Original, daily devotionals, inspiration and more from a fresh, "Hey! I never thought about it like that before" perspective.
Author: Minister Aldtric Johnson M.A.
God bless you! I'm a husband, father and ordained Minister since 1996. I serve as an Associate Minister at Oak Spring Church Arlington TN, a suburb of Memphis. I'm a professional Copywriter for a Fortune 500 company, published Gospel songwriter and owner of an independent label, Al-Go-Rhythm Music. My main spiritual gift is Exhortation...I'm a natural encourager. I love the word of God and sharing it from a "Wow, I never thought of it like that before" perspective. There's so much fresh revelation in God's word that is just as relevant today as it was as it unfolded. I hope my daily devotionals enhance your walk with God, taking you beyond BLESSED to BLESSTIFIED.
One morning when I arrived to work, I made a quick stop by the bathroom. As I opened the door, I quickly realized that someone had gotten there before me, and left behind a funky, powerful stench…as it flooded my nostrils, I could hardly breathe.
I reached for a can of aerosol air freshener. As I released it into the air, it filled the room and fought hard to remove the funk, but I could still smell both.
Abominations ‘stink in the nostrils’ of God…Sacrifices (praise) are a fragrant aroma.
Today our sacrifices are PRAISE rather than BLOOD thanks to the one-time sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah…
Hebrews 10:10 (ESV)
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 13:15-16 (NKJV)
15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, [a]giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Yes sin is sin, but abominations are sins that are much more disgusting to God… just as some sins are much more disgusting to us.
Abominations are spiritual funk that we release into the physical and spiritual world.
How do you feel when you smell something disgusting?
How do you feel when you smell a fragrant aroma?
Think about all of the abominations, blasphemies, insults, and idolatry that you notice being released into both the physical and spiritual world everyday, sometimes by people who call themselves Christian…
This is spiritual funk and stench that is released into the nostrils of God.
Now, think about the praise and blessings that you witness on a daily basis.
Praise fights to eliminate spiritual funk as it floods the nostrils of God.
Are you releasing more spiritual funk? Or, are you releasing more praise?
Have you ever noticed what Jesus told the crowd after He fed over 5000 people. He called them out for not valuing the miraculous signs He did and the fact that He was doing the works of the Father. He pointed out that they were just following Him because He fed them. In other words, they valued Him, but only for what they could GET OUT OF HIM. They valued what He could do, not who He was…
John 6:26 (NLT)
26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.
Think about the people in your life who truly value you and who you are. These are the people who value the ‘INTANGIBLES’ that you bring to the table. Those closest to you; who enjoy quality time with you; those who are genuinely concerned about you; those who truly miss you when you aren’t around. They make your life worth living.
They are the people who will be there for you whether you’re up or down, through good and bad. They value helping YOU look good…These are the people who VALUE YOU.
Then there are those people who value the ‘TANGIBLES’ that you bring to the table….
Your skill-set…
Your finances…
Your talents…
Your innovation…
Your muscle…
Your hustle.
They may never even acknowledge that they value you, but they prove it through their actions. However, they ONLY value the ‘tangibles” that you bring to the table.
These people could care less how you feel. They aren’t genuinely concerned about you, and they don’t want to spend any quality time with you. They value how you make THEM look good. These are the people who VAL-USE YOU.
Pray for the discernment to distinguish between the people who VALUE you, and those who VAL-USE YOU.
They’re everywhere…
In your family…
On your job…
In your church…
Everywhere.
And, be conscious of the people you may be VAL-USING in your life.
There is nothing impossible to Him, but there’s still a few things He can’t do…
He can’t die.
He can’t lie.
He can’t fail…
And, He can’t be a MOTHER.
Yes, I know we say He’s a father to the fatherless and a mother to the motherless…and He can fill those voids in our lives, but…
Notice what Psalm 68:5 says…
A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
It says that our loving heavenly FATHER is to the fatherless, but not a mother to the motherless.
He’s our FATHER, but,
God gave a special role to women. He gave them honor of being the first connection to every life on this earth. To nurture every life…to introduce every person to the world, and with that role comes a special bond. There’s nothing like a mother’s love.
Even when it comes to our salvation, in the fullness of time, God still didn’t step outside of the authority He gave to women by still using a woman to bring His Son into the world.
Yes, He could have made another man of ‘dust’ if He wanted, but He chose Mary to be a Mother to our Lord and Savior, Yeshua, Jesus Christ.
Galatians 4:4 (NKJV)
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born[a] of a woman, born under the law,
There’s nothing like a mother’s love!
That’s why it’s possible for some women who didn’t even physically birth a child into the world to still have the anointing to fulfill a mother’s role and love…it is a gift of God to the child and mother.
In those unfortunate circumstances when a mother does not live up to her role, even though a father can step it up or step in…nothing can ‘replace it’. Sometimes there is just a void, unless another ‘woman’ steps in (grandmother, aunt, sister, adopted mother).
So thank God for all mothers, even if yours didn’t live up to her responsibility, because that’s who God chose to bring you into the world.
Even our regrets are an aspect of being created in God’s image.
Genesis 6:6 (NIV)
6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.
The word regret here, according to Strong’s Concordance, means to sigh, groan or ease oneself.
God’s ‘regret’ wasn’t lamenting over a mistake He made, because He makes no mistakes, but rather His comforting Himself as He progressed with His plan that eventually led to man’s salvation.
God gave us every emotion for a reason…even those we consider negative.
He gave us anger to lead to passion in order to make positive change.
He gave us hate to have hatred for evil and sinful behavior…not people.
And, he gave us REGRET to be seeds to repentance rather than depression.
Sometimes when we think of those sinful, shameful, irresponsible or foolish things that we have said, done and thought, we can allow those thoughts to consume us. If we aren’t careful, they can lead to depression or isolation. They can lead to behavior that not only causes harm to ourselves, but also to those we love.
But, God gave us regret to help us avoid making the same mistakes.
USE YOUR REGRETS!
You can use your regrets to PROGRESS you rather than DEPRESS you.
Let your regrets lead to the Godly sorrow that leads to repentance…
2 Corinthians 7:10 (NKJV)
10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
Even if you are dealing with the consequences of what you’re regretting, if God has given you breath in your body…that’s grace to make things right and avoid making the same mistakes again.
RECOGNIZE that you can’t go back in time and change what you regret.
REPENT of those thoughts, words, actions, and behaviors and avoid putting yourself in the positions or even frames of mind that would lead to repeating what you regret.
RESOLVE in your mind that you will not allow yourself to ‘go there’ again.
REJOICE in the fact that when you truly repent, that even if others haven’t, God has forgiven you and has given you grace to go on in peace.
Don’t let your regrets overwhelm or cripple you. Let them be brief, temporary moments that you use to make yourself better.
It’s one of the most abused and misused statements and deflections…
“You can’t judge me!”
“Judge much?”
“Only God can judge me!”
Identifying what the bible says is sin isn’t judging. To identify something is to recognize and name it.
Recognizing and naming sin is NOT judging. It’s our responsibility as disciples to hold one another accountable and to let ‘sinners’ (we are all sinners saved by grace) that they are falling short of God’s standards.
John 7:24 (NKJV)
24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
Ephesians 5:11 (NKJV)
11 And have (A)no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather [a]expose them.
Disagreeing with a sinful lifestyle is not a phobia. For example, if I have a child that uses marijuana for recreational use, and disagree with their regular use of it, that doesn’t mean that I hate them or make me afraid of them. I’m not a ‘marijuana-phobe’. WHEN YOU’RE FALSELY ‘DIAGNOSED’ WITH HOMOPHOBIA…
However, assuming that you know what is inside someone else’s heart…
Assuming that you know their motives…
Or pronouncing condemnation on them…
Are all examples of judging.
Saying that the cup in the picture above is green is not judging it. But, assuming there is coffee inside of it is. Assuming it can only be used for coffee is. The fact is that it may prefer being called a mug.
“YOU’RE JUDGING ME!”… is often the response to an assumption or a conclusion based on someone’s established behavior, character and that’s not judging, that’s their fruit.
I know I’m not the only one who sometimes struggles with this. I’m sincerely grateful and thankful for the level of blessing and favor on my life. I’m not talking about riches. I’m talking about being thankful that I have food, clothes, shelter, good health and a sound mind…for what many people call ‘the little things’. I’m thankful that my family is doing well, thankful for freedom, peace, safety and yes, I’m thankful for salvation.
But, sometimes I want more.
I would love for God to bless me to be able to support my family well through my writing and leave behind a financial heritage for my children. Ohhhh…that would be so awesome! I would love to be able to do some of the things for my family that I know would make them happy. Who doesn’t want financial stability, good health and peace in their life.
I can’t count the times I’ve been praying to God asking Him to bless my life and stopped and just had to stop and say, “Thank you!”
Because you see, so many times when I’m asking for more, I think about so many who have less.
So many times when I lain in my bed worrying about something, I think about the fact that it’s a blessing to have a bed in which to worry. Someone, somewhere at that very moment is trying to sleep under a bridge
God tells us to be content, and I truly am…
1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NKJV)
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, [a]and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
But, still I want more. Don’t you? I mean God also told us He would give us more, if we have our priorities straight…
Psalm 37:4-5 (NKJV)
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit[a] your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Do you ever feel conflict over being thankful and wanting more?
How do we manage being content with our lives without being covetous?
If you have this conflict too, tell God thank you for the conflict. It’s a sign that you aren’t greedy or covetous.
Here’s a few simple tips on managing that conflict.
Please be careful when you…
Feel God owes you better.
Feel what you have isn’t good enough.
Ask God for more, more often than you thank Him for what you have.
Never pray for those who have less than you.
Lose that internal conflict between being thankful and asking God for more.
Nearly everyone is familiar with Leonardo Da Vinci’s THE LAST SUPPER.
It’s an iconic and well-loved work of art among many who call themselves believers in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ), and it’s recognized among those who don’t. It’s been displayed in churches and homes for centuries.
The painting portrays the evening that the Lord ate the Passover meal and instituted the Lord’s Supper with His disciples before He was betrayed.
Remember, Jesus Himself told us that God is a spirit and demands to be worshipped in spirit and TRUTH…
John 4:24 (NKJV)
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
We also live in time when people claim to love THE TRUTH and reject FAKE NEWS.
So, with all that being said, what’s wrong with the famous painting, THE LORD’S SUPPER, based on these scriptures according to the Complete Jewish Bible translation…
Mark 14:18 (CJB)
18 As they were reclining and eating, Yeshua said, “Yes! I tell you that one of you is going to betray me.”
Matthew 26:20 (CJB)
20 When evening came, Yeshua reclined with the twelve talmidim;
According to the scriptures as well as the context of culture and time…THEY WERE NOT SITTING. THEY WERE RECLINING.
Of course there will be some who say, “Why does this matter?”
Those of us who claim to be Christians can be the worst at sometimes deciding ‘that doesn’t matter’ when it threatens our traditions and what we choose to believe.
So, why does it matter?
Because the painting does not depict the way it happened, and that’s not truth.
Because every painting or picture intended to portray Jesus has influenced thought for centuries.
Because every painting and picture intended to portray Jesus has shaped what and how people believe and has had an influence on the faith.
Because it shapes the way people ‘experience’ their faith and what they think is correct and incorrect.
Do you want people publishing images of you depicting an event in your honor wrongly, falsely or inaccurately? Of course not. Why should our Lord and Savior be any different?
The fact is that when you present some people with the truth, they are reluctant to, or refuse to accept it because they have been influenced by art that very well MAY NOT have been commissioned by God.
Maybe this is why He clearly commanded in regard to likenesses of Him…
Exodus 20:4 (NKJV)
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
Sex is a gift from God. Even though it’s the means He intended for us to be fruitful and multiply, it is also meant to be enjoyed within the bonds of holy matrimony between a man and a woman.
Our bodies with their various curves, shapes, textures, contrast of colors, smells etc., are meant to provoke sexual arousal. It’s up to us to control these urges so that they are only fulfilled within marriage.
One of those divine combinations of curves, shapes, textures, and contrast of colors is the female breast.
Yes, these were created for mothers to make sure their children are nourished, but that’s not all.
They were also created for the mutual pleasure of the husband and the wife. Breasts were created:
As a means of seducing her husband…
For her pleasure during times of intimacy…
To be aesthetically pleasing to entice her husband…
For his enjoyment during times of intimacy…
The fact is that even though God created female breasts to nurse their children, that boobs aren’t just for the babies. Check out these bible verses about female breasts and intimacy within marriage.
Proverbs 5:18-19 (NKJV)
18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth. 19 As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be [a]enraptured with her love.
Song of Solomon 1:12-13 (NKJV)
12 While the king is at his table, My [a]spikenard sends forth its fragrance. 13 A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, That lies all night between my breasts.
Song of Solomon 4:4-5 (NKJV)
4 Your neck is like the tower of David, Built for an armory, On which hang a thousand [a]bucklers, All shields of mighty men. 5 Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle, Which feed among the lilies
Song of Solomon 7:2-3, 8(NKJV)
2 Your navel is a rounded goblet; It lacks no [a]blended beverage. Your waist is a heap of wheat Set about with lilies. 3 Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle.
Song of Solomon 7:8 (NKJV)
8 I said, “I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its branches.” Let now your breasts be like clusters of the vine, The fragrance of your [a]breath like apples,
Song of Solomon 8:10 (NKJV)
10 I am a wall, And my breasts like towers; Then I became in his eyes As one who found peace.
Hebrews 13:4 (NKJV)
4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
1 Corinthians 7:2-5 (NLT)
2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.
3 The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. 4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.
5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
So, couples enjoy one another, and may your marriages…
BE BLESSTIFIED!
You may also enjoy these BE BLESSTIFIED articles on Godly marriage…
God teaches us in His word that wise counsel is priceless…
Proverbs 19:20-21 (NKJV)
20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days.
21 There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.
It’s good to get the benefit from the experience of others. But do you know anyone whose advice you really don’t want? Why? How do people feel about taking advice from you? Why?
Do people make any of these statements about you?
Is _____________ going to be there?
Is______________ going with us?
Are you inviting _________________?
Oh no! Here comes _______________?
HERE ARE 5 REASONS WHY PEOPLE MAY NOT WANT TO TAKE YOUR ADVICE…
1. YOU CAN’T HAVE A CONVERSATION WITHOUT GIVING ADVICE…
Some people don’t know how to have a conversation without giving advice. I know a young man who didn’t have his father around when he grew up. All the men in his life felt they had to mentor him. That’s fine, but not all the time.! They would never just laugh and talk. Never could just tell jokes. And, if jokes were told, it was about how the young man wasn’t doing something right. “If I were you I would…”, “When are you going to…”, “Ha, Ha, Ha, that’s not how you do that, here let me show you…” He got to the point that he dreaded when they came around. “Oh know, here comes Uncle ________” he thought. Remember this. Every moment doesn’t have to be a teaching moment. Every situation doesn’t have to be a lesson. And, people don’t learn by making fun of what they do wrong.
2. YOU AREN’T A GOOD EXAMPLE…
I had a barber once who loved to give advice about healthy eating. That was fine be he couldn’t cut my hair without his stomach rubbing against me. I also have an acquaintance who is always full of financial advice, but he is not doing very well financially himself. And, most parents get frustrated when people who have never had children try to advice them how to raise their children. I’m not saying people with children can’t give advice, or that you can’t learn from someone else’s financial mistakes, or that someone overweight can’t advice someone else on how to lose weight. But, I am saying that
3. YOU ARE ARROGANT & CONDESCENDING…
Yes, we see your level of success. Yes, we see that you’ve made great decisions. But, know we aren’t looking for advice every time you come around. Because when you give that advice you act as though everyone else is so stupid. When you give advice you belittle what they have done well. When you give advice, your tone is so mean that your advice goes unheard.
4. YOU USE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF & FEED YOUR OWN EGO…
These people really aren’t concerned about helping you, they just want an opportunity to glorify themselves. No, we are not interested in how well you planned, how smart you were, or how hard you worked. Because guess what, we planned carefully too. We made intelligent decisions too. We worked very hard too, but sometimes things just don’t work out. Ask any entrepreneur who had a strong business plan, researched their market, sacrificed for their business, put in ‘blood, sweat, and tears’ and because of factors beyond their control, things didn’t work out.
I’m not saying that unsolicited isn’t good sometimes, but most of the time, if people want your advice, they will ask you. If you notice that someone needs some help and aren’t willing to ask, find a way to BE an example of the behavior that you feel could benefit from their experience. Be creative. Pray and ask God for wisdom, or even let the know you’re available if needed, but blurting out unsolicited advice can be so insulting that it goes unheard.
Remember, advice is only good if it received, so stop, think, and pray before you speak into someone’s life.
The next time you get some unwanted advice, come back to this list to see how many reasons apply.
It’s unfortunate that too many times, Christians totally disregard what God said. Christians will claim to live by God’s word where it’s convenient for their own personal theology, but in places where it challenges their beliefs or behavior, many totally disregard what the word says explicitly.
“You’ve got common sense.”
“God didn’t mean that”
“Times are different now!”
“They don’t know who they’re messing with!”
“Don’t make me revert back to my old self!”
“I haven’t always been saved!”
These are just a few of the statements made when people want to exercise their own authority over God’s word.
One such statement and commandment that Yeshua (Jesus) made was when He clearly told us to TURN THE OTHER CHEEK…
Matthew 5:38-39 (NKJV)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
There’s no IFs, ANDs or BUTs about what Jesus said. We are not to resist an evil person, but we are to do exactly what He did before He was crucified…
Luke 22:64 (NKJV)
64 [a]And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?”
Many Christians are quick to teach their children that if someone hits you, that you are to hit them back. “Don’t let anyone think you’re afraid of them.”
Others will say that God allows you to defend yourself.
They are correct that God allows you to defend yourself WHEN YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER. But, someone trying to humiliate or intimidate you by slapping you or striking you is totally different from someone tackling you or trying to overcome you physically. It’s totally different that when someone is really threatening your life.
HERE’S THE PROBLEM WITH IGNORING TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK…
Yes, God give us permission to defend our lives, but when our lives aren’t in danger, its not about self defense…IT’S ABOUT PRIDE!
Pride and the sins that come from pride (arrogance, jealousy, envy, wrath, revenge, etc.) are the reasons that disagreements escalate…
families are dysfunctional…
friendships end…
crime is prevalent in so many cities…
and wars strike up around the world.
Too many Christians are ‘ready for a fight’!
Too many Christians are fantasizing about a situation where they have to ‘stand their ground’!
Too many Christians don’t trust God to fight their battles! (Read 2 Chronicles Chapter 20).
Too many Christians are ready for a physical fight because they don’t trust God to fight their spiritual battles.
We can’t cherry-pick our way through the bible asserting our own authority over God’s. That’s idolatry, and He’s not having it.
I strongly feel that one of God’s spiritual purposes for allowing COVID-19 to interrupt in-person worship is so we can pause and take a good look at how we approach worship and our traditions.
One of the reasons the religious establishment sought to kill Jesus was because He challenged their traditions.
Matthew 15:3 (ESV)
3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
He also made it clear that God demands that we worship Him in spirit and truth, not just what we choose to believe…
John 4:24 (NKJV)
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
One of those traditions that I think that God wants us to reconsider is what we call ‘Good Friday’ or the day when Yeshua was crucified and buried. I can’t count the times I’ve heard or read arguments trying to make Friday through Sunday 3 days and 3 nights. And quite frankly, it always sounds like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
Many Christians feel they have to justify making two days into three because they don’t want to contradict what we have been taught… a tradition.
It’s like trying to fit a square peg into a circle.
Consider this.
Take another look at the account of the day Yeshua was on the cross taking into consideration that the Jewish day began at what we call 6pm or sunset to sunrise.
The Gospels say that Yeshua cried out and breathed His last breath around the 9th hour, or 3pm…
Mark 15:33-37 (NKJV)
33 Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
35 Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!” 36 Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”
37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
As we move forward to verse 42, it is now EVENING and Yeshua is still on the cross as Joseph of Arimathea asks Pilate for the body.
Mark 15:42-43 (NKJV)
42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Upon the arrival of evening, it’s no longer the same day as it was when Yeshua was crucified.
Genesis 1:5 (NKJV)
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. [a]So the evening and the morning were the first day.
God gave us His word from a Jewish perspective. Problems arise when we try and view it through the lens of our western perspective.
Notice everything that had to take place after before Jesus could be placed into the tomb after 3pm…
John 19:31-42 (NKJV)
31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might betaken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
Remember, harmonizing with Mark 15:42, it was EVENING when Joseph of Arimathea asked for the body of Yeshua. This was AFTER the soldiers came to break His legs (this was evening too) and realized He was already dead. This was after he was given sour wine to drink before He died. All this was after 3pm and took time. It took time for Joseph to go to Pilate, ask for the body, get His linen cloth, properly wrap His body in the cloth, get the body of our Savior off the cross, and take it to the tomb.
This all happened after evening had arrived…the next biblical day according to the Jewish perspective of a day beginning in the evening rather than at 12 midnight.
So, with the ARRIVAL of evening came the Day of Preparation, or what we call Friday, which means everything that happened BEFORE evening was on the previous day, what we call Thursday.
If the crucifixion occurred on what we call Thursday, then one can easily justify three days and three nights… no trying to fit a square peg into a circle.
Of course, some are so devoted to a tradition that doesn’t make sense, they will ask, “What does it matter?”
It matters because God demands to be worshipped in spirit and truth.
It matters because we don’t want to be guilty of teaching, preaching and believing a lie.
I’m sure some ‘seasoned’ theologians will read this and try and make me seem as though I don’t know what I’m talking about…and that’s exactly what happened to Jesus.
It’s easy to make our relationship with God ALL about us if we aren’t careful.
God called us to make disciples of Him through His Son and our Savior Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)
19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.
One of the best approaches at studying the bible is to look specifically how the Lord REACTED to certain situations, conditions and behavior.
Look at the Lord’s reaction when He silently looked upon a multitude of lost people…
Matthew 9:35-38 (NKJV)
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease [a]among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were [b]weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Now look at how He reacted at those who had hard, hypocritical hearts…
Mark 3:1-5 (NKJV)
3 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might [a]accuse Him. 3 And He said to the manwho had the withered hand, [b]“Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored [c]as whole as the other.
Above in Matthew, Yeshua, felt compassion for those who were lost. He wasn’t judging why they were in their particular situations…He felt compassion. Then He commanded us to pray to THE LORD OF HIS HARVEST to send workers into HIS harvest. How many times have you prayed for that? How many times have you had an interaction with an atheist and instead of praying for them, felt contempt. How many times have you gotten intensely angry at a drug addict, gang banger, racist, politician, someone who you consider to be a ‘great sinner’…(we are all sinners saved by grace Romans 3:23). These are all opportunities to plant seeds of God’s…
I have had to stop and ask God to help me make that a priority in my life. I have had to ask myself, “Aldtric, do you really care enough about God’s harvest, are or you just concerned about your own?”
Now, let’s quickly look what made the Lord angry above in Mark Chapter 3. It wasn’t compassion, but anger at the religious leaders were looking for a reason to accuse Him, ignored the good He was doing, and was angry at their hardness of heart. Again, this is a sign of someone who is lost and doesn’t know that they are. God expects hypocrisy and hardened hearts to make us angry, but we must respond to that anger with lifting them up in prayer, praying that God softens their hearts to His love, will, word and salvation.
Have you ever asked yourself if you hare concerned enough about those who are ‘lost’? Have you stopped to consider how you react to those who claim to be His own, but aren’t exhibiting their best behavior?
How often do you pray for HIS HARVEST rather than your own?
Those of us who have faith in God through Yeshua the Messiah, with confidence, look forward to the promise of eternal life…
John 3:16 (NKJV)
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
However, Christians, even though some may not admit it, can still experience anxiety and fear from the fact that none of us have ever died before. Even though we are eternal, spiritual beings who are simply occupying our current temporary bodies, its difficult to see beyond what our consciousness has allowed us to experience.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 (NKJV)
7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
We are only ‘aware’ of when God allowed us to step into the continuum of ‘time’ and the physical world when we were born.
Many people think about the thousands of years that occurred before we lived and the fact that we have no consciousness of those years.
Many may sometimes wonder if we will return to the ‘nothingness’ of before the moment when God ‘quickened’ us into consciousness or gave life to our spirits and we stepped onto the stage of the world.
But, think about this…
None of us can remember the day we were born or even our first birthday, but we were all most certainly aware, conscious and ALIVE.
None of us can remember when we were in our mother’s womb, but we were most certainly aware, conscious and ALIVE.
So, our existence can’t be limited to what we can remember experiencing. The fact that eternity is something we can’t currently comprehend is confirmed in the word of God…
1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV)
9 But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him
Now consider this…
How many times have you gone to sleep and slept for hours and when you woke up, you didn’t even realize how long you had slept? You couldn’t even remember what you dreamed.
Have you ever been ‘put to sleep’ with anesthesia? If so, all you remember is possibly counting backwards and waking up. You remember nothing about the surgery and activity going on around you while you were ‘out’.
Why?
Because in both instances, just like God, your temporarily existing outside the continuum of time. You have no concept of seconds, minutes or hours. You have no concept of time or the physical world around you.
Our consciousness while we sleep is a partially spiritual consciousness.
Notice what the bible says about what will take place when Yeshua returns…
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NKJV)
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen [a]asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who [b]sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are [c]asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Those who are dead in Christ will be resurrected first. So, it’s very possible that just as when we go into a DEEP SLEEP and don’t notice how much time has passed, it’s very possible that when the Lord returns, those who died 2000 years ago will be no more aware of the time they were ‘sleeping’ than someone who died 20 minutes ago.
It’s very possible that as soon as you ‘die’ you immediately experience waking up to Christ’s return even if it’s 1000 years from now. You’ve just simply stepped out of ‘time’ and the ‘physical’ world.
God is preparing us for death each time we go to sleep.
So, if you feel some anxiety or fear of when you experience your last moment in this body, don’t be too hard on yourself. God knows that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).
It’s been said that “hurt people, hurt people”. How many times has someone hurt you…disrespected you…betrayed you…embarrassed you…abused you, or hurt, disrespected, betrayed, embarrassed, or abused someone you love — and you wanted to see them hurt too?
You want to see them experience the same pain that they caused. You want them to know how you feel, and regret how they treated you or your loved one. This is wrong, but this is natural and one of the burdens of our sinful nature.
There is a classic example of this in the bible. Easu, Isaac’s first born twin, was enraged at is brother Jacob for taking his birthright and stealing his blessing…
Genesis 25:29-34 (NKJV)
29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called [a]Edom.
31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”
32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”
33 Then Jacob said, [b]“Swear to me as of this day.”
So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
Genesis 27:1-29 (NKJV)
27 Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim thathe could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.”
And he answered him, “Here I am.”
2 Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. 4 And make me [a]savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”
5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt game and to bring it.6 So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7 ‘Bring me game and make [b]savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to what I command you. 9 Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats, and I will make savory food from them for your father, such as he loves. 10 Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it, and that he may bless you before his death.”
11And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.”
13 But his mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” 14 And he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and his mother made [c]savory food, such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the choice clothes of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
18 So he went to his father and said, “My father.”
And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”
19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; please arise, sit and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.”
20 But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”
And he said, “Because the Lord your God brought it to me.”
21 Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.
24 Then he said, “Are you really my son Esau?”
He said, “I am.”
25 He said, “Bring it nearto me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so that my soul may bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” 27 And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:
“Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the Lord has blessed. 28 Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!”
So, because of this, Esau comforted himself daydreaming about killing his brother…
Genesis 27:42 (NKJV)
42 And the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Surely your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you.
Even if you didn’t want to see them killed, how many times have you comforted yourself with the thought of seeing someone else hurt?
Be careful! When you judge in your heart that someone else deserves pain because of the pain they caused…that’s condemnation and judgement. And, we all know what the bible says about when we judge (condemn) someone else…
Matthew 7:1-2 (NKJV)
7 “Judge[a] not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what [b]judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
You are pronouncing that judgment on yourself!
Remember, we have all hurt, disrespected, betrayed, embarrassed, or abused someone. Even if we didn’t intend to do so, their pain was real.
When those thoughts enter your head, immediately ask God to forgive you, then pray and ask God to forgive them and touch their hearts with His love. Bless them…
Luke 6:28-36 (NKJV)
28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, [a]hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
As we come upon the season of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I’m compelled to share what He placed in my heart years ago…my annual reminder.
John 4:24 proclaims that God is a spirit and we are commanded to worship Him in Spirit and Truth….Spirit and Truth.
God also commanded in Joshua 23:7 that we are not to make mention of or swear by the names of pagan gods, particularly those that were worshiped by the people who surrounded Israel.
Joshua 23: (NKJV)
7 and lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not MAKE MENTION OF THE NAME of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them,
Some of those names were Baal and Ashtoreth (Judges 2:12-15). One of Israel’s greatest sins was when they “did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and Asherahs”(Judges 3:7).
Well here we are in the 21st Century and the enemy knows you love the Lord and he can’t get you to reject Him for an idol, but he did cleverly find a way to defile our worship and get us to commit blasphemy every time we refer to the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Yeshua, Jesus Christ.
In fact, if you ask why do we call the celebration of our Lord, Easter, many Christians will admit they don’t know or have never even thought about it.
The name Easter is derived from the name of an Anglo-Saxon/Norse goddess named Ostre or Eostre. This is the same ‘goddess’ that God forbade Israel to mention her name. The name is different in different cultures…Astarte, Ishtar, wife of Baal, Ashoreth, Aphrodite, Easter.
Even though the names are different, in all of these cultures ‘she’ was worshiped as a fertility goddess.
What were some of the symbols of her worship?
Yes, you already know…eggs, and rabbits.
What better way for Satan to convince well-meaning Christians to disobey God by convincing them that they are depriving their children of some joy to keep these symbols alive for thousands of years.
The name Easter has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus. It doesn’t even remotely make sense, but you can’t get well-meaning Christians to stop using it because it’s so ingrained in the way we think (head) and the way we do things (hands) (Revelations 13:16). Remember that God warned us through the apostle John that the spirit of the antichrist was already here and working (1 John 4:3, 2 Thessalonians 2:7).
Revelation 13:16(NKJV)
16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,
But some may say it doesn’t matter what you call the celebration of His resurrection as long as you know the meaning…
Think of all of the names God changed in the bible. Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Paul etc…
If names don’t matter then why won’t most men take their wife’s maiden name when they marry?
If names don’t matter what man would allow his wife to keep her ex-husbands last name?
If names don’t matter, then why is it important for us to be called by our name correctly?
Don’t you prefer being called by your own name?
Mary and Joseph were commanded to name Mary’s son Jesus, Yeshua, because He will save his people from their sins (Jesus, Joshua, Yeshua all mean Savior, God Saves or God, Yahweh is salvation, but that is a different discussion).
Names matter!
Using the name of another goddess to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and convincing Christians to defile his worship with symbols of her worship is blasphemy, and it is in direct rebellion to what God commanded us NOT to do (Joshua 23:7).
In fact, when you think about it, calling it EASTER Sunday is no different from calling it, Mohammed Sunday or Buddha Sunday.
Let me be clear.
I think it’s a wonderful thing to celebrate His death, burial and resurrection, but we must do it in Spirit and Truth.
Call it Resurrection Day, Resurrection Celebration, Jesus Lives Day you don’t even HAVE to celebrate it at all…but please let’s STOP calling it Easter.
Because names matter to us, and they matter to God.
Ephesians 1:17 (NIV)
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
I strongly feel that one of God’s spiritual purposes for allowing COVID-19 to interrupt in-person worship is so we can pause and take a good look at how we approach worship and our traditions.
One of the reasons the religious establishment sought to kill Jesus was because He challenged their traditions.
Matthew 15:3 (ESV)
3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
He also made it clear that God demands that we worship Him in spirit and truth, not just what we choose to believe…
John 4:24 (NKJV)
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
One of those traditions that I think that God wants us to reconsider is what we call ‘Good Friday’ or the day when Yeshua was crucified and buried. I can’t count the times I’ve heard or read arguments trying to make Friday through Sunday 3 days and 3 nights. And quite frankly, it always sounds like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
Many Christians feel they have to justify making two days into three because they don’t want to contradict what we have been taught… a tradition.
It’s like trying to fit a square peg into a circle.
Consider this.
Take another look at the account of the day Yeshua was on the cross taking into consideration that the Jewish day began at what we call 6pm or sunset to sunrise.
The Gospels say that Yeshua cried out and breathed His last breath around the 9th hour, or 3pm…
Mark 15:33-37 (NKJV)
33 Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
35 Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!” 36 Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”
37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
As we move forward to verse 42, it is now EVENING and Yeshua is still on the cross as Joseph of Arimathea asks Pilate for the body.
Mark 15:42-43 (NKJV)
42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Upon the arrival of evening, it’s no longer the same day as it was when Yeshua was crucified.
Genesis 1:5 (NKJV)
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. [a]So the evening and the morning were the first day.
God gave us His word from a Jewish perspective. Problems arise when we try and view it through the lens of our western perspective.
Notice everything that had to take place after before Jesus could be placed into the tomb after 3pm…
John 19:31-42 (NKJV)
31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might betaken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
Remember, harmonizing with Mark 15:42, it was EVENING when Joseph of Arimathea asked for the body of Yeshua. This was AFTER the soldiers came to break His legs (this was evening too) and realized He was already dead. This was after he was given sour wine to drink before He died. All this was after 3pm and took time. It took time for Joseph to go to Pilate, ask for the body, get His linen cloth, properly wrap His body in the cloth, get the body of our Savior off the cross, and take it to the tomb.
This all happened after evening had arrived…the next biblical day according to the Jewish perspective of a day beginning in the evening rather than at 12 midnight.
So, with the ARRIVAL of evening came the Day of Preparation, or what we call Friday, which means everything that happened BEFORE evening was on the previous day, what we call Thursday.
If the crucifixion occurred on what we call Thursday, then one can easily justify three days and three nights… no trying to fit a square peg into a circle.
Of course, some are so devoted to a tradition that doesn’t make sense, they will ask, “What does it matter?”
It matters because God demands to be worshipped in spirit and truth.
It matters because we don’t want to be guilty of teaching, preaching and believing a lie.
I’m sure some ‘seasoned’ theologians will read this and try and make me seem as though I don’t know what I’m talking about…and that’s exactly what happened to Jesus.
One of the favorite arguments of atheists is the ‘foundations of the earth’ language in the bible. And, honestly, this is one of those things in the bible that’s difficult for believers to understand explain too.
Let me help with a very practical explanation.
First of all, the bible acknowledges that the earth is round…
Isaiah 40:22 (NKJV)
22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
I think everyone will agree that circles are round. But, what about all the language referring to the ‘foundations of the earth’ such as…
Psalm 104:5 (NKJV)
5 You who[a]laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever,
Think about this. Even though the earth is round, the home in which you live still requires a foundation. Every building that we build requires a strong, immovable, preferably flat foundation. The very flat ground that we walk on, build on…live on has it’s own layers or ‘foundations’.
The fact that the world is round does not prevent the ground from being flat and requiring foundations.
Did people in the ancient world think the world was flat? Yes. But the fact that God didn’t reveal the fact that the world was round to everyone at that time doesn’t negate the fact that He is real and He lives. Think about all of the mysteries of the physical and spiritual worlds that WE still don’t know.
Don’t allow your blessings of intelligence and sense of logic be a curse to prevent you from understanding and accepting the mysteries in the word of God.
Let me first say that by the grace of God, I’ve never been addicted to illegal or prescription drugs.
I’ve also been gulity of looking in disdain at those who are. I’ve self-righteously shaken my head at those who have overdosed or even died.
Some were trying to escape the realities of life…
Some became addicted after surgery, medical treatment, or due to a chronic (no pun intended) or medical treatment…
Others were addicted through recreational use or just to ‘unwind’…
But, the end result was the same…addiction.
So, before you judge anyone in any of these situations or scenarios, think about this…
What if either of these were illegal, or deadly (and some are depending on your state of health…
Coffee…
Cola…
Over-the-counter pain killers…
Red Bull…
5-Hour Energy…
Beer…
Wine…
Sugar.
I think you get the picture. What if coffee (which many admit they HAVE to HAVE) were as addictive and deadly as opioids?
When you see someone hit rock bottom of their addiction, stop and pray for them.
Then stop and examine your life and your…
ACCEPAPTABLE ADDICTIONS…
Then empathize with them.
But, please don’t judge them. Because the ‘addiction’ comes from the same weakess in all of our flesh, and but by the grace of God, whether you admit it or not…
Could be you. Matthew 7:1-2(NKJV)
Judgenot, that you be not judged.2 For with whatjudgment you judge, you will be judged;and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
Nearly everyone is familiar with Leonardo Da Vinci’s THE LAST SUPPER.
It’s an iconic and well-loved work of art among many who call themselves believers in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ), and it’s recognized among those who don’t. It’s been displayed in churches and homes for centuries.
The painting portrays the evening that the Lord ate the Passover meal and instituted the Lord’s Supper with His disciples before He was betrayed.
Remember, Jesus Himself told us that God is a spirit and demands to be worshipped in spirit and TRUTH…
John 4:24 (NKJV)
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
We also live in time when people claim to love THE TRUTH and reject FAKE NEWS.
So, with all that being said, what’s wrong with the famous painting, THE LORD’S SUPPER, based on these scriptures according to the Complete Jewish Bible translation…
Mark 14:18 (CJB)
18 As they were reclining and eating, Yeshua said, “Yes! I tell you that one of you is going to betray me.”
Matthew 26:20 (CJB)
20 When evening came, Yeshua reclined with the twelve talmidim;
According to the scriptures as well as the context of culture and time…THEY WERE NOT SITTING. THEY WERE RECLINING.
Of course there will be some who say, “Why does this matter?”
Those of us who claim to be Christians can be the worst at sometimes deciding ‘that doesn’t matter’ when it threatens our traditions and what we choose to believe.
So, why does it matter?
Because the painting does not depict the way it happened, and that’s not truth.
Because every painting or picture intended to portray Jesus has influenced thought for centuries.
Because every painting and picture intended to portray Jesus has shaped what and how people believe and has had an influence on the faith.
Because it shapes the way people ‘experience’ their faith and what they think is correct and incorrect.
Do you want people publishing images of you depicting an event in your honor wrongly, falsely or inaccurately? Of course not. Why should our Lord and Savior be any different?
The fact is that when you present some people with the truth, they are reluctant to, or refuse to accept it because they have been influenced by art that very well MAY NOT have been commissioned by God.
Maybe this is why He clearly commanded in regard to likenesses of Him…
Exodus 20:4 (NKJV)
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
We experience the physical world through our 5 senses. Would you even know you that the world was real if you had not ONE sense?
No sight?
No hearing?
No smell?
No taste?
No touch?
As real as this world is, we only know it’s real because of our five senses. We experience the world through our senses. They make us aware of the evidence that the world is real.
Faith is the spiritual equivalent to all five of our spiritual senses. It is our faith that enables us to experience the spiritual world that we can’t see.
Atheists claim God isn’t real because they say there is no evidence. This is because they aren’t exercising the measure of faith that God has given all of us, so just as a person with no senses can’t experience the physical world, they can’t experience God
Romans 12:3 (NKJV)
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Think about it, God’s word confirms that faith is our sixth sense through which we see, hear, touch, smell and even taste God…
SEE
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
Now faith is the [a]substance of things hoped for, the [b]evidence of things not seen.
HEAR
Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
John 10:27 (NKJV)
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
TOUCH
Matthew 8:3 (NKJV)
3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Matthew 17:7 (NKJV)
7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”
SMELL
2 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)
14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
Ezekiel 20:41 (NKVJV)
41 I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles.
TASTE
Psalm 34:8 (NKJV)
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Psalm 119:103 (NKJV)
103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
And just as our physical senses need to be enhanced through wearing glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids etc., so does our faith need enhancing through prayer, studying God’s word, praise and sincere worship.
So, please don’t neglect your spiritual sixth sense!
Feed your faith!
Exercise your faith!
Take care of your faith just as much as you do your 5 physical senses.
One day a man who had been walking, catching rides and using Uber to go to work every day was given a car by a family member. He was so thankful. All he had to do was have a few things fixed. As he drove it home, he stopped to get gas and the car wouldn’t start. Wow! He had to have the car towed to the shop. After they fixed it, as he drove it home he let the window down and it wouldn’t come back up. He said, “Are you serious!!!!”
As he drove back to the shop so they could fix the window he noticed stains on the seats.
He said, “Why does everything I get have to have something wrong with it? Always ‘STAINED’?”
He then immediately remembered that he had transportation to work, the store or to take his lady friend out on a date. He also remembered the fact that the price he paid for the repairs was still better than having a car payment for years. He immediately thanked God and asked him to forgive him for so quickly allowing frustration to take away the excitement of his blessing.
So many times God will bless us and if it’s not exactly the way we wanted it or comes with some imperfections, inconveniences or responsibilities, we can find ourselves with an unthankful attitude.
The bible reminds us that every gift God gives is perfect…
James 1:17 (NKJV)
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
The next time you begin to see stains on your blessings, remember that every gift from God is perfect.
Any stains we see are on our eyes and not the blessing.
We inherited all of our emotions from God…we were created in His image, so we can experience His emotions. God gets frustrated at us when we willingly sin.
So, He understands that we will sometimes feel frustrated at life… at some of His decisions… at what He allows.
Jeremiah 12:1 NKJV
Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?
Sometimes we can feel guilty over our frustration.
But remember, gettingfrustratedisn’t a sin unless…
It causes us to be ungrateful.
It causes us to be in thankful.
It causes us to complain rather than lament.
It causes us to doubt God.
It causes someone else to doubt God.
It causes us to lose our faith.
It causessomeone else to doubt God.
When you feel frustrated or even angry at yourself, others, life or even God…do a Google search for Psalms of Lament.
Notice how God teaches us to responsibly express our frustrations as long as we always end with expressing our trust in Him.
Psalm 13 (NKIV)
13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? (A)How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; (B)Enlighten my eyes, (C)Lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Ephesians 4:26 (NKJV)
26 (A)“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
Let me say first that I’m not excusing adultery, fornication or any other sexual sin. These sins also result from an innate, natural desire that we don’t ask for, and people make a choice to commit these sins based on that desire.
However, there are many people who are now trying to defend homosexuality by saying that Jesus never addressed it, or forbade it. They say only the Apostle Paul addressed it, and some even try to contend that he wasn’t really talking about homosexuality.
I’m going to keep this short and sweet.
We all know there are several sins that Jesus never directly addressed…
Rape…
Incest…
Domestic Abuse…
Bestiality…
Gossip…
Jealousy…
To name a few.
Jesus didn’t even say directly that getting drunk is a sin. It was indirect.
He did address marriage, fornication adultery and divorce.
And, no one disputes that the LORD only permits sex within marriage.
In Matthew Chapter 19, Jesus repeated what He Himself said as The Living Word in Genesis 5:2 , yes He was there in the beginning (Elohim, the name for God in Genesis is a plural noun)… Matthew 19:4-5(NKJV)
4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made[a] them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’[b]5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?[c]
The context of the conversation here is marriage and divorce. Jesus specifically calls out MALE and FEMALE in the context of marriage. This is not a cherry picked scripture. It is Jesus in perfect harmony with what God established in the beginning.
Jesus clearly says let HIM (male) be joined to his WIFE (female), because some try to contend, ‘who says that a wife has to be a woman’.
This undeniably defines marriage as between a man and woman.
These verses (Genesis and Matthew) define marriage as between a man and woman. And, since God only permits sex within marriage, sex with any partner, heterosexual or homosexual is sin.
So yes, without saying the word ‘homosexuality’, Yeshua, Christ Jesus addressed it. Any other conclusion is conjecture…reaching…trying to fit a square peg into a triangular slot.
For those who want to bring up slavery in the bible to justify their argument to defend homosexuality, click this…LET’S TALK ABOUT SLAVERY IN THE BIBLE…
And remember, no matter what sin someone is struggling with, God expects us to love everyone without excusing or condoning the sin.
Spiritual maturity is realizing that there are some things that caused you so much pain — you’ll never get OVER them. It doesn’t mean you don’t forgive. It just means the thought will always hurt you.
Every time it comes to mind — the thought will hurt you.
Whenever something or someone reminds you of it — you will feel pain.
People spend years of energy trying to make a horrible memory— not hurt.
That’s wasted energy.
You will never get OVER it.
But, you CAN get past it.
You can control how the pain controls you, and how you react to it.
You can prevent IT from preventing YOU from moving on.
Even God Himself felt pain when He thought of how His chosen people consistently turned their backs on Him…
Notice how God sounds like a ‘hurt lover’ as He expresses His pain against how they have treated Him…
Micah 6:3-5 (NKJV)
3 “O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me. 4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5 O My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled, And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, From [a]Acacia Grove to Gilgal, That you may know the righteousness of the Lord.”
Remember, just because God said He will forget our sins doesn’t mean that He CAN’T remember them.
He is all powerful!
You will never remember something that our all powerful God can’t. It’s just a figurative way of saying that He will never hold our sins against us once we truly repent. WHEN GOD FORGETS, IT DOESN’T MEAN HE CAN’T REMEMBER…
I really believe this is going to set someone free…
Accept the fact that you will never get OVER some things.
Understand that some thoughts will ALWAYS cause you pain.
Ask God to help you get past the pain and move on.
Ask Him to help you to be strong enough to not let painful memories control you.
Ask God to help you move on, just like He moves on when we hurt Him.
Are your children ever disobedient or disrespectful? Come on, now even ‘good’ kids have their moments.
Are your adult children ever unappreciative, disconnected or disrespectful?
Mark 7:8-13 (NKJV)
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men[a]—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” 9 He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’;[b]and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’[c]11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God),12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
Most if not all Christian parents love to remind their children of what the bible says about being obedient to parents…
Ephesians 6:1 (NKJV)
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Colossians 3:20 (NKJV)
20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
And, most parents get frustrated and angry when their children…
Disobey them…
Disrespect them…
Deny them…
Embarrass them…
Don’t appreciate them…
Don’t ask for their advice…
Don’t take their advice…
Don’t talk to them…
Respect others more than them…
Or, even rebel against them.
Have you ever had, or are you going through any of these situations as a parent? Did you put your parents through any of these situations?
All parents want their children to listen to them…to honor and respect them. And, they don’t want it to be a ‘burden’ to do so. They want them to do it freely out of love for them.
So, parents, the next time you are frustrated because your children aren’t listening, or aren’t giving you the respect you deserve, remember this verse…
1 John 5:3 (NKJV)
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
Then, I ask you to join me in asking yourself, “Is this how God feels when I…
Disobey Him…
Disrespect Him…
Deny Him…
Embarrass Him…
Don’t appreciate Him…
Don’t ask for His advice…
Don’t take His advice…
Don’t talk to Him…
Respect others more than Him…
Rebel against Him…
Don’t listen to Him?
Why should we expect any more out of our children than we give to God?
Maybe, just maybe, God is sometimes trying to teach us a lesson through our children.
Do you know anyone who seems to love drama? Dysfunction? Chaos?
Do you know anyone who confuses peace with boredom?
Some people can become so used to toxic environments, cultures and behaviors that they consider that to be normal. They are so used to negativity that they begin to unknowingly enjoy it. They enjoy creating it. They enjoy watching it. They enjoy talking about it….that’s why I think reality shows are so successful now.
They can create their own poison to what would be a good relationship…friendship…job. They sometimes aren’t even comfortable with peace within themselves because they anticipate something bad is going to happen.
I hope this is not you. We must be very careful that we don’t reject the very peace that God seeks to GIVE us. We must not be uncomfortable with the peace that God GIVES us through our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. Not only does He give us peace…He gives us HIS peace…
John 14:27 (NKJV)
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
His peace is more powerful than any trouble or fear that we have the tendency to allow to overwhelm us.
Think about it. The enemy, just as he did in the book of Job roams around looking to disrupt the peace that God has given you…
Job 1:7 (NKJV)
7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because[a] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
God has given you the power to ‘be the peace’ in any given situation.
Matthew 5:9 (NKJV)
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
Claim your own peace. Be comfortable with it, and walk in the authority God has ordained for your life.
Here’s a quick story. One day years ago while working a previous job, I was in the office, and I didn’t do a particular job to meet my direct manager’s expectations. That’s just a reality of work and relationships. We will not always meet each other’s expectations.
That particular manager became very angry, slammed his fist on the desk and said very loudly in front of everyone, “You will NOT do this like this again!”
I remained calm, and went to the bathroom to pray and ask God to give me the wisdom to handle the situation.
I then calmly returned to his desk and said, “Listen, my name is not Chris (his son’s name is Chris). I respect your authority, and you can write me up, suspend me, or even fire me, but you WILL NOT DISRESPECT ME AGAIN! The reason we are both here is to provide for our families, and your position does not give you the right to disrespect me.” He spent the rest of the day apologizing to me, and thank God it never happened again.
It’s amazing how some people equate being loud, mean, and difficult to strength, leadership and assertiveness.
Notice that what God defines as the Fruit of His Spirit, the evidence that we are in relationship with Him, are qualities that are considered weak in ‘Western’ culture.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
When did it become acceptable for leadership to get a pass on being respectful?
God expects us to remain in His character, especially when we are in positions of leadership. And, when we work with people who don’t have a relationship with God, it’s our responsibility to hold them accountable.
You can be an influence on the culture of your workplace by how you respond to the negative, difficult situations.
Pray for discernment so you can know in which situations to speak up, and in which situations to remain silent.
You can respond in God’s love, but also in His authority. Control your emotions, choose your words carefully, speak calmly, and be prepared for the consequences of you standing your ground.
Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV)
15 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Quiet doesn’t always mean silent…
NOTHING INTIMIDATES A LOUDMOUTH LIKE THE QUIET STRENGTH OF HUMILITY.
Posts and statements like the one in the image are encouraging, get a lot of amens, and ‘LIKES’, but they are dangerous.
BE CAREFUL when people QUOTE FOR GOD as if He said it word-for-word.
Be careful when people say, “God told me to tell you.”
Especially when…
It’s not scripture.
It’s too universal. It’s not true for everyone who reads this… “THIS WEEK” as stated in the image. Some people are going through storms, discipline, and ‘dry seasons’.
God doesn’t bless everyone the same way at the same time.
If a miracle doesn’t happen this week, it can cause people to lose faith. It can cause people to lose faith and discredit our faith much like television ‘faith-healers’ who seem to never go to the hospital. There’s a difference in being inspired by God and QUOTING as if He said it verbatim.
Even Old Testament prophets weren’t always able to give the exact how, when and where.
There’s a difference in being inspired by God and quoting Him with our words as if He said it verbatim.
2 Peter 1:20-21 (KJV)
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
No prophetic statement will contradict God’s order.
Not only that, but you were hurt by someone who loves you. Someone who is close to you. Someone who instead of having your back, instead of scratching your back…stabbed you in it…talked about you behind it…didn’t watch it.
But, you know what the word of God says…
Matthew 18:21-22 (NKJV)
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Plus, the relationship you have with them is important to you. It’s bigger than the betrayal. It’s bigger than the denial. It’s bigger than the pain they caused you, so you make up your mind to forgive them. And, the fact is that you know that as much as people say that you can forgive and not be in relationship anymore, the truth is that no matter how bad we hurt God, He is always willing to forgive us and remain in relationship with us.
Yep, you’re not just saying you forgive them to be SC (Spiritually Correct instead of Politically Correct). You’re aren’t just saying it because it’s the right thing to say. You aren’t even saying it to manipulate God into forgiving you for your sins because you know His forgiving you is based on you forgiving others.
You really forgive them….so why do you still feel ‘some type of way’ about them?
And, the truth is that the pain is not as bad as it once was, but it’s till there. You have to admit to yourself that…
YOU’RE STILL BITTER, BUT BETTER THAN YOU WERE…
Is it because looking at them, places, people, songs, smells…things periodically, when you’re mind is not even on what they did brings it all back? Or, is it because you find yourself trying to think about it sometimes?
You really forgive them. You want to. You are consciously trying to. Forgiveness is in your heart. You want to move on as if it never happened…why does it still bother you sometimes?
The fact is that the decision to forgive and proclaiming forgiveness is the easiest, first step. The act of true forgiveness is a process that takes time. Just as much as God is working in you to get over it, the enemy is trying to find ways to make you hold on.
One of the most powerful revelations to obtaining forgiveness and remaining in relationship is when you realize, accept and rejoice in the fact that…
One of the reasons people remain bitter is when they keep comparing their present relationship to what it was before. Make up your mind that “All things have become new! (sound familiar?)” When you set your mind on building a better relationship on what you have…learned lessons and all, it can actually be better.
When you think about it, this is what God does with us when we accept Yeshua, Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. He knows that the relationship He had with us before will never be the same, but all things are new and it will be better because His Spirit now works in us to convict us of our sins…
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
It takes just as much love to truly repent, humble oneself and ask for forgiveness as it does to forgive.
Come on now, you know how hard it is to say “I’m sorry” sometimes!
So, if you are in the process of getting over something. If you are hurt, but not as hurt. If you are thinking about it less and less… Keep praying, fasting if necessary, and keep nurturing the relationship just as God does you when you ask Him for forgiveness.
And, if you are seeking forgiveness, but it seems they aren’t quite over it. If it’s not quite as bad as it used to be, but they still have their moments… be thankful that it’s getting better. Pray for God to continue to heal their heart, and respect the pain you caused them. Don’t become bitter over their bitterness.
Bitter but better is still progress. Celebrate the progress, you can go from BITTER TO BETTER, TO BETTER THAN EVER.
Or, do you really mean it when you say…
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
13 I can do ALL things through Christ[a] who strengthens me.
We all have them…regrets.
BE BLESSTIFIED! 