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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2019 8:53:44 GMT -6
“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).
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.
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?
Father, let us use today for Your glory and do those things that will please You. Keep us close to the Cross and filled with the Spirit. Aman.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 6:55:29 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).
Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2019 8:30:45 GMT -6
“To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings” (Proverbs 1:6 KJV).
When we need to define a word, or a phrase, in the King James Bible we should first try to discover how the Bible itself defines it, if possible, before going to Webster’s 1828. In this case the mysterious phrase is “dark sayings.” Often, a word will be used and it will define itself either in the same verse or in the near context. In this instance we find that Solomon is speaking of “parables.” These are something hidden from the world, but transparent to eyes of faith and discernment.
“I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old” (Psalms 78:2 KJV), “I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp” (Psalms 49:4 KJV).
Through parables Jesus bought taught His disciples by comparing heavenly truths with earthly examples, and he confounded those that would entrap Him. Sometimes His followers struggled to understand His meanings: “His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb” (John 16:29 KJV).
Well, the Proverbs are not simple truths placed on the bottom shelf for easy picking. They often require some thought, and the always require the One sent down from heaven to be our teacher—the Holy Spirit.
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (I Corinthians 2:12-13 KJV).
It is not a simpler, easier-to-understand Bible that we need, but more of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Without the Holy Spirit, even John 3:16 is a closed verse to the unsaved mind. It is the Holy Spirit that opens our minds, enlightens our understanding, and reveals the truth contained in the Book of which He is the Author.
The lessons of Proverbs are often obscure. They must be interpreted and applied, or you will miss the lesson buried under the surface of the pithy saying. The mother lode of wisdom is waiting for those who will diligently mine Solomon’s proverbs.
Why did God inspire dark sayings that are hard to understand? Because success, truth, and wisdom are not rights. They are privileges by God’s grace for those humble enough to study them diligently. Wisdom mocks those who are not fervently earnest. But wisdom offers herself freely to the passionate.
Father, open our eyes, that we may behold wondrous things out of Your law. You, through Your Spirit, are our only true teacher. You have even told us that we have no need that any man should teach us, if we are willing to learn from You. Help us to understand Your Word and apply it to our lives. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2019 7:33:38 GMT -6
“Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path” (Proverbs 2:9 KJV).
Notice in verse 5, when you do those things listed in verses 1-4, then verses 5, 6, 7, and 8 happens. Then also verse 9 happens. Not only will you get wisdom, sound wisdom; then you will understand righteousness.
First of all, you understood the fear of the Lord and you found the knowledge of God. Then God began to take care of you and protect you—be a buckler or a shield like He said over in Song of Solomon 4:4. But then, “shalt thou understand righteousness.” The first thing you learned was to understand the ‘fear of the Lord,’ things ‘not’ to do, that’s negative. Then, secondly, God will show you what you ought to do— ‘righteousness,’ that’s positive. He shows you what to avoid, and then He’ll give you wisdom on what to do.
There are people that have been saved over a decade and are just now figuring out what to do—some have been saved fifty years, and still haven’t a clue. The difference is in being in the Book since the day they were saved, or not. It isn’t how many times we have been through the Bible, but how many times that Bible has been through us. You learn first of all what not to do—don’t let your hair grow long—that was just the beginning. You learn where not to go to church, and then you learn gradually what to do, line upon line, precept upon precept.
Some preachers believe that it takes twenty years for a man to really preach a message, because it takes twenty years for God to make a man, and once that man is made—his messages are him. They are not something that he has borrowed from somebody else. There is nothing wrong with preaching another person’s material when you don’t have anything of your own. The Word of God is not bound, and chances are some messages are preached by many men over time.
Stick with the Book! Just stay with it, keep searching, keep crying after knowledge, keep seeking her as for silver, and you’ll find it.
“Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path,” equity is fairness. Equity is that balance. And balance is the secret to the Christian life. Everything must be balanced. Not going overboard to the right, not going overboard to the left, not studying too much, equity, fairness, right division of time. Where you do it because the Lord wants you to do it, and you are following the leadership of the Holy Spirit. You know when He wants you to pray, you know when He wants you to study your Bible, and you get that balance. “equity; yea, every good path.”
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2019 8:46:05 GMT -6
“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” (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV).
Trust in the Lord is an oft repeated phrase in Scripture: “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Psalms 37:3-5 KJV).
In Webster’s 1828, we read:
TRUST, n.
1. Confidence; a reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person. “Whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).
2. He or that which is the ground of confidence. “O Lord God, thou art my trust from my youth” (Psalm 71:5).
“Trust” means to rely upon, put confidence in. This we need to do toward God and not to suppose that we are self-contained and self-sufficient of ourselves. Man makes a grave mistake when he does not pray, does not commit his way to God, and does not depend upon God. “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (I Timothy 6:17 KJV).
Other passages that speak of trusting in God, and not men or horses or chariots, are found here: Isaiah 31:1; Psalm 20:7, Psalm 44:1-8; Psalm 118:8-9.
“In all thy ways acknowledge him,” or seek to know His will for your life. Acknowledge Him as the unseen guest at all your activities. Acknowledge Him when you sit down to a meal as the One that has made provision for you and beg Him to help you to be moderate in your feasting and not be a glutton. Acknowledge Him when you get in your car and ask Him for travelling mercies and safety on the road. Acknowledge Him in the rearing of your children and trust His methods rather than the world’s or Benjamin Spock.
And especially acknowledge Him by spending time daily in His Word and allow the Scriptures to be your counsellors.
“. . . and He shall direct thy paths.” If a man fails to acknowledge his relationship to God, fails to submit to divine direction, he denies the fundamental reason for his existence. One who walks the path of life is not able to give moral and spiritual guidance to his own steps. He will inevitably stray from the straight and narrow. We surely and sorely need God's divine discipline and correction in this world.
“O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23 KJV).
FATHER, we seem to be not much different from a lost man when we seek to rely on our human intellect for understanding and try to direct our own paths? Truly we are walking in darkness and we will stumble as we go. We acknowledge You, our Lord, in every step we take for we know that our lives are led by supernatural guidance. Give us strength as we walk in the light of Your eternal Word. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2019 7:30:03 GMT -6
“For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:17-18 KJV).
In these two verses the contrast is finely drawn between the state of a justified soul in Christ, and the unawakened, unsanctified soul of the wicked. Jesus is both the light and the life of his people, and the progressive state of souls justified in his blood and righteousness, is like the advance of the morning to meridian brightness. But on the contrary, the darkness at which the ungodly stumble is growing more and more dark, where even the light is darkness.
Verse 18 is the contrast of verse 17 where we read that the wicked gorge themselves upon their wickedness. They are so full of the bread of evil and the wine of vileness that they no longer have an appetite for the bounty of the things of God’s table. “Violence” is the only item in some people’s “diet” of life—this is what they “eat” and “drink” of it every day. With such perverted “appetites”, they have no “hunger” for God and no “thirst” for righteousness. They are stuffed with the rich dainties of the world, and they always have room for more as the world can never satisfy. The only meal they desire is the junk food that Satan provides, so that the thought of the gourmet meal of heavenly things nauseates them.
What is the lesson? Stay far away from such persons! Consider Solomon’s words. He wrote, “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Proverbs 4:14-15). Look at his words! There is no room for any compromise with these kind of wicked persons. You cannot even go near them. You must be intolerant of them, their ideas, and their practices. They will corrupt your good manners and take you down to destruction and hell with them. Stay away!
BUT . . .
When we start out in that path of faith, it is like beholding the first rays of dawn; as we follow, the day gets brighter and brighter, and we can see the righteousness of God’s way more and more until one day this path will bring us to the “perfect day” of an eternity with God. “This verse contains a fine metaphor; it refers to the sun rising above the horizon and the increasing twilight till its beams shine full upon the earth” - Adam Clarke
How does a perfect day develop? It begins with a dull glow in the east, which seems quite weak in the blackness of the night. But the darkness soon gives way, as the glorious sun rises from the horizon to drive away all remains of the night. As it climbs powerfully into the sky, its light increases in intensity and angle until everything is bright and clear under a noonday sun. So is the LORD’s blessing upon the path of the just; He shines more and more unto perfection, as a man does justly and walks humbly with his God “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8).
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalms 119:105 KJV).
The path of the just man extends beyond this life. A day is coming in which he will know with perfect knowledge. He shall be in the presence of the Lord Jesus, and he will know all things. Until then, trust in the shining light of His word and obey what you see, and pray for the Spirit of enlightenment: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:17-18 KJV).
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2019 8:29:07 GMT -6
“Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them” (Proverbs 5:6 KJV).
When my wife and I were in Bible college we befriended a lady, whose relatives lived up in the Ozark mountains. Every once in a while we would give her a ride up those hills to see her family. I didn’t have any, but I think I would have gladly swallowed a bottle of Dramamine, because by the time we got to where we were going, we were all as carsick as a person can get. Winding roads going up, up, up . . . and then, after a couple hours, we went back down. I don’t know which one was worse. Man likes level ways to travel (they are so much easier than to be going up and going down hills), but the strange woman in our passage knows nothing of the good, narrow road of life. And yet, she is just as healthy today as she ever was.
“Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established” (Proverbs 4:26 KJV).
The strange woman staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t even realize where it leads. Her ways are never established. Our verse says such a woman never knows this way: she is “unstable”, undependable, and has nothing that she can hold onto.
“Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life,” provides the reader with a choice. At this point, he still has a chance to consider a way to get out of her hands and ways, and escape death, and obtain eternal life. This is the young man standing at a crossroads. To the left is a broad way, to the right is the narrow way. Salvation is free and available to all, but a choice must be made. It is a choice between a horrible pit, in the miry clay and a solid foundation—a rock. Otherwise man is on the slippery slope facing a chasm from which no man can return.
“. . . her ways are moveable,” she appears in different shapes; changes her dress and habitation; makes use of a thousand arts to ensnare men, to entangle their affections, and retain them in her nets; she first puts them upon one thing, and then on another; she leads them into various mazes and labyrinths of sin, till they have lost all sense of religion, and sight of the path of life. Truly, sin is a chameleon.
“. . . that thou canst not know them,” he knows about her, at least as much as she is willing to reveal about herself; but of her strategies, gimmicks, and tricks he is totally ignorant. To escape her clutches requires effort which he just doesn’t feel inclined to spend. He is not only foolish, but Solomon tells us in other places, he is lazy. To free oneself of her hold requires much soul-searching and an honest examination of one’s life. It is required that the man calculate the future results of his present predicament. But all he can see is what his starry eyes see—lust falsely renamed love—he believes that this woman has his best interests at heart, and his mind is clouded to the degree that he can not see the whole trap being set.
PONDER this chapter—you that know not the poison and corruption of fleshly lusts. Such is the picture of sin. Its "pleasure is but for a season;" "its wages death eternal." The result is a loss of honor, and quite possibly an immediate death, should the family or spouse of the woman seek their rightful duty, and certainly eternal damnation if one remains a traveler on the broad path which leads to destruction and rejects God's provision for salvation.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2019 7:16:33 GMT -6
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: . . . a lying tongue . . .” (Proverbs 6:16-17 KJV).
A lying tongue is the second thing that God hates according to our passage. From verse 16 we see that eyes, tongue, and hands can and do sin, and that God hates and holds in abomination sinful things done by them.
“Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?” (Psalms 120:2-3 KJV).
“Lying is the wilful perversion of truth, not only by speech but by any means whatever whereby a false impression is conveyed to the mind” - Pulpit Commentary
A rather graphic illustration of how God sees lying is given to us in the Book of Acts.
“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband” (Acts 5:1-10 KJV).
God’s immediate and swift act of judgment upon these two dishonest saints was meant to accomplish a very important result, which we see in the next verse.
“And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things” (Acts 5:11 KJV).
The LORD hates a lying tongue. He loves truth, and He hates all deception. The devil is the father of lies, and his children are just like him (John 8:44; Ephesians 2:1-3). Liars are going to hell (Revelation 21:8; 22:15). God hates exaggeration, fraud, misrepresentation, false witnessing, slander, haggling, flattery, silence under oath, and jesting among other sins of lying (Proverbs 10:18; 12:22; 19:5; 20:14,23; 26:18-19,28; Exodus 23:1; Deuteronomy 19:16-21; Job 17:5).
Father, You love truth in all areas of life. Help us always to speak that which is right, but even more, protect our thought-life to prevent us from even lying to ourselves. Sin often appears as an excellent thing and many are deceived by it—even Your people—and remind us that our greatest defense against untruths is our daily cleansing by the water of Your eternal Word. Help us, Lord, to serve you better. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2019 7:13:42 GMT -6
“That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words” (Proverbs 7:5 KJV).
Proverbs chapter seven is not the easiest chapter to find devotional material. Generally, when one thinks of a devotion they think of it as a reminder that God loves us and is good to us all the time. They are a light that shines out of the darkness to encourage us. Generally it uses a verse or two that can be used for meditation throughout the day. Practically every verse in chapter seven does not provide a cheery promise, but rather dire warnings on a rather vulgar subject—irresponsible and promiscuous sexual activity. Yet, “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 3:16-17 KJV).
The word adultery originates not from “adult”, as is commonly thought, but from the Late Latin word for “to alter, corrupt”: adulterare. Adulterare in turn is formed by the combination of ad (“towards”), and alter (“other”), together with the infinitive form are (making it a verb).
In God’s Word, the subject of adultery and fornication can be viewed either literally or figuratively. In the figurative sense we can understand these sins as religious compromise of the truth. The Old Testament Book of Hosea is rather a parable using the true experience of Hosea and his wife Gomer, a prostitute. God uses their infidelity to display Israel’s infidelity to Him.
Jeremiah calls upon Israel of repent of her sin of “spiritual adultery.”
“The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 3:6-10 KJV).
So, not only is there a physical sense of the world, “adultery,” but there is also a spiritual sense. This entails those that have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ (and it may well be real), yet he loves the things of the world. This Christian compromises his convictions with the world and embraces the things that Satan offers. “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” (James 4:4-5 KJV).
Father, let our hearts stay focused on You and let us meditate on the reality that we can be just as guilty of impure sins by desiring the things of this world, rather than the things of heaven. Forgive us where we have failed, strengthen us for tomorrow. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2019 7:47:24 GMT -6
“O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart” (Proverbs 8:5 KJV).
Here we are to understand a distinction as Solomon presents us with this parallelism. Webster’s 1828 defines this as a “resemblance, equality of state; comparison.” “ye simple” and “ye fools” go together, and “understand wisdom” and “be of an understanding heart” are parallels.
The simple are “those not yet perverted but easily influenced for good or evil”. This is where each person begins. If people do not acquire wisdom later on, then they are considered “fools”. The interjection form shows the urgency of being directed in the right way. “Webster” says of wisdom or prudence: “Ability to regulate and discipline oneself through the exercise of the reason.”
“O ye simple, understand wisdom.” The Gospel, the wisdom of God in a mystery, particularly the doctrine of salvation by Christ; it is the highest wisdom to know Christ and him crucified: and they are "the simple" who are weak and easy to be imposed upon, who are here called unto; and generally speaking such are they to whom the mysteries of grace are made known, while they are hid from the wise and prudent.
The “simple” are the inconsiderate, the thoughtless; while the “fool” are those who do not choose “the fear of the Lord,” and remain in their darkened state of unbelief.
“. . . and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart,” make use of all means to get spiritual wisdom and understanding; all men are fools as to a spiritual and experimental knowledge of divine things; and that man can only be said to have truly an understanding heart that knows his own folly, the plague of his heart, his need of Christ, the worth of him; and has an understanding given him to know him and his interest in him.
Remember, it is not mental incapacity that prevents men from receiving the instructions of heavenly wisdom. That, as a natural obstacle, constituting a natural inability, would stand as a valid excuse, and acquit them of guilt. This was the sentiment of Jesus to the Pharisees, when he said, "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin" (John 9:41). The guilt of men lies in their indisposition of heart to attend to divine counsels. It is this that warps, and prejudices, and blinds, and dupes the understanding.
Why be a fool? Take the offered wisdom and understanding today. How? Humble yourself before God’s word and this warning, repent of your foolishness, repudiate your sins, admit your ignorance, and conform every thought, word, and action to His holy word. Find a Bible-preaching church that emphasizes truth and wisdom and join it.
Father, Your servant Paul instructed us to be “simple” concerning the evil, but “wise unto that which is good.” For the lost, “simple” means they have not understood, but are capable of learning the way of salvation by grace through faith; and for the believer “simple” has as it’s goal a sublime ignorance of the things which cause us to err. Increase our ability to learn more about You and less about the world. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2019 8:17:24 GMT -6
“Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars” (Proverbs 9:1 KJV).
We need to turn back to chapter 8 to see what these seven pillars are:
“I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength” (Proverbs 8:12-14 KJV).
Today, we will consider knowledge and discretion.
Webster’s 1828 says the following about the words:
KNOWL'EDGE, n. nol'lej.
1. A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy of our ideas.
We can have no knowledge of that which does not exist. God has a perfect knowledge of all his works. Human knowledge is very limited, and is mostly gained by observation and experience.
2. Learning; illumination of mind.
Ignorance is the curse of God, knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.
DISCRETION, n. [L, a separating. See Discreet.]
1. Prudence, or knowledge and prudence; that discernment which enables a person to judge critically of what is correct and proper, united with caution; nice discernment and judgment, directed by circumspection, and primarily regarding ones own conduct.
A good man--will guide his affairs with discretion. Psa 112.
My son, keep sound wisdom and discretion. Prov 3.
2. Liberty or power of acting without other control than ones own judgment; as, the management of affairs was left to the discretion of the prince; he is left to his own discretion. Hence,
To surrender at discretion, is to surrender without stipulation or terms, and commit one’s self entirely to the power of the conqueror.
Throughout the book of Proverbs it shows that the godly man is a man who takes an interest in all those things going on about him, he takes the trouble to know his way about, he plans his course of actions realistically. Put simply it is someone who looks ahead and then plans his action. “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished” (Proverbs 22:3 KJV).
What this verse is telling us is that there is a great deal of difference between faith and blind optimism. In fact, those with blind optimism are seen as fools. God does not want us to put ourselves in dangerous situations and then expect Him to rescue us. An example of this might be driving our cars at high speeds well over the speed limit. That is exactly what this proverb is about. Part of wisdom involves knowing how to avoid danger. “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident” (Proverbs 14:15-16 KJV).
Father, our very steps are ordered by You. Each step of our journey through this life are planned out for our good, yet, You give us a free will to walk according to our own counsels and avoid your perfect way. Teach us through whatever means you find necessary to recognize the right way and to know when our human intellect will cause us to stumble. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2019 7:39:54 GMT -6
“The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:3 KJV).
The reasonable question might be, if the Lord will not allow the righteous to go hungry, why is it that many believers have died of starvation? Great famines have wreaked havoc across the world and many of God’s people have died along with the unbelievers, “for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).
The Bible speaks of another kind of famine, and it is one that the Bible believer (whether Old Testament saint nor New Testament believer) could be immune to, as this famine was a self-imposed hunger and thirst.
“And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD” (Amos 8:10-11 KJV).
Throughout the Word, there is a class of people that held to their biblical convictions and continued to worship and serve the Living Lord, despite what the crowd was doing. It was this one in a thousand that served to hold off the judgment of God upon the land, as Isaiah shows us:
“Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah” (Isaiah 1:9 KJV).
There are elements of the Sermon on the mount that can be applied to believers of all ages, though its primary message is to the Jews of the Millennial kingdom, but one truth that applies to all is: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6 KJV). We are reminded that in the Lord’s rebuke of Satan in the desert, where He had not eaten for 40 days or nights, said: “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4 KJV).
Friend, are you well-nourished? In America it is unfortunate that the majority of people are too well-nourished to the point of obesity. But I am not speaking of the sin we commit with our knives and forks, but of the Word of God. Are you well-fed? I will venture a guess that most every home has a Bible in it, perhaps even sitting on a coffee table. Also, I would suggest that many of those Bibles would cause a mini-dust storm if they were ever picked up. If that is your situation, you are starving. You are anemic. You need the spiritual food of the Bible much more than you need meat and potatoes. Spiritual starvation is a self-imposed famine.
Father, Your Word is precious. Not only is it a Manufacturer’s Handbook of sorts or an Owner’s Manual of the soul, but it is also the greatest love letter ever written. Would we draw even closer to You by learning of You and learning from the examples of others both for the good and for bad. “Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalms 119:17-18 KJV). Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2019 7:47:54 GMT -6
“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2 KJV).
The worst thing you can have is pride. It will cost you more than any other character fault. Conceit will deceive you into folly, which will quickly and surely shame you. But humility leads to wisdom, which protects men from foolish mistakes and then disgrace.
“When pride cometh,” and it doesn’t take very long for it to come, does it.
“Then cometh shame,” that’s just the result of pride. Satan, as Lucifer, was doing all right until he just decided that he wanted to it his way. He said, “I will ascend above the stars of God,” and “I’ll set my throne above the throne of God,” well, shame soon followed when he was cast out of the presence of God. As we see in Isaiah 14, “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:13-15 KJV).
“When pride cometh, then cometh shame,” take Nebuchadnezzar. He said, “My great kingdom, and I’ve got this thing under control.” And about that time, he lost it all. “When pride cometh, then cometh shame.”
“, , , but with the lowly is wisdom,” consider these verses:
“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12 KJV). This is just an axiom of life—a principle of life—a person that is humble is one that will yield to God. Moses was a meek man. He got mad at God, but he always yielded to God. He would do God’s work in God’s way. Now there were times that he would get mad at God, and take matters into his own hands, but he would always come back to the Lord. He would calm down and get himself collected. David was the same way. David was a strong man, and a man that made mistakes, but he always came back to God. He had enough humility where he recognized his sin, and recognized his disobedience, and he would repent to get right with God. “He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Father so often are we guilty of seeking our own glory while claiming to be like Jesus in our lives, yet He was a Man of perfect meekness and humility. Help us to guard ourselves against pride in our lives and forever remind us that of all the things that we have in this life, they are ours because You have given them to us. All that You have given us is better than we deserve. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2019 6:28:10 GMT -6
“A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn” (Proverbs 12:2 KJV).
“A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD,” for the Lord knows the heart of every man and knows which of His creatures are desiring to walk in the light of His Word. The story is told by a missionary of a native that could not bring himself to worship the sun, the moon, and the stars as was the custom of his village. Instead he would look up to heaven and say, “I wish to worship and serve the One that put those bodies in space for I know that He which hung those things my people worship is greater than those things. Because one man was seeking to know the truth, God obligated Himself to send the Gospel to that man. The missionary that told this story is the man that God sent to that tribe. The missionary found favor of God through his obedience, and the native found favor of God through desire, and his village rejoiced in God’s favor because of their tribesman.
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Luke 6:45 KJV).
Wherever good is in abundance, good is the product. Think on the good qualities that Paul describes to us in Philippians 4: Things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praise and God’s favor will be apparent both with the “peace of God” (vs. 7) and the “God of peace” (vs. 9) presence.
“For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield” (Psalms 5:12 KJV).
Paul instructs us to bear the shield of faith, but not a weak, anemic faith—but rather the strong, vibrant faith which can only be owned when one is facing the enemy of our souls with the “captain of the Lord’s host” (Joshua 5:14). It is a true favor of the Lord to know that he is with us always, and at every occasion.
“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man” (Proverbs 3:3-4 KJV).
“Favor,” should be apparent by now that it is a synonym for “grace.” It is Noah’s grace, it is Joseph’s grace, it is Daniel’s grace, and it is more than any of us will ever deserve. It is equal to the goodness of the saint. God’s grace is sufficient to every occasion and even more so when the vessel is attuned to the will of God.
“Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death” (Proverbs 8:33-36 KJV).
Father, I’ve known days when I sensed Your presence as though we were walking shoulder-to-shoulder along the path, and there have been those times when I felt you were far from me. I thank You for those days, for they are that which tells me that something is not right in my life. I thank you for not only Your throne of grace, but also for a mourner’s bench where the Blood of Your Son is available night and day, and able to cleanse and restore favor with You. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2019 6:27:00 GMT -6
“The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out” (Proverbs 13:9 KJV).
Did you know that there was a source of light even before the sun was created in Genesis 1? “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3 KJV). It was not until the fourth day of creation that the sun and the moon was placed in the sky. The moon, of course, does not provide light on its own but reflects the light of the sun—much as the church reflects the light of Jesus Christ to the world.
“The light of the righteous rejoiceth,” in the garden of Eden, it is believed that the reason that Adam and Eve did not know they were naked was due to the shekinah presence of light that covered them from head to foot. The “Shekinah” is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling" and denotes the dwelling or settling of the divine presence of God. When they sinned, that light went out and they hid in the bushes where they fashioned their artificial covering of fig leaves. Thank God that He came to where they were and covered them with the skins of animals. The light speaks of our salvation, the fig leaves speak of human works, while the skins speak of God’s provision for salvation.
That the light rejoices speaks of it burning brightly, cheerfully, as if rejoicing; equal to, they shall have prosperity, or a happy posterity. The meaning is, that of "the righteous" the joy is steadfast, permanent, increasing; while that of the wicked is destined to final and perpetual extinction--leaving him in the blackness of darkness. Of the former "the light rejoiceth,"-or "burns brightly;" shines with growing luster-"more and more unto the perfect day."
“. . . but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out,” the light of a Christian is eternal because it has its foundation on Him Who is light: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12 KJV).
The light of the wicked is like that of a lamp, lesser and not so agreeable, nor will it last; their prosperity is short lived, their joy is but for a moment; the pleasures of sin are but for a season; their candle soon goes out; it is put out in obscure darkness, and they themselves are reserved to blackness of darkness: “Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him” (Job 18:5-6 KJV).
The light of the lost is their life, and it is lit only as long as the body functions. James spoke on this wise when he wrote: “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” (James 4:14 KJV).
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (II Corinthians 4:6 KJV).
Father, help us to let our light so shine that the world may see You in us, that the lost will be attracted to that light and desire it for themselves. In Your grace, we ask that You help us to brighten the corner where we are. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2019 8:03:49 GMT -6
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34 KJV).
The United States has clearly been on both end of this verse. She was founded on godly principles and God truly had His hand on her birth. It stood as one of the last places that people could come to flee oppression and worship freely according to the dictates of their conscience. Today, this country has the blood of millions of murdered babies and we can not long endure this ghastly sin against God and nature without receiving our just judgment.
Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in “Democracy in America,” “America is great because America is good. If America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” Can America become great again? We pray that it might, but if we continue to slaughter our children to the god of convenience, I see little hope for our nation.
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people,” who could better understand this verse than the Israelites themselves who could certainly see that when they had good kings and were following God’s way, the nation was “up”, and that when they had bad kings and were following wickedness, the nation was “down”? This is observable throughout Kings and Chronicles.
This verse is often quoted because it is ever relevant. When our two countries were living righteously, God blessed us and made us both great—but history is our sad reminder that sin rots a nation through corruption from the inside.
In my childhood I saw the Russian leader, Khrushchev, predict our demise during a speech at the Polish embassy in Moscow where he said, ““We will take America without firing a shot… We will BURY YOU! We can’t expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism. We do not have to invade the United States, we will destroy you from within.”
That threat was an impossibility so long as God’s “hedge of protection” was surrounding us, but our sins have separated us from our Holy God, and that hedge has been removed. Frankly, it isn’t so much a wall that our nation needs, but the hedge of God’s protection.
Father, we have been treading upon your grace for over a century as our nation has waxed worse and worse. The very fabric of our society has been replaced with an anything goes mentality and we are reaping the whirlwind. Can our nation yet repent, and be restored? The evidence would suggest not, but we still have Your promise in Chronicles: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV). Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2019 7:06:10 GMT -6
“The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29 KJV).
There can be no relationship whatsoever between a lost man and a Holy God. This is one thing that men do not consider when they are lighting their candles and praying their beads. Somehow they are convinced in their own minds that everything is okay between them and God on the basis of some extrabiblical religious rites. What they fail to realize is that even one sin in their life makes it impossible to God to look upon them: “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?” (Habakkuk 1:13 KJV).
Only on the basis of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ can any lost man approach a Holy God, and that is through the Person of the Son. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 2:5 KJV).
Do you see why the Devil is working so hard to destroy man’s faith in a perfect Bible? As long as he can confuse the issue with so many different variations on God’s message to man can he keep man from believing the Word of God. And some of the biggest champions of an imperfect Bible are found in conservative, fundamental Bible professing colleges.
Yet, the fact remains, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and death in it’s most basic meaning is “separation.” Isaiah said, “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness” (Isaiah 59:1-3 KJV).
Man’s wickedness puts “distance” between himself and God. God hears the prayer of the righteous, but His face is against the wicked. The godly person finds joy in walking with God, and when he needs special help, he can call upon Him. The ungodly relinquish all this to their sin.
“The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalms 34:15-18 KJV).
It is no easier to publish a dire warning such as this as it is for a doctor to look across his desk at his patient and inform them that they have a malignant form of cancer that is inoperable and will claim their life within a matter of months. However, the form of cancer that the lost sinner has is not terminal if he is willing to take God’s only medicine – the Lord Jesus Christ.
“The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy” (Psalms 145:18-20 KJV).
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2019 8:04:05 GMT -6
“The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:1 KJV).
James, speaking of a man planning out the coming year, basically says it is folly to plan long range when you can’t even know what the next day will bring, and says that the most important words in that or any circumstance is, “if the Lord will.” We often say, “Lord, willing!”
Three things about the Lord’s will should always be considered by the Christian.
(1) We ought to be surrendered to it, whatever it is. (2) Our own will and boasting that is contrary to God’s is sin. (3) The Lord’s will is good for me; to do good now and receive good in eternity.
How does one know if they are in the Lord’s will or not? One of the best indicators is whether you are at peace about it, or is there a sense of confusion and foreboding? “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (I Corinthians 14:33 KJV).
If you are walking with God now, and you know that there is no unconfessed sin in your life, you are in a better position to know God’s leading in your life. You strive to know God, not just to know about God.
“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” (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV).
Surrender to God. Don’t seek God out as a mere “rubber stamp” to approve whatever you want, so be committed to doing what you know He would have you do. God is not going to reveal His plan to you if you have no intention of doing it.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2 KJV).
Be obedient to what you already know God wants from you. In most cases, the Word of God has already laid down the principles that should guide our decision making. The heart is already obeying God, so a patter for life is established.
“But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you” (Romans 6:17 KJV).
Seek godly advice. Seek out other strong Christians in your life. The world will not admit it but God established pastors for the edification of the people of God. It is, of course, your responsibility to find a church that stands without apology on the Word of God and does not change with the times.
“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14 KJV).
Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leadership. Ask daily, if not hourly, to continuously be “filled with the Spirit” which is not some mystical ethereal experience accompanied with signs and wonders, it is to confess sins to where there is nothing between you and God and your body is clean and pure. We are to be a “Spirit-filled Christian.” When this is true, the Spirit is able to lead, guide and direct our life. The Holy Spirit will not dwell in a dirty temple, but our constant cleansing is found here:
“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 KJV).
More clearly, we all have a spiritual gift, but we can only utilize it when the Spirit is directing our lives, as it is His gift—and not of our own nature.
Father we need to follow Your leadership in every area of our life. We need to know that when we fall, You are always there to catch us and You have provided the cleansing Blood of Your Son which is far better even than a fuller’s soap. Holy Spirit fill me and fill me constantly because You know that my vessel leaks. Help me to be in the center of God’s will. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2019 6:35:52 GMT -6
“The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts” (Proverbs 17:3 KJV).
Websters 1828 defines “fining” as “Clarifying, refining, purifying.”
Men refine precious elements through a furnace of fire, while God refines men through various tools at His disposal.
He refines man through the Word of God: “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3 KJV). “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:25-26 KJV). The daily reading of God’s Word amounts to a spiritual cleansing.
A man told his son to carry a bucket to the river, fill it up, and bring it back to him. The boy did this, but by the time he returned to his father the bucket was empty. The bucket had a leak in it. The father said, “fill it again.” After a few times of this the exasperated son asked his dad, “The bucket has a hole in it! Why do you want me to keep filling it up?” His dad told him, “Son, I need a clean bucket, and that bucket is a picture of our Christian life. We too have a leak where God’s blessings and cleanness spill out as we are buffeted by the world, so we need to constantly have God’s spirit fill us with His presence to keep us clean.”
God refines man through chastening: “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10 KJV). Israel was too stubborn than to learn in any other ways. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11 KJV). New Testament Bible-believers are too stubborn than to learn in any other way.
God refines man through testing: “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 1:5-7 KJV). “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:2-3 KJV).
God refines man through the indwelling Holy Spirit: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (II Corinthians 3:18 KJV).
Jesus Christ spoke of His future church and predicted much of what we see today, even God’s refining, or purifying, of the church during the Christian dispensation: “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness” (Malachi 3:2-3 KJV).
Father, it is when we think we have arrived at Your acceptable standard that You refine us even more, for we have allowed a certain degree of pride to creep into our lives. The Word of God gives us a picture of us at our best as being “scarcely saved” (I Peter 4:18). We will never be what we ought to be until we stand glorified in Your presence. Lord, hasten the day, and help us to be “occupied” until that day comes. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2019 7:46:46 GMT -6
“A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself” (Proverbs 18:2 KJV).
“A fool hath no delight in understanding,” a New Testament verse that seems to capture the thought of this Proverbs is: “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (II Timothy 3:7 KJV).
Paul the Apostle ran into this crowd when he missionary journey sent him to Athens, Greece. There he met with the so-called intelligentsia that knew a lot but were completely ignorant of what really mattered.
“Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:18-23 KJV).
“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious,” with the idea that superstitious speaks of being overly scrupulous and rigid in religious observances; full of idle fancies and scruples. That is, beliefs based upon tradition and the views of men, but not founded on the “Thus saith the Lord” of Scripture. As our Proverb for today is speaking of the “fool,” Paul understood these men to be professors of wisdom but not possessors of truth. He mentioned that in Romans: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22).
“. . . but that his heart may discover itself,” this fool is more enamored by his own opinions than any kind of truth. “Oh, that’s just your opinion,” or “The Bible is man’s opinion and mine is just as good as anyone else’s.” These people are easily recognizable because all of their thoughts regarding some religious issue is prefaced with, “I think, I think, I think,” because they possess no final authority to base their beliefs upon. This man’s gravest error is that he rejects God’s view of the human heart: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:9-10 KJV).
Because this has become the norm in our country, we “have sown the wind, and shall reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7), moral absolutes are gone; truth has vanished. Situational ethics and personal preferences rule – do whatever you want; just be honest with your own heart; do not criticize others for their thoughts, because we are all entitled to our own opinions; learn to value your thoughts. O Lord, save us from Satan’s devices!
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