50 Days of Wisdom

The gospel of Mark records Jesus' last words, which He spoke publicly, and they are very strong and condemning. The last public words were our Lord's warning about false teachers. Mark 12:38-40 says, "In His teaching He was saying, 'Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes and like respectful greetings in the marketplaces and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake who offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation." Our Lord's final words to Israel are regarding their religious leaders, and He exposes their religious leaders for what they are; they are corrupt hypocrites, and He warns the people of their damning influence. In Matthew 15:14, Jesus basically described them as blind leaders of the blind, and if the blind are leading the blind, everybody ends up in the ditch. But the full damning statement is given in Matthew 23, and it goes on for 36 verses, so there you have the full denunciation of these apostate hypocrites. Now, suffice it to say that the text is a warning, because it begins with "Beware"—that's the caution. The message is a condemnation about to come on those who have a corrupt view of Scripture, a corrupt view of Christ, and therefore, a corrupt view of the gospel. Worse, they not only hold wrong views, but they also propagate them. This is our Lord publicly addressing false teachers; this is Jesus' stance on false teachers, and it's clear that Jesus has a zero-tolerance policy towards false teachers. If someone denies the true meaning of Scripture, denies the true identity of Christ, and denies the true gospel, that person is intolerable. We do not get together with those kinds of people to find out what we hold in common. We do not elevate them because, even though they disagree with us, they are religious, and they're spiritual, and they're good people, and they're conscious of God, and they believe in one God—quite the opposite. Our Lord indicates here that rather than welcome these people, we ought to flee from them, because, as Jude put it, if you get too close to them, your garments will be singed. You need to be rescued from them, as Jude says, "like a branch snatched out of the burning." Today, there is a trend to have a conversation with people who hold different views and get together with them. We are told not to condemn them; we should instead have a conversation with them. That led me to write two books years ago—one called The Truth War and a follow-up called The Jesus You Can't Ignore—just to let people know that when we engage people who teach lies, it's to make war, not peace; and the second one is, you can't ignore the Jesus who set the model in that direction—that's the Christ you can't ignore. And by the way, anybody who has a corrupted view of Christ and the gospel, needs to be exposed in the way Jesus exposed these men, and that's a merciful act, right? Giving someone the truth is the most loving thing you can do. So, our Lord warns us, "Beware of them." Because when you have to beware of your protectors, you're in great danger. When you can't trust the people who are supposed to show you the truth, tell you what is right, and show you what God wants, you are really in trouble. This warning is a merciful act, because these are wolves in sheep's clothing. Therefore, the Lord pulls no punches because the main element of this warning is that there is a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to spiritual frauds. Beware! Repent and believe! GTY.org (41-65) – Religion and Its Victims

Today's Wisdom

Day: 984

July 29, 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!