God's Truth In Love

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How Do We Make Godly Decisions? – Study of Proverbs 11:29 – Wisdom or Enslavement

In Anger, Attitude, Behavior, Biblical Principles, Change, Choices, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Decision Making, Enslavement, Fool, Money-management, Proverbs, Responsibility, Spiritual Change, Wisdom on June 7, 2023 at 10:10 am

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).

29…and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

Wisdom or Enslavement

These above mentioned individuals could fall into the category of what people might view and the Bible might refer to as a fool. A fool always ends up in subjection to the wise in some manner, which is what it means to be a servant to the wise, which is mentioned in the second half of verse twenty-nine.

“servant” in the Hebrew is defined as:

5650. עֶבֶד ˓ebed, eh’-bed; from 5647; a servant:— × bondage, bondman, [bond-] servant, (man-) servant.

5647. עָבַד ˓âbad, aw-bad’; a prim. root; to work (in any sense); by impl. to serve, till, (caus.) enslave, etc.:— × be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, + husbandman, keep, labour (-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve (-ing, self), (be, become) servant (-s), do (use) service, till (-er), transgress [from marg.], (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper.

The first part of this definition is fairly straightforward, it is easy to see the implications and applications that apply. Fools rarely are in a position of ease when it comes to physical labor. They almost always end up serving other people and in menial ways. They might be highly educated, but because they act foolishly in their life and lifestyle, they work menial jobs just to get by. Another example, they might have won the lottery but because they were foolish with the money, how they used and spent it, their lack of discretion, investing, or saving, leaves them broke within a few years and back at some form of menial work, when had they been wise, they might never have had to work again in their lifetime.

There are two other aspects to what this “servant” of the wise looks like, they will “be wrought” and a “worshipper” of some sort.

To ‘be wrought” aside from the work aspect means to be deeply agitated inside. The fool has deep anger against the wise. The fool thinks they should have what the wise person has, that they are deserving, yet they have done nothing whatsoever to be deemed entitled in any manner to what a wise person might have or possess, whether material, monetary, or intangible things such as relationships, characteristics, peace, looks, contentment, etc.

The other side of the coin is the fool who looks up to the wise to such an intense degree that they begin to enter a form of worship of that person, and more importantly what that person has in life. A fool can covet the life, lifestyle, relationships, money, etc. of the wise person so much that they become a ‘worshipper” of that person. For a worshipper reveres, looks up to, admires the person who has what they want. They seek to be like the wise in respect to having all that they possess, yet most fools are not willing to turn their lives around and become wise in order to have what the wise people have…hence, they stay fools trapped in a bondage of their own creation, while they blame other people for their situation. How terribly sad and unnecessary.

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 11:29 – The Ungodly Agitator

In Anger, Attitude, Behavior, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Enslavement, Fool, Hate, Hatred, Money-management, Proverbs, Responsibility, Spiritual Change, Wisdom on May 25, 2023 at 10:07 am

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).

29 He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

The Ungodly Agitator

Some Synonyms for you:

Agitator or Campaigner, Protestor, Dissenter, Activist

Agitate or stir, disturb, shake, mix, trouble, excite, disquiet, rouse, shake up

A person can actually agitate for good, to promote righteousness, freedom from sin, repentance, bring God’s Will into being, etc., that is not the type of agitator we will be addressing here. We will be examining the trouble maker, that person who just cannot seem to allow peace to reign in any situation. A person whose actions bring nothing but trouble for themselves and the other people of their household.

The word “troubleth” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

5916. עָכַר ˓âkar, aw-kar’; a prim. root; prop. to roil water; fig. to disturb or afflict:— trouble, stir.

There are people who do not view their actions as actions that create trouble for other people. I had one of those people in my home for a long time. They could clearly see the faults of the other people around them, but seemed oblivious to the fact that their actions created such turmoil, pain, distress, and unrest in their orbit that they actually created the other people’s problems. You can spot these people because they have no rest even when on their own, running and living their own life, they still cannot find true peace.

Troublemakers are not always overt. Some of the most sinister ones are very covert about the way they do it; they lie, they con people, they manipulate, they portray themselves as a victim, they seek to control and dominate people by mental and emotional abuse, these are the ones who are much harder to detect and much more dishonest in their character regarding who they are. These people are extremely dangerous, not because of the direct assault they will make on a person but because of the destruction of lives they will cause by all of their manipulation and lies; in essence destroying other people and at times making them, the other person, look like the troublemakers.

These individuals have a reward for all of the trouble they cause. They inherit the “wind” according to this verse of Scripture. Inheriting the wind does not sound to bad until you find out what the “wind” actually consist of and how it manifest.

The word “wind” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

Figuratively it means to “anticipate” or “enjoy” the following, but it also means to actually have these things present in your life.

7307. רוּחַ rûwach, roo’-akh; from 7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; fig. life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extens. a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (incl. its expression and functions):— air, anger, blast, breath, × cool, courage, mind, × quarter, × side, spirit ([-ual]), tempest, × vain, ([whirl-]) wind (-y).

Yes, they inherit the “anger” and the wrath of the people around them. They also inherit the inner anger that causes so many of them to distort who they are as people, to hurt themselves, to hide from God, to become mentally disturbed, and I could go on and on, as the outpouring of what they reap is extensive. Their life is never solid, “life is unsubstantial” for them in so many ways, it lacks any substance or firm foundation. The definition from the Hebrew language even touches on the fact that, a ‘spirit that appears to be a rational being influences their expressions and functions’ but the spirit is a counterfeit, not rational as we know rational but a deceptive spirit, which speaks to distorted mental thinking or disturbed emotional life, yet they will be the first to class other people as mentally ill. Inside of themselves they are never alright, they never feel right or solid.

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 11:23-28 – Greed’s Reward

In Advice, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Contentment, Decision Making, Generosity, Greed, Money, Money-management, Proverbs, Responsibility, Uncategorized, Wealth on May 16, 2023 at 5:39 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).

23 The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

26 He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.

27 He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.

28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

Greed’s Reward

We are ensnared by our own desires. If we have a converted righteous heart, we desire what is good and pleasing to God. If we have a heart that has not been handed over to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and direction, we expect the worse and most likely should (v.23).

When you seek to do good favor comes upon you (v.27). However, if you seek to do wrong you shall have wrong done to you many times over (v.27).

When you look at the meaning of the word “expectation” in the Hebrew language, you find that the wicked are actually bond to wrath by cords that will drag them there, as they give themselves to wicked deeds (v.23). They know wrath is coming. Sadly, you will see it is what they hope for, live for, and long for, which is horribly sad, and to me, very hard to believe.

Here is the definition from the Hebrew for the word “expectation” in this verse:

8615. תִּקְוָה tiqvâh, tik-vaw’; from 6960; lit. a cord (as an attachment [comp. 6961]); fig. expectancy:— expectation ([-ted]), hope, live, thing that I long for.

6960. קָוָה qâvâh, kaw-vaw’; a prim. root; to bind together (perh. by twisting), i.e. collect; (fig.) to expect:— gather (together), look, patiently, tarry, wait (for, on, upon).

The more we hold on to, the less we will have (v.24). Greed will cause loss in life. Greed is tricky because it might appear to be working for a season and then boom, it all blows up and what a person had is gone, usually all gone. We have seen this play out in the media time and time again by those who had great wealth coupled with great greed. If a person is trusting in their money to protect them, they are going to one day find themselves without….(v.28) for ultimately money will fail you, and you will fall in some manner (this word “fall” in v.28 has many applications.)

On the other hand, we have also seen those who acquire great wealth, are extremely generous, and tend to hold on to their wealth. That is because those people who give liberally, who share and are generous, are rewarded by God (v.25). In the Hebrew language the word “liberal” in verse twenty-five in part means “by implication prosperity” – give and it shall be given to you (Luke 6:28).

People hate greedy people. They tend to be a source of much distain (v.26). Yet, the person who is generous is a person who is looked upon favorably (v.26). Scripture makes it clear in verse twenty-six, and in many different areas, that generous giving people are a blessed people.

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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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Jesus Revolution Movie

In Agape Love, Biblical Principles, Change, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Church Growth, Disunity, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Revolution Movie, Lifestyle, Reformation, Religious Freedom, Revival, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Change, Spiritual Remnant, Unity on March 4, 2023 at 5:19 pm

Saw Jesus Revolution yesterday. I literally cried three quarters of the way through the movie. It was only the last half an hour or maybe that I did not cry big buckets of tears.

It reminded me in many ways, not particularly the hippie thing, but the closeness and openness of the people, it reminded me of the churches that I helped start back in the late 1990s and the early to mid-2000s (based on guidelines God had given us in the late 90s for the types of churches in our lifetime that he would bless and grow substantially). After I came here, Florida, I never found any places like those again, or any spiritual leader who truly wanted to create one.

No offense because I was born here in Florida and grew up here, but compared to a lot of the other places in the country I have been to, this place is so spiritually repressed and I’m talking about godly Christian spirituality. The Body of Christ is supposed to be a family but here in Florida or at least Northern Florida and West Florida, I lived over in Pensacola, it doesn’t seem like a real godly family (then ministers wonder why their churches don’t grow or their ministries aren’t operating the way they should or they are not being used).

The churches that the movie reminded me of…we were so close, we were truly there for each other, we invested our lives in each other, we corrected each other, we helped each other, we loved each other, we truly had agape love for each other. I have not found that to exist here on a deep level, everything the ministry and the relationships are very superficial. Sadly, change can only be on the horizon once people recognize those things and are willing to do something about them, just like in the movie, until that man recognized why his church was so small and so void of the True Spirit, nothing changed.

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 11:22 Swine or Swan

In Advice, Attitude, Behavior, Biblical Principles, Choices, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Decision Making, Decisions, Discernment, Discretion, Femininity, Feminism, Gender, Godliness, Grace, Instruction, Lifestyle, low self-esteem, New Year’s Resolutions, Proverbs, Prudence, Righteous Living, Righteousness, self-esteem, Uncategorized, Wisdom on January 12, 2023 at 5:46 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 definition(s).

22 As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

Swine or Swan

If you are a woman let me ask you, would you rather be an ugly dirty swine or a beautiful white swan? If you answered the swine, you might as well stop reading now, but if you answered a swan, however, and are just not sure you are there yet, read on and let God work in your life.

Have you ever met a woman who walking by looks absolutely beautiful, and then you meet her, she opens her mouth, you spend a few minutes with her and see her inner ugliness, lack of intelligence, low character, ugly mouth, pettiness when it comes to life and other people, her shallowness, vanity, gossipy tongue, etc. and you just can’t believe that such a pretty package is filled with such an ugly gift inside.

An inner swine: you can dress her up, you can ply her with pretty jewels, but ugly is ugly and when you are ugly on the inside that is something that you cannot hide for long and something that will strip the bloom off the rose so to speak with people pretty quickly no matter how beautiful your face, hair, or figure.

I absolutely believe a woman should take care of her outer self. Her looks, her health, her figure, all of it, but more than that she should care for her inner self, her swan, that thing that makes women beautiful and appealing no matter what the outer package looks like.

Also when you look at what it means to be “fair” as described in this verse you see that it can be two fold, inner and outer. Note the physical, but then note the inner “to be bright” which is always a sign of inner beauty.

“fair” is defined in the Hebrew language is as follows:

3303. יָפֶה yâpheh, yaw-feh’; from 3302; beautiful (lit. or fig.):— + beautiful, beauty, comely, fair (-est, one), + goodly, pleasant, well.

3302. יָפָה yâphâh, yaw-faw’; a prim. root; prop. to be bright, i.e. (by impl.) beautiful:— be beautiful, be (make self) fair (-r), deck.

Discretion is the number one key to a swan, the key to inner beauty that cannot be match or outdone by outer beauty. Now a look at what discretion actually is and how it manifest itself.

“discretion” in the Hebrew is defined in the following manner:

2940. טַעַם ṭa˓am, tah’-am; from 2938; prop. a taste, i.e. (fig.) perception; by impl. intelligence; tran. a mandate:— advice, behaviour, decree, discretion, judgment, reason, taste, understanding.

As we look at what this means in the Hebrew language, we see that for a Christian godly woman discretion is “a mandate” – a mandate to use sound “judgement and reason” in one’s behavior and when providing “advice” to others. A woman of discretion is a woman who lives by a “decree” in daily life, God’s Decrees, about what she will and will not do, and is a woman who has “understanding” which in biblical terms is synonymous with wisdom.

“discretion” in the Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary is defined as:

1 : the quality of being discreet : CIRCUMSPECTION; especially : cautious reserve in speech
2 : ability to make responsible decisions

“discreet” is defined as:

1 : having or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct and especially in speech : PRUDENT; especially : capable of preserving prudent silence
2 : UNPRETENTIOUS, MODEST

A gossip or as some in church circles call it, the woman running around always talking about who we need to pray for and why, is not a woman of discretion by any stretch of the imagination. She is a gossip, plain and simple, doing much harm to the Body of Christ.

Women of discretion must take the time to use “good judgment” in what they will do and in how they go about life in order to “make responsible decisions” that will not negatively impact their life or the lives of others.

Lastly, a woman of discretion is a “modest” woman in her manner of dress. A woman who has half her cleavage hanging out, then gets angry or feels disrespected when men look, is not only foolish she is a swine and lacks the swan trait of discretion. If her dress is so tight or the hemline is so high that nothing is left to the imagination this is a swine woman not a swan woman, this is a woman without respect for herself or discretion.

A little tip ladies about swine women (women with no discretion, grace or class) verses swan women (women of discretion, grace and class). A good man, a Christian man, a man of quality will look at those swine type women, might even play with them here and there, but when it comes to the woman he wants to marry, the woman he wants as the mother of his children, these swine woman are not the type of women they want long-term. Almost all men want a swan.

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 11:21 Safety in Numbers, Really?

In Actions, Advice, Behavior, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Decision Making, Decisions, Discernment, Discretion, Divine Protection, Godliness, Lifestyle, Proverbs, Responsibility, Righteous Living, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on November 19, 2022 at 6:39 pm

We will now resume with our study and reflections on the Book of Proverbs. 

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).

21 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

Safety in Numbers, Really?

People tend to believe if they band together, they will somehow be safe. When it comes to God this is not true. There is nowhere to hide from God. There is no place that God cannot reach and no protection great enough to overcome Him or keep Him at bay if He desires to reach you.

“hand” in the Hebrew means:

3027. יָד yâd, yawd; a prim. word; a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.]

The wicked can attempt to secure their power by joining with other wicked people but none of them shall escape the wrath of God in this life and the life to come (v.21).

The “seed” as defined in the Hebrew language is:

2233. זֶֶרַע zera˓, zeh’-rah; from 2232; seed; fig. fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity:— × carnally, child, fruitful, seed (-time), sowing-time.

2232. זָרַע zâra˓, zaw-rah’; a prim. root; to sow; fig. to disseminate, plant, fructify:— bear, conceive seed, set with, sow (-er), yield.

However, the opposite is true for the righteous. Their seed, in works, off spring, or people will be taken care of and delivered to its fruition.

Each day we make a choice of what type of fruit we will produce. We choose what type of life we will live, wicked or righteous. We decide if we are going to allow God to rule in our life by doing His Will. You will eat the fruit of those choices without escape, so choose very carefully.

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.

You can sign up to have each blog posting sent directly to your email. Just find the small “follow” button in the bottom right-hand corner of the main page, then enter your email address. All email information remains confidential and is never shared in any manner.

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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Freedom or No?

In Actions, Behavior, Choices, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Disobedience, Freedom, Lifestyle, Obedience, Responsibility, Sin on October 30, 2022 at 2:08 pm

Whether they realize it or not most people feel that freedom is too demanding and too unpredictable.

When God’s people were led out of slavery into the wilderness, this was their mindset. They complained continually because they feared uncertainty. It is easier for a person to stay mired in what they know whether that be drugs, an ungodly lifestyle, alcohol, pornography, overeating, smoking, excessive busyness, etc., easier for them to stay there than it is to walk in the complete freedom that Jesus died to give them.

That freedom comes through obedience to God and following God’s Will day by day. People find doing what God says to do or not to do too demanding. People find walking with Jesus in faith day to day seeking to know and do His Will too unpredictable. Therefore they just stay mired in their bondage, a slave to whatever controls them, for they would rather continue as a slave doing as they wish, knowing what to expect than to walk as a free person not knowing what to expect, and not doing as they wish.

Then of course there are the excuse-makers. Instead of taking responsibility for their choices they say things like, ‘I can’t help it, it’s an addiction, it’s an illness, or the worst one of all, this is how God made me.’ I can only imagine what it is going to be like when those who use that last excuse stand before God and He asked them, ‘How could you say that is how I made you?’

People with rather live in bondage than  have to actually take responsibility for making a choice for freedom.

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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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Truth Tellers

In Advice, Anxiety, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Choices, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Correction, Decision Making, Favor, Fear, Godliness, Guidance, Obedience, Prophecy, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Sanctification, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on October 2, 2022 at 12:07 pm

Ye that love the Lord, hate evil:

Psalm 97:10

There are those individuals who tell the truth, and the world hates them for it.

If you are a true Christian, who truly loves God and desires to see His Will done, you have no choice but to tell the truth to a decaying and dying society.

If you are one of those Christians who sold out Christ in order to be accepted by their society and by people in general, to be liked, to make life easier for yourself, one day you will have a lot to answer for before God and I wonder then if it is all going to be worth it.

Because…

When people have the opportunity to quietly, discreetly, sometimes even anonymously tell the truth, those very people in that decaying society from whom you wanted so much acceptance, secretly hate themselves. They are constantly discontent with who they are if they’re able to accept who they are at all. They can never get to a place of being okay, they are always suffering from some type of anxiety or mental disturbance or some form of discontent with their life. Their ideas, their values, their belief system is so distorted and depraved that they can’t be anything but inwardly miserable while they pretend to society and to those people around them that they’re just fine. They are among the masses every day marching in their uniformity line to their own destruction and death, but ha they are politically correct and they “fit in” within their society. They’re just fine, while they’re dying every day little by little because of their…

These are the people you want to be like? These are the people you want acceptance from? No thank you! I’ll go right on being a Truth Teller and being hated by all of them because I would rather be hated by them than to degrade myself to the degree necessary to be accepted by them. What about you?

There are people who have destroyed their whole lives, destroyed who God created them to be, destroyed their relationship with God, destroyed their spirituality all on the altar of trying to fit into and be accepted by their distorted, depraved, cookie cutter, dying society.

         

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 11:20 God’s Delight

In Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Decision Making, Godliness, Instant Sanctification, Lifestyle, Progressive Sanctification, Proverbs, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Sanctification, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on September 6, 2022 at 5:57 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).

20 They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.

God’s Delight

We will address part two of this verse.

Now on a more positive note. To bring delight to God’s heart would be wonderful. Being an upright person does that (v.20).

“upright” is defined as:

8549. תָּמִים tâmı̂ym, taw-meem’; from 8552; entire (lit., fig. or mor.); also (as noun) integrity, truth:— without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (-ly), whole.

The richness of what it means to be upright is really meaningful when you examine it closely. To be “entire” literally, figuratively, and morally is to be “whole” and “complete” and we are that in Christ. Yet, we need to allow Him to move us toward that more and more daily as our sanctification is manifest in our daily life.

Side note here.

People make sanctification way too complicated and seem to believe that the idea of instant or progressive sanctification are the only options. They seem to believe that the two (instant sanctification and progressive sanctification) are at odds with one another. Well they are not.

Sanctification is both instant and progressive.

When we accept Christ, we are in that very moment “instantly” sanctified in Him, in the spiritual realm. That instant sanctification is manifest in our daily life, in our lifestyle, in our spiritual maturity, in a “progressive” manner, to varying degrees, at different speeds over the course of our lifetime, as we walk with Christ and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

It truly is that simple, people just make it, like most of the things of God, far too difficult and complicated.

As we grow in godliness and holiness we become more and more “upright” in God’s eyes and thus become more and more of a “delight” to Him.

And “delight” in Hebrew language means:

7522. רָצוֹן râtsôwn, raw-tsone’; or

רָצֹן râtsôn, raw-tsone’; from 7521; delight (espec. as shown):— (be) acceptable (-ance, -ed), delight, desire, favour, (good) pleasure, (own, self, voluntary) will, as … (what) would.

7521. רָצָה râtsâh, raw-tsaw’; a prim. root; to be pleased with; spec. to satisfy a debt:— (be) accept (-able), accomplish, set affection, approve, consent with, delight (self), enjoy, (be, have a) favour (-able), like, observe, pardon, (be, have, take) please (-ure), reconcile self.

The idea of God “enjoying” me and “liking” me just tickles my heart.

I want to make two other points about what it means for God to “delight” in the “upright” child of God, but I need to be very careful about how I do it, so I am not misunderstood. From the Hebrew definition we see the idea of “having the favour” of God and the idea of “satisfying a debt” we owe.

Point One. Jesus paid a great price to redeem us from hell. Coming to this earth. Living among us. Being hated. Being mocked and scorned by society. Being beaten. Being executed (crucified) on the cross. Dying. Resurrecting (this was the good part for Him I am sure). Having gone though all of that for us, we owe Him our “uprightness” we owe Him the debt of obedience.

Point Two. Obedience to God, the Holy Spirit, is an “upright” thing to do. Obedience is owed Him. We earn nothing from God, but with that said, obedience to God will bring about the spiritual law of God’s favor in your life.

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 11:20 God’s Disgust

In Abominations, Actions, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Cruelty, Decision Making, Evil, Mental Disorder, Mental Illness, Proverbs, Psychiatry, Renewal, Repentance, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on August 13, 2022 at 5:31 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).

20 They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.

God’s Disgust

We will address part one of this verse.

To be an abomination to Jehovah God is a very serious state to be in. Yet, this Scripture makes it clear that those who are “of a froward heart” are in exactly that situation (v.20). We will take the time to look at what an abomination actually is and what having a froward heart actually means.

“abomination” in the Hebrew is the defined as the following:

8441. תּוֹעֵבָה tôw˓êbâh, to-ay-baw’; or

תֹּעֵבָה tô˓êbâh, to-ay-baw’; fem. act. part. of 8581; prop. something disgusting (mor.), i.e. (as noun) an abhorrence; espec. idolatry or (concr.) an idol:— abominable (custom, thing), abomination.

8581. תָּעַב tâ˓ab, taw-ab’; a prim. root; to loathe, i.e. (mor.) detest:— (make to be) abhor (-red), (be, commit more, do) abominable (-y), × utterly.

That’s harsh! Far too many people see God as some marshmallow who just loves everybody no matter what, without balancing His true character. God does love everybody, but God absolutely hates sin. Sin is sin but there are times in the Bible where some sins are depicted as having the effect of being abhorring to God. The ones, for lack of better wording, that He just hates, hates, hates. Those people with a “froward heart” are among that group.

The idea of being morally disgusting in God’s eyes is heartbreaking to me. To be hated, loathed, detested by my own Creator is beyond description. However, if I were to fall into this category that is where I would be at – unless or until I repented.

What does a froward heart look like? Let us examine that.

“froward” in the Hebrew is defined as:

6141. עִקֵּשׁ ˓iqqêsh, ik-kashe’; from 6140; distorted; hence, false:— crooked, froward, perverse.

6140. עָקַשׁ ˓âqash, aw-kash’; a prim. root; to knot or distort; fig. to pervert (act or declare perverse):— make crooked, (prove, that is) perverse (-rt).

A heart distorted by evil, wrongdoing, perversion, which is a cheat, a heart that is by all account twisted in knots (in an evil sense) by life, is a froward heart. A person consumed with these traits is not a welcome sight in God’s eyes. If you have these traits in your life I urge you, warn you, to repent and clean up your heart before God.

A side note for a moment.

I was once interviewed for a book a professor was writing because of two events in my life. I went into the ministry, and I was almost killed by a serial killer. In this interview we talked about how hearts get distorted by evil (the man who tried to kill me had been horribly abused as a child) and I told the professor my beliefs on the matter. Here is one of the quotes from the things I shared with him, that he cited in his book.

“Evil opens the doorway to psychological damage and psychological damage opens the doorway to evil.” It is a vicious cycle, I told him.

If your heart is distorted it is one of the most serious things in life, so deal with it and do so quickly!

You can sign up to have each blog posting sent directly to your email. Just find the small “follow” button in the bottom right-hand corner of the main page, then enter your email address. All email information remains confidential and is never shared in any manner.

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 11:18-19 Your Fruit Your Choice

In Actions, Advice, Biblical Principles, Choices, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Decision Making, Evil, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, Godliness, Holiness, Lifestyle, Obedience, Proverbs, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Uncategorized, Wisdom on August 3, 2022 at 6:41 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).

18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

19 As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.

Your Fruit Your Choice

Death and life in the figurative, moral, mental, emotional, physical (to some degree) and spiritual (to a small degree) are in your hands based on your choices you make each day. In these verses we see a contrast between evil and righteousness, between deceitfulness and uprightness and the resulting fruit of each.

Wickedness is deceitful, plain and simply. Many of their wicked acts require deceit.

“deceitful” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

8267. שֶׁקֶר sheqer, sheh’-ker; from 8266; an untruth; by impl. a sham (often adv.):— without a cause, deceit (-ful), false (-hood, -ly), feignedly, liar, + lie, lying, vain (thing), wrongfully.

8266. שָׁקַר shâqar, shaw-kar’; a prim. root; to cheat, i.e. be untrue (usually in words):— fail, deal falsely, lie.

Deceit takes on many forms but at its heart is something rooted in being dishonest with someone about something in order to gain an advantage in some manner. It is wicked to be deceitful despite what some might think; to lie, to scam a person, to mislead them, to deal with them in a manner that is morally wrong, or to cheat them in some manner. To be less than genuine or real, which is what “feignedly” means, is also deceitful. Deceitfulness has an air of vanity about it because people feel they are somehow entitled to treat others with such contempt.

Righteousness on the other hand is just the opposite. It knows that our true worth is only found in Christ and in obeying Christ’s Will for our life.

In the same language “righteousness” is defined as:

6666. צְדָקָה tsedâqâh, tsed-aw-kaw’; from 6663; rightness (abstr.), subj. (rectitude), obj. (justice), mor. (virtue) or fig. (prosperity):— justice, moderately, right (-eous) (act, -ly, -ness).

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).

Righteousness wants to see justice done, to make or cause things to be put right, hungers for virtue, is moderate in its dealings, actions, and lifestyle, seeks goodness and decency, which is what “rectitude” means. Righteousness wants to cleanse itself and wants to see the world cleansed from wickedness. Righteousness produces prosperity, not just monetarily but mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, relationally, etc. in so many manners.

That prosperity is there, a result, a fruit, of what is written about in verses eighteen, where it states that the righteous “shall be a sure reward” or shall have a sure reward. Righteousness is a reward to the person who is acting in a righteous manner and a reward to all who have the privilege of dealing with someone who lives their life by a morally righteous code based on God’s Word.

The Hebrew defines “sure” as:

571. אֶמֶת ˒emeth, eh’-meth; contr. from 539; stability; fig. certainty, truth, trustworthiness:— assured (-ly), establishment, faithful, right, sure, true (-ly, -th), verity.

539. אָמַן ˒âman, aw-man’; a prim. root; prop. to build up or support;

And the Hebrew defines “reward” as:

7938. שֶׂכֶר seker, seh’-ker; from 7936; wages:— reward, sluices.

The righteous person knows they can depend on the rewards of God. They will receive the wages for their faithfulness. Those rewards will flow to them from heaven’s throne to their daily life.

Righteousness will bring life to your life, just as evil will bring death to your life (v.19). Righteousness or evil are a choice, a choice that will bear fruit, a choice that must be made.

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 11:17 Cruelty and Mercy’s Rewards

In Actions, Attitude, Biblical Principles, Blessings, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Cruelty, Decision Making, Evil, Grace, Mercy, Proverbs, Reactions, Rewards, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Wisdom on July 25, 2022 at 3:53 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 definition(s).

17 The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

Cruelty and Mercy’s Rewards

Cruelty is its own punishment and goodness its own reward.

Our soul (our mind, body, and spirit) are effected physically and affected mentally, emotionally, and spiritually by our own conduct. If we seek to be merciful toward people, we will find a goodness in our lives. In the same token, if we seek to be cruel in our dealing with people, we can expect our lives to be filled with trouble. We reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8).

What does it mean to be merciful? Well, let us examine the word merciful as defined in the Hebrew language.

“merciful” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

2617. חֶסֶד cheçed, kheh’-sed; from 2616; kindness; by impl. (toward God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subj.) beauty:— favour, good deed (-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity.

2616. חָסַד châçad, khaw-sad’; a prim. root; prop. perh. to bow (the neck only [comp. 2603] in courtesy to an equal), i.e. to be kind; also (by euphem. [comp. 1288], but rarely) to reprove:— shew self merciful, put to shame.

Within the definition of merciful we find one of rewards “beauty” subjective beauty. To be merciful to someone is a beautiful act. Mercy is given to “kindness” toward others, as well as “kindness toward God” displayed in our “piety” or godly conduct. Mercy actually corrects the brother or sister who needs correction (“reproof”) so they might find “shame” over their conduct and repent. Mercy shows” favor” to other people over oneself. It does “good deeds” whenever possible. Merciful behavior is found in “courtesy” toward people. Mercy, true merciful conduct, shows ‘mercy to ourselves’ when mercy is needed.

Now a look at the “good” that comes to us from mercy we show other people.

“good” in the Hebrew is defined this way:

1580. גָּמַל gâmal, gaw-mal’; a prim. root; to treat a person (well or ill), i.e. benefit or requite; by impl. (of toil), to ripen, i.e. (spec.) to wean:— bestow on, deal bountifully, do (good), recompense, requite, reward, ripen, + serve, mean, yield.

Mercy feeds our souls. When ‘we treat ourselves and other people well’ – when we are merciful – being treated well will mean being well. Our spiritual fruit will “ripen” as we treat other people and ourselves with mercy. We mature as a person as we seek to show mercy all around. “Good” things come our way as we walk in mercy, we receive the “recompense” or “reward” for our godly conduct. As we show mercy to those who oppose us God is freed to take action on our behalf to “requite” (avenge) the wrongs done to us. Mercy brings a willingness on people’s part to “yield” to us when we are walking in God’s Will.

Now a look at the other side.

“cruel” is defined in the Hebrew as:

394. אַכְזָרִי ˒akzârı̂y, ak-zaw-ree’; from 393; terrible:— cruel (one).

393. אַכְזָר ˒akzâr, ak-zawr’; from an unused root (appar. mean. to act harshly); violent; by impl. deadly; also (in a good sense) brave:— cruel, fierce.

When our conduct toward other people is “terrible” or “cruel” not in line with God’s Will and Ways we too reap the rewards of such. When we are a person given to “acting harshly” we expect the same. The “violent” and “deadly” are always looking over their shoulders for the “fierce” forces coming for them.

“troubleth” in the Hebrew is defined this way:

5916. עָכַר ˓âkar, aw-kar’; a prim. root; prop. to roil water; fig. to disturb or afflict:— trouble, stir.

If you are such a person who acts with harshness and cruelty you can expect your life to be filled with “roil” (agitation) and distress. Your soul will be constantly in a state where it is “disturbed” and your life “afflicted” with regularity. Your life will be a pot of hot mess that is continually “stirred” with “trouble” and peace you will not see on any level, mentally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

There is so much good that comes from being merciful, I cannot imagine why we would want to do anything different, expect that the sinful nature would like to rule us and take way the good we could have if chose mercy over cruelty.

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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Sanctification – Instant, Progressive, or Neither?

In Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Godliness, Grace, Holiness, Instant Sanctification, Learning, Lifestyle, Obedience, Progressive Sanctification, Renewal, Repentance, Sanctification, Truth, Wisdom on July 15, 2022 at 5:48 pm

I am going to take a detour here from Proverbs because this has come up a couple of times this week and was just part of a future blog post I was writing from the book of Proverbs.

Sanctification – Instant, Progressive, or Neither?

People make sanctification way too complicated and seem to believe that the idea of instant or progressive sanctification are the only options. They seem to believe that the two (instant sanctification and progressive sanctification) are at odds with one another. Well they are not.

Sanctification is both instant and progressive.

When we accept Christ, we are in that very moment “instantly” sanctified in Him, in the spiritual realm. That instant sanctification is manifest in our daily life, in our lifestyle, in our spiritual maturity, in a “progressive” manner, to varying degrees, at different speeds over the course of our lifetime, as we walk with Christ and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

It truly is that simple, people just make it, like most of the things of God, far too difficult and complicated.

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 11:16 Woman’s Honor Men’s Strength

In Advice, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Decision Making, Discernment, Discretion, Godliness, Grace, Lifestyle, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Wisdom on July 6, 2022 at 3:25 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).

16 A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches.

Woman’s Honor Men’s Strength

I am going to primarily focus on the part of the passage that addresses women so I will address the portion of verse sixteen that speaks to men first.

It takes a man of certain character and strength to hold on to the monetary blessing God has provided Him (v.16). If a man has a weakness for drink, for women, for gambling and the like, in the end he shall surely end up losing most, if not all, that God has blessed him with. It takes strength to manage one’s money well. Sadly, not all men have that type of godly strength.

Now a look at the graciousness of women of honor (v.16).

“gracious” in the Hebrew Language is defined in two parts as follows:

2580. חֵן chên, khane; from 2603; graciousness, i.e. subj. (kindness, favor) or obj. (beauty):— favour, grace (-ious), pleasant, precious, [well-] favoured.

2603. חָנַן chânan, khaw-nan’; a prim. root [comp. 2583]; prop. to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow; caus. to implore (i.e. move to favor by petition):— beseech, × fair, (be, find, shew) favour (-able), be (deal, give, grant (gracious (-ly), intreat, (be) merciful, have (shew) mercy (on, upon), have pity upon, pray, make supplication, × very.

I just delight in the fact that the gracious women is defined as “precious” in God’s sight. It also moves my heart that she will “implore” or moves people to her way of thinking not through demand but through heartfelt appeal. She is the kind that would beg before she would demand something from someone. She has “mercy” for people, compassion, “pity” not animosity. She has the strength of character to humble herself in kindness to someone who is clearly her inferior in some manner, intelligence, grace, style, education, godliness, culture, talent, godly insight, wisdom, maturity, manners, refinement, etc. She would rather “pray” for you than tell you off. What a heart in such a woman – God’s heart.

Why is she this way. We will look at another definition to find out why.

In the Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary the first definition for gracious is quite telling. The same holds true for the word fair, which you will find below. But first a note about the Webster’s Dictionary.

The original Webster’s Dictionary always had, and has, the biblical meaning of a word as the first definition. The original is still in print, I have one, and I recommend owning one because as you will find in the definition below took from the Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary our “educated” and “enlightened” society (sarcasm intended) believes that biblical meanings no longer have a place in our society, they are in their definition “obsolete” but in God’s definition they are not and never will be obsolete.

“gracious” per Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary is defined as:

1 a obsolete : GODLY b archaic : PLEASING, ACCEPTABLE
2 a : marked by kindness and courtesy £ a gracious host b : GRACEFUL c : marked by tact and delicacy : URBANE d : characterized by charm, good taste, generosity of spirit, and the tasteful leisure of wealth and good breeding £ gracious living
3 : MERCIFUL, COMPASSIONATE — used conventionally of royalty and high nobility

To be a gracious women is to be a woman “of royalty and high nobility” – God’s royalty and nobility. Yet, to modern society to be a “godly” woman has nothing to do with graciousness and it is “archaic” to be a “pleasing” and “acceptable” as a woman. How ridiculous! It just shows how far from the Standards of God we have fallen as a society.

By the way the first definition for the word “nobility” in the same dictionary means:

1 : the quality or state of being noble in character, quality, or rank

Well a godly gracious woman of honor is definitely all of that “noble in character” a woman of “quality” and much more.

To be “fair” in the Hebrew language means to be as follows:

3303. יָפֶה yâpheh, yaw-feh’; from 3302; beautiful (lit. or fig.):— + beautiful, beauty, comely, fair (-est, one), + goodly, pleasant, well.

3302. יָפָה yâphâh, yaw-faw’; a prim. root; prop. to be bright, i.e. (by impl.) beautiful:— be beautiful, be (make self) fair (-r), deck.

“fair” per Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary

1 : pleasing to the eye or mind especially because of fresh, charming, or flawless quality

You might have heard the saying beauty is only skin deep but ugly is to the bone; well, real beauty is much deeper than the surface and ugly shows regardless of how beautiful the surface of the package might be. In the definition for “fair” it states that to be “fair” is “to be bright in example by implication thus beautiful” – what is on the inside is what makes a woman bright; personality, character, and temperament are beautiful to those who are looking with open eyes.

Grace, exhibiting graciousness, does not allow a woman to sacrifice her honor for anything. Gracious women retain their honor at all times (v.16).

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 11:15 Watch Whom You Cover

In Advice, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Debt, Decision Making, Guidance, Lifestyle, Loans, Money, Poverty, Proverbs, Prudence, Uncategorized, Wisdom on June 15, 2022 at 8:41 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).

15 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure.

Watch Whom You Cover

Oh the perils of money, especially when we believe we do not have enough of it and seek to borrow money. The development of debt is dangerous. Debt enslaves the borrower. However, money, debt, another person’s debt can enslave the lender or the one that secures the funds for another person.

“surety” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

6148. עָרַב ˓ârab, aw-rab’; a prim. root; to braid, i.e. intermix; tech. to traffic (as if by barter); also to give or be security (as a kind of exchange):— engage, (inter-) meddle (with), mingle (self), mortgage, occupy, give pledges, be (-come, put in) surety, undertake.

“smart” in the Hebrew is defined as:

7321. רוּעַ rûwa˓, roo-ah’; a prim. root; to mar (espec. by breaking); fig. to split the ears (with sound), i.e. shout (for alarm or joy):— blow an alarm, cry (alarm, aloud, out), destroy, make a joyful noise, smart, shout (for joy), sound an alarm, triumph.

It is very unwise to get involved in another individual’s finances. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be helpful to another human being but once money, especially borrowed money, becomes involved often relationships are fractured. In a situation with a person that you do not know well it is even worse. Money has destroyed many relationships.

It would be far better overall to simply give a person money than it would be to loan them money or become a co-signer for them to borrow money from a financial institution. To risk our indebtedness in order to secure a debt for another is to put our life, our future, in that person’s hands.

“suretiship” is defined as:

8628. תָּקַע tâqa˓, taw-kah’; a prim. root; to clatter, i.e. slap (the hands together), clang (an instrument); by anal. to drive (a nail or tent-pin, a dart, etc.); by impl. to become bondsman (by handclasping):— blow ([a trumpet]), cast, clap, fasten, pitch [tent], smite, sound, strike, × suretiship, thrust.

“sure” in the Hebrew language means the following:

982. בָּטַח bâṭach, baw-takh’; a prim. root; prop. to hie for refuge [but not so precipitately as 2620]; fig. to trust, be confident or sure:— be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one, woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.

Debt is a hopeless hole that can suck the life out of you and nothing you bought that created the debt will take away that draining feeling and burden that debt brings. However, being without debt provides a sense of peace, security, and safety that can only be experienced by having little to no extensive debt.

Wisdom does not loan money, wisdom does not borrow money if it is at all possible, wisdom does not indebt itself so it can drive the latest and greatest, and wisdom does not run up credit card debt buying things that are not truly needed.

Do you want to be a slave to those credit cards, a slave to that overpriced vehicle you bought for show, a slave to that huge home that is far more than you actually need, or do you want freedom?

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.