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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2020 7:32:52 GMT -6
The Bible speaks to three distinct classes of people. Paul tells us who these are in 1 Corinthians 10:32: "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God.” Yet, throughout church history the "scholars" have failed to recognize the distinction and have attempted to force passages directed to one group to apply to all three. Why, therefore, do people that are in error seek to prove that saved, sealed, Blood-washed Christians can lose their salvation? This question and others will be answered in this 8-part study on Old Testament Salvation.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2020 6:35:52 GMT -6
“A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence” (Proverbs 13:2 KJV).
“A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth,” you receive, you reap, you take in good by the fruit of his mouth. “A soft answer turneth away wrath” is a good thing. Telling the truth, being honest, being kind, having a kind and an encouraging tongue—those kind of words will bring you good because of the fruit of your mouth. You keep planting that good seed, and you find yourself reaping some fruit. The Bible says in Luke 8:11 that “the seed is the word of God.” Peter tells us that we are “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (I Peter 1:23).
You may not know it, but when you get to glory, you’ll be amazed at the number of people that were saved because of your good words, or your good mouth, if you were free with giving out the Gospel and seeing that people were given an understanding of the word of God. You may not see them get saved, but God certainly does—and He is keeping score. It takes time for God to work with people, and to deal with people’s conscience, before they ever come to the point of receiving the free gift of eternal life—to bring them to that point where they know that they need to get saved.
“. . . but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence,” it is speaking of spiritual things, not necessarily physical things. A man will get good spiritual food by the words of his mouth, but the soul (the spiritual part of a man), this transgressor, shall eat violence. Well, in hell it is going to be nothing but violence. They will eat fire. Do you remember what the rich man asked Abraham? “And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24). The rich man was eating fire.
They have these circus fire-eaters, but they do it just for show, for fun, but it won’t be like that in hell. It’ll be real.
An example of a transgressor eating violence in Shimei, in First Kings chapters 2 and 3. Another example would be Herod. He ate violence in a most horrible way: “And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost” (Acts 12:22-23).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2020 5:45:47 GMT -6
“He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he” (Proverbs 14:21).
What does God expect from Christians in dealing with the rich and the poor? James gives the answer.
“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:1-10).
We are to respect the rich and the poor regardless of their income or wealth. As to the rich, it isn’t how much you make, but how much are you willing to live right? It isn’t how wealthy you are, but how much you are right with God.
A lot of churches look at rich people as great gets because of what they can do for the church financially. Rich folks have generally damaged more churches than they have helped, because they think they can buy a voice in the church’s management with their money. Rich people feel that their larger donation gives them a larger voice—but our churches are congregational, and everyone has an equal voice. Too many preachers practice a “tiptoe through the tithers” because they know who are paying the bills. Pretty soon those are the folks that call the shots.
It won’t be long before the Lord isn’t running the church, or His Word, or the pastors, but the tithers. Bible-believing churches say that if folks want to be a blessing and a help to the church, come on and join us—but if you are not of that mind and heart—don’t join because you will be leaving soon.
We are better off doing right and having little, than to live wrong and have a lot. “The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish” (Proverbs 14:11). This idea that we are living under grace, and not the Law is crazy when it comes to these things. You might be under grace when it comes to heaven, but you are not under grace to live like the Devil. Your body isn’t under grace. Your attitude isn’t under grace. “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Corinthians 7:1).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2020 4:56:33 GMT -6
“A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife” (Proverbs 15:18).
“A wrathful man stirreth up strife,” this is the second time we have come across contention and strife: “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom” (Proverbs 13:10).
Usually a man full of wrath is a proud man. His pride has been endangered or hurt, his ego has been smashed and so he is out to get even. So, he stirs up wrath, and he stirs up trouble. When a man has trouble with people and there’s a contention. It comes from two things—pride and wrath in the heart. “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). The best way to handle it is not to have any wrath or contention in your heart. There can’t be a fight if you are not fighting.
“. . . but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife,” see, it doesn’t say not to get angry, just to be slow to anger. To appease something is to quiet it.
“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:18-19).
This is a great passage that every Christian ought to memorize, “as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” There are times when you will get angry, but don’t let the sun go down on your wrath. Jesus spoke of anger without a cause in Matthew 5:22, but there sometimes is a cause.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2020 7:01:20 GMT -6
“A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends” (Proverbs 16:28).
There are three types of men here in these verses. An ungodly man (27), a forward man (28), and a violent man (29). By the time we get to verse 30, it is probably all the same fellow.
The ungodly man is digging up evil, constantly looking for trouble. A forward man, or a man with a perverse heart, sows’ strife. A whisperer, or a gossiper, separates good friends. And the violent man tempts his neighbor to do wrong.
“A froward man soweth strife,” certain people get all excited when they see this word, “froward.” “See there, the King James Bible has errors in it! Look here, they even spelled ‘forward’ wrong!” Nope, sorry. It isn’t ‘forward,’ it is ‘froward,’ just as the Author intended. The word means perverse or crooked. It speaks of someone not going the right way. “For” is forward, while “fro” is backward, as in “to and fro.” Sorry, Bible correctors. Better luck next time!
“. . . and a whisperer separateth chief friends,” this is the fellow (same man as the forward) that runs around pretending to be everybody’s best friend while telling stories behind the backs of all about the others. “He said that about me?” He happily watches as two friends go at each other while they don’t even stop to think that it is he that is sowing the discord among them.
God hates that business, as we saw back in Proverbs 6: “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2020 8:33:37 GMT -6
“Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it? A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:16-17).
He wants to know where he can buy wisdom, but he really hasn’t any heart for it. He might as well just save his money. Generally, where wisdom is, the truth is—and not everyone has the heart to accept the truth. You certainly can’t get wisdom if you don’t love it. A lot of people spend a bunch of money on an education and not get a whole lot.
“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Even when we have done wrong, and haven’t lived up to our convictions, a real friend is a friend through thick and thin. The best biblical example of this is David and Jonathan in First Samuel 20:18-30. Though the king of Israel, his dad, stood against David, Jonathan maintained true to him all through that time, right up until his death.
That was surely very hard to do, but “a friend loveth at all times.” Now, there is something one must do in order to make a friend: “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). A true friend is actually not that easy to find. There is quite a difference between a friend and an acquaintance, though two people may be friendly toward each other, they are not necessarily friends. And yes, it is possible to have a friend that sticks closer to them than a brother or a sister.
“. . . and a brother is born for adversity,” there are times I wished I had a big brother, instead of being a big brother. There were times when some kid was picking on me, I wished I could say, “My big brother is going to take care of you!” Brothers and sisters watch out for one another. Ecclesiastes says that two is better than one, especially when others are ganging up on you.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2020 9:12:52 GMT -6
RIGHT DIVISION
The question can be logically asked, "Why did Paul instruct us to 'rightly divide the word of truth' (2 Timothy 2:15), if there was no division in the Bible? The question is ridiculous on its face. Of course, there are division, also known as dispensations, in the Bible. This 10-part study takes an in-depth look into the issue and aims to clarify the confusion thrust upon the church by the so-called "biblical scholars."
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2020 16:09:24 GMT -6
Who is Jesus Christ?
Mormons will tell you who Jesus Christ was, and so will the Jehovah’s witnesses. However, they haven’t a clue because they leave out the essential facts of His life “according to the Scriptures.” It is only in our Authorized 1611 King James Bible that we will discover exactly who Jesus Christ is, and why He came, and why He alone is uniquely qualified to be the Saviour of the world. This is the first of a 20-part study that will ground you solidly in biblical truth and equip you for whatever ministry God has called you to.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2020 5:31:30 GMT -6
How do we know we are in the presence of a fool? By that fool’s lips, or the words that come out of his mouth.
TODAY’S VERSE:
“A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes” (Proverbs 18:6 KJV).
“A word fitly spoken,” this is not. This fellow’s words are unfit, unappreciated, and unwelcome. He is more of the “busybody in other men’s matters” spoken of by Peter. Proverbs tells us in the previous chapter, "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding" (Proverbs 17:28 KJV).
The contentious fool cannot stay silent. He must throw in his so-called two cents on every occasion, often entering into another’s discussion uninvited. A fool’s lips show that he is a fool. He says the wrong thing or speaks at the wrong time, or he says what he does in the wrong place or to the wrong person. He is like a child who does not know these wise details of speech. Consequently, he gets himself into trouble with others, and his superiors correct him severely for it. Yet, he goes on, as Paul might suggest, “professing themselves to be wise.”
Now, a wise man may and does at times get drawn into a discussion or a quarrel against his will, but a fool can’t wait to hop in even when he could and certainly should avoid it and will often regret it when it is too late. He exposes himself to correction, and at times ends up with a bloody lip.
“He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears” (Proverbs 26:17 KJV).
Shimei’s mouth was his own destruction, and Adonijah, who spoke against his own leader, looked to the destruction of another but ultimately the destruction was their own. And what of Haman that chose to speak against the people of the queen, even devising a plan to destroy the entire nation, yet he himself hung from the very gallows he had built for his enemy, Mordecai. The Word surely gives us ample evidence of the fool, does it not?
A problem today is a gross misunderstanding of so-called free speech. No one has the right to say anything they wish. All men have the responsibility to only say those things that please God and profit men. But now with the flick of a finger, emails or texts or tweets send arrogant words, haughty speech, and disrespectful retorts all over the place.
A wise man will read, re-read, and then read again his comments on an online message board--and quite often, if he is wise indeed, will push the delete button rather than the send button. One the thought is posted it can be deleted, but at what cost to the reputation of the sender.
A fool prefers talking to listening, especially if he is corrected. He would rather argue and contradict than humble himself to instruction. Lacking respect for authority and others, he speaks when he ought to be silent. His froward speech leads to confrontations, and his inappropriate remarks beg for someone to give him stripes on his back with a rod.
Doctrinal arguments have the danger of turning into that which is most displeasing to the God of order. Due to the anonymity of most sites, a person might entertain the notion that he can say what he wishes and get away with it. Friend, you know it and God knows it. Don't be foolish enough to believe that you will get away with it.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2020 12:36:36 GMT -6
The next event in the Christian calendar is the Rapture of the blood-washed believers, the bride of Christ. There are no signs preceding, just a blow from a trumpet and then the world will be thrust into the 7-year Tribulation period to face God's wrath. One day soon, this will be a past tense fact and it will be too late for those that either chose to reject the teaching or simply ignored it. We trust that you will be edified by this 5-part study from the King James Bible.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2020 6:17:16 GMT -6
“Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth” (Proverbs 19:1-2).
There are three axioms here in verses 1-3.
The first, in verse 1 is that it is better to be poor and have character. There is absolutely no substitute for character. Character is all-important in the life of people. American people are by and large a people without character. A person with character is a person that has the ability to do right even when they don’t want to, or don’t feel like it. Character is what a man or a woman is when no one is watching.
This is why a child doesn’t have any character. You will meet very few children that will always do what they are supposed to do when no one is standing over them. They’ll usually start a project and be excited about it at the beginning, but it isn’t very long-lasting. They need a push by an adult. Well, if you keep giving them that needed push whenever they need it, and they keep completing every job they start, in about 18-20 years, it becomes part of their character. Their character will be like an inner parent pushing them to finish.
This is what is behind verses such as this: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). This does not only apply to spiritual lessons, but practical as well. Raise up your children with a good, healthy work ethic. Make him do right. He likely won’t do it on his own, so make him do the right things.
The second axiom is that for a soul to be without knowledge is not good. You would be better off without every but that.
The third axiom is “he that hasteth with his feet sinneth,” some people are in a hurry to make the big bucks and are in a hurry to make a big name for themselves, but it is better to slow down and get to know God. If those others things are right, God will bring them to pass.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2020 7:17:32 GMT -6
“He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips” (Proverbs 20:19).
“He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets,” it seems like the only topic some people ever want to discuss is, “Did you hear about so-and-so?” That does not belong in polite society, let alone among Christians where we are to watch for one another and keep them safe. But they revel in anything that stirs up trouble and gets them an audience. It is a filthy, self-conceited tool for getting attention.
There is something to note about this passage: “He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets, therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.” Nine Times out of ten the talebearer is also a flatterer. Again, this is the guy that answers to the man in verse 18 that believes in order to win approval they need to tell people what they want to hear, even if it is evil news about a brother or sister in Christ. This person is nothing but a two-faced dog. When he is around you, he is smiling, but when your back is turned, he is a cutthroat.
Be careful of people who are always flattering you. Think about this the next time someone brings gossip about somebody else to you—if they are prone to bring gossip to you—you may well be next to be gossiped about to another ready listener. If you accept the gossip, look out, you are the next target.
“. . . meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.” Cut them off! It is better to just flat out tell them to take their stories someplace else. It is better to lose their companionship than to be a companion to a fool. It is best to tell them that if they have a problem with another Christian they are to follow the scriptural formula for resolving the problem: “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican” (Matthew 18:15-17).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2020 7:13:37 GMT -6
“The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment. The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right. It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house” (Proverbs 21:7-9).
“The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them,” there is more than one way to rob somebody. You can stick a gun in their ribs and take all their money, which is one way to do it; or you can tell them that you have a product that they need and can’t do without and must have it. You can talk them into buying it even though you know it is nothing what you claim it to be. Of course, they don’t call that robbery; they call it advertising. Same end, just a different name. There is more than one way to rob someone.
Now, there are religious robbers out there. They tell people that they can heal them, or they tell them that they have special spiritual answers for them if they will just put so much money in the plate. You have palm readers, mostly down south. They have their shops set up in their homes. It’s funny how they prey on poor people, but they do. They well sell you some spiritual enlightenment for a sum of money. These are other forms of robbery.
People that generally want something the easy way, or something for nothing, are easy marks for conmen. A man cannot be conned if he isn’t looking for an easy buck.
“The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them [they reap what they sow]; because they refuse to do judgment.”
“The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.”
“The way of man is froward and strange,” it isn’t strange and perverse to man, for “all the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes” (Proverbs 16:2). It is strange in consideration of the way that God made man.
“. . . but as for the pure, his work is right,” it is not strange to God, for it is known to God. The “pure” in the Old Testament for those that kept the Law, performed the sacrifices, and did what God told them to do. The pure in the New Testament are a little bit different: “And put no difference between us [the Jews] and them [the Gentiles], purifying their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9). This is a purification by faith. When a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, God purifies that heart. When a Christian’s heart gets all fouled up with sin, the “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).
First of all, purity comes from believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, and then secondly, purity is maintained by a regular confession of sins to God, pleasing the Blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse us. Notice the absence of any kind of mediator in this matter. We are privileged to go straight to the alter of grace without the intercession of a human priest of any sort.
“It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.”
Verse 9 and 19 have the same thought. Jewish homes were built with a patio-type arrangement on the top of their houses with a parapet surrounding them to prevent people from accidentally falling off the side. They were open to the elements, but Solomon says it is better to sit out in the storms and rain than inside the house with a brawling wife.
Most Americans have a broad dwelling and a brawling broad.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2020 7:14:54 GMT -6
The promise in the verse before us today is that if parents do the right thing while their children are young and raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; that when those children grow to be adults, they will not forsake those precepts.
TODAY’S VERSE:
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6 KJV).
Much of the Bible contains thou shalts and thou shalt nots, but it is nice to come across some with definite promises attached. It should be understood, however, that doing right is always met in the Bible with blessings from God while doing wrong results in a curse. These “curses,” in context, refer to a loss of the blessings which would have been gained by obedience. The false impression that some have is that God is waiting with a baseball bat ready to pound anyone that does wrong. This is not true, and it is a false concept of God. It does not negate the ultimate end of a man that rejects Christ in the lake of fire, but it does do away with God as One ever looking for opportunities to arbitrarily punish unbelievers.
Our society has become corrupted to the extent that today parents believe that “religion” is something that they do not want to push upon their children until they are old enough to “decide for themselves,” but they send them to public schools where they are exposed to socialist and communist teachers that are busy indoctrinating them to the point where they are now choosing to reject the gender they were born with and taking on the perverted view that they something other than their chromosomes and plumbing dictate.
Timothy had been taught the Scriptures from a child: “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:15-17 KJV).
As a result, the saving faith that had dwelt in his mother and grandmother was in him also: “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also” (II Timothy 1:5 KJV).
His early training and consistent practices in the home led to him becoming a strong force for God as an adult: “Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium” (Acts 16:1-2 KJV).
In order to raise a man for God, He instructs us to lovingly use the tools that He has provided.
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15 KJV).
“Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell” (Proverbs 23:13-14 KJV).
“Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul” (Proverbs 29:17 KJV).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2020 7:04:21 GMT -6
Today’s devotional look at Proverbs will be a bit longer than usual, but the subject certainly deserves it.
TODAY’S VERSE:
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again” (Proverbs 23:29-35 KJV).
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow?” For some of these men, just everything goes wrong. They lose their jobs, they can’t keep a job, they have trouble with the family, with the relatives, they have physical problems, diseases. “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow?” “. . . who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause?” I’ve known them to fall out of cars, fall in front of cars, fall in the gutter, fall asleep in a snowbank. Well, they say, he probably won’t freeze. No, he won’t freeze, he’s got so much alcohol in him that he can’t freeze, but he’ll just get into so much other trouble that a sober man won’t get into, “wounds without cause,” I mean, there isn’t any cause to it—just foolishness. “. . . who hath redness of eyes?” Yea, they get like that. Who? “They that tarry long at the wine,” and some say well, it’s okay if you just drink moderately, but the problem is that once you start drinking moderately you will do excessively eventually. You see, the moderate drinker is okay as long as circumstances in life aren’t too bad. Once things get heavy, and he runs into big problems, like losing a loved one, his wife gets sick, or he loses his job—then he’s likely to spend a long time at it to wash it out of his mind and cover it up. And if he is already used to drinking, he’ll get sucked into it really quick. There are people in missions that used to be colonels in the military, lawyers, people that had station in life and a good living. But somewhere in life their social drinking took a turn because something bad happened in their life and lost something dear to them; job, promotion, loved one, whatever—and their drinking increased to the point where it took everything away from them. It gets to the point where it gets a hold of them and they can’t do without it. It becomes their master.
You take the average fellow that’s drinking out here—he can drink and still go to work; he can drink and still pay bills and meet responsibilities—he is still functioning somewhat normally. But, every time there is a problem, or a battle of some sort, it becomes easier to drown it with liquor, to the point where they can no longer win any battles and the alcohol has taken over. Then they become what is known as a “lush,” or a person that can’t win any battles. Every time there is a problem, they now turn to liquor. They can no longer handle stress—it handles them.
“They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.” There’re your mixed drinks. “Look not,” there’s the lust of the eyes, “Look not thou upon the wine,” you see, it doesn’t say “don’t drink wine,” it says, “don’t even look at it.” Some of that stuff looks pretty enticing. You ever walk down the liquor aisle in your grocery store? I have yet to see liquor in an ugly, unattractive bottle. They are all made to look fancy and enticing. And it seems like whenever they want to sell liquor, they put some French guy’s name on it. I wonder why that is? I guess that’s supposed to add style and class when all it really does is add $20 to the price of the bottle (nothing to the quality). Well, that’s how they sell stuff.
“. . . when it giveth his colour in the cup,” that’s how they get you to look at it. That’s the problem with TV. Back when it was radio, they could talk about it, but you couldn’t see it. Now you can see all those bubbles and all that refreshing-looking scenery behind it. All kinds of pictures in order to present that thing to you in a good light. The message is you need it, you must have it, and you can’t do without it. It’s hard to do that with radio. “. . . when it moveth itself aright,” that’s fermentation.
“At the last,” or at the end of the fermentation process. At the first it is called “new wine” or pure grape juice (when speaking of wine), but after it ferments (in essence, spoils) it is an intoxicating beverage. “Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all” (Isaiah 65:8 KJV). New wine is fresh out of the cluster. “At the last,” it is fermented. There’s a difference between old wine and new wine.
“At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder,” we see its connection with the Devil. That is why they call it “spirits.” Some call it “devil juice,” in the old days some called it “coffin varnish.” They would ask, “Do you smoke coffin nails and drink coffin varnish?”
“Thine eyes shall behold strange women,” that’s the Old Testament term for the modern term, “street walker.” A slang term some use today is “strange.” That is what they call illicit sex. “. . . thine heart shall utter perverse things,” you get deep enough into it and you’ll experience the dry tremors (D.T.’s) and see all sorts of things. Everything and anything. What is fun about a room spinning around and around, and getting sick, and suffering through a headache?
“Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea,” that’s where you get so drunk you are afraid to go to sleep afraid that you’ll vomit all over yourself and perhaps even drown in it, just “three sheets to the wind.” “Or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast,” it’s one thing when you are down in the boat, but when you are up in the mast—everything is swinging.
When Solomon wrote this, he knew what a drunken man goes through—probably from personal experience. He experimented, he says, with everything “under the sun.” That would certainly include drunkenness. “They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1 KJV).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2020 7:19:06 GMT -6
Paul learned some lessons in life, and one of them is that in himself he is nothing, but with or in Christ he is everything.
TODAY’S VERSE:
"If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small" (Proverbs 24:10 KJV).
Often as we read the Bible and run across a verse like this, we immediately start wondering what we are doing wrong and how we can change our lives so as to not be weak when things get tough. Sometimes the answer is not in us at all, but in something else. In this case, it is in our Saviour . . . as truly most answers are.
Paul boldly proclaimed that, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13 KJV).
But in my opinion, that statement would be impossible to understand without the preceding verse:
"I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need" (Php 4:11-12 KJV). Paul learned contentment, which is not an easy thing to learn--especially for those of us living in a country like America, where things are in abundance. Paul learned that "Godliness with contentment is great gain" (I Timothy 6:6).
Jesus Christ is the God-Man. We could illustrate His humanity with a pencil, which a child can break with a finger, and His Godhood with an iron bar which takes more strength than most men have to even bend. If we take that weak pencil and that strong iron and bind them together with duct tape--we have a very poor illustration of the God-Man. Weakness and strengh in the same. That is the One that lives within us. This is our strength, so that we can face any trial, or any adversity, knowing that "all things work together for good," because our Saviour is using even those to prepare us.
If any are unsure whether they have a right to heaven, regard the fact that even in this Jesus Christ understands and has worked even that out!
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6 KJV).
Why?
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 KJV).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2020 7:01:46 GMT -6
“The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable . . . Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness” (Proverbs 25:3, 5).
Well, God searches them. “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts” (Proverbs 21:1-2).
“The heaven for height,” that’s pretty high. Nobody's ever seen to the end of the universe or even been to the end of the universe. I mean, just imagine how big the universe is, and to think about all those millions of light years it takes to get from here to stars and galaxies at the speed of light. It's just unbelievable how immense the universe is.
“The heaven for height, and the earth for depth,” this shows you, that while the earth is not the farthest thing away from God, it's moving away from God. In relation to God, the earth is deep; in relation to man the heaven is high.
“. . . and the heart of Kings is unsearchable,” in the sense of men, and of course, in the sense of men the heaven in high and the earth is deep. Nobody has descended into the center of the earth, except spiritual beings, so it's pretty deep for us.
“Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.”
“Take away the wicked from before the King,” now, the principle is in verse 4, the application of the principle is in versed 5. “Take away the dross,” and notice in verse 5, “take away the wicked.” There's your application. You have a great King and a great Kingdom, when the wicked are taken away from before the King.
And, of course, when the Millennium is set up—right before it set up—the wicked are taken away. The Word refers to Satan as the wicked one in Second Thessalonians 2, and he will be taken away. Then the Kingdom shall be established in righteousness. So, Proverbs 25:5 is a definite reference to the millennium and the Second Coming.
And that's good for any country, that's just the principle. You get rid of the dross and the wicked, “from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.”
Proverbs 25:5 is a specific reference to the second coming in the Millennium.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2020 7:12:29 GMT -6
A fool can neither receive honor, nor give honor, because he has no honor, and he lives in a world of his own making as out of balance “as snow in summer, and as rain in harvest.”
TODAY’S VERSE:
“As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool” (Proverbs 26:1 KJV).
Vss. 1-12 deal with the fool. Only in verse two does the fool not show up, but he is clearly seen in the rest. Verses 13-16 it is the sluggard, the slothful man. Verses 17-28 showcase troublemakers and talebearers (or gossips). The sluggard and the fool are dealt with a lot in Proverbs.
“As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest,” now, those two things just don’t fit the season, “so honour is not seemly for a fool.”
Why do men mistreat their wives? Is it not because they fail to honor them? This is because much is lacking in their makeup. From a child they have not been taught to maintain good manners. They have been allowed such freedom in their lives as to practically raise themselves out in the streets. They have learned how to relate to others, especially women, out in the back alleys and bars. They have learned only to respect those that are stronger than them, so quite naturally, they will look down with contempt upon a weaker vessel. The combination of a poor set of values and a poor upbringing have produced one which is unable to render honor to whom honor is due. Ladies, such a one is a bad choice for marriage.
“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered” (I Peter 3:7 KJV).
“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her” (Proverbs 31:28 KJV).
The richest blessings lose their value when unsuitably bestowed. Snow covers the earth in winter; protecting the seed from the killing cold. But in summer, it is out of season. Rain in its season is a fruitful blessing for it makes the crops to grow. But in harvest it is an interruption to the farmer's work, and often a public calamity. God showed His displeasure with Israel by punishing them with a rainy harvest.
“Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel” (1 Samuel 12:17-18 KJV).
“The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools” (Proverbs 3:35 KJV).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2020 8:22:49 GMT -6
The truth be told, how is it possible for us to predict what will be tomorrow when we are unable to even say what will occur five minutes from now? Let alone a year or two from now.
TODAY’S VERSE:
“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1 KJV).
When reading our New Testament, it is not unusual to come across a verse that is directly pulled from the Old Testament. Sometimes they are word-for-word, but often they clearly repeat the principle. Such is the case with this verse, found in James: “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil” (James 4:13-16 KJV).
What was the result of the rich man’s boasting of his bigger barns and iron-clad retirement program? He was so proud of his accomplishments, and his amassed fortune that he had provided for himself—obviously without acknowledging God in any of it? Not good, “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:20-21 KJV) He was counting on his tomorrows when he didn’t even have a tomorrow.
You will never have today back. Who should you show kindness to in case there is no tomorrow? Who should you forgive? Who should you thank? Who should you comfort? Above all, what can, or should you give God today in confession, praise, or conduct to honor Him?
In the verse quoted from James, four words should stand out in their extreme wisdom, “if the Lord will.” Lord willing, we shall do this or that. Lord willing, we shall live another day. Lord willing, we will do something that will please Him and affect eternity either for ourselves or for another. Lord willing, we will share the Gospel of good news to a lost and dying world!
We are all given a free will to choose what we wish, but how great a gift when we subject that will to Another that is a much better steward of our time and talents. It has been said that salvation is God’s gift to us, but what we do with that life is our gift to God. It is our life to give back to God, it is ours “to work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling,” that is, to be what God saved us to be. And it is true with this as with our money, we can never outgive the Lord.
Jesus said, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34). What precious wisdom! Do not worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough evil today to keep you busy.
Fools plan on getting right with God tomorrow, but that day never comes. There are always more excuses. Felix, trembling under Paul’s preaching, told him, “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (Acts 24:25). It never came. You have today to be godly and wise – do not presume on having any other day.
The question, therefore, is what will you do for God tomorrow? It is, what are you doing for God today?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2020 7:06:03 GMT -6
“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination” (Proverbs 28:9 KJV).
This verse is directed to those who willingly turn away their ears from hearing God’s Word, “But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear” (Zechariah 7:11 KJV).
God refused to hear the prayers of many in Isaiah’s day because of their disobedience: “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:15 KJV).
The curse of God is upon all who turn their ears from His Word: “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city” (Matthew 10:14-15 KJV).
All religious acts by the disobedient are obnoxious to God: “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 15:8 KJV).
"Without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Hebrews 11:6).
Worshipping God in violation of any expressed commandment is to make void the Word of God. Worship and sacrifice and solemn assembly, without faith, becomes a “weariness” to God—it vexes His innermost soul—it disgusts Him. Who required of them such a steady stream of traffic in faithless sacrifices? Not God! They willfully forced these rituals upon Him. He loathed them. Their worship and their living were incongruous—they did not go together—because iniquity and solemn assembly are totally incompatible.
In Leviticus we see the picture of worship for God in the censer of smoke. The altar of incense both stood for the prayer of the saints and their worship (lifting up of the hands of Psalm 141:2).
“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD” (Leviticus 10:1-2 KJV).
God took His word pictures in the Old Testament very seriously. God’s work, not done God’s way, will not result in God’s approval, but rather His disapproval. Nadab and Abihu learned this the hard way—and they were Aaron’s sons! If the sons of the High Priest can’t get away with a false form of worship, how do any of us think we can?
Human worship done by carnal means sickens God: “Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting” (Isaiah 1:13 KJV). And yet, through all that, God has made a way for man to bridge the divide: “Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:17-18 KJV).
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