Category Archives: Prophecy

Miracles, Miracles, Prophecy, Provider, Righteous

Yeshua Returns Again To His Disciples (After His Death)

It is hard to miss the obvious in John 21. Yeshua has risen from death and come to his disciples. This is truly miraculous and prophetic. Don’t overlook it as common just because you have heard it so many times. However, I am also struck by another perspective in this passage.

Even after death, Yeshua returned to his disciples with an attitude of a servant’s heart. He miraculously delivers a huge haul of fish where they could not catch anything and he prepares the fire and cooks the fish. It is an amazing example for each of us who follow Yeshua for how to treat one another.

John 21:1-14

Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee

     1After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. 2Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

      4But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5So Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.

      9So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Jesus Provides

     12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

This can not be explained away as the disciples imagining his return. He cam several times. According to other gospels, he reappeared to many over 40 days. Our Lord was truly resurrected and he came back in patience and love to serve, encourage, and fellowship with his disciples.  He once again lives out the role of provider.

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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 Knowing, Eternal, Jesus (hearing from God), Prophecy, Through Prophets

Yeshua, Hailed As King, Rides A Donkey’s Colt In Fulfillment Of Prophecy

Our Lord, Yeshua, came in fulfillment of multiple prophecies provided by the Lord through prophets hundreds of years in advance of His coming. One such prophecy is referenced in John 12.  This should comfort us and remind us that our Father is in control, He knows what will happen and when and how, He is not surprised but rather always has a plan for His people. Yeshua was always intended to come and live among us and die for our sins so we could be made right with the Father by grace, through faith.

John 12:12-19

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

     12On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.” 14Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15“FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY’S COLT.” 16These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. 17So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. 18For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.”

He not only came with signs and wonders, but He came consistent with prophecy and fully aligned living out the Law provided by the Father as the standard for us all to follow. We can know that His word and His example are true. However we must remember that He spoke to a culture very far away from our own, to the Jewish culture. We must seek to understand the Jewish culture of that day to fully understand His teaching and how it applies to us today.

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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.

Faith / Trusting God, Persecution / Glorifying God, Prophecy, Purposeful / Intentional, Suffering / Adversity, Tribulation

We See Persecution; The Lord Sees An Opportunity For Our Testimony

I believe that Yeshua is speaking both about an event in AD 70 where Rome devastated the Jewish people and tore down the temple and also about the end of the age and the conditions leading up to His second coming. The threads are knit together in Luke 21.

What is most compelling to me is that Christ sees an opportunity for our testimony where I see persecution. My natural tendency is to try to make plans to defend myself. Yeshua says 13“It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. 14“So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; …”

I encourage you to read the passage with the thought that the end of the age and the persecution and suffering that come with it may come in our lifetime. Whether or not it does, is less relevant. We do not know when it will come but we can prepare ourselves. 

Luke 21:5-38

 5And while some were talking about the temple, that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive gifts, He said, 6“As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down.”

      7They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8And He said, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not go after them. 9“When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.”

Things to Come

     10Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, 11and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

      12“But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. 13“It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. 14“So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; 15for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. 16“But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, 17and you will be hated by all because of My name. 18“Yet not a hair of your head will perish. 19“By your endurance you will gain your lives.

      20“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. 21“Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; 22because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. 23“Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; 24and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Return of Christ

     25“There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27“Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory. 28“But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

      29Then He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees; 30as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31“So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. 32“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place. 33“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

      34“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; 35for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. 36“But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

      37Now during the day He was teaching in the temple, but at evening He would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet. 38And all the people would get up early in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.

Shall we live in fear of these times? What are we to do in preparation?

9“When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.”

28“But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

   34“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; 35for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. 36“But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

He shall not leave us nor forsake us, even unto the end of the age.

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

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Curse, Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Guide, Obeying God, Prophecy, Purposeful / Intentional, Through Prophets

Submitting to and Accepting the Lord’s Will

In Numbers 22 and 23, Balak tried over and over to get Balaam to curse Israel. He tried with money and from different angles and locations. Balaam consistently indicated he could only bless or curse according to the Lord. The power comes from the Lord and he could not just pick or force God to act in a way contrary to what God decides. Balak was clearly used to getting his way and was persistent. However, each time Balaam would ask the Lord about it, he would be instructed to bless rather than curse Israel, resulting in multiple blessings for Israel.

In Numbers 24 we see that Balaam finally has a clear understanding of what God’s position is on the subject. He no longer even seeks “omens” to discern God’s will in hopes or thoughts that it will bring back a different answer. Now, he is confident in the Lord’s decision and that it will not change. Balaam has accepted it and embraced it. Having done so, the Spirit of God came upon Him.

Numbers 24

The Prophecy from Peor

     1When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

3He took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened;

      4The oracle of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered,

      5How fair are your tents, O Jacob,
Your dwellings, O Israel!

      6“Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens beside the river,
Like aloes planted by the LORD,
Like cedars beside the waters.

      7“Water will flow from his buckets,
And his seed will be by many waters,
And his king shall be higher than Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted.

      8“God brings him out of Egypt,
He is for him like the horns of the wild ox.
He will devour the nations who are his adversaries,
And will crush their bones in pieces,
And shatter them with his arrows.

      9“He couches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a lion, who dares rouse him?
Blessed is everyone who blesses you,
And cursed is everyone who curses you.”

      10Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times! 11“Therefore, flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the LORD has held you back from honor.” 12Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying, 13‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the LORD, either good or bad, of my own accord. What the LORD speaks, that I will speak’? 14“And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.”

      15He took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,

      16The oracle of him who hears the words of God,
And knows the knowledge of the Most High,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered.

      17“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
A star shall come forth from Jacob,
A scepter shall rise from Israel,
And shall crush through the forehead of Moab,
And tear down all the sons of Sheth.

      18“Edom shall be a possession,
Seir, its enemies, also will be a possession,
While Israel performs valiantly.

      19“One from Jacob shall have dominion,
And will destroy the remnant from the city.”

      20And he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said,
“Amalek was the first of the nations,
But his end shall be destruction.”

      21And he looked at the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,
“Your dwelling place is enduring,
And your nest is set in the cliff.

      22“Nevertheless Kain will be consumed;
How long will Asshur keep you captive?”

      23Then he took up his discourse and said,
“Alas, who can live except God has ordained it?

      24“But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim,
And they shall afflict Asshur and will afflict Eber;
So they also will come to destruction.”

      25Then Balaam arose and departed and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way.

Let us challenge ourselves to seek out the Lord and submit to His instruction rather than holding to our own. Balak demonstrates the futility of trying to constantly manipulate or coerce God to a different position based on location or other details of how we ask. We can not control God. We can, as His children, come before Him and ask and even ask multiple times, but we should do so with a submitted heart which accepts what He tells us. Let us not keep trying to manipulate the outcome, but rather have a genuine heart to heart relationship with the Lord. Once we see the Lord has spoken clearly and consistently on an issue, it is good for us to follow the example of Balaam and focus on accepting or embracing His decision rather than continuing to ask for a different answer over and over.

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

All Knowing, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Prophecy, Share the Good News, Teachable, Through Prophets

Why Does Jesus Speak In Parables?

Parables are actually quite interesting to consider. To those whom the Holy Spirit enlightens the mind and heart to accept what is being taught, they create a very memorable picture we can understand that teach us about the kingdom of God… a very complicated subject of which we can not fully comprehend all of it. To those who willingly reject God and do not seek Him, but rather seek the world, they provide confusion and blindness and are easily dismissed as not meaningful.

The theme in which God shows His servants that many will reject the message of God despite hearing it is repeated throughout the whole of the Bible quite a bit.

Mark 4:11-12

11And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”

Matthew 13:14

14“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;

Isaiah 6:9

9He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive;
Keep on looking, but do not understand.’

Jeremiah 5:21

 21‘Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people,
Who have eyes but do not see;
Who have ears but do not hear.

These verses do no imply a command for people not to hear, but rather a prediction or observation that they will refuse to hear. For these who reject God and do not seek Him earnestly, God gives them over to it and to the blindness associated with it so that they can not see.

For those that earnestly desire to seek and understand Jehovah… pray for the Holy Spirit to dwell inside you and enlighten your heart and mind to the truth of scripture and God will draw you to Him.

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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.

Heaven and Hell, Hope, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Prophecy, Salvation

Find Hope In Christ Jesus

We will experience joy and suffering in this world. In the end, all of us will die. Many find this uncomfortable to think about because they do not really believe in life after death… not in the same way they believe in gravity or the wind. Even though we can not see gravity or the wind, we believe because we see evidence of it around us in daily life. It can be a bit harder to fully trust in salvation through Christ and life after death. It helps if we study the Bible, pray for God to open our eyes to His glory, and seek to apply His instructions in our lives. Then we can start to recognize the evidence of God at work in the world and our lives around us more easily.

We can trust completely in God in all things, including what He promises us about life after death for those who submit to and follow Christ… those who truly believe will reflect that belief in their actions.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

Those Who Died in Christ

      13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Put your faith in God and trust Him in our hope of resurrection after death. Of course, we must submit to and follow Jesus in more than just words. We must do so wholeheartedly. But the faithful can take heart that no matter what this world holds for us, we will go to be with God after and when Jesus returns again, we will rise again physically to be with Him.

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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.

His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Promises, Prophecy, Prophecy, Study the Word

We Can Trust God To Do What He Says

We can trust God to do what He says He will do. It may not come in the timing we desire or in the way we desire, but He is always true to His word. God told Abraham in Genesis 15 that his descendants would be strangers in a land that is not theirs (Egypt), where they would be enslaved for 400 years (round number), but that they would come out of the land with many possessions.

A lot of time and generations of people came and went in between, but God is true to His word, even when we don’t understand or agree with how He is doing things. Even for the generation that saw the plagues on Egypt and were set free as foretold… few or none would have expected God to harden Pharaoh’s heart to make it seem even harder for the people to be set free. Most would just expect God to change Pharaoh’s mind and let them go or strike Pharaoh down. God instead hardened Pharaoh’s heart to make the opportunity for more signs and wonders.

Genesis 15:12-14

   12Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. 13God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14“But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.

Exodus 12:33-41

Exodus of Israel

      33The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We will all be dead.” 34So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders.

      35Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; 36and the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

      37Now the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. 38A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock. 39They baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread. For it had not become leavened, since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.

      40Now the time that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

We do well to seek to understand what God has revealed in His word, the Bible. He will do what He says He will do. How well we understand what He has said and how we react to that in how we live our lives has great implications in this world and for what we will experience either in heaven or hell when we leave this world.  We can trust God to do what He says He will do. He will not change His mind because of the opinions of those who reject or dismiss Him or those who claim to follow Him in name, but rebel against Him in action and thought.

If you want to know more truth about God, do not just listen to what people say about God, not even religious “leaders”. Begin to learn to read and study God’s word for yourself. Test everything you are told or think you understand against God’s unchanging written word in the Bible.  Do not be overwhelmed thinking you must get it all right. Instead, focus on becoming a disciple of Christ as a way to know the Father. A disciple is quite simply “a learner”, not one who has all the answers. To be a disciple is to begin a journey that you will not finish in this life, but it will transform your life to be more like that of Christ along the way.

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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.

 

Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Prophecy, Righteousness / Serving God

Often Our Blessings Are A Reflection Of Our Choices

It is easy to ask God’s blessing to give us everything we want, how we want it, when we want it, and then wonder why we don’t receive it. When we study the blessings of Israel to his sons we see that our blessings are often a reflection of our choices in regards to how we live our lives… in obedience to God or in obedience to self.

Genesis 49:28  28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him.

As Israel prophecied and blessed each of his sons, he revealed a future that was appropriate to each one and how they chose to lead their life and what examples they set for their family. Their blessing was in fact affected by their godliness, or lack of godliness.

Genesis 49

Israel’s Prophecy concerning His Sons

      1Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come.

      2“Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob;
And listen to Israel your father.

      3“Reuben, you are my firstborn;
My might and the beginning of my strength,
Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.

      4“Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence,
Because you went up to your father’s bed;
Then you defiled it—he went up to my couch.

      5“Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Their swords are implements of violence.

      6“Let my soul not enter into their council;
Let not my glory be united with their assembly;
Because in their anger they slew men,
And in their self-will they lamed oxen.

      7“Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel.
I will disperse them in Jacob,
And scatter them in Israel.

      8“Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

      9“Judah is a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He couches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a lion, who dares rouse him up?

      10“The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes,
And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

      11“He ties his foal to the vine,
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine;
He washes his garments in wine,
And his robes in the blood of grapes.

      12“His eyes are dull from wine,
And his teeth white from milk.

      13“Zebulun will dwell at the seashore;
And he shall be a haven for ships,
And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

      14“Issachar is a strong donkey,
Lying down between the sheepfolds.

      15“When he saw that a resting place was good
And that the land was pleasant,
He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens,
And became a slave at forced labor.

      16“Dan shall judge his people,
As one of the tribes of Israel.

      17“Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
A horned snake in the path,
That bites the horse’s heels,
So that his rider falls backward.

      18“For Your salvation I wait, O LORD.

      19“As for Gad, raiders shall raid him,
But he will raid at their heels.

      20“As for Asher, his food shall be rich,
And he will yield royal dainties.

      21“Naphtali is a doe let loose,
He gives beautiful words.

      22“Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a spring;
Its branches run over a wall.

      23“The archers bitterly attacked him,
And shot at him and harassed him;

      24But his bow remained firm,
And his arms were agile,
From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob
(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

      25From the God of your father who helps you,
And by the Almighty who blesses you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

      26“The blessings of your father
Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills;
May they be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.

      27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
In the morning he devours the prey,
And in the evening he divides the spoil.”

      28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him. 29Then he charged them and said to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site. 31“There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah— 32the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

As we seek to receive God’s blessing for our lives and the lives of our family, let us remember that God has given us many instructions on how to live such that we love God and love our neighbor. When we make these choices to honor God and obey Him in our lives, rather than just with our words, we will see Him provide to us the blessings appropriate to such a choice to be His faithful servant.

Reflect on the sons of Israel. What behaviors did they exhibit that lead some to good and some to hard blessings? What changes does God speak to your heart that you should make as you reflect on how you are living your life?

Personally, I feel that God continues to press upon me the suffering that many experience by allowing themselves to be ruled by their fierce anger. I have had several recent encounters personally and also keep finding that revealed in scripture, such as with Simeon and Levi in today’s scripture reading. Anger is not always released by the sword, but often by the tongue. I have experienced flurries of anger in the past and now see more clearly how ugly that can truly be and how much it can affect someone’s life. Even if you are “right”, anger is not typically the most helpful response. It can steal your joy and sour your blessings.

Make changes where you need to! Do not be so proud as to insist that you are doing everything right. You only fool yourself and steal from your own blessing and future.

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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.

Prophecy, Study the Word

HFJ News: Apocalypse Code by Hank Hanegraaff

We are continuing our weekly extra post on Fridays. We have now expanded from “HFJ News”, providing updates and information about our website and other online resources, to also include specific prayer requests for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.

This week I am recommending a book I found very helpful in studying the book of Revelation.

The Apocalypse Code, by Hank Hanegraaff

Breaking the code of the book of Revelation has become an international obsession. The result, according to Hank Hanegraaff, has been rampant misreading of Scripture, bad theology, and even bad politics and foreign policy. Hanegraaff argues that the key to understanding the last book of the Bible is the other sixty-five books of the Bible—not current events or recent history and certainly no any complicated charts.

For those who are interested in studying and understanding the book of Revelation, even in a little more depth, in order to recognize what is true and what is false and how it affects our lives today… I truly encourage you to consider reading this book.

May the grace and peace of Jesus Christ be with all of you!

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

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Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Merciful, Prophecy, Revenge, Righteousness / Serving God

Now That You Have The Power, What Will You Do?

In all your life, whom do you think has wronged you more than any other? Have you ever wished to be in a position of power and influence over them? If so, why? Have you really considered what you would do?

Often what people seek is revenge, or “getting even”. They seek to hurt those who have hurt them. That is not what God wants from us… to hurt someone else with a spirit of selfishness and hunger for revenge. Joseph found himself in just such a situation and it was very emotional for him. He had to decide how to respond when he suddenly had the power of life and death over his brothers, who had years before sold him into slavery.

Genesis 42:1-28

Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

      1Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.” 3Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm may befall him.” 5So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

      6Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

      8But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. 9Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.” 10Then they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11“We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.” 12Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!” 13But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.” 14Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you, you are spies; 15by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 16“Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” 17So he put them all together in prison for three days.

      18Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: 19if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, 20and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so. 21Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.” 22Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.” 23They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. 24He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 25Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

      26So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. 27As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 28Then he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack.” And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

Joseph did not seek revenge, but he did put his brothers to a difficult test to see if they had changed or if they would once again quickly betray another younger brother who was favored by their father. This time the test would be regarding Benjamin and we will continue to read about how it plays out as we continue through Genesis.

Joseph recognizes that God foretold this situation in the dreams he received as a child, in which his brothers would bow down before him. The prophecy God shared with him through dreams had come true. Joseph passed on the opportunity to hurt them or kill them. Instead, he chose a path that was more pleasing to the Lord. In fact, Joseph actually returned their money and gave them provisions for their return trip. No doubt Joseph had a strong relationship with God.

Now let’s return to the beginning of this article for a moment. Remember again the person or people you feel wronged you. Keeping the godly example of Joseph in mind… give consideration again for how you would respond if you had power over those who had done wrong to you. Prayerfully release any bitterness or desire to “get even”. Ask God to help you move on, if you have not already done so. If given the opportunity… seek to heal old wounds and honor God with how you handle the situation. As we read on we will see that Joseph’s response actually opened a door for God to restore his family to him because of how he handled himself. Perhaps God was testing Joseph as Joseph was himself testing his brothers.

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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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