King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Servants of God
Date: Tuesday October 18, 2011
Chapters: Mark 12-13
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-october-18

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.” - I Peter 2:11-16.

The Word of God is the proper and necessary food for the soul, which, if rightly used, does not leave us as it finds us, but improves us, strengthens us, and empowers us to live in the will of God no matter where we are, work, home, or play. The duty of patient and Christlike submission is necessary in every area of our lives, we are not to be pushovers, but respectful servants of God. As Christians it is important to read and study all of God's Word, it amazes me whenever a person tells me that the Old Testament is not significant for us today because we are to follow the New Testament. You know, the New Testament was taken from the Old Testament, in fact, it is a reflection of the Old. While we are not bound by many of the laws that were given through Moses, the same principles still apply. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” - II Timothy 3:16. It is important that we know all the Scriptures so we can be servants of God in His will.

The Pharisees, scribes, and Sadducees were very religious, but they were determined to destroy Jesus. Why? They did not want anyone proving them the liars that they were and would do anything necessary to keep the truth from being revealed. Jesus explained this further in a parable.

“And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country....But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.' And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others....And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.” - Mark 12:1,7-9,12.

These men were determined to kill Jesus, they thought themselves to be righteous and God fearing, but the reality was they made up their own religion. Instead of studying the Scriptures and learning the truth they did what they learned by bits and pieces of what they heard of God's Word, not by what they read. Religion is what destroys God's Word and it was religious people who killed Jesus. Piece by piece false religions remove God's truth and create their own image of who He is and what His truth is. The right knowledge of the Scripture and the foundation on which it is built, is the best prevention against error and being deceived by false religion. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,” - Romans 1:21,22.

The Sadducees believed in God, but not in resurrection, trying to catch Jesus off guard, they questioned Him about the resurrection using an example about a widow woman who married seven men. Jesus responded, “Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.”- Mark 12:24-27.

It is absurd to think that the living God should be the portion and happiness of those who are dead, therefore, it is certain that Abraham, Issac, and Jacob's soul exists just as every believer's soul exists in heaven when it separates itself from the body for a time when all will be reunited with their glorified bodies. “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” - Philippians 3:20,21.

The scribes, whom although knew a bit of Scripture, represent men and their traditions. They are the ones that put their own thoughts down, and call it "of God". They are the ones that think more of themselves and how they appear to others, than how God looks down upon them. Jesus is watching them as they cast their money into the treasury. “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”- Mark 12:41-44.

This woman loved God so much that she cast all she had into the treasury, depending solely on God to provide for her. Christian's have nothing to fear when we put our faith and trust in the Lord, Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and if anyone questions your loyalty to Him all you have to say is, “I am a forgiven child of the Living God, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for me.” “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” - Romans 5:9-11.

Jesus is returning and when He does all the false prophets and religious leaders will see God's wrath. However, in the mean time, God is trusting His faithful servants to keep telling the truth and setting ourselves as the examples that we need to for all we know to come to the acknowledgment of Christ. “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;” - Colossians 2:2.

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, You have given us the greatest example of a servant in the person of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Others in this world may earn titles and win prizes for worthy earthly pursuits, but the greatest prize that I will ever obtain is my entrance into heaven where I will see you face to face. And amazingly it is not because I earned it, but because I put my faith and trust in Your Son to get me there. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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