Tag: Pharisees

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It Is Astounding!

JULY 19

MATTHEW 6:22_The light of the body is the eye…

Once the eyes lose sight, light no longer enters the body. Light does not enter through your nose, mouth, or ears. Light enters through your eyes. If you want to be fascinated, take some time to study the process by which this works. It is astounding! Only a highly intelligent being—aka the Lord God Almighty—could have designed it!

You are called to be Jesus’ light in the world. If you think of the human body as representing the world—salty-lit-up disciples of Jesus are the eyes.

One of my favorite miracles of Jesus is found in John chapter 9 (KJV). Jesus heals a man who was born blind. But, oh my goodness—He does it on the Sabbath! Jesus leaves the scene. Tattle-tales bring the healed man to the Pharisees. The Pharisees have a fit because the man was healed on the Sabbath. The Pharisees kick the healed man out of church (excommunicated). Jesus comes across him:

“39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. 40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, ‘Are we blind also?’ 41 Jesus said unto them, ‘If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, we see; therefore your sin remaineth.’”

Jesus says you can have eyes which see, yet still be blind. How? Stay with me …

PRAYER

All Powerful Jesus, Praise You that You give Your light to all who seek You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ gives sight to the spiritually blind—I can see! 

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You Owe

JUNE 13

MATTHEW 6:12_our debts…

A debt is an amount of money you owe. It can also be some type of work you owe someone. Any way you look at it, it comes out the same way: you owe. 

You have acquired or promised something you have not completed, or paid. Payment must be made. Until the payment is received, it remains in the ledger as a debt. That debt is attached to your name. It will remain attached until it is Paid In Full.

Unfortunately, debts are made, circumstances in life happen, and the debt becomes difficult to pay—sometimes it may appear to be impossible.

The word debt here can be translated as sin. If, as the Pharisees, you link forgiveness with law keeping, you may feel you have it in the bag: knowledge of the laws covers it all.

Acts 3:19 (KJV) sees it another way, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”

There is action here. Repent. Repentance is to turn from a continual act of sin and let Jesus help you not commit it again.

This verse adds to be converted. To be converted is to admit you can’t live or do right on your own. God does the work, the blotting out, and sends refreshing.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus,  I confess I am a sinner and only You can renew my heart. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ covers my debts—He will send me refreshing!

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Any and All

JUNE 12

MATTHEW 6:12_And forgive us…

MATTHEW 6:12_And forgive us…

If Jesus taught no more than the first three words of this verse, He would have taught a vital part of prayer.         

The Scribes and Pharisees saw life as a set of laws. They had the laws down pat, snug in their hip pockets (if they had hip pockets). They knew the rules, and kept them. Why would they need forgiveness? That is, if all that mattered was rule keeping.

Jesus taught life as more about loving God and each other. He taught to give more than receive. This kind of life causes me to see my weaknesses and failures which sends me to my knees to ask God’s forgiveness.

Psalm 51 (KJV), “1 Have mercy upon me [King David], O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”

King David asks forgiveness for his sin. He also acknowledges something very important: his sin was primarily against God.

Any and all sins are against God. 

PRAYER

Forgiving God, I know when I have wronged Your people I have wronged You. Forgive me and change me!  In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ desires to forgive—He wants me to ask Him!

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The Radical Cure

APRIL 19

MATTHEW 5:40_let him have thy cloak also.

Come on Lord Jesus, there’s radical and then there’s—crazy! I mean, look at the facts:

I lost the case and with it my life’s savings.

I hate it because I don’t feel I was wrong.

I hate it because it will destroy my current lifestyle.

I hate it because it causes a pain in the pit of my stomach.

I hate it because it takes away my peaceful sleep.

Jesus says the remedy for my ailments is to give my enemy more than I’m obligated? No way! That will make me sicker!

Write this out on a card and place it somewhere you’ll see it regularly: My being good does not impress Jesus. My doing good does.

The Scribes and Pharisees were good. They knew and kept the laws. They failed to do good by loving their fellow man and leading him to freedom.

The Great Healer’s radical cure requires action. Action which comes from who’s in charge of your heart—you or Jesus?

PRAYER

Holy Jesus, I need Your help so I can do good and not just talk about being good. I need faith to believe in Your radical cures. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                             

Christ does good—He will teach me!                                         

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A Gift and an Altar

MARCH 22

MATTHEW 5:24_Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way…

Leave your gift!

Get away from the altar and get to the one you’ve wounded, or have some unsettled misunderstanding with, or stolen from, or lied to, or spread lies about, or wronged in some way. If years have separated you, get on social media and find them. If they are in hiding from you, contact a family member, and make a peace offering to get to talk with them.

Whatever you do, do it diligently, and take it seriously. You’ve got a gift and an altar, and you can’t get the two together in your present state. 

If you’re serious about loving Jesus, then you must be serious about loving people. That’s what the Scribes and Pharisees didn’t get.

I believe I just saw some scales balance! 

It is much easier to love Jesus than people. After all, Jesus has never done you any wrong. All He’s ever done is love you. But check out what Jesus says in Matthew 25:40 (KJV):

“Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Sounds like Jesus says how you treat people is how you treat Him.

PRAYER

Holy Jesus, I trust You to help me repair any open wounds I have caused. I trust You to help me find my way to the right people. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ loves all people—He will help me love them too!