All Powerful / King of All, Compassionate, Faith / Trusting God, False Prophets / Teachers, Fear / Reverence for God, Grace / Forgiveness, Hope, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Remain Hopeful in God’s Redemption, Even When Things Are Not as You Want

The key theme of Jeremiah 29 is the message of hope and encouragement for the exiled Israelites living in Babylon. The chapter contains a letter from the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish exiles, urging them to settle down, build homes, plant gardens, and seek the welfare of the city they are in. He advises them not to be discouraged by their current situation but to trust in God’s plans for their future. The famous verse in Jeremiah 29:11 emphasizes God’s promise of a hopeful and prosperous future for them: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” The overall message is to remain faithful, patiently endure the exile, and have confidence in God’s ultimate plan for restoration and blessings.

There is also a warning against those who falsely prophesy in the Lord’s name and convince people to believe in a lie because it is more along the lines of what they want to believe… such as the message that the exile will not be long.

Jeremiah 29

Message to the Exiles

      1Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2(This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the court officials, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.) 3The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying, 4“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 6‘Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. 7‘Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’ 8“For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. 9‘For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,’ declares the LORD.

      10“For thus says the LORD, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14‘I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

      15“Because you have said, ‘The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon’— 16for thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile— 17thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am sending upon them the sword, famine and pestilence, and I will make them like split-open figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness. 18‘I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with pestilence; and I will make them a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and a horror and a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, 19because they have not listened to My words,’ declares the LORD, ‘which I sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets; but you did not listen,’ declares the LORD. 20“You, therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

      21“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you falsely in My name, ‘Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will slay them before your eyes. 22‘Because of them a curse will be used by all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire, 23because they have acted foolishly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken words in My name falsely, which I did not command them; and I am He who knows and am a witness,” declares the LORD.’”

      24To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying, 25“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26“The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the overseer in the house of the LORD over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and in the iron collar, 27now then, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who prophesies to you? 28“For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, ‘The exile will be long; build houses and live in them and plant gardens and eat their produce.’”’”

      29Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet. 30Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying, 31“Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite, “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and he has made you trust in a lie,” 32therefore thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants; he will not have anyone living among this people, and he will not see the good that I am about to do to My people,” declares the LORD, “because he has preached rebellion against the LORD.”’”

We can apply this message to our lives as well. Things will not always go the way we want. We are to remain faithful and patiently endure what God leads us through, and have confidence in God’s ultimate plan for restoration and blessings.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Evidence in Scripture, Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Healer, Merciful, Miracles, Seeking God

Revealing Truth: The Unmistakable Reality of Yeshua’s Miracles and Resurrection

The more I read and study scripture, the more the Holy Spirit reveals to me. In Mark 6:53-55, we could easily spend some time reflecting on the enthusiasm of people seeking Yeshua and how He never turned them away. We could see how they put out a lot of effort to come to Him. They had faith. They were experiencing and witnessing miracles. They pursued Yeshua. They did not sit and wait for Him to come to them. We could reflect on the amazing healing miracles.

But there is another aspect of this scripture I want to focus on today. There is much evidence in the Bible and in other historical documents and archaeological evidence to demonstrate that Jesus was real, was crucified, was buried in a tomb, and then that the tomb was again empty a few days later. We see in scripture the evidence that many, many people saw Him crucified and again saw Him after He rose from the dead and walked among them for 40 days.

Some people, bound and determined to reject Yeshua as God, no matter what evidence God reveals, just make up theories about how to explain the events. In some cases people claim that it was not Yeshua who was crucified, but someone else or it was not Yeshua who was appearing after He rose from the dead, but someone else.

Let us consider what a public figure Yeshua was. He was instantly recognizable to the people. They knew and recognized Him. Thus we also can conclude that it is ridiculous to consider that is was anyone other than Yeshua on the cross or appearing before many witnesses after the crucifixion.

Mark 6:53-55

Healing at Gennesaret

      53When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. 56Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.

The evidence proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Yeshua was Messiah. He died for our sins and rose again. There is no other reasonable explanation. Let us be sure to live our lives in such a way that clearly demonstrates to others that we know this to be true. If we know this to be true we should live as Jesus did and follow Him rather than the world and its corrupt version of “right” and “wrong”. Let us hold fast to God’s word revealed in the Bible and shape our lives according to what it teaches and not according to those who dismiss or outright reject the scriptures as meaningless or not true.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for making a way through Yeshua for my sins to be forgiven. Thank You for mercy and grace. Help me never grow cold of being amazed at the healing power You demonstrate and have demonstrated. Help grow my faith. Help me to recognize You at work in the world around me. 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, Compassionate, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Learning To Pray Effectively, Miracles

Beyond the Miracle: Insights and Compassion in Yeshua’s Walk on Water

When we read about Yeshua walking on water, we often focus entirely on that miracle alone. We may overlook some other insights that are contained in that same story. Some may leave us with some questions and some may reassure us of our Savior’s compassion for us.

Mark 6:45-52

Jesus Walks on the Water

      45Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.

      47When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” 51Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

Yes it was miraculous to walk on water. Don’t miss that. Nothing is beyond our LORD.  There are a few other insights as well.

  • After feeding the 5000 and teaching, Yeshua still wanted to take time to go up the mountain to be alone in prayer with the Father. This was a priority for Him and it should be for us also. Ask yourself if you are setting aside enough time to be alone with Father. Most of us are not. This is different than studying scripture.
  • I find it intriguing that Yeshua saw His disciples straining at the oars, with the wind against them, and intended to pass them up. This does not fit what many of us expect from the LORD. We don’t expect Him to leave us in a difficult situation and let us work out of it. We expect Him to swoop in and rescue us and make things easy. Yeshua knew this was a situation they could overcome on their own, though it was difficult. He was going to let them do so. Recognize that just because you may be in a difficult situation, and the LORD is leaving you to work out of it, does not mean He is unaware of your situation or does not care. He may see value in letting you work out of it on your own.
  • When Yeshua saw they were afraid of Him as if He were a ghost, He adjusted His plans and got in the boat. He had compassion on them.  Compassion is not just pity. Compassion drives us to action. It changes our plans.
  • I think the storm calming as Yeshua gets in the boat speaks largely for itself. He is in control of all things. Nothing is beyond Him.  This aspect is typically not overlooked as it is so attention grabbing.
  • They had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, for their hearts were hardened. The comparison here suggests we should look for parallel between this incident and the loaves. I would say that an obvious connection is for us to have faith that the LORD can provide and can rescue us from difficult situations that are beyond our control. We need not panic or look only to ourselves for the path forward. It is so easy to continue to see things through our own eyes and how we can control or fix a situation, or how we can not. It is beautiful to start to rely more on the LORD and have our faith grow stronger in leaning on Him.
  • Do not overlook that scripture says their hearts were hardened and that is why they did not gain insight from the incident with the loaves and the feeding of the 5000. This does not mean they are rebellious toward Yahweh or against Yeshua. We can see here that even loyal followers of Yeshua can harden their hearts. It speaks to seeing things only through our own perspective of what we can see and touch and do instead of seeing things through the eyes of faith and what God can do. If we harden our hearts, we will miss a lot that the LORD is doing in our lives and we will dismiss it, recognizing only the natural and not the supernatural around us.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your compassion for me. Thank You that You do step in and calm the storms at times when I call on You and I am overwhelmed. Please strengthen my faith and soften my heart towards You. Help me to see the world more through Your eyes. Help me not to focus only on what I can control but also on Your power to deliver us and provide for us. 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.

Compassionate, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Miracles, Seeking God

Jesus Has Compassion on Those Who Seek Him

Most of us who have followed after Jesus for any amount of time, have likely heard of the time He fed five thousand people with just a few loaves and fish. It is an amazing miracle and we should never take it for granted. However, it strikes me also that there is another lesson we should take note of in this event.

Jesus and the apostles were seeking a secluded place to be by themselves. John the Baptist had been killed, the apostles were returning to share about their journeys to preach the gospel, and there was clear intent to find quiet time. The people saw them and were so hungry for a shepherd in Jesus that they hurried there ahead of Jesus and the apostles.

How should Jesus react? Go somewhere else to find privacy and “me time”? Nope. Jesus felt compassion on them. He took time to teach them many things and ultimately this gathering became a great witness to the deity of Jesus through a fantastic miracle. Jesus is flexible and responsive to the needs of others! He truly loves those who seek Him! He will not turn them away.

Mark 6:30-44

    30The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

Five Thousand Fed

      33The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. 34When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. 35When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and it is already quite late; 36send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat?” 38And He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. 40They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. 42They all ate and were satisfied, 43and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. 44There were five thousand men who ate the loaves.

Do you truly seek Jesus as these people did? or do you take Him for granted? It is an honest question we should all ask ourselves from time to time. We should be hungry for a Good Shepherd and seek after Jesus, well beyond the point of inconvenience to our daily lives. When we do, He will not turn us away, but instead stop and engage with us. Our Lord loves those who truly seek after Him and feels compassion for them.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your compassion and love for those who seek You. Help me to feel a passion to seek You, that drives me past the distractions and busyness of this world. Let me not be content without a personal relationship with You. Help me trust You and pursue You and help me be teachable, willing to learn and change my ways to live more like You and Your instruction. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Bitterness / Resentment, Compassion, Murder, Pride, Repenting from Sin, Revenge, Selfishness

The Fatal Dance of Herod: A Revealing Tale of Worldly Ways and Divine Truth

Scripture’s account of the death of John the Baptist is quite appalling and at the same time quite revealing about the way of the worldly, of those who do not follow Yahweh. John is executed ultimately because Herod makes a foolish offer and then holds himself to account to enforce it even when he, himself, does not want to. Too bad Herod did not show as much obedience to Yahweh and His ways as he did to his own foolish, off hand “promise”.

Mark 6:14-32

John’s Fate Recalled

      14And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” 15But others were saying, “He is Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”

      17For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 18For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so; 20for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him. 21A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee; 22and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 23And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom.” 24And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. 27Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, 28and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.

      30The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

I want to explore what this passage of scripture shows us about the ways of the worldly. Follow carefully, you may find even more insight than I share in this writing. Challenge yourself to identify where you may be vulnerable to doing similar things in your life. Watch for the patterns and do not focus too much on the specifics of it being an execution of someone, which most of us do not expect to do in our lives.

When Herod heard tell of the miraculous power of Yeshua, he believed that John the Baptist had risen from the dead. Consider then, the context that all that Herod did to John was done with knowledge and recognition that John was doing miracles. He knew that John was a righteous and holy man!

Herod, who is willing to kill a righteous and holy man to uphold his own foolish offer to a girl for a dance, was unwilling to listen to a man he identified as righteous and holy tell him about God’s word and what was right and wrong. Herod places himself and any offhand decision he makes above question, but directly and violently confronts God’s instructions through His messenger. It is not that Herod does not recognize or follow authority or acknowledge right and wrong. No, instead, it is that Herod placed his faith and obedience in himself and perhaps the opinions of others about him (reputation) instead of in God. Let us take caution and remind ourselves that Yahweh is the final authority on all things. His instructions are comprehensive and should rule our attitudes and behaviors.

We could also explore the wickedness of Herod’s wife. She is upset because someone dares to point out her wrong behavior. Is it revenge she seeks, based on bitterness and resentment toward John? Is it pride to protect her reputation? She is so upset that she plots to kill John. Consider how much more fruitful the request from her daughter to the king could have been. Consider all the things she could have asked for that could have benefited her for a long time, perhaps a lifetime. Instead, the wicked mother is interested only in herself and her vanity and reputation. Rather than concern or wise advice for her daughter, pride drives her to ask for John to be killed. What a foolish, wicked and selfish request in response to the king’s offer. It did absolutely nothing for the daughter, who received the offer. The wicked care not even for their own children as much as for their own selfish desires. Take heed to consider the needs of others and what is best for them, especially our children.

Let us also look at the response of the apostles and Yeshua. They returned from their journeys and gathered together. They had gone out to preach in pairs and now returned to debrief on their journeys with Yeshua and their peers. Likely they heard about John the Baptist during their journeys. We see again the importance of rest. Yeshua lead the group to a secluded location where they could rest and recharge. This is important for us and often we neglect it. God repeatedly demonstrates the value of rest in scripture. Let us be careful to listen and take His instruction carefully. We must make opportunity to rest, even when we are going about work for the kingdom of heaven. Observing Sabbath every week is a great way to seek rest in obedience to God’s instruction.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please do not let me see the world through my own selfish view. Open my eyes to see the world as You do. Lead me in righteousness and away from wickedness. Let me trust in You and Your ways rather than my own. Help me not get defensive when I am confronted about my sin, but rather let the Spirit lead me to repentance. 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.

 

Humility, Kindness / Gentleness, Money / Finances / Wealth, Psalms, Purposeful / Intentional, Self Control

Timeless Lessons from Psalm 39 for a Meaningful Life

Psalm 39 focuses on a few important themes we an apply to our lives today.

Life passes quickly. How we choose to spend it is important. Truly as we reflect, our natural tendency to strive for material wealth and accomplishment does not bring a harvest that is as lasting and important as we hope for.

We must cultivate mindfulness and a sense of urgency in how we live our lives. Focus on what truly matters, such as our relationships with others, acts of kindness, and positively impacting the world. Instead of getting consumed by temporary gains, we can strive to live a life of purpose and meaning, aware that our time here is limited.

Additionally, we should guard our speech. Especially, in the age of social media and digital interactions, the words we use can spread quickly and have a significant impact. Being mindful of our speech and using it to build others up rather than tear them down is a valuable lesson from Psalm 39 that can contribute to a more compassionate and understanding society.

Psalm 39

The Vanity of Life.

For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1I said, “I will guard my ways
That I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”

      2I was mute and silent,
I refrained even from good,
And my sorrow grew worse.

      3My heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:

      4“LORD, make me to know my end
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how transient I am.

      5“Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Surely every man at his best is a mere breath.

Selah.

      6“Surely every man walks about as a phantom;
Surely they make an uproar for nothing;
He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.

      7“And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.

      8“Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Make me not the reproach of the foolish.

      9“I have become mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is You who have done it.

      10“Remove Your plague from me;
Because of the opposition of Your hand I am perishing.

      11“With reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity;
You consume as a moth what is precious to him;
Surely every man is a mere breath.

Selah.

      12“Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
A sojourner like all my fathers.

      13“Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may smile again
Before I depart and am no more.”

Remember the brevity of life and to live with intention, mindfulness, and kindness towards others. By doing so, we can make the most of our time and leave a positive legacy behind.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Marriage

The Enduring Beauty of Admiration in Marriage and in Our Relationship with Christ

Our culture will often downplay the love and attraction of spouses enjoying one another, while playing up the wrongful lusts of those who are not married as if they are somehow more romantic. We are always better off when we embrace YHWH’s ways. For those of us who are married, or engaged and soon to be married, it is good for us to look with admiration and love upon our spouse or future spouse.

Song of Solomon 2

The Bride’s Admiration

            1“I am the rose of Sharon,
The lily of the valleys.”

      2“Like a lily among the thorns,
So is my darling among the maidens.”

      3“Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
So is my beloved among the young men.
In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

      4“He has brought me to his banquet hall,
And his banner over me is love.

      5“Sustain me with raisin cakes,
Refresh me with apples,
Because I am lovesick.

      6“Let his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”

      7“I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field,
That you do not arouse or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”

      8“Listen! My beloved!
Behold, he is coming,
Climbing on the mountains,
Leaping on the hills!

      9“My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Behold, he is standing behind our wall,
He is looking through the windows,
He is peering through the lattice.

      10“My beloved responded and said to me,
‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along.

      11‘For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.

      12‘The flowers have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.

      13‘The fig tree has ripened its figs,
And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!’”

      14“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret place of the steep pathway,
Let me see your form,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your form is lovely.”

      15“Catch the foxes for us,
The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards,
While our vineyards are in blossom.”

      16“My beloved is mine, and I am his;
He pastures his flock among the lilies.

      17“Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle
Or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.”

We should take care to avoid believing the narrative that a bride should make sure she remains independent from her groom. That somehow she must not depend on him for provision, but must work in a job as well. It is perfectly good for a bride to embrace her groom and look for him to provide and look upon him with admiration. Similarly, let not the groom be so hungry for money that he insists the bride also work just so they can have more money and instead sacrifice the intended role of wife and mother in the family unit.

Do not stop looking upon one another in the way demonstrated in Song of Solomon 2 just because you have been married awhile, either. Continue to look upon one another in admiration and love.

As a bonus to consider, recall that God compares our relationship as the church to Jesus to that of a bride to her groom.  While this aspect is non-sexual, some of the same principles apply. Be passionate in your pursuit of Christ. Dwell on what is good in Him. Trust Him completely to provide.

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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, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus (hearing from God), Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Share the Good News

Lessons from Jesus’ Sending of the Twelve: Applying Their Ministry Today

Whether we seek to learn about Yeshua or to take His message to others, we should pay attention to the early ministry of Yeshua and His disciples and apply what we learn to our lives today.

Yeshua sent out His disciples to preach that men should repent from their wrong ways and turn toward God’s ways and toward God, Himself. They cast out demons and anointed the sick with oil, healing them. It sounds very much like a reflection of Jesus’ ministry as He began. (Matthew 4:17; Matthew 4:23)

Mark 6:7-13

The Twelve Sent Out

      7And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; 8and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt— 9but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.” 10And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. 11“Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” 12They went out and preached that men should repent. 13And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

It is a good thing when your ministry reflects that of the Master. We should pay close attention to His key message, which was repentance. This is a very important message. It is easy for each of us to conclude we are doing things “well enough” or “better than others”. However, that is not the standard to measure against. We are to measure against Yahweh’s holy standard. There is always more we can do, with His help, to identify and repent from sin in our life. It is not a one time decision. It is a decision and action we repeat every day of our lives. Sometimes we mess up and then we ask forgiveness and try again. For those who preach, the lesson is also that one should perhaps begin with the need for repentance as we preach or teach. People must understand their need for Yeshua… to be forgiven through His sacrifice to pay for our sins and mistakes.

I find it also very powerful that the disciples are sent with very little. They are to bring nothing extra. What a powerful statement! When we hear from Yahweh, we are to put our trust completely in Him to provide for our needs. He can and will do it. This does not necessarily mean to discard what He has already provided us, so seek His guidance prayerfully.  Jesus did not command the disciples to get rid of all their belongings or even to give them to the poor. He simply instructed them in regards to their missionary journeys not to take anything extra with them.

When they do enter a house, the intent is to stay there, perhaps to build relationships or perhaps to avoid the distraction of constantly having to worry about where they would stay the next night or week. They were not to move every night to another place.

If a place did not receive them, they are not to stay and force it, but rather shake the dust from their sandals and move on. We must take heed to this important lesson. Too often we may wish to force someone in particular to hear the message of Christ and repent. We can not force them to accept the message. Furthermore, if we continue to put our focus, time, and energy toward only those who reject Yahweh, then we will be delayed in bringing the gospel to others who are open to hearing and receiving the truth of Yeshua. Time is a limited asset and it is constantly passing. We must use it wisely.

The preaching of repentance was accompanied by casting out demons and healing. There are many examples where Yahweh allowed His followers to perform miracles in His name, in particular as they were spreading revelation from Him such as the good news about Yeshua as Messiah. When we go out to bring the good news of Yeshua, we are to accompany that with showing love and compassion to the people we meet. We are to try to help them and meet their needs, to alleviate their suffering. To those whom He calls, they can even do miracles in His name. Whether or not we can do miracles will be up to the LORD and, in part, our faith. With or without miracles, we can certainly have an impact in showing our love for people.

Both as disciples seeking to learn and follow after Christ, and as those seeking to bring the truth of Christ to others, we can learn a lot by prayerfully reflecting on scripture and the truth God reveals to us through it.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please show me clearly where You would like me to share the gospel and how I should approach any mission for which You send me. Let me not proceed on my own understanding but with strong faith and in obedience to Your direction. 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.

Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Miracles

Where There Is Little Faith, There Will Be Few Miracles

Where there is little faith, there will be few miracles.  Yeshua amazed people with His power and wisdom, and many were convinced to follow Him. However, those closest to Him had a very hard time recognizing Him as Lord. Those in His hometown could not separate the person of Yeshua as carpenter’s son from the miracle working teacher… from God with us, Immanuel. This is a common struggle for many. Yeshua calls it out as applicable for prophets generally, not just limited to Him. As a result, the lack of faith limited the number of miracles Jesus performed there.  The home town really missed out!

Mark 6:1-6

Teaching at Nazareth

      1Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. 2When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? 3“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. 4Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” 5And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6And He wondered at their unbelief.
And He was going around the villages teaching.

Two main themes I want to emphasize. First, for those of us who truly change our lives, turn our lives around to focus on seeking after God and putting Him first in our lives… many who have already known us will have a hard time recognizing the significance of the change in our lives. We could study and pray and draw near to the Lord and they may always look back and say… “Isn’t that Joe? He was in my class at school and he used to play tricks on people” or “That is Sally. She was always grumpy and complaining about doing too many chores.” It may be hard for them to recognize us as an authority on scripture and the Christian walk in such a way as to help lead them to change their lives. Interestingly enough, others who did not know us growing up may have a much easier time responding to the “light” of Christ in us. Try not to be discouraged. Continue to focus on “letting your light shine” before others so as to show them the way to Christ.

The second theme is specifically pertaining to miracles. Many skeptics can always look to find reasons to explain away the power of God working through miracles. It is sometimes amazing to see what they come up with. One common example we should all be familiar with… many want to ignore the miracle of creation itself.  They rather believe that everything came from nothing randomly than that a divine Creator made everything in an ordered and structured way. Yet if we showed those same people a clean house, they would immediately know someone had cleaned it and it had not gotten organized randomly on its own. How absolutely silly to deny God’s hand in creation!

Where there is little faith, there are few miracles. For those who look to dismiss miracles from God, they will experience few, if any. Yeshua often is cited in scripture for referencing someone’s faith when He conducted a miracle. In verse 5, it actually translates that He “could do no miracle” because of lack of faith. That is a different statement than He “would do no miracle” to be sure. It is intriguing and could be subject of additional study.

For those who recognize the miracles from God all around them, who put their faith in Him, they will truly rejoice at their Creator’s involvement in the world all around them and they will experience His miracles in greater number.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to strengthen my faith. Help me to believe and to grow in intimacy with 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.

False Prophets / Teachers, Prophecy, Through Prophets

Hearing God’s Voice: Seek Truth Amidst Confusion

Not everyone who claims to have a prophecy or speak for the LORD is actually doing so. It can be confusing and certainly disappointing. We must discern the truth, not trust anyone who brings a word they say is from God. Sometimes the word God sends is not one we want to hear and that makes it harder to hear and accept.

Continue to seek a personal relationship with God and seek to draw near to Him. Study His word. Pray. Spend time quietly listening. Learn to hear His voice.

Certainly don’t become the person who boldly claims to speak for the LORD if you are not sure it is from Him. It may lead others astray.

Jeremiah 28 

Hananiah’s False Prophecy

      1Now in the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, 2“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3‘Within two years I am going to bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD’S house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4‘I am also going to bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”

      5Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD, 6and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD confirm your words which you have prophesied to bring back the vessels of the LORD’S house and all the exiles, from Babylon to this place. 7“Yet hear now this word which I am about to speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people! 8“The prophets who were before me and before you from ancient times prophesied against many lands and against great kingdoms, of war and of calamity and of pestilence. 9“The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, then that prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent.”

      10Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. 11Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Even so will I break within two full years the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.’” Then the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

      12The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 13“Go and speak to Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made instead of them yokes of iron.” 14‘For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they will serve him. And I have also given him the beasts of the field.”’” 15Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. 16“Therefore thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This year you are going to die, because you have counseled rebellion against the LORD.’”

      17So Hananiah the prophet died in the same year in the seventh month.

Take a few minutes to pray and ask God to show you any areas where you are on the wrong path, having listened to the wrong advice. Ask Him to speak clearly to you so as to avoid any confusion about what you are sharing with others. Don’t share in God’s name too quickly on important matters. Be sure it is Him.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

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