KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Sunday, October 21, 2018
Chapters: Matthew 17, Mark 9
Message: Transformed Into A Reflection of Christ
Hello My Friend,
I am sitting here this morning writing this at the time that I normally would be driving to church to get the nursery ready for all my babies. Sadly, there have some ungodly teaching/acts going on in the church for a while, and it actually affected my family so I left the church, but by the grace of God I actually live behind a good, doctrinal solid, King James Bible believing church so I will be attending the service there this morning. Sometimes it is not easy believing that God can do the impossible, especially when we cannot even trust the very people teaching us that we are to live by faith. Let me tell you, while we cannot do anything about each individual that chooses to live their lives deceiving others and even themselves into believing that they are justified for their actions by their salvation, we can do something about ourselves and be the reflection Christ needs us to be to reach this lost and dying world. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – Romans 12:1-2.
Transfigure; To transform; to change the outward form or appearance. Now, let me tell you, once Jesus gets in you and start working in your life you really do transform into an image reflecting Him, but Peter, James, and John saw something incredible as Jesus takes them along with Him to witness a truly amazing sight. “And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” – Matthew 17:3-5,9-13.
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;” This should be our goal, for God to look down on us saying, “This is my beloved, in whom I am well pleased.”. What they saw Jesus transform into who knows, perhaps He looked like an angel or spirit, but He was in His glorified state. Jesus brought them there for a reason, to show that they themselves would receive a glorified body. You see, Moses and Isaiah were both great men of God, they died physically, but will too arise in the resurrection and appear in their glorious form. None of this would even be possible if it were not for Jesus being crucified. This is why they were forbidden to speak about the transfiguration until after His resurrection. All who believe in and receive Christ as their Saviour will receive glorified bodies upon their own resurrection when He returns. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” – I Corinthians 15:52-54.
To be a reflection of Christ, we must live by the utmost faith in God, yes, we are going to tire, be weary, and even sin, but our faith makes us whole and transforms us day by day as we draw closer to Jesus. Let me tell you, our faith is not always sound, and the devil watches for that, but remember, Jesus is more powerful than the devil, and can break through any chain the devil holds us down with. We learn of this when a desperate father pleas with Jesus to heal his son who was actually possessed by the devil. “He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” – Mark 9:19-24.
“How long is it ago since this came unto him?” Do you think that Jesus did not already know the answer to this question? Of course, He did. God knows everything about us, and sees everything too. Jesus upbraids them for their unbelief, He basically tells them that His patience and longsuffering would not always continue, and that in a short time, He would be gone, and they will no longer receive the mercies there have been given. Quite often God will perform miracles on the unbelieving in order to get people to believe in His Son, but His mercies only last so long, we must know Christ to be saved. There is nothing that we go through that God does not know about, He even allows the devil to afflict us, but there is one thing that the devil cannot do is touch a soul that belongs to Christ. Jesus commanded the devil to come out of the boy, and he did. “And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.” – Matthew 17:18-23.
“Because of your unbelief:” Many people have faith in God, but few are willing to take the one step needed to get saved and make Him a part of their lives, and the only way to do that is to receive Christ as their Saviour. It often takes something tragic for us to see that we need Jesus, but it takes great faith, even if it is the size of a mustard seed, to see Him reflecting out of us, and if we allow Him to work in us beyond our salvation we will see Him transform us into something even greater. There is a passage if Scripture that I rarely use, mainly because most people associate it with paying taxes, but the message is more than that. Jesus was traveling with Peter, they arrived in Peter’s hometown, where it was a requirement to pay a tax for temple services, they were stopped by the tax collector.
“And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.” – Matthew 17:24-27.
“that take, and give unto them for me and thee.” This is an amazing testimony of how Jesus provides for those whom have given themselves as a living sacrifice, doing His work. Just this morning in fact, God reminded me of the old widow woman who kept scraping grain from the bottom of the barrel every day as He provided for her until the drought and famine were over simply by her having faith and feeding Elijah first. Jesus teaches us that if we are faithful to His work, He alone is responsible for providing for us, and He will, whether it is to pay for our taxes, debts, or any other expenses. Praise God! “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” – I John 3:21-24.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” – Matthew 17:5.
Today’s Prayer: God, I want to live a plain and simple life according to Your plan, I want to hear everything You are saying to me and do everything You have called me to do. Lord, watch over me, guide me, and keep the truth in me. Help me to learn and grow in Your Word so I can tell whether or not what people are telling me is the truth or lies. In the end, it is You who I follow to the truth, not anyone else. Open my heart to be receptive to You and only You, clear my mind of every doubt and fear and fill it with joy and peace only revealed as I learn to hear You and listen to Jesus. I love You, Lord and ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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