Archive for the ‘Bible Study’ Category

Spiritual Training 21 October 2014

Posted: October 20, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, Battle Focus, Battle of the Mind, Beliefs, better than life, Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Inspiration, Special gifts, Spiritual Gifts, Spiritual Training
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Under Gods Command

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

All Christians have faith. Some, however, have the spiritual gift of faith, which is an unusual measure of trust in the Holy Spirit’s power.

“Prophecy” does not just refer to predicting the future; it can also mean giving a message received from God to the community of believers: “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort” (14:3). The prophet Joel had written the words of the Lord, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy” (Joel 2:28). As with the gift of faith, the ability to share one’s faith with power is available to everyone (see 14:1–5), but to some the Spirit gives a special measure of this gift. Paul wrote in Romans, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith” (Romans 12:6). Some have interpreted “prophecy” to be fulfilled in various sermons throughout church history. Others, however, say that prophecy is not a sermon, but a spontaneous, Spirit-inspired message that is orally delivered in the congregation for the edification and encouragement of the body of Christ.

Opinions differ over exactly what Paul meant by “tongues.” Some believe that this refers to speaking in earthly languages that a person did not say that this refers to an “ecstatic” language, a “heavenly” language. Most likely the second view is correct. Probably the only time that the word “tongues” refers to other earthly languages is when describing Pentecost. The rest of the time in the New Testament, the word refers to ecstatic languages unknown to anyone—languages of angels (13:1). Speaking in tongues is a legitimate gift of the Spirit. The exercise of the gift demands some guidelines (as noted in chapter 14) so that the purpose of the gift—to help the body of Christ—is not lost. Those who speak in tongues should follow the guidelines; those who do not speak in tongues ought not seek the gift as a sign of salvation or of special closeness with God, for it is neither. It is a gift of God, given only to whomever God chooses. If a person has not experienced the gift of tongues, he or she ought not seek it but seek what gifts God has given. For more, see the notes in chapter 14.

Lets Bring it Home: No matter what gift(s) a person has, all spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit decides which gifts each believer should have. We are responsible to use and sharpen our gifts, but we can take no credit for what God has freely given us. Note that discussions about spiritual gifts usually create difficulties when two central points are overlooked: (1) Properly used, spiritual gifts are not self-serving but serve the whole body of Christ (12:7); (2) each gift becomes practically useless when used without love (chapter 13). As you seek to identify and utilize the gifts God has given you, make loving God and loving fellow Christians your highest motives.

Proverbs 21:18 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: October 20, 2014 in After you get saved., Battle Focus, Battle of the Mind, Beliefs, better than life, Bible Study, Encourgement, evil men, Faith, Fear, Fear of rejection, fools, Happiness, Healing, Human Suffering, Inspiration, Justice, Security, and Happiness, Lord fighting for you, Proverbs 21, Sudden disaster, Suffering, trust in the Lord with all your heart, winning
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 21:18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the unfaithful for the upright.

The God of heaven loves the righteous, and He gladly sacrifices the wicked for them. The ransom price to purchase and bless the righteous is the lives of wicked transgressors. He will save the righteous by sacrificing their wicked enemies, and He will return their wicked designs against the righteous upon their own heads. Consider Psalm 7:10-17!

Are you envious at the prosperity of the wicked? Are you troubled by their hatred for the righteous? Are you afraid of their proud waves? They shall foam out their shame in everlasting darkness! But before they get to that dark place, they shall be sold to trouble. There is a righteous God, and He makes differences in how He treats men (Ps 58:10-11 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then men will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.”)

The best example to illustrate this lesson is the ransom of Egypt for Israel. The LORD loved His people Israel, and He heard their cry by reason of the hard bondage the Egyptians put upon them (Ex 1:13-14; 2:23-25). He had respect for them, but He did not have respect for Egypt. They were about to become the ransom for His righteous nation.

He sent ten plagues and horribly destroyed them before drowning Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea. Pharaoh’s counselors admitted the plagues had destroyed the nation (Ex 10:7). With the firstborn dead in every home, the Egyptians begged for Israel to leave, so Israel “borrowed” the wealth of the whole nation to never return it. And the Lord joyfully directed Israel to spoil the Egyptians this way (Ex 12:35-36). Give God the glory!

The LORD declares of this transaction, “For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life” (Isaiah 43:3-4). This is the lesson.

God directed Joshua to stone Achan and his family to save Israel (Josh 7:1-26). Saul’s seven sons were hanged to ransom Israel from a famine from the LORD (II Sam 21:1-14). And Haman and his ten sons were hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai and the Jews (Esther 7:10). There is a God that treats men differently (Ps 58:10-11).

Consider the words in another proverb, “The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead” (Pr 11:8). The Lord will pluck the righteous out of trouble and put the wicked in his place! The Lord will punish the wicked instead of the righteous.

God used Assyria as his tool to chasten Israel; then He turned and crushed Assyria for their actions and attitude (Is 10:5-19). And He did the same to Babylon, whom He used to punish Israel and other nations for seventy years before punishing them (Jer 25:8-14).

The servant that did not earn a return on his single talent was punished severely, and his talent was taken and given to the man with ten. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer; yes, the poor are sacrificed for the rich in this spiritual parable (Matt 25:14-30).

Dear reader, if you fear the Lord and seek to live righteously, the Lord loves you and will gladly sacrifice the wicked for you. There is no need to fear them at all. The Lord is in His holy temple, and He will never let the wicked have their way with you. Your lesson in this proverb is the glorious providence of Almighty God in disposing of events in this life for the benefit of His people. He will sacrifice others for the benefit of His children.

The day is coming when Christians will judge the world and angels (I Cor 6:2-3). The devils and sinners have persecuted them for thousands of years, but the day of vengeance is coming, when the martyrs under the altar of God shall have their great desire fulfilled (Rev 6:9-11). Both wicked men and angels shall be sacrificed in place of His children.

Let this lesson drive away any fear or intimidation of the wicked, and let it replace that fear with a humble desire to be the honourable and beloved people of the most High. For “no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper” (Is 54:11-17). And “he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye” (Zech 2:8-9). Thank you, Lord, for defending and saving the upright in heart. Consider Psalm 7:10-17 again. Glory!

Proverbs 20:26 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: October 20, 2014 in After you get saved., Battle Focus, Bible Study, business pratices, Churches in Maryland, clean break, Disrespectful Children, Fear, Fear of rejection, Fellowship, Lord fighting for you, Proverbs 20
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Under Gods Command 

Proverbs 20:26 A wise king winnows out the wicked; he drives the threshing wheel over them.

Great rulers crush criminals. A powerful king that will not tolerate civil opposition is a beautiful thing (Pr 30:31). Solomon and his father David were both wise and successful kings. Here Solomon gives inspired and learned political advice to kings and others in authority. Wise rulers will fight and destroy wicked persons under their authority.

The origin and purpose of civil government are not mysteries. The LORD God ordained rulers over nations and other political principalities to punish evildoers (Rom 13:1-4; I Pet 2:13-14). Resisting or resenting this authority is to resist and resent God Himself. Civil government has the right to capital punishment in enforcing its laws, and God sends these rulers as His ministers to execute revenge upon criminals that break the law.

Bringing the wheel over the wicked is to crush them. Grain was crushed in King Solomon’s day by turning or rolling a heavy wheel over it (Is 28:27-28; Judges 16:21). This separated the wheat from the husk. Wise government will take heavy measures to crush wicked men who have set themselves against the state, law, and other citizens.

The wisdom here teaches that civil government should be strict and severe. There can be no tolerance or compromise with criminals. Compromise and delay cause an increase in crime by hardening the hearts of criminals. You can see this in current issues of hung juries, appeals, delay tactics, further appeals, and stays of execution (Eccl 8:11).

There are several references to kings in this chapter of Proverbs. Solomon was providing wisdom for his son Rehoboam, the next king of Israel, and for rulers in general. He described the positive virtue of great fear (Pr 20:2), their holy execution of judgment (Pr 20:8), and their balance of mercy and truth in protecting the innocent (Pr 20:28).

Wise rulers seek quiet and peaceable lives for their productive citizens. These people can only have such lives, if the wicked are scattered and crushed. Leaders must take the justice part of their office seriously and do all they can to destroy criminals and crime. They must be free of sentimentality to aid, abet, respect, or pardon criminals.

There is not room for one wicked person, one criminal, in a just and good nation. Death row in the U.S. should be emptied of 3700 monsters by way of public stoning on pay-per-view television, with the proceeds going to the victims’ families. One cent spent on their upkeep in the penal system is a waste and encourages crime. Stones are cheap. David, a king after God’s own heart, had zero tolerance for criminals (II Sam 4:1-12; Ps 101:4-8).

Those who resist civil government or speak evil or lightly of those in authority should be dealt with most severely. God Himself opened up the earth to swallow men and their families alive for speaking against Moses (Num 16:1-34). The New Testament says they should be destroyed like rabid dogs, for they obviously do not understand the basic necessity or duties of authority (II Pet 2:10-12; Jude 1:8-10). There is no such thing as freedom of speech against authority in God’s wisdom (Ex 22:28; Ec 10:20; Job 34:18).

Let every man in a position of authority use strict and severe measures against the wicked in his realm of control. This applies to employers, fathers, husbands, and pastors, as well as kings and presidents, governors and sheriffs. Righteousness, peace, and quiet in any society depend on strong leaders ridding it of fools and their rebellion (Pr 19:25; 21:11).

Jesus Christ is the greatest of Kings, with the most wisdom. He is King of kings! When the Jews rejected God and their O.T. scriptures and crucified Him, He promised to return and miserably destroy those wicked men (Matt 21:41), tear down their temple, send His armies to burn up their city (Matt 22:7), and grind them to powder (Matt 21:44).

He promised to not leave one stone on another when He destroyed Jerusalem (Luke 19:44). He promised more distress and trouble on them than any nation had suffered before or since (Matt 24:21). He fulfilled all this and more in 70 AD by Roman armies under Titus Vespasian Augustus. But at the same time, to those who feared His name and loved Him, Jesus the Sun of Righteousness came with healing in His wings (Mal 4:2).

The Lord Jesus Christ is soon coming again with His mighty angels in flaming fire to wreck vengeance on all those that have rejected God and disobeyed the apostolic gospel (II Thess 1:7-9). But He will be admired that day by all those who believe the gospel and love His appearing, and He will bring eternal blessing and reward for them (II Thess 1:10; Titus 2:13). Reader, repent of your crimes against heaven and beg for His mercy!

Spiritual Training (Messing with Believers is messing with God)

Posted: October 20, 2014 in After you get saved., Battle Focus, Beliefs, better than life, Bible Study, Disrespectful Children, distractions, Encourgement, evil men, Fear, Fear of rejection, fools, Human Suffering, Lord fighting for you, Personal Growth, Suffering, The Poor, valid criticism, Your calling, your gift, Zechariah
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Under Gods Command (Messing with Believers is messing with God)

Zechariah 2:08 For this is what the LORD Almighty says: “After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you-for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye. 

Believers are precious to God (Psalm 116:15); they are his very own children (Psalm 103:13). Treating any believer unkindly is the same as treating God that way. As Jesus told his disciples, when we help others we are helping him; when we neglect or abuse them, we are neglecting or abusing him (Mathew 25:34-46).

Lets Bring it Home: Be careful, therefore, how you treat fellow believers-that is the way you are treating God.

Spiritual Training 09 October 2014

Posted: October 9, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

1 Corinthians 12:3-6 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Anyone can claim to speak for God, and the world is full of false teachers. Paul gives us a test to help us discern whether or not a messenger is really from God: does he or she confess Christ as Lord? Don’t naively accept the words of all who claim to speak for God; test their credentials by finding out what they teach about Christ.

God is completely involved in the giving, using, and empowering of gifts. Specific gifts, places of service, and activities vary, but they all have their best effects when they build up the body of Christ—the church. God creates a unique place in the body for every believer. Gifts and ministries may overlap, but each believer has a specialized, God-designed role. Part of the exciting adventure of following Christ involves discovering one’s service contribution and then making it available to God.

Lets Bring it Home: Make serving God and his people your motive as you utilize your gifts.

Proverbs 9:4 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: October 9, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 09, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 9:4”Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those who lack judgment.

Simple men have two options. They can accept Lady Wisdom’s sincere invitation for wisdom and a blessed life, or they can fall for a whore’s lying seduction for death and hell. With a very powerful comparison, King Solomon set out the choice of life and death for his children, nation, and you. Listen carefully! Every man shall bear his own burden!

Consider carefully to see the precious comparison. Two women are after your soul. Both are beautiful. The beauty of one is timeless; that of the other very short. One speaks the truth; the other lies from beginning to end. Both are pleasant, but the pleasure of one is for a very short season, and the pleasure of the other is for eternity. Two women call you.

“Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding,” one says to you, “Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding” (Pr 9:4-6). This is the beautiful and noble Lady Wisdom, who has been described and speaking since Proverbs 8:1.

“Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding,” another woman says to you, “Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant” (Pr 9:16-17). This is the lustful and fatally dangerous whore, Lady Folly, who is described and speaking in Proverbs 9:13-18. Do not let this wicked woman seduce you.

This foolish woman, this strange woman, this whore, is also beautiful, and she also calls you. She wants simple men and those that lack understanding to destroy them, for they know “not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell” (Pr 9:18). A wise man is too difficult for her to seduce, for he knows her wiles cover bitter pain.

At her table you are looking at the rapidly decaying features of a malicious liar, who is planning to take advantage of your simplicity for her own gain. Her flattering words are the anesthesia for your soul; her kisses are the kiss of death. Hell is where you are headed in this world and in the world to come if you stay with her one more minute. Run away!

Lady Wisdom is much more beautiful and has prepared a beautiful house, fully furnished, for your perpetual prosperity and comfort (Pr 9:1-5). Her guests are luxuriously entertained and provided for to the eternal benefit of their souls. See the comments on Pr 9:1 and Pr 9:2. Your simplicity does not offend her; she wants to help you gain wisdom!

She has prepared a feast for you, if you will simply take her gracious invitation. She offers you life, and that an abundant life, if you will let her feed you the feast of knowledge and understanding. At this table the simple can become wise and successful. The only thing necessary for admittance is your simplicity. If you lack wisdom and want to gain it, she will be your most willing host. Do not reject her offer. Accept it at once!

These are not merely two literal women here, but a personification of the choices every man or woman must make in life. Will you seek and learn heavenly wisdom to avoid the foolishness of this world that will painfully destroy you? Or will you weakly let a whorish world take you down the seductive path to dysfunctional living, death, and hell?

Simple men can learn wisdom and understanding with Lady Wisdom, who wants to serve and help men needing knowledge. They can become wise by filling their lives with God’s precious Word, sound Bible preaching, godly music, and the Lord’s people. To learn from Lady Wisdom, they must shun this world’s ideas, music, entertainment, and friends.

But simple men can also be destroyed by the strange woman, who will take advantage of their ignorance for her selfish ends. The simple are too ignorant to know her friendship is the way to death and hell. But the attentive reader is now informed and should ponder what house he has entered. Do not be deceived, her pleasure is only for a moment.

All men by nature are simple and lacking understanding. All men face this choice. Will you be wise or foolish? Will you remain faithful to your wife or choose another? Will you seek to correct your foolishness or allow it to take you down to hell? Do you desire wisdom and prudence, or folly and pleasure, to be your companions through life?

Christian reader, to which woman do you turn for religion? Do you seek a simple church of Jesus Christ where a banquet of grace, truth, and fellowship is spread for sinners? Or do you fall for the seductive advances of the harlot church with her gaudy appeal, false doctrine, worldly popularity, and entertaining fables? Remember, her pleasure lasts only a short season, and then comes the death and hell she hides behind her sensual pretenses.

Look instead for that chaste virgin of a pure church meeting in apostolic simplicity and preaching the hard, unvarnished truth of God’s inspired and preserved words. If you are not being convicted on a regular basis and growing in wisdom and understanding, it is likely that you have missed the apostolic church and are in a carnal and compromising church of these perilous times. Let every reader take heed. Life or death is the result.

Proverbs 08:13 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: October 8, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 08, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command 

Proverbs 8:13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. 

The more a person fears and respects God, the more he or she will hate evil. Love for God and love for sin cannot coexist. Harboring secrets sins means that you are tolerating evil within yourself. Make a clean break with sin and commit yourself completely to God.

Fear and hate are good! They are essential to success with God and men. Fearing God is hating sin. The fear of the LORD, a reverential desire to please Him, is measured by your hatred of the things He hates. Four sins are listed here for you to hate, if you really want to please God and be wise. Lady Wisdom also states her hatred for these four sins.

The fear of the LORD is the greatest duty and goal of life. Solomon made this inspired conclusion after testing every possible reason for living with extensive experiments (Eccl 5:7; 8:12; 12:13). It is the first and greatest pursuit of godly men. You cannot love God rightly until you fear Him, for loving Him is His commandment (Deut 6:1-5; 10:12).

No man fears God by nature (Ps 36:1; Rom 3:18). It is the gift of God in a regenerated heart, but it is your duty to stir it up and put it into practice. It is the great prerequisite for wisdom, understanding, and knowledge (Pr 1:7; 9:10; Ps 111:10), and it brings the great blessings of God (Ps 112:1; 115:13; 128:1; 145:19; 147:11; Luke 1:50).

This effeminate and perverse generation condemns fear and hate. Yet they fear Bible preaching and truth, for it proves their guilt; and they hate those who preach and live it, for they would limit their wicked activities. But their opinions do not matter compared to the wisdom of the Creator God and His inspired Scriptures. Fear and hate are still good.

The fear of the LORD is a reverent desire to please God Jehovah, the Creator God of the Bible, which includes hating the things that He hates. The living and true God of the Bible hates sin (Pr 6:16-19; Jer 44:4; Zech 8:17), and His followers are to hate sin as well. Fear and hate are good. So hate evil with God (Ps 97:10; Amos 5:15; Rom 12:9)!

Lady Wisdom hates pride, which is exalted thinking about yourself, leading to an attitude of superiority and contempt for others. It is the inordinate self-esteem adored by this generation. God cast Satan out of heaven for pride (I Tim 3:6), and He will crush any man with a proud spirit, for you are nothing before Him and without Him (Ps 39:5; 62:9).

Lady Wisdom hates arrogance, which is aggressive pride in dealing with others. Pride is your attitude about yourself and others; arrogance is a haughty, condescending, conceited, and presumptuous treatment of others. It is the difference between being puffed up and vaunting yourself in Paul’s definition of love (I Cor 13:5; Rom 12:16).

Lady Wisdom hates an evil lifestyle, which is sinful living with wicked habits. You are to avoid ungodly men and their deeds (Ps 1:1; 5:4-5; 101:3-8; I John 2:16). You are to love God’s directions for each area of your life and hate every other idea (Ps 119:128; Jer 6:16). The blessed King Jesus was honored greatly for hating evil (Ps 45:7; Heb 1:9).

Lady Wisdom hates a froward mouth, which is perverse, obnoxious, and wicked speech. Your words should feed and help others (Pr 10:21; 15:4; 16:24). God hates a froward and lying tongue (Pr 4:24; 6:12,17; 10:31; 12:19; 21:6). Solomon dedicated many proverbs to sound speech, as it is a common area of sin (Pr 10:19; 12:18; 15:1-2,28; 17:27-28).

Reader, do you hate these four things? Are all four of them out of your life? You cannot and will not be wise, as long as you hold on to any of these specified sins. The true fear of the LORD will cause you to hate these things and tear every aspect of them out of your life (Ps 101:2-3). Do not claim to fear the LORD, if you hold on to even a single sin. To continue in your sins is to despise the LORD (Pr 14:2), and the holy God will punish you.

The great men and women in the earth are those who fear the LORD. They are His favorites, and they live happy and successful lives. He is their God, and He blesses them abundantly (Ps 25:12-15; 128:1-6). Jesus Christ feared God, and His prayers were heard, and He rules over the universe (Heb 5:7-9; 1:3,13). Follow His holy and perfect example.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (6) in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.  

Proverbs 7:01 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: October 8, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 07, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 7:1 My son, keep my words and store up my commands and you will live.

Sons often neglect their father’s instructions and warnings. If they forget them, they will not be ready, when temptation is in their eyes, ears, heart, and loins. And the temptation here is dangerous and powerful – a beautiful and skilled adulteress (Pr 7:5-27). The same lesson applies to young women, when they are infatuated with a handsome man. Solomon begins and ends his warning with appeals to remember his advice (Pr 7:1-4,24).

Solomon knew the folly and vanity of youth (Pr 22:15; Eccl 11:10). He knew the great vulnerability that young men and women have to sexual lusts and temptations (Ps 25:7; Eccl 12:5; Ezek 23:3,8,19,21; II Tim 2:22). Their freedom, folly, naiveté, sexual desire, and youthful bodies create a dangerous combination. He also knew the haughty spirit in most of their hearts. Therefore, he repeatedly begged his children to listen and remember his instruction (Pr 1:8; 2:1-5; 3:1-4; 4:1-5,13; 5:1-2,7; 6:20-21; 7:1-4,24; 8:32-33).

The dangers of not remembering are great. How will a young man resist, when his eyes are full of her beauty, his ears full of her flattery, his heart full of her offered love and submission, and his loins full of desire (Pr 5:3; 6:24-25; 7:13-21)? How will a young woman resist, when her eyes are full of his manliness, her ears full of his flattery, her heart full of his attention and affection, and her body craves his embrace (Gen 34:1-3)?

The consequences of not remembering are great. Solomon warned his children very carefully about the bitter pain that would wrack their consciences and bodies after sinning sexually (Pr 5:7-14). They would lose their reputations, years of their lives, and their labor and money. They would grieve about their hypocrisy, but it would be too late. They would remember the many warnings they had been given, but it would also be too late.

Why is it hard for youth to remember instruction? They have undisciplined and wanderings minds; they easily forget what was said in their rush to explore new things; they get enraptured in the vanity of youthful activities and lusts; they think their teachers are too conservative and missing the great pleasures of life; they fall into temptation naively and unawares without recollection of warnings. Youth is folly and vanity!

Consider Joseph in Egypt. He worked for Potiphar in his late teens and twenties, the years of a man’s most powerful sexual drive (Gen 37:2; 41:46). He was far from home; no one knew him; Egypt’s morality was low; and a beautiful woman begged him to sleep with her (Gen 39:7-12). He did not have a Bible, and there were none for sale at the local pyramid! How did he resist this woman in these circumstances? How did he give such a sober answer to her? He remembered the instructions of his father from his youth. Glory!

But consider Samson with Philistine women. Though he had good parents, who had been given careful instructions about his life, he chose early on to reject their advice about women (Judges 13:1-25; 14:1-3). By forgetting the warnings of his parents, Samson was in no condition to resist the lying words, hired body, and short-term pleasure of Delilah; and he was utterly ruined (Judges 16:1-21). If only he had remembered his parents’ advice and married a beautiful woman of Israel and had children with her (Pr 5:15-23).

Solomon had been taught well by both of his parents – David and Bathsheba (Pr 4:1-4; I Chron 28:9). And he had witnessed the horrible evils of sexual sins in his own father and family (II Sam 11:1-27; 12:1-25; 13:1-39). But he forgot his father’s instruction and ruined his life with 1000 ungodly women (I Kgs 11:1-8; Neh 13:23-27). If even this wise man could forget the instruction he had been given, the danger is much greater for you.

How well do you hear and remember what you are taught by your parents and pastors? Jesus Christ taught that careful hearing is very important, for He knew the three enemies of retention and application (Luke 8:11-18). Do you crave hearing and learning to grow in knowledge (I Pet 2:1-3; II Pet 3:18)? Do you review what you are taught and practice applying it (Heb 5:12-14)? Can you teach others, or do you still need to be taught?

Spiritual Training (Suffering) 08 October 2014

Posted: October 8, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, James, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, Suffering, trust in the Lord with all your heart
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Under Gods Command

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James doesn’t say if you face trials, but whenever you face them. He assumes that we will have trials and that it is possible to profit from them. The point is not to pretend to be happy when we face pain, but to have a positive outlook (“consider it pure joy”) because of what trials can produce in our lives. James tells us to turn our hardships into times of learning. Tough times can teach us perseverance. For other passages dealing with perseverance (also called patience and steadfastness), see Romans 2:7; 5:3–5; 8:24, 25; 2 Corinthians 6:3–7; 2 Peter 1:2–9.

We can’t really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. It is easy to be kind to others when everything is going well, but can we still be kind when others are treating us unfairly? God wants to make us mature and complete, not to keep us from all pain. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth.

Lets Bring it Home: Thank God for promising to be with you in rough times. Ask him to help you solve your problems or to give you the strength to endure them. Then be patient. God will not leave you alone with your problems; he will stay close and help you grow.

Spiritual Training (Suffering) 08 October 2014

Posted: October 8, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Grace, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, Suffering, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

(Suffering)

Romans 5:3-4 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. 

For first-century Christians, suffering was the rule rather than the exception. Paul tells us that in the future we will become, but until then we must overcome. This means we will experience difficulties that help us grow. We rejoice in suffering not because we like pain or deny its tragedy, but because we know God is using life’s difficulties and Satan’s attacks to build our character. The problems that we run into will develop our perseverance—which in turn will strengthen our character, deepen our trust in God, and give us greater confidence about the future.

Lets Bring it Home: You probably find your patience tested in some way every day. Thank God for those opportunities to grow, and deal with them in his strength

(see also James 1:2–4; 1 Peter 1:6, 7).

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