31 Days of Proverbs... notes

In August, 2013, a group of family and friends read through one Proverb for each day of the month.  Here are some favorites, notes, and shares from that month of wisdom:

Day 1: Good morning! Welcome to the month of wisdom as we read through the Proverbs together. I am very excited about it and i pray that God will bless your time in His Word and that you will develop a daily habit of Bible reading. If you are downloading a Bible onto your phone i recommend the "Bible Gateway" app (www.biblegateway.com). For the version please aim for either the New American Standard Bible (NASB) or Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) or New King James if possible. NIV is ok too but not my favorite. I will send you my verse/input later. Be blessed!

Proverbs 1:17-19 "It is foolish to spread a net where any bird can see it, but they set an ambush to kill themselves; they attack their own lives. Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly; it takes the lives of those who receive it." (jcg)

Proverbs 1:7 & 32-33 The fear of The Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline. ... “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. But he who listens to me [wisdom] shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.”  (amen)

"For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity."  Proverbs 2:6-7

…todays reading is one of my favorites. I hope you will fit it in today's busy schedule!... "Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man." (prov 3:3-4)

Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.  Proverbs 4:23

Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He watches all his paths.

Proverbs 6:20-22 My son, observe the commandment of your father, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you.

Proverbs 7:2-3 Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.

“Take my instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choicest gold. “For wisdom is better than jewels; and all desirable things cannot compare with her."  Proverbs 8:10-11

Some lunchtime refreshment and wisdom... :-)  Proverbs 9:10-11 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.

Proverbs 10:8-9 The wise of heart will receive commands, But a babbling fool will be ruined. He who walks in integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.  Proverbs 11:2

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,but a good word cheers it up.

Proverbs 13:20 Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

FWD: Proverbs 14:5 An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.

Todays reading was very interesting. Many of the verses required some thought and a 2nd or 3rd reading to understand and contemplate the meaning.  I like this one, which is very straightforward... Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death.

Proverbs 15:32 Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding. (jcg)

Thanks! I really like that one that you sent. Today's reading has a lot of good verses.  I chose this one for today... Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:8 Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.

Proverbs 17:1 Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.  Proverbs 18:10

Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat it's fruit. (jcg)

Proverbs 19:20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction so that you may be wise later in life.

Proverbs 19:8 The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. (jcg)

Proverbs 20:27 The Lord’s lamp sheds light on a person’s life, searching the innermost parts.

Today's reading is especially great, so i chose two verses... Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.  ... Proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.

Proverbs 22:29  Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.

Proverbs 23:12 Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.

Proverbs 24:3-4 Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Proverbs 25:28 A man who does not control his temperis like a city whose wall is broken down.

Proverbs 26:17 He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.

Proverbs 27:19 As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man,

Proverbs 28:20, 26 A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. ... He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16)  28 Aug

A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.  Proverbs 29:23.

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

"Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy." Proverbs 31:9

…Not a proverb, but a really good thought…

“The height of our love for God is indicated by the depth of our love for one another.”

A Testimony About a Desire and Searching for the Truth

I will share a testimony.  When I was young, I had many doubts and misunderstandings about what I knew about Jesus, and about God’s word in the Bible.  I knew there was a God but I wasn’t sure why I should believe that what is written in the Bible was the only truth about Him.  So I started learning about other religions.  At one point I even had made a plan to visit every type of “church” or religion, including wondering if I should hang out with the hare krishnas (a type of Hinduism) for some enlightenment (they had a group in Laguna Beach that I knew about).  I never did get around to hanging out with the hare krishnas, but I did learn about other faiths, including Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and many cults; and I have visited a lot of different church services of many different denominations.  I also started reading more information about Christianity and what scholars and philosophers said about it.  I love reading C.S. Lewis for this reason, and other books like More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell.  I have also read books which challenge the traditional Christian beliefs and help to provide answers.  I have even read articles and books by those opposed to Christianity, including a book by a prominent atheist and proponent of so called “scientific skepticism.”  I praise God and thank Him for protecting my mind, spirit, and heart through all of that, and for opening my mind to the truth as I continue to seek knowledge of God and knowledge of the truth.  Through it all, the Bible has been my consistent companion and every time I read it I am reminded of God’s great love for us, and His grace.  He does not wish for any of us to perish.  The more I read and pray, the more convinced I am of God’s truth revealed through His word in the Bible, and his personal touch, guidance, and direction in my life.  I long for eternity with my creator.  In Jesus’ name!

Thanks for reading.  Please share your thoughts.

 

Romans 2 Notes

Romans 2.  Judgment and the Law.

Verses 1 through 16 are a very clear discussion about the nature of judgment.  We are not to judge others (v. 1 & 3)... judgment is God's job and his is based on solid truth.  The problem is that when we judge others, we don't know the "whole truth" and we don't know their heart.  Only God can know that.  We must be very careful with this.  Rather than focusing on others' sin and judging them, we should instead look to our own sin and deal with that directly with God.

I believe that there is a difference between judging and condemning someone on one hand and admonishing a Christian brother or sister in the Word, in spirit and truth, on the other hand. A follower of Christ must be very careful with this so that we do not cross the line.   See "71 Bible verses about Correcting a Brother" and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Matthew 18:15-20

And this line should never be crossed with non-believers.  We must be careful to be living examples of the gospel of grace of Jesus Christ and not to condemn the non-believer, even while we are clear in sharing the truth of the gospel.

Verses 17-24 share a compelling example of spiritual arrogance.  Using the Jewish violation of the law as an example, Paul writes about us being careful not to "preach" or teach others are not then turning around and violating the law... to do so is to blaspheme the name of God (v.24).  That is a severe and stern reminder to be careful with this as well.
 
2 Timothy 3:16-17.  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Matthew 7:1-5.  “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. ² For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Romans 1 Notes

Romans 1 is a very POWERFUL opening to this amazing letter from Paul to the Christians in Rome. He opens with a reminder that we are called by Jesus Christ "...through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake." This one is also very timely.

Verse 16 and 17... If you remember nothing else from this book... remember this: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”" Remember that the gospel is SALVATION to everyone who believes... if someone does not know the gospel, they are probably doomed (although God is the judge, not me)... I am just re-stating what the Word says. For your loved ones and friends, you might be the only gospel truth that they ever "read" or hear from, keep that in mind.

*Phase 1: Idolatry*

Starting in v. 18 Paul leads us through a chilling account of the road to moral depravity. I fear for our country and the world in general today because I believe that we are very far through this process... read on... V. 18-20 makes it clear that God has provided us with evidence of his being, "His eternal power and divine nature" so people are without excuse when they exchange the truth of God for a lie (v.25) coming fools" (v.22) they make idols rather than acknowledge God. They exchanged the Glory of immortal God for images resembling mortal man, etc.

**Phase 2: Sexual Immorality**

v. 24 Therefore, God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity... v.26 so God "delivered them over to degrading passions..." sexual immorality. Well, duh, all you need to do is watch any network TV station for about 15 minutes and it is obvious from the programs and commercials that we are in this stage. You've heard the phrase "sex sells" and sexual immorality is the norm these days. Sexually charged media, shows, behavior, music, etc permeate our society and it's hard to get through the day without at least having temptation and lust, it doesn’t make it any easier. (remember, don't exchange the truth of God for a lie) The increase and permeation of homosexuality into our society is a direct result of this as well. v. 26-27 says "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error." Make no mistake: the Bible is clear that homosexual behavior is sexual impurity and sin. Even if someone is "born" with the propensity (tendency or craving) for homosexual behavior, it is still sin. Because of the physical bodies that we have, we obviously have a choice to make: follow our lustful "cravings of our hearts to sexual impurity" or as "Righteous Live by Faith", seeking forgiveness and following God's law because of the Grace that He gave us, choosing to use our bodies wisely and within God's intended design.**

**...the bottom line: we are all born into sin. lust and immoral sexual behavior are sin. Immoral sexual behavior is that which is described outside of God's law (adultery, sex outside of marriage of one man and one woman. See Matthew 19:5, Genesis 2:24, and many other scriptures) Sin is sin. I am sinful... you are sinful... this is why we need forgiveness and a savior.

***Phase 3: A Depraved Mind... Society collapses ***

v.28... "and because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong." A "worthless mind" is a "depraved mind". ...they are filled with "all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. they are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful."... it goes so far as to even say that they will "...applaud others who practice them." I watch with dread the news lately. Increasing incidents of senseless violence, and I am afraid it will get worse as our society slides down this slippery slope of a depraved and worthless mind.

Dear reader, I urge you to pray and dwell on this. We must know the TRUTH... and we should not exchange the truth for a lie! The only place to find God's truth is in his Word, the Bible. Put this to the test... test God in this and He will confirm it in your heart. Remember Colossians 2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ."

I pray that you will become strong in your knowledge of the Truth by studying this letter to the Romans as we continue into Chapter 2, next time...

 

-atg-

Good Friday and Easter Blessing

Dear Friends and Family,  

It is my humble hope and prayer that you will be blessed today, Good Friday, March 29, 2013, and all weekend through Easter as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Easter is so much more than bunnies, candy, and colored eggs. I encourage you to reflect on the Truth of what Jesus did for us by taking the punishment for our sins on that Roman cross over 2,000 years ago. He was an innocent man, a perfect sinless human being, fully man and fully God, who was sacrificed for your sins and for mine. It was us who deserve to be on the cross, not Jesus. Because of the sinless, innocent sacrifice and His resurrection, Jesus has overcome sin and death. The Bible says that we “all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23), but that “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)  

If we believe in Jesus, we are reconciled to God, and we are a “new creation”, and we have eternal life. We have escaped the judgment due to us because of our sin. Jesus said it plainly as recorded in John 3:16-21: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

Jesus also tells us to repent and turn from our sin. Although he does not condemn us who believe, he is clear that we are to turn from our sin and follow him. A great example of this is in John 8 where the woman who was caught in adultery is brought to Jesus. After dealing with the Pharisees (remember Jesus challenges them “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”), he told the woman “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

What a wonderful time on Good Friday and Easter weekend to take a few moments and reflect on these Truths that the Bible teaches about Jesus, forgiveness, grace and salvation. It is the single most important thing in life to get right: a correct understanding and knowledge of God’s truth and our honest “heart response” to it. Are there un-confessed sins in your heart? Ask God honestly and humbly to reveal them to you in prayer. When you reflect on this in prayer, you will know when God is speaking to you about these things. Bring them in prayer to the throne of grace, the feet of Jesus, ask Him for forgiveness, repent and turn from your sin. You will be a new creation in Christ. What a wonderful weekend to celebrate your salvation in Christ even as you celebrate His glorious resurrection and His grace for us!

Trust Jesus, seek to know Him. Read the Bible and pray. Be blessed.

Love, Andy

p.s. if you wish to read the Biblical accounts of what happened on “good Friday” and Resurrection Sunday (Easter), please refer to these following texts. My favorite is Luke 22-24. Please take a few minutes to read one or more of them (each of these is a link to the text):

Mark 26:30- Ch.28    

 

Mark 14:26- Ch.16    

 

Luke 22-24    

 

John 17-20