Cornerstone

Proverbs 8:11-23; 9:10-12

Verse 13 says that if we are going to properly show our reverence to the Lord we must hate evil. In order that there is no mistake concerning what evil is, God tells us what He hates. Four designations are listed: pride, arrogancy the evil way, and the froward mouth. To understand more clearly how we may best reverence the Lord we need to look at the meaning of these words.

Pride (gay-aw) and arrogancy (gaown) both come from the same root word. The root word means “to rise.” It occurs seven times in the Old Testament. It is translated as “triumphed gloriously,” “column”, and “raging.”

Pride (gay-aw) is used only in this verse. It and its synonyms, however, can have either in a positive or a negative sense. Positively it is used to speak of the land of Israel in terms of excellency. This is always the case when the relationship with God is satisfactory. At times it takes on the meaning of majesty or majestic. Pride often describes Gods character. In a negative sense, it is used by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, David, Solomon and Job. Fifty-three times these six writers use it to describe the Moabites, Egyptians, Philistines, Assyrians, and backslidden Israel. The harshest words are directed toward Israel when it is charged for being arrogant, cynical, presumptious, and insensitive to the needs of others. It is both a disposition and a conduct. Used negatively, pride is always striking out in rebellion against God.

Arrogancy (gaown) is always used in a negative sense and means pomp, pride, proud and swelling. The arrogant person is the self-sufficient one who does not need God and in manner if not in speech makes that fact evident.

The Evil (rah) Way (deh-rek) is the third thing that God hates. Evil (rah) is translated adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displeasure, distress, harm, hurtful, mischievous, misery, naughty, noisome, sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked, wretchedness, and wrong. The Way (deh-rek) that it modifies means a way, road, journey, manner, or work. It is related to the verb (dorak) which means “to tread or trample.” Therefore it refers to a way or manner of life that is used constantly. Sometimes it refers to a major highway. At other times it speaks of duration. More often, however, it centers on the actions and behavior of people who either follow the way of God or the way of wickedness. From these we can see that he is speaking of a life that is continually given over to sinfulness.

Lastly, God hates the Froward (tah-poo-kaw) Mouth (peh). Froward (tah-poo-kaw) means that which is perverse or a fraud. Mouth (peh) on the other hand means “speech.” The meaning then is rather obvious. This is not surprising since we know that God has underscored the fact that all liars will go to hell. He is the essence of Truth and the Froward Mouth is His anti-thesis. (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)

Dr. Gayle Woods

Some of the excitement about the Second Appearing of our Lord is troubling. It is not the second appearing of the Lord that is troubling but rather the blatant commercialization of this truth by some Christians. To see respected Christian leaders using this truth for their own advantage is sickening. Movies and book series whether fiction or non-fiction used to frighten believers (most non-believers have no interest in this material) in the guise of teaching a scriptural truth are tainted with the appearance of covert manipulation. What is the motivation if it is not to get on the bandwagon of the Christian fear-fad which is a proven method for selling mediocre books and movies? I am troubled as well by the lack of a scripturally focused message in these materials. The emphasis should be not on whether we go up in the rapture or are left behind to suffer the horrors of the Tribulation. That fear comes out of the lazy American’s desire for ease, comfort and luxury. The emphasis should not be on what the sequence of events will be in the last days. That is a perfectionist’s craving to be right about everything in doctrine as well as Bible trivia. The emphasis should not be on the meaning of “generation”, the use of modern technology, or the definition of 666. The emphasis should be on living a holy life right now. Peter said it this way: Since we know that God is going to bring a terrible judgment on this world someday shouldn’t we be doing all that we can right now to live lives that are pleasing to Him and are an appealing witness to those who do not know Jesus as their Lord?

By Dr. Gayle Woods

John 21:1-17

We lost our cat. Oh, we know where he is. He is in the neighbor’s house next to where we used to live. We lost our cat? Yes, because of love. He was a good old cat. I even kind of liked him. That is saying a LOT. My wife and boys loved him. When we moved, however, we knew that we were going to have to do something with “Kitty.” It was when we mentioned this to our neighbor that we found that during those times when “Kitty” would disappear he was actually next door in our neighbor’s house playing with her cat. The neighbor had even been feeding “Kitty.” So, when our neighbor asked if she could have “Kitty” and showed such love and compassion in her request it seemed natural to say, “Yes.”

Jesus made a similar comparison. He called us sheep. This is not a compliment at all! Sheep are pretty dumb and completely dependable. They need someone to care for them. He was leaving, however, and needed someone to care for His “pets.” Feed my sheep. That is a call to ministry. That is a call to love. Jesus dearly loves His sheep and wants His love channeled through us to His “pets.” His call includes finding lost sheep (evangelism), and protecting/ feeding sheep (discipleship). When He returns from His trip He will hold us accountable for how well we have done in caring for His “pets.”

Dr. Gayle Woods

John 3:16

No one can out give God. He began at Creation. There He gave mankind life. He gave all that was necessary to sustain human life. Beyond that He gave mankind a chance and a choice whereby humanity could have a great life enjoying an intimate relationship with God.

The human race failed to see the significance of the chance and the choice that was theirs for the taking. A few came to know God in a special way. In time God gave again. This time He gave His only begotten Son who came to die on a Cross so that once again mankind could know the offer of a chance and a choice. The offer is still available to all who will accept it. The offer extends a chance to those who will make a choice to enjoy a great life in Christ.

In addition to these tremendous gifts God gave mankind the Church. The Church is the sum total of those who have made a choice to enjoy an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Because of His sacrifice on the Cross forgiveness is available to any who will turn from sin and allow Him to be the Lord and Savior of their life.

But God continued to give. He gave the Church the Comforter. The Holy Spirit, known also as the Comforter is given to the Church so that all who have been forgiven of a sinful life and have rejected sinfulness to live for Christ can now know an abundant life. Once again God has given us a chance and a choice. This choice is to admit the corruption of the nature as a result of the original sin in the Garden, asking God to cleanse the nature while filling the void with the fullness of Himself. Life in the Spirit is known in full as the believer is made as God originally intended mankind.

No one can out give God. It is for us to receive. He only expects obedience and complete submission to His will in return.

Dr. Gayle Woods

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1 Peter 1:1-5 (3)

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, the General Secretary of the Community Party of the Soviet Union died on November 10, 1982. During his reign Leonid Brezhnev put thousands of Christians in prison or mental institutions in his attempt to stamp out the remembrance of God. It is ironic that this leader fell symbolically and literally. When he was first put in his coffin he fell through the bottom. A lead-lined cedar coffin was then constructed. As the workers lowered the heavy coffin into the grave they lost their grip and it fell with a crash to the bottom. The one who had tried to silence the gospel finally fell before its Author.

Vice-President George H.W. Bush was deeply moved as he watched Brezhnev’s widow at the funeral. In accordance with Russian tradition his widow, Victoria, kissed Bezhnev. Then, just as the soldiers prepared to close the lid of the coffin, she reached out to make the sign of the cross of her husband’s chest. In an empire of infidelity and atheism the wife of a fallen God rejecting leader reached out in hope to the supreme leader of the universe, the risen Lord, for mercy. (Gary Thomas, Christian Times, October 3, 1994, p. 26.)

By Dr. Gayle Woods
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