#WordforToday 7th January 2018 How is your heart?

“He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

Mark 7:6-7 NKJV

Today is the first Sunday of year 2018. Across the world in many churches there will be the celebration of Thanksgiving. Thanking God for His blessings upon our lives. There will be dancing, smiling and joy. And of course there will be testimonies squashed into a few minutes, of what God has done.

I love church. How can I not. I met Christ in Church. I grew to love Christ in Church through fellowship with other Christians and studying the Holy Scripture. Yet I wonder whether going to ‘church’ has become a tradition -  a feel good tick box exercise that satisfies our ‘holiness’ conscience. Or is it a place to get charged and recharged for the work of the Kingdom of God in the world. A place of love, fellowship, worshipping in truth and spirit and being equipped with the doctrine of God for the work of the ministry Yeshua has committed into our hands.

In the passage above Yeshua was responding to the indignation of the Scribes and Pharisees concerning His disciples eating bread with unwashed hands (Mark 7:2). How dare they! Defiled hands! Hands not washed in a special way according to the traditions of the elders! Just imagine the haughty judgemental ‘holier than thou’ attitude. 

Praise Jehovah for His Son Yeshua through whom we have been made righteous with the Father. Not by religious acts and traditions of men but a heart of repentance and faith in Jesus.

As we meet each Sunday for church, we must be careful that we are not full of religious acts and traditions of ‘elders’. As individuals we know our heart towards Yeshua. What would be His testimony of you? Would He say; “This people honors Me with their lips and their heart. They do not worship Me in vain. Teaching my doctrines rather than the commandments of men.”

#PrayerforToday 7th January 2018

Almighty Father, in the name of Yeshua Ha Mashiach, help me to honor You with my lips and my whole heart. I will not worship You in vain.  Give me the grace to teach Your doctrines rather than the commandments of men. Amen.

I pray this inspires you to be more and do more for Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Jesus Christ).

#AdeolaAkintoye ©