Mark 3:1-6 reveals the true heart of many of the Pharisees who followed Jesus around to see what He would do!
3 Again Jesus went into a synagogue, and a man was there who had one withered hand [as the result of accident or disease]. 2 And [the Pharisees] kept watching Jesus [closely] to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath, so that they might get a charge to bring against Him [formally]. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, Get up [and stand here] in the midst. 4 And He said to them, Is it lawful and right on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to take it? But they kept silence. 5 And He glanced around at them with vexation and anger, grieved at the hardening of their hearts, and said to the man, Hold out your hand. He held it out, and his hand was [completely] restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately held a consultation with the Herodians against Him, how they might [devise some means to] put Him to death.
They followed Him around for the purpose of finding something (anything!) that they could use against Him in order to arrest Him and get Him out of THEIR way! Why? Because HE was doing what THEY should have been doing! Healing was provided for under the Old Covenant (Exodus 23:252; Psalm 107:20), but these "learned" religious leaders knew nothing of it. They were threatened by His very presence! They SHOULD have been beside themselves with joy at the obvious GOD happenings around them. Instead, they were filled with fear and anxiety about losing their coveted positions of authority and respect with the people. I want to warn you that the very same evil spirits are around today and speaking and influencing born again believers, and even ministers of the Gospel, to come against others who are preaching and teaching the Word of God that is setting people free from poverty, sickness, anxiety, worthlessness and pain. Whenever you hear a minister, or group of ministers, referred to in generalized and derogatory terms, avoid the situation like the plague! That attitude is just as deadly to your soul as the plague is to the human body! Instead, pray for all involved and simply move on to being where God wants you to be, doing what God wants you to do! There is NO such God-given ministry of judging and exposing ministries! God is well able to handle any one of HIS children who gets off track. When WE see a brother (sister) sin, we are told to pray for them (1 John 5:16)! The ONLY time we should speak against something is if they are preaching a different gospel! That would be saying that there is another way to Heaven than simply by faith in the finished work of redemption that Jesus accomplished on the cross! He IS the ONLY Way, Truth and Life (John 14:6)! AMEN!
As we are reading in Exodus in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, I am noticing again the very precise and specific detail that went into every single aspect of the Tabernacle! It was important to the God of the Bible, and to the well being of His people, that everything be done decently and in order! THEY brought their offerings at specific times and in specific ways. Now there are no longer animal sacrifices because Jesus accomplished what the blood of animals could never do (Hebrews 10:3-5)! OUR sacrifice is now a surrendering of our lives and will for HIS calling and purposes, along with the sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving and worship to HIM (Hebrews 13:15)! Spontaneous praise is wonderful and joyful, BUT, if we don't also have a determined time to bring Him that sacrifice, then we may, and most likely WILL, forget to "get it in" on any given day! Why? Because we are human beings with the nature of the flesh to contend with! We may not always remember. SO, make YOUR schedule with that in mind. Schedule specific times to pray, praise, worship, study, meditate, communicate with like-minded believers, AND time to put into practice what you are learning. (If we don't DO the Word, we will forget the Word! James 1:22) Here, to help you get yourself in position, is Hillsong with "I Surrender":
Shalom in Him!
