I'm Following Jesus – Page 1136 – Mark 8:34 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.

King James Bible Study – “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.” – Mark 8:34

Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Chapters: Deuteronomy 14-16
Message: Not Of This World

Hello My Friend,

As I was reading the chapters for today I decided to do a search to see how many Americans are identifying as Christians today. I read an article in The Washington Times, that state the number of Americans identifying as Christians in 2019 was sixty-five percent as opposed to seventy-seven in 2009. That staggering number means a steady decline of one hundred and thirty thousand people per year. That number probably constitutes partly to the fact that many young adults today were not brought up in Christ centered homes. Then again, Christian persecution is at an all time high, so that may be a factor as well, many are afraid to come out and admit their faith in Christ for fear of being rejected or even worse, persecuted for their faith. This reminds me of what Jesus said, [John 15:18-19 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.]

That statement is just as true as my eyes being blue, it does not matter if you even mention your faith, people know when someone is one of Christ’s. I know this because I talk to people over the phone and even though I say absolutely nothing about Jesus or God, I get, “God bless you.” quite often just by the way I empathize with people. We should stand out from the world because we are not of the world. Our world is actually in heaven until Christ returns, which means we are the children of God. We need to understand that the commands that God had given the Israelites were required at that time for everyone who choose God, regardless if they were an Israelite. However, some of the things were only intended for the Israelites, Moses reminds the Israelites that they are the children of God, a holy people that He has set apart for Himself.

[Deuteronomy 14:1-3,21 Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. 2 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. 3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing. 21 Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.]

[or thou mayest sell it unto an alien:] I love this, every time I read this it reminds me of the time that I talked to my nephew about us being aliens here on earth until we know Christ as our Saviour, his teacher thought I was telling him that we were like those green creatures with antennas on top of their heads and UFO’s. Of course, I was referring to what the Bible says about aliens, [Ephesians 2:12-13 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.]

So, why did God allow them to give strangers and aliens, which actually means people of a different country, the abominable things to eat? They are not holy. God actually provides for the people of the world to the extent that in our charitable efforts they might see His Son and receive Him as well, [Matthew 5:43-45 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.]

Everything from the food, to the church, to the home, to our professions, needs to be placed before God. Why? He is our source for everything, if we do not acknowledge that then He will start taking things away. Moses stresses the importance of giving to God first, and giving Him the best of what we do offer to Him.

[Deuteronomy 14:23–26 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always. 24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: 25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: 26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,]

[thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after,] Sometimes we may not understand what God is trying to convey to us, it seems to contradict itself. Why does He tell them to only eat clean animals, but then tells them here that they can have anything. God is not contradicting Himself, this has to do with giving their tithes and offerings, which in many cases were the first of their crops, and livestock. If they could not carry it to the Tabernacle then they could sell it and use the money to take care of their family on whatever it is that they could afford. You see, it was not really about what they ate, it was about giving God the glory for all that He has provided them with, even if pork was all that was available to them, [Acts 11:6-9 Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat. 8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.]

[What God hath cleansed,] Of course, when Peter was given that revelation it was God telling him that the Gospel of Christ was to be preached to all, and not just the Jews. We are all made clean when we accept Christ as our Saviour, regardless of what family we are born into. Before we get saved we are not only covered with sin, we are held down to it by a mountain of debt. There is absolutely no way that we can pay that debt off completely as one little sin will put us right back in the red. God came up with a law, it was a way for every person who owed a debt to be released from that debt. It was called, the Release. Every seven years, if a debt was not paid off in full, the lender would release the debtor from the debt.

[Deuteronomy 15:1-5 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. 2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release. 3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; 4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: 5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.]

[because it is called the LORD’S release.] [Release; To be free from confinement, bondage, or obligation, God enforced a release every seven years on any debt owed by any person that was not paid.] It is Jesus who releases us from the debt we owe for our sin. He gave His own life as the payment. I recently read a headline about some fool who is teaching his followers that some women taught Jesus that He sinned and repented. It is so absurd that I cannot find the article to see what this fool is saying, but these fools are clueless in the fact that Jesus needed to be without one sin in order to save us. If He sinned even once that would have disqualified Him from being able to be the perfect sacrifice. Yes, Jesus was tempted at all points such as we, yet remained without sin so that we can be released from our sin debt, [Hebrews 4:15-16 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.]

[Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again:] So, why was the debt not paid for the foreigner? In order for us to be released from our debt we need to come to Christ. Anyone who does not know Christ as their Saviour is a foreigner to Him, and therefore their debt will not be paid until they do come to Christ. If they do not come to Him before their last breath, then they are held to the debt, [Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.]

The yearly feasts that God instituted are mentioned in some form through the Books of Exodus to Deuteronomy thirty times. Why were they so important? The feasts were times of reflection, repentance, and reconciliation with God. They were designed as a way for those who feared God to remember all that He has blessed them with and to make an atonement for any sin they may have committed unaware. Three of the feasts were required to be held at the Tabernacle/Temple, in which every adult male must appear.

[Deuteronomy 16:16-22 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee. 18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment. 19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. 20 That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 21 Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee. 22 Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.]

[and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:] What will you have to present to Jesus when you see Him face to face? Will you come up empty, having done nothing to give Him for all that He has done for you. Or will you come up full, having been His good and faithful servant? Jesus owed nothing to us when He gave His life for us. We owe Him everything, the least we can do to show Him gratitude for saving us is to give Him first place in our lives, [Romans 6:15-17,22 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.]

Jesus Christ Magnified: [Deuteronomy 16:6-7 But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt. 7 And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.]

Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for choosing me and making me one of Yours when I accepted Your Son as my Saviour. I know I have always been peculiar, but You confirmed that when I discovered I never of the world because I belong to You. Lord, I want to live a life that is pleasing to You, and one that shows Your Son through me, I am not of the world and people already knew that. Now, let my life be a testimony of the amazing life You have given me as I follow You to the place where You put Your name. Lead me and guide me, fill me with Your mercy, grace, love, discernment, and the wisdom to overcome the deception of the world as they try to worship You their way. Let me show the truth to a lost and dying world as only Your Word tells it. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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