Genuine Faith

King James Daily Bible Study Devotional

Message Title: Genuine Faith
Date: Saturday July 02, 2011
Chapters: Ecclesiastes 5-6, Proverb 2, Psalm 22
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-2
Details of Today's Chapters: Solomon's warnings against a vain religion, the vanity and vexation of wealth, and the vanity of worldly wealth as pertaining only to the body.

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?.. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” - Matthew 15:2,3,7-11.

The Christian life is not a label to put on, but a life to be put in, it's not a system of doctrine to be questioned, but a great principle to be lived out. Genuine faith in Christ overcomes all obstacles and draws us closer to God than we will ever be as we follow His commands, which can only be found in His Word. Defilement is to corrupt the whole body, it's not the food a person puts in their mouths that defiles a person it's what comes out of it that defiles them. What this means is that we speak what comes from the heart, if the heart is wicked, the words coming out of the mouth will be wicked too, defiling that person. There is no sin in word or deed, which was not first thought of in the heart.

Do you ever wonder why there are so many different religions out there for the same God? The truth is this this, Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” - Matthew 4:4. People do not want to live by every word proceeds out of the mouth of God, so they come up with their own version of His Word, hence the many versions of the Bible, to justify themselves as though they are following God. This is vain or worthless religion, which is what Jesus is referring to in the above passage. Solomon warns us about the very same thing hundreds of years before Jesus even came to earth.

“Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.” - Ecclesiastes 5:1-7.

Amazingly, God gives us all the free will to choose which religion we want to follow, now, that does not mean that He approves, but He rather have you follow some other religion than say you are following Him and lie about it. You want to offend God? Do exactly what you know is wrong intentionally and you will offend Him, remember, God is a jealous God and does not take too kindly to people abusing His good graces. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” - Revelation 3:15,16. God knows our hearts and whether or not we truly want Him in our lives or are just pretending to look good in front of others. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” - Jeremiah 17:9, 10.

God wants us to prosper, even give us riches, but many people deprive themselves of the good God might have given them by not consecrating God with what presently have. To concentrate means to give credit to God for what He has blessed us with. Solomon explains this further.

“Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.” - Ecclesiastes 5:18-20.

God gives us skills and talents to be used so we can live the best life we can possibly live here on earth, we do Him honor to acknowledge that every day because we are who we are today because of the person God created in us. The amazing thing is that the more we acknowledge Him in what He has done for us the more He blesses us. I am self employed and have recently been given a big job to complete from a large company, I have been praising God for this job since I was told about it three weeks ago. People have been asking me, “How did this company even find you?” My response, “It is all God.” Thanks to God I have work from this company for a long time and I can see all my hard work paying off as I concentrated God even when I had no work at all. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths...Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” - Proverbs 3:6,9,10.

Now, the problem with God's blessing us with riches is that it can take us away from Him, yes, He even uses financial blessings to test our faithfulness to Him. Once again, Solomon warns us about the deception and corruption of riches.

“There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease...For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit. That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he. Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better? For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?” - Ecclesiastes 6:1,2,8-12.

God gives a person all they need for outward enjoyment, yet leaves him to his own covetousness, which means, a strong desire of obtaining and possessing some supposed good in a wicked way. The truth is this, the more people have, the less they enjoy it, the more they want, it's a vicious cycle that leads to them loosing all they have if they are not careful. Those who have so much, yet do not know Christ, are always wanting more. Jesus Christ is the true Bread which satisfies and the Water of life which quenches the thirst of the soul, unless He is inside of us we will lose more than possessions, which we can not take with us and others will get when we die. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life...I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” - John 6:48,48,51.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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