The God of Our Convictions ~ Raul Ries

“But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Daniel 3:18

Martin Luther, in his loneliness, on his way to the Diet of Worms to appear before King Charles V and the Roman Prelate and all the princes assembled around, said, “My cause shall be commanded to the Lord for He lives and reigns who preserved the three children in the furnace of the Babylonian King. If He is unwilling to preserve me, my life is a small thing compared with Christ. Expect anything of me except flight or recantation. I will not flee much less recant. So may the Lord Jesus deliver me.” And he did not say, “So may the Lord make it easy for me.” And he concluded his response with the words, “Here, I stand, I can do no other. So help me God.”

Thought for the Day:

Let nothing come between you and God;
Let God come between you and everything.

Fatal attractions ~ WOW the 7 minute Bible

A Fatal Consequence Brings Great Fear

Acts 4:32-5:32; Psalm 115:16-18; Proverbs 20:19

Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."

Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.

Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?"

She said, "Yes, for so much."

Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, "Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life."

And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, saying, "Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!" Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. So one came and told them, saying, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!"

Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!"

But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."

Acts 4:32-5:32

WORSHIP

The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
The dead do not praise the LORD,
Nor any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the LORD
>From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 115:16-18

WISDOM

He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.
Proverbs 20:19

Choose the best seat in His Kingdom ~ Mike MacIntosh

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask." And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to Him, "We are able." So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."
Mark 10:35-40

James and John were right next to Jesus, following alongside Him for over three years. And yet, they had the nerve to ask Jesus if they could sit at His right and left hand in heaven. Not only was this heresy, but they misunderstood something very significant: Jesus was right there with them the entire time! James and John were face-to-face with the creator of the universe. They had the ability to be taught and discipled by God Himself. And yet they missed the opportunity, all because of greed and pride.

Jesus wants to teach you today, and tomorrow, and the next day. Are you at a place where you desire to listen to Him and to be taught by Him? Or are you more concerned about the future, whether here on earth or in heaven? Take this little lesson from the life of James and John to focus your attention on the things that matter. The world is lost and in need of Jesus. You have a message that needs to be shared. The love of Jesus Christ and His payment for sin is good news to a dying world. Don't be so focused on the wrong priorities. Spend time with Jesus in the Word and in prayer. Ask Him what you ought to be doing today. Don't allow the enemy to distract you from your mission. Sit at Jesus' feet every day and enjoy His presence now.

God's fail safe stand ~ Joyce Meyer

Do it afraid!

Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not . . .for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you.
— Deuteronomy 31:6

Fear is nothing but a feeling which causes certain manifestations. It causes us to tremble, sweat, turn red, shake, and have wobbly knees. The Bible doesn't say, "Tremble not." The Bible doesn't say, "Sweat not," or, "Shake not." The Bible says, "Fear not." And the word fear implies running away from something!

In other words, God is saying when fear comes, which it will because fear is the enemy of confidence, don't let it stop us. We are to do it afraid!

When I received this revelation, I could hardly believe it. It seemed too good to be true. I realized there wasn't anything wrong with me when my knees knocked together in new situations and sometimes I felt I was going to faint. Because I went ahead and did what I was supposed to do in spite of how I felt, I wasn't a coward. We are cowards only if we run.

Maybe you have been allowing a feeling to control and determine your destiny. Maybe you think that some people have fear and others don't. But the truth is that fear comes to everybody. What we do in spite of that fear makes the difference between victory or defeat in our lives.

Right thoughts lead the way~Charles Stanley

Philippians 4:4-19

Healthy thinking is a key contributor to godly success. And the Scriptures have a lot to say about what a believer’s mind should and should not dwell upon. That is because every choice we make, every word we speak, and every action we take begins as a thought. So we really need to have our heads on straight, so to speak.

The Bible contains long lists of activities and thoughts that may have been part of our old existence but aren’t suited to a victorious life in Christ. We are to lay aside attitudes like anger, jealousy, and self-pity. Negativity held in the head and heart can work its way outward like spreading poison, tainting conduct, conversation, and character.

God’s Word also offers right ways of thinking to keep grace and love flowing. Setting our minds on heavenly things is a choice (Phil 4:8). Consider Paul, whom the modern church surely sees as successful. But his contemporaries would have seen a man repeatedly beaten, jailed, and persecuted.

He was often impoverished and friendless. And yet, during one of his many prison terms, Paul wrote of his joy, contentment, and unshakable faith in God (vv. 10-19). His life is an awesome expression of a positive faith attitude. He was a man committed to thinking godly thoughts whether his life was marked by blessing or adversity.

Proverbs 23:7 sums up the profound effect of our thought life: “For as [a man] thinks within himself, so he is.” Paul believed he was the beloved servant of almighty God, and he acted like it! Perhaps it’s time for you to claim the healthy, fulfilling thought life available through reading Scripture.

God's Faithfulness revisited...~Jon Courson

If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 2 Timothy 2:13

You travel with me halfway across the country to Yellowstone National Park. There we are, standing by the fence waiting for Old Faithful to erupt — as it does every 92 minutes. But after about 30 minutes, you become bored and you see a goose which you follow into the woods. I remain by the fence and see the spectacle of Old Faithful’s geyser. You, on the other hand, miss out because you’re on a wild goose chase. Finally you say, ‘This is dumb. I’m going back to position myself close to Old Faithful again.’

Now, when Old Faithful sees you coming, it doesn’t say, ‘Well, well, well. Look who’s finally decided to show up. There’s no way I will erupt for you. You’ve been on a wild goose chase.’ No, Old Faithful erupts regularly, faithfully, no matter where you are or aren’t.

Paul is saying that God is, in the best sense of the word, Old Faithful, because His blessings are continually flowing. If I go off on a wild goose chase, I won’t be blessed — not because the blessings aren’t there, but because I’ve moved away. But once I realize I’m in the woods on some crazy excursion and return to the geyser of the goodness of God’s grace, I find that God is faithful still.

For years, I thought God had to be primed — through praise, prayer, devotion. And I thought if I could just pump the handle of His blessings hard enough, blessing would start coming my way. But then I realized His grace is there anytime I choose to come back to my senses and come back to Him.

God cannot deny Himself, gang. He’s not faithful one day, and frustrated the next. He’s not generous one day, but stingy the next. He is continually and completely faithful.

Great is Your Faithfulness! ~ Jack Graham

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

-- Lamentations 3:22-23

On New Year’s Day 1929, the University of California played Georgia Tech in the Rose Bowl. During a play, a Georgia player was hit while carrying the ball, and the ball flipped into lineman Roy Regals’ hands. And Roy took off running!

He was nearly tackled time and again, and was spun one way and then another. He kept running and soon broke into the clear. But just as he approached the end zone he was tackled… by his own man. Roy had run in the wrong direction.

During halftime, Roy sat in the corner of the locker room and wept. He asked his coach, “After what I did, how can I get back on that field?”

The coach said, “Roy, what’s done is done.” And what he said next changed the direction of Roy’s life forever. He said, “Son, I believe in you.” Roy played the greatest second half that anyone had ever seen him play!

As a believer, you have a God who believes in second chances, in tenth chances, and in one hundredth chances! He never gives up on you… even if you’re running in the wrong direction.

YOU HAVE A GOD WHO NEVER GIVES UP ON YOU!

Inside out ~ Mark Balmer

Based on “Under HIS Influence – REALLY!!!” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 10/10-11/09,
Message #MB392; Daily Devotional #4 - “Inside Out”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): In our daily attempt to walk “Under the Influence of Christ” we are often tested. So often it is easy to convince ourselves that we passed the test based on our outward actions. For example, it is (sometimes) easy to refrain from yelling at an errant driver, but if we will allow the anger to fill our hearts and minds unchecked then we have not passed the test. Jesus made it very clear in His teaching that sinning with our hearts and minds is the same as acting out the sins. “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment…” (Matthew 5:21-22) The enemy knows our weaknesses and will present them to us throughout our daily walk. While running from sin (like Joseph from his master’s wife) may save us from adultery, we can commit the same sin just as easily by allowing lustful thoughts to gain a foothold in our thoughts, even in total privacy.

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): The goal of walking closer to the Lord is a remolding of the inside that will lead to changes on our outside. I would argue that the most difficult sins to avoid are those we are not aware we are committing. Though it may sound silly, we can all admit that there are things that we would not consider doing now that seemed alright earlier in our walk with God. One of my favorite passages in the Bible is when David asks the Lord to search his heart to cleanse it of weaknesses that he may not even know exist. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): As Christ Followers, we must daily strengthen our spirit through prayer and the Word. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit as a counselor, “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:7-8) Throughout our daily walk we must be attuned to the Spirit and not ignore His convictions. Christian author Oswald Chambers wrote: "Conviction of sin is one of the rarest things that ever strikes a man. It is the threshold of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict of sin, and the Holy Spirit rouses the conscience and brings him into the presence of God…” As you fight your spiritual battles remember that the sins we commit outwardly are only symptoms of the real problem of sin in our hearts and minds.

Cultivating (Additional Reading): 1 Peter 1:7

Pettiness alert ~ Chuck Swindoll

Galatians 2:4-5

Few things turn our crank faster than being around big-minded, enthusiastic, broad-shouldered visionaries. They are positive, on the move, excited about exploring new vistas, inspired, and inspiring. While others are preoccupied with tiny tasks and nit-picking squabbles, these people see opportunity in every difficulty and helpful lessons in every setback.

Few things turn us off quicker than being around small-minded, pessimistic, narrow-world, tedious frowners. Engrossed in the minutiae of what won't work and remembering a half-dozen worst-case scenarios, they can throw more cold water on a creative idea than a team of firefighters snuffing out a candle.

It's not caution we resent. Caution is necessary and wise. Caution keeps the visionary realistic. No, it's the tiny-focused, squint-eyed, tight-lipped, stingy soul that drives us batty. The best word is petty . . . as in petty cash, petty larceny, petty minded.

"Pettiness," writes George Will, "is the tendency of people without large purposes."

Petty people are worse than stubborn; they are negative and rigidly inflexible. While we work overtime to come up with some soaring idea, they've already thought up eight reasons it won't fly.

Whatever or wherever or whoever manifests pettiness isn't my concern, however. Stopping its effect on us is. Why? Because the church seems to be the breeding ground for this legalistic disease.

Pettiness takes a terrible toll. It kills our joy!

I have been studying the lives of several of the great visionaries of the church. They were extremely different, yet they all have one common denominator: Not one was petty. I mean not one.

Let me remind you of Paul's reaction to those who "sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus." He declares, "We did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour" (Gal. 2:5). Nor should we.

Count on this: You will encounter petty types. So when you do, shrug it off and just keep on honoring God as you pursue those large purposes.

"Pettiness is the tendency of people without large purposes" (George Will).

Jesus, the Word of Truth ~ Bob Hoekstra

Then He who sat on the throne said…"Write, for these words are true and faithful"…Then he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"…So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Revelation 21:5; 22:6; and Romans 10:17)

Jesus is the faithful and true witness, who gives us the reliable truth that we must have in order to find life and live life as God intended. "Jesus Christ, the faithful witness…the Faithful and True Witness…And He…was called Faithful and True" (Revelation 1:5; 3:14; and 19:11). Faith toward Him develops in our lives, as we see His faithful and true character. His word is a vital part of this process, since it has the same character that He has (faithful and true). "Write, for these words are true and faithful… These words are faithful and true."

When people humbly receive the word of God, the Scriptures change their lives. This is how we started out with God: "Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because 'All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.' Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you" (1 Peter 1:23-25). We were born again into the family of God in conjunction with the incorruptible, living, eternal word of God being planted like a seed into our lives. This occurred when we heard the gospel. We then believed the good news of Jesus Christ, and this gospel seed germinated within us unto life eternal.

After being born again by grace through faith in Christ, God's plan was that we continue to respond to His word (like those in Thessalonica did). "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe" (1 Thessalonians 2:13). These saints welcomed the Scriptures into their lives. They knew that it was not a mere human message. They knew it was from the Lord. They were eager to hear it and to rely upon its life-nurturing message. Therefore, it effectively worked in their hearts, as they believed in the truths they were hearing. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Initially and continually, faith comes by hearing the faithful and true words of God, and that faith accesses grace.

Dear Lord, even as You are faithful and true, so Your word is faithful and true. I began by a faith that was stirred through the gospel message of Your word. I know that I can only grow in faith as I humbly receive Your word into my life day by day. Lord, I long to live by faith that I might grow in Your grace, in Your holy name, Amen.

Shepherd, King, and Prophet ~ Bob Coy

For David says concerning Him: "?You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. . . ." Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne? .-Acts 2:25-31 (NKJV)

In addition to being a man after God's heart, David was a prophet. That's what we see in the passage above as the apostle Peter proclaimed what David prophesied concerning Christ's resurrection. Most of those familiar with the Bible will have no problem identifying David as a shepherd and king, but how many people think of him as a prophet? Yet David is responsible for some of the most important prophecies found in Scripture.

Most notably, Psalm 22 is a graphic depiction of the crucifixion. David predicted how Jesus would be mocked and scorned by those who passed by as He hung on the cross, even to the point of writing that they would taunt Him with the words, "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!" (Psalm 22:7-8; Matthew 27:43). He then described how Jesus' hands and feet would be pierced and how those present would gamble for His clothing: They pierced My hands and My feet . . . . They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots (Psalm 22:16-18; Matthew 27:35). Keep in mind that David penned this psalm approximately 800 years before crucifixion became a familiar form of punishment!

Another example is found in Psalm 40, as David foretold how Christ's coming would serve to fulfill the Old Testament Scriptures (Psalm 40:7; Matthew 5:18). He also predicted that Christ would come to proclaim the faithfulness, salvation, loving-kindness, and truth of God (Psalm 40:9-10; John 1:17).

At first, we might not think of David as a prophet, and we may not envision Psalms as a "go-to book" for prophecy, but David's psalms are filled with prophetic riches. Those who take the time to dig for them will be all the wealthier when it comes to their walk.

Discuss what words come to your mind when you think of King David. Do you think of him as a prophet?

Dig into Psalm 22. What events are foretold here? How did David craft and create this amazing psalm?

Decide as a group to take time to write a love letter to God. Encourage each other to express your love for God through writing a letter. Offer those in your group an opportunity to share their letter if they would like to.

Do your actions demonstrate your stated beliefs? (91-4) ~ Barry Werner

Do your actions demonstrate your stated beliefs? (91-4)

October 15th, 2009 in 2 Samuel, Character, Leadership Principles, New Testament, Old Testament, Romans, Values | leave a response

Every leader will face the choice of being a people-pleaser or a God-pleaser. Read 2 Samuel 6:1-23.

Once David was “national king” of Israel and Jerusalem had been established as the national capitol of Israel, David desired to bring the central uniting object of the Jewish faith, the ark of the Lord, to the capitol city. The Ark of the Covenant was the physical representation of God’s presence and blessing and David desired to directly link God’s presence, rule and blessing to any leader of the nation of Israel.

David felt so exhilarated by the process of honoring God through moving the ark that he danced before the Lord during the journey. David danced so vigorously that the exercise caused his body to heat up and he stripped down to his undergarments, a linen ephod, an embroidered garment, believed to be like an apron with shoulder straps. Verse 14 says, “David…danced before the Lord with all his might.” David did not look like the dignified king of all Israel as he leaped and twirled before the Lord in his undergarments but the message that David’s actions sent to the people was unmistakable; he served the Lord with all his heart. His actions made a leadership statement louder than any word he could have spoken – he was a God-pleasing leader no matter what that did to his personal image.

Effective Christian leaders find ways to demonstrate their beliefs with their actions. Their team should not have to depend on words alone to understand who they are following.

Romans 1:16 says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

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Tags: God-pleaser, People-pleaser

« Are you constantly seeking the Lord’s direction for your leadership? (91-3)

More than meets the eye ~ Greg Laurie

A Face with the Sin

Peter told them, "You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean."

— Acts 10:28

It is very easy to rail against someone who is caught up in a certain sin until you personally know them. It is easy to say that certain things are a sin until you know someone who is trapped by that sin. Maybe you have a close friend, even a family member, who is gay or who struggles with alcohol or drug abuse. Maybe you know someone with a child who has gone astray. Maybe your own child has gone astray. Suddenly when it is on your doorstep, it is not the same, because now there is a face with the sin.

Now I am not suggesting that sin is any less a sin. But I am saying that when it is someone you know, you see it a little bit differently all of the sudden. There is a little more compassion for that person. You want to help rather than simply condemn.

That is what happened with the apostle Peter, who was a Jew. Jews were taught from youth to have nothing to do with Gentiles. They were never to eat food prepared by Gentile hands. A strict Jew never would be a guest in a Gentile's home or invite a Gentile into his home. It was part of the Jewish culture, and Peter felt this way. He didn't want to leave his comfort zone and go to non-Jews with the message of the gospel. Yet God softened his heart, and Peter began to see things differently.

As believers, we too can write off large groups of people with whom we don't agree. Sometimes Christians will maintain a philosophy of "us four and no more." Some will divide over anything, and as a result, they are missing out on what God can do. They are missing out on opportunities.

Jesus: Man As He’s Supposed To Be! ~ Kay Arthur

Life is the Spirit - part five
Jesus: Man As He’s Supposed To Be!

Let me ask you a question my friend. Do you feel as if there.s something missing in life, that you haven.t really grasped what life is all about? Well let me ask you a question. How many times have you been born? You say, come on Kay, I.ve been born once. Everybody.s been born once. O there is a physical birth and there is a spiritual birth. And it.s the spiritual birth that makes the difference.

Why did Jesus come? Was He born just to die and that was the end of it? No, He was born to die to pay for your sins, to be buried, to be resurrected, to walk in newness of life as the God-man. He was born and He came to die, to be buried and to be raised again so that He might walk in newness of life. He gave us a picture of what man is to supposed to be when man was created in God.s image.

Now what we.re going to see is how does that power that came on Jesus when He was baptized in the Holy Spirit as a man, how does that power come into you and to me so that you and I can be about God.s kingdom business, so that we can live in power, so we can live as an overcomer, how does that happen?

Well, we want to go back to where we left off in our last program and that.s to Luke, chapter 3. In Luke, chapter 3, remember in verse 21, Jesus is baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes upon Jesus. Then in Luke, chapter 4 Jesus goes out, He.s full of the Holy Spirit and He is led by the Spirit into the wilderness.

Now you.re learning several things about the Holy Spirit right here. Number 1: you.re learning that you can be filled with the Holy Spirit. And you.re learning that you can be led by the Holy Spirit. And really this is what life in the Spirit is all about.

Life in the Spirit is you and I being filled, controlled by the Spirit, led by the Spirit, and because we.re filled and because we.re controlled then we have the same power and the same authority that Jesus Christ has. Because what you see in Luke, chapter 4, it says in verse 1: “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan where He had been baptized with the Holy Spirit and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.” He was tempted by the devil and yet He never yielded to the devil.

What did He do? He took the Word of God and every time the devil made a proposition Jesus counteracted it with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. All right now, what does He do? He.s been baptized with the Holy Spirit. He has been filled with the Holy Spirit. He.s been led by the Holy Spirit. He.s been tempted by the devil.

Remember that when God created man, God breathed into man the breathe of life. And man was filled with the Spirit of God. But when Eve was tempted and Adam was tempted to take the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and they ate that fruit, then what happened? They died. They died. God.s Spirit of life moved out of them. All right? So, they died. Now what does God want to do? God wants to restore life to man.

But what I want you to see is now Jesus is beginning His public ministry. Go to Luke, chapter 4, verse 14 and it says, “And Jesus returned to Galilee....” Now this is after being tempted by the Holy Spirit. Jesus returned to the Galilee, to that beautiful Galilee in the northern part of Israel. It is absolutely gorgeous, just absolutely gorgeous. Well, He.s in the Galilee. And it says, “And Jesus returned to the Galilee in the power of the Spirit.” (Luke 4:14)

So what you and I have seen is we have seen that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit that enabled Him to use the sword of the Word of God that counteracted the temptation of the devil. And now Jesus is moving in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is life. It.s life in the Spirit. It is power in the Spirit. And so you want to mark Spirit there.

Now remember that.s our task as we study this inductively, is we go straight to the Word of God to see for ourselves what God is saying. That.s why it.s so important that you get out your Bibles. So if you are not able when you listen to this program and you.re not able to take notes, then get the CD.s on the program so that you can go back and you can mark your Bible.

Well, “…He began teaching in their synagogues…,” verse 15, “…and He was praised by all. And He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. As was His custom He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and He found the place where it was written, „The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor..” (4:15-18)

Now look at these terms, filled with the Holy Spirit, led by the Holy Spirit, the power of the Holy Spirit, anointed by the Holy Spirit. They all basically almost speak of the same thing. And it says, “…He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives.” (4:18) Now what is He doing? He.s quoting from Isaiah. He.s quoting from that chapter that we looked at several programs ago and that.s Isaiah, chapter 61 where He is quoting this. And He.s saying to, “Preach recovery, to bring recovery of the sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And He closed the book.” (4:18-19) Now he closed the book before He finished the verse, before He finished the thought.

And it says, and, in Isaiah, chapter 61 as a matter of fact, I want you to look at it because we have been looking also at Joel. So go to Isaiah, chapter 61. And in Isaiah 61 and you want to see it with your own eyes because this is what helps you remember. It says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…,” Remember that? “…He has anointed Me to bring good news to the afflicted….” (Isaiah 61:1) Well you come down to verse 2 and it says, “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of the vengeance of our God….” (61:2)

Well remember the prophet Joel says I.m going to pour out My Spirit on all mankind and this is what.s going to happen before the day of the Lord. Well if Jesus had continued to read He would have gone into this day of vengeance, which is the day of the Lord. And so He.s stopping there. He.s saying to you and He.s saying to me it is the acceptable year of the Lord. It is now time for you to know and to experience God.s power in your life.

Well let.s go to John, chapter 3. Jesus is in His public ministry. And as he carries on that public ministry there are people watching. And one of those men that is watching is a Pharisee. He is a teacher of the Jews and his name is Nicodemus. John, chapter 3. If you know the scriptures you know, don.t you, where I.m going. If not, listen, you.re learning and that.s what it.s all about. You know I was raised in the church and I never knew that this passage was in the Bible. I didn.t, I really didn.t much care because I had a religion, but not a relationship. And when I.d try to read the Bible, it was so terribly, terribly boring and I couldn.t understand it until this happened to me. John, chapter 3. “There was man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. And this man came to Jesus by night and he said, „Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do the things that You do unless God is with him..” (John 3:1-2) We.ve watched You heal the sick. We.ve watched You make the blind see. We.ve watched You make the lame walk. We.ve watched You. And we know that no man could this unless God was with him. “And Jesus answered and said to him, „Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God..” (3:3)

Now listen, what was Nicodemus? What was this teacher of the Jews all about? He was all about the kingdom of God. And all of a sudden God has said to Nicodemus unless you.re born again, you.re never going to see the kingdom of God. It absolutely blows Nicodemus. mind and, “He said to Him, „How can a man be born again when he.s old? Can he crawl up into his mother.s womb and be born, can he be born again?.” (3:4) This is ridiculous. And, “Jesus answered and said, „Truly, truly, I say to you unless one is born of water…..” and that.s the physical birth, because we.re conceived in that womb and there.s a sack of water. It.s called amniotic fluid around us. All right unless one is born of water and the Spirit. There is a physical birth and there is a spiritual birth. So you.re born of water physically. You.re born spiritually of the Spirit.

So what do you want to do? You want to mark the Spirit there. You want to underline that and put that cloud around it like we.ve been doing. And listen to what he says. “…unless a man is born of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (3:5) In other words, according to Jesus, and when He says truly, truly, it.s like saying sure enough, sure enough. According to Jesus there.s no way you can go to heaven. There.s no way that you can belong to the family of God unless, Precious One, you are born again.

He says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.” (3:6) So the question to you is: are you just a man or a woman of flesh and that.s it? Or is the Spirit of God inside of you? We.ll talk about it more after this break.

Welcome back. We.re talking about life in the Spirit. We.re talking about being born of the Spirit, because that.s where life comes, that.s where it originates. And I.m talking about a life, Beloved, that lives forever. I.m talking about a life in the Spirit that brings you power, that puts the anointing of God on every single believer. He is no respecter of persons. I.m talking about a life where you are led by God, where you are walking and ministering and you.re doing it, not in your own flesh and not in your own strength and not for your own glory and not for your own benefit, but for the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus wanted to belong to the kingdom of God and Jesus has just, in a sense, slapped him across the face, bringing him to his senses and saying Nicodemus, unless you are born of water and of the Spirit you cannot enter the kingdom of God. You.ve got to be born of the Spirit. Now, this is leading up to what God promised in the prophet Joel, when He says I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. And what we.re doing is we.re looking at how this connects.

But what I want us to do is I want us to go now from John, chapter 3 where Jesus has just told Nicodemus that he must be born of the Spirit, otherwise he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven to the end of John, chapter 3 where a group of Jews have come along and they.re questioning John the Baptist because Jesus is other places and people are being baptized. And so they.re trying to say hey, isn.t there a little competition going here? Doesn.t this bother you? And this is what John replies. John, chapter 3, verse 31: “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.” (3:31)

Now who is the one that has come from heaven? It is God the Son with the Spirit of God upon Him. So it says, “What He has seen and heard, of that He bears witness and no man receives His witness.” (3:32) Now one of the key words that you would mark all the way through the gospel of John is the word witness. And he.s saying listen; He.s bearing witness, nobody.s listening to Him. And listen that.s the way the world is today. Just start doing a survey. Go to the mall. Go out to your backyard; talk to some of your neighbors for a change. That would be great, wouldn.t it? But as you go out and you interact with them, talk to them about Jesus. Ask them what they know, what they think. You would be so surprised at what happens.

Now he.s receiving the witness that God has given of His Son. It says, “He who has received His witness has set His seal to this that God is true.” (3:33) It doesn.t matter what the public says about God; you need to know what the Word of God says about God. And you need to check everything that you hear, Christian radio, Christian television, from the pulpit. You need to check it out with the Word of God so that you know, because this Book is true. It says, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God…,” For He whom God has sent, which is Jesus, now watch “… gives the Spirit without measure.” (3:34)

Remember in our last program that.s what I told you, is when God gives the Spirit, He doesn.t give a little bit to this person and a whole lot to that person. O no, He gives the Spirit without measure. This is very important for you to mark. So you want to mark Spirit. You want to mark that He.s going to give this Spirit without measure.

All right, now how is the prophecy of Joel, that God is going to pour out His Spirit on all mankind, how is that prophecy in Joel going to come to pass? Well it.s going to come to pass through Jesus, who is anointed with the Spirit, who is baptized with the Holy Spirit, who in turn is going to bestow the Holy Spirit. So let.s look at it.

In Jesus. ministry, John, chapter 7, He goes up and he celebrates each of the feasts. You say what are the feasts? The feasts are seven holidays grouped in three segments that the Jews were to keep every single year. Those feasts pointed prophetically to truth about salvation and about our total redemption. As a matter of fact if you have a New Inductive Study Bible, after the program, if you will go to the end of Leviticus you.ll see a beautiful chart there that explains all the feasts.

Well Jesus has gone up to the final feast of the year. It.s the Feast of Tabernacles, the Feast of Booths. And on that day what would happen is the priest would come out of the temple, he would take the water and he would pour it out and he would sing the helel. And so Jesus, capturing that moment, then says this, verse 37. “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, „If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink…..” (John 7:37)

Now do you remember when we began this series? Do you remember how we saw that the Spirit of God moved in Genesis, chapter 1, verse 2 and then we looked at the last mention of the Holy Spirit in Revelation, chapter 22, verse 17? And it says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, „Come and let him who is thirsty come..”

You see there.s a void in our lives. There.s something missing until the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us. So Jesus is standing up, takes that moment on the last day of the feast and as the priest is pouring out the water, He.s saying are you thirsty? Come to Me and drink. He says, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture says…,” Jesus always shows you this is what the Word of God says. “…as the scripture says, from his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.

What is He talking about? He.s saying from your life will come these rivers of living water.” (7:38) You.re not going to thirst. You.re going to be filled. And when you.re filled that living water is going to come from you. He says, “But this He spoke of the Spirit…,” Now hang on, this is so important. “…whom those who believed in Him, who believed in Jesus, were to receive….” (7:39)

In other words, those that believe in Jesus are going to receive the Holy Spirit. And when they receive the Holy Spirit, then rivers of living water are going to flow out of them. That emptiness is going to be fulfilled. That thirst is going to be quenched. And it goes on to say; I love it. “… for the Spirit was not yet given…,” That.s a time phrase, not yet. Why? And He answers it. “…because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (7:39)

Now what does it mean that Jesus was not yet glorified? Because Jesus had not yet died. Jesus had not yet been buried. Jesus had not yet been risen from the dead. And then Jesus had not yet ascended to the Father, so that He might send the Spirit.

Go to John, chapter 14. Jesus has told them that He is going to go away and He.s telling them that He doesn.t want them to be sad because He.s going to come again. And so Jesus says this. John 14:16, “I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper….” That word another is allos in the Greek, a-l-l-o-s. And you know what it means? It means another of the same kind.

Remember our symbol for God, in marking God when we want to in the Scriptures, is a triangle. And that triangle.s a picture of God the Father, God the Spirit, and God the Son. And so what He.s saying is Jesus is going to God the Father. When He gets to the Father, this is what He.s going to do; He.s going to send the Holy Spirit. And He says I.m going to give you another helper of the same kind. We are one. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. We.re all part of the Godhead. And so He says, “…I will ask the Father and He will give you a Spirit that will be with you forever.” (14:16) Isn.t that awesome? And there.s more to learn, but we.re going to have to learn it in the next program

Twitter Proverbs from Rick Warren

• People who shine from within don’t need the spotlight. Phil 2:15about 5 hours ago from web

• If blessed with fast,early success as a young minister realize Satan's happy to wait till you're better known.1Pet.5:8about 18 hours ago from web

• AP:Church to BURN @RickWarren books.Also by BGraham,Piper,MacArthur& all Bibles except KJV! http://bit.ly/3LjoYf3:58 PM Oct 14th from web

• The strongest shield against any sin is always humility.Bad news:humility grows best thru painful experiences.Isa.38:15 NIV8:41 PM Oct 13th from web

• NEVER follow a pastor who belittles other’s success,doubts other's motives,or criticizes other's efforts 4 Christ. Rom.14:48:32 PM Oct 13th from web

• "Addiction is finally about idolatry.The addict will do anything for his idol"- Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. A Breviary of Sin3:06 AM Oct 13th from web

• When u die, u wont regret your unfulfilled dreams,just your unattempted ones.The 1st is reality;the 2nd is tragedy.Matt9:2910:05 PM Oct 12th from web

• "God isn't a God of the edges,with only an interest in beginnings.He is God of the whole show"- Quarks,Chaos&Christianity7:42 PM Oct 12th from web

• Never waste energy trying to be well-known.Today’s hero is tomorrow’s zero.U work on character & leave reputation to Him6:09 PM Oct 12th from web

• “Promotion comes neither from the east nor west nor south.God is the judge:he puts down one & sets up another” Ps75:6-76:08 PM Oct 12th from web

• Tues Oct 13 Open-Participatory Conf.Tweet ur insights on Eph. 3:8-11. End w #Eph33:04 PM Oct 12th from web

• "The world’s poor feel we ate the appetitizers,entrees&dessert,then asked them to tea & said‘Let's split the bill"Freidman2:59 PM Oct 12th from web

• Pastors should wash their own clothes,dishes & change diapers.You may be annointed but you're just human. Acts14:15a10:42 AM Oct 12th from web

• Speakers like travel because it feeds the ego. Always being in the spotlight blinds u. Watch VH1's Behind the Music to see the harm10:35 AM Oct 12th from web

• TRAP:More interest&time speaking elsewhere than caring for ur flock.“My own vineyard I've neglected”Song1:6 Breeds hypocrisy10:31 AM Oct 12th from web

• Today our deeds,not the creeds,need a reformation: "NOW REFORM your WAYS & your ACTIONS & OBEY the Lord!"Jer26:139:46 AM Oct 12th from web

• Only antidote to radical evil is radical love,radical good,radical grace.FEB 9-11 RADI'CALIS camp will shake u to ur core.9:30 AM Oct 12th from web

• For some a cliche,for me a conviction:YOU CANNOT OUTGIVE GOD! I've lost the giving game for 34yrs,raising the bar every yr8:22 AM Oct 11th from web

• RT @KayWarren1: He loves each one of us, as if there were only one of us. Augustine7:53 AM Oct 11th from web

• You can't change the world if you are afraid of it. 1 John 5:4-52:28 PM Oct 10th from web

Our Words Rooted in God's Words of Wisdom~Bob Caldwell

Proverbs 15:1-16-33Our Words Rooted in God's Words of Wisdom 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. One of the primary themes of chapter 15 is the need to understand the good or evil impact of our words. Words can inflame a person into a rage or calm the storm of the soul. They can implant wisdom into the most perplexing situations or point others to their unexpected doom.Words have the power to become an expression of prayer to God that brings divine intervention into every facet of life. Words formed from a heart of love for God become the instrument of worship that can realize the greatest of all commandments. Words formed by wisdom can become our greatest contribution to humanity. What we say and what we teach become the hands that shape human society. However, because such great power comes with the words we speak, it is vital that we first accept the importance of how we listen and to whom we listen. Do we respect what God has uniquely given to us in His Word? Do we really listen to the wisdom of those who have gone before us? In "listening" to chapter 16, the wisdom in living our lives yielded to God's wisdom should be evident. With humility, we should sincerely yield the influence of God's Spirit as He weighs our thoughts in relationship to His Word. Without One wiser and greater than ourselves to evaluate our reasoning, our motivations and our chosen course of action, we set ourselves up for so many unnecessary troubles. This process of shaping our beliefs and our words by God's Word is, at times, learned by "trial and error." We find wisdom in being good listeners on our journey of life. Waiting on God to weigh our thoughts and direct our paths toward the best outcome is the treasure awaiting a good listener. To humbly yield to God as the world's greatest life coach is the best way to shape the thoughts that then shape the words that then become a reservoir of life to all who hear us.
Proverbs 15:1-16:33 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. 3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 5 A fool despises his father's instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent. 6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble. 7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, But the heart of the fool does not do so. 8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves him who follows righteousness. 10 Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way, And he who hates correction will die. 11 Hell and Destructionare before the LORD; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men. 12 A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, Nor will he go to the wise. 13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. 14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. 15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast. 16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble. 17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, Than a fatted calf with hatred. 18 A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention. 19 The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway. 20 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother. 21 Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, But a man of understanding walks uprightly. 22 Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established. 23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is! 24 The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below. 25 The LORD will destroy the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow. 26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, But the words of the pure are pleasant. 27 He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. 28 The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil. 29 The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy. 31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life Will abide among the wise. 32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. 33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility. Proverbs 16 1 The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. 2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits. 3 Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established. 4 The LORD has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. 5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished. 6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil. 7 When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8 Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice. 9 A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. 10 Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth must not transgress in judgment. 11 Honest weights and scales are the LORD's; All the weights in the bag are His work. 12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, For a throne is established by righteousness. 13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right. 14 As messengers of death is the king's wrath, But a wise man will appease it. 15 In the light of the king's face is life, And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain. 16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. 17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul. 18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud. 20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he. 21 The wise in heart will be called prudent, And sweetness of the lips increases learning. 22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly. 23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips. 24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. 25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. 26 The person who labors, labors for himself, For his hungry mouth drives him on. 27 An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire. 28 A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends. 29 A violent man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good. 30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things; He purses his lips and brings about evil. 31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness. 32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. 33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.
Proverbs 15:1-16:33 v. 1 the word of the Lord came to him – Hosea's authority rests upon the fact that his message and commission came to him unmistakably from the Lord. Thus, his message to the nation was by divine inspiration (Jer. 1:2, 4; Eze. 1:3; Joel 1:1; Jonah 1:1; Zech. 1:1; 2 Peter 1:21). v. 1 a soft answer – Speaking gently and kindly to someone provoked is a pacifier that will not return empty results. Volatile arguments are best quenched with soft words. Rude and abrasive words yield the opposite. Anger and wrath are their result (Judges 12:1-3, also see v. 18 study notes). v. 2 tongue of the wise – Knowledge as one of the spiritual gifts is to be used to edify those within hearing distance of the speaker. So it is with all knowledge gifted to men. It is not merely for the entertainment of its possessor but for the building up of others (Prov. 15:23). In contrast to the edifying wise tongue is the wounding foolish tongue which only steals life from its hearers. It is hurtful and corrupt (Prov. 12:23, 13:16, 15:28). v. 3 The eyes of the Lord – God sees all that happens on the earth (Job 34:21), There is nothing hidden from His eyes (Heb. 4:13). v. 4 tree of life – A wholesome tongue is one that heals and unifies, bringing comfort, love and hope. It is a peace maker (Rev. 22:2). The perverse tongue tears down and wounds the soul. Broken and bitter hearts are its fruit (Prov. 12:18). v. 5 his father's instruction – A father's instruction is given to save the life of the son. If the son hates the instruction then the son hates himself (Prov. 20:20, 30:17, 12:1). Should he receive and keep the father's correction he will live and be satisfied (Ex. 20:12). v. 6 much treasure – God blesses the house of the just with grace and contentment. No matter their monetary state. If they have learned to be content with much or with little then they have in themselves the greatest treasure of all (Phil. 4:11-13, Heb. 11:24-26). The wicked are not so for their eyes will never be satisfied and they forever strive against one another to fulfill their individual lusts (Prov. 17:1, 13:22). v. 7 lips of the wise – The wise man is a blessing to have around and the fool a burden. Knowledge is a gift that is to be spread. It is to be shared with those who are hungry for it so they may some day teach others (see v. 2 study notes). v. 8 sacrifice of the wicked – wicked men make their sacrifices to stop their guilty consciences from condemning them but their repentance is not genuine. God does not accept such sacrifices (1 Sam. 15:22, Ps. 51:17). God seeks a humble heart who is truly sorry. The prayers of the upright are a delight to God because they are laden with humility and genuine need of God. v. 9 the way of the wicked – This verse is coupled with verse 8 because of the nature of the wicked heart. Sacrifices were not intended to cover the sin of someone who intended to go on sinning. It is this manner of living that is an abomination to God. False repentance coupled with a pious image is a terrible disguise before God. v. 10 Harsh discipline – The backslidden Christian is usually offended and closed to any form of correction because of guilt incurred in their current state. A lack of humble teachability demands a more stern form of discipline in order to arouse them out of their spiritual slumber. He who hates and never receives correction will eventually destroy himself. v. 11 the hearts of the sons of men – There is nothing hidden on the earth that God does not see. His omnipresence is advantageous to judge the righteous and the wicked. His eyes see the intentions and attitudes of men's hearts and are so keen that even hell is not hidden from His eyes (Job 26:6, also see v. 3 study notes). v. 12 does not love one who corrects him – A scoffer. A rebel set out to defy God and all that is associated with Him. "Do not correct a scoffer or else he will hate you" (Prov. 9:8). Making a hardened scoffer aware of the end of his ways compels him into a deeper state of darkness. For fear of exposure he avoids light, wisdom and the righteous. v. 13 spirit is broken – The colorful spirit is shattered by the gloom of sorrow. A sick and anxious heart brings every form of grief (Prov. 13:12, 12:25). Nehemiah says the joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh. 8:10). v. 14 him who has understanding – The understanding man is too wise to believe he has arrived and thus he hungers for more of what there is to learn. His desire is greater understanding and his pleasures are wisdom and righteousness (1 Kings 3:6-12, Prov. 2:6, 2:10-11, Acts 17:11). A hunger for foolishness merely increases folly. It feasts on momentary gratifications and sensual pleasures are its delight. This is an unstable man. v. 15 the days of the afflicted – Severe and miserable are the days of trouble. Finding a place where joy and contentment lie keeps one healthy and full of peace (1 Tim. 6:6-10, also see v. 6 study notes). v. 16 little with the fear of the Lord – God cares for those who walk in His ways. Psalm 37:16 says, "A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked." No one enjoys poverty but it is better with God looking after you for he can be your place of refuge and source of provision (Prov. 16:8, 1 Tim. 6:6). v. 17 herbs where love is – The meal satisfies the stomach but not the soul. A meal made with love is a meal that satisfies both the stomach and the soul. Dread and anxiety prepare the table full of hatred. There is neither contentment of the stomach or the soul. True thirst and real hunger are only quenched by love's hand of provision (Prov. 17:1, 21:19; 1 John 4:19). v. 18 stirs up strife – This verse is repeating what is said in verse 1. A man slow to anger will deliver a soft answer in a heated moment. Love covers all sins but hatred stirs up strife (Prov. 10:12). Thus a man who is wise will diffuse the situation before it gets out of hand (Prov. 17:14). The wrathful man stirs up strife all the more. v. 19 like a hedge of thorns – It is the lazy man who works the hardest in the end. His way is difficult because he refuses to take care of responsibility. He will have trouble for the rest of his life or until he commits to diligence (Prov. 10:4, 12:24, 13:4). v. 20 despises his mother – This is a repeat of an earlier comment given by Solomon (Prov. 10:1). Only in the previous verse he says a foolish son is "the grief" of his mother. In this verse he "despises" her. It is this disrespect for her that brings her sorrow. He does not keep his parents wisdom or instruction and rushes to the path of folly. His mother grieves for fear of his destruction. v. 21 destitute of discernment – "Ignorance is bliss." If a man is lacking discernment he probably lacks knowledge of the consequences of his foolishness. Thus his joy will soon be turn to turmoil as he begins to experience the result. An understanding man stays out of the way of such foolishness as to avoid it's consequences (Prov. 2:3-6). v. 22 without counsel – Wisdom is gained in doing your research. Before making plans it is important to gather good advice from wise people who are learned in the given area. You will make wiser decisions based on the knowledge of your experienced advisors (Prov. 11:14, 12:20, 24:6), v. 23 a word spoken in due season – Saying the right thing at the right time is the most effective form of counsel known to man. God is incapable of doing otherwise (Prov. 25:11-12, 24:26, 16:13). v. 24 winds upward – The thoughts and affections of the righteous are on things above (Matt 6:19-21). His pleasures are in godliness and living out God's commandments (Ps. 16:11, Prov. 6:23, Ps. 139:23-24). v. 25 destroy the house of the proud – God deals harshly with the proud because they contend with Him as if He were a man to be disputed. Their legacy will be destroyed because they neither honor nor revere God (Ps. 52:1-5). The weak and helpless widow God loves to protect. It is to His honor that He cares for the widow and the orphan (James 1:27). v. 26 Thoughts of the wicked – Mischievous and perverse are the thoughts of wickedness. There is no intent to do what is good or give of oneself for the well being of another. Only self centered exaltation and a zeal to gratify oneself. This is an abomination to God (Prov. 6:16-19). Cleanliness, sincerity and honesty are pleasing to God. Integrity and purity and being understood for a devotion to God is pleasant to Him (Ps. 19:14). v. 27 greedy for gain – Greed brings trouble upon the whole house. The lying and cheating; anger and envy all work their way into the family affairs of the greedy. The seeds of backbiting and devouring one another are rooted deeply in their envious hearts. A heart that detests such existence and abhors evil methods will live and know the fulfillment of life. v. 28 studies how to answer – The results of a good word spoken in due season (v. 23) is because of the diligent observation of the wise man. He observes and listens before he speaks that his words would be words of value and not vanity (Prov. 20:5, 15:23). The mouth of he wicked gushes with foolish and insensitive speech (Prov. 6:21; 10:11, 14; 11:11 ). v. 29 hears the prayers – The wicked cry out to God and He does not hear them (John 9:31). Those who know and walk with Him cry out and he attends to their cry (Ps. 34:15-18, 145:18-19,also see v. 8 study notes). v. 30 light of the eyes – The wonderful works of God are light to the eyes. His creation, His miracles and works among men. The just look to God for their hope and when that righteous hope is received it is a tree of life (Matt. 6:22-23, Prov. 13:12). a good report – Never is there a lack of time or excitement to hear good news (Is. 52:7). It can add peace and enthusiasm to the gloomiest day. v. 31 ear that hears – This phrase is talking about more than just hearing a rebuke. Even the scoffer, who hates correction, hears the rebuke, but only the wise man listens to/ heeds the rebuke (Prov. 9:8, 13:1). The teachable spirit will learn to be wise and surround himself with wise people (Prov. 13:20). v. 32 despises his own soul – Rejecting instruction causes foolishness to stay bound up in the evil heart. The doer is bound to repeat his folly again and again. Thus his soul is angry continuously and without help for a way out of his rut. He who listens to correction will grow in wisdom and learn form his mistakes (Heb. 12:25-28). v. 33 fear of the Lord – Humility is the key element to fearing the Lord. It shall bring honor to the wise as they obey the word of God and follow Him in His righteousness (Job 28:28, Ps. 111:10, Prov. 8:13). Proverbs 16 v. 1 The preparations of the heart belong to man – This chapter centers on the condition of ones' heart. The overarching theme is that God judges the heart more then he does actions. v. 2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes – This verse is similar to a verse in the book of Judges concerning the people of Israel. The writer of Judges concluded, "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judg. 21:25). v. 7 He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him – In essence, Solomon is saying that the most effective way to be reconciled to ones' enemies is to first be reconciled to God. v. 15 like a cloud of the latter rain – The latter rain was accompanied by a cloud to cool the heat. The latter rain came in March or April and was essential for watering the crops. Solomon uses this description to describe the blessings of having a kings' favor. v. 18 Pride goes before destruction – One reason pride is strongly condemned in the Bible is because it violates the first principle of wisdom; the fear of the Lord. v. 21 prudent – Prudent is another word for being wise. A prudent person is able to exercise good judgment and common sense in all their affairs. v. 26 The person who labors, labors for himself – The strongest incentive for a person to work is to meet their physical needs (Ecc. 6:7; 2 Thess. 3:10). v. 33 The lot is cast into the lap – Casting lots was a form of decision making in ancient times. Those who cast lots believed God directed the process to a determined outcome. Lots were also cast in New Testament times. After Christ's ascension into heaven, the remaining eleven disciples cast lots in order to determine who the twelfth disciple would be, the lot fell on Matthias (Acts 1:26).
"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit." –Proverbs 15:4 The power of words is immense, God. Band our tongues, give us pause when speaking, let us be eager to listen and slow to speak. Filter our every thought through Your word, Lord.