Good morning Lord Jesus, I begin this morning seeking a cleansing and renewing of my heart, mind, and Spirit.
“‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
‘But in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’”
(Matthew 15:8-9)
This morning my reading of the New Testament led me to reading and reflecting on Scriptures in the Old Testament. As I read through Matthew chapter 15, Verses 8-9 stood out to me, which are a quotation from Isaiah 29:13. Jesus was calling out people who replace a daily life of living out the love of Jesus and our call to make disciples, with religious activities like simply going to church on Sunday. My praying into this led me to Jeremiah 7:1-13. As I read it in my mind, I contextualized it to today by replacing the word “Temple” throughout the passage with “Church” to hear God’s message spoken to our Church.
“The Message from God to Jeremiah: “Stand in the gate of God’s Church and preach this Message. “Say, ‘Listen, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship God. God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel’s God, has this to say to you: “‘Clean up your act—the way you live, the things you do—so I can make my home with you in this place. Don’t for a minute believe the lies being spoken here—“This is God’s Church, God’s Church, God’s Church!” Total nonsense! Only if you clean up your act (the way you live, the things you do), only if you do a total spring cleaning on the way you live and treat your neighbors, only if you quit exploiting the street people and orphans and widows, no longer taking advantage of innocent people on this very site and no longer destroying your souls by using this Church as a front for other gods—only then will I move into your neighborhood. Only then will this country I gave your ancestors be my permanent home, my Church.
“‘Get smart! Your leaders are handing you a pack of lies, and you’re swallowing them! Use your heads! Do you think you can rob and murder, have sex with the neighborhood wives, tell lies nonstop, gossip, worship the local gods, and buy every novel religious commodity on the market—and then march into this Church, set apart for my worship, and say, “We’re safe!” thinking that the place itself gives you a license to go on with all this outrageous sacrilege? A cave full of criminals! Do you think you can turn this Church, set apart for my worship, into something like that? Well, think again. I’ve got eyes in my head. I can see what’s going on.’” God’s Decree! (Jeremiah 7:1-11, The Message Bible)
My family, even though it is still January, I pray this morning you open your heart up to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to do a total spring cleaning on the way you live. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections on my blog with us in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community/Toney UMC
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
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Thanks You!
