Tag Archives: cleansing

How’s your heart? (Matthew 15:13-20) April 8, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Jeremiah 12-16

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 15:13-20
Jesus: Every plant planted by someone other than My heavenly Father will be plucked up by the roots. So let them be. They are blind guides. What happens when one blind person leads another? Both of them fall into a ditch.
Peter: Explain that riddle to us.
Jesus: Do you still not see? Don’t you understand that whatever you take in through your mouth makes its way to your stomach and eventually out of the bowels of your body? But the things that come out of your mouth—your curses, your fears, your denunciations—these come from your heart, and it is the stirrings of your heart that can make you unclean. For your heart harbors evil thoughts—fantasies of murder, adultery, and whoring; fantasies of stealing, lying, and slandering. These make you unclean—not eating with a hand you’ve not ritually purified with a splash of water and a prayer.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Don’t you just want to shake the disciples sometimes? They seem so dense when we look back and listen to the questions they have for Jesus. Explain your riddle. Tell us what your parable means. Why do you make your sermons so hard to understand. And Jesus spends time slowly going over what He’s just told the crowd. He puts things in terms kindergarteners can understand. Still they ask their questions and we sit back and shake our heads at them.

But…should we be so quick to chastise them for their ignorance? We live on this side of the cross. We have heard Jesus’ explanation of all those parables. We know the answers to the questions the disciples raised. We have centuries of writings from the apostles, early disciples, and theologians that tell us the meaning of Jesus’ words. These guys heard these words for the first time with no other background except His words.

So we have all this knowledge about this information Jesus shares with the people who listened to Him talk about those rituals and the difference between what went into a person and what came out of a person. Which one makes you clean? The rituals didn’t do it Jesus says. He made it pretty clear to the folks who listened to Him. We know that on this side of the cross. We know that what you eat or drink doesn’t make you righteous. Neither does the physical act of washing a certain way, sitting in certain places, following certain practices. None of these outward acts makes one righteous.

We know these things from the lessons Jesus gives the crowds on the hillsides of Judea and the interpretations He gives to His disciples as they ask for deeper explanations of His stories. So, if we know all these things, why do we continue to do the very things Jesus preaches against? Why do we keep acting like going to church makes us okay? Why do we act like putting a few dollars in an offering plate buys our ticket into heaven? When every other day except Sunday we look like, talk like, and act like every other person around us?

Why can’t we understand on this side of the cross that Jesus expects us to live the way He lived? Why can’t we see that just walking through religious activities isn’t good enough to make you right with God? Why can’t we read His word and see that He wants more from us?

I’ve mentioned before the survey the Barna Group did several years ago that compared those who call themselves Christian with those who are unchurched. The difference between the two groups in his study – those who call themselves Christian didn’t curse as much. Every other marker was statistically the same – lying, cheating, adultery, pornography, petty theft, embezzlement, you name the vice and those who call themselves Christian are involved in it. We just don’t curse as often. Hmmm!!

Is that how God wants us to live? Is that why He died on the cross, for us to live the same way everyone else does? I don’t think so. Jesus calls us to a higher standard. He calls us to a higher plane of life. He calls us to live a righteous, holy life. And He gave us His holy Spirit to live in us with His resurrection power to help us do just that. He cleanses us from all unrighteousness, John tells us, so that we can choose not to fall prey to the wiles of Satan, our adversary.

We are not strong enough to stand against him, but Jesus in us is. He has resurrection power and has already defeated sin and death. And His resurrection power in us can keep us if we focus on His Spirit in us, God’s indwelling presence that He sent to live in us. That’s the message He had for the disciples. What lives inside us determines whether we are clean or unclean, good or evil, obedient or disobedient. The one who has control of our mind determines which we focus on. Do we give control to God or do we keep it for ourselves?

Jesus said, it’s what’s inside that counts. How’s your heart?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Maybe we need pig’s eyes (Matthew 8:32) February 13, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Matthew 17-19

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 8:32
Jesus: Very well then, go!

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The storm ends, the little boat lands in the region of the Gadarenes, and two demon-possessed men who lived by the tombs come out and block the path to the village.

The demons worry that Jesus has come to torture them before the day of judgment and ask a request of the Son of God, “If you drive us out of these men, would you let us go into that herd of pigs over there?” Then we come to Jesus’ words.

So what can we make of it? Is Jesus granting requests from demons? Do they hold any sway over Him? How do we accept this encounter and the ensuing results and make any sense of it? What does all of it mean to us today?

The first important point is God’s word recognizes the spiritual warfare that goes on with demons. Just as we believe His Spirit can inhabit us, Satan’s minions can inhabit us, if we let them. These two men allowed demons to use their bodies as their dwelling place. Once there, they took up residence and weren’t about to let go of him. Some may think it’s just a story. Some may think demons don’t exist today. It’s just some kind of illness or disease process that Jesus healed.

I disagree. God’s words acknowledges demons throughout the scriptures. Those beings that work for Satan just as God’s angels work for Him. Are all the evil things that happen today cause by the demon possessed? Absolutely not. Is it easy to become demon-possessed? I don’t know and frankly, don’t care to find out. But I think it’s possible and easier that some might think. But I think it is a voluntary process just as coming to Christ and asking His Spirit to live in us is a voluntary process.

In whatever way it happened, these two men were demon-possessed and their actions became so disruptive to the community they were driven from their homes, from the village, and forced to live among the tombs by the seashore. The two men scrounged for what food they could find and lived off of what they could find or steal. Their demon-possession caused their behavior to banish them from society and they were more comfortable dwelling among the dead in the tombs than among the living.

So, we have that discussion out of the way, there were and are demons in the world.

Second, the demons had no problem recognizing who Jesus was. They had no blinders on their eyes. No false religions to tell them something was more important than God. They didn’t need to guess about the origin and authenticity of the One who stood before them. They called Jesus by His rightful title, Son of God. Satan and all his demons know Jesus is the Son of God, why do we have such a hard time believing.

Third, the demons didn’t question Jesus’ power. They knew they were doomed. Judgment day was coming and their torment was to begin. They were just a little surprised their judge came early. They knew Jesus would judge them as well as all of humanity. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. That doesn’t leave anyone or anything out. The title encompasses all of creation and that includes the demons. They knew it wouldn’t be a fair fight. In fact, they knew it wouldn’t be a fight at all. When He spoke, they would leave. And that was that. Done.

But the demons made one request, “Can we go into the herd of pigs?”

I sometimes wonder why they asked to do that. Maybe it’s because demons must have a host of some kind and they were afraid to try to find a host with Jesus close by. They knew He would only throw them out again and I expect the exercism involved some kind of pain for them as well as the host in their symbiotic relationship. So maybe they just decided an animal host was one Jesus would accept without trying to make them leave again.

Fourth, I think Jesus knew the outcome. Satan’s demons in those pigs meant disaster for the demons. We think animals are not smart and certainly humans are at the top of the pyramid for intelligent life on the planet. (at least I think we are most of the time, although at times I wonder) As soon as the demons flew into the pigs, the herd killed themselves running over a cliff into the sea. The pigs couldn’t handle the evil that suddenly took residence in their bodies. God made them and they were good, the evil tainted them so badly, they destroyed themselves. It was the only way the pigs knew to get rid of the evil inside them.

It’s interesting to me that the pigs couldn’t tolerate that evil for even a few minutes, but we can live with it for a lifetime. We convince ourselves so well that what we do against God is okay, that we live that evil brewing in us and just no longer see it. Maybe we need to get pig’s eyes for a little while so we can see what we are and realize just how much we need God’s cleansing in our lives. Maybe then, we would fall on our knees and beg His forgiveness and mercy for our sins. Maybe then, we would understand His willingness to make us clean and whole again. To rid us of the filth in our lives and make us new in Him. Maybe we need pig’s eyes for a while.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Of course, He wants to! (Matthew 8:3) February 6, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Matthew 14-16

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 8:3
Jesus (stretching out His hand): Of course I wish to. Be clean.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

You probably remember the setting from which these words were spoken. Jesus comes down from the mountainside where He had been teaching and as He walked along, a leper knelt in front of Him and asked to be healed of this dreadful disease. Leprosy couldn’t be cured in Jesus’ day. It meant isolation from the community, from family, from everyone except others plagued by the same disease. Life was miserable for them. They were completely without hope for any future. Unless some miracle took place, their life ended in the caves around the city as they scrounged food from the dumps to stay alive for what little hope they had in those miracles.

But this leper heard about this man called Jesus, Joshua, Savior. He heard stories that He healed by His touch and sometimes by just His spoken word. Only God could speak creative acts such as these, but this man… The stories were everywhere. The buzz about Jesus around every well and watering place overtook every other conversation. Who was this man that came on the scene out of that little hole in the wall, Nazareth, and made fools of the Pharisees when they tried to trap Him in their questions.

So this leper came in desparation. He broke all the rules. He was unclean. His sores ran and his skin bled. His fingers and toes no longer felt the pain we feel when we injure ourselves. His case could be called extreme. But this leper wanted something more than the sentence of prolonged agony ending in sure death. He broke through the crowded lane and fell at Jesus’ feet.

When people saw the leper, they probably ran out of his way. No one wanted to be close to this diseased individual. No one wanted to catch what he had. No one wanted to face the prospect of living out the rest of their days in agony and alone. The leper doesn’t impose on the Lord. “Lord, if you wish to, please heal me and make me clean.” I like that. How often to we come to the Lord in prayer demanding our way. God, you just have to do this for me. Lord you just have to do that for me. But the leper understood exactly who He addressed that day. Lord, if you wish. If it pleases you. If it fits into your plans. It my small request doesn’t take you away from your greater work. Would you mind taking just a little time away from your journey and heal me?

Is that how you approach God with your requests? I’ll admit, most of the time I don’t. He invites us to come boldly and most of the time I do. I think we’re probably all guilty of too often coming too boldly with our requests and forgetting the humility this leper demonstrates as he comes to Jesus with his personal need. Lord, if you will, please heal me and make clean.

And I love Jesus’ answer. “Of course I wish to. Be clean.” God never meant for death to enter the world. That was our doing. God never wanted disease to come to us. That was a consequence of our failure. God didn’t want us to find ourselves cast out and alone. That came about as a result of our disobedience. We let sin in and corrupted His creation. Does God want to fix it. Yes. But God is still holy and just. Sin cannot reside around Him. There must be a redeemer to buy us out from the slavery of sin and into His family.

The good news is He paid that price. He redeemed us with His shed blood. But we must accept that redemption. He doesn’t put shackles on our feet and drag us into His kingdom. He paid the price, but asks us to voluntarily follow Him. He lets us choose the path we take. Will He cleanse us and make us free from the dirt and filth of sin? Absolutely! But we must come to Him the way the leper came to Him. The leper knew his condition. He didn’t care what others thought about him coming forward to Jesus. He knew they would talk about his breaking the rules. He assumed some what talk about how terrible he was to expose others to his disease by coming along the road with people who didn’t have his disease. The leper knew he was an outcast and could not help himself. He knew his only hope was in the healing and cleansing Jesus could bring. He knew Jesus could make the difference in his life no one else could make and had confidence in Jesus’ ability to do so. He put all his faith in Jesus.

What do you need Jesus to do for you? How do you come to Him with your request? He tells us to come to Him boldly? But do we remember that He is Lord of creation? Do we understand just Who we address when we fall on our knees in front of Him? The leper understood. He came in humble adoration and made his plea. Jesus’ response – Of course, I wish to do it! He doesn’t withhold His good gifts from us. Just remember Who you’re asking in the process. He is God, you know.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.