Southerners know their borders and say the “Bible Belt.”
Bible Belt has a strong influence on religious identity. It’s their way of life here, a strong belief in traditional values, and a moral compass grounded in Biblical principles. This is reflected in everything they do.
Acts of kindness
When we arrived here, it took only a little while to adapt to the changes. For example, I said to Brad, “Everyone here waves.” It’s an everyday thing, passing people, driving, walking, or riding by on your bike. I had to learn to ride one-handed so I could wave back.
Another act of kindness is if you’re going in somewhere, they hold the door open for you and never seem to be in a hurry. Smiles are shared here; if you need help, they all show up.
There are lots of places here to sit awhile.
It’s like going back in time; you’ll hear Hey, y’all, would you like my buggy? – (shopping cart)
I’m an evaluator, I can spend excessive time assessing people and researching the area’s history and what framework models them appropriately. To frame a single word to describe the Southerners, “They are as sweet as their sweet tea.”
Bible Belt (borders), like a belt, is what holds its standard up. Any area held up by possession allows no trespassing. If you do, there’s a price to pay.
BORDERS & BOUNDARIES
Two times in my life, I’ve visually seen a sign from God while praying about borderlines. Others who were with me witnessed one of these moments; as we were praying over the borders of our town/county, the Sun was setting, and we all spoke up in unity: “Do you see that sky? It looks like the finger of God drew a red line, perfectly declaring a bloodline. I knew it was a protection sign. The boundary line marked because of the direction it faced territorially was the enemy it marked. And He kept His Word to keep us protected to the end.
Southerners know their borders and say they are the “Bible Belt.”
It’s their nature to be friendly, but they never get up in your space.
Proverbs 25:17 New King James Version
17 “Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you”
BOUNDARIES ARE A BIG DEAL IN THE BIBLE TOO.
Boundaries are the Lord’s way of encompassing us with grace.
I can’t speak enough about boundaries
I’ve learned and am still learning that boundaries are needed.
In my early years of ministry, I began to appreciate boundaries; they separate for clarity of responsibilities and privileges. A boundary creates the necessary “space” between individuals. Healthy boundaries define expectations and show respect for others.
A person with clear, healthy boundaries communicates to others what is and is not permissible, saying, in effect, “This is my jurisdiction, and you have no right to interfere.”
Boundaries protect your time, and some will spend all your time if you are without boundaries. It’s okay to say yes, and it’s okay to say no, respectively.
Boundaries can be used in healthy ways and sinful ways. The way to check which boundaries are set by God’s standards is to examine the motive.
Are you protecting yourself or someone weaker from possible harm, either emotional or physical? If so, you are setting healthy and needful boundaries. However, if you are maintaining distance simply because you desire to exclude an individual, that is sinful.
When someone is being destructive, you must set clear boundaries to protect you from the evil they would try to commit against you.
Matthew 18:5-6
“Woe to the one who causes one of these to stumble. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me“
Since the nature of Jesus is like one of these little children, how we treat those humble children shows what we think of the nature of Jesus.
Almost 87,000 sexual offenses against children were recorded by police in the past year, 2023/2024. But what about the nonrecorded ones?
Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin: Jesus takes it seriously when one of His little ones is led into sin.
It is a wicked thing to sin and a far greater evil to lead others into sin. But leading one of Jesus’ little ones into sin is far worse because you then initiate or victimize them while violating their precious innocence. The predators tell their victims to lie about their actions, another way they lead children to sin.
If you’ve been abused? “it is not your secret to hide; go tell someone now.”
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea: A severe punishment is described here. It would be better for the offending one to receive this punishment of the millstone. Jesus looks at milestones around that region, making an obvious prophecy.
The stone, and anyone attached to it, was sure to sink and never come up again. And this was a giant millstone.
“Moreover, the very picture of drowning had its terror for the Jew. Drowning was sometimes a Roman punishment, but never Jewish.” (Barclay)
Don’t ever let up on those boundary lines. You will sometimes have battles with the enemy crossing the line. It is detrimental to keep watch over the ways the enemy gets in. You must maintain safeguards to ensure you don’t give in to those closest Family members that the enemy uses, whoever he’s allowed to infiltrate.
HERE ARE LINES YOU DO NOT CROSS AND BOUNDARIES YOU SET FOR PROTECTION.
NATURAL BORDERS: Strong’s Hebrew #1366 – gebul – border, boundary, territory 22 results for “borders” in NKJV
SUPERNATURAL BORDERD: Strong’s Greek #1366 – distomos: double-mouthed, two-edged double mouth of the River.
Landmarks (death to move a landmark) Hebrews 4:12, Revelation 1:16 & 2:12 – The two-edged sword of the Word divides good from evil, darkness from light. It makes a boundary line.
The Line was Drawn, and He drew that line
They tried to get him to cross the line of the Old Testament Law or the Roman Law
He drew the Line!
Scribes and Pharisees Brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. The enemy was determined to find that perfect timing Jesus publically taught outside in the courts. Why? They wanted to make this as public as possible, to embarrass and destroy both the woman and Jesus.
The religious leaders brought this woman to Jesus; they caught her involved with a man, not her husband, in the very act of adultery.
They set a trap for Jesus. If Jesus said, “Let her go,” He would seem to break the Law of Moses.
Trying to get him to cross the line
If He said, “Execute her for the crime of adultery,” He would break Roman law because the Romans had taken the right of official execution for religious offenses away from the Jews.
John 8:6 Jesus ignores the accusers as if He never heard them.
This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger as though He did not hear.
This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him: The religious leaders — Evil, wretched men as they were — used this woman as a weapon against Jesus. They accused her of being a sinner before Jesus but ignored their own sin.
I can see those accusers’ toes were right up to the edge of that line.
To “cross a line’ is to violate an ethical or moral Law
Transgression has the very basic idea of crossing the line. God has given us His law, and we cross the line we chose to disobey, or God gives us a choice, and we can stand on one side with him or against him.
Judas, the traitor in John Chapter 6
Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil
John 13:27
After [Judas had taken] the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly [without delay
If someone crosses the line, they start behaving unacceptably or offensively with no given right to do so.
Transgression Strong’s #H6588: pesha`
The word transgression in Hebrew is pasa.’ This means to rebel, sin, betray, and offend; it talks about a conscious, willful rebel against God.
Transgression Strong’s #G3848: parabiazomai
One who steps over God’s line violates, departs, and deserts from God.
Acts 1:25 – That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
Acts 1:25 Expanded Bible
“The apostles prayed, “Lord, you know the ·thoughts [hearts] of everyone. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to ·do this work and to be an apostle [L take this position of ministry and apostleship] in place of Judas, who turned away and went where he belongs [C to death, destruction, or hell].”
Jesus passes the sentence
John 8:7-8
So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground
To Throw the Stone
He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first: In Jewish law, witnesses to the capital crime began the stoning. Jesus is saying that one of the witnesses must begin her execution. So, who among you is the one who witnessed this crime? And only brought to Me the woman, where is the man?
There is still a place for exposing and rebuking and directly dealing with the sins of others in God’s family, but it must always be done with an understanding that recognizes that sin can lead that individual to eternal separation from God the Father, confronting the sin is lead from a broken heart because someone never came forward on their own to ask for forgiveness.
The Bible is clear that individuals who practice sin will be judged.
Revelation 21:8 Amplified Bible
8 But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
2 Corinthians 5:10
10 For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities.
We have the warning of Christ that He will not receive us into His kingdom until we are ready to give up all until we are ready to turn from all sin in our lives. (Billy Graham)