Browsing Tag

Things God hates

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Family Ties in the Social Distance #15: Proverbs 6:18–Feet that Swiftly Run to Evil

My husband, Glenn, is sharing these daily lessons  for our West Huntsville family as we are necessarily (because of the virus) spending less time physically together in worship, study and fellowship. We may be “socially distanced,” but  we’re a close-knit family and we want to keep it that way! One way to stay on track together, spiritually, is to think about a common passage and make applications for our lives together even when we are unable to assemble as frequently. I’m sharing these daily family lessons here for those in other places, whose families (or even congregations) might benefit from a common study in these uncommon days of semi-quarantine. There are Family Bible Time guides included, as well. You can adapt, shorten or lengthen them according to the ages of kids (and adults) in your family. Blessings.

From Glenn:

My Favorite Proverbs: Feet that are swift in running to evil…(Prov. 6:16-19)

These six things the Lord hates, 

Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

A proud look,

A lying tongue,

Hands that shed innocent blood,

A heart that devises wicked plans,

Feet that are swift in running to evil,

A false witness who speaks lies,

And one who sows discord among brethren.

You may be surprised at the number of Bible passages that reference feet.

When communities rejected the teaching of the apostles, they were to shake the dust off their feet (Matt. 10:14). Women came and worshiped at the feet of Jesus (Matt.28:9).  It is better to be lame than to have two feet and be cast into hell (Mk. 9:45).  Jesus washed His disciples feet before His crucifixion (Jn. 13:5).  The early Christians laid money at the apostle’s feet (Acts 4:35). 

Feet that are swift in running to evil is a poetic way of describing a man who yields to his temptations with no hesitation. James explained to us that Satan finds what tempts each man the most and makes sure each man faces that exact temptation: “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (Ja. 1:14).  It’s not so different from a man who fishes for a particular kind of fish with the bait he knows has historically caught the most of that species.  That’s a troubling thought when applied to the way the devil works in our lives.

The Lord said to Saul on the road to Damascus,  “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 9:5).  Goads were sharp sticks mounted behind oxen who were yoked to a plow.  When they kicked back at their task, the goads hurt them.  It’s an apt illustration of a man or woman who knows what is right but is doing wrong and his/her conscience hurts.  Do you have goads hurting you right now?

Consider thoughts which ought to slow a person down when faced with temptation to sin:

1.  The Lord suffered on that cross and died for my forgiveness. I owe Him better than to walk boldly into sin.

2. My fellow Christians would be hurt and disappointed. 

3. My influence for good in my children would be compromised.

4. My influence for good in my unbelieving co-workers and friends could be  destroyed.

This one in our list of things God hates is about caring enough, being diligent enough to stay faithful to my God.  I take care in my daily decisions and work to think things through, rather than acting hurriedly and rashly. I think before I speak, before I go, before I act, and I judge all things by God’s will. Like Paul, I work to have a “…conscience void of offense toward God and toward men” (Acts 24:16).  

Story Time from Glenn and Cindy:  Genesis 49

In the last days of Jacob’s life he spoke to each of his sons and prophetically described what would happen in their lives.  We do not have miraculous, prophetic ability like Jacob did and I’m glad.  It must have been painful to tell some of these adult sons that because of their weak qualities, life would be filled with troubles of their own making.

Talk with your children about each of these weaknesses described by Jacob and encourage them to have the strength to be different and better:

1. (Vs. 3-4).  Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn son, who, presumably, would be the future leader of the family; but Jacob summed up his character with three words you should explain to your children: “unstable as water.” Pour water in a glass  and then a casserole dish. Challenge your children to think about how the water takes the shape of whatever container it’s in.   “Sometimes it’s tall and skinny like this glass. But then it’s wide and flat like this casserole dish. It just changes and can’t be controlled. It will not stay in any certain shape like play dough does.” Make sure they understand the concept of being so easily changed. Ask them if we should be like Reuben and change our minds about right and wrong all the time. Reuben was undependable; always changing, like the water.  Do you know anyone like this?  Teach your children about being steady and dependable:  fulfilling commitments, keeping their word, and consistently doing their best, no matter with whom or where they are.

2.(Vs. 5-7). Simeon and Levi were cruel to animals and to people.  Merriam-Webster defines cruelty as, “disposed to inflict pain or suffering : devoid of humane feelings.

Discuss a connection between someone who is cruel to animals and to humans. 

A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel” (Prov. 12:10).

Children who are careful to never be cruel to animals will probably never be cruel to humans. If your children have pets, think about some behaviors that would be cruel to their pets. 

3. (vs.10) To Judah Jacob says, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; And to him shall be the obedience of the people” (Vs. 10).

Teach your children that Shiloh is Christ, and that Christ was promised to come from one particular son, Judah (Heb. 7:14).  One of the amazing proofs that Jesus is the Son of God is the many prophesies in the Old Testament which pointed to Him hundreds of years before His birth.

4. Sing the names of the 12 sons of Jacob. The West Huntsville kids have our tune, but lots of people sing these to the tune of “Ten Little Indians”

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah

Issachar, Zebulon, Dan (Pretty good!)

Naphtali, Gad and Asher

Joseph and Benjamin.

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Family Ties in the Social Distance #14: Proverbs 6:18–A Heart that Devises Wicked Plans

My husband, Glenn, is sharing these daily lessons  for our West Huntsville family as we are necessarily (because of the virus) spending less time physically together in worship, study and fellowship. We may be “socially distanced,” but  we’re a close-knit family and we want to keep it that way! One way to stay on track together, spiritually, is to think about a common passage and make applications for our lives together even when we are unable to assemble as frequently. I’m sharing these daily family lessons here for those in other places, whose families (or even congregations) might benefit from a common study in these uncommon days of semi-quarantine. There are Family Bible Time guides included, as well. You can adapt, shorten or lengthen them according to the ages of kids (and adults) in your family. Blessings.

From Glenn:

My Favorite Proverbs: A heart that devises wicked plans (Prov. 6:16-19)

These six things the Lord hates, 

Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

A proud look,

A lying tongue,

Hands that shed innocent blood,

A heart that devises wicked plans,

Feet that are swift in running to evil,

A false witness who speaks lies,

And one who sows discord among brethren.

The KJV phrases this, “A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations.”  It isn’t the actual sin a man commits which is under consideration here, but merely the act of planning it. It’s a great example of God wanting more than our actions. He always wants our hearts.  This is abundantly taught in Scripture.

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Lk 6:45).

“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6:17-18).

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9).

“Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:3).

One more. This one involves Peter writing to Christian wives who were married to unbelieving husbands. He elaborates on what those wives can do to convert their mates.  “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Pet. 3:3-4).

Perhaps our greatest challenge and goal in walking as Christians today is to focus and protect that “hidden person of the heart.”  That person is in a place others cannot see, and that hidden aspect alone makes this difficult. A man may appear on the outside to be devoted to Christ when his hidden person of the heart is full of filth and corruption. Eventually what’s in his heart will be revealed:  “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34).  “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecc. 12:14).  

Take deliberate steps to keep your mind away from evil and on the things God approves.  Keep your Bible in a place of easy access and read it every day.  Meditate on what you read.  Pray without ceasing.  Seek out faithful Christians for your closest friends.  Always push back against Satan when you realize his wicked plans are forming in your imagination.

Story Time from Glenn and Cindy:  Genesis 48

1. In the close of chapter 47, Jacob was preparing to die. He asked his son, Joseph, not to bury him in Egypt, but to carry his body back to Canaan; to his family’s cemetery.  Joseph promised to do as his father asked. 

This might be a good time to gently, and in an age-appropriate way, discuss death, funerals, and burial with your children.  Put an emphasis on the fact that we do not bury people’s souls; we only bury their physical bodies.  Explain James 1:26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also,”  Tell them that we all have two bodies: a physical one that people see, and a spiritual one that people don’t see.  

2.As we begin chapter forty-eight, we see that Joseph brought his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to Jacob to receive their blessing. Explain to your children what a will is and how it works. Emphasize that a man can change his will before he dies however he chooses, but that, when he dies, the will is unchangeable and must be carried out precisely, if at all possible.  This lesson will be important for when you teach them later about the last will and testament of Jesus Christ, the New Testament (Heb. 9:16-22).

3. In order to give Joseph and his descendants a double blessing, Jacob adopted Joseph’s two sons. He made them as his own sons.

“And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine” (Gen. 48:5). 

God was guiding Jacob through this blessing, and Jacob put his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left hand on Manasseh, thus giving the more favorable blessing, reserved for the oldest, to Ephraim. Ephraim was the youngest. Joseph tried to correct this mistake, but Jacob said he knew what he was doing .  “But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations” (Gen. 48:19).  

While you don’t have God guiding you in the way He guided Jacob,  He does guide you as parents through His word. Use this time to talk to your children about your dreams for them. Tell them you dream of the day when they will become Christians, marry Christians, and teach their children and grandchildren to love and serve Jesus. Talk to your older children, who are Christians, about the important upcoming decisions (college or not, friendships, dating, marriage and parenting) and how they will all be guided by the most important decision of serving Jesus. Try to make them see that many decisions have already been made because of that one big decision made in hearts as they surrendered to Jesus. 

4. Pray with your children. Make sure they hear Dad say often in prayer (provided there’s a faithful dad in the home): “Help _______ and ___________ and ____________ to grow up to marry Christians. Help the mom and dad of the children they will one day marry to, right now, be raising them up to love you more than anyone or anything else in this world.” 

5. Make sure small children can always fill in the blank of this sentence with the word Christian. “When I grow up, I’m going to marry a ___________________.” Practice this verbally tonight and very frequently. 

     

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Family Ties in the Social Distance #13: Proverbs 6:17–Hands that Shed Innocent Blood

 

My husband, Glenn, is sharing these daily lessons  for our West Huntsville family as we are necessarily (because of the virus) spending less time physically together in worship, study and fellowship. We may be “socially distanced,” but  we’re a close-knit family and we want to keep it that way! One way to stay on track together, spiritually, is to think about a common passage and make applications for our lives together even when we are unable to assemble as frequently. I’m sharing these daily family lessons here for those in other places, whose families (or even congregations) might benefit from a common study in these uncommon days of semi-quarantine. There are Family Bible Time guides included, as well. You can adapt, shorten or lengthen them according to the ages of kids (and adults) in your family. Blessings.

From Glenn:

My Favorite Proverbs:  Hands that shed innocent blood (Prov. 6:16-19)

These six things the Lord hates, 

Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

A proud look,

A lying tongue,

Hands that shed innocent blood,

A heart that devises wicked plans,

Feet that are swift in running to evil,

A false witness who speaks lies,

And one who sows discord among brethren.

God hates murder, but God does not hate all killing. Every word in this, the third in the list, is important: “Hands that shed innocent blood.”  When God, in the Ten Commandments, said “Thou shalt not kill,” He was forbidding murder; not all killing. Not all killing is murder. The Old Law created cities of refuge as a remedy for a man who accidentally killed another man (Deut. 4:41-43). That was killing, but it wasn’t murder. Killing animals was endorsed by God from the beginning (Gen. 1:29-30). In both the Old and New Testaments, God clearly endorsed capital punishment of the guilty (Gen. 9:6;  Rom. 13:4). God sometimes commanded Israel to kill in war (Joshua 6). So, pay attention to the wording of exactly what God hates here: the deliberate taking of innocent human life. Centuries later, the apostle John would write, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 Jn. 3:15).  

Now leap-frog over the obvious examples of murder in today’s news and get to the one which is by far the most egregious kind of murder in our world, despite being promoted and applauded as guiltless. It’s abortion.  I cannot imagine an act which better illustrates what is meant when the Proverbs writer said that God hates “hands that shed innocent blood.”  

Consider that the Greek word for baby is brephos, used of the baby Jesus: “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Lk. 2:12). The same Greek word is used of John who was still in the womb of his mother, yet unborn!  “And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk. 1:41). When the Holy Spirit inspired Luke to write this passage, He called both the baby in the womb and the baby outside the womb, brephos: baby. Killing a baby in the womb is the moral equivalent of killing a baby outside the womb. Man has imagined that killing an unborn child is different in order to protect the wickedness of abortion. He has defended the horrid act of murder.  

One more thing to consider: A website which has been tracking the Novel Corona numbers in the last couple of months has posted that, worldwide, just under 40,000 have died. The Associated Press published its most recent abortion numbers in the U.S. for one year: 862,000.  

God hates the hands which commit the murder of abortion.

Today in prayer, thank God for His amazing gift of human life and pray that our world will awaken to the murderous darkness of abortion.

Story Time from Glenn and Cindy:  Genesis 47

1.Teach your children about the practice of a man recommending another for a position.  Based on the respect Pharaoh had for Joseph, he immediately offered a trusted position over his own livestock to whomever Joseph recommended: 

 “The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock” (Gen. 47:6).

Use this to again teach your children the importance of always telling the truth; always keeping appointments; always fulfilling tasks with excellence.  There will be times in life when they will be of great service to others by similarly extending recommendations.

2.  It is important in life to elevate the blessings of God over the unhappy things of life.  Even in trials we should  speak of God’s goodness. The poorest of Christians is still greatly blessed. Hear the sad answer the aged Jacob gave to the king when asked “How old are you?”   

“And Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage’” (Gen. 47:9).

Make sure your children understand that Jacob’s answer to the king did not include any of the blessings of Jacob’s life. Make sure they know that we should constantly be telling others, especially unbelievers about the blessings of God.

3. Decide if your children are old enough to understand the following observations:

Joseph served Pharaoh to the degree of using the plague to strip the Egyptians of all their their wealth and fill the treasury of the King:

‘So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.” Then Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone” (Gen. 47:15-16). 

Those monies lasted a year, but the famine continued. Because they had not money or livestock to buy back all the grain they had charged during the seven years of plenty,  Joseph agreed to trade grain for their lands, and their bodies.  They would become Pharaoh’s slaves.  They all agreed.

“Then Joseph said to the people, ‘Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.’”

A. By taxing their grain in the first seven years and selling it back to them during the time of famine, Joseph had saved their lives.  Question: Did he do a good thing?

B.  Could it be that Joseph was following God’s instructions?  It would not be long until Moses came before a different Pharaoh, introduced the ten plagues, and spoiled Egypt.  Egyptian wealth would largely be used to fund the exodus of Israel from the slavery and oppression they experienced in Egypt.  Could that have been Joseph’s long-term motive? Could it have been God’s plan? 

Emphasize to your children that God’s plans always happen. He always makes a way for things to work out for the good of his people. Read Romans 8:28 to them and talk about its meaning. Sing one verse of “I Know the Lord Will Make a Way for Me”

I know the Lord will make a way for me.

I know the Lord will make a way for me.

If I walk in heaven’s light

Shun the wrong and do the right

I know the Lord will make a way for me.

 

Tell your children that this hymn was written by Paul Epps, a minister for the Lord’s church.

4. Pray with your children. Be sure to pray that God will make his people stronger through the coming days when lots of people in our land will likely be ill.  Pray for the leaders in our churches, that they will make good decisions to help us be stronger on the other side of this sickness.