Category Archives: Consequences of Sin

Discipline / Guidance From God, Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

Sin Has Consequences; Do Things God’s Way

When we sin against God without shame or remorse and choose not to repent, we will continue to experience consequences. He will remove His hand of blessing and even bring about correction for those who are His people. He is like a loving father trying to bring His children back to the right path. There are consequences for disobedience and doing things our own way, even if we don’t recognize it.

Jeremiah 8

The Sin and Treachery of Judah

      1“At that time,” declares the LORD, “they will bring out the bones of the kings of Judah and the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem from their graves. 2“They will spread them out to the sun, the moon and to all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served, and which they have gone after and which they have sought, and which they have worshiped. They will not be gathered or buried; they will be as dung on the face of the ground. 3“And death will be chosen rather than life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family, that remains in all the places to which I have driven them,” declares the LORD of hosts.

4“You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD,
“Do men fall and not get up again?
Does one turn away and not repent?

      5“Why then has this people, Jerusalem,
Turned away in continual apostasy?
They hold fast to deceit,
They refuse to return.

      6“I have listened and heard,
They have spoken what is not right;
No man repented of his wickedness,
Saying, ‘What have I done?’
Everyone turned to his course,
Like a horse charging into the battle.

      7“Even the stork in the sky
Knows her seasons;
And the turtledove and the swift and the thrush
Observe the time of their migration;
But My people do not know
The ordinance of the LORD.

      8“How can you say, ‘We are wise,
And the law of the LORD is with us’?
But behold, the lying pen of the scribes
Has made it into a lie.

      9“The wise men are put to shame,
They are dismayed and caught;
Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD,
And what kind of wisdom do they have?

      10“Therefore I will give their wives to others,
Their fields to new owners;
Because from the least even to the greatest
Everyone is greedy for gain;
From the prophet even to the priest
Everyone practices deceit.

      11“They heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially,
Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
But there is no peace.

      12“Were they ashamed because of the abomination they had done?
They certainly were not ashamed,
And they did not know how to blush;
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time of their punishment they shall be brought down,”
Says the LORD.

      13“I will surely snatch them away,” declares the LORD;
“There will be no grapes on the vine
And no figs on the fig tree,
And the leaf will wither;
And what I have given them will pass away.”’”

      14Why are we sitting still?
Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities
And let us perish there,
Because the LORD our God has doomed us
And given us poisoned water to drink,
For we have sinned against the LORD.

      15We waited for peace, but no good came;
For a time of healing, but behold, terror!

      16From Dan is heard the snorting of his horses;
At the sound of the neighing of his stallions
The whole land quakes;
For they come and devour the land and its fullness,
The city and its inhabitants.

      17“For behold, I am sending serpents against you,
Adders, for which there is no charm,
And they will bite you,” declares the LORD.

      18My sorrow is beyond healing,
My heart is faint within me!

      19Behold, listen! The cry of the daughter of my people from a distant land:
“Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not within her?”
“Why have they provoked Me with their graven images, with foreign idols?”

      20“Harvest is past, summer is ended,
And we are not saved.”

      21For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken;
I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me.

      22Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored?

Submit yourself fully to God, not in part. Ask Him to show you any area of your life where you need to repent and change your attitudes or actions. Do not delay. Draw near to Him. He is ready to forgive.

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.

Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Obeying God, Submitted / Servant, Teachable, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Walk In All the Way Which I Command You, That It May Be Well With You

God wants us to truly live according to His instruction, and in relationship with Him. He does not want us to simply go through the motions. It is about relationship and obedience, not religion and ritual. Let us not live our own way through the week and then come into church to proclaim His praise. It will be empty for Him. He wants our hearts!

Jeremiah 7

Message at the Temple Gate

      1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2“Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house and proclaim there this word and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the LORD!’” 3Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4“Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’ 5“For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, 6if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, 7then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

      8“Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail. 9“Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, 10then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—that you may do all these abominations? 11“Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD.

      12“But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I made My name dwell at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. 13“And now, because you have done all these things,” declares the LORD, “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer, 14therefore, I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave you and your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. 15“I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brothers, all the offspring of Ephraim.

      16“As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you. 17“Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18“The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to spite Me. 19“Do they spite Me?” declares the LORD. “Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame?” 20Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and on beast and on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and not be quenched.”

      21Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat flesh. 22“For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23“But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’ 24“Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. 25“Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, daily rising early and sending them. 26“Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did more evil than their fathers.

      27“You shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you; and you shall call to them, but they will not answer you. 28“You shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God or accept correction; truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.

      29‘Cut off your hair and cast it away,
And take up a lamentation on the bare heights;
For the LORD has rejected and forsaken
The generation of His wrath.’

30“For the sons of Judah have done that which is evil in My sight,” declares the LORD, “they have set their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. 31“They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, and it did not come into My mind.

      32“Therefore, behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when it will no longer be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of the Slaughter; for they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place. 33“The dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth; and no one will frighten them away. 34“Then I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land will become a ruin.

God wants us to have a real relationship with Him. He wants to see us living the way He guides and commands us. In this obedience, we demonstrate our love and faith in our Father by doing things His way instead of our own.

Prayerfully reflect on this message today. Ask God to enlighten you for any places you need to make change in your life.

23“But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’

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.

All Powerful / King of All, Discipline / Guidance From God, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Slow to Anger, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

God Calls Us Back to Him; If We Don’t Listen, He Calls Louder

God loves His people, and He always has. He wants us to be in a righteous relationship with Him, living according to His instructions. Like we do for our children, He warns us when we stray from Him. If we do not listen, He disciplines us… because He loves us.

We do well to listen to His call and change our ways before He needs to escalate the situation to get our attention.

Jeremiah 6

Destruction of Jerusalem Impending

1“Flee for safety, O sons of Benjamin,
From the midst of Jerusalem!
Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa
And raise a signal over Beth-haccerem;
For evil looks down from the north,
And a great destruction.

      2“The comely and dainty one, the daughter of Zion, I will cut off.

      3“Shepherds and their flocks will come to her,
They will pitch their tents around her,
They will pasture each in his place.

      4“Prepare war against her;
Arise, and let us attack at noon.
Woe to us, for the day declines,
For the shadows of the evening lengthen!

      5“Arise, and let us attack by night
And destroy her palaces!”

6For thus says the LORD of hosts,
“Cut down her trees
And cast up a siege against Jerusalem.
This is the city to be punished,
In whose midst there is only oppression.

      7“As a well keeps its waters fresh,
So she keeps fresh her wickedness.
Violence and destruction are heard in her;
Sickness and wounds are ever before Me.

      8“Be warned, O Jerusalem,
Or I shall be alienated from you,
And make you a desolation,
A land not inhabited.”

      9Thus says the LORD of hosts,
“They will thoroughly glean as the vine the remnant of Israel;
Pass your hand again like a grape gatherer
Over the branches.”

      10To whom shall I speak and give warning
That they may hear?
Behold, their ears are closed
And they cannot listen.
Behold, the word of the LORD has become a reproach to them;
They have no delight in it.

      11But I am full of the wrath of the LORD;
I am weary with holding it in.
“Pour it out on the children in the street
And on the gathering of young men together;
For both husband and wife shall be taken,
The aged and the very old.

      12“Their houses shall be turned over to others,
Their fields and their wives together;
For I will stretch out My hand
Against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the LORD.

      13“For from the least of them even to the greatest of them,
Everyone is greedy for gain,
And from the prophet even to the priest
Everyone deals falsely.

      14“They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially,
Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
But there is no peace.

      15“Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done?
They were not even ashamed at all;
They did not even know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time that I punish them,
They shall be cast down,” says the LORD.

      16Thus says the LORD,
“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
And you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

      17“And I set watchmen over you, saying,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not listen.’

      18“Therefore hear, O nations,
And know, O congregation, what is among them.

      19“Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people,
The fruit of their plans,
Because they have not listened to My words,
And as for My law, they have rejected it also.

      20“For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba
And the sweet cane from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable
And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.”

21Therefore, thus says the LORD,
“Behold, I am laying stumbling blocks before this people.
And they will stumble against them,
Fathers and sons together;
Neighbor and friend will perish.”

The Enemy from the North

22Thus says the LORD,
“Behold, a people is coming from the north land,
And a great nation will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth.

      23“They seize bow and spear;
They are cruel and have no mercy;
Their voice roars like the sea,
And they ride on horses,
Arrayed as a man for the battle
Against you, O daughter of Zion!”

      24We have heard the report of it;
Our hands are limp.
Anguish has seized us,
Pain as of a woman in childbirth.

      25Do not go out into the field
And do not walk on the road,
For the enemy has a sword,
Terror is on every side.

      26O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth
And roll in ashes;
Mourn as for an only son,
A lamentation most bitter.
For suddenly the destroyer
Will come upon us.

      27“I have made you an assayer and a tester among My people,
That you may know and assay their way.”

      28All of them are stubbornly rebellious,
Going about as a talebearer.
They are bronze and iron;
They, all of them, are corrupt.

      29The bellows blow fiercely,
The lead is consumed by the fire;
In vain the refining goes on,
But the wicked are not separated.

      30They call them rejected silver,
Because the LORD has rejected them.

Answer God’s call for you in your life. Listen for His guidance and His warnings. Turn away from sin and turn toward His righteous ways. Do not ignore His call. Do not require Him to escalate things to get your attention.

Praise Him that He loves us enough to care for us and even to discipline us. He helps us come back to Him if we stray.

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.

Church / Body of Christ, Consequences of Sin, Guide, Help / Serve Others, Love, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin

Sometimes the Truth Hurts, but We Still Need to Hear It

Sorrow has its place in this world where it can be a force for good. Not all sorrow is bad. When we sin against the Father we should be rebuked by our fellow followers of Christ, with scripture as the basis and the unchanging standard.  If we have done or are doing wrong, then we should come to a point of sorrow if we truly love Christ. He gave all for us and we should be devoted disciples (“learners”) who seek to live after His example rather than living according to our own selfish desires.

Let us take care to learn from Paul’s letters a powerful lesson about truly loving one another. Loving one another does not mean we accept each others’ sin and call no one to change. Loving one another often means lovingly, respectfully, and firmly rebuking or correcting one another as followers of Christ, based on scripture, so that we may feel bad about our sins and our self and that it may lead to a wondrous work of repentance in us.

2 Corinthians 7

Paul Reveals His Heart

     1Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

      2Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. 3I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. 4Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.

      5For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. 6But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 7and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. 8For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— 9I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. 10For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. 12So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God. 13For this reason we have been comforted.
And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth. 15His affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. 16I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you.

We are called to love one another and that includes correction when we stray from God’s word in our lives. We must not be so afraid of hurting someone’s feelings or offending them that we let them drift away from closeness to God and into sin. We would not consider it love to leave children alone to play in a busy street, would we? Neither do we love our brothers and sisters in Christ by allowing them to embrace and accept or even normalize sin in their lives and in the church.

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.

Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Curse, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Idols / False Gods, Love, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil

Will You Keep Pursuing God of Let Yourself Grow Distant?

God often compares His relationship with His people to a marriage relationship. The people are at first devoted to Him, but despite His being righteous and loving and protecting of them, they turn away and pursue other gods. They turn away from the fount of living water to rely on our own man-made, cracked vessels that cannot hold water. The lose His blessing and protection and provision.

We can take this warning to heart as well still today. Do not turn your focus away from the LORD. Rely on Him! Pursue Him! Stay fresh in your love for Him as like newlyweds and do not grow distant over time and familiarity.

Jeremiah 2

Judah’s Apostasy

      1Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,

2“Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD,
“I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth,
The love of your betrothals,
Your following after Me in the wilderness,
Through a land not sown.

      3“Israel was holy to the LORD,
The first of His harvest.
All who ate of it became guilty;
Evil came upon them,” declares the LORD.’”

      4Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel.

5Thus says the LORD,
“What injustice did your fathers find in Me,
That they went far from Me
And walked after emptiness and became empty?

      6“They did not say, ‘Where is the LORD
Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and of pits,
Through a land of drought and of deep darkness,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no man dwelt?’

      7“I brought you into the fruitful land
To eat its fruit and its good things.
But you came and defiled My land,
And My inheritance you made an abomination.

      8“The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’
And those who handle the law did not know Me;
The rulers also transgressed against Me,
And the prophets prophesied by Baal
And walked after things that did not profit.

      9“Therefore I will yet contend with you,” declares the LORD,
“And with your sons’ sons I will contend.

      10“For cross to the coastlands of Kittim and see,
And send to Kedar and observe closely
And see if there has been such a thing as this!

      11“Has a nation changed gods
When they were not gods?
But My people have changed their glory
For that which does not profit.

      12“Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the LORD.

      13“For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That can hold no water.

      14“Is Israel a slave? Or is he a homeborn servant?
Why has he become a prey?

      15“The young lions have roared at him,
They have roared loudly.
And they have made his land a waste;
His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.

      16“Also the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have shaved the crown of your head.

      17“Have you not done this to yourself
By your forsaking the LORD your God
When He led you in the way?

      18“But now what are you doing on the road to Egypt,
To drink the waters of the Nile?
Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,
To drink the waters of the Euphrates?

      19“Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your apostasies will reprove you;
Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter
For you to forsake the LORD your God,
And the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord GOD of hosts.

      20“For long ago I broke your yoke
And tore off your bonds;
But you said, ‘I will not serve!’
For on every high hill
And under every green tree
You have lain down as a harlot.

      21“Yet I planted you a choice vine,
A completely faithful seed.
How then have you turned yourself before Me
Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?

      22“Although you wash yourself with lye
And use much soap,
The stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares the Lord GOD.

      23“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled,
I have not gone after the Baals’?
Look at your way in the valley!
Know what you have done!
You are a swift young camel entangling her ways,

      24A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
In the time of her heat who can turn her away?
All who seek her will not become weary;
In her month they will find her.

      25“Keep your feet from being unshod
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘It is hopeless!
No! For I have loved strangers,
And after them I will walk.’

      26“As the thief is shamed when he is discovered,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their princes
And their priests and their prophets,

      27Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their back to Me,
And not their face;
But in the time of their trouble they will say,
‘Arise and save us.’

      28“But where are your gods
Which you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can save you
In the time of your trouble;
For according to the number of your cities
Are your gods, O Judah.

      29“Why do you contend with Me?
You have all transgressed against Me,” declares the LORD.

      30“In vain I have struck your sons;
They accepted no chastening.
Your sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.

      31“O generation, heed the word of the LORD.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
Or a land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?

      32“Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have forgotten Me
Days without number.

      33“How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even the wicked women
You have taught your ways.

      34“Also on your skirts is found
The lifeblood of the innocent poor;
You did not find them breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,

      35Yet you said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will enter into judgment with you
Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’

      36“Why do you go around so much
Changing your way?
Also, you will be put to shame by Egypt
As you were put to shame by Assyria.

      37“From this place also you will go out
With your hands on your head;
For the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust,
And you will not prosper with them.”

This is a long chapter to read. It is easy to start glazing over and reading quickly toward the end. Take time to reflect on your life and on the key message of this chapter. Do not lose that fresh love and desire for God that you had in the beginning. Keep working to rekindle it anew.

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.

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Fear / Reverence for God, Hope, Humility

God’s Favor Is on the Humble but Punishment Is for Those Who Transgress Against Him

Isaiah 66 is a chapter full of passion that brings the book of Isaiah to a close. It is a lot to take in. Here are a few themes to consider as you read through:

  • God is the creator of all the earth. He does not need man, but He will look toward one who is humble and fears Gods word.
  • For those who will follow the letter of God’s law with sacrifices and such, but are choosing to do what is evil in His sight, He will bring punishment. God hates hypocrisy.
  •  Jerusalem, representing God’s people, will experience joy and restoration at God’s hand.
  • God’s people will endure just as the new heaven and earth He creates. All mankind will bow down before God.
  • There is great suffering for those who transgress God.

Isaiah 66

Heaven Is God’s Throne

      1Thus says the LORD,
“Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that I may rest?

      2“For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD.
“But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Hypocrisy Rebuked

3“But he who kills an ox is like one who slays a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog’s neck;
He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers swine’s blood;
He who burns incense is like the one who blesses an idol.
As they have chosen their own ways,
And their soul delights in their abominations,

      4So I will choose their punishments
And will bring on them what they dread.
Because I called, but no one answered;
I spoke, but they did not listen.
And they did evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”

      5Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at His word:
“Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My name’s sake,
Have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy.’
But they will be put to shame.

      6“A voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple,
The voice of the LORD who is rendering recompense to His enemies.

      7“Before she travailed, she brought forth;
Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy.

      8“Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land be born in one day?
Can a nation be brought forth all at once?
As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.

      9“Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?” says the LORD.
“Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.

Joy in Jerusalem’s Future

10“Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her;
Be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her,

      11That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts,
That you may suck and be delighted with her bountiful bosom.”

      12For thus says the LORD, “Behold, I extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
And you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees.

      13“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you;
And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”

      14Then you will see this, and your heart will be glad,
And your bones will flourish like the new grass;
And the hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants,
But He will be indignant toward His enemies.

      15For behold, the LORD will come in fire
And His chariots like the whirlwind,
To render His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.

      16For the LORD will execute judgment by fire
And by His sword on all flesh,
And those slain by the LORD will be many.

      17“Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens,
Following one in the center,
Who eat swine’s flesh, detestable things and mice,
Will come to an end altogether,” declares the LORD.

      18“For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. 19“I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations. 20“Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. 21“I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites,” says the LORD.

      22“For just as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I make will endure before Me,” declares the LORD,
“So your offspring and your name will endure.

      23“And it shall be from new moon to new moon
And from sabbath to sabbath,
All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the LORD.

      24“Then they will go forth and look
On the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm will not die
And their fire will not be quenched;
And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”

As you reflect again on the key points, consider the impact on your life. Are you fully submitted to God? Are you living even in part with hypocrisy? Are you transgressing against God? Pray the Spirit gives you clarity and courage to make any needed changes in your life.

  • God is the creator of all the earth. He does not need man, but He will look toward one who is humble and fears Gods word.
  • For those who will follow the letter of God’s law with sacrifices and such, but are choosing to do what is evil in His sight, He will bring punishment. God hates hypocrisy.
  •  Jerusalem, representing God’s people, will experience joy and restoration at God’s hand.
  • God’s people will endure just as the new heaven and earth He creates. All mankind will bow down before God.
  • There is great suffering for those who transgress God.

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.

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Learning To Pray Effectively, Psalms, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

Who May Enter Your Presence, Lord?

Sin creates a barrier that separates us from God. God is holy. When we try to come into His presence with unrepentant sin in our lives we will not be able to have the same relationship with Him as those who are repentant from sin and seeking to submit and follow God with their lives.

Psalm 15

1 Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
    Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
    speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
3 Those who refuse to gossip
    or harm their neighbors
    or speak evil of their friends.
4 Those who despise flagrant sinners,
    and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,
    and keep their promises even when it hurts.
5 Those who lend money without charging interest,
    and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever.

God calls us to avoid gossip and speaking evil of our neighbors and friends. We are to keep promises even when it hurts. We are to avoid lying and bribery.

This scripture also highlights that we are to “despise flagrant sinners”. That means we are not supposed accept it when people identify themselves by their sin and publicly insist everyone accept them and their sin as inseparable and thus rationalize the sin as acceptable.

In some cases this is obvious and our culture still sees clearly. We do not encourage or accept drunkenness as acceptable behavior… telling people that God made them that way so they should keep on drinking. Similar logic appears clearly accepted regarding those who lie and those who steal as well.  We still identify those behaviors as bad and encourage people to change.

Unfortunately, though, it is becoming much more common to excuse sin on the basis of “God made me this way. God is love. God must be ok with this behavior. Thus everyone else should accept it or they are my enemy.” This approach is very common today for sins like gluttony and homosexual behavior, etc. This rationalization for sin is a lie from Satan. Every sin could be approached this way and thus the same argument made to accept it. That is why we are to reject those who flagrantly sin.  Accepting and rationalizing sin leads to accepting and rationalizing more sin. We continue to get further from God. God calls us to turn away from our sin nature and seek to live according to His word.

The difference is not in the sin… we all sin. The difference is in whether we repent and seek to change our sinful behaviors or seek instead to accept our sin and convince others they should accept it also.

Instead we are called by God to “honor the faithful followers of the Lord”. Those who stand up for God’s way… righteousness, repentance from sin rather than acceptance of it, honesty, avoiding bribes, helping those in need unselfishly. Too often in our world today, it is exactly these people that will be attacked and persecuted by the flagrant sinners and by government laws that accept everything except a genuine Christian openly standing for Christ.

God calls us to serve Him despite adversity and despite people coming against us and threatening us to conform to the ways of the world or be silent. We can trust in God and submit to Him to be lord of our lives.

Praise God that He gives us His instruction in the Bible regarding right and wrong! We are not left at the whim of public opinion or government to decide what is right and what is wrong. If we study it, understanding context of culture and time on the scripture, and submit to God prayerfully seeking His guidance through the Holy Spirit, we can see clearly.

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.

Consequences of Sin, Justice / Judgment, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Wickedness / Evil

Trust in the Lord for Protection

Trust in the Lord for protection. Take comfort in knowing that God is in control, always.

Psalm 11

1 I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety! 2 The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right. 3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?” 4 But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. 5 The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. 6 He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked, punishing them with scorching winds. 7For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.

We do not need to hear personally to know that the righteous will be rewarded and the wicked punished. We know this will be true because God’s word says so. It may not happen the way we want it to in this world, but all shall face God’s judgment when they die. Most will find they were not prepared and will suffer for eternity apart from God.

Be not discouraged because of trials and struggles. Instead look to God through Jesus Christ for hope and joy and for protection.

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.

Consequences of Sin, Learning To Pray Effectively, Psalms, Seeking God, Wickedness / Evil

O Lord, Why Do You Stand So Far Away?

David was a man after God’s own heart. He experienced much hardship, made many mistakes, but consistently repented and turned toward God for forgiveness. He had a close relationship with God. Psalms 10 serves as a good reminder that we may feel that sometimes God is “far away” when we look around at the wickedness in the world and affecting our lives.

Psalms 10

1 O Lord, why do you stand so far away?
    Why do you hide when I am in trouble?
2 The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor.
    Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.
3 For they brag about their evil desires;
    they praise the greedy and curse the Lord.

4 The wicked are too proud to seek God.
    They seem to think that God is dead.
5 Yet they succeed in everything they do.
    They do not see your punishment awaiting them.
    They sneer at all their enemies.
6 They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us!
    We will be free of trouble forever!”

7 Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats.[a]
    Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
8 They lurk in ambush in the villages,
    waiting to murder innocent people.
    They are always searching for helpless victims.
9 Like lions crouched in hiding,
    they wait to pounce on the helpless.
Like hunters they capture the helpless
    and drag them away in nets.
10 Their helpless victims are crushed;
    they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.
11 The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us!
    He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!”

12 Arise, O Lord!
    Punish the wicked, O God!
    Do not ignore the helpless!
13 Why do the wicked get away with despising God?
    They think, “God will never call us to account.”
14 But you see the trouble and grief they cause.
    You take note of it and punish them.
The helpless put their trust in you.
    You defend the orphans.

15 Break the arms of these wicked, evil people!
    Go after them until the last one is destroyed.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever!
    The godless nations will vanish from the land.
17 Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
    Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
18 You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
    so mere people can no longer terrify them.

We can be encouraged though, that God is never “far away”. He always hears us. He is always aware of what is happening. We can trust He is in control. We can come before Him and call on Him for help to fight or resist the wicked, to help the helpless. He is able.

Above all, however, we must trust in God even when we may be tempted to think He is detached, or “far away”. His ways are above our ways. His plans are often beyond our understanding and vision. Though David was seeking righteousness, we can also understand that some will envy evildoers. God speaks also about avoiding this view.

Psalms 37:1-3

Do not get upset because of evildoers, do not be envious of wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass, and decay like the green plants. Trust in the LORD and do good; live in the land and cultivate faithfulness. 

Put your trust in God even when you see people “getting away with” whatever bad things they are doing. They may even appear to be prospering financially or in other ways. Trust in God and let that lead your heart and mind. Do what is good in God’s eyes. Give Him thanks for His provision and acknowledge that He is still God, all powerful… all knowing… loving… kind… righteous… holy… etc. His ways are above our ways.

Ultimately, all will stand before God in judgment. No one escapes God’s notice, even if they appear to while in the world.

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.

Consequences of Sin, Fear / Reverence for God, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Wickedness / Evil

The Righteous Enter into Peace

Isaiah compares God’s treatment of evil people to that of righteous people in Isaiah 57. We all face difficulties and trials. The righteous find peace and a helper in God. The wicked, find no peace in God. If you put your faith in idols (e.g. money), He will let your idols save you when you call out to Him. Spoiler alert, your idols (money or otherwise) cannot save you the was God can.

Isaiah 57

Evil Leaders Rebuked

1The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart;
And devout men are taken away, while no one understands.
For the righteous man is taken away from evil,

      2He enters into peace;
They rest in their beds,
Each one who walked in his upright way.

      3“But come here, you sons of a sorceress,
Offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute.

      4“Against whom do you jest?
Against whom do you open wide your mouth
And stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of rebellion,
Offspring of deceit,

      5Who inflame yourselves among the oaks,
Under every luxuriant tree,
Who slaughter the children in the ravines,
Under the clefts of the crags?

      6“Among the smooth stones of the ravine
Is your portion, they are your lot;
Even to them you have poured out a drink offering,
You have made a grain offering.
Shall I relent concerning these things?

      7“Upon a high and lofty mountain
You have made your bed.
You also went up there to offer sacrifice.

      8“Behind the door and the doorpost
You have set up your sign;
Indeed, far removed from Me, you have uncovered yourself,
And have gone up and made your bed wide.
And you have made an agreement for yourself with them,
You have loved their bed,
You have looked on their manhood.

      9“You have journeyed to the king with oil
And increased your perfumes;
You have sent your envoys a great distance
And made them go down to Sheol.

      10“You were tired out by the length of your road,
Yet you did not say, ‘It is hopeless.’
You found renewed strength,
Therefore you did not faint.

      11“Of whom were you worried and fearful
When you lied, and did not remember Me
Nor give Me a thought?
Was I not silent even for a long time
So you do not fear Me?

      12“I will declare your righteousness and your deeds,
But they will not profit you.

      13“When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you.
But the wind will carry all of them up,
And a breath will take them away.
But he who takes refuge in Me will inherit the land
And will possess My holy mountain.”

      14And it will be said,
“Build up, build up, prepare the way,
Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.”

      15For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
“I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.

      16“For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would grow faint before Me,
And the breath of those whom I have made.

      17“Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him;
I hid My face and was angry,
And he went on turning away, in the way of his heart.

      18“I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
I will lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners,

      19Creating the praise of the lips.
Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near,”
Says the LORD, “and I will heal him.”

      20But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
For it cannot be quiet,
And its waters toss up refuse and mud.

      21“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

Take time to prayerfully reflect on your relationship with God. Ask Him to show you any areas in your life that are not totally submitted to Him. Ask forgiveness and commit to change. Ask for His help in these areas. Seek His kingdom and His righteousness in all areas of your life. Seek forgiveness through Yeshua (“Jesus” in Hebrew).

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.