Trying to Appease Critics? ~ A Devotion Time from Proverbs 5
April 5th, 2008: I read and listened to Proverbs
5. I could not stop thinking about
it. It was an unusually experience. I read it in eight versions of the
Bible. I was in my car listening to the
audio in the NET version of the Bible. My
spirit was stirred and the Lord gave me the following for me personally, but
also for anyone who reads this, especially for those entangled with debating
those in opposition to the Gospel. (Read Proverbs 5 first).
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My dear friends, you are like my child to me. I have the Father’s heart in speaking with
you. I am gravely concern about you.
Please listen to me very closely, make your ears to hear what I have to
say. I have a warning from God. This warning comes from ancient wisdom, God’s
Spirit; therefore this wisdom is from the mind of God. If you will heed my warning then you will
operate in discretion and you will have God’s wisdom. Beware of the soothing words of the immoral
person. The deceived person’s words can feel so good, just like soothing oil.
The immoral man or woman speaks with words that are kindly seductive. They will manipulate you, trying to draw you
into sexual immorality. They are corrupt. They secretly hope for your down
fall. However, when they fail at drawing you into sexual immorality, they will
draw you further into controversy. Their deceptive goal is to snare you into
sin; the core sin of unbelief. They are deceived by their own trickery. They
are so deceived they have no understanding. If you remain in the counsel of the
immoral, before you know it; you will compromise the wisdom of God. The immorally deceived person says, “bitter
is sweet, and sweet is bitter.” Beware
my child! The end thereof in listening is worse than wormwood. It is poison. Their words are like a
two-edged sword, it will destroy you. The path of the immoral will actually
lead you to the door of hell; they are ever drawing you to violate your
relationship with King Jesus. They sow discord between you and your other
brothers and sisters. I beg you my child, meditate on the wisdom from above, on
the very word of God. Do not be enticed
by worldly debates and human intellect; those soothing words of the
immoral. It is very harmful. It will
steal your life away. It will take your
strength and your wealth. Your wealth
will be taken from you and given to another.
Beware of these immoral people and their false teachings. It will alienate you from God. You cannot be a friend of God and a friend of
the world. Friendship with the world and
immoral people is spiritual adultery. Do not let human compassion and the
soothing words of the immoral deceive you. They will accuse you falsely. They will say all manner of evil against you.
They will betray you. They will ironically accuse you of the very thing they
are doing. They will say, love is hate
and hate is love. Beware! If you listen and are attached to the immoral you
will have your life strength removed. You will be the one mourning in the
presence of the King. You will have rejected the King’s reproof. This poison of
compromise can ruin you life. I passionately
want to spare you my child, because I love you.
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I am blessed and sobered by this warning. What about you? I realize that I can only try to please the Lord. When I am trying to please Him, I will please some people, some of the time, but I will never please everyone. Jesus is enough, to Him be all the glory!
Comments
I am one who was saved by this same call. I could not condemn another's sin without condemning myself for my behavior in other sin. I could not trust any other with the truth of my behavior because I knew I was guilty in the judgment of God and society. It wasn't until I found I was not alone in my shame, and that shame was defeated in the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross, that I was able to put aside my guilt and receive acceptance from God and find fellowship in our society. A fellowship based in loving correction and mutual agreement of what is right and true. A fellowship, not of condemnation, but of healing and a return to the good and right relationship with our Creator. Thank God for ministries like First Stone. Without them, I would not have been able to change my behavior and many more would have suffered by my actions.
This hope and healing is available to any who would accept God, who would dedicate themselves to Him and obey His call to read and practice the direction He has given us through the Biblical law and the prophets, through the direction taught by Jesus Christ and recorded by the Apostles. In them we find correction, guidance, and truth. In them we find hope, forgiveness, and renewal.