Top o’ the Mornin’ to Ya!
TLDR: Jesus said “Get behind me Satan” to Peter and “I never knew you” to those casting out demons in His name. Feeling authentic in sin isn’t the same as seeking first the Kingdom of God.
More and more recently, I’ve been reading Scripture and watching The Chosen, wrestling with the concept of people falling away. Looking at Jesus through the week of Passover, facing off with the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them hypocrites and a den of vipers. “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.”
How quick and natural we are to adopt what’s going on in this world. What is the last thing you wanna hear from Jesus? Mark 8: “Get behind me Satan, for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests but man’s.” This was Jesus rebuking Peter after Peter told Jesus to save himself, be the savior from Rome that people were expecting.
I think it’s so prevalent these days. A friend of our family recently told us they’re now non-binary. They looked like a great Christian, walking the walk, leading others to church and worship. Yet they’re a married person. Scripture tells us man and wife. God made man, took a bone from Adam, and made woman.
It reinforces what I’ve been experiencing about “I never knew them.” There’s a verse about people casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Yes, God and Jesus allow their power to be used by people who are not brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus said, “I never knew them.” Did they do good things? Cast out demons? Use the power of the Holy Spirit? Yet Jesus says, “I never knew them.”
It comes down to seek ye first the Kingdom of God. One of our pillars in Kingdom Family Leader is bless yourself, but that blessing must follow seeking first the Kingdom. This non-binary person said, “I feel so fully authentic.” That “authentic” feeling is an attack from Satan’s world.
Jesus spent time with sinners because they needed healing. The Pharisees and Sadducees needed more healing but were unwilling to consider it. They made rules people couldn’t follow yet didn’t follow God’s rules themselves. They vowed their money to avoid biblical principles of supporting their parents.
We can only see the outside of the pot. God sees the inside. I pray my faith and hope and insight is as clean as I try to make it.
Mark 8: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
What is this identity crisis that’s overcome this world? How do we twist God’s word to “permit” things?
Deny myself to come after Jesus. Deny my need to feel authentic in sin. Deny my need to fit in this world. We are not supposed to fit in this world. We are supposed to fit in the Kingdom. We are to be in this world and seek ye first the Kingdom of God.
We do our actions not as works but as fruit to show who we are as we seek Christ, as He sacrificed for our sins.
It’s so easy to get deceived into thinking, “I know Jesus and He knows me.” Those casting out demons thinking God’s working through them. And Jesus says, “I do not know you.”
Replace ego, pride, and world with humility, faith, and love. The Beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness. Blessed are you when people insult and persecute you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad for your reward in Heaven is great.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.
You be blessed!
