God's Truth In Love

Archive for April, 2021|Monthly archive page

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How Do We Make Godly Decisions? – Study of Proverbs 10:8-14 Heart of Goodness or Wickedness

In Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Evil, Godliness, Proverbs, Renewal, Repentance, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on April 19, 2021 at 4:22 pm

The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.

Note – All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Hebrew or Greek definition(s).

8 The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.

9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

13 In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

14 Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

Heart of  Goodness or Wickedness

The wise and the foolish are easily recognized. The wise person is looking to how they might grow and expand their insight into God, finding God’s Will (commandments), and following His Will in obedience(v.8). The foolish person can be found going on and on about things that do not matter, whether people are interested in what is being said or not, sadly for those who are listening (v.8). For that is what “prating” is, “to talk for very long about something that is not very important or interesting” or “chatter foolishly” often ‘in a boastful manner’ that matters little or serves little purpose.

When a person walks honorably before God using wisdom, according to the Hebrew language definition they are walking ‘without being careless’ they conduct themselves ‘safely’, taking “refuse” in abiding by God’s Ways and Principles with a sense of “assurance, (they walk) boldly, (with) confidence, (and with) hope” in God’s protection because of their use of wisdom (v.9). The opposite is also true of the person who “distorts”(the meaning of “perverteth” in the Hebrew) the way in which God wishes them to live, they will find themselves outed or found out (v.9)

Then you have the con artists, the liars, and the boastful (v10). They leave people pained and wounded. The boastful surely find the fall from the perch they placed themselves upon painful. Pride goes before the fall.

Those who speak the things of God, who share His Truths are a source of true life to people if those people hearing accept what they have to say (v.11,13). The “well” spoken of in verse eleven is, according to the Hebrew language, a “source of happiness, wisdom, and progeny (offspring, posterity)” – a producer of goodness and fruit of all sorts for the life of those willing to receive the words. Whereas, once again the mouth of the sinful person speaks death, unhappiness, sin, their words tear people down, wound, and cause pain and/or mental and emotional destruction (v.11). Punishment in some form comes to those individuals who refuse the wisdom, counsel, and understanding of God’s Ways (v.13).

People with hatred in their hearts want to cause problems and strife but those who have love in their hearts want to do nothing to cause harm, their love keeps them from sinning against another person and their love helps them forgive those individuals who sin against them (v.12). Each day we can make the choices that will train and develop our hearts into being a heart filled with love or hatred. I pray you choose love. Hatred is taught and practiced; it does not come naturally. As a young child our first instinct is to love. Then the pain of life begins, and we start choosing to hate, mainly so we will not hurt. Better to love and hurt than to hate and feel only sorrow or grief, which hatred produces.

Those people who are wise continually seek the wisdom and knowledge of God. Those people who are foolish are always teetering on the edge of ruin and destruction in some capacity (v.14).

Throughout this study, if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers, and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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How Do We Make Godly Decisions? – Study of Proverbs 10:6-7 How Will You Be Remembered

In Advice, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Decision Making, Discernment, Discretion, Godly Counsel, Knowledge, Proverbs, Prudence, Repentance, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Uncategorized, Wicca on April 13, 2021 at 4:48 pm

6 Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

7 The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.

How Will You Be Remembered

For the most part the majority of people would like to be remembered by other people when they pass from this life to the next. However, if they are remembered and for what they are remembered is based primarily on who they were, their life choices, their character, their actions, and most importantly how they treated other people when they were alive.

Additionally, most people agree we reap what we sow in life, we get what we give, karma as some would call it, we either receive the blessing of heaven or we do not. This too is based upon, in part, on our life choices, our character, our actions, and most importantly how we treat other people.

Knowing that most people want both of these things, to be remembered well and to receive blessings in life, we then must ask the question. How do we get both or how do we forfeit both?

If blessings are upon the just, then we need to know what blessings actually consist of and whom the just are actually (v.6).

“blessings” In the Hebrew language is defined as:

1293. בְּרָכָה berâkâh, ber-aw-kaw’; from 1288; benediction; by impl. prosperity:— blessing, liberal, pool, present.

1288. בָּרַךְ bârak, baw-rak’; a prim. root; to kneel; by impl. to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit)

At its core to bless means to honor God and reverence God and in return He honors us with His blessings. Blessings which include His approval, and the ability to succeed in various things, to prosper, which does not always mean money. One might prosper in ministry, in marriage, in business, in mentoring people, in raising children, in good deeds and works for their community, etc. To prosper is to thrive in almost any area of life. God often blesses us with those small things we have wanted that are suddenly given to us. God’s blessings are not limited He is liberal with the pool of presents He sends into our lives.

There is the need to be a just person to receive these blessings (v.6). Let us look at what being a just person means in God’s definition.

“just” ” In the Hebrew language is defined as:

6662. צַדִּיק tsaddı̂yq, tsad-deek’; from 6663; just:— just, lawful, righteous (man).

צִדֹנִי° Tsı̂dônı̂y. See 6722.

6663. צָדַק tsâdaq, tsaw-dak’; a prim. root; to be (caus. make) right (in a moral or forensic sense):— cleanse, clear self, (be, do) just (-ice, -ify, -ify self), (be, turn to) righteous (-ness).

A just person is a lawful person, but this is not a reference to man’s law, though we must follow those laws unless they conflict with God’s Will; a lawful person is the one who follows the law or commands of God. A person righteous both through their relationship with Jesus and their lifestyle choices. A moral person who has chosen to accept that God’s Ways of doing things are better than any other ways, one what has been both cleansed by Jesus’ blood and cleared themselves and their life of those things that displease Jesus and are not in line with His teaching and/or commands. To be a “just” person takes much diligent attention to our spiritual life.

When you look into the Hebrew language of what “violence” means you find that those who are given to wickedness partake in almost all of these types of behavior (v.6).

“violence” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

2555. חָמָס châmâç, khaw-mawce’; from 2554; violence; by impl. wrong; by meton. unjust gain:— cruel (-ty), damage, false, injustice, × oppressor, unrighteous, violence (against, done), violent (dealing), wrong.

2554. חָמַס châmaç, khaw-mas’; a prim. root; to be violent; by impl. to maltreat:— make bare, shake off, violate, do violence, take away violently, wrong, imagine wrongfully.

Not only are these types of people physically violent toward people, but their thought life is also wrong and ugly, they embrace sensuality and nudity, they mistreat people in a variety of ways, do various things wrong, they do not care about what is just or right, they lie and deceive, they damage people and things, they steal, and they are in general just plain cruel in numerous ways. Their life is all about these types of things.

These are according to the Hebrew definition of “wicked” simply “morally wrong, guilty, ungodly, bad people.”

Whether your name is “blessed” after you leave this life or whether it turns to “rot” (v.7) has so much to do with the choices you make today and each day while you are here on this earth, so choose well.

Note – All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Hebrew or Greek definition(s).

Throughout this study, if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers, and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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GOD Growth in COVID-19 / Couples Growth

In Adultery, Agape Love, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Contentment, Coronavirus, Coronavirus/COVID-19, Couples, COVID-19, Disunity, Divorce, Godliness, Learning, Lifestyle, Love, Marriage, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Uncategorized, Unity, Wisdom on April 2, 2021 at 8:33 am

Over the last few posts we have taken a look at the GOD growth in individuals and families during the pandemic. Today we take on the matter of growth in the couple relationship. I use the term GOD growth because God wants to bring about change in people that draws them closer to Him and that causes them to implement His Principles regardless of whether or not they have come to trust in Him for their salvation as of yet or not. God is about seeing His Will and His Principles come about in our society, in our homes, and in us personally before and after we enter that personal relationship with Him.

Questions to ponder. Why do people find it easier to bad mouth their significant other or spouse rather than express openly to other people what they like about the person? Why are their negative traits a more interesting topic of discussion than their positive traits? Society presents the idea that to complain about your spouse is funny and entertaining, but is it really? Why does society want to perpetuate the idea that loving relationships are rare and so hard to come by?

Locked down, locked up, with your spouse during COVID-19; now this will make or break a marriage. When there is only the two of you, no children, no other distractions, you find out really quick whether or not you are just two ships passing in the night or two hovercrafts rotating around each other but never really coming in contact, not true contact. I believe if you went through this last year together primarily in lockdown and you still actually want to be together you might actually have a pretty solid relationship.

When we are alone with someone day in and day out, with them and with no one else, we see everything about them that we perhaps did not notice or that at other times are they were better able to hide. Especially during a crisis like the pandemic, we see their fears emerge, we see their insecurities at large, we see their compassion or lack thereof on display, we see their generosity and love or their selfishness and hatefulness. We talk to them more; we find out more about what makes them tick. We explore with them their hopes and dreams because when you are in a situation like we are in during this pandemic, locked down at home primarily, you cannot endlessly ignore the only other person in your spear, in your world for that matter for the most part, and you cannot talk about nothing nonsense forever. So eventually you dig down to what really matters, and that is when you begin to draw close to one another.

In this time of couple reflection many were able to find out how loved and cared for they made their spouse feel and the ways in which they did that. Also, they might have found out the ways in which they do not make their spouse feel loved and cared for and what they could do about it to change the negative impact on the relationship. For many it was a time of realigning the relationship and finding once again common goals and dreams.

A marriage is a covenant relationship. When someone badmouths their spouse for fun and the entertainment of people, they are betraying that covenant. What you speak about your spouse affect how you feel about your spouse. Your spoken words have a powerful effect on you and other people. People should rarely if ever hear from you what you believe to be “wrong” with your spouse or so my parents who believed in absolute loyalty taught me, just as the Bible teaching not to speak negative or harsh words (curses) against people. I have never found it entertaining to hear people teardown their spouse, and from what I have heard from other people they too think it terrible to listen to someone else do so, thinking badly of the person who is badmouthing their spouse, even if they themselves have been guilty of likewise at times.

I believe the select few in society who are not willing to do the work needed for a loving caring relationship like to perpetuate the idea that loving caring relationships are so terribly difficult to come by, in order to make themselves feel better about their own lack. Let them live in their isolation and loneliness, do not get sucked in, value the relationship you have and act like you do.

I want to close each of this series of postings with a quote from the original post, “COVID-19 – God and Man at Work.”

“Blessings from God are not just material or financial, more often the greater ones (blessings) are intangible such as growth and change.”