and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. 20After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.

      21They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.

The Crucifixion

      22Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. 23They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. 24And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take. 25It was the third hour when they crucified Him. 26The inscription of the charge against Him read, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

      27They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. 28[And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with transgressors.”] 29Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. 32“Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.

      33When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” which is translated, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” 35When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, “Behold, He is calling for Elijah.” 36Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.” 37And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. 38And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

      40There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome. 41When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Only as they witnessed His death, and Yahweh demonstrated power in tearing the veil of the temple, did some realize that Yeshua was in fact the Son of God. For each of us, as we recognize this fact, we must decide how we are to respond to such an act of selfless love as that of Christ dying for us. We should live our lives in submission to Yeshua and all He taught us. We are to surrender to Him and live accordingly. We are to be a light to others to show them the way to Him as well. We must die to self and rise again to follow Christ. It should be evident in our lives well beyond just the words we say or the church services we attend. Our very lives should be witness to others in good times and bad.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Yeshua! Thank You for providing a way for me to be reconciled to You despite my sin. Help me never take it for granted. Help me remember that I did not earn or deserve this, but rather forgiveness through Yeshua is offered as a gift. Amen. 

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

A Different Perspective on Peter’s Denials

Most of us are familiar with the story. Yeshua prophecies to Peter that he will deny Him three times before the rooster crows twice. Peter is adamant that he will not. The situation unfolds, and sure enough, Peter denies Yeshua three times as prophesied. Peter is crushed at having failed his master.

Let’s give a little grace to Peter before we judge him too harshly. Surely we have all had tough times where we may not have denied Yeshua, but perhaps we did not stand up for Him either? Maybe We just remained silent as others disparaged Him. Keep in mind that one way to avoid denying Yeshua is for no one to know you are a follower. Peter was recognized because he stood by the Lord through good times and bad. He was often witnessed in the act alongside Yeshua.

Further, Peter was the only one to follow as the Romans took away Yeshua into custody. Peter would not have even been in position to deny Him if he had not followed behind out of love and devotion, something no one else did. Following took courage.

Mark 14:53-54

  53They led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together. 54Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire.

Mark 14:66-72

Peter’s Denials

      66As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came, 67and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.” 68But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” And he went out onto the porch. 69The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, “This is one of them!” 70But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too.” 71But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!” 72Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he began to weep.

Let’s give Peter the credit that is due. He was openly and publicly a follower of Yeshua. Many witnesses could recognize him. Peter did not run and hide like the others, but followed Yeshua out of love  and devotion even when things were really getting tough. Yes, that put him in position to fail by rejecting his Lord when he became frightened after being identified. Yes he made a mistake. But also consider how he responds to it. That was the last time he denied Yeshua. He repented, turning away from that behavior. He continued and faced hardship and persecution to spread the truth of the gospel relating Yeshua as Messiah.

Perhaps this brings to mind a few questions we may each benefit from asking ourselves.

Are you prepared to stand up for Jesus Christ in the face of persecution or intimidation by those who oppose Him?

Would anyone even know you are a follower of Christ such that you might be confronted about it?

If you are not sure or answer “no” to the first question, pray for Yahweh to help you be bold and courageous. The Holy Spirit which resides in believers can certainly prepare you.

If you are not sure about the second question or answer “no”… then you should pray for the Father’s help to make you live more boldly as a believer and disciple of Jesus Christ. That your actions, attitudes, and words would proclaim the glory of God.  A true disciple of Jesus does not hide their faith but rather lives as a light to guide others to truth.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to be bold for You. Help me to have courage to stand with You and for You. When people come against me because of You, help me to remain faithful and courageous. Please forgive me when I make mistakes and avoid standing for You just to avoid persecution. 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.

Yeshua Is The Christ, Not Just a Teacher or Prophet

Those who claim to be holy, set apart for service to Yahweh, are not always what they pretend to be. Certainly this is true today, but we see a dramatic example of this principle in Mark 14.  The chief priests plotted with Judas to betray Yeshua in exchange for money in Mark 14:10-11. Now, later in Mark 14, we see the chief priests with elders and scribes gathered against Him. They are not interested in justice or carrying out Yahweh’s will. They are jealous of Yeshua’s influence and concerned that it challenges their authority. They are willing to murder Him unjustly, but they will make a show of it so they have “cover”.

Even these same priests, who no doubt helped provide the false witnesses to testify against Yeshua, could not find enough consistency in the lies to convict Him. It is only when Yeshua chooses to no longer remain silent that they are able to proceed with their plans.

In no uncertain terms, Yeshua here claims that He is the Son of Yahweh and not simply a teacher or prophet. How interesting that the chief priests, who claim to believe that they are waiting for the coming of the Christ, so quickly convict Yeshua because He admits to being the Christ. They never even considered the evidence that He may be the one they claim to be waiting for!

Mark 14:53-65

Jesus before His Accusers

      53They led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together. 54Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire. 55Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any. 56For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent. 57Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, 58“We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’” 59Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent. 60The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 61But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?62And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” 63Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64“You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. 65Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.

The hypocrisy is sickening. Pure theater by the religious elite. They were not having a trial, they were murdering someone to silence a voice that taught scripture more effectively and truthfully than their man made complex set of requirements no one could follow. This is not unique to Jewish leaders, as it has played out through history also with the Catholic church as well. There are plenty today that teach false, man made doctrine as well.

Watch how they are unable to convict Yeshua without His own testimony! He was so innocent of real sin they could not charge Him on the basis of accurate witnesses. They could not even stage people competently to lie about Him. Continuing in His selfless act of love, Yeshua knew what must come to pass. He speaks the truth, giving the chief priests what they need to condemn Him and execute Him. They waste no time mistreating and brutalizing Him.

Yeshua was innocent of sin. He suffered and died willingly to be a sacrifice for my sin and yours. Picture it as yourself on trial, only we have all done enough wrong they would not need false witnesses. We deserve death as penalty for sin. Yeshua spares us, if we choose Him as Lord and follow Him.

Praise the Father for His plan of salvation for us. Praise to Yeshua for dying for us. What a wonderful act of love!

John 15:13-14

13“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14“You are My friends if you do what I command you.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Yeshua, who died for our sins, so we could be reconciled. Give us as Your people that same kind of courage to stand up for You and Your ways. Let us stand in truth even when it is hard. Help guide us and give us the words to say when we are persecuted for our faith and refuse to accept the wicked ways of man. Amen.


Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

See to It That No One Misleads You

The disciples, like most of us, can easily be drawn to marvel at beautiful creations… especially if they are perceived to have good purpose. It troubled them that Yeshua would indicate the temple being destroyed. Yeshua, on the other hand, was more grieved when He saw lost souls, who had rejected Jehovah rather than buildings.

Yeshua warns His disciples of what is to come. I believe He speaks of what has already come to pass, when the Romans occupied Jerusalem and destroyed the temple to the very foundation in 70 AD. It reconnects with the prophecy in Daniel 9:27. As we continue reading in Mark 13 beyond verse 23 (subject for another post) we see that Yeshua is also foreshadowing His return. Thus Yeshua has combined information about the Romans occupation of Jerusalem in the near future for the disciples and His return in the farther out future, which is still yet to come.

He did this without specifically answering the original question of timing, which was not for the disciples to know. We can also learn from this scripture how we should respond in times of darkness and apply it in our lives today.

Mark 13:1-23

Things to Come

      1As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”

      3As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” 5And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6“Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. 8“For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

      9“But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10“The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11“When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13“You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

      14“But when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 15“The one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; 16and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. 17“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18“But pray that it may not happen in the winter. 19“For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. 20“Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. 21“And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; 22for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23“But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.

There is so much information worth studying and praying for wisdom to fully understand, I can’t possibly hope to cover it all in a post. I encourage each of you to prayerfully pursue further study.

Yeshua correctly prophecies about the destruction of the temple, and it seems to tie back to prophecy in Daniel 9:27 as well. God is God. He is aware of what has been, what is, and what will be.

Yeshua warns His disciples to avoid following pretenders, or false prophets, even those who do signs and wonders. We must study the word to recognize and judge good and faithful teachers from false prophets. There are false prophets and we are called to judge who they are! We must reject false doctrine that presumes anyone who says ‘I follow Jesus’ is to be believed or that a teacher who claims to teach the word must not be challenged. Let us judge based on scripture and without hypocrisy.

Do not be surprised that there will be wars and strife. Prepare for it.

Expect to be hated by the world. Expect to be persecuted. It will be hard to be a genuine follower of Christ.

Another common doctrine that many Christians believe is that they will be removed by God before the tribulation. There is no evidence of that in this scripture to be sure. In fact, one might conclude the opposite… that Christians will endure the tribulation. More study is merited on this subject.

20“Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

So after all this dramatic warning to His disciples, what does Yeshua conclude with?

23“But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance

We are to seek to understand the content of Yeshua’s message and use it to prepare ourselves and others. We are not to ponder endlessly about “when” it will happen. The disciples asked that question and Yeshua avoided answering it, instead giving the information He wanted them to focus on.

Challenge yourself to find another significant aspect of Yeshua’s message to His disciples that I did not highlight in this post. Re-read the scripture here, or click to go to read the full chapter at BibleHub.com by following the green hyperlinks above. You can even read some of the commentaries to help you get started in your study. Of course, web search is always an option as well. The point is… develop the discipline to study the Bible more… so that you can “take heed” as Yeshua calls us to do.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to heed Your word in the Bible. Help me to remain faithful to You even under harsh persecution and death. Please give me the words to say when pressed so that the Holy Spirit would speak through me to point people to You. Let me take care not to follow people simply because they do signs and wonders, as many false prophets will try to lead the elect astray in this manner. Let me not rely solely on what I feel and experience, but help me test everything with discernment against Your word. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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