Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Carefully consider the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established. Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.” Proverbs 4:26-27 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Stay on the right path.”

 

Back in the 1970s there were two rock and roll songs that have consistently been rated as being two of the best rock songs ever written. The first one was by a band called Led Zeppelin and the song was “Stairway to Heaven”. It was not a Christian song but it did borrow from the imagery found in Genesis 28:12 where Jacob witnessed angels climbing a stairway between earth and heaven.

 

The second song was definitely not a Christian song. It was by the band AC/DC and was called “Highway to Hell”. It celebrated a life of sex, drugs, and rock and roll and was based on the picture painted by Jesus in Matthew 7:13 when He said “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.”

 

Without question there is a highway to hell that is wide and well-traveled, but there is only a stairway to heaven which is narrow and less traveled. In Proverbs 4:26-27 Solomon changes the metaphor slightly and urges us to find and stay on the path that leads to righteous conduct and eternal life, and to avoid the path that leads to evil behavior and ultimate destruction.

 

Sadly, many people never give much thought to which path they’re on and where it might be leading them. Some people fill their lives with so many other things that they remain perpetually distracted from the things of God. Some people are intentionally evil and they seem to like it. Others are simply ambivalent about it all. They just shuffle through their days and they really don’t seem to care where they’re headed.

 

But God has created us as rational thoughtful beings with the capacity to think things through and to make smart decisions. We can and should evaluate our lives, consider where we’re at and where we’re headed, and then make course corrections as needed.

 

Speaking of stairways and ladders, many people spend their lives climbing what they believe to be the ladder of success, only to discover once they arrive at the top that the ladder was leaning against the wrong wall.

 

I encourage you to take a close look at your attitudes and behaviors; consider the path you’re on in life and where it is leading you. Then be willing to make the necessary corrections. Choose the path that leads to righteousness and eternal life, because the alternative truly is a highway to hell.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” Proverbs 4:23 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Guard your heart.”

 

In Proverbs 4:23 Solomon warns his readers that we must be intentional about guarding our heart. The reason he gives us is that the heart is the source of life. In other translations that phrase reads, “the well-spring of life.” In other words, the heart is the place from which the rest of life rises up and flows.

 

Obviously we’re not talking here about that 11 ounce muscle located in the left side of the chest which pumps blood throughout the body. In Biblical terms the “heart” is the essence of the person. The Greek word is “kardia” and it refers to the seat of conscious thought, emotional states, and intellectual activities deep within a person. It is the well-spring from which flows all thinking, speaking, and conduct and it is the secret place within us where we develop, guard, and cling to the things that are most precious to us. It is that place that Solomon warns us to safeguard.

 

In Luke 6:45 Jesus tells us that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. What He means is that whatever is in your heart will eventually bubble up and break through to the surface. People often try to hide what’s in their heart. Deep within they’re full of thoughts of lust or anger or profanity or greed. Outwardly they might smile and be as sweet as honey but inwardly they’re harboring all sorts of sin. Jesus says that sooner or later what’s in the heart will make its way to the surface and show itself in words and deeds.

 

So we must guard what we allow into the heart to begin with. Everyday we make choices about the music we listen to, the things we read, the movies and television programs we watch, the conversations we engage in. All of those influences penetrate to the level of the heart. As the people of God we must make good choices about such things.

 

We must also guard what we dwell on in our heart. Even on those occasions when a bad influence makes its way into our heart, we still have a choice as to whether we will expel it or hang onto it, and whether or not we will dwell on it. The more we dwell on something the more deeply seated it becomes and the more a permanent part of us it is.

 

Then we must be truthful with ourselves about what is already in our heart. You know and God knows what’s really there. Denying it only makes things worse. The heart can be cleansed of all unrighteousness. We can flood the heart with large volumes of Bible reading, good music, and good conversation. We can also choose to dwell on those good influences and allow them to become what is deeply seated within us.

 

The words you speak and the actions you take are a direct reflection of what is really in your heart. So guard your heart, for it is the source of life.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “When I was a son with my father, tender and precious to my mother, he taught me and said: “Your heart must hold on to my words. Keep my commands and live.” Proverbs 4:3-4 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Each generation must teach and guide the next one.”

 

What are we teaching the next generation? It’s a vital question that we must ask and answer because we are indeed teaching them something. The question is “What are they learning from us?” And also, when I ask “What are “we” teaching them”, I’m referring to all of us – parents, grandparents, adult relatives, teachers, adults in the church, “What are we teaching and modeling for the young people around us?”

 

Young people learn from the adults in their lives – be that good or bad. And to a very large degree, as adults, they will end up mimicking the conduct they witnessed from the adults in their lives when they were growing up. The overwhelming majority of men and women in prison today were raised, as children and teens, in dysfunctional situations where they witnessed the adults in their lives engage in the very behaviors that ultimately led that child or teen to become an adult in prison.

 

Here in Proverbs 4 we can see the generational impact of passing the faith on to the young people around us. In verses 3-4 we learn that when this man was a boy his own father instructed him in godly wisdom. Evidently he taught it to his son and then modeled it in his own life, so his son could see it as well as hear it. Now this man, as an adult with a son of his own, is doing the same for his son.

 

In the verses that follow he explains to his son that obtaining and living by Biblical wisdom is the smartest thing he could do, and that it will serve him better in life than anything else. Essentially he is telling his son that more than a good education, or a high paying career, and rather than striving for success and recognition, he is instead to study the Bible and become wise in the ways of God. All of those other pursuits are admirable and noble and do have some value in life, but they don’t compare in importance to the value of good godly wisdom learned, nurtured, and lived-out in a person’s life.

 

As the people of God we have a responsibility to teach and guide the younger generations. And we must never lose sight of the fact that we are teaching them something, and they are learning from us (be that good or bad), whether we’re intentional about it or not and whether we realize it or not.

 

So let’s be committed to developing godly wisdom in our own lives, and then to teaching and modeling it for the young people around us.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “God provides the guidance we need.”

 

As we walk sequentially through the Proverbs, extracting nuggets of Godly wisdom along the way, we come to a passage that is one of my personal life verses. Proverbs 3:5-6 has been extremely helpful and reassuring to me over the years because it serves to get me moving, and to keep me moving, rather then getting mired in indecision and doubts. That’s true even when (especially when) I don’t have a clear word from God on an issue, but have come to the point where action has to be taken and something has to be done.

 

In such cases I am to trust in the Lord with all my heart. That means that I am to commit the situation to Him and trust Him for the outcome. But also I am not to rely just on my own understanding of what constitutes a good decision. In other words, whatever action I decide to take I need to check it against the Word of God to make sure that whatever it is I intend to do is consistent with Biblical principles. Then I must think about Him in all my ways. That means that my attitude must be, “Not my will but Yours be done.” My desire must truly be that God’s will is honored in whatever I say or do next.

 

Then, once I’m sure my heart is right, and I have checked myself Biblically to be sure my intended course of action is well within Biblical guidelines, I just begin walking it out, trusting that God will guide me in the path He wants me to walk to achieve the outcome He wants me to achieve. He will open the doors that need to be opened and He will close the doors that need to be closed in order for His will to be done in this matter.

 

Remember, God wants to be obeyed by His people. It’s in God’s own interest that we ultimately do the things that He wants us to do and accomplish the outcomes that He wants accomplished. That being the case, He is not going to just sit back and watch us go off in directions He never intended for us to go in if we are sincerely trying to get it right and if we are genuinely trying to do what we believe He wants us to do. He will gently, even subtly, nudge and poke and prod and keep us moving in the right direction. He will open and close doors as needed to get us where He wants us to be.

 

So by all means take the time to figure things out before you make decisions and take actions. Be patient as you pray and study and get spiritual counseling; then wait on the Lord’s clear direction about what you should do. But if the time comes when a decision must be made and action must be taken, but you still don’t have a clear word from the Lord, that’s the time to check your heart, make sure you want only His will to be done in this situation, and then just start walking it forward, trusting the Lord to guide your steps.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man.” Proverbs 3:3-4 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “You are responsible for your reputation.”

 

Does it bother you when people speak ill of you? Of course it does. Nobody likes to be spoken of poorly, and down deep we all really do care what others think of us. Unfortunately we can’t always control what other people say about us, and sometimes the things they say simply are not true.

 

But a good rule of thumb to live by is, “Don’t worry if other people say things about you that aren’t true, just live in such a way that nobody will believe them.”

 

The fact is that we are all responsible for our own reputation. What other people come to think of us, and what they believe to be true about us, will ultimately be based upon how they have seen us conduct ourselves over a long period of time. You establish your reputation by the way you live and by how you treat others.

 

That’s the point Solomon makes in Proverbs 3:3-4. In those verses he encourages his reader to be so loyal and so faithful that it will be as if those virtues hang around your neck like a necklace and therefore never leave you. He urges us to graft those virtues into our heart, inscribe them there. We will then have a reputation of being loyal and faithful.

 

Later in the Proverb, in verses 27-30, he lists other virtues we should strive to cultivate in our lives. In verse 27 he urges us to be the kind of person who consistently does good things for others. In verse 28 he writes of a person who is immediately responsive to those in need and does not look for excuses to put off helping them. In verse 29 he describes being a good neighbor. In verse 30 the virtue is honesty or truthfulness. In verse 35 he concludes by saying that those who have this kind of Godly wisdom will be held in high esteem by others.

 

The obvious lesson of the Proverb is that we should strive to be men and women of honesty, integrity, truthfulness, loyalty, and faithfulness. If we cultivate those virtues in our lives then that will be our reputation. It then won’t matter if someone tells lies about us to the contrary, because nobody would believe such lies to be true of us.

 

We are all responsible for our own reputation. But don’t worry if other people say untrue things about you, just live in such a way that nobody will believe them.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commands, for they will bring you many days, a full life, and well-being.” Proverbs 3:1 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Godly wisdom helps us to have right priorities.”

 

The famous missionary Jim Elliot, who gave his life on the mission field in service to Christ, once wrote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

 

Jim’s point was that only things of eternal significance will last and have value forever. All earthly things are temporary and will eventually be lost to us. That being the case, we need to be willing to hold the things of earth loosely, even freely giving them away, in exchange for things of eternal value. In Jim Elliot’s case he gave his mortal life (which he was going to lose sooner or later anyway) for the cause of Christ, which has value that lasts for eternity.

 

Obviously this example has many applications. This is the point Solomon was getting at in Proverbs 3:1. Godly wisdom has value both for this life and for eternity. Therefore it is worth being acquired and kept. That’s true even if it means giving up earthly things.

 

Solomon then went on to make that very point a little later in the Proverb when he takes his point in verse 1 and applies it to the pursuit and possession of worldly wealth. In verse 9 he urges the reader to “Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce from your entire harvest.” And further in verses 13-15:

 

“Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding, for she is more profitable than silver, and her revenue is better than gold. She is more precious than jewels; nothing you desire compares with her.”

 

When Solomon writes in 3:1 that if we have a heart that is committed to God and to His ways, we will then have a life that is full and satisfying, he means that we will be living the best life we can have because it will be the life blessed by God.

 

When we have acquired Biblical wisdom, and therefore our focus is on the things of God, our priorities will be in order. That then will lead us to the best life we can have. It will be a life that is blessed by God in many ways, but it will also be a life that is focused on things that really matter, things that have eternal value.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “So follow the way of good people, and keep to the paths of the righteous.” Proverbs 2:20 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “You become like those you associate with.”

 

In recent years a big part of my ministry has involved working with young men who have been caught-up in the drug culture and who have ended up in jail, or in one case a maximum security prison. As I visit with them and learn their stories several common themes always seem to emerge. Many of them were raised in homes where parents and siblings openly did drugs. So it comes as no surprise that these men also ended up being drug addicts.

 

Another common factor in all of their stories is that almost everyone they know and associate with on the outside is also involved in the drug culture. The old saying “Birds of a feather flock together” is very true. We’re most comfortable being with people who are just like us. Therefore those are the people we surround ourselves with.

 

Another old adage that also applies is “We become like those we associate with.” If you hang around with drug addicts it’s just a matter of time before you are doing drugs too. If your friends are all bank robbers then soon you will probably be robbing banks as well. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals.”

 

But the opposite is also true. As Proverbs 2:20 suggests, if you surround yourself with good people they will have a positive influence on you. So if you associate with people who value education, you will probably end up an educated person yourself. If the people you spend your time with are health conscious, working-out every day and eating good food, you will probably do the same. If your friends are all church-going Christians, then you probably will be too. In Proverbs 13:20 Solomon writes, “The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.”

 

One piece of advice I always give to the those young men in jail and prison, especially as they are preparing to be released and therefore will have to make smart decisions about what their new life on the outside is going to be like, is to identify people who already have the kind of life that they themselves would like to have, and spend time with those people. I tell them, “If you want to be a godly man who is a good husband and father, who has a good job, and who is respected in the community, then find men like that and spend your time with them.”

 

It’s just a basic fact of human nature that over time we become like those we associate with. So like your Momma always said, “Choose your friends carefully.”

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “… if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:4-6 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Wisdom will be found by those who will seek it.”

 

When my children were young I sometimes sent them on a treasure hunt. I had a large jar in which I used to save my spare change. Once the jar was full I would hide it somewhere in the house. Then I would give my children pieces of paper with written clues on them which they would have to figure out and which would lead them to the next clue. Eventually their search would lead them to the jar of coins which they would then joyfully dump out on the floor, count, and divide among themselves. It was always fun to watch how eagerly they went about their search for the treasure and how hard they worked at it.

 

Many years later, when I was a team leader for mission teams in the Amazon Jungle, I saw how hard the gold miners worked at the mining sites along the river. They too were on a search to uncover hidden treasure and they worked long and very hard at it.
That’s the picture Solomon paints for us in Proverbs 2:4-6. Godly wisdom is like a valuable treasure which can be uncovered and claimed by us, but we do have to do the hard work of seeking after it. We have to patiently and diligently apply ourselves to the study of the Bible. Then, over time, God will allow us to uncover more and more spiritual nuggets of truth and wisdom.

 

In our quest for wisdom we must utilize the right tools. We need to bring a sincere heart and an open mind to the task, and of course, we need to have a good Bible in a translation we can easily understand. Bible study tools such as commentaries, dictionaries, and the notes found in the margins of study Bibles are all helpful; and often a guide or teacher is needed as well.

 

After that first treasure hunt, and the resulting bounty of coins in the jar, my children knew that on those special occasions when I organized a treasure hunt for them there would be a jar of coins waiting for them at the end. Your study of God’s Word will be no different. If you seek Godly wisdom you will find it. That’s a promise from God to you.

 

If you recognize the value of Godly wisdom then you will know it is more precious than the finest silver and of more value than hidden treasure. You will seek after it with diligence and perseverance and when you do, you will find it.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “My son, if sinners entice you, don’t be persuaded.” Proverbs 1:10 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Don’t be fooled.”

 

Sin is often enticing. That’s why people fall into it. The forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden looked pretty tasty to Eve. The cute and flirty young secretary is alluring to the middle-aged executive with a wife and three kids. The numbing effect of the alcohol is inviting and soothing to the lonely woman seeking to fill the emptiness in her life.

 

Our culture is a powerful magnet of sinful enticement too. Whether we’re talking about sexual promiscuity, conspicuous consumption, or politically correct ideology, people of all ages can feel great cultural pressure to just go along so they can get along.

 

One of the greatest challenges to the people of God in our day is that the understanding of good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness has been stood on its head. What used to be universally accepted as wrong and sinful is now promoted as normal, natural, and good. And standards of morality and integrity that used to be widely acknowledged as righteous and good are now portrayed as narrow-minded and intolerant.

 

This is evidence of Satan doing his best to confuse and deceive people. He takes what is evil and dresses it up to appear good, and he takes what is good and tries to make it look bad. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 says, “For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.”

 

As the people of God who are wise in the ways of God, we must be able to recognize Satan’s deceitful lies and then stand against them. The way we do that is we compare everything to what the Bible says. God’s standards of right and wrong, righteousness and evil are clearly outlined for us in Scripture. The Bible is the plumb-line against which everything else is compared and measured.

 

Federal agents who specialize in spotting counterfeit money never study counterfeit money. They only study the real thing. But they know the real money so well that they can immediately spot the counterfeit bills when they are placed before them. That needs to be true of us with respect to Biblical standards. We must know them so well that Satan’s lies, even when dressed up in seemingly righteous clothes, are immediately exposed for the sinful and evil things they are.

 

In Proverbs 1:10 Solomon warns us to be wise to the point that we cannot be fooled or led astray. We must make up our minds that we will not allow ourselves to be enticed or persuaded by evil people or evil ideas. Our study of the wisdom from Proverbs will help us to be wise in the ways of God so that we cannot be fooled by Satan.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For learning what wisdom and discipline are; for understanding insightful sayings; for receiving wise instruction in righteousness, justice, and integrity; Proverbs 1:2-3 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Seek wisdom.”

 

There’s a lot of confusion about what true wisdom is. Many people associate the concept of wisdom with advanced learning in complex subjects. Therefore someone with multiple college degrees must surely be wise. Other people believe wisdom is in the hands of only certain special individuals who have managed to attain a higher level of consciousness. To those folks there’s almost a mystical Yoda-like quality to wisdom, as if the wise person has tapped into some profound mysteries of the universe. But real wisdom isn’t like that.

 

Wisdom is different from knowledge. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts. Wisdom is the ability to apply what we know in a smart and meaningful way that makes life better for us and for those around us. There are plenty of people who have accumulated lots of knowledge but who don’t have enough sense to come in out of the rain. But there are many others who, while maybe not having much formal education, are nonetheless very wise in the ways that matter.

 

The Old Testament book of Proverbs is one of the “wisdom” books of the Bible. Along with Psalms, the Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes, Proverbs is said to “provide heavenly wisdom for your earthly walk.” It gives us sound guidance for making practical decisions about the issues and choices involved in everyday life.

 

It’s customary when dining in a Chinese restaurant to end the meal by opening your fortune cookie. Inside the cookie is a slip of paper with some brief quip about people or life. Often it claims to predict the future of the reader. The object of the statement is not to explain everything about a subject but to get at the essence of it in a memorable way.

 

The Proverbs of the Bible are like that too, but God’s Proverbs are much better than fortune cookies. The Proverbs is a collection of Biblical nuggets of divine wisdom which are intended to give us common sense guidance on the everyday issues of life. They’re designed to make us stop and think, and then to redirect our lives if necessary. If we do what the Proverbs teach, we will end up being “wise” in the ways of God, and that is true wisdom.

 

Decisions have consequences. Therefore it’s essential that our decisions be good ones. When we learn and practice the wisdom of the Proverbs our decisions will be Biblically wise and we will be living well.

 

Each day over the course of the coming month we will walk through the Proverbs, pulling out and examining those nuggets of wisdom, and hopefully we will all end up the wiser for having done so. I look forward to exploring the Proverbs with you.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim