GOD'S PRECEPTS

(Read Mark 7:1-23)

God has given us his ordinance since Adam. In writing, from Moses. God's precepts must be learned, obeyed, passed from parents to children. By doing so, we learn to love His precepts, because they guide us and make us happy; His wisdom allows us to be successful in everything we do. In this paragraph, we learn that there are at least three positions, which usually we take, with respect to the precepts of God:

First position: Formalism (1-5)

The Pharisees and the scribes, coming from Jerusalem, watched and saw that some Jesus disciples eat bread without the ceremonial hand washing, accosted him: "Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eating with unwashed hands?"

Just like the scribes and Pharisees, we have a tendency to want to simplify things, and therefore like to organize, systematize what we have learned, to remind ourselves and fulfill what we think important. Once, when explained how I was preparing a message, I would say that thoroughly studied the text, until he found it a consistent statement, covering the entire paragraph that could be said in one sentence. But before I finished, my pastor interrupted me: "you examine the text to find him three points." I did not like the criticism but to my dismay, I discovered over time that he should was right. I noticed that no matter how hard I tried I always ended up dividing the exhibition into three or rarely four points. I could not do otherwise. The three points always sprang to my eyes at the end of preparation.

Sometimes I wonder why God does not presented the whole Bible organized, with well-defined points and sub-points. God does not systematize its precepts because it cannot be molded by human molds. There is no ready recipe to become acceptable to God. That is why religion, although good, cannot save us. God wants us to have a dynamic relationship, intimate, friendship, mutual love.

In our weakness, we need to systemize and formalize the precepts, but we should not think that our entire relationship with God is limited following certain rules. God expects much more of us, than to obey rules.

The Pharisees and scribes were so involved in this process of formalization, that his relationship with God became only rule greetings. Cl 2:20-3.4 warns us about this error: "Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. "

Second position: Rationalism (6-13)

Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees: "Well did Isaiah prophesy (29.13) about you hypocrites, as it is written: This honor me with their lips people, but their heart is far from me and me in vain. worship, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Neglecting the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men. "

He said that with a sophisticated little way, they rejected God's precepts to keep the tradition itself. He cited the example of a precept given through Moses, saying, "Honor thy father and thy mother: and who curses his father or mother be put to death" They're reached to release the men to financially help their parents if they gave the corresponding value as an offering in the temple. Also made many such things.

Rationalize is to argue in our defense, so, we just finding a knack of doing what we want, to defend our interests, against of the obvious will of God.

How did the Jews come to this point? It certainly not happened suddenly because his conscience would not bear it. But to appease his conscience, they were developing more and more excuses for your sin of greed, to involving the largest possible number of people in the crime, so that the blame be shared throughout society.

I'm afraid when I examine our own behavior as a Christian community. We are fully involved in trespasses and sins, and we cannot think too much about it, because our conscience would not support it.

We are hopelessly corrupt. We lie all the time, we seek our own interests, superficially do God's work. We cannot escape the judgment of God. Only his mercy, through the Lord Jesus can save us from being released along with the devil in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone.

We think we're doing well. Preach the Word, we are Bible Church! True? When God judges our works, and compare them with its precepts, what will be left? Will not it be almost all burning in God's judgment?

But someone will say let's stop this! Let us return to the true gospel! Many movements began well, as one that inspired the book In His steps : "What would Jesus do?" (Charles Sheldon). It was a zeal so gave rise to the Reformation of Luther, the charismatic movements, historical revivals led by men like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield.

Could we, today, repent in dust and ashes and begin a profound change to return to our first love, but how? I have a suggestion.

Imagine a preacher during the service, making an appeal to all deposit there, in the center of the temple, our mobile device. This is an impressive start. Would you dare to do this? Imagine yourself putting it there in the basket of offerings. Take God what you love so much, to prove that only have a God who loves whom, and even your mobile phone, so dear, you cherish more than your relationship with your God.

Then the preacher invites us to take another step. Asks us to leave there in the "altar", our purse, our portfolio, with all the money and also the documents. We will not need them from now on. Then let's go walk. Leave the cars parked where they are, let's not carry this weight on us. No one needs to close the temple. The doors will stay the way they are. Why to care? Why let us worry about the musical instruments that are kept there, with the sound equipment, the furniture, with phones, purses and wallets that we leave on the altar? We no longer need any of this, we need only Christ in us. Let's do this right now? He stops talking, and everyone started to put into practice this action, we will start our revival (pause for thought).

Let's not do this, do not you? We are not ready. We're not sure if it is the voice of God touching our hearts, or is it just a momentary madness.

But let us note one thing: it's not exactly what will happen when Christ returns? All those objects will not be exactly like that while we will be raptured to heaven? You may not believe in the Rapture, so I'll give another illustration: right now and might receive an attack of the Islamic State? We would leave not running for our lives, leaving everything exactly like this?

But if we do not do this now, then we admit our sin. The truth is that we love our cell, we love our purse and our portfolio, we love our car, the temple and all that's inside. We love our particular sins, the food, the drink, comfort, pleasure, power, money. We are devoting our lives to these things, and not feel guilty, we rationalize. After all, we need these material things. After all, we are devoting all this to God. We give tithes of all, we use it all for the glory of God, does not it?

A Bible passage that makes me very impressed is the Daniel 9:1-20 prayer of repentance. Daniel, a man whom we consider extremely fair, and whom God Himself gave testimony in his word, that he was a righteous man, himself, Daniel, did not consider that. His prayer was for repentance and supplication for all the people and for himself. He said no rationalization, and pleaded guilty to all the people, to testify that God is just and we are wicked. God is true and we are liars. Oh! Lord, have mercy on us sinners!

Third position: Internalization (14-23)

Jesus called the crowd and said to them, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand: There is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile, but what comes out of a man is what defiles.." Then, being at home, the disciples asked him concerning the parable, to which he said, "everything comes out in man cannot defile him, because it does not enter the heart but his stomach, and goes out to shady place ( ...) What comes out of man, that is what defiles. For from within, the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness , deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. But all these evil things come from within and defile a man. "

The internalization of the precepts is what will really help us, because God sees the inside, not the outside. We must keep in our hearts the words of God, I might not sin against him (Psalm 119:11); We should pray, as in Psalm 19:12-14: "Who can discern his errors? Absolve me of me that are hidden. Also the pride Keep your servant, that it does not dominate me; then I will be blameless and I shall be free from the great transgression. The words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer! "

Only the internalization of God's precepts can cleanse us of all that is infected so we can continue the search for holiness in our relentless pursuit of our Holy God.

Let's seek therefore the internalization of God's precepts in our hearts, through reading the Bible, prayer, the practice of what we discover, through well guided meditation, which is God's will for our lives. It is all that we will take to the heaven. Our cell phones will stay here.

How is your heart?

(Read Mark 6:45-56)

Our hearts may be in trouble without us having knowledge, because often the problems start small, growing quietly until, suddenly, the crisis comes with all its might. Therefore, it is important to make a periodic check with tests in laboratories, not to be caught off guard.

Spiritually, such a thing happens. In this text we see that there are at least three possible conditions of a heart, about his spiritual state.

First condition: Devotee Heart (45-47)

Jesus commanded his disciples to board and go to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. Then he went up the mountain to pray. When evening came, the boat was at sea, and he alone on the land.

Jesus had super powers, authority; He could become the king of Israel, because the people were with him; but, still, he was fragile, in their humanity. He needed to be alone with the Father, ask his guidance, speak to him about their concerns. If the only time he had to do this was the time that normally others used to sleep, then it was like that! He could not neglect their time of devotion; It was the time when he replenished spiritually.

Rumor has it that our church is not seeking the Holy Spirit, that just makes prayers and waits God's answer, which never comes, or it takes to come, while other churches are more dedicated, do fasts, vigils, chains , campaigns, determine and declare the blessings. Now, what we're trying to do, it is what Jesus himself did in his moments of weakness. We try to seek the Father in silent prayer, because only he has the power to determine and declare the blessings. If he has told the other servants to determine and enact something and they do not, they are in sin. If he does not tell us that we should declare or determine something, and we dare to do it, we would not also guilty of presumption and boasting? Jesus himself, just said and did what the Father sent (John 5:19; 7:16-18).

We need to check in spiritual laboratories of the word of God and prayer, if our heart is, in fact, is in devotion's condition, because only then can we receive instruction and powers appropriate to our mission, which was given us in Matthew 28:19, 20.

Second condition: Hardened Heart (48-52)

Seeing the disciples in difficulty in rowing, for the wind was against them, about three or four in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea; and I wanted to take them to the front. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they thought he was a ghost, and shouted disturbed. But then he spoke to them and said, "Be of good cheer! I'm me. Fear not "And he went up to the boat to be with them, and the wind died down!; so they were also much admired, because they had not understood about the loaves; before, his heart was hardened.

We can start the day with silent prayer beside the bed even talking alone with the Father, listening to his voice, meditating on the Scriptures we read, and interceding for brethren, friends and family. A devout heart. Then we get up, and let's start daily activities, do personal hygiene, preparing coffee, clothe us to work, and start working hours. It is at this stage that day, usually our heart is hardened. The headwinds, the bouncing waves, prevent us from achieving the goals we have sought. We forget even the promises of God, the miracles he performed until recently, and we were nervous, stressed, unhappy with the insurmountable obstacles that hinder us in achieving the target. If something unforeseen happens, something that was not on our agenda, as bad news, an accident; we were terrified until listen to the voice of the Lord: "Be of good cheer! I'm me. Fear not! "

Why did the disciples went to the other side and left Jesus alone? They were sent, but, by the Lord, but why? Perhaps because his heart was already hardened, because they wanted to rest, since his rest had been frustrated because of the presence of the crowd. And God afflicted with the headwind, which prevented them from reaching the other side? That frustration should not have felt that revolt! Since the late afternoon until early dawn, paddling and not out of place! If I was there, maybe give up, and let the wind carry the boat back to shore, and come pray with Jesus, leaving the feet of the Father's throne, all my complaint.

Jesus compelled the disciples to go to the other side, as the Lord compelled Balaam to answer the call of Balak, but then gave him strength in the way (Num 22:20-35). I'm always intrigued when I think of the history of this prophet. Why the Lord sent him to go, and soon wanted to kill him? He would, even, killed Balaam, if not for the intercession of a donkey. The answer may lie in what the text does not explicitly reveals, was the heart's desire of Balaam, who certainly went against the will of God, while outwardly behaved exemplarily, in the eyes of the messengers of Balak king.

If in the exams, in the spiritual laboratories, we find that our hearts are hardened, we are forgetting us, and we have not tried to understand the miracles that Jesus has done in our lives, if we are swimming against the tide, spending all our energy to at finally, do not get anywhere, so we can hear the rebuke of the Lord, as the day that calmed the big storm, "As ye have no faith?" (Mark 4:40). We must not lose us, "following the way of Balaam" (II Peter 2:15), but we should convert our hearts in a condition of constant devotion, as the heart of Jesus.

Third condition: Broken Heart (53-56)

Coming across, leaving the boat, the people traveled across the region, bringing the sick in bed. Wherever he entered, into villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, begging him to let them touch even the hem of his garment; and as many as touched went out cured.

The disciples, even not understanding why so much trial, followed Jesus, and with him met the crowds, which, broken hearts, seeking the only resource to soften their pain.

Sometimes, at the end of the day, our hearts also found thus broken; to have God allowed them reach the diseases, unemployment, disillusionment, endless afflictions. With broken hearts, we seek Jesus, because we believe in its power and in his pity, with which he can give us the desired relief. You, who are now reading this, may be with a broken heart, because you failed to achieve its goals, because you thinks that your life was a failure, because you has faced a serious illness of self or a loved one, because you lost possibility of communication with someone, whom the Lord took for himself. Know that Jesus is alive; are seeing your afflictions; and although he seems indifferent, you are including in their intercession with the Father, as we were told in Romans 8:34: " Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Or is praying for us, but also prayed for Peter, that his faith may not fail (Luke 2:31,32).

It's like he was on the mountain and, we in the middle of the lake. Rather than continuing with the hardened heart, trying things that, if they meet us, will be for a short time; rather than continuing with our anger, our bitterness, which makes us blind to the mercies of God, let's breaking our hearts, and turn it into a prayerful heart, like that of Jesus, who taught us by example when he prayed just before to deliver himself for our sake, "saying: Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).