Category: hypocrisy

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Numbers 16 The Cost of Sin

God was clear as to His choice to lead the nation out of Egypt and into the wilderness where God would test them to see if they would wholly follow the Lord. We don’t know when this took place, but it was after the anointing of the men who would care for the Tabernacle. They had seen the miracles, witnessed the building of the Tabernacle, witnessed the anointing of Aaron and his sons. God’s mercy had been clearly revealed even when Aaron led the people astray with the golden calf. And yet…the sin of pride and the sin of grumbling raised its ugly head. 

We have seen this even today in churches that split and we have experienced it in three different churches we attended, yet God protected us in ways that we could never have expected. He removed us before the final crushing blow so that we would not be there. The devastation it brings to the body is beyond description. Satan knows our weakest point and in the case of Korah, his weakest link was bending his ear to the gossip, as was the sin of our former churches, which led to grumbling and finally to the division of those churches. For Koran it was death by the hand of God. God hates grumbling and He hates when we selectively choose whom to disregard. God will bring it to its conclusion either by us humbling ourselves or by some other means. 

Oh Father, keep us from grumbling, keep us wholly devoted to you and your servants whom You have chosen. Give us a discerning spirit to know what is truth and what are lies from the enemy. Believer, put your armor on for the battle is real and certain. 

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11.25.24.Darkness is Revealed

God is Light
He is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path

John 18 Friends vs Enemies

John accurately describes those who love Jesus and those who seek to kill Him. Friends will stay by your side, but enemies will seek you out. This is the darkness that John wrote about early in his book: they loved darkness for their deeds were evil. But, what about Peter? Why did he fail Jesus in the hour of need? John wants us to see how easily our faith is tested and found wanting. Jesus reminded the disciples to be on guard, but Peter failed this warning and if truth be known we do as well. Satan knows our every weakness and the perfect time to reveal our true heart. Beloved, be on guard even now for the enemy of our soul knows your weakness and where you will fail. But…thankfully the story does not end here for Peter. There will be tears of repentance but John holds this close to our hearts so we can equate in this moment of darkness and see ourselves. 

Today as you have done many a time, fall to your knees and repent early lest He who holds the key find you wanting. 

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11.11.24. Can you see?

John 9 Disdain and God’s Glory 

This is one of my favorite chapters in the NT for it shows us both the ignorance of those who are spiritually blind to those who have received the LIGHT and go on to stand firm in the face of the rejectors. The Pharisees having witnessed the healing of the blind man reveal their true heart when they ask Jesus: “are we blind too?” Jesus answer is profound! “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, but now because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains.” [v 41] 

This is the place of the spiritually blind. Truly Paul was right when he wrote: “the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” [2 Cor 4:4] 

The Pharisees considered themselves the teachers who are endowed with the scriptures and the truth but their question only reveals their hardened hearts. How often do we see the spiritual change in a person and ignore the truth that it is Jesus who is the LIGHT that can change a heart? 

Seek out the spiritually blind and speak the words of truth to them so they may draw near to the LIGHT and be saved. 

From blindness to sight
Satan blinds, God reveals
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10.10.24.Word to the Wise

Listen, look then determine

Proverbs 23 What price? 

Probably one of our weakest areas in this life is this tool of discernment. You may be born with it, but truly it is a skill that you must be taught and honed. To discern is to stop and think what is true in contrast to what is false. The Proverbs chapters speak of this over and over, so it must be a skill that is needed to succeed and one that will protect us from falling for the ways of the world and our arch enemy Satan. 

Discernment is what you can use in nearly every engagement be it, purchasing a garment or even  as this Proverb says to paid dinners with high ranking people. Not always, but many times, the dinner is really a cover up for what they want you to do after the dinner. For example, you are invited to a swanky hotel and a posh dinner but behind that dinner, usually after listening to a speech, you are asked to donate an amount whether it be for a starving child or a man/woman who wants our vote. 

The Proverbs author tells us “do not crave that ruler’s delicacies,for that food is deceptive.” In other words, that meal you are enjoying comes with a price. Warning signal: “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you;” In fact the Proverbs author goes so far as to say: “will have wasted your pleasant words.” 

Word to the wise, stop and consider what the payment will be if you attend these functions. 

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How to disagree with others…

How do you sound today

1 Cor 8 Important or not?

Have you ever been in a discussion with someone who then argues that you are saying is unimportant? Sparks fly and tempers range. One is right and one is wrong but neither will admit to it. Thus,it was in the church in Corinth. Paul had spent much of his ministry there only to have to quell disagreements. One said knowledge was the most important thing. Get knowledge! Paul conceded that yes knowledge was important, but the greater is love for fellow Christians. If you lack this you are just a gonging cymbal. John also spoke to that in his letters to his flock and others. He said that we prove our knowledge by how we love others. If that is lacking, we really have no knowledge of God and His Son. 

In Corinth, the argument raged over the meat sacrificed to idols. Some said we should ask and then decide whether to eat or not. Others said, that is the unimportant issue because idols are nothing anyway. They chose to agree to disagree. Yet, they also chose to not love the brethren with whom they were in disagreement. Beloved, this should not be! Paul reminded them of this principle: “you sin against your brothers or sisters in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ” So what is really the important issue here? It is to love others as Christ loved the church and deal with issues in love. 

How are you faring in this department beloved when you are in a discussion with other believers? 

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Which son are you?

Are you a Jacob?

Matt 21 Little Ones Testify 

Jesus cares for the little ones and they care for Him. As Matthew is listening, he is noting the contrast to how the little ones honor Christ and the religious leaders scorn Him. So he tells them the parable of the two sons to get their attention. There were two sons and both were given a chore to accomplish. One said, I will do it and the other said I will not. The point being that God gave these religious leaders a job to teach the people about God but instead they did not. They only elevated themselves and not God. They missed the point of honoring and teaching them about God. They were like the one son who said I will go but he did not because he was a hypocrite. The other son said I will not but then changed his mind and went.He is the picture of the disciples and if truth be known, he is a picture of us. We say we will go and make disciples but we don’t. We are busy about many things but not the things of the kingdom.

 Today, consider which son you are. Do you honor God and serve Him and go and spread the good news or are you like the religious leaders who said they would but did not. 

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Salvation by Grace or Rules?

Galatians 2 Where have you met others who insist that you must do this or that to be an acceptable Christian, like the lady in our former church that insisted that women must wear hats, gloves and dresses to be a “true Christian.,” She, like these who infiltrated the Jerusalem church are called legalizers by definition because of their insistence that salvation must be accompanied by an outward sign. 

It is into this that Paul mentions two other men, Barnabas and Titus, who are Gentiles by birth. Both have special places in the heart of Paul and are used by God to help him in various matters. They are trustworthy men and God has noted their faithfulness. They are accepted by the church without the rite of circumcision, because as Paul notes, that rite is of the Law and not by grace. It is a rite God set for the Jews but not for the Gentiles. The Galatian church needed this reassurance that they too would be acceptable without this rite. 

Where have you met others who insist that you must do this or that to be an acceptable Christian? Today do not allow others, the “busy-bodies,” to take your salvation gift away by some outward antiquated rules that God did not require.

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God sees and hears all…

Psalm 41 How does one pray for the sick and bedridden? Do we pray that God takes them home or do we pray for their deliverance? It seems that there will always be those who are hypocritical in how they respond to us when we are set aside for a time. They come with words of mercy but their actions belie their true intentions. We see it in the encounters men had with our Lord. They said, we know you are from God for no one could do what you do but then after they leave His presence, they sought to kill him…but not at the Passover. 

There is a little song the children sing; be careful little eyes what you see for the Lord above is looking down in love, be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little tongue what you say, O be careful little tongue what you say,

For the Father up above Is looking down in love, So, be careful little tongue what you say.

This would be a good song/prayer to use when we act like these hypocrites. God sees all and hears all and will one day call to account. 

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Beware of False Teachers

Mark 12 Ignorance of the Word 

The religious leaders again sought to trap Jesus with their words but Jesus told them a parable about a vineyard and the owner’s slaves and son. It is interesting that these men who studied the scriptures thinking that in them they have eternal life have missed this important lesson that God was preparing to send His precious Son soon. 

How about us? Do we read and then walk away? What is the lesson Jesus is teaching here?

The OT scriptures foretold the coming of the Messiah and now He is here. The religious leaders listen to this tale and then walk away because they knew…get that…they knew He was talking about them! They had been given the promise of the vineyard with all its promises yet when the harvest time came they wanted to not share with the owner who is pictured as God. Over and over through the OT we see the vineyard populated but when harvest time came, they rejected giving of the truth to the Israelites. They wanted to keep them from knowing the truth! There are some religions today that say, only the priests or leaders can know the truth. This is heretical because 2 Tim 3:16 tells us the purpose of the Word. It is given to teach, to rebuke, correct and train us in righteousness. If you come across some of these leaders…run away from them. They are fools that are blocking the entrance into the kingdom of God from you. Pray for discernment so you are not hoodwinked!

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Responses…

Acts 28 Responses 

Paul and the people abandoned the ship due to torrential rains and winds. The people on Malta are skeptical, but then see the power of God and bless Him. Later, the shipwrecked people go on another ship which takes them to Italy. Paul goes on to Rome and there he meets with the Jews who do not believe what he is saying about Jesus. Two responses of two different people. Today, we meet those who scoff but then turn to belief and those who scoff and go on their way. 

Last night as I sat watching the SOTU, I was amazed to see these same two responses. There was a lot of scoffing both during and after the speech. I choose not to say here where I was in that “audience,” but I was amazed at how God reveals people’s hearts by their words and actions. People do not change; only God can change a heart. 

Today listen to the words of God and choose ye this day whom you will serve, were the words of Joshua and they ring true today. Where are you my friend? 

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