WATCHING our words

 

JESUS warns:

Matthew 5:22

King James Version

22 But I say unto you, 

That whosoever is angry with his brother 

without a cause 

shall be in danger of the judgment: 

and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, 

shall be in danger of the council: 

but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, 

shall be in danger of hell fire.

Scripture is GOD's WORD.

And GOD's WORD is JESUS.

When JESUS declares something, I always pay attention.

The verse above has THREE warnings:

1. Being angry, without a cause, shall be in "danger of the judgment".

2. Calling another, "Raca", shall be in "danger of the council".

3. Calling, "Thou fool", shall be in "danger of hell fire".

I needed to be sure what JESUS meant.

So I turn to two other Bible translations, just to be sure.

And here's where SPIRIT led me:

Matthew 5:22

Expanded Bible

22 But I tell you, ·if you are [L everyone who is] angry with a brother or sister,[a] you will be ·judged [subject to judgment]. ·If you say [L Whoever says] ·bad things [“Fool!”; L Raca; C an Aramaic term of derision] to a brother or sister, you will be ·judged [subject/liable to judgment] by the ·council [Sanhedrin]. And if you call someone a ·fool [idiot; moron], you will be in danger of the fire of ·hell [L Gehenna; C a valley outside of Jerusalem where in the OT period children were sacrificed to a pagan god; later used as a burning trash heap; a metaphor for hell].

Mattityahu 5:22

Orthodox Jewish Bible

22 But I say to you, that everyone who harbors kaas (anger) against his Ach [b’Moshiach], his chaver, shall be subject to mishpat (judgment); and whoever shall say to his Ach [b’Moshiach], Reyka! (Good for nothing!) will be subject to the Sanhedrin; and whoever shall say Shoteh! (Fool) shall be subject to Eish Gehinnom (Fire of Hell).

In SUMMARY, "Raca" means:

Aramaic term of derision

Reyka! (Good for nothing!)

In SUMMARY, "Thou fool" means:

idiot; moron

Shoteh! (Fool)

In SUMMARY, "hell fire" means:

Gehenna; C a valley outside of Jerusalem where in the OT period children were sacrificed to a pagan god; later used as a burning trash heap; a metaphor for hell

Eish Gehinnom (Fire of Hell)

Who are our "brothers"?

Another post clarifies that.

Either way, we are not to insult our brothers, and sisters.

We must guard our tongue.

We must guard our voice.

We must guard our words.

We must guard our hearts.

The LORD warned us:

Matthew 15:18-19

King James Version

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth 

come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, 

murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, 

false witness, blasphemies:

Related material:

JESUS the WORD

JESUS on the WORD of GOD

WORD made FLESH

Sin AWARENESS

BORN AGAIN articles

WORD study

Image: Clipart Library

A LONGING that ALL may BELIEVE in JESUS

 

Matthew 9:36-38

King James Version

36 But when he saw the multitudes, 

he was moved with compassion on them, 

because they fainted, 

and were scattered abroad, 

as sheep having no shepherd.

37 Then saith he unto his disciples, 

The harvest truly is plenteous, 

but the labourers are few;

38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, 

that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

How far along are you, in your walk with the Lord?

Do you know Jesus?

Do you believe in Him?

Would you like to know more about the Lord?

Once you've come to know the teachings of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit of God, you will be changed.

Once you know the ways of God, you will marvel at His might, power, and glory.

Once you know how fallen we all are, you will be humbled.

Once your life doesn't seem to make sense, or the world doesn't make sense, the more Jesus makes sense.

It's only by being born again can the Spirit really teach you.

For, by then, your heart has opened.

Your mind has surrendered.

You're now ready to receive the Spirit of TRUTH -- the Holy Spirit of God.

And He will teach you everything about Jesus.

The Lord promised us:

John 14:26

King James Version

26 But the Comforter, 

which is the Holy Ghost, 

whom the Father will send in my name, 

he shall teach you all things, 

and bring all things to your remembrance, 

whatsoever I have said unto you.

Your walk will be filled with the light of the Lord.

John 12:46

King James Version

46 I am come a light into the world, 

that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

But how many really labor for God?

How many tell you the good news of salvation?

How many lead you to Jesus?

How many share a verse with you, and let you digest it?

How many care that you come to know the Lord's teachings, and not their own?

How many tell you that at any moment, the Lord can return, and have His faithful meet Him up in the air?

How many pray that the Lord's will be done, in your life, and in theirs?

How many really care to listen to what you're going through?

How many can lead you to the ONLY source of wisdom, and knowledge?

How many don't have a personal agenda when they're with you?

I pray that all of you open your heart to the Lord, and genuinely seek Him, not only when you're having a tough time.

I pray that you seek Him ALL the time.

And when you do, watch what happens.

The Lord will show up.

In fact, He's always had an open invitation for you.

When you accept that invitation, you will marvel at His teachings.

You will be free of fear, or confusion, for the Lord is the GOD of PEACE.

JESUS has the ANSWERS to ALL of your QUESTIONS.

1 Corinthians 14:33

King James Version

33 For God is not the author of confusion, 

but of peace, 

as in all churches of the saints.

It's peace you really want, isn't it?

And the love, like only the Lord can give.

Jeremiah 31:3

King James Version

3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, 

Yea, 

I have loved thee with an everlasting love: 

therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Well, you know where to click.

The Born Again Concept of Freedom

 

2 Corinthians 3:17 

King James Version

17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: 

and where the Spirit of the Lord is, 

there is liberty.

Life is not about slavery, to people, and systems.

Kindness is making sure other people can live freely, work freely, breathe freely, praise God freely, and be left alone to enjoy time by themselves, or with people they care about.

It is not about losing light in your soul, because you are heavily indebted, or burdened from expectations thrust upon you.

Only a born again can understand the concept of freedom from the Spirit of God's heart.

He will do everything in his power, that he abides by the laws of God, and not cause other people undue hardship, nor slavery.

It is so, because the Lord Jesus already freed us from sin, and from death, the day He offered His life on the cross.

He defeated the devil's hold over death, for now, Jesus offered us eternal life with Him.

He took away fear from our hearts.

He took away confusion, for He prayed to the Father to give us His Holy Spirit, to instruct us in the path He had already paved.

When you have the Holy Spirit in your heart, your heart becomes alive for Christ, obedient to His will, listening closely to His instructions, and delighting in such obedience.

To serve the Lord, is the greatest honor for a born again.

You become grateful for the Light of Christ, and your desire, is only to walk in His ways.

Ephesians 5:8 King James Version (KJV)

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, 

but now are ye light in the Lord: 

walk as children of light:

The world has no hold over you anymore, for you have become the Lord's.

The world cannot frighten you, nor coerce you, much less confuse you, for you live under the Light of Christ.

You become sealed by the Holy Spirit's promise:

Ephesians 1:13 

King James Version

13 In whom ye also trusted, 

after that ye heard the word of truth, 

the gospel of your salvation: 

in whom also after that ye believed, 

ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

You love God's truth, His gospel, His Word, and you share it every chance you can get, so others may know about the love of God, too.

If you long for freedom so much, believe that only Jesus can give you that.

Be born of water and of the Spirit, and you will be gifted with God's Comforter -- the Holy Spirit -- who will teach you all things Jesus.

Never again will you be in the dark about anything.

From my own personal experience, having accepted Christ in full, as a born again, my prayers and questions are answered quickly.

And when I pray that I do God's will, the answers come before my prayer's even finished.

Such is the gift of the Spirit of God.

It is clear, immediate, and powerful.

The world loses its hold on you as you serve God alone.

You are free of self, as you gain God.

Updated 24 January 2022

On Being a BLESSING to Others

38 For I came down from heaven, 

not to do mine own will, 

but the will of him that sent me.

John 6:38 

King James Version

Do we have it in our heart to help others?

Would we really know how to help them?

Do we have a front seat in the cinema of life, or perhaps a perfect, multi-dimensional view of another person's life, just as God has?

Would we really know what is good for others?

Perhaps not.

But sincerely wanting to be of help to others, is a wonderful start.

And we will need the help of God, through JESUS, to do that.

Only by the GRACE of God, the HEART of God, and the SPIRIT of God, can we be of true, effective, and precise help for others.

We cannot see with human eyes.

Ah, but with spiritual eyes, under the grace and guidance of the SPIRIT of God, we can!

And that can only occur, if we have become born again in Christ.

Before we can really help others as God would want us to, we have to tend to self first, so we must be JESUS' own first.

Only then can we truly see what others need.

Only then can we truly know how to help.

Only then can we see the bigger picture, as God wants us to see.

Only through the power of the Holy SPIRIT of God, can we see what is needed, and do what is needed to be done for others.

By ourselves, we won't be able to see the true picture of things.

Only God knows what lies in the heart of a person.

Only He sees the dreams, aspirations, desires, and intentions every person has.

The only fool-proof way to help -- for surely, we all have the urge in our hearts -- is to be God's Own, through JESUS.

View the verse I shared with you above.

That means, the SON of God, came down to earth to help, but only THROUGH the Father's Will.

He waited upon God, He prayed to God, before He acted.

That's the only way we can be of true help to others.

By our own, limited thinking, we may not be of perfect use, for we do not see what God sees.

We do not have the heart that God has.

But if we align ourselves with God, become born again in CHRIST, we stand a great chance of being a TRUE blessing to others.

We will be instruments of God, to help others.

A true born-again Christian doesn't think for his own anymore.

He waits upon the SPIRIT of the LORD to guide him, to inform him, to teach him, to activate him.

Gone is the self, and the ego.

Most people in the world help, for reasons of their own.

They act upon their own thoughts, and devices.

They have not given their hearts to the LORD, and wait upon Him, seeking only His DIVINE Guidance and Activation.

If we act upon our own thinking, we may be more of a danger to others.

Only by the SPIRIT of God can we see clearly.

You must really give GOD a chance to work in you.

For over 11 months now, I have surrendered my little will, to the INFALLIBLE Will of the LORD.

The Holy SPIRIT of God guides me each time I write, or do most anything.

He has humbled me in many ways.

My old ways haven't worked, but He waited for my surrender.

And now that I have, the work I do glorifies GOD alone.

Gone is the tiny self, the huge ego, the erring ways -- even as I have a long way to go.

Such is the foundation we need, if we are to SERVE the Lord.

When self is gone, and only GOD remains, we can be of true service to others.

Who better to teach us, than the LORD Jesus, who was obedient to the end?

There can be no greater example to OBEDIENCE.

We must submit our tiny selves to the LORD, and follow JESUS alone.

As a result, all we do for others, glorify God alone.

There is no desire for personal wealth or recognition.

All glory is offered to God.

As God so rightfully deserves.

We cannot do enough for the CREATOR.

It's also beautiful to listen to what Jesus says here:

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, 

Verily I say unto you, 

Inasmuch as ye have done it 

unto one of the least of these my brethren, 

ye have done it unto me.

Matthew 25:40 

King James Version

We do things for others, because we love them -- stranger, or not.

We do things for others, because we love God.

We do things for others, because we want to be of real help.

We do things for others, because the SPIRIT of God teaches us what to do, how to think, what to be, guiding us, every step of the way.

Jesus, in His short ministry, gave us so many beautiful TRUTHS from heaven, another of which:

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, 

that will I do, 

that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:13 

King James Version

That's how we become a blessing to others.

That all we do, like all Jesus did, was to GLORIFY the Father -- our CREATOR.

The world has become the way it is now, because people forgot to look back to God.

There is no more love, and gratitude.

It's time to bring JESUS back into our hearts, and the SPIRIT of God, will teach us what to do each moment.

Have faith in that fact.

Only through JESUS, would we know what to do.

Only through JESUS, can the world became a God-filled world again, as it was before Adam and Eve disobeyed the instructions of God.

Surely, we all long for that world.

If we don't have it now, while we're all still alive, we can still have ETERNAL life with JESUS, but only if we are His TRUE followers.

It is never too late to become God's OWN.

But there is no time to waste.

Call upon JESUS now.


More articles to read here:
"It is Time to Live Right By the LORD"
JESUS son of GOD
The HOLY SPIRIT

Bible passages from biblegateway.com

P.S. Soon as I gave credit to Bible Gateway for the verses, God gifts me with the site's "Verse of the Day":

For we are his workmanship, 

created in Christ Jesus unto good works, 

which God hath before ordained 

that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10 

King James Version

It's as if God's supporting the article I just wrote.

My life has been this way since I first asked to be CHRIST's own.

And yet, I continue to be in AWE each time.

As such, I await God's NEXT surprise!

It is wonderful to live as an obedient child of GOD!

Updated 24 January 2022

How to be Kind to Yourself

Would you really say you are kind to yourself?

Would you really say you have been kind to yourself?

One is the present tense; the other in the past tense.

Do we really know how to be kind, and thus, love ourselves?

All I know is this:

Only by fully embracing Christ, as a born-again Christian, did I finally understand what love was.

Only then did I also understand what true kindness was.

And that was much later in my life.

All that time, all those years, I had no idea what true love and kindness were.

I had an inkling, but I didn't have the FULL picture.

How I have erred in so many ways!

All that time, I had been blind.

But now, I see.

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, 

I am the light of the world: 

he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, 

but shall have the light of life."

John 8:12 

King James Version

The recent eight months were the most important months of my life, now that I'm beginning to really know Christ.

Everything about my life was important, but the past eight months had accelerated my understanding.

Is it possible to be a changed person, in such a short time?

Well, this much I will tell you.

On the first day I sought Christ as my Teacher, I changed on the spot.

Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit.

My life changed radically after that.

Now, the HS guides me, every step of the way.

Now, there is no more doubt what to think, say, or do.

Now, the HS does all the thinking and decision-making for me.

The Holy Spirit will open your eyes to your own being.

God created you, so expect to be shown your treasures, and yes, even your junk.

We cannot rejoin God, with all that junk.

Every so often, as HS sees fit, your memory will be triggered, of the ways you had been kind, or unkind.

And most of us had been unkind.

Full realization of those moments, as a born-again Christian, caused me drums of tears.

The tears come at will.

They're unstoppable, especially now that I know better.

I can't turn back the hands of time, I can't undo the wrong done, the errors, the insensitivities, but I sure can do my best to correct self, guided by Spirit now.

And, most of all, I had to ask for God's forgiveness, through Jesus. 

Every day of my life now, every hour, every minute, every second, every moment, is God's.

Never again will I be lost, or unsure.

God found me, and is now teaching me, through the Holy Spirit.

Now I know what work to do, which merely takes all the stuff I used to love to the next level -- God's level.

I didn't realize I had created many blogs about those interests.

Now, there is purpose to my existence, and clarity in my being.

The Holy Spirit of God made sure I fell down on my knees, in humility, and acknowledgment -- that God's POWER is All There Is.

But He didn't want me flagellating myself about it.

He wanted me to acknowledge Him (and His SON), to worship Him, and to watch and pray, as the world turns on its axis, with most inhabitants still needing to wake up to the Teachings of CHRIST.

When a son, or daughter of God, wakes up, the whole heaven rejoices.

As Jesus said:

"Likewise, I say unto you, 

there is joy in the presence of the angels of God 

over one sinner that repenteth."

Luke 15:10 

King James Version

Wake up to Jesus now.

The LORD will teach you to be kind.

Allow the Holy Spirit of God to teach you.

There is no other teacher but the HS.

All our teachers on earth don't have it right.

Only the Spirit of God can save you.

From yourself.

And from those who haven't kneeled before God yet.

Again, and again, I will say it.

Only God is the TRUE POWER.

Updated 24 January 2022