Better is Open Rebuke Than Hidden Love

Proverbs 27 Select Verses

1 Do not boast about tomorrow,

    for you do not know what a day may bring.

5 Better is open rebuke

    than hidden love.

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend;

    profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

8 Like a bird that strays from its nest

    is a man who strays from his home.

12 The prudent sees danger and hides himself,

    but the simple go on and suffer for it.

19 As in water face reflects face,

    so the heart of man reflects the man.

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

    and never satisfied are the eyes of man.

I read a news article this morning (1) which read like something out of Revelation 13 regarding these last days before the return of Christ. I cannot verify either the truthfulness or the falseness of the information in this article. But it matches with what the Bible teaches will happen in these last days before the return of Christ, and the Bible says that we should know when the time is near by the signs. And the signs have been flashing broadly for quite some time now letting us know this time is approaching quickly.

We have to be so careful these days that we don’t blindly trust what anyone tells us, or even what we might see in a video, because everything today can be faked and photoshopped and altered to make it look one way while it is truly another. Deception is everywhere, in the church, in the media, in the government, and in marketing, etc. So, just because it shows up in the news is no guarantee that it is real or that it is exactly as they are telling it to us. We really have to be very discerning people who pray about everything.

So, just because “so and so” says it, that does not make it true. It doesn’t mean it is a lie, necessarily, but it could be. Remember that Satan’s servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness while inwardly they are ferocious wolves. Some of the kindest and gentlest of them all may be wolves in disguise. And I am not suggesting that we go around doubting everyone, but that we not go around believing everyone, either, or even that we believe just certain people who we think can be trusted. Test everyone and everything in prayer and in the study of the Scriptures (in context).

And as far as teaching goes, test everything against the Scriptures taught within their appropriate context. For so many liars and lies abound these days, and so many are teaching the Scriptures out of context. Some or many of them do so absolutely deliberately in order to deceive, and in order to lead us astray. So study the Scriptures for yourself, in context, and pray about everything you read or hear coming from the media and from your government heads, and don’t fear opposing information. Might be truth!

And test all these movements which may appear as true spiritual revivals but which may not be biblical in nature. I am seeing a lot of people supposedly now believing in Jesus Christ who are promoting faith in him, but what faith are they teaching? And then there are all these purported revivals on college campuses, but what faith are they promoting? Are they teaching death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord as proof of genuine faith which saves? Or is their faith more emotional oriented and not biblical?

So, because of the times in which we now live we should especially not boast about tomorrow, for we do not know what a day may bring. With how things are going on right now, with the wars which are going on in the world, of which the USA is party to, and with all the craziness that is going on with politics and morals and values and disasters and things hidden and secretive, and with all the lies and the liars everywhere, we especially cannot think that tomorrow is just going to be another day. It may not be at all.

Now, with regard to the part about open rebuke being better than hidden love, this is absolutely the truth. The Lord has me speaking the truth in love every day on the internet, and the majority probably are ignoring me or don’t even know I exist. And I am shunned by many who think what I am sharing is “too negative” and not enough “positive.” But in reality, the lies are what are negative, and the truth is really what is positive, and that is the point of this verse that open rebuke is better than hidden love.

And this also fits with “faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” A true friend is going to tell you the truth, not the lies, even knowing that you may reject that friend, and turn against him/her, and that you may even speak evil against him/her. Yet they are willing to be hated and mistreated by you out of love for you by telling you the truth that you need to hear to save your soul from hell and to help you to live victoriously over addictive sin. For a true friend will not lie to you.

And it is absolutely necessary in our world today that we have people who are willing to be crucified for speaking the truth because they care more about other people’s lives and destiny than they care about what happens to them, in return. For so many people are believing the lies in the name of truth, and they are believing that how they live will not impact where they end up for eternity. And many professing Christians are living in sexual immorality and in adultery against their spouses and in disobedience to God.

But Jesus said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to (save) our lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin (lose our lives), and we follow him in obedience, then we have life in him. For not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one doing the will of God the Father who is in heaven (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

So, please take this to heart. It is not true that you can make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now heaven is guaranteed you when you die, but regardless of how you live. For if sin is what we obey, if sin is what we practice (deliberately and habitually), and not righteous living, and not walks of obedience to our Lord’s commands, then according to the teachings of Jesus and of his NT apostles, we will not inherit eternal life with God regardless of what faith in Jesus we profess with our lips.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

https://vimeo.com/379406352

(1) The One World Order - https://www.globalresearch.ca/one-world-order-un-pact-future/5869162