Nov 5, Prov 5 Highlights

Proverbs 5:1 "My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, 2 that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. 3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil."

Like a father to a son, so these words come with wisdom, understanding, discretion and knowledge that we tend to lack. "Lips" are twice mentioned here. First, our lips must guard knowledge. That which we've been taught ought to remain in us and guide us in discretion when tempted. Second, the forbidden woman's lips call the youth to give up wisdom rather than guard it. No matter how sweet and smooth, we must guard knowledge and walk wisely.

Proverbs 5:7 "And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. 8 Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house."

A second exhortation and plea from a father who desires more than anything to get through to his son: keep your way far from her! We are told not to depart and to depart, fast! Do NOT depart from words of wisdom, but DO desperately depart from the forbidden woman. Note: "keep your way far from her." Where are your feet headed? Eyes set? Thoughts fixed?

Proverbs 5:12 "And you say, 'How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! 13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.'"

The son that did not listen to the father's plea and warning, looks back on his moral blunder and says, "If only I had listened." Watch for the word "discipline" in verse 23.

Proverbs 5:21 "For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths. 22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. 23 He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray."

When it all comes down to it, the father cares not so much of how his son listened to his warning, but that his son realizes this: ALL OUR WAYS ARE BEFORE THE LORD. If our way should take us to the forbidden woman, may we remember our Heavenly Father's omniscience (all-knowing) and omnipresence (all-present). The son fallen into immorality is ensnared, caught in the cords of his sin. There is no easy escape. The "history" of the internet is not quickly erased. The guilt of "going too far" is not easily forgotten. The bondage of immorality of any kind is a snare for the soul. Why? Because he lacked "discipline" to walk wisely in the fear of the Lord.

Nov 4, Prov 4 Highlights

Proverbs 4:6 "Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you."

Wisdom is often personified as one who cries out in the streets that all who fear the Lord might find her. Once found, she will keep and guard you. This is strikingly similar to the Ultimate Personification of wisdom--Christ Himself. He calls out to us. He is the Person who walks in and talks of this wisdom that is from above (James 3:13-18).

Proverbs 4:13 "Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life."

Interesting to note: if you do not forsake her (guard her), she will keep and guard you. She is your life. It should be life to you to walk in the wisdom of the Lord. Do not let go!

Proverbs 4:21 "Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart."

Again, keep wisdom within your heart, write it on your heart, bind it one your neck, and you will be kept by her.

Nov 3, Prov 3 Highlights

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil."

All too often we rely on our own understanding by living prayerlessly, walking by sight rather than by faith, and holding a higher view of ourselves and lower view of God than we ought. But we must trust in the LORD! He is our faithful, covenant-keeping, personal God!

Proverbs 3:15 "She [wisdom] is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her."

Repeat: "nothing you desire can compare with her." Is there anything comparable to wisdom of God in your life? If I told you there was a check for a million dollars in the mail, I'm sure you'd sprint to the mailbox and ravage the parcels of mail until you found it. Do you pursue the wisdom of God in this manner?

Proverbs 3:19 "The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; 20 by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew."

And as we learn to appreciate His creation around us, we witness God's wisdom, understanding and knowledge displayed powerfully.

Proverbs 3:25 "Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, 26 for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught."

Panic attacks should have no place in the mind and life of the believer for the LORD is our confidence. It is Him, not something that He merely supplies at times, or can perform if we are lucky--no! He is our confidence!

Proverbs 3:34 "Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. 35 The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace."

Lord, make us wise and humble.

A. W. Tozer on Wise Shepherding

"To enjoy a great religious book requires a degree of consecration to God and detachment from the world that few modern Christians have."

Michael Fabarez in Preaching that Changes Lives comments, "We would be wise shepherds to raise up a congregation of readers."

I couldn't agree more! Let us be a congregation consecrated to God and detached from this world!

Read on!

Blind Moles through Golden Pipes

Martin Luther, historical reformer of the early church in the 1500s, about the difference between grace and law says, "Law (with its call for works) and grace (as a divine gift) are antithetic to one another. The law says 'do this,' and it is never done. Grace says, 'believe in this,' and everything is already done." "By grace alone!" was Luther's battle cry!

John Calvin, masterful theologian of the 1500s, about the spiritual realm says, "The greatest geniuses are blinder than moles!" He believed that every sinner needs God's special grace in order to please God.

Charles Spurgeon, powerful preacher of the 1800s, about the means of grace says, "All things come to us through Christ Jesus: he is the golden pipe of the conduit of eternal love, the window through which grace shines, the door by which it enters." He believed that the grace of God is the undeserved bounty of the ever-gracious Creator against whom we have offended, the generous pardon, the infinite, spontaneous lovingkindness of the God who has been provoked and angered by our sin.

Boy, are we blessed by godly men who paved the way before us down the narrow road that leads to Christ-centered, grace-oriented, God-honoring, church-purifying theology about the truth of God!

"If anyone aspires..."

Have you ever given a thought to how you view your future ministry to be like in the church? Take just a moment, considering all your strengths and weaknesses, gifts and abilities, and fears and desires to see where the Lord might be leading your heart regarding ministry to Christ in His body.

• Full-time missionary overseas
• Short-term missions leader
• Inner-city pastoral ministry
• Inner-city evangelism
• Biblical training center worldwide
• Church-planting team
• Church-plant elder
• Church-plant deacon/servant
• Church-plant administrator
• Lay elder in local church
• Deacon in local church
• Music ministry leader
• Staff member part-time
• Staff member full-time
• Professor in Christian education
• Christian school administrator
• Christian college professor
• Adult education teacher
• Senior pastor of local church
• Associate pastor of local church
• Biblical counselor
• Writer/author/speaker
• etc

Whatever it may be that you envision yourself aspiring to (1 Tim 3:1), you must pray for God to fill you with the godly desire to pursue it. And it will not come in an epiphany overnight and come to fruition the next morning--it is something that comes through faithful, steady, prayerful and sacrificial service to Christ and His kingdom for the sake of the gospel and the glory of God. Consider further if you are using your gifts, abilities, strengths, and desires for His kingdom's cause right now.

Christ Himself said, "Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest" (Jn 4:35).

Will you be the one among your friends that starts a revival in your sphere of influence?
Is the condition of your marriage conducive for kingdom efforts?
Is your speech regularly seasoned with the grace that sets sinners free?
Is your faith one worth modeling? One that inspires those of genuine faith around you?
Does your heart for the lost take you beyond your comfort zones to new places of ministry?
What holds you back from being elder/deacon qualified? What does God think about that?
Do you aspire to serve Christ's body with an ambition that seeks no higher aim?

Once again, Christ says, "We must work the works of him who sent me [Heavenly Father] while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work" (Jn 9:4).

Man as Creature and Person

What is man? Theologians call the doctrine of man Anthropology. There are zillions of ideas as to what man essentially is because of the endless unbiblical worldviews we see today. But what is man according a biblical anthropology? Here are some helpful thoughts that I believe take theology to humility and responsibility.

Anthony Hoekema in his book Created in God's Image says, "The human person does not exist autonomously or independently, but as a creature of God" (Gen 1:1, 27). Quoting Werner Foerster, Hoekema says, "Thus in becoming, being, and perishing, all creation is wholly dependent on the will of the Creator." God "gives all men life and breath and everything else," and "in him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:25, 28).

He goes on, "Man is not only a creature, however; he is also a person. And to be a person means to have a kind of independence--not absolute but relative." This relative independence means that we have freedom to make decisions, set goals, and move toward them. We have options in life and we have the power to decide where we will go.

But do we have a contradiction in terms? Can man truly be a created person? Wholly dependent on God for life yet relatively independent to move in life as we see fit?

Filling these roles out further, Hoekema says, "To be a creature means that I cannot move a finger or utter a word apart from God; to be a person means that when my fingers are moved, I move them, and that when words are uttered by my lips, I utter them. To be creatures means that God is the potter and we are the clay (Rom 9:21); to be persons means that we are the ones who fashion our lives by our own decisions (Gal 6:7–8)."

Whole point: we must keep both of these truths clearly in focus. All worldly anthropologies of man will imbalance these two concepts in some form. Some more drastically than others. We have absolutely no existence without God who is central to all creation. AND at the same time we are not puppets or robots.

May our hearts be full of gratitude for God's sovereign grace in our lives, in creating and re-creating us in His image. And at the same time, may we "be imitators of God" as we have the responsibility to be conformed to His image.

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil 2:12, 13).

"For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me" (Col 1:29).