Courage / Fear, Devotions by John, Lying / Deceiving, Parables, Parenting, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant, Traditions / Holidays, Worldliness

The Parable of the Two Fathers

This is not a biblical parable, but one based on biblical teaching and in fact it is a true story many times over.

In a certain town there were two fathers who were neighbors, each of whom had a son. Both men wanted to honor God. They both went to church every week and prayed with their sons every night. They each read the Bible with their son regularly.

The first father truly wanted to submit his life and that of his family to God, even if it was difficult at times. The father was sometimes mocked for being different from those around him when he was standing up for God, and his son noticed. The father refused to lie to his son, and his son noticed this also. This father always remained clear that there is only one God, whom we can know through Jesus Christ. He taught his son that God has already defined what is good and bad and there are real consequences for sin, which is to say… rebelling against God’s instruction and authority. As the son grew older, he sometimes wondered how he could know Jesus was real since he could not “see” him or “touch” him but accepted it because his father was always honest with him. He learned to stand for Jesus even when it was hard, because he learned by watching his father.

The second father was content to continue living his life in the traditions of his parents and grandparents. It felt comfortable, most of his friends and neighbors lived their lives in a similar manner so there was no conflict. He did not feel that God really cared that much about some areas of how he and his family led their daily lives. He told his son that Jesus was the way to God, but he also liked to tell his son seemingly harmless made-up stories about make believe characters. He enjoyed telling his son about the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, and of course Santa Claus. He continued the stories for many years until finally his son would learn on his own that each story was not true. The father even went out of his way to provide false evidence that the stories were true… like money under the pillow for a tooth or telling his son that the bunny hid the eggs and brought him a basket, and of course having lots of presents at Christmas… all from Santa.  He even ate cookies and milk on behalf of Santa. After all, it’s just a bit of fun. What harm can it do?

As the son of the second father grew older, he was confused. The son sometimes wondered how he could know Jesus was real since he could not “see” him or “touch” him. He loved his father, but throughout his life his father had lied to him and even gone out of his way to fake evidence in many make-believe characters. He could not help but wonder if Jesus and the Bible were like the rest of the made-up stories and he had many doubts.

Ask yourself about each of the made-up stories that you may tell… “Is lying to my children about this really honoring God or teaching God’s message effectively?” (To be clear, lying is when you convince your child the made-up story is true… not just telling them a fictional story.) But let’s go further, beyond even lying to your children and the possible mistrust that creates for more important issues later.

Let’s take the story of Santa Claus as a representative example and see what it teaches. I will name a few, you can probably think of more.

  • The focus of Christmas, especially for kids, is “What stuff do I get?” With Santa, the story does not even focus at all on giving but rather only on getting. Trying to tell a child Christmas is about Jesus, but then overwhelming them with presents and made-up stories about Santa is like telling a child to eat a carrot and then putting in front of them a table full of cookies, brownies, cakes, and ice cream. At the very least, the table of desserts is a major distraction. In most cases, the children will remember the desserts long after they forget the carrot.
  • Gifts are not received from parents out of love, but rather you receive gifts because you deserve them. You were “good”.  Rather than a sign of love and sacrifice from parents who worked to earn money and chose to spend it on presents… it is a right to get gifts.
  • Supposed accountability for “bad” behavior (e.g. coal in the stocking) never really happens. There really is no punishment for poor behavior… or perhaps we just need to do more good works than we do bad… and then the bad is ok.
  • There is another person, different from God, that has god-like powers. He is essentially all knowing, very powerful, and can be in many places at the same time. He is eternal. He judges who is good and bad.
  • After spending years lying to children and convincing them that Santa is real, even when they start to recognize it and ask questions, we will then tell them it was all in fun… but trust me about Jesus.

Santa is in fact accepted around the world by many because he is absolutely not pointing to God, but rather distracting attention away from God or replacing God completely. Christians and non-Christians alike accept him. In one very recent example, Santa’s picture was used as a spokesman for a billboard campaign by atheists basically saying we can be good without need of God. “Go ahead and skip church! Just be good for goodness sake.” (link to article here). [How an atheist can define “good” while claiming there is no God is an interesting conversation for another day.]

I recognize that this is an emotional subject for many and admitting that we should change is very hard. Even if we accept it and change our behavior, there will be much difficulty among family. This is to be expected when we stand for Christ above all others. Jesus said so himself in Matthew 10:32-39.

32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

35 ‘I have come to set a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36     Your enemies will be right in your own household!’[l]

37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

We each must decide whether or not we submit to God fully or hold tightly to the traditions of man. By the way… study of the new testament clearly shows that clutching to the traditions of man was the way of the Pharisees and Sadducees, not the way of Jesus.

God wants his people to be holy (set apart for God’s use) and righteous (living according to God’s commands rather than the world’s). He wants us to put Him first, above everything else.

Challenge yourself to objectively evaluate your traditions and seek first the kingdom of God. Do not dismiss this quickly but rather prayerfully seek God to show you the truth of His word and how to apply it in your life.

—-

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.

Church / Body of Christ, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Correction, Discipline / Guidance From God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Patience, Humility, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Repenting from Sin, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Accept Correction, Change Behavior, and Seek Forgiveness

Simon was a man who was used to being the center of attention. He had grown accustomed to people being impressed by his tricks… his slights of hand or “magic arts”. When he met Philip and saw the people being baptized in the name of Yeshua and witnessed great signs and miracles… Simon believed.

As a new believer, Simon continued to witness the signs and wonders and was particularly impressed when the apostles laid hands on people and the Holy Spirit was bestowed on them.

Simon made a significant mistake and was rebuked for it by the apostles. He was so impressed by the acts of the apostles that he perhaps slipped back into his typical mindset of making a deal to buy the power of God he saw in front of him. Perhaps he was drawn to being the center of attention again or just excited as a new follower of Christ and he approached the situation from his selfish nature or glorifying himself rather than the selfless nature of glorifying God.

The message of the apostles to Simon was simple and consistent with the ways of Yeshua, turn to Yahweh in repentance and ask for forgiveness. Simon’s response was equally consistent with the ways of Yeshua, please pray for me.

Acts 8:9-24

     9Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; 10and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” 11And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts. 12But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. 13Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.

      14Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. 18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21“You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22“Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. 23“For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.” 24But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

New believers are not instantly changed into mature believers when they say “yes” to Christ for the first time. It is typical that they need love, patience, support, and prayer from more mature believers around them. They are still learning how to follow Yeshua, and do so for His glory rather than their own. They will make mistakes. What we see in Simon though is what appears to be genuine concern for his mistake and a genuine desire to ask forgiveness and receive support in prayer form the apostles.

More mature Christians we can make a point to reach out to and support new Christians… and absolutely to rebuke them and pray for them to help them stay on the right path to relationship with God. New Christians should allow themselves to be humble when they make mistakes… not to get defensive, but rather accept counsel, repent of the wrong behavior, ask forgiveness from God and ask others to pray for them and with them.

Our journey to become more like Yeshua and less like our own selfish nature is a journey that lasts a lifetime… we are never done, but it transforms us along the way. Those who accept correction will grow in wisdom and progress faster and further on the journey toward close relationship with Yeshua.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have a right heart toward You. Help me to focus on bringing glory and honor to You. Give me a spirit that is ready to accept correction (or give it appropriately). Amen.

 Shalom

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.

Demons, Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Hope, Persecution / Glorifying God, Share the Good News

Can All Things Really Work Together For Good?

Many who follow Yeshua genuinely and wholeheartedly throughout the ages have faced serious persecution up to and including giving their lives in service to our Lord. Sometimes it is government, a false religion, or even those who claim to be the spiritual leaders of God’s people. Examples of the latter include the Pharisees and Sadducees during Yeshua’s earthly ministry and also the Catholic church for a period of centuries persecuting Bible believing Christians.  At times the persecution can be ruthless and relentless. These are times that we as believers must prepare for by establishing strong foundations in our relationship with our Messiah, Yeshua.

Matthew 7:24-27

The Two Foundations

      24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

Despite the storms we know will come, we can be encouraged that our Lord is in control. He is able to use all things to work together for the good of those who believe… even things that we would never expect Him to use for good.

Romans 8:28

      28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

One such dramatic example is revealed in Acts 8. Saul is ruthlessly persecuting the followers of Christ such that they are scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. How could this possibly be a good thing? God used it to spread the good news of the gospel of Yeshua! Those who were believers and proclaiming the gospel were now scattered to a wider geographic area from which to share the gospel with those who did not yet follow Yeshua.

We can also see how Saul’s zealous nature for God resulted in persecuting Christians, but later was used by God for good to spread the good news of Yeshua widely as Saul became Paul and preached the gospel despite intense persecution aimed at him.

Acts 8:1-8

Saul Persecutes the Church

      1Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.
And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. 3But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria

      4Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. 5Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. 6The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. 7For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. 8So there was much rejoicing in that city.

Of course, none of us asks for persecution or suffering… but we can be encouraged to remember that God is in control and can use even difficult circumstances to the glory of His kingdom when we love God and follow His commands no matter what our situation and surroundings.

Consider…  what difficult situations have you experienced or witnessed in the past in which you could see God at work? Maybe you did not recognize it at the time, but only afterwards looking back can see His guiding hand at work. Are there any situations you are encountering now that He may be able to use?  How can you serve God in these situations?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have faith in Your wisdom. Help me to trust in You to use for good even things for which I would never volunteer on my own. Grant me courage and discernment. Help me to find peace in knowing that You are in control. Praise You and Your holy name. Amen. 

Shalom

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.

Faith / Trusting God, Purposeful / Intentional, Suffering / Adversity

As a Follower of Yeshua, Should I Expect Storms in My Life?

Many struggle to understand that they will face adversity in life even after they accept Yeshua as their Lord and Savior. They trust in a false doctrine that life will be easy once they follow Yeshua. When they start with this belief, they can quickly get disappointed and turn from Jesus when things get tough.

What does Yeshua say about facing adversity as a believer?

Matthew 7:24

The Two Foundations

24“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.”

We should expect storms in life whether or not we follow Yeshua! But if we build the foundation of our life on the solid rock of the teaching of Yeshua, we will be able to withstand them.

Yeshua compares His teaching to a foundation. This is very different than just a pretty surface coat of paint! So it should be with our faith and our life. Following Yeshua should be foundational to every part of our lives not just the fresh paint when we are at church or all is going well.  When the storm comes the surface coat peels away, but with a solid foundation we will weather the storms!
Consider also what Yeshua said about the parable of the sower and the four soils. Those who do not have deep roots, will wither when things get tough. They will fall away from Yeshua and Yahweh.

1On that day Jesus had gone out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.

3And He told them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil. 6But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much. 9The one who has ears, let him hear.”

—

18“Listen then to the parable of the sower. 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road. 20The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please prepare me for the storms that I will face as I follow You. Help me stand strong and firm on my faith and continue to live according to Your instructions. Help me to be the fertile soil that brings forth a good yield by drawing other to You and by obeying and serving Your purpose for my life, even when things are hard. Amen. 

 Shalom

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.

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Repenting from Sin, Teachable

I Am Sure That God Can’t Use Me. How Can He Even Forgive Me?

All of us have made mistakes and rebelled against God at one point or another… choosing our own way over His. Sometimes we can rationalize that it was only a “small” rebellion and can be forgiven. Other times, we have done such terrible things we feel we cannot even be forgiven by God, let alone used for His glory. Without realizing it we are putting limits on God’s forgiveness and reconciliation through Christ.

Let us explore what the Bible has to say about Paul… easily one of the most influential Christians to ever follow and serve Yeshua. The Bible introduces us to Paul, while he is still going by the name of Saul. We can hardly recognize the Saul we meet early in the book of Acts as the Paul who writes so much of the New Testament and influenced so many in his time and for centuries after.

Acts 8:1-3

Saul Persecutes the Church

      1Saul was in hearty agreement with putting [Stephen] to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. 3But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.

We meet Saul as he helps to execute Stephen. Exploring further back in Acts 6, we see why Stephen was executed… simply because he was so filled with the grace and power of the Holy Spirit that those who rejected Yeshua could not handle it. They had to destroy Him because they were unwilling to change their hearts and their lives to follow Christ.

Acts 6:8-10

     8And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. 10But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

We can only sit back in awe and wonder that our God has made so much forgiveness available to us as His people that someone like Saul, persecuting the followers of Christ zealously, could be turned from that path and toward the path of lifelong servant to Christ.

The truth about forgiveness through Jesus Christ is that there is no sin too great for God to forgive, if we come to Him with repentant spirit. We must be sorry for what we have done and turn away from repeating that behavior and turn toward living the way God says.

It is also true that to continue willingly disregarding God’s commands in any area, no matter how “small” we think it may be, leads to separation between us and God. God cannot have a close relationship with someone who consistently chooses rebellion and their own way over His way.

It is not the “size” of the sin… Yeshua died for all our sins and He is sufficient to cover them no matter what they are… but rather the genuine repentance in our hearts as we come before God that leads to forgiveness and reconciliation with God. God can use each of us as He used Paul… who started persecuting Christians and ended up profoundly serving Christ by teaching others about Him. Praise to God for making a way for us to be forgiven!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your forgiveness and grace through Yeshua. Please open my eyes to any areas of spiritual blindness or sin that I need to repent of. Please help me have courage to do so. Please help Your people everywhere to totally submit to You and turn toward Your ways. Please influence many who are currently persecuting Your people in positions of authority (government, business, healthcare, education, news media, social media, technology companies, and other areas) to open their eyes and see the truth of Your word and Your spirit, that they would turn from persecuting to proclaiming the gospel as Paul did. Amen. 

 Shalom

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.

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Interceding for Others, Persecution / Glorifying God, Purposeful / Intentional

A Model of Grace and Forgiveness Under Persecution

We previously discussed the courage and faith of Stephen as demonstrated in Acts 7 in a separate article. Today we are focusing on the same scripture with a different perspective.  Stephen modeled his grace and forgiveness after that shown by Yeshua on the cross. It is a powerful scene.

Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. He made a strong, biblical defense stating clearly that he was not teaching against the Law, the temple or Moses, and that Yeshua was the promised Messiah consistent with the Law and teachings of Moses. He directly addressed the history in the leadership of Israel in missing and persecuting Yahweh’s prophets and messengers. His point was that they were likewise missing Messiah in Yeshua. Ultimately, Stephen was taken away (unjustly) and stoned to death.

Acts 7:54-60

Stephen Put to Death

      54Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.

The manner in which Stephen faced his execution is a model to reflect on. He did not just accept it quietly. He made a strong scriptural, Spirit-filled defense filled with boldness and truth. He confronted those who would deny Yeshua even in the face of death. Then, as he was executed, he turned to the LORD and even asked forgiveness for those who were killing him.

I will be the first to admit that I do not do this as well as Stephen even with minor adversarial encounters, and I have never faced what he did.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we may truly and boldly stand for You against those who would come against You. Help us be strong even in the face of personal threats and pressure. Fill us with grace and forgiveness. Amen.

Shalom

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, Curse, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Humility, Idols / False Gods, Repenting from Sin, Teachable, Unteachable / Foolish, Wise

Do Not “Double Down” on Foolish

Ahaz became king of Judah at an early age of 20. He turned from the LORD and did not do right. As a result, we see record of a very dramatic series of defeats and problems that the LORD brings about as punishment for the people turning from His instructions.

Perhaps one of the true tests for each of us is not whether or not we make mistakes and get started down the wrong path, but what do we do when the LORD brings judgment? Do we repent and turn to Him or do we double down on the wrong answer and move further away from Yahweh? We can read about Ahaz’s choice and learn from it.

2 Chronicles 28

Ahaz Succeeds Jotham in Judah

      1Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do right in the sight of the LORD as David his father had done. 2But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made molten images for the Baals. 3Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before the sons of Israel. 4He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree.

Judah Is Invaded

      5Wherefore, the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Aram; and they defeated him and carried away from him a great number of captives and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who inflicted him with heavy casualties. 6For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah 120,000 in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. 7And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king’s son and Azrikam the ruler of the house and Elkanah the second to the king.

      8The sons of Israel carried away captive of their brethren 200,000 women, sons and daughters; and they took also a great deal of spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. 9But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army which came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has even reached heaven. 10“Now you are proposing to subjugate for yourselves the people of Judah and Jerusalem for male and female slaves. Surely, do you not have transgressions of your own against the LORD your God? 11“Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives whom you captured from your brothers, for the burning anger of the LORD is against you.” 12Then some of the heads of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai—arose against those who were coming from the battle, 13and said to them, “You must not bring the captives in here, for you are proposing to bring upon us guilt against the LORD adding to our sins and our guilt; for our guilt is great so that His burning anger is against Israel.” 14So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the officers and all the assembly. 15Then the men who were designated by name arose, took the captives, and they clothed all their naked ones from the spoil; and they gave them clothes and sandals, fed them and gave them drink, anointed them with oil, led all their feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria.

Compromise with Assyria

      16At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help. 17For again the Edomites had come and attacked Judah and carried away captives. 18The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the Negev of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and they settled there. 19For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had brought about a lack of restraint in Judah and was very unfaithful to the LORD. 20So Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. 21Although Ahaz took a portion out of the house of the LORD and out of the palace of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.

      22Now in the time of his distress this same King Ahaz became yet more unfaithful to the LORD. 23For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of him and all Israel. 24Moreover, when Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God, he cut the utensils of the house of God in pieces; and he closed the doors of the house of the LORD and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. 25In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger. 26Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 27So Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.

It was bad that Ahaz turned away from the LORD. It was worse that when the LORD brought judgment, Ahaz doubled down on pursuing false gods instead of Yahweh. He made a classic mistake that many of us may still make. We overlook the fact that Yahweh is disciplining us when things go wrong. Instead, Ahaz assumed the gods of the other nations were real and were stronger.

For us today it may seem a bit different, but the principles remain the same. If we are experiencing defeat beyond what seems logical or reasonable, and we conclude it is spiritual, do not overlook the possibility that it could be our Father disciplining us. Of course, at times it may also be Satan, but in those cases our Father is still allowing it. Consider the book of Job as an example.

At these times, repent and draw nearer to Yahweh. Do not double down on foolish and keep moving away from Him.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to know when You are disciplining me. Help me to hear Your message and understand. Help me to turn back to You with whole heart as David did. Help Your people around this nation and the world in this manner. Show me the error of my ways and give me the humility to change. Help me find the right path. Amen. 

Shalom

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.

Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Submitted / Servant

Pray for More Workers for the Harvest

Jesus feels love and compassion for the lost.  He highlights in Matthew 9:35-38 the need for people who are willing to serve God and take the message of gospel to people throughout the world.

35 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Clearly today we see the same confusion and helplessness in people around the world. They are striving for something to fulfill them… to guide them. All too often even those who have heard the message of Christ turn instead to what the world tells them… make money, accumulate things, gather power for yourself… then you will be satisfied.

To dedicate yourself to God’s work means you often give up these things. Instead of earthly desires, you must find your joy in serving the Lord through difficult circumstances. People will mock you and persecute you. In many places throughout the world, people will even kill Christians for their faith.

There is indeed much need and not enough workers. Pray with us that the Lord would send more workers to help bring people to faith in Him through Christ Jesus. Pray that He would draw the workers close to Him so they would bring the full and true gospel and not one which is diluted by man in an attempt to avoid offending someone or trying to please someone. Pray YHWH’s people would “unleash the lion” of the gospel in all its power.

If our Father is calling you to be a worker in the harvest… obey His call wholeheartedly and ask Him for His strength and courage to answer boldly.

Not every worker has to be a pastor or missionary. Many can be called to help in neighborhoods and families and work places around them. Pray too that He would develop each of us and help us to be effective workers in the harvest as well. Let us not just rely on others but step up and fill the role ourselves as well.

Pray the Lord would show you where you can start helping with the harvest or begin preparing so you will be ready soon.

Shalom

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.

Courage / Fear, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Persecution / Glorifying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant, Unteachable / Foolish

The Courage and Faith of Stephen

All too often Christians think of the earthly ministry of Yeshua as the start of the history of their faith.  At the risk of startling some, I must emphasize that this is most certainly not the case.  Clearly understanding the history of God’s people and His relationship with them is important for understanding and applying God’s word even today and in the future.  Stephen understood clearly and demonstrated his knowledge in addressing the religious leaders of the day in Acts 7 in regards to accusations that he was a heretic for proclaiming Yeshua.  It is just as important today for us to study and understand the full history of God’s people including the whole of the Old Testament as foundational for Biblical interpretation and Christianity itself.

Stephen points out that many of the religious leaders and God’s people have consistently rejected those whom God chooses to lead throughout time… even those that later generations would praise and hold up as “patriarchs” and leaders of faith. Stephen highlights Joseph, Moses, and of course Yeshua is the most recent example Stephen points to as he confronts those who reject Him. It is quite ironic that Stephen was being accused for teaching against the ways of Moses and God, and in his defense, he defended both Moses and God (in the person of Yeshua) and it only angered his accusers even more. Those who accused him were not able to see the truth, as many who have come before and after them.

Surely Stephen understood that a direct confrontation with the religious leaders would result in his likely execution and it did. Stephen stood courageously on the truth and laid out his life as an offering and sacrifice to God.

Demonstrating an attitude of love and forgiveness in the model of Yeshua, Stephen even prays for God to forgive them as the stone him. What a powerful witness that must have been to those watching. We cannot fully know who that influenced and how, but we know that God was pleased and now Stephen is spending eternity with our Creator.

Acts 7

Stephen’s Defense

      1The high priest said, “Are these things so?”

      2And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3and said to him, ‘LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES, AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.’ 4“Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. 5“But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, He promised that HE WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM AS A POSSESSION, AND TO HIS DESCENDANTS AFTER HIM. 6“But God spoke to this effect, that his DESCENDANTS WOULD BE ALIENS IN A FOREIGN LAND, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. 7“ ‘AND WHATEVER NATION TO WHICH THEY WILL BE IN BONDAGE I MYSELF WILL JUDGE,’ said God, ‘AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE.’ 8“And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

      9“The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, 10and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household.

      11“Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food. 12“But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. 13“On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. 14“Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all. 15“And Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. 16“From there they were removed to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

      17“But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18until THERE AROSE ANOTHER KING OVER EGYPT WHO KNEW NOTHING ABOUT JOSEPH. 19“It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not survive. 20“It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. 21“And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22“Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. 23“But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. 24“And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. 25“And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. 26“On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’ 27“But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND JUDGE OVER US? 28‘YOU DO NOT MEAN TO KILL ME AS YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN YESTERDAY, DO YOU?’ 29“At this remark, MOSES FLED AND BECAME AN ALIEN IN THE LAND OF MIDIAN, where he became the father of two sons.

      30“After forty years had passed, AN ANGEL APPEARED TO HIM IN THE WILDERNESS OF MOUNT Sinai, IN THE FLAME OF A BURNING THORN BUSH. 31“When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 32‘I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB.’ Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. 33“BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, ‘TAKE OFF THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND. 34‘I HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN THE OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE IN EGYPT AND HAVE HEARD THEIR GROANS, AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO RESCUE THEM; COME NOW, AND I WILL SEND YOU TO EGYPT.’

      35“This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. 36“This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. 37“This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.’ 38“This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you. 39“Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 40SAYING TO AARON, ‘MAKE FOR US GODS WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT—WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.’ 41“At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42“But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘IT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU OFFERED VICTIMS AND SACRIFICES FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, WAS IT, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? 43‘YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.’

      44“Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. 45“And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. 46“David found favor in God’s sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47“But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. 48“However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:

      49‘HEAVEN IS MY THRONE,
AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET;
WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?’ says the Lord,
‘OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE?

      50‘WAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH MADE ALL THESE THINGS?’

      51“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52“Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”

 Stephen Put to Death

      54Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.

Do you want faith and courage like that of Stephen? I certainly do!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please guide Your people in the Holy Spirit and fill us with courage to stand boldly to proclaim the good news of our Messiah no matter who the audience may be. Please strengthen my faith so that I stand my ground on the truth of Your revelation in scripture and in the earthly ministry of Yeshua even if it costs me my life. May my life bring glory and honor to You and Your name rather than comfort to me. Amen.

Those who truly believe in Christ and submit to Him have the hope of everlasting life with Him in Heaven even after we “fall asleep” in this life.

Shalom

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.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Lying / Deceiving, Persecution / Glorifying God, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil

False Witnesses Claimed Stephen Taught Against Law and Moses

As we read Acts 6:8-15, our attention is drawn to a dramatic scene that ultimately leads up to the death of Stephen as he is martyred for his faith. It is easy to focus on the anger of those coming against him as they plot to kill him. It is a powerful scene.

There is another key aspect we should take care not to overlook. Many of us have been taught incorrectly today that Yeshua, His disciples and Paul taught against the law, as if the law were no longer meaningful, or we were no longer supposed to follow it. Here we see Stephen preaching the opposite, and willing to die for it. He preaches a gospel of the law and Yeshua as Messiah. Yeshua fulfills the law as in “fills it with meaning”. He does not make it meaningless for us to follow as so many are taught.

The context for Acts 6 is that Yeshua has already died and been resurrected and gone to be with the Father after a period of time with His followers. In this context, Stephen is not teaching against the law at all. Quite the opposite. How do we know? The people were trying to kill him and accused him of teaching against the law, but the scripture says it was by false witnesses. Had Stephen actually been teaching against the law, they would have no need of false witnesses.

Acts 6:8-15  8And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. 10But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” 12And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council. 13They put forward false witnesses who said, “This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law; 14for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.” 15And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel.

It is incredibly ironic that the false witnesses testified against Stephen accusing him of teaching against the law and the temple and accuse him of teaching that Yeshua came to change the customs that Moses handed down. So many Christians accuse Yeshua, Paul, and Stephen of the same false claims even today. All three followed the law and the customs of Moses, while also teaching of the promised Messiah in Yeshua. It is not one or the other. They fit together as it was always intended.

We encourage you to review the following teaching for more perspective.

Shalom

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.

Sharing God's word through devotionals and other resources. Helping you study the Bible and apply it to your life. Helping young children to enjoy the Bible at our Kid Zone.