KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, October 31, 2016
Chapters: Matthew 19, Mark 10
Message: A Marriage With Christ
Hello My Friend,
Before I dedicated my life to Christ and started getting into the Word of God I was like any other person in the world who got saved, I had a life that reflected the world. I knew that it was wrong to lie, cheat, and steal, but I had no idea that the life I lived was full of sin. When I look back on my life I can see how God, even though I did not deserve it, protected me. And let me tell you, I took it to the limit, I went so far off the edge of the cliff that I was dangling on it with my fingertips, but Jesus did something that no one else would ever do, He grabbed my hand, pulled me up, and gave me a new life. WE all have a past, WE all have done something WE are not proud of, even those who grew up in a godly home. WE are not measured by our past, it is by WHO WE KNOW. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20.
I have never been married, but I was in a long term relationship, we were even engaged for a while, he was my first love, he had many things in his past, and I like, many others thought that love would endure. It did not and we never got married, thank God. When I first broke up with him I thought that we were meant to be and that love would find its way back, but as the years went by I learned something. God may allow us to go a certain distance, but He will never let us out of His sight, He will stop us from doing something we know in our hearts is not right to begin with. You see, marriage is something very sacred to God, and will not take it lightly, which is why He does not take divorce lightly. When Jesus was here there was always someone trying to tempt Him with the law, to see if He would go against it, this time they asked Him about divorce.
“They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.” – Matthew 19:7-11.
“but from the beginning it was not so.” Marriage, like all of God’s institutions, has been corrupted, what use to be something sacred has turned into just a piece of paper that says one has the rights to what the other has, and that too has taken a turn with prenuptials. There was a reason I did not rush to marry the guy, in the back of my head I knew he would not see it as sacred as me, if he cheated on me before we were engaged he would have in our marriage as well. When or if I get married I want it to be someone who loves Jesus and truly sees a marriage just like God sees it. Mark talks about divorce as well, he writes it a little differently as to why Moses instituted divorce. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” – Mark 10:5-9.
“What therefore God hath joined together,” You see, here it is, what God brings together, let no man pull apart. The reason so many divorce is because they were never meant to be to begin with. Let me tell you, God knows who belongs with who, love, lusts, and emotions often play a part in a marriage that was never meant to be. I am not saying that circumstances cannot pull a couple apart, someone who has an abusive or unfaithful spouse is not expected to live in that, and God would not want them to, but whatever God brings together nothing can tear apart. You know, when we receive Christ as our Saviour it is a marriage, we become one flesh with Him, and nothing we do can tear us apart. Why? Grace. God promised that if we believe on His Son and receive Him as our Saviour that we will receive eternal life in His Kingdom, not by works, by grace we are saved and remain that way and nothing will tear us apart. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39.
We often see signs that a marriage was never meant to be to begin with, beliefs or lifestyles play a part in whether or not it was even to be considered. While opposites do attract, certain things must be addressed before one can even think about being married to another, one being salvation, there is a difference between being in a religion and being saved. Many people believe in Jesus, I remember growing up, being taught about Jesus, on Christmas we knew it was His birthday, during lent we gave up something we enjoyed, ate no meat on Wednesday and Friday until Easter. On Good Friday we observed His death on the cross, and on Easter we got Easter baskets, never once did I hear He died for my sins or He arose for me. Religions is very good at telling us about Jesus, but leaves out that vital piece of information. Even more astonishing, many will deny Him upon learning that vital piece of information. Why? They do not want to give up what they have. A rich young man, following the ten commandments came to Jesus asking Him how to be saved, Jesus, tells Him to sell everything he had, and give it to the poor. The man never received him because he could not give up his lifestyle.
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.” – Mark 10:25-31.
“and in the world to come eternal life.” You know, we are going to deal with a lot of things in our lifetime, we are going to be put through the fire, we are going to be tried and tested of our faith, we are going to lose loved ones because they do not agree with our beliefs. A person who is rich rarely sees the need for God, therefore, many will not receive Christ. However, that does not mean that we cannot be rich receiving Christ, when we completely put our faith and trust in God, reminding ourselves that everything we possess comes from Him, we will be prosperous. Do you understand what this marriage in Christ does to us? It baptizes us with His blood. As the disciples sat with Jesus, James and John desired something.
“And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.” – Mark 10:35-40.
“and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:” When a person gets baptized in water after they are saved, it is not the same as what Jesus is speaking about here. Water baptism represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, we came to Jesus dirty with sin, we believe in Him and by faith receive Him, He emerges us with His blood, and pulls us out clean, white as snow. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” – I Corinthians 12:12-13.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.” – Mark 10:33-34.
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, it is amazing that we can simply come to You and be a part of You. We do not have to work our way to heaven or pay our way to get there, because You paid the price for us, we just need to simply have faith in Your finished work. Lord, when I received You as my Saviour a marriage began, one that will never tear us apart, I may drift and feel all alone, but You are never far. I am trusting in You to help me endure every trial and tribulation, I know if I want a lasting, fulfilled, and abundantly blessed life with You, I need to be just as faithful and true to You as You are to me. Even if I fail I know that You are always with me and will help me when I humble myself before You. In Your Jesus name….Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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