Good morning, everyone. Welcome to “Try Jesus!” If this is your first time joining us, it’s great to have you with us. I would like to thank all the new members for joining “Try Jesus.” Also welcome those in Kentucky, Missouri, Michigan, North Carolina, Iowa, South Dakota, Nevada, and Tennessee this week.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6 KJV). God loves to make his people new (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ezekiel 36:26,26; Revelation 21:5).
How many of you keep a regular schedule of cleaning? Some people will make sure to hit every nook and cranny when they clean. Others just wing it to make it just clean enough.
There are of course professional cleaners. These are people who know how to take a bite out of grime (Smile). If you struggle with cleaning, there are many cleaning services that will come and make your home sparkle.
Who would you rather live with, a dirty messy person, or someone who lives their whole life searching for dirt? I remember a show my dad loved called “The Odd couple.” It starred Tony Randall and Jack Klugman.
One is neat, one is a slob. Both are divorced and need a place to stay. Their opposite personalities inevitably lead to conflict and laughter. How well do you handle living with someone like this?
Some of you are always picking up after individuals in your home. I hope I’m not picking at any conflicts this morning. Did you know some couples have a hard time leaving the house to enjoy a nice day because they can never locate the things they are looking for before they leave the house.
One example might be cars keys. Some individuals will lay their cars anywhere. But when it’s time for a special anniversary with fiends or a high school graduation ceremony, the keys end up lost.
I can already imagine couples and those with children saying, “Yes!” “My husband, wife, children, never pick up after themselves.” We cannot leave out those that are single also. Have you ever visited your kids at college or their own home and were afraid to lay down your purse or keys because they might get lost in all the clutter?
Some individuals even struggle to keep their own selves clean. Some kids just seem to attract dirt. No matter how many times you wash their hands, five minutes later the dirt came back, but it was even worse the second time.
And as most of you parents know, when you tell your children to wash their hands, they’ll go in the bathroom and wipe their hands on the towel without soap or water. They will come back downstairs with smudge still there.
I used to wonder about the parents of Pig-Pen, the Peanuts character that was created by Charles Schulz after visiting a friend’s home in the early 1950s. I wonder if they knew he left the house like that every morning, or was their other clouds of dust and dirt in the house.
I get it, nobody likes a nosey neighbor, right? But Pig-Pen was always extremely dirty and attracted a permanent cloud of dust. Notice the word permanent. It is defined as something that is lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely. It also comes from the Latin word “per-manere” per-through + manere “remain”
But it seems somewhere along the way, Pig-Pen just accepted it as something that would cling to him and stay a part of his life. I’m still wondering about those parents. And who gave him that nickname, “ouch.”
Eventually Pig-Pen would shrug off the obvious words of insults or reaction with some levity. When one of Violets friends asked her to describe Pig-Pen, she simply said through observation, “Dirty hands, dirty face, dirty shirt, and dirty overalls.
Violet’s friend shouted, “A perfect description!” Meanwhile, Pig-Pen had been standing there listening to this conversation with a frown on his face. But without breaking a sweat, he walked over to the two girls and said, “You forgot one thing, “An Immaculately Clean Conscience!”
It seems like Pig-Pen got it right. That inside conscience is more vital than we might think. Everyone should want to be primp and proper when it comes to keeping yourself looking dapper. However, some people enjoy the unkempt look.
But no matter your preference, kids can make parents think, we have to put some effort into this schedule, or we’ll get buried under clutter all day long. Parents realize cleaning is just starting long after the kids have gone to school. You think back to all the words “Pick that up, throw that away, put your clothes in the hamper.” Keeping a clean house can be frustrating.
But there’s something that keeps motivating you to get up that next morning and tackle the same chores. Is it called love? Is it called sacrifice? Now, about those who are neat freaks. Are you a constant cleaner? How often do you clean? Do you dust regularly? How many hours out the day do you clean? Do you feel your house is lived in, or do you treat your house like a show house?
Has anyone ever given your home the white glove test? I’m not sure I would allow them to conduct that test in my home. I’m great at cleaning, but my dusting needs improving.
Why all this talk today about cleaning house, cleaning our children and pet’s? Well, do you live under the phrase “Cleanliness is next to godliness?” I heard someone say, “that’s only for Sundays.”
I suppose some people live unkempt Monday through Saturday and then cleanup for Sunday. But who wants to scrub and clean everything in one day? (There’s a sermon in there somewhere).
I would guess that people have a cleaning schedule made up in their home. But what exactly does “cleanliness to godliness” mean? Well, in its simplest definition, it means that you take the position of keeping yourself morally and your home clean.
There are some who might say “Yes, I agree with that passage in the Bible.” Oh, oh, there’s a slight problem with that statement. That phrase is not found in the Bible, although the principle behind it could be extracted.
☆This expression is an archaic proverb found in Babylonian and Hebrew religious tracts. Its debut in the English language, in a modified form, is found in the writings of philosopher and scientist Sir Francis Bacon. In Advancement of Learning (1605) he wrote, “Cleanness of body was ever deemed to proceed from a due reverence to God.” Almost two hundred years later (1791), John Wesley made a reference to the expression in one of his sermons in the form we use it today. Wesley wrote, “Slovenliness is no part of religion. Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness.”☆
There are some other great encouraging words and phrases to motivate us to stay on top of that dirt we came from. “A silk dress doesn’t mean clean undergarments.” “One who maintains cleanliness keeps away diseases.” “A new broom sweeps clean.”
“Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it.” “A clean conscience makes a soft pillow.” “It is at home, not in public, that one washes his dirty linen.” “If you want to sweep the steps clean, start at the top.” Cleanliness makes it easier to see the details.” “Happiness spring-cleans the heart.”
I knew there might be a phrase that included cleaning the heart. Which is where we are going to invite God into this place that needs a perfect and spiritual cleaning. “I mean, who knows better about cleaning than God, right?
My mother used to say, “Everything that glitters, ain’t gold.” Someone else said, “I don’t know why they call them soap operas, they filthy.” I guess you can find dirt anywhere if you look hard enough.
Do you think there is any dirt in heaven? You think Jesus carries a Swifter dust mop in heaven? I would say you could wear a pair of white gloves in heaven for all eternity and never find dirt on them. Better yet, not even a smudge!
God always keeps his home spiritually pristine in holiness fashion. There is no uncleanness found in God or near God or around God. The Lord’s house is spotless. There are no signs in front of his home that says, “please wipe your feet before entering.”
The Lord’s standard of holiness never drops for himself or those who sit in his presence. He tells his children 15} “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16} Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15,16).
The Greek word holy (hagios) means to be sacred (physically pure morally blameless or religious ceremonially consecrated). To be that most holy thing. But though we desire to please God, we sometimes fall short.
The word of God tells us to strive, or “go on to perfection.” The word “perfection” means maturity. (Hebrews 6:1-3; 1 Corinthians 13:11,12). But why would we even try to attain such a standard that seems forever out of reach?
Because your father asked you too. How many of you remember as a young boy or girl the first time you were told to go upstairs and clean your room? First of all, you probably had to get past your attitude of not wanting to do any chores.
You’d rather play with your toys or go outside and play with your friends. Anything but clean your room. But you remember that face your mom or dad would make and maybe something they held in their hand, that snapped you back to reality, right up into your room.
But after the first time of trying this (impossible task) you thought, I’ll try to do my best. Maybe there’s a reward waiting. (That’s another sermon thought). But after your mom or dad comes up to inspect the work, they don’t yell, or scream, or punish you for the effort. Even though your socks may be hanging out the dresser drawer.
In your surprise, you see them complimenting you on a job well done. But then they begin to show you your mistakes, but they do it with gentleness and love. They reward you and encourage you to keep up the good work.
Now you can go outside and play. Now each time you clean your room, you notice an improvement. You begin to strive for that standard of keeping your room clean to your parents’ satisfaction. Will it ever be perfect? Of course not, because the ones who instructed you to clean it are not perfect.
But those who know God understand his standard of perfection also. And unlike parents, God is perfect. The other great thing about our God is, he makes us fit for his home (heaven) by dressing us in glorified robes of righteousness.
We are made new and clean through and through! Praise God! Hallelujah! Please read these verses aloud to yourself. Blessed are those who read. (Revelation 7:9-17).
I pray that after reading those verses, God will reveal to you this is what real clean, spic and span looks like. As I said to you earlier, everything that glitters isn’t gold. A long time ago, I purchased an imitation gold ring. It didn’t take long for my finger to carry a green ring around it.
When something is considered clean, there can be some hidden things that once uncovered takes the shine off very quickly. Sometimes underneath that shine can be a putrid stench.
As I was preparing this sermon, I could vividly recall a situation I shared with my daughter that involved an odor I couldn’t see. I was doing my spring cleaning and went through each room cleaning and wiping.
Afterwards, I proceeded into my kitchen to perform the same duties. But when I completed my cleaning every crook and cranny, I noticed this strong pungent odor. Like most of you, the first place I checked was the garbage wastebasket.
When my beautiful nose told me the scent wasn’t coming from there, I turned my attention to the refrigerator. Sometimes you have to move thongs around in your fridge to make sure you haven’t left something in there that might grow wings and fly out when you open the door (Smile).
After a thorough investigation of my refrigerator and cleaning it also, I started to get frustrated. I couldn’t figure out where this smell was coming from. Something was in my house that had overwhelmed all my 409 spray cleaning day.
Well, when all else failed I went to the one person who could tell me where the problem was. I immediately started praying and asking the Lord to help me find this smelly problem and rid it out of my house.
I heard the Holy Spirit tell me that “those things that are hid in the dark shall be brought to the light.” (Luke 8:17; 12:1-3). Sometimes, because we are sheep, it takes a while for us to discern or understand the who, what, where, why, and when of the Lord’s discussion with us.
At first I was thinking “is there something I need to examine in my life that was stained with sin?” The Bible indeed tells us to examine ourselves. We also have the Holy Spirit to remind us of things that need to be dealt with.
After praying I realized that I hadn’t covered any unconfessed sin. So, I went back to my kitchen and prayed again, this time the Holy Spirit told me to get a flashlight. After getting my flashlight I checked to make sure it had fresh batteries in it.
I then stood there for a moment and waited because everything looked clean in my kitchen. It was sparkling from bottom to top. It was so clean, you could see your reflection in the kitchen floor.
But the Holy Spirit spoke again and said, shine the light in darkness. So, I started to think of places in the kitchen where darkness was hiding. I opened my cabinets, I looked under the kitchen sink, I checked behind kitchen items on the counter.
But I suddenly stopped and looked down at my refrigerator. I had already cleaned it top to bottom. But sometimes the bottom can be more below the bottom. I remembered my refrigerator drip pan.
I took the flashlight and then removed the grill on the front to access the drip pan. Upon locating it, I shined the light in the pan after sliding it out from underneath the fridge.
I saw a little bit of fluid in the pan and walked over to the sink to wash out the pan. I quickly to a sniff with that beautiful nose again (Smile) but something seemed missing. I thought I had found what the problem was.
As I started to walk back over to the fridge to reassemble the pan and grill, the Spirit said dig deeper. So, I took the flashlight (this time I laid prostrate on the floor) and shined it to the back of the fridge.
“I couldn’t believe it, I just couldn’t it.” I saw something tucked away in the back of the refrigerator. Some of you by now are thinking, “it’s a piece of rotten fruit.” You’d be incorrect.
Whatever it was, I couldn’t reach it because it looked like it had fur on it. I learned a lesson a long time ago from my parents, “always let slipping dogs lie.” Why? Because suddenly disturbing something that may be startled may have teeth.
I’m not sure, but I can almost hear some of you laughing at my reluctance to push my hand underneath my refrigerator to grab what I couldn’t tell what it was.
Ok, now I needed the Lord to give me courage. So, I prayed and put on the thickest work gloves I could find in my house. I took hold of the flashlight and started to go in this jungle underneath my refrigerator.
But once more, I stopped. I figured why take a chance with my fingers even though they were covered. So, with the flashlight on the floor shinning under the fridge, I grabbed my brand-new long length kitchen tongs for the grill and grabbed whatever was under my fridge.
I’m sure by now all of you are thinking, “just tell us all ready!” Care to guess? Ok, As I pulled out the culprit, there was no movement of life. It turned out to be a rabbit. Now if you’re thinking, “how did a rabbit get into your house?”
Well, after finding out the description of this Bugs Bunny culprit, I immediately knew who was behind this stench. You see everyone, my daughter had a cat. This cat was an indoor and outdoor family member.
I installed a cat door so it could come in and out as it pleased. That was my first mistake. I’ve always been a dog person my entire life. But my daughter liked cats. So, I allowed a trial run to see how things would work out.
I did not know at the time that when you love a cat, they appreciate it by returning that love with their own living, sometimes dead gifts to you. Did I scold the cat, no. But instead of me grabbing that rabbit from the back of my fridge, I put up with stench for another half hour.
My daughter was on her way home from school. Guess who I gave the tongs to pull the rabbit out from the fridge? My daughter. Hey, after all, we made a deal about anything that the cat dragged in was her responsibility.
And there were other gifts we received. A chipmunk, a little sparrow, grasshopper, and bees. You get the point. But this sermon is not about my daughter’s cat, but it is about cleanness and uncleanness.
You see my friends, I thought my spring cleaning that day was spotless. I assumed everything was clean. I couldn’t locate that terrible odor. Jesus came across the same
thing. Only this involved people.
Yes, Jesus had his “Pig-Pens” to deal with. They were the religious leaders, mainly the Pharisees and Sadducees. These leaders taught the people God’s laws (Matthew 23:1-7). But they ran into problems because they had that attitude of not doing what they preached.
They also began to add restrictive burdensome rules, laws, and traditions upon the people. Thus the reason Jesus called them out on their hypocrisy. Jesus condemned leaders who serve themselves rather than others.
They knew the Scriptures but did not live by them. They didn’t care about being devout, just looking devout in order to receive people’s admiration and praise. My mother would refer to them with the phrase “God don’t like ugly.”
[The religious leaders were the best known, most powerful, and most respected of all leaders. Jesus made these stinging accusations because the leaders’ hunger for more power, money, and status had made them lose sight of God, and their blindness was spreading to the whole nation.]
Sounds eerily similar to this nation, doesn’t it? More about that later. The religious leaders were actually hurting the people, not helping them. They were steering them away from heaven’s door (the Kingdom of heaven) instead of leading them to the truth, Jesus the Messiah.
They were elevating their own desires, traditions, or ideas above the truths of God’s Word. Like me not being able to find the place where this stench was coming from, Jesus had exposed the stench (false teachings) of the leaders.
Their erroneous laws and regulations stunk to high heaven. Have you ever driven down the road and all of a sudden there’s this overpowering smell? It’s so bad you have to roll up your windows.
You soon find out that doesn’t work also. You realize, someone must have run over a skunk. You can’t see it, but you know that putrid smell. All you want to do is get away from it. We still have leaders in religious churches today who preach a “Pepé Le Pew” gospel.
If you think all religions are the same, forgive my straight to the point answer, but you are being deceived beloved. You don’t have to be blind and delusional. Jesus offers his light to set you free.
The Pharisees were converting people to their religion, not to a relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph. They spoke about the laws of Moses but never followed them. They were teaching a religion of works.
Sadly my friends, this still goes on in many churches today. They close off the Holy Spirit’s internal workings for the outward piety religion that suits them. The Pharisees hypocritical ways were rubbing off on those who followed them.
Would you follow behind a person who just got sprayed by a skunk? I once knew a gentleman who came up to me after church and said, “Hey Pastor Todd, that was a good message today.” After telling him “Thank you, God gets all the glory.”
He then told me he would come to church more accept he felt there were too many hypocrites in the church. I paused for a minute and told him to imagine three people standing in front of him at the throne where Jesus is sitting.
Then I asked him to imagine Jesus telling him, “My son, come around these three to enter my home.” Would you stand there not coming in because the others decided to block your way? He told me “Of course not!”
Then I told him, “Well, don’t ever allow others to keep you from coming to church.” They made their own bed of choice, and in this case, spiritual death. Just keep Jesus in sight and follow him. This man walked away encouraged.
The Pharisees were like those three individuals blocking the path to Jesus. Jesus, describing their eventual fate always preceded it by using the word “Woe.” You can read (Matthew 23:13-39).
How many times can you find the word “Woe.” The word “woe” is not applied to horses. The word woe (ouai) is a primary excamation of grief. Alas. An expression of grief, pity, or concern.
It’s like a warning of “hey, pay attention, your headed for a fall over that cliff!” Their ears were shut to the truth. Here’s what Jesus said concerning them proselytizing converts.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15 KJV).
But then in verses 25-28, we Jesus get intensely personal with the Scribes and Pharisees. It’s one thing to disagree with someone’s stance on doctrinal teachings, but when you tell them in so many words, “Hey that’s “Stink’um Think’um!”
No one likes to be told their thinking is like Limburger cheese. But in their case, it was. First, Jesus said they were liked unwashed cups that were cleaned only on the outside. I’ve been told one of worst things a person can do is drink out of a cup that somebody has backwashed.
It’s one thing to drink after your own 6-year-old son or daughter, it’s a whole “nother” matter to drink after an 8- or 10-year-old you don’t even know. If you attend a church picnic to sit down for a meal and someone hands you cup to pour water into it, you wouldn’t pour water into the cup if it’s dirty.
But Jesus wasn’t finished with his character religious flaws on the leaders. He told them they were “Whitewashed tombs.” Wow! That is getting straight to the truth. Like that dead smelly rabbit under my big beautiful new clean refrigerator, the leaders teachings were like the inside of a coffin placed in the ground.
27} “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28} Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” (Matthew 23:27,28 KJV).
Jesus used the Greek word (taphos). Which refers to a grave. The place of interment. A burial. A sepulchre tomb. Question, “Would any of you ever invite guest to a catered affair in a graveyard with tombs underneath the ground?
Of course you wouldn’t. Right? Right? Just want to make sure there are Pharisee minded thinkers out there. Although, the Bible tells us some things about this “Stink’um Think’um” in the last days.
Here’s just a few. You can read these in your meditating quiet reading. (Timothy 3:1-7; James 5:1-3; 2 Peter 3:3,4; Jude 1:17-19). In the next chapter, Matthew 24, Jesus tells his disciples about the end times.
Jesus told them the truth that in these end times, there will be many false Christ and false teachers springing up everywhere. We are already living in 2023 what Jesus spoke about.
Are we hearing of wars and divisions all over the world? Especially in this country. There is a war on words, on people, on authentic believers. There are famines, pestilence of every kind. There are earthquakes popping up. These sorrows are real and are hurting so many people in our country.
Jesus told us, 11} “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12} And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matthew 24:11,12 KJV).
In the Old Testament the king told the people what they wanted them to hear. This still happens in many churches today where many pastors are paid salaries to speak what the people want them to say.
They are called “feel good churches.” I’m in favor of feeling good, but not at the expense of someone losing their soul in hell. The church in America has failed to hear, ignoring this nation’s responsibility to follow God.
There are still sermons today telling people “God wants you to be rich,” “Do whatever your desires tell you,” or “sin and hell are not real.” please understand, I’m not opposed to individuals being blessed by God.
God owns everything. He owns a cattle on a thousand hills. (Psalm 50:10; Proverbs 10:22; 13:7). God supplies enough people with the personal and financial resources to respond to the needs of others.
I’ve always told those in the congregation, “It’s ok to have stuff, just don’t allow the stuff to have you.” God desires to give things to us. We do not serve a stingy God.
Looking back at Jesus’ words about the love of many waxing cold. When sin and false teaching are not confronted, and lose morals corrupt our society, the land begins to stink. This happened in the Old Testament when instructions were not followed. (Exodus 16:15-20).
The United States is one big Whitewashed tomb at this moment. The love for God is being sifted away by those who want to be their own gods. And if you disagree, they will persecute you. Lawlessness is spreading in every fabric of life.
Every individual is retreating back to their groups of origin. Division and lack of respect has caused anger to show itself in the air (brawls on planes), on the road (road rage), in our schools (shootings), in our malls (hatred), failures in our education system, huge failures and lapses in our penal system, and even in a civic leaders.
The answer is not throwing money at issues that are problematic. You could disarm every citizen in this country and murders would still take place. Instead of guns someone might use Fentanyl or use a truck. The problem is a heart problem not a object problem.
Don’t think so? Here’s a little simple little find out fact. What object did Cain kill Abel with? I’ll wait. God was more concerned about the act and intent than the object of this crime which is “Thou shalt not murder.” The sanctity of life in 2023 has been severely diminished.
But keep hope my friends, Jesus has never left his children desolate as he told Israel in that day that their nation would be (Matthews 23;38; 24:21} “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22} And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matthew 24:21-22 KJV).
Take heart my friends and don’t be discouraged. Jesus is coming for his church bride. People will continue to mock and attack God’s church. But know this my friends, Jesus is still sitting on the throne, and still in charge.
His words are right just, true, and right. “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:27 KJV).
30} “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31} And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:30,31 KJV).
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
(Matthew 24:35 KJV). Read the good news about what happens to us who endure what’s about to come. (Matthew 24:40-45).
But for the scoffers, unbelievers, persecutioners, and deniers, here is their fate. “And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:51 KJV).
And yet there is more somber news for those who hate God at his appearing. (Galatians 5:19-21; Romans 1:18-32; 2 Corinthians 4:3,4; Revelation 20:10-15; 21:5-8). And yet with all this hatred towards this Holy God, he still reaches out every moment of his beating heart words of reconciliation.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37 KJV).
This passage doesn’t only apply to Israel, but to the United States as well. We can still get back to writing the words on our currency to the walls of our heart. (2 Corinthians 3:2,3; Ezekiel 11:19-21; 36:24-33; Jeremiah 31:33,34).
Jesus knew that one of disciples was uncleanness and not a true follower. 10} “Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 11} For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.” (John 13:10,11 KJV).
Jesus loved Judas very much and wanted to wash his clean. The word whit (holos) meaning to be whole or all that is complete. To be throughout whole completely. Judas was like my new refrigerator, but with something smelly, dirty, and deadly on the inside.
Some believe God created Judas specifically to betray Jesus, die and go to hell. That would mean choice was taken away from Judas. And God’s word also says that it’s not his will that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). He’ll was not created for humans. It was created for the devil (Satan) and his fallen angels. (Matthew 25:41). Judas left his only true love.
The loss of true love for God have made our hearts cold to each other. Sin has cooled our love for God. We have a nation that has lost its moral spiritual compass. We call evil good and good evil. It’s no longer “One nation under God, but one nation under Us.”
[Today, in many churches the “act” or appearance of being religious includes being a “good person,” exhibiting moral behaviors in agreement with our culture, showing tolerance and acceptance of sin in others, and professing to be spiritual. It is clear that many in our nation have placed their hope not in God but in their ability to try and be their own god.]
The Bible tells us, “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits. (Proverbs 16:2 KJV). Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. (Proverbs 16:3 KJV). God desires us to reason with him together concerning our scarlet, crimson, sins. Only God can remove the dyed stain sins we carry. (Isaiah 1:18,19).
People think they can be pure in their own eyes when dealing with a Holy God. They think they can attach anything to God and call it a religion. People can rationalize anything if they have no clear standards for judging good and evil. True born-again blood washed believers can always justify what they do.
As the nation continues to run towards this unclean utopia, there trying to sanitize and erase from the culture words, pronouns, institutions, and moral principles established by God. They believe they are woke and cancel ready, but they actually make themselves more blind and corrupt.
🗣📢 Last words: Today, like the Pharisees, many people talk about the Bible but don’t let its truths transform them. They say they follow Jesus, but they don’t live by his standards of love. It’s important to discern if your teachers and spiritual leaders are welcoming you through God’s open door to his Kingdom or shutting the door and making it difficult to enter.
God calls us into partnership with him to know, see, pray, tell, and act. He fills our eyes with visions of his will. We are constantly hearing God’s purposes in our hearts, minds, and conversations with others we love.
The body of Christ have been given ears to hear in order to know God and shape history. Our prayers are divinely sown seeds. We are appointed living vessels for changing this nation and the world. There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us to spread his word to all who will embrace it.
True church leaders define reality. They help those they lead develop a perspective and a worldview that enables them to interpret life from the vantage point of God’s truth. The truth, even when it’s hard, sets people free from ignorance and deception.
Today, even as this country spirals out of control, we can also be confident that God leaves no loose ends in his system of justice. Though Satan dominates many people’s behavior today, one day God will destroy all evil.
If your tired of all that stink in your life, all you need is a blood bath.
🛐 Here’s a prayer you can pray to get washed up. “Heavenly Father, thank you for today’s message of self-evaluation in my life. Thank you, Lord, for exposing the dirt in my life.
Lord, your spiritual microscope exposes all the unclean things in my life and brings it to the surface. Wash me clean Lord, I pray, and cleanse me of my sins. Search out any wicked way in me and renew a right spirit within my heart.
Thank you, Father, that though my sins were crimson, the blood of Jesus has washed them white as snow. Thank you, that though my sins were many, they were placed on the spotless “Lamb of God,” who took the punishment I justly deserved.
Lord, continue to examine me, and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I pray that you will do away with all my self-will, my passion and my pride, and purify my heart. Thank you, Jesus, that there is now no condemnation or accusation against me. In your name I pray, amen.”
❤If you would like to know Jesus as your Savior, please read the drop-down page entitled “How to know Jesus.”
*Please note that today is Mother’s Day. Please check out the Mother’s Day tribute page. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY & HAPPY LADIES DAY! May your day be filled with someone serving you.
{Bible Dictionary}
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
Pastor Todd Boxley
Worship Center Ministry
Scriptures To read out loud.
“Then I looked, and there was a great number of people. There were so many people that no one could count them. They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language of the earth. They were all standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and had palm branches in their hands. They were shouting in a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” The elders and the four living things were there. All the angels were standing around them and the throne. The angels bowed down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God. They were saying, “Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength belong to our God forever and ever. Amen!” Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people in white robes? Where did they come from?” I answered, “You know who they are, sir.” And the elder said, “These are the people who have come out of the great suffering. They have washed their robes with the blood of the Lamb. Now they are clean and white. And they are before the throne of God. They worship God day and night in his temple. And the One who sits on the throne will protect them. Those people will never be hungry again. They will never be thirsty again. The sun will not hurt them. No heat will burn them. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of water that give life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.””
Revelation 7:9-17 ICB