by Madison McKinzie | Oct 18, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 6: 12-19
Have you ever wondered, when meeting a new person, whether or not they are someone who will help you grow or even just be a good friend to have? Have you ever asked yourself, “What are worthless and wicked people like?” In Proverbs chapter 6, Solomon gives us many lessons for our daily lives. He warms us about wicked people and their perverted hearts, and also many things that the Lord hates.
To answer the question of ‘what are worthless people like’, Solomon answers with this, “…they are constant liars, signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.” Solomon doesn’t say that wicked people are going to be so obvious that if you don’t realize that they are wicked then you are absolutely crazy, but instead he puts an image that wicked people won’t always be so obvious, they will be sneaky and hard to read. But he goes on to say that “their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble.” Instead of joining in on their wicked ways, I believe that Solomon gives us this warning because he wants us to be aware that these people will not help you grow, but instead they will stop you from the growth that is needed.
“BUT they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.” (Emphasis added on ‘but’). This is another warning that Solomon was sharing with us, to stay away from the ways of the wicked, otherwise we will also be destroyed, and broken in an instant.
“There are six things the Lord hates no, seven things he detests:”
before we jump into what God hates, we must understand that God hates these things because He did not intend for them to be in this world, but because we as humans sinned, this world became a broken place full of these things.
“haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
a false witness who pours out lies
a person who sows discord in a family.”
The book of Proverbs notes different types of people and actions that God hates, they are guidelines of what not to be and do. I want to encourage you to take a deeper look into the book of Proverbs so that you can be aware of these things that Solomon talks about.
Photography: @brandon_nalley
by Madison McKinzie | Oct 5, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 2:12-22
All throughout Proverbs it “teaches us how to attain wisdom, discipline, and a prudent life, and how to do what is right, just and fair — in short, to apply divine wisdom to daily life and to provide moral instruction.”
As we take a closer look into Proverbs chapter two, Solomon writes on how important it is to resist sexual immorality and also to stay away from “evil people, from those whose words are twisted,” (verse 12). The way to do that is by gaining wisdom and discernment. The people Solomon warns us about are “men who turn from the right way to walk down dark paths,” and who also “take pleasure in doing wrong,” (verse 13). Have you ever met someone and thought that all they care about is building up their confidence and destroying others’ in the process? Or the kind of person who loves to rebel? That is the kind of person Solomon is talking about, how they “enjoy the twisted ways of evil,” (verse 14). Because they take pleasure in doing wrong (verse 14), “their actions are crooked, and their ways are wrong,” (verse 15). Wisdom, however, will save you from evil people! It says so right here in Proverbs! We gain wisdom through a constant process of growing. First, we must trust and honor God. Second, we must realize that the Bible reveals God’s wisdom to us. Third, we must make a lifelong series of right choices and avoid moral pitfalls. Fourth, when we make sinful choices or mistakes, we must learn from our errors and recover. People don’t develop all aspects of wisdom at once. But we can pray for all aspects of wisdom and take the steps to develop them.
Going back to chapter two of Proverbs, one of the most difficult sins to resist is sexual immorality, which tells us that, “I need it.” Its appeal is deadly. Sexual enticement appeals to the empty heart, making it easier to give into. By looking to God, we can fill our hearts with his love. One thing we can pray for is the resistance of the temptation. In verse 18, it says, “Entering the house leads to death…” which is saying that being unable to resist sexual immorality causes death. Therefore falling into sin leads to death. “It is the road to the grave,” (verse 19). But in verse 20 it simply tells us what to do. We are to “follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous.”
What we can take away from verse 21:
- Only the godly will live in the land.
- Those with integrity will remain in it.
- The wicked will be removed from the land.
- The treacherous will be uprooted.
I pray that as you read Proverbs you gain an understanding of what Solomon is stressing to us. That you not only read his words, but that you take them in and receive an understanding to what God speaks through him. I pray that the desires in your heart shift from a desire of this world to a desire of fulfillment that only God can provide.
Photography: @carrlosluna
by Madison McKinzie | Sep 23, 2015 | James
James 4: 11-12
Growing up, did you ever hear the saying, “never judge a book by its cover”? Almost all of us have heard it at least once in our lives. It’s so easy to look at someone and think something of them, whether it’s positive or negative. It’s just part of human nature. What if I were to tell you that judging someone [negatively] is going against the Word of God. What if I were to also tell you that by criticizing and judging others, you are also criticizing and judging God’s law. For me, after reading in chapter four in the book of James, my heart felt convicted. For many reasons actually; for one, it starts out by stating, “Do not speak evil against one another…” WOW! Whether it has ever been intentional or not, I have committed this sin. As a Christ follower we are called to be a constant encourager to believers and unbelievers. We are called to be like Jesus every day. And two, our job is to “obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.” The law is for all believers, not just whom you say has to follow it. (If you are questioning whether or not it’s for you, it is most definitely for you!!!)
In verse 12 James moves on to say, that, “God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge,” “so what right do you have to judge your neighbor?” The answer to this question is simple: we have no right. When we fail to love others, we are actually breaking God’s law.
Two Steps:
- Examine your attitude and actions towards others.
- Ask yourself: Do I build people up or do I tear them down?
When you’re ready to criticize someone, remember God’s law of love and say something encouraging instead. Saying something beneficial to others will cure you of finding fault and increase your ability to obey God’s law of love.
Photography: @djaeoutlaw
by Madison McKinzie | Sep 12, 2015 | James
James 2:21-24
When you think of the word faith or hear it, what are some of the first things that come to your mind? For most of us, we would immediately think of religion, trust, or believing in something you can’t see or feel sometimes. I doubt for any of us that the first words that come to mind would be good deeds, or even actions. In Romans, chapter 4, Paul writes that, “But people are righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God…” BUT in James, chapter 4, verse 21, James writes, “Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.” There is a special correlation between these two verses. James and Paul are not contradicting each other; rather they are simply complimenting what each is saying. Paul, on one hand, is not saying that God’s law is unimportant but that it is impossible to be saved simply by just obeying it. Paul emphasizes faith. James, on the other hand, compliments what Paul is saying by stating, “…His faith and his actions worked together.” He does not say, however, that our good deeds justify us.
Let’s break it down:
In verse 21, Abraham’s faith caused him to DO something he knew he had to do.
In verse 22, it proves this by saying that, “his faith and his actions worked together.”
In verse 23, it says that, “Abraham believed God…” This goes to show that Abraham had faith in what God was doing in his life. Therefore, “God counted him as righteous because of his faith.
And in verse 24, “…we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.” — “Faith brings us salvation; active obedience demonstrates that our faith is genuine.”
Photography: @Klby
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