Category Archives: Proverbs

1 Timothy, 2 Corinthians, 2018, Ezekiel, Forgiveness, Gospel of Matthew, Proverbs

So Far

Gallery 5 Jan 2018 Kathie Whitestone Thompson Leave a comment

Approximate Reading time: 2 minutes

1 Timothy 6:20 (TLV) ²⁰O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, turning away from pointless chatter and the contradictions of so-called knowledge— source

O (fill in your name), guard what has been entrusted to you, turning away from pointless chatter and the contradictions of so-called knowledge— What has been entrusted to me? What has been entrusted to you? Our answers may vary as we mature in our journey, but I can think of two gifts (so far) that each repentant sinner who has placed faith in Christ has received.

A new heart.

Ezekiel 36:26 (KJV) ²⁶A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. source

And to further confirm:

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) ²³Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. source

The Ministry of Reconciliation

^{2 Corinthians 5: 18}Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. source

I think we can safely dovetail The Great Commission with this Ministry of Reconciliation to confirm our entrustment of sharing the Gospel of Salvation with others.

So how do we guard these priceless gifts? And from what do we guard them?

An old principle comes to mind: Use it or lose it.

Could we say, guarding our heart would be tantamount to exercising our new heart so that it does not become weak and sickly? If we exercise our hearts will we not build muscles of faith, trust, and love —? I think we could name all the fruits of the Spirit right here. Galatians 5:22-23. May I say if these fruits are not steadily increasing in us, we are not well guarding our hearts? Ouch!

And if we are not well guarding our heart, how well can we guard our Ministry of Reconciliation? How well can we demonstrate and speak the Gospel of Salvation to the world with a weak, sickly, offended, unforgiving, wounded, bruised, beat-up heart?

Forgiveness that leads to healing – it truly must be my Word for 2018.

Selah ~ ~ ~

Ephesians, Proverbs

Becoming

Gallery 2 Jan 2018 Kathie Whitestone Thompson Leave a comment

We have many translations of the Bible available to us from the Biblical languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Click HERE for an incomplete list of translations with publication dates. I read a few translations, particularly when preparing a class lesson. Two of my favorites are Tree of Life Version published in 2014 and Young’s Literal Translation published in 1862.

As long as I depend upon the HOLY SPIRIT to guide me as to what He said when He inspired the Original Penmen, I have confidence reading all the Translations I have explored thus far. After all, the Scripture does say:

Proverbs 11:14 (ESV) ^{14 . . .} in an abundance of counselors there is safety. source

Would you be willing to look at Ephesians 4:32 with me?

Perhaps the most familiar rendition of this verse is the KJV.

Ephesians 4:(KJV) ³²And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. source

I’ve been quoting that one since primary school. However, the older I get the more I am convinced quoting it is only the beginning of what GOD has in mind for me.

Would you also entertain with me Ephesians 4:32 in the Young’s Literal Translation?

Ephesians 4: (YLT) ³²and become one to another kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, according as also God in Christ did forgive you. source

KJV is bluntly authoritative. Be ye kind! Perhaps I’m wrong, but as a child ‘be kind’ was a DO to me. It was an action I was expected to take whether I wanted to or not.
Now. For the YLT. Lets read it again: ³²and become one to another kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, according as also God in Christ did forgive you.

BECOME.

Become is more than DO, isn’t it?
Do is . . . well, something I do.

I submit, that BECOME is not DO but ARE (or AM).
I can DO something and my heart (the real me) not be in it, you know what I mean? But when I have BECOME (Ephesians 4:32), it’s no longer something I do, it’s just who I am.
I will admit though, it does take some considerable doing to actually become.
So there is no time like the present to get started BECOMING. Right?
Like BECOME

Kind people
Tender-hearted people
Forgiving people

Other Bible verses give us more to BECOME.

Selah ~ ~ ~ Kathie

Proverbs

Until We Know

Gallery 30 Nov 2017 Kathie Whitestone Thompson Leave a comment

Proverbs 24:32 (TLV) ³²Then I took to heart what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: source

What a verse!

Then I took to heart what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw.

I want this! I want this in my day-to-day, every day walking around life, to see, to observe, to learn! To see people, happenings, situations, conflicts, celebrations, victories, defeats, ‘you name it’ with heart; with eyes that look for GOD in it all and finds Him and learns from Him. Sources of knowledge available to us are nearly boundless; but until we look, see, observe and learn from our Creator GOD, we know little to nothing.

Chazaq!