Category Archives: Rejection

Couple embracing in a park with autumn leaves and trees
Acceptance, Bible, Elijah, Israel, Rejection, Restoration, Romans, Scripture

STILL HIS

ROMANS 11:2

“God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?”

In our American society today, there is an epidemic of estrangement among family members. In particular, adult children have estranged themselves from their parents causing deep hurts and pains. But I would dare to guess that if any of those adult children came back to their parents for reconciliation, they would be welcomed with open arms. Because no matter the amount of pain that was there during the estrangement, that parent’s love for their children never wavered.

Israel had rebelled time and time and time again against the Lord. They had sought other gods, resulting in judgment and exile. However, God never stopped loving His children. Paul will use an example from the life of Elijah in the next few verses to illustrate that point. He says, “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” God had a plan and purpose for the nation of Israel. Therefore, He will not break that covenant He has made with them.

APPLICATION

The Greek word used here for “rejected” paints a great picture. It’s apótheó “from apo and the middle voice of otheo or otho (to shove); to push off, figuratively, to reject — cast away, put away (from), thrust away (from).” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). Have you ever shoved someone away who tried to come back in your life? I have to admit that I have done that. Why? Fear of being hurt again, a lack of trust in the relationship. But God does not do that, does He?

I love the use of apótheó here. In Romans 10:21 we saw God with His arms outstretched towards Israel. It’s real hard to shove someone away if your arms are outstretched to receive them. Outstretched arms show a desire to bring them in close. I saw a reel recently on Instagram that showed wives welcoming their husbands home with outstretched arms. The moment they came in the door, that’s what the husbands saw. And what did they do? They all went straight to their wives and embraced them.

That’s what God does to us. He stretches out His arms to embrace us, not shove us away. He stands ready to bring us in close. But for that to happen we have to lean in and not pull away. We’ll see the exchange between Elijah and God that Paul referenced in today’s verse in the next verses. Hang on. This gets good.

Oh Lord, I am so thankful that You are always ready to embrace me and not shove me away.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Red and white road sign altered to read 'NO WAY' next to curved forest road
Acceptance, Bible, Israel, Rejection, Romans, Salvation, Scripture

MAY IT NEVER BE!

ROMANS 11:1

“I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? Far from it! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.”

Some things in life are just absolutes. For instance, I will NEVER eat brussel sprouts again, lol. I will NEVER cheer for the Florida Gators! I will NEVER stop loving Jesus. I could say with Paul, “May it never be!” Paul loves to use this expression. Just look at similar words in these passages in Romans: Romans 3:4, 6, 31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13. I may start saying that more when I know something is totally against the truth of God’s word. May it never be!

In chapter 11 Paul picks up where he left off in chapter 10 and further discusses the fate of the Jewish nation. The entirety of chapter 11 is dedicated to showing that although the Jewish nation as a whole had rejected Jesus, there were some who had believed (himself included). Therefore, God was not done with them yet. He would restore the remnant. We’ll spend the next month or so looking at this discussion in depth. Hang on!

APPLICATION

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges says this about Paul’s words in chapter 11 of Romans. “…he turns to state the happier side; and this in two main aspects. First, he reiterates the truth of the Divine Election, but now in its positive aspect—the existence always of a believing Israel within the unbelieving mass. Secondly, he predicts a time when even in the mass Israel should turn to the true Messiah, be restored to the Church, and become thus an influence of vast good for the world.” God is not done with Israel yet. Paul tells us to not believe that lie. God still has a plan of redemption for His chosen people.

God’s promises are always true, right? Look at Psalm 94:14. “For the LORD will not abandon His people, nor will He abandon His inheritance.” How about Deuteronomy 31:6? “‘Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.’” 

Those promises hold true for us, as well. One of my favorites is Isaiah 41:10. “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” And the final words of our Lord in Matthew 28:20 tell us, “‘…and surely I am with your always, even to the end of the age.’” Hallelujah, what a Savior! Will He leave us or abandon us? May it never be!

Thank You, Father, that Your promises to Israel and to us are true and undeniable.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Corruption, Evil, Goodness, Rejection, Scripture

NO ONE DOES GOOD

ROMANS 3:12

“THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME CORRUPT; THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

No truer statement could be said about our society today than this verse. People had just as soon shoot you as greet you. In some of our cities people are dying every week from gang violence or random shootings. This week three police officers were killed during a domestic disturbance. No one seems to be doing good. In fact, it’s just the opposite. They all seem to be doing bad.

Paul uses a word for “does good” that is a very common verb. It’s used over 600 times. But the important part of this particular usage is the tense of the verb. This is a Present Participle Active. What does that mean? It means it’s a continual practice among these people. Their lifestyle, described in the previous two phrases of the verse, tells it all. “They have all turned aside” and “they have become corrupt.” Because of this they are incapable of practicing good.

APPLICATION

Let’s look at what causes their lack of doing good. Paul says, “they have all turned aside.” The meaning of this is to deliberately avoid something or reject something. It’s not just an oversight. These individuals have made a choice to shun God, and one result is the inability to practice good. Sure, they may do a good thing occasionally, but as a lifestyle it is not in their thoughts. The word here is only used two other locations (Romans 16:17 and 1 Peter 3:11)

They are also corrupt. It’s funny that this word means “spoiled.” Have you ever taken a big swig of milk that has turned sour. Yuk! Gross! That’s the idea here. They are useless. What do you do with spoiled milk? You discard it. It’s good for nothing. That Greek word is only used here in Romans 3:12.

Are you doing good? Are you practicing good? Or are you a defiant, sour person? The choice is yours. You have to turn towards Christ and keep yourself fresh in His Word. Then you can live a life doing good for Him and others. Will you do that today?

Father God, cleanse me and purify my motives so that I am looking for ways to serve You and others.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Abiding, Accountability, Bible, Blessing, Commands, Rejection, Scripture

THROWN TO THE POTTER

ZECHARIAH 11:13

“Then the LORD said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.’ So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.”

I struggled to come up with a personal illustration of this verse. I have never been paid thirty shekels of silver and have never thrown it to the potter in church. I can only point you to the story of Judas Iscariot in Matthew 27:3-10. You need to read that in its entirety, but here are a few of the verses. “5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and left; and he went away and hanged himself. 6 The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, ‘It is not lawful to put them in the temple treasury, since it is money paid for blood.’ 7 And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers.”

Zechariah is giving a vision here from the Lord to share with the people. No scholar thinks Zechariah actually took money and threw it at a potter in the temple. But look at how this prophecy was fulfilled perfectly by Judas and the priests. The rejection of Jesus by Judas and the priests symbolized perfectly Zechariah’s vision as told to the people. Keep in mind, Zechariah was written around 500 years before Judas’ betrayal.

APPLICATION

So, what does this mean for us? To continue our thought from yesterday’s blog, how have you spurned the Lord? How have you rejected His gift of grace and mercy? We run the danger of doing that even after becoming a Christian. We can get so focused on our life or even in living according to some set of rules we have been given that we reject the freedom we have in Jesus.

People say But Carl, it’s too hard to live for God. I just can’t be holy like that. To that I share 2 Peter 1:3. “3 for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”

You can accept and obey every command given to you by God. God does not expect us to obey something we are incapable of. So, let us stop throwing away the clear commands of the Father and seek ways to obey. Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit Who can guide you perfectly in God’s way.

Father, I was just as guilty as Judas before coming to You. Forgive me for not walking more holy.

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Accountability, Bible, Choices, Condemnation, Destruction, Judgment, Obedience, Punishment, Rejection, Scripture, Sin

MORE PEOPLE, MORE SIN

HOSEA 4:7

“The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame.”

I’ve been in crowds that have gotten out of control. You may have heard of the mob mentality. People feed off of each other. One bad decision leads to another bad decision. Before you know it, evil is reigning freely. It’s not a comfortable situation in which to find yourself.

Hosea tells us in today’s verse that as the numbers of people grew in the nation, the sin grew. God had promised to multiply Abraham’s seed as the stars in the sky. But as the numbers increased so did their sin. Instead of praising God for blessing them, they increased their sinning against Him.

APPLICATION

We are the same. The more God blesses us, the more we seem to turn against Him. All we have belongs to God, but we claim it as our own. In times of affluence, we forget about the very one who has sent His blessings our way. Why do we do that? Because we are just like the Israelites.

As you awake each day, take a moment to thank the Lord for all He has blessed you with. Thank Him for the bed you just got out of. Thank Him for the food you are about to eat for breakfast. Thank Him for your family. We have so much to praise Him for, don’t we?

Maybe you are going through a hard time right now and find it hard to thank Him. How about your breathe? How about one more day? We can always find something to thank Him for. He blesses us because He loves us. He doesn’t need our thanks, but it sure is good to tell Him anyway. Stop being part of that thankless crowd and tell the Lord today just how thankful you are.

I am so thankful, Lord, for all the blessings You give me daily. There is no way words can express my thanks.

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Accountability, Advice, Belief, Bible, Confession, Direction, Fellowship, Following, God's Will, Hypocrisy, Inspirational, Obedience, Punishment, Rejection, Scripture, Sin, Worship

THE PARTY’S OVER

HOSEA 2:11

“I will also put an end to all her joy, her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her festivals.”

I’ll never forget when I came to Christ. Before I did, I was kind of a party guy. I grew up in the 70’s when drugs were big. I got caught up in that scene and liked to party with my friends. But…when Christ came into my life, I gave up all of that. I didn’t want that anymore. My friends I had at the time thought I was crazy for giving up that party scene. I knew better. Still do today.

God also took away the “parties” from the Israelites but in a different way. He couldn’t tolerate their false worship anymore. By leading them into exile, they were not allowed to celebrate the festivals. They had the right “parties” but were abusing them. God desires our worship, but He won’t accept false worship.

APPLICATION

Let me ask you a question. What are you worshipping? I worshipped partying in my young life. I discovered true worship in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Are you going through the motions of worship? Do you do the “church thing” expecting that to suffice for your spiritual life? It won’t. You’re not fooling God. He knows your heart.

So, when are you going to seek Him in spirit and truth? Are any of these questions hitting home with you? Well, let me tell you a secret. They hit home with me, too. I have to constantly reflect on my worship. I want to make sure my worship is always pointed heavenward. I want my worship to be glorifying God. Anything else is just as bad as the Israelites.

Will you join me in true worship? Oh, how the Lord loves that. He loves to see His children honoring Him. He longs for our fellowship. Begin today. Stop what you are doing and spend some time worshipping Him. He is listening.

I worship You, O God. My heart is lifted before You today.

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Advice, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Courage, Direction, Encouragement, Faith, Following, God's Will, Inspirational, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Rejection, Reputation, Testimony, Witnessing

JUDGE IF YOU HAVE TO

Acts 4:19

“But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;”

Obeying God can have consequences. Peter and John faced this dilemma when the Jewish authorities ordered them to stop preaching about Jesus. People were coming to Christ due to the miracles they were performing and their message about repentance. The Jewish leaders didn’t want that.

But Peter and John knew they had to answer to a higher authority. They weren’t trying to be ugly or hard to get along with. They just knew the Lord had told them to preach the Gospel, so they had to. They were willing to accept the consequences that could have come from the authorities.

APPLICATION

Years ago, I served as Chaplain at a Children’s Home. Occasionally, former residents of the home would want the Chaplain to marry them in the Chapel on campus. When I could, I was honored to do so. On one occasion, however, I was asked to marry two former residents who both had multiple former marriages. I couldn’t do that and remain true to my calling. I was questioned by the Superintendent why I refused. Fortunately, he understood and supported my decision. But I was prepared to leave my job if necessary.

Your children may face a decision between standing up for Christ and their beliefs or giving in to pressures from others. You have to prepare them now for those times. They have to know why they believe what they believe. They need to know that God will be with them to support them. Share with them how you have handled similar situations.

Are you willing to stand up for Christ? There may be a day when you are faced with that decision. Are you ready? He is. He will stand beside you. Then you can say as Peter said, “you be the judge.”

I am ready to follow You, Lord, wherever You lead me. If that means I am judged by others, so be it. I will be proud to be named as Your follower.

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Child Raising, Child Rearing, Comfort, Contentment, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Eternity, Faith, Foundation, Inspirational, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Promises, Rejection, Testimony, Thanksgiving

IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

1 PETER 2:7

“This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,’”

You’ve heard the expression that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? Well, in today’s verse the phrase “precious value” means what has value in the eyes of the beholder; the value (weight, honor) willingly assigned to something. Peter is telling us that we believers put great value on Jesus being our foundation and cornerstone.

Contrast that with the second phrase directed at non-believers. They may reject Jesus, but He is the very corner stone, the stone upon which the whole building is built upon. They don’t have to believe it, but it’s true. Only time will reveal this to them, either in this world or when they face judgment.

APPLICATION

What do your children hold most precious? Ask them to go to their room and return with their most precious possession. Unless they bring back their Bible, not a single item will last. Explain to them that all physical things are going to perish, pass away. Nothing will last.

That may upset them but reassure them that have (if they are a believer) and can have (if they aren’t) something that will never cease. They have the cornerstone, the sure thing, the never-ending Messiah. Jesus is with them, and they can rest assured He will never leave them.

Are you sure of your salvation? I mean, are you really sure? Which side of today’s verse do you fall on – believing or disbelieving? Make sure of that today. Jesus is here for you. Is He precious in your sight? I sure hope so, because you are in His.

You are precious in my sight. You are beautiful to me. Thank You for being my sure foundation.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Confession, Denial, Encouragement, Faith, Faithfulness, Following, Forgiveness, Grace, Inspirational, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Rejection, Repentance, Scripture, Shame

FAILURE

MATTHEW 26:74-75

“74 Then he began to curse and swear, ‘I do not know the man!’ And immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, ‘Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.”

Epic fail! Peter realized immediately when he heard that rooster crow that he had failed his Master. He probably wanted to throw up. Can you imagine the thoughts that ran through his mind? This wasn’t a minor fail. He had denied Jesus threw times, just as Jesus predicted.

How many times have you failed our Lord? You’ve been told to do something, but you don’t. You know He placed someone on your heart to call or go see and you don’t. He places someone in your path to witness to and you walk away without doing it. Fail!

APPLICATION

Children are going to have failures. That’s part of learning and growing. I believe they can learn more from failures than successes if we help them. If we don’t, those failures can crush them. Losing can build character. Failing can do the same. You need to ask them what went wrong. How could have they prevented the failure?

They are also going to fail God. Tell them an experience you’ve had. They need to know you can relate. And then tell them how the Lord forgave you and showed mercy. They need to hear that. Read them this passage in Matthew and then skip ahead and read how Jesus forgave him after He resurrected.

Are you still living in failure? Take it to Jesus. He can forgive. Don’t put that confession off. It won’t go away. We have the God of the universe waiting for us to talk to Him. He wants to forgive. He wants to talk to us. Don’t make Him wait. Right now, bend your knee and ask for forgiveness for that failure. He’s ready to forgive.

I ask You to forgive me today for the many times I have failed You, Lord. Cleanse me and make me right in Your eyes. Show me how to be more obedient today.

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Advice, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Courage, Denial, Direction, Encouragement, Following, Inspirational, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Rejection, Safety, Witnessing

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

MATTHEW 26:69-72

“Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, ‘You too were with Jesus the Galilean.’ 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, ‘I do not know what you are talking about.’ 71 When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ 72 And again he denied it with an oath, ‘I do not know the man.’”

My dad always said, “You will be known by the company you keep.” Now, he told me that to steer me away from people who might lead me astray. In the case of Peter, he was recognized as being one of Jesus’ followers (being in His company). While that may seem like a good thing, at this moment, it could have gotten Peter in hot water.

So, what does he do? He denies knowing Jesus. Remember when Jesus warned him he would deny Him? Well, today’s verses are the first two denials. Two different servant-girls accused him, and both times he denied it. He wanted nothing to do with Jesus at the moment. How soon he forgot.

APPLICATION

Your children will have to choose who they hang out with. Some of those choices will be good and some will be bad. Only time will tell. Your role as mom or dad is to point them and guide them towards the right company. You may have to help them choose when their judgment gets a little off.

Peter chose wrong in this situation. He chose to blend into the crowd rather than standing up for his friend. Your children will face similar choices as they grow up. Do they choose popularity or safety over loyalty? These are hard lessons but are necessary ones. Don’t let them slip by.

Do you avoid being recognized as a follower of Christ when it becomes uncomfortable? What exactly makes you uncomfortable? Remember all Jesus has done and is doing for you. You have an obligation to Him. You have given Him your life. You belong to Him. Stay loyal and true.

Lord, give me the courage to stand tall in the face of opposition. I want to be known as Your friend. I want others to see Jesus in me.

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