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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2020 7:43:16 GMT -6
“House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD” (Proverbs 19:14).
“House and riches are the inheritance of fathers,” these are the things that a child normally inherits as part of their parents’ estate.
“. . . and a prudent wife is from the LORD,” this points back to 18:22 where a good wife is the favor of the Lord. Saved or lost, if you have a good wife she is of the Lord, because a good wife is very hard to find. We recall that in the garden, God brought to Adam his wife, whom he named Eve, “the mother of all living.” God is still in the business of bringing two people together, but too often young people are impatient to marry the first person that comes along. They confuse “love” with “lust,” and when beauty alone is the basis of marriage, it doesn’t last long. Proverbs 31:10 reminds us that “a good wife is hard to find.”
It is not surprising that when a good wife is given, it is usually to people that are in the will of God, seeking the will of God for their lives. Or, based upon the foreknowledge of God, a lost man will find a good wife with God knowing that he will become a Christian. At any rate, she is a gift, a favor. None certainly deserve it, but God is often very gracious. Again, it is necessary to understand that a “good wife” does not always denote a stunning knock-out beauty (as the world would have it), because often beauty is an attribute of godliness.
This is just the immense grace and favor of God. If a boy does right by his parents, he’ll inherit riches and a house; if a man does right by God, He will give him a good wife—that is what this verse is essentially saying. Do right by mom and dad and you’ll probably do all right in the end.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2020 6:29:21 GMT -6
“It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling” (Proverbs 20:3).
There is two different ways that you can look at it, but if you put the first part of the verse with the second part, that is, when you see strife, don’t meddle in it. When two people are having a disagreement, do you know what a fool will do? He’ll meddle in it. He’ll stick his nose into the problem and throw in his two cents even though it is totally unsolicited. Sometimes this can even apply to someone trying to step in and break up a fight. What ends up happening is that the two that were fighting join forces and beat the tar out of the meddler. We just want to be careful messing around in other people’s strifes. Referees and umpires get paid to meddle, but that is not our calling.
A good man will not get involved with strife unless it is right to do it, unless God leads them to do it. Sometimes when the strife is between right and wrong, and we are led into the fight against the Devil. We are to “strive lawfully,” the Bible tells us. If it is just a personal strife between, say, a husband and a wife—we are best to stay out of them and let them handle their own affairs.
If someone tries to pick a fight with a Christian, it is to the Christian’s honor to avoid that sort of situation. A lot of men just kind of thrives on arguments, griping, and complaining. That is not honorable; that is shameful.
“It is an honour for a man to cease from strife,” don’t let yourself get caught in the middle of strifes between men, you can stay out of trouble if you really work at it.
“. . . but every fool will be meddling,” some folks just want to get into it—they want to mix it up—and start trouble.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2020 6:05:23 GMT -6
“The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead” (Proverbs 21:16).
“The man that wandereth out of the way,” that is the backslider. In the Old Testament, if you wandered out of the way you went to hell. That is exactly what this verse before us today is saying, they “shall remain in the congregation of the dead.” Paul tells us who this “congregation” was in Ephesians: “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Ephesians 2:2-3).
In the Old Testament, if a man got out of the way, he lost it for his standing with the covenants depended upon his obedience to the Law and to the sacrifices. Saul forsook the way and lost it, Samson went out of the way and lost it and got it back in the end, David got out of the way and almost lost it, but for repentance. The illustrations are over and over again. Thank God there is no way for the New Testament saint to get out of the way because we are “in the way.” We are “sealed by the Spirit.” We can lose blessings and rewards, but we can’t lose the gift of eternal life. It doesn’t say anything about living in eternal shame though.
In the sense that a man quits reading his Bible, quits going to church, he can get out of the way, but he can’t get out of “the way,” because Jesus Christ said that He was “the way,” and once we are “in Christ” there is no exit door.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2020 5:58:59 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 Oct 23, 2020 6:20:11 GMT -6
There are very few verses in Scripture more misunderstood than the ones before us today.
TODAY’S VERSE:
“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).
Every child needs correction from time to time. Society has unfortunately attempted to criminalize corporal punishment in the home, and we are reaping the results in ways unimaginable. Children, that once had a healthy respect for authority because of early discipline in the home are now challenging their teachers, the police, and their parents in a struggle for domination. Today’s child is more interested in their “rights,” than they are of living right.
Most of us that have lived past the age of fifty or so can well recall what happened to us when we stepped out of line. Many an occasion found my dad reminding me just how much my whupping was going to hurt him more than me. It never worked to suggest then that we change places so it wouldn’t hurt so much—and it usually ended up hurting a bit more than I anticipated. We look at where we are today and thank God for it. We would not have been the men and women we are today but that life lessons were engrained into us at a young age.
One thing that should be obvious, but those that hate God and His ways are quick to pounce on the Bible’s harsh language and yell “abuse!” Some in ignorant zeal have crossed a line and have committed abusive acts upon their children on the basis of the Bible, but anyone with a modicum of common sense know that there are other issues in play regarding those that misuse Scripture in such a way. A good many of these folks are mentally challenged and are driven by rage and perhaps alcohol.
I have to admit that any time my parents allowed anger to get the best of them, it was due to my own actions. Often, my mom would smack with whatever she could reach at the time and looking back I realize that I completely deserved it.
God disciplines His children as well: “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” (Hebrews 12:6-7 KJV).
Did you notice any word in the above verse that stands out? May I suggest it is the word “love?” We show our love for our children by applying the board of education to the seat of knowledge with the goal of directing our kids to the right ways. Proverbs reminds us that “a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame” (Proverbs 29:15).
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2020 7:04:59 GMT -6
The thing that the lost cannot understand is the presence of God’s mercy. It is just as available to them as it is to the ones they seek to overthrow—but their darkened mind and soul cannot conceive, do not desire it, and utterly abhor it. Their great pleasure is the world, sin, and the destruction of God’s people.
TODAY’S VERSE:
“Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief” (Proverbs 24:15-16 KJV).
There are some in this world that have no greater purpose than to make shipwreck the life of a young believer. The wicked are described as lying in wait for the righteous, seeking his ruination. “The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him” (Psalms 37:32 KJV).
Who qualifies for the title “wicked man” used here? Every persecutor of the righteous would be included in what is said here. So, this passage is not speaking of the highwayman hiding in the brush awaiting a man to rob, but the reprobate seeking to ensnare a child of God. An “angel of light,” a “false prophet,” an evil, evil person. Paul spoke of these, “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Romans 1:32 KJV).
Their goal is the utter destruction of the believer, but they are ignorant of one very crucial fact, and that is: “a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” What a promise! What an assurance! Yes, the tempting angel of the Devil may indeed succeed in tripping up a saint, but that saint has access to God’s continuing mercy:
“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23 KJV).
The righteous will have many trials, but he will prevail through the special help of God. Notice these interesting verses: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” (Psalms 34:19 KJV); “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand” (Psalms 37:24 KJV); “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me” (Micah 7:8 KJV); “He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee” (Job 5:19 KJV).
In other words, as our expressions go, “you can’t keep a good man down;” he may be “down”, but he isn’t “out”. But notice that when the wicked fall, he is not promised to come back, for he has no personal God to whom to look for restoration.
Yes, the wicked shall fall into mischief; or "evil"; into the evil of sin, and there lie and wallow in it, as the swine in the mire, and never rise out of it; and into the evil of punishment, into hell itself, from whence there will be no deliverance; and oftentimes they fall into mischief in this world, into trouble and distress, into poverty and want, in which they live and die, and never recover out of it; to which agrees what follows. And their only joyful memory throughout eternity will be that they may some Christian to stumble.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2020 6:46:22 GMT -6
“Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away. A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver . . . Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee” (Proverbs 25:10-11).
Infamy is to have a bad reputation, it is just the opposite of fame, it is a loss of reputation. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Apples of gold and pictures of silver remind us of contrast, harmony, and balance. In other words, a picture of apples of gold in pictures of silver is something that would be pleasing and harmonious to the to the eye. It wouldn't be out of order; it would be in the right order. It would look right; it would have a very pleasing affect upon you. Well, a word gently spoken is the same way. That is, the right words at the right time. They are the right words that fit the occasion, “fitly spoken.”
In other words, when somebody is rejoicing, rejoice with them. That is a fit word. When somebody's weeping it's time to weep—be sorrowful with them.
It’s not time to joke or jest at that point. See, “a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” It'll fit the occasion, and it will be right.
“Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.”
That's just a plain old passage about wearing out your welcome. be careful of too much Visitation. In verse 16, overindulgence and in verse 17, just too much social life.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2020 8:16:39 GMT -6
It may not be a popular thought, but true nevertheless, that Christians can be sluggards in many areas of our spiritual life. How about the believer that will not feed himself on God’s word? He doesn’t study his Bible, but rather depends upon his preacher and Sunday school teacher to tell him what to think and impart their wisdom instead of digging in the Scriptures for himself?
TODAY’S VERSE:
“The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason” (Proverbs 26:16 KJV).
Often when Scripture uses the number seven it is not conveying an exact figure but is rather addressing a sense of completeness. In other words, the subject of this verse is wiser than anyone else that he might meet along the way. In the sense of being complete, one might also infer that this man believes himself to be even wiser than God Himself.
Occasionally I will sit down behind my keyboard and begin to work on a devotion without any thought of asking God for spiritual guidance and understanding of a passage or verse. I manage to write the daily work without so much as a, “help me Lord!” And then I present it as something from God when it is nothing more than my own thoughts. I thank God that He somehow blesses anyway, but then I catch myself and chastise myself by asking, “What? I don’t need God’s help. Do I think that I can act independently of God and expect His blessing?”
Paul told the believers to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15 KJV).
There is so much contained in this one verse that one could spend months mining out the great truths. All Christians want God’s approval, but they are unwilling to study His Word which is the source of that approval. They are hoping for something with little effort on their part. Christians hope that when they face God one day, they will not be ashamed, while their Bible lays unread on a coffee table or back seat of their car—only to be opened on Sunday in the church. And then they are so excited about the blessed hope of the church—the return of Jesus Christ—but yet they fail to understand God’s dispensational program for His church. God tells us that we must be able to “rightly divide” His Word.
The Christian that is a sluggard knows that he has eternal life and that he cannot lose his salvation, but he doesn’t see any necessity to study and grow in the Lord. And because he doesn’t know the difference between Jesus’ ministry to Israel and Paul’s ministry to the church, he struggles to explain what “enduring to the end” means in relation to one’s remaining in relationship with God. Because he does not recognize Jesus’ specific teachings dealing with the Millennial kingdom, he gets confused with those that would trip him up with the “sermon on the mount.”
All that we have and all that we are is because of God and His love for us. We are nothing apart from Him, and the presence of the Holy Spirit indwelling us for power and for service. Let us take heed to Paul’s warning: “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God” (Ephesians 5:14-21 KJV).
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2020 8:00:56 GMT -6
“Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips” (Proverbs 27:2 KJV).
The greatest man that ever walked on this planet was likely thinking of this very verse in Proverbs when He said: “If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true” (John 5:31 KJV). Jesus Himself was not interested in saying good things about Himself, He was content to let others praise the things that He did.
“It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory” (Proverbs 25:27 KJV).
The Bible tells us that Jesus cloaked His glory and hid it from sight. We see this in Paul’s letter to the Philippians and it is a theological truth referred to as the “kenosis.”
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8 KJV).
Do you see the astounding truth of these verses? Jesus Christ, Who is very God of very God “limited” Himself in order to become a man like you and me. He took His Deity (godhood), as it were, and placed it upon a shelf in His celestial realm and was born in a manger in swaddling clothes. He, for thirty-three years, relied on only His understanding of the Scriptures and not his omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent attributes and made the Word of God His source of understanding and wisdom. He was tempted like you and me. He did not sin and took His place on the Cross as the holy and undefiled Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.
Paul reminded us to have the mind of Christ again in Romans.
“Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits” (Romans 12:16 KJV).
As a Christian, I am not interested in telling people how wonderful I am (as if I could) for that defeats the purpose of everything that Jesus lived and died as our example. But imagine how it must have touched John Mark’s heart when Paul had this to say about him: “he is profitable to me for the ministry” (II Timothy 4:11). If any know the history between Paul and John Mark, you know that this was the last thing you would think to hear Paul say.
As a sinner saved by grace, as well as one that is “scarcely saved” (I Peter 4:18), how lovely it will one day be to hear the Saviour Himself say the following words while looking at us: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21, KJV). There are simply no words! And it is all because of grace.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2020 7:30:27 GMT -6
It was early on when the first innocent man became the first wicked man when he rebelled against the command of God and ate of the forbidden tree in the garden of Eden.
TODAY’S VERSE:
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1 KJV).
Rather than accept this as the downfall of man, many prefer to wickedly assign this account to the realm of mythology. Rather than face the Creator and admit to their need for a Saviour, they flee. They reason, as long as there is no God, there is no judgment. If there is no judgment, then I am free to do whatever I wish.
What did Adam and his wife do? Rather than to stand and face the One that gave them life, they fled to the bushes and hid themselves. What did the Author of life do? He searched until He found them and then He restored them to fellowship by removing their fig leaves (human works) and clothed them with the coat of an animal (God’s righteousness). Yes, our first parents still eventually died physically—but they died spiritually the instant that they sinned. It was God’s love that ruled in the garden that day, not man’s fear. Perhaps Shakespeare was a Bible reader which caused him to write, “conscience does make cowards of us all.”
On the other hand, we read of a teenager that took a stand for God and faced a giant named Goliath. Consider his words as he looked upon the enemy of Israel.
“And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee . . . Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (1 Samuel 17:34-37, 45-46 KJV).
What was the attitude of king Saul’s men? They were not trusting God as David was, so they did what anyone did that was trusting only in their own strength: they fled. “And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid” (1 Samuel 17:24 KJV).
Later on, that same boldness was found in a young deacon by the name of Stephen who willingly and boldly accepted martyrdom at the hands of the high priest, following in the footsteps and example of the Lamb of God that freely accepted death on the Cross that He might freely offer salvation to whomsoever will come and accept it. After that, how many have stood in the face of certain death at the hands of the enemies of the Gospel.
“They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:37-40 KJV).
The wicked were cowards and fled from the sound of the Gospel. Rather than to accept the truth of what they were, they hid behind stones and swords and saws and flames, killing them that would convict their souls.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2020 7:33:53 GMT -6
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV).
This verse is often used at mission’s conferences to convict a young man’s heart that he is needed out on the field because the heathen are dying and going to hell, and will continue to do so unless he surrenders his life and goes there. Often we also hear as a companion verse, “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us” (Acts 16:9 KJV). Now, when God leads a missionary or a preacher to apply this verse in that way, God bless him and his message. Would to God that it would bear fruit and more men would respond to the missionary call.
However, this verse also speaks to the believer. No, certainly not is it speaking of eternal damnation as if a true believer can lose their salvation, for did not Jesus tell us that he gives us “eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28, 29). If we fell out of the Saviour’s hand, we would fall into the Father’s hand, and He would put us right back in His Son’s hand. Salvation is eternal!
How can it be applied to Christians? It is possible to grow weak and powerless in our Christian lives. Here the idea of the word “perish” could be seen as “withering on the vine.” How is that possible? Through weak, anemic preaching of the Word of God. Pulpits today are filled with men that afraid to preach on sin. Churches are filled with people that have no fear of God and their lives reflect it. They don’t read their Bibles, they don’t pray to God for the filling of His Spirit for service, and they rarely plead the Blood for their cleansing from the filth of this world.
Paul wrote: “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Galatians 1:3-4 KJV). Frankly, the majority of those that “name the name of Christ” refuse to “depart from iniquity” (II Timothy 2:19) and could be said to have lost the effectiveness of the present tense of their salvation. They are “in” the world, and sadly, for the time being, they are also “in” the world.
Father, encourage us today to walk close to You and Your Word, through the ministry of Your Word. Forgive us if we have strayed and cleanse us and fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we would not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. We thank You again for loving us. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2020 7:04:52 GMT -6
“There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up” (Proverbs 30:29-31).
“There be three things which go well,” now, this is in a sense of motion or movement, “yea, four are comely in going,” how they run, how they move, comely, beautiful, graceful. The lion in verse 30. Now, these are references in these things here to Satan, or the Antichrist, in his goings.
The Bible says about Christ, that His going forth are as the sun in Psalm 19; so, the Devil is going to go forth one of these days and take over; and he is going to be calm and beautiful to people in this world. And it says a lion, which is the “strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any,” so Satan is very strong. He is said to be a roaring lion in First Peter 5:8, and it says that the Antichrist who is a leopard has the mouth of a lion (Revelation 13:1-3). So, the connection there is with the Antichrist. He will be very beautiful and acceptable to the world.
Next, a Greyhound. The greyhound is very fast. We'd say as fast as lightning. Christ said, “. . . and I beheld Satan fall as lightning” (Luke 10:18). So, the Greyhound has some connection with Satan. And you might note the fact that he is a dog. In Second Peter 2:22 a dog is associated with false prophets Satan has the false prophets he goes.
Then the he goat. Oh boy, there is no doubt about the he goat. That's a reference to the Antichrist in Daniel 8:21, and all Satanists have the he goat as their emblem.
Then he says, “And a King, against whom there is no rising up.” A King with a great army, like the Caesars, like Alexander the Great, or Nebuchadnezzar. Great Kings with great armies, against whom there is no rising up. Satan is a King (Daniel 7:23 and Daniel 11:37).
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2020 7:35:57 GMT -6
“What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?” (Proverbs 31:2 KJV).
Now, Timothy had a good mother, and he had a good grandmother. Grandmother passed the truth down to mom, and then mom passed it down to Timothy; and Timothy stood strong in the Lord, and God called him to preach.
In Second Timothy 3:15, not only did it bring about his called to the ministry, but notice 3:14, “But continued thou in the things which thou hast learned.” Where did he start to learn? He learned them at the knee of his mother, and grandmother. “And hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and 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.”
Timothy had a good mother. Timothy's mother showed Timothy at an early age that the scriptures taught that a person must be saved, and he said that “from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation,” the church cannot save you. I don't know what any of your are trusting in to keep you out of hell, but the church can't keep you out of hell; a religion can't keep you out of hell; good works can't keep you out of hell. The Bible says, “you knew from a child the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
There's only one way for a person to be truly, totally saved, and that's by faith in Christ Jesus. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the grace of God.” Timothy's mother, Eunice, had showed him those verses. shown him that he was a sinner; showed him that Jesus Christ died for his sins, and then he believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and was saved.
Now that's a pretty good mother! It's a pretty good mother that will take the time to teach her child those Bible stories and Bible lessons and Bible laws, and sees that that child gets the gospel, and sees that that child gets saved. You can be thankful that your children are getting a good education, but you can be even more thankful that they are saved and going to heaven. You could all get in a car wreck today and not survive, but you’ll be immediately in the presence of Christ because of Calvary.
King Lemuel had a good mother. She taught him the truth, and she taught him things about how to live, and how to be a good man.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2020 7:20:18 GMT -6
There are two propositions here. The first one was conditional, the “if” of verse 1, 3, 4. The second one is whenever you are ready to it . . . “when.”
TODAY’S VERSE:
“When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul” (Proverbs 2:10 KJV).
“When wisdom entereth into thine heart,” not your head, but your heart. It isn’t whether you have an education or not, but, is your heart established. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23 KJV). What does that mean? Keep it right! Keep it clean! Keep it purged! Keep it centered around the Word of God! Keep it close in contact with other Christian people. You just can’t do wrong spending time in the Bible, spending time on your knees, and spending as much time in fellowship in church and with Christian people as you can. Fellowship based on truth, and not just emotional comforts.
Very few men are successful in their Christian lives that did all these things just when he felt like doing them. You just can’t do it. You need to be around Christians that are doing something for God. Even sports tell us that if you want to excel in the game, you don’t compete against people that were just as good as you—but you sought out people that were better than you—and grew from the competition. You always looked for a challenge because they pushed beyond what you thought you could do. Even a muscle does not develop until you wear it out. You take it to its maximum and then you push it—and when you push it, it begins to build. It learns to adapt to what you are pushing it to do.
A Christian will rarely grow by running around with Christians that are weak, or worldly. You need to get around Christians that are strong in the Lord. That is not to say that you isolate yourself from other Christians that you can be an encouragement to grow and become stronger. Get them to come along with you and get around Christians that are winning people, Christians that are faithful and are doing something for God. Or you’ll just continue to just be. We need the challenge and we need the encouragement.
Paul said, “Be ye followers of me,” and I guarantee that if we spent time around Paul we would have been challenged.
“When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,” you say, “Well, I would think knowledge would be pleasant.” Not always. The more you learn about this Book and the more it reveals you . . . you know, you have to get over the fact that the Bible says that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”, that there is none that are good, no not one, it’s also talking about you. You need to get to the point that no matter what the Bible says about you—you like it.
The Bible flat out offends some people. Some people don’t want to be preached to, they just want to be talked to. They look at their watches. They want it to be over with, so they can go home and watch some football. They are saved, they are washed in the Blood, they just haven’t found out knowledge that is pleasant to the soul. Their flesh is just too hungry, but their soul is starving. This kind of knowledge is never going to be pleasant to the flesh.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2020 8:42:17 GMT -6
“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:6).
“In all thy ways acknowledge him,” there needs to be a relationship with God. There needs to be something where you know on a daily basis, on an hourly basis, where you acknowledge that it is God that's directing your life. Whether God is blessing, or not blessing but acknowledge God.
In American society, when we think of “acknowledge,” we think it’s some greeting, like, “Howdy!” Well, there's several million people going to mainline denominational churches in this country that do that every Sunday, and there’s a bunch of them that are still going to go to hell. So, maybe we need to have our idea of “acknowledge” adjusted a little bit.
“If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn: But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his" (Deuteronomy 21:15-17).
This is pretty deep law in the Old Testament, but it serves our purpose. It’s talking about a guy having two wives which is not a real good thing. Anyway, this guy lives with two wives. He loves one a lot and he doesn't like the other one so much. So, it’s plain that when the he loves a lot starts having kids, that those kids are probably going to be his favorites above the ones born of the other woman. If the wife that he didn't like so much wound up having a kid first, then the right of the firstborn still belongs to this firstborn, even though he may not be the kid he loves the most. Notice that he shall “acknowledge the son of the hated for the first born.”
Now, this goes beyond some concepts of “acknowledge.” It says, “in all thy ways acknowledge him.” That goes beyond, “Hey,” “Howdy,” “How’s it going.” That “acknowledgement” is acknowledging that kid, but also the thought has to be followed through with giving that kid all the rights of the firstborn.
It says in First John that we are to acknowledge Jesus Christ (I John 2:23). Somebody that doesn't acknowledge Jesus Christ, doesn't have the father either. So, if folks are not careful, they will let “acknowledge” pass in the way we kind of understand acknowledge these days so that all they have to do is give Jesus the old two-fingered salute and everything is all good. No, it's not all good. Folks have to believe on Jesus Christ and repent of your sins and get right. This is the impact of “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
“In all thy ways acknowledge him,” goes quite a bit beyond just the little rhymes we say before we eat, “God is good, God is great, let us thank Him for our food,” or whatever. It just becomes so automatic at times, that we you don't even think about. Anyway, always acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2020 10:39:52 GMT -6
“When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble” (Proverbs 4:12 KJV).
In 2008, Ryan Kennelly broke the world record for bench-pressing at 1075 lbs. Now, I guarantee you that he did not do this two days after he picked up the hobby of weightlifting. He had practiced his sport for years by increasing a little more each day until he had trained his body to overcome the obstacles and win the record.
In 2018 Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya set the world record for running a 26-mile marathon in 2:01:39. This did not happen a week after he picked up the sport of distance running. He was 33 when this happened.
Just so, a man does not generally become a Paul just days after he is saved. Often it takes a few years of disciplined Christian living, and most of the time it happens to the man that has grown up in a strong, vibrant Christian home where he had a faithful father and mother that trained him up from a child. Timothy had his mother Eunice, and his grandmother Lois, which brought him up to the point where he became the companion and yokefellow of Paul, pastored churches, and strengthened the faith of young converts.
“It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth” (Lamentations 3:27 KJV). For, when he becomes an adult, the weight of life is not overwhelming. Many well-meaning men saved late in life just do not have the stamina and moral courage to face the challenges of full-time Christian service and many fall by the wayside. It does not have to be that way, it just takes a total commitment that not all men possess.
This is a true challenge to parents to live the life, walk the walk, and talk the talk. It is a warning not to live one life in the church among other believers, and quite the different behind the closed doors of your castle. The greatest investment you can make in this life is that of our children.
Young man, as Timothy, from a child, you must begin to bear the weight of responsibility, and you’ll find strength that will amaze you as you step out to serve the Lord whether in the ministry or as a Christian businessman. Learn as a youth to tap into the only true strength you will ever know, for through Christ we can truly do all things.
“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31 KJV).
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2020 8:18:12 GMT -6
In chapter 5, Solomon begins in the first five verses, contrasting wisdom and wickedness.
TODAY’S VERSE:
“My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding” (Proverbs 5:1 KJV).
The Bible shows why most people will turn to wickedness rather than wisdom. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14 KJV).
Why do most people get caught up in wickedness? Solomon will show us:
What is easier for us to do? Voice our own opinion, or listen to someone else’s? It’s easier to tell everyone what you know. It takes a bit of humility, and patience, and character to listen. It’s harder for the flesh to listen to instruction. The flesh doesn’t like to be told what to do. You take a little kid. “Don’t do that!” That kid doesn’t want to hear that. It just irritates him! It grits on him, you know. Well, that’s the way we are. We don’t like anyone pointing their finger at us and telling us what to do. That’s the problem in America today, everyone wants their rights! Don’t tell me what to do! Don’t tell me where I can go and don’t tell me what I can do. Well, the more “rights” we have, the less “freedom” we have.
Solomon said, first of all, “bow thine ear.” Bow, humble yourself, bow down to wisdom. That takes humility. That is not a trait of the flesh. The flesh just doesn’t come with built in humility. Some people have been out of the will of the Lord for so long, they don’t know right from wrong, up from down, front from back, some of them don’t even know if they are saved. You ask some of them, why don’t you go to church anymore? “Well,” they say, “they are arrogant, I am humble.”
Humility is difficult to the flesh, it is bitterness.
“That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge” (Proverbs 5:2 KJV). Is the result of verse 1, “My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding.” The first part of that is bitter, its’ hard; but the second half is sweet.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2020 7:57:09 GMT -6
“For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life" (Proverbs 6:23).
You know, sometimes life is filled with disappointments. Sometimes the Barber does not follow instructions. What are you going to do? Well, in this day and age they go and get a lawyer! Look, why don't you just suck it up, or go to a different barber? Things just didn't go over well all the time.
There is one thing that has always bugged me. I can appreciate somebody sitting down for a meal at a restaurant, and I can understand if you pay big money and the steak comes out crawling after you ordered it medium well. I can understand sending it back. I have sat with Christians at restaurants, and things weren't just perfect, or the service was less than perfect or whatever; and they're willing to leave without paying. They make a scene of the thing. Shut up! I'll just not come back next time; but I am not going to make a scene because they overcooked my meat or the broccoli was overdone. Well, I wasn't going to eat it anyway. I hate broccoli.
Did you know that there are times where it is better to keep our mouths shut? I’m not talking mouth keeping your mouth shut when you're eating, or when you're chewing gum; I'm talking about are you teaching your kids, and kids are you learning, that you don't have to pop off the first thing that comes to your head. Do you know what a good deal of life is? It is biting your tongue. That's true. Everybody, adults and probably teenagers and kids alike have a certain problem with some of this.
Just so you know that there's an expectation about this, and I can't quote you a single verse in the Bible; but I can guarantee you that there's plenty of verses about discretion and prudence. What we need to learn is that there are certain times when it is prudent to shut your mouth. Just because we have something to gripe about, doesn't mean that we have to. And by the way, if you go to a prayer meeting at your church, don’t try to turn the prayer meeting into a gripe session. God doesn’t like that. Did you know that sometimes people will turn a prayer meeting into a sanctified gossip section? Be careful.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2020 8:14:33 GMT -6
In this passage, Solomon is going to give us an illustration. A casement? Wow, our Bible is so old and archaic. Nobody has a casement window anymore, I am sure. Looks like we need to rewrite our Bibles and update them. Those windows are so 400 years ago. Wait, never mind, Home Depot sells them. They are windows that are attached to the frame by one or more hinges. Phew! Our Bibles are safe! They are still God’s Word!
TODAY’S VERSE:
“For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night” (Proverbs 7:6-9 KJV).
Okay, this is either Solomon looking out the window of his palace, or God is looking out of the windows of heaven.
“And beheld among the simple ones,” that’s the ones spoken of here: “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?” (Proverbs 1:22 KJV). Simple, stupid people that refuse to listen to truth,
“I discerned among the youths,” isn’t it interesting that the simple ones are among the youth? “. . . a young man void of understanding,” vain, empty-headed. “Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,” now we want to keep our feet out of that way—if you know that is the wrong kind of house, and the wrong kind of place, a man is a fool to walk by it. If a man walks by a place, knowing what it is, it’s a good bet he is looking for something. An alcoholic is a fool to walk a certain way to home if their happens to be a bar located on that street—he needs to find a different way.
“. . . and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night,” this verse can be applied to the church age as well, for we have all four watches of the day. In the twilight (up to 500 A.D.), in the evening (up to 1000 A.D.), in the black (up to 1500 A.D.) and dark night (it is darkest just before the dawn, when the daystar arises. One day soon the sun is going to shine in that great Millennial kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here then is a simple, young man devoid of any brain cells going along the path he knows will lead to sin. In his folly he is not interested in the wisdom which says that he needs to find another way to where he is going—because where he is going—is up to no good. Here, then, we have a word to the wise. Take heed!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2020 8:17:52 GMT -6
THE TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, OR FALSE SIGNS AND LYING WONDERS
This 17-part study by Dr. Greg Estep on the errors of the Charismatic movement will strengthen, not only your understanding of the Bible, but it will provide a solid foundation for rightly dividing the word of truth. This study is easily comparable to any Bible college class, without the constant Bible correction that you would get from modern college professors “professing” to believe the word of God.
Truth is the only antidote for heresy. Jesus Christ tells us that truth will make us free, indeed. The Charismatic movement is a bulwark against truth as it misapplies Scripture intended for a Jewish audience and forces it upon the Body of Christ, the New Testament Church. While it is true that tongues and the other gifts are signs, the Bible is plain to tell us that they are meant only for the Jew, and not the Gentile. If you are struggling with this in your Christian life, consider the words of the late Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, “Are you going to be ignorant all your life?”
It is our prayer that you will benefit greatly from this study by Dr. Greg Estep.
Hi, I'm Pastor Bob Nogalski and I pastor a church at Clarkston, Michigan. My channel publishes videos of our weekly services which cover a lot of solid, biblical doctrine and practical Christian living. If that sounds like it could be helpful for you, please subscribe!
We are an independent Baptist church in Clarkston, Michigan. We believe that the King James Bible is the perfect, inspired, and preserved Word of God for the English-speaking people. We are a King James Only Preaching church. We believe in Dispensational Salvation, and rightly dividing the word of truth that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto every good work.
Pastor Robert Nogalski Victory Baptist Church, 3041 Reeder Road, Clarkston, Michigan 48346 (248)-674-0830
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