Sunday, April 30, 2017

Matthew 13:18-23 (KJV) Understanding the Word Produces Fruit

Matthew 13:18-23 (KJV)
Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 
I notice the various responses to the Word of God:
  • One hears and does not understand 
  • One hears and joyfully receives it
  • One hears but is filled with care
  • One hears and understands
The implication of the passage is that each is responsible for what he did with what he heard. The disciples did not understand until they asked for an explanation. Anyone can do that.
Notice that it is not joyfully receiving the Word that produces fruit, it is understanding it.
Fruit only comes from the extra step of explanation and thought.

To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Matthew 13:18-23 (KJV) Understanding the Word Produces Fruit

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Saturday, April 29, 2017

Matthew 12:1-2 (KJV) When Conflict Comes

Matthew 12:1-2 (KJV)
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
This passage is filled with all the elements of the Christian life:
  • There is fellowship with the Lord
  • There is fellowship with other believers
  • There is spiritual truth and responsibility
  • There is real life need and
  • There is conflict concerning that need
Jesus was there. It was a Sabbath day and the disciples were busy about business.They were in travel with the Lord. The Sabbath involved spiritual truth. Jesus did not come to deny that truth but to bring it into better focus. There were also responsibilities for believers on the Sabbath. Jesus Did not come to remove those responsibilities but to bring them back into alignment.
It was the Sabbath and the disciples were in living fellowship with the Lord. But they still became hungry.Believers have real life daily needs. (One preacher said that when he gets to heaven one of the first questions he wants to ask the Lord is, “Why did you, mix ministry with money?”) Faith in Christ does not remove the need to work, the fact of illness and other events of normal life on this earth.
It was the Sabbath and there were those who disagreed with the disciples’ actions in meeting those real needs.Christians frequently find themselves in conflict with those who have misunderstandings about what should be true of the Christian. Some of those who misunderstand are unbelievers. Many of the misunderstanding are with people who claim to be believers but have differing ideas of what that belief means.
Jesus said that it is impossible but that offenses will come. Usually the offense will involve the interlacing between the supernatural faith of the believer and the natural needs of the believer.
When conflict comes, the best way to handle it is to leave it in the hands of the Lord. Keep your faith in Christ and your eyes on Him. In the end you have no responsibility to answer the critics but only to follow the Lord.

To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Matthew 12:1-2 (KJV) When Conflict Comes

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Friday, April 28, 2017

Matthew 11:7-9 (KJV) We Need Men!

Matthew 11:7-9 (KJV)
And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 
The people of Jerusalem, the eventual disciples of the Lord, and the multitudes that had come to see and hear John the Baptist had all gone to see – a man. The ministry always involves a man.
John the Baptist was not a showy man.He wasn’t wealthy. He wasn’t interested in impressing people with his “class.” John the Baptist was not polished in his mannerisms or professional in his presentations. He did nothing that was purposefully meant to appeal to the masses or designed to draw attention to himself.
John the Baptist was a man.He was not a reed shaken in the wind; given to bend or to break at the first sign of difficulty. He had backbone and resolve. He was not clothed in soft raiment. He didn’t have, need or even, we presume, care for the “finer things.” All of them tempt a man to compromise for success.
John the Baptist was a prophet.Indeed he was more than a prophet. John the Baptist pointed the way to new birth through Jesus Christ. His ministry bridged the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The world needs men today. Men with backbone. Men who have more interest in integrity than comfort. Men who live for truth regardless of the cost.

To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Matthew 11:7-9 We Need Men!

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Thursday, April 27, 2017

Ezekiel 44:6 (KJV) Let That Suffice

Ezekiel 44:6 (KJV)
And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,
What an earnest and hearty appeal is this! It sounds akin to a verse like,
Acts 17:30 (KJV)
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
  • What sins we were involved in
  • What transgressions we have been guilty of
  • What iniquities we might have found pleasure in
Let that suffice us. Let us now move on to things, better, higher, holier.
God’s hand is not outstretched to smite and harm but to rescue and embrace. Those who respond and come to Him will find He is gentle, merciful, kind and full of love.

To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Ezekiel 44:6 (KJV) Let That Suffice

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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Matthew 9:2-5 (KJV) That's Not Blasphemy

Matthew 9:2-5 (KJV)
And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 
Apparently the scribes would not have thought it blasphemy to heal the man. To provide for him some temporary benefit (so long as it was not done on the Sabbath) would have been acceptable. To give to him a benefit that would last eternally, now this caused a stir.
The interesting thing is, neither could have been accomplished except it were accomplished through the power of God. It is no more in man to heal palsy than it is to forgive sins.
It is all of God or else it is all blasphemy.

To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Matthew 9:2-5 (KJV) That's Not Blasphemy

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Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Matthew 8:2 (KJV) If God Wills

Matthew 8:2 (KJV)
And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
I heard on an episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class[1] that, at one time, the sexually transmitted disease called syphilis was labeled as a leprosy. If this was true in Biblical times then it gives yet deeper meaning to the role leprosy plays in the Bible as a type for sin.
That Christ wills this man’s healing, should his leprosy be a STD, proves even more the grace of God.
  • It really would be a disease contracted through willful sin
  • It would have been the consequence of a violation of all that is moral 
  • It would have been contagious through further acts of sin
Why he had leprosy was not addressed. Whether his leprosy was a STD or another form of the disease is no concern to Jesus. This man believed Christ could choose to heal him and Christ so chose.
Oh, the grace of God! How often we come to Him knowing full well we have gotten ourselves into the mess we are in and yet, when we ask, God graciously recovers us from the snare we set for ourselves.




To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Matthew 8:2 (KJV) If God Wills

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Monday, April 24, 2017

Matthew 7:24-27 (KJV) Christianity Is A Life

Matthew 7:24-27 (KJV)
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 
Salvation is a gift but Christianity is a life. The key to building a strong Christian life is the doing of the things Christ taught us.
Christianity has to be more than:
  • The attendance at services 
  • The hearing of sermons and
  • The profession of salvation 
Christianity is the practice of faith.
Christianity rejects the worldly architecture of:
  • The home, 
  • The marriage and 
  • The lifestyle 
and embraces the architecture of God’s Word. Christianity builds life not on the changing values of society and culture but in the rock solid mores of Judeo-Christian teaching.
Christianity weathers the storms of the world because it is bolstered by the King of kings.
It’s the doing of Christianity that makes the Christian, not the mere professing of it.

To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Matthew 7:24-27 (KJV) Christianity Is A Life

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Sunday, April 23, 2017

Matthew 6:24 (KJV) The Curse of Two Masters

Matthew 6:24 (KJV)
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

The curse of Christianity in America is the curse of two masters. Christians in America are offered a multiplicity of options to "compliment" their faith:
  • They can serve God and politics
  • They can serve God and materialism
  • The can serve God and culture
  • They can serve God and heritage
  • They can serve God and tradition
  • They can serve God and the great outdoors
You get the idea. The possibilities are nearly endless.

But the problem is that these options do not really compliment their faith. They serve only to complicate it. Consequently Christians in America are
  • Frustrated
  • Fruitless and
  • Faithless
They fail to see the power of God in their lives because they have effectively blocked God out of their lives. They profess they know Him but they rarely see Him.

Christianity[1] is all or nothing. All of God means giving God all.


To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Matthew 6:24 (KJV) The Curse of Two Masters

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[1] I did not say salvation.

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Ezekiel 40:4 (KJV) Before Inspiration and Motivation, Give the Foundation

Ezekiel 40:4 (KJV)
And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.
The details provided in the vision following this verse are impressive to say the least. The prophet is given this detail and instructed to declare it all to the house of Israel.
  • It is future
  • It is detailed and
  • It is specific to Israel 
Which means that application is limited. At least three chapters of detail are provided before any real instruction comes.
I am reminded that the preacher must not neglect details in his preaching. It’s not the most exciting part of his work but without it, the preaching will be less effective. God’s people need more than inspiration and motivation. They need a foundation for truth.
And God’s people will surely appreciate it and accept it. Those who have a shallow and insincere faith will likely look for place to get sugar in their sermons from ear tickling charlatans. Believers however will crave solid messages delivered by men faithful to God.
To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Ezekiel 40:4 (KJV) Before Inspiration and Motivation, Give the Foundation

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Friday, April 21, 2017

Ezekiel 37:3 (KJV) Only God Knows

Ezekiel 37:3 (KJV)
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
There seems to be some question in Ezekiel’s mind whether these bones could live. They are more than dead:
  • They are decayed
  • They are dried up
  • They did not die of natural causes but were slain
And yet it was God who posed the question to him. The God who had asked had a reason in asking. He alone knew if the bones could live because He alone could give them life.
We are often called upon to face a challenge so great we question whether it may be done. God calls us to witness to, to be salt and light in a world growing in darkness and staleness. Only God knows if the wickedness of the day may be repented of because only God can bring about the repentance.
Ezekiel did as God instructed knowing not whether what he did would produce life. We are not required to know. We are only required to obey.

To my readers:
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For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Ezekiel 37:3 (KJV) Only God Knows

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Thursday, April 20, 2017

Matthew 3:1 (KJV) Where, When and With Whom He Pleases

Matthew 3:1 (KJV)
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Isn’t it interesting that the first gospel preaching began, not in the city but in the wilderness? This is not to say gospel preaching must be in a rural venue. Paul preached in Ephesus and used that as a foundation for ministries into the smaller cities and rural communities around it.
I think the point is that God is at liberty to work where, when and with whom He pleases.
I heard a historian speak on the development of Evangelical Christianity in America the other day[1]. She pointed out that Christianity has repositioned itself from the inner cities of America to the suburbs. This historian did not see this as a negative about Christianity but as a demonstration of Bible believing Christianity to remake itself in order to reach people. I have witnessed a less generous interpretation of this same movement by those within the faith. They accuse those Christians who move away from the cities as abandoning the places where the gospel is most needed and may do the most good.
I call for a more balanced position. Let’s recognize that God can do His work whether by many or few. He has a unique call upon each of us.
  • Some surely ought to penetrate into the heart of America’s inner cities. 
  • Others will find that their call to smaller communities in rural settings is equally valuable to Christ.
To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Matthew 3:1 (KJV) Where, When and With Whom He Pleases

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[1] http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/patrick-wyman/history-matters/e/8-southern-california-the-religious-right-interview-with-49856360

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Matthew 2:6 (KJV) There’s No Excuse Here

Matthew 2:6 (KJV)
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
This is an obvious reference to, Micah 5:2, But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
It is plainly not a word for word quotation though the context seems to dictate that one be provided. This passage, and others like it, gives the detractors of the King James Version what they think is ammunition to excuse rephrasing passages in more modern versions. “God must not care that the Bible be Word for word quoted or else He would have taken more care to see it was done in the Bible when the Bible quotes the Bible.”
There are a number of reasons this logic is not sound:
In this case, the quoters of the Bible could have been paraphrasing.Nothing in the text requires that they be specific. They only needed to get the general message to Herod.
That God would lead a man to quote a passage differently than the original is far different than a man choosing to make such a change.God may have provided a slightly different version to give depth to the message.
Matthew wasn’t there to hear the exact conversationPerhaps the slightly different phrasing is meant to reflect that.
That I paraphrase a Bible passage in conversation is in no way meant to imply that the very words of Scripture are open for change. Neither should it be implied from this verse or others like it.

To my readers:
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For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Matthew 2:6 (KJV) There’s No Excuse Here

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Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Matthew 1:18 (KJV) Old Language and the King James Version

Matthew 1:18 (KJV)
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
As far back as Webster’s 1828 dictionary the use of the word wise as “manner, or way of being or acting” was considered obsolete and limited. Yet it is still used to some degree even today, as in “lengthwise”, “otherwise”, etc.
So the phrase in Matthew means “after this manner” or “in this way.”
My point is that it is neither completely inappropriate to use this phrase (even in modern language) nor is it difficult to understand. There is no reason to replace it with a modern phrase and to do so would merely reduce the language to a lower caliber. It would not improve anyone’s ability to understand the Bible. It would only restrict their ability to grow in language, culture and depth of vocabulary.
The same is true of every use of old and archaic terms found in the King James Version. No real good can come of it yet there is great potential harm in replacing it.

To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Matthew 1:18 (KJV) Old Language and the King James Version

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Monday, April 17, 2017

Revelation 22:4 (KJV) I Am One of Them

Revelation 22:4 (KJV)
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
There is no explanation of who the “they” are. Gill writes “not only the angels … but all the saints.” This seems to be the implied reality.
TheyA numberless group whose sins have been forgiven by the blood of Christ.
TheyFrom every nation a kindred and people and tribe.
TheyFrom differing periods of time having totally different cultural preferences.
TheyOnce interested only in themselves but being saved now fully interested in Christ.
I don’t know even a fraction of those who are part of the “they”. But I am thankful that I have the assurance I am one of them.

To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
For this and more than 3800 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Pastor Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
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Revelation 22:4 (KJV) I Am One of Them

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