Archive for the ‘Trust’ Category
Choices, End Times, Job, Love, Moive, Selfishenss, Suffering, The Shift, Trials
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.
Attitudes, God, Godliness, Gratitude, Heart, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving
In Attitude, Biblical Principles, Blessings, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Contentment, God, Godliness, Gratitude, Suffering, Thanksgiving, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized on November 25, 2019 at 4:32 am
Find out what a godly grateful heart actually is and reflects.
I am hosting a book discussion and a recent section of the book that was reviewed had to do with being thankful. Therefore, as a special Thanksgiving Posting here is an outtake from the book discussion.
Chapter 11: The Attitudes of a Godly Heart (Grateful Heart)
This chapter is broken down into sections that cover various aspects of what a godly heart looks like. I will cover one characteristic per posting.
It is such a God Thing that we are here just before Thanksgiving and this is the section of the book that I am currently on, a section that covers the topic of having a grateful heart. God is so good!
The author points out that people who are ungrateful in life grumble and complain about everything and everyone, for them nothing is ever good enough and this becomes a way of life for them. For the Christian the opposite should be true, they should be grateful to God in all things, good or bad circumstances.
Biblical Principles of a Grateful Heart:
1. To be grateful for God’s grace through Christ Jesus, (2 Corinthians 9:15).
2. Showing God gratitude is part of worshipping Him, (Psalm 100:1-5).
3. To be ungrateful to God is reflect the character of an unbeliever, (Romans 1:21).
4. It is a command to be grateful, (Colossians 3:15).
5. Be thankful for whatever GOD brings your way, (1 Thessalonians 5:18 and Job 1:21).
Practical Ways of Living Out A Life as a Person with a Grateful Heart:
1. Look for the grace of God in your trials.
2. Do not be bitter or angry with God when adversity comes your way.
3. Do not live in the land of sinful disappointment instead give your hopes, desires, and dreams to God then wait to see what He wants to do with them.
4. As a thankful person be a joy to be around, do not grumble and complain be cheerful.
5. Worship God with a thankful heart full of gratitude.
At the end of this section, the author makes quite a statement, a statement with which I agree. ‘We must have the right thoughts about God in order to truly be emotionally stable.’
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.
Abominations, Abuse, Adultery, Advice, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Blessing, Chastisement, Choices, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Compassion, Confusion, Contentment, Correction, Crime, Curses, Death, Decision Making, Desire, Devotional, Discipline, Discretion, Encouragement, Equality, Evil, Exhortation, Fairness, Favor, Fear, Flattery, Generosity, Godly Fear, Good, Grace, Growing, Guidance, Happiness, Health, Heart, Illness, Information, Insomnia, Jealousy, Justice, King Solomon, Laziness, Learning, Life, Loans, Longevity, Mercy, Money, Neighbors, Oppression, Parents, Peace, Poverty, Protection, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Righteousness, Safety, Seven Deadly Sins, Sexual Abuse, Shame, Sickness, Sin, Spirituality, Stealing, Strength, Teachable, Trust, Truth, Wickedness, Wisdom
In Advice, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Contentment, Decision Making, Discernment, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Jealousy, Learning, Proverbs, Prudence, Repentance, Stealing, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on July 21, 2019 at 3:06 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).
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
Green-eyed Monster
Jealousy can create all types of evil. It can cause a person to steal, to cheat, to lie, and to kill. Verse thirty-four states that jealousy produces rage in a person. Men have an even tougher time with jealousy than women, but women have greater trouble with envy.
Verse thirty-four also states that it takes away a person’s ability to have empathy or sympathy for another person, it alters a person’s human feelings. The word “spare” in this verse means “to commiserate” with another person. Therefore, by the time jealousy reaches the point of vengeance the person has so nursed their inner rage to the point that it has altered their ability to understanding other people’s feelings, thus the jealousy cannot be appeased as verse thirty-five states.
Jealousy is dangerous in so many ways; relationally, mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Jealousy can cause the death of relationships, other people, and yourself. Beware of and do not nurse jealousy, and never under any circumstances attempt to make another person jealous or give another person cause to be jealous.
Jealousy is a byproduct of a lack of contentment and a lack of trust in God. If one were content, they would not have want for what another person has. If a person trusted God, they would not believe that someone else has something they too should have and long for that which God has chosen for them not to have.
If you wish to defeat jealousy in your life replace it with by actively cultivating the traits of trust in God and contentment. Almost any character issue in life can be solves through the active cultivation of the positive polar opposite of the negative trait. Let the fruit of the Holy Spirit replace the fruit of the sinful carnal nature.
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, Acceptance, Apathy, Authority, Church Growth, Faith, Indifference, Prayer, Prophecy, Purity, Reformation, Renewal, Repentance, Revelation, Revival, Rhema Word, Spiritual Abuse
In Abuse, Advice, Authority, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Church Growth, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on February 21, 2019 at 8:51 am
At the beginning of 2019 we took on a different approach to finishing both our series on Church Growth, or lack thereof, and the Study of the Book of Proverbs. Instead of alternating weekly between two subjects, as we have in the past, we will proceed this year by carrying one subject to completion and then next to completion. Please be assured we will finish each subject, Church Growth and Proverbs. We will begin by finishing the series, “Why My Church is NOT Growing” with the focus for the next several weeks placed upon the issue of how “authority” affects church growth.
Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 19 – What is our problem with authority?
There are so many people in the world who have a real problem with authority. These individuals more often than not have been wounded by people who abused their authority and position in the individual life. This is the heart of our problem with authority as a group and as a society. The abuse and misuse of authority by those who were once trusted.
The bosses did mistreat and overwork the employees. They stole their ideas and called them their own. The mothers did abuse, beat, verbally assault, and neglect their children. Their children in turn grew up and did likewise to their own children, albeit not as severely. The daddies did molest their daughters and break their trust of all men in the process. The Christian spiritual leaders did use their flock for money, power, and prestige leaving some among them in great need and grossly disappointed. Spiritual leaders attempted to control their people to the degree they misused the women for their personal sexual pleasure and left an entire group wounded and spiritually broken. The husband did beat, lie to, verbally abuse, cheat on, and mistreat his wife and call on her to submit and endure such as part of her duty to him. This left the women confused, emotionally abandoned, and alone. On and on I could go with all the reasons we could mistrust authority or do mistrust authority. These examples certainly show what our problem with authority actual looks like and why. With all that laid bare, I still call us to repentance.
If we have misused our authority, we must repent. If we are refusing proper authority a chance in our lives because of the sins of past authority, we must repent. We must as a group, as The Church, begin to live with one another using our authority in a godly manner and submitting to our godly authority appropriately and willingly. It is only through those right relationships that God can work in an ideal fashion.
This concludes the writings on “authority” and its factor in church growth or lack thereof. The next couple of sections, “disunity” and “exclusivity,” will wrap up “Why My Church is NOT Growing.” I pray these writings have been a blessing to you and will be used of God to aid your healthy godly church growth.
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, Acceptance, Apathy, Authority, Church Growth, Faith, Indifference, Prayer, Prophecy, Purity, Reformation, Renewal, Repentance, Revelation, Revival, Rhema Word, Spiritual Abuse
In Abuse, Authority, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Church Growth, Decision Making, Godly Counsel, Prudence, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on February 13, 2019 at 4:37 pm
At the beginning of 2019 we took on a different approach to finishing both our series on Church Growth, or lack thereof, and the Study of the Book of Proverbs. Instead of alternating weekly between two subjects, as we have in the past, we will proceed this year by carrying one subject to completion and then next to completion. Please be assured we will finish each subject, Church Growth and Proverbs. We will begin by finishing the series, “Why My Church is NOT Growing” with the focus for the next several weeks placed upon the issue of how “authority” affects church growth.
Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 18 – Can authority be trusted?
An honest appraisal and answer to the question of whether authority can be trusted or not is simply, not always. Authority is not always godly in nature and therefore, not always worthy of our trust. This is where our need for discernment comes into play.
God has granted His people the ability to discern the spiritual nature of those we are dealing with on a daily basis. That said we must always keep in mind that our ability to discern properly would depend upon our spiritual condition at any given moment. Let us presume that a person’s spiritual condition is godly, and they are submitted to the authority of God. In those conditions, one must use their discernment to determine whether a person in a position of authority is using that authority to point people to a greater understanding of Christ and to godliness or if they are using their authority for personal gain and worldly ambition.
2 Corinthians 10:8 King James (AV)
8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:
1 Peter 5:2–3 (NKJV)
2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
We find within the DNA of godly leadership a desire to build up, not destroy. A desire to teach truths not simply command conformity. There should be a desire within these leaders to care for those in their charge, not a sense of mere obligation to do so. If money is the motivator for a leader with authority, then they shall surely be affected by their greed to the point of being untrustworthy.
You can like a pastor without ignoring his obvious character flaws and emulating them, which only leads to your own personal struggles with self. You can love a husband without submitting to his ungodly leadership, which will only lead to the deterioration of your own life and character. You can respect a politician’s views and public service without covering your eyes to his or her compromise, which can place you in a position of supporting governmental changes that are ungodly through your support of the person. In all things, examine these people for godly character and character you deem worthy of emulating.
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, Acceptance, Apathy, Authority, Church Growth, Faith, Indifference, Prayer, Prophecy, Purity, Reformation, Renewal, Repentance, Revelation, Revival, Rhema Word, Spiritual Abuse
In Advice, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Church Growth, Exhortation, Godly Counsel, Jesus, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Reformation, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Righteousness, Spiritual Remnant, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized on January 10, 2019 at 12:41 pm
As we take on a new year, 2019, we will take a different approach to finishing both our series on Church Growth, or lack thereof, and the Study of the Book of Proverbs. Instead of alternating weekly between two subjects, as we have in the past, we will proceed this year by carrying one subject to completion and then next to completion. Please be assured we will finish each subject, Church Growth and Proverbs. We will begin by finishing the series, “Why My Church is NOT Growing” with the focus for the next several weeks placed upon the issue of how “authority” affects church growth.
Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 14 – “Authority” Introduction
What is authority? Whom or what holds authority? How should we respond to and interact with authority? What is our problem with authority? Can authority be trusted? All wonderful questions we will seek to answer in this portion of the series.
In the Book of Revelation, the word “power” is synonymous with the word “authority”. In chapters 2-8, you will find that if you compare the King James Authorized Version with newer translations such as the New King James the word “authority” appears in the New King James Bible where the word “power” once appeared in the King James Authorized Version Bible. This alteration in translations of this word takes place whether the verse is referencing Christ or Satan. Therefore, we can see one key thing about what authority is and means, power, power in some form.
The word “authority” according to the Greek Language Definition, as found in 2 Corinthians 10:8, which we will examine later, is as follows:
Strong’s Greek Reference #1849
1849. ἐξουσία ĕxŏusia, ex-oo-see´-ah; from 1832 (in the sense of ability); privilege, i.e. (subj.) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (obj.) mastery (concr. magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence:— authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.
Authority is meant to influence. Not only to influence but also to delegate influence, in such a way that people are empowered, not oppressed. Yet, so often evil or corrupt authority seeks to oppress, always has. Authority by its very nature being, a privilege to influence others through a realistic ability to do so, should be administered with competency and a desire for liberation and freedom for those under said authority. This is what Christ wants for us, liberty, and freedom. One administers a certain token of control in order to guide another person to personal liberty, freedom, and the ability to govern oneself appropriately. It takes a strong individual to use authority with honor and integrity because they must have the spiritual and personal power to do what is right in each situation.
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.
Grace, Lifestyle, New Year’s Resolutions, New Years, Resolutions, Righteous Living, Righteousness
In Advice, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Decision Making, Exhortation, Grace, Peace, Prudence, Renewal, Revival, Righteousness, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized on December 29, 2018 at 8:00 am
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.
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, Church Growth, Faith, Prayer, Prophecy, Purity, Reformation, Renewal, Repentance, Revelation, Revival, Rhema Word, Spiritual Abuse
In Abuse, Advice, Apostasy, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Church Growth, Evil, Exhortation, Holy Spirit, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Suffering, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized on September 7, 2018 at 5:13 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.
One of the worst forms of abuse, in my belief, is spiritual abuse. This is when someone uses the things of God to control, manipulate, abuse, use, degrade, etc. other people. This has been done in extreme forms such as, ‘If I do not get X amount of money from my people God will take my life, close our church, etc.’ ‘If you do not read your Bible daily, God will not have fellowship with you.’ ‘If you are not in church each time the doors are open you are not a committed Christian.’ On and one we could go. I am sure each of you has your own example. The examples provided are damaging forms of spiritual and psychological abuse pure and simple.
A desire for a leader to obtain unquestionable dedication, which is free from accountability to the ones asked to give said dedication, is spiritual abuse. Does the Word of God call us to submit to the authorities He has placed in our lives? Yes. Who are those authorities however, and do we submit regardless? We do not submit regardless. We are accountable to God first, then to other people. We submit to our spiritual leaders when they are following the Will of God as found in God’s Word. We do not submit to sin or follow a leader into sin. How many cults, which started out with religious undertones, ended in disaster? Too many to recall. Why? Because people followed, even in the face of sin, because they believed they were to submit to authority without questioning authority.
A more hideous form of spiritual abuse is to distort and misuse the Word of God in order to get what one wants or justify one’s actions. So many people sit in church with their Bibles closed looking at an overhead screen trusting that the text on that screen matches what is actually in God’s Written Word. It only takes subtle and slight changes to God’s Word to distort its entire meaning and purpose. No matter how long you have known someone and no matter how much you trust them, you should have your Bibles out and open when they are speaking or teaching so that you can confirm that they are rightly dividing the Word of God. Especially grievous to the heart of God is this form of spiritual abuse that uses the Word of God, and God will deal with this abuse quite harshly.
When a person uses another person’s love for God to advance their own cause, regardless of what that cause might be, to get their way, to attempt to mislead or deceive the heart that trust in God both people are in danger. The abuser’s target is in danger of being spiritually and psychologically abused resulting in spiritual and perhaps psychological damage, and the perpetrator is in danger of the wrath of God that does come upon those individuals who use spiritual things to hurt God’s children.
Abuse in the Body of Christ, in all its forms, can stop when we become willing to both speak up and be spoken to when necessary. Accountability is a responsibly not an option. It is the basic fabric that holds the cloth of Christ’s Body together. Without the courage to question our leaders, we will find ourselves impotent and frustrated. Without the willingness to be questioned, we will find ourselves isolated and insolent.
This concludes the addressing of this difficult subject of abuse found within the church and how that abuse effects the growth of individual congregations as well as the universal church, which is the Body of Christ. We will continue to reflect on reasons why churches are not growing from various angles aside from the abuse angle.
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, Confusion, Decision Making, Discretion, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on August 29, 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.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. 9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
It certainly appears that God, through King Solomon, makes it a point to repeat over and over in Proverbs the need for obtaining and applying godly wisdom. How easily we must forget this important aspect of life, otherwise, God would not have seen the need to mention it so often within just one of His books of the Bible, not to mention all the other books of the Bible He saw fit to bring the subject up in (verse 5).
Wisdom, the gathering of godly knowledge, godly understanding, godly insight, learning from your experiences with God, learning about God, His character, His expectations of us, and the application of all of these rolled into one, wisdom, will dramatically change your life for the better if you stick with the practice. Here are just some of the things God has stated in these verses that it will do for you.
Note – All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Hebrew definitions of the word or phrases found in the verses we are examining.
If you continue in that practice mentioned earlier of obtaining godly wisdom and applying godly wisdom and understanding, it will preserve and keep your life. Meaning according to the Hebrew language it will place a “hedge of thrones about” you that will “guard, protect, and attend to” the care and preservation of your life, from the forces without and the forces within that would seek to harm or destroy you (verse 6).
It is easy to understand that godly wisdom applied to a person’s life will enable God’s divine protection from evil forces and the evil actions of other people but understanding how it protects us from ourselves is a bit more difficult to understand.
When we seek, obtain, and apply godly wisdom, and it must be godly wisdom, not the wisdom of the world or man, it instills in us an alarm that sounds via the Holy Spirit when we should “beware” or ‘be circumspect” or “take heed to ourselves” or be cautious to “keep ourselves” on the “narrow path” being ever so careful to “observe” our motives, desires, and actions to ensure we are walking in wisdom. We are required by God to be our own “watchman” with the aide of the Holy Spirit, to see to it that we are walking in the Wisdom of God. To “obey” God and His godly wisdom is to allow Him to “keep” us by His Wisdom. This is what it is to be preserved and kept by wisdom (verse 6).
Verse seven makes it clear that in order to walk in that care and protection a person must make godly wisdom “principal” in their life. For something to be principal means it holds the highest of rank, according to the Hebrew “the first, in place, in time, order or rank – among our firstfruits.” Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines principal as, “a matter or thing of primary importance.”
Godly wisdom must take priority over our own ideas, our own desires, our own thoughts about what is best, worldly wisdom, ideas or principles set down by man regardless of how worthy those principles might be, and godly wisdom must take priority regardless of what other people think is best for us. In order for godly wisdom to preserve and keep you properly it must be your number one source of instruction for how you will choose to live your life and make your decisions (verse 7).
Once we have truly embraced godly wisdom and are applying it consistently to our life, we can expect to see the benefits that God has ordained for those who listen to Him and apply His Wisdom. Wisdom will bring promotion and honor to the life that embraces living by its principles (verse 8).
The Hebrew language makes it clear that to be promoted by Wisdom through God is to “rise and be raised in a variety of application both literally and figuratively – to bring up and exalt, to extol honor.” That “honour,” honor that comes from God as a result of applying wisdom will “bring a weighty richness” to life that results in God’s ‘glory being able to shine through your life’(verses 8 and 9).
Application of wisdom results in living a “noble” life where you “prevail” thanks to God’s “ornament of grace” that He has placed upon you because you have chosen to “obey” Him in obtaining and applying godly wisdom (verses 6, 7, 8, and 9).
An “ornament of grace” how splendid! Grace become “attached to” a person who embraces godly wisdom and applies godly wisdom (verse 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.
Abuse, Church Growth, Faith, Prayer, Prophecy, Purity, Reformation, Renewal, Repentance, Revelation, Revival, Rhema Word
In Abuse, Advice, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Christian Living, Church Growth, Confusion, Depression, Exhortation, Grief, Hate, Hatred, Persecution, Renewal, Repentance, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Suffering, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized on August 22, 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.
Mental abuse is much more subtle. Harder to spot and much harder to get help with once realized. This type of abuse can be found in the hard and harsh corrections, which have gone in the name of Christ. Abuses disguised either as a form of church discipline or under the guise of being motivated and directed by God to correct a person and proceeding to do so in a horribly cruel manner. Threats and insinuations that are meant to wound more than help. Often bringing about confusion and despair to the hearer instead of repentance, help, and healing.
Yes, there are times when a harsh or hard to listen to Word is spoken in the name of Christ for the edification of the Body of Christ. These postings is one of those times. However, when that word leaves the hearer[s] mentally beaten and bloody with no hope for or direction to change it is useless and can even be an instrument of the devil to further damage the church.
Shunning when used improperly, which it often is, is very much a form of mental and emotional abuse. People look to their local congregations, as a source of community, which they should, and it should be. However, if someone with enough clout and persuasion becomes displeased with a person they can sow seeds of discord with other people and bring about a shunning or rejection of this person. Rejection by a person’s Christian Community can be extremely emotionally and mentally damaging. The Church is Christ representative on earth and we should seek reconciliation and unity. Using rejection as a form of manipulation in order to get what we want from another brings shame on the Body of Christ. Sowing seed of discord through gossip is sinful behavior, which Scripture condemns (Prov. 6:14,19 and 1 Tim. 5:13).
Gossip is a hideous form of emotional abuse. Gossip is a huge problem in any group but is deeply rooted in the Christian Community. People find it easier to talk about people than to talk to people when they feel threatened or concerned. If you carefully examine the content and nature of gossip you find that the gossiper is feeling quite threatened by the person, about which they are gossiping. Often these feeling of intimidation are not realistic or warranted but it is hard to get the gossiper to understand that truth. They must tear the other person down, so they can feel better.
Additionally, you have the classic, ‘I share this, so we might pray for…’ gossipers. I have never had one of these people ask me when they were done sharing their information if we could pray right now for that person. I have my doubts whether they have ever prayed for that person. I find it is best, and I have gotten to where, I cut these people off immediately when they first begin to attempt the conversation. Most of the time the agenda is not one you want to share in.
Emotional abuse can come in other forms as well. Manipulation is a common form of emotional abuse. People have a very tough time being forthright about their wants, needs, and desires. Instead, they choose various forms of manipulation to get what they want. From something as subtle as asking leading questions to find out what one wants to know, instead of asking directly, to acts of extreme manipulation such as attempting to interfere behind someone back and rearrange their circumstances for their own good. These types of manipulations leave people emotionally scarred by the treatment.
Next, we will address spiritual abuse. In my view the worse possible form of abuse found within the Christian community, as to affect someone spiritually is to enter God’s area and sphere of influence and sinning against a person in this area is by far the worse.
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 Advice, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Decision Making, Discretion, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Proverbs, Prudence, Trust, Uncategorized, Wisdom on August 15, 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.
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. 2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. 3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. 4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Two Father’s Words
In these verses both the earthly father and the Heavenly Father are represented. Earthly fathers can falter and fail but our Heavenly Father’s wisdom is always above reproach.
In these writing God was and is imparting His Wisdom to His children through the avenue of King Solomon sharing wisdom with his earthly son. As previously stated, King Solomon was the wises man to ever live, having obtained his wisdom directly from God when God told Solomon to ask Him for anything Solomon wanted, and God would give it to him. Solomon asked for godly wisdom and he got godly wisdom and much more.
The wisdom in this book, Proverbs, is fail-proof. As verse two indicates it is its own form of doctrine. Wisdom is a spiritual law, a law with cause and effect, it works regardless. Therefore, we must embrace the wisdom of our earthly fathers and most importantly our Heavenly Father.
It is not enough just to obtain wisdom, we must also apply wisdom. We are to ‘keep the commandments’ once we know them. Unapplied knowledge is useless knowledge, it is knowledge for knowledge sake, worthless.
Note – All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Hebrew definition.
In verse four it states to “Let thine heart retain” wisdom. When the Hebrew definition of the word “retain” is researched one finds that to retain wisdom is to allow it “to sustain” you, “by implication to obtain, keep fast” what you have learned from wisdom, and “ figuratively to allow wisdom “to help” you, as you “follow close” to its instruction. Wisdom will “hold you up, “maintain” your life, and help you “stay up” and keep from falling.
Verse four makes it clear the results of obtaining and adhering to wisdom is that one will “live” – truly live – as God intended.
I will leave you with the Hebrew definition of the last phrase in verse four, “and live” so you might have a greater understanding of the living one can do when they obtain, retain, and adhere to godly wisdom.
“and live” in the Hebrew language is defined as follows:
2421. חָיָה châyâh, khaw-yaw’; a prim. root [comp. 2331, 2421]; to live, whether literally or figuratively; causative 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.
I do not know about you, but I know I certainly want to be given the promise life from God, and to be revived in my life and spirit. I want to have my life preserved by God while allowing Him to recover, repair, and restore to life the damaged areas. Most of all I want to “surely be whole” in every conceivable way.
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, Church Growth, Faith, Prayer, Prophecy, Purity, Reformation, Renewal, Repentance, Revelation, Revival, Rhema Word
In Abuse, Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christ, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Church Growth, Compassion, Confusion, Courage, Evil, Exhortation, Forgiveness, Grief, Hate, Hatred, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Masculinity, Mercy, Persecution, Renewal, Repentance, Suffering, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized on August 9, 2018 at 11:16 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.
Physical abuse also takes place within the walls of our congregations. I have personally read outlines for physical disciple of wives. I have heard the stories of children being physically abused under the guidelines of church discipline. There is no place within the church for the physical abuse of another human being.
In an outline for how to discipline your wife, it was stated that if a woman would not submit to her husband then a certain amount of physical discipline could be used. You could inflict pain but where not to bring about too much bruising, no lacerations, and you were not to break bones. This physical abuse would be increased in nature until the woman “repented” and submitted regardless of how long it took or how many sessions of discipline were necessary to bring about the woman’s change of attitude. These sessions could not however result in broken bones or cuts on the woman’s body.
How horrid that a person would believe that they had the right to inflict physical pain on a woman until she agreed to agree with them! How could one possibly believe that this is real submission? Conformity maybe, submission no.
I once counseled a woman who would not enter a church building. When we started our relationship, she hated the church and all its members. When we were done she still had not entered a church building but was willing to give God another try and Christians a second glance.
Why did this woman have such a hard attitude? She had loved God very dearly and was an extremely dedicated church member, as was her husband who was an elder in their local church. Each Sunday they went to church, worshipped God, and serviced in their congregation. Each Sunday after church they went home where her husband proceeded to beat her. Like clockwork every Sunday after church he would beat her that way she would be healed up enough by the following Sunday to attend church and play the role of his faithful wife always at his side.
My heart broke when she told her story. It was obviously true and very difficult for her to disclose to me, yet, she found the courage to do so. As time went on this woman’s pain eased and her understanding that not all Christians were this way increased.
At a conference once, a woman was struggling with guilt. She felt inside herself that she had allowed her child to be abused but she was wrestling with the biblical principle that she was to submit to her spiritual leaders. In her church children were brought up to the front, next to the pulpit, and physically struck with a belt by the pastor for various infractions at both church and home. The number of licks they received from the belt depended on the degree of their offense. This woman was riddled with confusion and guilt, this was after all how their congregation handled discipline. Everyone else did it and everyone was afraid to question their Christian spiritual leader since this might be viewed as be rebellious or as a refusal to submit. The church and local congregations should play no role in the physical discipline of children.
It takes courage to speak up when we know physical abuse is going on in our congregations. It is easier to tell ourselves it is not our business. How can that be true however? Do we not carry a certain amount of Christian responsibility and accountability with our brothers and sisters? According to Scripture we do. We are required to hold each other accountable for our actions. There must have been someone at some point who suspected this woman was being abused or even knew firsthand she was being mistreated. Many people sat in the pews on those days when the children were humiliated and physically abused in the name of God and correction. There had to some of people who knew in their spirits that this behavior was wrong, yet, they remained silent. We cannot do such, we must speak up! We cannot allow leaders to go off the rails because we are concerned other Christians will think us out of line or rebellious. Our responsibility is to Truth and too upholding the principles of Scripture not to uphold man or man’s ideas.
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, 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, Insomnia, Justice, King Solomon, Learning, Life, Longevity, Mercy, Neighbors, Parents, Peace, Protection, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Righteousness, Sexual Abuse, Sickness, Sin, Spirituality, Strength, Teachable, Trust, Truth, Wisdom
In Abuse, Apostasy, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Church Growth, Confusion, Courage, End Times, Evil, Forgiveness, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Persecution, Repentance, Sexual Abuse, Suffering, Trust, Uncategorized on July 18, 2018 at 9:14 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.
When I departed from this topic to take a few weeks to discuss revival we were on Part 6, Repent of Silence, and just beginning to touch on the issue of abuse.
That posting addressed the abuse and mistreatment Jesus suffered because of what He was saying, teaching, and what living. Yet, today we are to present Jesus’ same Truths regardless of whether or not we face persecution or abuse for doing so, for to do any less would be to deny Christ in one form. There are so many people within the Church who are very religious but when faced with the Truths of God’s Word or confronted with the idea of something happening as the Bible indicates, they express every little actual practical hands-on faith, thus abuse often enters the picture. Yet, keep in mind this is only one reason abuse takes place within the Church.
Now to continue with the topic of abuse. In this piece we will address the issue of sexual sin.
Abuse comes for many different reasons in many different forms. One might expect abuse for the world, from a secular sinful society, however when abuse comes from within the Body of Christ people are often caught off guard and the wounds they suffer are so much more severe and long-lasting.
Throughout the course of human history, the church has been, sadly to say, filled with abuses of many forms. Not addressing this issue will not make it any less true, it will only serve to allow it to continue in darkness. Evil prospers in the darkness found in secrecy. Light, the Light, has a way of breaking the power of darkness. Therefore, let us bring it out into the light. The Church, the Body of Christ, its lay people, and leaders alike have abused people. They have physically, mentally, emotionally, sexually, and spiritually abused people. With this God is not pleased! It has harmed not only the victims it has harmed the entire Body of Christ.
The sexual abuses that have taken place within the Church are well known and have been well publicized. They are not however exclusive to any one particular denomination, nothing is found only in one denomination. Christian spiritual leaders having sexual relations with those entrusted to their care has been widespread and has gone on as long as there has been religion. The broken trust that is a result of sexual violation is very deep for the victim and very difficult to overcome. The power given to spiritual leaders, along with the admiration given them, is a hotbed for sexual sin.
Recently it was reported in the news that for years and years a Christian spiritual leader of a very common denomination had been secretly videotaping women changing their clothes in his office. These unsuspecting women would go into the Pastor’s office to change, for their baptism no less, and while there preparing for what should be one of the happiest days in a Believer’s life these women are violated without their knowledge.
A spiritual leader falling into sexual sin with members of their staff or congregation is not something new, but it is always shocking to learn that a man or woman of God you have admired is far from perfect. There are times when the sexual sin is a form of entrapment, brought on by the second party not the leader. We have also found prominent denominational leaders have fallen prey to sexual temptation and sin, even of a homosexual nature or involving child molestation. We simply cannot say we do not have a problem of sexual abuse within the church.
If you are or have been an individual who is being sexually violated or mistreated by a Christian spiritual leader, a lay leader or person in your church, or anyone for that matter find someone to talk to, someone to help you stop the situation. Please listen very carefully to these words as you read them, A CHRISTIAN SPIRITUAL LEADER’S AUTHORITY DOES NOT EXTEND TO ANYTHING SEXUAL OR TO ANY FORM OF ABUSE! Flee from the situation immediately and seek quality godly counsel for help and healing.
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, 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, Insomnia, 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, Confusion, Courage, Decision Making, Depression, Discretion, Encouragement, Fear, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Insomnia, Peace, Proverbs, Prudence, Renewal, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on May 23, 2018 at 6:08 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.
21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: 22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. 23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. 24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
Cure for Fear
When a person acts with wisdom and discretion consistently in their life fear as less of an opportunity to grip their mind, heart, and soul. Likewise, when an individual conducts their life with an absence of wisdom and discretion fear tends to follow them wherever they go.
Wisdom breds life and is a fountain from which grace lows. Safety is found in the use of godly wisdom. Wisdom will keep a person from making mistakes that lead to failure.
Have trouble sleeping at night, check your heart and life for the use of or absence of the use of wisdom and discretion. When we make poor choices, ungodly choices, during the day, it makes sleep hard to come by at night. However, the opposite is also true. When we use discretion and godly wisdom in how we conduct ourselves during the day, when we lay our heads on our pillows at night we can rest, we can sleep with a peaceful heart and mind.
For those people who honor God with their lives, who are devoted to a life that is committed to Christ and the use of godly wisdom and godly discretion, they need not fear what people might do to them or not do for them, because they have a lion on their side. Verse twenty-five states not to be afraid when “sudden fear” or “the desolation of the wicked” “cometh” our way. Note the Scripture does not say if it comes your way, the verse says, “when it cometh.” There are things that will prompt those feeling of sudden fear in us, there are wicked people in the world who will rise up against us in an attempt ot harm us in some form, but if we are a person given to honoring God with our life and using His wisdom and discretion to conduct our lives, we can have faith, confidence, that God is on our side and is going to protect us.
In the Hebrew language one of the definitions used for the term “shall be thy confidence” is “lion”- imagine God as our lion fully prepared to devour anyone He must in order to protect us. What a thought! Honor God, use wisdom, use discretion, thus allowing God an open door in your life to be your lion.
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 