Christians, who are living upright before the Lord, are disappointed with those who will not accept the ways of the Lord. The ways of the unjust are not desirable at all to those who walk uprightly before the Lord. The unjust look at the upright and actually feel guilt for the way they live their own lives. I believe they hate the ways of the upright, because their ways make them feel guilty of their sins.
Archive for the ‘Proverbs 29’ Category
Proverbs 29:27 The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.
Posted: December 29, 2020 in Proverbs 29, Proverbs 29:27, Seeking Wisdom, Wisdom, Wisdom for the SoulTags: Proverbs 29:27, Proverbs 29:27 Wisdom for the Soul
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Proverbs 29:25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trust in the LORD is kept safe.
Posted: December 2, 2020 in Fear, Fear of rejection, Proverbs 29, Proverbs 29:25, Seeking Wisdom, Wisdom, Wisdom for the SoulTags: fear of man, Proverbs 29:25, wisdom, Wisdom for the Soul
Fear is lack of faith. If we have faith in the Lord, we have nothing to fear. To fear man and what he can do to you is sin. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and He shall give you peace and rest
Proverbs 29:24 The accomplice of a thief is his own enemy; he is put under oath and dare not testify.
Posted: October 29, 2020 in Proverbs 29, Seeking Wisdom, WisdomTags: Proverbs 29:24, Wisdom for the Soul
“Partner with a thief”: By refusing to testify with full disclosure to avoid incrimination, one commits perjury which leads to punishment.
To be partner with a thief makes you a thief also. Even if you did not steal, you would be guilty by association.
We see in the last part of this, it is speaking of knowing of a sin and not speaking out to reveal the sin. If you hide the sin, even if you did not commit the crime, you would be an accomplice and punished along with the criminal.
Consider how bad your sins are for not telling the truth in court – you have added lying as a false witness to the stealing by the thief that you are protecting. God hates the sin of being a false witness and those who commit it, as Solomon clearly wrote (Pr 6:16-19).
Can you cover for a thief and be innocent? Do you think your sin is mild, since you did not steal anything yourself? You are a fool; you hate your own soul; and judgment is coming. God hates accomplices as much as thieves. Do not deceive yourself that you are innocent. If you can expose a criminal or help solve a crime, it is your duty to tell all.
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.
You need God’s word. This proverb is a great reminder. The Bible, the inspired scriptures of Jehovah, the only true God, is crucial for you. Without a revelation of God’s will, mankind is desperately ignorant and will self-destruct. Individual examples of dysfunction are all around you. God will soon destroy the world for its insane rebellion.
Neglect the Bible to your own peril. Fulfillment and happiness are by keeping God’s commandments, which can only be known by attention to the Bible. Your success and prosperity depend on you having a message from God. The lesson of this proverb is simple, but most are grossly misled by a false interpretation and foolish application.
The hired gun brought in by the ambitious pastor tells the contented church, “To be a big church, you need to think big. If you want to grow, then you need to think growth. If you want to triple your attendance in two years, then you need to build an auditorium that size. If you can dream it, you can believe it. If you can believe it, you can achieve it.”
He goes to his next PowerPoint slide and declares, “God agrees. The Bible says, ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.’ Get a vision, people! Get a vision of tripling the size of your little church! Sign your pledge cards today, and help your pastor get that multi-million dollar mortgage! You need a vision, so your church won’t dry up and disappear.”
Who has not heard this sound bite, “Where there is no vision, the people perish”? The words of this proverb are well known, but the true meaning is little known. Here is one of the most abused verses in the Bible. This is the sound of words with no regard to the sense of words. May God save you from such ignorant and flippant use of the Scriptures.
This proverb is often corrupted to seduce churches to borrow large sums of money to finance unnecessary building projects. The “vision” is a plan to grow the church in size; and “perishing” is continuing on the same course with a bought-and-paid-for building. What a travesty of Bible interpretation! May the LORD bless you to read and understand the sense of this proverb, as Ezra read and gave the true sense to Israel (Neh 8:8).
As often in Proverbs, the parallelism tells you that “vision” is the hearing and reading of God’s word. A happy man is contrasted with people perishing, and the law of God is contrasted with “no vision.” There is nothing here about dreaming or building plans.
The lesson is simple but powerful. God’s word is a great blessing, and obeying it is the basis for true happiness. But where the word of God is not preached, the people will die in ignorance and folly from starvation for knowledge. Pray God to save you from such. This is the lesson of the proverb, and you should not let anyone corrupt this verse again.
God at times may take His word away from His people. Consider the days of Samuel, who anointed David king of Israel. The word of the LORD, or a revelation from God, was rare in those days, and it was called a vision, as in this proverb. In general, God was not revealing Himself and His will to Israel until Samuel arrived (I Sam 3:1).
God took His word away at other times also. Under Asa, the nation had gone a long time without a teaching priest or the law of God (II Chr 15:3). And during Josiah’s reign, the law of God, which had been lost, was found during temple renovation (II Chr 34:14). While in Babylon, God also took His word away from Israel (Ezek 7:26; Lam 2:9). Jesus saw His own people, without faithful preaching, as sheep without a shepherd (Matt 9:36).
Without the word of God to save him, man will worship totem poles, stop spanking children, teach reincarnation, believe he came from monkeys, burn children in sacrifice, eat a cracker-god, kiss a stone in Mecca, worship buffalo, burn widows on funeral pyres, save baby seals while aborting baby humans, invent same-sex marriages, and so forth.
Without God’s word, men wander out of the way of understanding and remain in the congregation of the dead, to perish there under Satan’s delusions (Pr 21:16; Acts 26:16-18; Eph 2:1-3). Consider modern history and where the greatest degree of human freedom, prosperous living, and happy people existed – where the Bible was practiced.
When Paul preached at Lystra and Athens, he explained that God had let the Gentiles walk in their own ignorant ways without His word for many generations, but He was now commanding men to repent of their ignorance (Acts 14:11-18; 17:22-31). Without Scripture, men will rush with greedy ambition into the vilest of lifestyles (Eph 4:17-19).
In today’s world, great sections of it are closed to the reading and preaching of God’s word. It is generally restricted in Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other nations. Where it is not read and preached, the people suffer in ignorance and folly of many kinds. Without God’s word, such nations are “without hope” religiously (Eph 2:12; John 4:22; I Thess 4:13), and they cannot achieve a good measure of even natural progress (Pr 8:1-31).
One-sixth of the world is Catholic, where until very recently its members were not allowed to read the Bible. The Mass – their only exposure to Scripture – was done in Latin. What superstitious ignorance! And this in the name of Christian religion! Compare a Catholic country with those around it, and perishing by ignorance is quite visible. Since they did not receive the love of the truth, God sent them delusions (II Thes 2:9-12).
The logic is simple. Religious salvation is by calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But how can they call without believing? And how can they believe without hearing? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach without being sent? God has withdrawn His word from a world that rejected it (Rom 10:13-17).
The LORD warned that one of His judgments is to take away the word of God and leave a people starving for Him and Scripture. The Lord said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). He described the famine He will bring on a land: not a famine of bread, but a famine for hearing God’s word (Amos 8:11-12). Lord, help!
America is in such a condition. It fulfills the perilous times of the last days, prophesied by Paul in a warning to Timothy (II Tim 3:1-5). Though having an information explosion with a geometric increase in learning, there is no ability to identify or learn the truth (II Tim 3:6-7). Most of its Christians and churches think, look, and act like worldly pagans.
False teachers are everywhere, deceiving and being deceived (II Tim 3:8-13). Most Christians resent sound doctrine and truth, and they pay teachers and entertainers who will scratch their itching ears and lusts with fables (II Tim 4:3-4). Real preaching is despised as an outdated, boring, and negative activity. Entertainment rules! There is no more vision! America is in the midst of a famine for God’s word.
Men are living dysfunctional and perverted lives and perishing in folly and ignorance. A few sincere Christians throughout the nation are starving to hear and understand the word of God, but they cannot find it being taught anywhere. Confusion and error reign on any and every subject. The emphasis is on growth and programs with disdain for God’s word.
What is the cure? God-called men must preach the Word of God faithfully and dogmatically. Scripture is completely sufficient to make every faithful minister perfectly prepared to instruct his people in all the wisdom of God (II Tim 3:14 – 4:2; Jer 3:15). With the Bible as his handbook, a faithful man of God can destroy the errors and illusions of any people, for the word of God is a hammer and a fire (Jer 23:28-29).
What is another cure? Honor faithful preaching of His word with a ready and receptive mind, and do not despise old-fashioned Bible teaching (Act 17:11; I Thes 5:20; Jer 6:16; Jude 1:4). Reject any move to contemporary worship, and restore a proper emphasis on thundering messages from God’s word by ordained teachers. Review the great joy and national celebration of Israel hearing and understanding preaching (Neh 8:1-12).
What is another cure? Treasure His word as your greatest earthly possession, and delight in its glorious words from heaven (Jer 15:16; Job 23:12; Psalm 19:10; 119:72,103,111). Promote the Bible as the absolute and final authority on every subject where you can, in conscious defiance to this MTV generation and their obsession with fables and pleasure. Make sure you have a Bible version that you can trust at the word level to honor God.
What else can you do? Humbly obey in sincerity and truth what you read and hear from the Bible, not merely complying outwardly by a religious ritual and habit (Ezek 33:30-33; Luke 8:18). Let others see your true conviction about Scripture by your obedience to it.
What else? Show the true joy, peace, and hope in believing that will cause others to be encouraged and ask a reason of your hope (Rom 15:13; I Pet 3:15). Those under the influences of the Spirit at Pentecost did not count their vision a light thing (Acts 2:42-47). By obeying the Bible and having a blessed life, you will do much to promote it to others.
There is great reward in having and obeying the Word of God (Ps 19:11). Moses told Israel that the precious revelation they had received from God was their wisdom and understanding above other nations (Deut 4:5-10), their righteousness and means for His blessing (Deut 6:20-25), and even their very lives (Deut 32:46-67). Building on this solid foundation will prepare you well for life’s storms that will surely come (Luke 6:46-49).
Jesus said regarding His preaching, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17). He even told a woman that hearing and keeping the word of God was a greater blessing than being His own mother (Luke 8:21; 11:28). And James added that the blessing is for those who hear and do (James 1:25). Make sure you are a doer!
The Holy Scriptures and the faithful preaching of them provide more value to a people than any other blessing. For obeying God’s word saves from horrible ignorance and trouble, leads to the highest peace, prosperity, and pleasure possible in this world, and contains all the spiritual instruction to prepare for the next world. It teaches men how to walk with God in confidence of eternal life and personal fellowship with Him. Glory!
The Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God. There He received great gifts and spoil for His victory over sin and death, and He has in turn given these gifts of ministerial ability and authority to preach the Scriptures to His people and churches. Rejoice and be exceeding glad that you have seen the beautiful feet (Rom 10:15; Job 33:23-24) and heard the joyful sound (Ps 89:15; 68:11; Rom 10:18).
Dear reader, do you love, appreciate, read, and obey the Bible as you should? It is your life. Without it, you will perish. Neglect it to the peril of life and soul. It is your happiness. Exalt it to the joyful blessing of your own life and that of your family. Your fulfillment and happiness in all things both natural and spiritual depend on it.
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 29:15- The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
Parents of young children often weary of disciplining them. They feel like all they do is nag, scold, and punish. When you’re tempted to give up and let your children do what they want, or when you wonder if you’ve ruined every chance for a loving relationship with them, remember-kind, firm correction helps them learn, and learning makes them wise. Consistent, loving discipline will ultimately teach them to discipline themselves.
Proverbs 29:23 Wisdom for the Soul
Posted: January 29, 2015 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, honor, humility, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Pride, Proverbs 29, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods CommandTags: humility, jesus christ, king solomon
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 29:23 A man’s pride brings him low. But a man of lowly spirit gains honor.
Are you going up or down in life? A simple factor will either lift you up or press you down – your pride. Arrogance will bring you low, but humility will get you honor. It is your choice what you decide today, but you cannot stop the certain punishment for pride.
Are you more a prince or a prisoner? Are you honored or hardly known? Every person wants a successful life, and this simple proverb tells you how. One of the greatest influences in your progress is your attitude about yourself. If you are haughty and proud, you are going down. If you are meek, modest, and reserved, you are going up.
King Solomon warned often against pride, though he had reasons to be proud. He had the most wisdom, wealth, and power, and he was attractive. But he blasted pride as an evil that destroys men’s lives. He warned his son and his citizens. The many repetitions in his book of wisdom declare loudly – this subject is important and tends to be overlooked.
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Pr 16:18). “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom” (Pr 11:2). “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility” (Pr 18:12). “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him” (Pr 26:12).
How will pride take you down and humility bring you honor? Men hate arrogance, and they love graciousness (Pr 9:6-9; 11:2; 14:3; 21:24; 22:10-11). If you are conceited and haughty, you will not grow in favor with men; they will do what they can to cut you off from friendships and opportunities. If you are meek, modest, and submissive, men will appreciate and enjoy your spirit and do what they can to include and promote you.
How will pride take you down and humility bring you honor? Conceit and haughtiness lead to bad decisions, because you are too arrogant to hear others, and you are too confident to criticize your ideas (Pr 11:2; 12:15; 14:16; 16:25; 22:3; 26:12,16; 29:20). You are doomed! A humble man, who trusts the Lord, doubts his opinions and is eager to hear the views of others (Pr 3:5-7; 6:6; 11:14; 12:15; 15:32; 19:20). He will prosper!
How will pride take you down and humility bring you honor? If the first two results do not bring you down (they will eventually), the final result most surely will. God hates the proud, and it does not matter how much effort they make to protect themselves – He will destroy them (Pr 3:34; 6:16-17; 15:25; 16:2,5; 21:2; Job 40:9-14; Dan 4:37; Acts 12:21-23). But God will bless and exalt the humble in spirit (Pr 3:34; Is 57:15; 66:2).
Contrary to Solomon’s inspired wisdom, the world considers pride a virtue and defends conceit. From athletes to actresses to politicians, bloated egos and haughty words are the norm. Children are taught self-esteem and self-love until they are convinced the universe revolves around them. All ages now boldly announce, “I am proud of what I have accomplished,” though anything they are or have is a gift from God (I Cor 4:7).
All men should be taught to love and serve others, for that is the second commandment of only two that summarize the whole Christian religion (Mark 12:28-33). The heresy of loving and esteeming self is a symptom of perilous times (II Tim 3:1-2). Wisdom learns that making others more important than you is a rule for true godliness (Phil 2:3-5).
Every person has an internal enemy that promotes pride – called the pride of life (I John 2:15-17). The devil seeks to tempt your human default to pride. He told Eve she could be like God for eating the forbidden fruit (Gen 3:4-6). He dared Jesus Christ to prove He was God’s Son, trying to draw forth pride, but He found nothing in Him (Matt 4:5-7).
How can you check if you are proud? How cheerfully do you take correction? Can you quickly admit you are wrong and apologize? How easily do you forgive others? Do you criticize others verbally, for proud words come from a proud heart? Is it easy to serve others, especially those lower than you? Do you question whether you are right or not?
What is in your heart? Sinful thoughts of ambition and pride that condemned the devil (I Tim 3:6)? Or the childlike humility that led to Solomon’s greatness (I Kgs 3:6-9)? The greatest kingdom is Jesus Christ’s, but the greatest in it are the servants (Matt 23:10-12). If you humble yourself under God’s mighty hand, He will exalt you soon (I Pet 5:6-7).
If you want to pursue this subject further, and you should, review sermons an honest man of God has preached from the Bible against pride. Scripture has much to say against it, so faithful preachers must preach against it periodically. Remember, your future depends on you learning this lesson. Pride will bring you low, but humility will bring you honor.
The Man and King with the most right to pride was Jesus Christ, but He was known for incredible humility and meekness instead (Matt 11:29; Phil 2:5-8; II Cor 10:1). He never promoted Himself, though He had the most reasons to do so (Is 42:1-2; Mat 12:18-20). Of course, He is now honored above all in heaven, confirming Solomon’s proverb!
Proverbs 29:16 Wisdom for the Soul
Posted: December 29, 2014 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 29, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods CommandTags: house of the wicked, wicked man, wickedness
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 29:16 When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall.
When the wicked are in leadership, sin prevails. In any organization-whether a church, a business, a family, or a government-the climate comes from the top. The people become like their leaders. What kind of climate are you setting for people you lead?
Learn here about trends, polls, majorities, sin, the future, and a right worldview. God and Solomon want you to understand what is happening and will happen in the world. Each proverb was written to teach you wisdom, this one included. As the world gets worse, you should understand why and not be surprised, and you should know its certain future. Here is crucial wisdom for your life with a profound invitation buried in one single word.
The wicked love a majority – they need a crowd to bring their sins out of the closet into public view. They think numbers justify their opinions and practices. As trends develop, the wicked jump on the sin bandwagon, because their hearts and minds were always sinful. They crave the encouragement of a majority to make their abominations and rebellion public. The effect is a geometric increase in wickedness, as in today’s world.
Consider the rule. As the wicked increase in proportion to any population, the overall wickedness increases even faster due to the growing majority providing support for greater individual rebellion. It is hard sometimes to separate the growth in numbers from the greater degree of depravity, as you will often see them both increasing together. When a combination of such factors comes into play together, wickedness can explode.
Wicked men multiply and wickedness increases for many reasons. Unknown to most due to ignorance of the Bible, God hardens men’s hearts to greater wickedness by both prosperity and adversity, to justify His greater punishment of them for their sins (Ex 7:3; 9:16; I Sam 2:25; Ps 106:14-15; Jer 48:11; Rom 1:18-32; II Thess 2:9-12). Let the LORD be magnified! If you do not know this, you cannot even get started to see things correctly.
Corrupt governments and sinful rulers increase evil by the example of their folly and sin in high offices (Eccl 10:5-7; 3:16; Es 1:16-18), by legislating approval of sin (Dan 3:1-7; Es 3:15), by not punishing criminals appropriately (Eccl 8:11), and by not rewarding righteous citizens for good done (Es 2:21-23). Righteous authority in any segment of society can restrain wickedness by example and enforcement (Pr 20:8,26; Gen 18:19).
A decline in true religion increases wickedness. Pulpits are where men chosen by God are to preach forcefully against sin (Is 58:1). This was once a major influence in America’s moral uprightness. But sinners do not like such preaching, so they ask for a gentler message by false teachers like Joel Osteen or Joseph Prince (Is 30:8-14). When this happens, as it is now around the world (II Tim 4:3-4), wickedness increases. Instead of a preservative of righteousness like salt, they are more like gasoline on a fire (Matt 5:13).
Humanistic education increases sin. When God-haters get the insane theory of evolution into the schools, they eliminate the restraint of a Creator with moral laws and the power of temporal and eternal punishment. Joined with the idols of existential self-love and self-esteem, children can do anything they wish, with the only guide of pleasing themselves. The fear of God creating a restraint is gone (Ps 4:4; 14:1-5; 36:1; Pr 9:10; Eccl 12:13-14).
Immoral entertainment increases sinfulness. The Beatles and Hollywood ruined morals everywhere, as they perverted their own. The shorthaired boys with white shirts and ties from Liverpool quickly degenerated to drug-stupefied, girlish devotees of Hamburg brothels and Hindu gurus. Consider the difference of Ben Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997). The entertainment industry is condemned before God (Ps 101:3; Pr 14:9; Rom 1:32).
The news media, which greatly influences society’s judgment of events, increases wickedness. They have not honestly reported a moral issue in decades – they are incapable of it for the factors above. They defend and promote the same insanity taught in the schools and glamorized in entertainment. Their slanting of all moral issues and blatant hatred for Bible Christianity reveal their devilish agenda. They are doomed to fall.
Technological advances have increased evil. The influences above would have little effect without the modern ability to expose the earth’s population to them for little cost. Techno sins describes technology that allows or furthers wickedness. Witty inventions are good (Pr 8:12), when used for God’s glory, man’s righteousness, or a better standard of living. Every parent today faces threats to their children never imagined before.
Urbanization increases wickedness. The countryside is better than the city. As people leave rural areas of wise local ordinances, safe traditions, and fewer ways to sin for large cities, sinfulness increases. The more they pack together in a city, the more this proverb takes effect. God identified this factor when men united at Babel to rebel against Him (Gen 11:1-9). He divided nations and set boundaries for spiritual good (Acts 17:26-27).
Much, much more could be said about these factors that cause wicked men to multiply and increase their transgressions against God’s laws. Wise men that understand the times will consider these things soberly and research them even further (I Chr 12:32; Esth 1:13; Eccl 8:1). These are the perilous times of the last days, which scripture foretold (II Tim 3:1-17; 4:1-4). Hear God’s warning: prepare to stand against even greater sinfulness.
Once this snowball starts downhill, it gathers speed and size. As wicked men increase in number and individual rebellion, the result is a compounded increase in evil. If there are several factors working together at once, as presently, when all parts of society are rushing into sin under many influences, and God is allowing it to occur, you can count on a catastrophic event to occur soon to destroy them all for the righteous to see. Amen!
Consider the lesson illustrated. For 1500 years after creation, the wicked multiplied numerically by polygamy (Gen 4:19; 6:1-2). This increase in numbers brought greater boldness in sinning, which God saw (Gen 6:5). In holy anger, God destroyed them all, suffocating them in a worldwide flood (Gen 6:6-7). He saved righteous Noah and his immediate family, who saw the entire earth’s population drowned (Gen 6:8; Heb 11:7).
Consider another illustration. Wicked men gathered in the watered plains of the Jordan about 2000 B.C. Their cities were Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim. This conflux of wicked men led to one of man’s most abominable perversions – sodomy. What an increase of transgression! God had made the perfect Eve for Adam, not Steve (Gen 2:18-25). But these perverts abused each other (Gen 19:1-7; Rom 1:24-27; I Cor 6:9). God burned them all to ashes. Abraham saw the smoke of the fall of the cities (Gen 19:27-28).
It is similar today. Wicked men and their sins have increased by all the factors above in the last two generations. Two men in a bed is not a marriage in the Bible or in hardly any time of human history. Yet the rabid hatred of these perverts against the Bible, Christians, and traditional cultural and legal norms is shocking. Get ready. A fiery inferno is coming to burn the universe to destroy them (II Thes 1:7-10; II Pet 3:10-14; Rev 20:7-15). If you believe in opposite sex marriage out of fear of God, you will only see the judgment.
Christian reader, do not let the increase of the wicked and their perversion of everything good trouble you. Jesus Christ – the coming Judge of the world – told His apostles, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). A new heaven and earth are coming for you, rejoice and live soberly (II Pet 3:10-14).
Do not let increasing iniquity in the world and in most churches cause your fear and love of God to turn lukewarm or cold, as it did for many following the Jews’ crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt 24:12). Just forty years later, the righteous saw God’s vengeance on the Jews for the death of His Son, through more horrific tribulation on that nation than has ever occurred at any other time (Luke 21:20-24; Matt 22:1-7; I Thess 2:14-16).
While the wicked take comfort in their swelling ranks, remember that God has already declared that anything they highly esteem is an abomination to Him (Luke 16:15). He has already declared the world’s wisdom to be foolishness (I Cor 1:19-21; 3:18-20). He has already declared them His enemy (Jas 4:4). If you choose God’s side and His righteousness, you are part of a large, totally victorious kingdom (Heb 12:22-24; Re 7:9).
What is the coming catastrophic event, when the righteous will see all the wicked fall? It is the second coming of Jesus Christ, as Lord of heaven and earth, when the great Day of Judgment will occur, and every man will give an account of himself to the holy God of the Bible (Eccl 12:13-14; Rom 14:10-12; II Cor 5:9-11; Rev 20:11-15). All the wicked will be cast into the lake of fire for eternal torment (Matt 7:21-23; 25:41,46; Jn 5:28-29).
The proverb taught several lessons about societal changes and coming judgment. But do you see the most important lesson? There are righteous men and women in the proverb. They are different from the wicked. They only see the destruction of the wicked – for God will spare them in His fury (Ps 37:34; 58:10-11; 91:8). Are you one of the righteous? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and start living His righteousness today (II Pet 1:5-11).
Proverbs 29:17 Wisdom for the Soul
Posted: December 1, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 29, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods CommandTags: correcting children, discipline, lord disciplines
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.
Child discipline has two great benefits (among others). First, the child is saved from folly and prepared for a productive life. Second, the parents have happy and peaceful lives as they watch their wise child succeed in life, and this second benefit is the lesson here. If you correct your children, they prosper and you celebrate. This is a win-win proposition, but parents neglecting to correct their children cost both their children and themselves.
Foolish parents often say, “We can let it go this time. If he does it again, then we will do something.” What a dangerous idea! Ignoring a problem does not help it go away. Ignoring foolish conduct reinforces it in a child. It will be even harder to correct later. It will also be easier to procrastinate again the next time. And before the parents realize it, they will have established the terrible habit of overlooking a child’s sinful behavior.
Many parents overlook foolish conduct to preserve domestic tranquility. They crave peace at home. They hope that giving a child some leeway will keep things comfortable and calm. They are terribly mistaken! The proverb teaches that rest and delight depend on correcting children, not accommodating them. Though seeking peace, many parents end up losing it. A short loss of peace to correct a child is a cheap price for long-term peace.
The wisest parent you will ever meet, King Solomon, warned against letting child discipline slide. He wrote, “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame” (Pr 29:15). The rule is simple; the consequences are terrible. The pain and shame that some mothers have endured are enormous. And why? They chose to take the road of compromise and not correct their children with tough love.
The rod and reproof will correct and train children to give wonderful joy to parents. The promise is sure: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Pr 22:6). “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Pr 22:15). Do not procrastinate! Every time you put off the inevitable, you harm your child and sacrifice your own future pleasure.
If you love your children, you will aggressively save them from dysfunctional lives (Pr 23:13-14). You will not delay in this great matter. “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes” (Pr 13:24). Betimes means to do it early, speedily, before it is too late. “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying” (Pr 19:18). Only hatred or lazy ignorance would cause you to delay. These and other parental sins have spawned the most selfish generation in history.
The happiest parents are those with noble children that lead successful and beneficial lives. Solomon, who had the means for happiness in any aspect of life, mentioned this fact several times (Pr 10:1; 15:20; 23:15-16,24-25; 29:3). Such parents can live and die in peace, knowing they left a legacy on earth of godliness and virtue in their children.
A great source of unhappiness in parents is foolish children with dysfunctional lives. Solomon also mentioned this several times (Pr 10:1; 15:20; 17:21,25; 19:13). Problematic children cost their parents peace and rest during their latter years and then send them to their graves knowing they have failed and left thorns of foolishness for others to endure.
The choice is yours. The cure is simple. Correct your child! Do not let him get away with doing wrong in any matter. Tell him he is wrong. Teach him the right way. You brought him into this world knowing nothing, and his future and yours depends on you to show him the true and wise way. Reprove and rebuke him; then instruct and admonish him.
Deism is heresy. The God of the Bible did not create and then abandon His creation. He adopted children out of the human race, becoming their Father in an eternal way. He never violates this proverb by ignoring their folly. He wisely corrects them to turn them back to righteousness. If you are thankful for an earthly father’s training, give thanks to heaven for God your Father’s correction (Pr 3:11-12; Ps 119:67,71,75; Heb 12:5-11).
The Father in heaven greatly exceeds Solomon in wisdom. In order to perfect you, He uses various means to punish your sins and turn you back into the way of holiness, truth, and wisdom. And what a blessed and profitable privilege it is, for He does not correct those He never loved or adopted (Heb 12:6-8; I Cor 11:32). This is the proof of His love; it is for your profit; you should thankfully delight in it (Rev 3:19; Rom 5:3-5; Jas 1:2-4).
Proverbs 29:20 Wisdom for the Soul
Posted: October 29, 2014 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 29, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Under Gods CommandTags: a fool, slow to speak, speaking the truth
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 29:20 Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him
Slow down! Do not talk so fast! Think before you speak! Make sure you know what you are talking about before sounding off. A person that talks fast, talks often, and answers quickly is worse than a fool. A fool will get in trouble due to ignorance, but a man who answers or speaks before thinking is going to be punished. He is worse than a fool.
God’s wisdom is simple – “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (Jas 1:19). You have two ears and one mouth: let this proportion be reflected in your listening and speaking. Many have their mouths running before their minds are in gear, and they are a danger to themselves and a stench to others.
A righteous man studies before answering; wicked men pour out verbal nonsense without study (Pr 15:28). The good man is cautious before speaking, because he wants to make certain he only speaks the words of truth (Pr 22:20-21). The arrogant fool likes to hear himself talk, so he is busy talking whenever possible, regardless of truth (Eccl 10:12-13).
Have you ever met a person who answers before questions are fully posed? Have you ever done this? It is folly and shame to answer a dilemma you have not yet fully heard (Pr 18:13). What causes a man to answer so presumptuously? Arrogance and conceit! He is so sure of himself, he talks without deliberation; there is more hope of a fool (Pr 26:12).
Fools are stupid, but hasty and impulsive talkers are proud. There is some hope to help a fool overcome his stupidity and stubbornness, but there is less or no hope to help a proud man see his deficiencies in character and conduct to change them. His self-righteous confidence, the greatest of sins, will not allow him to be corrected. He will not seek a multitude of counselors to obtain safety, because he assumes he is right (Pr 11:14; 15:22).
Fools say all that is in their minds without any necessity or request, but a wise man will listen carefully to see if he ought to tell what he knows or not (Pr 29:11). This is wisdom, reader. No one wants to know your opinion or thoughts until they ask for it, and then they want you to stay on topic and only say things you have previously confirmed as truth.
How many have brought God’s judgment down on them for speaking hastily in the house of God (Eccl 5:1-7)? It is better not to vow, than to vow and not pay. Sober reflection is superior to the crackling of fools (Eccl 7:2-6). They merely make a lot of vain noise. It can also happen in writing, so be cautious before replying with a hasty email. Slow men are better than fast men, and hasty thoughts will get you in trouble (Pr 14:29; 21:5).
If you want to please God and men with your life, then slow down in speech and be careful about every word, for many words often lead to sin (Pr 10:19). Let your speech be always with grace and seasoned only a little with criticism or rebuke (Col 4:6). If you love pureness of heart, your speech will be gracious and promote you with great men (Pr 22:11). This result is totally opposite the hopeless destruction of the fast-talking fool.
Proverbs 29:07 Wisdom for the Soul
Posted: September 29, 2014 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Personal Growth, Proverbs 29, Spiritual Training, The PoorTags: Consider Job, Job, the poor and needy
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 29:07 The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicket have no such concern.
Ignorance is not bliss, nor an excuse, when it comes to the poor. Wicked men do not think about them or make any effort to know their situations or troubles. But a righteous man considers the poor and explores their circumstances to learn what they need and how he can help. Ignorance is not bliss, nor an excuse, in this matter, for God will punish the selfish man that neglects to think about the poor and take care of them (Pr 21:13; 28:27).
Selfish and stingy persons, who are the wicked of this proverb, do not think or care about the poor. They are so obsessed with their own worthless lives that there is no room in their mind or heart for others, even when those others are in need or trouble. If you confront them, they say, “I did not want to pry into their personal business,” or, “I mind my own business, as you should,” or, “I did not know they were having such difficulties,” or, “I cannot afford to help anyone else, because I do not have many luxuries myself.”
Consider Job. God bragged to the devil that Job was a perfect and upright man (Job 1:1-8). Did Job think about the poor? Did he inquire about the poor to know when help was needed? Job said, “I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out” (Job 29:16). Amen! Job also said, “I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy” (Job 29:12-13).
Pure religion is thinking and doing for the poor (Pr 14:31; 17:5; Ps 112:9; Luke 19:8-9; Jas 1:27; I John 3:16-19). God does not care about your fasting, church attendance, Bible reading, or tithes, if you ignore or neglect the poor (Is 1:10-20; 58:3-7; Matt 23:23). He measures religion where it counts – in the heart and by your wallet! How much have you thought about the poor? Have you felt their pain? Have you asked about their needs? What have you done about it? Have you responded with labor or money? How much?
Financial success depends on giving to the poor, but wicked men do not give, because they greedily think they will get ahead by not giving. They are blind. You cannot become poor by giving to the poor, for the Lord will repay in abundance, even beyond what you give. Consider it well (Pr 11:24-26; 19:17; 22:9; 28:8; Luke 6:38; II Cor 9:6-11)!
Poor saints are your primary duty (Deut 15:7-11; Acts 2:42-45; 4:34-37; 6:1-7; 11:27-30; Rom 15:25-27; I Cor 16:1; II Cor 9:1-2). The only pagan poor you are bound to consider are those God brings directly in your path in a crisis (Luke 10:25-37). Only those of both types who are doing all they can for themselves are worthy. When you give to the Christian poor, there are two other bonuses to consider. First, Jesus Christ will remember your charity in the Day of Judgment (Matt 10:41-42; 25:31-46), and second, some have entertained angels unawares (Heb 13:2; Gen 18:1-8; 19:1-3; Judges 13:2-23).
If you are a woman, there is another reason for charity. If you are ever widowed, a true church will fully support you (I Tim 5:3-16; Acts 6:1-6). The qualifications for this special class of widows include a great reputation for diligence in good works, including the lodging of strangers and relief of the afflicted (I Tim 5:10; Pr 31:20; Acts 9:36-43). You can be fully vested in God’s retirement plan by investing in good works for others.
Empathy is feeling with and for others. Paul wrote, “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body” (Heb 13:3). It is practicing the golden rule from your heart and mind (Luke 6:31). God’s law required empathy with generosity (Ex 22:21-27; Deut 15:7-11; 24:12-22; Ps 41:1), which Job practiced (Job 31:16-22). How considerate are you of others in need? How tender is your heart, and how wide do you open your hand to help them (Deut 15:7-11)?
King Lemuel’s mother taught him to intervene for the poor (Pr 31:8-9), and she taught him to only marry a woman with that kind of heart (Pr 31:20). A great measure of noble character is a person’s eagerness to help others in trouble. But this wisdom is not only for the Old Testament: it is also required in the New (Rom 12:13). Your own happiness and blessings depend on how you treat the poor (Pr 14:21; Ps 41:1-3; Acts 20:35).
What will you do about this proverb? Despise it? Forget it? Whom should you be thinking about right now? Whom will you have to your house for a meal, or take out to eat, next? Those who can repay in some way, or those who cannot (Luke 14:12-14)? Lip service is worthless and cruel (Jas 2:15-16). The omniscient God is watching your heart, mind, and wallet (Pr 15:3; Heb 4:12-13). True love that proves eternal life performs (I John 3:14-19), like the Lord Jesus Christ performed mightily for you (II Cor 8:9; 9:15).
Under Gods command 