Day: March 7, 2017

Examine Yourself

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

Life Less Ordinary

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves…
2 Corinthians 13:5

According to seventeenth-century British clergyman Joseph Hall, there are three reasons we aren’t as thankful as we should be: envy, pride, and covetousness. Envy, said Hall, is looking more at someone else’s blessings than at our own. Pride is looking more at ourselves than at our blessings. And covetousness is looking more at what we wish we had than at what we actually have.

When church members, coworkers, schoolmates, or family members become jealous of each other, it eats away at the foundation of a loving relationship. This spirit can only be replaced when we recognize it for what it is—the sin of coveting. We want something possessed by another person—time, money, popularity, success, or whatever it is.

When it exists, covetous jealousy is a sin to be confessed. Loving compassion is an attitude to…

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Designs of Deception

/ Tim A. / 1 Comment

Deception is prevalent in all of life.  It is amazing how easily the human can be deceived.  There are some people who set out for that purpose to deceive, and defraud others of what they have.  What they have being things, money, or themselves even.

The book or Proverbs gives many warnings of these deceptive people and their practices…

“For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, and beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: and, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.” Proverbs 7:6-15 (KJV)

These verses, and on through verse 23 describes a young many for he is “Among the youths” and he is void of understanding; and the temptress presents herself to lure him into a life of detriment and pain.

These temptations do not only have to do with sexual temptations, but any other temptation as well.  Most have to do with self-control, and according to Galations 5:22-23 “Temperance” is self-control one of the fruit of the Spirit of God.

There is much hypocrisy in the statement of this woman – the temptress.  See Leviticus 7:11-18. “Peace offerings” were a part of the Hebrew worship. This is the way of evil. There is probably more evil within the churches of the USA than most of us would like to admit, or think. Hypocrisy is pretending to be something one is not. Whether it is a wolf acting as a sheep; or a sheep acting as a wolf it is hypocrisy.

“…Ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour…” 1 Thessalonians 4:2-4

There is a much greater danger than the husband returning home (vv. 19-20). There is first the offense of God; there is the offense to one’s self; there is the offense of one’s future spouse; and the offense of the offended spouse. There is also possible reference to disease in verse 23.

Let us who are of the Spirit of God, born again in Christ Jesus guard our hearts and minds; hiding the word of God in our heart that we might not sin against God (Psalm 119:11).