Archives for January 2013

Proverbs Chapter 7

Chapter 7 is loaded down with some prophetic application to the false religious system that damns people’s souls to hell.  Throughout mu year as Pastor, I have taught about the symbolism made in the Word of God about woman and religious systems. We see it in the fact God refers to the Nation of Israel as an adulterous women. We see in the New Testament the Church is seen as the Bride of Christ.  And in Revelation, there is the great whore who is known as Jezebel. But God has talked about that Great Whore in multiple places in the scripture, often referring to her as the “strange woman”.

Here in this chapter God clears off a good space to lay out the scene of what she is like.  He tells us she flattereth with her words, she is subtil of heart, and she has “her much fair speech she caused him to yield”.  This is the way religious systems work.  They speak with flattering words and fair speeches that as the Bible says “are smoother than oil” There may be those that say, “Corey way would you call out those systems, and judge them?”  And I would answer with  (Rom 16:17-18)  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.  Our job is to warn those that are simple and unlearned.  (Pro 7:7)  And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, …(Pro 7:22)  He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;  Like an dumb unlearned animal, people walk right up and lose their life to a system of lies and half-truths, because it seems to be right.  Don’t forget what (Pro 16:25)  There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

The way to prevent those going to the spiritual slaughter house, is to go to fill them with the WORDS OF GOD! Look at (Pro 7:1-3)  My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.  Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.  Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.

I always speak about a relationship with Christ, not a religion. But for argument sake, someone may want to ask, way I attend the type of church I attend.  And my answer would go back to (Pro 7:24) Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.  I know I have eternal life, because of what the scriptures say, not what a certain church, or denomination, or Church leader has to say.

Proverbs Chapter 6

We have come to Chapter 6 today in our reading of the “the book of Wisdom”.  And God doesn’t pull any punches here in the scriptures. We could focus on finical wisdom (vs. 4-11), the evilness in us (vs. 12-15) or the six things God hates (BTW count them) (vs. 16-19). But I think we will focus on verses 24-35.

God is dealing with Adultery in very plain terms. We in America have a real problem with adultery, and fornication.  Given the secretive nature of infidelity, exact figures about cheating and extra-marital affairs are nearly impossible to establish. It is estimated that roughly 30 to 60% of all married individuals (in the United States) will engage in infidelity at some point during their marriage (see, Buss and Shackelford for review of this research).  And these numbers are probably on the conservative side, when you consider that close to half of all marriages end in divorce.  Infidelity is becoming more common among people under 30.  Many experts believe this increase in cheating is due to greater opportunity (time spent away from a spouse) and young people developing the habit of having multiple sexual partners before they get married (see, young and restless – Wall Street Journal).  We live in a society that views sex as a function that 2 people do like, dancing, or eating dinner together. Meaning there isn’t any real deep connection, or event.  Just something you do.

My concern isn’t that the world is have unbridled sex. That’s what lost people do. That act on the natural or the flesh.  What is concerning is that these things happen in the Church.  How many people reading this had premarital sex as a Christian?  How many parents will turn a blind eye to their children having premarital sex? Or better yet take a daughter to the doctor to make sure see is prepared pharmaceutically? God sees adultery and fornication on the same level as Homosexuality, by calling it all an abomination.  We are quick to point out the homosexuals and want laws in place to stop it, but we take a different approach to our own sin.

As we read in (Pro 6:32-33)  But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.  A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.  God lets us know that that the reproach of adultery will not go away. A good example is to read about David. I love reading about David before2 Samuel 11, but after that even though he repents of the evil, he is never the same king as before.  This carries on with Pastors throughout the generations that had the touch of God on them, but fell in to adultery and wasted their ministry. Even though many repent, they are never the same.

How many times have you looked over at a coworker, a church member, neighbor, or friend and had a thought about them.  You say “it’s just harmless fantasy, I would never act upon it”.  Remember what verse 27 says  “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?”

There are no harmless fantasies, that don’t focus on the spouse God gave you.  According to the scripture, “he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”

Proverbs Chapter 5

I am back in Proverbs today with an eagerness to get more silver and hidden treasure.  There is a newness of studying the Bible when you are not trying to get through a certain amount of chapter, or trying to prepare for a sermon. Just simply sitting down with God as blank sheet of paper and seeing what he will write in your mind.

I noticed at the end of the chapter on little verse that brings much imagery in my mind.   (Pro 5:21-22)  For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.  His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.  We read that God says that our sin will eventually wrap us up, tie us down, and won’t let go.  My mind go back to movies like Indiana Jones, or Jumanji.  Where these vines wrap around their feet and drag them away.  That is SIN.  Before you realize that they are wrapped around you it is too late.  This set of scripture takes me back to a man named Sampson.  If you look at him, he is a picture of the last days Christian. He has unbelievable power, but use it for self, which ultimately he ends up tried up with the cords of his own sins.

We live in Georgia, where we have an abundance of what is known as kudzu.   Kudzu was brought in from Asia for using in the southern United States specifically to feed goats on land that had limited resources.  It is now common along roadsides and other undisturbed areas throughout most of the southeastern United States. It has been spreading at the rate of 150,000 acres annually. This kudzu will spread out around a nice solid Oak tree and slowly and silently climb up and choke the life out of it, till it comes till it ultimate death.  Just like sin in the life of a Christian. The key is to get to it early and cut it down before the damage is made. Many times even if you do cut that kudzu down off the oak tree and remove any site of the vines, the damage is already done. THIS JUST LIKE SIN.

If you have ever went to pull a vine plant away from a good plant, you know how strong that little plant can be.  What little sin is creeping up on you that will ultimately choke out your life?

Proverbs  Chapter 4

I’ve woken up this morning with the challenge to dig in till find the treasure that is promised me.  I prepared one the finest cups of coffee, sit down at the table and approached this chapter as though I have never read it before.  I realize that this chapter alone is inexhaustible, let alone the Bible as a whole.  Very refreshing to know the well that we draw from will never go dry.

As you come to the end of the chapter God lays out some things concerning our heart. And before we get to that, let me remind you that Jeremiah tells us that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” It’s always laughable when a pastor says things like, “let me tell you what is on my heart” or “if I know my heart”. Well you don’t know your heart, according to Jeremiah.  And while we are at it I would prefer you give the WORD OF GOD not what’s on your heart.

But the verses of today say…   (Pro 4:23-27)  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.  Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.  Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.  I like the word that the text uses “issues”. We use that a lot today when referring to our problems.  We say things like “I am having some issues at work” or “that guy has some issues in his life”. Here in the text God tells us that the issues (problems) that we have are generated in our heart.  He warns us to keep guard or a watch over our heart, and not to do it half heartily (no pun intended), but to be thorough.

That thoroughness starts with guarding our mouth according to the context.  How many of our issues (problems) start with the fact we say things that we shouldn’t.  The Bible makes a connection with our mouth and our heart. According to the scripture “what is in the heart will come out of the mouth”. The book of James tells us  “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain”. In other words you got issues.

The guarding of our heart continues  by focusing on our eyes.  According to Matthew  “The light of the body is the eye” Therefore we need to be careful to protect our vision, because it will change your thoughts.  (Lam 3:51)  Mine eye affecteth mine heart …  (Job 31:1)  I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?. Notices that that the eyes of Job effected his heart.

The next idem to guard is our feet. This is a reference to where you go and travel to. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they walk.  (Eph 4:17)  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,. Notice that the walk is connected to the mind (heart).  A lot of those issues are from the gossip and busy bodies that like to keep the issues going. (2Th 3:11)  For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

I don’t know what issues you and I will have today.  But as I look back at yesterday, I know that I had some issues that came from not guarding my mouth, came by not guarding my eyes, and I didn’t walk in wisdom of those that are without.

Proverbs Chapter 3

I start off reading this morning wondering about the question we finished with in yesterday’s reading.  God said he would give us wisdom “If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures” Am I really sitting down and  approaching my Bible reading today as though there is hidden treasure or silver?  Gold closed yesterday at $1,688.88 per ounce and silver at $31.15. I wonder how much time and effort we would put in, if we knew that there was gold or silver in our back yard.  Do you think we would dig till we found something or just a little to show we did our duty for the day?

Today God has sat me down on one of the most famous set of scriptures in the book of Proverbs. (Pro 3:5-6)  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  These verses are regularly quoted at a time of problems or lack of knowing which way to turn. But we never here the next verse which states …(Pro 3:7)  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.  A lot of those times of trouble and lack of direction comes from the evil we produce in our self-centered lives.  That verse also starts out by stating “Be not wise in thine own eyes”.  Like children we think we have grown to the place where we can make the little decisions.  That our wisdom and knowledge, as to what to do in a given situation is what we need to run on, until it gets out of hand, and then we will run to daddy to get him to fix it.  We compartmentalize the areas of trusting the Lord. In areas of eternal life, Heaven or Hell, life and death, sickness and disease, we place our full trust in the Lord.  But in areas like, where to live, what job to have, where to go to Church, our kids, we will take the helm and guide the ship by our own understanding.  See the 1^st list I mentioned, are all things out of our control.  We have no choice, but to allow God to be in charge.  But the second list is the area we think we can control and this is the areas that we have the most problems.  The best thing we could do, is to come to the place where we realize that we are not wise, but very ignorant.  God doesn’t want to be your spare tire to bail you out of your jams, he wants to be your steering wheel, to guide you around the jam that you are heading for.  

What is it in your life that you are still trying to control this morning?  Why start the day off in prayer asking God to reveal it, so you can repent of it?

Proverbs Chapter 2

I am back in the “book of Wisdom” today, in the “year of wisdom.”  What a compiling book. I am amazed at a book that is 2800 years old and still so relevant to the life style of today.

Verse 6 tells us “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” The truth to be found here is that you and I can’t get wisdom apart from God.  There is no book, guru, philosopher, or state of mind that will bring you the wisdom that mankind is searching for. I am often told by some of the older generation, that this current generation is not very spiritual. I highly disagree with that comment. People of this generation are into all kinds of spiritual journeys.  They are willing to study out all kinds of different paths to know the answer to the question of life.  The world’s largest Buddhist temple is in Boulder, CO.  Buddhism is growing 3 times faster than Christianity in the USA. The US is now the 8th largest Hindu country in the world.  We have religions like Kabbalah, Scientology, New Age thinking, along with gurus like such as Deepak Chopra that  have gone main stream in America

The search for wisdom starts by knowing the” Wisdom maker”.  There is no amount of schooling or intellect, or even spiritual enlightenment that allows us to gain wisdom apart from God. We need to keep this in mind as we go through this book together.  We as Christians have a tendency to approach Bible study with a view that we will get wisdom simply by studying the scriptures. Remember GOD GIVES WISDOM! Just because you study the Bible, doesn’t necessarily mean you are getting wisdom. Wisdom comes from God. Yes he uses the scripture to deliver or channel that wisdom. But the actual wisdom comes from God.  There are a lot of people that know the letter of the Law but not the spirit of that Law.

 Notice that the 2^nd half of the verse says “out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding”.  What comes out of his mouth is his words.  I am amazed at the amount of people that claim to know Christ, and to have assurance to where their soul will reside for eternity, but have never read the Bible all the way through.  Many of these people have been saved for numerous years. At the same time people will claim to have eternal life and could not take you to a verse of scripture that they trusting in for that eternal life.

WISDOM COMES FROM GOD, not a pastor, preacher, teacher, or televangelist!  And God will use his book to get you that wisdom, when as the chapter today says “If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures” Is that the way you approached your Bible reading today

Proverbs Chapter 1

After a year of reading our Bible from coast to coast, we are now going to focus in on the “Book of Wisdom”. Also known as the “book of Proverbs”, that has 31 chapters in it.  Our scheduled reading will coincide with the date of the calendar.  In other words on day 7 of the month, we will read chapter 7. If we do what we are supposed to we will have read the book 12 times this year. That is why we are calling it the “Year of Wisdom”

My goal is to simply blog about what God has illuminated to me in my read and to give you some things to think about.

Chapter 1 starts by letting us know that this book was written to give us wisdom. (Pro 1:2-3)  To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom…  In the world we live in, people are flocking to gain knowledge, and to get more information. We have schooling and training for all kinds of fields, along with the access to all kinds of information via the internet.  I have often said that I can get knowledge and information in a matter of seconds, compared to the Pastors before me, that would have taken them mouths or even years to obtain.  In fact we are living in an “information overload” society. People are being bombarded by information via the internet radio and Tv, like never before.  But in all of this I am reminded what Paul said to Timothy about the last days, when he described the dangerous times.   (2Ti 3:7)  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The difference between the knowledge and wisdom comes down to the absence of God in your learning.  Many people are trying to gain wisdom and knowledge without which is futile.  We know that knowledge and wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord.   (Pro 1:7)  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  (Pro 9:10)  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

But there is another element to factor into the book of Wisdom, and that all of the wisdom, truth, and knowledge that we will learn will be centered on the person of God and who he is in our life.

Here is one example of that element…

(Pro 30:8-9)  Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:  Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Solomon’s prayer is to have neither have riches or poverty. But is reasoning behind the prayer is his relationship with God.  Riches are risky because the ultimate issue is God.  And poverty is risky because the ultimate issue is God. The book of Proverbs—the most practical, down-to-earth book in the Bible—is written for God’s sake. That we might not deny God in our prosperity and that we might not profane God in the hour of need.