Sadducees, A Warning!!!

Sadducees, A Warning!!!

by Heather Collver

It's not always safe to take what you hear as truth without first checking it with God's Word. Has there ever been a time when you have heard a spiritual leader say something that just didn't align with The Word? It is important to know the truth yourself as every leader has their own perspective on things, even me.

Matthew 16:5-12 (Amplified Bible)
5When the disciples reached the other side of the sea, they found that they had forgotten to bring any bread.
6Jesus said to them, Be careful and on your guard against the leaven (ferment) of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
7And they reasoned among themselves about it, saying, It is because we did not bring any bread.
8But Jesus, aware of this, asked, Why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? O you [men, how little trust you have in Me, how] little faith!
9Do you not yet discern (perceive and understand)? Do you not remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many [[a]small hand] baskets you gathered?
10Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many [[b]large provision] baskets you took up?
11How is it that you fail to understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But beware of the leaven (ferment) of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
12Then they discerned that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.


Sadducees were the spiritual leaders of the time, they were the High Council and Jesus warned his disciples of their teachings. Their Doctrine was in the way of the Truth.

Many people ask me what denomination I am, or where I worship. They mainly want to know what I am. It is crazy, since I never became a Christian because of any certain religion or doctrine. I recognized a relationship that was void in my life and I wanted it, I needed to know my creator, so I discovered Him through reading His Word and worshipping with other fellow believers. I am not defined by the denomination that my church falls under. Thank God that our church has a good mix of spiritual leaders, all which stress the importance of a personal relationship with our creator. We have Nazarene, Catholic, Church of Christ, Baptist and other influences in the teaching, but the truth is only what aligns with the Word of God.

So be careful, in any religion, doctrine or gathering, not everyone tells the truth. It is so fun to listen to other perspectives and I have learned a great deal about things by being open to listening to opinion, it has strengthened my faith as I spend those moments checking what my Lord says about certain things in His Word.

Where did the Sadducees fall short, what were they teaching that was so wrong that God warned the others about them? They didn't believe Jesus was the Son of God and they didn't believe in Resurrection. That's a start and I think pretty much enough information to see that they were not teaching truth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFURxgaLxEE&feature=related

Dear Lord, thank you for those who choose to serve you through spiritual teaching. What a HUGE job for them to teach the truth according to your word. At times it is overwhelming to think that there are just as many people teaching your truth as those who are teaching lies. I ask Lord as you prepare the way for us, that we will not get caught up in other's teachings and that we would have discernment to know what is right. May our relationship with you be so deep that we know when others are leading us astray, let us teach others according to your word as well, always speak truth through me, especially in this devotional, do whatever it takes to get my attention if I have the wrong idea about a certain subject. I love you and praise you for your Word, our guide, Your Spirit, our guide. Amazing.

Need, Day 4

I think God sees beyond our basic needs of food and shelter.

On Monday, I used the scripture in 1 Kings about Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath. At first we see the way God provides for His faithful servant Elijah and a starving woman and her son. The portion of this that always gets my attention is the widows sorrow. She first tells Elijah that she is going to make the last bread with her flour and oil and die. While picking up sticks, she is planning her death.

The widow agreed to take Elijah in her home and feed him. Then, her son dies. Overwhelmed with despair, she tells Elijah "What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death!" (v 18). Elijah then takes her son upstairs and pleads to God to heal the woman's son.

There are many things in this life that bring us despair. The widow is starving but more than that, she had lost hope. She couldn't see beyond the heaviness of her current situation. Elijah was faithful to God's commands and met the widow right where she was at. Elijah needed food and God used that to restore a woman back into faith and hope. God can use us in the depths of our needs. Starving, but honorable, Elijah trusted God. Because of his faith, God was exalted. Elijah became a man know to speak Truth.

1 Kings 17:24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth."

Happy Birthday to Kelly H in Washington. Please continue to pray for Connie W. Please send in your payer and praise requests. I will be posting Fridays devo very early because we are planning on going hiking (yeah!!) in the morning. If you are a little late sending in your request, simply go straight to the blog on Friday morning and you can add it right to the comments for Fridays devo. We love you all very much and appreciate the opportunity to share in God's blessings and be in prayer with you during your time of need.

Jealousy, Day 2

Jealousy in flesh.

This is one of the things that we learn as part of our society. Isn't jealousy what spurs us to success? It is the thing that creates a desire to do better, work harder, create for yourself the things that others have. Okay, hold on just a second. We have this all wrong. We need to stop agreeing with everyone around us. Jealousy isn't the thing that makes us better, God makes us better. We live our lives in response to His grace, not in response to a desire to have what other people have, Right?!!

Love is not Jealous. (1 Cor 13:4)

James 3:13-18
Wisdom from Above
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Please continue to pray for Connie W this week.

Hope, Day 1

Hope: "favorable and confident expectation"

Colossians 1:26-29 (The Message) This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.

Please pray for Shawna L this week. Please pray for all of the people affected by Ike, including Janell O and her family in Ohio that doesn't have power.