Bible League: Living His Word See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled…— Hebrews 12:15 ESV The letter to the Hebrews cautions us to let no root of bitterness spring up and cause defilement. The author describes bitterness as a root. What we need to know is that roots stay underground. You can't see the root; but if you let it grow, it will sprout. It is certain that a bitter root will bring forth bitter fruit. What's inside will show outside. Often, believers try to attractively arrange fruits, branches or leaves. In other words, we try to fix the facade. We deal with the symptoms and the circumstances, but the ugly fruit is not the real problem. We have to go to the source and get rid of the ugly root. Proverbs 4:23 says: "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." (NIV) One of our main responsibilities is to keep poison out of our hearts. Stop the growth of it cutting them as soon as they sprout and dig them out. Disappointments, pain, jealousy, anger will come. You can't stop temptation from coming. The question is will you let it take root? If you let those feelings descend into your soul, they will contaminate your joy, steal your peace, take your energy, open you to sickness, trouble, and loss. Don't allow it; keep your soul healthy. Your heart may feel broken, wounded, hurt by mistakes you've made or by what someone else has done. But your spirit can be restored. When you get honest with yourself and release what you need to let go of—guilt, worry, anger, jealousy—then healing will come. Joy will come. Peace will come. God is restoring souls. All kinds of emotional healing is happening: healing from hurts, past suffering, what wasn't right, loss, heartache, healing from self-inflicted wounds, mistakes we've made, regrets we're living with, healing from tormenting spirits, from mental illness, from anxiety, and depression. God is doing a new thing. He restores the joy of salvation. Don't believe the lying roots that it's too late, that you've made too many mistakes, and that you've been through too much. No, the best part of your life is still ahead of you. Begin today to cut off every root of evil and live free. By Pastor Sabri Kasemi, Bible League International partner, Albania Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJob 7, 8, 9 Job 7 -- Job Declares His Life Seems Futile NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Job 8 -- Bildad Shows God's Justice to the Good NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Job 9 -- Job Acknowledges God's Justice NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 7:44-60 Acts 7 -- Stephen's Speech, Stoning and Death NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion “I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”Insight How can you “receive the Kingdom of God like a child”? Adults considering the Christian faith for the first time will have life experiences that take them way past the ability to be as innocent as children. Jesus does not ask us to put aside our experiences, but he does require a change of attitude: adult self-sufficiency must recognize its need for the sovereign God; adult moral defensiveness must humble itself before the holy God; and adult skeptical toughness must soften before the loving God. Children do not feel supremely powerful, perfectly righteous, or totally autonomous. These are adult fantasies. Challenge Coming to Jesus means to accept his goodness on your behalf, confess your need, and commit your life to his tender guidance. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 2 Peter 1:4 Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.Vanish forever all thought of indulging the flesh if you would live in the power of your risen Lord. It were ill that a man who is alive in Christ should dwell in the corruption of sin. "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" said the angel to Magdalene. Should the living dwell in the sepulchre? Should divine life be immured in the charnel house of fleshly lust? How can we partake of the cup of the Lord and yet drink the cup of Belial? Surely, believer, from open lusts and sins you are delivered: have you also escaped from the more secret and delusive lime-twigs of the Satanic fowler? Have you come forth from the lust of pride? Have you escaped from slothfulness? Have you clean escaped from carnal security? Are you seeking day by day to live above worldliness, the pride of life, and the ensnaring vice of avarice? Remember, it is for this that you have been enriched with the treasures of God. If you be indeed the chosen of God, and beloved by him, do not suffer all the lavish treasure of grace to be wasted upon you. Follow after holiness; it is the Christian's crown and glory. An unholy church! it is useless to the world, and of no esteem among men. It is an abomination, hell's laughter, heaven's abhorrence. The worst evils which have ever come upon the world have been brought upon her by an unholy church. O Christian, the vows of God are upon you. You are God's priest: act as such. You are God's king: reign over your lusts. You are God's chosen: do not associate with Belial. Heaven is your portion: live like a heavenly spirit, so shall you prove that you have true faith in Jesus, for there cannot be faith in the heart unless there be holiness in the life. "Lord, I desire to live as one Who bears a blood-bought name, As one who fears but grieving thee, And knows no other shame." Daily Light on the Daily Path Exodus 12:42 It is a night to be observed for the LORD for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for the LORD, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.1 Corinthians 11:23-25 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; • and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." • In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." Luke 22:41,44 And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, • And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. John 19:14,16-18 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!" • So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. • They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. • There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. 1 Corinthians 5:7,8 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. • Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 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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