Elsewhere Jeremiah wrote, “They attack with their tongues…their tongues are deadly arrows.” Just think of it…deceitful speech directed towards someone can destroy them, their integrity, character, and good name. That’s because lies are groundless words with no basis in fact or reality… but they can still do irreparable damage with no way to undo it.
Author: kezha1
A Christian mother, grandmother, and retired nurse living in Illinois. Called into a ministry of encouraging others to find their ultimate plan and purpose in life through Christ.
Micah 3:11 ” Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the Lord and say, ‘Is not the Lord among us?’ “
A bribe can easily twist the words of the righteous (Exodus 23:8), we should not show partiality (Leviticus 19:15), and we should never seek our own selfish gain (Isaiah 56:11)…but it happens all the time. And when it’s all done under the guise that somehow the Lord is in the middle of it…it can only be called pride, conceit, and complacency on our part. For anytime we smugly think that God won’t mind what we’re doing…think of His reprimand in Ezekiel 13:19, “You have profaned Me among My people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread.” No, we’ll never desecrate the Word of God and then think we can get by with it if we add, “In the Name of Jesus” at the end.
Ephesians 3:16-19 ” I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
As Believers, we’ll never be able to fully comprehend the love of Christ…it’s beyond our understanding. Psalm 103:11 describes it as, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him.” But that doesn’t mean we can’t strive daily to imitate and duplicate this love towards others. For we are to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God as we grow and mature in the faith…and that includes emulating God’s wondrous and merciful love.
Matthew 6:2-4 ” So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the Synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
When Jesus spoke these words He wasn’t saying we needed some kind of deficit in our upper extremities in order to give to the poor. He wasn’t really looking at our hands at all but rather at our heart, mind, and the aim of our attention. Jesus wants us to give to charities and help the needy among us…but with the right attitude. If you give on the pretense of being honored for it, or are somehow scheming how your contribution can be made public…that’s wrong giving. Jesus counters here that right giving is hidden from public view, always done in secret, with no one informed about it.
Titus 3:1-2 ” Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility towards all men.”
Paul packed a lot into these two verses for Titus to challenge the Churches in Crete. Titus was facing opposition and insubordination within the Churches and Paul was encouraging him to exercise his authority with firmness. But Paul also threw in a unusual Greek word…humility. Now the English translation for humility usually means weakness, meekness, or lowliness but not here. For the Greek word for humility according to Aristotle is the middle ground between two extremes…getting angry without reason, and not getting angry at all. It’s getting angry at the right time, in the right measure, for the right reason. This type of humility is more a condition of the mind and heart which demonstrates gentleness not in weakness but in power. Thus, it’s a balance, build on strength of character, gleaned from God’s grace, as we learn to emulate Him to our fellow man.
II Thessalonians 2:15 ” So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”
If you think about it, many of your own family customs, practices, rituals and traditions have been passed down from one generation to the next by word of mouth only. Treasured old recipes are learned not written down, precious oral histories are handed down from oldest to youngest, as children are taught by their elders the family stories of old. And just like that, the Apostle Paul was encouraging the people here to hold fast to the Gospel Message he had preached to them…to remember what he had instructed them, so that they could continue to stand firm in the faith without faltering.
Psalm 41:1 ” Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.”
What is the way we should follow in regards to the weak among us? Psalm 68:5 tell us that “God is a Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows.” This is repeated in Psalm 146:9 when we read, “The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow but He frustrates the ways of the wicked.” The way of the wicked is that of greed, exploitation, and oppression towards those who are marginalized and forgotten by society. But God wants us uphold and give voice to the widow, orphan and poor among us. Let us then be constantly reminded…”Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me.” (Psalm 25:4-5)
Isaiah 44:9 ” All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant to their own shame.”
It starts when we are very young. We see something that someone else has…and we want it. And if it’s between two toddlers, there’s usually a fight over who gets the lollipop, popsicle or toy. But as we get older and see something we just can’t live without, we’ll do whatever it takes to obtain it. But instead of cutting, casting, carving, or creating our idol, we’ll go deeply into debt, max out every credit card, lie, cheat, steal…anything to fill that selfish desire, envy, and greed for that “coveted thing”. While all along we’re not even recognizing how far we’ve wandered or how off-track our moral compass has become.
Philippians 1:3-5 ” I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now.”
The Church is a Community for the world to see. A fellowship of diverse people from different experiences, customs, languages, and ethnic backgrounds. But we have one thing in common and that’s Jesus Christ and the Gospel Message. And because we have that connection, our relationships and alliances are based on the love of Christ, one for another, as we partnership in the Gospel together. And be sure of one thing… the world will take notice of this uncommon Community of oneness.
John 3:21 ” But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
Your actions and conduct as a Believer speaks volumes to the world around you…and sometimes you don’t even have to say a word. For when you take God’s Truth and implement it as a way of life, the Gospel Message becomes the essence of who you are…and you can’t help but manifest openly God’s absolute and transcendent Truth to others. One of my favorite quotes that illustrate this is from Charles Spurgeon, “If a crooked stick is before you, you need not explain how crooked it is. Lay a straight one down by the side of it, and the work is well done. Preach the truth, and error will stand abashed in its presence.”
Safetypinlove 