Number 7

Wickedness
See Mark 7

Previous Related Posts
Me, Me, Me
Flirting with the Enemy
Heart or Hand
End All Of
Second on the List.
Forbidden Path.
13 Things

Wickedness

Isn’t all that we have listed so far wickedness? Well, yes, but there must be something more for us to see here.

I checked today’s dictionary sources and found a weaker definition of wickedness than I found at Webster’s 1828. Surprised? Me either.

Take a look: WICKEDNESS, noun Departure from the rules of the divine law; evil disposition or practices; immorality; crime; sin; sinfulness; corrupt manners wickedness generally signifies evil practices.
What wickedness is this that is done among you? Judges 20:3.
But wickedness expresses also the corrupt dispositions of the heart.
Their inward part is very wickedness Psalms 5:4.
In heart ye work wickedness Psalms 5:48.   source

Searching further my online Strong’s Interlinear Bible Search gave me a number of English words and meanings for the Greek words for our English word, wickedness. None of them made me say, hey, I want to do that!

In my summary of these transliterated words, wickedness is associated with the Evil One, doing his bidding as one’s normal practice.  One note read this way: This usually denotes a title in the Greek. Hence Christ is saying, deliver us from “The Evil”, and is probably referring to Satan.

The word wickedness is used 119 times in the King James Version; as early as Genesis 6:5.

Genesis 6:5  (KJV) And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. source

In Genesis 39, Joseph said sexual intercourse with Pharaoh’s wife would be wickedness. He refused. You may read more of his story HERE.

If you are interested to know more about what the FATHER deems wickedness, HERE you will find the 119 aforementioned references.

Until Next Time ` ` `

Me, Me, Me

ACTS OF GREED AND COVETOUSNESS - Mark 7

Previous Posts
Flirting with the Enemy
Heart or Hand
End All Of
Second on the List.
Forbidden Path.
13 Things

Acts of greed and covetousness.
How much explanation could that need? Lets see.

Greed. The fullest definition I found was this: intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. source

Covetousness. implies inordinate desire often for another’s possessions. source

So, greed is an intense, driving, selfish desire for more of anything than I actually need and covetousness is greed that has no qualm about taking it, even if it belongs to another.

No wonder JESUS warned us about this!  It’s an inward fire that cripples us from looking beyond Me, Me, Me; stifling us from enjoying His Companionship and others.

Moreover, did you notice the definition lists wealth, power and food?
Wealth – which can insulate/isolate us from others
Power – which positions us to control others.
Food – above what we need provides us with self-comfort.

Greed, covetousness is ME. ME. ME. all the way, isn’t it?

UNTIL NEXT TIME ` ` `  if I survive this one!

Flirting with the Enemy

ADULTERIES Mark 7

Previous Posts
Heart or Hand
End All Of
Second on the List.
Forbidden Path.
13 Things

But, wait wasn’t Acts of sexual immorality second on our list?
For sure it was!
Is the LORD being redundant?
No, I don’t think so.

Adulteries are more than sexual.  I invite you to check with Webster 1828 for the whole of the definition; but for now, I am appreciating this point:  In scripture, idolatry, or apostasy from the true God. Jeremiah 3:8.

Is it odd to you or perhaps you see it as par for the course that the people of 1828 were smarter than many of today’s learned people?  But I digress.

Adulteries.

James 4:4 speaks plainly:

4 You adulteresses [disloyal sinners—flirting with the world and breaking your vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend [that is, loving the things of the world] is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  source

Recently,  a point was made. It stuck.
The man said to draw a line. 
That line is SIN, disobedience, failure to Walk closely with GOD – all those things. 
And then he asked: Now why would you want to walk as close as you can to that line without crossing it?
If you are in covenant with JESUS, why would you not do everything you can to stay as far away from that line as possible with Heaven’s help?

Walking as close to that line as we can get is flirting with the enemy. Crossing over is adultery. 

Enough said?

Until Next Time ` ` `

Heart or Hand

Previous posts:
End All Of
Second on the List.
Forbidden Path.
13 Things

Murders.
Mark 7 

Now this one would appear straightforward and exact, wouldn’t it? And it is.  But let us check; what does Webster 1828 have to say?
Noah 1828. To kill a human being with premeditated malice.  

The killing of people with premeditated malice happens every day around the world. No wonder we need a Savior to redeem us and transform us! We are a depraved and unholy people! 

With a reading of Matthew 5 in context, perhaps we could agree that murder begins in the heart and that JESUS has said if we hate another, we are already guilty of murder in our hearts, even though we have not ceased their breathing.  

And then there is 1 John 5:13.

1 John 3:15  (AMP) 15 Everyone who hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer [by God’s standards]; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.   source 

Do you know why Row v Wade was so important to the abortion industry? Noah Webster answers it for us: “The act of unlawfully killing a human being with premeditated malice” 
It had to be made LAWFUL so it could continue to be done without legal penalty. From the beginning, it has been murder because from the beginning man has known womb babies are people too.

Murders. 
Are we all guilty? Looks like we just might be either by heart or hand.  
As I said, no wonder we need a Savior!
I am so grateful I have the One.
Do you? 

Until Next Time ` ` `