OUR DAILY BREAD : IT'S ALL ABOUT THE HEART

[cimi]

August 19
Wednesday


IT'S ALL ABOUT
THE HEART

READ:
Matthew 15:7-20
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Those things which
proceed out of the
mouth come from
the heart.
__Matthew 15:18
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Every time Susan opens her mouth, it sounds like the blare of an ambulance siren. This TV commercial uses humor to indicate that a dental problem could reveal a more serious physical ailment. So she'd better see her dentist soon!

The commercial made me think about what comes out of my mouth when I open it. Jesus said that our words come from our heart (Matt.15:18). He offended the pharisees when He said, "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man" (vv.11-12). They thought they were right with God because they followed strict rules, including ritual cleansing of their hands before eating and eating only "clean" foods. Jesus upset their pride.

Jesus upsets our pride too. We may think we're godly people because we go to church regularly or pray, but then we gossip or talk about people behind their backs. James 3:9-10 says, "With [our tongue] we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men.... Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.... These things ought not to be so."

If a siren blares from our mouth when we open it, we need to examine our heart and ask the Lord to forgive us and to help us be a blessing to others. __Anne Cetas
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`````````````Lord, cleanse our hearts so what we speak`````````````
```````````````````Will be reflective of your grace;````````````````
`````````````````And help us to control our tongues```````````````
``````````````So we'll not bring on You disgrace. __Sper```````````
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Every time you speak, your mind is on parade.

**************Today's Bible Reading __ Matthew 15:7-20***********

7 Hypocrites! Well did
Isaiah prophesy about you,
saying:

8"These people draw near
to Me with their mouth, and
honor Me with their lips, but
their heart is far from Me.

9 And in vain they worship
Me, teaching as doctrines the
commandments of men."

10 When He had called the
multitude to Himself, He said
to them, "Hear and
understand: 11 Not what goes
into the mouth defiles a man;
but what comes out of the
mouth, this defiles a man."

12 Then His disciples came
and said to Him, "Do You
know that the Pharisees were
offended when they heard
this saying?"

13 But He answered and
said, "Every plant which My
heavenly Father has not
planted will be uprooted.

14 Let them alone. They are
blind leaders of the blind.
And if the blind leads the
blind, both will fall into a
ditch."

15 Then Peter answered and
said to Him, "Explain this
parable to us."

16 So Jesus said, "Are you
also still without
understanding? 17 do you not
yet understand that whatever
enters the mouth goes into
the stomach and is
eliminated? 18 But those
things which proceed out of
the mouth come from the
heart, and they defile a man.

19 For out of the heart
proceed evil thoughts,
murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false
witness, blasphemies.

2- These are the things which
defile a man, but to eat with
unwashed hands does not
defile a man."