God’s Heart – 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: Friday, May 08, 2020
Chapters: I Chronicles 17, Psalms 25, 29, & 33
Message: God’s Heart

Hello My Friend,

The second we get saved and start seeing the blessings from God we become eager to serve Him more so that we are able to receive more blessings. It is not necessarily that we are bargaining with God, as to say, “If you do this for me, then I will do that for You.” If we are quite honest with ourselves, if we only have our salvation, that is already more than enough that God has given us. And let me tell you, the more you walk with Christ the more you realize just how wretched your flesh is. I spent an hour today telling God just how bad I felt, all the while counting my many blessings, knowing I deserve none of it, but the hardships. I even started telling Him how unworthy I was, that I was a fraud and a hypocrite because here I am fussing about not being treated fairly when God has taken very good care of me. Okay, much of my self hatred of myself is the devil as he loves to try to get us to question our faith, then I read this Psalm, God reminded me of why I work to please Him.

[Psalms 25:3-10 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. 4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD. 8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.]

[let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.] The longer this pandemic goes on, the more people are going to biting each others heads off over things that are irrelevant. Remember, we are to obey the law of the land unless that law goes against God’s Word. [Lead me in thy truth, and teach me:] In all this, God has taught me a very valuable lesson, who cares what everyone else says, it is what God says that is important. Whatever decisions we make, we need to make sure that we ask God want He wants, and not just assume that it is something He wants. I Chronicles also gives an account to God’s promise to establish His Kingdom through David’s seed. David had just had the Ark brought into Jerusalem, and it was sitting under a tent. Life was pretty easy for David, there was peace in the land pretty much since he was born, he wanted to show his thanks and appreciation to God by having a permanent building made for Him. However, God did not want that.

[I Chronicles 17:1-6 Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains. 2 Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee. 3 And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4 Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in: 5 For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. 6 Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?]

[but have gone from tent to tent,] Before Christ sent the Holy Spirit into believers right after they receive Him, the Holy Spirit did not continually remain in a person. God moved His Spirit as He saw fit, and if God saw that a persons heart was changing, He removed His Spirit from them, we saw that with Saul. Today, once we receive Christ as our Saviour, the Holy Spirit automatically comes into our soul, but He never leaves us, He’s in our soul permanently, He is also known as our Comforter, whom Jesus promised to send in His place so that we can fellowship with Him until He either brings us home or returns, [John 15:26-27 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.]

As I said earlier, the more you walk with Christ the more you realize how wretched your flesh is. As David thinks about what Nathan told him he wonders why God chose him of all people. David even questions God about it.

[I Chronicles 17:16-20,24 And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 17 And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant’s house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God. 18 What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant. 19 O LORD, for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 20 O LORD, for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 24 Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.]

[for thou hast also spoken of thy servant’s house for a great while to come,] David is overwhelmed by the fact that God is speaking in infinite terms. [for thou knowest thy servant.] The thought of having eternal life with Christ just by accepting Him as my Saviour is overwhelming to me, I do not deserve this, I mean, You have seen my rap sheet and it is huge. You know what? By my faith in Christ alone, I do not have a rap sheet, Jesus removed every offense. [and according to thine own heart,] and Jesus endured the pain, the cross, the death, being buried, and resurrected because He loves me with all His heart. [that thy name may be magnified for ever,] I am with David in asking God to make it happen so that He is the one who is glorified in establishing me. When people see me, all the good that I do, I want them to see that it is Christ in me that has done this. [Psalms 29:1-2 Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.]

Jesus is the example that we are to follow, apart from being a human sacrifice (we are to be a living sacrifice), we are very capable of doing the things that Jesus has done while He was here in the flesh. God’s people are a nation of only saved, born again believers of Christ who belong to Him, He will protect, defend, and love them with all His heart. [Psalms 33:12-21 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. 13 The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. 14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. 15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works. 16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. 17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. 18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; 19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.]

[An horse is a vain thing for safety:] Let me tell you, nothing in this life can save us, nothing in this world is more powerful than Christ, His heart, eyes, ears, and blood is on us, all because we have hope in His mercy. God’s heart truly goes out to us, His thoughts toward us are only great, and the trials we go through, which many of them are of our own doing, are used to prepare us for the amazing life awaiting in His Kingdom. Amen! [Isaiah 55:6-9 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.]

Today’s Prayer: God, The love you have for all your creation is astounding, and yet so many are hardhearted to that love. Your heart itself is amazing, to love us so much that You sent your only begotten Son, that we might receive eternal life through our faith and acceptance of Him alone as our Saviour. Lord, there is nothing we can do to earn or keep our salvation because it has been bought and paid for by Your Son, but we can be the example that Christ gave us so that others can be saved as well. Lead us and guide us, open and tender our hearts to love as You love, teach us to have a heart like Jesus, and be willing to show them the same love as You have shown us. As we become more like Your Son, protect, and shield us from the evils that lurk about, and let us not become weary in well doing. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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