Archive for the ‘Under Gods Command’ Category


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 15:03 The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

Secret sins, services, and sorrows, are under God’s eye. This speaks comfort to saints, and terror to sinners.


Under Gods Command

Romans 12:06 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

God give us gifts so we can build up his church. To use them effectively, we must
1. Realize that all gifts and abilities come from God
2. Understand that not everyone has the same gifts
3. Know who we are and what we do best
4. Dedicate our gifts to God’s service and to our personal success
5. Be willing to utilize our gifts wholeheartedly, not holding back anything from God’s service.
God’s gifts differ in nature, power, and effectiveness according to his wisdom and graciousness, not according to our faith. Our role is to be faithful and to seek ways to serve others with what Christ has given us.

Prophesying in Scripture is not always predicting the future. Often it means preaching God’ message (1 Corth 14:1-3)

Lets Bring it home: What are we using our gifts for?


Under Gods Command

Romans 12:04-05 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Paul uses the concept of the human body to teach how Christians should live and work together. Just as the parts of the body function under the direction of the brain, so Christians are to work together under the command and authority of Jesus Christ.

Lets Bring it home: We Christians must avoid two common errors: (1) being too proud of our abilities, or (2) thinking we have nothing to give to the body of believers. Instead of comparing ourselves to one another, we should use our different gifts, together, to spread the Good News of salvation.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

A woman who has no fear of God, who is wilful and wasteful, and indulges her ease, will as certainly ruin her family, as if she plucked her house down.


Under Gods Command
Proverbs 13:24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is carful to discipline him

Loving parents spank their children. They start early, and they do not hold back. They want the best for their children, and they know spanking will help them succeed. They trust God and Solomon far more than today’s arrogant, ignorant, and bankrupt ideas.

This proverb is amazing! One short sentence will prove if you love God, if you fear God, if you love your children, and if you are wise. You cannot avoid these conclusions. If you do not spank your children, you have chosen to hate God, your children, and wisdom!

The lesson here is important, and it is repeated throughout Proverbs: corporal punishment works, and wise parents use it (Pr 3:12; 10:13; 19:18; 20:30; 22:15; 23:13-14; 26:3; 29:15,17). It is not open to debate. God has spoken, that settles it! 3000 years of recorded human history endorse it, and today’s dysfunctional youth confirm that they needed it!

The world would be a better place, if parents obeyed this proverb. But most have been brainwashed by educators, politicians, and the news media against corporal punishment. Though a serious problem is seen everywhere – a generation of haughty, lazy, rebellious, selfish, and narcissistic youth – the world hates God and Solomon’s wisdom in the Bible.

Do you love your son? Only hateful fathers do not spank sons. They love themselves too much to spend the effort, emotion, time, and short-term grief to confront and spank a child for his profit. The father that truly loves his son and wants him to be great will faithfully spank him at a young age when there is hope. If you do not use the rod, you hate your son; if you truly delight in him, you will correct and spank him (Pr 3:11-12).

True love is more than the mushy sentimentality of the modern heresy of unconditional love. True love is the sacrificial desire for the personal and spiritual welfare of another; it is doing what is necessary to help another person please God and men more perfectly. Of course, you cannot read about such love in Ben Spock’s books or Mad Magazine. This love is only known by Christians and only taught in the Bible. You can ignore all others.

True love is known by its goal and the choice of means to attain it. Godly parents want their children to grow in favor with God and man, the highest goal possible for human existence. And they use the God-inspired and time-proven means to achieve that goal – the rod and reproof (Pr 29:15). This is the highest degree of love a parent can have. Do you love your children this way and this much? There is no better idea, so forget it!

Do you want the best for your child? He was born foolish, and you must drive it out of him, or you will send a foolish adult into the world to be punished by life and other authority figures (Pr 22:15). The rod gives wisdom, so not using it selfishly deprives your children of wisdom they need for success (Pr 29:15). The rod saves children from death and hell, so not using it chooses future pain and trouble for your children (Pr 23:13-14).

The only proven way to maximize character and success is to spank him. How can you guarantee a selfish, lazy, immature adult lacking the character necessary for life success? Cater to his whims, coddle his moods, allow him the freedom of his peers, and avoid any criticism or negativity that might disappoint him! This is what parents now call training. Try to enter any work animal in a competition that has not felt a bridle or whip (Pr 26:3)!

Do you want joy and peace in old age? A child left to himself will shame his parents, but reproof and spanking make wise children (Pr 29:15,17). Do you know parents that live out their lives in grief for foolish, rebellious, or criminal children? You may be one yourself. They did not consistently spank their children when they were young to have joy of them later (Pr 10:1; 15:20; 17:21,25; 19:13; 22:6; 23:15-16,24-25; 29:3,15,17).

Here is a conflict: parents follow fuzzy feelings they call love to get children anything they want, let them do whatever they wish, and avoid anything that disappoints them. They think happy children are good children. These parents reinforce the foolishness of children and the sins of this generation – pride, laziness, rebellion, selfishness, etc.

Here is another conflict: Suzy Smartmouth of the PTA plasters signs around town that say, “Kids, you can’t beat ‘em.” Doctor Dimwits, the school psychologist says spanking warps the personality and is no deterrent to bad behavior. Benjamin Spock and James Dobson join similar philosophies against Bible strictness (Pr 20:20; 30:17; Deut 27:16).

Who will you believe? The Creator God that designed the family unit has declared His will clearly and repeatedly. King Solomon the wisest king and philosopher in world history gave his inspired counsel and advice. Who will you believe? The United Nations and UNICEF, who propose children’s rights between warnings about global warming?

The world’s thinkers do not have a clue about parenting, especially the more education and/or intelligence they have. When a spoiled child in America kills school children, what is the response of educators, politicians, and the media? Gun control! Neither America nor the world needs gun control – they need child control taught in this proverb!

What is a rod? It is a slender stick perfect for stripes on the backs of fools and foolish children. What is chastening? It is the use of the rod to create those wisdom marks. What is betimes? It is early when there is still hope for the child to be wise. What is sparing? It is deciding for whatever reason that you do not love your children enough to use the rod.

Grandparents once said, “Spare the rod, spoil the child”; the character of that generation to the character of the present one is like light to darkness. This generation says, “Kids, you can’t beat ‘em.” Who is right? Those grandparents chose the inspiration of God, the wisdom of Solomon, and common sense. Today’s effeminate and permissive society bows to ignorant educators and silly soccer moms, both of which are clueless about life.

Those grandparents knew true love did what was necessary to prepare a child for life. They knew allowing a child to go unchecked without corporal punishment was to hate a child. They knew an untrained child would grow into an undisciplined adult, unprepared for a successful life. They knew undisciplined adults would have much pain and trouble.

The present crop of arrogant, lazy, rebellious, spoiled, violent, and wayward youth proves the lesson. Never has the world seen such a batch of dysfunctional, selfish children and youth who expect everything to be handed to them. The chickens have come home to roost. God and Solomon were right. Any other opinion should be despised (Ps 119:128).

If you love your children, you will use corporal punishment early and quickly – betimes. If you wait too long, they become hardened in foolishness, and then it is too late (Pr 19:18; Eccl 8:11). Parents can avoid troublesome teens by training children and pre-teens the Bible way. If you foolishly spare the rod, you will reap the painful consequences.

The best Father in the world is God. He loved His children so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for them. How does He treat His beloved children when they disobey Him? Do you know your Bible? He whips them with a scourge and expects them to like it and learn from it (Heb 12:5-13)! If they do not learn fast enough, He will take them out of this world (I Cor 11:30-32). Joel Osteen and Rick Warren do not teach this very often!

God’s favorite son other than Jesus was David. He loved David very much. When David sinned, and the Bible records several, God punished Him severely. The beatings he took for adultery with Bathsheba and others sins were very severe. But David loved his beatings, because he knew they were given in love for his profit (Ps 119:67,71,75). If you are a child of God, you should appreciate your Father’s love and show it to your children.


Under Gods Command

Romans 12:03 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God as given you.

Healthy self-esteem is important because some of us think too little of ourselves; on the other hand, some of us overestimate ourselves. The key to an honest and accurate evaluation is knowing the basis of our self-worth-our identify in Christ. Apart from him, we aren’t capable of very much by eternal standards; in him, we are valuable and capable of worthy service. Evaluating yourself by the worldly standards of success and achievement can cause you to think too much about your worth in the eyes of others and thus miss your true value in God’s eyes.

Lets Bring it home: When was the last time anyone done an accurate evaluation of the person they see in the mirror everyday? I bet it done add up to the times we did evaluations on others.


Under Gods Command

Romans 12:1-2 There fore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

When sacrificing an animal according to God’s law, a priest would kill the animal, cut it in pieces, and place it on the altar. Sacrifice was important, but even in the Old Testament God made it clear the obedience from the heart was much more important (1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 40:6; Amos 5:21-24). God wants us to offer ourselves, not animals, as living sacrifices-daily laying aside our own desires to follow him, putting all our energy and resources at his disposal and trusting him to guide us. We do that out of gratitude that our sins have been forgiven.

Lets Bring it home: Christians are called to “not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, “with its behavior and customs that are usually selfish and often corrupting. Many Christians wisely decide that much worldly behavior is off limits for them. Our refusal to conform to this world’s values, however, must go even deeper than the level of behavior and customs-it must be firmly planted in our minds-“be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” It is possible to avoid most worldly customs and still be proud, covetous, selfish, stubborn, and arrogant. Only when the Holy Spirit renews, reinstructs, and redirects our minds are we truly transformed


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 10:23 A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.

Wisdom is gentle, good, kind, and loving. Hurting others is never amusing. You should provide comfort, health, peace, and security to those around you. Harming another by words or actions is cruel, foolish, and wicked. Wise men are always gracious and helpful.

Sin is a joke to most today. Mischief that harms others is celebrated. Consequences of sin are ignored, and reprovers are despised. Sin is the delight of many. They cause trouble without fear, guilt, or shame. They jest and joke about evil; they mock the righteous. But such men are fools. Those with understanding know such dysfunctional conduct offends God and men. Wise men know there is honor and reward for sobriety and righteousness.

Solomon warned, “Fools make a mock at sin,” and, “Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom” (Pr 14:9; 15:21). This generation uses sin as content for entertainment. Mischievous boys in school are often the most popular; the bold and flagrant are considered brave and strong; the wildest actors are called stars. Others rap brutishly and foolishly about whores and violence. Men of understanding grieve about such mischief.

The segment of society most susceptible to this disease is young men. They have the folly of youth bound in their hearts, but they have the abilities and liberties to be out and about in mischief. Solomon feared their draw and influence on his son (Pr 1:10-19; 2:10-22; 13:20). Paul warned young men with one single piece of advice that would make them great, if they could do it, “Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded” (Tit 2:6).

Compulsory education, a terrible joke of social do-gooders, crams young fools hating learning into classrooms, where out-of-touch teachers present ridiculous topics with no bearing on life. What is the general effect on young men, who should be working a man’s day, at a man’s job, under a man’s rule? Folly, frustration, mischief, rebellion, and sin! They goad each other on in sinful pranks until society reeks of their noxious insanity!

What happens when these fools get home? Television offers profane entertainment at the expense of God and others. Sitcoms, consuming evening programming, are from hell in their disregard for God, morality, sobriety, and other virtues. Even so-called innocent cartoons, with constant efforts to harm and mock others, are foolishly bad. What will you do to protect and direct your children away from such character-corrupting influences?

Young fornicators take advantage of girls, without regard for them, their fathers, or their future husbands. They laugh about their exploits. Young gluttons have eating contests, and roar hilariously when one throws his food back out. Young drunkards laugh about who has the worst hangover from their binge drinking. Others put sugar in the gas of the principal’s car, and celebrate when he must replace his engine. But God is not mocked!

Fools think only of the moment; they miss both tomorrow’s consequences and God’s judgment at death. They neither consider their future nor do anything toward it. The magistrate eventually puts them in prison; their public records then include a felony or two; a bigger fool molests them in a prison shower; they contract a deadly pestilence; and death will bring a reckoning with the infinite God of heaven. What a sport, huh! Ha! Ha!

What kind of person thinks and acts this way? Fools! There is no fear of God before their eyes (Ps 36:1-4; 53:1; Rom 3:18). They rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perversity of the wicked (Pr 2:13). They are the bane of every nation, the calamity and grief of every father, the heaviness and shame of every mother (Pr 10:1; 17:25; 19:13; 29:15). What will you do to protect your children from such character-corrupting influences?

How are they corrected? Easily! “Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools” (Pr 19:29). “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back” (Pr 26:3). “Blows and wounds cleanse away evil, and beating spurge the inmost being” (Pr 20:30). If severe punishment was executed speedily in the world, there would not be such a overabundance of dishonorable anarchists (Pr 19:25; 21:11; Ec 8:11).

Solomon, when using death as a means of promoting sobriety, told young men, “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity” (Eccl 11:9-10).

Parent, soberly teach your children about life, death, morality, sin, and right treatment of others. Foolish talking, jesting, kidding, and foolish sarcasm are hurtful and unnecessary (Pr 12:18; 26:18-19), and Paul warned God will judge the world because of them (Eph 5:3-5). They are an inconvenient use of speech; giving thanks is much better. Do not allow these things among your children, and they will grow up to be noble and wise.

Parent, a tender regard for all weak things, even baby birds in a nest or mother animals with their young, should be cultivated, but especially doing good to all men (Deut 22:6-7; Ex 23:19; Gal 6:10; I Tim 4:10). Children with physical or mental handicaps or racial or economic differences should be objects of charity and protection, not ridicule and persecution. Wisdom includes kind and protective regard for such things (Pr 12:10).

A man of understanding has wisdom regarding these matters – he sees through the folly of the fool and considers it carefully. He despises a mischievous approach to life. He sees the trouble coming tomorrow for today’s folly. He sees the judgment coming after death. He sees the great reward of righteousness (Pr 21:12; Job 18:5-21; Ps 19:11; 37:34-38; 58:11). He develops a sober and thoughtful outlook. Be wise, reader, and understand!

Moses prayed, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps 90:12). What a great perspective on life – to use each day carefully in a wise way before God and men. This should be your prayer and pursuit. God’s blessings and favor are upon the wise, but the way of transgressors is hard (Pr 13:15). Life is short, and you ought to make the best and most of it in the eyes of God and everyone you meet.

Paul warned, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (II Cor 5:10-11). Solomon concluded his book of philosophy, Ecclesiastes, with this same warning (Ec 12:13-14). Life is serious, and you should avoid and influences toward foolish levity.

Jesus ignored the vanity of this life, looking instead at the joy waiting in heaven (Heb 12:1-2; Ps 16:8-11). He had wisdom and understanding to look beyond the folly here for the joy there. Isaac Watts wrote, “The hill of Zion yields, a thousand sacred sweets, before we reach the heavenly fields, or walk the golden streets.” Only the wisdom of faith sees the sacred sweets here and the golden streets there. Open your eyes of faith and wisdom today to see the important, noble, and lasting things that glorify and please God.


Under Gods Command

Romans 11:34-36 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

The implication of these questions is that no one has fully understood the mind of the Lord. No one has been his counselor. And God owes nothing to any one of us. Isaiah and Jeremiah asked similar questions to show that we are unable to give advice to God or criticize his ways (Isaiah 40:13; Jeremiah 23:18). God alone is the possessor of absolute power and absolute wisdom. In the final analysis, all of us are absolutely dependent on God. He is the source of all things, including ourselves. He is the power that sustains and rules the world that we live in. And God works out all things to bring glory to himself. The all-powerful God deserves our praise.

Lets Bring it home: Do we praise God like we should?


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 9:12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.”

Your future is in your hands – in your heart and mind – for good or bad. Your response to wisdom will drastically affect your life one way or the other. Great privileges have great responsibilities. Individual liberty has individual consequences. What will happen to you?

The great choice of life, which Solomon repeated often, is the choice of wisdom. If you choose her, you will be blessed; if you reject her, you will be punished. There is no escape; your choice will be repaid. You will bear the consequences. Your wisdom cannot benefit God, nor does your folly hurt him (Job 35:5-8). You alone will bear the results.

The Preacher of the New Testament, Paul warned, “Every man shall bear his own burden” (Gal 6:5). Do not be deceived; God is not mocked; whatever you sow, that is what you will reap (Gal 6:7-8). So dear reader, you must prove your own work, and then you may have rejoicing in yourself, without measuring by others at all (Gal 6:4).

The personification of wisdom continues from the previous chapter to this climactic verse. Lady Wisdom offers you a house and wonderful feast (Pr 9:1-5). What will you do with her invitation? This is the chance of a lifetime! Blessings beyond description are offered (Pr 8:11)! Or will you ignore her and choose certain death for yourself (Pr 8:36)?

After this dramatic conclusion, you are reminded again of the foolish and whorish woman, Folly, of which there are many in the world (Pr 9:13-18). This woman intends to destroy young men. She also has a house, prepared with a perfumed bed, but she takes her foolish and unsuspecting guests to hell with her (Pr 5:3-13; 6:23-35; 7:6-23; 9:18).

Today, dear reader, you must choose. And tomorrow you must choose again. Will you humble yourself before God’s perfect words of wisdom? Or will you reject them in the pride, stubbornness, and rebellion of your foolish heart? You cannot avoid the choice. What will it be? You will govern your thoughts, words, and actions by revealed wisdom, or you will reject it and allow your habits, lusts, the world, and others to direct your life.

What does the Bible mean to you? How important is it for you to learn and obey it? The great men of Bible history craved it and diligently followed it. Do you faithfully listen to the preaching of it by a man chosen by Jesus Christ, who does not entertain at all but rather declares God’s will without apology or compromise? If not, why not? If not, you must be a scorner. Remember the warning of the proverb, “Thou alone shalt bear it.”

Ezekiel wrote, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezek 18:20). Solomon warns, “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself” (Pr 14:14). If you backslide from wisdom, the Lord will fill your life with the painful results. But the man who rejects folly will be satisfied with personal blessings.

Moses warned, “Be sure your sin will find you out,” (Num 32:23). These eight words are as certain as gravity and death. No matter what you think of sin, it has consequences. No matter where you sin, God sees and knows all (Pr 15:3; Jer 23:23-24). No matter what precautions you take to protect yourself, they will absolutely not work (Pr 11:21; 16:5).

If you play with sin, you will suffer for it; if you choose godliness, you will be blessed. The way of transgressors is hard (Pr 13:15), and you will not know how hard until it is too late (Pr 1:20-32; Ps 36:1-3). When God swears in anger, there is no deliverance, even if you try to repent (Pr 29:1; Num 14:39-45; Ps 95:7-11; Heb 4:1; 10:26-31; 12:16-17).

Lot scorned wisdom, violating this proverb; he lost great potential blessings and riches; you last see him sitting in the mouth of a cave, ruined, with his two daughters pregnant by his own folly. But Abraham chose wisdom. God called him His friend, told him he was righteous, and covered him with many blessings in a very long life. Heaven is called Abraham’s bosom, and his Seed sits at the right hand of God and provides its million!

Last, consider this contrast from Jesus Christ: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). And another, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). Have you believed and been baptized Wisdom’s way?