Bright Light of Truth, Sacred and Holy - a Pearl

[What makes a man or a woman a sacred or holy pearl? You might find the answer contained within some of Joe's Rules. The Rules speak for themselves.]

'The Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind, and thy whole strength.' (Mark 12:29, 30 WNT)
The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:29, 30 WNT)

`The first of all the commands [is], Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God out of all thy heart, and out of thy soul, and out of all thine understanding, and out of all thy strength -- this [is] the first command;
the second [is] like [it], this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; -- greater than these there is no other command.' (Mark 12-29-31 YLT)

"A new commandment I give you, to love one another; that as I have loved you, you also may love one another. It is by this that every one will know that you are my disciples--if you love one another." (John 13:34, 35 WNT)

“Now this is the basis for judgment, that the light has come into the world but men have loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were wicked. For he that practices vile things hates the light and does not come to the light, in order that his works may not be reproved. But he that does what is true comes to the light, in order that his works may be made manifest as having been worked in harmony with God.” (John 3:19-21 NWT)

1. “Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant.” ( Galatians 6:7 GNT)
2. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (NIV)
3. (“Do not be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap; because he who is sowing with a view to his flesh (idolatry, homosexuals, murderers, liars, hatreds, etc.) will reap corruption from the flesh, but he who is sowing with a view to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit. (Legitimate individuality, a living soul)

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6 NIV)
(“Do not give what is holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls before swine, that they may never trample them under their feet and turn around and rip you open.” -NWT)

“Stop judging that you may not be judged; for with what judgment you are judging, you will be judged; and with the measure that you are measuring out, they will measure out to you.” (Matthew 7:1, 2 NWT)
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (NIV)

“No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.” (Matthew 5:15 CSB)

“So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father who [is] in the heavens.” (Matthew 5:16 YLT)

Four Agreements:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
(by don Miguel Ruiz)

Some Proverbs:

1. The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. (Proverbs 10:8 NLT)
2. To hide hatred is to be a liar; to slander is to be a fool. (Proverbs 10:18 NLT)
3. The godly give good advice, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense. (Proverbs 10:21 NLT)
4. The godly speak words that are helpful, but the wicked speak only what is corrupt. (Proverbs 10:32 NLT)
5. Without wise leadership, a nation falls; with many counselors, there is safety. (Proverbs 11:14 NLT)
6. The LORD hates people with twisted hearts, but he delights in those who have integrity. (Proverbs 11:20 NLT)
7. A woman who is beautiful but lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig's snout. (Proverbs 11:22 NLT)
8. If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you! (Provers 11:27 NLT)
9. The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives. (Proverbs 12:6 NLT)
10. Fools think they need no advice, but the wise listen to others. (Proverbs 12:15 NLT)
11. A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted. (Proverbs 12:16 NLT)
12. The LORD hates those who don't keep their word, but he delights in those who do. Proverbs 12:22 NLT)
13. Wise people don't make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their folly. (Proverbs 12:23 NLT)
14. Arrogance leads to nothing but strife, but wisdom is gained by those who take advice. (Proverbs 13:10 CSB)
15. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy. (Proverbs 13:12 NLT)
16. Wise people think before they act; fools don't and even brag about it! (Proverbs 13:16 NLT)
17. If you refuse to discipline your children, it proves you don't love them; if you love your children, you will be prompt to discipline them. (Proverbs 13:24 NLT)
18. Do not answer anyone stupid according to his foolishness,m that you yourself also may not become equal to him. (Proverbs 26:4 NWT)
19. Have you seen a man wise in his own eyes: There is more hope for the stupid one than for him. (Proverbs 26:12 NWT) or,
20. Trembling at men is what lays a snare, but he that is trusting in Jehovah will be protected. (Proverbs 29:25. NWT

Some simple truths plagiarized by Joe:

1. Every man is rich in his excuses to safeguard his prejudices, his instincts and his opinions.
2. Social good is what brings peace to family and society.
3. A man's heart hold his own truth.
4. Each truth you learn will be for you, as new as if it had never been written.
5. Envious greed must govern to posses and ambition must posses to govern.
6. Seek the source of truth not the image of it.
7. What you are doing does not matter so much as what you are learning from doing it.
8. Every man must be in the rhythm of his time, such is wisdom.
9. The honest stage a society can reach is when its leaders are chosen by their ability instead of their wealth (or color of their skin).
10. In every vital activity it is the path that matters.
11. A man's heart hold his own truth.
12. Leave him in error who loves his error.
13. True sages are those who give what they have, without meanness and without secrets!
14. A man must learn the fact that everything he does will have its consequences.
15. Sound skepticism is the necessary condition for the discovery of truth.
16. The best and shortest road towards knowledge of truth is nature.
17. Popular beliefs must be examined in order to discover the original thought.
18. A seed can't reach its potential without receiving corresponding energies from the sky
19. There are two kinds of error: blind credulity and piecemeal criticism.
20. What reveals itself to me ceases to be mysterious for me alone, if I unveil it to anyone else, they hear mere words.
21. Growth doesn't depend on the will of the intellect, but on the intensity of the inner urge.
22. Never believe a word without putting its truth to the test.
23. To gain knowledge you must first gain peace.
24. Listen to your convictions, even if they seem absurd to your reason.
25. Judge by cause, not effect.
26 Peace is the fruit of activity, not of sleep.
27. People bring about their own undoing through their tongues.
28 Love is one thing, knowledge is another.
29. To know means to record in one's memory, but to understand means to make part of oneself.
30. Exuberance brings action, but the inner light grows in silence and concentration.

If you made it this far, good for you. Joe lives by these rules and applies, as he see's fit, the simple truths contained that make a bright pearl. How many of you can say the same?

--Joe