Mark 7: 20-23 ” He went on: ‘What comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.’ “

This all started when the Pharisees saw the Disciples eating food with unwashed hands and were offended.  Jesus gave the crowd a quick Anatomy/Physiology lesson when He concluded that all food (whether clean or unclean) goes into a man’s stomach, not his heart.  He then instructed the crowd by saying, “Nothing outside a man can make him unclean by going into him.  Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean.” (Mark 7:15)    I’ve heard it said,  if you shake a man, you’ll see what’s in his heart.  For it’s deep within our heart that all wickedness abides.

Colossians 2:2-3 ” My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. “

Do you know Jesus?  No really, do you know Jesus?  For in that perfect comprehension of just who Jesus is and what He’s done for you,  comes the unveiling of hidden things.  In it we’re able to recognize and discern truth  from distorted truth.  In knowing Jesus,  comes the revelation of God’s wisdom…His divine insight and knowledge of  once concealed things.  I’ll ask you again, do you know Jesus?

Psalm 52: 8 ” But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever. “

I am planted like a thriving tree in Your presence Lord…grafted securely to the root of Jesse…my dependence is on You and You alone.  I praise You Lord  for Your never-ending  mercy and kindness.  I thank You for Your everlasting and eternal love.  Amen.

Hebrews 2:9 ” But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”

Jesus died for you.  He experienced the stark reality of dying… for you.  In II Corinthians 5:15 it says that Jesus died for all…and that includes you.  Have you ever given thought to the profound notion that the Savior of the world died for you…just you?  No matter where you are in life…no matter where your walk is right now…remember,  Jesus loves you enough to have suffered unspeakable horror  and death… just for you.

John 18: 36 ” Jesus said, ‘ My Kingdom is not of this world.’ “

This everlasting Kingdom  was setup by God and given to His Son, Christ Jesus.  And as Believers,  this Kingdom  dwells within our hearts.  And in this, comes the rub.  For like this everlasting  Kingdom,  we too are in the world, but not of it.  Our lives here on earth are transitory, but at the same time filled with the repercussions of living in a fallen, broken world.  So what are we to do?  We walk this earth as aliens and foreigners longing for home, but also recognizing we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Our citizenship may not be of this world, but while we’re here… we’re to be about our Father’s business.

Galatians 3:26-28 ” You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ…There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Jesus Christ.”

We are all one in Christ.  There is not one nationality or people group above another in God’s sight.  We are all one in Christ.  There is no social or economical stigma in God’s family…for we all stand equal in His eyes…from the least to the greatest.  We are all one in Christ.  There are no gender barriers stopping any of us from fulfilling God’s plan and purpose in our lives.  We are all one in Christ Jesus.

Luke 7: 13 ” When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, ‘Don’t cry.’ “

Jesus and His Disciples were traveling to a town called Nain, when they came upon a funeral procession of the only son of a widow.  Jesus looked on her with compassion, for  she had not only lost her only boy, but also  her sole means of income.  This tenderness towards the woman was prompted  perhaps  by Jesus remembering His own mother and what she soon would be going through.  For Jesus then  spoke  to the corpse , “Get up!” and the young man sat up and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Mark 10:32 ” They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way…”

Jesus had been predicting His death to His Disciples… and they were fearful of traveling to Jerusalem for what they saw as imminent death of their beloved Leader.  Jesus didn’t shrink back or go into hiding…rather He had set off resolutely on the road to Jerusalem knowing full well what awaited Him.  Isaiah prophesied of this in 50:7, “…therefore I have set My face like flint…”  Jesus lead the way, going before the twelve Disciples…completely in control of the situation…not controlled by it.

Numbers 15: 37-38 ” The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel.’ “

These tassels were to be a visual reminder to obey the Lord’s commands, but in Matthew 23:5, Jesus accused some of the Jewish Leaders of making their tassels so extremely long as to make a show of their religious look.  He went on to say, “Everything they do is done for men to see…”  In many ways we can do the same, attempting to “look”  super spiritual when we’re in certain crowds.  God doesn’t look at our outward appearance…He looks at the heart. The Lord is saying to us –  trim your tassels …get rid of your religious spirit and focus back on Me.

Mark 10:17 ” As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up to Him and fell on his knees before Him. ‘Good Teacher,’ he asked, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ “

“What must I do?”   The short answer to the question  is that you can’t  do anything.  No amount of good works will get you any closer to the promised land  and the peace you seek.  The only thing you can do is to say Yes to Jesus,  turn from your sinful life, and  come into agreement with Him that you can’t run your miserable  life anymore.