Good morning everyone.
Here is today's Bible lesson:
GUTTERS AND WINDOWS
READ:
Matthew 23:23-31
Love from a pure heart...and from
sincere faith. - I Timothy 1:5
While we were out for a family drive, a spotless white sign with perfect red lettering caught my attention: Gutters and Windows-Quality Work Guaranteed." The sign was pristine, but I feared the house and barn directly behind it might collapse at any moment. The paint was peeling, and the windows were cracked, and the gutters were nonexistent!
Many of us "advertise" for Jesus, but our spiritual houses are in disrepair. We may attend church, speak in "Christianese," and mingle nicely with others. But when our conduct does not align with our hearts, our first-class behavior is just a performance of piety. When Jesus confronted the Pharisees, He said, "You...outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hyprocrisy and lawlessness" (Matthew 23:28).
Jesus had a different but equally direct message for His followers: "Do not be like the hypocrites: (6:16). The Bible encourages us to "love from a pure heart...and from sincere faith" (I Timothy 1:5). These inner attitudes should pour out through our words and actions (Luke 6:45).
Today, consider the state of your spiritual house. If people look beyond the beautiful outward display, will they discover an authentic heart? -Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Hypocrisy is a common sin
That grieves the Lord above;
He longs for those who'll worship Him
In faith and truth and love. -Bosch
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God desires that our actions be
a reflection of a pure heart.
INSIGHT
In Matthew 23:13-39, Jesus pronounced seven "woes" on the Pharisees and the scribes, warning them of judgment if they did not repent. In six of the seven denunciations, Jesus called them "hyprocrites!" (vv. 13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27), a word referring to actors on a stage.
Have a blessed day.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace
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