The Rewards of Humility

Thursday, January 29, 2015, 7:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Not Be Silent.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Proverbs 22 (selected NASB).

The Prudent

3 The prudent sees the evil and hides himself,

But the naive go on, and are punished for it.

4 The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord

Are riches, honor and life.

5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;

He who guards himself will be far from them.

For those of us who are in Christ Jesus by faith, we have the Lord Jesus as our strong tower to whom we can run when we are faced with the temptations of the flesh and of the devil. He is our refuge and our strength from whom we draw strength and courage so that we can resist the devil, flee temptation, and draw near to God. He also gives us the discernment and wisdom to sense danger and evil ahead and to seek the refuge of the Lord. Yet, we have to draw on that strength, and we have to listen to that still small voice speaking sense into our minds and hearts so that we do run to the Lord, and so we don’t give in to sin.

If we don’t listen to the voice of the Spirit, and we keep going ahead, then we face the consequences of our sin, whether they are natural consequences or divine discipline. Yet, if we do walk in the fear of the Lord, and we do listen to his voice, we are rewarded with his spiritual blessings - his provisions, his wisdom, his peace, and his joy. I know this is true from personal experience. I know what it is like to resist the Holy Spirit and to not heed wisdom, and to face much heartache as a result. I also know what it is like to walk in the fear of the Lord, to listen to his voice, and to take refuge in him when tempted. And because of that, I know the peace that surpasses all human understanding. It is awesome!

The Pure of Heart

9 He who is generous will be blessed,

For he gives some of his food to the poor…

11 He who loves purity of heart

And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend.

12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,

But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.

Our hearts are the center of our emotion, temperament, mind, and spirit. In our hearts we feel and express compassion, kindness, sympathy, loyalty, devotion, faithfulness, concern, and comfort, etc. - We feel joy or sorrow. We are courageous or fearful. We have fortitude or we give up. We get hurt or we feel comforted. - Our hearts are the core of who we are – our personalities, gifts, talents, passions, desires, etc. God said we are to love him with our whole heart, soul, strength and mind. In other words, He wants us to love him with our whole being of which our hearts are the center.

Purity means to be wholesome, innocent, decent, honorable, and unblemished by the things of this sinful world. We were made pure by the blood of Jesus Christ, and yet we must also walk in purity by God’s grace, and in his power and strength. To walk in purity, we must desire it (love it), and we must obey our Lord and do what he says. We must also not play with sin or allow impure things to enter into our minds. So, if we are pure of heart, it means that the core of our being, our minds, emotions, passions and desires are centered in Jesus Christ and in his word and that our desire is for God and for his truth and to walk in his ways. This shows that we truly love God with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength.

To be pure of heart also means that we have the heart of God. What this means is that we love what he loves and we hate what he hates. We desire what he desires and we flee from what he says is evil. It also means that we love like he loves, and we feel the compassion that he feels. Obviously not one of us will do this perfectly because we still live in flesh bodies and we will still battle with that flesh from time to time. Flesh is selfish, so we have to guard against selfishness, and we have to be sensitive to hear God/Jesus, and to be sensitive to the Spirit’s promptings when he says that we need to give to someone, or to help others, or to minister to needs, or to say a word of comfort or encouragement to someone who is hurting or to those who are trapped by sin’s deceitfulness. We are so blessed when we allow God’s heart to be our heart, and when we follow the promptings of the Spirit, and we obey his voice, and he uses us to touch other lives with his love.

The Foolish

13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside;

I will be killed in the streets!”

14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;

He who is cursed of the Lord will fall into it.

15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;

The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.

16 He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself

Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

A sluggard is someone who is lazy and unproductive. In this case, the lazy person makes excuses for why he can’t do what he knows he should be doing. He or she portends danger that may or may not exist in reality, or that may be very far reaching and not a real threat at all. By making excuses, he or she is able to continue putting off what they know they must do but do not want to do. This laziness could be related to making a living for oneself, or to keeping up with daily responsibilities of house and family, or it could be spiritual in nature. Many Christians know that they should be in the Word daily, learning at Jesus’ feet, and doing what he says, and yet they don’t do it. They know they should not be involved in certain behaviors and that they should be following the Lord Jesus in surrender of their lives to him, and yet they keep putting it off. They prefer personal comfort to commitment and their own pleasure over pleasing the Lord.

An adulteress is not merely one who seduces others into sex outside of marriage or who is involved in an extramarital relationship. Adultery can be emotional (romantic) or it can be spiritual. The Bible talks much about spiritual adultery. One who is adulterous is unfaithful to the one with whom they have a contractual or covenant relationship. When we commit adultery, either against our mate or against our Lord, we are breaking our vows of commitment and we are giving to another “lover” what should be exclusive in our relationship with our spouse or with God. For instance, when we give our hearts, passion, desires, emotion, loyalty and commitment to someone else other than to our spouse or to God, we commit adultery. It is one of Satan’s traps he uses to get God’s people to forsake their Lord and their marriage relationships and to run after “other lovers.”

Yet, our Lord desires that we be faithful, steadfast, loyal and committed to him and to our spouses, and that we stray not from either one. He desires that we be prudent and pure in heart, and that we remain faithful to him in all that we do. And, when we do stray, he wants us to call upon him in humility, and to entrust ourselves to him in surrender to his will and purposes for our lives. If we call for help, he will heal us. If we call to him for salvation, he will deliver us from the grave, and he will give us new lives in Jesus Christ for eternity. If we think we can handle things ourselves, soon we should realize that we can’t and we need the Lord. And, when we call upon him in faith, he will forgive our sins, he will set us free of our slavery, and he will free us to walk daily in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. Amen!

Not Be Silent / An Original Work / December 3, 2012

Based off Psalm 30

O Lord my God, I’ll exalt You.

I called for help, and You healed me.

O Lord my God, You brought me from

the grave. You spared me from hell.

Sing to the Lord, you saints of His;

Praise His holy name today.

Weeping may remain for a night;

Joy at break of day. Our debt He did pay!

O Lord my God, I said, “I will

Ne’er be shaken.” Secure, I felt.

O Lord my God, You forgave me.

Confident I stand in You.

When I could not see Your face

I was dismayed. I called to You.

O Lord, You are my help. You were

merciful to me; By Your grace set free!

O Lord my God, I’m so thankful for

Salvation through my Jesus.

You turned wailing into dancing;

Clothed me with Your joy today,

That my heart may sing To You

and not be silent. Praise Your name.

O Lord my God, I will give You

thanks forevermore. My Lord, I adore!

http://originalworks.info/not-be-silent-2/

https://vimeo.com/117908145

In The Lord's Hand

Wednesday, January 28, 2015, 3:39 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Proverbs 21 (selected ESV).

The Heart

1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;

    he turns it wherever he will.

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,

    but the Lord weighs the heart.

3 To do righteousness and justice

    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Yesterday I lost my youngest sister to death. I had never lost a sibling before. It hurts. I am sad at heart, yet I believe she is with Jesus, so that gives me hope. I spent a good portion of yesterday crying and talking with family members who were also grieving her loss, so a lot of tears were shed yesterday. I am certain there will be many more to come as we visit with family and cry and laugh and share memories together today, and in the days to come. It is helping to share pictures with each other and to remember days gone by. I have 61 years of memories with my sister. She was the youngest of five. I am the middle child, but the oldest of three girls, so I also have another sister. We also have two older brothers.

So, it was comforting to me this morning to read this first verse, and to be reminded that my heart is in the hand of the Lord. Amen! He knows all about me. He obviously knew this was coming, although I did not, so he had my heart prepared. He has gone before me and prepared the way for what he wants to do in my life and in the lives of all those who were touched by the life of my sister. I don’t know what lies ahead, but he does. He is the potter and I am the clay. I know that through this grieving process that he will bring much healing to my heart, and that he will mold and make me according to his will. I trust in his love.

Pursue Kindness

8 The way of the guilty is crooked,

    but the conduct of the pure is upright…

13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor

    will himself call out and not be answered…

15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous

    but terror to evildoers…

21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness

    will find life, righteousness, and honor.

My sister was a very giving person, although she never had much in the way of material wealth at all. She never met a stranger. She had a way of always making people feel at home. She had a great sense of humor, and she could always find something to smile or laugh about, even when life was kicking her hard. Her heart always reached out to those who were in need, or to those who were hurting and lonely. She would have taken in all of the strays if she could, I think. She would have given you the shirt off her back if you needed it, even if she had to do without. That is the kind of person she always was.

Yet, she had emotional scars from our troubled childhood, and she had great difficulty dealing with that pain. I empathized. It took me a long while to be healed emotionally from the things that took place in our early years. I battled many years with depression. I turned to other things, other than to God, at times, to try to mask my pain or to escape what I was feeling inside. I know she wanted to be healed. I did, too. And, yet, the pain lingered. She had many physical ailments, too. She suffered much in this life. I cried with her and over her often. I wanted so much for her to be free and to be healed. I believe God has now healed her. I believe he heard her cries for mercy and that he delivered her from her suffering. I believe he has now turned her weeping into dancing and that he has now clothed her with joy, and I find great comfort in that. It brings healing to my heart.

The Upright

22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty

    and brings down the stronghold in which they trust…

29 A wicked man puts on a bold face,

    but the upright gives thought to his ways.

30 No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel

    can avail against the Lord.

31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,

    but the victory belongs to the Lord.

One day we are all going to die physically. It is inevitable unless Jesus comes back first, and we are one of his, and so we go to meet him in the air.

When someone we love dies, it is cause for reflection concerning our own lives. How have we chosen to live our lives? What will we be remembered for? Have we wasted our lives, living for ourselves and for our own pleasure? Or, have we trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, and thus we have given our lives to him to be lived for his honor and glory?

Jesus Christ, God the Son, shed his blood on a cross for our sins so that we could go free of the punishment of sin – eternal damnation – and so we could be free of slavery to sin. As well, he died to set us free to no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See: 2 Co. 5:15). He created each one of us for a purpose. He has a plan for our lives. He gives meaning and direction to our lives. He heals the brokenhearted. He sets the captive free. He receives us and he loves us even when humans have rejected and have abandoned or mistreated us. He is my life! Without him I don’t know where I would be. And, one day I will get to be with him forever, too. Amen!

So today, upon the reflection of the death of a loved one, and in consideration of the shortness of life, I pray that we will all think about our lives and where we are headed, not just in the sense of eternity in heaven or hell, though that is most critical, but that we would give thought to our ways here on earth. If someone were to write a eulogy about our lives, what would that look like? Are we living for Jesus Christ and making a difference in the lives of others for God’s eternal kingdom, or are we focused mainly on ourselves and on what we want? Are we holding on to sin, or have we given Jesus everything? Are we going our own way, or do we truly want God to have his way in our lives? I pray it will be the latter.

I pray for myself today that God/Jesus would have his way in my life in my grieving process, that he will heal my hurt, and that he will use me for his glory to show his love to others who are also hurting and grieving over difficult or painful situations in their lives. I pray he will mold me and make me after his will, while I am waiting on him, yielded and still. I pray for his will to be accomplished in my life through this pain, as well as I trust him to heal me and to help me through this grieving process. And, I pray that through it all that Christ Jesus would be seen in me in how I respond to this pain, in how I treat others, and in my own heart response to my Lord in allowing him to do in my life what he wants to do through this time of sorrow.

Have Thine Own Way, Lord / Adelaide A. Pollard, 1862-1934

George C. Stebbins, 1846-1945 / Tune: ADELAIDE, Meter: 54.54 D

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Thou art the potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after Thy will,

While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Search me and try me, Master, today!

Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,

As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Wounded and weary, help me I pray!

Power, all power, surely is Thine!

Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Hold o'er my being absolute sway.

Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see

Christ only, always, living in me!

Not Be Silent

My youngest sister died today, so it is a sad day for me. She was 61 years old. As I cried through the pain of my loss, the Lord encouraged me with the words to a song he gave me to write in December of 2012. I believe my sister called to God for help and he healed her. She had been sick many years. I believe he turned her wailing into dancing, and that he clothed her with joy. Amen!

~

This psalm, updated to our relationship with Jesus Christ, God the Son, is a psalm of thanksgiving and praise for all that God has done for us in providing salvation for us from sin through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, and through his resurrection. He delivered us from our ultimate destiny of hell, and emptiness, and slavery to sin, and he healed our hearts and souls and gave us new lives in Christ Jesus through our faith in him as our Lord (master) and Savior. He turned our weeping into joy!

When we were outside of faith in Jesus Christ and still in bondage to sin and selfishness, we could not see God, and we did not recognize our need of Christ. We were self-sufficient and felt secure where we were. Yet, Jesus Christ, by his love and mercy, forgave us, and we, by faith, now stand confident in Him. By his grace he set us free! Amen! And, because of all that he did for us and he continues to do on behalf of those who love him, we give him thanks and praise and honor and glory. We should be so filled up in our spirits with joy that we cannot hold it inside, but we must sing of his praises and share his gospel always.

Not Be Silent / An Original Work / December 3, 2012

Based off Psalm 30

O Lord my God, I’ll exalt You.

I called for help, and You healed me.

O Lord my God, You brought me from

the grave. You spared me from hell.

Sing to the Lord, you saints of His;

Praise His holy name today.

Weeping may remain for a night;

Joy at break of day. Our debt He did pay!

O Lord my God, I said, “I will

Ne’er be shaken.” Secure, I felt.

O Lord my God, You forgave me.

Confident I stand in You.

When I could not see Your face

I was dismayed. I called to You.

O Lord, You are my help. You were

merciful to me; By Your grace set free!

O Lord my God, I’m so thankful for

Salvation through my Jesus.

You turned wailing into dancing;

Clothed me with Your joy today,

That my heart may sing To You

and not be silent. Praise Your name.

O Lord my God, I will give You

thanks forevermore. My Lord, I adore!

http://originalworks.info/not-be-silent-2/

https://vimeo.com/117908145

He Calls Us

Monday, January 26, 2015, 4:22 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “A Still Small Voice.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Proverbs 18 (selected verses).

His Own Desire

1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;

    he breaks out against all sound judgment.

2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,

    but only in expressing his opinion.

3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,

    and with dishonor comes disgrace…

5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked

    or to deprive the righteous of justice. ~ 18:1-3, 5 ESV

When we are born into this world, we are born with sin natures. We are naturally selfish, and we seek after what pleases us. We are separate from God, without hope, and destined to spend eternity in eternal torment. Yet, when we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of our lives, and we turn from living for sin and self, and we are born anew of the Spirit of God, our desire should now be for God and to do what pleases him.

Yet, we still live in flesh bodies, and we still have the propensity to sin, so our flesh often or frequently battles against what the Spirit desires. And so we must fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us, so that we can walk by the Spirit of God (See: Eph. 6:10-20; Jas. 4:7-10; 2 Tim. 2:22; Heb. 12:1-3). Thus, we must daily resist Satan and the flesh, and we must yield to the control of the Spirit of God over our lives. We can be victorious over the flesh in the power and working of the Spirit within us, as we cooperate fully with that work.

We will not be victorious over our flesh, though, if we continually yield to the flesh, and/or if we persist in feeding our sinful desires by regularly involving ourselves in activities which are sinful. We cannot get victory over sinful habits, as well, if we justify and rationalize away our sin, and/or if we call it something other than what it is. For instance, many Christians would not think of going out and having sexual relations with someone to whom they are not married, nor would they seriously consider murdering someone or robbing a bank. And, yet they will lust in their hearts, dream of romantic relationships with others, view pornography, and watch TV shows or movies with sexual situations or with love affairs in them. They may also hate others or cheat on their taxes or on their time sheets at work.

The Power of The Tongue

4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters;

    the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook…

6 A fool's lips walk into a fight,

    and his mouth invites a beating.

7 A fool's mouth is his ruin,

    and his lips are a snare to his soul.

8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;

    they go down into the inner parts of the body…

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

    and those who love it will eat its fruits. ~ 18:4, 6-8, 21 ESV

In James 3:8 we read that no man can tame the tongue. “It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” In Luke 6:45 we read: “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” As well, we read in Ephesians 4:29 that we should not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths “but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” And, in 2 Peter 2:18-19 we read about false teachers who “mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.’”

Our mouths (tongues/speech) can be used for good or for evil. They can bring blessing or cursing. They can build up or destroy. They can wound or they can heal. So, how do we use our words for good and not for evil? Well, according to what we read here, what we say with our mouths is a reflection of what is in our hearts. If we have unforgiving and bitter spirits, it will come out in what we say. If we hate anyone or have resentment in our hearts towards them, our speech should reflect that at some point or another. As well, if we are jealous or envious of others, eventually our lips will reveal what we have tried to keep hidden. Or if we love our Lord, follow Jesus, are submissive to the Spirit’s work, and walk in His love, this should also be revealed through the words which we speak.

So, if we want good to come out of our mouths and not evil, then we need to not be taking evil into our minds and hearts, and we need to not be holding on to what is evil. As well, we need to not be participating in evil acts. In contrast, we need to be in the study of the Word each day, listening to it, meditating on it and applying it, by God’s grace, to our daily lives. And, if we are saying things we wish we would not have said, and we wonder “Where did that come from?” then we need to pray for God to examine our hearts and to show us what is in there that needs to be cleansed so that we can cut that cancer out by the power of the working of the Spirit within us. Yet, there are probably many who know exactly what it is in their hearts from which their mouths speak, but they don’t want to cut the cancer out.

A Strong Tower

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

The righteous runs into it and is safe…

12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,

But humility goes before honor…

15 The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge,

And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

16 A man’s gift makes room for him

And brings him before great men. ~ 18:10, 12, 15-16 NASB

So, what can we do about sin, selfishness and the taming of our tongues? Well, first of all we must believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of our lives. We do this by humbling ourselves before God, by believing in what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on the cross for our sins, and by agreeing with God about our sin by turning from it and by turning to God via faith in Jesus Christ. Then, when we believe in Jesus, we are thus crucified with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self, we are born anew of the Spirit of God, and we are given new lives by God to be lived in the power and working and strength of the Spirit of God within us. By us making this decision to make Jesus Christ Lord of our lives, we choose to no longer live for ourselves but for Christ who gave himself up for us. We choose to no longer live to satisfy the sinful desires of our flesh, but to walk in the Spirit in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. Our desire is now for God/Christ, to walk in his ways.

If this does not describe your salvation experience, though, then I would ask that you go before God in prayer, that you humble yourself before him, repent of your sin, and allow the Holy Spirit of God to transform your heart and mind away from living for sin and self to walking in the Spirit in Christ’s holiness. So many people these days are teaching a false grace that says you don’t have to repent, and that you don’t have to obey Christ, and that God is pleased with you no matter what you do, yet that is not what scripture teaches. You don’t want to trust in this false grace and then one day hear God say that he never knew you. Make sure of your salvation today. God’s grace teaches you to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while you wait for Christ’s return. Jesus Christ did not die just so you could escape hell and go to heaven when you die. He died “to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (See: Tit. 2:11-14).

Yet, if you are sure of your salvation, but you have been giving in to the flesh, and you have been playing with sin, and you have been entertaining sin in your mind via your own imagination or via the things you watch or listen to, then I pray today that you would repent of your sin and trust in Christ Jesus, that he has given you all that you need to live a godly life, and then to believe that he has set you free from the control of sin so that sin no longer should be your master.

And, if your mouth is speaking things they ought not to speak, then I pray you would go before God in prayer, seeking his face, and inquire of him as to what is in your heart, for our words reflect what is in our hearts. I also pray you will be willing to hear what the Spirit says to your heart, that you will not resist his voice, and that you will obey him by taking care to get rid of all bitterness, rage, malice, and/or unforgiveness, etc. Or, if you already know what is in your heart, but you have been unwilling to let go of a particular sin, then I pray you will yield to the power and working of the Spirit of God in your life and that you will leave that sin behind you. Jesus is calling each and every one of us to follow him in obedience. Will you listen to his still small voice and obey him today?

A Still Small Voice / An Original Work / May 23, 2011

In a still small voice He calls you.

Won’t you hear and let him in?

He’s still speaking, oh, how gently.

He died to save you from sin.

Softly He speaks to our hearts.

His mercy and love imparts.

Won’t you come to Him today?

Let Him wash your sins away.

In a still small voice He whispers,

Kindly, calling you to Him.

He loves you so much, He’s willing

You not die, but live with Him.

He keeps prodding, gently so,

For His grace, you come to know.

He died so that you’d go free;

Live with Him eternally.

In a still small voice He hastens

You to turn your lives to Him,

Humbly walking in obedience,

Making Him your Lord and King!

Turn from your sin, turn to God,

Put your trust in Christ, His Son.

Invite Him into your hearts.

He’ll give you a brand new start.

http://originalworks.info/a-still-small-voice/

Giving Thought to Our Ways

Saturday, January 24, 2015, 5:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Believe Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Proverbs 13-14 (selected vs. NASB).

Understanding Our Ways

The wise woman builds her house,

But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

2 He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,

But he who is devious in his ways despises Him…

8 The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,

But the foolishness of fools is deceit. ~ 14:1-2, 8

I think that many times, if we are not careful, we can just let life happen to us, and we might give no or little forethought to where we are headed or to how God would have us spend our time, which he has given (allotted to) us on this earth. Many people live like this. They go to work, come home, eat dinner, and then sit and watch TV, read books, play games, surf the net, or just hang out and do whatever it is they do, but they don’t really think about their lives in terms of them being here for a purpose and that God has an assignment for them to do. They aren’t really going anywhere. They are just existing and putting in their time and making the best of what they have been given, or so they think.

Yet, if we are wise, we will give thought to our ways. We will realize that we are not just here by accident, but that there is purpose in us existing on this earth. We will understand that God created us with a plan in mind. He knit us together in our mother’s wombs. He has something he wants us to do, and he created us to be someone very specific, and for a very good reason (See: Ps. 139). And, we will seek God out to find out why we are here, who he made us to be, what our purpose is in life, and what assignment he has for us to do.

And, then, we will begin to be and do and say what God has planned for us to do and be and say. We will be purposeful in what we do, and not just exist and fill up time with lots of junk. This is not to say we can’t enjoy life, or that we can’t have fun or that we can’t relax and take it easy sometimes. Yet, there needs to be focus and intention in who we are and in what we do, because there is a very good reason we exist. “For such a time as this I was placed upon the earth.” So, wisdom dictates that I find that reason I am here, and that I begin to build on the foundation God/Jesus has laid for me – all in the power, wisdom and strength of His Spirit who lives within me by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.

Heartaches and Grief

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

But desire fulfilled is a tree of life. ~ 13:12

10 The heart knows its own bitterness,

And a stranger does not share its joy…

13 Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,

And the end of joy may be grief. ~ 14:10, 13

There are many reasons why we sometimes go through difficulties in this life of ours. One of the reasons is that the first humans God created sinned against God, and thus our flesh bodies and this earth were put under a curse, and so we get sick and hurt, we sin, bad things happen to us, people do evil against one another, and disasters sometimes occur. As well, we sometimes bring trouble upon ourselves because of our stubborn rebellion against God, and our refusal to listen to his words of counsel, because we think we know best, and thus we sin against God, and often we must suffer the natural consequences for our sin.

Yet, not all suffering is a result of deliberate sin against God. Job is an example of a righteous man whom God permitted to go through tremendous anguish. Jesus Christ travailed excessively for our sin, although he did nothing wrong. The prophets of old and the apostles of the New Testament went through boundless difficulties for their faith in God/Jesus, and for their commitments to be his messengers, often to people who did not want to hear what they had to say, and who often treated them with contempt, ridicule and much abuse. Jesus said that we would be hated and mistreated as he was so dealt with, and because we are his followers, and for the reason that we stand for what is true and right, and because we are ministers for his gospel message.

Yet, our suffering is not without purpose. One of the reasons God allows us to go through hardships and persecutions is to mature us, to make us holy, and to conform us to the image of Christ. Through our trials and tribulations we learn perseverance, patience, waiting on the Lord, wisdom, discernment and good judgment, and we grow in our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We also learn obedience through the things we suffer, just as did our Lord. As well, through hardships we learn compassion and mercy, and we are able to comfort others in their suffering with the comfort we received from the Lord. Another purpose of affliction is so we learn to not rely upon ourselves but on God. When we go through such times of distress, we call upon the Lord. When we submit to him, then he is able to teach us his will.

Yet, we are human beings in flesh bodies. We are clay vessels in the potter’s hands. We are sometimes weak, and we grow weary, and we cry out to God in our distress seeking him for answers as to why we must go through what we are experiencing, or to gain understanding into what purpose there is for such painful situations to exist in our lives. We may get tired of waiting for God’s intervention, and we may cry out for God to move in our circumstances in a way which would give us relief from our suffering, or to move in the lives and hearts of those we love who are far from God or who are not walking in fellowship with him. Sometimes we are truly seeking wisdom from above in knowing how to respond to such situations when life kicks us hard. Yet, other times we truly lack faith in God’s absolute sovereignty and control over our lives, believing that he has a purpose in it all.

Trust in the Lord

26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,

And his children will have refuge.

27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,

That one may avoid the snares of death…

29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding,

But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.

30 A tranquil heart is life to the body,

But passion is rottenness to the bones…

32 The wicked is thrust down by his wrongdoing,

But the righteous has a refuge when he dies.

33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,

But in the hearts of fools it is made known. ~ 14:26-33

So, whether we are struggling with life’s difficulties, or we are seeking God for answers to why things happen the way they do, or if we find that we are in a situation where we need to stop just existing and find the purpose God has for our lives, the answers we are looking for can be found through us living in the fear of the Lord. To fear the Lord means that we love, respect, honor, reverence, obey, and submit to him and to his will for our lives. It means we trust him with our lives and our circumstances and with the people he has in our lives. We believe in his sovereignty over all things, and we accept that God has a purpose in all that he allows and in all that he does, knowing that he is working all things for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose (See: Ro. 8:28).

Many times I have to remind myself that God is absolutely in control, and that he has the people in my life he wants there for a reason, and that he is working in their lives, too. I have to believe that he has my good in mind always, and I must trust him even when I don’t understand his purposes. As well, I am learning to wait on his perfect timing, knowing that he is working in ways I cannot see. Sometimes we want God to just remove the thorn from our lives when his response back to us is, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in your weakness” (See: 2 Co. 12:9). In other words, sometimes these things we want gone from our lives serve a greater purpose than we could ever possibly imagine. So, it is essential we submit to God’s purposes, believing that good will come from it all.

Believe Him / An Original Work / July 15, 2013

My heart cries: Lord, won’t You hear me

Seeking You for the answers

To my heartache and questions

I have concerning my life?

Speak, Lord, to me right now.

“Oh, dear one, why don’t you trust Me

With your life’s circumstances?

Give your all on the altar

In submission of your will

To My purpose for you.

“Surrender your life completely

To your Lord and your Savior.

He has all things planned for you

For His glory and honor.

He’ll work all things for good.

“Believe Him. He will fulfill all

Of His promises to you

For your life and your future.

Trust Him. Rest in His love.

He’ll give you peace from above.”

http://originalworks.info/believe-him/

https://vimeo.com/115945593

The Wise of Heart

Friday, January 23, 2015, 8:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Courageous.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Proverbs 10-11 (selected verses NASB).

They Receive Commands

The wise of heart will receive commands,

But a babbling fool will be ruined.

9 He who walks in integrity walks securely,

But he who perverts his ways will be found out…

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,

But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

12 Hatred stirs up strife,

But love covers all transgressions. ~ 10:8-12

In today’s modern church here in America a new gospel is being preached. This new gospel tells its listeners that all one has to do is pray a simple prayer to receive Christ and now they have the promise of eternal life in heaven with God, and that nothing can take that away from them. There is truth in this, but there is also deception. They also tell them that God requires nothing of them at all, but that he does it all. Again, some truth, but much deception is involved in this new gospel. And, then they convince them that repentance and obedience to Christ and to his instructions is works-based salvation, and that they are saved by grace, so all that is required of them is to believe, although “believe” is not defined. And, then, on top of that they tell them that God is pleased with them no matter what they do.

What they don’t tell them is that, although we are saved by grace, through faith, and that this is not of OUR OWN works, genuine faith is not absent of works. Just read Ephesians 2:10 along with verses 8-9, and read Titus 2:11-14. Jesus Christ did not die just so we could escape hell and so we could go to heaven when we die. He died so he might free us from slavery to sin, and so he might free us to walk daily in his righteousness and holiness. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us. He died so we would no longer walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. And, He died so we would no longer walk in disobedience, but so we would submit ourselves to him and to his will for our lives, and so we would walk in his ways. This is true grace! [See: Ro. 6-8; 2 Co. 5:15; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Pet. 2:24-25 and 1 John.]

They Heed Instruction

13 On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,

But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.

14 Wise men store up knowledge,

But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand…

16 The wages of the righteous is life,

The income of the wicked, punishment.

17 He is on the path of life who heeds instruction,

But he who ignores reproof goes astray. ~ 10:13-17

Not only do the wise of heart willingly receive God’s commands, i.e. not only do they submit to the cross, die to sin, and choose to walk daily in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, and no longer after the flesh, but they also daily respond in surrender and obedience to Christ’s instructions for their lives as they become knowledgeable about them.

In order to do this, they spend time daily at Jesus’ feet, listening intently to what he has to say to them, and with the full heart attitude and intent to obey what he teaches them. They are not casual about their relationship with Jesus Christ and they do not play with sin, thus making excuses for it. They are sensitive to the Spirit’s voice, and they respond in obedience when the Spirit points out an area in their lives which needs to be changed, i.e. when he convicts them of sin.

The problem with this new gospel is that it teaches its believers that they don’t have to repent of (turn from) sin and that they don’t have to walk in obedience to Christ’s instructions to us (His Word), and that God is pleased with them no matter what they do. So, what this does is give the adherents of this new gospel carte blanche to do whatever they want without guilt and without remorse. This is a man-centered gospel which lacks the fear of the Lord, and is not at all centered on God. It is foolish, and its followers lack good judgment and discernment in following after these lies. In the end they will not find the hope of heaven they had been promised, but only eternal punishment without God.

They Feed Many

20 The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver,

The heart of the wicked is worth little.

21 The lips of the righteous feed many,

But fools die for lack of understanding…

24 What the wicked fears will come upon him,

But the desire of the righteous will be granted.

25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,

But the righteous has an everlasting foundation. ~ 10:20-25

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,

And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want…

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

And he who is wise wins souls. ~ 11:26, 30

There are so many wolves in sheep’s clothing in our churches today who claim to be ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ but who are only feeding themselves (See: Ez. 34). They say what the people want to hear rather than teach the hard truths of God’s word. They put Band-Aids over the serious sin wounds of God’s people, and they tell the people that nothing bad will ever happen to them. They entertain the people rather than confront them with their sin. They are more interested in not offending people than they are in speaking the truth in love to them. And, so either they feed the unsaved a false hope of heaven, and/or they do nothing to help deliver Christians from their sin issues, and thus many who call themselves Christians are living defeated and fruitless spiritual lives.

The wise of heart, though, feed many with the truths of God’s word, bringing true hope, true salvation from sin, and true healing and restoration for the lost or the wandering soul. They scatter the seed of the gospel of Christ and of Christ’s love and grace to the regions beyond them, and they receive an increase in human lives which are touched with God’s grace and mercy, and which find true hope and healing for their sin-sick, wounded or wandering souls. They don’t flatter people for their own advantage, falsify information, and/or manipulate or deceive people in order to not offend people, and in order to make people feel good about themselves or about the church, so they will come back. They speak the truth in love always in the power of the Holy Spirit within them, and with the goal to see changed lives and hearts turned away from sin and turned to walk with God/Christ.

They are Strong and Courageous

27 The fear of the Lord prolongs life,

But the years of the wicked will be shortened.

28 The hope of the righteous is gladness,

But the expectation of the wicked perishes.

29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright,

But ruin to the workers of iniquity.

30 The righteous will never be shaken,

But the wicked will not dwell in the land.

31 The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,

But the perverted tongue will be cut out.

32 The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable,

But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted. ~ 10:27-32

The wise of heart also walk in the fear of the Lord. This means that they treat God Almighty with honor, respect, value, reverence, loyalty, devotion and fidelity, and they give him their love and their obedience. They love their Lord, and they desire nothing more than to live for him, to walk in his holiness, and to do what pleases him.

When they walk in the ways of the Lord, in the power and working of the Spirit within them, they are strengthened in their faith. As they grow in their knowledge and understanding of God/Christ and his word, they mature in their walks with the Lord, and they grow in wisdom and in discernment. Through trials and tribulations they learn perseverance, hope, determination and steadfastness in their commitments to Jesus Christ and to his kingdom work. They also learn to trust Christ more in all things, to rest in his love and grace, to not fear humans or bad situations, and to believe in God’s absolute sovereignty over all things.

The closer they grow in their walks with the Lord Jesus, and the deeper their commitment to him becomes, and the more they share of their faith, and stand for what is true, right and just, and the more they spread the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more Satan will fight against them and will use other humans to persecute, reject, betray and abandon them. Yet, the Lord Jesus has given them all they need (See: Eph. 6:10-20) to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against them, to stand firm in their faith, and to counter Satan’s lies with the truth. As well, the Lord Jesus will empower them from high to be strong and courageous in their battle against the enemy of their souls, and in their witness for him, even in the face of death. Amen! I can tell you that there is no other way than this which brings such peace, joy, fulfillment, satisfaction and assurance of purpose for one’s life.

Courageous! / An Original Work / December 24, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

The Word of God throughout taught.

Some people heard, but did doubt.

Still others had faith in Christ.

By grace He purified them.

They turned from sin

And they obeyed Christ.

He opened up their blinded eyesight;

Turned them from darkness

To the true Light;

Forgave their sin by His might.

He strengthened them in their faith.

He said, “Remain my faithful.”

He called them to obedience.

By faith, they were so grateful.

By faith, they were to follow Jesus;

To daily sit and listen to Him;

To have such faith

That mountains could move;

To love those whom He gave them.

Be on your guard; courageous.

Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.

Take up the shield of your faith;

Protect against all evil.

Do not move from

The hope that you have.

Your faith in Jesus let it endure.

Hold to the truth;

Your conscience be clear.

Endure with perseverance.

http://originalworks.info/courageous/

https://vimeo.com/112338495

Are You Naive?

Thursday, January 22, 2015, 10:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Do Your Best.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Proverbs 8 (NASB).

O Naïve Ones

Does not wisdom call? …she cries out:

“To you, O men, I call,

And my voice is to the sons of men.

“O naive ones, understand prudence;

And, O fools, understand wisdom.

“Listen, for I will speak noble things;

And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.

“For my mouth will utter truth;

And wickedness is an abomination to my lips…

 “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.” ~ vv. 1-11

If someone is naïve, he or she is normally very trusting, but also can be lacking in wisdom, knowledge, experience, and/or discernment. Naïve people are usually very gullible, i.e. they are those who easily trust and believe whatever they hear without questioning whether or not it is actually true, so they are easily duped or cheated by those who are deceivers and manipulators. I used to be very naïve, but through experience and understanding, by the grace of God, I learned to test what I hear, see, and read against the Word of God and in prayer, seeking wisdom and discernment to make right judgments. I am not perfect at this, yet the Lord has helped me to gain much wisdom over the years so that I don’t so easily fall prey to believing what is false without checking it out to make sure it is true.

So, if we are naïve people, which many people are, we need to gain prudence – discretion, judgment and wisdom. So, how do we do this? Sadly enough, most often we learn this through hitting our heads against brick walls, not literally, but by trusting others and then by getting hurt when we realize our trust was betrayed - that what they said was true was really a lie - and then by us repeating those same mistakes. We also learn through the study of God’s word. I have learned much over the years with regard to many things I was taught in my youth, that some of what I was taught was not what the Word teaches at all. So, we need to get out of the habit of trusting everything that sounds good, and we need to get into the habit of testing what we hear, so that we don’t fall prey to deception.

It is wisdom here that is crying out to us to gain understanding. Wisdom is God/Jesus. It is God’s Word, but it is also knowing how to rightly handle the Word of Truth, too, for many can twist the scriptures and can take them out of context and can make them say whatever they want in order to support their own belief systems. So, we must exercise wisdom even in the study of scripture so that we are not led astray there, as well. Context is really important. I learned so many scriptures in my youth out of context, so when I read them in context, they often took on a completely new meaning. Also, we need to compare scripture with scripture, because some scriptures may appear to contradict others. For instance, if 10 scriptures clearly teach one thing, but only one says something different, then maybe that one was incorrectly translated or interpreted. Also, we must interpret all scripture in light of Jesus’ death and resurrection and the New Covenant relationship between God and man.

Wisdom Hates Evil

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,

And I find knowledge and discretion.

“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;

Pride and arrogance and the evil way

And the perverted mouth, I hate.

“Counsel is mine and sound wisdom;

I am understanding, power is mine…

 “I love those who love me;

And those who diligently seek me will find me.” ~ vv. 12-17

If you want to be wise and discerning, then you need to hate evil. I believe the biggest problem with Christians yielding to sin’s deceitfulness is that many of those who profess faith in Jesus Christ have never really learned to hate what is evil. They still embrace it. They still love it. They are still entertained by it. It doesn’t bother them. They don’t grieve over their own sins much less over the sins of others. Their brothers and sisters in Christ could be trapped again by sin’s deceitfulness, and they don’t even bother to find out. Instead they laugh and joke with them and share in the same types of entertainment, and they just make each other feel good, but they aren’t rescuing anyone, including themselves.

Sadly enough, we often learn to hate evil by either having evil done to us by others and/or through our own sinful failures, which often result in much pain and suffering to ourselves and to those we love. And, stubborn and unwise as humans can sometimes be, oftentimes it takes many instances of sinful failure and/or having evil done against us before we ever really and truly learn to hate it with a passion.

Yet, we will never learn to hate it if we purposefully and willfully continue to find enjoyment and pleasure in it, and if we persist in being entertained by it via movies, books, TV shows, music, games, etc. Also, we will not learn to hate evil if we don’t join in regular fellowship with our Lord, seeking to know him with our whole being, and by doing what his word teaches us. We don’t hate evil because we don’t really know God in his fullness. We are not in tune with him, and thus we don’t feel what he feels with a passion. Yet, many do. I do. Yet, sadly enough, there were times in my life when I chose to learn much of this the hard way. Hopefully you will not. But, thanks be to God, his grace taught me what I needed.

And yet, one of the biggest roadblocks to hating what is evil, I believe, is deception and desensitization. I can remember when we used to watch a lot of TV and movies. [We gave up our TV 6 years ago.] At times, there would be things in the movies I knew were wrong. I have been a Christian since I was 7, so I knew better. And, yet, I wanted to be entertained, so I would accept a little bad for what I felt was the overall good of the enjoyment of a “good” movie. And, then I would accept a little more, and a little more to the point to where I became desensitized to all the evil in the movies until God broke through my heart. So, it is with so many people today, and so they don’t recognize evil as evil, and so how can they hate what they have learned to tolerate and accept? Oh, how we must test what we see, hear and read against the Word of Truth, so that we are not easily deceived and led astray!

Listen to God

“Now therefore, O sons, listen to me,

For blessed are they who keep my ways.

“Heed instruction and be wise,

And do not neglect it.

“Blessed is the man who listens to me,

Watching daily at my gates,

Waiting at my doorposts.

“For he who finds me finds life

And obtains favor from the Lord.

“But he who sins against me injures himself;

All those who hate me love death.” ~ vv. 32-36

So, if we are lacking in wisdom, knowledge, discernment, discretion and good judgment about what is evil or about what is good, then where can we go to learn this? The answer is obvious. We must go to God/Jesus and to his Word. Yet, we must be open to hear what he says to our hearts, we must not resist him or deny him, and we must be willing to do whatever he says and his Word says we must do to walk in his holiness and righteousness, and to no longer live to satisfy the desires of our sinful flesh. We must confess all known sin in our lives and turn away from it, by God’s grace and in his power and strength within us. We will not know God’s will for our lives, and we will not live in victory if we persist in doing what is wrong, or if we refuse to repent and to own up to any known sin in our lives. As well, we must be willing to allow God to reveal to us any hidden sins which we may have suppressed or may have rationalized and justified and thus believed our own lies.

Yet, this kind of wisdom cannot be gained through a casual and occasional relationship with Jesus Christ. We must be in his Word daily, seeking his counsel, looking for his guidance, and longing to learn his Word and to apply it to our lives.

Do Your Best / An Original Work / November 7, 2011

Based off of 2 Timothy 2

Love You, Father, love You, Lord.             

Be strong in the grace of Christ.    

Endure hardship for your Lord.                          

Your commander, live to please.              

You’ll receive the victor’s crown.               

By the rules, run in the race.                   

Your Lord, you’ll see face to face.             

Jesus Christ, raised from the dead;          

Of your life, He is the head.                     

Endure all for the elect.                           

Love You, Father, love You, Lord.             

If we died, we live with Him.          

If we last, with Him we’ll reign.                

If we disown Him today,                          

He will have to look away.                       

Even if we faithless be,                            

Faithful He’ll remain always.                    

He cannot disown Himself.                       

He’s our Lord and Savior, King.               

He will reign o’er ev’rything.                    

Love You, Father, love You, Lord.             

Do your best; present yourself                

As one who’s approved by God.               

Work as one who’s not ashamed;             

Rightly share the Word of truth.              

Wander not from what you know.            

Destroy not the faith of some.                 

God’s foundation; it stands firm.              

The Lord knows those who are His:          

Those who turn from wickedness.            

Love You, Father, love You, Lord.             

In a house are wood and clay,                 

Gold and silver, all array.                        

Some are noble, some are bad -              

Cleanse your life, and you’ll be glad;        

Useful to the Master’s work.                    

A pure heart - in righteousness,              

Pursue faith and love and peace.             

Bad desires you want to flee.                   

Gentle servant you must be.         

http://originalworks.info/do-your-best-1/

http://vimeo.com/117504030