Category Archives: Consequences of Sin

Consequences of Sin, Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Sin

We Are By Nature Children Of Wrath

Contrary to what many today want to believe, we are not born holy and righteous. Human nature draws us toward sin and disobedience to Jehovah rather than submission to Him. Left on our own, we are dead in sin and will be held accountable as such by God on the day of judgment. Yes, there really is a heaven and a hell.

While this makes many uncomfortable, it is important to understand in order to have a clear picture of God’s love, grace and mercy. He displays all of it by providing a way to save us from our sin, to bridge the gap between our selfish and rebellious nature and His holiness.

God demonstrates mercy in that He is willing to withhold from us the punishment we deserve based on the gap between our behavior and attitudes and His holy standard. Further He shows grace by providing us forgiveness we do not deserve and a way to be reconciled with Him. He demonstrated love by coming to live among us and die on our behalf to pay the penalty for our sins and rebellion. He did this in the person of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-10

     1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

It is important to remember that we are not inherently good. We do not deserve forgiveness. We can not earn forgiveness. We can never achieve God’s standard through our own works. We are saved by God’s grace, through our faith in Jesus Christ. It is a gift we do not deserve, but still we must choose to accept it. Once we accept this gift, God does indeed expect us to walk in good works as evidence of our submission to Him.

Trying to bridge the gap between us and God without accepting Jesus Christ as Lord is akin to trying to climb down into the Grand Canyon using a step ladder. We do not even come close on our own. Let us remember and remind others that God shows His great love, great mercy and great grace by the offer of reconciliation and salvation He offers in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We should praise Him and glorify Him and never take it for granted as something we do not need or something we deserve based on our own works.

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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.

Can God Use Me?, Consequences of Sin, Help / Serve Others, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Strong in Our Weakness

We All Make Mistakes; Keep On Helping Others

Moses made quite a mess by killing an Egyptian in anger in an effort to stop injustice. He had to deal with the consequences and leave the country, eventually settling in Midian. However, although Moses likely recognized his error, he did not stop trying to honor God by helping others. We see in Exodus 2 that Moses continues to help others when he sees they are in need. This time he is does so more effectively… without killing anyone. It is his act of helping others that actually opens up the door to marrying Zipporah and finding fellowship in the land of Midian.

Exodus 2:11-22

     11Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14But he said, “Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

Moses Escapes to Midian

      15When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

      16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. 18When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?” 19So they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock.” 20He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.” 21Moses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses. 22Then she gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

We are all subject to making mistakes on some level when we try to step out in faith to obey God’s commands and stop unrighteous behavior. Of course it is an even bigger mistake to not obey God’s commands by rebuking the wrong behavior. The wise will seek to learn from their experiences, change and improve how they intervene. Do not turn away from obeying God’s commands and serving Him just because of a bad experience in how you intervened in a situation before.

Be encouraged, even Moses, one of the greatest of God’s prophets, made mistakes. He learned from them and continued with a passion to obey God’s commands and fight unrighteous behavior and injustice. God was able to develop him and use him to great glory for the kingdom of God.

Have you had one or more bad experiences in the past when you tried to intervene to help someone who experienced injustice from others? Are you letting it discourage you from intervening in new situations you see around you? Pray for God to help show you how you can intervene more effectively and continue to rebuke wrong behaviors when you see them and help others when they are in need.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke

Philippians 2:3-4  3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

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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.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Can God Use Me?, Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Encouragement, Suffering / Adversity

How Can I Serve God After The Mess I Made?

Have you ever tried to help someone or stand up for Christ, but you did so in the wrong way? You meant well, but you fumbled the execution. Most of us who have tried to do so have made some level of mistakes in our attempts. Do not give up standing up for others or serving God. Learn from your mistakes and change your approach to be more effective. Ask forgiveness from God for your failure and turn from wrong behavior. He can still use you to glorify His kingdom if you invite Him in and obey His instructions.

Even Moses, who is looked upon as a hero in faith and great prophet of God made some big mistakes when he was getting started. But God was able to use Moses in a mighty way to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt and through the difficult times in the desert that were to follow.

Exodus 2:11-15

      11Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14But he said, “Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

     15When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

Moses felt a strong desire to help his people, but reacted quickly in a moment of strong anger and killed an Egyptian. To say the least, this was not an effective approach in having a positive influence in the situation. In fact, it worked out badly and had significant negative consequences. Even the Hebrews, whom he was trying to defend turned on him and rejected him. He left himself vulnerable for prosecution for murder by the Egyptians. He did not honor God in how he handled the situation. There were negative consequences for him as a result of his poor choice of actions, but God did not give up on Moses. God still had plans to prepare Moses to be a great leader of the Hebrew people and to glorify the kingdom of God.

All of us make mistakes, even as our heart may be motivated to honor and serve God. Sometimes our mistakes seem small and sometimes they can be quite severe.  There are consequences, but do not give up on serving God because of a mistake or series of mistakes you make. Learn from your bad choices, seek forgiveness and growth and deal with the consequences of what you did. Then continue to seek opportunity to serve God in your life. You will quite likely be amazed at how He can use each of us, even in our weakness, to demonstrate His glory and strength.

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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.

 

Consequences of Sin, Hearing from God, Salvation, Sin

Why Won’t God Answer Me?

“Why won’t God answer me?” This question has been relevant to God’s people for a very long time. Many today turn away from God or conclude He is not real or that He no longer talks to His people when they do not clearly hear His response to their prayers. There are several reasons why God may not respond to the prayer of a believer… but we must look within ourselves for the lack of communication with God rather than looking to God as the reason. God is unchanging and righteous and deeply loves His people. However, we as His people often separate ourselves from Him through our own sin… when we choose to do things our way or the world’s way rather than God’s way. We sin when we “miss the mark”, falling short of God’s standard for how we should behave and think.

Isaiah spoke of the problem of our sin getting between us and God a long time ago. The problem has not changed between then and now… it remains the sin within the believer who seeks God that separates us from him.

Isaiah 59

Separation from God

     1Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short
That it cannot save;
Nor is His ear so dull
That it cannot hear.

      2But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

      3For your hands are defiled with blood
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken falsehood,
Your tongue mutters wickedness.

      4No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly.
They trust in confusion and speak lies;
They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.

      5They hatch adders’ eggs and weave the spider’s web;
He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from that which is crushed a snake breaks forth.

      6Their webs will not become clothing,
Nor will they cover themselves with their works;
Their works are works of iniquity,
And an act of violence is in their hands.

      7Their feet run to evil,
And they hasten to shed innocent blood;
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity,
Devastation and destruction are in their highways.

      8They do not know the way of peace,
And there is no justice in their tracks;
They have made their paths crooked,
Whoever treads on them does not know peace.

A Confession of Wickedness

        9Therefore justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not overtake us;
We hope for light, but behold, darkness,
For brightness, but we walk in gloom.

      10We grope along the wall like blind men,
We grope like those who have no eyes;
We stumble at midday as in the twilight,
Among those who are vigorous we are like dead men.

      11All of us growl like bears,
And moan sadly like doves;
We hope for justice, but there is none,
For salvation, but it is far from us.

      12For our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And we know our iniquities:

      13Transgressing and denying the LORD,
And turning away from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words.

      14Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands far away;
For truth has stumbled in the street,
And uprightness cannot enter.

      15Yes, truth is lacking;
And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey.
Now the LORD saw,
And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.

      16And He saw that there was no man,
And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.

      17He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.

      18According to their deeds, so He will repay,
Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will make recompense.

      19So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west
And His glory from the rising of the sun,
For He will come like a rushing stream
Which the wind of the LORD drives.

      20“A Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD.

      21“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.”

Blessed are we because of the Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who came to take punishment for our sin! Without Him, we would be unable to be reconciled with God. Praise God that He made a way for us to be forgiven! We must turn away from our sin and toward living God’s way, ask forgiveness through Jesus Christ, and do our best to sin no more. We will never be perfectly sinless, but we must certainly avoid conscious and deliberate sin for this is rebellion against God in any form. Grace covers our mistakes, not our ongoing rebellion. We must turn away from self and wholeheartedly seek to be more like Jesus Christ.

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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.

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Consequences of Sin, False Prophets / Teachers, Grace / Patience, Justice / Judgment, Prophecy, Righteousness / Serving God

The Day of the Lord Is Coming… Prepare Now!

Many today mock the return of the Lord Jesus, claiming that if He has not yet come, two thousand years after He died on the cross then He is not coming. They further rationalize, incorrectly, that He will not come at all and certainly not come in judgment of the ungodly. They confidently pursue after their own lusts and sinful desires without regard for the word of God or for God Himself.

Even some genuine believers begin to doubt the flawless nature of the Bible when confronted by mockers about the amount of time that has passed without Jesus’ return.

Would it surprise you that Jesus and His disciples knew this would happen?  In fact, Peter wrote about it in 2 Peter 3.

Purpose of This Letter

      1This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.

The Coming Day of the Lord

      3Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

      8But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

A New Heaven and Earth

      10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

      11Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

      14Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Time from our perspective is different from that of God. We can not count time from our perspective and expect to fully anticipate God’s timing in fulfilling the prophecy. Further, God’s motives are higher than our motives. His delay is not because He forgot… it is not because He is just slow… it is because He is patient and loves us. I know personally that if God would have brought about the end of the age 15 years ago, I would be in Hell for all eternity. But now, through His grace, I have hope in the promise of Heaven with Him.

Many try to predict when the end of the age will come… to what purpose? God tells us we will not know when it comes… it will come like a thief in the night. We can not wait to predict it in order to prepare for it. As God’s righteous people, we must prepare now!

Through Jesus Christ we may be found in peace, spotless and blameless… prepared for His return. (Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.) Take heed of the warning from Peter that there will be many errors and wrong teaching about the word of God by unprincipled men. We are forewarned and should take action to prepare ourselves through prayer and consistent study of the scriptures. We must learn to discern truth from fiction in regards to God’s word. Laziness on our part to study the word is no excuse for living an unrighteous life.  Through prayer and study, we can grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we grow in knowledge, we must also apply it continually to our lives, to transform ourselves away from our selfish nature and to become more like Jesus Christ.

Even if you do not believe the end of the age is coming during your lifetime, you will be judged based on your relationship with Jesus (or lack of a relationship) when you reach the end of your life… and none of our tomorrow’s are promised. Studies show that 5 out of 5 people die… and they do not all know ahead of time when that will take place. Prepare now!

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.

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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.

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Am I on the path?, Anger (unrighteous anger), Consequences of Sin, Discerning / Judging, Discipline / Correction, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, How do I get started?, Humility, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Peace / Rest, Righteousness / Serving God, Wickedness / Evil

Delight In The Will of God, For His Works Are Wonderful

God calls each of us to not only accept, but delight in His will rather than clinging stubbornly to our own. He is like a master craftsman working on a tapestry. He knows the entire picture, including not only the parts that have already been completed but also the parts that have yet to be completed. He sees the whole picture and how it works together. Each of us is but a single thread, without a view of the rest of the tapestry. He invites us to become part of His masterpiece. How often we stubbornly insist to God that we know what is best, but in truth… we see only a small part whereas He has great vision.

Psalm 37

  1Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not envious toward wrongdoers.

      2For they will wither quickly like the grass
And fade like the green herb.

      3Trust in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

      4Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.

      5Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

      6He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.

      7Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

      8Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

      9For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.

      10Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.

      11But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

      12The wicked plots against the righteous
And gnashes at him with his teeth.

      13The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees his day is coming.

      14The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow
To cast down the afflicted and the needy,
To slay those who are upright in conduct.

      15Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their bows will be broken.

      16Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.

      17For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the LORD sustains the righteous.

      18The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
And their inheritance will be forever.

      19They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
And in the days of famine they will have abundance.

      20But the wicked will perish;
And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures, they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

      21The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous is gracious and gives.

      22For those blessed by Him will inherit the land,
But those cursed by Him will be cut off.

      23The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.

      24When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.

      25I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his descendants begging bread.

      26All day long he is gracious and lends,
And his descendants are a blessing.

      27Depart from evil and do good,
So you will abide forever.

      28For the LORD loves justice
And does not forsake His godly ones;
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.

      29The righteous will inherit the land
And dwell in it forever.

      30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
And his tongue speaks justice.

      31The law of his God is in his heart;
His steps do not slip.

      32The wicked spies upon the righteous
And seeks to kill him.

      33The LORD will not leave him in his hand
Or let him be condemned when he is judged.

      34Wait for the LORD and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

      35I have seen a wicked, violent man
Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil.

      36Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more;
I sought for him, but he could not be found.

      37Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright;
For the man of peace will have a posterity.

      38But transgressors will be altogether destroyed;
The posterity of the wicked will be cut off.

      39But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their strength in time of trouble.

      40The LORD helps them and delivers them;
He delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.

Submit your will to the Master and embrace His will with delight!

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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.

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Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Righteousness / Serving God, Thankfulness

God Keeps His Promises

God appears to Jacob in a personal way to reinforce and remind Jacob of God’s promise to and purpose for him.  Jacob has experienced a very challenging and rewarding life since God first made this promise to him in Genesis 28:1-22. Jacob has grown in relationship to God and faithfully obeys God’s instruction him, giving thanks to God along the way.

Genesis 35:9-15

      9Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him.

10God said to him,
“Your name is Jacob;
You shall no longer be called Jacob,
But Israel shall be your name.”
Thus He called him Israel.

11God also said to him,
“I am God Almighty;
Be fruitful and multiply;
A nation and a company of nations shall come from you,
And kings shall come forth from you.

      12“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac,
I will give it to you,
And I will give the land to your descendants after you.”

13Then God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him. 14Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel.

Despite many difficulties and mistakes in raising and leading his household, Jacob has grown more consistent in obeying and being faithful to God. He has experienced much personal grown in his life since first God appeared to him. Like all of us who choose to pursue a lifelong journey to serve and obey God, Jacob does not have it all figured out. He makes mistakes and his family has to deal with real consequences for those mistakes. However, he thankfully pursues God’s direction for his life.

Genesis 35:22-29 shows us how far God has brought Jacob on the journey toward the promises of God. We remember also that these were the multi-generational promises God made to Abraham and Isaac before Jacob. Scripture provides a point of reflection as Isaac dies, to see how far God has already brought them in a generation from Isaac, or two generations from Abraham. Jacob, by himself, has a large and prosperous family and this does not even include the branches of the family that came forth from Ishmael or Esau.

The Sons of Israel

       Now there were twelve sons of Jacob— 23the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, then Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun; 24the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; 25and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid: Dan and Naphtali; 26and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

      27Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned.

      28Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29Isaac breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, an old man of ripe age; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

We can count on the promises of God. Take time to reflect on the promises of God revealed in the Bible or spoken to you personally through your prayer life with God. Can you see where God has been active and come through to deliver on these promises in your life? In difficult times, do you believe and take strength in the promises God has made? You can trust Him completely, even when He does things in a way that you or I would not choose.

I praise God that He does things His way for my wisdom is so limited, but His wisdom is beyond our ability to understand! I trust in His promises revealed through the Bible! They bring me comfort and joy in good times and in bad.  God will never let us down.

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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.

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Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Blessed, Can God Use Me?, Consequences of Sin, Family, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Prophecy

God Can Use Us Even Though We Make Many Mistakes

Are you living your life without making mistakes?  Do you have it all figured out? If you answered yes, than… quite frankly… you are wrong. None except Jesus Himself live the perfect life.  Even among those of us who wholeheartedly seek after and submit to God, we can only do our best and ask God for His help to live according to His commands. For those of you who answered “no”… the good news is that God can use us even though we make mistakes.

Let us explore two sides of Jacob’s life in Genesis 35:9-22. Jacob has such a personal relationship with God, that God continually appears to him and communicates important things and Jacob receives this instruction and follows it. God tells Jacob once again that he will now be called Israel and again reinforces the promise and prophecy that many nations shall come from him.

However we see also, that even this great moment for Jacob in the presence of God is experienced in the midst of his continuing family struggles for which he seems to be at a loss to be able to solve in order to more effectively lead his family.  We learned in Genesis 34 and earlier in Genesis 35 that Jacob settled and remained in an ungodly land. His daughter was raped, his sons used treachery and deceit to kill many as punishment to the one who mistreated their sister, and as his household packs up to leave, Jacob finds idols and foreign gods among them. They were not pure, not holy (set apart for God’s use), but rather had blended with the pagans around them to some extent.

Jacob Is Named Israel

      9Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him.

10God said to him,
“Your name is Jacob;
You shall no longer be called Jacob,
But Israel shall be your name.”
Thus He called him Israel.

11God also said to him,
“I am God Almighty;
Be fruitful and multiply;
A nation and a company of nations shall come from you,
And kings shall come forth from you.

      12“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac,
I will give it to you,
And I will give the land to your descendants after you.”

13Then God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him. 14Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel.

      16Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe labor. 17When she was in severe labor the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for now you have another son.” 18It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

      22It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.

We see Jacob again hit hard by family trouble in verse 22, when his eldest son has sex with Jacob’s concubine. This was a huge disgrace for all involved. I am sure Reuben thought “no one will know”… but that is rarely the case among people when we sin… and God always knows. Of course, we could also have quite a discussion on why Jacob even had concubines… this is not consistent with God’s plan for marriage. From the beginning, with Adam and Eve, God intended it to be one man and one woman in marriage… no extra wives, no concubines.

Studying earlier points in Jacob’s life, we see that leading his family to honor God in their daily lives and relationships is not a new struggle for Jacob. In fact his wives struggled badly when they married him, competing with one another rather than showing love within his household. Ultimately this jealousy resulted in his failure by sleeping with their maid servants all in pursuit of sons. Go back further and we see where he had to run away from home to get away from an angry brother who wanted to kill him, after Jacob deceived his aging father to receive a blessing which Isaac intended for Esau. It goes even further back… Isaac and Rebekah chose favorites in their family, each openly loving one son more than the other.

Suffice it to say, that Jacob did not have every aspect of his life together and going well. So what is my point? Why do I point this failure of Jacob’s out?

First, we can all take heart and be encouraged that God can use us, can have intimate relationship with us, even when our lives are not entirely in order. We must, however, be submitted to God, as Jacob was. We can not be in open rebellion to God, intentionally disregarding His commands in how we are to live.

Secondly, even when we are walking with God in our lives and hearing from Him, we should take heed to purify ourselves, our family, our household. Consciously choose to submit to God and to follow His ways. Study the Bible and apply what it teaches to your lives. Change your ways to be set apart for God rather than to blend with the ungodly around you. There are consequences to leaving sin in our lives. Consider the mess that Jacob’s family experienced. It was not “God punishing them”, but rather it was natural consequences for not living God’s way. God tells us how to live, but we must choose to do so or live with the consequences.

Do not be complacent just because you have a relationship with God but rather use that relationship as a strong foundation to transform your life and that of your family to reflect God’s values and God’s will in every aspect of your life. Seeking to change our lives to live according to God’s instructions is not a one time adjustment, but rather a difficult and intentional journey that will last the rest of our lives.

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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.

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Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Merciful, Mockers, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

No Greater Act of Love

The dreadful treatment that Jesus received up to and including dying on the cross gives us insight into what we deserve for our wrong behaviors and attitudes. He deserved no such treatment. Jesus lived without sin, in perfect obedience to God. God willingly chose to become man in the person of Jesus Christ and to suffer and die for our sins. There is no greater and more clear act of love than to take our punishment in our place. Picture yourself going through this suffering and death instead of Jesus… what would it be like? Then praise God for showing us love, grace, and mercy in taking our punishment for us.

Matthew 27:27-56

Jesus Is Mocked

      27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. 28They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. 31After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

      32As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.

The Crucifixion

      33And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, 34they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.

      35And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. 36And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. 37And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

      38At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads 40and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42“He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43“HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.

      45Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” 47And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” 50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

      55Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. 56Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

There are consequences for our sin, for our wrong behaviors and attitudes. The wages of sin are death, but God offers us mercy and grace through Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:23 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God offers mercy in that He will withhold from us the punishment we deserve if we accept the lordship of Jesus Christ. God offers grace in His offer of eternal life and forgiveness, which we do not deserve. God shows us love by paying accepting upon Himself the punishment we deserve. The consequences of sin had to be dealt with. They could not be ignored.  Jesus suffered for us.

We see also the wicked, who mock and scorn Jesus and those who follow Him. They reject and rebel against God. Ultimately, all shall recognize Jesus as Lord, but for those who reject Him throughout their lives on earth, it will be too late to accept His offer of forgiveness when they stand before Him after they die.

Romans 14:11-12

11For it is written,
“AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”

12So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

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.

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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.

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Consequences of Sin, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, False Prophets / Teachers, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Obeying God, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

Profiles in Humanity – Jesus’ Trial Before Pilate

No greater demonstration of love has the world ever seen than that of God humbling Himself to become man in the person of Jesus Christ and then voluntarily suffering and dying for our sins on the cross. We walk with Jesus on this journey in Matthew 27:11-26, as we see Him brought before Pilate for judgment. Pilate recognizes His innocence, but executes Him anyway trying not to take any accountability for it. The people are sheep, easily led astray by religious leaders to seek the release of a notorious prisoner and call for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who was innocent. Jesus allows it and does not try to defend Himself despite personal pain and suffering, for He is walking in God’s will.

Jesus before Pilate

      11Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. 13Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

      15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.

      19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. 21But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” 23And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”

      24When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” 25And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” 26Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

We see several profiles that are worth comparing. We can learn from each.

Jesus is the perfect picture of a righteous man, obeying God even when it results in suffering. He sought and now follows God’s will for His life. He endures trials to serve our almighty God.

The chief priests and elders are relentless in their selfish desire to maintain power and execute Jesus out of sheer jealousy and fear of losing their earthly power and prestige. They have witnessed Jesus’ earthly ministry complete with many miracles. They have heard Him teach properly and with authority. Their faith tells them to prepare for such a Messiah as Jesus, but there is never even an indication in scripture that they seek God’s confirmation for whether or not Jesus is Messiah, Son of God. They are more often seen plotting and scheming, trying  to manipulate the people for their personal gain.

The people are weak… sheep… easily manipulated by those they perceive as their leaders. They do not recognize false prophets and teachers. They appear ignorant of scripture and unable or unwilling to test their religious leaders and hold them accountable to the word of God. They seem blindly to rely on what they are told, without testing it against God’s word. The choice between Jesus and Barabbas should be easy and obvious for a righteous people to make, even if they do not know the scriptures. They are easy prey to be led astray and away from the narrow path that leads to God.

Finally, we come to Pilate. Despite his efforts to symbolically “wash his hands” of guilt, he stands as guilty as any. He knowingly crucified an innocent man… knowing whom Jesus claimed to be and with no claim to deny it. Pilate even understood the motivation for why Jesus was accused. Pilate chose based on ease of appeasing the crowds rather than doing what was right. He is accountable. There is no middle ground. We are either with Jesus or we are against Him.

Matthew 12:30 30“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. [also Luke 11:23]

Revelation 3:15-16  15‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

Consider each of these profiles and how they may apply in your life, or the lives of those around you. Prepare now to stand for God even when no one else will. Avoid being easily led astray. Study God’s word daily. Come humbly before Him in prayer daily. Submit your life to Jesus Christ today!

Get started by learning some core teachings:

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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.

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