KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Thursday, November 08, 2017
Chapters: Mark 14
Message: Mending An Imperfect Heart
Hello My Friend,
I have a heavy heart, and have been like this for a while now, I find myself irritable, snapping at people with good reason, but I am a little more direct than normal. You see, the thing is that my birthday was two days ago, and I find myself getting upset over people who have no respect for life, not even theirs. You try hard to live your life through Christ, loving and serving God, loving your neighbor, going that extra mile, doing good, and being kind to those you will never meet again, yet you are continually being criticized about and or tempted to go against your faith. Jesus said that it will be a challenge for us in this world because we are not of it, and while it is heartbreaking to see the world falling a part we must continue toward the mark of the true prize.
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.” – Philippians 3:13-17.
“and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.” Being an example of Christ, that is what it is all about. Why? If Christ is seen in us, someone will want to know Him, even if it is only one person in our lifetime. Can we live life being perfect? While we are in no way perfect and, let me tell you, we mess up every day, but we can live a perfect life in Christ, and the way we do that is to keep our heart perfect toward Him at all times. Make no mistake, since life is not perfect our heart is not always going to be perfect, and Jesus knows this, as He was having one last dinner before His passion He outright told the disciples that they would deny Him when all this takes place, but He also gives them a promise.
“And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.” – Mark 14:26-31.
“But he spake the more vehemently,” As faithful Christians, we all have times when our faith is tried and find ourselves having to make a decision on whether we proclaim or deny Christ. While most of us, with the bottom of our heart, proclaim Him and stand by Him, if we are honest we will admit that there are times when our heart was not perfect and we too have denied Him. Jesus loves us and knows we are not perfect apart from Him, that is why we cannot lose our salvation based on our works, we scare and scatter too easily, but He is right there for us and will be waiting with open arms to see us in person. “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” – II Thessalonians 3:3.
God will never tell us to do something that goes against His Word, He has a reason and a purpose for all the things He wants us to do and go through. Even though Jesus is God, and capable of doing everything He wants, when He came here He took on a flesh body, making Himself as one of us, even giving up His power, and instilling it solely to the Father. As Jesus neared the time of His capture He went up to Gethsemane with three disciples, He asked them to stay behind and watch while He went up further to pray.
“And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” – Mark 14:34-41.
“all things are possible unto thee;” Jesus, like all of us, knows that all things are possible with God, but if it is not in His will for our lives than it will not happen. God could have chosen any other way to bring redemption to man, but He chose this way, and that is what we have to accept. As much as we would like to say that once we receive Christ as our Saviour our eyes are always open and able to avoid temptation the truth is that we get tired because our flesh is weak, most of all, our heart is not in it, and fall asleep once in a while. Does that mean we forsake Christ? No, it just means we are human and further explains why God gave us redemption solely upon our faith in Christ. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” – I John 5:14-15.
Let me tell you, the second you realize that you took your eyes off Christ and fell into that temptation you will immediately be convicted. Peter swore, as well as the rest of the disciples, that he would not deny that he was with Jesus, he would soon realize that everything Jesus said about him denying Him would come to pass.
“And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.” – Mark 14:66-72.
“And when he thought thereon, he wept.” The second we discover that we let Jesus down we do cry because we know what we did. It is when we are tired and weak that our heart is so susceptible to temptation, I have to be careful in this state because I know what I am capable of when my heart is not right, even knowing I am going against God’s will I continue to do it, our only hope is getting back in the graces of Christ. Fitting that I should say this when my preacher spoke of the same thing this past Sunday, quoting what the Apostle Paul had said, “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” – Romans 7:15-19,24-25.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” – Mark 14:61,62.
Today’s Prayer: God, I know that my flesh is weak and my heart is not always perfect, I might not always be in Your will, but I do know that Your grace is my answer to not only get back in it, but live it to the fullest, even when it is something I do not want to do. Living in Your will is not always easy, I have to give up some of the things I love, suffer through some things, deal with ungodly people, who say they are Christians, even do some things I do not want to do, but I know that it comes with the greatest rewards, especially being able to spend eternity with You. Lord, lead me and guide me in Your will, give me Your power, mercy, and grace to keep my heart perfect, show me the path You have for me, give me the wisdom, understanding, discernment, and strength I need to stay in it. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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