Category Archives: 2019

2019, Gospel of Mark

13 Things

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Sunday’s Class Text was Mark 6; so, when I opened my Bible this morning, perhaps not strangely, it opened to Mark 7. The left side of the right-sided page said read me! I did.

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

I made notes. I asked questions. I numbered the things He listed – 13 of them.

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)

Verse 23. All these evil.
Yes.
He said evil.
All 13 listed He, GOD, called them EVIL.

And did you notice the list begins with thoughts?
We have to think it, to do it.
Perhaps the most damming thing we think is that these 13 things are not evil.

What is evil anyway?

Well, man’s dictionary defines it this way:

wicked, bad, wrong, morally wrong, wrongful, immoral, sinful, ungodly, unholy, foul, vile, base, ignoble, dishonorable, corrupt, iniquitous, depraved, degenerate, villainous, nefarious, sinister, vicious, malicious, malevolent, demonic, devilish, diabolic, diabolical, fiendish, heinous, odious, contemptible, horrible, execrable, lowdown, stinking, dirty, shady, warped, bent, crooked; archaic dastardly, egregious, flagitious  source

Get the idea?

Back to verse 23. All these evil things come from within us.
Does that mean, if we do these things, these things are IN us? That our inner being is evil?

Would GOD lie? The Bible says He cannot lie.  (See Titus 1:2)

Let us let that simmer for a while.
Because I know the story does not end here!! :) 

Do you?

2019, Gospel of Matthew, Isaiah, KWT Paraphrasing, Prayers for We the People

Shut Up!

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That is not the most inviting title for a post, I know, but hear me out. :)

Isaiah 43:1 “Listen to Me in silence, you islands and coastlands, And let the nations gain their strength;
Let them come near, then let them speak; Let us come together for judgment [and decide the issue between us concerning the enemy from the east]. source

Let the Nations gain their strength.  Would we the people of America or any nation desire to gain strength? Rhetorical question.

Then shut up and listen to The LORD GOD.

Let them come near, THEN let them speak.

Until we have come near The LORD GOD of Creation, until we have come together with Him to know His judgment on a matter, we would do well to shut up. And when we have gained His Counsel and we are schooled in His Judgment, speak! Speak, proclaim, and publish it on the rooftops!

Matthew 10:27  (AMP) 27 What I say to you in the dark (privately), tell in the light (publicly); and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops [to many people].  source

And there we have it!

Until next time . . . whenever that is! :)
2019, Christian Living, Gospel of Matthew, Isaiah

Learn

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It’s been too long; even so I don’t have a lot to say today but “learn to do well” was as a LED to me, so I’m here to share.

Isaiah 1: 16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.  source 

Doing that which is against GOD comes naturally; we must LEARN to do well. We must be taught to do what is right. And what is right? We cannot know unless we obey verse 18. Come together with the LORD and learn from Him. What did JESUS say? (See Matthew 11:29 – click HERE)

Learn to do well. That’s what He said.  Learn. Learn to do well by learning from HIM.

2019, Psalms

Slip and Slide

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This is my second day on this text. 

Psalm 73:1 Truly God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, My steps had almost slipped. source

And I asked: as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, my step had almost slipped — why? Why had I come close to stumbling? Why had I almost slipped? 

Verse 3 For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked. source

Every time!
Envious!
Never good!
How does it happen?
Taking our focus from GOD and His goodness TO US onto people, especially people who seem to be doing all kinds of wickedness, will pollute our hearts and our feet will start slipping and sliding. Every time!