BBD 07.19.13 The Pretender (Classic)

#1 · July 19, 2013, 11:10 am

Quote from Forum Archives on July 19, 2013, 11:10 am
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The
Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 15 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the
Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than
16,000 subscribers across the world.

You can
leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is
a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of
all of the pages.

The Burning Bush Devotional

14,000 Subscribers
to the Email Devotional

Classic from 2006

07.19.13

The Pretender

Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen
by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore,
when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory
from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a
charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret
will Himself reward you openly. And when you pray, you shall not be like the
hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners
of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they
have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have
shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father
who sees in secret will reward you openly. - Matthew 6:1-6.

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into
the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and
threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to
Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put
in more than all those who have given to the treasury.” - Matthew 12:41-43.

A high school in Minnesota thought that a person of
English nobility had visited them. Supposedly, this was the Fifth Duke of
Cleveland, Caspian James Crichton-Stuart IV, 27^th in line for the
British throne. “Caspian” talked with a British accent and he requested
that those addressing him call him, “Your
Grace.” He also had some great stories about
celebrities he knew and how the Queen herself had told him to clean up his
room. However, he was actually 22-year-old Joshua Garner, a s_x offender on
probation pretending to be 17 years of age. Reporters for the school newspaper,
thankfully, uncovered the truth about this pretender.

In the days, that Jesus walked upon this earth in the
flesh there were some great religious pretenders. They were the important
religious people of the day made up of Pharisees and Sadducees - and likely
others who had great wealth. Jesus called them “hypocrites.” Why? Because they acted like they
were holier than others when they actually were not. In other words, they were
pretending to be something that they were not. Some made a show of giving their
money and likely it did appear to be much money to the man on the street.
However, as Jesus pointed out it did not cost them anything to give what they
gave because it just came out of the excess of their wealth. Others loved to
pray loud and long loving the attention that they received from those who were
watching. They had their reward.

In the religious world today, we still have our
pretenders. There are still those who make a big show of giving when actually
it costs them very little. While others who have very little make great
sacrifices to give monetarily very little. Jesus makes it clear which are
really giving. There, also, are still those in the religious world who make a
great show of how holy they are when they pray. But they are not the only
religious pretenders are they? There are many others.

Too many have a tendency after being a Christian for a
few years to begin to think that they are better than others that are not yet
Christians. We have a tendency to forget from whence we have come. Where did we
come from? Paul says we are all sinners (Romans
3:23). Let us not pretend that we were ever
perfect or even near perfect because only our Lord Jesus lived a perfect
life upon this earth.

Copyright © 2006-2013. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
No matter what the size your church, Ed will come on a love offering basis for
a revival or to share his testimony in the continental United States. You can
make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or WratherEd@gmail.com
View LinkedIn profile with endorsements at
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush
website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests
there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me.).

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group.
The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer
requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo
devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may
subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is
only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The
Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 15 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the
Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than
16,000 subscribers across the world.

You can
leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is
a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of
all of the pages.

The Burning Bush Devotional

14,000 Subscribers
to the Email Devotional

Classic from 2006

07.19.13

The Pretender

Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen
by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore,
when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory
from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a
charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret
will Himself reward you openly. And when you pray, you shall not be like the
hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners
of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they
have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have
shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father
who sees in secret will reward you openly. - Matthew 6:1-6.

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into
the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and
threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to
Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put
in more than all those who have given to the treasury.” - Matthew 12:41-43.

A high school in Minnesota thought that a person of
English nobility had visited them. Supposedly, this was the Fifth Duke of
Cleveland, Caspian James Crichton-Stuart IV, 27^th in line for the
British throne. “Caspian” talked with a British accent and he requested
that those addressing him call him, “Your
Grace.” He also had some great stories about
celebrities he knew and how the Queen herself had told him to clean up his
room. However, he was actually 22-year-old Joshua Garner, a s_x offender on
probation pretending to be 17 years of age. Reporters for the school newspaper,
thankfully, uncovered the truth about this pretender.

In the days, that Jesus walked upon this earth in the
flesh there were some great religious pretenders. They were the important
religious people of the day made up of Pharisees and Sadducees - and likely
others who had great wealth. Jesus called them “hypocrites.” Why? Because they acted like they
were holier than others when they actually were not. In other words, they were
pretending to be something that they were not. Some made a show of giving their
money and likely it did appear to be much money to the man on the street.
However, as Jesus pointed out it did not cost them anything to give what they
gave because it just came out of the excess of their wealth. Others loved to
pray loud and long loving the attention that they received from those who were
watching. They had their reward.

In the religious world today, we still have our
pretenders. There are still those who make a big show of giving when actually
it costs them very little. While others who have very little make great
sacrifices to give monetarily very little. Jesus makes it clear which are
really giving. There, also, are still those in the religious world who make a
great show of how holy they are when they pray. But they are not the only
religious pretenders are they? There are many others.

Too many have a tendency after being a Christian for a
few years to begin to think that they are better than others that are not yet
Christians. We have a tendency to forget from whence we have come. Where did we
come from? Paul says we are all sinners (Romans
3:23). Let us not pretend that we were ever
perfect or even near perfect because only our Lord Jesus lived a perfect
life upon this earth.

Copyright © 2006-2013. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
No matter what the size your church, Ed will come on a love offering basis for
a revival or to share his testimony in the continental United States. You can
make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or WratherEd@gmail.com
View LinkedIn profile with endorsements at
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush
website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests
there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me.).

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group.
The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer
requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo
devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may
subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is
only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org