King
James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning
Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Friday,
October 16, 2015
Chapters: Mark 7-8
https://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-289.html
Message
Title: Following
God's Simple Rule

Hello My Friend,

The
past few years I have learned quite a bit about churches and while
many claim that God is their authority on the church, they are more
of man made authority than God made. I like many other Christians
have this idea of what a faithful, godly, born again Christian should
be, but am finding out that it's the church that often puts that wear
this, look like that image in us. While every Christian is known by
their fruit, we must realize that Christians come in all shapes,
sizes, and backgrounds. We are to never judge a persons faith in
Christ by the way they look, but we are to judge a persons faith by
the way they act. “Judge not according to
the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” - John
7:24.

The Pharisees were always questioning the way Jesus
ran His ministry. This time they questioned Him as to why His
disciples were eating with defiled hands, they did not wash their
hands before they ate. Of course, He answers them with a parable
about what really defiles a person, one that He had to also explain
to His disciples. When they perceived it to be about food. “And
he saith unto them, Are ye so without
understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from
without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it
entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into
the draught, purging all meats? And
he said, That which cometh out of the
man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts,
covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye,
blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from
within, and defile the man.” - Mark 7:18-23.

“For
from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts”.
There's that heart again, the heart really can get us to do some
crazy things, especially if it is full of pride. I still remember the
rules my mom set growing up, never go across the street, only ride
your bike to the end of the block, and never ride anyone on the
handlebars. While I normally followed the rules, one day I let my
brother on the handlebars and wouldn't you know it, we fell and both
ended up getting stitches. Well, what my mom was doing with these
silly rules was keeping me from getting hurt, her rules were not
grievous, they were necessary to keep me from unnecessary pain. God's
rules are not grievous either, they keep us from unnecessary pain,
especially what defiles our heart. “For this
is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his
commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith.” - 1 John 5:3,4.

God's
ways seem a little strange sometimes, but I image He does those
things to see if we are going to trust and obey only Him. There was a
deaf man that some people brought to Jesus to heal, He healed him,
but in a rather odd way. “And they bring unto
him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they
beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the
multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and
touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith
unto him, Ephphatha,
that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the
string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged
them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so
much the more a great deal they published it;” - Mark
7:32-36.

“And looking up to
heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha,
that is, Be opened.” Jesus healed the man, but imagine some
still did not believe in Him. God produces miracles every day upon
the unsaved in hopes that they will realize He is the one who healed
them. It's not enough to have faith that God can heal us, we must
trust that His ways of healing us are the only way. Doctors are God
given gifts to be able to heal people, but only God can truly heal,
especially the soul, without Christ a soul will never be healed of
it's sin sick disease. We must understand that God never tempts us,
but He does test our faith, and sometimes in very odd ways. “Blessed
is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that
love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for
God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But
every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and
enticed.” - James 1:12-14.

Man makes many rules
that seem like they come from God, but really they are more grievous
than God's. Yes, we are to study God's Word to know His rules and He
does want us to follow them once when we learn of them. We must
realize that every Christian is a work in progress, we are not
perfect, we all have things that we need to work on, so we must never
judge someone who may be doing something we know God does not want us
to do. God works on each one of us according to our maturity level,
but there is one thing all must do in order to see Him do a great
work in us. Jesus explains.

“And
when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he
said unto them, Whosoever will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall
lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this
adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be
ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy
angels.” - Mark 8:34-38.

“Whosoever
will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow me”. God makes it simple, follow His Son.
Following Christ teaches us to walk in His ways. Denying ourselves,
meaning, letting go of our prideful ways, taking all our sin and
burdens to the Christ. We all have our own cross to bear, but it does
not have to define us, we can endure, and we can conquer anything as
long as we follow Christ. Following Christ is not about the way we
dress (although we should be modest), the color of our hair, or
rejecting those starting out or have backslidden. It's about walking
with Christ, growing with Him, and letting Him create a great work in
us. If we faithfully follow Him, we will become like Him, and others
will see Him in us, which is what He wants more than anything.

“Yet
if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him
glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must
begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall
the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the
righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner
appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God
commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a
faithful Creator.” - 1 Peter 4:16-19.

Today's
Prayer: God, I know that sometimes I let my burdens carry
me away and it makes me feel lifeless. You know what I am going
through and what I need, and all I need is to call on You and You
will show me what I need to do. Lord, Watch over me, guide me, and
abide in me, give me peace and comfort, let me know that You are near
and that everything is going to be alright. Give me Your power, let
me take up my cross and follow You Son, for Your ways are not
grievous, but essential in seeing You do a great work in me. Open my
heart, let me have compassion on those who are hurting, let me not be
judgmental, but judge with righteous judgment. Let Your light shine
in me so that others can see You through me. I love You, Lord and ask
this in Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying
for you,
Christina

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