All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Protector / Deliverer, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Strong in Our Weakness, Submitted / Servant

Without God, Even When You Win, You Lose

There are some situations in which you end up coming out on what feels like a losing side, even when you accomplished what you set out to do. Even when you win, you lose.

We can read about one such dramatic situation with King Asa in 2 Chronicles 16. As context, remember 2 Chronicles 15:17 tells us despite not being perfect, Asa had a heart toward God.

2 Chronicles 15:17

17But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa’s heart was blameless all his days.

Remember also that Asa had previously experienced help from the LORD leading him to overcome significant military disadvantage. After 35 years as king, most of it in peace, we can see how Asa responded when confronted by the King of Israel.

2 Chronicles 16

Asa Wars against Baasha

      1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 2Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the king’s house, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, 3“Let there be a treaty between you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” 4So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5When Baasha heard of it, he ceased fortifying Ramah and stopped his work. 6Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he fortified Geba and Mizpah.

Asa Imprisons the Prophet

      7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. 8“Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. 9“For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.” 10Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.

      11Now, the acts of Asa from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians. 13So Asa slept with his fathers, having died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14They buried him in his own tomb which he had cut out for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the resting place which he had filled with spices of various kinds blended by the perfumers’ art; and they made a very great fire for him.

Most of us might start out by thinking that Asa was wise. He solved the problem. He won. But ultimately, he lost even when he accomplished what he set out to do. He did not put his trust in the LORD despite previous victories at the LORD’s hand. Instead, he put his trust in man to deliver him. The LORD was not pleased, and Asa and all his people experienced consequence of more war because of it.

A prophet Hanani comes to rebuke Asa. This is where someone like King David would repent and ask forgiveness of the LORD. Asa doubles down and makes another mistake. He imprisons the messenger because he does not like the message. Sounds like pride got the better of him. We should challenge ourselves not to get angry with wise counsel from those seeking the LORD and His word and His will. Let us listen and consider what they say about our actions. If we are wrong, let us repent, not double down in our sin. That is like someone offering to pull you out of a pit and you are angry they are telling you that you are in a pit so you dig deeper and pull them in with you. It does not make sense ultimately. We must admit, however, that it can be hard to admit our mistakes when we have not trusted God, perhaps more so when we accomplished what we set out to do.

We do not find out what happened to the seer after that. How long was he in prison? Likely that strikes most of us as “unfair” for the prophet, however there is no mention of the LORD setting him free. We just don’t know. We are still to trust the LORD. His ways are higher than ours.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please keep me humble before You, even as I may have power or influence in some situations as King Asa clearly did. Please help me to trust in You and not in man for deliverance, even (or perhaps especially) when the odds seem stacked against me. If I put my trust in man and you send someone to open my eyes and rebuke me, please help me to be humble and listen and repent and not double down in my pride or anger to move my heart further from you.  If I am ever to be used as Hanani, please give me courage to bring the message You tell me to, despite potential consequences. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Obeying God, Peace / Rest, Purposeful / Intentional, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

If You Seek the LORD, He Will Let You Find Him

If you seek the LORD, He will let You find Him. If you forsake Him, He will forsake you. This is a powerful message from the LORD. Take it to heart. The LORD does not change. This message is still true for us today. Pay attention to both parts. Too often we only want to pay attention to the positive half of the covenant.

2 Chronicles 15

The Prophet Azariah Warns Asa

      1Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, 2and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3“For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. 4“But in their distress they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. 5“In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6“Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. 7“But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work.”

Asa’s Reforms

      8Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD which was in front of the porch of the LORD. 9He gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who resided with them, for many defected to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. 10So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11They sacrificed to the LORD that day 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil they had brought. 12They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and soul; 13and whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14Moreover, they made an oath to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets and with horns. 15All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had sought Him earnestly, and He let them find Him. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.

      16He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from the position of queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah, and Asa cut down her horrid image, crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa’s heart was blameless all his days. 18He brought into the house of God the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils. 19And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

Asa’s faith and obedience was not just in words. He took bold action to show his loyalty and faithfulness before Yahweh. He took on some aggressive changes among his people and even with his mother. He put Yahweh first, as we should do still today.

It appears from verse 17 that he left some things undone. He was not perfect, yet his heart was blameless all his days. That is an encouragement to me. I have taken bold action in my life to put the LORD and His ways first, ahead of family and cultural traditions. It has created conflict and difficulty. However, I know I am still not perfect and have more I need to learn and do to fully honor my LORD. I find it encouraging that we need not be perfect in our execution to have our heart be blameless before the LORD.  We also see that God provided many years of peace for Asa. He was blessed because His heart was toward the LORD and that was demonstrated by his bold actions for the LORD.

Ask God to show you what there is in your life that you should remove. It may be holidays based in pagan roots, and replacing them with His holy days, the Moedim. It may be coveting. It may be loving others and making time to serve and help them. It may be many things. Seek the LORD and ask courage and discernment to make the changes you need to make to honor Him and put Him first. Take caution, however, if you find yourself claiming your heart is toward the LORD, but you take no action that reflects that. That may be an indication that your heart is not fully devoted to the LORD as top priority. Said another way, if someone had to prove your heart was to the LORD fully through the evidence of your actions… could they prove it beyond a reasonable doubt?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your word and Your Spirit. Thank You for inviting me to know, love, and serve You. Help me to be like Asa, with a blameless heart before You, taking bold action to turn my life and the lives of others I influence back to You and Your ways and away from cultural and family norms that conflict with Your ways. Raise up more workers to help in this harvest among all Your people who call upon Your name and seek You through Yeshua. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Learning To Pray Effectively, Obeying God, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Strong in Our Weakness, Submitted / Servant, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Do Right in the Sight of the LORD

Good things happen when we do “good and right in the sight of the LORD”. Our LORD can provide peace and success over challenges and enemies that we could not otherwise achieve. This principle applies in our personal lives today as it did thousands of years ago regarding war.

2 Chronicles 14

Asa Succeeds Abijah in Judah

      1So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days.

      2Asa did good and right in the sight of the LORD his God, 3for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim, 4and commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment. 5He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. 6He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and there was no one at war with him during those years, because the LORD had given him rest. 7For he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8Now Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing shields and wielding bows; all of them were valiant warriors.

      9Now Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10So Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up in battle formation in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.” 12So the LORD routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar; and so many Ethiopians fell that they could not recover, for they were shattered before the LORD and before His army. And they carried away very much plunder. 14They destroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the dread of the LORD had fallen on them; and they despoiled all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. 15They also struck down those who owned livestock, and they carried away large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

If we pull apart the events in this chapter of scripture a bit, we can highlight some key principles we should consider personally applying in our own lives.

1- Asa did right in the sight of the LORD before there was a war, before there was a direct challenge in front of him.

Don’t assume taking down the altars and false places of worship was without difficulty. People cling to their family and cultural traditions. There would have been resistance and disruption in this change. Asa did what was right anyway. I can point to some significant disruption in my life just pivoting away from celebrations based on pagan roots like Christmas and Easter to God’s holy days, or Moedim. It stirs up resistance to lead others through this change. It takes courage of conviction to proceed. It is not the easy path.  The easy path is to rationalize that these ungodly things are “ok” or focus on “what they mean to me” instead of what they mean to God. It can be hard to step away from family and cultural traditions in favor of what God wants us to do.

2- Asa was diligent in making preparations for defense before there was a battle. He did not just say, “God will provide”, and then do nothing. He trusted God but also prepared with purpose. He recognized that God was providing Him the peace and He should take advantage of it.

3- Asa called upon the LORD in His time of need, giving glory and honor to God as the one who can deliver them.

4- Asa waged war, even engaging in a conflict which by human eyes he should expect to lose. This action was evidence of his faith. His army fought and God blessed them. They did not all have a picnic and wait for God to disperse the enemy. One example of how we may apply this today could be that we pray against abortion, but we also organize, protest, communicate and engage with others around us, actively engage politicians and challenge them to support our views, vote based on what we say we believe… without rationalizing or compromising. Obviously this can apply to many things. Abortion is just one example today.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to trust in You fully, in peace and in conflict. Help give me wisdom for the decision I should make to have success in both peace and conflict. Please raise up the righteous and protect us as Your people. Defeat the wicked. Bring us peace that glorifies Your name. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

 

 

 

Government

The Silencing of God in Our Government

You will often hear today about “separation of church and state”. Many will claim we must separate our faith and obedience to the one and only God from our government. This is clearly not the intent of our founders and more importantly not the intent and desire of God. Further, it is a lie to say that this is how our nation was founded and was intended to function. The phrase “separation of church and state” is nowhere in the Constitution. It appears in some letters from the founders. It is primarily focused on the government not determining which denomination of Christianity we should follow. We see overwhelming evidence in history, if we study it (because schools will not teach it anymore). I have previously shared George Washington’s Thanksgiving Day Proclamation and also two from Abraham Lincoln. Today, I want to highlight a resource I have found useful about our history called The Silencing of God by Dave Miller, Phd. It is available on DVD or you can watch the video at wvbs.org using the link provided.

I am not affiliated with this product at all, but I would encourage each of you to visit the website and consider leveraging the material there. Please don’t skip this . Of course, you can do other independent internet searches on this type of content and that can also be very helpful. Bottom line, take time to learn and understand how our government has changed and moved away from God and get involved to try to fight to bring God back in to our schools and our government. Don’t let those who reject God convince you otherwise.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please open our eyes to the truth of the founding of our nation on the principles of Christian values, a personal relationship with You, and individual liberty. Raise up the people to demand our government back, that it should be fully submitted to You and not rejecting You and Your instructions for us as Your people. Help the truth to be shared and the lies of men blown away. 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.

Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Jesus (hearing from God), Miracles, Miracles, Share the Good News, Submitted / Servant

Yeshua’s Final Message to His Disciples

It is interesting to reflect on what Mark chooses to highlight in this fairly short summary of the events that took place after Yeshua rose from the dead. Yeshua reproaches His disciples for their unbelief. So often we overlook this in the gospels. Thomas is often called “the doubter” because of his not being present the first time Yeshua appeared to the disciples and he doubted when they told him. However, here we are reminded that the disciples broadly all doubted the women who came to them after first witnessing the resurrection. Before we judge them too harshly, let us spend time in self reflection in regards to how often we waiver in the strength of our faith. Avoid the prideful assumption that “I would certainly have believed”. Recognize we have the benefit of reading about it all afterwards. See around you how many people still do not believe.

Then Yeshua sends out His disciples to go forth and preach the gospel throughout the world.

Mark 16:14-20

The Disciples Commissioned

      14Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. 17“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

      19So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.]
[And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.]

Let us not forget that “disciple” means “learner”. If we are to be disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to continue learning to be more like Him… to obey Him more fully. Jesus had two main messages in this scripture. First, remain strong in our faith and know that He is Lord of all. Second, go forth and preach the gospel everywhere.

We should pray for the Father’s help to do both of these things and do them well and consistently.

I invite You to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Yeshua dying and rising from the dead on our behalf. It gives me great hope in forgiveness to be reconciled with You despite my sin. Help me (and all Your people) to remain strong in our faith and go forth and share the gospel with others joyfully. Amen.

A few closing thoughts:

  • Select the link to learn more about The Great Commission – Make Disciples of All the Nations
  • Verses 17-18 are intriguing. We are left to explore separate from this article how broadly these verses apply for those who believe. It does not seem to apply to everyone who believes. Was it just for that period in time of the early church? Was it just that these signs would be seen among those who believe?

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Evidence in Scripture, Faith / Trusting God, Jesus (hearing from God), Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Miracles, Traditions / Holidays

He is Risen!

What an amazing event! Loyal followers made their way faithfully to Yeshua’s tomb to anoint His body for burial. They had witnessed Him die a few days earlier. Now, after having a full day to think about it (Sabbath), they are coming to His tomb just to honor Him. They don’t even know how they will get into the tomb because of the heavy rock in the entrance.

Imagine their surprise and then amazement and delight as they go through the experience of discovering that their beloved Messiah has risen from the grave. Yeshua overcame death! Picture yourself in their sandals at this moment… they expected to find Yeshua dead, not alive and risen. Imagine how that would feel!

Mark 16:1-13

The Resurrection

      1When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. 2Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. 5Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. 7“But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’” 8They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

      9[Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. 10She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it.

Take time to dwell on the subject of scripture, putting yourself emotionally in the spot of Jesus’ followers. Think about how it must have felt. Then compare that to how you feel as His follower in your day to day life. Most of us truly take this historical act of love, the death and resurrection of Yeshua, for granted. It is typical for us to not really take time to think about how significant this event should be to us personally. It should move us emotionally. We should want to tell others enthusiastically! It should transform our lives.

For any skeptics… consider a few points from today’s scripture. I am completely convinced this story is exactly true. If it were just a made up tale written by followers after Yeshua died, then why would they portray the women as astonished and fearful? They would instead portray them as faithful followers who expected this to happen and are not surprised at all. Given the cultural context of the times, the followers would never have chosen to make up a lie that puts the women as the witnesses encountering Yeshua first. Surely it would have been Peter, James, and John. What’s more, the disciples don’t even believe the witnesses at first.

Clearly the story is true. Yeshua is risen! Let us rejoice and let us go forth to tell others about Him!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me (and all your followers) to remember to rejoice in You and what You have done for us! Let us not be distracted by the stresses in life so that we lose track of how awesome You are. You are worthy of praise and worthy to share with others. Please open the opportunities for me to share You with others and give me the courage and the wisdom for how to help lead others to You. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Faithful, Learning To Pray Effectively, Obeying God, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness, Submitted / Servant

Do Not Overlook Your Relationship with God in Preparing for Battle

It is good that we prepare for the challenges we expect to face, and also for some surprises we may not anticipate. That said, ultimately our faith and relationship in Yahweh (through Yeshua) is what will be the deciding factor in many situations. We may feel like we face mountains that we can not overcome. However, with Yahweh, all things are possible.  As we read today’s scripture we will see an example of the importance of a righteous and obedient walk with the LORD as part of preparation for calling upon Him in our need. Of course we should not do it just to get his protection… that is selfish. We obey His law and live His way out of love for Him for what He has already done for us (e.g. creation, life, salvation, blessings, etc.)

2 Chronicles 12

Abijah Succeeds Rehoboam

      1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3Abijah began the battle with an army of valiant warriors, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with 800,000 chosen men who were valiant warriors.

Civil War

      4Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5“Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? 6“Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master, 7and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.

      8“So now you intend to resist the kingdom of the LORD through the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you. 9“Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are no gods. 10“But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites attend to their work. 11“Every morning and evening they burn to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him. 12“Now behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

      13But Jeroboam had set an ambush to come from the rear, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them. 14When Judah turned around, behold, they were attacked both front and rear; so they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, then it was that God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16When the sons of Israel fled before Judah, God gave them into their hand. 17Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. 18Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah conquered because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their fathers. 19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages.

Death of Jeroboam

      20Jeroboam did not again recover strength in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him and he died.

      21But Abijah became powerful; and took fourteen wives to himself, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo.

Do not wait until you are desperately needing Him to turn toward Him and build relationship with Him. Do that now and do not stop. Then when you are in difficult situations, you can lean on Him and cry out for His help. Of course, even if you are already in a bad spot, you can still repent and turn toward Him and cry out to Him for mercy and help.

What are some situations you have faced in your life that were very hard? Did you cry out to Yahweh? Did you recognize His answer? Ask Him prayerfully to show you anything in your relationship with Him that you need to change.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to seek Your face now, even before I face adversity or difficult challenges. Help Your people around the world to live righteously and bring honor and glory to Your name. Thank You for Your help when we face trials from the enemy and from those who are against You. 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.

All Powerful / King of All, Discipline / Guidance From God, Grace / Forgiveness, Humility, Justice / Judgment, Merciful, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant

Remain Humble and Devoted Before the LORD

Take care not to grow complacent, prideful, or self sufficient (relative to God). There are many examples of people who start out loving the LORD and obeying His commandments, and then when things are going well they drift away from Him, to their own peril. I can think of Solomon for one example. To a lesser extent David also (e.g. Bathsheeba), but he genuinely repented after his sin. Rehoboam, son of Solomon was another example.

Rehoboam started with some foolishness that split the kingdom, but for the first several years, he was pursuing the law of the LORD. It was so much so that the Levites and others who had a heart for Yahweh, left their property behind and moved from Israel to Judah.

 2 Chronicles 11:14-17

Jeroboam Appoints False Priests

      14For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD. 15He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made. 16Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. 17They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

However, after several years, Rehoboam forsook the law of the LORD, and the LORD forsook him in return.

2 Chronicles 12

Shishak of Egypt Invades Judah

      1When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the LORD. 2And it came about in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem 3with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were without number: the Lubim, the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians. 4He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, ‘You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak.’” 6So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous.”

      7When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak. 8“But they will become his slaves so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

Plunder Impoverishes Judah

      9So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s palace. He took everything; he even took the golden shields which Solomon had made. 10Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the care of the commanders of the guard who guarded the door of the king’s house. 11As often as the king entered the house of the LORD, the guards came and carried them and then brought them back into the guards’ room. 12And when he humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and also conditions were good in Judah.

      13So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. 14He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.

      15Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 16And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and his son Abijah became king in his place.

Some will read this and think to themselves, “Why is the LORD so harsh on Rehoboam and the people of Israel?” They start with perhaps their own perspective and then question God’s approach if it differs from their own. We should do the opposite. We should start by assuming God is correct and righteous, and then seek to understand how and why we may not be considering things in the correct perspective if we see it differently. Then we learn and grow closer to God rather than challenge Him and grow farther away from Him.  Remember, our relationship with God is a covenant relationship. That means there are conditions on both sides, such as “If you will be my people and obey my commandments, I will be your God.”

Notice also, that the LORD seems to have waited for a couple years. The scriptures above say they walked in the way of the LORD for 3 years and the punishment came after 5. Sounds like God was patient to me. And when they repented and humbled themselves, He had mercy. Of course we do well to remember that His mercy to no longer scatter them should not be confused with removing all consequences for their sin and disobedience. In fact, God let His people serve under the Egyptian king so that they would gain an appreciation of the difference between serving Him and serving a human king, especially one who is not following the LORD.

We also see again later in the scripture that Rehoboam did not remain with his heart toward the LORD throughout his reign. He did evil in the LORD’s sight.

There is direct application for just about all of this in each of our own lives. Set our heart toward the LORD so that we would be pleasing in His sight and not do evil. Humble ourselves before Him and obey His commandments. Repent genuinely and wholeheartedly when we get off track. It is easy to realize we need the LORD in tough times, but let us take care also in good times not to lose that relationship with Him!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me remain humble and faithful before You. Help me to set my heart upon You and obey Your commandments. Help me to be devoted to Your ways and not my own or those of my family or culture around me. When I sin, please help me to repent and draw near to You again. Thank You for grace and mercy. Help me to truly appreciate serving You and realize how much better that is than serving myself of the ways of man. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant

Steps to Peace with Yahweh

Do you experience peace and joy in your life based on a foundation of your relationship with our Creator, Yahweh? Do you want to share your faith more confidently and effectively with others?  Please consider the following resource from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

The Christian Life and Witness Course is a course that is designed to help provide people with a basic foundation of living for Christ and also how to witness and share their faith with others effectively. The material is good, even if ordered off the BGEA association website and conducted offline personally via DVD training instead of face-to-face training. I recommend it and there is much more to it than what I share here in this article. Please click on the link above in this article to check it out in more detail.

I will highlight in today’s article just one of the summary resources to help communicate key concepts and peak your interest. There is a very nice summary booklet to guide a discussion with non believers about your faith in Christ and also to check your own relationship with Christ along the way. It is a booklet titled Steps To Peace With God.

Step 1: God’s Purpose: Peace and Life

God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life – abundant and eternal.

“We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

We must ask ourselves… “Why don’t most people have this peace and abundant life that God planned for us to have?” Even most of us who identify as Christians do not have this peace and abundant life!

Step 2: The Problem: Our Separation

God created us in His own image to have an abundant life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him. God gave us a will and freedom of choice.

We choose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from God.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

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

Our choice (sin) results in separation from God (holy).

Our Attempts To Reach God

People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God…

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2

No bridge made by man can reach God… not good works, not religion, not philosophy, not morality. Only one bridge can reach God.

Step 3: God’s Bridge – The Cross

Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people.

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” 1 Peter 3:18

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

God has provided the only way… Each person must make a choice…

Step 4: Our Response – Receive Christ

We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

Where are you? Are you separated from God, in sin, rebellion, and separation? or have you received Jesus as a bridge to be reconciled with God and now experiencing peace, forgiveness, abundant life, and eternal life?

Will you receive Jesus Christ right now?

    1. Admit your need. (I am a sinner).
    2. Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
    3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
    4. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)

An example of how to pray

Dear Lord Jesus,

I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.

In Jesus name, Amen.

God’s Assurance: His Word

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

Did you sincerely ask Jesus Christ to come into your life? Where is He right now? What has He given you?

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Receiving Christ, we are born into God’s family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer. This is called regeneration, or the “new birth.”

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:12-13

This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in Christ. To deepen this relationship you should:

  1. Read your Bible every day to know Christ better.
  2. Talk to God in prayer every day.
  3. Tell others about Christ.
  4. Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians where Christ is preached according to the Bible.
  5. As Christ’s representative in a needy world, demonstrate your new life by your love and concern for others.

I encourage you again to consider reviewing the full training course material from BGEA using the link at the beginning of the article. May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with 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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*Pictures and much of the content shared is from BGEA Steps to Peace With God booklet.

Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Righteousness / Serving God, Sin

Prayer For and Against the Enemies of Yahweh

As a people who follow Yeshua, we are the most persecuted group in the world according to studies I have seen recently. Much of the persecution comes in the Middle East from Islamic countries or in Africa and China and Russia. In America, we enjoy much freedom and protection for worshipping Yahweh. However, even here we can see the erosion of our rights which are constantly being challenged in court in examples across the nations as companies like Hobby Lobby must go to court to avoid being forced into health insurance supporting abortion. Chik Fil A is constantly persecuted on college campuses or airports or cities like New York because they stand for Christian values. Small businesses like a local Colorado baker or some florists and photographers are under assault leally because they refuse to endorse and participate in homosexual marriages or gender transition parties. University professors have been fired for refusing to use transgender pronouns to recognize someone who has tried to change their gender (which is not actually possible… it is in our DNA). High schools allow children to choose what locker room and bathrooms they can use, regardless of their actual gender.

There are other examples. We see wickedness throughout many who struggle for power in politics and business in our nation that support and lead these attacks.

Yeshua instructed us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us that we may walk in his ways and be different from the world.

Matthew 5

“43You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

It is an interesting apparent contrast with some of the prayers we find in Psalms whereby even righteous people are praying for YHWH to defeat their enemies and protect them from the wicked.

Psalm 129

Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies.

A Song of Ascents.

1“Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up,”
Let Israel now say,

2“Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up;
Yet they have not prevailed against me.

3“The plowers plowed upon my back;
They lengthened their furrows.”

4The LORD is righteous;
He has cut in two the cords of the wicked.

5May all who hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned backward;

6Let them be like grass upon the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up;

7With which the reaper does not fill his hand,
Or the binder of sheaves his bosom;

8Nor do those who pass by say,
“The blessing of the LORD be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the LORD.”

We should indeed pray for our enemies, that they would repent and turn from their wicked ways and turn to Yeshua and the Father. However, we can also pray that Yahweh would defeat the plans of the wicked and their power to harm his people. I believe it is still acceptable to pray for YHWH to protect us from the wicked and bring them to defeat. We can also pray that he would transform them toward paths of righteousness.

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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.

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.