Category Archives: Righteous Living

Thoughts causing sin in your life? What’s the Bible’s solution for victory?

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14)  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15)  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:13-15).

Doesn’t sin begin in our minds? Our “own lusts” or desires originate in our minds or thoughts. From the suggestion of an impure thought or idea (if entertained) comes the dwelling upon, the consuming of us, the transforming of our feelings, emotions, body chemicals, and finally the act of sin, which if repeatedly continued will lead to destruction, and if even once indulged can cause great misery depending on the situation. Repeated patterns or habits just tend to entrench themselves further essentially becoming our character. Continue reading →

The Road to Forgiveness or the Road to Hell? Which will it be?

“(17)  Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. (18) So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. (19) And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. (20) And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; (21)  And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. (22)  For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. (23)  Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: (24)  Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. (25)  But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.” -1 Samuel 12:17-25
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A Message from the Grave or a message from God’s Word?

“Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” -Luke 16:29-31

Jesus told a very famous parable in Luke 16. While a number of Christians like to debate about whether this was a parable or not, for our purposes today we’ll not touch on that point. It was the story of the rich man and Lazarus that Jesus was talking about in this place. At the conclusion of the story we read the lines printed above from verses 29 to 31. What truth can we gather from this portion of the text? Well, I think there are at least a couple important lessons we can gather. Let’s look at them! Continue reading →

So quickly turned out of the way?

“And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.” -Deuteronomy 9:12

It seems that human beings are so easily turned out of the right way. The Bible points out that sin does “so easily beset us” (Hebrews 12:1). This is a sad fact of sinful human nature. Paul warns even, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). We must be ever careful. Satan is out to get us and he is always disguising his efforts in such a way as to trap us and he is aiming for the spots in our character where he knows from experience that he will find weakness. He took Adam and Eve that way, Samson, David, Moses, Aaron, Mariam, the Children of Israel, and you just name them, the list goes on. Let us ever be thankful for God’s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ for if it was not for such then we would all surely be left for dead! Continue reading →

The Curse of Bitter Water

“23 ‘Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water. 24 And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter.” “29 ‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself,” -Numbers 5:23-24, 29.

In the days of early Israel, after God had brought them out of Egypt, He gave them many Laws and statutes to guide them in the ways of righteousness and truth. At the head of spiritual, social, and moral leadership was the priesthood. They were to do the work of judging and evaluating all serious matters among the people. Their judgment was to be based upon the Laws and guidelines the Lord had given through Moses. Among those laws was an established law to deal with the issue of jealousy, from a husband, and marital unfaithfulness on the part of a wife. The entire law is found in Numbers 5:11-31. Obviously men were held to strict sexual integrity within the nation as well (Deuteronomy 22:22-24), but this law in particular deals with the woman. Continue reading →