Discerning / Judging, False Prophets / Teachers

Beware Wolves in Shepherd’s Clothing

Not everyone who leads a church or preaches the gospel is a humble servant of Christ. Many are deceitful and looking for personal gain or honor. We are called to use godly wisdom to look for the fruit of their ministry. Are they humble? Are they willing to sacrifice for God? Do they look to serve or be served? Do they preach the gospel in a way that is consistent with the written word in the Bible? If they teach a different gospel… they should be rejected.

Yeshua did not promise worldly prosperity as a result of our faith. Not at all. But what He does promise is enough to give us joy and hope in this life, struggles and all, and in the next. Yeshua did not promise nothing bad would happen and he did not require you to write a big check to the church “as a sign of your faith”, so you would be rewarded. He told us storms would come and we need to build our foundation in Him to withstand them (Matthew 7:24-29). Yeshua did not say God would accept every sinner as they are! Quite the contrary. We are called by Yeshua (and every prophet) to repent of our sins and turn to God (Matthew 4:12-17).

There are many false teachers who are leading many sheep astray. Many will be lost for not knowing the truth of God’s word, though they claim His name (Matthew 7:15-23). We must truly be discerning and judge truth from false teaching.

Paul wrote to defend his genuine apostleship when the Corinthians began to get influenced by false teachers with a different gospel.

2 Corinthians 11

Paul Defends His Apostleship

     1I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. 2For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 3But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 4For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. 5For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles. 6But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.

      7Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge? 8I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you; 9and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so. 10As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia. 11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

      12But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. 13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

      16Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. 17What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also. 19For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. 20For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face. 21To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison.
But in whatever respect anyone else is bold—I speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

      30If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

Claiming the name of Christ and going to a church that identifies as Christian is not enough. Take care, pray and study the Bible yourself. We are each called to know the word and hold pastors accountable to teach it. We are called to reject false prophets (Deuteronomy 13:1-4). Do not be one of the lost who did not know you were lost just because you did not take the time to study God’s word yourself and trusted your eternity and relationship with God solely on the basis of someone standing in a church pulpit.

Do not expect to follow the popular road of the world’s teaching. If you find everyone agrees with you, that may be a sign that you are on the wrong path.

Matthew 7

The Narrow and Wide Gates

     13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

     15“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17“So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18“A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20“So then, you will know them by their fruits.

      21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

Pray for the Spirit to reveal to you the truth about your faith and the scriptures and to empower and encourage you to be increasingly vigilant in searching for the truth and finding the narrow gate.

Humility, Share the Good News, Spiritual Warfare, Strong in Our Weakness

Place Your Confidence in Christ, Not In Yourself

If anyone should boast or put confidence in themselves as a follower of Christ, it would be Paul. God used him in many powerful ways to share the good news. However, we can learn from Paul’s attitude that we do well to boast only in Christ, and not in ourselves.

He also provides a strong reminder that we fight spiritual battles, not just physical or carnal ones. This is good to remember still today!

2 Corinthians 10

Paul Describes Himself

     1Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! 2I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

      7You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. 8For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, 9for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. 10For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.” 11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

      12For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. 13But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. 14For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; 15not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, 16so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another. 17But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD. 18For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

Are you living in such a way as to rely on and boast in what God is doing? Are you aware of spiritual warfare in your life and the lives of others around you? If we put our focus only in the carnal things, we will lose the spiritual battle.  Spend some time in prayer asking God to open your eyes to these areas in your life and give you wisdom and discernment for your life.

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

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

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

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

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

Jeremiah 7

Message at the Temple Gate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shalom. 

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms

The LORD Is My Shepherd, I Shall Not Want

Psalm 23 is a beautiful commentary on our Lord and how He cares for us. We are sheep who need a good shepherd.

Psalm 23

1The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

3He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

I find this Psalm brings me great peace in troubled times. I pray it comforts you as well. How glorious that we can trust completely in our Good Shepherd, Jesus 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.

Giving, Help / Serve Others, Money / Finances / Wealth, Provider

Help One Another: He Who Sows Bountifully Will Also Reap Bountifully

It sounds cliché, but it really is true. You can not “out-give” God. He is a generous and loving Father, an all-powerful king of kings. He provides His people with gifts and blessings that far exceed what we could hope to give back to Him or give to others. We are but His servants. Let us pray for His help, His grace through the Spirit in us, to give and give generously to help others with joy in our hearts. Let not covetousness or personal greed get in our way of glorifying God as we look to help one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

2 Corinthians 9

God Gives Most

      1For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints; 2for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared; 4otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to speak of you—will be put to shame by this confidence. 5So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.

      6Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

9as it is written,
“HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”

10Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 12For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 13Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Generous giving may include money or time and talent… or all three. Look for opportunities to help others generously… but don’t determine to do so on your own power and will alone. Seek God’s grace to help you through the Spirit within you. In His power we can do so much more and joyfully!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jeremiah 6

Destruction of Jerusalem Impending

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Enemy from the North

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Justice / Judgment, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Slow to Anger, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

God Is a Righteous Judge; the Judgment We Receive Depends on How We Live

We should not expect that we can reject God, live without Him, and then not receive judgment at some point for doing so. It may or may not be in our current lives, but judgment will certainly come when we die or when Christ returns. We may receive judgment and consequences in our lives as well.  If you experience this in your life, take it as a reminder and a gift that calls you back to the LORD so you will be in a good relationship with Him when you meet Him for final judgment.

Jeremiah 5

Jerusalem’s Godlessness

1“Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,
And look now and take note.
And seek in her open squares,
If you can find a man,
If there is one who does justice, who seeks truth,
Then I will pardon her.

      2“And although they say, ‘As the LORD lives,’
Surely they swear falsely.”

      3O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth?
You have smitten them,
But they did not weaken;
You have consumed them,
But they refused to take correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to repent.

      4Then I said, “They are only the poor,
They are foolish;
For they do not know the way of the LORD
Or the ordinance of their God.

      5“I will go to the great
And will speak to them,
For they know the way of the LORD
And the ordinance of their God.”
But they too, with one accord, have broken the yoke
And burst the bonds.

      6Therefore a lion from the forest will slay them,
A wolf of the deserts will destroy them,
A leopard is watching their cities.
Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many,
Their apostasies are numerous.

      7“Why should I pardon you?
Your sons have forsaken Me
And sworn by those who are not gods.
When I had fed them to the full,
They committed adultery
And trooped to the harlot’s house.

      8“They were well-fed lusty horses,
Each one neighing after his neighbor’s wife.

      9“Shall I not punish these people,” declares the LORD,
“And on a nation such as this
Shall I not avenge Myself?

      10“Go up through her vine rows and destroy,
But do not execute a complete destruction;
Strip away her branches,
For they are not the LORD’S.

      11“For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the LORD.

      12They have lied about the LORD
And said, “Not He;
Misfortune will not come on us,
And we will not see sword or famine.

      13“The prophets are as wind,
And the word is not in them.
Thus it will be done to them!”

Judgment Proclaimed

14Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts,
“Because you have spoken this word,
Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire
And this people wood, and it will consume them.

      15“Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.
“It is an enduring nation,
It is an ancient nation,
A nation whose language you do not know,
Nor can you understand what they say.

      16“Their quiver is like an open grave,
All of them are mighty men.

      17“They will devour your harvest and your food;
They will devour your sons and your daughters;
They will devour your flocks and your herds;
They will devour your vines and your fig trees;
They will demolish with the sword your fortified cities in which you trust.

      18“Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not make you a complete destruction. 19“It shall come about when they say, ‘Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’

      20“Declare this in the house of Jacob
And proclaim it in Judah, saying,

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

      22‘Do you not fear Me?’ declares the LORD.
‘Do you not tremble in My presence?
For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea,
An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it.
Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail;
Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.

      23‘But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart;
They have turned aside and departed.

      24‘They do not say in their heart,
“Let us now fear the LORD our God,
Who gives rain in its season,
Both the autumn rain and the spring rain,
Who keeps for us
The appointed weeks of the harvest.”

      25‘Your iniquities have turned these away,
And your sins have withheld good from you.

      26‘For wicked men are found among My people,
They watch like fowlers lying in wait;
They set a trap,
They catch men.

      27‘Like a cage full of birds,
So their houses are full of deceit;
Therefore they have become great and rich.

      28‘They are fat, they are sleek,
They also excel in deeds of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper;
And they do not defend the rights of the poor.

      29‘Shall I not punish these people?’ declares the LORD,
‘On a nation such as this
Shall I not avenge Myself?’

      30“An appalling and horrible thing
Has happened in the land:

      31The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule on their own authority;
And My people love it so!
But what will you do at the end of it?

As I read, I can easily slip into a mindset that thinks He may as well be talking about our nation today. People declare His name, but do not follow Him. People are living in sin and putting other things in their heart where only God should be. Take this warning. Understand how God feels about us and our nation when we reject Him. Let that motivate you to rededicate yourself to God. Ask Him to show you any areas where you need to make changes in your life… your attitudes or actions.

Give Him thanks for His patience and for his word to guide us.

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.

Help / Serve Others, Love, Money / Finances / Wealth, Suffering / Adversity

Generosity Can Be a Demonstration of God’s Love

Generosity can be a demonstration of God’s love to one another in times of need. Let us look to help our brothers and sisters in Christ as they have need. Sometimes it may be challenging as we may not be in a state of abundance ourselves, but nonetheless, we have such opportunities to demonstrate our love to one another.

It is certainly good to also support non-believers and show love to them as well, but we must be aware of how we engage and steward. With believers, there is a need and they look to help others back in time when they can. They do not take more than they need, thus taking advantage of those who provide help. They help steward well the resources. With non-believers, there can oftentimes be a one-way consumption of resources. People willingly and greedily take more than they need and in turn refusing to help others when the situation is reversed. Unchecked, it can suck the resources out of the community of believers and limit the sustainable ability of the community to help one another.

2 Corinthians 8

Great Generosity

     1Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 3For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, 5and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. 6So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well.

      7But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. 8I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. 10I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. 11But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. 12For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— 14at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; 15as it is written, “HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK.”

      16But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus. 17For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord. 18We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches; 19and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness, 20taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift; 21for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. 22We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. 23As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ. 24Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.

Let us recognize that it is good to show love to believers and non believers alike through demonstrating generosity in times of their need.  Let us be good stewards so that we can provide the most sustainable help to the most people that we can with the resources we have at our disposal. Challenge ourselves to give even when we may not feel as if we are in a state of abundance ourselves. Pray in all such circumstances for God to guide His people and bless their efforts to show His love.

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

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

All Powerful / King of All, Justice / Judgment, Protector / Deliverer, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Turn Fully to God and His Ways; Don’t Wait for Difficulty to Drive You There

God wants to bring His people back to Him. He often warns them of impending difficulty He will bring and calls them to repent without needing it to be delivered. All too often, His people do not listen. Then He needs to bring about the hardship or remove His protection to help draw His people back to Him. We read about this in Jeremiah 4.

We may not face war and invasion in our lives, but the concept is often the same. We allow ourselves to drift from God. He wants to be in a relationship with us. He may call us back to Him, and if we don’t listen, He will remove His protection or bring challenges upon us so that we will seek Him again. How much more glorious if we choose to seek Him without having to go through the suffering first!

Jeremiah 4

Judah Threatened with Invasion

1“If you will return, O Israel,” declares the LORD,
“Then you should return to Me.
And if you will put away your detested things from My presence,
And will not waver,

      2And you will swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’
In truth, in justice and in righteousness;
Then the nations will bless themselves in Him,
And in Him they will glory.”

      3For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem,
“Break up your fallow ground,
And do not sow among thorns.

      4“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD
And remove the foreskins of your heart,
Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
Or else My wrath will go forth like fire
And burn with none to quench it,
Because of the evil of your deeds.”

      5Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say,
“Blow the trumpet in the land;
Cry aloud and say,
‘Assemble yourselves, and let us go
Into the fortified cities.’

      6“Lift up a standard toward Zion!
Seek refuge, do not stand still,
For I am bringing evil from the north,
And great destruction.

      7“A lion has gone up from his thicket,
And a destroyer of nations has set out;
He has gone out from his place
To make your land a waste.
Your cities will be ruins
Without inhabitant.

      8“For this, put on sackcloth,
Lament and wail;
For the fierce anger of the LORD
Has not turned back from us.”

9“It shall come about in that day,” declares the LORD, “that the heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail; and the priests will be appalled and the prophets will be astounded.”

      10Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace’; whereas a sword touches the throat.”

      11In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness in the direction of the daughter of My people—not to winnow and not to cleanse, 12a wind too strong for this—will come at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.

      13“Behold, he goes up like clouds,
And his chariots like the whirlwind;
His horses are swifter than eagles.
Woe to us, for we are ruined!”

      14Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem,
That you may be saved.
How long will your wicked thoughts
Lodge within you?

      15For a voice declares from Dan,
And proclaims wickedness from Mount Ephraim.

      16“Report it to the nations, now!
Proclaim over Jerusalem,
‘Besiegers come from a far country,
And lift their voices against the cities of Judah.

      17‘Like watchmen of a field they are against her round about,
Because she has rebelled against Me,’ declares the LORD.

      18“Your ways and your deeds
Have brought these things to you.
This is your evil. How bitter!
How it has touched your heart!”

Lament over Judah’s Devastation

19My soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart!
My heart is pounding in me;
I cannot be silent,
Because you have heard, O my soul,
The sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.

      20Disaster on disaster is proclaimed,
For the whole land is devastated;
Suddenly my tents are devastated,
My curtains in an instant.

      21How long must I see the standard
And hear the sound of the trumpet?

      22“For My people are foolish,
They know Me not;
They are stupid children
And have no understanding.
They are shrewd to do evil,
But to do good they do not know.”

      23I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void;
And to the heavens, and they had no light.

      24I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking,
And all the hills moved to and fro.

      25I looked, and behold, there was no man,
And all the birds of the heavens had fled.

      26I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness,
And all its cities were pulled down
Before the LORD, before His fierce anger.

      27For thus says the LORD,
“The whole land shall be a desolation,
Yet I will not execute a complete destruction.

      28“For this the earth shall mourn
And the heavens above be dark,
Because I have spoken, I have purposed,
And I will not change My mind, nor will I turn from it.”

      29At the sound of the horseman and bowman every city flees;
They go into the thickets and climb among the rocks;
Every city is forsaken,
And no man dwells in them.

      30And you, O desolate one, what will you do?
Although you dress in scarlet,
Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold,
Although you enlarge your eyes with paint,
In vain you make yourself beautiful.
Your lovers despise you;
They seek your life.

      31For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor,
The anguish as of one giving birth to her first child,
The cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath,
Stretching out her hands, saying,
“Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers.”

Turn back to God. Do not force Him to do something harsh to get your attention. Joyfully seek Him. Let go of those things which separate you from 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.

Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prophecy, Prophecy, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Suffering / Adversity

A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise… God Is Our Deliverer

Psalm 22 at once represents the feeling all believers may experience in times of suffering and also foreshadows the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, God Himself, who became man to suffer and die for our sins and mistakes so that we could be forgiven.

For the choir director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.

1My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.

      2O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest.

      3Yet You are holy,
O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.

      4In You our fathers trusted;
They trusted and You delivered them.

      5To You they cried out and were delivered;
In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

      6But I am a worm and not a man,
A reproach of men and despised by the people.

      7All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,

      8“Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”

      9Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.

      10Upon You I was cast from birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb.

      11Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.

      12Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.

      13They open wide their mouth at me,
As a ravening and a roaring lion.

      14I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.

      15My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And You lay me in the dust of death.

      16For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.

      17I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;

      18They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots.

      19But You, O LORD, be not far off;
O You my help, hasten to my assistance.

      20Deliver my soul from the sword,
My only life from the power of the dog.

      21Save me from the lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.

      22I will tell of Your name to my brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

      23You who fear the LORD, praise Him;
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.

      24For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

      25From You comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.

      26The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!

      27All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.

      28For the kingdom is the LORD’S
And He rules over the nations.

      29All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.

      30Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.

      31They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

All of us face suffering of various kinds in this world… including Jesus Christ, His disciples, and God’s prophets. What a wonderful way to approach it… to trust God and even praise Him in the midst of the suffering. Let us each commit ourselves to this end so as to live the way Jesus Christ lived… submitted to the Lordship of God in good times and in bad times. Let our faith not waver based on our circumstances.

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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