For Reading and Meditation:      John 14:1-14We make the claim once again - Christianity is unique. It is unique in the sense that it is the divinely appointed way to enter into a relationship with the one true and living God. There is only one way, only one Name, only one God, only one Lord, only one Mediator. Our claim that Christianity is unique comes not from arrogance but from simple empirical fact. W. A. Visser't Hooft, in his book No Other Name, says: "There is no universality if there is no unique event." Uniqueness and universality go together. It is because God has exalted Jesus to the highest place in the universe, "far above all rule and authority," and given Him the unique Name of "Lord," that He towers over every other name. That, too, is the reason why every knee must bow to Him. And it is precisely because Jesus Christ is the only Savior that we are under an obligation to proclaim Him to as many as we possibly can. In whatever culture we live, we must endeavor to make Jesus known. We must set our face against the faction in today's church that aims to modernize the gospel and says: "Let us recognize all religions as being authentic before God and seek not to convert people from their religion but encourage them to be better adherents of it." Have these people no regard for the honor of Jesus Christ? Do they not care when Christ is seen as just one among many Saviors rather than, as God declares, the only Savior. No true Christian can ever worship Christ without minding that others do not.Father, help me understand that it is not enough to know about the faith into which You have brought me by Your grace: I must seek also to share it. Help me grasp every opportunity that comes to make the way clear to others. In Jesus' Name. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>Matthew 7:15-21</li><li>Acts 20:25-31</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What did Jesus warn about?</li><li>What was Paul's charge to the Ephesian elders?</li></ul></div></div>

Let a little light into your soul every day with this wonderful devotional from English pastor Selwyn Hughes.

Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

"No one comes to the Father except through me." (v. 6)

For Reading and Meditation:      Matthew 7:13-29If the men and women of this world took an unbiased look at Jesus as presented to us in the four Gospels, they would see, as Bishop Stephen Neill put it, that "Jesus Christ is not in the least like anyone else who has ever lived." The way He taught, for example, is not the same as that of any other religious teacher. When He concluded the Sermon on the Mount, which some believe to be idealism, the people "were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His teaching, for He was teaching as [One] Who had [and was] authority . . ." (Amp. Bible)." What was this "authority"? An authority imposed from without? No, it was the authority of the facts. Jesus was divulging the meaning of life. He was uncovering reality. It was the authority of God; when He spoke, God spoke. It was the authority of truth, deed, and love. A good many people make the mistake of thinking that Jesus came to impose upon humanity a moral code. But Jesus was not a moralist in that sense at all. He was a revealer of the nature of reality. He revealed first the nature of God, and that the nature of God is the ground of God's conduct and ours. He then lifted up the laws written into the universe, written in the warp and woof of our being, and showed us that the only way to live is God's way. Instead of being an imposed idealism, it was exposed realism - Reality itself was speaking. No wonder it was authoritative. Here was the indicative become the imperative. Lord Jesus Christ, revealer of all that is hidden, thank You above everything that You have revealed God to me. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. All of Your ways become the way - for everybody, everywhere. Now I am on the way. Hallelujah!<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>Mark 1:1-27</li><li>Matthew 28:18</li><li>John 5:27</li><li>Matthew 8:27</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What amazed the people?</li><li>What amazed the disciples?</li></ul></div></div>

"... he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law." (v. 29) 

Matthew 7:13-29"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."There are two gates - one narrow and one wide - and two ways corresponding thereto. The easy way is not the right way. This is true in a very wide sense. It is true in the life of a child. There is a broad way of indulgence and indolence - but we know where it leads. There is a way of patient obedience in duty - and the end of this is worthy life and noble character. It is true in young manhood and womanhood. There is a way of pleasure, of ease - which leads to unworthy character. There is a way of self-denial, of discipline, of hard work - and this leads to honor. Then there is a broad way of selfishness and sin - which never reaches heaven's gates. And there is a way of penitence, of devotion to Christ, of spending and being spent in His service - which end is a seat beside the King on His throne!It is a reason for great thankfulness, that there is a gate into the spiritual and heavenly life - and into heaven at the end. The glorious things are not beyond our reach. They are high, on dazzling summits - but there is a path that leads to them. We must note, however, that the gate is narrow.Some people say that it is very easy to be a Christian. But really, it is not easy. It was not easy for the Son of God to prepare the way for us. It was necessary for Him to come from heaven in condescending love, and give His own life in opening the way. Jesus said also that any who would reach the glory of His kingdom, must go by the same way of the cross by which He had gone. He said that the one who will save his life - that is, withhold it from self-denial and sacrifice, shall lose it; and that he alone who loses his life - that is, gives it out in devotion to God and to duty - shall really save it (see 16:24, 25). In one of His parables, too, Jesus speaks of salvation as a treasure hid in a field, and the man who learns of the treasure and its hiding-place has to sell all that he has in order to buy the field (see 13:44). In another parable the same truth is presented under the figure of a merchant seeking goodly pearls, who had to sell all his stock of pearls - that he might buy the one peerless pearl (13:45).The truth of the difficulty of entrance into the kingdom, is put in another way in this Sermon on the Mount. There are two roads through this world and two gates into the eternal world. One of these roads is broad and easy, with a descending grade, leading to a wide gate. It requires no exertion, no struggle, and no sacrifice to go this way. The other road is narrow and difficult - and leads to a narrow gate. To go this way one has to leave the crowd and walk almost alone - leave the broad, plain, easy road - and go on a hard, rugged road that often gets difficult and steep, entering by a gate too small to admit any bundles of worldliness or self-righteousness, or any of the trappings of the old life. If we get to heaven, we must make up our minds that it can be only by this narrow way of self - denial. There is a gate - but it is narrow and hard to pass through.Jesus forewarned His friends against false prophets who would come to them in sheep's clothing - but who inwardly would be ravening wolves! There is something fearful in the eagerness of Satan to destroy men's lives! He resorts to every possible device. He sends his agents and messengers in forms and garbs intended to deceive the simple-minded and unwary. He even steals the dress of God's own servants, in order to gain the confidence of believers and then destroy their faith and lead them away to death. There always are such false teachers and guides. They try to pass for sheep - but the sheep's covering is only worn outside, while inside is the heart of a hungry, blood-thirsty wolf!Many young people in these times fall under the influence of people who have caught smatterings of skeptical talk which they drop in the form of sneers or mocking queries into the ears of their confiding listeners. They laugh at the simple old cradle beliefs which these young Christians hold, calling them "superstitions." Then they go on to cast doubt upon, or at least to start questions about, this or that teaching in the Bible, or to caricature some Christian doctrine and hold it up in such a light as to make it look absurd. Thus these "false prophets" poison the minds of earnest young believers, and often destroy their childhood faith and fill them with doubt and perplexity!Jesus makes it very plain in His teaching, that not profession but obedience is the test of Christian life. "Not everyone that says unto Me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father." It is not enough to believe in Christ, intellectually, even to be altogether orthodox in one's creed. It is not enough to seem to honor Christ before men, praying to Him and ascribing power to Him. Jesus tells us that some at last who thus seem to be His friends, publicly confessing Him - shall fail to enter the heavenly kingdom!Why are these confessors of Christ, kept out of the heavenly kingdom? What are the conditions of entrance into this kingdom? The answer is given very plainly. Those alone enter the kingdom, who do the will of the Father who is in heaven. No profession, therefore, is true which is not attested and verified by a life of obedience and holiness. "Simply to Your cross I cling" is not all of the gospel - it is only half of it. No one is really clinging to the cross - who is not at the same time faithfully following Christ and doing whatever He commands. To enter into the kingdom of heaven, is to have in one's heart the heavenly spirit. We must do God's will. We cannot have Christ for our Savior, until we have Him also as our Master. We pray, "May Your will be done by me on earth, as it is done in heaven." If the prayer is sincere, it must draw our whole life with it in loving obedience and acquiescence to the Divine will.The illustration at the close of the Sermon on the Mount, makes the teaching very plain. "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock." Everything turns on the doing or not doing of God's Word. Both the men here described hear the words - but only one of them obeys, and thus builds on the impregnable foundation. These two houses probably looked very much alike when they were finished. Indeed, the house on the sand may have been more attractive and more showy - than the house built farther up on the hillside. The difference, however, lay in the foundations .There were two kinds of ground. There was a wide valley, which was dry and pleasant in the summer days, when these men were looking for building sites. Then way above this valley - were high, rocky bluffs. One man decided to build in the valley. It would cost much less. It was easy digging, and the excavations would be less expensive, for the ground was soft. Then it was more convenient also, for the bluffs were not easy of access. The other man looked farther ahead, however, and decided to build on the high ground. It would cost a great deal more - but it would be safer in the end.So the two homes went up simultaneously, only the one in the valley was finished long before the other was, because it required much less labor. At last the two families moved into their respective residences, and both seemed very happy. But one night there was a great storm. The rains poured down in torrents until a flood, like a wild river, swept through the valley. The house that was built on the low ground - was carried away with its dwellers. The house on the bluff, however, was unharmed.These two pictures explain themselves. He who built in the valley is the man who has only profession - but who has never really given his life to Christ, nor built on Him as the foundation. The other man who build on the rock - is he who has a true faith in Christ, confirmed by loving obedience. The storms that burst, are earth's trials which test every life - the tempests of death and of judgment. The mere professor of religion is swept away in these storms, for he has only sand under him. He who builds on Christ is secure, for no storm can reach him in Christ's bosom!

A unique type of devotional from the writings of James Russell Miller, published between 1908 and 1913.

Devotional Hours Within the Bible

Matthew 7:13-29

False and True Discipleship

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Morning Daily Light

 Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven 

Both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” § In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. § You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. § Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it! § Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. § My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. § Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

 My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it. 

Not everyone who says … , “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. § Pursue … holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. § Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble. By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. 

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? … Faith … , if it does not have works, is dead. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son … concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead. § Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? … You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. By their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. § If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Evening Daily Light

 Do you now believe? 

Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight. § We made our prayer to our God, and … set a watch against them day and night. Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. § If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God. § Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. § Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. § Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear!”

 Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 

<h3>True and False Disciples</h3> 21 <woj>“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. </woj>

Matthew 7:21

<woj>“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’<cr>1</cr> will enter the kingdom of heaven,<cr>2</cr> but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.<cr>3</cr> </woj>

 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’   will enter the kingdom of heaven,   but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

<woj>“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. </woj>

 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’   will enter the kingdom of heaven,   but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  

Bible Verse of the Day

June 10, 2024

Matthew 7:21 NIV

Verse by Verse Bible Study

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