JESUS SPEAKING

                In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have said in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the rooftops” (Luke 12: 1-3.) 

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                It is human nature to ‘put our best foot forward.’  To present ourselves in a manner that commands respect and adoration.  This desire for adulation is so strong, it often gives birth to hypocrisy; a condition of incongruence between the person we present to others, and the person we actually are.  Hypocrisy is an outward charade that can mislead even the most intelligent people; but God is never fooled; He sees what is done in secret, in darkness and in light; He sees in to the bathroom and the bedroom (no door can shut him out.)  He hears the faintest whisper as though it were a roar.  He comprehends every thought, and knows the intentions of the heart.

                In 2006, a very influential evangelical pastor strongly supported an effort to prohibit gay-marriage within the state of Colorado (which in itself was a Godly pursuit.)  However, as amendment 43 was being contemplated, a male escort named Mike came forward with some unbelievable allegations.  He had been secretly engaging in drug abuse and homosexual activity with this Pastor for nearly three years.  When Mike found out who his customer was he said, “It made me angry […] here’s someone preaching against gay marriage and going behind the scenes having gay sex.  I had to expose the hypocrisy.”  This Pastor was publicly disgraced.  He had hidden his sin from the body of Christ, his congregation, and even his own family; but he couldn’t hide it from God.  The truth always makes its way to the surface.

                Jesus warned his followers to avoid hypocrisy, because it leads to destruction.  The Christian is called to be genuine; to maintain purity, holiness and love in all situations; to be a true representative in public and in private.  No one can hide the truth from God.  What is hidden will always be made known.  Search your heart; if you find hypocrisy, turn to God and ask Him to remove it.  Repent and be reconciled to Your maker; let His love and mercy overwhelm and transform you.  May He create in you a clean heart; and may your life be a shining example of genuine Christianity.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, if we have been deceiving others or ourselves, we ask for Your forgiveness; search our hearts and minds and if You find any hypocrisy we beg You to remove it.  May we always serve You with complete sincerity; may our actions always be genuine, and may our lives be filled with truth.  We love You Lord, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.

JESUS SPEAKING

                “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled and the wineskins will be ruined.  But new wine must be put in to new wineskins and both are preserved.  And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better’” (Luke 5: 37-39.) 

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                In the ancient world, when an animal was slaughtered the stomach and the bladder were extracted and utilized to store and transport valuable liquids.  Wine was a very common first century beverage.  Unlike water, wine underwent a process known as fermentation; during which gases were produced; these gases caused the wineskins to swell and expand.  The older wineskins were hard and inflexible (like leather.)  As the new wine expanded, it would cause them to tear open.  Therefore, unfermented wine was always placed in to new wineskins.  In this illustration, the old wineskins represent old ideas, habits, and beliefs that are incompatible with the new life God has offered through His Son Jesus Christ.  Most people desperately cling to their old lives; yet those who follow Jesus Christ must let go of the old and grab hold of the new; they must no longer fear change; but rather, they must fully embrace it.

                Shortly after becoming a Christian, God began to make some very serious changes in my life.  For many years I had enjoyed listening to secular rap music and heavy metal.  One day God showed me how it was negatively affecting my spirit.  So, I made a commitment to only listen to worship music (which was positive, clean, and uplifting.)  My appetite for the old music was strong; at first the new music wasn’t appealing to me; but slowly I began to enjoy it.  Soon I was joyfully singing along with the songs; I noticed my attitude was more positive; my thoughts were more peaceful; I even began to smile with ever greater frequency [Note: today, the old songs are no longer appealing to me; I even find them repulsive.]  God has made similar changes in every area of my life.  He has healed me; the old things have passed away; behold, He “has made all things new.”

                God desires to pour His Spirit in to the hearts and minds of those who are willing to receive it.  His Spirit produces great transformation.  We must let go of our fears; we must become willing to change; we must not be rigid and inflexible; only in embracing and allowing God to transform us, will we truly experience new life.  Let go of your old ideas, habits, and beliefs, and receive the fullness of God’s Spirit.  Allow Him to guide and direct you and He will lead you into His everlasting peace and eternal joy.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, we ask that You make wonderful transformations in our hearts and minds.  May we become flexible; may we embrace change.  Jesus, we desire to become more like You; remove any habits, ideas, or beliefs that stand in the way of our growth; destroy the old and bring forth the new.  May we experience the fullness of Your Holy Spirit.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.

JESUS SPEAKING

                “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me, receives the one who sent me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward” (Mathew 10: 40-42.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                In the culture of Jesus’ day, long distance communication was accomplished by way of messenger.  An emissary would often deliver a message from one king to another.  Mistreating the king’s messenger was equivalent to mistreating the king himself.  Therefore, most were treated as if they were the king; they were fed fine cuisine, pampered, celebrated, and offered gifts.  Those who loved the messenger loved the king; those who hated the messenger also despised his master.  The emissary then returned home and reported his experience to His Lord.  How he had been treated would dictate the health of any future relations. 

                I worked for many years in outside sales.  My job entailed establishing new relations with other retailers.  On one occasion I walked in to another person’s establishment and began to speak with the secretary.  The owner overheard the conversation and became brash with me.  He told me angrily that he wasn’t interested; apparently some years earlier one of his customers had been taken away by a sales person at our company.  I was treated poorly; because of his hatred for my company.

                Those who reject and hate Jesus Christ hate God himself.  Those who reject a Christian, a preacher, a pastor, or a priest without cause have rejected Christ.  Those who despise the church hate the savior who has founded it.  We must all respect and care for God’s children.  May we always accept, cherish, and honor His divine messengers.  For our treatment of other believers is an indication of our love for God Himself.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, may we recognize and reach out to those who come in Your name.  May we love Your emissary’s and cherish Your children.  May we open our homes, our hearts, and our lives to those who worship You.  May we treat them as we would treat You; may we continue to honor and celebrate our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You; and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.