Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”

Our Bible verse for today: “When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is wise.” Proverbs 10:19

Our thought for today: “A wise person is careful not to speak too quickly or too often.”

I have always admired people who have the ability to control their tongue. I’m impressed by those “Yoda-like” people who don’t say a lot but when they do speak, it is very profound and deeply wise. On the other hand, I’ve found that I have little patience for people who “shoot from the lip” and spout off about everything, all the time. They’ve also got something to say and it’s usually loud and it usually goes on for a long time.

In Proverbs 10:19 Solomon reminds us that the more we speak the more likely we are to eventually say something silly, or worse, sinful. That is also why in James 1:19 James cautions us that we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. In other words, “God gave you two ears and only one mouth, therefore you should listen twice as much as you speak.”

Abraham Lincoln is known for the wisdom of his words. What I discovered about him however, after having read several biographies about him, is that Abraham Lincoln was so conscious and concerned about the words he spoke that he carefully scripted everything. That was true of all his public speaking, he almost never made any extemporaneous remarks in public, but it was also frequently true of his private conversations too. Lincoln would often think through his private conversations in advance, outline what he wanted to say, and then refer to his notes throughout the conversation. He did that because he was acutely aware of the importance of his words and he therefore wanted to maintain close control over what came out of his mouth.

The Biblical wisdom we learn this morning from James and Solomon is that we should think before we speak and that when we do speak, our words should be measured and few. Why? Because a wise person is careful not to speak too quickly or too often.

God Bless,

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”

Our Bible verse for today: “Doesn’t Wisdom call out? Doesn’t Understanding make her voice heard?” Proverbs 8:1 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Wisdom is available for anyone who wants it.”

Recently the world celebrated the 20th anniversary of the invention of the Rubik’s Cube. The Rubik’s Cube is a puzzle in the form of a square plastic block consisting of rows of hinged and rotatable colored spots. The object is to continue twisting and turning the individual rows until all the colors are in perfect alignment. The odds of solving the puzzle are some ridiculous number like 1 in 7,000,000. It’s impossibly difficult but for more than two decades people have been fascinated (and frustrated) by the silly thing.

Fortunately God’s will and His ways are not like that. God doesn’t present us with some impossibly difficult puzzle which we need to twist and turn and grit our teeth over as we try to figure it out. No, His will and His ways are plainly stated in His Word. In the Bible God has told us everything we need to know in order to live a life that is pleasing to Him. And better still, in our day the modern translations of the Bible present God’s wisdom in the simple and straight-forward language that we actually speak everyday. You don’t have to learn Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, or Latin in order to be able to read God’s letter to us. There is no puzzle to solve, no Rubik’s Cube of celestial mysteries to figure out. Just read it, embrace it, and live it.

In Proverbs 8:1 Solomon portrayed Wisdom as going out of her way to call people to herself. He then switches metaphors and uses the image of Understanding, and he tells us that Understanding makes her voice heard. As we follow the progression of the Proverb we discover that wisdom is available to anyone who desires it. Lady Wisdom goes out of her way to call out to people and to make her wisdom available and easily accessible to anyone who wants it.

In this Proverb Solomon is using the literary device of Lady Wisdom to stand for God’s will and His Ways. And so this image is actually designed to illustrate the truth that God’s Will and God’s ways are knowable and easily understood by anyone who wants to know and understand. It’s a matter of the heart.

As a side note, as I write this it is the day before Mother’s Day 2014 and I find it ironically appropriate that as we study the theme of Biblical wisdom, we discover that Solomon uses the image of a woman as the personification of wisdom. How true. Thank God for godly mothers. We learn so much from them. “Thank you” to all the mothers for all you do for us. Happy Mother’s Day.

God Bless,

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” 2 Timothy 1:6-7 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Biblical wisdom must be learned and then it must be nurtured.”

There can be no question that the Apostle Paul was a Biblically wise man. He had a well developed degree of godly wisdom of his own, and he had a passion for developing that wisdom in others. And he didn’t stop at just preaching and teaching to large crowds. Beyond just that, he made it a point to invest the extra time and effort necessary to build into the lives of a select group of promising young men (Timothy, Titus, and Silas that we know of).

Paul made it his mission to pass on the wisdom to the next generation. The only way to do that effectively was to teach it, but then to nurture it in them as well. Paul spent time with them, he did things with them, he discussed Biblical principles and their practical application in real life situations with them, and he encouraged them. That’s what we’re reading in 2 Timothy 1:6-7. As part of this letter to Timothy, Paul exhorts him to “keep ablaze” his passion for knowing and serving the Lord. By phrasing it that way Paul was making it clear that there were things Timothy needed to be doing on a daily basis to ensure the flame of his passion for the Lord did not die out, and he was urging him to keep at it.

Biblical wisdom has to be learned, but then it also has to be nurtured. We have a responsibility to be sure that’sthe case in our own lives first, but then we also need to do the things necessary to help nurture wisdom and passion in the lives of those the Lord has given us to mentor. Are you being Paul to a Timothy? Whose life are you building into and are you being intentional about it?

I encourage you to first have a pattern of personal discipleship in your own life which will result in the ongoing learning and nurturing of godly wisdom. Then be intentional about being a good example, and an intentional source of inspiration and encouragement for others.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”

Our Bible verse for today: “Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise.” Proverbs 6:6

Our thought for today: “We learn from both positive and negative examples.”

Throughout most of the Proverbs King Solomon portrays wisdom in a positive light and illustrates the benefits of wisely choosing to live according to Biblical principles. But Proverbs six is different. In this chapter Solomon approached the subject from a negative perspective in order to illustrate some of the most common problems people bring upon themselves when they do not live with Biblical wisdom.

In verses 1-5 he illustrated the folly of entangling yourself in financial affairs with unreliable people. Verse one seems to be referring to the modern day practice of co-signing a loan. Solomon called that a trap from which we will find ourselves begging and pleading for a way out. Biblical wisdom will provide us with the insight we need into the character of unreliable people so we can avoid financial entanglements with them.

In verses 6-11 he addressed the issue of laziness and how it produces a life of poverty. Biblically, God has commanded us to work to earn our own living. He has taught us to be diligent and honest and to be the best employees in the workplace. He has also instructed us about our responsibility to be such good workers – such good earners – that we not only take care of our own needs through our own labor, but we also provide assistance for the genuinely poor such as widows and orphans. In this passage he illustrates that beyond not being able to provide assistance to others in need, the lazy man doesn’t even meet his own needs and therefore ends up living in abject poverty as a result. This kind of wasted life is the exact opposite of what the Bible calls for.

In verses 12-15 Solomon writes of how a malicious, gossipy, slanderous person will eventually get what’s coming to them. In verses 16-19 the subject is of how the Lord will punish those who behave in ways that He hates. And in verses 20-35 he concludes with a long section about the evils of adultery and the punishments which will ultimately be suffered as a result of it.

Solomon’s point is all of this? Simply to illustrate, by means of negative examples, that the person who chooses to live in ways contrary to God’s will, will suffer for it. In the Bible God gave us very clear and specific instructions about how to live in a manner pleasing to Him – anything less than that is unbiblical and will result in pain and suffering. It is the wise person who simply trusts God and lives accordingly, and we can learn that from both positive and negative examples.

God Bless,

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”

Our Bible verse for today: “For who has known the Lord’s mind that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “To have Biblical wisdom is to have the mind of Christ.”

Paul said that we have the mind of Christ. What an intriguing thought. And what could he mean by that? Does he really mean to suggest that we as the followers of Christ somehow attain the ability to think the thoughts of Jesus, and even to see things from His perspective? Actually, that’s exactly what he means.

In 1994 Professor T.W. Hunt from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary published a Bible study entitled “The Mind of Christ”. His premise was that God created us to be like Jesus. Through the process of sanctification, and as a result of practicing lifelong discipleship, we are progressively transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ. As that happens we become more and more proficient at thinking like Jesus thinks – to the point of actually thinking His thoughts. Hunt writes, “This course is about learning to think the thoughts of Christ – to have the mind of Christ!”

Learning to think like Jesus thinks, to actually have the mind of Christ, was a primary theme in the writing and teaching of the Apostle Paul.  In Romans 12:2 he exhorted us to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Through Bible study, prayer, and submission to the work of the Holy Spirit, our mind is renewed and changed – transformed from what it used to be like to now thinking the very thoughts of Jesus. In Philippians 2:5 he wrote, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

How do we become wise in the ways of God? How do we acquire and live by Biblical wisdom? By our own efforts? No. It happens by complete and continuous submission to Christ on a daily basis. We study the Bible, we pray, we actively and intentionally ask the Holy Spirit to transform us, to conform us, to help think like Jesus and to see the world and people the way that He sees them.

Biblical wisdom involves actually thinking the thoughts of Jesus, having the mind of Christ. It’s not only possible, for the Christian it’s essential. If you don’t already do so then I encourage you to develop the habit of placing yourself in a position before God everyday whereby He can transform your thinking and develop in you the mind of Christ.

God Bless,

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”

Our Bible verse for today: “As you know, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Relationships must have priority over lessons.”

The Apostle Paul was an outstanding teacher, a passionate evangelist, and an exceptionally hard worker for the Lord. He was also very wise in the way he dealt with the people he cared about the most. Paul established a pattern in his ministry that put the priority on building relationships with people first, and becoming their teacher after that.

Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica is a good example. He was concerned about them and he recognized an urgent need to teach them important truths about living the Christian faith. But rather than jumping right into the vital lessons, he spends almost the entire first half of the letter writing about personal matters and of his strong feelings for them. In verse 11 of chapter two he even compared his feelings for them to the feelings a father has for his own children. It wasn’t until he had expended considerable thought and ink into nurturing his relationship with them, that he turned his attention to teaching. Paul was demonstrating the great truth that relationships matter. His love and affection for the people came first, and there would be time for lessons later.

I remember the time when I had just accepted the call to become the Pastor of my first church. I was uncertain and a bit apprehensive about whether or not I could be the Pastor the people needed. My own Pastor – a very wise man – put his hand on my shoulder and said: “Just love the people Jim. They will put up with a lot and they will forgive a lot if they just know that you love them.” He went on to say (somewhat comically) “Jim the people will put up with poor preaching; they’ll tolerate weak administration; they’ll even ignore your bad ties; if they just know that you love them.” 

Biblical wisdom leads us to value people over things. People need to know how very much we care for them before they’re going to be willing to listen to what we have to say to them. We must treat people in such as way that it becomes clear to them that their value to us is based on more than just good behavior on their part, or having the right answers to theological questions, or how much time and money they contribute to the church. They must know that we love them just because of who they are. That is Biblical wisdom in action.

God Bless,

Our Bible verse for today: “The one who walks with the wise will become wise.” Proverbs 13:20 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We can learn to be wise by associating with wise people.”

Over the years I have had the good fortune of having been close to some exceptionally wise people. When I say they were “wise” I mean they were wise in the ways of the Lord. These were men and women – Pastors, church leaders, members of my church family, and friends – who were wise in the ways of the Lord and whose influence on me was profound. I believe I became a better man as a result of spending time with them.

It continues to be true today too. I am blessed to be able to serve as the Pastor of a church filled with wise and mature men and women of God. Their faith is strong; the way they live their lives honors the Lord; and their example encourages me to strive to be a better man than I otherwise might be. My mamma was right when she told me to choose my friends carefully because over time we become like those we associate with. Walk with the wise and you become wise.

One of the primary benefits of being an active and deeply involved member of a church family filled with wise and mature Christians is the influence they have on us. Since over time we become like those we associate with, being with people like that can only have a good and positive impact on our own growth. That’s why it’s so important to faithfully attend the gatherings of your church family. When you’re there you are essentially “walking with the wise”. You are spending time with and associating with those you want to become like. And as you do that, they will rub off on you, you will progressively begin to acquire the wisdom and other personality traits you see and admire in them.

I encourage you to gather with your church family this Sunday. If you don’t have a good church family to gather with, then come join us at Oak Hill Baptist. I believe you’ll be glad you did.

God Bless,

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”

Our Bible verse for today: “For learning what wisdom and discipline are; for understanding insightful sayings.” Proverbs 1:2 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “God gave us the Bible so we can be wise in His ways.”

The purpose of Proverbs, and indeed of the entire Bible, is stated in a straightforward way right there in the second verse of the first chapter of Proverbs, “So we can learn wisdom.” God wants us to be more than just knowledgeable He wants us to be wise, but to be wise in ways that really matter.

Biblical wisdom is not some mystical thing that can only be attained by an enlightened few. This isn’t Buddhism. And we’re also not raising-up a small cadre of Hindu Yogi’s. The wisdom of the Bible is straightforward, practical, and easily understood by anyone who will take the time and put forth the effort to study it. We are to take it to heart and then live by it.

From that standpoint the wisdom of the Bible has a lot in common with what we might call “street smarts”. Biblical wisdom is a realistic understanding of how life actually works in the real world, and it’s an acknowledgement that God has told us in the Bible how to live life well. This is wisdom which helps us to survive and thrive in the rough and tumble environment of daily living in a tough neighborhood (this world).

Biblical wisdom is practical in that it deals heavily in day-to-day real life issues such as morality, ethics, justice, and maturity, just to name a few. The Biblically wise person recognizes and avoids evil, and they actively promote good as part of the mission of Christ on earth.

How do we acquire such wisdom? First and foremost by personal study of the Bible. Secondly, we acquire it by means of regular and active participation in the life of a good Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church. We need to place ourselves under the instruction of good and reliable Bible teachers; we need to pay attention to the sermons – taking notes, and applying the points to our lives; we need to be involved in small group Bible studies – participating in the discussions and learning from the insights of others; and we need to regularly seek out Biblical counsel from leaders and mentors.

It’s true that one of the reasons God gave us the Bible is so we can be wise in His ways, wise in the ways that really matter. Biblical wisdom is attainable by anyone who will seek it.

God Bless,

Our theme for this month: “Wisdom”

Our Bible verse for today: “Wisdom is supreme – so get wisdom.” Proverbs 4:7 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Biblical wisdom is the key to successful living.”

Some of the most useful wisdom comes out of the painful experience of observing what happens to us when we are not wise. That’s a truth I’ve learned in my own life. I can’t count the number of times I’ve done some bonehead thing and lived to regret it. The thing is, I almost always knew better than to do that bonehead thing to begin with. I had the knowledge I needed in order to make a better choice, I just didn’t have the common sense to act on what I knew.

Wisdom and knowledge are different. Knowledge is little more than the accumulation of information. Wisdom is the ability to make good decisions based upon what you know. If you have lots of knowledge it simply means that you know a lot facts about a lot of subjects, but your life could easily still be a train wreck. Wisdom means you have common sense and sound judgment and therefore consistently make choices that are right and true and of lasting value. Also, when you are wise you can be a source of good counsel for others as well. 

Throughout the month of May we’re going to explore the subject of Biblical wisdom. We will pay particular attention to the wisdom from Proverbs. Written by Solomon, the book of Proverbs is part of the wisdom literature of the Bible and is a rich source of Godly wisdom for us. The Proverbs are intended to equip the people of God so we can mature in wisdom and understanding as we grow closer to God. The wisdom of Proverbs helps us to learn proper discernment, it enhances our devotional life, and it spurs good discipleship. And although we will draw heavily on the wisdom given to us in the book of Proverbs, we will explore other passages and books of the Bible as well.

Godly wisdom is all about making good choices that are consistent with Biblical principles and which lead to us live lives that honor Him. Choices have consequences, and as the people of God we cannot make good godly decisions, based upon Biblical principles, apart from a solid education in Biblical wisdom. Biblical wisdom is the key to successful living.

God Bless,

Our theme for this month: “Mistakes”

Our Bible verse for today: “Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.” Matthew 22:29 (NLT)

Our thought for today: “Knowing and applying the Word of God to our lives is the best way to guard against mistakes.”

The Pharisees were the Bible scholars of their day. They were the ones who were supposed to be the experts when it came to knowing, teaching, and applying the Word of God to everyday life. But Jesus informed them that their knowledge was actually pretty weak and therefore their application of Biblical truths was faulty.

The problem of the Pharisees back then was the same problem many Christians have today – they don’t really know the Word of God accurately and therefore they are not applying to their lives correctly. If you know the story of the Pharisees then you know that over time they progressively “massaged” the Old Testament Scriptures and worked them into a form that was a little more conducive to how they wanted to live. They twisted Scripture, misapplied it, created lots of exceptions to it in order accommodate their whims and desires, and then they created a lot of additional rules and regulations that went far beyond what God had actually said. Eventually they ended up with a highly legalistic, manmade religious system that was far from what God Himself had given them in the form of the Old Testament. And as a result, their righteousness was a sham.

While it’s true that we will never be perfect in this lifetime, and therefore we will always make mistakes, the best and most righteous life any of us will ever have is the one that is lived in accordance with Biblical principles. But in order for us to live that way we must first know the Bible and its principles so we can then apply them to our lives. And here’s the thing – we must know the scriptures accurately. We must allow the Bible to say what it actually says – not more and not less. The mistake the Pharisees made is that they ignored some scripture and Biblical principles altogether; twisted others to make them mean something other than what God intended; and then made up a bunch more to suit themselves. We must avoid that mistake.

Allowing the Bible to simply say what it says and then living by its principles – no more and no less – is the key to godly living. Knowing and applying the Word of God to our lives is the best way to avoid mistakes.

God Bless,