PT-2 "Wisdom's Call to Salvation" (Pr. 1:11-14; 20-33)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/31/2012 10:43 AM

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Wisdom’s Call to Salvation PT-2

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference: Pr. 1:11-14 & 20-33

            Message of the verses:  I want to try and finish this first main section from the outline in Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary on Proverbs.  We looked at the first of three sub-points in yesterday’s SD and will now begin to look at the second sub-point.

            The voice of Temptation (Pr. 1:11-14):  “11 If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit; 13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil; 14 Throw in your lot with us, We shall all have one purse.” (NASB)  “11 They may say, “Come and join us.  Let’s hide and kill someone!  Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent! 12 Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave; let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death. 13 Think of the great things we’ll get!  We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take. 14 Come, throw in your lot with us; we’ll all share the loot.”  (NLT)

            We have in this section a father talking to his son about what he should avoid.  We see in this section the voice of temptation trying to tempt those who will listen to it.  We can read something similar in the third chapter of Genesis when Satan is tempting Eve with the lie that he keeps on spreading for if it worked then it will still work now.  He tried it on our Lord, but failed as we can see in the first chapter Mark.

            If anybody tries to tempt us with things like are seen in this section of Scripture then believe me they are not a friend, but an enemy.  People who want to get rich fast in this kind of way are trading material wealth for an eternity in hell if they keep on doing things like are described here.  There have been people who have been saved from this type of lifestyle, for the grace of God is greater than all sin.

            The voice of Salvation (vv. 20-33):  20 Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square; 21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings: 22  "How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? 23 “Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 "Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; 25 And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; 26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, 27 When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. 30 “They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. 31 “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. 32 “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. 33 “But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil."

            This section of Proverbs speaks of wisdom calling sinners to repentance, it is the gospel being spoken to three different types of people and it seems that not many will respond but we know that there will be some that will respond.

            How does wisdom speak?  Verse twenty says in a loud voice, “Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places.” (BBE)  Wisdom does this so that all can hear her, (Remember that the word “wisdom” is in the feminine voice).  Wisdom speaks through the creation that God created “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.” (Psalm 19:1-6)  Wisdom speaks as conscience, “14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” (Romans 2:14-16)

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “To whom does Wisdom speak?  To three classes of sinners:  the simple ones, the scorners (scoffers, mockers, NIV), and the fools (v.22).  The simple are naïve people who believe anything (24:15) but examine nothing.  They’re gullible and easily led astray.  Scorners think they know everything (21:24) and laugh at the things that are really important.  While the simple one has a blank look on his face, the scorner wears a sneer.  Fools are people who are ignorant of truth because they’re dull and stubborn.  Their problem isn’t a low IQ or poor education; their problem is a lack of spiritual desire to seek and find God’s wisdom.  Fools enjoy their foolishness but don’t know how foolish they are!  The outlook of fools is purely materialistic and humanistic.  They hate knowledge and have no interest in things eternal.” 

            Here is the endnote quotation on the word “fool” as written by Dr. Wiersbe:  “In Proverbs, three Hebrew words are translated ‘fool’: kesyl, the dull, stupid fool; ewiyl, the corrupt fool who is morally perverted; nabal, the stubborn brutish fool whose mind is made up and won’t be convinced.  For a vivid example of this third variety of fool, see 1Samuel 25.”  In 1Samuel 25 we see the story of a man named Nabal (fool), a story worth reading.  In the story this man has a very wise wife named Abigail who is one of my favorite women in all the Bible.

            We can’t leave this section without finding out what wisdom has to say to these three classes of sinners.  Verse 22 we find that wisdom brings an indictment against them. “How long” is the question that wisdom asks them will they remain the way that they are.  Verse 23 “About face! I can revise your life. Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you; I’m ready to tell you all I know.” (Message)  We see an invitation in this verse.  They are being called to repent and be saved.  Wisdom will change the hearts of these people, the three classes of sinners if they will but allow her to do so.  We have to ask how they respond to wisdom, and the answer is that they refuse to obey her voice.  In verse 26 we see the word “also,” “I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes.”  We see here that because these three types of sinners laughed at wisdom’s calls one day wisdom will also laugh at them.  Dr. Wiersbe writes “Wisdom see a storm of judgment coming that will bring distress and anguish to all who reject God’s invitation.  In contrast to the judgment promised to unbelievers, wisdom promises security and peace to those who will listen to her and believe.”  “"But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil." (Proverbs 1:33)

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It soon will be thirty-nine years ago that wisdom called me and I am thankful that the call was one that I could not have refused.  The call came on the 26^th of January in 1974, and believe me I did not see the call coming to me, but when it did I gladly accepted that call.  

            There may be someone reading this who are being given the call from wisdom to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Accept that call for the Scriptures says, “Ro 10:13 for ‘WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’”

My Steps of Faith for Today:  “1Pe 3:15  but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 121:1-3

            1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where will my help come?  2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.

12/31/2012 11:57 AM

PT-1 "Wisdom's Call to Salvation" (Proverbs 1:8-10, 15-19)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/30/2012 8:37 AM

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Wisdom’s Call to Salvation PT-1

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Proverbs 1:8-10, 15-19

            Message of the verses:  The voice of instruction (vv. 8-10, 15-19):  “8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching; 9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.  10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.  15 My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, 16 For their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood. 17 Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird; 18 But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors.”

            I want to quote the last paragraph of Dr. Wiersbe’s introductory commentary from this chapter in which he entitles, “Is Anybody Listening?”  “If you’ll refer to the suggested outline of Proverbs, you’ll see that the first nine chapters present two women—Wisdom and Folly personified—as they seek to win the attention and obedience of people in the city streets and squares.  In this chapter, I want to focus on Wisdom’s calls, and then in the next chapter we’ll listen to Folly and learn what she has to offer.”

            The main section we are looking at is entitled “Wisdom’s Call to Salvation which covers Proverbs 1:8-33 and we will see that this paragraph will record three voices that the person reading Proverbs needs to indentify, and the first voice is  that of instruction which comes from the verses written above.

            We read the following in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, but will focus in on verses 6-9:  “4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  The parents in this section of Proverbs were taking these verses in Deuteronomy very seriously.

            As we look at Proverbs 1:8-9 we see it is the desire of the parents to teach their son the Word of God so that it would become a “graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.”  What does this mean exactly?  Paul writes to Titus these words, “that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.”  Peter writes the following to his readers in 1Peter 3:3-4, “3  Your adornment must not be merely external-braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4  but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.”  All of these authors are telling their readers that obeying the Word of God, living out the truths in the Word of God is a beautiful thing that others can see.

            12/30/2012 9:15 AM  

            12/30/2012 8:23 PM

            How to avoid yielding to temptation as seen in verses 15-19:  First we are to avoid hanging around with the wrong crowd.  Let’s look at the first part of the first Psalm:  “1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”  We see in this verse that there is a progression in falling into temptation that must be avoided.  Don’t walk, don’t stand, and don’t sit with those who are wicked.  Paul tells the Corinthians something similar, “14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 17 “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. 18 “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.”  (2Cor. 6:14-18)  In our sermon today at church the Pastor was giving us a sermon on what we should be doing in the coming New Year, and one of the things that we are suppose to do is not get too close to sin.  It is kind of like the saying that says if you get to close to the fire you are going to get burnt.  The father in this section of Proverbs is telling his son these same principles that we have just gone over. 

            Second the father tells the son not to play with temptation because as we see in Proverbs 1:17 it always will led to a trap.  If a bird sees at trap that has bait in it they will stay away from it, however if they can’t see the trap, and only see the bait then they will be trapped. Dr. Wiersbe says in an endnote “Temptation is the bait, and Satan wants us to think we can grab the bait and avoid the consequences (Gen. 3:5).  Alas, it never works that way.”

            Third:  In verses 18-19 we see that when we disobey the Lord by hurting others that we are actually hurting ourselves.  I have heard that God is the One who created time, but God does not own a watch.  I suppose that is a pretty good proverb that tells us that eventually we will have to pay the price of our wrong doing.  Dr. Wiersbe puts it this way, “You end up sacrificing the permanent for the immediate, and that’s a bad investment.”

            Spiritual meaning form my life today:  I have been taught or reminded two times today, once in a sermon and once in the lesson from Proverbs today not to get too close to sin or I will fall.  When I became a believer in Jan. of 1974 at the age of twenty-six the Lord cleaned up my mouth as soon as I became a believer and for that I am grateful.  However there are other things that I sometimes wish that He would have taken away from me that He did not.  It is kind of like when the children of Israel came into the Promised Land and through Joshua they defeated many of their enemies, but the rest of the enemies were to be driven out after the major battles with Joshua were done.  In order to defeat the rest of these enemies they were to place their trust in the Lord, however this did not happen for most of the children of Israel.  We do see that Caleb did follow this plan and took control of all of his inheritance.  I believe that God did not take all of my sinful ways away from me so that I could learn to trust in the Lord to give me the wisdom and the help to overcome those temptations.  Paul writes, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”  (1Cor. 10:13)

My Steps of faith for Today:  Remember 1Cor. 10:13; Continue to learn contentment; and continue to memorize God’s Word in order to have my life transformed into His image.

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 121:1-3

            1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains, from where shall my help come?  2 My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.  3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.

12/30/2012 8:53 PM  

 

What Does Proverbs Say About Jesus Christ?

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/28/2012 7:40 AM

My Worship Time                                       Focus:  What Does Proverbs Say About Jesus Christ?

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference: 

            Message of the verses:  As we continue to look at the introduction of Proverbs through five different questions it must be stated that the format of my Spiritual Diary is different from what it has been, and for that matter will be a bit different throughout the book of Proverbs.  In today’s SD we will seek to see Jesus Christ in the book of Proverbs.  It is good to remember what Jesus said after His resurrection as He was walking on the road to Emmaus.  We are not too sure as to who the disciples were that Jesus was walking with and talking to, but we do know some of the things that He was saying to them, and part of His conversation with them was to go back through the OT Scriptures and show them things in them that pertained to Him, His birth, life, death and resurrection.  Jesus Christ is the main theme of all the Bible and we will take a brief moment to see what the book of Proverbs has to say about Jesus Christ in this SD.

            Let us begin our quest to see Jesus Christ in Proverbs by looking at Col. 2:1-3, “1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2  that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  I want to focus in on verses two and three and the highlighted part of those verses.  We see here that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ, the second person of the godhead has the very same attributes as the Father and the Holy Spirit, and one of those attributes is having all wisdom.  We have also learned that wisdom is the theme of the book of Proverbs.  First Cor. 1:24 & 30 tell us Jesus Christ is our wisdom, “but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”  As we study the book of Proverbs we will see many great qualities of wisdom along with knowledge and other important things of which Jesus Christ walked in them while on this earth, and by doing this He has become a pattern for us to follow, “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked (1John 2:6).”

            In Proverbs 8:22-31 we see a section that speaks of wisdom, wisdom that the Lord used when He created the earth, and this section suggests Jesus Christ as the eternal wisdom of God:  “22 "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. 23 “From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth. 24 “When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water. 25 “Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth; 26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the first dust of the world. 27  "When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, 28  When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed, 29  When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth; 30  Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, 31  Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.”

            We see in the following passages that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God was with God at the time of creation.  John 1:1-4, “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”  Hebrews 1:1-4 “1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2  in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3  And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.”  Colossians 1:15-17 “15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16  For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

 

12/28/2012 8:31 AM

The Key verses to Unlock Proverbs

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/27/2012 9:16 AM

My Worship Time                                                          Focus:  Key Verse to Unlock In Proverbs

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Proverbs 1:7

            Message of the verses:  In Yesterday’s SD we were looking at who it was that wrote the book of Proverbs and how it was written.  We spoke about how the word wisdom is in the feminine gender and also in chapters 1, 8, and 9 we learned that wisdom calls to both men and women to follow her and enjoy salvation, wealth and life.  There is an end note that helps us to understand what the concept of wealth is all about and I want to give that quote before we proceed to looking at what the key verse in Probers as that will help us to unlock the book.

            “Keep in mind that ‘wealth’ means much more than possessing material things.  The Bible doesn’t promise that obedient Christians will all be healthy, wealthy, and successful.  It does promise that they will have godly character, enjoy their Father’s generous gifts to meet all their needs, and escape many of the physical emotional pains and problems that the ungodly usually suffer.  God’s covenant with the Jews promised special blessings if they obeyed and chastisement if they disobeyed (see Deut. 27-28), but the book of Proverbs also emphasizes the ‘true riches’ of the spiritual life that are summarized in Christ’s beatitudes.  It has well been said that true happiness lies, not in the greatness of your possessions, but in the ‘fewness’ of your wants.”  

            3. What is the Key Verse That Helps “Unlock” the Book?  We will look at two verses that are similar verses in searching for the key verse of Proverbs.  “7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Pr. 1:7 NASB) “7 The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.”  (BBE) “7 Start with GOD—the first step in learning is bowing down to GOD; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.”  (Message)  Now we will look at Proverbs 9:10 a similar verse.  “10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” 10 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.”  (NLT)

            We will look at eighteen verses from the book of Proverbs that reference “The fear of the Lord,” so that we can better understand what this phrase means.  Since we have already looked at two verses we will not repeat Proverbs 1:7 or Proverbs 9:10.

            Pr. 1:29 “Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD.”  Pr. 2:5 “Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God.”  Pr. 3:7 “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.”  Pr. 8:13 “"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.”  Pr. 10:27 “The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.”  Pr. 14:2 “He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.”  Pr. 14:26-27 “26 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge.  27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death.”  Pr. 15:16 “Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it.”  Pr. 15:33 “The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.”  Pr. 16:6 “By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.”  Pr. 19:23 “The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.”  Pr. 22:4 “The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life.”  Pr. 23:17 “Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always.”  Pr. 24:21 “My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change.”  Pr. 31:30 “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.”

            I have mentioned in an earlier SD that I am reading “The Knowledge of the Holy” by A. W. Tozer.  The title pretty much tells what the book is about and this to get to know God by looking as some of His attributes.  He has a chapter in the book entitled “The Self-Existence of God,” and in that chapter we see that God is the creator and that man is His creation, and this is one of the things that man needs to learn if he is to have the fear of the Lord.  Tozer writes, “Man is a created being, a derived and contingent self, who of himself possesses nothing but is dependent each moment for his existence upon the One who created him after His own likeness.  The fact of God is necessary to the fact of man.  Think God away and man has no ground of existence.”  

            Dr. Wiersbe writes the following on this subject:  “It means to respect God for who He is, to listen carefully to what He says, and to obey His Word, knowing that our disobedience displeases Him, breaks our fellowship with Him, and invites His chastening.  It is not the servile fear of the slave before the master but the reverential and respectful fear of the child before the parent.  Children fear not only because their parents can hurt them, but also because they can hurt their parents. Proverbs 13:13 admonishes us to fear God’s commandments, which suggests that they way we treat our Bible is the way we treat God.”

            Charles Bridges in his book Exposition of the book of Proverbs” writes the following on what it means to fear the Lord.  “It is that affectionate reverence by which the child of God bends himself humbly and carefully to his Father’s law.  His wrath is so bitter, and His love so sweet; that hence springs an earnest desire to please Him, and—because of the danger of coming short from his own weakness and temptations—a holy watchfulness and fear, ‘that he might not sin against Him.”

            Let us take a moment to look at the first six verses of the book of Proverbs that will led up to the important seventh verse that first speaks of the fear of the Lord:  “1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 2  To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3  To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4  To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.”  (KJV) 

            Louis Goldberg says that “wisdom means exhibiting God’s character in many practical affairs of life.”  Instruction has to do with discipline like a parent correcting their children’s misbehavior thus building character into the child’s life.  The word “subtlety” means prudence and prudence has to do with a kind of intelligence that can reason behind things.  Knowledge is translated from a Hebrew word that has to do with hunting, or sailing or even playing a musical instrument.  The Latin form of the word knowledge gives us our English word for science.  Discretion gives the ability to device wise plans after one understands something, and it can also mean to devise a plot.  I suppose that Sherlock Holmes could be said to have discretion.  When we look at the Hebrew word translated “learning” “1) learning, teaching, insight 1a) instruction (obj) 1b) teaching (thing taught) 1b1) teaching-power 1b2) persuasiveness.”  (Hebrew/English Dictionary from the Online Bible Program)  The word “counsel” means, “1) direction, counsel, guidance, good advice, (wise) counsel  1a) direction, guidance  1b) counsel  1b1) good or wise counsel  1b2) of the wicked.”

            We will see these eight words throughout the book of Proverbs and knowing them will help us in our quest of learning wisdom and also the fear of the Lord.

12/27/2012 10:34 AM

More Intro's to Proverbs

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/26/2012 5:07 PM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  More Intro. On Proverbs.

Bible Reading & Mediation                                                  Reference: Various Proverbs Verses

            Message of the verses:  We will look at the second part of “Who Wrote the Book of Proverbs and How is it Written?”

            Here is what my Hebrew/English dictionary says in reference to the word proverb which is seen in the very first verse of the book of Proverbs:  “The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.”  Here is the definition of the word “proverbs” “04912 לשׁמ mashal maw-shawl’

 

apparently from 04910 in some original sense of superiority in mental action; n m; {See TWOT on 1258 @@ "1258a" }

 

AV-proverb 19, parable 18, byword 1, like 1; 39

 

1) proverb, parable

1a) proverb, proverbial saying, aphorism

1b) byword

1c) similitude, parable

1d) poem

1e) sentences of ethical wisdom, ethical maxims

            There have been different books written by humans that contain what we would call proverbs, but the book of Proverbs in the Bible has been inspired by the Holy Spirit of God and because of that this book is part of the divine revelation and it relates the concerns of human life to God and the eternal.  The book of proverbs is quoted in the New Testament and therefore it makes it practical to us in the Church age.  Paul writes to Timothy with these words, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2Tim. 3:16).”   Paul writes four ways in which the Word of God is profitable in verse sixteen and all of those ways are found in the book of Proverbs. Dr. Wiersbe writes, “These proverbs rebuke and reprove sinners for their lying, laziness, drunkenness, sexual sins, and other personal failures.  But Proverbs doesn’t stop with conviction; the book also administers correction, telling us how to turn from sin and men our ways.  It shows us how to stay on the path of wisdom and not to stray.”

            I have heard this before and practiced it before also, and that is that there are thirty-one chapters in the book of Proverbs and that means that one can read one chapter a day and get through it in a month, and then begin the next month doing the same thing.    

            Question:  Why did Solomon use proverbs and not some other kind of literary approach as he recorded these divine truths?  Things were much different when Solomon was alive than they are today, and one of the things that was different was that common people did not have the Word of God in their homes like we do today.  Every year the Bible is the number one printed book and now we can have it on computers, cell phones, I-pads, IPods, and other digital devices.  Solomon wrote these words in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”  A person can easily memorize this verse and learn a lot about pride. Dr. Wiersbe writes “Believers who learn the key proverbs in this book will have at their disposal the wisdom  they need of making right decisions day after day.  The truths found in Proverbs touch upon every important area of human life, such as acquiring and using wealth, making and keeping friends, building a happy home, avoiding temptations and trouble, controlling our feelings, disciplining the tongue, and building godly character.” 

            We will and look at the “Analysis:”  As one reads through the book of Proverbs one may wonder why it was not written in some sort of topical fashion in order for us to more easily find out what we need to know?  Derek Kidner writes, “The book of Proverbs is no anthology, but a course of education in the life of wisdom.”  This is one of the benefits of reading a chapter of Proverbs each day so that the Holy Spirit has the freedom to teach us about the many subjects that are found in the book.  When you think about it the Bible is not arranged like a systematic theology and so neither is the book of Proverbs.  Proverbs could be described as a kaleidoscope and not a stain glassed window.

            Dr. Wiersbe writes, “The first nine chapters of Proverbs form a unit in which the emphasis is on ‘wisdom’ and ‘folly,’ personified as two women.  (The Hebrew word for wisdom is in the feminine gender.)  In chapters 1, 8, and 9 Wisdom calls to men and women to follow her and enjoy salvation, wealth, and life.  In chapters 5, 6, and 7, Folly calls to the same people and offers them immediate satisfaction, but doesn’t warn them of the tragic consequences of rejection Wisdom:  condemnation, poverty, and death.  Chapters 10-15 form the next unit and present a series of contrasts between the life of wisdom and the life of folly.  The closing chapters of the book 16-31 contain a variety of proverbs that give us counsel about many important areas of life.”

            He goes on to state, “As you survey Solomon’s approach, you can see how wise God was in arranging the book this way.  Wisdom isn’t some abstract treasure that’s so far away we can’t grasp it.  Through His Word and by His Spirit, God is every day calling us to the life of wisdom.  If we want to live wisely, we must begin with commitment to Jesus Christ, who is ‘the wisdom of God’ (1Cor. 1:30).  Wisdom and Folly each want to control our lives, and we must make the choice.

            “After we have committed ourselves to the Lord and His wisdom, we must recognize that there are consequences to the decisions we make.  The proverbs in chapters 10-15 depict so vividly the contrasts that exist between the life of wisdom and the life of folly, between faith and unbelief, obedience and disobedience.  We can’t compromise and expect God to bless.  The final section of the book (chapters 16-31) contains the further counsels we need for developing spiritual discernment and making wise decisions.”

            On more through about how this book is written and that is it is written in Hebrew Poetry and when we began the book of Psalms we did learn something about Hebrew Poetry.  The following quote comes from my Spiritual Diary from December 10, 2011:  ““Hebrew poetry is based on ‘thought lines’ and not rhymes.  If the second line repeats the first line in different words, as in Psalm 24:1-3 (“The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. 2  For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers.3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place?”)  If the second line contrasts with the first, as in Psalm 1:6 (“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.”) and also Psalm 37:9, it is antithetic parallelism.  Psalm 19:7-9 (“7 ¶  The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple  8  The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.  9  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.”) But when the second line completes the first, it is climatic parallelism (Psalm 29:1 “Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.”).  With iterative parallelism, the second line repeats the thought of the first as seen in Psalm 93, and in alternate parallelism, the lines carry the same thought as in (Psalm 103:8-13 “8  The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9  He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10  He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 12  As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13  Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”).  You don’t bring these technical terms into the pulpit, but knowing what they mean can give you great help when you study.  To interpret Psalm 103:3 “3  Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;” as God’s promise to heal every sickness is to ignore the synonymous parallelism of the verse:  the forgiveness of sins is like the healing of disease (see Psalm 41:4). “4  As for me, I said, "O LORD, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.’”

 

12/26/2012 6:13 PM

 

 

           

             

Who Wrote Proverbs and How it is Written

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/25/2012 10:40 AM

My Worship Time                                          Focus: Who Wrote Proverbs & How it is written

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Introduction Material

            Message of the verses:  As stated in yesterday’s SD we are taking a few days to look at the introduction to the book of Proverbs by looking at five different questions from Warren Wiersbe that he poses before beginning a study of any book.  We looked at “What is the Major Theme of Proverbs” in yesterday’s SD and today we will be looking at “Who Wrote the book of Proverbs and How it is Written.”

            Proverbs 1:1“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.”  Proverbs 10:1 “The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.”  Proverbs 25:1 “These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.” 

Why is it that God would give such wisdom to Solomon in order for him to be able to write so many proverbs, for it is said that he has written 3000 proverbs, but not all are found in this book.  “5 ¶  In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish me to give you." 6  Then Solomon said, "You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7  "Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8  "Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9  "So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" 10  It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11  God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, 12  behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. 13  "I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. 14  "If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days." 15  Then Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants (1Kings 3:5-15).”

We know that the Holy Spirit is the Author of Scripture and so it was He who chose which proverbs would go into this book in so that the people of God in all generations should understand and obey the Lord.

We have already seen from Proverbs 25:1 that the men of Hezekiah also had a part in the writing of this book.  Proverbs 30-31 we meet Agur the son of Jakeh and also King Lemuel who also have taken part in the writing of this book.  Some believe that Lemuel is another name for Solomon.

I suppose all who know anything about Solomon, and most people remember that he had a great many wives and concubines, also know that he started out very good but in the end he did not finish well and is not even mentioned as one of the good kings of Israel.  “How tragic that Solomon didn’t even obey the precepts he wrote in his own book!”  (Warren Wiersbe)

Approach:  “’Always do right—this will gratify some and astonish the rest.’  Mark Twain said that, and President Harry S. Truman liked the quotation so much he had it framed and placed on the wall behind his desk in the Oval Office.”   The word “astonish” can mean “render speechless.”  Sayings like this one that Mark Twain said kind of stick in one’s mind and so it is with the proverbs that Solomon writes in his book. 

In his commentary on Proverbs Dr. Wiersbe quotes four proverbs from different countries and then challenges his readers to write a paragraph on each one of those proverbs in order to give an explanation of them.  I will quote these four proverbs latter, but first I want to quote his definition of what a proverb is:  “Proverbs are pithy statements that summarize in a few choice words practical truths relating to some aspect of everyday life.  The Spanish novelist Cervantes defined a proverb as ‘ a short sentence based on long experience.’  From a literary point of view, that isn’t a bad definition.” 

Now we will look at the four proverbs from Dr. Wiersbe.  1.  “Every invalid is a physician.”  (Ireland)  2.  “If vinegar is free, it is sweeter than honey.”  (Serbian)  3.  “When you want a drink of milk, you don’t buy the whole cow.”  (Crete)  4. Centuries ago, the Romans smiled at timid politicians and soldiers and said to each other “The cat would eat fish, but she doesn’t want to get her feet wet.”

Proverbs # One:  People who are sick think that they know more than the physician they pay money to in order to get healed from their illness.

Proverb # Two:  This proverb has to do with money because we know that vinegar does not taste sweeter than honey, but if it were free then we can make believe it does because it costs us nothing.

Proverb # Three:  This is a wise proverb also about money stating that if all you want is a glass of milk then do not spend your money on buying a cow in order to get that glass of milk.

Proverb # Four:  If you want to accomplish something then you have to make the effort to accomplish it even though it may cause you to do something that you really don’t want to do.

We will continue to look at  “Who Wrote the book of Proverbs and How it is Written.” In tomorrow’s SD.  Merry Christmas!

 

12/25/2012 12:10 PM

 

First Intro to Proverbs

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/24/2012 1:57 PM

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus: Intro to Proverbs PT-1

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Proverbs

            Message of the verses:  I have had to do some soul searching along with prayer in order to figure out the direction that I want to go for my Spiritual Diaries.  It has been my desire for a long time to study the entire Bible and to write my Spiritual Diaries on what I learn.  I also made the decision a while ago to use the commentaries of Warren Wiersbe to give me the help and direction that I need in order to understand the Bible.  I have said on many different occasions that Warren Wiersbe puts the cookies on the shelf where you can reach them.  I do use other helps in my study of God’s Word, but follow the outline that is found in the series that Warren Wiersbe calls “Be” books.  I am not sure what he entitled his Be book for proverbs, but he does state in this commentary that his original title for Proverbs was “Be Skillful.”

            On all of the other “Be” books that I have read Warren Wiersbe follows the Scripture books that he is writing on a paragraph at a time, and this means that all of the verses are covered when the study is finished.  I believe that the book of Proverbs study will be a bit different and so I will follow the outline that he has in his book.

            It will take a bit of time to get through the introduction to the book of Proverbs as there are five different points that we will look at.  The list of these points is as follows, “(1) What is the major theme of the book? (2) Who wrote the book and how is it written? (3) What is the key verse that helps ‘unlock’ the message of the book?  (4) What does this book say about Jesus Christ?  (5) What must I do to get the most out of this book?”

            In today’s Spiritual Diary we will look at the answer to the first question that Dr. Wiersbe asks before we he begins to study a book from the Bible and that question is “What is the major theme of the book?”  I suppose that any person who has ever read much from the book of Proverbs can answer this question for the book of Proverbs is in a section of the Bible which is called “Wisdom Literature,” and so the major theme of Proverbs is wisdom, which is what this SD will be about. 

            One more thing that I wish to mention and that is that we will continue to look at the book of Mark, one chapter each month and so we will begin to look at the 14^th chapter of the book of Mark in the month of January, along with our study of Proverbs.

            I mentioned that Proverbs is in the section of the Bible called “Wisdom Literature,” and the authors of these books were wrestling with some of the most difficult questions of life, seeking to understand life’s problems from God’s point of view.  It seems that as believers we tend to put our brain on the shelf and just walk by faith, but we should not stop thinking.  The Lord expects us to apply ourselves intellectually as we do some serious study of His Word.  Matthew 22:37 states, “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.   Ephesians 5:15 states, “Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do (Philips).”  As we study the book of Proverbs hopefully we will learn to live our lives “with a due sense of responsibility,” and will be kept from being like men who do not know the meaning of life.

            I wish to give some quotes from Dr. Wiersbe comments on wisdom from his commentary on Proverbs so we can all enjoy some of those cookies that he places on the shelf where we can reach them.  “It isn’t enough simply to be educated and have knowledge, as important as education is.  We also need wisdom, which is the ability to use knowledge.  Wise men and women have the competence to grasp the meaning of a situation and understand what to do and how to do it in the right way at the right time.”

            Dr. Roy Zuk’s definition of wisdom is “Wisdom means being skillful and successful in one’s relationships and responsibilities…observing and following the Creator’s principles of order in the moral universe.” 

            “Biblical wisdom begins with a right relationship with the Lord.  The wise person believes that there is a God, that He is the Creator and Ruler of all things, and that He has put within His creation a divine order that, if obeyed, leads ultimately to success.”  “Biblical wisdom has little if any relationship to a person’s IQ or education, because it is a matter of moral and spiritual understanding.  It has to do with character and values; it means looking at the world through the grid of God’s truth.”

            “Wisdom isn’t something theoretical; it’s something very practical that affects every area of life.  It gives order and purpose to life; it gives discernment in making decisions; and it provides a sense of fulfillment in life to the glory of God.”

            “Wisdom keeps us in harmony with the principles and purposes that the Lord has built into His world so that as we obey God, everything works for us and not against us.  This doesn’t mean we don’t experience trials and difficulties, because trials and difficulties are a normal part of life.  But it means we have the ability to deal with these adversities successfully so that we grow spiritually and the Lord is glorified.”

            Warren Wiersbe concludes this section with these words, “It’s one thing to make a living, but quite something else to make a life.”

 

12/24/2012 2:57 PM

           

 

Two Parables About Christ's Return (Mark 13:28-37)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/22/2012 10:13 AM

 

My Worship Time                              Focus:  Two Parables about Christ’s Return

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Mark 13:28-37

            Message of the verses:  “28 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 “Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 30 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 32 “But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 33 “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. 34  "It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. 35 “Therefore, be on the alert-for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning- 36 in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 “What I say to you I say to all, ’Be on the alert!’"”

            In this section of Mark’s Gospel we see two parables that Jesus gives to two different groups of people.  The first parable about the fig tree and also all trees as seen in Luke’s Gospel is for those who will be in the tribulation while the last parable is about those who are alive at all different parts of the Church age.  With that said I want to now write about the Church age as to when it began and when it will end.  The Church age began on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts chapter two with the great sermon given by the Apostle Peter and with the result of that sermon 3000 people were born again and thus were members of the Church.  When speaking about the Church we see that the Bible speaks about the local church, which has the most said about it from Scripture and also the “universal Church,” which means all members of the church.  Jesus mentions the church once in His teachings that are found in the Gospels, but in the book of Revelations He mentions it different times in the first three chapters.  After the third chapter of Revelations the Church is never again mentioned.  The Church age came after the rejection of Jesus Christ and will exist until He comes in the clouds of the air to take the Church, (His Bride) home with Him in what is called the “rapture of the Church.”  The last parable found in the section we are looking at is for those in the Church age as we are to be ready at any time for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.  There are three main portions of Scripture that speak directly about the rapture of the Church and others that imply it.  Perhaps the main portion of Scripture that speaks of the rapture is found in 1Thes. 4:13-18, “13 ¶  Now we don’t want you, my brothers, to be in any doubt about those who "fall asleep" in death, or to grieve over them like the rest of men who have no hope. 14  If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then we can believe that God will just as surely bring with Jesus all who are "asleep" in him. 15  Here we have a definite message from the Lord. It is that those who are still living when he comes will not in any way precede those who have previously fallen asleep. 16  One word of command, one shout from the archangel, one blast from the trumpet of God and the Lord himself will come down from Heaven! Those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and 17  then we who are still living will be swept up with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And after that we shall be with him forever. 18  So by all means use this message to encourage one another.”  (Philips)  The reason that I used the Philips is because you can see that fallen asleep means Christian death.  Paul writes these words to bring comfort to the early church for some of their members had died and this brought fear to their hearts as to what exactly happened to them and so Paul writes and tells them that those who had already died in the Lord would have their bodies taken up to Jesus a split second before those who are alive at the time when Christ comes for His Bride, the Church.

            Paul writes to the believers at Corinth in the fifteenth chapter of 1Corinthians, which is commonly known as the resurrection chapter something similar, “51 ¶  Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53  For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54  But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55  "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" 56  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57  but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Paul calls this event a mystery, which means that this event had never been revealed before, but is now being revealed. 

            Let’s look at one more passage from John’s Gospel “1 ¶  "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2  "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3  "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also (John 14:1-3).”  In this passage Jesus is comforting His disciples telling them that even though He is going away that while He is away He will prepare a place for them and take them to be with Him forever.  That place is heaven, and He will take them along with all members of the Church at the rapture of the Church.

            There are those who think at the rapture will take place at the end of the age or the middle of the tribulation, but my view and many others is that it will happen sometime shortly before the tribulation period begins, for God will be dealing with preparing the Jewish nation to repent and come to Him in repentance and faith during the tribulation period.  I wrote an earlier SD about the 70 week prophecy that is found in the book of Daniel explaining that there was one week remaining in that prophecy, or seven years left, and that seven year period is what is called the tribulation period, and it was during the first 69 weeks or 383 years that God was dealing with the nation of Israel, and so the last week or seven years he will also deal with the nation of Israel.  I also mentioned that in Revelations chapters 1-3 mentions the word church many times, but after the third chapter it is not mentioned at all.  For more information on the subject of go online and look up a book entitled “The Rapture Question,” written by John Walwood. 

            I want to write a bit about the first parable, in which Jesus speaks about the tribulation period and in particular verse thirty.  “"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”  The things that He is talking about are the things that will happen in the tribulation period.  This verse has had many interpretations involved with it.  I can only tell you what I believe the verse means.  Jesus is talking to those who are in the tribulation period and is speaking mostly to the nation of Israel who will be involved in this period of time.  Now the word generation can also be translated as race, and so since Jesus is speaking to the generation that will be involved in the tribulation period I believe that He is stating that that race of people will survive the horrors of that period, and that race of course is the Jewish race.

            At the end of the tribulation period the Lord Jesus Christ will return to the earth during the height of the battle of Armageddon riding on a white house with many accompanying Him as seen in Revelations 19: 11-21. I believe that the ruptured saints will be the ones coming with Him and also riding on white horses. 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Prophecy is a wonderful subject to study for it gives us the hope that one day life on this earth will be over and those of us who have accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior and Lord have that hope of His return to take us to be with Him.

            Dr. Wiersbe concludes this chapter that he has written on the thirteenth chapter of Mark with these words, “While Christians today will not experience the terrible sufferings described in this chapter, we will have our share of persecution and tribulation in this world before the Lord returns (John 16:33; Acts 14:22).  But the warnings of this message in Mark 13 may be applied to our own lives: ‘Take heed that you are not deceived’ (Mark 13:5, 23); ‘Take heed that you do not become discouraged and quit’ (Mark 13:9); ‘Take heed, watch and pray’ (Mark 13:33).

            “’And what I say unto you, I say unto all ‘Watch’’ (Mark 13:37).”

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Live my life in a way that I will not be ashamed when my Lord comes to receive me unto His own.  Continue to learn contentment and to have my life transformed by the renewing of my mind with the Word of God.

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 121:1

            1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?

12/22/2012 11:37 AM