False Prophets / Teachers, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Discerning the True Shepherd: Jeremiah 23’s Message for Today

Jeremiah 23 paints a stark contrast between the coming Messiah and gathering up His people who are scattered compared to the false prophets who lead the people away from God.

How important it is that we follow the right one, even today! We can’t simply follow everyone who preaches or teaches about God or claims to have a word from God.  We must use discernment. We must study God’s word and build a personal relationship with Him.

Jeremiah 23

The Coming Messiah: the Righteous Branch

      1“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares the LORD. 2Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares the LORD. 3“Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4“I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD.

      5“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD,
“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;
And He will reign as king and act wisely
And do justice and righteousness in the land.

      6“In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell securely;
And this is His name by which He will be called,
‘The LORD our righteousness.’

      7“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when they will no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 8but, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.”

False Prophets Denounced

9As for the prophets:
My heart is broken within me,
All my bones tremble;
I have become like a drunken man,
Even like a man overcome with wine,
Because of the LORD
And because of His holy words.

      10For the land is full of adulterers;
For the land mourns because of the curse.
The pastures of the wilderness have dried up.
Their course also is evil
And their might is not right.

      11“For both prophet and priest are polluted;
Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the LORD.

      12“Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them,
They will be driven away into the gloom and fall down in it;
For I will bring calamity upon them,
The year of their punishment,” declares the LORD.

      13“Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing:
They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.

      14“Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing:
The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood;
And they strengthen the hands of evildoers,
So that no one has turned back from his wickedness.
All of them have become to Me like Sodom,
And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

15“Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets,
‘Behold, I am going to feed them wormwood
And make them drink poisonous water,
For from the prophets of Jerusalem
Pollution has gone forth into all the land.’”

      16Thus says the LORD of hosts,
“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.
They are leading you into futility;
They speak a vision of their own imagination,
Not from the mouth of the LORD.

      17“They keep saying to those who despise Me,
‘The LORD has said, “You will have peace”’;
And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart,
They say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you.’

      18“But who has stood in the council of the LORD,
That he should see and hear His word?
Who has given heed to His word and listened?

      19“Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath,
Even a whirling tempest;
It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.

      20“The anger of the LORD will not turn back
Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart;
In the last days you will clearly understand it.

      21“I did not send these prophets,
But they ran.
I did not speak to them,
But they prophesied.

      22“But if they had stood in My council,
Then they would have announced My words to My people,
And would have turned them back from their evil way
And from the evil of their deeds.

      23“Am I a God who is near,” declares the LORD,
“And not a God far off?

      24“Can a man hide himself in hiding places
So I do not see him?” declares the LORD.
“Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.

      25“I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a dream, I had a dream!’ 26“How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart, 27who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? 28“The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the LORD. 29“Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock? 30“Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the LORD, “who steal My words from each other. 31“Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the LORD, “who use their tongues and declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ 32“Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,” declares the LORD, “and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares the LORD.

      33“Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you saying, ‘What is the oracle of the LORD?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What oracle?’ The LORD declares, ‘I will abandon you.’ 34“Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, ‘The oracle of the LORD,’ I will bring punishment upon that man and his household. 35“Thus will each of you say to his neighbor and to his brother, ‘What has the LORD answered?’ or, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 36“For you will no longer remember the oracle of the LORD, because every man’s own word will become the oracle, and you have perverted the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God. 37“Thus you will say to that prophet, ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ and, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 38“For if you say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’ surely thus says the LORD, ‘Because you said this word, “The oracle of the LORD!” I have also sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’”’ 39“Therefore behold, I will surely forget you and cast you away from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers. 40“I will put an everlasting reproach on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten.”

Test everyone that is claiming to speak for God against the word of God in the Bible. Look for validation from God when someone shares a word with you. Seek to build a personal relationship with God so you will know the difference in His voice and a false prophet or teacher.

In all of this, also give thanks for God having sent Jesus as Messiah so we can be reconciled to God despite our sins.

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.

Church / Body of Christ, Family

Expand Your Definition of Family: Live the Will of God

Jesus has a way of taking advantage of everyday occurrences to highlight important perspectives to guide our lives. Something as simple as His mother and brothers showing up became a quick learning opportunity that still impacts us today.

Mark 3:31-35

 31Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. 32A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” 33Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! 35“For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

Too often we think about “blood” relations as the only important or special relationship. Truly Jesus made the point that those who do the will of God are like our mother and brothers. When we think about it in the way Jesus highlighted, it really puts a different perspective on how we support one another and love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Take a few minutes to pray and ask God to help you embrace and live out this principle in 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.

All Powerful / King of All, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms

When You Feel Overwhelmed, Turn to God

Have you ever felt overwhelmed because of a difficult situation you face? Has there been a time when you felt that there was no way you can resolve the situation by yourself? I sure have. I believe most of us have felt that way at one time or another. To whom shall we go for help when we feel like the situation is bigger than we can handle on our own? Turn to God. He is at the same time our loving Father and our all-powerful Creator.  He wants to help and He wants us to ask Him for help.

Psalm 35

Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

A Psalm of David.

     1Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.

      2Take hold of buckler and shield
And rise up for my help.

      3Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

      4Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.

      5Let them be like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the LORD driving them on.

      6Let their way be dark and slippery,
With the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

      7For without cause they hid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.

      8Let destruction come upon him unawares,
And let the net which he hid catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.

      9And my soul shall rejoice in the LORD;
It shall exult in His salvation.

      10All my bones will say, “LORD, who is like You,
Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him,
And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”

      11Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know.

      12They repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.

      13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled my soul with fasting,
And my prayer kept returning to my bosom.

      14I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.

      15But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They slandered me without ceasing.

      16Like godless jesters at a feast,
They gnashed at me with their teeth.

      17Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul from their ravages,
My only life from the lions.

      18I will give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will praise You among a mighty throng.

      19Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously.

      20For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

      21They opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, “Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!”

      22You have seen it, O LORD, do not keep silent;
O Lord, do not be far from me.

      23Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.

      24Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness,
And do not let them rejoice over me.

      25Do not let them say in their heart, “Aha, our desire!”
Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”

      26Let those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.

      27Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication;
And let them say continually, “The LORD be magnified,
Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”

      28And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.

I am always inspired by David in that he praises God even while he is still in the middle of difficult circumstances… still facing what seems like an overwhelming number of enemies.

What situations are you facing that you feel are too much for you to solve on your own? Have you asked God for His help yet? He wants to hear from His children and He wants to help. Bring your concerns no matter how big before God and ask Him to help you.

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

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Grace / Forgiveness, Repenting from Sin

Exploring What Jesus Called “The Unpardonable Sin”

It is sometimes referred to as “the unpardonable sin”. Much can be said and debated and studied about this important topic. Who among us does not want to take note of anything that Jesus would say is an “eternal sin”. Do not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.

Mark 3:28

   28“Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Read and reflect on the full context of Mark 3 by clicking the link above. Jesus had publicly healed many and cast out demons. The Pharisees and scribes looked upon the manifest miracles of God, listened to how Jesus explained clearly that these works could not come from Satan, lest he be battling himself, and then accused Jesus of being a demon. They blasphemed against the Holy Spirit by attributing the works of God to Satan in an unrepentant fashion.  The hardness of one’s heart that must be required to bring this accusation against Jesus in the direct observation of healing miracles and casting out demons is amazing. It is a flat out, ongoing,  unrepentant denial of Jesus Christ as God.

It really is that simple. Jesus died for all of us, for all of our sin. But if we refuse to acknowledge the deity of Jesus Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior… as God… then we are essentially rejecting His offer of grace and forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

If there is one sin which can not be overlooked… that is it. With genuine repentance and submission to God through the person of Jesus Christ we can be forgiven any other sin. Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead you to truly and genuinely accepting Christ as Lord and Savior if you have not yet done so. Reach out to other Christians you trust or even to a local church or our ministry for support. Getting this right is the most important thing in your entire life and has eternal consequences.

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

Demons, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Satan, Spiritual Warfare

Live in Contrast to the World While Following Jesus

Many of us who follow Jesus will at one time or another be essentially mocked or called out as “out of our senses”.  The world struggles to understand how true disciples of Christ think and act. To follow in the example of Christ is very different from much of their worldview.

I can think of several examples simply ranging from declaring Jesus as God to giving generously while seeking nothing in return. Just declaring evolution as the false doctrine it is may be sufficient to evoke these kinds of responses. In fact, I remember one event where someone generously bought dinner for a large group at a restaurant which was unexpected. Rather than simply saying “thank you” and recognizing the person was “giving generously”, some actually mocked him as crazy for spending money that way. The world does not understand the followers of Jesus.

But take heart, Jesus experienced similar reactions. It may well be a good indicator that you are living apart from the world’s way. After going up to the mountain to appoint the twelve disciples, Jesus returned home to quite an uproar. The crowd gathered such that they could not even eat a meal. People said Jesus had lost His senses or was  possessed.

Mark 3:20-27

      20And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. 21When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” 22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” 23And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25“If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26“If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! 27“But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

Jesus certainly has a way of summarizing the issue.  How absurd that someone would say He is possessed by demons because He casts out demons! If Satan is the strong man in this scenario, then one greater than He must be present to “bind him” and cast out the demons.

Do not be discouraged when others do not understand the motivations and actions you exemplify in your life. Test to ensure that you are in line with Jesus Christ by studying and applying scripture. If that is right, keep on marching forward whether or not they think you may be crazy. Pray for God to help you be a light and draw others to Him through Christ.

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

Miracles, Share the Good News, Teachable

Lessons from Jesus’ Selection of the Twelve Disciples: Learn, Preach, Miracles

Mark chapter 3 records Jesus’ selection of the twelve disciples who are selected to be closest to Jesus. It is interesting to study a bit the reasons stated for why the twelve were appointed.  They were appointed to be with Jesus, to be sent out to preach, and to have authority to cast out demons.

Mark 3:13-19

The Twelve Are Chosen

      13And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, 15and to have authority to cast out the demons. 16And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”); 18and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot; 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

I find it interesting to consider the order in which Mark lists the three reasons for appointing the twelve. How natural for us to think first of being sent out to preach or to have miraculous power such as casting out demons. However, these are not the first reasons listed.

First, the twelve are appointed to be with Jesus. I can think of at least two main reasons… first before one can be entrusted to preach or to do miracles, one must first draw near to the Lord and learn and disciple after Him. Second, Jesus likely appreciated the support and companionship of these close friends during His earthly ministry. While He was fully God, He was also fully man and we are created to be social beings.

I find it telling also that the second reason listed for appointing the twelve is to preach. After we learn and disciple under Jesus we become more prepared to preach the good news and share with others.

It is not until the very last of the three that Mark records the authority to cast out demons. I believe that this is because if you have not spend time with Jesus and do not patiently disciple under Him, you will not be prepared to preach truth appropriately. Further, what is the purpose of the miracles? The purpose seems to be to reinforce the truth of the gospel. Therefore, one must learn to preach the truth before God desires to grant the ability to cast out demons, lest one cast out demons and preach the wrong gospel. The people would then be easily led astray to follow wrong doctrine.

As with most things, God’s order contains much wisdom, but would not be the same order and manner that most of us would anticipate or map out on our own. The power to cast out demons can lead people to hell if not anchored in the strong faith and truth of teaching people the truth of the gospel!

We can also consider for our own lives the order provided here. Let us first seek to learn and disciple at the feet of our Master. Then let us learn to share the truth with others. Lastly, we can trust the Master to demonstrate miracles through or around us at His discretion to support His truth.  Let us not rush to ask for power to do miracles before we first disciple ourselves after Christ!

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

Am I on the path?, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Traditions / Holidays

Reflect on Freedom: Follow God’s Instructions with Wisdom

Many in the USA celebrate freedom as a key part of the heritage of our July 4 national holiday. It commemorates the independence of the USA from England and the policies of the government there for which the colonies were not represented. We can be reminded to value our freedom and not take it for granted. Fireworks and parties are commonplace. The birth of a free nation is celebrated. We do not celebrate this freedom by rebelling against the very nation that protects and provides our freedom. We do not declare that our freedom means we are no longer subject to any laws.

This day is a good opportunity for us to reflect deeper on one who is greater than us and who also allows us the freedom to make our own choices. Our Creator made us in His image and allows us the freedom to follow Him on His terms or live in rebellion to Him, choosing instead to honor and follow the desires of our flesh and sinful nature. We do not have the freedom to truly follow Him while defining our own terms regarding how we will do so. When we change the terms, we are no longer following Him His way. All of us are inherently sinful. Babies at birth need not be taught to scream when they want something. Young children need to be taught to share, taking what they want comes naturally. We must learn to focus on the needs of others just as we must learn God’s ways in order to be set apart and different than the world.

Our Father, YHWH, provided us instructions to follow as any good father does for His children. Often the instructions are for the benefit of the children themselves, even if they don’t understand that fully. The instructions have been communicated through thousands of years and neatly compiled into the Bible we have so readily available to us today, so long as we choose to open it or click the link to it. We need only pray for enlightenment from the Spirit and read with a desire to learn and change our behaviors to follow God’s instructions. We should not read with a desire to justify all of our current actions and attitudes… that is redefining God in our image rather than redefining ourselves in His image.

We talk often in Christian community about freedom through Christ. It is amazing, but sadly many get confused by false teaching about this freedom. What are we set free from?

The short answer is that all too often people essentially say we are set free from all boundaries and can do anything, and God will be pleased. This is false. This would be akin to saying we are free in the United States and then pretending that there are no laws or boundaries governing what is acceptable behavior and what will land you in prison. God has established guidelines and instructions for us to follow to help us, as a father does for his children. Are we to use our freedom to rebel against the one who gives it to us? No. Christ sets us free from the law of sin and death. He sets us free in that we can be reconciled to YHWH even when we do not live out his instructions perfectly to his standard. This means, simply that we can be forgiven for our sins, because Jesus already paid the price required by the law for our sins. We can be set free from condemnation and guilt, but we are to repent from the sinful ways and do things according to God’s instruction. We are to follow Christ.

Romans 8:1-4

1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Many teach that we are set free from the law, from God’s instructions, but this is not correct. Jesus followed God’s instructions throughout His earthly ministry and so did His disciples. In fact, he was judged righteous in that he lived perfectly according to the law. He never taught against following God’s law, only against following the man-made traditions of the Pharisees and Sadducees that were overburdening people with meaningless traditions and distracting from or even contradicting God’s law. We must ask ourselves… “Is Jesus our example to follow? or our excuse to live how we want rather than how God tells us to?”

Throughout the scriptures, God’s law is highlighted as good, as worthy of love, of setting us free from the lure of sin by showing us what is right. It is a light unto our path to guide us. I have included a few excerpts from Psalm 119, but you should click the link and read the whole Psalm. Many others have similar content. The law of God is to be obeyed. Jesus did not come to set us free from it.

Psalm 119 (excerpts – I encourage you to read 119 completely)

97O how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.

98Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are ever mine.

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142Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.

143Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
Yet Your commandments are my delight.

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162I rejoice at Your word,
As one who finds great spoil.

163I hate and despise falsehood,
But I love Your law.

164Seven times a day I praise You,
Because of Your righteous ordinances.

165Those who love Your law have great peace,
And nothing causes them to stumble.

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171Let my lips utter praise,
For You teach me Your statutes.

172Let my tongue sing of Your word,
For all Your commandments are righteousness.

Would it make sense that Jesus came to set us free from wisdom, delight, truth, and peace? Certainly not. This would be absurd. Jesus came to set us free from the law of sin and death. Yes, we all sin, and thus deserve death. However, Jesus sets us free from that guilt and condemnation and judgment because He already paid the price for us. What He calls for in return as part of this freedom is that we submit to God, repent of our sinful ways, and seek after God. True repentance transforms us to be different from the world and to become more and more like Jesus as we continue to grow in wisdom and maturity in our faith over the course of our lifetime.

Just as we see so obviously in the physical world, freedom brings responsibility and accountability for the choices we make. It is similar with our Father in heaven. Freedom comes with responsibility and accountability. There are spiritual consequences in our relationship with God and ultimate destination when we die from this life and go into eternity to heaven or hell. There are also physical and emotional impacts in our lives today based on how well we follow the instructions He has provided. After all, the loving Father and Creator knows how best to guide His creations. He gives us the answers, but we need to listen and obey… even when we don’t understand fully.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to follow You according to Your ways. Help me rejoice and celebrate freedom in Christ from bondage to sin. You provide forgiveness from my sins and reconciliation to You. Let me not use Your forgiveness as an excuse for me to live my own way and call that “freedom” to do as I want. That is wrong. Thank You for the freedom to choose to follow You. Help me to choose You and embrace You fully. Amen.  

Learn more:

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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.

Compassion, Healer, Help / Serve Others, Jesus (hearing from God), Miracles

Jesus’ Righteous Indignation: Lessons from His Anger

Scripture identifies a few examples where Jesus actually gets angry. I think it is good to pause and consider what it was that makes Him angry. Thus we can learn something from it and apply it in our lives to live in obedience to Him.

In Mark 3, Jesus goes into a synagogue on Sabbath and finds a man with a withered hand.  Here, in the place intended to help connect man with God,  the religious leaders are more interested to “catch” Jesus doing something they think is wrong than they are to see one of their people healed. This is the definition of being hard-hearted and selfish instead of gracious and kind and focused on others.

Mark 3:1-6

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

      1He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” 4And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

Jesus was clearly grieved and angry for the hardness of their hearts. I am a proponent of recognizing and observing Sabbath consistent with what God has commanded in scripture. However, the Pharisees demonstrate that they have missed the point. They would rather leave someone in need of healing and play “gotcha” around rules with Jesus to plot to destroy Him than see one of their people healed and recognize the power of God right in front of them!

They already knew Jesus had the power to heal… they were watching for it… and yet all they could think about was if they could trap Jesus in their perception of Him breaking a rule! They were selfishly protecting their own power and authority and completely overlooking God’s miraculous power.

Yes, we are to obey God’s instructions in scripture. However, in our efforts to honor and obey God, whether for to Sabbath or other commands, let us not miss the greater point in helping others and demonstrating God’s love and compassion to them. Yes, we are to hold teachers accountable for properly teaching truth of scripture, but we need not focus so hard on trying to catch them doing something wrong that we miss the glory of God right among us!

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

Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Psalms

Praise God in Difficult Times: Find Strength and Joy

What shall I do in difficult times? Same thing you should do in good times… praise God! Our loving Creator is worthy of praise in good times and in bad. Too often, we come to Him for help in bad times, and then ignore Him in good times. Let us instead praise Him at all times!

Psalm 34

The LORD, a Provider and Deliverer.

A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.

     1I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

      2My soul will make its boast in the LORD;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.

      3O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

      4I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

      5They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.

      6This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.

      7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

      8O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

      9O fear the LORD, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.

      10The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.

      11Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

      12Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?

      13Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.

      14Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

      15The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.

      16The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.

      17The righteous cry, and the LORD hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.

      18The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

      19Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

      20He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.

      21Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

      22The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

How beautiful an ending, “None of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.”

To “take refuge in” indicates true faith that His saving power is real and will redeem us as He says… else, why would we seek refuge in Him. It is much more than simply saying His name and believing He is God. Even Satan believes Jesus is God. We seek refuge in Him from all those that would harm us. We trust Him. We rely on Him. We recognize we can not stand without Him against the enemy. He will always keep His promises. What good reason would we as His followers have to hold back praise?

Take a step of faith to show love to God… praise Him even when you don’t feel like it. Praise Him even when things are going badly for you. If you can not find your own words as you struggle through difficult times, turn to Psalms and use the words of David. Praise God, even if it is simply an act of will at first. Then continue until it becomes almost habit. Before you know it you will find joy from within even in hard times.

Praise Him also when things go well. Thank Him. Remember Him at all times that we do not grow too high an opinion of ourselves when things are going our way. Make a habit of praising God in all situations.

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

Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Seeking God, Spiritual Warfare

Rekindle Your Passion and Pursuit of Christ

It is good to reflect on the power of the miracles and teaching of Jesus and the impact it had on many who were there to witness it. Mark 3 captures the essence as crowds pressed in so forcefully, Jesus got in a boat to keep some space. He had healed and cast out demons. He taught the truth of God’s word.

Mark 3:7-12

      7Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, 8and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. 9And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; 10for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. 11Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” 12And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was.

Ask yourself, “Am I that hungry to pursue Jesus? Do my actions and choices in life reflect that about me?”

If the answer is “no”, then it is a good time for reflection and prayer to change your focus and priorities and pursue Jesus with greater passion.

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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