Tag Archives: Gospel
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. – John 19:25, KJV
What was the whole reason Jesus made His first coming to the Earth?
To die as a propitiation for our sins on the cross.
And of all of the thousands who followed Him during His ministry, the 120 disciples who remained the most faithful, the remaining 11 Apostles, and His family, who remained nearby at His death?
The Apostle John and a few women, including His mother, Mary. She may not have understood everything Jesus did or taught, but she stayed near Him even at His supposed end.
And there is our example: like Jesus’ mother, we do not always understand how God is moving, how what is happening can work out for good, or how His Kingdom will come to full fruition; but we do know He has promised to return to fully redeem us and banish all evil pain and suffering, though we may not understand the whole plan.
And we, too, shall remain faithful until the end, by the power of blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:11)
Our great God, strengthen our faith, because You are faithful, and grant us peace, patience, and wisdom as we wait for Your return.
1 Comment | tags: Advent, Christmas, Christmas Hope, Coming, Faithful, Faithfulness, Follow, Follower, God, Gospel, Jesus, John, Knowledge, Mary, Mother, Patience, Peace, promises, Second Coming, The Cross, The Mary's, Understanding | posted in Faithfulness, Jesus, Peace, Promises
And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people. -Luke 3:15-18, KJV
Photo by Sharefaith on Pexels.com
Just as John and Paul had people wonder if they were the Christ or a son of a god, we should be setting the example “in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12) and in good works “that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
They may begin thinking we are divine, but just like John and Paul, we should be quick to point them back to Jesus. We do good works because “the love of Christ constraineth us” (2 Corinthians 5:14), the One who came to earth and out of His love sacrificed Himself for us, and we are merely unworthy servants of Christ.
But this must also come with the warning that you must believe in Him, or you will be removed in the age to come.
There is no good news without first revealing the bad news of our sinful condition. But when we come to see our need for the coming Savior, it will lead to joy and praise of His return as we see the peace brought through His life, death, and resurrection!
Our world today is longing for peace, someone who can save them from the perils we face. They have an expectation that either things will get better or get worse.
May we be ready to respond to expectation and humble enough to point to the One who is coming.
Cleansing Creator and Savior, thank You for saving us. Please give us a heart for the lost, to preach righteousness and salvation, the peace of Christ; and give us a boldness to share the gospel.
Leave a comment | tags: Advent, Apostle Paul, Baptist, Christ, Christmas, Coming, Gospel, hope, Jesus, John, John the Baptist, Joy, Messiah, Peace, Second Coming, sharing, Son of God, Warnings | posted in hope, Warnings
Here is a dangerous post for this day and age.
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. -Proverbs 31:6-7, KJV
It certainly sounds as though Scripture is calling for helping the poor and needy to get drunk. So, when you see the panhandler and the homeless begging for money, just get them that drink you know they are just gonna buy, anyway!
Or …
We can remember that this passage is speaking of the wise ruler avoiding such things, to “Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.” (Titus 2:6)
As co-heirs with Christ, we are to remain sober and help others to come to sober-mindedness in all things, but we must not be judgmental of those who feel the need to drown their sorrows.
Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. . . . She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. -Proverbs 31:8-9, 20 KJV
Michael also spoke to this this week. It should be the job of the Christian man and woman to help those in need and “be a voice for the voiceless.” (And remember that the original meaning of dumb was “mute” or “voiceless”, not stupid.)
I am not one for going after “social justice” as it is called today. This modern movement has a tendency to forget the most important aspect in its desire to be all-inclusive, and a reason I like the King James translation of this passage: the Gospel.
The “social justice movement” has a tendency to meet physical needs yet ignore the underlying problems or blow those problems out of proportion. To “open thy mouth for the dumb . . . as are appointed for destruction” reminds us that we need to tell a fallen and messed up world that they are headed for Hell without faith in Christ.
Should we stand up for the poor? Absolutely.
The drunk and drug addicted? Without question.
The “minority” of non-whites (as well as mistreated whites) around the world? Undeniably.
Even the homosexual, transgender, and queer? Yes, yes, and yes.
But we do so while remembering that they are all poor in righteousness, hopelessly sinful in their natural state, and in need of a Savior.
We are to be peacemakers and show this world love and charity.
And we are to share the Gospel.
To do otherwise (on both counts) is to play God and condemn their souls to destruction. To have social justice without revealing God’s justice is unloving and cruel.
4 Comments | tags: Addiction, Book of Proverbs, charity, Drunkenness, Drunks, Dumb, Giving, God's Word, Good works, Gospel, Help, hope, Hopeless, justice, love, Peace, Peacemakers, Poor, Social Justice | posted in giving/charity, Justice
A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him. -Proverbs 28:17, KJV
It may seem like this verse is saying “Leave a murderer alone,” but we must remember that proverbs tend to speak on truths, not necessarily declare truths.
Rather, what Solomon was saying is more akin to “Avoid the violent person who refuses to change.” It does not mean that person should not be imprisoned or otherwise punished, but do not try to change the person.
That may seem like a strange thing for a Christian to say. Hear me out.
We can not change a person. Only God can do that. We can pray for God to change them, but it is His to do.
In fact, that was a big reason Jesus came, and it points to the ultimate truth of this verse.
Jesus shed His blood and sent the Holy Spirit to change us. If a person refuses the Holy Spirit and denies Jesus’ sacrifice (the full definition of “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit”), they remain under the wrath of God and responsibility for Christ’s blood being spilled. They are still on their way to the pit, to eternal death.
There is nothing else we can do after telling them the truth of the gospel.
Share the truth, but do not force the truth on them.
Leave a comment | tags: Blood, Book of Proverbs, Gospel, Hell, Incarcerated, Incarceration, justice, Murder, Murderer, Pit, Prison, The Pit | posted in Justice, Paths of Life
He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. -Proverbs 21:21, KJV
Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. -Proverbs 21:21, ESV
Sometimes I feel like all I do is repeat myself.
But with the words of Life, it is good and proper to have things repeated.
Case in point, there is only one way to find righteousness, and it is summed up in the [two] Greatest Commandment[s]:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”
Luke 10:27
Jesus also tells us,
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness
Matthew 6:33a
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
John 14:6
If you truly desire life, righteousness, and honor, seek God through Christ. It is His righteousness gifted to us through His sacrifice on the cross and imputed by the Holy Spirit that brings these rewards.
And I will repeat it all my days.
Leave a comment | tags: Book of Proverbs, God's Word, Gospel, honor, Jesus, Life, love, Message, Messenger, Path of Life, paths of life, Repeat, rewards, Righteousness, Word of the Lord | posted in Paths of Life, Reward, Word of the Lord
A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. -Proverbs 18:20-21 KJV
A quick read-through of verse 20 had me thinking of a salesman, making sales with his smooth talking and eating from the work of his mouth (by buying food).
Then I thought about it longer than a couple of seconds.
Well Said
A person is satisfied by speaking well of and to others. When a person uses their words to lift up, praise, and edify another – especially by sharing the gospel – there is a satisfaction that fills every part of the body. (Also, church potlucks!) And this comes out of the love of God within us.
But when we do not have God’s love compelling us, all sorts of evil easily flows out, and that usually (and ultimately) leads to receiving the same.
And [Jesus] said, “That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
Mark 7:20-23, KJV
We need to have our hearts and minds changed by the power of Christ’s blood washing us clean. Then our words shall become sweet and evidence the change.
Leave a comment | tags: Book of Proverbs, Clean, death, Defile, God's Word, Good Word, Gospel, Harsh words, Heart, Life, life or death, Speech, Word of Life, Words | posted in conversation/speech
Psalm 49 gives some insight into why we at Proverbial Thought write (this will be a little longer than usual, but mostly scripture!):
Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world: Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
It does not matter our station in life: Our writers are different ages, genders, and nationalitites; and God’s Word is freely shared with all people.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. I will incline mine ear to a parable (proverb): I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
We share God’s wisdom and (hopefully) reveal the truth of sayings and teachings that may be hard to understand or apply.
Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about? They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah. Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
Psalm 49:1-20, KJV
We teach the Truth.
We as humans are hopelessly lost and foolish, and we have both willfully and accidentally sinned, turned our backs on God and His righteousness. We are utterly unable to get back into a right relationship with Him. Not by wealth, works, or good intentions. No person has been righteous enough to even sacrifice his or her own life to save the soul of another.
But the truth is that He made a way, by coming to us through His Son, Jesus of Nazareth, to perfectly fulfill the Father’s law and will through His truly righteous life, then sacrificed Himself on a cross to bring the forgiveness of sin and save our souls, and rose to life again to guarentee we can be in relationship with Him forever. And He helps us to live for and grow more like His Son through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.
And this is why we do this: To share this truth of His love, grace, and glory.
2 Comments | tags: Book of Proverbs, Father, God, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Knowledge, Psalms, sharing, Son, truth, Writing | posted in Knowledge, Paths of Life, Word of the Lord
Proverbs 28:7
7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.
7 A discerning son heeds instruction, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father. (NIV)
The First Adam
A long time ago, God created everything. At the end of that creation process, he made humans, specifically Adam and Eve.
These people were created perfect, and the walked with God.
Then they messed it all up. They sinned. They did what God said not to do, and this rebellion led to generations of death, suffering, rebellion, and selfishness that continues to this day.
Because of Adam and his wife Eve, we all choose to rebel against God … at least in some way, and always in our own way, but always away from God. Too much blood has been spilled and suffering caused because of our sin.
We all shame, disgrace, our Father, God.
The Second Adam
Fortunately, God could not leave us alone. He started with a rebellious people, the nation of Israel. He showed grace and favor they did not deserve, and He showed them the way to live. They still failed, but the story does not end there.
Out of this people, God stepped into flesh: Jesus of Nazareth was born, the Son of God, God incarnate.
Jesus was the only One to ever live a sinless life, and He was killed on a cross so that as we spilled His blood it would cleanse away our sin. Three days later, He came back to life!
If we trust in His death for our forgiveness and believe that He now lives, we no longer identify with the First Adam but with Jesus, the Second Adam. If we heed His instructions to love God, love others, and love each other through the help of the Holy Spirit, we become heirs with Christ as wise sons (and daughters)!
45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.
1 Corinthians 15:45-49, NIV
Gracious Lord, thank You for Your grace and forgiveness delivered through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Help us to live in that truth daily and share it with the world!
Leave a comment | tags: Adam, Book of Proverbs, First Adam, forgiveness, Gospel, grace, Second Adam, Sin | posted in Trust the Lord
Proverbs 27:13
“Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.”
“Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt. Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.” (NLT)
Taking a Garment
The verse today relates to the previous.
There are many dangers which we must be constantly watching out for.
Whether in business (such as banks) or personal life, we have to make sure we are not being taken advantage of in some of our dealings.
For example, suppose you have a friend who is always helping others financially, and he always asks you for help with a promise to repay. Over time you learn that he never makes good on that promise.
To help in such matters, you can ask him for something valuable as a way of urging him to repay.
This item serves as a reminder of a debt that is owed.
Reminder of the Debt
This passage has little to do with spiritual matters, but there is another debt in our lives that a constant reminder.
In Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 we find a list of things called the 10 Commandments. In Romans (specifically chapter 5), Paul tells us that the Law, the 10 Commandments, was given as a reminder of our sin. It shows us how we fail to live up to loving God.
The Law shows us our debt.
Fortunately, our God has shown us grace and forgiveness. He paid our debt by sending His Son, Jesus of Nazareth, to live a perfect, sinless life and die on a cross to pay the debt we could not pay.
To receive the full grace and forgiveness He has offered us, we need only believe that Jesus is God made flesh, paid for our sins on the cross, and rose again to life and now lives with the Father awaiting the time to return and redeem His faithful.
Heavenly Father, help us to be good stewards of what You have given us. We admit we are sinners in need of grace and forgiveness. Thank You for offering that grace and forgiveness through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Give us the faith we need to live in the light of that truth every day!
Leave a comment | tags: advice, Book of Proverbs, charity, Debt, Deposit, Down payment, forgiveness, Gospel, grace, Jesus, Loans, money, Pledge, Security, Sin, Surety, Trust the Lord | posted in advice, giving/charity, Money and Finances, sin, Trust the Lord
Proverbs 21:30
“There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.”
Intelligent
I am a half-way intelligent guy. There are degrees hanging on the wall of my study, a few awards, and a lot of books on the shelves that I’ve actually read. But don’t be too impressed; I don’t have a doctorate (yet) and I still have problems with math and spelling restuarant.
What’s worse is I’m supposed to be a “spiritual leader,” a pastor, a Reverend. Along with those degrees on my wall, there is also a piece of paper that says I’ve been “Ordained to the Gospel Ministry.” According to some, that puts me on God’s speed dial. Riiiiight.
In actuality, I am only human, and a flawed one at that. This past weekend my daughter had to take the spiritual lead and call me to the carpet. She has no degree or title, but she does walk with God and loves the Word. So, when she saw me making a mess of things she exercised spiritual wisdom, understanding, and counseled against me. “Daddy,” she said through tears, “you told me to be bold, so I’m going to do that now…we haven’t even prayed!”
Infinite
Then there’s God.
No degrees. No diplomas. Only 66 books to His credit. Never been graded. The ultimate Self-Starter.
His library is limited to some scrolls, but He invented language and the light by which to read. He even provides the Light that illuminates the mind.
He is Wisdom. He is omniscient (knows all). He is the Judge of Heaven and Earth before who’s bar only one Counselor has the right to intercede.
I can be questioned. I can be challenged. I can be corrected. No matter how wise or spiritual I become, I am still just a wisp of mist in the air; human.
Our God is the LORD; His children stand in awe.
3 Comments | tags: God, Gospel, Jesus, Religion and Spirituality, Reverend, Word | posted in advice, counsel, Parenting, Wisdom
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