Proverbs 18

What Proverbs 18:21 really mean? Rather than just looking at ONE verse, let's look at the WHOLE chapter of Proverbs 18 1 An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment. 2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. 3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes disgrace. 4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. 5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice. 6 A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. 7 A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. 8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts. 9 One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys. 10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. 11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall. 12 Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. 13 He who answers before listening— that is his folly and his shame. 14 A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? 15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out. 16 A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great. 17 The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him. 18 Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart. 19 An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel. 20 From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied. 21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. 22 He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD. 23 A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly. 24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Confession and belief in our hearts are important. Will we get what we want during our temporal lives with our words? James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. Hebrews 10:36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. James 1:4-8Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. We all have to understand what is truly God's will and to understand fully, we all have to focus on God's Character and His primary will for everyone in this world. Motives are to be discerned and carefully looked at. Proverbs 16:2 All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.

Positives and Negatives

The Bible mentioned many "positives" as we as many "negatives". We have to remember that we are not alone and that our spiritual lives will face both negatives and positives. We all need to focus in following God for today and tomorrow. We press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) God's knowledge of our discouragements (negatives) are more than just knowledge. Our spiritual outlook is to be on God and trust that God's glory that will be revealed. We have to remind ourselves that if we frequently relive our reasons for discouragements, we will lose our positive spiritual direction. Romans 8:28 basically means "Christian should always have hope" and later in Romans 15:13, "Hope comes from the Holy Spirit." "Faith is confidence in the character of God, and hope is the sweet anticipation of desirable things promised but not yet realized. Hope is an electronic beam on which the Christian flies through wind and storm straight to his desired haven. To the child of God, hope is a gift from the heavenly Father 'who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope' " (2 Thessalonians 2:16). God meets us in our hearts and we trust Him with all of our hearts, minds and souls. The mouth is NOT the source of our power because the Holy Spirit in our hearts is the source of our power. Acts 15:8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. Romans 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. My spiritual strength is from God who is in my heart.

Church, Denomination, Religion

Religion is believing in God, attending religious services, taking catechism, being baptized, and receiving communion. Religion is tradition, ritual, ceremony, and learning the difference between right and wrong. Religion is reading and memorizing Scripture, offering prayers, giving to the poor, and celebrating religious holy days. Religion is singing in the choir, helping the poor, and making amends for past wrongs. Religion is something that was practiced by the Pharisees, those Scripture-loving, conservative, separatistic, spiritual leaders who hated Christ enough to call for His death. They hated Him not only because He broke their traditions in order to help people (Matthew 15:1-9 ) but because He saw through their religion to their hearts. Denominations causes divisions which have been around for thousands years. Beliefs that impact people's lives and the Church, but with which there can be sincere disagreements. They are important; Christians might argue for them. These are theological ideas with which there can be great latitude of belief. These would include beliefs about predestination, eternal security, original sin, infant baptism and others. Church: To be a disciple of Christ means I am not a Christian based on "denomination", but rather, I am a Christian simply because I have accept Christ as my Lord and Savior. As a disciple, my Christian faith should be inward, not outward because the Bible teaches that faith is of the spirit and not of the flesh. Christ dwells in my heart, and "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) is the burning core of the Christian faith. In the Bible talks about two kinds of church memberships. First Kind of Member is at SALVATION: At the instant of our conversion, we become "positional members" in the universal church of Jesus Christ, based solely on His merit and grace. If you are a Christ-follower, then you are already this kind of member. This is eternal and unchanging (I Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 2:13-22; 4:3-6; Colossians 1:13-22). Everyone who is saved is a member of God's Kingdom. Second Kind of Member is at Local Church, the Bible also assumes those "positional members" physically in a visible local Church and become deeply involved in the participation of a local assembly (Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians. 12:25-31; 14:12, 26; Hebrews 10:24-25; I Tim. 3:14-15).