Luke
11:38-39 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not
first washed before dinner. (39) And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye
Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward
part is full of ravening and wickedness.
We are to live inside out and turn the world
upside down – which is truly right side up!
I learned. It used to tick my father off if I left
the water constantly running from the faucet when it was my turn to wash the
dishes. Instead of turning the faucet on and off for long periods of time, I
learned to used one of the dirty cups or bowls and clean the inside of it. Then
I would put warm soapy water and a wash cloth in it. Then I would soap up, in order, the other
cups, bowls, dishes, utensils, etc. After completing the cleansing of
everything else, then I would clean the cup with the soapy water that was
already in it. I finally, rinse everything soupy and neatly stack everything on
the dish rack. However, the cups and glasses…get this…I ensured were upside
down…so that what was inside would leave no spots…suffice it to say this
pleased my father. His smile was a greater compliment than words…dish washing and
water conservation 101…
We are to live inside out and turn the world
upside down – which is truly right side up! We communicate that way in all
aspects – speaking of living inside out. Out of abundance of the heart the
mouth speaks. From out of our heart, which in my B. C. spoken word days I used
to call our infinite midpoint, our character and motives power and propel our
expressions – word, gesture, deed, action and non-action. The commitment to true cleanliness must be
from our core. It must not be confused with vanity which is a perverse
outside-in pseudo-cleanliness. That is what JESUS is claiming of the Pharisees.
They were more about appearances than holiness, perception than reality. It is
like an adolescent shoving everything under the bed… or cologne on stink. Legalism,
materialism, vanity, nit-picking others, micromanaging and the gamut of
idolatrous mascara that we use to make ourselves look good are the same as
putting cologne on stink…we needed cleaning
Pastor A. R. Bernard's talk about wisdom last night with the
Advanced Team of the International Christian Brotherhood contained a gem that he has inculcated during Sunday service
several times before but nails the issue on the head. He said to us:
“You can sound good but [it is hypocritical if] your
life does not match up. Those who lust truth want to make it a part of their
appearance. Those who love truth want to make it part of their character”
We are to live inside out and turn the world
upside down! We love JESUS, who is the Truth! We have been washed by Blood of
CHRIST inside-out…Hallelujah! We are being cleaned internally to be filled with
what will be used to clean others…We are set upside down through sanctification
after being rinsed by the Word to not only be counted as spotless but to be
used…Hallelujah to be filled…and emptied and filled…only the Blood of JESUS can
clean us clean enough…only through the rinsing sanctification of The SPIRIT and
inverted placement to remain spotless can our Heavenly FATHER smile on us and
lift us up and use us and sip from us and refill us…Hallelujah! This type of
clean is godliness, imputed not man-ufactured…we are humbled not arrogant that the
PARACLETE is call alongside us. Cleanliness is not next to godliness. It is
godliness. It is HIM in us willing and doing HIS good purpose. He has made us
new, knowing the world is attracted to shiny new things…HE has cleaned us and
is cleaning us so other can be cleaned and rinsed and used…speak clean, live
clean, walk clean, work clean, pray clean, preach clean and Hallelujah evangelize
clean…in JESUS name…
We are to live inside out and turn the world upside down – which is truly right side up!
I love YOU and I love you
Brother Jeremy A. Maynard
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