Category: Uncategorized

Mark 7:17
We often tend to fail to understand even when God has made his message to us quite plain. The disciples wanted to discuss this one because they recognised what an important teaching it was. They wanted to make sure they knew what he meant.

Job 32:1-34:37

James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Heavenly Father, your Word is so very interesting. But, we often fail to remember that because we are distracted by life. I know you could have chosen to use something other than a book to tell us your message. But, you chose the best thing. You always do. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a man who needs to be saved.

Journal 15257

Mark 7:16
   Jesus makes it abundantly clear that he expects what he is saying to be understandable and applicable to his hearers. They would have no excuse if they missed his message.

Job 29:1-31:40

James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

Heavenly Father, may we always remember that all we need can be found in you. You are our righteousness. You are working to perfect our souls by the power of the sacrifice of your dear Son. Thank you for forgiveness in him! Though we try, without him our most wonderful achievements would be worthless wastes. Christ in our hearts makes us once again the humans you had intended us to be. Thank you again! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for our nation.

Journal 15256

Mark 7:15
   Righteousness has not to do with what enters our bodies, but what comes out of them. Though it is difficult for us to see, God’s laws are not designed to keep us from taking things into us, but to prevent evil from coming out of us. The heart is evil, that we know from other Scriptures. Something loathsome coming into our body is not defilement in that it does not make us less holy. It is instead that which comes out of us, our words, thoughts, motives, desires, etc. that defile us, making us unholy.
   This is an extremely important concept for us to understand. We are told not to do so many things. And, most of what is sin has to do with what enters us. So, why this teaching? Ah, but we must look deeper. The things that are forbidden to us in God’s Word are those things which will tend to our destruction and defilement. They are not forbidden because they are evil, but because we are evil. Indeed, it is the evil in our own hearts that causes us to want these things. And it is the evil in our hearts that will cause us to be defiled by our participation in them.
   This helps to make sense out of many of the stories of Scripture. For example, Jacob is blessed as the progenitor of the the Israeli nation, and yet he had two wives, and tried to get ahead through lies and deceit. How can such a man be blessed? David had a man killed and took his wife. Noah got drunk. How can these things be overlooked? And the answer is that the attitude of the heart of these men defiled them. And yet, the attitude of their heart also led to their forgiveness. Jacob recognized God’s blessing was the real source of his success. David admitted his wrong and begged forgiveness. Noah had no intentions of committing evil, though his son Ham was not so humble. Though defiled, the defilement began in the heart, and in the heart began repentance. This is why the message of the gospel is to repent, not simply to stop sinning. To just not sin any more is not realistic without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and that indwelling will not occur without a contrite heart.

Job 24:1-28:28

James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word! I cannot ever get over the truth that you have given us. It is wonderful to have truth available to us. We can see and understand through the Spirit what we should do for our lives. Sin is in the heart, and there is where repentance and faith begin their work. May we never lose sight of this truth! We must trust in you for our righteousness. We cannot manufacture it. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for the lost.

Journal 15255

Mark 7:14
   As I have emphasized many times before, Jesus was above all else a teacher. He would let his followers know when he was about to say something important. In this case he calls the crowd closer to him and instructs them, his disciples, and the Jewish leaders.
   Jesus seems to love to remind people to hear and understand. In other words, he always wants people to listen very closely and think about what they are hearing.

Job 21:1-23:17 

James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your personal interest in us. You care about each of us and our needs and you have forgiven our sins by Christ. And you want to have a relationship with each of us. It is so amazing! Knowing you is the joy of my life. You make it all worth while. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for our missionaries.

Journal 15254

Mark 7:13
   The Word of God was being marginalized by their traditions. They felt their traditions carried a lot of weight since they had held to them for so very long. There were many traditions of the Jews disruptive to the word of God.

Job 17:1-20:29

James 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

Heavenly Father, we cannot possibly overestimate your mercy on us for saving or souls. Though you have found us to be guilty and caught us red-handed, you sent your own son to supply a way out of our predicament. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a man with spiritual needs.

Journal 15253

Mark 7:12
   This was related to their ideas about vows. The ‘corban’ rule was a vow to give something to God. This meant that they saw the vow as having more weight than the law.

Job 14:1-16:22

James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

Heavenly Father, your commands are a blessing to us, not grievous. May we always embrace the truth of your Word. Your guide for our lives will not steer us wrong. Thank you for your watch-care! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a couple of individuals going through an emotionally stressful time.

Journal 15252

Mark 7:11
   This is one of the most hypocritical law modifications that the elders invented. The traditions said that there was an exception to the rule of caring for aged parents. A man could have the means to help, but decide to dedicate that money or other thing to God. As a result, this was called ‘corban’ and he could not give it to his needy parents. It was like saying that if you give enough to God, you don’t have to give to anyone else.
  Another problem with this rule was that it was abused. Many would simply promise ‘corban’ but never actually give that ammount to the Lord. This is just one of the grosser examples of how the Jews had, by Jesus’ day, drastically modified the law.

Job 10:1-13:28

James 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the truth of your Word. We don’t have to guess about the truth when we read your book, it is right there. You make the gospel plain and clear so that we may see the hypocrisy in our own lives. Thank you for this wonderful tool! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for a woman who is pregnant. Pray for a man having medical tests run tomorrow.

Journal 15251

Mark 7:10
   The force of this command must be understood in order to connect it to Jesus’ comments about the ‘Corban’ rule in the next few verses. What this command is expressing is carried over into the new testament and is expressed eloquently by Paul in 1 Timothy 5:8, 16. As in Mark, the concept is not fully explained, but this is due to the common understanding of it among the Jews, and even Gentiles, of that time.
   The concept is simple. The financial burden for parents with grown up children lies upon those children. In other words, responsibility for the retirement years of a person’s life fell squarely upon the next generation. Just as parents are expected to endure all sorts of financial hardship for their children, adults with aged parents are to care for those parents financially in like manner.

Job 7:1-9:35

James 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your great goodness! Regardless of our sinfulness you forgive because you have made a way for justification in Christ. Thank you for your love and kindness in giving us Jesus. We could, and shall, spend all of eternity praising you for him! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for having trouble at work.

Journal 15250

I’m taking a one week break from blogging for vacation. Have a great week!

Mark 7:9
   A very ironic reality! The traditions of the Jews had tied them down to all kinds of rules and regulations. Yet, the law of God, which would do them the most good to keep, was shoved aside by the traditions. Thus, they had come to to understand God’s laws wrongly, and had created their own to maximize upon their self-righteousness.

Nehemiah 1:1-4:23

James 3:12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

Heavenly Father, thank you for grace! As Jesus has shown us plainly, we cannot keep your law properly, we need your help. Only you can make us what we ought to be. Thank you for working in our lives! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Pray for our churches today.

Journal 15242