Archive for the ‘Proverbs’ Category

Proverbs 12:02 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 12, 2015 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 12, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 12:2 A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a crafty man. 

God can raise beggars up out of a sewer and put them on the throne of glory, and He can put the greatest monarch in world history out to pasture, literally (II Sam 7:8; Dan 4:27-33). The true God rewards your conduct in this life – think David and Nebuchadnezzar; and He rewards it in the next life – think Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31).

Dear reader, it would do you good to read Hannah’s prayer of praise (I Sam 2:1-10). She knew the LORD was a God of knowledge and that He weighed the actions of men. She praised Him for His great work of putting one person up and putting another down. He made a great difference between her and her adversary (I Sam 1:4-8,17-20; 2:18-21,26).

The LORD’s favour is wonderful. It is better than the mythical touch of Midas, better than friendship with Bill Gates, and better than the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. There is nothing like it in this world or the next (Ps 4:6-8; 16:11). How can you measure having the Lord as your Friend, Comforter, Benefactor, and Protector?

His favour can make all the difference in the world in a man’s life. Can you fully comprehend it? How can you describe it? If He blesses your soul, your body, your marriage, your children, the work of your hands, and your eternal destination, what else is there (Ps 1:1-6; 73:23-27; 128:1-6; 144:11-15)? Thank you, blessed God and Father!

But His condemnation is a horrible thing. It far exceeds any personal or natural disaster, for the Creator God becomes your enemy and will torment you in this life and the next. He can torment your soul with fear and trembling that is indescribable (Deut 28:65-68). Terminal cancer and annihilation would be a relief from what He can do to you. How can you measure the horror of the LORD God chasing you into eternity (Ps 35:5-6)?

Jesus told His disciples that pain and death were nothing at all. Why fear men, He asked? They cannot do anything of serious or lasting harm. He taught them the only true Person to fear was His Father, Who was able to kill the body in this life and then send both body and soul to hell for eternal torment. You should fear Him, Jesus warned (Luke 12:4-5).

What makes this difference – the great distances between God’s responses? Your choices today, reader. That is right! Your choices today will either be good in His sight, or they will be wicked. You think you can do what you want? You think you have a right to your own life? You think you can protect yourself from Him? You think you can avoid the consequences of your sin? You think He does not see? Does not care? Guess again, fool!

A good man is made good by God’s grace (Ps 14:1-3; Gal 5:22-23), but God’s grace must be used to be the good man here (I Cor 15:10; II Cor 6:1). A good man finds the favour of the great God by laying hold of wisdom and obeying it (Pr 8:35). A foolish man rejects wisdom and by doing so wrongs his own soul and chooses death instead (Pr 8:36).

The defining difference between the two persons is how they treat wisdom – God’s instructions for living found in the Bible. Reader, do you tremble before the words of God yet? Will you even take enough time to read and consider the warning of this proverb? Will you do anything about it? What will you do to obey God better? Today?

Reject wisdom, and God will tear you in pieces, and there will be no one to save you (Ps 50:22; Hos 5:14; 13:8)! He will turn your life upside down and inside out (Ps 146:9). He will smash your face and break out your teeth (Ps 3:7; 58:6). If you think for one second God has changed, try Hebrews 10:26-31; 12:28-29; and 13:8. When He comes in anger, men beg for mountains to fall on them and hide them (Rev 6:16-17). Do not be a fool!

Beware, lest you think it is your idea and measure of what makes a good man. Do not let anyone, even your dear mother, flatter you into thinking you are a good man. The holy God has no regard for such foolish thoughts. He will only favour the man who trembles before His word and keeps His commandments with a humble heart (Ps 112:1-4; Is 66:2).

The difference in His response is enormous; it is immeasurable. Do you see it clearly? He can bless so abundantly and so kindly, and He can destroy so horribly and so painfully.

Did the LORD’s favour make a difference in Joseph’s life? An incredible difference! How about Abraham? Ruth? Esther? Job? David? Daniel? Mary Magdalene?

Did the LORD’s condemnation make a difference in Saul’s life? What tormenting misery! How about Cain? Lot? Eli? Nabal? Jehoram? Uzziah? Judas? Herod?

Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up (Jas 4:10). There is precious favour to be obtained from the LORD God. Some men walked with Him as their Friend, others walked straight into heaven without dying, and yet others had His benevolent care and protection around and upon them wherever they went and whatever they did. Do good, and you will love life and see good days (I Pet 3:10-12)!

 

Proverbs 08:36 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 8, 2015 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 08, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

UNDER GODS COMMAND 

Proverbs 8:36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death. 

Do it my way, or die! This is the ultimatum of Lady Wisdom! She freely offered you wisdom, which is more precious than anything on earth (Pr 8:1-11). She listed fabulous blessings that follow it (Pr 8:12-21), and she described wisdom’s existence with God and role in creation (Pr 8:22-31). If you refuse her, you are choosing a slow and painful death for yourself (Pr 1:24-33). She has no mercy for those rejecting her (Pr 8:33; 9:12; 29:1).

Proverbs chapter 8 is a lengthy personification of wisdom as a woman. It is a beautiful and powerful figure of speech, but it hides the ferocious severity of this woman, if you spurn her. Calamities will surely come in your life, if you reject wisdom, and she will laugh and mock at your pain and trouble (Pr 1:26-27). She will ignore your cries, when you are drowning in anguish, distress, and fear, while your soul and life are destroyed.

She is not unjustly cruel; fools are wickedly profane! If an offer of wisdom is rejected, then the brute beast that despised it deserves to suffer. There is nothing unjust here. Since wisdom is the principal matter of life and eternity, rejecting it is arrogant suicide. Those that sin against wisdom by choosing their own ideas are wronging their own souls. Those that hate wisdom and scorn her correction and instruction must love a painful death.

Wisdom is the only way to live a happy, prosperous, safe, and successful life. If you rebel against it, you must love the dysfunctional lives that torture the souls of most today. Dysfunction is epidemic; divorce, drugs, debt, disobedient children, disease, depression, and drunkenness are rampant. Lady Wisdom offers the cure. If you reject her, you wrong your own soul. If you scorn her, you must love death, for that is where you are headed.

Neither God, nor wisdom, nor the Bible is a take-it-or-leave-it matter. There is no option for agreeing to disagree with the God of heaven (Eccl 12:13-14; John 4:24). There is no option to accept parts of the Bible and reject others (Ps 119:128; I Tim 6:3-5). Mankind has two branches – the small minority following the strait and narrow way to life, and the large majority following the wide and broad way to destruction (Matt 7:13-14).

The great and dreadful God of heaven is infinitely sovereign over your life. You are nothing. He is the Potter; you are the clay (Is 45:9-10; Rom 9:20-21). He does according to His will in heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; no one can resist or question Him (Dan 4:35). He has made all things for Himself (Pr 16:4; Rev 4:11). He created you with an eternal soul that you cannot turn off – without even asking you. He did not ask you for approval for even one circumstance of your life. Humble yourself before Him!

He revealed Himself in creation, so that all men are without excuse for not worshipping and thanking Him (Ps 19:1-6; Acts 14:17; Rom 1:18-20). Because man thinks himself wise, He hardens their hearts and blinds their minds to defile themselves with sodomy and other abominable and inconvenient sins (Rom 1:21-32). Do you know the God of the Bible (Is 45:5-7; Acts 17:23)? He changes not, and He never will (Heb 12:28-29; 13:8).

The world has entered its final stages of existence. The perilous times of the last days have brought an effeminate and compromising brand of Christianity (II Tim 3:1-7). These carnal and worldly Christians despise Bible preaching – they much prefer fables and entertainment, especially if they can wear cutoffs and flip-flops and sip Starbucks coffee while skimming 10-15 different Bible versions on a big screen (II Tim 4:3-4).

These modern frauds despise the words of the living God. They want to hear smooth things, just like the truth rejecters before them (Is 30:8-11). They want Jesus rap, Christian rock, and heavenly funk rather than sound doctrine. They want purpose driven drivel and seeker sensitive sap rather than, “Thus saith the Lord.” Lady Wisdom says, “But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.”

How did the Lord Jesus Christ state the same sentiments to the Jews that killed Him, “For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation” (Luke 19:43-44). And He fulfilled it perfectly – to the letter – in 70AD with the Roman armies under Titus.

Reader, what will you do? The God of heaven has revealed Himself to you in creation. Lady Wisdom has spoken to you from the book of Proverbs. The Bible is the only source of righteousness, truth, and wisdom in the world, and its primary message is the supreme authority of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God. What is His message for those who reject Him? If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. Let him be cursed at the coming of Jesus Christ (I Cor 16:22). Seek Him today.

Proverbs 11:25 Wisdom for the Sou

Posted: December 10, 2014 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 11, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 11:24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. 

No business school in America is advanced enough to teach this law of economics. Not Harvard. Not Stanford. Not the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. This proverb is a financial secret from the God of heaven for His people. Giving away financial assets will increase your net worth, while holding back money leads to poverty.

If you want a wealth-building secret from God and King Solomon, here it is. Throwing money to noble and righteous causes will bring financial prosperity, but restraining your giving will take you down. Here is advice, not to invest money, but to give it away. That is right; you read it correctly; give your money away to get ahead financially.

This proverb is not a sound bite for a desperate charity or greedy televangelist. It is an axiom of wisdom from the wisest and richest King that ever lived. He taught elsewhere to cast your bread upon the waters by giving it away, for it will come back to you sometime in the future by God’s blessings (Eccl 11:1-6; II Cor 9:8-11; Phil 4:17-19).

Solomon compared two men in this proverb. The one man scatters his money by giving it to godly causes, and he increases in financial prosperity. Though he is giving money away, his accounts keep growing. The other man hoards and protects his assets by not giving when he should or as much as he should, and he gets poorer and poorer.

Fools scorn God’s wisdom. The nation’s best MBA’s laugh at such preposterous ideas. How can you give away funds and increase assets? Their minds are limited to the math taught by their earthly teachers. Remember, these ignorant MBA’s also think the solar system is from a big bang of cosmic gases and their mothers were baboons! They cannot even imagine there is a whole universe of higher laws they know nothing about!

They think 10 – 1 = 9, when 10 – 1 = 900! Learn God’s math! Isaac, from a family that gave away a tenth by divine tradition, had an annual return of 10,000% on his portfolio (Gen 26:12). When did these educated fools with thick economic textbooks ever get an annual return like that? They work crazily to match the S&P500, which can be obtained by throwing darts at the financial page of the newspaper or buying an index fund.

Abraham, Isaac’s father, gave away a tenth of everything to God’s priest after a great victory (Gen 14:20). He was very rich, in spite of moving six hundred miles from home, without a strategic plan, to a strange land, where he did not know anyone or anything (Gen 13:2,6). But he increased by the blessing of God for honoring God with a tithe.

Jacob, Isaac’s son, moved to a new country with only a staff in his hand, but in 20 years he was so rich he could only travel in two companies (Gen 32:10). And this occurred in spite of discrimination against him by his employer (Gen 31:7,41). What was his secret for financial success? Give away 10% of all income (Gen 28:22). Give God the glory!

Fools think they have to look out for number one, meaning themselves, and only give to God a little of what is left. If nothing is left, then God gets nothing. Wise men also look out for number one, meaning God Himself. They give to God first, and live on whatever is left. The blessed God of heaven sees the different spirit and rewards them accordingly.

Fools reason, “I cannot afford to give. I have to protect my financial situation. I have bills coming up that I need to save for. When I am in a better financial situation, then I will give.” The God of heaven operates far above these ignorant and wicked ideas of financial safety. These men will surely be poor. They will never improve financially by violating this proverb. Just a little survey will show such men are often the poorest you know.

You cannot afford not to give! Your situation will go from bad to worse, if you continue to rob your Creator (Mal 3:8-11; Gal 6:7). It is better to live on 90% of income in the will of God than to miserly steal His 10% and live in rebellion. If you steal His 10%, He has the right and power to take His 10% and your 90%. You cannot afford not to give!

You can afford to give. If your salary were cut 10%, you would keep living with just a few changes. Some governments will split your giving with you by allowing you a tax deduction for it. It only costs the average American 6% to give 10%. You steal and lie, when you say you cannot afford to give. Humble yourself; choose wisdom, and increase.

A tithe is not the limit, for New Testament blessings surely deserve more than the beggarly 10% of the Old. Your spiritual and material blessings are greater than Israel ever dreamed. God has given you 100% of what you are and have, and heaven is waiting. Is 10% all you can muster? [When you look closer, the O.T. actually required 23 1/3%.]

Fools also reason, “Other men give because they have more to give. Their giving did not bring financial success, but they give because they are financially successful.” You are lying to yourself to protect your selfish and stingy soul. You are rejecting the infallible word of God to honor your greedy ignorance. You will never be a success. Going down?

Israel once thought it was financially wise to build their own houses first, but God blew against their efforts and put holes in the bags where they kept their wages (Hag 1:1-11). He guaranteed them great success, if they would put His cause first and mark their calendars (Hag 2:13-19). Do you have holes in your bags, reader? You cannot mock God; He will take you to poverty. Does God truly bless giving? Indeed He does (Pr 3:9-10)

How can the Lord increase a man who gives his money away? He can raise his income, lower his expenses, change tax laws, arrange gifts, grant favors, defer liabilities, extend the life of assets, preserve health and strength, open doors of opportunity, multiply efforts, provide bargains, give wisdom, attract customers, and many other things. Glory!

How far does this rule go? God dares you to try to outgive Him! He told Israel He would open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing they could not receive, if they would simply bring their tithes and offerings to Him (Mal 3:7-12). Give God the glory! He can give a good measure, press it down, shake it together, and pour it over the top (Luke 6:38). He dares you, reader. The God of heaven dares you to try to outgive Him.

There are two conditions for God’s rich blessings on giving – you must give generously, and you must give cheerfully (Pr 11:25; II Cor 9:6-7). If you are stingy, God will be stingy to you. If you are generous and liberal, He will be the same in dealings with you (Is 32:8). If you are not cheerful and excited about giving, it is all a waste – for God loves cheerful givers. Giving is an act of worship, and you should do it with joy (Deut 28:47).

If you are a child of God living in America, you have the greatest combination of blessings ever known by any persons in this world. And it is certainly not because Americans are better people. It is God’s pure mercy. How can you not be the most liberal giver of all time? You are in great debt to your Creator and Saviour for more than others.

R.G. LeTourneau (1888-1969), a Christian man with little education, was one of America’s greatest inventors with 300 patents in earthmoving and other heavy equipment. He and his plants produced 70% of the heavy earthmoving machines used by the Allies during World War II. His rule for success? He gave 90% of all income back to the Lord. His favorite verse? Matthew 6:33! His philosophy and experience about giving? “I shovel out the money, and God shovels it back to me – but God has a bigger shovel.”

If you meet a poor person in true need and give to him, the Lord of heaven will repay you (Pr 19:17; Deut 15:10-11; Ps 41:1-2).  But if you keep your money and assets to protect your financial situation, the Lord of heaven will curse you with many curses (Pr 28:27). The contrast here is rather severe, but are you wise enough to believe it and obey it?

Giving to the man of God, who teaches you the word of God, is not just a religious tradition or convenient suggestion; it is the ordinance of God (I Cor 9:1-14; Gal 6:6; I Tim 5:17). It ought to be a high pleasure to reward your servant and to please God. Since he is God’s ambassador, your treatment of him is a direct reflection of your love of God.

If you have family members in need, you have denied the Christian religion, if you do not support them financially (I Tim 5:4,8). If you are a grandparent or parent with children, you should be giving them an inheritance (Prov 13:22; II Cor 12:14). Are you holding back for yourself like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day (Mark 7:9-13)? You are going down!

Have you wished you could walk on water with Peter? Here is your opportunity. Peter had to step over the gunwale of his boat and down on the water by faith, and you get to scatter your money by faith. Go for it! Do not look at the waves. The promise of this proverb and the other verses included here are just as the Lord saying to Peter, “Come.”

Do you believe the Bible? Then do what the Bible says! Give away part of what you have. Do it. Show God and men your faith. Test the proverb. See if you increase. Let God be true, but every man a liar. The proverb is true. This rule of success is from heaven, and it has never failed. If this proverb is not really true, then the others are not true either.

The benefits of a golden parachute from heaven keep coming. Generous and cheerful giving provides a good foundation for your soul in the Day of Judgment (I Tim 6:17-19; Matt 10:42; 25:40; Luke 4:14; Heb 6:10). This is an incredible further benefit for giving that most Christians do not understand. What more do you need, reader, to learn to give?

Giving reflects God’s grace in your heart and draws you closer to Him. But no matter how far you progress in the grace of giving, Jesus Christ remains the unmatchable Giver. It was He who left the wealth of heaven to make the supreme sacrifice to deliver you from eternal poverty and grant you eternal riches (John 3:16; Rom 6:23; II Cor 8:9; 9:15).

Proverbs 10:19 Wisdom from the Soul

Posted: December 9, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 10, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , ,
0

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

A simple rule of wisdom is to cut your words in half. Many words and much speaking greatly raise the chance of sinning with your lips. Because of this dangerous risk, wisdom teaches you to reduce your number of words and maintain silence longer than usual.

A wise man reflects soberly after speaking a great deal, for he remembers the grave warning of the first half of this proverb. If he spoke quite a few words, he has probably sinned in his speech and appears a fool (Eccl 5:3). In this context, silence is very golden.

The God of wisdom tells you to be faster to hear and slower to speak (Jas 1:19). If you emphasized listening and being skilful at that, you would have little time for talking. If you were slow and reluctant to speak, you would have an excellent spirit (Pr 17:27).

Wisely consider your words before you speak, rather than regret them after they are out. Even if you are not very bright, if you can reduce your words, those around you will assume you are wise – this is a rule from Solomon to boost your reputation (Pr 17:28).

Ah, dear reader, have you not wasted many painful hours reviewing words you spoke? Have you often said, “I wish I’d never said that,” or, “Why did I say that?” Such misery could be reduced, if you would simply refrain your lips from idle or foolish speech. If you would hold your tongue, you would not have to worry about words that escaped.

Wisdom is easy – cut your words in half. Talk less. The tongue is a fire, so douse its sparks by swallowing words (Jas 3:1-12). The tongue is deadly; use it slowly (Pr 18:21).

Words and sin are not an arithmetic, but a geometric, relationship. The words you add beyond necessary speech contain most of your verbal sins; those sins increase rapidly the more and longer you talk (Eccl 10:13). If you swallow those extra words that are unnecessary, easily half your words, you will stop many sins. Cutting your words by 50% will reduce your sins of speech by 90%! Wisdom is easy! Bridle your mouth (Ps 39:1)!

If children cut their words in half, there would be less foolishness, teasing of siblings, and dishonoring of parents. If wives did it, they would be less odious, contentious, and overbearing. If employees did it, managers would find their jobs much easier and production and unity would improve. If angry, bitter, and cruel people did it, there would be much less bleeding of wounded souls. If fools did it, they would be esteemed wise.

Of course, there are people who hardly ever speak, and this proverb does not apply to them. They need to use more words to be gracious and a tree of life to others. If they do not learn to speak, their lives will have little value for anyone, and they are a regular source of disappointment and frustration to others. True wisdom feeds many (Pr 10:21).

Proverbs 05:18 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: December 5, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 05, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: ,
0

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 5:18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth

Married men have a fountain. They should thank God for it, protect it, honor it, and use it. It is the wife of their youth that gives birth to their children. A wife is like a fountain in that she sends forth children to spread a man’s influence. A wise man highly values this advantage of a lawful wife over a whore. He should enthusiastically enjoy life with her.

Fathering children with a wife is a glorious and wonderful thing. Solomon warned his son against adultery by praising the privilege and pleasure of a legitimate family (Pr 5:15-18). The fountain is a man’s generative power with a woman, which he restricted to only his son’s wife. And he exalted a happy family as a blessing and delight worthy of rejoicing.

Adultery destroys this good thing. Whores cannot give it. They avoid conception, lest they be discovered. When a child is born out of wedlock, it causes more problems than blessings. And adultery crushes the heart of your wife. It is only legitimate children from a monogamous marriage that bring blessing and joy to two loving parents. Solomon condemned adultery by promoting a legitimate family.

Boys should be taught early that marrying young – the wife of thy youth – and having a happy family with children are great sexual and social goals. Girls should believe being a wife and mother are their most fulfilling and noble roles. Childbirth, a nursing mother, and happy children are blessings (Pr 17:6; Job 21:11; 42:16; Ps 107:41; 127:3-5; 128:1-6). They are also great deterrents to the short, deadly pleasure of fornication or adultery.

This perverse generation despises and ridicules the large families of several generations ago. Family size in America has fallen from an average of 7.0 children in 1800 to 3.5 in 1900 to 1.6 in 2000. This collapse is partly due to change from an agrarian/rural society to a service/urban one, but it also reflects the selfish and whorish lifestyles of most adults.

Defying the wisdom of a happy family, this lascivious generation promotes a lifestyle of casual sex, multiple partners, commitment-free love, professional women, marriage without children, and spousal independence. The family unit God ordained and blessed, which was for man’s pleasure, prosperity, and protection, has become an item of scorn.

Divorce, single parenting, cohabitation, and same-sex marriages are in. Many children are raised in one-parent homes. When there are two parents, the one child they have is spoiled beyond description. These children’s dysfunctional lives condemn the trends of this evil generation by the obvious results. God’s wisdom of the family is never outdated.

The righteous, who fear God and trust His Word, must restore the glory and prosperity of the family – a man and wife committed for life, loving their several or more children, and rejoicing in their family extension by grandchildren. You can do this by building your own marriage and family to be an example of blessing and pleasure, by condemning and avoiding all forms of casual sex outside marriage, by teaching your children these things, and by reproving and ridiculing all societal trends against God’s family ordinances.

Spiritual Training 04 December 2014

Posted: December 4, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

1 Corinthians 15:29-34 Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

Some believers were baptized on behalf of others who had died unbaptized. Nothing more is known about this practice, but it obviously affirms a belief in resurrection. Paul is not promoting baptism for the dead; he is illustrating his argument that the resurrection is a reality.

If death ends it all, enjoying the moment would be all that matters. But Christians know that life continues beyond the grave and that our life on earth is only a preparation for our life that will never end. What you do today matters for eternity. In light of eternity, sin is a foolish gamble. Your belief in the resurrection will affect your view of the future. It also ought to affect how you live today.

“I face death every day” refers to the dangers Paul encountered daily. The “wild beasts” in Ephesus referred to the savage opposition he had faced there.

Keeping company with those who deny the resurrection can corrupt good Christian character.

Lets Bring it Home: Don’t let your relationships with unbelievers lead you away from Christ or cause your faith to waver.

Proverbs 02:07 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: December 1, 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
0

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 02:07 He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a buckler (shield) to those who walk is blameless.

The only God has blessings for your obedience – wisdom and protection. He provides true and valid wisdom in abundance for righteous men. God has all the wisdom in the universe, but He has made much available for good men. And He will also be a shield to them as well, which shows strong protection by using the metaphor of a battle shield.

As in any writing, check the context to grasp this proverb. King Solomon, the Preacher of Israel, had listed the means for finding the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of God (Pr 2:1-5). He then taught that since God is the fountain and source of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, He gives these things abundantly to faithful men or women (Pr 2:6-9).

Reader, what will you do? Here are wisdom and protection for life. They are available to all who will humble themselves and seek them from the LORD Jehovah, beside Whom there is no other god. When a man chooses to follow the way of righteousness revealed in the Bible, God will reveal truth and wisdom to Him (Ps 119:100; John 7:17).

If you follow the world – the way of folly and sin, you will suffer the dire consequences of being blinded horribly (Rom 1:18-27), of having God turn against you (Pr 1:20-32; Is 63:10), and dying a miserable death in ignorance and sorrow (Pr 5:11-13; 8:36). But you can also choose life and blessing, which God will give for obedience (I Pet 3:10-12).

How much wisdom has God laid up for the righteous? The Bible contains more wisdom than all the educators and institutions of “higher learning” combined (Is 8:20; I Cor 1:19-20; I Tim 6:20). On any subject, the Bible provides answers that confound and shame the ignorance of men (Ps 94:11; 119:113,128). How much time do you spend reading it?

God appointed Solomon Preacher in Israel to give inspired wisdom to His people (Eccl 1:1,12; 12:8-11). And He has ordained more preachers through Jesus Christ since His resurrection and ascension into heaven (Ps 68:18; Eph 4:8-16). It is your privilege to seek them out and find your wisdom from God (Jer 3:15; Mal 2:7; Col 1:28; II Tim 3:16-17).

What is a buckler? It is a shield (I Chr 5:18; Song 4:4). When listed with a shield, it is different in size, construction, or battle use (Ps 35:2). By using buckler as a metaphor, Solomon taught God’s protection for upright men (Pr 30:5; Ps 18:2,30; 84:11; 144:2). The angels of Jehovah, spirit beings superior to men by any measure, are servants for those who fear God and keep His commandments (Ps 34:7; Heb 1:13-14). “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety” (Ps 4:8).

The maximum safety you can have on earth is to walk uprightly, which is to have goals, habits, and a lifestyle of doing what is right. The eyes of Almighty God look throughout the world to show Himself strong for those with perfect hearts (II Chr 16:9). Not only will God protect the godly man during life on earth, righteous living is also the assurance and evidence that you will be safe in the Day of Judgment (Matt 7:21-23; II Pet 1:5-11).

Proverbs 1:21 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: December 1, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 01, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 1:21 He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor 

Where is wisdom? Solomon wrote Proverbs to teach wisdom to young men in particular and to all God’s children in general (Pr 1:1-6). Where must you go to find it? Wisdom is freely offered everywhere to those who will stop and listen (Pr 1:20-23; 8:1-10; 9:1-5).

Solomon personified wisdom as a woman, like Americans use Mother Nature. Lady Wisdom speaks for most of this chapter (Pr 1:20-33). Solomon used this personification often (Pr 2:1-4; 3:13-18; 4:5-13; 8:1-36; 9:1-12). Wisdom seeks you. Embrace her!

Where is wisdom? Job asked this great question (Job 28:1-12). Natural man cannot find it or buy it (Job 28:13-22). Only God knows where it is found (Job 28:23-27). The God of heaven – Jehovah – said, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom” (Job 28:28)!

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Pr 1:7; 9:10). What is it? It is reverent awe to keep His commandments and to hate sin (Pr 8:13; Job 28:28; Ps 111:10; Eccl 12:13-14; Heb 12:28-29). It delights in God and the things He loves (Deut 6:4-9; Jer 9:23-24).

Wisdom is opposite everything believed and taught by CNN, Hollywood, the NEA, the PTA, Fox, Harvard, PETA, the UN, Oxford, the Vatican, CBS, the RNC, and the NFL!

You forfeit all wisdom, if you have allegiance to Allah, Baal, Buddha, Confucius, Dagon, Eostre, the Great Spirit, Krishna, Mary, Mohamed, Rama, Shiva, the Talmud, or Vishnu!

Lady Wisdom calls! She cries in the chief place of concourse, where men travel. She cries in the openings of the gates, where men enter the city. She cries in the city. She is nearby for any man, who will stop his business and activity to listen (Ps 4:3-5; 46:8-11).

The creator God has revealed himself in the heavens and earth (Ps 19:1-6; Rom 1:20). A plain sermon is preached day and night in every language and dialect. He gives a witness of Himself every time it rains and you enjoy a fruitful season (Matt 5:45; Acts 14:17; 17:27-28). If you believe the lie of evolution, you will never see any wisdom at all.

God has also revealed wisdom by His inspired scriptures, the Christian Bible (Deut 4:5-8; Ps 19:7-11; Is 8:20). He has sent chosen men to preach His wisdom to you (Jer 3:15; I Cor 2:6-16; Col 1:28-29). If you are reading this proverb and its commentary, this kind God has brought wisdom before your eyes. Get down! Humble yourself! Praise your Creator! Thank Him for His word! Read it! Believe it! Obey it! Lady Wisdom is calling!

Proverbs 18:24 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: November 18, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 18, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 18.24 – A man of many companions may come to ruin, but here is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Loneliness is everywhere-many people feel cut off and alienated from others. Being in a crowd just makes people more aware of their isolation. We all need friends who will stick close, listen, care and offer help when it is needed-in good times and bad. It is better to have one such friend than dozens of superficial acquaintances. Instead of wishing you could find a true friend, seek to become one. There are people who need your friendship. Ask God to reveal them to you, and then take on the challenge of being a true friend.

Proverbs 17:13 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: November 17, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 17, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: ,
0

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 17:13 If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house 

It is sin to repay evil for evil, for vengeance belongs to God (Rom 12:17; I Thess 5:15; I Pet 3:9). But it is even worse to repay evil for good, for that shows a brutish and devilish heart. The consequences for such vile conduct are certain – God will severely judge you with perpetual trouble. It is your duty and privilege to return goodness for goodness.

There are two lessons here. First, you should soberly consider all those that have treated you well in your life. Have you honored them? Have you kindly rewarded their goodness? Second, you should consider those that have despised your goodness. Do not contemplate personal vengeance. God will grind them for you, and the Lord grinds best.

Noah, a godly father, saved his son Ham and Ham’s wife from the Flood by his personal righteousness (Gen 6:8-10; 7:1). But when Ham sinned against his father, his family tree was perpetually cursed (Gen 9:18-27). Beware reader, the Lord will grind such men.

David killed Goliath for timid Saul and served him well (I Sam 17:50-53; 18:5). But Saul was jealous of this godly man and tried to kill him, so God destroyed Saul’s family and gave the ruling power to the tribe of Judah (I Sam 19:1; 25:28-31; II Sam 6:21). Much of his reign was ruined by the envy that consumed his soul and left him hopeless in the end.

David kindly protected Nabal’s sheep and shepherds (I Sa 25:4-17). When Nabal rejected an honorable request from David, God let him suffer for ten days before killing him and giving his beautiful widow to David (I Sam 25:36-42). Consider your benefactors!

The Lord Jesus befriended and honored Judas Iscariot as one of His twelve apostles. But Judas chose to betray Jesus for a few pieces of silver, so the blessed and holy God dashed his bowels and blood across the potter’s field (Acts 1:18-19; Ps 109:1-20). Both David and Jesus encountered many such traitors in their lives (Ps 35:12; 38:20; 55:12-15).

Jesus Christ was Israel’s Messiah. He preached truth and healed all that came to Him for three years. But the Jews wickedly crucified Him, so God brought Roman armies in 70 A.D. to demolish their nation (Matt 21:44; 22:7; Luke 19:42-44). The Lord grinds best.

Is the warning too harsh? You have not rightly considered the crime. To repay evil for good is profanely selfish; it is beastly and despicable; it reveals a heart black with ungratefulness; it deserves severe judgment. Consider Jeremiah’s hard prayer for God’s vengeance on the Jews persecuting him for preaching the truth (Jer 18:18-23).

Jesus told His apostles to judge every house and city they entered. If the city neglected their gospel, they were to shake off the dust of their shoes against that city. In the Day of Judgment, Jesus promised to be more merciful to Sodom and Gomorrah (Matt 10:12-15).

Now reader, it is your turn! Do you reward evil for good to those who have treated you kindly and well? Every time someone does something good for you, there is a debt created for your kindness in return. Do you pay your debts of care and kindness? Do not get unduly angry against Saul, Nabal, Judas, and the Jews. Try some self-examination!

Have you rewarded your parents for the love, time, effort, and expense they invested in you, while you were demanding food, dirtying yourself, and then giving them teenage nightmares? When was the last time you took them out to eat? Wrote them and thanked them for being great parents? Bought them a gift? Spent a little on them in some way?

Have you matched your spouse in affection and companionship? Have you honored your employer for hiring you? Have you compensated your pastor for teaching you the truth? Do you praise policemen for protecting you at night? Do you reward good neighbors for making life pleasant? Do you thank your children for taking their time to visit you?

Teenager! One of the vilest criminals in the world is a child who disrespects and rebels against his parents. After all they have done for you, how can you possibly mistreat them in the slightest way? You should be honoring them like a king and queen. You deserve to die a painful death (Ex 21:15,17; Lev 20:9; Deut 21:18-21; 27:16; Pr 20:20; 30:17).

This proverb can be taken a step farther. The best of men, true Christians, actually reward good for evil (Rom 12:17-21). They love their enemies; they bless those that curse them; they do good to those that hate them; and they pray for those that despitefully use them and persecute them (Matt 5:43-48). This conduct proves they are the children of God.

The blessed God showed the greatest goodness in the universe by giving His only begotten Son to save His elect. What was their condition? They were His evil enemies (Rom 5:8-10). He rewarded good for evil to the praise of God’s glorious grace (Eph 1:3-12). If you want to act like a child of God, reward good for evil yourself (Rom 12:21).

 

Older Entries
Newer Entries