BLESS, BLESSING - the act of declaring, or wishing, God's favour and goodness upon others. The blessing is not only the good effect of words; it also has the power to bring them to pass. In the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, important persons blessed those with less power or influence. The patriarchs pronounced benefits upon their children, often near their own deaths. - Gen. 49:1-28 - Even if spoken by mistake, once a blessing was given it could not be taken back. - Gen. 27 -

Leaders often blessed people, especially when getting ready to leave them. These included Moses - Deut. 33 - Joshua 22:6-7 - and Jesus. - Luke 24:50 - Equals could bless each other by being friendly. - Gen. 12:3 - One can also bless God, showing gratitude to Him - Duet. 8:10 - in songs of praise - Ps. 103:1-2 - God also blesses people by giving life, riches, fruitfulness, or plenty. - Gen. 1:22,28 - His greatest blessing is turning us from evil - Acts 3:25-26 - and forgiving our sins. - Rom. 4:7-8 -

Cases of the opposite of blessing, or cursing, are often cited in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. - Deut. 27: 11-26 - Although the natural reaction to a curse is to curse back, Christians are called to bless - to ask for the person's benefit. - Matt. 5:44 -

BLASPHEMY - the act of cursing, slandering, reviling or showing contempt or lack or reverence for God. In the Old Testament, blaspheming God was a serious crime punishable by death. - Lev. 24:15-16 - It was a violation of the Third Commandment, which required that the name and reputation of the Lord be upheld. - Ex. 20:7 -

The unbelieving Jews of Jesus' day charged Him with blasphemy because they thought of Him only as a man while He claimed to be God's Son. - Matt. 9:3 - Actually, the lawlessness of the Jews themselves was causing God's name to be blasphemed among the Gentiles. - Rom. 2:24 - By their bitter opposition to Jesus and His gospel, they themselves were guilty of blasphemy. - Acts 18:6 - Jesus condemned as blasphemy their attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. - Matt. 12:31-32 -

Christians are commanded to avoid behaviour that blasphemes the Lord's and teaching. - 1Tim. 6:1 -

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -