A NEW WAY…

RE-Release from: May 11, 2017, 4:14 PM

JESUS SAID IT….

What does it mean to “FOLLOW” Jesus?  Does it mean that we take whatever he was opposed to…..a religious, legalistic, ritualistic, man-made, “temple” and political culture…and continue to operate in that same fashion?  OR…could it be that Jesus came to “CHANGE” that culture…the status quo…of how they had been doing “religion” all those years?  Did JESUS come to bring a new “WAY”?  How can we miss it…when we just have to read what Jesus says.  The Religious and Political climate of that day had been perfected by man for SOOO long…that they found it really hard to believe that someone would have enough courage to stand up to their “Business as Ususal”!!

JESUS was pretty straight forward with them.

Let’s look at Mark 7…when Jesus came against a “religious tradition of MEN”!

7 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. ² Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. ³ For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. ⁴ When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.⁵ Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”⁶ He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:‘This people honors Me with their lips,But their heart is far from Me.⁷ And in vain they worship Me,Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”⁹ He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), ¹² then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³ making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

We see where Jesus “discerned” their heart….that their worship was in “vain” — pointless.  I believe we see so much “heart-less” worship today, that is simply good entertainment.  He also rebuked them for teaching as doctrine the commandments of men….not much more to elaborate on this statment as it is pretty easy to understand.  In their pride they felt to add their own rules and tradtions to what God wanted.  THUS by doing so….they made “the word of God” ineffective!!  They usurped the “authority” of putting GOD first not only in their worship and teachings, but “SELF” had usurped the throne of their heart that should have been reserved ONLY for GOD himself.  

Who do you have on the throne?? And are you giving all GLORY to GOD in all you do???…..

JESUS said it….let us consider it a “warning” to us today to NOT do the same things they did!

When we worship, let it flow straight from our hearts to HIS throne…when we teach, let us not be so proud as to add to or take away what HE has told us…let us reverence the  Word of GOD as our FINAL Authority on any subject.  Let us allow GOD to be FIRST in our lives always….

Prayers…blessings…