Wisdom

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Get wisdom. Get understanding. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom (Proverbs 4:7 KJV)."


This morning I asked God for wisdom while studying and preparing a sermon. Job said the fear of the Lord is wisdom (Job 28:28). The words of Proverbs 4:7 were the words of a father handed down to a son (Proverbs 4:3). Solomon, the son of David, did exactly what his father instructed. He got wisdom.


God asked Solomon what he wanted him to give (1Kings 3:5). Solomon asked for an understanding heart to discern between good and bad in order to judge the people (1Kings 3:9). God gave him what he asked for, a wise and understanding heart (1Kings 3:12). So praying for wisdom is a good thing, the principal thing, the most important thing. Did God answer my plea for wisdom this morning? Let's see...


James 3:13 says, "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness." Are you wise? Do you possess knowledge? Show that your actions are good by living a humble lifestyle which comes from wisdom. This is the answer God gave me this morning when I asked for wisdom. I asked for wisdom and God asked me if I was wise! I only had to read four more verses from James 3 to grasp what God was trying to show me.


James 3:14 speaks of bitter envying, arguing, pride, and lying against the truth. James calls this wisdom EARTHLY and DEVILISH (James 3:15). James 3:17 then paints a very clear picture of the characteristics of Godly wisdom:

• Godly wisdom is PURE.
• Godly wisdom is PEACEABLE.
• Godly wisdom is GENTLE.
• Godly wisdom is EASY TO BE ENTREATED or WILL YIELD TO REASON.
• Godly wisdom is FULL OF MERCY and GOOD FRUITS.
• Godly wisdom is without PARTIALITY.
• Godly wisdom is without HYPOCRISY.

Pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield to reason, full of mercy, full of good fruits, not partial, and not hypocritical. All I asked for was some wisdom for preparing a sermon and God brought me face-to-face with my shortcomings when it comes to Godly wisdom.

• First, I am a sinner. Like the Apostle Paul, I could argue (earthly wisdom!!) that I am the chiefest of sinners. I am by no means pure, but I am forgiven. I am washed in the blood of the Lamb.
• Anyone who really knows me knows that I'm not the most peaceable person in the world. I will argue with a barn door if I think I'm right (devilish wisdom)! Yet I am forgiven, washed in the blood of the Lamb.
• I am far from gentle. I am harsh and generally quite blunt. Still, I am forgiven, covered with the blood of the Lamb.
• I'm willing to yield to reason if it suits my purposes (see peaceable)! Yet my transgressions are forgiven. I am washed whiter than snow by the blood of the Lamb.
• I try to be merciful and I try to bear good fruit. Yet time after time I fail. But I am forgiven, washed clean by the blood of the Lamb.
• Partial? Who, me? Again, I am forgiven. I'm washed in the crimson flow from the Lamb.
• Who's hypocritical? Certainly not me? Yet God so loved he gave. I am forgiven. I am washed clean in the blood of Jesus Christ.

Job got it right. The fear of the Lord is wisdom. And thanks be to God for the blood of Jesus Christ. You see, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1 KJV)."

It wasn't the sermon I was preparing for, but I think I received the sermon I asked for the wisdom to prepare. God bless...

God Responds to Opposition - Digging Into the Psalms

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Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? If you understand how I did it, then tell me (Job 38:4). Can you, who argue with God, teach God (Job 40:2)? So then, why do the nations rage and people make worthless plans? Why then do kings and rulers plan in opposition to the Anointed One (Psalms 2:1-2)?


"He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision (Psalm 2:4 KJV)."


Can the created ones explain how God spoke creation into existence? Yet the created ones are in constant rage, and the created ones are constantly making plans in opposition of the Creator. Is there any human intelligent enough to teach God? Yet humanity counseled, planned, and killed the Anointed One. Humanity still plans and opposes those now anointed of God.


God sits on his throne in heaven (Revelation  4:2), and the psalmist says he laughs. God sits in heaven and laughs, mocking the plans made to oppose him. God isn't laughing because the raging, the counselling, and the planning are comical. God doesn't think opposition is funny. God laughs in mockery of the worthless plans of humanity to oppose him. Opposition displeases and angers God:


"Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure (Psalm 2:5 KJV)."


Wrath and displeasure aren't words which proclaim joy. The Contemporary English Version Bible renders verse 5 as, "The Lord becomes furious and threatens them. His anger terrifies them." The warnings and threatenings God gives to humanity who oppose him are numerous throughout the entire Bible. The first chapter of Psalms closes with one such warning, "But the way of the ungodly shall perish."


Psalm 2:5 states another warning or threat. God will vex those in opposition. I find the word vex interesting. Translated from the origonal Hebrew it means to tremble inwardly or to be suddenly alarmed or agitated. Pick up a newspaper. Listen to the news. Is anyone alarmed? Is anyone agitated? Is anyone trembling inwardly due to the fear caused by the rapidly deteriorating condition of this world?


"Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion (Psalm 2:6)."


This prophecy of Jesus Christ is exactly why God sits on his throne mocking those who dare to oppose him. "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord (Revelation 1:8 KJV)." God laughs because opposition is pointless. Those who oppose God, those who oppose those anointed to carry out the work of God, are guaranteed to lose. Psalm 2:6 is the guarantee. God is victorious.


God can do anything and everything, and he knows everything (Job 42:2). Thus any opposition of God is bound to lose. We'll dig into the details of the victory next time. Until then, your comments are always welcome. God bless...

Opposing the Gospel - Digging Into the Psalms

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"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us (Psalm 2:1-3 KJV)."


We could say rather easily that opposition to the kingdom of heaven began in the Garden of Eden with a speaking serpent. Mankind was deceived into disobeying God in the beginning, and sin became the possessor of the human soul. Sin separates humanity from God, and sin places humanity into direct opposition of God.


The raging heathen translates to nations, in the sense of massing foreign nations. Strong's renders Gentile nations. Could it be said that a person living in sin, Jew or Gentile, is a foreigner to God? The raging foreign nations imagine a vain thing. Opposition to God is a worthless endeavor. You are guaranteed to lose.


I couldn't begin to write here the accounts of opposition to God written throughout the pages of the Old Testament. Jesus brought this opposition to light in his condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees of his day when he spoke of the righteous blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who was killed between the temple and the altar (Matthew 23:35). Satan has opposed the kingdom of heaven from the start. Humanity living in the grasp of sin becomes the instruments of opposition to God and his anointed. The most graphic display of opposition came when Christ was crucified.


A disciple, the high priest, the scribes, the elders and rulers, Herod, Pilate, a king and rulers took counsel together and crucified the Anointed One. The opposition would have stopped if sin and death were victorious. The Church which blazed into existence in obedience to the Gospel of Christ was quickly met with fierce opposition by priests, scribes, elders, and eventually Caesar himself.


The first recorded prayer of the apostles was about facing opposition, "Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ (Acts 4:24-26 KJV)." The prayer lists the gathering of the people and rulers against Jesus (Acts 4:27). Then a request was made: "Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word (Acts 4:29 KJV)."


The opposition didn't stop there. The history of Christianity is filled with the blood of the countless who have given their all for the kingdom of heaven. Men, women, and children are even giving their lives in our world today for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.The opposition will not stop until the One who is Alpha and Omega returns and makes all things new.


The apostle Peter tells us to not think it odd that we face opposition and trials. Here's what he tells us we should do:


"But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy (1Peter 4:13 KJV)."


God bless...

Psalm 2 - Digging Into the Psalms

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Psalm 2 begins with the question, actually two questions, why do the heathen rage, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The Psalm concludes with the promise, "Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." The actual authorship of the Psalm isn't given, but it's ascribed to David by the apostles: "Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things (Acts 4:25 KJV)."


Psalm 1 was moral in nature by showing us our moral duty to not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, to not stand in the way of sinners, and to not sit in the seat of the scornful. Psalm 2 is more evangelical in nature by showing us a clear prophetic picture of our Savior. Though the Psalm could be a reference to the kingdom of David, it is without doubt prophesying of the kingdom of Christ. The main subject of this Psalm is the Anointed One, the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.


Psalm 2 can be divided into four sections:

1. The first section presents the raging nations who oppose the kingdom of Christ (verses 1-3).
2. Section two speaks of God's baffling the opposition and of his chastening of them (verses 4-5). The section concludes with the ultimate victory of Christ in the setting up of his kingdom (verse 6).
3. The third section begins with a declaration of Christ (verse 7). The kingdom is confirmed and established. A promise of enlargement and success is given (verses 8-9).
4. The final section advises the kings and nations of the earth to yield in obedience to Christ (verses 10-11). It proceeds with a warning, then concludes with a promise of blessing to all who place their trust in Christ (verse 12).

Psalm 1 presented us with the Law and the blessing associated with delighting in the Law and being obedient to it by subjecting to it. The apostle Paul wrote that no man could be justified by the works of the law (Galatians 2:16). Thus it's appropriate that the prophecy of the Messiah is immediately brought to light with Psalm 2. We're now blessed to be subject to the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

We'll dig a little deeper into the raging of the nations next time. As usual, any comments, thoughts, and ideas are welcome. God bless...

God Knows Me

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"The LORD knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous (Psalm 1:6 AMP)."


Such a powerful promise from God though exciting, also causes me to search deeper into the though that God could know me. Out of all the billions of people who have walked this planet, God could know even me!


I wrote of how God knows the course of life the righteous take in my last post, Road Walked On - Digging Into the Psalms. I wrote of how God will appoint the course of life for the righteous. Yet as I was thinking about it later, I was led to this passage of scripture:


"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23 KJV)."


The words of Jesus, "I never knew you" are an attention grabber! It's obvious from this passage of scripture these people knew the name of Jesus. It's obvious they professed to know who he was. It's obvious they had accomplished many great works through the name of Jesus. By all appearances these people should be considered righteous; right? Yet Jesus said, "I never knew you."


We call him Lord. We know his name; Jesus. We build magnificent buildings in his name. We write, play, and sing many wonderful songs in his name. We make profession after profession of faith in his name. We prophesy in his name. We pray for healing and deliverance in his name. Yet does he know us?


Who is it whom God knows? He knows those who do the will of the Father. What is the will of the Father? Bearing fruit. "When you bear (produce) much fruit, my Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine (John 15:8 AMP)." Jesus spoke of bearing fruit again and again during his ministry. He spoke of sending reapers into the harvest to gather fruit unto eternal life (John 4:36). The fruit we are to bear is the souls we harvest for the kingdom of God.


We possess the power to be witnesses for Christ (Acts 1:8). We are commissioned to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). The course of world events has sparked an intense interest in eschatology. The fruit is ripe. The harvest is ready. Are there reapers willing to work to bring in the fruit of the harvest?


God give me a burden, a passion to share Christ with all. Lord, help me to be a branch which bears fruit. I want to be known of God. I don't want to stand before him and hear him say, "I don't know you."


God bless...

A Road Walked On - Digging Into the Psalms

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"For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalm 1:6 KJV)."


This verse sums up man's life from beginning to end. God knows. God sees how we live out the time he's granted us. Job, a man who suffered profusely during his time of life, says this, "For his (God's) eyes are upon the ways of man, and he (God) seeth all his (man's) goings (Job 34:21 KJV)."


Take note of the word way (Psalm 1:6) and the word ways (Job 34:21). They are the same Hebrew word meaning a road trodden, or in our case, a course of life. The word used here is a derivative of a Hebrew primitive root meaning to tread or walk. The psalmist is telling us God knows the course of life the righteous take, and the course the ungodly follow will lead them to destruction.


Psalm 1 is a chapter which is loaded with positives and negatives. I find it interesting to note the balance between them. This final verse also offers us a positive and a negative in perfect balance.


The positive comes in the use of the word knoweth. The modern definition of know is to recognize, discern, or understand. The Hebrew definition of the word knoweth, or know, isn't much different. Yet it is richer. Yes, God sees the way, or the course of life we all travel.  But God recognizes, he acquaints himself with, he accepts, and he appoints the course of life of the righteous. The Apostle Paul wrote, "The Lord knoweth them that are his (2Timothy 2:19 KJV)."


The final negative statement of Psalm 1 is, "the way of the ungodly shall perish." An ungodly person is anyone who does what is morally wrong. The ungodly person is one who willfully chooses to reject God and to disobey God's commandments. So how is it the course of life taken by the ungodly will come to destruction?


Let's look at the word perish. It's a Hebrew primitive root meaning to wander away or to lose oneself. The psalmist is saying the course of life taken by the ungodly will cause them to wander away losing oneself to certain destruction. God doesn't want anyone to perish.


Man's destruction was never God's intent. God patiently endures the course of life humanity chooses to take. God does this because he desires that nobody perish, but all come to repentance in changing their hearts and lives. Doing so will place one on the course of life which God not only approves of but will appoint one to.


Your feedback and comments are welcome. We'll start digging into Psalm 2 next time. Till then, God bless...

Fate of the Wicked - Digging Into the Psalms

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We love blessings. They make us happy. The promise to be blessed is a positive force with the power to brighten our day. Yet as we journey we must also deal with the negatives presented in the Scriptures. They should serve as warnings, and should cause us to evaluate our relationship with our Creator.

We've been thrilled by the promise of multiple blessings for the godly, who delight themselves in the Law of the Lord, but there's an opposite. Where there are the godly, there must also be the ungodly. Let's look at Psalm 1:4 (KJV):

"The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away."

Chaff is the debris separated from the grain during threshing. Chaff is a material that is completely worthless. The grain is to be saved. The chaff is to be turned into compost or destroyed. The godly are saved like the grain. The ungodly aren't.

Here's how the prophet Isaiah describes the fate of the ungodly:

"You will go up in flames like straw and hay! You have rejected the teaching of the holy LORD God All-Powerful of Israel. Now your roots will rot and your blossoms will turn to dust (Isaiah 5:24 Contemporary English Version)."

What a contrast this is to the godly who are planted like trees by rivers of water! The ungodly are worthless chaff, and are destined for the fire. The ungodly reject the Law of the Lord. They take no delight in obeying God's commandments. Let's move on...

"Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous (Psalms 1:5 KJV)."

This is the ultimate fate of the ungodly. They are to be eternally separated from God and the godly. The ungodly will not be justified in the final judgment. The ungodly will stand before God without excuse. They don't have a place among the godly. They're out of their element if they try to stand among the congregation of the saints.

These are the words of Jesus Christ:

"The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire (Matthew 13:49-50 KJV)."

Sobering words to say the least. Do they make you think about your relationship with God? They should.

I can't stop here like this. God doesn't want any to perish. He desires for all humanity to come to repentance, changing their hearts and lives (2 Peter 3:9). For God so loved, he gave (John 3:16). What will you do now? God bless...

Rivers of Water - Digging Into the Psalms

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There is a river that flows from God above. There is a fountain that's filled with His great love. Come to this water. There is a vast supply. There is a river that never shall run dry (words by Max and David Sapp).


We looked into the word blessed in the first installment of this blog series. We learned how the word really means multiple blessings. We understand that the one who walks uprightly and delights in God's law is blessed with multiple blessings. What are these blessings?


"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Psalm 1:3 KJV)."


Every time I read the word river in the Bible, I can't help but think of the song "There Is A River", which is why I began this posting with a stanza of the song. The prophet Ezekiel writes of this river in Ezekiel chapter 47. The apostle John speaks of this river in Revelation 22:1-2.


Blessing number one:
The blessed one will be like a tree. Give a young sapling plenty of nutrients and water and it will become a solid, extremely difficult to move tree. Put that tree into our lifetime, into our neighborhoods, and it's even harder to take down. There are houses, outbuildings, powerlines, the neighbors property, among other things to deal with when removing trees today.


Blessing number two:
The tree is planted by rivers of water. I want you to take particular notice: this tree is planted by rivers, plural, rivers. The Hebrew word translated as river is derived from a primitive root meaning to split or divide! It's no mistake or coincidence the psalmist uses the plural rivers here. The tree, the one blessed, isn't blessed just once. The one blessed is blessed over and over!


Blessing number three:
This blessing also comes from the rivers. It's the water itself. A river is a continuous flowing supply of water. The water is constantly moving, constantly being refreshed. This constant supply of fresh water is a necessity for Christian growth and maturity. We must allow God to plant us in the water of his Spirit!


Blessing number four:
The tree will bear fruit in its season. A well-watered, strong Christian will bear fruit. I'm not talking about living the high life. I'm not talking the prosperity gospel. I'm not talking about how we act. I'm talking about winning souls! The one who is blessed will bear fruit. We will win souls!


Blessing number five:
The blessed tree will never lose its leaves. They will never wither, fade, or fall off the tree. It's an evergreen tree. How can this be? The blessed one is rooted in an everlasting supply of fresh water. The blessed one grows towards an everlasting sun. The blessed is planted in rivers of water, the Spirit. The one blessed doesn't need to rely on the natural sun to keep his 'leaves' green. Jesus Christ himself is the SUN!


The last blessing listed:
The blessed one will prosper in everything he or she does.I know sometimes it doesn't feel like we're prospering much. Sink your roots deep into the river of God and take in all the water you can get. Allow your branches to spread forth into the light of the Son. Keep drinking. Keep growing. Keep maturing. When your season comes, you will bear much fruit, and you'll bear fruit over and over! The blessing are multiple! God bless...

Glorifying the Father

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I know I'm stepping away from the Psalms today, but this verse hit me hard this morning:


"Herein is the Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples (John 15:8 KJV)."


Let's take this verse from the NIV:


"This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."


One more translation from the Common English Bible:


"My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples."


I love to worship God. I love to give God glory in all that I do. But Jesus points out very clearly in this verse that God is glorified when we win souls! The Bible says we'll be known by our fruit (Matthew 7:16).


Throughout the Gospels, Jesus speaks of bearing fruit. He speaks of good seed  producing good fruit. He speaks of bad seed producing bad fruit. He speaks of good trees bearing good fruit and bad trees bearing bad fruit. He speaks of the bad trees being cut down and thrown into the fire.


In this passage of John 15, Jesus speaks of himself being the vine and us being the branches (verse 5). The branch must abide in the vine and it will bear fruit. He says every branch which doesn't bear fruit will be taken away (verse 2). The branch which is taken away doesn't abide in the vine. Those branches are gathered and thrown into the fire to be burned (Verse 6).


We can assemble ourselves together and worship in word, song, and dance. We can shout, clap our hands, and sing the glorious praises to our God. But Jesus says God is glorified when we produce fruit. Jesus says we can prove we're his disciples by bearing fruit. What better way is there to worship and give God glory than to win a soul for his kingdom?


God, I pray today that you'll put within me a burning desire and passion to be a soulwinner! God, let me bring glory to you by producing fruit. I pray this in Jesus' name. God bless...

More of Psalms One

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In Let's Get Started Into the Palms, we took a close look at the man who walks in the council of the ungodly, stands in the way of sinners, and sits in the seat of the scornful. Psalms 1:1 (KJV) begins with the promise, "Blessed is the man". I like being blessed! Don't you? If we don't follow the plans and the purposes of the ungodly, if we don't submit to the ways and means where sinners walk, and if we don't join ourselves to those who disdain and mock the Way of the Lord, God promises to bless us with multiple blessings!


Now let's bring a contrast to the ungodly, scornful sinner...


"But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." (Psalms 1:2 KJV)


This is the description of the man who is blessed. Jeremiah said, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and the rejoicing of mine heart (Jer. 15:16 KJV)."  A blessed man is happy! I could jump ahead to Psalm 119 and give a listing of the benefits in delighting ourselves in the Word. But I'd like to forge into the New Testament Epistles and establish the case for doing so.


No prophecy, not one word of the scriptures is of any private interpretation (2Pe. 1:20). The men who penned the Word wrote as they were moved on by the Holy Spirit (2Pe. 1:21). All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God (2Tim. 3:16). Therefore the Word, the Law of the Lord, is profitable to for us. It's good for doctrine, reproof, correction, and for instruction in the way of righteousness (2Tim. 3:16). The knowledge of exactly who God is and God's plan for humanity is contained in the Scriptures from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.


We're blessed today to have the Holy Bible, the written Word of God. When David penned the words of Psalm 1, he didn't have sixty-six books at his fingertips. He didn't have much more than the writings of Moses to delight himself in. Yet David was able to exclaim, "Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord!"


God's Word, the Scriptures, the Holy Bible should be the daily bread for every Christian believer. How much more should we delight in the Scriptures we have so readily available to us today? How much more should we make it a point to meditate in the Law of the Lord day and night? I ask you, is your delight in the Word of God? Do you take time to read and study such a God-given treasure to humanity? Does the Law of the Lord give you joy, causing your heart to rejoice? If it does, then my friend, you are blessed!


Next time we'll get into the details of the multiple blessings for the one who doesn't walk in counsel of the ungodly, stand in the way of sinners, sit in the seat of the scornful, but whose delight is in the Law of the Lord. Until then, God bless...

Let's Get Started Into the Psalms

A journey into the depths of The Book of Psalms offers us a bountiful supply of topics which touch on nearly every human experience. I started digging deeper into the Psalms while completing an intensive study on the topic of prayer. The Book of Psalms is known as the prayer book of the Bible. The Psalms were written as hymns to be used in the Jewish temple. The Psalms were also to be used to teach the people about the God they served. Let's get started...


Psalm 1 can be considered a preface psalm. The differences between the godly and the ungodly are laid out clearly. The godly are blessed, and the ungodly aren't. The final verse of Psalm 1 states the whole message of Christianity in a nutshell...


"For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish (Psalms 1:6 KJV)."


Psalm 1:1 begins with great promise, "Blessed is the man." The word blessed comes from the Hebrew 'esher. It's a plural word, meaning multiple blessings or exceeding happiness. Now that's good stuff! Who doesn't like such a promise of blessing! But hold on, our promise turns to the negative rather quickly. Let's look at verse 1...


"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."


The verse rapidly dives into the counsel of the ungodly, the way of sinners, and the seat of the scornful. Take note of the grading, or steps, of sin given here. We start by walking in the counsel of the ungodly. We move ahead to standing with sinners. Then we reach the point of sitting with the scornful. How can this be?


Humanity goes from bad to worse when it chooses to live in sin. We start by thinking we want to be like everyone around us. We begin listening to the voices of those around us. "Go ahead, do it. You'll feel good." The sin is more practical than habitual at this stage. One gets careless and forgets God. It becomes easier and easier to give in to the temptation as we mover farther and farther away from God. We would do well to heed the advice of Proverbs 1:10 (KJV), "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."


When sinning becomes habitual, we've moved to the next stage. We're standing in the way with sinners. We're sinning by choice. Sinners standing in the way will call out for us to "Cast our lots in with them (Proverbs 1:14)." Again, we must heed the advice given to us in Proverbs 1:15 (KJV), "My son, walk thou not in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path."


Well, if we don't turn away from our sin, we'll get to the point of sitting in the seat of the scornful. We've reached the position of not just being sinners, but willfully calling out to and teaching others to sin. We disdain the commandments of God. We no longer have a fear of God. And to think all this started with a little temptation! Proverbs 1:22 tells us that the scorners delight in their scorning.


Don't give up hope! God calls out to us. He calls for us to repent, to turn away from sin, to change our hearts and our lives. If we will do so, God gives us this promise, "Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you (Proverbs 1:23 NKJV)."


I promise to get back to the positive and the promise of multiple blessing next time. Feel free to post your thoughts and comments. Until then, God bless...

Digging Into the Psalms

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Two years ago I started an epic journey into the book of Psalms. I made it a point to read one psalm every day. In doing so, I've read the Psalms four times in the last two years. My eyes have been opened to many nuggets of pure gold contained in the ancient verses.


I began another leg of this journey of adventure on January 1st. While trying to get back into the groove of writing/blogging, I been throwing around the idea of blogging my experience of this journey through the Psalms day by day. Some days are, well, nothing exciting, just another Psalm reading. Other days are equivalent to getting knocked out of my chair by the golden truth the reading exposes!


Today's Psalm reading was Psalm 60. I won't start with it though. I want to go back to Psalm 1 and begin with there in my next blog post. I want to invite and encourage any interested to join with me on this journey. My hope is you'll be enlightened and blessed as you take this trip with me into one of the most engaging books in the Holy Bible.


I encourage you to join in with your comments, feedback, disagreements (I'm really opening myself up now!!), and just good conversation. God bless...