Category Archives: Sin

Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Faithful, Grace / Forgiveness, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Loving / Kind, Money / Finances / Wealth, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God

Seek First The Kingdom Of God

A simple but revolutionary instruction. Yeshua tells us not to focus on money but on our relationship with the Father. Do not covet what others have or put your faith in large sums of money. Trust in the Lord and He will meet your needs. Set your finances aside to honor God and store up treasure in heaven and your heart will follow.

Luke 12:13-34

Covetousness Denounced

     13Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” 16And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17“And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18“Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21“So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

      22And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23“For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24“Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25“And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? 26“If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? 27“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28“But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! 29“And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30“For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. 31“But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

      33“Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Pray the Lord helps you with this as it truly is against what we are taught growing up in this world. We are taught that money, not God, represents security and self reliance. We should not seek to be self reliant but rather dependent on the Father. Whether or not we realize it, we are dependent on the Father already… as with the man in the parable starting in verse 16, above.

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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.

All Powerful / King of All, Am I on the path?, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Peace / Rest, Thankfulness

Sing for Joy to the Lord!

I know I do not take time to praise Him joyfully often enough. What a great reminder today in Psalm 95.

Psalm 95

Praise to the LORD, and Warning against Unbelief.

     1O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD,
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.

      2Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

      3For the LORD is a great God
And a great King above all gods,

      4In whose hand are the depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are His also.

      5The sea is His, for it was He who made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.

      6Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

      7For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you would hear His voice,

      8Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,

      9“When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, though they had seen My work.

      10“For forty years I loathed that generation,
And said they are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not know My ways.

      11“Therefore I swore in My anger,
Truly they shall not enter into My rest.”

Spend some time humbly before our Lord in prayer, focused on His greatness and thanking Him for His blessings. Ask the Spirit to show you if you are not fully surrendered to God and to help you do so today. Do not put it off, but come before Him now and submit to His rule. Ask for help to change your life to His glory and your joy.

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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.

 

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Parenting, Traditions / Holidays

Will You Follow The Traditions of Man? or God?

It is important to remember what Jehovah has done for us. He is our Creator and Lord. He is all powerful, all knowing, and present at all times in all places. Still He takes time to know each one of us and He loves each one of us as a father. Sometimes He dwells on a certain instruction to emphasize it so that we pay attention and do not miss it. Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread is one of those.  As we read through Exodus 12, we experience God’s instruction about celebrating these as remembrance of God setting His people free from bondage in Egypt.

Given how much the Christian church today distances itself from these God-commanded celebrations, we may be tempted to think… “Ok, glad I am done with Exodus 12 and can get on with the story.” God however, is not done commanding and emphasizing to us that we should celebrate Passover and Feast of Unleavened bread in remembrance of His actions on behalf of His people. He comes back to it in Exodus 13.

Exodus 13:1-16

Consecration of the Firstborn

      1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.”

      3Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the LORD brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten. 4“On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go forth. 5“It shall be when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall observe this rite in this month. 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.

      11“Now when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12you shall devote to the LORD the first offspring of every womb, and the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the LORD. 13“But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14“And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15‘It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16“So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

You may find yourself asking, “Why is this so important to God? The church has not taught me to celebrate it.” God tells us why it is important to Him… the church is wrong not to teach Jesus’ followers to honor Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread.

 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.

and again…

 14“And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15‘It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16“So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

Our heavenly Father wants us to remember His love and power in setting His people free from bondage in Egypt. Although we could have a longer discussion on how to celebrate today, it really should be a short discussion regarding whether or not we should celebrate today… God said we should. Once we make the decision to do it, then we take the next step and begin to study how… that is the journey my family and I are on today. We find great joy in obeying God’s instruction more completely and as we do it also becomes more evident the power of God’s plan even to teach our children about His power and love for us.

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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.

Abortion, Consequences of Sin, Discerning / Judging, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Homosexual Behavior, Hypocrisy, Jesus (hearing from God), Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Selfishness, Wickedness / Evil

Woe To You Hypocrites

Yeshua does not pull punches. He does not go around behind someone’s back talking about them. He goes right to them and speaks the truth boldly when it is called for. There are other times where He takes time to build relationship first, as with the Samaritan woman at the well. In Luke 11 when He confronts the Pharisees and lawyers, He is very direct.

The warnings apply for us too. Let us heed them. Are we more concerned with managing outward visible signs of our faith or actually internalizing and living out our faith in all aspects of our lives. Do we just make a good impression on the outside, but on the inside there is wickedness or selfishness?

Luke 11:37-54

Woes upon the Pharisees

     37Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. 38When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal. 39But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. 40“You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41“But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.

      42“But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 43“Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places. 44“Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.”

      45One of the lawyers said to Him in reply, “Teacher, when You say this, You insult us too.” 46But He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47“Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them. 48“So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs. 49“For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, 50so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.’ 52“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”

      53When He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, 54plotting against Him to catch Him in something He might say.

Ask the Spirit to help you evaluate your walk with Christ. Ask Him to show you any areas where you may just be “going through the motions” or not fully committed and submitted to the Lord and His ways. We have a culture around us that constantly tries to pull us away from Christ and His ways. Even in our church community there are many who will focus on “good enough” or “better than most” or “I help people”, or “I am a good person”…  but these are insufficient standards. We are to live to God’s standard. That requires us constantly submitting our lives to Him in all areas.

We can not say be fully committed to Him by attending church weekly and then turn around and not oppose something like abortion, the murder of millions of innocent lives, just because it is accepted culturally.  We can not pay a tithe and then accept and endorse homosexuality, which God clearly condemns. Should we accept removing any reference to God in our government and schools and public spaces just because our sinful culture demands it? Are we here just to be liked and make friends with everyone while they live sinful lives rejecting Christ on their way to hell? We should not be “silent” or “private” Christians. The Lord did not hide the light but put it on a lampstand for all to see.  We should be living in the example of Christ and that includes calling out sin appropriately and, at times, directly and with boldness… even when those hearing the message will hate us for it.

Pray for boldness and the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life. When He leads, obey and follow.

Woe unto any of us who pay lip service to Christ but live in hypocrisy by not living submitted to Him.

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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.

Discerning / Judging, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Purposeful / Intentional, Righteous, Righteousness / Serving God, Selfishness, Sin Nature, Teachable, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Let There Be Light Rather Than Darkness In You

Yeshua is the light of the world. He shown brightly as He walked this earth and taught people about the kingdom of God. He taught truth. He called out evil for what it is and did so directly. Many unbelieving people rejected Him. They could not see the truth of Christ as Messiah right before their eyes. God did not hide Christ but raised Him up publically for the light to shine brightly.

The truth of Christ is still with us today and available to lead us through the historical record of the Bible and through the Spirit of God who dwells amongst believers. Pray that the Lord would open your eyes so you could see clearly the truth of Christ… that your eye would be clear and thus your whole body full of light. We must first accept Christ and then we can, with the help of the Spirit, transform our hearts and minds to His service rather than our own desires.

In this way we become a light as well. Let us not hide our light, our faith in Christ, under a lampstand. Even if we must face adversity, let us shine forth for all to see. If we accept the world’s view of truth, we will be filled with darkness rather than light. Pray for the Spirit to lead and guide you and help you see clearly and understand the truth of God’s word and build relationship with Him.

Luke 11:29-36

   29As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. 30“For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31“The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32“The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

    33“No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34“The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35“Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. 36“If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.”

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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.

Blessed, Curse, Fear / Reverence for God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Self Control, Selfishness, Wickedness / Evil

Shall We Choose Wickedness or Righteousness?

Yeshua pulls no punches. He can be very straight and direct. The time of His earthly ministry was unlike any other in history… God Himself in human form walking amongst us and revealing Himself to us. For those who reject Him face to face and deny Him when He shows up right before them… even others who rejected Him will condemn them for they had the greatest sign of all. They had Jesus in the flesh and then his death and resurrection, the sign of Jonah.

Luke 11:29-32

The Sign of Jonah

     29As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. 30“For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31“The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32“The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

We have the earthly ministry of Yeshua recorded and available practically at our fingertips through the written word and now online access as well. We can carry a Bible(s) with us on our phones everywhere we go. Generally speaking we have amazing time on our hands with which to seek Him, pray, worship, study the word. We can say we are busy, and we can allow ourselves to be busy… but by and large we are not desperately seeking our next meal to survive. We fill our time with games and videos and all manner of trivial distractions. But do we fill our time with building relationship with the Lord?

We have time and access to our Lord and a record of His works and who He is. We have clearly documented history of the sign of His death and resurrection. If we are to reject Him still, than we truly are a wicked generation as was the generation which rejected Him during His earthly ministry.

Put God first. Seek Him first. Do not wait for Him to have the leftover time you don’t fill with other busyness.  Seek first the kingdom of God and everything else shall be given to you. This is the way to experience His blessings in abundance.

 Matthew 6:33

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

Each of us has an opportunity to decide for ourselves… shall we choose righteousness and blessings? or wickedness and selfishness and the curse that goes with it?

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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.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Miracles, Mockers, Share the Good News, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil

Demanding A Sign From Heaven

Those who truly do not want to believe in Christ will ignore any sign He provides. Luke 11 documents an example where Jesus was literally expelling a demon such that a man who was mute, could now speak. Obviously some were amazed and their eyes were opened by the grace of God to seek after Christ. Others, who had already decided that Christ could not be God, look for all sorts of crazy, irrational ways to reject Him. Imagine accepting that the man was mute because of a demon and then saying that Jesus cast the demon out by Satan’s power? How foolish a logic is this… by Satan’s power someone casts out Satan’s minions? It is absurd.

They had just witnessed a sign, casting out a demon, and then some demanded… yes… a sign from heaven.  As they ignore one sign, they demand another. These men had surely already decided that Christ could not be God and they were not about to be persuaded otherwise, no matter what sign may be presented.

Jesus clearly articulates that only one stronger than Satan, namely God Himself, could overpower the demons and cast them out.

Luke 11:14-23

Pharisees’ Blasphemy

     14And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed. 15But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven. 17But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. 18“If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19“And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges. 20“But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. 22“But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. 23“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.

As you go about your daily walk and engage people for Christ, try not to be discouraged that there will be some, many, who reject the message of Christ. Many rejected Christ even as He demonstrated miracles. These same type of people will reject Christ as we present Him to them. Our role is to present the truth to others, God will have to open their eyes to accept it.

We should also take care not to overlook verse 23. Jesus highlights that there is no middle ground. You are either with Him, or against Him. You can not “sit on the fence” or be “neutral”.    With that said, let us pray the Spirit gives us the courage to engage people boldly for the sake of Christ.

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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.

Abortion, All Powerful / King of All, Discerning / Judging, Homosexual Behavior, Humility, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Persecution / Glorifying God, Protector / Deliverer, Purposeful / Intentional, Selfishness, Strife, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

For The LORD Will Not Abandon His People

There are certainly times when we look around us and see wickedness rotting out our culture and the people of the world. Often we see the wicked oppress or attack the righteous, perhaps at times for no other reason than to feel better about their own wickedness by influencing others to join them rather than call them out for their sin.

Pray for the plans of the wicked to be destroyed and the righteous to be elevated. For the LORD will not abandon His people. Pray for repentance in the wicked that they would turn from sin and humble themselves before the Lord.

Psalm 94

The LORD Implored to Avenge His People.

     1O LORD, God of vengeance,
God of vengeance, shine forth!

      2Rise up, O Judge of the earth,
Render recompense to the proud.

      3How long shall the wicked, O LORD,
How long shall the wicked exult?

      4They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly;
All who do wickedness vaunt themselves.

      5They crush Your people, O LORD,
And afflict Your heritage.

      6They slay the widow and the stranger
And murder the orphans.

      7They have said, “The LORD does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed.”

      8Pay heed, you senseless among the people;
And when will you understand, stupid ones?

      9He who planted the ear, does He not hear?
He who formed the eye, does He not see?

      10He who chastens the nations, will He not rebuke,
Even He who teaches man knowledge?

      11The LORD knows the thoughts of man,
That they are a mere breath.

      12Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O LORD,
And whom You teach out of Your law;

      13That You may grant him relief from the days of adversity,
Until a pit is dug for the wicked.

      14For the LORD will not abandon His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.

      15For judgment will again be righteous,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.

      16Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness?

      17If the LORD had not been my help,
My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.

      18If I should say, “My foot has slipped,”
Your lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up.

      19When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,
Your consolations delight my soul.

      20Can a throne of destruction be allied with You,
One which devises mischief by decree?

      21They band themselves together against the life of the righteous
And condemn the innocent to death.

      22But the LORD has been my stronghold,
And my God the rock of my refuge.

      23He has brought back their wickedness upon them
And will destroy them in their evil;
The LORD our God will destroy them.

There is evil of many shades around the world. Some openly persecute and execute Christians, such as is common in some Muslim dominated countries. Others just constantly try to shame Christians for standing up for God’s instructions in life and pointing out sin in the society around them or for just refusing to participate in the sinful culture around them. They use lawsuits and lawmakers to discriminate against Christians living out their beliefs. They stir up anger and strife against businesses, calling for boycotts.

These same people are willing to murder unborn babies for their own selfishness and demand that it be free. They demand that Christians embrace and support and participate in homosexual marriage. They take no accountability for their own lives and just demand government pay them so they can buy what they have not earned.

Pray for repentance and revival. Pray for the righteous to rise up and be moved by God to take back our local, state, and national government proudly and without fear standing for and living out our beliefs. Then listen for how God wants you to be active and engaged in this revival and allow Him to direct you. Prepare yourself that if you are to serve Him, you will likely have to make changes in your own life and may likely face adversity and conflict… as He did.

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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.

Compassionate, Guide, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus (hearing from God), Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Peace / Rest, Purposeful / Intentional, Self Control, Slow to Anger, Speaking, Unteachable / Foolish, Worldliness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The Son of Man Did Not Come To Destroy Men’s Lives, But To Save Them.

The Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. When we go forth in His name we should do so with this in mind. We need not attack or destroy those who reject us and our Lord Jesus, but simply bring His message to those who will receive us.

Luke 9:51-56

      51When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; 52and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. 53But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. 54When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; 56for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.

This does not mean that we don’t fight back if attacked to defend ourselves. If those who consider us enemies attack, we should always seek the Lord’s protection and help. However, this scripture does not say we can not defend ourselves or should not defend ourselves. It says we need not attack others for disagreeing with us.

I believe we are called to fight in the name of Christ in many situations… not all of which are “military” in nature. We should fight back against normalizing abortion, which is simply the murder of innocent life for selfish reasons. We should fight  back against those pushing immoral beliefs such as homosexuality and transgender issues that will lead many into sin and turn away from God. We should fight back against a culture that continues to push God out of government, schools, and every part of public life that they can. We should, however, remember that we are really fighting Satan. He is the real enemy. To defeat Him, we need prayer and the power of our Lord. Let us never forget that we fight spiritual battles.

Ephesians 6:10-20

    10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

      18With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Read more on spiritual warfare or learning to pray effectively.

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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, Generous, Guide, Help / Serve Others, Kindness / Gentleness, Love, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Selfishness, Wise, Worldliness

What It Means To Truly Be Great

Many seek greatness. Sadly, most of us use the wrong standard to define what it means to truly be great. We seek fame or fortune. We let the world define greatness as someone being more important than others… being served and adored by others. This is completely backwards.

Listen to how Yeshua defines greatness…

Luke 9:46-48

      46An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. 47But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, 48and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”

Yeshua demonstrated greatness by coming, full of glory and power, to serve rather than to be served. He ministered to others sharing the gospel and healing many. He did not seek comfort or fame. He often told others not to tell anyone about the healing He provided. He suffered and died for our sins… to serve us while we were yet sinners who reject Him. He willingly went to the cross for us.

Reflect on your life and your goals. What do you pursue? Are you chasing personal gain or true greatness as a servant of God and others. Pray the Lord would open the eyes of your heart so you could fully submit to Him and lay down your life for Him, as He did for us.

Matthew 10:39

39“He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

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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.