Monthly Archives: April 2019

2019, Gospel of John, Gospel of Mark, Questions

End All Of

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Number 3 is Thefts. 

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

Immediately, I am thinking thefts could be endless. O! the things we can steal! And I am thinking of the initial, main thief; the one who steals from us and encourages us to steal from one another.

John 10:10  (AMP)10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. source

Like what? What thefts?
Well, our courts are brimming with cases of stolen goods and services. Thefts are perpetrated by blue-collar, white-collar, and no-collar.

Is this what JESUS is talking about in Mark 7?  Thefts of property? Thefts of material goods and services? I think so, but that’s not all, is it?

What is the end of all thefts to you? The most heinous that comes to mind? There are many, aren’t there? 

Consider this one with me.
Opportunity!
The theft of opportunity.
We could make endless lists, couldn’t we of opportunities we have stolen from ourselves and those others have ripped from us?
And we could be angry and bitter — and that would rob us even more — of more opportunities!

And then there is the opportunity to introduce another to JESUS. 
No other missed opportunity bears eternal consequences; only this one.

It’s something to think about, isn’t it?

Until Next Time ` ` `

1 Corinthians, 2019, Gospel of Mark, Hebrews, Leviticus

Second on the List

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Acts of sexual immorality

Honestly, I’d like to skip over this one, but — well, that will not do.

So what is sexual immorality? Sexual immorality per se is not given in Webster’s 1828 edition. However, immorality is defined as:

IMMORALITY, noun Any act or practice which contravenes the divine commands (emphasis mine) or the social duties. Injustice, dishonesty, fraud, slander, profaneness, gaming, intemperance, lewdness, are immoralities. All crimes are immoralities, but crime expresses more than immorality  source

Like it or not sexual intimacy beyond what is prescribed in the Holy Scriptures is sexual immorality.

1 Corinthians 7:2 (KJV) 2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. source

And for those married folks:

Hebrews 13:4  (KJV)4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. source   This just might be better than we have yet believed.

Answering further is Leviticus 18.  If you are not familiar with this chapter of Holy Writ, I hope you will use the link provided; there you will find three translations to choose from and there you will read that GOD has covered it all.

The boundaries of sexual morality are narrow, extremely narrow, for the purpose of broadening the pleasure of GOD’s Children beyond mere human delight and satisfaction.

Mark 7: 20 And He said, “Whatever comes from [the heart of] a man, that is what defiles and dishonors him. 21 For from within, [that is] out the heart of men, come base and malevolent thoughts and schemes, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 acts of greed and covetousness, wickedness, deceit, unrestrained conduct, envy and jealousy, slander and profanity, arrogance and self-righteousness and foolishness (poor judgment). 23 All these evil things [schemes and desires] come from within and defile and dishonor the man.” source

Forbidden Path
13 Things

Until next time ~ ~  ~

2019, Gospel of Mark

Forbidden Path

Gallery 12 Comments

Let me remind us from yesterday’s post the list of 13.

1. Base and malevolent thoughts and schemes
2. Acts of sexual immorality – any/all acts outside the Garden Marriage
3. Thefts
4. Murders
5. Adulteries – wait, didn’t He mention sexuality immorality, already?
6. Acts of greed and covetousness
7. Wickedness
8. Deceit
9. Unrestrained conduct – this is so broad – like, this could be anything!
10. Envy and jealousy
11. Slander and profanity – profanity? My goodness, I hear it everywhere!
12. Arrogance and self-righteousness
13. Foolishness (poor judgment)

Base and malevolent thoughts and schemes. What could JESUS mean by these words? 

Some years ago I discovered online the 1828 edition of Webster’s Dictionary; it’s an honored and enlightening tool.  So let us see how Noah Webster defined base.  

BASE, adjective
1. Low in place. obsolete
2. Mean; vile; worthless; that is, low in value or estimation; used of things.  source 

And the word malevolent; what did he say about that one? 

MALEV’OLENT, adjective Having an evil disposition towards another or others; wishing evil to others; ill disposed, or disposed to injure others. A malevolent heart rejoices in the misfortunes of others.
1. Unfavorable; unpropitious; bringing calamity.  source

Mean, vile, worthless; having an evil disposition toward others, wishing evil to others, unfavorable. 
Clearly, JESUS is instructing me to carefully govern my thinking about myself and others. It is not okay with Him for me to occupy myself with mean, vile, and worthless thinking about myself and it is equally unacceptable for me to entertain myself with untoward (thinking) rejoicing at the misfortune of others.  

How interesting it is to me that this would be His first mention here. Perhaps it is because starting here, down this forbidden path, could lead me to the others listed.  

More simmering ~ ~ ~ until next time 

Mark 7: 20 And He said, “Whatever comes from [the heart of] a man, that is what defiles and dishonors him. 21 For from within, [that is] out the heart of men, come base and malevolent thoughts and schemes, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 acts of greed and covetousness, wickedness, deceit, unrestrained conduct, envy and jealousy, slander and profanity, arrogance and self-righteousness and foolishness (poor judgment). 23 All these evil things [schemes and desires] come from within and defile and dishonor the man.” source

13 Things