Archive for the ‘Encourgement’ Category


Under Gods Command

Romans:  15:20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 

 Paul says that he has “ambition.” Ambition can be a difficult topic for Christian’s because we see so many bad examples of ambitious people who claw their way to the top.  But certainly that isn’t the kind of ambition one sees in Paul.  Instead of looking out for himself and working hard for personal advancement, he was ambitious to serve God-for Paul that meant to “preach the gospel where Christ was not known.”

Lets Bring it home: Are we ambitious for God? Do we want, more than anything else, to please him and to do his will?  Ask God for “holy ambition.”


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 8:05 – You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding. 

Are people willing to take the position to admit that they are not adequate, to say I am a sinner and that I really don’t have intellectual problems?  Sometimes I think it is a joke to listen to folk with “intellectual” problems. How many times do we hear people say, “I have intellectual problems about the Bible?”  What they really have is a sin problem, and he didn’t want to give up his sin.  I have discovered that if a person has a sin problem and will turn to Christ with that problem, it is amazing how often the intellectual problems will be solved.

Wisdom calls you! Will you consider her precious gifts? She offers understanding and wisdom to the simple and foolish. Do you hear her? Or are you too busy? Or are you too proud to know you are ignorant? Or are you too rebellious to change your ways for her?

Lady Wisdom says those who reject her must love death (Pr 8:36). If you disregard her offer, you do so to your own peril. God will bring calamities into your life, and He will laugh when you tremble in fear and beg for His help (Pr 1:20-32; Ps 2:4; 37:13). He will mock your troubles and your fears. The warning is harsh, but it is truly the words of God.

Solomon continued his personification of wisdom in this chapter.  See the comments on Prov 8:1. Wisdom, the ability to judge correctly, is presented as a woman here and in other parts of this book. It has been said, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!” It is your prudence to soberly consider the gracious offer of this glorious and terrible woman.

In this verse, Lady Wisdom exhorts simple and foolish men to take the wisdom and understanding she offers. All men are born foolish and ignorant, and she implores them to take and use her wisdom. Implied is the rhetorical question, Why do you want to continue in the stupidity and lusts of your ignorance (Pr 1:22; Ex 16:28; I Kgs 18:21)? Why?

Every parent thinks this about their children, and every pastor thinks it about church members. Parents watch their children ignore instruction and rush into pain and trouble, and pastors watch members do the same. The father and preacher in this book, Solomon, by the inspiration of God, calls for you to hear his instruction and learn wisdom.

Are you offended being called simple and foolish? It should not offend you. You came into this world messing on yourself, and you will go out doing the same. Unless you take God’s offer of wisdom, you are not any better right now. The world spews pagan and perverse filth at you daily in increasing intensity – you need God’s wisdom desperately.

If wisdom is the ability to rightly judge, do you have it? If understanding is accurate discernment, do you have it? There is only one way to know. Are your thoughts and actions in perfect agreement with God’s written word? Scripture alone defines wisdom, and any thoughts to the contrary are insane (Ps 19:7; 119:130; Isaiah 8:20; I Tim 6:3-5).

You cannot know wisdom by nature; you must obtain it by instruction. You cannot find truth by rationalization; it requires revelation from the God of truth. There is no better source than these proverbs for wisdom (Pr 1:1-4). Do you fear and crave their words? The Bible is God’s book of truth (Ps 119:160; 19:9). Do you love it preached to you?

Scripture addresses every area of your life – sex, employment, speech, money, eating, children, exercise, driving, thoughts, hair, television, clothing, friends, etc. If you think or act contrary to what is written, you have not advanced beyond the diapers that recently protected you, and your thoughts are the braying of a donkey (Job 11:12; II Pet 2:12).

Why be a fool? Take the offered wisdom and understanding today! How? Humble yourself before God’s word and this warning, repent of your foolishness, repudiate your sins, admit your ignorance, and conform every thought, word, and action to His holy word. Find a Bible-preaching church that emphasizes truth and wisdom and join it.


Under Gods Command

Romans:  15:05-07 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

The Roman Church was a diverse community.  It was made up of Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free people, rich and poor, strong and weak.  So it was difficult for them to accept one another.  Accepting means taking people into our homes as well as into our hearts, sharing meals and activities, and avoiding racial and economic discrimination.

Lets Bring it home: We must go out of our way to avoid favoritism.  Consciously spend time greeting those you don’t normally talk to, minimize differences, and seek common ground for fellowship.   In this way you are accepting others as Christ has accepted you, and God is given glory.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 7:11(She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home;

Here are three traits of a whore, an adulteress. All wise women will diligently avoid these traits, and all wise men will carefully avoid women having them. Here is wisdom buried in a lengthy description of a strange woman seducing and destroying a young man.

This chapter primarily consists of a dramatic parable about a young man being tempted and taken by the strange woman (Pr 7:6-23). Solomon, ever the wise father, used it to impress upon his son and children the dangers of this seductive enemy (Pr 7:1-5,24-27).

The whore is generally a loud woman. She likes to talk; she talks a lot; and she talks loudly (Pr 9:13). She is ready to give her opinion, whether it was asked for or not, even though she is usually ignorant of the subject matter. If she receives any resistance, she just gets louder. She often corrects others speaking for little details that are irrelevant.

She likes to finish the sentences of others. You can hear her loudly correcting her children and husband. Verbal sparring delights her. She is self-willed, headstrong, and wants to express her opinion. She is forward and uncouth with her mouth, irritating and rude with her words, and contrary in her speech. You have heard her before. Avoid her!

The godly woman, far superior to the best whore, has a meek and quiet spirit, which God Himself considers of great value (I Pet 3:3-4). She remembers her subordinate role; she is always gracious; kindness rules her mouth; and she does not mind being silent (Pr 11:16; 31:26; I Cor 14:34-35). She considers modesty and shamefacedness to be virtues (I Tim 2:9-10). When she speaks, they are words others appreciate (Pr 15:23; 24:26; 25:11).

Christian woman, can you cut your words and volume in half? Is it possible? Such a simple change will dramatically increase your esteem by good men and women. Your reputation will grow with each reduction in number of words and decibels (Pr 17:27-28).

The whore is generally a stubborn woman. She does not like to be told what to do; she wants to do things her way; she resents being accountable to anyone; she hates correction and instruction. She is self-willed and loves her opinions. Whether authority or affection is used to win her, she will resist until the matter meets her own approval. She will use tears, threats, emotion, or other responses to resist leadership of her husband and others.

The virtuous woman, who is far superior to the best whore, is cheerfully submissive and very willing to follow the leadership of her husband (Eph 5:22-24; Col 3:18). She does not balk, question, or contend with her husband. She knows she was created for him, and she knows she is to reverence and fear him (I Cor 11:9; Eph 5:33; I Pet 3:1-2).

Christian woman, do you know that stubbornness is a hateful trait in a woman? It truly makes her odious (Pr 30:21-23). A contentious woman makes married life miserable (Pr 12:4; 19:13; 21:9,19; 25:24; 27:15-16). Cheerfully obey without answering again, and you will see an improvement in how you are treated by husband, family, and others.

The whore generally does not like to stay at home (Pr 7:12). Domestic duties of serving a husband and children are boring, frustrating, and beneath her. She wants to be out and about in the city, attending this and that activity to the neglect of her high calling. She is bored being a housewife; she gets claustrophobic; she loves to shop; she loves to leave her house. She is not content working at home to make her house and family the best.

The noble woman, who is far superior to the best whore, loves her domestic calling and cheerfully remains at home to manage the house and provide for her man and his children (Pr 31:10-31; Gen 18:9; I Tim 5:13-14; Tit 2:4-5). She understands her very significant role in supporting her husband and caring for his children. Nursing a baby and preparing a meal for her family are delights to her soul, even if they include cleaning up the baby later and having a kitchen to clean after supper.

Christian woman, will you make greater efforts this very day to be quiet, submissive, and happy in your domestic duties? You can build your house – your family and estate – by wisdom in these areas (Pr 14:1). You can be great in the sight of God and men by rejecting the character traits of the strange woman.

Let every woman naming the name of Christ reject loudness, stubbornness, and dislike of home life. Choose rather to be a living example of a meek and quiet spirit, submission and reverence to your husband, and the domestic queen of Pr 31:10-31. You will rejoice in time to come, as God blesses your virtue with godly fruit and reward (Pr 31:25).

Let every man avoid and reject women having these wicked traits. Such women do not deserve a place in human society, and they especially do not deserve a husband to support and secure their sinful lives. Young man, the choice is yours. But you will bear your own burden. Pursue gracious and virtuous women, and reject all other pretenders.

The great whore of Rome and her harlot daughters have loud pretensions, stubbornness for human tradition over Scripture, and long ago departed from simple apostolic Christianity. Let every church examine itself to make sure Rome has not infected her. And let every saint depart out of her, lest you be taken in her sins and plagues (Rev 18:4).

As the true bride of Christ, each Christian, of either sex, owes their Lord and Husband their quiet submission and ready willingness to serve in His church. Every saint should submit quietly to his duties of service in the kingdom of God. Rather than being enamored with new doctrines and innovative practices, let His true children find their place listening well, obeying faithfully, and fulfilling their God-given role in the church.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 6:22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you: when you awake, they will speak to you.

Wisdom is a most valuable guide, protector, and friend, both day and night! Reader, have you bound it on your heart and tied it about your neck (Pr 6:21)? Have you remembered and obeyed the good advice and rules you received from your parents (Pr 6:20)?

As you proceed through life, wisdom will direct your choices. As you sleep in bed, it will comfort your soul, keep your thoughts right, and protect you from evil spirits. When you begin each day, wisdom will be your friend and counselor in facing the day’s events.

The singular pronoun “it” refers to the law of God as taught by godly parents (Pr 6:20-21). If parents train and teach their children correctly, the father’s commandment and the mother’s law, though plural nouns from two different parties, is one body of wisdom and truth – the law of God. It is the nurture and admonition of the Lord – the singular doctrine of God (Deut 12:32; Josh 1:7-9; Eph 6:4)! Parents, unite today on God’s word!

Can wisdom lead you through life? Yes! Wisdom is the power of right judgment – the ability to analyze a situation and know what to do. Life has many choices and decisions, many of which have serious consequences and are presented deceitfully by the world. You cannot even trust your own heart (Jer 17:9). When you are about to turn out of the way, wisdom will say, “This is the way, walk ye in it” (Is 30:21). Wisdom will guide you in making these decisions that destroy many (Pr 4:5-9; 8:1-21; 22:3; Eccl 10:10)!

Can wisdom keep you, when you sleep at night? Yes! Wisdom will deliver you from fear and guilt to sleep peacefully (Pr 3:24; Ps 41:1-4). Wisdom can teach you in the night (Job 33:14-18; Ps 63:6). Wisdom will keep you from earning God’s chastening or fainting under it (Pr 3:11-12; Ps 32:1-5). Wisdom will protect you from the fears that plague others (Ps 34:7; Is 26:3-4). Wisdom will keep you from overworking and worrying about things that God will do for you (Ps 127:1-2; Phil 4:6-7). Lay hold of wisdom today!

Can wisdom talk with you, when you awake? Yes! Wisdom is the knowledge of God and His will for your life. When you awake to the challenges, opportunities, and fears of a day, you will have a gentle companion to reassure you and direct you. Instead of being intimidated and overwhelmed, you can be courageous and excited. Instead of being hopeless as others, you can rejoice in the future! Wisdom will give you confidence and strength to live joyfully and victoriously (Pr 14:26; 21:22; 28:1; Ps 104:34; Rom 15:13).

Get wisdom! Where? It is freely offered in the fear of the Lord and the Bible (Pr 9:10; Ps 19:7). Parents, teach it to your children. Children, learn it from your parents. Parents and children, love the preaching of it (Jer 3:15; Mal 2:7; Acts 10:33; Col 1:28; I Thess 5:20). Join an old-fashioned church following the apostles in doctrine and practice, there you will hear and learn the wisdom of God from His word by His ministers (Jer 3:15; 6:16).


Under Gods Command

Romans: 15:04 For everything that was written in the past was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

The Knowledge of the Scriptures affects our attitudes toward the present and the future. The more we know about what God has done in years past, the greater the confidence we have about what he will do in the days ahead. We should read our Bibles diligently to increase our trust that God’s will is best for us.

Lets Bring it home: How much time do we spend in the Word? Have often do you opened your Bible week to week? Self-evaluation.


Under Gods Command

Romans 14:20-21 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

Sin is not just a private matter. Everything we do affects others, and we have to think of them constantly. God created us to be interdependent, not independent. We who are strong in our faith must, without pride or condescension, treat others with love, patience, and self-restraint.

Romans 14:22-23 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

We try to steer clear of actions forbidden by Scripture, of course, but sometimes Scripture is silent. Then we should follow our consciences. “Everything that does not come from faith is sin” means that to go against a conviction will leave a person with a guilty or uneasy conscience.

Lets Bring it home: Is the Church and those that are strong in faith maintaining that peace when in disagreement? When God shows us that something is wrong for us, we should avoid it. But we should not look down on other Christians who exercise their freedom in those areas.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 2:11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

Are you safe? Are you protected? King Solomon wrote his proverbs to preserve and keep you from pain and trouble. Most men get into difficulties or temptations in life that cost them dearly in many different ways. Discretion and understanding can keep you safe.

Men take many precautions to protect themselves from danger. They use seat belts in automobiles, take vitamins, lock the doors at night, exercise and/or eat nutritiously, regulate elevators, buy medical insurance, listen to weather warnings, avoid dangerous parts of town, visit doctors often, avoid motorcycles, and so forth and so on.

They also make efforts to protect their children. They make sure they eat three balanced meals a day, avoid risky playground equipment, do not play with knives, avoid strangers, do not ride their bikes in the street, bundle up in cold weather, get to bed on time, do not climb too high in trees, stay away from the bully down the street, and so forth and so on.

But all these efforts are of little value and only protect the body. What are you doing for the soul? For your own soul and the souls of your children? What efforts are you making to acquire discretion and understanding yourself and to instill them in your children? Worldly institutions or the media certainly do not teach them, and they are rarely taught in modern churches. But God has made them available for you in Solomon’s proverbs.

Preserving and keeping your soul requires different efforts than those described above. And you must consider, which is more important, physical health or your soul? Which is more important, financial assets or your soul? Jesus Christ valued your soul more than gaining the whole world (Matt 16:26). He has clearly set your priorities for you.

Discretion and understanding will not only preserve your soul; they will also preserve your life and your assets. As the Preacher wrote elsewhere, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (4:7). The whole book of Proverbs is dedicated to the value of acquiring discretion and understanding.

Discretion knows what to do, when to do it, and how to do it in various circumstances. Understanding is discerning a situation, its hidden dangers, subtle errors, and the right course of action. These terms overlap in meaning, but they also have their own shades of meaning. The context shows they are related to wisdom and knowledge (Pr 2:10).

Additional benefits of acquiring discretion and understanding are also found in the context (Pr 2:12-22). They will protect you from the lifestyles and choices of the evil man and the strange woman, both of which are on their way to destruction and seeking to take as many with them as they can. Discretion and understanding are important for you.

Proverbs teaches discretion (Pr 1:4). It teaches when to speak and when not to speak (Pr 26:4-5; 15:28; 29:11), when to be angry and when not to be angry (Pr 25:23; 19:11). Discretion is guiding your affairs well (Ps 112:5). A woman without it is like a sow (Pr 11:22; Tit 2:5). The knowledge of how to plant, harvest, and process various grains is discretion (Is 28:26). And Joseph was promoted highly because of it (Gen 41:33-40).

Proverbs teaches understanding (Pr 1:2). Animals do not have it (Job 39:17; Ps 32:9). Its foundation is the knowledge of the holy (Pr 9:10), and it is built by God’s word (Ps 111:10; 119:98-100,104,130). It is dependent upon a man rejecting his own understanding (Pr 3:5). Adultery, listening to vain persons, and being an easy surety prove a lack of it (Pr 6:32; 12:11; 17:18). It involves ruling your spirit (Pr 14:29) and pursuing knowledge (Pr 15:14). It is a source of happiness (Pr 3:13), leads to the good life (Pr 13:15; 16:22), and causes a person to be of an excellent spirit (Pr 17:27). Daniel clearly had it (Dan 1:20; 5:11-14; 6:3-4), but the world of Gentiles does not (Rom 1:31).

Discretion and understanding will preserve and keep your soul and life. They are aspects of godly wisdom that will protect you from foolish errors, wicked persons, and sin. They will keep you out of all sorts of trouble, spiritual and physical. They will bring you peace, security, success, and happiness. Life without them is hard and difficult (Pr 13:15; 22:5).

They are easy to obtain, if you will apply yourself to learning the Word of God. You need to be in a church where the Word of God is taught faithfully and frequently, and you need to apply yourself in personal reading, meditation, prayer, and study. Then you must apply your learning to the life situations that God will bring your way (Heb 5:12-14).

God has given you the means to protect your life from pain, trouble, and difficulty. He has given instruction for happiness and success. Are you applying yourself as diligently and regularly in acquiring these two things as you do in protecting your body and money? Make sure your priorities are God and Solomon’s priorities for your maximum success.


Under Gods Command

Romans 14:20-21 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

Sin is not just a private matter. Everything we do affects others, and we have to think of them constantly. God created us to be interdependent, not independent. We who are strong in our faith must, without pride or condescension, treat others with love, patience, and self-restraint.

Lets Bring it home: Is the Church and those that are strong in faith maintaining that peace when in disagreement?


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 1:16 For their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.

Fools cannot quit folly. Sinners cannot stop sinning. They run with haste to more wickedness rather than walk. They greedily rush to satisfy their evil lusts (Eph 4:17-19). Because of this trait, young men should stay as far from fools and sinners as possible.

After introducing the book of Proverbs (Pr 1:1-9), Solomon wrote a parable warning his son about the grave danger of evil associations (Pr 1:10-19). Foolish friends destroy more young men than any other factor. The parable describes a band of cutthroats seeking to entice a young man to join them, and Solomon told his son where such fools are headed.

Being asked to join a band of cutthroats is extreme, but consider the temptation for young men to join gangs in high schools or city ghettos, immoral college fraternities, subversive military or political organizations, the KKK, the Masonic Lodge, the Communist Party, labor unions, and other societies of men pursuing a wide variety of equally evil goals.

The danger of association with wicked men is their mad rush to more and more evil. No matter your desire to avoid sin and wickedness, their enticing invitations and the power of peer pressure will be too much to resist. You will go down with them, and go down they certainly will. Solomon made this clear before ending the parable (Pr 1:17-19).

Sin does not know contentment. One sin is not enough. After breaking a commandment of God and tasting the fruit of forbidden pleasures, it must have more. The heart becomes hardened, the conscience is seared, the lusts are inflamed, and the mind cannot forget the stolen thrills. The downhill rush to destruction has begun. What will stop the sinners?

You cannot reform wicked friends. Instead, the wicked friends will corrupt your good manners (I Cor 15:33). The safety of wisdom is simple: do not even start friendships with fools (Pr 1:10; 4:14-17; Ps 1:1-3). If you have foolish friends, forsake them immediately (Pr 9:6; 13:20; 14:7). This rule is crucial for survival and success (Pr 2:10-22).

Only God can change fools, which he did gloriously in the case of Saul of Tarsus (Titus 3:3-5). If you think you can change them, you are gravely mistaken. Be not deceived (I Cor 15:33)! Another proverb concludes, “Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him” (Pr 27:22). Even Paul avoided those without faith and the fear of God (II Thess 3:1-2; II Tim 3:1-5).

The lesson is simple and weighty. Foolish friends will destroy any man. Therefore, reject all worldly friends for the friends of the king of Zion (Ps 101:1-8; 119:63,79; 144:11-15; Tit 1:8). You can find them in a local church that exalts apostolic doctrine and practice, where you can exhort and help each other to greater faith and obedience to Jesus Christ.