50 Days of Wisdom

In our Lord's final words to Israel regarding their religious leaders, He exposes their religious leaders for what they are; they are false, corrupt hypocrites. And He warns the people of their damning influence by telling them to "Beware," because they are a threat. Why are they such a threat? Because they are hypocrites and not what they appear to be. They're sons of hell, and they make sons of hell. And then, after the caution, Jesus goes to their characterization. In Matthew 23, He says they clean the outside of the cup, but the inside is filthy. In other words, "On the outside, you're a whitewashed tomb; on the inside, you're corrupt, rotting flesh." Wow! Therefore, Jesus is talking about their fake exterior and the reason why they like to walk around in long robes that were fancy, unique, expensive, and had tassels. They have to put on an ostentatious display on the outside because they have no true holiness of heart on the inside. That way, as they moved about in public life in their fancy robes, everybody would think they were something special. Another thing Jesus said about them was that they liked respectable greetings in the marketplace. They expected to be addressed with titles of dignity such as "rabbi," which means "teacher," "exalted teacher," "excellency," "most knowledgeable one," or "great one." In fact, they were so exalted in their own minds that it was more punishable to act against the words of a scribe than the words of Scripture; Scripture didn't fight back, but they did. They also wanted to be called "father" because they wanted to be known as the source of everything. They also loved to be called "leader." In fact, one of the popular new concepts among young people in churches today is to be called Lead Pastor. But I run from titles; if people ask me, "What shall we call you?" I say, "John." "Jesus" was good enough for Jesus, and "Paul" was good enough for Paul—what do I expect? I'm the lowliest of the low—John is plenty. But false teachers are never humble; they always need to be elevated, especially with titles. Religion is a horrible thing in that regard; we still have these religionists today, who parade around in all kinds of crazy garb, wear clerical hats, and demand to be called Father, Apostle, Doctor, Reverend, Most Holy, and Great Leader. Jesus also said that they love "the chief seats in the synagogue." That means they always wanted to be recognized as elevated above the people; to have the places of honor at banquets—to be near the host, to be the center of attention—the most honored, the most revered. And according to Scripture, Jesus once went to a dinner, and there was a mad fight to find the place of honor. And now you know why I'm called John and I don't sit on the stage. But let me tell you something that is directly related to spirituality: The lack of spirituality always means the expansion of symbolism. That means the less reality of spirituality, the more symbols. And the more reality of spirituality, the less symbol; they're inverse. The gaudy extravagances inside churches—on the priests, the ceremonies, etc.—are all inversely related to the absence of real spiritual life. Why? Because the absence of spiritual life on the inside always leads to the expansion and explosion of symbols on the outside. If you want to see a textbook example of this, just watch the Catholic Church. Since they are void of the reality of spiritual life, their symbols are just endless. So, how did our Lord characterize false teachers? He said that you will know them by their love of titles and holy hardware. It was true then, and it's still true today. Repent and believe! GTY.org (41-65) – Religion and Its Victims

Today's Wisdom

Day: 1023

September 8, 2026

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Grace and peace,

My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, "I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. In other words, bear fruit for eternity. And by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks, you too become contributors to the advancement of His kingdom. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.

The Truth in Love,

Mark Paul - Servant of God

Now grant, O Lord, that when the souls who read these books cast their eyes upon these lines, their minds may be illuminated and their consciences convinced and awakened, that they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and be converted so that You may heal them. Amen!