Today's Reading: Matthew 23: 23-33
**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.
Please click this link to read Matthew 23: 23-33
Bible Study
Yesterday we started the last block of the five teachings Matthew put in as the backbone of the whole gospel. Jesus pointed to those teachers of the law and the Pharisees who could talk the talk but not walk the walk.
Yesterday and todays passages are the famous seven "woe"(curses as opposite to the eight blessing, the Beatitudes, of those who follow Jesus).
We had the first three of the "woe" in yesterday's passage and today we have the other four:
4. Tithing and other offerings but not a righteous, loving and faithful heart.
5. Good looking outside, bad smell inside.
6. Righteous outside, wickedness inside.
7. Being teachers outside, killer inside.
7. Being teachers outside, killer inside.
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"
Spiritual Journal
What I heard from Jesus today is: What if you are really a Pharisee?
What I got from Jesus today is another reality check of your spiritual life.
If you were really one of those Pharisee, I do not think you would admit because you would not know. You would just like those Pharisees in Jesus' time killing many prophets including Jesus in the name of God, in the name of protecting the church!
Let me give you an example. I know someone who has been a Senior Pastor of a big church for many years. There was a leader in his church did lots of things you can never think of trying to take him out. Wrote a five pages letter to his bishop, talked in person for a long time with his Archbishop of how wrong he was, called another Senior Pastor of a mega church telling him the pastor was so bad and he should not invite him anymore as speaker, and more. Can you believe this kind of things can happen to a pastor? For years this pastor had been in deep suffering but God is mercy, loving and righteous. I respect that pastor so much because he did not do anything to that person but just to fast and pray. In quite some years time this "killer" was being removed from that church by God in a very special way. And later this person was being "killed"(removed) by some other Pharisees in another church!
So, the lesson these two days are:
1. You need to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal whether you are just a Pharisee, not building up your church but destroying your church. If you find out you are, as I had been for so many years, you need to repent and be willing to be transformed to be a faithful disciple of Christ.
2. If you are being attacked by Pharisees, don't worry! What you need to do is to fast and pray. Do not stir up more doubt, hatred and division. Forgive them because they do not know. They are just like those Pharisees in the older days who stepped into a deadly trap of Satan blowing everybody up, including Jesus!
Trust in the Lord and have patience because in God's time everything will be well!
"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to Peter, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." Matthew 26: 52
"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to Peter, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." Matthew 26: 52
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to walk with you each day that we have a better chance to be your faithful servants honoring your holy and mighty name. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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