Right after Jesus was water baptized, He went to Galilee and started preaching the good news of salvation. He said, "The time has come and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news" (Mark 1:15). As He was preaching the good news in Galilee, He called Simon, Andrew, James, and John while they were fishing in the sea of Galilee. They then went to the synagogue (a synagogue is a place where Jews gather together to study the Word of God and pray) for Jesus to teach there. While he was teaching there, he cast out a demon from a person who was demon possessed. All the people in the synagogue marveled at how Jesus was teaching with authority and that He could cast out demons from people. Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere in the district of Galilee (Mark 1:14-28).
When Jesus came to the earth, He brought the kingdom of God with Him. But the only people who could enter into God's kingdom were those who repent and believe in Jesus, and this was the good news that He was preaching about. And His message is still the same for us today. Only those who believe in Jesus can enter the kingdom of God. And to believe in Him means to follow Him, just like Simon, Andrew, James, and John did when Jesus called them. When we believe in Jesus, it means that we become His followers, which is one reason we repent of our sins. We cannot follow Jesus if we are unwilling to change our ways. And as we follow Jesus, we will experience His power working in our lives. We will see His miracles working through our situations, just like when the people saw His power in casting out a demon from a demon-possessed man.
Let us continue to follow Jesus and be willing to change. To believe in Him means to follow Him without any reservation. When Simon, Andrew, James, and John followed Jesus, they left everything. They were willing to change to become what God wanted them to be. We have to be willing to change because there is no other way to follow Jesus.
Ask yourself these questions: What does believing in Jesus mean? What should am I willing to do to believe in Jesus? Do I believe in Jesus?
Write down all the worries you face today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you for sending Jesus to save me from my sin. Please help me follow Jesus and be willing to change to express my genuine belief in you. If I feel unsure because I still trust my own ways, please help me surrender my ways to you, for your ways are better than mine. You know what is best for me. In your name Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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