Abandoned

“Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬-‭28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Abandoned

I think the world, including many Christians have all but abandoned the word of God. I have often railed on about how many have opted to read books about God, rather than read their word of God. Many of us run to the world’s cinematic depictions of Jesus, crafted for an unbelieving audience, and eschewing the actual word of the Lord.

Very often when people are confronted with what the Bible actually says, they are taken aback, as if this is some new doctrine, or worse yet, they seek to dismiss it as false teaching, because it does not line up with the fiction that had been fed from many pulpits around the world.

I thought of this as I read in Mark, of that moment when Jesus entered the temple to teach. People were astonished because he taught with authority, the is to say, He taught with accuracy, the very word of which He Himself was the personification.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14 NKJV

Not only did the Lord Jesus speak with authority, but they then witnessed the power of the Godhead right before their eyes, as the Son of God cast out demons.

“Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!””

The demons knew who Jesus was, but those around them, having been so divorced from the teachings of the word of God, that they did not recognize the fulfillment of the Scriptures happening right in front of them with each step of the Lord.

It was good that the interaction between the demons and the Lord of glory went over the heads of those listening, for it was not yet time. They simply stood amazed wondering what “new” doctrine this was. They no longer held the truth of God’s word, and their own tradition, conceited by the appetites of men, had become the only doctrine they followed.

We are living in a time when we are much like the Pharisees of old, for many have gone after self concocted fables, that give ease to the conscious, as those who profess to be Christians engage in all manner of gross sin.

Thanks be to God there are those who have answered the challenge given to Timothy by Paul, to stand in the word, preaching it correctly, even though there are those who will not endure sound doctrine.

“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
II Timothy 4:1-5 NKJV

Brothers and sisters, let us pray for our pastors, encouraging them to be faithful to the Scriptures, to preach and teach with the authority afforded them by the Holy Spirit. Pray that they endure in the face of great criticism, for the world has invaded the church.

We are in the zero hour, my people, for the time is drawing near when to stand for Jesus will bring attacks from the right and the left, as it us becoming repugnant to many to be focused on the Lord.

Decide today who you are going to serve. We are in a time not unlike that when the children of Israel stood audience before Joshua near the end of his life.

We have the opportunity to press on into the promise, or stay where we are, short of what the Lord has for them.

Rather than a people determining their destiny, we are each individually in a position where we must choose who we are going to serve.

““Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.””
Joshua 24:14-15 NKJV

Choose this day, Christian, serve the gods of this world which feed the flesh and lead to destruction, or serve the Lord. As for me and my house I will; serve Jesus.

Let us remember the things of old, seeking correct teaching, submitting ourselves to the correction of the word, fitly preached. May we ask the Lord to search us, to remind us of our need for Him, for without Him we are nothing. The word, has the power to search the soul.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
Hebrews 4:12-13 NKJV

In tell you the truth, we are going to need all that we can get from our Lord to endure and complete the mission we have been given. Make it your mission to read the word, to turn from the worldly things that have crept into your religiosity, seeking to purify your faith, knowing that the Lord is all there is.

Have a Fabulous Friday!

#prayfortheharvest

#prayforthepersecuted

#prayforthepeaceofIsrael

#prayforthegospeltospreadeverywhere

https://www.allaboutgod.com/the-roman-road.htm