Posts Tagged ‘theology’

Spiritual Training 16 April 2013

Posted: April 16, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Romans 09:31-33 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursed it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.” As it is written:

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Sometimes we are like these people, trying to get right with God by keeping his laws. We may think that attending church, doing church work, giving offerings, and being nice will be enough. After all, we’ve played by the rules, haven’t we? But Paul’s words sting-this approach never succeeds. Paul explains that God’s plan is not for those who try to earn his favor by being good; it is for those who realize that they can never be good enough and so must depend on Christ.

Lets Bring it home: Only putting our faith in what Jesus Christ has done can save us. If we do that, we will never be “put to shame” or be disappointed.

Proverbs 15:01 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: April 15, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 15, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 15:1 A gently answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

God loves peacemakers. He blesses them greatly. You can be a peacemaker. You can end fights. This short proverb is one of the best. You can use it every day for God’s blessing.

The wisdom is simple. If someone is angry, use gentle speech to calm them. Do not use defensive or harsh words, for that will increase anger. You can end conflict and fighting by calming words. Reject the foolish and wicked response of fighting fire with fire.

Can a person fight a pillow? Impossible! The pillow will take any blows given to it without hitting back. This is no fight; all punches are absorbed, and the pillow is not hurt; so anger quickly gives up, and the fight is over. Can you be a pillow to others’ anger?

How can there be a fight, if one person turns the other cheek (Matt 5:38-42)? What rare wisdom taught by Solomon’s greatest son, Jesus Christ! Rather than fight personal enemies, love them, bless them, do good to them, and pray for them (Matt 5:39-43)!

Here is one of Solomon’s most valuable proverbs. If you remember this rule, you can handle every angry adversary and any confrontation. If everyone practiced this rule, peace would be increased in every place. What a blessed rule, from the Prince of Peace!

A common phrase from schoolyards to explain fighting declares, “It takes two to fight.” How true! If either party were to stop fighting and show kindness, every fight would end. School teachers and principals know this rule and use it to find both offenders in a fight.

You can have a profound influence for peace by ending fights in your part of the world. Starting in your marriage and family and working all the way out to your business, church, and neighborhood, you should be known by God and men as a great peacemaker.

But provocative and offensive words, the ones you naturally think of when angrily confronted or defending yourself in pride, cause fights to continue and escalate. Sometimes they are rightly called “fighting words.” A fight will get worse and do greater damage, unless you quickly bring the anger and contention to an end (Pr 17:14; 26:21).

If a person is angry with you, even if it is your fault, you can end the matter peaceably by responding gently and kindly, rather than with your own anger in defense (Pr 12:16; 15:18; 29:22). Will you crush your pride and end the fight (Pr 13:10; 21:24; 28:25)? The rule works with family members, job situations, the government, or anyone else. Use it.

Measure yourself by this rule of self-discipline and peacemaking. Do you get irritated by others’ provocation? Must you retort to anything said about you? Do you have to get the last word in? Are you prone to self-justification rather than self-deprecation? Do you excuse your tendency to argue by appealing to principle, even though it is clearly pride?

Solomon taught men to fear kings or other civil rulers, for kings in those times had dreadful authority and power (Pr 19:12; 20:2; Eccl 8:2-5). But he also taught that yielding could pacify even their great wrath (Pr 16:14; Eccl 10:4). Soft words are your most powerful weapon against an offended prince, or anyone else (Pr 25:15). Learn the habit!

God loves peacemakers (Matt 5:9), and He taught those who offended others to go and be reconciled to them (Matt 5:23-26). Jesus applied the proverb by teaching you to agree quickly with your adversary to bring peace. His spirit, which every true saint desires to have, is peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreated, and actively makes peace (Jas 3:17-18).

The sons of Zeruiah, David’s famous nephews known for their military success and great passion, were too hard for him (II Sam 3:39). They could never use soft words, for they did not have soft hearts. Jesus even rebuked the sons of thunder, James and John, for their ungodly spirit toward some ignorant and disrespectful Samaritans (Luke 9:51-56).

To be the peacemaker you should be to please God and be successful with men, you must start on the inside with your spirit toward others (Jas 3:13-18). Gracious and soft words can only come from a pure and gentle heart (Pr 22:11; Luke 6:45). Your gracious speech should only rarely be seasoned with salt like that of Jesus Christ (Col 4:6; II Cor 10:1).

 

Spiritual Training 12 April 2013

Posted: April 12, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Romans 09:15-19 For he says to Moses, “ I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “ I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he want to harden.

19: One of you will say to me. “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, why did you make me like this?” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purpose and some for common use?

Paul quotes from Exodus 9:16, where God foretold how Pharaoh would be used to declare God’s power. Paul uses this argument to show that salvation was God’s proper work, not man’s. God’s judgment on Pharaoh’s choice to resist God was to confirm that sin harden his heart. The consequences of Pharaoh’s rebellion would be his own punishment.

With this illustration, Paul is not saying that some of us are worth more than others, but simply that the Creator has control over the created object. The created object, therefore, has no right to demand anything from its Creator-its very existence depends on him. Keeping this perspective removes any temptation to have pride in personal achievement.

Lets Bring it Home: What lump of clay did you come from? Are we being use for God purpose, or are we just doing our thing, picking and choosing when we should allow God to use us, not knowing that God uses us anyway, even in our sinful state.

Proverbs 12:19 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: April 12, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 12, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 12:19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

Lying may work momentarily. But one lie requires more to cover it, and it forms a habit, and then you will be found out as a liar and fraud. But the man who always tells the truth will live securely and be prospered by God and men. Make total honesty your policy.

There are two metonyms here – lip and tongue – which stand for the words they produce. Both serve the same purpose. They are used to represent the speaking ability of a man and the words he utters. The lip of truth describes a man who always uses his lips to speak the truth. A lying tongue describes a man who often uses his tongue to form lies.

Jehovah is God of truth (Deut 32:4). He hates lies and liars (Pr 6:16-19). All liars shall spend eternity in the lake of fire (Rev 21:8,27; 22:15). Jesus is the Faithful and True Witness, because He loved truth and always spoke the truth (Rev 3:14; 19:11). A great man worthy of honor and promotion is a man of truth (Ex 18:21; Jer 5:1; Zech 8:16).

The devil is the father of lies; he told the first lie in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:4-5). Things have not changed since. His whole existence is based on a lie – rebellion against God. He is a deceiver, and so are all his false teachers. They transform themselves to appear as something very different than reality in order to deceive (II Cor 11:3-4,13-15).

The Gibeonites feared as Israel crossed the Jordan River and began annihilating the cities and nations of Canaan. They lied about their nearby location to save their lives, and they tasted relief and success for a moment, only to end up as perpetual slaves (Josh 9:3-27).

Was Gehazi’s moment worth it? He took two talents of silver and two sets of clothes from Naaman, who liberally gave them to him, but Elisha exposed his lies and left him and his family lepers for life (II Kgs 5:20-27). God will not be mocked. Hate lying!

Was Peter’s moment worth it? He avoided arrest when confronted about his relationship to Jesus Christ. But consider the Lord’s look (Luke 22:60-62), the Lord’s confrontation (Jn 21:15-19), and all men reading about his denial in the gospels even during his life.

Lying may work momentarily. You may escape from punishment or trouble, or you may gain an unfair advantage, by a lie; but you will eventually be discovered, and the net results will prove you a fool. Even if you avoid detection for your entire life, it is only a moment when the weight and duration of eternal punishment are measured against it.

A liar often uses words to cover sins and to pretend to have knowledge greater than he actually has. Once he has told one lie, he usually must tell another one to cover the first, and so his hypocrisy gets worse and worse. When he is finally discovered as a cheat and liar, he is avoided by all men, punished by the magistrate, and judged by Almighty God.

An honest man always tells the truth. He does not exaggerate or embellish facts. He takes pains to make sure his claims can be proven. If he cannot prove a matter, then he does not speak or offers only an opinion. Because his word can be trusted, men put more and more confidence in him, until he is established with an honorable reputation for integrity.

It is your solemn duty to tell the truth regardless of cost to yourself or others. Rather than looking at faces and considering their thoughts to determine if you should tell the truth, look by faith at the face of a holy God and consider His thoughts about telling a lie! What does He offer for telling the truth? You show the evidence of eternal life (Ps 15:1-5).

It is a sacred duty to hate lies, regardless of the advantage or benefit the devil or world tells you might come by them. Do not be gullible like Eve to the lies of others. The consequences of that lie are still horrible to this day. Hate dishonesty, exaggeration, and lying in all their forms. If you lie, you will be discovered and punished soon. Believe it.

Honesty and truth are wonderful. You never need worry about being discovered. You never need lie again to cover an earlier lie. Others will trust and respect you. God will bless you. You will promote the gospel and have evidence of eternal life. For this reason, Paul exhorted Christians to provide things honest before all men (Ro 12:17; II Co 8:21).

Politicians often put a spin on matters, designed to avoid, mislead, or deceive men. But one King always told the truth and defended the truth – Jesus Christ. He explained on trial for His life, “Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (Jn 18:37). Pilate, typical of educated men, said to Him, “What is truth?” (Jn 18:38). Are you of the truth? Have you heard His voice and believed on Him and all that He taught? Do so today!

Proverbs 1102 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: April 11, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 11, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Pride distorts decision-making ability. An arrogant, conceited, or haughty person will make costly mistakes, but a humble and modest man will clearly see right and wrong, truth and error, wisdom and folly. Your greatness depends on getting rid of all pride.

God inspired King Solomon to be your personal counselor. The wisest king that ever lived wrote down important advice for your success and prosperity. Pride will cause you to make foolish choices that will shame you; humility will lead you to make wise choices.

The worst thing you can have is pride. It will cost you more than any other character fault. Conceit will deceive you into folly, which will quickly and surely shame you. But humility leads to wisdom, which protects men from foolish mistakes and resulting shame.

Do you grasp the importance of this lesson? You will never hear or read a more important warning for your life. Pride will destroy you, but it will destroy you disgracefully and shamefully before all men. Humility will lift you up before both God and good men.

A fool is a horrible thing, as Solomon often taught. But there is a person worse than a fool – a proud fool! He wrote, “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him” (Pr 26:12). There is little hope for a fool – he is a loser; but there is no hope for a proud fool. His arrogance will refuse any instruction or correction.

Pride blinds men. They will not accept wisdom to avoid trouble and shame. They resent being taught or corrected by others. They are overconfident. They arrogantly rush on in their high opinion of their thoughts and ideas. Pride brings folly, which brings shame.

Hate pride and arrogance! Listen to your counselor. He wrote, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate” (Pr 8:13). Fearing God, the key to God’s blessing, requires you to hate pride and arrogance!

Pride is a heinous evil. It began with the devil. It caused Satan’s downfall. Lucifer was not content as God’s anointed cherub; he wanted to be like the most High God (Ezek 28:14; Is 14:14). God threw him out of heaven to his everlasting shame (Jn 12:31; Rev 12:9,12). The smoke of his torment will be heaven’s incense (Matt 25:41; Rev 14:11).

Do you hate pride and arrogance? Pride is the devil’s sin. Pride ruined the glorious life of the universe’s highest creature. Pride caused his everlasting shame and torment. Pride is the worst thing you can have in your life. It will cost you more than any other sin.

Due to pride, Pharaoh, the greatest king of that time, destroyed himself, his family, his nation, and his army (Ex 5:2). Men have laughed at his destruction and shame for the last 3500 years (Ex 15:1-21; I Sam 4:8; 6:6; Neh 9:10; Ps 136:9,15; Rom 9:17). Even children rejoice and laugh at the frogs in Pharaoh’s bed and bread for his pride (Ex 8:3)!

Due to pride, the Philistines fought against Israel, in spite of remembering what God had done to Egypt 500 years earlier (I Sam 4:7-9). After capturing the Ark of God, they put it before their idol Dagon, which fell down and worshipped it (I Sam 5:1-5). God then gave the whole nation an epidemic of hemorrhoids, and the only way they could find relief was to return the Ark with five golden hemorrhoids as a peace offering (I Sam 6:1-5)!

Consider their shame! The whole nation scratched their secret parts (I Sam 5:9), and there was no Preparation H. Their only relief was to mold five golden hemorrhoids. God laughed at their shame! He inspired Psalm 78:66 for this event, which rejoices, “And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.” Indeed! They were put to perpetual shame for pride. What a peace offering! Who modeled for them!

Due to pride, Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest and most glorious king of all time, spent seven years crawling around a field on his hands and knees. He ate grass like an ox; his hairs grew out like eagle feathers; and his nails grew out like bird claws (Dan 4:33). And he wrote the whole story down and sent it to his entire empire in their languages (Dan 4:1-3)! What trouble! What shame! And it was all because of pride (Dan 4:30-31)!

Due to pride, Herod Agrippa I, the King of Judea from 37-44 AD, who killed the apostle James and tried to kill the apostle Peter, was struck by the angel of God and eaten of worms, for proudly receiving excessive praise from the citizens of Tyre and Sidon (Acts 12:1-4,20-23). Josephus confirms his death in his history (Antiquities; Book 19; 8:2).

Do not forget the Tower of Babel, Miriam, Korah, Balaam, Uzziah, Haman, Absalom, and Belshazzar. These are other examples of shameful consequences for pride. But now, celebrating the shame of others, which is truly an act of holy worship to God, is over. It is your turn. Where is pride in your life? Look closely. Look carefully. Do you ever feel pride puffing you up? Does it cause you to bristle or burn with envy at success of others?

What is pride? It is a high or conceited opinion of your own qualities, accomplishments, or assets, which leads to feelings and an attitude of superiority over and contempt for others; it is inordinate self-esteem. What is conceit? It is an overweening opinion of yourself, overestimation of your own qualities, and personal vanity or pride.

Pride thinks you are important. Pride enjoys conversations and events about you. Pride believes your thoughts and opinions are right. Pride resents correction and instruction. Pride envies the advantages, abilities, or honors of others. Pride ignores asking others for advice. Pride looks down on others. Read this description again, dear reader.

God is jealous. His name is Jealous (Ex 34:14). He is able, and He will, abase those who walk in pride (Dan 4:37; Job 40:11-12). He sees and knows the very thoughts and intents of your heart (Heb 4:12). You must examine yourself closely, find the seeds of pride in your life, and root them out quickly and completely. He will help you, if you will ask.

In God’s sight, you are nothing, and less than nothing (Ps 39:5; 62:9; 113:6; Is 40:17). You are a worm before Him (Job 25:6). You are a mere creature whose breath is in your nostrils (Is 2:22). Therefore, He hates the proud, and He will crush them like a moth and melt them like wax (Pr 6:16-17; Ps 39:11; 68:2). Wisdom learns to love this truth.

Pride is a temptation for every man, and one of Satan’s favorite devices (I Jn 2:16). He tempted Eve to be like God, and he tempted Jesus Christ with the kingdoms of the world. Your depraved heart is filled with it by nature. You are already a proud fool, if you think you do not have a problem or temptation with it. Only those who know they are proud are learning humility. To think you have beaten pride is to prove your arrogant conceit!

Today pride is exalted and promoted by calling it self-esteem or self-confidence, and then it is taught as the cure for many of man’s problems. Books are sold about looking out for number one, and songs are sung about self-love as the greatest love of all. Social media is considered nearly necessary for life, though it is little more than narcissistic conceit.

You must start at home. You must root pride out of your own soul, and then you must root it out of your family. Parents must make it the highest priority to teach humility and eliminate visible pride from their children. Pastors must root it out of their churches.

Ministers cannot have pride or self-will (I Tim 3:6; Tit 1:7), for it will cause them to run amok in the work of God. They cannot be self-promoters. Teachers and rulers must first be humble enough to examine themselves critically and to learn from others, before they should be put in a position to teach and examine others (I Tim 4:16; II Tim 2:15).

Pride causes folly, which brings shame. It blinds men, because they presume they are always right (Pr 12:15; 14:16; 26:12; 28:26). So they reject and resent counsel and correction that could help them (Pr 21:24; 22:3). They disrespect those in authority. They make hasty decisions, for they cannot possibly be wrong (Pr 14:29; 19:2; 28:22; 29:20).

Pride causes strife, for proud men will fight to defend their ideas or position (Pr 13:10; 21:24; 28:25). They cannot stoop to serve others, unless it serves them best. And they will not admit mistakes to God or men. Such a course will lead a man to foolish decisions and stubborn rebellion and their horrible consequences – destruction and shame!

Lowliness is wisdom. The humble man does not trust his knowledge or motives, trembles before God’s word, appreciates and esteems the advice of others, takes correction cheerfully, quickly confesses mistakes, and alters his life accordingly. He will be blessed.

Humility is the sure road to wisdom, which saves a man from trouble and shame, but only the lowly ever find it. The proud are blinded from true wisdom by their conceit, and the jealous God of heaven will keep them blinded, so He can bless His humble and modest children with wisdom (Matt 11:25-27). Can you see the importance of getting down?

God will never bless a man with a proud spirit (Pr 16:5). He draws near to the man with a humble spirit (Is 57:15; 66:2; I Pet 5:5-6). If you choose pride, God will resist you and humble you painfully (Pr 16:18; 18:12). If you choose humility cheerfully, God will raise you up gloriously (Luke 14:11). It is far better to be a poor humble man than to be a rich proud man, for God will soon make a great reversal of fortune (Pr 16:19). Look for it!

Jesus Christ showed the greatest humility and wisdom, when He came from heaven’s glory to live in poverty and die in obscurity and pain (Phil 2:5-8). He despised the shame of His humility (Heb 12:2). But God has now highly exalted Him far above all principalities and powers, yea, even far above the devil and all his angels (Phil 2:9-11; Eph 1:20-23). There is no more humility in the Blessed and Only Potentate, for He is worthy of all your praise and adoration. Let Him be your glory and worship, not yourself.

Proverbs 10:12 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: April 10, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 10, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Proverbs 10:12 – Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs,

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Carrying around hatred will just make you hate more, and add to issues. The next time someone close to you does something to angry you. Starts focusing on the love you have for that person, and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. After a while, you should start forgetting about the sin that was done, and on the love you have for that person.

Are you a peacemaker? God loves peacemakers. Good men love peacemakers. Do you do all you can to end fights, overlook offences, forgive sinners, reunite enemies, and live peaceably with all men? God blesses peacemakers, and it is a large part of godly wisdom.

Where there is fighting, there is hatred. Conflict cannot exist without hatred. Unless love wins, the strife will get worse. Love does not fight – it covers offences and sins. It seeks peace and pursues it. It cannot tolerate strife; it tries to end fights as soon as possible.

Strife, a word not used as much today, means antagonism, enmity, discord, contention, or dispute. It is fighting and conflict. While it is godly to contend for truth against sin and error, here is personal strife caused by the hatred of those who do not practice love.

Where there is envy, strife, enmity, conflict, or tension, all you need do is look a little deeper to find one or both parties guilty of hatred. Fighting and antagonism do not and cannot exist where each person is practicing Christian charity, or the love of the Bible.

But there are wicked persons, with hearts full of malice and hatred, which all men have by nature (Tit 3:3), who delight in stirring up contentions and quarrels by talebearing, whispering, evil surmising, and cursing. These profane persons have no conscience or compassion, like Ham and Shimei, and they will receive a similar fate from the holy and just God and from noble men (Gen 9:20-27; II Sam 16:5-14; I Kgs 2:8-9; Is 29:20-21).

Charity forgives sins and forgets sins, just as God forgives and forgets them. Love hides and conceals sins under the same forgiving cover that Jesus Christ provides every saint. This is covering sin, and it is a rule of life for saints of the most High (Pr 17:9; Jas 5:20; I Pet 4:8). But hatred, growing from anger and pride, loves to dig up evil, spread evil reports, and create strife and trouble (Pr 15:18; 16:27-28; 26:21; 28:25; 29:22; Jas 4:1).

Can you cover sins like Joseph, whose brothers could not believe his forgiveness, even after many gifts, favors, and passage of time (Gen 45:1-15; 50:15-21)? He put the best perspective on their horrible crime and wept over all of them. How did the Lord reward this one son of Jacob? He gave him a double blessing of two tribes in Israel (Josh 14:4)!

Here is a golden opportunity for child training by good parents. Children must be trained and corrected strictly in this matter of hatred and love, strife and peace, covering sins or exposing them. The natural antagonism and competitiveness of children creates a perfect setting for teaching godly traits of love, graciousness, forgiveness, and peacemaking.

Love has many facets (I Cor 13:4-7), but this proverb emphasizes one of them – covering sins. Love overlooks offences against it; hatred gets offended, holds bitterness, or plots revenge. Love forgets and hides the sins of the repentant; hatred remembers them or spreads them to others. Love hears rumors, or even factual news of others’ sins, but never repeats them; hatred craves private information and spreads it to any listeners.

Can you cover all sins, as the Preacher taught here? Peter once sought a limit of seven offences for covering sins, but the Lord Jesus pressed him to seventy times seven (Matt 18:21-22)! How can you fight others over a few pence, when Almighty God has forgiven you ten thousand talents (Mat 18:23-35)! These things should never occur among those who are Christians, and the sure judgment of the wicked servant is just and appropriate.

Covering sins is not compromise. It is not withholding Scriptural judgment, whether in the family, church, business, or nation. The rightful authority should speedily execute judgment, where God has ordained it. But covering sins should occur when the offences are against you, where there is repentance, or you are not in direct authority.

Hatred of sin is holy and good (Pr 6:16-19; Ps 45:7). But hatred of others, shown by anger at personal offences, ignoring repentance, whispering about sins, and talebearing is murder in God’s judgment (Matt 5:21-26). It proves a person to be without eternal life and living for the devil with a spirit from hell (John 8:44; James 3:14-16; I John 3:15).

What if a person says, “Oh, how I love Jesus,” but they stir up trouble, do not forgive personal offences, ignore repentance by sinners, and reveal sins to others? They are lying hypocrites, for the Bible says they are murdering descendants of Cain (I John 3:10-15).

Look at the character of Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save sinners. He had no respect for the self-loving “righteous,” for He knew the blackness of their hearts (Mark 2:15-17). Choose today to forgive and cover sins in love, so that you might easily and honestly pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us” (Matt 6:12).

The lesson here is the basis for true peace – love. Where there is strife, contention, and tension, there is hatred behind the false handshakes and lying words of murderers. It is your wisdom to live this lesson yourself, avoid wicked persons that hate, and train such evil out of your children. Be the greatest peacemaker in the world by practicing the wisdom of this proverb. May the Lord Jesus grant you the grace and wisdom for the task.

The lesson here is also the great gulf between the wise and foolish, between the righteous and wicked, between the sons of God and the sons of Belial. When Jesus met repentant sinners, He freely forgave them; when self-righteous Pharisees observe sinners, they despise them and hate God’s free and full forgiveness of them (Luke 7:36-50; 15:25-32).

Love is the greatest evidence of eternal life. Do you live peaceably with all men, especially other Christians (Rom 12:18; Gal 6:10)? If you believe God loves you, prove it by loving others; if you claim to love God, prove it also by loving others. Since God is love, those that are truly Gods will love others (Jn 13:34-35; I Jn 3:10-24; 4:7-21; 5:1-2).

Spiritual Training 09 April 2013

Posted: April 9, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Romans 09:06-11 It is not though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. For this was how the promise was stated. “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad – in order that God’s purpose in election might stand:

The Jews were proud of the fact that their lineage came from Isaac, whose mother was Sarah (Abraham’s legitimate wife) rather than Ishmael, whose mother was Hagar (Sarah’s maid servant). Paul asserts that no one can claim to be chosen by God because of his or her heritage or good deeds. God freely chooses to save whomever he wills. The doctrine of election teaches that it is God’s sovereign choice to save us by his goodness and mercy, and not by our own merit.

Lets Bring it Home: How many people think that God has saved them by their own merit, or by their good deeds? How many times do we hear people say he is a good guy, or I don’t cheat on my wife, I don’t curse or drink, don’t use drugs, and I visit the poor and the sick. You can do all these things, but if you don’t confess that Jesus is Lord, you still have a one-way ticket to hell. Not by deeds!

Proverbs 09:03 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: April 9, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 03, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 9:3 She has sent our maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.

The world’s best woman wants you! She has a house with seven pillars (Pr 9:1). She has prepared a feast (Pr 9:2); she wants to have an intimate meal with you (Pr 9:5). Solomon personified wisdom as a desirable woman, Lady Wisdom. Will you accept her invitation?

Wisdom is available for any man or woman who wants it. It is not far away; it is not difficult to obtain. It is not hard to find; it is not just for the intelligent or educated. There are no age or sex limitations. The only prerequisite is simplicity, or ignorance (Pr 9:4)!

If you are perplexed with any aspect of life, Wisdom is calling you. The blessed LORD God offers wisdom and understanding to men. All they must do is act on the invitation to humble themselves before Him and diligently apply the instruction He freely offers them.

Wisdom is found in creation (Ps 19:1-6), for God revealed His eternal power and Godhead by created things you see. It is also found in parents, teachers, counselors, and pastors (Pr 5:13; 24:6; Mal 2:7; Eph 6:4). But it is mostly found in the Bible (Ps 19:7-11).

The psalmist declared, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Ps 119:130). Scripture can make a minister perfect (II Tim 3:16-17). You should give attention to it, as the only light in this dark world (Is 8:20; II Pet 1:19).

God gave you a manual of wisdom in the Bible! He also promised His Spirit of wisdom to those who ask, and He will give both liberally (Luke 11:13; Eph 1:17; Col 1:9; Jas 1:5). With an offer like Solomon’s dream, do you pray for wisdom and understanding?

Her maidens want your attention. She cries out to you. You cannot please God without her. You need her to be successful or happy. You cannot face God after death without her. If you neglect or reject her call, she will punish your folly (Pr 1:20-32; 8:32-36).

Test your heart about Lady Wisdom right now. Do you appreciate your parents reproving you? Friends correcting you? A pastor warning you? Do you crave the assemblies of the saints, where the Word of God is boldly preached? Even when the sermon is long?

Do you read these proverbs carefully, seeking to extract every morsel of wisdom you can, since they are God’s inspired wisdom from the pen of King Solomon? You do not have to look far to see the maidens Lady Wisdom sent to invite you. What will you do right now?

Jesus Christ is Wisdom personified (I Cor 1:30; Col 2:3). God’s wisdom is seen clearly in the life of Jesus Christ. His apostles, eyewitnesses of His resurrection, preached His gospel throughout the world. Have you believed and obeyed that message of wisdom?

Spiritual Training 01April 2013

Posted: April 1, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Romans 09:10-14 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad-in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls-she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” What than shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses.

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

The Jews were proud of the fact that their linage came from Isaac, whose mother was Sarah (Abraham’s legitimate wife), rather than Ishmael, whose mother was Hagar (Sarah’s maidservant). Paul asserts that no one can claim to be chosen by God because of his or her heritage or good deeds. God freely chooses to save whomever he wills. The doctrine of election teaches that it is God’s sovereign choice to save us by his goodness and mercy, and not by our own merit.

Was it right for God to choose Jacob, the younger, to be over Esau? In Malachi 1:2,3, the statement “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” refers to the nations of Israel and Edom rather than to the individual brothers. God chose Jacob to continue the family line of the faithful because he knew his heart was for God. But he did not exclude Esau from knowing and loving him. Keep in mind the kind of God we worship: he is sovereign; he is not arbitrary; in all things he works for our good; he is trustworthy; he will save all who believe in him.

Lets Bring it Home: When we understand these qualities of God, we know that his choices are good even if we don’t understand all his reasons.

Proverbs 26:26 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: March 26, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 26, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 26:26 His malice may be conceal by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

Hateful people lie to cover their wickedness (Pr 26:24-26). But God promised to expose them. It is terrible there are such people, but it is worse that they get into churches.

Wicked men get into most churches. It is a terrible evil, but it happens. Though filled with arrogance, hatred, and selfishness, they creep into churches with false professions of religion. Even the world knows this fact, for many reject Christianity for its hypocrisy. But though such sinners cover their hatred by lies, their evil souls will be fully exposed.

What a great God! What a helpful proverb! God teaches you how to discern liars, and He promises to take care of them for you. Bible wisdom can help you perceive a person with hateful and wicked motives, and faith in God can comfort you that He will fully expose the lying monster. Faith and learning have their rewards. Love such truth and wisdom!

This proverb has a rare context to help its interpretation. Solomon had been describing the dangerous evil of talebearers (Pr 26:20-23). These wicked persons love to spread harmful facts, rumors, tales, and insinuations about others. They hurt others deeply, and they cause contention and strife among the members of any group. They do not know the way of peace themselves, and they also keep others from finding full peace and security.

They play the hypocrite with their mouths by claiming to be Christians, while their hearts plan games of pretence and revenge (Pr 26:24). Wise men do not believe their fair words, for they know many evil imaginations are in their hearts (Pr 26:25). Wisdom is the power of right judgment, the ability to discern and know things that deceive most other people.

What identifies these wicked imposters? They speak derogatorily about others and spread harmful facts or slanderous innuendos (Pr 26:20-25). Just listen to their speech about others, and you can discover them. They can hardly stop criticizing and sowing discord by negative information. They are backbiters, slanderers, talebearers, and whisperers.

When a person hates others, the Bible says it proves him a child of the devil (Jn 8:44; I Jn 2:9,11; 3:10,15; 4:8,20). When you detect the critical, hateful, and snide spirit of some toward others, you have likely found a child of the devil. Is this judgment too harsh? Remember Jesus and “the apostle of love” provided the cross-references! God is love, and those truly the children of God will show God is in them by their love (I Jn 4:7-16).

Though these haters lie and pretend to be loving Christians, God will expose them to save His true saints. David begged God to save his kingdom from such strange children – hypocrites that use vain speech and false handshakes to pretend love and piety (Ps 144:7-11). There are great benefits for a church to get rid of such false persons (Ps 144:12-15)!

Paul told the Corinthian church that God would send heresies into His churches to discover these lying frauds and confirm the identity of His true children (I Cor 11:19). So while heresies are a painful matter to deal with in a church, they are often used to expose the lying hypocrites that cause dissension and strife. The end result is well worth the pain.

God’s distillation process is precious. Distillation is a method used to separate a mixture into its component parts, where the desired component will be at a much higher strength than diluted in the mixture. The God of heaven is constantly at work distilling His faithful churches by removing the impure elements to refine and improve the remainder.

Absalom was Solomon’s brother and David’s son. He lied to Israel about how much he cared for them to steal the throne (II Sa 15:1-6). But God exposed his hatred and left him hanging by his hair in a tree for Joab’s darts (II Sa 18:9-15)! Judas conspired in hatred with the Jews against Jesus, and the other apostles had no idea (John 13:21-30). But God exposed his hatred and dashed his bowels over a field (Matt 27:1-10; Acts 1:18-20)!

How can you help your church? Never speak negatively about anyone, unless absolutely necessary for those in authority or for scriptural duty! If you cannot say something kind or commending, do not say anything. Make it your goal to promote the reputations of all men, even your personal enemies. This is true Christianity (Matt 5:43-48; Phil 2:1-4).

How can you help your church? If you hear someone criticizing, backbiting, gossiping, or slandering others, stop them by an angry face or warning rebuke (Pr 25:23; Ps 101:5; I Thess 5:14). God hates this sin, and so should you (Pr 6:16-19). A wife may do this even to a foolish husband, if she is discrete and respectful like Abigail (I Sam 25:3,19,36-37).

Jesus Christ is the Head of His churches, and He constantly walks among them, visible to the eye of faith (Rev 3:1). He exposed the lie of Ananias and his wife Sapphira in the church at Jerusalem (Acts 5:1-11). He cut down many selfish and profane souls in the church at Corinth (I Cor 11:30). He promised death to Jezebel and her followers in the church at Thyatira (Rev 2:20-23), and He comforted and exhorted the rest (Rev 2:24-27).

This God you can trust no matter what. Hateful liars claiming to love God and be your friends can be frightening and worrisome. But He has promised to take care of them by exposing them, and He has promised to take care of you by protecting you. He has sent His glorious Son, the King of heaven, to guard and protect you and every true church. Have you committed your life and church entirely to Him? You will never regret it.

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