It All Depends on ... the Condition of Your Heart.♡
Introduction...
You repented ... said the prayer ... started going to church ... and reading your Bible.
So ... are you going in the Rapture?
So ... are you going in the Rapture?
...no...not if you have disregarded one extremely serious warning the Lord, Jesus, gave in both ... Matthew 15:3-9 ... and Mark 7:6-13 ... which most people ... unfortunately ... have minimized ... by misunderstanding how Jesus defines what it really means to "honor mother and father" ... and declares to that one who follows the way and example of the world: "Let him die the death" ... which is the penalty for this failure to comply with God's way of dealing with family matters.
How could we have missed it?
How could the devil have deceived us all of these years?
Thankfully we may have enough time to repent and make sure we qualify before it is too late.
* * * * *
Here is an excellent example from Scripture ... demonstrating how the Spirit of God uses His Word to render the true meaning from this ... (so often) ... culturally corrupted passage in Mark 7:6-23.
* * * * *
. . .The Pharisees never stopped harassing Jesus ... always ... somehow ... trying to use the topic of religious "works" and rituals to find an accusation against Him that would stick.
If they could just find something against Jesus ... they imagined it could be used to undermine His righteous credibility before the people.
However ... He never fails to take advantage of their accusations by turning false assumptions into lessons ... designed to expose and convict ... their own evil hearts.
So ... this time ... when the Pharisees confront Him...
v.6
"He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."
First and foremost ... to correctly expound this passage ... it is necessary to start waaay back in the beginning ... at verse 6 ... where Jesus labels the Pharisees for what they are ..."hypocrites."
An "hypocrite" is one who pretends to be something he is not ... an actor upon the religious stage of life ... not God-appointed ... but a self-appointed religious "authority" among the people ... claiming to possess the knowledge and wisdom of God without really knowing God and the Truth of God's Word at all ... or knowing it ... but refusing to submit to it ... himself.
Immediately ... Jesus aims for the heart of the issue ... where all spiritual discernment must begin ... and what is Jesus' spiritual "ammunition" of choice? ... (the same defense He used against the attack of the devil when told to throw Himself from the high place and command His angels to catch Him ... Matt.4:6)
He used that which was already "written" and established ... set forth by God Almighty in His most Holy Word.
Jesus reveals that He has the ability to see into their hearts ... and what does He See?
It is obvious to Him that while they pretend to "honor" God with their speech ... at the same time ... their hearts are far from Him ... hearts are somewhere else ...
[In the Greek] "separated" from Him ... "not rightly focused" on Him.
They certainly do not have His Word and His will at heart ... but are at "variance" with ... in "discord" with ... in "conflict" with ... and "against it."
In any case ... a "spirit of contention" has been noted.
v.7
"Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
What does Jesus have against these people?
They offer worthless worship to God ... by going through all the acceptable motions of praising Him ... legally ritualizing their life ... and diligently teaching "doctrines."
However ... the problem is ... the "doctrines" they are teaching ... really aren't from God ... really aren't from God's Word ... but are in fact ... the laws ... commandments ... and rules ... false interpretations ... and assumptions ... devised by men ... who dare to tamper with the Word of God ... in an attempt to steal authority and preeminence from God ... actually contradicting the commandments and true doctrine of God ... as we shall see:
v.8
"For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do."
v.9
"And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition."
The first violation ... false religious leaders make ... is to set aside God's commandments ... in order to establish their own "traditions" ... religious cultural practices ... rules ... that take the place of the way of life ... God intends His people to follow.
Next ... Jesus addresses this first violation ... confronting these false teachers ... aiming again ... directly at their wicked hearts:
v.10
"For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:"
[In the Greek]
"honour"
G5091
=estimate..fix the value
=(even monetary value)
=revere
=venerate..value
G5093
=precious
=of great price
=esteemed
=especially dear
G5092
=dignity
"curseth"
G2551
=speak evil..revile
=abuse
G2556
=bad nature
=mode of thinking
=feeling..acting
=wrong..wicked
=troublesome
=perverseness
=destructive
=harmful
=noisome/offensive
G3056
=in speech
=style of speaking
=disputing
"death"
G2288
=death of body
=implied idea of future misery in hell
G2348
=to be dead
=spiritually dead
Jesus draws the false religious leaders' attention to God's already established law ... and the severity of the punishment that comes with violating this law ... concerning the relationship and attitude all children ... and especially adult children ... are to have toward parents ... as specifically found in the Ten Commandments .... that God already established through Moses.
Then Jesus describes in detail how they created this first violation by religiously and culturally establishing a new worldly "tradition"... a different way of viewing the relationship God expects children to have with their parents.
Jesus even quotes the very specific lies against God's Holy Word that they use to lead children (especially adult children ... those of the age of accountability) to sin against their parents and God ... a sin that is being minimized (like today) ... that promises to bless rebellion and self gratification ... but ends in eternal damnation.
In the world ... it might be culturally cool ... even justified from some pulpits ... and in some religious social circles ... to take over bank accounts ... strip away personal freedoms ... and pack mom and dad off to confine them to nursing homes ... the moment they turn 70 or are in need of a little help with cooking and cleaning ... BUT ... Jesus warns them:
v.11
"But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free."
What were the false teachers REALLY telling the people?
They were saying ... "Don't be concerned about the welfare of your parents when they get old ... God does not expect you to have to help them in their old age ... If you do anything for them ... that's a lovely gesture ... but just consider it a "gift"... not an obligation under God's law."
But throughout Scripture God warns children that they MUST "requite" ("recompense"/"pay "back"/"provide" the same loving care and attentive protection to their parents ... as they received initially ... at the beginning ... of their own very fragile ... vulnerable ... life on earth.)
Even if parents were negligent in caring for their children ... we are still all required "to do unto others as we would like them to do unto us"... and unconditionally love and honor them ... simply because they are our parents ... and because our love for them is a reflection of the type of love and obedience we have for our Heavenly Father and His Holy Word.
A common excuse for withholding care is that the care required is more than one is equipped to provide ... however ... while this may be the case in a small percent of cases ... when responsibility is anticipated ... in most cases ... God will provide where there are willing hearts.
Some ways He provides financially ... is to help loving children with opportunities to earn income early in life ... to have wisdom in setting aside income for later in life ... to teach children (who are submitted to the Authority of Christ and the Word of God) how to manage income unselfishly and avoid consuming every dollar upon their lust for things and foolish pleasures of this world that have no eternal value ... by planning ahead to lovingly obey God's Word.
Wisdom also in consideration of real estate investment can be an expected blessing in the future ... purchasing a duplex ... or a larger home with a space for a grandparent apartment ... can protect ... preserve ... bond the family ... and reap many future rewards ... both physically ... as well as spiritually.
Advanced planning that includes sibling involvement ... also ... can provide a great blessing all around ... as God provides creative ways responsibilities can be shared.
Our Father in Heaven promises to pour out His blessings upon those who love to do His will ... turning our presumed "sacrifices"... into multiple blessings for every member of the family ... while the "rebellious dwell in a dry land."
v.5
"A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation."
v.6
God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land."
-Psalm 68:5-6
In this passage ... Our loving Heavenly Father ... sets forth His specific desire and command regarding how families should function:
(1)..reminding us that the fatherless are not to be abandoned ...set outside of the family God ordained for them ... He ... Himself ... is a "Father to the fatherless" ... so as His children ... we also should regard the welfare of orphans.
(Study further ... the amazing life of George Mueller ... who took God's Word seriously and devoted his life to caring for the fatherless.)
(2)..reminding us that God is a "judge" of the "widows" ... usually referring to elderly women ... but can also apply to any woman that is in need of protection and care.
Take note. . .the word ..."judge"... here ... does not picture a "judge" as a "condemner" of widows ... but as a "vindicator"... "defender"... one who protects the woman and judges/condemns those who take advantage or persecute women ... that are at a disadvantage because of ... age ... physical strength ... or circumstance.
(3)..Being totally alone ... isolated from family ... as God compares it to imprisonment in this 6th verse ... emphasizing His command to bring the isolated into families ... and logically ... this means within one's already existing Christian family ... not some psudo-pretend "family" of the worldly system ... since ... elsewhere in Scriptures ... we are commanded to not be a part of the world's system ... or under its control ... which could interfere with personal protection of loved ones and/or their ability to function freely in their relationship with God.
BUT. . .instead ... adult children today ... often entrust their precious eternal life to false interpretations of God's Holy Word spewed by false religious leaders ... selling out their spiritual inheritance for a flash in the pan ... few years of self-centered ... self-indulgent living ... eager to believe that now ... they somehow have "authoritative" allowance ..."holy permission" to no longer "do what they ought":
v.12
"And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
v.13
"Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."
**********
How to be Rapture-ready:
Do what is right according to the Word of God.
... and if you do not have an heart that is willingly submitted to the Word and will of God ... then scroll to the top of this page ... click on the gift wrapped in gold in the left column.
... and hurry before it is eternally too late ... hurry ... Do not "die the death" and miss out on Jesus' promise of residing in the Father's House.
♡♡♡
No comments:
Post a Comment