Guest Columnist for The Messenger Copy

November - December, 2023
The Messenger

For the last two years you have been reading this newsletter with teaching from Proverbs. I've written about the fear of the LORD which is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1: 7,) that His Name is a strong tower where we find safety (chapter 18, verse 10) and when we are in right standing with YHWH, we shine so that those seeking for answers, will ask us what is different about us (see chapter 20, verse 27.) But that isn't all that Proverbs teaches us, one is how to recognize abominations to the LORD. In Proverbs 3: 32, "For the froward is abomination to YHWH:..." but what is froward?  This word is not recognized by a computer spell-checker, that means you have to use a dictionary. Oh, my! High school again.
So I went to my Random House college dictionary (1973) and this is what I found. Froward is an adjective.  It is a word that means: perverse or willfully contrary; refractory; not easily managed. If some of these words are strange to you, remember what your teacher would tell you, "look it up in the dictionary." But I found another word used in other translations: devious. It brought to my mind what happened after the creation of man, and how Lucifer (devil, satan) became jealous. Satan thought highly of himself (Isaiah 14: 12 - 15) and tempted man into thinking that he could be like GOD. What I realized that Satan is still tempting today – still devious today -  through those who are forward, those who are rich and powerful, those who are willfully contrary,  even in the church.
There are those in the church who use their spiritual gifts correctly (read Romans 12.) But The Bible tells us that there will be others who think much too highly of themselves, like the Pharisees (Matthew 23: 1 - 12) or Diotrephes (3 John 9-11.)The Bible tells us that those with that kind of a puffed up spirit will also be in the church.  This kind of spirit causes disunity among the brethren. I have learned that we won't always agree as brothers and sisters in Christ; but if the majority is in agreement, then to stay Biblical, even if you might disagree you must still work together in love with your brothers and sisters (read Ephesians).
Jesus is the light of world (John 8: 12) and told us that those who believe Him are also the light of world (Matthew 5: 8-14).   Yet contention between the saints, and a lack of love between the saints, is satan placing a basket over that light. But in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, we are given the authority to disarm Satan. Declare it to be so in your own life (Eph 6). So let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:16.)

~ Guest Columnist