God's Truth In Love

Archive for the ‘Godliness’ Category

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How Do We Make Godly Decisions? – Study of Proverbs 12:10 Animal Treatment

In Abuse, Animal Treatment, Behavior, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Cruelty, Decision Making, Decisions, Devotional, Godliness, Proverbs, Uncategorized on January 31, 2024 at 5:50 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).

10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

Animal Treatment

Wickedness has no concept for true compassion, mercy and love. Godliness understands the importance and need of all three for people and all living creatures.

Let us get the worst over with first by examining the word cruel.

“cruel” in the Hebrew is defined 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.

The wicked, their ideas of ‘mercy are cruelty’ yet they know it not. They are often blinded by Satan. Wicked people often harm animals. One of the key traits, psychology claims, of a serial killer is that when they were young, they harmed or even killed animals. How horrid!

When you look at what it means to “regardeth” and animal you see where the need for care, love, mercy, and instruction come in.

“regardeth” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

3045. יָדַע yâda˓, yaw-dah’; a prim. root; to know (prop. to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, fig., lit., euphem. and infer. (incl. observation, care, recognition; and caus. instruction, designation, punishment, etc.) [as follow]:— acknowledge, acquaintance (-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, [un-] awares, can [-not], certainly, for a certainty, comprehend, consider, × could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be [ig-] norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to, let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have [knowledge], (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, × prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have [understanding], × will be, wist, wit, wot.

Godly people understand their responsibility to give “care, recognition, instruction, and punishment” where needed to the animals in their care. That dog or cat we love is a “familiar friend” to us, but one who must be corrected when they potty on the rug. In order to train an animal correctly we must have a “kinsman” type relationship with them meaning we “know” them, we “have knowledge of and have understanding” of their temperament, needs, strengths, and weaknesses. A farmer will tell you that all of this is very necessary to get the maximum amount of productivity from their animals.

All living creatures are created by God for a purpose. Let us both respect their purpose and their existence for the length of their life. ++end++

All content generated by a human being, 100%, no AI. 

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 12:9 Popularity or Prosperity

In Advice, Attitude, Behavior, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Change, Choices, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Decision Making, Decisions, Devotional, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Guidance, Honor, Humility, Lifestyle, Pride, Proverbs, Renewal, Righteous, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Uncategorized on January 8, 2024 at 4:19 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).

9 He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.

Popularity or Prosperity

This is a very interesting verse that seems somewhat out of place, but we know with the Word of God there is no such thing.

First, it must be pointed out that in the Hebrew definition of the word “despised” there is an implied meaning and a figurative meaning. The word means both to be a person who is “light and in rapid motion” and also a person “held in contempt” who “seems vile” to other people. A godly person would fit both of those categories.

A godly person is going to be a “light” to the world around them. They are also going to be a person who is “in rapid motion” working to care for their family. They are not going to be lazy or a slacker. Being both a “light” in a dark world and a person “in rapid motion” to provide for your family will make you “despised” by a world growing more and more evil and distorted each day. However, it will also cause the blessings of God to rain down on you where you do not lack for the important things in life and may well also prosper to the point where having a “servant” is a part of your life.

This is a far better life than the “entitled person” who thinks life owes them, without their doing much of anything – the self-important person – those who “honoureth” themselves, usually because no one else does or should for that matter. These people lack for almost everything in life including “bread” or food to eat.

Haughtiness, pride, is a horrible sin that God absolutely hates. Many believe pride to be the very first sin, and it was in a way. Pride can typically be found at the root of every sin or every problem with other people in life. Test this theory and see if after you peel away all the various layers at the core of the issue if pride cannot be found.

Humility, God and godliness is the better choice in every circumstance over Haughtiness, Satan, and sin. Your life will be better the quicker you realize this in life.

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All content generated by a human being, 100%, no AI. 

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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Movie "The Shift"

In Apostasy, Biblical Principles, Change, Choices, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Decision Making, Decisions, Demon, Demon Possession, End Times, End-times, Evil, Godliness, Left Behind, Mental Illness, Movie - The Shift, Obedience, Renewal, Repentance, Righteous Living, Satan, Suffering, Trust, Uncategorized on December 2, 2023 at 4:27 pm

Movie "The Shift"

Okay guys another movie review and recommendation for Christians and all people. Again, another movie that on the surface you would not think it is a Christian themed movie but it absolutely is Christian.

The trailer for the movie seems to be very odd but it truly is a good movie and well done. I am going to provide you with just a few bullet points about the movie because I do not want to give away any of the plot.

† Job – Modern day take on the book of and biblical character of Job.

† Trials – An examination of what it truly means to go through trials in our lives.

† Choices – An examination of the effects of our choices on our life and our very existence.

† Movie Type – Sci-fi version of end times, a disguised Christian movie meant to look secular, with a love story thrown in.

† Suffering – God revealed in suffering.

† Characteristics – The power of selfishness and selflessness.

The Shift… The last sentence of the film.

"This is not my world but this is my home."

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 12:4 Crown His Head or Rot His Bones

In Agape Love, Behavior, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Couples, Discernment, Discretion, Disunity, Divorce, Femininity, Feminism, Godliness, Honor, Husbands, Lifestyle, Love, Marriage, Proverbs, Renewal, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Truth, Wisdom, Wives, Women on September 14, 2023 at 1:32 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).

4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

Crown His Head or Rot His Bones

Okay ladies buckle up, as this is probably one of the toughest verses in Scripture for a woman, aside from ‘submit to your own husband as unto the Lord’ Ephesians 5:22 and Colossians 3:18.

Author Note:

You really have to connect the meaning of each of the words in the writing below to truly understand the impact of what this verse means. My recommendation would be to skip ahead and read the Hebrew meanings listed below then come back and read the piece in its entirety, including the word meanings a second time.

“virtuous” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

2428. חַיִל chayil, khah’-yil; from 2342; prob. a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength:— able, activity, (+) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, (+) valiant (-ly), valour, virtuous (-ly), war, worthy (-ily).

“virtue” the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary first definition is as follows:

1 a : conformity to a standard of right : MORALITY b : a particular moral excellence

To be virtuous as a woman is to be a godly woman, and a godly woman follows the Standard set by God, seeking and following the Will, Ways, and Purposes of God. There is no way around the Truth of what it means to be a virtuous woman. She is “a force, a means or resource of strength” both for her husband and herself. She conducts her actions with “valor” for “good” using her “might, power, riches, strength, and substance” in the pursuit of what is “worthy” in God’s eyes. She has a “standard of right” and “morality” and she lives with “excellence” by that standard, God’s Standard. In so doing this she becomes a great asset in life to her husband.

“crown” is defined as the following in the Hebrew language: .

5850. עֲטָרָה ˓ăṭârâh, at-aw-raw’; from 5849; a crown:— crown.

5849. עָטַר ˓âṭar, aw-tar’; a prim. root; to encircle (for attack or protection); espec. to crown (lit. or fig.):— compass, crown

That asset that she becomes to her husband is a “crown” that they both wear. It is what brings the respect of his peers and business associates to him. A woman’s virtue is an actual “figurative crown” that “encircles” her husband, which gives him the strength when needed “for attack” from their enemies, and at other times provides “protection” from attack, disgrace, shame, embarrassment, trouble, etc.

An unvirtuous woman is the exact opposite, She brings trouble, stress, embarrassment, disgrace, attack, shame, hardship, etc. on her husband.

“ashamed” in the Hebrew is defined as:

954. בּוּשׁ bûwsh, boosh; a prim. root; prop. to pale, i.e. by impl. to be ashamed; also (by impl.) to be disappointed, or delayed:— (be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with, a-) shamed (-d), be (put to) confounded (-fusion), become dry, delay, be long.

Her unvirtuous conduct causes him “to pale”(lose respect) in the sight of his peers. She will cause her husband “to be ashamed” of her, himself, and even the fact that he married her. She will cause him “to be disappointed” in her and having married her. She may well be the cause of why his career or advancement in life has been “delayed” or halted altogether. A woman’s sinful behavior causes her husband to become “confounded” and brings “confusion” on so many levels for her husband. A woman’s conduct greatly effects and affects the life, health, and wellbeing of her husband.

Thus, she becomes a “rottenness” to his life (bones).

“rottenness” in the Hebrew language is defined as:

7538. רָקָב râqâb, raw-kawb’; from 7537; decay (by caries):— rottenness (thing).

7537. רָקַב râqab, raw-kab’; a prim. root; to decay (as by worm-eating):— rot.

“caries” means cavities of decay.

This “rottenness” will eat away at every aspect of a man’s life like “worm-eating” until its “decay” has ruined him in almost every conceivable way; mentally, vocationally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Men put up a very strong front but a wife has such a substantial impact on her husband whether he allows it to show or not.

“bones” is defined in the Hebrew as:

6106. עֶצֶם ˓etsem, eh’tsem; from 6105; a bone (as strong); by extens. the body; fig. the substance, i.e. (as pron.) selfsame:— body, bone, × life, (self-) same, strength, × very.

6105. עָצַם ˓âtsam, aw-tsam’; a prim. root; to bind fast, i.e. close (the eyes); intr. to be (caus. make) powerful or numerous; denom. (from 6106) to crunch the bones:— break the bones, close, be great, be increased, be (wax) mighty (-ier), be more, shut, be (-come, make) strong (-er).

Her unvirtuous conduct eats away at the very ‘strength of his bones’ while at the same time eating away at “the substance of his self (selfsame)” and his “strength” in every area. Left unchecked it destroys his “life” and sense of “self” it is an incredibly “powerful” force.

Women, you have incredible power. Will you use it for good or evil where your husband is concerned? Will you be virtuous and bring life to both of you or will you be unvirtuous and bring death to both of you?

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All content generated by a human being, 100%, no AI. 

You can sign up to have each blog posting sent directly to your email. Just find the “follow” button on the bottom 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 11:30-31 – Who Ends The Game With More

In Actions, Behavior, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Decision Making, Decisions, Divine Protection, Evil, Godliness, Lifestyle, Proverbs, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Uncategorized, Wisdom on July 18, 2023 at 4:21 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).

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.

Who Ends The Game With More

Far too many people look at life as a competition for who can have more, but more of what? For each person having “more” depends on what their heart tells them is important. For some it is simple, like my spouse used to say, ‘If I wake up in the morning it is a blessing from God, anything more I get is extra.’ If everyone could be so grateful to God for life.

As we have explored previously there are many people who obtain what they have through evil, wicked, and ungodly means only to have it all stripped away in an instant.

Righteousness, godliness produces fruit, righteous fruit. That fruit produces a “tree” or as the Hebrew definition includes “a stalk” of life, meaning the evidence or reward manifest in our daily lives (v.30). Let us take a moment to explore this “tree of life” and what “life” includes.

“life” in the Hebrew Language is defined as:

2416. חַי chay, khah’-ee; from 2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, espec. in the fem. sing. and masc. plur.) life (or living thing), whether lit. or fig.:— + age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life (-time), live (-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.

2421. חָיָה châyâh, khaw-yaw’; a prim. root [comp. 2331, 2421]; to live, whether lit. or fig.; caus. to revive:— keep (leave, make) alive, × certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, (× God) save (alive, life, lives), × surely, be whole.

Before I start down the path of writing about what it means to reap the rewards of righteousness through life, let me make this perfectly clear. I do not ascribe to the idea that some “religious, overly charismatic, legalistic people” have that if a person dies young, in middle age, dies some horrible death or due to some horrific illness that there was something wrong in their lives. That is legalistic nonsense that stinks in the nostrils of God. That said, there is biblical foundation for righteousness or righteous living providing people forms of protection and/or rewards. With that stated let us explore the implication of the definition for the word “life” in verse thirty.

There is little doubt that righteous living overall produces a “strong” individual spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. There is longevity of life that often goes with righteous living, as righteous living produces better health and a greater resolve to live. It also produces an “appetite” for life and the “company” or companionship, “congregation” to go along with and fulfill that zest for life. Righteous living is the greatest form of “maintenance” for the body, mind, soul, and emotions, there is absolutely no diet, vitamin, workout routine, etc. that can do a better job. Righteousness creates a “merry” spirit that is filled with joy and hope. A righteous lifestyle is our greatest chance at being “old, quick, and running” in our old age with a ‘spring in our step’ and as a true ‘trooper’ for the Kingdom of God. Righteousness will “preserve, recover, repair, restore, and revive’ us as individuals, our relationships, almost anything in life we encounter. Righteousness makes us to “surely be whole” this side of heaven and in the life to come, as the righteousness of Jesus imputed to us gives us a way “to live, whether literally or figuratively” in this life and will “cause us to revive” in the next life.

Who would not want people to have the type of life that was just described. Our hearts should burst at the opportunity to ‘win souls for Christ’ whenever possible. It is certainly a fruit of righteousness and an incredibly “wise” thing to do (v.30).

Righteous people have a reward not only in heaven, but they also have “recompense” right here and now while they are alive on the earth (v.31), as “earth” and world mean the same thing in this verse. World is part of the Hebrew definition for earth. Therefore, let us explore further what the righteous have to look forward to in the here and now.

“recompensed” in the Hebrew Language means the following:

7999. שָׁלַם shâlam, shaw-lam’; a prim. root; to be safe (in mind, body or estate); fig. to be (caus. make) completed; by impl. to be friendly; by extens. to reciprocate (in various applications):— make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-) pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace (-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper (-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward, × surely.

They can expect “to be safe” in their “mind, body, and estate” – estate being belongings, possessions, etc. They are “completed” in the spiritual realm and that completeness permeates their inner being, their spirit, their heart, and their soul. They tend “to be friendly” and that is “reciprocated” by others in various ways as they find favor with God and people. Other people long to, and righteous people long to keep relationships in good repair, thus making “amends” when needed or to “make good” on anything due someone, they seek to “be at peace” with people and live a “peaceable” life. Righteous people can expect to be made “prosperous” yet, as my late spouse pointed out prosperity does not always come in the form of money only, as far too many people mistakenly think. Prosperity can come in the form of family, relationships, work, health, too many ways to name, which yes, does also include financial prosperity. Righteous people experience “recompense” in this world, they are “rendered” reward(s) for that righteousness, God will “restore” their losses as He did with Job, “requite” is on their side as God avenges the wrongs done to them – “the righteous” see their “reward” in this life as well as the next.

The second have of verse thirty-one can be confusing for many people. If you look it up in various translations of the Bible you find the meaning varies widely, too widely for them all to be right as they contradict one another. I will make my explanation simple.

Just as the righteous get their reward on earth and in the afterlife in heaven, the wicked get their reward on earth and in the afterlife as well (v.31). Who are the wicked? Here is how they are defined based on the definition of the word “wicked” from verse thirty-one.

“wicked” has the definition of the following the Hebrew:

7563. רָשָׁע râshâ˓, raw-shaw’; from 7561; morally wrong; concr. an (actively) bad person:— + condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.

7561. רָשַׁע râsha˓, raw-shah’; a prim. root; to be (caus. do or declare) wrong; by impl. to disturb, violate:— condemn, make trouble, vex, be (commit, deal, depart, do) wicked (-ly, -ness).

I believe the “wicked” person is pretty obvious when you meet and talk with them.

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You can sign up to have each blog posting sent directly to your email. Just find the “follow” button on the bottom 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 11:22 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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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 11:18-19 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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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 11:1 Cheating Others is Cheating Yourself

In Advice, Attitude, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Decision Making, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Guidance, Proverbs, Righteous Living, Stealing, Wisdom on March 1, 2022 at 3:01 pm

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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).

1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

Cheating Others is Cheating Yourself

Far too many people do not give a second thought to taking advantage of another person, and some people do not even have a problem with downright cheating another person. However, taking advantage of people and/or cheating people is not something that should be taken lightly. In God’s view it is a horrible thing to do.

“abomination” in the Hebrew language means “ something disgusting, morally an abhorrence; especially idolatry:— abominable, abomination”

What is it to have a “false balance” when it come to a person’s dealings with other people? It is basically and simply to find a manner or way in which to cheat them or take advantage of them. To deceit, mislead, be dishonest, in order to take advantage or gain an advantage over another person.

In days past actually scales were used to measure out the exchange of monies for goods. In biblical times the practice of tipping the scales in the merchant’s favor or when taxes were being collected was not that unusual. Just as in the days prior to electric scales you might have gone into a butcher shop to buy meat, bacon, or cold cuts and noticed that their large white metal scales showed an ounce or two before your product was ever place on them or in produce markets the fruit weighting scale that never returns to zero balance.

However, when you look into the Hebrew definition for the word “balance” you find that it also has a figurative meaning as well, which is “figuratively to ponder” a matter. This is where taking advantage of a person instead of down right cheating them comes in. You might consider how to manipulate a person, how to get them to do something for you that they should not or give you something they do not owe you and should not give you or contemplating a scheme in general to get something out of a person for your own gain.

To cheat, use, and take advantage of people is extremely displeasing to God.

God is well pleased with those individuals who deal with other people in a just and fair manner. The meaning of the word “just” in the Hebrew language even entails a “friendly” manner. Think about that, not just a fair and just manner but also a friendly manner.

Please keep me in your prayers and know that if God should speak anything into your heart as you pray for me regarding my life, please feel free to share that with me. God speaks through His people.

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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Valentine’s Love

In Advice, Biblical Principles, Blessings, Christian Lifestyle, Godliness, Obedience on February 19, 2022 at 1:40 pm

This Valentine’s Day I urge you to consider loving yourself enough to obey God and follow His Will, that your life might be blessed by following His Plan and His Purpose for your life.

This is the greatest love you could show God and yourself.

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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A New Year’s Thought – Living the Righteous/Godly Life

In Advice, Attitude, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Decision Making, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Guidance, Lifestyle, New Year’s Resolutions, Renewal, Repentance, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Wisdom on January 1, 2022 at 4:16 pm

Before you take action to make all those resolutions about what you are going to do or not do, who you are going to be or not be, take a moment and reflect on God’s method of change.

Read the thoughts of a young woman desiring honest change in her life, and my response to her.

Quote = “When I pray and read the Word and worship as I have been recently, i am experiencing more of a closeness and a love… like i am coming back to my first love. I do not think I am explaining it well but I want to live a righteous life and spend time with my Father becuase I love Him and want to, not because there is this list of "do’s and don’ts" to follow.” = End Quote.

You need not worry sister…you are not going to live a “righteous life” without it being a manifestation of God’s grace in your life. Any desire you have for God is a manifestation of God’s grace in your life.

Some thoughts…

A ship is not going to move along steady by being propped from the outside. In order for a ship to be balanced, it must have ballast within the ship in order for the ship to move along steadily. The same is true for us as God’s children. Nothing on the outside of us is ever going to make our lives steady and balanced. It is only through and by the grace of God that our lives ever become consistent, steady, and balance. All three of which God wants for us and all three of which He is more than willing to shed out His grace in service to perform.

Therefore, God’s grace becomes our ballast. Ballast being:

bal·last

1. stabilizing heavy weights: heavy material carried in the hold of a ship, especially one that has no cargo, in the keel of a sailing boat, or in the gondola of a balloon, to give the craft increased stability

2. something that gives bulk or stability: anything that serves no particular purpose except to give bulk or weight to something or that provides additional stability

3. foundation material: stones or gravel when used as a foundation for a road or railroad track

4. industry gravel used in making concrete: gravel used in making concrete and in earthworks

5. electrical engineering circuit limiting current flow: a circuit that limits the current flow in a fluorescent lamp

Encarta ® World English Dictionary

A play on the definitions and a connection to God’s grace.

1 – God is the weight that holds us steady when life blows and blows; only He and His grace provide us stability.

2 – Grace is simply there to bring stability to our souls, our spirits, and our lives.

3 – Grace is the foundation of our relationship with our Savior Jesus.

4 – The endless grace of God turns our liquid hearts and jelly backbones into faith stronger than concrete.

5 – God’s grace is always poured out in just the right dose at just the right time so that we might not become overwhelmed spiritually.

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.