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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2021 0:30:26 GMT -6
“As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation” (Proverbs 10:25 KJV).
“As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more,” well, the problem with that is that when the whirlwind does pass—like a hurricane or a typhoon or a tornado—it does a great deal of damage. The wicked do a great deal of damage on the face of the earth, and to people.
“As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more,” they can do a whole lot of damage, and then God takes them away.
“but the righteous is an everlasting foundation,” when he passes, he leaves something significant. He leaves a godly legacy. You take men like Dr. DeHaan, or G. Beacham Vick or Dr. Bob Jones Sr., they left behind them a heritage. The work that they did on this earth left a foundation for after they died that is still bearing fruit. Clarence Larkin wrote his book on Dispensational Truth and it is still being enjoyed though he has been with the Lord for almost a century (1924).
The things that the righteous do, last—when the wicked depart, very seldom does anything they have done remain.
WE NEVER KNOW . . .
Paul did not know, when he was three years in Arabia, that God was getting him ready to be an apostle in his witness to the whole world.
Joshua did not know, when he walked alongside as the humble servant of Moses through some forty years, that God was getting him ready to take up Moses' work when Moses should pass away.
Elisha did not know, when· he drove the oxen, plowing in. the field, that a little later he was to take the mantle of the intrepid and powerful Elijah and carry on God's work when Elijah had gone away.
We never know what God is getting us ready to do, but we do know that the way of promotion is by the way of fidelity.
The highest criterion of character in the sight of God is fidelity. Jesus taught that if we are faithful in the least, we shall be faithful in much, but if we are unfaithful and unjust and untrue in the little things, we shall not measure up when the mighty demands are upon us.
The way of promotion is the way of faithfulness.
“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Faithful unto death--that is, die any time before you will shirk or be deflected from the right, or be untrue. Faithful unto the dying point, and you shall have the crown of life.
- George W. Truett
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2021 1:33:13 GMT -6
“As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion” (Proverbs 11:22 KJV).
“As a jewel of gold,” now that’s a treasure, “in a swine’s snout, so it a fair woman,” that is a beautiful woman, “which is without discretion,” or good sense. In other words, what a waste! Why waste an expensive piece of jewelry to beautify a hog? A hog is a hog is a hog, and it doesn’t matter what you do to it, it is still a hog. A woman without discretion is only adding trouble to trouble.
Applied to the Christian, we have a treasure in earthen vessels, do we not? We have the jewel of the Holy Spirit residing in a body of flesh—our fleshly container. There is nothing sadder than a Christian not living up to his holy profession. Paul pleaded with believers, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (II Timothy 2:19 KJV). Certainly, Paul would never had written that if there were not some Christians living sorry lives. A dressed up worldly Christian carrying a Bible to church is still a “jewel of gold in a swine’s snout.” Where do we suppose the saying, “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig” comes from?
“. . . so is a fair woman which is without discretion,” good common sense, to be discreet. To know what’s right and doing it. To be discreet is the observe life and the realities of life, and to know what will get you into trouble and going the other way. Discretion will tell you to do right.
Some people simply do not have discretion. They do not have the ability to evaluate the situation. Whether a woman is beautiful or not, if she doesn’t have discretion, that beauty as they say is only “skin deep.”
Back in the old days, there was a television program called, “My Friend Irma.” It was about a woman that was very beautiful, but she didn’t have a lick of sense and was always getting everything all messed up. She was just as dump as a fence post. She was just a waste of beauty
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2021 6:58:44 GMT -6
THE LOVE OF CHRIST
"The love of Christ, which passeth knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19).
The love of Christ in its sweetness, its fullness, its greatness, its faithfulness, passeth all human comprehension. Where shall language be found which shall describe His matchless, unparalleled love towards the children of men? It is so vast and boundless that, as the swallow but skimmeth the water and diveth not into its depths, so all descriptive words but touch the surface, while depths immeasurable lie beneath.
Well might the poet say, "O Love, thou fathomless abyss!" for this love of Christ is indeed measureless and fathomless; none can attain unto it.
Before we can have any right idea of the love of Jesus, we must understand His previous glory in its height of majesty, and His incarnation upon the earth in all its depths of shame.
But who can tell us the majesty of Christ? When He was enthroned in the highest heavens, He was very God of very God; by Him were the heavens made and all the hosts thereof. His own almighty arm upheld the spheres; the praises of cherubim and seraphim perpetually surrounded Him; the full chorus of the hallelujahs of the universe unceasingly flowed to the foot of His throne. He reigned supreme above all His creatures, God over all, blessed forever. Who can tell His height of glory then?
And who, on the other hand, can tell how low He descended? To be a man was something; to be a man of sorrows was far more. To bleed, die and suffer! These were much for Him who was the Son of God; but to suffer such unparalleled agony, to endure a death of shame and desertion by His Father, this is a depth of condescending love which the most inspired mind must utterly fail to fathom.
Herein is love! And truly it is love that "passeth knowledge."
Oh, let this love fill our hearts with adoring gratitude and lead us to practical manifestations of its power.
- Charles H. Spurgeon
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2021 1:06:51 GMT -6
“He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit” (Proverbs 12:17).
Truth is something that is not appreciated too much in America. It is something that doesn’t happen too often in political campaigns, even though they are claiming that they are speaking the truth. In fact, truth is not politically correct in our day. Christians have even been called “terrorists” by some factions of our own government, because they speak the truth, and truth is often offensive to those that would prefer to “believe a lie.”
“He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness,” one of the ways to manifest righteousness is to speak the truth. And a man that says the truth is manifesting righteousness. We live in a country today where everybody's trying to shut certain people up. These days a man can get into a world of trouble by expositing certain opinions that are not politically correct at work. In fact, he can get fired on the spot. Now, a man doesn’t need to go get fired tomorrow to make a stand for his Christian testimony, but in a country where they are trying to squelch the truth; it is still virtuous to speak the truth, to say the truth.
When it comes to standing up for Jesus Christ in public, if there are certain things that you cannot say at a certain station at work: fine. Maybe it's even something that's not even wise to say. Nonetheless, for you to get out and preach on the street, or hand out tracks, or to knock somebody's door to tell them about Jesus Christ; that is still manifesting righteousness. “He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness.” If you are being paid to work, then by all means, work.
“For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips” (Proverbs 8:7). Now, the context of this is in verse one, “Does not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?” and it goes on down through to “she standeth in the top of the high places . . . she crieth at the gates,” so wisdom, understand this, she's a street preacher. She cries in the gates of the city and she goes on down here and by the time you get down to verse 8 says, “All the words of my mouth are in righteousness, there is nothing froward or perverse in them.” So, real wisdom has to do with the truth and speaking the truth is righteousness.
“He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.”
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2021 0:09:14 GMT -6
“Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured” (Proverbs 13:18).
“Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction,” Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all he had and to come and follow Him. They refused wisdom and instruction. What happened to them? Eventually, poverty and shame. There are quite a few commentators that believe that the rich man of Luke 16 is the rich young ruler of Matthew 19. I don’t know how it can be proved, but some have even named him Dives.
“. . . but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured,” folks go to school where they reprove you, and they teach you right methods, and eventually they are honored with a diploma. So also with salvation and heaven. God reproves you of your sin. He gets you to turn from your sin and repent, and God honors with glory and salvation.
The lesson is simple. You arrived in life knowing nothing. Your heart and motives are twisted by inherited corruption from your first parents – Adam and Eve. The world is filled with ignorance, superstition, and tradition. You are assaulted daily with profane ideas, enticements, and actions. You will self-destruct in ignorance without serious help.
There is a simple technique for success in a world doomed to failure. Find teachers that have the truth and wisdom of God and submit to their reproofs and instruction. It is that simple. God has revealed the wisdom of heaven to men. If you will find them and accept their correction and teaching, you can deliver yourself from failure, poverty, and shame.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2021 1:00:57 GMT -6
“In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury” (Proverbs 14:23).
“In all labour there is profit.” This is a general truth. You can work your fingers to the bone and still end up in the poor house, because in America they take a huge chunk of your wages in taxes. It seems like we all have a pocketbook with holes in it. It seems like no matter how much you make it doesn’t go far enough.
“. . . but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury,” or “scarcity.” In other words, “talk is cheap.” Talking about it isn’t going to earn you a living. “I can do this,” and “I can do that,” so do it! Don’t just talk about it. Get you a job and puck up your shovel and start digging. “In all labour there is profit.” Even if you don’t make a better-than-decent wage, you are still sweating out all those poisonous toxins, and you build up your muscles. Good health is certainly profitable.
“In all labour there is profit.” It may not always be material profit. What did God tell Adam? “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:17-19).
God said that so it is good for you to work. It puts you in the will of God.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2021 1:36:20 GMT -6
SHE’S NOT DEAD!
Over the years, she had become a favorite target of many. Men began to sneer at her. They watched almost with glee as she deteriorated right before their eyes. She who was once so proud was now the object of scorn. Children no longer feared he presence 'as they had in years gone by. Gossips fed off her misfortunes. Her beauty was gone, weathered by time.
Even those who loved her and adored her presence now peered sadly at her worn, aching skeleton. Some of her own even talked almost in a gloating manner of how she was no longer what she once had been.
One suggested that the name Ichabod be hung over her door. No longer did men glow at the mention of her name. No longer did they defend her honor to skeptics and critics.
"What has happened to the church?" some would ask; It is just not the same anymore. All she has left are those precious memories.
Yes, there she stands. She looks tired from the battles she has witnessed over the years. Just think of all those who passed through her doors. She witnessed many a preacher standing and preaching. Many of her members have come and gone. Some died. Some moved. Some backslid. Many left because they no longer agreed on some item of business.
There she stands, weary and worn. Her outward appearance weathered the storms better than her reputation. There she stands, saddened as if the glory were all but past. She has the look of some aged person on her way to the cemetery for the final benediction. If she had arms, they would be hanging from fatigue and discouragement. If she had feet, they would shuffle in the dirt.
Then it happened! One Sunday night the faithful gathered to pay respects and show their love. The service proceeded in a most normal way. No one present had any knowledge of what was about to happen. Without warning, the service began to take on new meaning. The ordinary became the extraordinary. The humdrum turned to excitement.
Hardened men walked the aisle to the altar and knelt to pray for forgiveness. Shouts of praise and victory echoed throughout the sanctuary.
Life returned to a place where it seemed there was no hope! No one knows for sure the how or even the why.
As I drove by her on Monday morning, I looked at her again. There was a smile. She stood taller and looked younger than she had the previous day. She called out to me as I passed her on my way to a meeting. There was life. She was saying, "I am alive!" and I can see it. After all these years, the reports of her death are no more than fabricated lies of the enemy of men's souls.
Thank You, God, for letting me see once again how You make a difference in the church.
- From Contact
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2021 0:20:28 GMT -6
“The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29).
“The LORD is far from the wicked,” especially in prayer. “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” (Isaiah 59:1-2).
The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. The reason that He hears is because the righteous have confessed their sins and have yielded to the Lord’s conviction in their lives.
How close is God to every person?
“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess . . .” (Romans 10:8-9). This is how close God is to every person.
“That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27). God is not far from every one of us. The Lord is right there all the time, waiting for man to turn to Him.
Even wicked men can “turn” toward the Lord, but if his heart isn’t right, that is, his desires are wicked God is far from that man. God doesn’t pay any attention to that man, He doesn’t listen to him.
There are two ways of keeping a pig out of a mud puddle. Man's way is to surround the mud puddle with ten or more coils of barbed wire, fencing it in with the wires spaced closely together so the pig cannot get through them to the mud. God's way is to change the pig into a sheep so the new nature which it receives will create a desire to stay out of the mud and to rejoice in the clover patch instead.
God is not in the business of training, molding, and improving man's normal nature. He is occupied in giving to men a new nature, which is His own life implanted in the heart of the believer. The gift of the new life is assured to the believer in the verses above. The gift of this life is a miracle. In no other way can enemies be brought together.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2021 0:50:36 GMT -6
“The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul” (Proverbs 16:17).
“The highway of the upright is to depart from evil,” if the Old Testament saint is going to get to heaven, that is where it has to come from. In Ezekiel chapter 18, if a man lived right, he was righteous, or upright—and he lives. But if a man commits wickedness, he dies in his wickedness.
“Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?” (Ezekiel 18:19-23).
This is Old Testament salvation. I realize it is by faith, but a man had to believe what God said, and he had to live it. He had to obey what God said, not only believe what God said.
“. . . he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul,” this is like in keeping his heart with all diligence. He was to keep his heart right, and he was to keep his ways right.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2021 2:16:58 GMT -6
"Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding" (Proverbs 17:28 KJV).
I guess we've all heard the quote, attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but certainly derived from Proverbs, that is: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt." Ecclesiastes add to the thought: “For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words” (Ecclesiastes 5:3 KJV).
We can almost feel Job’s exasperation when he said, “Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom” (Job_13:5 KJB).
The wise man would do well to heed the Apostle Paul, he had an answer for just about everything thanks to the indwelling Spirit of God that he listened to every moment, "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man" (Colossians 4:6 KJV).
How many words will the Devil yet try to steal and change. Today, we must carefully consider our context when we use a word like “gay.” It is sickening and disgusting to take what once meant happy to where it now mean a person that is incredibly sad, and without hope. Even the word “salt” is now “salty,” which means profanity—the total opposite of Paul’s usage. Put it down, if our Saviour owns a word, the Devil will try to steal it: “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men” (Matthew 5:13 KJV).
Another old saying is that to keep a bird from flying, sprinkle a little salt on his tail. I have not proven this, so I don't know if it is true or not . . . but you can bet that the way to keep the tongue from running off is to use a little "spiritual" salt on it.
A man that possesses the “mind of Christ,” should never be guilty of wicked, stupid speech. We represent the Lord Jesus Christ as ambassadors of heaven. This makes us dignitaries, and that ought to make us sober, grave, temperate in all things. God has no use for court jesters.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2021 19:25:50 GMT -6
WEDNESDAY NIGHT DEVOTION - 2/17-2021
THE BACKLASH OF BACKSLIDING Psalm 51 is a prayer from the broken, sad heart of one of the greatest characters in the Bible. It points to David's tragic sin.
There have been so many sermons preached on this sin of David that we hardly think it is necessary to quote the Scriptures, but we simply refer you to 2f Samuel, chapters 11, 12 and 13.
It is not the story of a bad man. No one could accuse David of being a bad man.
Did you ever stop to think how much difference it makes just by the mere statement of a fact? Suppose we say David was a man after God's own heart. He wrote many beautiful psalms, did many great deeds, had great faith; but David committed adultery and murder.
Now let us turn that same sentence around. David committed adultery and murder, but he was a man after God's own heart. He wrote many beautiful psalms, did many great deeds, had great faith. So don't judge a person by one or two acts of his life. The good that David did so vastly overbalanced this great evil that we must admit that he was a marvelous man.
This story of his sin teaches us to guard ourselves during leisure hours, for this tragic sin of David occurred when kings go forth to battle. David was home, leisurely enjoying its comforts, while the husband of the woman with whom he sinned was away in the army.
Our leisure and lonesome hours we must watch and guard most carefully. More sins are committed Saturday night and Sunday than the rest of the week combined. Vacation time often proves anything but vacation time in the matter of sin.
The one who would guard his spiritual well-being, his social purity and his moral life must hedge very carefully his vacations, his leisure hours and other periods of relaxation.
I. A Look Started It All
“And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon” (2 Samuel 11:2).
The sight of this beautiful woman aroused in David unholy emotions so that he made inquiries concerning her and then ultimately stooped to the sin of immorality with her.
No wonder the Bible admonishes “that women adorn themselves in modest apparel” (1 Timothy 2:9). The human body is attractive. The sight of it stimulates impulses and emotions which we are admonished to keep under strict control. Fashion has led to the downfall of many young women and many young men.
It is quite common during hot summer months to see young women walk about the streets with most of the back exposed and with shorts so abbreviated that most of the body is exposed. It is quite common for men and women to swim together dressed in bathing suits that expose most of the body. This is constantly indulged in, not only by the unbelieving world but by many church people, including ministers and special religious leaders. Personally, I do not see how anyone who really wants to be consecrated to the LORD and wants to see others consecrated to the LORD can defend, let alone indulge in, such a mode of dress and association.
I do not deny that there are great numbers of people who participate in mixed swimming and who dress about their home and on the street after the fashion that I indicated, who have never had immoral relations with the other sex. However, I am not sure by any means that they are guiltless when measured by the standards of Matthew 5:28.
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. “
II. A Leap to Greater Trouble
The woman was very beautiful to look upon, and we read that when David beheld her beauty, he then inquired as to who she was. Learning that she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite who was away in the army, David committed adultery with her.
When, after the passing of time, she sent David word that their sin was to be found out, David then proceeded to try to cover up his sin.
He called the husband from the army and decreed that he should have a furlough, thinking that during his stay at home on furlough he would cover up David’s sin. When this attempt failed, David made the man drunk. He knew what every sensible man knows that strong drink sets fire to fleshly impulses; thus, in an effort to cover his sin of adultery, David went against God's command in Habakkuk 2:15:
"Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!"
But again David's plan went astray, whereupon he sent Uriah back to the army with a letter to Joab, saying:
"Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die” (2 Samuel11:15).
This plan of David's did succeed.
"And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also” (2 Samuel 11:16, 17).
And so at the death of Uriah, David sent for Bathsheba, fetched her to his house, and she became his wife.
Little did David think when first he looked upon this beautiful woman that he would ultimately murder her husband and take her for a wife. But that is where sin led him. And that is where sin has led a good many others. Their name is legion.
Ill. The License of a Preacher
"But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD. "
"And the LORD sent Nathan unto David."
Through all the years it has been God's policy to rebuke sin through the human instrumentality of His prophets, and quite frequently they must get personal in that rebuke.
- Samuel was called upon to rebuke King Saul. - Nathan was called upon to rebuke King David. - Elijah was called upon to rebuke wicked Ahab. - John the Baptist rebuked Herod and Herodias. - Paul rebuked Felix and Drusilla. Moreover, Timothy commanded:
"I charge thee . . . Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:1, 2).
It is no pleasant task, and because of the unpleasantness of it, altogether too many ministers shirk their responsibilities.
America's greatest need today is ministers in the pulpit with backbone up their shirttails instead of sweet potato vines, with courage in their hearts, with consecration to God, who will rebuke the "prominent" transgressors in their audiences.
IV. The Lethargy Sin Brings to a Christian Life
Thank God for a man who has courage enough when he is rebuked of his sin to acknowledge his wrong, confess that sin and forsake it.
When Nathan said, "Thou art the man," David did not set about to destroy Nathan. Rather, he admitted his guilt and uttered Psalm 51 as a prayer, and in that psalm, we find this confession and plea:
"Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness" (vss. 12-14).
David had paid very dearly for his sin. So far as we know, he had not lost by it financially, he had not lost by it socially, he had not lost by it domestically, but he had lost two vital things in a believer's life: the joy of his salvation and his soul-winning power.
I am persuaded that the greatest weakness in our churches is right at this point. Church members have lost the joy of their salvation, and they have lost soulwinning power. Their sins have not made them moral outcasts, branded them as criminals, caused them to be excluded from church membership, nor even brought public disfavor upon them. But they have neutralized the joy of being a Christian; they have paralyzed their power to win souls; Our churches are filled with unhappy Christians and with powerless Christians.
There is but one way for an unhappy and a powerless Christian to obtain happiness and power; and that is to confess his sin, renew his covenant with the LORD, and clear up his backsliding.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1 :9).
V. The Law of the Harvest
Another lesson that needs to be pointed out in connection with this study of David's sin is the lesson of the law of the harvest. Even though God forgives our sin, inevitable results must follow. He does not promise not to rebuke us openly for that sin, or not to let us see the result of that sin.
"And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die" (2 Samuel 12:13, 14).
We are told in Galatians 6:7, 8:
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
"For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sowetlt to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
David's experience is a vivid example of this law of the harvest.
God forgave David, but David reaped the harvest of his evil sowing.
God forgave Adam and Eve, but Cain killed Abel just the same. They had sown the seed of rebellion in the garden; the harvest was produced in the life of Cain.
God forgave Jacob, but his sons deceived him by showing the bloody coat of Joseph and saying that a wild beast had slain their brother, when in reality they had sold Joseph into Egypt.
Now Jacob had sown the seeds of deception when he stole the blessing from Esau. That was the harvest.
God forgave David, but chapter 13 of Second Samuel says David's three children produced the harvest of David's evil sowing.
Amnon ravished and ruined his own half-sister, Tamar, and in turn was murdered by his brother Absalom.
David sowed the seed when he crossed the threshold of another man's home, robbed it of its purity and killed the husband. He reaped the harvest when his own children produced similar fruit.
God forgives, but God does not repeal or abrogate the law of the harvest. If you do not want evil consequences of the flesh to grow in your life, then don't sow the seeds.
People frequently say to me, "I can't understand. Here are Mr. and Mrs. So-and-so. I never knew better people, yet they have some of the meanest children!"
Well, good neighbor, I never try to explain it because I don't know what kind of life those people lived thirty or forty years ago.
VI. Heaven Alone Can Mend the Breaks
"And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" (2 Samuel 12:15, 18, 23).
The most heartbreaking feature of David's backsliding is perhaps the pungent grief brought by the death of the little child. When it was learned that the child was sick, David wept and fasted and prayed for seven days. But his weeping and fasting and praying were of no avail. God smote the child that it died.
Then to the astonishment of David's servants, David arose, washed, anointed himself, changed his apparel, came into the house of the LORD and worshiped.
He didn't get rebellious in heart and stubborn and turn into deeper sins, quit going to church and forget God. He had learned his lesson. He brought this upon himself by getting away from God once, and though he could not bring back the baby, he could look forward to reunion with the baby.
Two observations in conclusion: Dear reader, if you have backslidden and gotten away from God, repent and renew your covenants lest your backslidings produce a terrible harvest in your children.
It is somebody's business whether or not you live right. Moreover, if you have beautiful little children in your home whom you love and adore, by all means live for God lest He feel that you are unworthy to rear them and take them from you as He took this child from David.
On the other hand, if you have lost a lovely, beautiful child, don't be rebellious against God, stay away from church and spend your time grieving and moaning; but, like David, go to church, worship God, and let your heart be encouraged by the fact that there is coming a day of reunion.
- Dr. Sam Morris [1900-1988].
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2021 0:16:01 GMT -6
“He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster” (Proverbs 18:9).
We are told to “redeem the time, for the days are evil;” so that we do not waste our time right. We are throwing away that time. Time is like water in a river flowing away. We are never going to see that water again. We have a candle to burn, and it only has so long of a wick. Right? And the longer you allow that candle to burn without something profitable being done with that time, it is lost time. It says there that in verse 9 that “he also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.”
“Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment” (Proverbs 13:23).
With regard to sloth and being wasteful, this verse does not mention sloth as such; but that verse says there that a lot of times poor folks are poor for a reason. In this case, they have gone out and they tilled their fields and plowed up a bunch of perfectly good vegetables, that they were just careless in plowing up instead of being careful. Their inattentiveness to what they were doing was due to them being lazy and wasteful. That is how we are sometimes with that.
“The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious” (Proverbs 12:27).
You know, sometimes what we neglect is to think very highly of what we have been given. We all have been given some gift, some spiritual blessing like this thing. Somebody takes something in hunting and then allows it to just lie and rot. “. . . but the substance of a diligent man is precious” The slothful man won't even clean the thing and eat it. Right?
“He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.”
Are you a good worker? Well, do you show up on time? Do you work hard for your boss? I know that some of you probably do not need the admonition; but sometimes you do. We have certainly seen guys that go to work year in and year out and by the time it's all over with they are not worth the money they were paid. They were just there for the pension. There are some that draw paychecks that are not worth shooting.
Sometimes young men that feel they are ready to enter the workplace or whatever just are not prepared to show up on time. Be there on time and ready to go to work and give eight hours of work for eight hours of pay. Once in a while these days a lot of bosses aren't like bosses used to be anymore, and they just kind of let things slide. They have been beaten to death with the whole ethnic thing, and the unions have practically pulverized him for insisting that workers work, and he knows that if tries to fire somebody, it's more trouble to fire him than it is to hire him. And sometimes you'll run into a guy that will not put up with nonsense. If you're going to waste a bunch of time and try to be doing something else while on the clock, like texting while you should be working, you're going to get nailed. Now, folks are you a good worker? Romans 12 tells us to “not be slothful and business.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2021 1:52:33 GMT -6
“Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge” (Proverbs 19:25).
“Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware,” there are two separate persons that suffer punishment. Both the scorner and the righteous. Now, usually when you reprove the scorner, it doesn’t help him, but it will help somebody else. And then there are others that you can punish and it will help them—they will get right and they will do right, and they will try to avoid that situation again.
We have a wrong understanding about punishment in America. America has the concept that punishment should be rehabilitative, and that is not necessarily what punishment is for. Punishment is meant to punish the wrongdoing. In the essence of the idea for punishment it is for doing wrong, it is to punish a man for what he did against society, or what he did against God, or what he did against some other individual. So, it is not rehabilitative, but when punishment is meted out, somebody profits.
In the first situation, it isn’t the person that did the thing that profits, but others that are associated with the incident and know the punishment. It is like Paul says in First Timothy: “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear” (5:20). Sometimes, when you punish one, somebody else actually gets the benefit. The man that is punished may not get better from it at all—he may just get worse, but others may benefit. So, sometimes punishment is not rehabilitative to the evildoer, it is rehabilitative to the ones that are watching—it will keep them from doing wrong.
It may help the evildoer: “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). Sometimes it does help the punished person, especially if it convinces them that it is not profitable to continue to do wrong.
Then, there is one other place. In the case where King Solomon punishes Shimei, notice what Solomon says: “The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head; and king Solomon shall be blessed” (1 Kings 2:44-45).
Shimei had been against Solomon and had stood with Adonijah. As a result, Solomon didn’t trust him and told him that if he would come in the city and dwell there, and don’t ever leave it, he would let him live. Three years later, Shimei left the city, disobeying the king. So, sometimes others benefit from punishment, sometimes the evildoer benefits, and sometimes it is the punisher that benefits. Solomon said that God was going to bless him because he was going to punish Shimei.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2021 2:11:51 GMT -6
“It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth . . . Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman” (Proverbs 20:14).
This is a real insight into humanity. Only God could put this in a Book written by man about man. When one man is dealing with another man about the price of a thing, the one says, “It isn’t worth that much, and he haggled him down to half the price—and then when he buys it and leaves he tells another, “Man, that thing is worth twice that much!”
You go to garage sales and see where people had bought things that they just could not live without out and are now selling those priceless treasures for pennies on the dollar.
“Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.”
If some fool cosigns for another fool, and the debt is to you; that is, you loaned the money and then somebody else has cosigned on it, he says to take his garment as surety. You need to do that to cover the debt for collateral. That is just a principle of loaning. Folks call for a cosigner because they don’t believe the person taking out the debt can repay it, but they know the cosigner can.
Just be kind of cautious about it, it may not be so bad as all that, but just be sure if you have to that the loaner is a Bible-believer, love the Lord, and have a strong reputation for steady work—or you can smart for it.
“. . . and take a pledge of him for a strange woman,” here a guy has cosigned a not for a strange woman. Now, the Bible says that a strange woman is a whore (Proverbs 23:27). Anyone that would cosign for that unreputable of a woman you better take some collateral. You are dealing with two fools, not just one.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2021 1:21:30 GMT -6
"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts" (Proverbs 21:2 KJV).
The Bible is written to God's people. The message is primarily directed to the believer, but from time-to-time, God points to the unbeliever and says, "This is for you." Verse 2 seems to be one of those verses, though it can certainly also be applied to a disobedient believer, whether Old Testament saint or New Testament Blood-washed believer.
Ask almost any man and he will tell you that he is a decent fellow. Often when asked if they know they are going to heaven they will answer, "Of course!" When pushed for the reason they are sure, they respond with, "Well, I'm a good person. I go to church, I donate to charity, I follow the golden rule in my life." The basis of their belief is that being good is the only requirement for gaining God's presence.
This verse takes that man's belief and shreds it to pieces. He thinks he is good in his own eyes, because he has only himself to compare with. God's Word sets up Jesus Christ as the One to Whom we are to judge our own life against, and when we do that, we must admit that we fall far, far short of His perfection. The Lord ponders our heart . . . He can see it just as it is, and He can see us just as we are. The truth is, though, that even a man knows his own heart and knows that if the truth were known--he would be ashamed of what folks would see.
The Old Testament, in many ways, can only reveal the justice and judgment of God. God gave us the whole Bible to find His grace and love as well. God's greatest expression of love is found at a hill that looked very much like a human skull where Jesus Christ died a cruel death to exchange the vileness of our own heart for the beauty of a new creature in Him.
Come to the cross, and let God give you a new heart!
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26 KJV).
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2021 17:30:23 GMT -6
KIDS SAY SOME INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THE BIBLE
"Joseph was the boy who never had a cold neck," the boy told his mother when she quizzed him about the Sunday school lesson.
"How do you know that?"
Mother asked.
"Because," replied the lad, "Joseph had a coat of many collars."
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At a midnight watch service, the pastor was conducting a Bible quiz: "Who are the three Johns in the Scriptures?"
One eager ten-year-old volunteered the answer: "First, Second and Third John."
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In the first book of the Bible, Guinesses, God got tired of creating the world, so He took the Sabbath off.
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ADAM AND EVEN WERE CREATED FROM AN APPLE TREE.
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The people who followed the Lord were called the twelve decibels.
One of the opossums was Matthew, who was by profession a taximan.
The First Commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the fruit.
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During a review one Sunday, the teacher asked if the class knew who the twin boys were in the Bible.
"That's easy," said Charles.
"First and Second Samuel."
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After the teacher had told her class they could draw a picture of the Bible story she had told them, she went around to see what the children had drawn. Noticing little Sherry hadn't drawn a Bible picture at all, she asked the child to tell the class about her picture.
"This is a car. The man in the front seat is God. The people in the back seat are Adam and Eve. God is driving them out of the Garden of Eden."
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On one occasion when the teacher let the children draw the Bible story they had heard; one little boy drew the picture of an airplane with a pilot in the front seat. The passengers were a man, woman and baby. When asked to tell about his picture, he said, "This is Pontius the pilot taking Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus on a flight out of Egypt.”
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2021 2:28:39 GMT -6
“Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease” (Proverbs 22:10).
Now, the thing about this is, let’s return back to what we were talking about just earlier. Here is the nonsense that is not worth striving over.
Here is a guy that will not consent to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godliness. This guy has a problem. His problem is described in 1 Timothy 6:4, 5: “He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”
“. . . but doting about questions and strifes of words,” you know what doting means? Have you ever heard of a doting old man or a doting grandmother? Somebody that's doting is somebody that gives unnecessary and unbalanced attention to something. If you're a doting grandmother you probably give your poodle too much attention, that kind of deal, yeah? Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a grandfather and I have a dog. Yep, I’m a doting old man! Yeah, dote on!
Well, here's somebody that's doting about strifes. Questions and strifes of words whereof comes all those things listed. How long would it take you to answer a simple question about what you believe about Jesus Christ’s deity? He was God manifest in the flesh. Simple. Well, some people will not go there. They will keep wanting to make these preparatory statements in order to lay a groundwork to lie and twist scriptures. They will do anything but simply admit to the truth as Scripture portrays it.
There are some Bible questions that are not worth dealing with, mainly the stupid ones. And here is why. Because there's times that folks ask nonsense questions just to confuse issues.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2021 0:36:33 GMT -6
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again” (Proverbs 23:29-35 KJV).
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow?” For some of these men, just everything goes wrong. They lose their jobs, they can’t keep a job, they have trouble with the family, with the relatives, they have physical problems, diseases. “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow?” “. . . who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause?” I’ve known them to fall out of cars, fall in front of cars, fall in the gutter, fall asleep in a snow bank. Well, they say, he probably won’t freeze. No, he won’t freeze, he’s got so much alcohol in him that he can’t freeze, but he’ll just get into so much other trouble that a sober man won’t get into, “wounds without cause,” I mean, there isn’t any cause to it—just foolishness. “. . . who hath redness of eyes?” Yea, they get like that. Who? “They that tarry long at the wine,” and some say well, it’s okay if you just drink moderately, but the problem is that once you start drinking moderately you will do excessively eventually. You see, the moderate drinker is okay as long as circumstances in life aren’t too bad. Once things get heavy, and he runs into big problems, like losing a loved one, his wife gets sick, or he loses his job—then he’s likely to spend a long time at it to wash it out of his mind and cover it up. And if he is already used to drinking, he’ll get sucked into it really quick. There are people in missions that used to be colonels in the military, lawyers, people that had station in life and a good living. But somewhere in life their social drinking took a turn because something bad happened in their life and lost something dear to them; job, promotion, loved one, whatever—and their drinking increased to the point where it took everything away from them. It gets to the point where it gets a hold of them and they can’t do without it. It becomes their master.
You take the average fellow that’s drinking out here—he can drink and still go to work, he can drink and still pay bills and meet responsibilities—he is still functioning somewhat normally. But, every time there is a problem, or a battle of some sort, it becomes easier to drown it with liquor, to the point where they can no longer win any battles and the alcohol has taken over. Then they become what is known as a “lush,” or a person that can’t win any battles. Every time there is a problem, they now turn to liquor. They can no longer handle stress—it handles them.
“They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.” There’re your mixed drinks. “Look not,” there’s the lust of the eyes, “Look not thou upon the wine,” you see, it doesn’t say “don’t drink wine,” it says, “don’t even look at it.” Some of that stuff looks pretty enticing. You ever walk down the liquor aisle in your grocery store? I have yet to see liquor in an ugly, unattractive bottle. They are all made to look fancy and enticing. And it seems like whenever they want to sell liquor, they put some French guy’s name on it. I wonder why that is? I guess that’s supposed to add style and class when all it really does is add $20 to the price of the bottle (nothing to the quality). Well, that’s how they sell stuff.
“. . . when it giveth his colour in the cup,” that’s how they get you to look at it. That’s the problem with TV. Back when it was radio, they could talk about it, but you couldn’t see it. Now you can see all those bubbles and all that refreshing-looking scenery behind it. All kinds of pictures in order to present that thing to you in a good light. The message is you need it, you must have it, and you can’t do without it. It’s hard to do that with radio. “. . . when it moveth itself aright,” that’s fermentation.
“At the last,” or at the end of the fermentation process. At the first it is called “new wine” or pure grape juice (when speaking of wine), but after it ferments (in essence, spoils) it is an intoxicating beverage. “Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all” (Isa 65:8 KJV). New wine is fresh out of the cluster. “At the last,” it is fermented. There’s a difference between old wine and new wine.
“At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder,” we see its connection with the Devil. That is why they call it “spirits.” Some call it “devil juice,” in the old days some called it “coffin varnish.” They would ask, “Do you smoke coffin nails and drink coffin varnish?”
“Thine eyes shall behold strange women,” that’s the Old Testament term for the modern term, “street walker.” A slang term some use today is “strange.” That is what they call illicit sex. “. . . thine heart shall utter perverse things,” you get deep enough into it and you’ll experience the dry tremors (D.T.’s) and see all sorts of things. Everything and anything. What is fun about a room spinning around and around, and getting sick, and suffering through a headache?
“Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea,” that’s where you get so drunk you are afraid to go to sleep afraid that you’ll vomit all over yourself and perhaps even drown in it, just “three sheets to the wind.” “Or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast,” it’s one thing when you are down in the boat, but when you are up in the mast—everything is swinging.
When Solomon wrote this, he knew what a drunken man goes through—probably from personal experience. He experimented, he says, with everything “under the sun.” That would certainly include drunkenness. “They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1 KJV).
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2021 1:24:41 GMT -6
“Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief” (Proverbs 24:15-16 KJV).
There are some in this world that have no greater purpose than to make shipwreck the life of a young believer. The wicked are described as lying in wait for the righteous, seeking his ruination. “The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him” (Psalms 37:32 KJV). Who qualifies for the title “wicked man” used here? Every persecutor of the righteous would be included in what is said here. So, this passage is not speaking of the highwayman hiding in the brush awaiting a man to rob, but the reprobate seeking to ensnare a child of God. An “angel of light,” a “false prophet,” an evil, evil person. Paul spoke of these, “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Romans 1:32 KJV).
There goal is the utter destruction of the believer, but they are ignorant of one very crucial fact, and that is: “a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” What a promise! What an assurance! Yes, the tempting angel of the Devil may indeed succeed in tripping up a saint, but that saint has access to God’s continuing mercy:
“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23 KJV).
The thing that the lost can not understand is the presence of God’s mercy. It is just as available to them as it is to the ones they seek to overthrow—but their darkened mind and soul cannot conceive, do not desire it, and utterly abhor it. Their great pleasure is the world, sin, and the destruction of God’s people.
The righteous will have many trials, but he will prevail through the special help of God. Notice these interesting verses: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” (Psalms 34:19 KJV); “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand” (Psalms 37:24 KJV); “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me” (Micah 7:8 KJV); “He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee” (Job 5:19 KJV).
In other words, as our expressions go, “you can’t keep a good man down;” he may be “down”, but he isn’t “out”. But notice that when the wicked fall, he is not promised to come back, for he has no personal God to whom to look for restoration.
Yes, the wicked shall fall into mischief; or "evil"; into the evil of sin, and there lie and wallow in it, as the swine in the mire, and never rise out of it; and into the evil of punishment, into hell itself, from whence there will be no deliverance; and oftentimes they fall into mischief in this world, into trouble and distress, into poverty and want, in which they live and die, and never recover out of it; to which agrees what follows. And their only joyful memory throughout eternity will be that they may some Christian to stumble.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2021 1:07:19 GMT -6
“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” (Proverbs 25:11 KJV).
Can you visualize apples of gold in a painting or sculpture of silver? As in a silver basket or bowl? What a beautiful combination of color and images! So are words well spoken!
As the next verse shows, Solomon again used a simile to praise and encourage good speech, though there he used “as” to show the simile. Still using gold, he compared it to fine jewelry. You should easily get the lesson of learning good speech.
A “word fitly spoken” would be the right thing said at the right time, in the right place, to the right person, in the right way, and for the right purpose. For something to be right, everything about it must be right. “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2 KJV).
“A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” (Proverbs 15:23 KJV).
I can’t imagine why, but the Bible correctors have a field day with this verse: Consider, “Most writers contend that “apples” from the Hebrew word “tappuach” was not our apple but possibly the orange, or more probably the apricot. Tristram (writing in “Land of Israel”) says, “I have no hesitation in expressing my conviction that the apricot alone is the ‘apple’ of Scripture . . . Everywhere the apricot is common; perhaps it is, with the single exception of the fig, the most abundant fruit of the country.” And God’s people said, “So what?” My Bible says apple, I’ll go with apple. Oh yes, and there are some that contend that Eve didn’t really eat an apple, maybe a banana. Whatever! The fact is that she sinned, Adam sinned, and plunged the whole world into the wages of sin. Genesis 1-6 is no myth, and folks believe that to their own destruction.
“The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things” (Proverbs 15:28 KJV).
One misconception is that our verse is speaking only of bright, uplifting words that make people smile and feel good. Nope, a fitly spoken word is a word of truth and the truth sometimes is painful. To tell a man that he is a lost, hell-bound sinner may not be considered happy talk, but then, neither is a doctor informing his patient that he has an aggressive form of a disease which will take his life unless he makes drastic changes in his life. In both cases, the result of telling someone the truth may well be the best news that person has ever heard. I am so glad that someone presented me with the Gospel, and though it was quite a bitter pill to swallow at the beginning—it is sweetness to my soul.
Three things are needed to have a word fitly spoken:
1. It must be a wise word. It must fit the context of the situation. Not all verses will be appropriate for all occasions. It is probably not a good use of Romans 8:28 to tell a grieving widow, “All things work together for good!” It may be true, but not timely. 2. It must be delicate. Again, it may be true doctrinally, but it is not wise to walk up to a stranger and say, “Hey, you need to get saved or you can go to hell.” The same truth may be communicated but with different words. 3. It must be true. We must never, knowingly or unknowingly, substitute our opinion for God’s eternal Word.
Don’t look for words fitly spoken by the false feel good TV evangelists like Joel Olsteen. A lie will never fit. If you want to hear words fitly spoken, attend a Bible-believing local New Testament church on a regular basis
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