Take The Narrow Path

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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: Friday, October 11, 2024
Chapters: Matthew Chapters 6-7
Message: Take The Narrow Path

Hello My Friend,

Every day for the past few days felt like it was a Saturday as I have not worked my job since Tuesday because of the hurricane. While the rest from work was much needed, it seemed like time just stood still for a few days, and nothing got done except for hurricane prep. I can definitely understand what God means about a thousand years being as one day and how important it is to make each day count.

[Matthew 6:31-34  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.]

[Take therefore no thought for the morrow:] Jesus, is not telling us to make no plans for tomorrow, but He is telling us that we need to focus on what we are doing today. Let me tell you, plans change and even if we make it to that plan it never goes as planned. I remember my wedding, it did not go as planned and I was ready for a do over, but as I thought about it and watch the video, and look at the pictures, it would not be the same if I did it over. So, we are to leave the past behind us, hope for tomorrow, but live for today.

[James 4:13-17  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:  14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.  16  But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.  17  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.]

Knowing what is good is a matter of how God sees it as good, if there is anyone to teach us what that means it is Jesus. If the religious are so adamant about following a biblical pattern, then they ought to be wise to heed the words of Jesus. As we continue in the reading of the Gospels, since Matthew directed his testimony toward the Jews and their rendition of the Law, he goes into great detail about the words Jesus spoke when He was preaching on the correct way to follow the Law, beginning with our giving.

[Matthew 6:1-4  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.  2  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  3  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:  4  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.]

[Take heed that ye do not your alms before men,] [Alms; Any thing given gratuitously to relieve the poor, as money, food, or clothing, otherwise called charity.] So, all this time I had been associating this with giving tithes to the Church, while that is in itself another topic. There are people who love flaunting about how much they give to the poor and needy, and I started thinking about how they also put up a good front while in public eye, but in reality they are as wicked as can be. This is why Jesus said that we would know them by their fruit, [Matthew 7:16-18  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  17  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.]

Prayer, is another controversial topic among Christians, some people are so long winded that they will put you to sleep, some get so elaborate that you swear you jumped back in time, some start speaking other languages, while others start chanting. Prayer, is more than just asking God for the things we have need of, it is our direct line of communication with Him. Jesus, goes on to teach us how we are to pray.

[Matthew 6:5-8  And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.  7  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  8  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.]

[for they love to pray standing…that they may be seen of men.] God, knows whether or not each and every prayer is true and straight from the heart. Prayer, should be direct, humbling, and it must be reverent, honoring God’s name, and sincere. Prayer, is not chanting some rite over and over again, it is an honest conversation with God. Sometimes when we want to reach Him more effectively, we add fasting to prayer. Fasting, is when we abstain from consuming anything with our mouths for a period of time in order to reach a deeper connection with God. What we are actually doing when we fast is putting our flesh needs to the side while we seek answers from God. Well, Jesus, has something to say about that as well.

[Matthew 6:16-21  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  17  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;  18  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.  19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.]

[anoint thine head, and wash thy face;] Anointing and washing of the face were signs of cheerfulness and joy, which were directly contrary to the Jewish canons, which forbid these things. Christ, allows fasting, but it is quite different kind from that of the Jew. Christ’s fasting is not about abstinence from food, and of other life’s conveniences, rather an abstinence from sin. In the acknowledgment and confession of sin, accompanied by the exercise of faith and hope in God, there is no better way to get God’s attention, [Isaiah 58:6-7  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?  7  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?]

The scribes and Pharisees were proud of what they were doing to show their dedication to God, but in reality all they were doing was feeding their own egos. As Jesus continues to speak to the people, He warns them about the dangers of attempting to please God and themselves.

[Matthew 6:24-25,27-29  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  28  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:  29  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.]

[That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.] Solomon, the richest and most magnificent of all the kings of Israel, whose grandeur, and glory, exceeded all the princes of the earth, even he, when he was dressed in his royal apparel, could not compare to the beauty of his Creator. People, go through such extremes to have that perfect body, but that does not change who God made you to be. Stop worrying about the things that cannot be changed and start focusing on what you can change, that being your perspective. When we focus on the things that are important, everything else will fall into place.

[Matthew 7:1-5  Judge not, that ye be not judged.  2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.  3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  4  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?  5  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.]

[then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.] There is two kinds of judgment, righteous, which is what we do when we per say talk to someone about drinking and say that God does not want us to be doing that. Then there is critical judgment, that is when the person you are addressing gets defensive, calling you a hypocrite because you are the actual sinner and what they are doing is acceptable. This is what Jesus is talking about, we would all be hypocrites if we thought that we never sinned again after we get saved. Stop worrying about the things that cannot be changed and start focusing on what you can change, that being your perspective.

[Matthew 7:7-8,11-14  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  11  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?  12  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.  13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.]

[If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children,] Trust me, as much as we hope that there is good in everyone, and believe that we can turn anyone to Christ, it does absolutely no good to give our precious time and efforts on those who have no intention of walking on that strait and narrow path. We must know the Saviour personally as our Saviour in order to get to heaven, none of our “good” works can save us. Jesus, goes on to warn all who are attempting to get to heaven by their works.

[Matthew 7:21-23  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.]

[Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,] Religion tells us, “Do this, and you will get to heaven.” and this is why many will stand before Jesus the second they die and He will tell them He never knew them. And let me tell you, they will know, the second they see Him they will know who He is and be on their knees begging, but by then it will be too late. God, wants to give us things, especially eternal life, and if we are faithful He will surely take care of us way beyond what we expect. However, we must know Christ as our Saviour on nothing we do will ever get His attention, [Matthew 11:27  All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.]

Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Matthew 7:13-14  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.]

Today’s Prayer: God, You have called us to follow Your Son, and in order to do that we do need to enter in at the gate that is strait. When we do, You promise that we will receive all that we ask within reason. The first step of entering that gate is putting our faith and trust in Your Son alone for our salvation. Everything else comes as we begin to shadow Christ in the works that we do. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your Holy Spirit power to learn, discern, and walk the path that is narrow and straight, let us live our lives to please and glorify You alone, and not man. Give us also Your mercies and grace to walk the path that leads to Your blessing our lives with even more than we could ever ask for. And keep us grounded on the Rock upon which we stand so that when the winds and rains do beat us up, we are left standing strong in Christ. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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