Today’s Inspiration: “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.”Matthew 15:17-18 NIV. Jesus was challenging the Pharisees on their religiosity, legality, and hypocrisy. They were persecuting Jesus because our Messiah didn’t wash his hands, ate with the tax collectors and heals on the sabbath. Their actions wanted to proof their holiness but their hearts wanted to kill Jesus. God judges not just our actions but our hearts.
Prophet Jeremiah spoke,”The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve. Jeremiah 17:9-10. The difference between Peter and Judas was a contentious heart. Both were disciples, both did ministry, and both sinned but the former has eternal life and the latter didn’t. We can come to church but doesn’t mean we are born again or regenerated. We can speak in tongues but cursing inside the heart. Apostle Paul taught in his epistles that without love, we are nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2. How many really repent on hypocrisy? For all had sinned a fall short the glory of God. But Love covers multitude of sins.
Prayer: O Lord my God, not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I repent of any hypocrisy in my life and let my heart be healed and renewed with your love, compassion, and meekness. Restore your everlasting ways in me that out of my heart and spirit shall flow living waters, in Jesus' Name, Amen.
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