Archive for the ‘Spirituality’ Category
Change, Christ, Christian Lifestyle, Coronavirus, Coronavirus/COVID-19, COVID-19, Easter, God, God’s Voice, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Marriage, Parenting, PERSONAL GROWTH, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, RELATIONSHIPS, Renewal, Repentance, Suffering, Truth, Unity
In Attitude, Biblical Principles, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Coronavirus, Coronavirus/COVID-19, COVID-19, Godliness, Godly Counsel, New Year’s Resolutions, Renewal, Repentance, Resolutions, Revelation, Revival, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Spiritual Fruit, Spirituality, Uncategorized, Wisdom on March 7, 2021 at 4:10 pm
Though people have played up the loss and problems of COVID-19, which there have been many of course, much loss and much grief, nevertheless, I mentioned in my last post that we would tackle the other side of the coin and explore the growth that has occurred and the good things that have come out of going through this pandemic.
Over the next few post we will take a look at the GOD growth in individuals, families, and couples during the pandemic. I use the term GOD growth because God wants to bring about change in people that draws them closer to Him and that causes them to implement His Principles regardless of whether or not they have come to trust in Him for their salvation as of yet or not. God is about seeing His Will and His Principles come about in our society, in our homes, and in us personally before and after we enter that personal relationship with Him.
Individual growth will be the topic here. As stated in the last posting, “There has also been more time for individuals to take a good look at themselves, to explore their own inner spiritual person, come to terms with, and perhaps do something in response to, what they discovered during the isolation that God has allowed in their life.”
Crisis pushes crisis, meaning a societal crisis usually produces a personal crisis for people. When confronted with mass alterations in the societal landscape a person finds their personal life altered in many capacities, and underneath those alterations they find their inner life altered as well.
During this pandemic people’s movements have been greatly restricted causing them a loss in what many people use to escape seeing themselves clearly, “distraction[s]” of every type and usually in multiple degrees or quantities. People often search for anything that can help them avoid dealing with what is inside of them. During the isolation of this pandemic that just has not been possible thus resulting horribly for some people in despair and giving up, but for other people in self-reflection and growth.
It is extremely hard to be alone with one’s self, yet it is extremely healthy. Many very spiritual and godly people over the course of history have heralded the importance of a time of personal spiritual retreat with God to reflect, recharge, and seek growth in God. It is during the aloneness that God’s voice is heard most clearly by the majority of people, when most people’s insight and understanding is opened up the most. In the aloneness we find whether or not we like ourselves (or if we should like ourselves), and if not, we learn from God what to do about what we do not like.
From what I have understood from people living in relative isolation during the pandemic, that isolation has also brought with it a quietness of life, a slowing of their pace, a peeling back of the daily stresses of life and thus resulted for many individuals in an embracement of a quieter simpler less stressful life.
The isolation of the pandemic for individuals has not been all bad, it has produced personal growth, reordering of priorities, and recharging of one’s stress coping batteries.
I want to close each of this series of postings with a quote from the original post, “COVID-19 – God and Man at Work.”
“Blessings from God are not just material or financial more often the greater ones (blessings) are intangible such as growth and change.”
Abuse, Advice, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Blessing, Chastisement, Choices, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Correction, Crime, Curses, Death, Decision Making, Desire, Devotional, Discipline, Discretion, Encouragement, Equality, Evil, Exhortation, Fairness, Favor, Fear, Generosity, Godly Fear, Good, Grace, Growing, Guidance, Happiness, Health, Heart, Illness, Information, Insomnia, Justice, King Solomon, Learning, Life, Longevity, Mercy, Neighbors, Oppression, Parents, Peace, Protection, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Righteousness, Sexual Abuse, Sickness, Sin, Spirituality, Strength, Teachable, Trust, Truth, Wickedness, Wisdom
In Advice, Anger, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Decision Making, Discretion, Encouragement, Godly Counsel, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on November 8, 2018 at 8:00 am
This blog will alternate with each post between two subjects. One week will address why churches are not growing, and the coming move of God. The alternate week the blog will continue with the in-depth study through 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 definition.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Guarding the Heart
‘Keeping one’s heart with all diligence’ is such a massive job and entails so much the ability to do verse twenty-three justice in one segment is simple not possible. However, I will make the primary point of the importance of guarding our heart. For an in-depth examination of verse twenty-three you might find a book I wrote about the verse enlightening. It can be purchased in either softback book or Kindle eBook form from Amazon. It is titled, “ The Heart – Why Does It Hurt So Often? – Proverbs 4:23”
Every aspect of our life is affected and effected by what is going on in our hearts. If our hearts are not healthy we are not healthy. The above book examines how we can both get, and keep, our hearts healthy. One of the first and most important things we need to know about ‘keeping our hearts with all diligence’ is that it is we who must be a watchman over our own hearts.
Here is an excerpt from the book, “The Heart – Why Does It Hurt So Often? – Proverbs 4:23”
“Heart Watchman
“with all diligence” – What a phrase, but not one that can be separated from “for out of it – the issues” and retain its proper meaning or communicate its proper understanding.
Hebrew Definitions:
“keep”
5341. נָצַר nâtsar, naw-tsar’; a prim. root; to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.):— besieged, hidden thing, keep (-er, -ing), monument, observe, preserve (-r), subtil, watcher (-man).
“with all diligence”
4929. מִשְׁמָר mishmâr, mish-mawr’; from 8104; a guard (the man, the post, or the prison); fig. a deposit; also (as observed) a usage (abstr.), or an example (concr.):— diligence, guard, office, prison, ward, watch.
8104. שָׁמַר shâmar, shaw-mar’; a prim. root; prop. to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; gen. to protect, attend to, etc.:— beware, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep (-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch (-man).
In the first half of the Hebrew definition for “with all diligence”, there is language in the definition that communicates the need for us to be much like a prison guard in how we approach the need to “keep” our hearts. Both “keep” and “with all diligence” have the concept of being a “watchman or keeping a “watch” in their definitions.
There are individual who are called to be Watchmen over the Body of Christ, also often referred to as Prophets/Prophetess, just as there were men who were called to be Watchmen over Israel, and we are called to be Watchmen over our own hearts. Therefore, we will take time to look at some Scripture about what it means to be a Watchman so we can understand the severity of the task.
Ezekiel 33:7–9 (NKJV)
7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
Questions to Ask Ourselves
What does it mean to you when I state that the heart is the center of our being and the retainer of our spirit?
The Scriptures are filled with information about the heart and through this sheer volume and content of the Scriptures we can deduce that the heart is not only the center of physical life but also of spiritual life. Spiritually we are often asked to examine our hearts because the heart is the inner most being.”
– End of excerpt –
When we fail to keep watch over our hearts, when we fail to keep them with all diligence we are acting in one of the most unwise ways possible, which is why King Solomon warned his son so strongly to ‘keep or guard his heart with all diligence.’ I urge you also to, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Verse twenty-four can also be associated with keeping one’s heart healthy as well as standing alone in the principle of godly talk versus ungodly talk. What we say, what comes out of our mouths, has an effect in the spiritual realm and thus an affect upon our hearts.
From the Hebrew definition we find that we are warned in verse twenty-four against using our words in the form of “perverted, distorted, or crooked (dishonest)” talk, words that would cause other people or ourselves “to turn aside or depart” from God’s Ways, God’s Will, and God’s Wisdom.
People often talk just to talk. Don’t! Actually have something fruitful or useful to say when you speak.
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.
Abuse, Advice, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Blessing, Chastisement, Choices, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Correction, Crime, Curses, Death, Decision Making, Desire, Devotional, Discipline, Discretion, Encouragement, Equality, Evil, Exhortation, Fairness, Favor, Fear, Generosity, Godly Fear, Good, Grace, Growing, Guidance, Happiness, Health, Illness, Information, Insomnia, Justice, King Solomon, Learning, Life, Longevity, Mercy, Neighbors, Oppression, Parents, Peace, Protection, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Righteousness, Sexual Abuse, Sickness, Sin, Spirituality, Strength, Teachable, Trust, Truth, Wisdom
In Advice, Anxiety, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Confusion, Decision Making, Discretion, Godly Counsel, Learning, Peace, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Revival, Spirituality, Trust, Truth, Wisdom on September 13, 2018 at 9:00 am
This blog will alternate with each post between two subjects. One week will address why churches are not growing, and the coming move of God. The alternate week the blog will continue with the in-depth study through the Book of Proverbs.
The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. 11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. 12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
Wisdom Sustains
Note – All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Hebrew definition.
Verse ten states that the person who consistently uses godly wisdom as a guide for how they live and manage their life will see that life extended by “many” years. In the Hebrew language “many” means both to “increase in respective time” and to “bring in abundance” – that covers quantity of life and quality of life.
Verse twelve makes it clear that the person who consistently applies godly wisdom will have little need for their choices and actions to be corrected by God or man, nor will they find themselves stumbling a great deal in life. It is not possible to live a perfect life, but it is possible to live a godly life ruled by godly wisdom that has little encounter with failure or correction.
Verse thirteen speaks to the fact that godly wisdom applied is “thy life” for all truly real purposes. You may ask how could godly wisdom applied be someone’s life, what does it mean? Take a look at the Hebrew definitions for the phrase “thy life” – examine them one by one as see the “thy life” found within.
· "alive; hence, raw (flesh)” – godly wisdom applied will literally keep us alive.
· “fresh (plant, water, year)” – godly wisdom applied will keep us and our life fresh and renewed each year in personal growth and spiritual thirst.
· “strong” – godly wisdom applied will keep us strong mentally, emotionally, spiritually, relationally, and physically.
· “life (or living thing), whether literal or figurative:— + age, alive, appetite, company, congregation, life (-time), live (-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop. to live” – godly wisdom applied will rightly order every area of our life and relationships.
· “whether literal or figuratively; causatively to revive” – godly wisdom applied will restore us and sustain us through the challenges of life.
· “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.” – godly wisdom applied will restore our life to God’s Purpose and repair the life damage we have caused and suffered, it will “give promise” to our life.
There is no doubt that the use of godly wisdom on a consistent bases in our life will sustain our life to God’s glory.
What does it mean to “sustain” something or someone? Sustain according to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary is defined as follows.
Note – All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Merriam-Webster’s definition.
The author’s thoughts follow each definition in [brackets].
1 : “to give support or relief to” – [godly wisdom applied will support the quality and quantity of your life and bring relief in times of distress.]
2 : “to supply with sustenance : NOURISH” – [godly wisdom applied will bring nourishment to your body, mind, spirit, and soul.]
3 : “KEEP UP, PROLONG” – [godly wisdom applied will extend the length of your life and improve the quality of your life.]
4 : “to support the weight of : PROP; also : to carry or withstand (a weight or pressure)” – [godly wisdom applied will makes facing the challenges of life so much easier, and your response to them is less likely to be filled with anxiety.]
5 : “to buoy up £ sustained by hope” – [godly wisdom applied will keep you afloat in life’s rough waters and give you hope.]
6 “a : to bear up under b : SUFFER, UNDERGO £ sustained heavy losses” – [godly wisdom applied will keep you from despair during your darkest days in life.]
7 “a : to support as true, legal, or just b : to allow or admit as valid £ the court sustained the motion” – [godly wisdom applied will anchors your life in something much greater than yourself, it anchors your life in God, in God’s Principles and Truths.]
8 : “to support by adequate proof : CONFIRM £ testimony that sustains our contention” – [godly wisdom applied will end up being self-proving, as you will see the proof of godly wisdom’s worth through its results over time.]
Godly wisdom will be a tool by which God sustains you and your life. Will you let it sustain you? Will you let Him sustain you?
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.
Abuse, Advice, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Blessing, Chastisement, Choices, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Correction, Crime, Curses, Death, Decision Making, Desire, Devotional, Discipline, Discretion, Encouragement, Equality, Evil, Exhortation, Fairness, Favor, Fear, Generosity, Godly Fear, Good, Growing, Guidance, Happiness, Health, Illness, Information, Insomnia, Justice, King Solomon, Learning, Life, Longevity, Mercy, Neighbors, Oppression, Parents, Peace, Protection, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Righteousness, Sexual Abuse, Sickness, Sin, Spirituality, Strength, Teachable, Trust, Truth, Wisdom
In Abuse, Advice, Anxiety, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Compassion, Curses, Decision Making, Discretion, Evil, Exhortation, Hate, Hatred, Idolatry, Learning, Peace, Persecution, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Repentance, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on July 31, 2018 at 6:10 pm
This blog will alternate with each post between two subjects. One week will address why churches are not growing, and the coming move of God. The alternate week the blog will continue with the in-depth study through the Book of Proverbs.
The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.
31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. 32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous. 33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just. 34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. 35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Treatment of People
How we treat other people has a major impact on the quality of our own life. All too often people attempt to improve their own life by diminishing the value of another person’s life through abuse, mistreatment such as oppression or through using those individuals to fulfill their own perverse needs physically, mentally, and emotionally.
An oppressor is not hard to spot. Most people have had to deal with one or more oppressive person in their lifetime through some form of connection or relationship. We are warned in verse thirty-one to make sure we are not the one doing the oppressing.
“oppressor” in the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary is defined as follows:
1 b : to crush or burden by abuse of power or authority
2 : to burden spiritually or mentally : weigh heavily upon
There are so many ways a person can oppress another person, far too many to attempt to list here. Take a moment and think of a couple of ways a person might oppress someone through the ‘abuse of their power or authority,’ through ‘burdening another person mentally,’ through ‘burdening another persona spiritually,’ and by ‘being a heavy weigh upon’ that person’s life through producing stress or distress.
When God’s finds something or someone’s actions an abomination that is about as bad as it gets. Verse thirty-two makes it clear that those who are “froward” are an abomination to Jehovah God, LORD. The Lord finds such people to be morally disgusting and considers them a person who worships idols (see Hebrew definition below), the idols of their own self-will and the desire to live life accord to their own terms instead of living life according to His Ways, His Will, and His Purposes.
“abomination” in the Hebrew language is defined as follows:
8441. תּוֹעֵבָה tôw˓êbâh, to-ay-baw’; or
תֹּעֵבָה tô˓êbâh, to-ay-baw’; fem. act. part. of 8581; properly something disgusting morally, i.e. (as noun) an abhorrence; espec. idolatry or concretely an idol:— abominable (custom, thing), abomination.
Who are the “froward?” One might think it would have to be someone really horrible, evil, and very sinful. No not at all! The truth of who are they and how easily we can be one of them is scary.
“For the froward” in the Hebrew language is defined as literally to depart from God’s Ways and Wisdom or figuratively to be perverse in one’s actions, thoughts, or behaviors. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines “froward” as someone who is “habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition.”
Verse thirty-two also talks about another type of person, those God defines as the righteous. To these righteous persons God grants a secret. Let us look at what that secret is and entails.
“but his secret” in the Hebrew language is defined as follows:
5475. סוֹד çôwd, sode; from 3245; a session, i.e. company of persons (in close deliberation); by impl. intimacy, consultation, a secret:— assembly, counsel, inward, secret (counsel).
God keeps company with the righteous. They sense and know His Presence in their life. They are able to have a “session” with God where He talks to them and they to Him. God guides their actions through a close relationship where He walks with them daily in intimacy. They are able to “consult and counsel” with God “inwardly” and receive direction for their life and answers to their questions. God is present with them, and for the righteous there is a great awareness daily of His Presence.
Verse thirty-three through thirty-five makes it clear what the oppressors and the froward can look forward to in life because the LORD finds these behaviors such an abomination and wicked – their houses will be cured, their life will be cursed, they will not live in the blessings of God. Only the “just” aka lawful and righteous people will live in the blessings of God.
A person is about as blessed as their actions allow them to be. With minimum obedience to God comes minimum blessings. God does make life tough for those who refuse to obey Him, “he scorneth” their life in an attempt to show them that their way is not His Way and that His Way is far better. Shame is the result of foolish behavior.
Grace is found with those who humble themselves before God before His Will and obey Him. Wise people who honor God inherit God’s glory and live in the blessings of God.
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.
Church Growth, Prophecy, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Rhema Word
In Apostasy, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Church Growth, End Times, Exhortation, Jesus, Persecution, Prophecy, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized on May 30, 2018 at 11:44 am
This blog will alternate with each post between two subjects. One week will address why churches are not growing, and the coming move of God. The alternate week the blog will continue with the in-depth study through the Book of Proverbs.
“Jesus had to suffer as the natural outcome of all that He had been saying and doing. The people were increasing rejecting His (Jesus’) message, and the religious leaders were plotting to rid themselves of Him (Jesus). This was the inevitable consequence of the radical message He (Jesus) had presented to a spiritually deaf, dumb, and blind world.” – Bill Crowder Simon Peter A Rock Moved By God Bible Study
Most people would tell you they would never deny Christ, yet they do each time they remain silent while words are brought forth in front of them that deny the truths, meaning the Principles, Ways, and Will of the Word, Jesus. Jesus made it clear He was, and is, Truth.
John 14:6 (NKJV)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
In the Greek language the word truth, means one thing “verity – truth.”
Verity means according to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary:
“something (as a statement) that is true; especially : a fundamental and inevitably true value”
When Jesus would say “verily, verily” I say… He was saying, ‘I am now going to teach you the principles of truth.’
Synonyms for “verity” are truth, fact, principle, reality, sincerity, factualness, and actuality.
Why would people remain silent instead of speaking out the Truths of God as found in His Word? The answer is simple and heartbreaking – fear of abuse. What will happen to me if I speak out? What will these secular people, this secular sinful society do to me? What will carnal self-serving Christian do to me? Sadly, all too often the answer is they will respond with some form of abuse.
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.
Church Growth, Prophecy, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Rhema Word
In Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, End Times, Exhortation, God's Voice, Godliness, Learning, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Rhema Words, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on May 16, 2018 at 9:15 am
This blog will alternate with each post between two subjects. One week will address why churches are not growing, and the coming move of God. The alternate week the blog will continue with the in-depth study through the Book of Proverbs.
What is repentance and how do we as individuals and a Body find our way to its door? The word repentance is found twenty-six times in the King James Bible, twenty-five of which appear in the New Testament and one appearance in the Old Testament.
Geek Language Definition for the word “repentance” as found in 2 Corinthians 7:8-12
3341. metavnoia meátanoáia, met-an´-oy-ah; from 3340; (subj.) compunction (for guilt, incl. reformation); by impl. reversal (of [another’s] decision):— repentance.
3340. metanoevw meátanoáeáoµ, met-an-oá-eh´-o; from 3326 and 3539; to think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (mor. feel compunction):— repent.
3539. noievw noáieáoµ, noy-eh´-o; from 3563
noevw noáeáoµ no-eh´-o; to exercise the mind, (observe), i.e. (fig.) to comprehend, heed:— consider, perceive, think, understand.
In the meaning of the word “repentance” as found in the Greek Language, we see the need for a reversal of a previous decision we have made. That reversal of our choices can only come after we have compunction about a choice we have previously made. That second-guessing and reconsideration whether brought about through guilt, fear, shame, regret, or some other less than desirable feeling can be a powerful source for bringing about a needed change. Yet, people flee at the first sign of just such emotions.
Feelings tell us something is wrong in our environment. While we should never be led around by our feelings, we should respect our feelings enough to evaluate their meaning. “Compunction” carries with it a moral sense concerning the feelings one is experiencing. When feelings carry with them a moral overtone, they should be given even more consideration and respect.
We must actually take the time to ponder our potential reversal of a previously committed decision. There is no room for lazy living, in a godly spiritually successful life. We have to use our minds, observe our lives, consider the consequences and effects of our actions, perceive the heart of God on a matter, and thoroughly think it through to understanding. Then we will be in a place where we can apply a true commitment to repentance regarding the matter.
Hebrew Language Definition for the word “repentance” as found in Hosea 13:14
5164. µj’nœ
noÆcham, no’-kham; from 5162; ruefulness, i.e. desistance:— repentance.
Once the matter has been carefully pondered and clearly thought out we must make the leap, we must change our course of action. Repentance cannot just be about the sorrow of sin; it must be about committing to change. Change is the evidence of repentance. God does not bring us to a point of sorrow over sin or poor choices only to leave us making the same choices. He does so that we might find the motivation, grace, and willingness to change.
Encarta ® World English Dictionary Definition and Synonyms for the words “repent” and “repentance”.
re·pent
1. be sorry: to recognize the wrong in something you have done and be sorry about it
2. change ways: to feel regret about a sin or past actions and change your ways or habits
-re·pen·tance, , n
-re·pen·tant, , adj
-re·pent·er, , n
re·pent2
growing on ground: growing or lying along the ground
repentance (n)
regret, sorrow, remorse, penitence, atonement, shame, contrition, penance, contriteness
True repentance should come with a desire to atone or amend for previous actions or behaviors. This is not always possible, nevertheless, whether possible or not the desire should exist. This desire is further evidence of a truly repentant heart. If possible, we should take action to right a wrong or mend a broken relationship, restoring fellowship between Believers whenever possible. This will add to the joy we find in repentance.
Scripture Text – 2 Corinthians 7:8-12 NKJV
“8For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. 9Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 12Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.”
Our sorrow should lead us somewhere. If it does not lead us to life, it will kill us. That is heart of this book. To bring us, all of us, the Body of Christ to a place of life, a place of repentance, a place of joy.
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.
Church Growth, Prophecy, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Rhema Word
In Apostasy, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christ, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Learning, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on May 2, 2018 at 6:12 pm
This blog will alternate with each post between two subjects. One week will address why churches are not growing, and the coming move of God. The alternate week the blog will continue with the in-depth study through the Book of Proverbs.
To follow the will of God is to prosper; to rebel against the will of God is to be destroyed. – Mencius
Again, this will be challenging but it is what God wants said, THE CHURCH MUST REPENT, which means individuals must personally repent!
Each day when we arise, we make a choice within our spirits regarding whom we will follow. As the days turn to years the choices are many and the reasons for our choices varies but nevertheless they are our choices. Either we will follow our own will, the Will of God, the will of another person, or we will drift aimlessly through our days with no sense of direction or purpose. Whom we chose to follow, as well as choosing not to follow anyone and just drifting through life, affects and effects both other people affects and effects the Body of Christ as a whole.
Much like ripples on a pond our choices are ripples through life, ripples which begin with our personal choices, then reach out to our spouse and/or family members, from there out to our local congregations, next the Body of Christ, and ultimately to the world as a whole multiplying as they go. One wrong or selfish choice can affect the lives of a dozen people or more. Yet, do we look at each choice that way. Do we consider this truth when we are deciding whom we will follow each morning when we open our eyes to greet the new day? We should, and we can.
Joy has slipped from the lives of individual Christians and from the Church as a whole because for too long we have chosen to do things our way instead of choosing to do things God’s Way. We have awakened morning after morning choosing to do our own will, the will of another, or even the will of Satan himself instead of doing the Will of God. That choice day after day has drained the joy from our lives and that draining of joy has extended much like those ripples on a pond, to the entire Body of Christ to some degree. Where we were once excited about fellowship with Jesus and fellowship with each other now we are lifeless and somewhat empty. That can all change.
We as individuals have an option to repent, repent from self-will and once again make God number one in our lives. Our joy can be restored through our repentance. Once our joy is resorted we can begin to see the ripples on the pond extend to our spouse and family, our local congregation, and then to the overall Body of Christ.
We as a group, the Body of Christ, also need to extend that repentance to our local congregations, in respect to how we have done things, how we have neglected people or even mistreated them at times. Then we will begin to feel the impact of that repentance on the overall Body of Christ. Once that has taken place we will begin to see people once again attracted to the Church and attracted to what God has to offer their lives.
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.
Advice, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chastisement, Choices, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Correction, Crime, Death, Decision Making, Desire, Devotional, Discipline, Discretion, Encouragement, Equality, Evil, Exhortation, Fairness, Favor, Fear, Generosity, Godly Fear, Good, Growing, Guidance, Happiness, Health, Illness, Information, Justice, King Solomon, Learning, Life, Longevity, Mercy, Parents, Peace, Protection, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Righteousness, Sickness, Sin, Spirituality, Strength, Teachable, Trust, Truth, Wisdom
In Advice, Anxiety, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Decision Making, Discretion, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Peace, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Spiritual Fruit, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on April 25, 2018 at 3:47 pm
This blog will alternate with each post between two subjects. One week will address why churches are not growing, and the coming move of God. The alternate week the blog will continue with the in-depth study through the Book of Proverbs.
The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
Fruit Beyond Measure
Throughout the Proverbs the point is repeatedly made that wisdom and understanding are among the greatest, if not the greatest, character traits we can seek after in life. The merchandise of both wisdom and understand is more valuable than anything a person can obtain in life, “merchandise” being “profit from trade” according to the Hebrew definition of the word. Therefore, to trade in wisdom and godly understanding is to have a profitable life.
Wisdom and understanding will provide for you substance in life far beyond the value of silver, gold, rubies, or anything an individual can desire in life. Nothing else satisfies a person more than the substance of a life lived by the instruction of wisdom and godly understanding regarding how to live and conduct oneself.
The use of wisdom and godly understanding will lengthen the life of a person and bring honor to the life they live. They both bring peace to an individual’s life and a pleasantness that nothing else can provide. All of these things we have previously explored.
Wisdom and godly understanding produce a growth in a person that nothing can match. They bring a fruitfulness and happiness to life that is beyond measure. According to the Hebrew definition of the word “happiness” that happiness involves prosperity, being blessed, and living a life where relief is provided through the use of wisdom and godly understanding. So again, I repeat, wisdom and godly understanding bring a happiness to life that is beyond measure.
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.
Advice, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Choices, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Crime, Death, Decision Making, Desire, Devotional, Discretion, Encouragement, Equality, Evil, Exhortation, Fairness, Favor, Fear, Godly Fear, Good, Growing, Health, Information, Justice, King Solomon, Learning, Life, Longevity, Mercy, Parents, Peace, Protection, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Righteousness, Spirituality, Strength, Teachable, Truth, Wisdom
In Advice, Anxiety, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Confusion, Decision Making, Discretion, Exhortation, Godly Counsel, Learning, Mercy, Peace, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on January 25, 2018 at 7:00 am
The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Mercy and Truth Equal Favor
Once again in this verse as in other verses from the Book of Proverbs, we see the characteristics that govern a person who finds favor in the sight of God and mankind. In these two verses they are the characteristics of mercy and truth.
What is mercy? What is truth, as reflected in this verse? How do we bind them to ourselves? What does it mean to write them on the tablets of our hearts? What exactly is this “good understanding” we will find with God and mankind? All these are questions we will explore.
Most people understand what it is to have favor with people. To our society it generally means to be accepted, liked, to have one’s ideas embraced, etc. However, the type of favor God is talking about here goes just a bit deeper.
*“favour” in the Hebrew language means the following:
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
*Many words may appear to be misspelled in the King James Version of the Bible, much of the grammar may appear to be incorrect, but these are not misspellings based upon the British language where it was written, neither are the grammatical differences mistakes in the British language.
When we find favor with God and man, favor based upon God’s Principles we are treated graciously by those whom we know, whom we do not know, those we would be considered inferior to, along with those who might view themselves as inferior to us. People treat us with kindness beyond what we deserve, as does God. God opens doors for us beyond what we could imagine. God bestows good things on us beyond what we can conceive. People desire to give to us and do for us. With all of that, the most beautiful picture of what it means to have favor we can derive from the Hebrew definition of the word “favour” – that God, Our Creator, the Almighty, will “bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior” to us in order to show us His love and His blessing because we are showing mercy and walking in truth.
When it comes to having “good understanding” with God and mankind, we see another aspect of favor. According to the Hebrew language (definition to follow) that “understanding” will take on the shape of us coming across with an intelligence beyond our human ability, we will find success in our godly pursuits, because we will be believed to hold discretion, knowledge, prudence, wisdom, etc. in our dealings and policies beyond what seems typical among people in the society in which we live.
“understanding” in the Hebrew language is defined as follows:
7922. שֶׂכֶל sekel, seh’-kel; or
שֵׂכֶל sêkel, say’-kel; from 7919; intelligence; by impl. success: — discretion, knowledge, policy, prudence, sense, understanding, wisdom, wise.
We must not forget however that to find such favor and good understanding requires that we walk in mercy and truth. In order to walk in mercy and truth we must first understand what both are. Next, we must have a willingness and fervent desire to walk in mercy and truth, for this is what it means to write them on the tablets of our hearts. Finally, we must make a determined choice, followed by a daily effort, to live our daily life showing mercy at all times and living a life characterized by telling the truth, representing the Truth as found in God’s Word, and being truthful in our dealings, which is to have integrity, for when we have done these things we have met the requirement to bind them to ourselves?
As we reflect on what it means to walk in mercy we find the need for kindness to be shown to people, for us to be known by our good deeds toward people. We can determine this Truth from the Hebrew definition of “let not mercy” in verse three.
“let not mercy” 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, reproach, wicked thing.
Beyond that we also find from the definition that to walk in mercy also means that we are committed to piety toward God to such a degree that God rarely has to correct (reproof) us. It means that we are dedicated to Truth as found in God’s Word and we reproach (criticize, rebuke, censure) anything wicked or evil. In order to do that we must have and walk in truth, hence why truth and mercy must go together.
Walking in Truth means that we know what we believe, that what we believe lines up with God’s Principles as found in God’s Word, and that we are doing our best to live out those Principles.
“and truth” in the Hebrew language is defined as follows:
571. אֶמֶת ˒emeth, eh’-meth; contr. from 539; stability; fig. certainty, truth, trustworthiness:— assured (-ly), establishment, faithful, right, sure, true (-ly, -th), verity.
When we are bound to Truth there is a stability about us, a certainty in our belief system, we are assured in who we are and what we believe. Our ideas and answers to things fall on the side of right most of the time. Verity (sincerity and principles) guide our life.
People know they can trust us when we are dedicated to truth. People know we will be where we say we will be, when we say we will be there, they know we will do what we say we will do. We are faithful and trustworthy.
May we all be established by the Lord Jesus in Truth and Mercy, finding His favor with both Him and our fellowman.
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.
Advice, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Choices, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Crime, Death, Decision Making, Desire, Devotional, Discretion, Encouragement, Equality, Evil, Exhortation, Fairness, Fear, Godly Fear, Good, Growing, Health, Information, Justice, King Solomon, Learning, Life, Longevity, Parents, Peace, Protection, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Righteousness, Spirituality, Strength, Teachable, Truth, Wisdom
In Anxiety, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christ, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Decision Making, Discretion, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Peace, Renewal, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on January 18, 2018 at 4:39 pm
The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.
1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
Longevity Found in Wisdom
What part does wisdom play in how long a person lives? I personally believe the principle found here in Proverbs 3:1-2, that the use of wisdom does in fact have a direct impact one’s longevity.
Does this Truth negate the Truth that our days are numbered by the Lord as Psalm 139:16 and Job 14:5 informs us they are? Not at all. Our lives are much like a movie that God has already viewed before we were ever born. God is surprised by nothing, He knows every choice we will make in our lifetime – He does not control them, but He knows what they will be. Therefore, our choices are able to influence the overall longevity of our lives despite the Truth that God knows our last day of life before our first day of life begins.
In keeping the commandments of wisdom, we both improve the quality of our lives, and we are also playing a part in how long our life will be.
Through the use of godly wisdom, we will spend more of that life living in a state of peace. The form of “peace” written about in verse two is described in the Hebrew language as follows: “safe, i.e. (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace: —prosper (-ity, -ous), rest, safe (-ty), to be safe (in mind, body or estate); figuratively to be (cause or make) completed; by implication to be friendly; by extension to reciprocate (in various applications).”
I do not know about you, but I certainly covet (in a godly way) a life filled with that type of peace.
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.
Change, Godliness, Growth, Maturity, New Years, Resolutions
In Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Decision Making, Discretion, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Jesus, Learning, Prudence, Renewal, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on December 30, 2017 at 6:00 am
Before you take action to make all those resolution 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.
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.
Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Church Shooting, Compassion, Crime, Evil, Exhortation, Fear, Godliness, Godly Fear, Hypocrisy, Persecution, Protection, Religion, Renewal, Spiritual Abuse, Spirituality, Strength, Truth, Wisdom
In Abuse, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Courage, End Times, Evil, Exhortation, Fear, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Hate, Hatred, Hypocrisy, Jesus, Persecution, Religious Freedom, Renewal, Revival, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spirituality, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on November 28, 2017 at 8:47 am
Please feel free to send me any of your own thoughts or questions, locate and click the comment link below. I will continue to address them in follow up posts. This post and/or related posts will be the only post[s] I will be making available for the next few weeks, as I believe this topic needs to stay front and center for a season.
Several thought and questions have come my way. I will attempt to address these in this and the next posting.
Persecution and Church Effectiveness
I do not agree that there is one source for the anger and hatred toward the Body of Christ, the Church. Is there hypocrisy in the Body of Christ? Yes, absolutely. Is there spiritual abuse within certain denominations? I would say there is some spiritual abuse within all denominations as well as within churches that have no denominational affiliation. Have both hypocrisy and spiritual abuse affected the effectiveness of the Body of Christ? Without a doubt. The cause of persecution directed toward the church and the ineffectiveness of the church is not “just” or “simply” hypocrisy or spiritual abuse nevertheless I will address both.
There are different forms and motivations for hypocrisy. There is worldly hypocrisy (Matt. 23:5–7), legalistic hypocrisy (Rom. 10:3), evangelical hypocrisy (2 Pet. 2:10–22), and hypocrisy satanic (2 Cor. 11:13–15). Therefore, attempting to get into each in any depth does not truly serve any purpose in addressing the concerns here. Different groups or denominations may in fact show various forms of hypocrisy somewhat distinctive to that group but despite the current popular fade I do not believe “rebranding” those denomination is the answer. Dealing with the hypocrisy, the spiritual abuse, and the spiritual deadness is the answer!
There is a general distain for organized religion in the form of denominational religion for religion sake. It does seem as though people have assigned certain perceived acts of hypocrisy to certain denominations. The denominations answer to how turned off people are by organized religion is to rebrand themselves. However, a denomination renaming themselves to hide or remove all traces of denominational affiliation is counter productive in the long run because they go from being perceived as hypocrites in a specific area to being perceived as both hypocrites and deceiver regarding who they are and what they stand for.
We are seeing a great deal of the “rebranding” today because non-denominational congregations are the fastest growing and largest congregations in America today, while denominational congregations such as Baptist, Assembly of God, Presbyterian, Church of Christ, Methodist, etc. are shrinking and dying off all together. There is a very good reason for this dynamic, one I believe is God driven (I believe this based upon something God showed myself and many other godly spiritual leaders in the 1990’s about what He would be doing with the Body of Christ during our lifetime). My response, I too left denominationalism at that time and involved myself in beginning what would become a very large non-denominational church and school of ministry.
To say that the ALL of the persecution or ALL of the ineffectiveness the Body of Christ is undergoing at this point in the history of The Church is NOT OF GOD, would be inaccurate – aspects of the persecution are God driven, some are society driven, some are sin driven, and some are driven by evil. To place a single label on any specific persecution can be vey difficult.
Spiritual abuse to me is not a denominational issue it is an individual issue with a leader. Leaders who repeatedly spiritually abuse their people should be removed, period! People should not put up with spiritual abuse, nor should they allow hatred to build for a denomination because they were spiritually abuse by an individual within a specific denomination. Spiritual abuse happens almost everywhere unfortunately from the Catholic Church to a non-denominational church and all denominations in between.
I acknowledge that the spiritual abuse is there, and I sympathize. I have seen it, counseled those who have been through it, and heard of all kinds of spiritual abuse – ranging from sexual abuse, verbal abuse, public shaming, manipulation, gossip, character assignation, exploration for greed or profit, deliberately damaging a person’s reputation with people through misrepresentations, lies, and gossip, leader driven shunning, over working people, misrepresenting the Scriptures, and so forth. All spiritual abuse causes wounds, wounds can cause anger if not dealt with correctly, anger can lead to bitterness, and bitterness can lead to persecution of a person or group. If you have been spiritually abused in any manner get godly spiritual and emotional help from a godly minister, please.
It saddens me that both of these issues, hypocrisy and spiritual abuse, have diminished the respect people once felt for Christianity as a whole and Christian people in general.
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.
Advice, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Choices, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Crime, Decision Making, Desire, Devotional, Discretion, Encouragement, Equality, Exhortation, Fairness, Fear, Godly Fear, Growing, Information, Justice, King Solomon, Learning, Parents, Peace, Protection, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Righteousness, Spirituality, Strength, Teachable, Truth, Wisdom
In Advice, Anxiety, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Courage, Decision Making, Devotional, Discretion, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fear, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Learning, Peace, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on October 27, 2017 at 5:15 pm
The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
Guarded Paths
Again, in these verses, we see the father urge the son (v.1-4), as God urges us, to obtain and use wisdom in all his dealing so that life might go well with him. In so doing the son, and we, find a “fear of the Lord” and “knowledge of God” that stabilizes our life. The “fear” is both a moral reverential fear and an authoritative fear of oversight and correct (v.5). The “knowledge” is an awareness that comes with observation of how God interacts with His people, deals with His people, knowing God’s character, and His principles (v.5). Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding all come from the Lord (v.6).
Those individuals who choose to walk the narrow path (Matt. 7:14) that Jesus spoke about, those who desire to be empowered by Jesus to walk in righteousness find the wisdom of the Lord to be their guide and to provide a Guard around their life (v.7). Verse seven states that the Lord is a “buckler” for those individuals who choose to walk uprightly. To be a “buckler” is to be an “armed defense,” to be a source of “protection,” to be a “protector” and a “shield.” However, interestingly enough it also means to be a “ruler” over the one who is being protected.
When God is allowed to be Ruler of our life we are able to walk “uprightly” because we walk in the power and strength of Christ because of our choice to obey His directives. Once we choose to obey Christ, the power of Christ is able to work through us. Thus, as Paul said and meant in context, ‘it is not I but Christ in (through) me.’
Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
What it means to walk “uprightly” (v.7) can be deduced from the meaning of the word “uprightly” as found in the Hebrew language.
“uprightly” in the Hebrew language =
8537. תֹּם tôm, tome; from 8552 (be clean); completeness; figuratively prosperity; usually (moral) innocence:— full, integrity, perfect (-ion), simplicity, upright (-ly, -ness), at a venture.
Thus, we can determine uprightness (v.7) means to clean our lives from habitual sin, to understand our completeness in Christ, to live a blessed life that prospers in all manners that are intangible and perhaps some tangible ones as well, to be innocent in our dealing, live and act with integrity, to be mature (perfect) in Christ, to live with simplicity (the good type of simplicity), to act with uprightness in our dealing, and to enjoy a full life as found in Christ’s Purpose for us.
God grants us the ability make the correct judgements in life (v.8), thus resulting in wise decisions when we choose to walk uprightly with Him. He also, states He will “preserveth the way of his saints” that choose to walk uprightly and use wisdom (v.8). Therefore, let us examine what it means to have our way preserved.
“and preserveth” in the Hebrew language =
8104. שָׁמַר shâmar, shaw-mar’; a prim. root; prop. to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally to protect, attend to, etc.
“the way” in the Hebrew language =
1870. דֶּרֶךְ derek, deh’-rek; from 1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively a course of life or mode of action, often adv.:— along, away, because of, + by, conversation, custom, [east-] ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, [high-] [path-] way [-side], whither [-soever].
God will place a guard around us, a hedge of protection that will keep what is not His Will from us. That hedge is made of thorns that prick the forces that come at us that are not a part of God’s plan for us. God will attend to what concerns us, to what touches our life, and protect us from what will not serve His Plan and Purpose for us. Therefore, if it touches the life of the upright, it does so because God has a Plan and Purpose for it doing so.
When I referred to “our life” in the previous paragraph and based upon the Hebrew definition of “the way” our life is inclusive of the road God has chosen for us to travel. Our course through this life and our method of action in each situation. God is there for the upright to preserve and protect their conversations, their practices, their manner of living, and to preserve and protect them wherever they go. What a blessed assurance for those who choose to follow wisdom, who choose to obey Christ, who choose to walk uprightly with their God. They find the beauty in life that can only be found in living in harmony with God (v.7-9).
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.
Advice, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Choices, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Crime, Decision Making, Desire, Devotional, Discretion, Encouragement, Equality, Exhortation, Fairness, Fear, Godly Fear, Growing, Information, Justice, King Solomon, Learning, Parents, Peace, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Righteousness, Spirituality, Strength, Teachable, Truth, Wisdom
In Advice, Anxiety, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Decision Making, Encouragement, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Humanism, Jesus, Learning, Peace, Proverbs, Spirituality, Truth, Wisdom on October 6, 2017 at 3:32 pm
The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
The Criminal Element
There is little doubt that the sinner, the evil, the criminal seeks to lure as many people into their snare as is possible. As they fall they desire that other individuals might fall with them, for the destruction of their own life is rarely enough they seek the destruction of most of those people around them, especially those they envy. The wise individual ignores and even flees from those individuals with a criminal leaning.
The criminal’s mind is set on hurting other people. The innocent are their prey. Hurting them or killing them makes little difference to these evil individuals if it means that they can obtain some form of gain from doing so.
The criminal has no problem stealing from other people to fatten their own purse. However, they expect their fellow criminals to trust them. How ironic that a person would believe that an individual will not steal from them what they have stolen from another person. Honor among thieves is a Hollywood myth not a reality of life. Again, the wise person does all he or she can to flee from such individuals as quickly as humanly possible.
Verse 17 makes it clear that the criminal element’s ultimate fate is to be caught. They shall not prevail endlessly in their pursuit of evil without being caught, unless they repent and change their ways early on in their criminal life.
Verse 18 makes it clear that self-preservation is the criminal’s primary concern. They are going to take care of number-one, #1, primarily. Therefore, that means those that run with them will be sacrificed if that is what is required to protect themselves.
Verse 19 shows us clearly both the motivation and end of a habitual criminal. They are motivated by their own greed, their lust for money, for more, for things that they do not have – a side-effect of a lack of contentment. Untimely it is made clear that the unrepentant criminal’s life shall end, most likely taken away from them by another criminal. There is no good end to a life of criminal behavior.
I know many of you will question, but what about how they got that way? What about helping them?
Yes, we absolutely need to help those individuals who desire to leave the criminal lifestyle, those who truly wish to repent. However, let us not confuse those who desire to repent with those whom we desire to repent. We do not need to invest much time or become too close to those individuals who we might want to repent even-though they have no desire whatsoever to repent. For those individuals, the best thing we could do is keep our distance, pray for them, and be ready when they come to a place where they have had a true change of heart, are ready to repent, and change their behavior and actions.
Hurting people do hurt people, this is true. Many, if not most criminals have very abusive backgrounds and backgrounds filled with neglect. I am a firm believer that evil brings about psychological damage and that psychological damage brings about evil. I believe that people kill who are mentally and emotionally very damaged people. People who have been battered and abused mentally, emotionally, physically, sexually, and spiritually rarely have the ability to think clearly and see the world or their circumstances correctly.
There is no harm whatsoever in attempting to provide a criminal with the knowledge of why they might behave as they do. However, it should be done in a detached and professional manner, yet, with love. One must guard him or herself from becoming hurt or damaged themselves, which can happen if a person becomes overly invested in an individual of a criminal element and then that criminal, that they have poured their heart into helping, hurts them.
If you are going to attempt to provide someone with criminal tendencies information about why they might be as they are and how they can heal, overcoming their evil inclination you must be a person of great wisdom and strong personal godly character. Otherwise, leave it to someone else to do and protect your own walk with Jesus.
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.
Advice, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Choices, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Decision Making, Desire, Devotional, Discretion, Encouragement, Equality, Exhortation, Fairness, Fear, Godly Fear, Growing, Information, Justice, King Solomon, Learning, Peace, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Righteousness, Spirituality, Strength, Teachable, Truth, Wisdom
In Advice, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Confusion, Decision Making, Discretion, Encouragement, Fear, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Peace, Proverbs, Prudence, Spirituality, Truth, Wisdom on September 18, 2017 at 10:26 am
Apologies for the delay in posting. Hurricane Irma got the best of me…temporarily…but God’s people always overcome.
The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Godly Fear
The fear that one should have for God is not a cringing fear but as the Hebrew language indicated in the definition of this word “moral reverence” for God that has the potential under the right circumstances to lead to a sense of dread at what God might do under certain circumstances.
That moral reverence and respect for God is considered the beginning of true “knowledge” – the type of knowledge that is manifest in wisdom and awareness of what is the best course of action.
If you are a person who hates instruction, who recoils at someone sharing wisdom with you, then according to this Scripture you are a fool. What is a fool? It is, according to the Hebrew language, “one that is perverse, one who despises wisdom, one who mocks when guilty, one who is quarrelsome, one who is licentious.” Being a fool seems to have no upside. You have a choice whether or not you choose to be a fool, so choose wisely.
If you find you do resist instruction and wisdom ask yourself why? Is there a wound or hurt in your past that has placed a large chip on your shoulder? Let God help you remove that chip, let down your guard again, so you might receive the good things out of life. Whereas, that chip on your shoulder might be keeping some pain away, but not as much as you think, it is also keeping the joy away, much more of it than you think. Lay down the chip, look around for the wise people in your community, and seek wisdom and instruction in whatever areas you need help in.
Once you have sought wisdom and instruction from those around you who are wise, once knowledge in the form of wisdom starts to manifest in your life, you come to understand in greater measure what it means to have godly fear. You might even embrace godly fear and be thankful for its Presence 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.
God's Truth in Love 