"Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." (Matthew 15:11)
From most of my readings today it was difficult to find a nice devotional, so I thought I would do what our Lord Jesus spoke to my heart so many years ago, "You know, you say a lot of good things about Me, and I appreciate that. But why don't you tell people what I said?" Our text is from my Gospel reading for the day; it is what Jesus said.
The context reveals that the religious people were primarily concerned with what went into their mouths; God is concerned with what comes out of my mouth. I can read 80 chapters from the Bible every day, but if what comes out of my mouth and my life is not what the, "Word of God," put in, it is something akin to, "sounding brass, or a tinkling symbol." Many Evangelicals like to think they are more "spiritual" than others. They are they who are, "not of works lest any man should boast." But much of the boasting is in the erroneous attitude toward the Law of God, works, if you will. The concern that people may think that salvation is, "by works," has taken evangelicalism to a no-works religion. You just cannot find that in the Gospels.
The purpose of the New Birth is change. This is what repentance means. This is what conversion means. So today I ask myself, "In my 69+ years what of the old nature has changed? What comes out of my life which is not of Christ?" After his conversion, Tolstoy wrote, "When I came to believe in Christ's teachings, I ceased desiring for what I had wished for before. What was good and bad changed places." What has "changed places" in your life since you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ? A close reading of our Lord's teachings reveal that attitudes and behavior are of utmost importance to Him; therefore, they should be to me. All things from Him are a "nice devotional;" all things are for my good--------- always. "And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day (Dt. 6:4)"
Fat her, in Jesus' Name, keep me from a religion of my own. Amen.
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From most of my readings today it was difficult to find a nice devotional, so I thought I would do what our Lord Jesus spoke to my heart so many years ago, "You know, you say a lot of good things about Me, and I appreciate that. But why don't you tell people what I said?" Our text is from my Gospel reading for the day; it is what Jesus said.
The context reveals that the religious people were primarily concerned with what went into their mouths; God is concerned with what comes out of my mouth. I can read 80 chapters from the Bible every day, but if what comes out of my mouth and my life is not what the, "Word of God," put in, it is something akin to, "sounding brass, or a tinkling symbol." Many Evangelicals like to think they are more "spiritual" than others. They are they who are, "not of works lest any man should boast." But much of the boasting is in the erroneous attitude toward the Law of God, works, if you will. The concern that people may think that salvation is, "by works," has taken evangelicalism to a no-works religion. You just cannot find that in the Gospels.
The purpose of the New Birth is change. This is what repentance means. This is what conversion means. So today I ask myself, "In my 69+ years what of the old nature has changed? What comes out of my life which is not of Christ?" After his conversion, Tolstoy wrote, "When I came to believe in Christ's teachings, I ceased desiring for what I had wished for before. What was good and bad changed places." What has "changed places" in your life since you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ? A close reading of our Lord's teachings reveal that attitudes and behavior are of utmost importance to Him; therefore, they should be to me. All things from Him are a "nice devotional;" all things are for my good--------- always. "And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day (Dt. 6:4)"
Fat her, in Jesus' Name, keep me from a religion of my own. Amen.
*************
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
