First Woe

PRAYER:  Thank You Heavenly Father for family.  I ask that You allow responsibility to grow in each of our hearts, so that we can be accountable of our actions towards one another.  So that we become aware of why we're connected through blood to one another and therefore not take for granted the time we have with one another.  Whether it's through phone calls, emails, text, letters, bbms, and face to face visits- let us not place communication and staying in touch at the bottom of our living agendas.  I pray that we don't trample on each other's feelings- that we treat each other respectfully and with love.  Not with bitterness, nor under the curses of past generations.  I pray that we grow in Your Spirit in dealing with one another LORD.  It is my Your Spirit and Power that we can get anything done, and I depend on You today for change.  Let love dominate between parents and their children.  Let love dominate between cousins, aunts, nieces and nephews, sisters and brothers, with grandparents; between husbands and wives.  Let love dominate.  Let forgiveness fill our hearts to allow the past to be the past but to take the lessons You have desired for us to learn with us.  Thank You LORD for family.  In Jesus' name.  Amen

MATTHEW 23 part 4

SEVEN WOES:

1st woe-

^{Jesus speaking to the crowds and to his disciples:}   

^{1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:  2 "The teacher of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.  3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you.  But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.  4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.}  

^{5 Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries (boxes containing Scripture verses, worn on forehead and arm) wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplace and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'}   

^{8 But you are not  be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.  9 And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.  10 Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.  11 The greatest among you will be your servant.  12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.}  

^{13 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces.  You yourselves do not enter, not will you let those enter who are trying to.}  

Being a religious leader in Jerusalem was very different from being a pastor in a secular society today.  Israel's history, culture, and daily life centered around its relationship with God.  The leaders were the best known, most powerful, and most respected of all leaders.  Jesus made theses stinging accusations because the leaders' hunger for more power, money and stauts had made them lose sight of God, and their blindness was spreading to the whole nation.  Jesus calles the teachers and Pharisees hypocrites.  Why?  Because they were so preoccupied with earthly honor that the Kingdom of Heaven was not on their hearts or minds.  The people that they had the privelge of leading were missing the most important part, because their leaders were so fearful Jesus.  They didn't want Jesus to take their places.  Their mission to prove Jesus wrong had nothing to do with the Truth and everything to do with losing thier status.

As I've stated before, once you've accepted Jesus Christ into your heart-you become a leader and you HAVE to take responsibility over your leadership.  Leaders are not just preachers and people in charge of something.  They are you and me.  As we follow, we also lead.  There is at least one person paying attention to your actions, everything you say, and what you believe.  You don't have to shove Bible verses down their thoarts, but what you can do is live what you believe.  You can honor Jesus in everything you say and do, by choosing righteousness over sin.  By replacing and forsaking wrong thinking with the Word of God, you can not only enjoy the abundant live God has promised you.  But you can lead someone else to this life in Glory- just by living truth and not being a hypocrite.

The most precious thing is that you may never know how you touched someone's life for God, but God will know and honor that.  Awesome!

ASK THE LORD TO FORGIVE OUR LEADERS TODAY AND PRAY THAT THEIR SPIRITS, HEARTS AND MINDS RETURN TO GOD.