November 2020 – Page 29 – I'm Following Jesus

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: Monday, November 02, 2020
Chapters: Matthew 20-21
Message: Believe in God? Believe in Me Also

Hello My Friend,

Sometimes when you are reading the Bible you can really get into the story so much so that you wish you could go through the pages and smack the ones who always have to rebel against everything God stands for. Well, that is how I feel anyway, and there are just as many people doing this today that you feel like smacking. I guess that is not very Christian like, and we are to stop and think what Jesus would do. Well, what would Jesus do to someone who lies about Him, and rejects Him? Jesus spoke His mind, He may not lay one hand on those fools, but He knows how to put them in their place just by speaking to them. Jesus said, [Matthew 26:24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.]

You see, Jesus could send a multitude of angels to turn the world into something we only see in science fiction movies, and it will, in fact happen one day. Until then, He is biding His time until God, the Father says that it is time for Him to take up His people and let the destruction begin. And let me tell you, we who do believe and have received Him as our Saviour are going to be thankful that we will be up in the clouds away from all that as we await the new earth that Jesus is preparing for us as we speak, [John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.]

With my job, I do not get paid by the hour, it is by the task that I do, whether it takes me five minutes or five hours to complete it, the pay is the same. And I tell you what, some of those tasks you tell yourself that you definitely did not get paid enough for all that work. So, I can relate to the parable that Jesus speaks about the employer who agreed to pay the same rate to his employees, regardless of how long they worked.

[Matthew 20:1-4,8-9,11-14 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.]

[I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.] There are a few things to consider here, one, a penny was actually not the same value as today. And did you know that in some places around, a penny can buy you a feast? Two, this is exactly why salvation has never been about how much we do for God or how many of His commands we obey, it is about our faith, faithfulness, and willingness to admit that we have sinned against Him. And three, while it may seem like some of us work much harder that others, we all are going to the same place, not for something we did ourselves, but for what Christ did for us. And what He did was pay the debt we owe for our sin with His own life. And I will tell you why God does it this way, grace. We are saved by grace alone through our faith in Christ. This means that the person laying on their deathbed, who will never have the chance to do anything for the LORD, gets the same opportunity to be saved from hell as the one who was blessed to tell them about Jesus. By grace we are saved! [James 5:19-20 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.]

I heard someone said that living as a faithful Christian brings a lot of persecution, and if we are not being persecuted then we must be doing something wrong. Well, the truth is, while it does come with a lot of persecution, it is not all the time. Quite frankly, it is not the world that persecutes us as much as those who think they know God better than we do. The Pharisees loved to question Jesus, they flat out asked Him who gave Him the authority to question them and what they did in the temple.

[Matthew 21:24–25,27-32 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? 27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.]

[For John came unto you in the way of righteousness,] Jesus answered the question that He asked them. Until we admit that we are a sinner, and truly understand that the price for sin is death and hell, we are not going to understand the need for Christ. Religion never admits they are wrong, millions of people sit under the authority of a pope that thinks everything he does is of God. Likewise, millions of people sit under the authority of an imam who thinks everything he does is of God. Likewise, millions of people sit under the authority of a man who calls himself the president of their church, who thinks everything he does is of God. And this is just three examples, billions of people die each year and are in hell because they trusted these fools, the fools know the truth about Jesus, they refused to tell the people, they never accepted Christ themselves, and therefore, they too will be in hell. In another parable, Jesus explains this even further.

[Matthew 21:38-46 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.]

[this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?] We often wonder why God allows all these false religions, but they all have a choice, they can follow the truth or follow the lies. I am sorry, but anyone who chooses to follow these false religions will not be saved, they too will end up in hell. Just like Jesus says that with God all things are possible, there are some who are in false religions that hear the truth and get converted. In fact, many have died turning to Christ over their religion, but they are the ones in heaven right now, and the founders of these religions are in hell, [Matthew 23:13-15 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.]

[because they took him for a prophet.] Oh, my goodness! I wish false religion will stop saying that Jesus is a mere prophet. He is much more than a prophet! Let me tell you, it is not enough to believe that Jesus died on the cross to save you, you must believe in everything the Bible says is true, [Romans 10:8-10,16-17 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.]

Today’s Prayer: Jesus, Thank You, again for paying the debt that I could not pay for my sin when I admitted that I am a sinner, understood that hell is the price for sin, then You died a sinless death to save me, and rose again to give victory over death and the same promise to me. Not for works of righteousness did You save me, but by my faith alone. Now, the life that I live with You in it, it is not to keep my salvation, or to better what I get in heaven, it is to give honor and glory for what You did for me. I know I mess up time and time again, nevertheless, You are faithful and just to forgive me when I come to You, confessing my sin. Lord, I am Your witness of what a blessing it is to be a minister of Your truths. Lead me and guide me, give me Your power, mercy, grace, and protection as I serve You with all my heart. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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