Because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.)

 All Things:

             All foods are clean:

 Mark 7:19

19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.)

 

            Now not all foods are good for us, but they are clean. You won’t become unholy by eating a certain item. They may, however, cause us physical problems. There are some Christians that get entangled in the eating customs of the Old Testament. That’s not to say that they aren’t better for us. It’s just that they get into a legalism about not eating certain things like they did in Moses’ day. It’s o.k. to have the “Old Testament Diet Plan”. It’s just like any other diet plan. Just because you don’t follow it once in a while, doesn’t mean that you’ve blown it forever. Just get back on it. I am neither promoting nor condemning the plan. Just don’t get under bondage to it or any other diet plan. You won’t lose your salvation because you eat something that’s not acceptable to the plan.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "It is not important what goes into your stomach. It is only important what goes into your heart. If you keep your heart pure, you will be pure. If you allow unclean things to enter your heart, you will be unclean. I cannot touch the unclean. Allow your hearts to be purified, and then you shall always be in My presence and feel My love towards you.”

 

            66. I will not be condemned because of what I eat for all foods are clean for me.

For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.

 Something Better:

             Better and abiding possession:

           

Hebrews 10:34

34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.

 

            It’s hard to think about Heavenly possessions when you live in a physical world. We can touch these things with our hands. When they are taken away from us, we feel a sense of loss. But these things are just temporal. They won’t last. What we have in Heaven is much better than these things and will last forever. They can take away our physical possessions, but no one can take away our Heavenly ones.    

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "There is nothing in this life that is important. Only those things that have to do with the Kingdom are important. Set your minds on those things which are above; for they are the important things. They will set you free; not the material things of this world. They will only bring you into bondage to the ways of the world. Trust in Me to supply all your needs; for they are important to Me … for when you do not have what you need, your mind is ever on them and not on My Kingdom. You have no need to fear. I have chosen gladly to give you the Kingdom; and the things of the Kingdom will make you wealthy beyond imagination. You are My children. Would you allow your children to suffer? Then why do you think that I would allow My children to suffer. You shall overcome in this life and the next as you trust in Me.”

 

            65. I have a better possession than all the things here on earth and it will last forever.

Through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

 Freedom:

            Freed from all things:

 Acts 13:39

39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

 

            Man was under much obligation because of Adam’s sin. He was under bondage to sin because of him. Even the Law of Moses couldn’t help. That’s because man in his own strength can not obey the Law. But when man receives Jesus as Lord and Savior, he is freed from that law of sin and death … for the soul that sins shall surely die. We are no longer under bondage but under the freedom of the Spirit. He will guide us into the paths of righteousness. It is a stricter guideline than the Law of Moses, yet because He lives His life in us, it is one of infinitely more freedom.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You are free in My presence My children. You are free to be what I have designed you to be. There is freedom in no one else, but Me. There is no freedom in the world. There is no freedom in the laws of man. There is no freedom even in My Holy Law. But there is freedom forever more in My presence. You are in My freedom if you are in Me. You are in My freedom when you walk in My Word. There is freedom in no one else. There is joy in no one else. Abide in My joy.”

 

            64. Because I am a believer, I am freed from all things. I am under bondage to no one nor any thing.

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,

 Confidence to enter the holy place:

           

Hebrews 10:19-20

19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,

 

            In the Old Testament, only the high priest once a year could enter the holy of holies, but only after the shedding of the blood of an animal. We can come boldly into the Holy of Holies any time we wish … by the shedding of the blood of Jesus one time for all eternity. We cannot enter in the flesh. It is a spiritual entrance into a spiritual place. The veil that separates us from it is our flesh. We, in the flesh, cannot enter into it. Jesus, through His flesh, entered it for us.

            The people who lived during the Old Testament times had no idea this was going to happen. It was unthinkable that just any person could enter into the presence of God. But that is just what we can and should do.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Come into My presence, My children. There is fullness of joy in My presence. There is peace forever there. There is no one here to harm you. You are safe in My presence. You are able to come boldly into My presence as not even Moses was able to do. You are always in My mind and always in My presence when you stay in My love. You are the ones that I desire to have with Me always. There is no other one than you that I desire. Come into My presence and experience My joy.”

 

            63. I have confidence to enter the holy place and come into the presence of God because of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

 All Things New:

             Renewed day-by-day:

2 Corinthians 4:16

16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

 

            Someone once said that as soon as we’re born, we start dying. Whether or not we accept that as true, there is a point where we all do start “decaying”. That doesn’t mean that our flesh will fall off while we’re still alive. Our physical body does start to go downhill. We may improve on it, but it will never truly go back to where it was in the past. We may just delay the final conclusion. People today are so concerned about there outward appearance. They spend a lot of money to make it appear better and not as old looking. Notice I said appear. It’s not really better or younger. It may be better and younger looking than it really is, but it’s still the same age. A fifty year old dead person who looks thirty-something is no better off than one that looks sixty-something. They are both dead.

            We should be concentrating on our inner man. He is the one who needs to reign supreme. He is being renewed by the Holy Spirit every day. Every day he gets better. We need to feed that inner man daily on God’s Word and prayer. That will help him be renewed. He is destined to be renewed, but the process will be easier on us if we cooperate with God’s Spirit. Our inner man will look more and more like Jesus every day. Soon others won’t be able to tell the difference between us.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Your trust is not in the things of the world, nor the things of the flesh. The flesh will die and the world will pass away. But if your trust is in Me, you will never fail and will never have anything to fear. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You have everything that you could possibly ever need in Me. Trust in Me, not in the flesh. The flesh will end, but I will endure forever.”

62. No matter how my outer man looks to the world, my inner man is looking more and more like Jesus every day.