Bible League: Living His Word "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'Matthew 7:21-23 is one of the scariest passages in the Bible. It's scary because it teaches that there are people who say Jesus is Lord and do all the right things, but are not known by him. It's scary because if someone who prophesies, drives out demons, and performs wonders can't make it into Christ's Kingdom, then what hope is there for the rest of us? Anyone who has been a Christian for a while, however, has heard stories of people who seemingly lived their lives as Christians only to confess later in life that they never really believed, has heard stories of people who were even ministers of the gospel only to confess later that they were just doing what was expected of them without truly believing any of it. Deception, even deception of oneself, seems to be a real possibility in life. People who have been raised up in the church are especially susceptible to this kind of deception and self-deception. Some grow up being taught what to say and do like everyone else, but without ever truly making it their own, without ever having a genuine salvation experience. They say and do all the right things simply because that's what you do to keep up appearances, or to keep position and place in the circles they move in, or worse, to manipulate those around them for their own selfish reasons. Seemingly doing the will of God, they don't really do anything of the kind. Our verses for today are a call to honest self-examination, a call to cut through any deception there may be in our lives. Am I being real, being honest, even with myself? Or am I just a phony? Asking questions like these can be the first step to becoming a person actually known by Jesus. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingExodus 29, 30 Exodus 29 -- Consecration, Sacrifices, Food of the Priests NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Exodus 30 -- Altar of Incense, Atonement Money, Basin, Anointing oil NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Matthew 22:1-22 Matthew 22 -- Parable of the Wedding Banquet; Render to Caesar; the Greatest Commandment; Sadducees Question Jesus NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion You can be sure of this:The LORD set apart the godly for himself. The LORD will answer when I call to him. Insight The godly are those who are faithful and devoted to God. David knew that God would hear him when he called and would answer him. We too can be confident that God listens to our prayers and answers when we call on him. Sometimes we think that God will not hear us because we have fallen short of his high standards for holy living. But if we have trusted Christ for salvation, God has forgiven us, and he will listen to us. Challenge When you feel as though your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, remember that as a believer you have been set apart by God and that he loves you. He hears and answers, although his answers may not be what you expect. Look at your problems in the light of God's power instead of looking at God in the shadow of your problems. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 1 Chronicles 4:22 And these are ancient things.Yet not so ancient as those precious things which are the delight of our souls. Let us for a moment recount them, telling them over as misers count their gold. The sovereign choice of the Father, by which he elected us unto eternal life, or ever the earth was, is a matter of vast antiquity, since no date can be conceived for it by the mind of man. We were chosen from before the foundations of the world. Everlasting love went with the choice, for it was not a bare act of divine will by which we were set apart, but the divine affections were concerned. The Father loved us in and from the beginning. Here is a theme for daily contemplation. The eternal purpose to redeem us from our foreseen ruin, to cleanse and sanctify us, and at last to glorify us, was of infinite antiquity, and runs side by side with immutable love and absolute sovereignty. The covenant is always described as being everlasting, and Jesus, the second party in it, had his goings forth of old; he struck hands in sacred suretyship long ere the first of the stars began to shine, and it was in him that the elect were ordained unto eternal life. Thus in the divine purpose a most blessed covenant union was established between the Son of God and his elect people, which will remain as the foundation of their safety when time shall be no more. Is it not well to be conversant with these ancient things? Is it not shameful that they should be so much neglected and even rejected by the bulk of professors? If they knew more of their own sin, would they not be more ready to adore distinguishing grace? Let us both admire and adore tonight, as we sing-- "A monument of grace, A sinner saved by blood; The streams of love I trace Up to the Fountain, God; And in his sacred bosom see Eternal thoughts of Love to me." Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 Corinthians 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.Mark 9:34,35 But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. • Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." 1 Peter 5:5,6 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. • Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, Philippians 2:5-7,9,10 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, • who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, • but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. • For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, • so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, Daniel 12:3 "Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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