Proclaiming Christ And Keeping Him

King James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Chapters: Luke 14-16 http://imfollowingjesus.com/Bible-Reading-301.html
Message Title: Proclaiming Christ And Keeping Him

Hello My Friend,

Bidden, to proclaim; to make known by a public voice. To ask, request, or invite. Did you ever walk into a room, even a church, and see people grouped up in certain clicks? Everyone has people they draw closer to than others, if you notice the clicks, they are those who think alike, and not everyone is welcome. Even in a church people can spot a faithful, godly Christian from one who is not, and they will keep you out of their click if you are. Jesus knows the clicks, and if we are going to proclaim Him in public we might want to consider who we are doing it for, Jesus or the clicks. “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:14,15.

Jesus was always invited to dinner often by the Pharisees, this was usually to question Him or catch Him doing something they could use to discredit Him. As He is in a Pharisees home He notices the clicks. “And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” - Luke 14:7-11.

“Begin with shame to take the lowest room” Shame, a painful sensation excited by a consciousness of guilt, or of having done something which injures reputation. We should never be so proud of ourselves that we think we are better than another. And getting around those who think they are only makes things worse, eventually all will fall. God lifts up the humble, not those who, quite frankly, think they do not need any improvements of themselves. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.” - James 4:8-11.

“Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:” It often takes affliction to get us to see that we need God. As Jesus speaks, the people who thought themselves to be nothing gathered to hear more, while the Pharisees and scribes fussed over Him accepting them. Jesus uses a parable about a son who spends his fathers inheritance on a worldly life and what happens when he humbles himself and seeks his fathers forgiveness. “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” - Luke 15:17-24.

“He was lost, and is found.” It doesn't matter where we are in life, even strong Christians get times in their lives when they're contemplating the Christian life, some become stagnant for a while, some become distant, and some down right walk away from it. We are perfect, a perfect mess that is, and it often takes severe affliction and losing everything we have (regardless of what that everything is) to see we need Jesus. God loves us so much that even when we walk away, He welcomes us with open arms, and we are treated like royalty when we do, after all we are His saints and children. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” - 1 John 1:7-10.




For those who think there is no heaven or hell, it exists just as we do. For those who do believe and think their heritage, works, or something else will save them they are gravely wrong. As the covetous Pharisees claimed that both their works of righteousness and inheritance saves them Jesus gives an amazing parable about an unsaved rich man and poor Lazarus in hopes that some would get that hint.

“And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” - Luke 16:24-31.

“If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded,” There are some people no matter what they see will never believe. Look at all the people who witnessed Jesus doing all the amazing things He did, they believed Him to be of the devil and or a fake. Those are hearts so hardened that God will never get through, and while He gives all an opportunity to know His Son and be saved, some will never believe, and no amount of physical evidence will prove them otherwise. It's sad, but we are going to have family that we will not see in heaven because they rejected Christ. We should never stop praying for them, by the grace of God He may be able to afflict someone enough to believe, but there is nothing we can physically do to convince a hard heart to receive Christ. “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.” - 2 Timothy 2:11-14.

Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ to save me, I know that I am not perfect, I know that I am going to mess up, but I also know that You are always with me and will never forsake me. If I get in a bind all I have to do is humble myself before You with all my heart and I will find You right there where You have been all along. Lord, I do not want to mess up in order to find You, give me Your power to walk with You, watch over me, guide me, and be with me in all that I do, keep me in the love of Christ, who is my only rest, strength, and hope for true riches. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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