Matthew 15:10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them." I actually used this verse one time in the past when my wife was trying to make me wash my hands before a meal! I know that you guys have never even thought about such nonsense. Right? What was Jesus saying here? That us guys really don't have to wash our hands before we eat? Not quite. The religious leaders, the Pharisees, had a lot of "extra laws" that they had instituted. Initially their goal was a noble one. They wanted to protect God's law from abuse. What they ended up doing was creating an even more complicated system that didn't let the people breathe without fear of sinning. Some examples will suffice to show the absurdity of their rules. If one moved a chair and left a furrow in the dirt floor it was considered plowing. Sweep the floor? Forg...
These are devotional, and other, thoughts from a guy who lived in Brazil from 1997 to 2023. I recount personal experiences and Bible applications with most of my posts. These "posts" are mostly for me but if you want to, you can read them too!