Does your place look like His place?

When I first started my walk with Christ, one of my favorite hymns that we sang was, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.” Sometime later I found someone had wrote what they called, “The bankrupt version of, Have Thine Own Way.”

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord;

Real service is what I desire.

I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;

But don't ask me to sing in the choir!

I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;

I like to see things come to pass.

But don't ask me to teach girls and boys, dear Lord;

I'd rather just stay in my class!

I'll do what you want me to do, dear Lord;

I yearn for thy kingdom to thrive.

I'll give you my leftover change, dear Lord;

But please don't ask me to tithe!

I'll be what you want me to be, dear Lord;

I long to see the church alive.

But don't ask me to come out at night, dear Lord;

I'm always to worn out and tired!

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord;

I'll say what you want me to say.

I'm busy just now with myself, dear Lord;

But I'll help you some other day!

God took on a body of flesh in His Son Jesus Christ, which we celebrate at Christmas. Our Lord Jesus, after His resurrection, left for all those that become children of God, what we call the Church, which is also known as the Body of Christ. As we prepare to enter the year 2016, let's take another moment to reflect on the outcome of Christmas in the creation of the Church. Does our Church look like God designed it? First, let's review what we see the Church is before we finish our thoughts on this.

1. It is an Eternal Project

·      a. A Place to find Nourishment

·      b. A Place for Corporate Worship

·      c. A Place that Naturally Reproduces!

We also pointed out a not so popular reality in this age of Consumer oriented believers, shopping for a Church. You produce what you are! So many that leave their local Body because it is not what they think it should be, need to look in the mirror to understand they were the ones responsible for what that local Body had become.

There is quite a list of what the Body of Christ should be. As I go through that list be open to the Holy Spirit to be teachable. He can guide you into being a person that impacts the local Church in a positive way for the glory of God!

d. A place for ordering our priorities

e. A place for honesty

f. A place where God's power is shown

g. A place where God is revered

When the Body of Christ is what it should be, the environment is conducive for producing very healthy individuals. The story in Acts Chapter 5 is an example of the desire of God for people to live in freedom, yet to be real and honest in their dealings with Him

Acts 5:1–11 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.  Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”  As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.  About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”  And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.” Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.

God has never needed our money; in fact the opposite is the truth. Everything we get is because God allows us to have it. He's given us great freedom to do what we want with it; however, He does use it as a way to grow us into individuals that understand what true value is. Sadly, today, so much of the mishandling of finances in the Body of Christ is from the leaders, not just the flock.

"The way we handle money in church today makes the (money-changers) merchants in temple look like bungling amateurs." --Os Guiness    The Gravedigger File

h. A place where Satan will focus his energy

Acts 8:1–3 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

It is interesting how many believers I've met that become so overwhelmed with the problems inside their local body. I realize that some of it is caused by our own carnality and fallen lives. Still, we must never forget that we have been warned consistently from Scripture that the enemy of God will attack and try to destroy what God is doing. As difficult as this may sound if your Church does not show a history where problems and trials were taking place, you should ask, is the Church really representing Jesus Christ. There will be times of peace, God makes sure of that, but any local Body that is going to stand for the truth of God is going to be attacked by Satan.

One more Devo to finish this list, but let’s stop and ask ourselves some important questions.

Meditation: Where is the corporate worship of God on my priority list? Am I the same person at Church as I am at home? Do I see God’s work in my local Church? Do we treat God Holy when we come together? Is the enemy angry at what God is doing in our local Body?

I don’t like my Body!

"A Washington Pastor whose church was attended now and again by the President of the United States received a phone call asking, `Can you tell me if the President is expected to attend church next Sunday?’ That,' the pastor patiently replied, `I cannot promise, but we do expect God to be present, and we fancy that will be sufficient incentive for a reasonably large attendance.'"

As we have been meditating on being thankful…that would easily move our thoughts to Christmas this time of year. I would like to begin with a not so usual thought about Christmas. There are endless reasons to be thankful for Christmas, but one not so obvious to most is the Church. In fact, many dislike the “Body” they are in…the question that begs to be asked is…whose fault is that? Christ’s incarnation began the move by God from the nation Israel, God's people…which they still are and will rise again as the champions of the gospel…to what our Lord called His Church. 

Too many have a bad taste in their mouth because they have confused the perverted, man centered, religiosity of an institution that we call church. It is inward focused, self absorbed, centered around material things and worships the “trinity” of “Me, Myself and I!”

That is not what God created! Let’s consider why we should be thankful for the Body of Christ…the Church!

Our word “Church” comes from the Greek: ἐκκλησία ekklēsía; which basically means “called out.”

Here is how it is used: 1) an assembly of the people convened at the public place of the council for the purpose of deliberating 2) the assembly of the Israelites 3) any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance, tumultuously 4) in a Christian sense; an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting; a company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order's sake; those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a company and are united into one body; the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth; including the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and received into heaven.

One reason to thank God for the Church is: 

It is an Eternal Project

Jesus said:

Matthew 16:18 I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Where else in this world can you become involved in something that will last forever? So many are obsessed with making investments that will help them live comfortably until their body dies, which at best is 100 years. Planning for our future is wise, but many miss the point that during that 100 years they can be making investments that will be paying dividends Billions of years from now!

Another reason we should thank the Lord for His Church is the environment it produces if we allow it. God does His part; if we do ours the “ekklēsía” will be a very special place!  

a. A Place to find Nourishment

Hebrews 10:24–25 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

b. A Place for Corporate Worship

Ephesians 5:18–19 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.

c. A Place that Naturally Reproduces!

Acts 2:46–47 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Interestingly, so many in the Body of Christ have decided to switch responsibilities with the Lord. They take it on themselves to focus on numbers and funds…and think that God will just make everyone Christ-like without their participation! God is the One that grows the size and the budget of the Body, our responsibility is to be open to what the Holy Spirit and the Word of God will do to us!

Galatians 5:22–23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

2 Timothy 3:16–17 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Individuals that look like Jesus are very attractive to those seeking God! I know we do not like to hear this, but it is something the Scriptures and all history attests to - 

You produce what you are!

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

Matthew 7:17–18 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.  A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.

There are many more reasons, we will look at them next time, but let’s meditate on some important questions first.

Meditation: Are you involved in a community of believers? Why or Why not? Do you feel spiritually lonely? Why? What are you doing to change that? 

What is your life producing in others and how long will that last?

Am I talking to the Ceiling??

At a Christian school, a teacher desiring to help the children learn how to go to God for help, asked them to write down their request, and he would pray for them… Here are just a few of those requests:

"Please say a prayer that my mom can lose 20 pounds.  She tried Weight-Watchers and it didn't help.  Now she needs PRAYER!"

"Please say a prayer for my math teacher.  She's sick and if you said a prayer she would get better and come back to school.  Sincerely Susan. P.S.--The other kids in my class said I should not write this letter."

"Pastor, please pray for all the airline pilots.  I'm flying to California tomorrow."

"Please pray that Boston is the capital of Vermont. I just took a geography test!"

As we close out this time of meditating on Thanksgiving, let's remember that our focus is not on the holiday, but on the action of giving thanks. We looked at thanking God for his Grace and for prayer, because it is the key action we can take to keep our spirit in a state of giving thanks. First, we looked at the fact that prayer is the power:

Review:

·      1. It is the POWER!

a. Overt Power

b. Covert Power

c. Invisible Power

d. Unlimited Power

Sadly, many feel that their prayers hit the ceiling and bounce back! Our next three very important reasons why we should be thankful for the gift of prayer from our Lord dispels that lie from the enemy! These three truths testify to the intimacy that God intends in prayer.

* It is PRACTICAL.

Abraham Lincoln offered this honest confession about his need for prayer: "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.  My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day."

Prayer is what brings us close to God. Most people think God is far off, aloof. Nothing is further from the truth. Scripture points out that even before we were in our mother's womb God knew us. Throughout Scripture the description of God's intimacy with his creation is very clear! Even in the midst of trials He is a God that desires intimate relationship.

Jonah 2:1–8 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said, “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me! You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’ “I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death! As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.

John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Unlike religiosity, the God of the Bible has given use the gift to speak directly to Him and in very specific ways. Scriptural prayer is not some dead formula of words, it is a dialogue…GET THIS…with the Creator of everything! This is what makes our next reason so special:

* It is PERSONAL.

Genesis 25:21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.

Joshua 10:12–13 On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day.

2 Kings 4:32–34 When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child’s body began to grow warm again!

Psalms 4:1  Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

Psalms 6:9 The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.

No matter how large or small the issue is, we can take it to the most powerful Person in the universe, because He desires to guide and help.

Philippians 4:6–7 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

“Anything” & “Everything” – that covers it all! God wants us to discuss all of our life’s issues with Him. Very personal!

James 5:16...The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

F.B. Meyer - "The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer."

* It is where the best PRAISE takes place!

No matter the circumstance, or how I “feel” at the moment, when I humble myself and approach the Lord, I enter into worship, which honors God and brings praise to Him because my prayer testifies that I am not able to deal with life on my own. I need His help!  

Psalms 141:2 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Proverbs 15:8 The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

Meditation: What does prayer really mean to you? Can you make it through a day without talking to God? Do you have to be somewhere special, or in a particular position with your body to connect with Him? Can you talk to Him with your eyes open? What area of your prayer life is lacking the most?

The "P" word is the difference!

A waitress was having a bad day. The customers were grouchy.  The cooks had botched a couple of orders. The tips had been small or non-existent.  A really nice man sat down at one of her tables. He was very polite, and then ordered a meal with a baked potato. When she brought out his order he said, "Thank you," and proceeded to eat.

He began to butter his baked potato and found that it was spoiled. He called the waitress over and said to her, "I don't like to complain, but this potato is bad." 

She picked it up and held it in her hand and spanked it twice and said, "Bad potato, bad potato!" Then she set it down on his plate again.

The bewildered customer watched her walk away triumphantly, and then she wheeled around defiantly and said, "If that potato gives you any more trouble, you just let me know.”

So many times we will allow circumstances to change us, instead of being thankful for a nice customer, this poor waitress allowed the circumstances to help her forget the grace of a nice customer. This is where Grace can become a danger, when we become complacent to sin, because God shows so much Grace. Jude warned about this.

Jude 1:4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

There are two ways we mistreat Grace. First, we treat sin like it is no big deal. We know we are forgiven – TRUE – but not EXCUSED! Secondly, we become filled with self righteousness and our thoughts express this: My sin is not as bad as _____________________________________

So what can we do to guard our hearts and continue to give thanksgiving to our Lord. The answer is actually also the next item to be thankful for: Prayer!

John Bunyan: "You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until after you have prayed."

1. It is the POWER!

a. Overt Power

Exodus 9:28-29 Pray to the LORD, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don't have to stay any longer." Moses replied, "When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD's.

2 Kings 19:15-19, 35 And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: "O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.  Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. "It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands.  They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men's hands.  Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God." 35. That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning-- there were all the dead bodies!

When God shows up like this…all mouths shut!

b. Covert Power

Nehemiah 1:11  O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man." I was cupbearer to the king.

Many times – our prayers accomplish what no one obviously sees. Nehemiah chose to pray and step out in faith…showing a sad face before the king, which could cause him his life. As we know from Scripture the king’s heart was softened toward Nehemiah

John Guest wrote in Only a Prayer Away: "When we pray, we change. More often than not we become the answer to our own prayers as we open up ourselves to God in prayer."

"When a young man asked George Mueller to pray that he might be able to rise each morning for a quiet time, the wise Mueller replied, 'If you will get one leg out of bed, I'll ask the Lord to help get the other one out.'"

c. Invisible Power

We will never know how many times prayers we prayed for others were the reason God intervened until we are in eternity!

Ephesians 6:18  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Colossians 4:12  Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

Mark 9:29  He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer. "

d. Unlimited Power

Matthew 21:22  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

No matter what it is, if God desires to accomplish something in our lives, if we pray according to His will, NOTHING can frustrate it!

"Disturb us, O Lord, when we are too well satisfied with ourselves; when our dreams come true only because we have dreamed too little; when we arrive safely only because we sailed too close to the shore; when with the abundance of things we are losing our thirst for more of God; when in loving time, we have ceased to dream of eternity; when in our desire to build on this earth we have lost our vision of a new heaven."

I will pick up next time with 3 more points.

Meditation: Have you ever given thanks to God in prayer, for prayer? What causes you to pray? Big things only? Is prayer an after thought many times? Sometimes, I have made the mistake to move in direction without prayer, it has always come back to bite me! Have you ever done that?

Terrorism, Race Hatred, Environmental Catastrophes, Financial Meltdown, Family & Societal Breakdown…what is there to be Thankful For???

I realize that “Thanksgiving” is an American holiday, however, it should be a way of life for the child of God. As we enter this season which quickly moves to celebrating the birth of Christ, I felt led to encourage my brethren to meditate only what we have to be thankful for. I will be posting a series, beginning with a message I just preached. 

Snoopy was throwing a pity party on Thanksgiving Day.  He muttered to himself:  "How come they get all that good stuff to eat, and all I get is dog food?"

Then perched on top of his doghouse he thinks about it some more. "But it could be worse. I could've been born a turkey."

R.E. Marino:  "Thanksgiving is when one species ceases to gobble and another begins."

The Pilgrims’ first recorded religious day of thanksgiving was held in 1623. Plymouth had been stricken with a severe drought. "Upon which," said William Bradford, "they set apart a solemn day of humiliation, to seek the Lord by humble and fervent prayer, in this great distress." That same evening it began "to rain with such sweet and gentle showers as gave them cause of rejoicing and blessing God… For which mercy, in time convenient, they also set apart a day of thanksgiving."

Life can be overwhelming…but if we choose to slow down and reflect we might see the jewels among the garbage. One very LARGE jewel is God’s Grace. When I contemplate His Grace, this is how I process it: God's gift, Received by our faith, Accepted by God's love, Christ paid the price, Everlasting gift.

Grace extends to our entire being and existence. If anyone has the authority to share about God’s Grace, it would be the Apostle Paul. A self-righteous murderer, that also became a servant that was constantly persecuted until he was martyred. What can we learn from him?

1. Grace brings Self Acceptance

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Paul knew what he was and what he had done; yet he also knew that once he had tasted the Grace of God, he wanted it to fill his life.  

This is not an excuse for bad behavior or characteristics. Instead, this gives us the ability to accept strengths and weaknesses in a balanced way!

Truth: My weaknesses can be His strength.

Dwight L. Moody said:  "I am only one, but I am one.  I cannot do everything, but I can do something.  And that which I can do, by the grace of God, I will do."

2. His Grace Translates to us

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

When you consider the riches of Christ in Scripture what do you think of? Money? Cars? Houses? NO! the Scriptures speak about His rich character; love, forgiveness, patience, longsuffering, gentleness and much more. Churchianity has produces this materialistic religion. God’s Grace allows us to become like Him!  

Truth: My genetics does not determine my character.

3. Self forgiveness

1 Timothy 1:12–14 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

Many believers cannot seem to move beyond their past or deal with their present failures. This has nothing to do with rationalizing sin, instead we are to dealing with it and its pain, but then move toward a future with Him!

Someone well said, "There's one thing for which you can be thankful - only you and God have all the facts about yourself."

Truth: Nothing I am is a surprise to God.

4. Eternal in it's effect

2 Thessalonians 2:16–17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Our view of life is usually temporal; God’s is always eternal. The fact is, nothing that happens here can take away that for God’s children, the comfort they will experience will be there 1 billion years from now!  

"Two little teardrops were floating down the river of life; one teardrop said to the other, 'Who are you?' 'I am a teardrop from a girl who loved a man and lost him. Who are you?' 'Well, I am a teardrop from the girl who got him.'"

Sometimes what we think is terrible may turn out to be a blessing!

Truth: I can never remove myself from His grace. 

5. Eternal in it's concept

Ephesians 2:6-7 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Here is where the believer makes a choice of how they will view life! The fact that God’s Grace is eternal in effect is the reality, but unless we Meditate and Think that way we can live outside of that reality. What Paul communicates here is essential – even though we are here, still in the fallen world, God sees us already seated with Him and showing us His “incomparable riches!” If we think like this, it places everything in perspective! No matter the circumstance, it is only for a moment in eternity. Painful, hurtful, depressing, yes it may be, but just for the moment. 1 Trillion years from now this moment will feel like a “spit in the wind!”

Truth: No matter what situation I am in, His grace is ever before me.

Let me leave you with a few reflections:

1. When you think about Thanksgiving this week, what will be your main thoughts?

          · Turkey? Off School? Off Work? Football? Shopping?

2. When you think about God’s Grace, what does that look like?

          · Salvation – then stop?

3. What does Growing in Grace look like?

Here are just some of the Scriptures to check out.

Proverbs 3:34, John 1:16, John 1:17, Acts 4:33, Acts 6:8, Romans 4:16, Romans 6:14-15, Romans 12:6, 2 Corinthians 1:12, 2 Corinthians 6:1, Galatians 1:15, Galatians 5:4, Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 4:29, Ephesians 4:7, Philippians 1:7, Colossians 4:6, 2 Timothy 1:9, 2 Timothy 2:1, Hebrews 2:9, Hebrews 12:15, James 4:6, 1 Peter 1:13, 1 Peter 5:10, 2 Peter 3:18

A ProVERB is meant to be a VERB!

When I first started doing these Devo’s FB would only allow about 300 words. Then it grew and I also discovered blogging. The first 5 Chapters of Proverbs are so rich that I have decided to rewrite them. I will now be posting Devos from Judges 19 till we finish the book, Proverbs 12 till we finish the book and the rewritten first 5 Chapters of Proverbs.

Probing Proverbs 1:1-2 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise.

A verb is an action word, thus whenever we read a proVERB, we should keep that idea before us. No matter the source of the proverb, for instance:

"A Russian proverb says, `When going to war, pray once. When going to sea, pray twice. When getting married, pray three times.'"

Funny as this is, it does have a point. Do not take getting married lightly.

Our Proverbs are from the heart and mind of God. When we read one, the most important question we should ask is, “What action is God leading to in my life?” Otherwise all we have done is added more Data to our brain. 

Notice – there is no claim that wisdom only comes from the Word – what is stated is that the Word will enlighten us to understand and discern what is Truth and Wisdom. 

God has given us His Word as the Tool. If we yield to the Spirit of God, He will guide us how to dig out all the Wisdom of the Creator, no matter where we find it. The Scriptures claim to be the source that validates all Truth:

2 Timothy 3:16–17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

However, they do not claim to hold all Truth. There is a big difference! Much of God’s wisdom concerning Creation is not specifically spoken of in Scripture…yet “real” science…not theoretical science is always validated in Scripture. A “theory” is not a fact and much of what modern science calls fact is either wrongly labeled, i.e. – 

Dinosaurs – are not scientifically proved, but are historically proved through fossils. The argument concerning age is based on theory which has quite a few “assumptions” built into it. So when I talk about “fact” I am referring to those things that cannot be denied or debated:

•         The shape of the earth: In 700 B.C. Isaiah gave us the “scientific” understanding of the shape:

Isaiah 40:22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

•         Jesus confirmed that when He spoke of His return:

Luke 17:31–36 “On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. “Remember Lot’s wife “Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. “I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. “There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.”

•         Notice that when the Lord returns for some it will be at night while they are sleeping, for others it will be at day while they are working! This validates that the earth is round. It took us a lot longer to understand that.

•         Humans, (both the learned and the unlearned) argued for centuries where the earth was and what was holding it. Yet, in 1000 B.C. Job revealed what the Creator knew:

Job 26:7 God stretches the northern sky over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing.

•         In 70 A.D. Peter, through inspiration showed us that everything can burn! God revealed that everything is made up of “elements” – this was way before man discovered atoms, molecules, etc.

2 Peter 3:10-12 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives  as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

Elements = stoicheion {stoy-khi'-on} 1) any first thing, from which the others belonging to some series or composite whole take their rise; an element, first principal 2) the elements from which all things have come, the material causes of the universe

“The so what?” How does what we have seen change us? Well, each person will have their own take-away point, but let me encourage with questions: What do you really believe about the authority of Scripture? Is it subjective or objective to you? What happens in our life if we have no “standard” of authority? Whose rules do you live by? Yours or the Scriptures...or do you try and select what you like and ignore the other?