Category Archives: Murder

Arrogance, Bitterness / Resentment, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Murder, Submitted / Servant, Thankfulness, Traditions / Holidays, Wickedness / Evil

Choosing Your Path in the Shadow of the Cross: A Reflection on True Discipleship

As we approach the season of Passover and Unleavened Bread, we’re reminded of their significance not only to our faith’s heritage but directly to Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) and His early followers. These celebrations, deeply rooted in the liberation of God’s people, were observed by Jesus Himself, marking crucial moments in the narrative that led to His crucifixion and glorious resurrection. The Gospel of Mark, detailing events leading up to this pivotal climax, doesn’t just recount a historical timeline; it invites us to reflect deeply on our personal journey of faith.

Mark 14 presents us with two distinct responses to Christ’s presence on Earth. On one hand, we see the religious leaders, outwardly paragons of piety, secretly plotting to kill Jesus, the embodiment of God’s love and salvation walking among them. Contrastingly, a woman, known as a sinner, approaches Jesus with a heart of worship, anointing Him with costly perfume in a profound act of devotion and humility.

This juxtaposition challenges us to discern between mere outward religiosity and genuine, heartfelt devotion to God. It urges us first to look inward, examining our own approach to our faith and relationship with God. Are we merely wearing a cloak of holiness to gain the approval of others, or are we pursuing a genuine, transforming relationship with Jesus?

Mark 14:1-11 starkly illustrates the choices laid before us. The religious leaders’ intent on murder versus the woman’s act of love sets a clear distinction between using religion for one’s ends and living out a true discipleship characterized by humility and sacrifice.

(Summarized and continued after the scripture)

Mark 14:1-11

Death Plot and Anointing

1Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; 2for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.”

3While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. 4But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5“For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. 6But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 7“For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. 8“She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9“Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

10Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. 11They were glad when they heard this and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.

Being a disciple of Jesus means more than just holding a title; it’s about being a learner and follower, continuously seeking to mold our lives after His example. It’s about recognizing that true holiness doesn’t come from external appearances or positions within the church but from a heart fully surrendered to God.

As we ponder the path of discipleship, we face critical questions. Will we distance ourselves from Jesus, allowing pride, selfishness, or deceit to rule our hearts? Or will we choose to serve Him genuinely, embracing humility and faithfulness, even when faced with misunderstanding or scorn from the world?

The way we respond to Jesus’s invitation to follow Him shapes our journey with the Father, influencing our experience of His love and the depth of our personal relationship with Him.

Let us pray together for the grace to choose wisely and faithfully:

Father, illuminate our understanding with the truth of Your Word. Guard our hearts against the deceit of mere religious performance. Guide us to a sincere and humble walk with You, free from self-deception and pride. Grant us the courage to live as true disciples, fully surrendered to Your will, radiating Your love and grace in every aspect of our lives. May our journey reflect a deep, joyful submission to You, drawing others to Your light. Amen.

This reflection invites us to consider deeply our response to Christ’s call to discipleship. As we observe Passover and Unleavened Bread this year, let’s embrace these holy days as opportunities to draw closer to Jesus, to celebrate our liberation from sin, and to commit anew to walking in His ways.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

John Golda

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.

Bitterness / Resentment, Compassion, Murder, Pride, Repenting from Sin, Revenge, Selfishness

The Fatal Dance of Herod: A Revealing Tale of Worldly Ways and Divine Truth

Scripture’s account of the death of John the Baptist is quite appalling and at the same time quite revealing about the way of the worldly, of those who do not follow Yahweh. John is executed ultimately because Herod makes a foolish offer and then holds himself to account to enforce it even when he, himself, does not want to. Too bad Herod did not show as much obedience to Yahweh and His ways as he did to his own foolish, off hand “promise”.

Mark 6:14-32

John’s Fate Recalled

      14And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” 15But others were saying, “He is Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”

      17For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 18For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so; 20for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him. 21A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee; 22and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 23And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom.” 24And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. 27Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, 28and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.

      30The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

I want to explore what this passage of scripture shows us about the ways of the worldly. Follow carefully, you may find even more insight than I share in this writing. Challenge yourself to identify where you may be vulnerable to doing similar things in your life. Watch for the patterns and do not focus too much on the specifics of it being an execution of someone, which most of us do not expect to do in our lives.

When Herod heard tell of the miraculous power of Yeshua, he believed that John the Baptist had risen from the dead. Consider then, the context that all that Herod did to John was done with knowledge and recognition that John was doing miracles. He knew that John was a righteous and holy man!

Herod, who is willing to kill a righteous and holy man to uphold his own foolish offer to a girl for a dance, was unwilling to listen to a man he identified as righteous and holy tell him about God’s word and what was right and wrong. Herod places himself and any offhand decision he makes above question, but directly and violently confronts God’s instructions through His messenger. It is not that Herod does not recognize or follow authority or acknowledge right and wrong. No, instead, it is that Herod placed his faith and obedience in himself and perhaps the opinions of others about him (reputation) instead of in God. Let us take caution and remind ourselves that Yahweh is the final authority on all things. His instructions are comprehensive and should rule our attitudes and behaviors.

We could also explore the wickedness of Herod’s wife. She is upset because someone dares to point out her wrong behavior. Is it revenge she seeks, based on bitterness and resentment toward John? Is it pride to protect her reputation? She is so upset that she plots to kill John. Consider how much more fruitful the request from her daughter to the king could have been. Consider all the things she could have asked for that could have benefited her for a long time, perhaps a lifetime. Instead, the wicked mother is interested only in herself and her vanity and reputation. Rather than concern or wise advice for her daughter, pride drives her to ask for John to be killed. What a foolish, wicked and selfish request in response to the king’s offer. It did absolutely nothing for the daughter, who received the offer. The wicked care not even for their own children as much as for their own selfish desires. Take heed to consider the needs of others and what is best for them, especially our children.

Let us also look at the response of the apostles and Yeshua. They returned from their journeys and gathered together. They had gone out to preach in pairs and now returned to debrief on their journeys with Yeshua and their peers. Likely they heard about John the Baptist during their journeys. We see again the importance of rest. Yeshua lead the group to a secluded location where they could rest and recharge. This is important for us and often we neglect it. God repeatedly demonstrates the value of rest in scripture. Let us be careful to listen and take His instruction carefully. We must make opportunity to rest, even when we are going about work for the kingdom of heaven. Observing Sabbath every week is a great way to seek rest in obedience to God’s instruction.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please do not let me see the world through my own selfish view. Open my eyes to see the world as You do. Lead me in righteousness and away from wickedness. Let me trust in You and Your ways rather than my own. Help me not get defensive when I am confronted about my sin, but rather let the Spirit lead me to repentance. 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.

 

Arrogance, Bitterness / Resentment, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Lying / Deceiving, Murder, Submitted / Servant, Thankfulness, Traditions / Holidays

A Tale of Two Responses to Christ, How Will You Respond?

Passover and Unleavened Bread are important celebrations to Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus) and His disciples. Yeshua participated in these holy celebrations and so did his disciples. Our opportunity to observe them this year is coming up very soon. We see that it was important from the fact that Mark includes this explicitly in the timeline of events leading up to Yeshua’s death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. This event was an important part of the timeline for us to understand.

We also get insight in Mark 14 into two very different responses to Yeshua. The chief priests, who present themselves to the people as if they are holy and set apart for YHWH’s purposes, are plotting to kill Yeshua… God Himself walking among them. Meanwhile, a humble woman, a “sinner”, comes to anoint him and honor him with very expensive perfume and her own personal time and effort.

This provides a stark contrast that reminds us to use careful discernment in clearly identifying who is following YHWH and honoring him with their lives and who is just playing a part to look holy before the people. To be sure, we should start by looking in the mirror and making sure we have the right attitude toward our Creator.

Mark 14:1-11

Death Plot and Anointing

1Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; 2for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.”

3While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. 4But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5“For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. 6But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 7“For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. 8“She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9“Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

10Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. 11They were glad when they heard this and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.

Discern carefully who truly follows after Yeshua and learns from him, changing their lives to be more like him, and who uses Yeshua and the scriptures only to manipulate the message to their own gain and the appearance of holiness. In some cases, they genuinely fool even themselves. Do not be so foolish as to assume everyone in “church” leadership is holy and a true disciple of Yeshua, or that others who are not in those positions are not true disciples. A disciple does not mean you have all the answers, but rather that you are a “learner” after that person you follow. Your heart is toward them, and you are pursuing them.

We all have a choice in how we will respond to Yeshua. Will we reject him entirely, will we pretend to serve him but let wickedness and selfishness reign in us, or will we humbly and faithfully serve him even when others will mock us for it?

How will you choose to respond to the Father’s offer of love and personal relationship in your life?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please open my eyes to the fullness of who You are and the truth of Your ways. Let me not be deceived by religious traditions of men. Help me not to be content projecting holiness outwardly, when I am not rightfully submitted to You inwardly. Help me not to even fool myself to pridefully assume I have all the answers and then miss who You really are or how You want to work in my life. Help me to be a faithful servant, fully submitted to you, with a thankful and joyful heart. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

To study more on Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread, visit our teaching on Celebrating God’s Holy Days (Moedim) and review our category of posts relating to Holidays/Traditions (scroll down to move from one post to another).

Here are a few additional 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!

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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.

Faith / Trusting God, Heaven and Hell, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Justice / Judgment, Learning To Pray Effectively, Murder, Obeying God, Pride, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Wickedness / Evil

O Lord, Hear My Plea for Justice. Listen To My Cry For Help.

Psalm 17 contains a faithful and heartfelt prayer from David. David had enemies that were stronger than him, but turned to God and relied on Him for protection. David was certainly willing to fight his enemies and demonstrated this on many occasions in his life, but he relied heavily on God.

Also, note that David did not walk his own way and then ask God to save him. He declares his innocence of wrongdoing. He has followed God’s commands, focused on not sinning in what he says, stayed on God’s path, and kept from cruel and evil people. He has not wavered from following God.

Psalm 17

1 O Lord, hear my plea for justice.
    Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer,
    for it comes from honest lips.
2 Declare me innocent,
    for you see those who do right.

3 You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
    You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
    I am determined not to sin in what I say.
4 I have followed your commands,
    which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
5 My steps have stayed on your path;
    I have not wavered from following you.

6 I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
    Bend down and listen as I pray.
7 Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
    By your mighty power you rescue
    those who seek refuge from their enemies.
8 Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.[a]
    Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
9 Protect me from wicked people who attack me,
    from murderous enemies who surround me.
10 They are without pity.
    Listen to their boasting!
11 They track me down and surround me,
    watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart—
    like young lions hiding in ambush.

13 Arise, O Lord!
    Stand against them, and bring them to their knees!
    Rescue me from the wicked with your sword!
14 By the power of your hand, O Lord,
    destroy those who look to this world for their reward.
But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones.
    May their children have plenty,
    leaving an inheritance for their descendants.
15 Because I am righteous, I will see you.
    When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.

David’s prayer is as relevant today as it was when he first prayed it. There is much wickedness and evil throughout the world today, as in days long ago. The face of wickedness and evil may change, but the true enemy remains Satan and the failure of people to recognize and submit to the one, true God.

I invite you to pray with me…

God, please stand against the evil around the world and bring them to their knees. Rescue the righteous from the hands of the wicked. Open my eyes, ears, and heart to listen to your guidance for how you want me to make a difference in defeating evil and protecting the righteous. Help me to walk in righteousness. In all things, not my will but your will be done.   Amen.

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

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

Abortion

Leading Cause of Death in the World

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 56 million people died worldwide in 2012.

The leading cause of death was cardiovascular diseases, killing 17.5 million people in 2012, that is 3 in every 10 deaths.

6.6 million children died before reaching their fifth birthday. The major killers of children aged less than 5 years were prematurity, pneumonia, birth asphyxia and birth trauma, and diarrheal diseases.

The world health organization has another category they track that they do not even count in the death totals. Every year an estimated 45 million children are killed inside their mother’s womb by someone carrying out an abortion.

If we were to add this number to the death total of 56 million above, we see that deaths from abortion account for an astounding 45% of total deaths worldwide… almost three times more than the next leading category (cardiovascular disease).

God clearly tells us life begins in the womb in Jeremiah 1:4-5

4 The Lord gave me this message:

5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
    Before you were born I set you apart
    and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Medical science today undeniably confirms what God told us thousands of years ago. Life begins at conception and the human life grows inside the mother’s womb. The baby is defenseless and without a voice, but clearly a separate individual human life inside the mother.

If you or someone you know is considering abortion.  Please choose to save the life of the child, even if it is a hard situation. Reach out for help to God and fellow Christians.

If you or someone you know has already been involved in an abortion then you know how devastating it is emotionally. Remember that God is filled with grace.  He can forgive you if you turn toward Him with repentant heart and seek forgiveness. If you are struggling in grief, please reach out to God and to fellow Christians for help.

2 Chronicles 7:14

14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

Let’s work together to stop abortion!

For information on finding resources to help, please visit our Crisis Help: Abortion page.

Faith / Trusting God, Loving / Kind, Lying / Deceiving, Murder, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer, Pride, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Seeking God, Wickedness / Evil

God, Listen to My Cry for Help

David wrote many of the Psalms when he was in times of personal adversity. As a man after God’s own heart, he consistently turned to God during suffering.

In Psalm 5, David demonstrates trust in God, reflects on God’s character, recognizes God’s love for him and his unworthiness to come before a holy God, and ends with a call to be joyful and praise God. When David prayed, he expected to hear from God.

Psalm 5

1 O Lord, hear me as I pray;
    pay attention to my groaning.
2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
    for I pray to no one but you.
3 Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
    Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

4 O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness;
    you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.
5 Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence,
    for you hate all who do evil.
6 You will destroy those who tell lies.
    The Lord detests murderers and deceivers.

7 Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;
    I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.
8 Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
    or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.

9 My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.
    Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
    Their tongues are filled with flattery.[a]
10 O God, declare them guilty.
    Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many sins,
    for they have rebelled against you.

11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
    that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
12 For you bless the godly, O Lord;
    you surround them with your shield of love.

As with many scriptures, there is much wisdom packed into these precious verses. I admire the relationship David had with God.

We can challenge ourselves to do the following when we have times of suffering:

  • Rely on God. Ask Him for protection and help.
  • Expect God to answer our prayers.
  • Reflect on the character of our holy God.
  • Remember God’s love for us.
  •  Sing joyfully and praise Him even in adversity.

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

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

Abortion

Pray for an End to Abortion

The leading cause of death around the world is not disease or famine… it is murder. Worse yet, it is legalized murder. People worldwide have convinced themselves that killing unborn children is somehow acceptable. The World Health Organization actually tracks the number of abortions globally but does not even count them among the death statistics they also track! People around the world ignore God’s word and scientific evidence that is widely available today in this dangerous rationalization of wrong behavior.

In most cases, abortion is simply ending the life of one who is defenseless in order to make the mother’s life more comfortable or convenient or allow the father to avoid responsibility.  Yes, there are extreme pressures involved… but it is still a life. We should treat the unborn no worse than newborn babies. They should not have a lesser standard of protection and care.

Brothers and sisters, come with me before God in prayer and repentance for our nations and the world. Every day worldwide more than 120,000 unborn children are being killed by someone performing an abortion. That is an astonishing rate of 40-50 million children being killed this way each year. The numbers are astounding even compared to what we generally consider the truly terrible events in history, like Hitler’s extermination of the Jewish people in Germany during World War II. That was 6 million people in total (and it was horrible)… at the current rate of abortions, the world kills more than 6 million every two months!

God put babies in their mother’s wombs to grow so they could be safe and yet that is the leading cause of death in the world. Pray that the scales would drop from people’s eyes and they would see the truth clearly and be unable to rationalize and accept abortion.

Pray too for those who have been involved in abortions already, either in performing, encouraging, or forcing someone to participate, or the mother having an abortion. Theirs is terrible grief and sadness. Pray they would come before God with a repentant heart and be healed and forgiven. Pray they would forgive themselves too.

To learn more, review Crisis Help: Stop Abortion.

Forgiveness and healing are available to all thanks to Jesus Christ! May the grace and peace of Jesus Christ be with all of you.

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

Arrogance, Bitterness / Resentment, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Greed, Homosexual Behavior, Mockers, Murder, Sin Nature, Strife, Tongue / Gossip / Slander, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil

Unbelief and Its Consequences

Many who mean well, genuinely struggle to understand how Yahweh can pass judgment on some who have never heard of Him. Sadly, rather than studying the Bible to gain better understanding, they just begin to redefine God in their image and rationalize that people will not go to hell after all. This leads to all manner of misconceptions about God and even more people lose their way.

We know that Yeshua is the way to the Father.

John 14:6

6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

If we believe those who do not hear about Yeshua will automatically go to heaven because of ignorance…we can find ourselves rationalizing that we should not go and tell others about Him. If we share the gospel and they reject Him then they will go to hell, but if we just don’t tell them… then they will go to heaven?

Following false doctrine leads to disastrous consequences. Yeshua commanded us to proclaim the gospel to all the nations, knowing that many would reject the message and reject Him.

Matthew 28:18-20

18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 7:13

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.

Does that mean Yeshua wants people to go to hell? Of course not! He came to save us, but people must submit to and follow Him in more than just empty words. We must show our love and obedience to Him by truly being His disciple. To be a disciple, we must learn. To learn correctly, we must study and pray.

Paul reveals the harsh truth of the matter. There are no excuses for those who choose to reject Yahweh. Evidence of our Creator is available all around us in His creation. God is not pleased with those who reject Him, whether or not a missionary has formally come to teach them about Him. Further, there are direct consequences for those who reject God. Without acknowledging God’s instructions for right and wrong, they have no guide to lead them to righteousness. Thus, it is natural to end up living in wickedness and sin.

Romans 1:18-32

Unbelief and Its Consequences

      18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

      24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

      26For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

      28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Please review carefully the specific, but not all-inclusive, list of sins that Yahweh finds worthy of wrath. Many of these are well accepted today in our culture. Starting in verse 26, God speaks about homosexuality and God labels it degrading, unnatural, and indecent. Verse 29 continues with a further list of sin that develops around those who reject God: “unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful”.

Do not overlook verse 32… which highlights the sin of not just doing these acts, but also of simply approving of, accepting, or encouraging these behaviors.

If we look around our society today, we see all of these things which have been called out in scripture. We did not see them as blatantly and publicly accepted a hundred years ago when we as a country had a stronger focus on God, Biblical teaching, and God’s instruction for how we should live. In other words, we can tie the degradation of our society back to people rejecting God and Him turning them over to a depraved mind as scripture documents.

Yahweh will not force people to obey and follow Him. He will let them suffer in their own choice, by their own free will. He gives them over to degrading passions that they have chosen. He gives them over to their depraved mind which they have chosen. As such, they will suffer in this world and then face the ultimate judgment when they face Jehovah when they die. Those who have not accepted Jesus as savior and submitted their lives to follow Him will go to hell.

John 3:16-21

      16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

The world and the people in it are inherently depraved and wicked, not inherently good. Some overcome this through becoming disciples of Christ. Some accept godly values even without accepting God, typically if it is normalized in a culture that generally does accept God. Sadly, many reject God and what He values. Prayerfully review the scripture and ask God to reveal to you what sins you may be practicing or approving of in others… of which you need to repent wholeheartedly to come back in right relationship with Him. Then humbly admitting your fault and recognizing the lies regarding what the world tries to paint as “right” and “proper” or “acceptable” behavior, turn from them and follow after Yeshua as a true disciple.

I encourage you to take a few minutes in prayer on this subject. pray for yourself first. Then consider praying for others and for our society as a whole. Take care not to move so quickly into prayer for others that you forget to pray about what God may need to show you in your own life.

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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.

Abortion, Consequences of Sin, Grace / Patience, Help / Serve Others, Interceding for Others, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

Crisis Help: Stop Abortion

Our heavenly Father calls us not only to seek Him in study of His written word, but also to seek Him in prayer and to live out our lives the way he instructs. He wants us to pray for and work toward righteousness in our society, not just in “the church”. He does not want us to accept wickedness under the guise of cultural acceptance.

According to the World Health Organization, every year an estimated 45 million children are killed inside their mother’s womb by someone carrying out an abortion.  

God clearly tells us life begins in the womb in Jeremiah 1:4-5

4 The Lord gave me this message:

5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
    Before you were born I set you apart
    and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

And again in Psalms 139:13-16

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

Medical science today undeniably confirms what God told us thousands of years ago. Birth begins at conception and the human life grows inside the mother’s womb.

The baby is defenseless and without a voice, but clearly a separate individual human life inside the mother.

If you or someone you know is considering abortion.  Please choose to save the life of the child, even if it is a hard situation. Reach out to God and followers of Yeshua for help.

Similarly, if you or someone you know has already been involved in an abortion then you know how devastating it is emotionally for the mother. Remember that God is filled with grace.  He can forgive you if you turn toward Him with repentant heart and seek forgiveness. If you are struggling in grief, please reach out to God and to followers of Yeshua for help.

Let’s work together to stop abortion!

I have listed a few resource links below. If you know of Christian organizations that are effective in this area, please Contact Us  and let us know so we can add them to our site as resources.

  • Heartbeat International works to inspire and equip Christian communities worldwide to rescue women and couples from abortion through the development of neighborhood pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and adoption services. These ministries provide life-saving help in a truly life-changing way by assisting women who are at risk for abortion with the life-affirming, practical support they need to choose life, then prepare them to parent or to place for adoption.
  • 40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families. It puts into action a desire to cooperate with God in the carrying out of His plan for the end of abortion. It draws attention to the evil of abortion through the use of a three-point program including: prayer and fasting, constant vigil, and community outreach
  • SilentNoMoreAwareness.org  is a Campaign whereby Christians make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women and men. The campaign seeks to expose and heal the secrecy and silence surrounding the emotional and physical pain of abortion.
  • DoveChristianCounseling.com provides online, email, or phone counseling to help those who have been involved in abortion or may be considering abortion.
  • I also encourage you to seek out a local Christ centered organization near you.  It is helpful to have someone you can meet with face to face who shares your faith and views on life and can help you through this difficult issue.   Yeshua wants us to work together as the body of Christ to stop abortion.

Brothers and sisters, come with me before God in prayer and repentance for our nations. Every day worldwide more than 120,000 unborn children are being killed by someone performing an abortion. That is an astonishing rate of 45 million children being killed this way each year. God put them in their mother’s wombs to grow so they could be safe and yet that is the leading cause of death in the world.

Pray too for those who have been involved in abortions already, either in performing, encouraging or forcing someone to participate, or the mother having an abortion. Their choice results in terrible grief and sadness. Pray they would come before God with repentant heart and be healed and forgiven. Pray they would forgive themselves too.

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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.

Courage / Fear, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Government, He Appears Before You, Murder, Persecution / Glorifying God, Protector / Deliverer, Purposeful / Intentional, Share the Good News, Submitted / Servant

Those Who Oppose Messiah Rationalize Much

Many who oppose Yeshua will do so with such passion that they will violate the values the claim to believe in order to oppose Him.  They rationalize absurd contradictions to come against Him. We see examples still today in similar fashion to those documented in the Bible from thousands of years ago. People have not changed. One of today’s examples is those who zealously demand tolerance for all belief systems, no matter how vile. These same people then practice no tolerance of those following Yeshua and our beliefs. They prosecute Christians or Jews with a passion that defies logic. They will try to ruin people for not baking them a wedding cake for a gay wedding, but then turn around and embrace Muslims who, under Sharia law, throw homosexuals off a building to their death without a trial. It defies all logic, with the exception that the devil is attacking those who live for Yeshua.

Paul experienced this kind of persecution continuously because he dedicated his life to the purpose of sharing the truth of the gospel of Yeshua. People came against him constantly, as they did our Messiah Himself. They were not concerned about what was lawful, but rather plotted as they saw fit regardless of the law of the land. They were blinded by their own biased view of the matter and not considering it truly rationally.

Acts 23:11-35

     11But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.”

A Conspiracy to Kill Paul

      12When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. 13There were more than forty who formed this plot. 14They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. 15“Now therefore, you and the Council notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case by a more thorough investigation; and we for our part are ready to slay him before he comes near the place.”

      16But the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, and he came and entered the barracks and told Paul. 17Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Lead this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.” 18So he took him and led him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you.” 19The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, “What is it that you have to report to me?” 20And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Council, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him. 21“So do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you.” 22So the commander let the young man go, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have notified me of these things.”

Paul Moved to Caesarea

      23And he called to him two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen.” 24They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor. 25And he wrote a letter having this form:

26“Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings.

            27“When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, I came up to them with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.
28“And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Council;
29and I found him to be accused over questions about their Law, but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment.

      30“When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing his accusers to bring charges against him before you.”

31So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32But the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks. 33When these had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34When he had read it, he asked from what province he was, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, 35he said, “I will give you a hearing after your accusers arrive also,” giving orders for him to be kept in Herod’s Praetorium.

I want to highlight a “shout out” for the LORD. In verse 11, He encourages Paul that he is on the right track bringing the word of God and Messiah to Jerusalem and then next to Rome. Clear guidance and confirmation must be so helpful when confronting such difficult situations!

We should absolutely get involved in our local and national governments to try to ensure God’s values are protected. Do not give ground to the ungodly even if they win a court battle here and there. Wrong is wrong. We must engage and support our brothers and sisters in Yeshua to receive the protection of the law they are due. We see how helpful it is for Paul when the Romans actually protected him as a Roman citizen from those who wanted to kill him because he served Yeshua.

Of course, we can also be encouraged that God can use all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called by Him. God uses this situation with Paul to help lead him to Rome, consistent with God’s plans for 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.

When you experience persecution because of Yeshua, turn to Him prayerfully for help and turn to your true brothers and sisters in Yeshua. When you see others facing persecution, engage in intercessory prayer on their behalf and help them where you can yourself. Do not accept the lies, deceit, or persecution presented by the world as reason to turn away from any element of what God calls us to do. Stand firm and proclaim the truth boldly.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for encouraging us and guiding us in the way You want us to go. It is so powerful to give us confidence and courage in difficult times. Please continue to embolden and raise up leaders like Paul to understand deeply and teach boldly the word of Yeshua as Messiah and your instructions for how we should live as Your people. Prepare us as Your people to hear and obey and support those leaders and teachers. Amen. 

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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.