But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].”
James 4:6
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It's amazing the length Jesus went to in His hometown to offend His own who were speaking well of Him.
That always amazed me, it's something religious people would never do.
Just so you know, being raised Catholic, I do hate religion. It's false and built on man's useless traditions, lies and self righteous deeds.
What Jesus did in "church" is considered so divisive, rude and offensive today by everyone especially the empty people who follow their shallow religions.
Jesus' neighbors in Nazereth's Synagogue turned on a dime and tried to push Him off a cliff after He spoke the truth which exposed the evil pride of their sinful religious hearts.
Pride in country, ethnic identification, level of education, job, power, wealth, status, car, house, etc. or any religion is an abomination to God and will keep you out of heaven and keep you blinded to what vile filth lies beneath, deep in your soul.
Jesus exposed the truth, the true condition of His own people close to Him after they spoke well of Him.
Today we compromise, too afraid to rock the boat. That's not the example Jesus taught us.
If the truth offends you than so be it.
The truth is more important than our vain and shallow feelings that change with the breeze.
The truth is more important than our vain and shallow feelings that change with the breeze.
When Jesus was telling fellow Jews that God fed a foreign widow from Lebanon and healed a Syrian instead of them, the truth cut so deep that it caused wicked pride to well up and rise to the surface and exact murder, but it was not Jesus' time yet.
The word of God cuts through lies and every false thing.
The word of God cuts through lies and every false thing.
Nothing has really changed since with our wretched condition and our vain religion cures nothing.
It just gives the religious person a thin, deceptive veneer to cover up his hypocrisy and shallow emptiness where God cannot dwell, a life where the spirit of pride, the hook of Satan and his demons hide deep in the heart of man.
God will always need to remove this major obstruction that keeps us far from Him.
It just gives the religious person a thin, deceptive veneer to cover up his hypocrisy and shallow emptiness where God cannot dwell, a life where the spirit of pride, the hook of Satan and his demons hide deep in the heart of man.
God will always need to remove this major obstruction that keeps us far from Him.
And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.
And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.
And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
And He said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’”
And He said, “Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.
But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land;
and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, (Lebanon) to a woman who was a widow.
And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;
and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.
But passing through their midst, He went His way.
Dead religion and it's vain, man made rituals are totally worthless. You go around in circles and never get anywhere.
Many will find out too late, they wasted their lives filled with deadly pride and just enough religion to send them to hell for eternity.
I have to commend Jesus for loving the people enough to tell them the hard, painful truth and not fill them with words of empty religious garbage as we are drowning in today.
What they did with it they'll have to live with forever.
Amen Marcel! A very good post!
ReplyDeleteMost of JESUS' Words are offensive to the average churchian or religionist. They are violently opposed to HIS+ Words and the ministers pretend that those Words are not even in the Scriptures.
However HIS+ Words will NEVER pass away, but each one will be fulfilled perfectly.
We are called to be followers of Mashiach+, not religionists. I pray for a Powerful Anointing of Holy Fire upon the end time Remnant Called-Out" ones.
Again, a great post Marcel.
Samson7able <(((><
Thanks brother.
DeleteHere are two more. The first is the most offensive against a woman, Jesus calling her a dog.She didn't let ANY pride get in her way as so many schooled in government brainwashing centers K-12, where self is elevated above God would automatically do and sue.
The second in John 6 is also interesting as He ran a lot of people off intentionally.
Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” 23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying,
Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.
Matthew 15
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26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.....
I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”
52 Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him....
66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.
John 6
Thanks for this word today, Marcel. I'm reminded of this passage:
ReplyDeleteBut know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING ITS POWER.
I think we're there, don't you?
Blessings to you.