The Moveable Ways

Proverbs 5:6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

Looking at this verse in Proverbs, which is talking about the "strange woman," I had a couple of thoughts on it that I wanted to share. While the specific context is referring to the strange woman, the principles can be applied to any temptation from the devil.

The verse says that her ways are moveable. They don't stay the same; they are ever changing. We can be sure that, although the root of the temptations end up being the same, Satan does not attack in the same way. One day he might be tempting you with laziness by giving you a way out of getting some work done that you should do. The next day he might tempt you, when you don't have much work, to do nothing at all. The ways of the strange woman don't stay the same - that would be too easy for you to identify and stay away from them. They are moveable.

Another way I apply this verse, is that when I am on the "way" to her house, it is moving. I think of those bridges that are at some of the parks. You know, the kind that move and go back and forth as if you were on a big rope bridge. When you're walking across that bridge, your mind shifts from simply getting to the other side, to trying to keep your balance and not fall down. Well, the "bridges" you get on while following the strange woman are the same. She doesn't want you to have time to stop and think, and meditate on what you're doing. Instead, she shakes the bridge from the other side, so that you're too distracted to realize that the path you're on is the path to hell (Prov 5:5).

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Let's walk circumspectly, identifying her ways, and at all times, let's not get distracted but keep our eyes focused on the will of the Lord.

Just a thought...

Brotherly Love?

Do you know that you're saved?

Some religions would teach that you can not know for sure that you are saved. That basically you need to live your life as good as you can, and at the end of the day, hopefully, for your sake, you have done good enough.

The Bible teaches that you can know that you are saved. In 1 John 5:13, John tells us that he wrote these things so that those that believe on the name of Jesus could know that they are saved. The apostle John, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost seemed to think that we could know that we're saved.

Next question: HOW do you know that you are saved?

John said you can know, and he says that he wrote "these things" so that we could know. So, what are those things?

Well, if you peruse the book of 1 John, he goes through a variety of different ways how you can KNOW for sure that you're saved. A quick side note: Understand that John is not telling you how to GET saved in 1 John. He is telling you how to KNOW that you ARE saved. It is an important distinction.

Anyway, something that just didn't set very well with me at first was something found a couple of times in 1 John - things that John says you'll know you're saved if... And one of the things he says was - that ye have love for the brethren.

1 John 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

1 John 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
1 John 2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

I can understand the other principles taught throughout the book, that if we are born again, that is, if we were born of the Spirit, having the Holy Ghost living in us, that we will be changing due to His working in us... I can get that.

But, it sticks out to me that God says that one way to know whether you're saved or not, is whether or not you love the brethren. He seems to put some pretty heavy weight on that characteristic of a person - I mean, I guess that is how people will know that we are His disciples if we have love one for another.

Just a thought...

Today we Celebrate the Moon god

I don't think I've ever done this before... Today, I am actually going to recant my last post. Friday, I posted on how using the word Easter was a horrible thing to do, and how that everyone that does it is dying and going to Hell. Ok, maybe I didn't say it that strong, but you get the point.

Anyway, I was thinking on it some more over the weekend, and I have to come to you today with a different perspective. Today, is the celebration of the "moon god." Did you know that? Tomorrow it's not the moon, but a god associated with Mars. The next day, it's not as certain, but probably a god associated with Mercury. The next day (which will probably give away what I'm saying) is the celebration of the god Thor. Yup, that day is "Thor's day." If you don't get it yet, so that real fast 10 times: "Thor's day."

Yeah, the names of our days are actually named after pagan gods in English. They actually come from the 'gods' of the same people where we get 'Eastre.' Yet, I have no problem calling this moon day, Monday. When Friday comes around, and I call it that, I am not celebrating Frigga, the Germanic goddess of married love. Saturday, I will not even be thinking about Saturn at all. Nor will I put much thought into the sun on Sunday - unless it's sunny out, then I might.

So, here's what I'm saying. The Venerable Bede, an Old English Christian around 700AD, was the historian that tied "Eastre" with the time of the celebration of Christ's resurrection. Most other languages use Pascha or something like that (the word translated Passover normally in the KJV). What he wrote was this: "Eostur-month, which is now interpreted as the paschal month, was formerly named after the goddess Eostre, and has given its name to the festival." At his time (1300 years ago), the month was formerly named after that goddess.

So, 1300 years ago, the Old Old English word for that season was Easter. In fact, if you look at pre-1611 English translations of the Bible, the word "Easter" is used when talking about the Passover almost exclusively. It wasn't until the 1611 when Pascha was translated Passover instead of Easter (with 1 exception). You know what, like Mike and Matt said in comments yesterday, when someone says "Easter," they're really not thinking about any gods whatsoever - only the God of gods. I'm still not sold on the idea of the eggs and bunnies, but maybe I could be persuaded on that as well... who knows?

So, anyway, enjoy your celebration of the Moon god, and we'll talk to you again on Tyr's Day.

Just a thought...