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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2019 7:29:42 GMT -6
“He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good” (Proverbs 19:8 KJV).
The ultimate description of self-hatred is to not make provision for an eternity in the presence of God and His saints. There was a day when I vividly recall the moment that I received Jesus Christ as my Saviour and a joy indescribable filled my soul. It was such a beautiful experience that words can not picture the depth of spiritual purity that I felt. Now, I am not speaking of an outward manifestation of lights and rockets, or tongues, or visions. It was simply the knowledge that my sins were all gone, and I was forgiven. I have never been closer to God as at that moment and within moments the vibrancy of the moment began to fade.
So, being saved, I can not understand why anyone would willingly want to pass on a knowledge that one may be saved, forgiven, and secure for all of their forevers. Well, I do remember a certain degree of apathy on my part, and no real urgency on my part to get right with God, but that was because I simply did not truly understand what it was all about. Once it became clear to me, however, that Jesus freely took my place and paid my sin debt in order to offer me the free gift of eternal life, I gladly reached out and accepted it.
Anyone that loves his own soul will do whatever is good for his soul, and Proverbs repeatedly pictures “wisdom” (Jesus Christ) as something to “get”: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7 KJV).
The Bible tells us that we are to “buy the truth”: “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23 KJV). As we read and study our Bibles further it explains that this purchase is entirely free: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1 KJV). This is on the heels of Isaiah 52-53 which shows how it is that Jesus Christ purchased that salvation for us, which is why it can be free to us.
Once we receive Jesus Christ, Who is the personification of the word “wisdom” in the Book of Proverbs, we grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Saviour and understand our place more clearly in God’s plan for our lives.
“Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee” (Proverbs 4:8-9 KJV).
This verse also tells us to not only exalt her, but also to embrace her—that is, to keep her. In other words, we are to “get” it (salvation), and then “forget it not!”
“Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth” (Proverbs 4:5 KJV).
Father, some that read these daily devotionals hope they will go to heaven, but they just aren’t really sure that they “are” going to heaven. Please help them to see that You have provided everything they need and give them the desire of their heart as they simply trust Your Son as their personal Saviour. It is true that Jesus died for the whole world, but until people realize that He died for “them,” and that He would have gone to the cross even if they were the only person in the world. Let people be saved and know the joy of having peace with God. Amen.
NOTE: “saved” is a past tense word, it is not something that has to be repeated over and over again. Once it is done, it is done, forever.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2019 6:46:14 GMT -6
“Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” (Proverbs 20:9 KJV).
In America, most religions are of the “Do-It-Yourself” variety. Over the years, a philosophy of “I’m not interested in charity” seems to be the prevailing view. When a man is approached with the Gospel and told that there is absolutely nothing he can do to earn his own way into heaven; but, that instead another has endured judgment in his place and offers a full and complete pardon, the response is too often, “Oh, that’s too easy! Surely it takes more than that!” No, it does not take more than that. In fact, anything more than that negates the sacrifice already accomplished on Calvary.
What it all boils down to is that they are convinced that only by keeping the Ten Commandments and the so-called “Golden Rule” can they ever hope to get to heaven, and no one can really know until after they get there whether they made it or not. The problem with this belief is, when has one done enough? It is an unknowable.
What is the Law? James calls it a mirror: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed” (James 1:22-25 KJV).
The mirror can show us our imperfections, but we do not rub our face against the glass in order to become clean. No! The mirror points to the soap and water and says, “Here, you need these!” The water speaks of the Word of God which describes to us the promises of God to wash us from our sins: “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:25-26 KJV).
It is the Word of God that shows that the water is a picture of the Blood of Jesus Christ which was shed on the Cross at Calvary. It is that Blood which purifies the lost sinner and gives him a new nature: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17 KJV).
The Law is a Schoolmaster. It was the duty of the servant to take the child to school, and once arrived to the class room, he hands over control from himself to the teacher. This is what the Law does. It points us to Cross, and once we accept what Jesus Christ did for us there, it releases all control: “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:22-25 KJV).
The hymnwriter has captured the very essence of this truth:
“Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to thy cross I cling; Naked, come to Thee for dress; helpless, look to Thee for grace; Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Saviour, or I die.”
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2019 6:15:08 GMT -6
“The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” (Proverbs 21:1 KJV).
The Lord controlled the heart of Ahasuerus in the life of Esther “And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti” (Esther 2:17 KJV), and God turned it to accomplish His own purposes. God establishes the kingdoms, and the rulers, God establishes them and ordains the powers that be. Rulers are to be a terror to evil, not good works. When a man is evil, God directs the heart of the king to bring punishment upon that evildoer.
“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation” (Romans 13:1-2 KJV).
God moved in the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia to allow God’s people to return to their land after their seventy years of captivity were completed. And you can mark it down, God still moves in the hearts of people.
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:1-4 KJV).
If a king is wicked, and rebels against the authority of God, since the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord, the Lord will deal with him. If that heart rebels against God, or rejects the revelation of God, or the will of God—the Lord will harden that heart—just as He did to Pharaoh in Exodus 4:21. God will use that man for His own purpose to bring judgment, and then bring judgment upon that man as He did with the Assyrian (typifies the coming Antichrist):
“O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation [He uses Assyria to bring judgment upon a rebellious Israel], and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few” (Isaiah 10:5-7 KJV).
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2019 6:44:56 GMT -6
“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.
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.
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 Mar 23, 2019 6:58:31 GMT -6
“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).
There are very few verses in Scripture more misunderstood than the ones before us today.
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).
Father, give us wisdom in this vital area of discipling our children. Remind us that it is for their good, and not some sinful release of anger on our part. Help us to love our children in a way that prevents them from becoming unlovely as they learn to challenge those which have been placed over them. Bless our homes, and our families. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2019 7:44:24 GMT -6
“The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men” (Proverbs 24:9 KJV).
Every evil act that has ever been committed in this world was the result of a single thought. Nothing happens for good or for evil without one thinking about it first and then following through to action. All temptations originate with our mind in response to some outside stimulus.
James presents this to us: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:12-15 KJV).
One old bromide suggests that it is not possible to stop the birds from flying over our head, but one can stop them from building a nest in our hair. The world is filled with tempting delicacies that entice our desires and lusts. These are not thoughts, however. Thoughts come when one sees that item of interest and decide that that is something that they would like. Perhaps it is a neighbor’s apple tree, or an item in a store to be pilfered. Perhaps it is dwelling upon an illicit affair that has captured our attention. James says that it is our lusts, or desires, that draw us to the object just as a fish is drawn to that meaty, fat worm on a hook, and we grab for it. Sin begins with the thought, but when it is finished—death is the real prize.
James pattern for sin is repeated for us by John: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (I John 2:16 KJV).
This is the very pattern which befell Eve in the garden: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Genesis 3:6 KJV).
Eve saw that the tree was good for food, which was the lust of her flesh; then that it was pleasant to the eyes, which speaks of the lust of the eyes; and that the tree was desired to make one wise, speaking of the pride of life. Those three elements were present in the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve’s actions plunged the world into sin and death.
When you find yourself considering a thing, run down this list and see how your thoughts are being ruled by your lusts and flee the temptation. Rush immediately to the Cross and confess your thoughts and agree with God that it is wrong, and then allow the Blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse you of every stain.
“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).
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2019 5:57:46 GMT -6
“Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness” (Proverbs 25:5 KJV).
One of the keys of reading the Bible for a personal, daily devotion consists of placing the cookies on the bottom shelf where they are easily accessible to all. In this sense, it is important to understand that every verse in the Bible has a primary interpretation, and only one. The Bible is not open to many meanings to be recast in various lights as the need to “prove” a point is met. It is, however, often open to more than one “application.” In other words, what does this verse mean to you as you face the issues of life. Doctrinal truth can only be built upon faithful biblical interpretation, but that does not mean that there are not other truths that can be discovered.
Primarily, our verse before us today is addressing the monarch of a nation and the type of advice he has available to him. Obviously, if the wicked scoundrels in court are removed, and replaced with godly men full of wisdom—the edicts of the ruler will be right, and the nation will be blessed.
That this verse is directed to a certain class does not, however, negate God’s message to you and me. It has very much to say, especially when we are in the habit of comparing Scripture with Scripture. This is called seeking the “whole counsel of God,” on a particular subject.
If you have been saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ that He shed for you personally on Calvary, the Bible says this: “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:5-6 KJV). Did you see that? We are “washed from our sins in his own blood,” and are made to be “kings and priests unto God.” The same truth is repeated again, almost verbatim: “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10 KJV).
Where is our kingdom? First of all we are to rule over ourselves: “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls” (Proverbs 25:28 KJV).
If you are a parent, you rule over your home. Dad has authority over the wife, the wife has authority over the children, and in this the home is run decently and in order. The rule of a man over his wife was established back in the Garden of Eden, but the Lord has taught us that it is, in fact, a rule of love. The husband protects his family, the wife nurtures her family.
“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 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 5:22-26 KJV).
Truth be told, there are a lot of areas in our life as Christians where we exercise some rule. Every born-again, blood-washed believer is a full time Christian servant. At any instant of the day he may be called upon to step in with sound, biblical advice and take control of the situation for God. This is one reason why the Bible forbids “kings and priests” to partake alcohol as it dulls the senses. God has given us a sound mind, and a clouded, befuddled mind can cause great damage.
Father, help us to understand our need to rule over our own spirit so that we are always ready to do whatever You might direct us to do. Give us, O Lord, clarity of thought and liberty of speech to stand in whatever gap You place us in. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2019 8:03:04 GMT -6
“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?”
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?
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.”
Friends, 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 Mar 27, 2019 8:13:37 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 Mar 28, 2019 7:34:46 GMT -6
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1 KJV).
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. 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 Mar 29, 2019 8:50:31 GMT -6
“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1 KJV).
Solomon’s proverbs end with chapter 29, but it doesn’t ease up after this. The next two chapters are pretty harsh also. Verse one here, is pretty rough. There are four parts to the verse.
“He, that being often reproved . . .” Pharaoh is the type of this, Ex 3:19-20. God said to Moses, “And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.” But before he lets Moses’ go, he gets harder and harder and harder. In 4:21, God says, “And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.”
So, it is actually God that does the hardening (though Pharaoh on a few occasions also hardens his own heart). The reason that God hardens a man like that is because he simply rejects the truth. We see much from Exodus 5, the first two verses: “And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.”
Here is why God hardened his heart. It isn’t because he is predestined from the foundation of the world to be a vessel fit for destruction, as the Calvinists teach out of Romans chapter 9, but it’s because he rejects the revelation of God and God Himself.
Right now, we have Christians all over America saying, “Let our children pray and carry Bibles in public schools.” The response from the bureaucrats is “Who is the Lord, that we should obey His voice?” We have millions of people all over America saying that abortion is murder, and it’s immoral, and cruel, and it’s against the Scriptures, and the leaders are saying, “Who is the Lord that we should obey His voice?” It doesn’t matter what the issue, the response is the same, “Who is the Lord?”
Well, that’s why God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. It wasn’t because he was predestined to be hardened, but it was because he would not believe the truth, didn’t want the truth, and so God hardens Him because of it.
“But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you” (Proverbs 1:25-27 KJV).
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2019 7:42:15 GMT -6
“Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain” (Proverbs 30:7-9 KJV).
Jesus would later teach us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3), and Paul would remind us that “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (I Timothy 6:6). Agur is simply saying here, “Lord, meet our needs.” He does not ask for more of that lest he forget to depend upon God’s goodness and his faith grow complacent. He does not hope for less, lest he become angry with his heavenly benefactor and curse Him. Because of his special, child-like relationship of trust with the God of the universe, Agur also begs God to keep him from the sin of pride and any vain idea that he might be better than others. To let on that he was one of God’s more special saints would be a lie of a most ugly fashion.
As Israel was finishing up their long ordeal in the wilderness and was contemplating crossing the Jordan this very warning was given to them. Agur was by no means the original author of this concept, for the Lord had already presented Israel with the fact that it was He that gave Israel all they had or ever would have—and not their own cunning or the power of their own hands.
“Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:12-17 KJV).
Christian, everything you are and everything you have is from God. And all of our rich blessings are far more than we’ll ever deserve. Be content with what you have, and use it all—your life, your time, your talents, your possessions, everything—for the glory of God realizing that if any of us were given what we truly deserve we would already be in the flames of hell.
Consider the spiritual weight of Agur’s prayer. Many pray against poverty. But few pray against prosperity. Is it possible in an age of greed and covetousness for a man to pray against poverty and prosperity? Is your affection on things above? Or do you mind earthly things? Can your soul make the prayer sincerely?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2019 7:33:27 GMT -6
“The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him” (Proverbs 31:1 KJV).
This is a letter by king Lemuel. The name, “Lemuel” means, “by God.” “By Him all things consist.” The -el on the end is the Hebrew word for God—El Shaddai, Elohim, Bethel (the house of God) –Jesus said, “With God all things are possible.” So, with God you can do all things.
Here is the high calling of motherhood. There is truth in the saying, “Behind every great man is a great woman.” The greater truth is that this woman is usually his mother! Many churches allow their women to become pastors, but their greatest ministry is, was, and ever will be in the home. Where would be John Wesley without a Susanne Wesley? Would there have been a Timothy apart from a godly mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois?
“. . . the prophecy that his mother taught him,” king Lemuel had a good mother. She spent some time with him in the Bible, and she taught him some things about life. Prophecy is not always something dealing with the distant future, sometimes just telling you what’s true about you, and how for you to live right and not reap the wages of sin—just how to live today and tomorrow—is prophetic. In other words, if I tell you something tonight that will keep you out of trouble tomorrow—that’s prophecy. Prophecy deals with life, and so all Scriptures are prophetic in that respect, they help us to live from day to day.
Getting saved doesn’t remove all the problems of life, it usually causes a whole lot more. Before you got saved, the Devil was on your side, the world was on your side, the flesh is on your side. I mean, really, at the time the only enemy you had was God. After you get saved, God is on your side—and you get a hold lot of enemies. I tell you, you just don’t how what kind of trouble you get into when you get saved, but it’s sure worth it when you die and go to heaven. Paul said, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18 KJV).
It’s bad to suffer, and nobody like to suffer, but it sure will be worth it when we die!
So, prophecy is any kind of truth where we learn, where we are exhorted, and where we are comforted to live right (1Co 14:3). So these are “the words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.”
Mothers, your greatest ministry in in the home where you are the greatest influence upon your children: “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:3-5 KJV).
Ladies, your greatest mission field is your own home, especially where your children are between the ages of 1 and 5 where they have the most potential to be molded and directed for God. It doesn’t end when you children leave the nest, for you may expect to do it all over again with your grandchildren.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2019 7:50:17 GMT -6
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7 KJV).
The first “actual” proverb in the Book of Proverbs begins where the Bible starts: with God. “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Agur states that the world was created by the Word of God: “Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?” (Proverbs 30:4 KJV). That Word, we discover in Colossians, was Jesus Christ: “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17). Then, as we have seen over and over in Proverbs, Jesus Christ is that “wisdom” as chapter 8 puts forth.
Again, we see a beginning. We also see that “knowledge,” “wisdom”, and “instruction” are used in such a way as to make them all mean one thing, of which “wisdom is the principal thing” (Proverbs 4:7). It would not be incorrect, therefore, to say that wisdom represents the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to get wisdom, but it is only available through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul even addresses the issue by saying, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16).
Here we see an interesting phrase: “the fear of the Lord.” “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,” there is awareness. You just get somebody afraid of God and they are on the way. Now, that is not the complete solution—but that is the beginning—you have to start somewhere. The best way to deal with a lost sinner is to get him scared to death. It is best not to teach the lost man about the “love” of God—you can throw that in—but primarily teach him about the judgment of God. Teach them about heaven, hell, sin, the damnation of sin, but most of all—the judgment.
If you can get a man to listen to that, that’s “the beginning of wisdom.” If you can get him afraid of the judgment of God, then he will open up to God. There are a lot of preachers and a lot of churches today that say it is not good to scare folks. The Bible says that Noah “moved with fear” (Hebrews 11:7), he was motivated by fear. If you really stop to think about it, why are we wearing clothes? Fear! We don’t want to be exposed. Yes, there are also laws in our civilization, but the fact is we don’t want to be exposed. Why do we drive on the right side of the road? Why do we have a job, why do we have insurance? Fear.
Folks, we have these screwball preachers that say we ought not scare anybody, but advertising is based on fear. It’s either fear of losing something—not having something that somebody else has—or something might happen to you before you get it. They use fear to motivate you into buying their product. Fear is one of the prime motivations of men. Advertisers know something that most preachers don’t.
“But fools despise wisdom and instruction,” they don’t want to have any part of it. They don’t want to know what is going to happen, they don’t want to realize that eventually they are going to have to face God.
“The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether” (Psa 19:9 KJV).
The fear of the Lord comes from the Word of God. When a system becomes totally apostate, Paul says of the Gentiles in Romans 3, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2019 9:16:57 GMT -6
“When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul” (Proverbs 2:10 KJV).
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.”
“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 Apr 3, 2019 8:17:01 GMT -6
“For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee” (Proverbs 3:2).
What good is a long life and good health if it is not accompanied by peace? Many people live long into their 80’s and beyond and know nothing of peace. Their lives are filled with strife and trouble. Some people have great wealth and can have everything they ever wanted, and yet they live miserable lives. Some have known little else in their lives than discord. Their marriages can’t last, their children want nothing to do with them, and they have isolated themselves from everyone. Honestly, under those circumstances who would want to live a long life?
What is peace? The dictionary would give us one definition as a time when there is no war. Certainly, there was a short-lived sense of happiness and patriotism each time our nation declared an end to some war and the boys returned home to resume their lives, but for many the war has never ended. Some are scarred by events experienced during combat, and some are left with major debilitating injuries that preclude them from ever living a normal life.
Whether a man has ever served in a war-zone or not, every one that has ever been born into this world is engaged in a grave battle whether they realize it or not. It is a war for their souls and their eternal destiny. Isaiah spoke of a peace that embodies the totality of what Solomon is alluding to: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3).
The result of trusting in God is peace. Those that have not trusted God, Paul tells us, “the way of peace have they not known” (Romans 3:17). What becomes of the man that trusts in God? Paul answers this for us as well: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Paul equates trust with faith, for they are one and the same, and that faith justifies us before God, Who can not even look upon sin due to His absolute holy nature: “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity” (Habakkuk 1:13). To become “justified” means we become “just as if” we had never sinned and God sees us through the sin covering that is His Son, Jesus Christ.
All of us would like to live a long life, but we often hear of the “quality of life” versus the “quantity of life.” How many would like to live a long, happy life as opposed to a long, unhappy life? Who would prefer a long life filled with joy, rather than a long, joyless life? The answer is too obvious for comment. Joy, as a concept, is based on happiness. Not all things make us happy, but we can have joy through it all for joy is the knowledge that it is God working to make all things work together for good.
Do I understand all this? No man, this side of heaven, will ever fully understand God’s grace. Even Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles admitted such, but he knew one thing: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Philippians 4:6-9).
Father, we pray that our next life will be just a continuation of this life. We ask that we will just go on going in the path you have placed us on where we joy in Your presence, worship and serve You and delight in an eternal life. Let our joy as Christians be observed as the light that draws all men to Your Son, Jesus Christ and the savor of our happiness be the salt that causes those that know us to thirst for what we have in You. Amen.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2019 6:31:55 GMT -6
“Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established” (Proverbs 4:26).
A story is told of a father who kept a jug of whiskey hidden in the corn crib. It was his habit to go out there every morning and get himself a drink. On a snowy morning he went out to the barn as was his habit, but this time he heard someone behind him. He turned around and found that it was his little son following him, stepping in the footsteps in the snow where his father had walked. The father asked, "What are you doing, son?" The boy answered, "I'm following in your footsteps." He sent the boy back into the house, and then he went out to the corn crib and smashed that jug of whiskey. He realized that he didn't want his boy to be following in his footsteps if it led to drunkenness. Someone in your home is following in your footsteps. Where are you leading him?
“Ponder the path of thy feet,” why? Because of the example we are leaving for others? Yes, that is certainly a good reason to think about the path we are blazing for others—our friends, our family, for whomever. Another good reason to do so is because of the old saying, “watch where you are going!” There is nothing more embarrassing then to stumble and trip over some crack in the sidewalk or some object in our path. Stubbed toes are bad enough, but a sprained or broken ankle is even worse. So, it pays to watch our step. We can also stumble into a lot of trouble if we are not watching where we are going.
In the spiritual sense, every Christian has a walk, or a manner of life. In Ephesians, Paul commands his readers five times to “walk” — in good works, in a manner worthy of their calling, in love, in light, and in wisdom.
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Ephesians 4:1). Some might answer, well, this doesn’t apply to me because I am not called into the ministry. The truth is that all that are washed in the Blood of Jesus Christ are ambassadors of Christ and we are all in reality full-time Christian servants.
“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind” (Ephesians 4:17). Because we are “new creatures in Christ” and “old things are passed away,” we are no longer “Gentiles” but are now the saints of God. New Testament Christians are not “elected” by some church hierarch into sainthood, the word means “separated, called apart, sanctified” and all that are saved are the “saints of God.”
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ephesians 5:1-2). We love God, the Bible tells us, because He first loved us. John 3:16 tells us that He loves the world so much that He sent them His own Son to pay for the sins of man. Do we love our neighbor enough to tell them?
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39).
The message of this verse in Matthew is simple. We love God with our whole heart by trusting His Son and being saved. We love our neighbor as ourselves when we tell them the good news that God loves them and sent His Son to die for them.
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15).
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2019 5:32:12 GMT -6
“Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth” (Proverbs 5:18 KJV).
It has been two years since the “wife of [my] youth” departed from this life to be ever present with her Lord and Saviour. On anniversaries of this sort, verses like the one we are considering today are both most difficult and reminiscent of the years we spent together.
I recall on the night that my wife was departing, that God laid a verse on my heart that sustained me through the experience. It was, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (II Corinthians 5:1 KJV).
My wife did not simply go into a “soul-sleep” as some religious charlatans preach, nor did she go to a place of cleansing as another denomination suggests. My former wife is more alive today than she has ever been before in a pre-glorification body which will be changed in the twinkling of an eye to her body which will be like Christ. She is already enjoying her second childhood where her former sickly 69-year-old body is now equivalent perhaps to a 20-year-old young person. She is running, and jumping, and playing in the fields and praising and worshipping her Saviour Whom she now beholds face-to-face.
I still miss her terribly, and the littlest things will rush memories of our 42-year pilgrimage together in this life which I still cherish until I once again see her—not as a wife, but as a sister—and whatever all that might entail for us. Writing this devotion for today even ruined a few perfectly good tissues.
A couple of months after her graduation to heaven, a brother-in-Christ gave me a booklet called, “Baptist Bread.” It was similar to the more popular, “Our Daily Bread,” but it uses exclusively the King James Bible and are written by soul-winning and doctrinally-sound pastors of local New Testament churches. They cover a three-month period and the one that I was given was for April-May-June.
The first thing that I did was to turn to April 5th to read that day’s devotion. Words can hardly describe the shock and the comfort that I received at that instant, for the verse that I believe God chose for the day was: ““For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (II Corinthians 5:1 KJV).
It was like God’s personal message to me and it was saying, see, nothing happens by mistake or accident for I have planned out all things, and as hard as it was to go through it, “All things do work together for good.”
Just think of stepping on shore and finding it Heaven! Of touching a hand and finding it God's! Of breathing new air and finding it celestial! Of waking up in glory and finding it home!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2019 6:31:13 GMT -6
“Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise” (Proverbs 6:5-6 KJV).
In verse 2 we are warned of being snared through foolishness and neglect. The reader is again put in mind of a snare, but with the idea of fleeing from danger as would a game animal. A careless hunter will have little success trapping an alert animal which by instinct is aware of the dangers. Here we are told to run as fast as a gazelle and fly as fast as a bird away from the snare of unnecessary financial burdens—they will trap you—for a very long time.
God uses illustrations to teach us through the theater of our mind. We see these things taking place in our imaginations and are able to put ourselves in the midst of them, as though it is we that are going through the scene—in this case, a trap.
When Job was trying to figure things out while he was being persecuted, he answers in chapter 12, “But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee” (Job 12:7-8 KJV).
In other words, if you want to learn something, one of the best ways to do it is to watch the animals. The animals will teach you things.
“The ox knoweth his owner, and the a** his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider” (Isaiah 1:3 KJV).
Isaiah says that the animal knows where to find the food his master lays out for him, but Israel has forgotten such a basic truth—that all their blessings came from God. In a lot of cases, an animal is smarter than a human being. An animal, by instinct, does what God tells it to do; a man, by contrast, generally does not do what he is told to do. Most of us don’t take orders very well.
The animals do without question what they are supposed to do. When it is time to migrate, they migrate. When they are to calve and bring forth, they bring forth. They obey nature. So, Solomon says, if you want to learn something: “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.”
“Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD” (Jeremiah 8:7).
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2019 8:10:47 GMT -6
“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).
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 any more, 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!
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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