Month: February 2013

Revelation 21:8 also add to this list:

“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (NKJV)

 12. The Coward: “This is the Greek Word deilós meaning to fear.  To be timid and fearful.”^[1] Notice that being a coward is not simply being scare; it is indeed connected with our faith in God; in that sense, we must remember that without faith it is impossible to please God according to Hebrews 11:6. A coward is never a part of the solution; the coward helps with the expansion of the problem. As long as there are cowards, evil will have victory. It is important to point out that timidity is not a synonymous with humility; many people can lack self-confidence, that may be ok Biblically, but we must have confidence in God…that is where faith plays a crucial role.

 

 “He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” Matthew 8:26 NIV

 

“He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:40 NIV

 

13. The unbelieving: “This is the Greek word ápistos meaning: Without pistós (4103), believing, faithful. Not worthy of confidence, untrustworthy.^[2]” This is a person that can’t be trusted with anything. Not only that this is a person without faith, this person can’t be trusted at all.

14. The abominable: “This is the Greek word bdelússō meaning: Polluted with crimes.^[3] This is a detestable person.”

 

15. The Murderers: This is basically an assassin or a killer. This is not one who kills in a war defending his country or defending himself or family. This is someone who enjoys killing.

16. The Sorcerers: “This is the Greek word pharmakós meaning a magician. The same as pharmakeús (5332). The noun pharmakeía (5331) means the preparing and giving of medicine.”  ^[4]  These are not only the drug dealers, but the ones preparing medication for people that are designed to cause more damage than good. Before I came back to North Carolina I was a Chaplain and Case Manager at a Christian Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program; I was amazed to see the great number of clients we had that were addicted to pain pills and other prescription medications. These were not folk that decided to use drugs, these were folk that suffered a serious injury or a physiological trauma and were introduced to these pills. I am not prepared to say that all medicine is bad, but I am prepare to say that a lot of the medicine we take is not designed to help us. The pharmaceutical industry is bringing in trillions of dollars. The Bible, not me, connects pharmacies as part of this black list in God’s Kingdom.

17. The Liar: This is the Greek word pseudḗs meaning: To lie. In these verses of Rev. 21:8 the word denotes all those who contrive idolatrous worship and false miracles to deceive men and make them fall into idolatry. See Sept.^[5]

 

Conclusion:

 

If the things mentioned on this list are part of God’s Black List then we, as Christians, should have no part in promoting these things in any way. Avoiding the promotion of these eleven things should clearly help us establish the moral standard for our homes.

 

 

7. Thieves: This word means: “Steals by fraud and in secret or by violence and openly. This word also means a false teachers or deceivers who steal men away from the truth^[1]” John 10:8 tells us:

 

“All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” NKJV

 8.  Covetous: This word means: “To be covetous. One who wants more, a person covetous of something that others have.” This person is not at peace until he has what others have. This is a direct reference to the 10^th commandment. We must learn, as Christians to find joy and peace with what we have. In Philippians 4:11-12 the Apostle Paul tells us:

 

“11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” NKJV

 

We have the tendency to ignored this commandment, however the violation of this commandment is the reason we have so many wars and fights according to James 4:1-3

“Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” NKJV

 9. Drunkard: A person addicted to wine. A person who gives his or herself to any substance that affects our minds and reasoning.

 

10. Revilers: To find a definition for this word was a challenge, but basically this word means: “Criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner.” (Aa Dictionary) The Greek word basically means a blasphemer and an insulter. Blasphemy can be defined as Profanity. This is a person that has a life style of the usage of profanity.The word Insult can be defined as abuse, offense, rudeness, etc. Again, immature Christians can be led to believe that is ok to be a little insulting at times if provoked enough.

 11. Swindlers:   This is the Greek word: “Hárpax; rapacious (Greedy), given to rapacity or extortion, an extortioner (Luke 18:11; 1 Cor. 5:10, 11; 6:10). This is basically a greedy, destructive and predatory person.”^[2]

TO BE CONTINUED…

4. Adulterers: An adulterer is a person who is married and is having sex outside of his or her marriage. However, adultery involves more; it can also be defined as: “One who is faithless towards God.”^[1] An adulterer, by this definition, can also be a Christian who is allowing his/her heart to commit adultery against God. James 4:4 tells us:

 

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” NIV

Christians today that are engaging in mixing their Christianity with the things of this world are adulterous. With the same TV they watch a Christian movie, they also watch a TV Show or a movie that promotes the very things God despised. With the same voices they sing in church, they use with no problem or conviction to sing secular songs that promotes violence and fornication. Get the picture?

 5. Effeminate: This is the Greek word Malakós meaning: “Soft to the touch. Figuratively it means effeminate or a person who allows himself to be sexually abused contrary to nature.” First Corinthians 16:13 tells us:

 

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (NAS)

 6. Homosexuals: Comes from the Greek word  “Arsenokoítēs” A man who lies in bed with another male, a homosexual! Lev. 18:22. Leviticus 18:22 tells us:

“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” NKJV

 

I know that many emphasizes the categorization of sin and, in a way, it is true that some sins are worst than others. Anything dealing with fornication, for example, is a sin against our own bodies according to First Corinthians 6:18. But the word abomination can be seen better in Proverbs 8:7

“For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.” NKJV

 

The point that I am trying to make here is that every form of wickedness is an abomination not just homosexuality.

“17 Things We Must Run Away From”

“Or ^ado you not know that the unrighteous will not ^binherit the kingdom of God? ^cDo not be deceived; ^dneither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ¹effeminate, nor homosexuals,

10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will ^ainherit the kingdom of God.” First Corinthians 6:9-10 NAS

1. Unrighteous: “Sinful, wicket, unjust, evil, unholy, etc.”  These are Christians that basically are not embracing the message of holiness. They are either ignorant to the importance of sanctification or they place everything “under the blood”. These are Christians that feel that you can live your Christian life without taking responsibility for anything. It is the “I am not perfect” group that uses that reality as a justification to follow their flesh desires more than the Holy Spirit. It is a way of thinking that promotes that we are who we are and we can’t get any better. There is absolutely no difference between these kind of Christians and non-Christians.

2. Fornicators: Comes from the Greek Word “Pórnos”. Fornication is basically satisfying our sexual desires in any way outside of the marriage. Someone bound by pornography is also considered a fornicator.

3. Idolaters: “A worshiper of idols. An idol is anything we place before God. In its must simple definition and idolater is someone who embraces a life style that has no regrets in placing other things before God.” An idol can be anything; a job, a spouse, sons and daughters, a place, TV shows, movies, video games, books, famous people, political affiliation, music, ministry, etc. that will take the place of God. The first commandment is to love God above all things; this is the commandment that men violated the most. An idolater has no problem and no conviction in violating this commandment. All non-believers are idolaters, as they do not place their trust in God. However, we, in the Body of Christ, can also see idolatry stealing our fire for God. In the Body of Christ we basically have four categories of Christians:

a. The Christian that has not being disciple yet.

b. The Christian that has been wrongly disciple.

c. The carnal Christian.

d. The mature Christian.

The first three categories are most likely to embrace a lifestyle of commonly and unashamedly place things before God. Idolatry, I am afraid, is not taken as serious as others sins, however, is in the same list that will cost us missing God’s Kingdom. When we look at idolatry taking place in the Bible we see people actually worshipping and praying to images and false gods. Somehow we feel that because we are not praying to money, music, video games, etc. is not idolatry, but in fact it is, because it is stealing our hearts, our minds, our time and our money away from God. It becomes then a very sneaky form of idolatry.

TO BE CONTINUED…