Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t abandon your friend or your father’s friend, and don’t go to your brother’s house in your time of calamity; better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.” Proverbs 27:10 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “To have a friend you have to be a friend.”

 

Who can you call at 2:00 in the morning if you’re stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire? Do you have friends who will respond to your need for assistance at a moment’s notice? And, are you that person for other people?

 

There’s an old saying that goes, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” In other words, the real friend is the one who will be there for you when it costs them something. Getting out of bed at 2:00 in the morning; helping to pay your rent when you are out of work; sitting with you for hours in the funeral home and sharing your grief; those are just a few examples of the kind of sacrifice a true friend will make for you.

 

Beyond that, in verse 17 Solomon describes a friendship that is real enough and safe enough to share personal problems and struggles as we help each other become the person of God that we need to be: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

 

Sadly many people don’t have friends like that. They do have a lot of “associates” who are usually called “friends” but really, they’re not friends in the deepest sense of the word. They’re people you know and are friendly with; they’re people you smile at and wave to; people you sometimes have superficial conversations with; but they’re not people you would feel comfortable discussing your deepest struggles with; they’re not people you would expect to help you pay your rent.

 

The Bible describes a true friend as one who loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17); and as one who is closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24); and who will make sacrifices for his friends, maybe even the ultimate sacrifice (John 15:13).

 

Few people meet the criteria of being a true friend but we all do need one or two friends like that. We need people who know us well, who have the freedom to speak truth into our lives, and who will hold us accountable. We need people we can count on no matter what. And, we need to be that person for someone else.

 

If you don’t have at least one or two real friends I encourage you to pray about it and ask God to bring them into your life. But remember, to have a friend like that, you have to be a friend like that. True friendship is a two-way street.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth – a stranger, and not your own lips.” Proverbs 27:2 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Don’t toot your own horn.”

 

I’ve always had a problem with loud-mouthed professional athletes who boast a lot and claim to be the greatest this or greatest that – the greatest wide receiver of all time, or the greatest boxer of all time, the greatest tennis player, etc. Listening to their boasting I always find myself hoping they will lose in a big and humiliating way just to teach them a lesson. I’ve always been much more impressed with stars like Tony Gwynn, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers. People like that are low key, humble, professional, and they just quietly apply themselves to being the best they can be.

 

Likewise, I’ve never had any patience with pompous windbag politicians always seeking attention, bloviating their way through press conference after press conference, speech after speech, statement after statement, and obviously way too full of themselves. Even when I agree with many of their policies and positions, I find myself wishing they would just shut-up and focus instead on accomplishing important matters of public business.

 

The Bible teaches us to quietly and humbly do our best and if there is going to be any praise, let it come from others. Proverbs 27:2 is just one of many verses in both the Old and New Testaments which teach this principle.

 

Jesus taught about it too. In Matthew 23:12 He said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” This was actually a point that Jesus emphasized and taught in several parables and lessons. Those who exalt themselves in speech or conduct will one day be humbled. And those who conduct themselves in a humble manner will be lifted up and praised by others.

 

The Apostle Paul also spoke to this principle at work in his own life when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:6, “I have plenty to boast about and would be no fool in doing it, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it. I don’t want anyone to think more highly of me than what they can actually see in my life and my message.” (NLT)

 

Paul’s point was that he had confidence in the good job he was doing. He knew he was working hard and trying his best, but he refused to boast about it. He didn’t need to toot his own horn and call attention to himself or to his deeds. He let his actions speak for themselves. That’s also what made Tony Gwynn, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and so many others truly great. They just quietly did their best without boasting.

 

There’s a great lesson in this for all of us. Just do your best, don’t boast, and let your actions speak for themselves.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Proverbs 14:34 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Thank God for our Christian heritage.”

 

As I write this it is the morning of July 4^th, 2017. Today as a nation we are celebrating 241 years of independence. In a previous devotional message in this series from Proverbs I shared a quote with you often attributed to the French writer Alexis de Tocqueville from the early 1800s: “America is great because America is good. Should America ever cease to be good, America will cease to be great.”

 

In that same devotional message I made the case that the source of America’s goodness is our Biblical roots. Most of the Founding Fathers were practicing Christians. Some of them were deists (they believed that there is a God but their faith went no deeper than that), and others were agnostics (they weren’t sure if there is a God or not and they weren’t particularly concerned about it). But all of them recognized the wisdom of the Bible – especially for ordering the affairs of mankind. Therefore the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and later, The Constitution, were based upon and laced with Biblical principles. Here are a couple of quotes which help to illustrate the faith of the Founders and their use of the Bible in developing our system of government.

 

“The rights to freedom being the gift of God Almighty … the rights of the colonists as Christians may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutes of the great Law Giver which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament.” – Samuel Adams

 

“The first and almost only book deserving of universal attention is the Bible. The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principle of Christianity.” – John Quincy Adams

 

“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” – Patrick Henry

 

“Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” – John Jay, first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

 

“Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teaching of the Redeemer of Mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.” – The Supreme Court of the United States in an 1892 ruling, after citing 87 precedents.

 

On this 4^th of July, as we celebrate our nation’s birthday, let’s remember to thank God for our heritage and for the way He has blessed our country.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down.” Proverbs 26:20 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “A wise person is not fooled by deceitful gossiper.”

 

As we read through the Proverbs we cannot fail to notice that there are several themes Solomon returns to over and over again. One is the curse of laziness. Another is the foolishness of sexual sin. A third is the damage done by a gossiper.

 

The person Solomon describes, over and over again, is the deceitful person who smiles to your face and expresses their concern, while attempting to gather personal information or some titillating detail about you that he or she can then share with others (usually embellishing it in the retelling). This kind of person feeds on drama and conflict and loves to keep things stirred up.

 

In Proverb 26 Solomon provides us with some descriptive verses to help us quickly and easily identify this person:

 

Verse 23-24: “Smooth lips with an evil heart are like glaze on an earthen vessel. A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within.” This could be the person who pretends sympathy and concern for you and encourages you to share sensitive personal information, but then they go to another person “confidentially” to share a “prayer request”, just so they can pray for you. (Yes, of course. They’re only violating the confidence you shared with them so they can get others to pray for you.)

 

Verse 25-26: “When he speaks graciously, don’t believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart. Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his evil will be revealed in the assembly.” This person is a snake in the grass who cannot be trusted. But sooner or later their deceitful ways become apparent to everyone.

 

As part of the Old Testament Wisdom Literature, God had Solomon write the book of Proverbs to help His people become wise. Because he has repeatedly addressed this issue of the deceitful gossiper, it has to mean that God intends for us to be able to recognize such a person for who he or she is, and then take steps to effectively deal with them.

 

Confronting and correcting the person is the first and preferred way to deal with them but if that doesn’t work, then as 26:20 suggests, steps must be taken to either remove that person from the situation, or for you to remove yourself and to refuse to have anything further to do with them. Either way, you don’t need a deceitful gossiper in your life.

 

A wise person is not fooled by a deceitful troublemaker. Instead we confront them, we correct them, and if necessary, we separate ourselves from them. But we are not fooled by them.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

(Note: We will continue our theme of “Wisdom from Proverbs” for one more week in order to work our way through all 31 Proverbs. We will then move on to a new theme for the rest of July)

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.” Proverbs 26:11 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “We must learn from past mistakes.”

 

You’ve probably heard the old saying “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” That saying reflects a basic truth about human nature in that we have a strong tendency to keep returning to patterns of past behavior, even if we know that behavior is wrong and unhelpful.

 

The primary reason the Vietnam War ended as a failed war for the United States is because our leaders attempted to prosecute the war with a minimum of force. Instead of calling it and treating it as a “war”, they called it “a limited police action” and then they tried to nickel and dime our involvement. But all they ended up doing was dragging the conflict out for years. Eventually we gave-up and walked away the loser.

 

As a result of the Vietnam debacle the USA adopted a policy of “overwhelming force” for all future military engagements. The idea is that we will not commit our armed forces to any military engagement unless we’re prepared to go in with overwhelming force that is guaranteed to quickly annihilate the enemy, and then to maintain that force for as long as necessary to keep the enemy subdued. No more “limited police actions” for us.

 

It’s a great concept, and it would probably work well if we would use it. Unfortunately all of our military engagements since Vietnam have also been of the limited engagement kind, and we’ve achieved pretty much the same results. Either we haven’t gone in with the overwhelming force needed to quickly defeat the enemy, or we haven’t maintained it long enough to truly keep the enemy subdued. Therefore we have the messes in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria. Clearly we have not learned from history and therefore we are repeating it.

 

What’s true of those military actions is also true of life in general. We have to learn from our past mistakes, and we have to be very intentional about not making those mistakes again, or our human nature will lead us to simply repeat them.

 

If you have a long history of being overweight and out of shape but now you want to lose weight and become physically fit, you will have to be very intentional about changing the habits and behaviors of your past life. It will require a completely new approach to eating and exercising and you will have to stick with it – or you will end up reverting back to your old habits and you will get the same results.

 

If you struggle with drug or alcohol addiction but now you want to be free of it, you will need to change everything in your life that is in anyway connected to your substance abuse. The places you went to and the people you associated with will have to change. No more going to bars and hanging out with drinkers. If you attempt to maintain any of the old habits you will quickly revert back to the old behaviors.

 

Have you ever seen a dog return to its own vomit and eat it? It’s pretty disgusting. You can’t help but wonder why they do it. Well likewise with our old destructive patterns of living. Why do we keep going back to them? It makes no sense. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you will keep getting what you’ve always gotten. And that of course, was Solomon’s point.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” Proverbs 25:21-22 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Shame them with kindness.”

 

One of my favorite novels of all time is “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo. The story takes place in France in the early 1800s. It’s the story of Jean Valjean, a man who spent nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s hungry family. Once he is finally released from prison he wanders from town to town trying to find a place to stay, but because he is a convict nobody will even allow him a bed in an inn.

 

Finally a kind priest invites Jean to spend the night in his home. But in the middle of the night Jean, now a hardened criminal, gets up and steals the priest’s silver. He then flees, only to be captured by the police and brought back to the priest’s house silver in hand. But when they arrive at the priest’s home the police are flabbergasted when he proclaims that Jean did not steal the silver. Rather, the priest claims, he gave it to Jean as a gift. The police, not believing the priest but having no other choice, release Jean Valjean and depart the scene.

 

Standing there in the presence of the priest Valjean is dumbfounded and doesn’t know what to say. The priest gently tells him to take the silver, use it to begin a new life, and then to become a good man. The rest of the novel is all about Valjean’s lifelong effort to do exactly that – to live a good life and to be a good man, worthy of the kindness and charity the priest extended to him.

 

The impact the priest had on Jean Valjean is exactly what Solomon describes in Proverbs 25:21-22. The best way to respond to those who wrong us is with grace and kindness. Often that will shame them into better behavior.

 

However, we also need to understand that this Proverb is just a general principle that is simply intended to be a rule of thumb. It is not an ironclad rule that applies all the time and to all situations. Most of the time this is a good initial approach but sometimes it would be clearly inappropriate, such as when a person is in the process of committing a violent act. At a time like that you wouldn’t want to shame him with kindness you would want to stop him with force.

 

At other times you may find that your initial attempts to be patient and kind in the face of mistreatment and meanness only results in more of the same bad treatment of you from them. In that case you are enabling bad behavior and perhaps even allowing them to go on taking advantage of you. Therefore at some point your patience and kindness will need to evolve into a more forceful response.

 

God is pleased when we use patience and kindness to help others see the error of their ways. Sometimes shaming them in that way will end up helping them to see the error of their ways and to change their behavior.

 

But not always. Shaming them with kindness is a good first strategy. It could be that a second and third try is called for as well. But we also need to know when enough is enough and a different, tougher approach is called for.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “I saw, and took it to heart; I looked, and received instruction: a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.” Proverbs 24:32-34 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “God expects us to have a good work ethic.”

 

I will be forever grateful to my father for the good example he set for me with respect to the value and reward of hard work. My Dad was a high school dropout who was raised in poverty in one of the roughest neighborhoods on Staten Island, NY. But he was determined that his children would have it better than he did. So even though the best job he could get was as a low wage laborer in a factory, he purchased a nice home for us in a “Leave it to Beaver” neighborhood in suburban New Jersey. Then he worked two jobs for more than twenty years to pay for it. He would work all day in the factory, come home, shower and eat, and then go to his nighttime job of stocking shelves in a grocery store.

 

I too ended up being a high school dropout. But when I left home for the U.S. Navy at the age of only 17, I took with me the example of a good work ethic set for me by my father. I quickly discovered that because of my lack of education almost everyone else was smarter than me, but I also discovered that I could outwork them – and that made all the difference. So I determined that I would work longer, harder, and better than everyone else around me. That then earned the approval and favor of my bosses, along with increased opportunity. They liked my work ethic and they appreciated my good attitude, so they went out of their way to create opportunities for me.

 

Long story short, I ended up advancing up the enlisted ranks and then earning a commission as an officer. By the time I retired after twenty years I was a Lieutenant Commander (the equivalent of a Major), and eventually I went from having no high school diploma to having four college degrees. I’m not bragging I’m just illustrating what a good work ethic can do for a person. I also want to point out that God calls for and blesses a good work ethic from His people.

 

That’s what Solomon was writing about in Proverbs 24:32-34, and if you’ve followed along in the Psalms then you know this is not the first time he has raised the issue either. Laziness, poor performance, and shirking responsibility are affronts to God. He expects and demands better from us. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord – you serve the Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

That’s the lesson – “Whatever” you do, do it enthusiastically and do it well. Do it as if you are doing it directly for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself because in truth, you are.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t envy evil men or desire to be with them, for their hearts plan violence, and their words stir up trouble.” Proverbs 24:1 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Envy is a sin and it is destructive.”

 

The dictionary tells us that envy is “Discontent and resentment aroused by desire for the possessions or qualities of another.” It’s a matter of being unhappy with what we have or with who we are, and resenting that others have what we desire for ourselves.

 

Envy is a tool of Satan that’s especially insidious because it is subtle, but also because it stems from a sense of having been cheated or denied something we believe ourselves to be entitled to. That then leaves us with a feeling of righteous indignation and the belief that we are right to feel envious.

 

Envy is a special problem for the people of God. Traditionally it has always appeared on the list of the “Seven Deadly Sins”. (This is a list compiled by the church over the centuries of the seven sins that are most problematic and destructive. They are lust, gluttony, greed, laziness, anger, envy, and pride.)

 

I say that envy is a special problem for God’s people for a number of reasons. For one thing, our envy can be aroused by not only physical things like money, cars, houses, good looks, etc. But it can also be spiritual in nature. We can be envious of someone else’s spiritual gifts. That then calls into question the wisdom of God for giving us the spiritual gifts we have, rather than what He has given to someone else.

 

Envy is also a special problem for God’s people because it detracts from thankfulness. If you’re envious of what someone else has then you’re not truly and fully thankful for what God has given you. Envy is also the opposite of contentedness. Rather than being content with what God has given you, you are secretly longing for what someone else has. Envy also steals your joy. And it also prevents you from being truly happy for the other person. You are no longer honestly able to “rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15). And, at its worst, envy sometimes leads us to unkind or even mean-spirited conduct towards the one we are envious of.

 

Envy is also a problem for God’s people when it leads us, as Solomon mentions in 24:1, to be envious of evil people. This is more common than we realize. Our world is filled with rich and famous people who have achieved their wealth, fame, and celebrity by sinful means, or who use it in sinful ways. There’s nothing admirable about that and it’s inappropriate for God’s people to be envious of what they have or of who they are.

 

What’s the solution to envy? “Rejoice in the Lord always!” (Philippians 4:4). “Give thanks in all circumstances.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Learn the secret of being content (Philippians 4:12-13; 1 Timothy 6:6-8). And, “Rejoice with those who rejoice!” (Romans 12:15.)

 

Envy is a sin and it is destructive. Therefore we must fight back against it.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t associate with those who drink too much wine, or with those who gorge themselves on meat. For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor, and grogginess will clothe them in rags.” Proverbs 23:20-21

 

Our thought for today: “Addiction destroys.”

 

It’s amazing how prone we human beings are to addictive behaviors, and how destructive those addictions become. In Proverbs 23:20-21 Solomon makes specific reference to two of the most common addictions, alcohol and food. If we add to that sexual addictions and drug abuse we have the top four addictions most prevalent in our society today.

 

Alcohol is the most widely abused drug in our society today. Just in terms of the sheer number of people impacted by it in terms of lost wages, lost health, broken relationships, and crimes committed as a result of it, alcohol is the most destructive. There are literally thousands of residential alcohol rehab centers in our country today (because that many are needed), and there are Alcoholic Antonymous chapters in every city and town.

 

Addiction to food is even more widespread than addiction to alcohol. Obesity, type-two diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and other gluttony-induced health problems are epidemic in our society today. We’ve gotten to the point now that being overweight is the norm and those who are not overweight are a minority in our society. Gluttony is destroying our health. Despite all of the scientific advances in medicine, nutrition, and exercise physiology, the overall health of Americans is actually declining!

 

Drug addiction has also become an epidemic. Addiction to pills, addiction to all the various forms of opioids, and the manufacture and use of methamphetamine is ravaging our communities and families.

 

And then there is sexual addiction. We live in a sex-saturated culture. Not only is almost every deviant form of sexual expression being practiced (much of it openly), but the transmission of sexual fluids has created a social and health crisis that few would have anticipated – unwanted pregnancy, abortion, genital herpes, and AIDS, just to name a few. And then there are the scourges of pornography, sexual trafficking, child sexual abuse, and more. Sexual addiction is a curse from the pit of hell.

 

Solomon wrote the Proverbs over three thousand years ago but basic human nature has not changed much. We’re still slaves to our addictions, and the things we allow ourselves to become addicted to eventually destroy us.

 

The good news is that Jesus breaks the chains of addiction. It’s not magic, and He doesn’t do it without our cooperation – we have to want to be free and we have to do the hard work to get free, but Jesus does set the captives free. That means that He can and will help you gain freedom over whatever it is you’re addicted to.

 

Surrender your addiction to Him. Seek His help with it day-by-day and moment-by-moment. And then be sure to do your part too.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t wear yourself out to get rich; stop giving your attention to it. As soon as your eyes fly to it, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.” Proverbs 23:4-5 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Money will not solve all your problems.”

 

I once heard a very wealthy man make this comment: “Anyone who thinks having lots of money would solve all their problems obviously doesn’t have lots of money or they would know better.”

 

Usually, having money is better than not having it, but just having money does not automatically make everything all better. Sometimes it makes things worse. There are plenty of examples of people using their wealth in bad and destructive ways and therefore they would have been better off if they never had it.

 

Money is just a tool that can be good or bad, a blessing or a curse, depending on how we use it. And interestingly, in the Bible God dedicates a sizable quantity of paper and ink to warning us against the potential dangers of money. Consider how often Solomon has raised the subject just in the Proverbs. Solomon of course, was the richest man in the world in his day. But if you want to read his summation of the true value of wealth (written at the end of his long life) just take a few moments to read the book of Ecclesiastes. He starts it off with “Meaningless, meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” And it goes downhill from there.

 

In multiple places in the Gospels, including in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus cautioned against becoming obsessed with acquiring money. In 1 Timothy 6:9-10 the Apostle Paul cautioned us that the love of money is the root of all evil. That statement is true to the point of being tragic. Just think about all the evil deeds committed in the world as a result of people desperately trying to get their hands on more money.

 

I write this on a Monday morning. For most of us it’s the beginning of the work week. It’s the old, “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!” That’s ok; we should go to work so we can pay our own way through life. Additionally we should work well, getting promotions and raises, and we should make smart money decisions. Just don’t get obsessive about it. Don’t allow the pursuit of money to so dominate your thinking and your life that you lose sight of the things in life that are more important. Jesus said, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

 

Money has the potential to be a blessing, but it will not solve all of our problems; and there are other things in life that are more important. So I encourage you to keep it in proper perspective.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim