Shalom,

I learned something new today! In looking at some commentary on Proverbs 9, I found that this is the third invitation given by wisdom. The first is found in Proverbs 1:22-23 and is to the simple, the scorner and the fool:

²²How long, O simple ones [open to evil], will you love being simple? And the scoffers delight in scoffing and [self-confident] fools hate knowledge? ²³If you will turn (repent) and give heed to my reproof, behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit upon you, I will make my words known to you.

The second is to the simple and the fool because the scorner has laughed at wisdom. This is found in Proverbs 8:5-6:

⁵O you simple and thoughtless ones, understand prudence; you [self-confident] fools, be of an understanding heart. ⁶Hear, for I will speak excellent and princely things; and the opening of my lips shall be for right things.

The fools weren't interested in wisdom, so the third invitation was to the simple to join the wisdom "feast". This is found in Proverbs 9:4-6:

⁴Whoever is simple (easily led astray and wavering), let him turn in here! As for him who lacks understanding, [God's] Wisdom says to him, ⁵Come, eat of my bread and drink of the [spiritual] wine which I have mixed. ⁶Leave off, simple ones [forsake the foolish and simpleminded] and live! And walk in the way of insight and understanding.

Don't be a scorner or a fool! "Simply" love wisdom and seek wisdom with your whole heart. The results are well worth the effort! Verses 10-11:

¹⁰The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding. ¹¹For by me [Wisdom from God] your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased.

The fear of the Lord is the reverent and worshipful awareness of His presence. And remember, His presence, if you are a born again believer, is INSIDE OF YOU!!! When wisdom comes and is heeded, the results are a long life filled with God's richest and best! GET WISDOM!

In John 19 we see Jesus being scourged, made to wear a robe and a crown of thorns, mocked and then presented to the crowd like that. Below is a picture taken on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem of a thorn bush that is most likely the type of thorns used in the "crown" they forced Jesus to wear. Do you get a better picture now of the torture He went through? And He STILL thinks YOU were worth it all! Thank You, Lord Jesus! AMEN!

They didn't understand at the time Who Jesus was, but the bible says there will be a day when EVERY knee will bow and every tongue confess that He truly IS Lord! It will be when John 19:37 is fulfilled:

³⁷And again another Scripture says, They shall look on Him Whom they have pierced.

Let's continue to give them the opportunity to do so NOW, while it is still their choice and will result in New Life for them! AMEN!

In 2 Samuel 5 we see David made King over all of Israel and Judah. I noticed something interesting in verse 12:

¹²And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel's sake.

David "perceived", the Hebrew word "yada`", which means: to to find out, to learn to know, to discern, to recognize, to admit, to acknowledge, to confess, that it was the Lord Who had established David as king over Israel, and that it was for the sake of God's people! A ruler who recognizes his responsibility to God and his people is a tremendous leader! Oh for leaders of that sort today! AMEN!

Then in 2 Samuel 6 we see David bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem where it belonged. He is celebrating with his people and dancing before the Lord. I have heard many accounts of this and some say David danced with no clothes on. That is NOT what it says here. Verse 14:

¹⁴And David danced before the Lord with all his might, clad in a linen ephod [a priest's upper garment].

David wasn't naked, he was simply dancing in his priestly garments instead of his majestic, kingly garments! That's what Michal despised. She wanted him to show everyone that he was king and he simply wanted to rejoice before the Lord. God had made him king BECAUSE of that heart that loved God first! I pray for good and Godly leaders for our nation and other nations that will make it known that they love and serve the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible, in Jesus' Name! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Proverbs chapter 8 is entirely about wisdom! Every verse is filled with Wisdom! Rather than comment on every verse, I am going to post the entire chapter from the Message Bible, which speaks in everyday language:

Proverbs 8

Lady Wisdom Calls Out

^1-11 Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling? Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?
She's taken her stand at First and Main,
at the busiest intersection.
Right in the city square
where the traffic is thickest, she shouts,
"You—I'm talking to all of you,
everyone out here on the streets!
Listen, you idiots—learn good sense!
You blockheads—shape up!
Don't miss a word of this—I'm telling you how to live well,
I'm telling you how to live at your best.
My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth—
I can't stand the taste of evil!
You'll only hear true and right words from my mouth;
not one syllable will be twisted or skewed.
You'll recognize this as true—you with open minds;
truth-ready minds will see it at once.
Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money,
and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.
For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth;
nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.

^12-21 "I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity;
Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street.
The Fear-of-God means hating Evil,
whose ways I hate with a passion—
pride and arrogance and crooked talk.
Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics;
I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out.
With my help, leaders rule,
and lawmakers legislate fairly;
With my help, governors govern,
along with all in legitimate authority.
I love those who love me;
those who look for me find me.
Wealth and Glory accompany me—
also substantial Honor and a Good Name.
My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary;
the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus.
You can find me on Righteous Road—that's where I walk—
at the intersection of Justice Avenue,
Handing out life to those who love me,
filling their arms with life—armloads of life!

^22-31 "God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—
before he did anything else.
I was brought into being a long time ago,
well before Earth got its start.
I arrived on the scene before Ocean,
yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes.
Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape,
I was already there, newborn;
Long before God stretched out Earth's Horizons,
and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather,
And set Sky firmly in place,
I was there.
When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean,
built the vast vault of Heaven,
and installed the fountains that fed Ocean,
When he drew a boundary for Sea,
posted a sign that said no trespassing,
And then staked out Earth's Foundations,
I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.
Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause,
always enjoying his company,
Delighted with the world of things and creatures,
happily celebrating the human family.

^32-36 "So, my dear friends, listen carefully;
those who embrace these my ways are most blessed.
Mark a life of discipline and live wisely;
don't squander your precious life.
Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,
awake and ready for me each morning,
alert and responsive as I start my day's work.
When you find me, you find life, real life,
to say nothing of God's good pleasure.
But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul;
when you reject me, you're flirting with death."

Powerful, practical and oh so TRUE! AMEN! Now John 18:1:

¹HAVING SAID these things, Jesus went out with His disciples beyond (across) the winter torrent of the Kidron [in the ravine]. There was a garden there, which He and His disciples entered.

I was there! On our recent tour of Israel, we saw the Kidron Valley, the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. The Word of God certainly comes to life when you stand right there where it all took place! I would recommend to every believer to take the time to go. You truly will never be the same! Verse 4:

⁴Then Jesus, knowing all that was about to befall Him, went out to them and said, Whom are you seeking? [Whom do you want?]

Jesus KNEW everything that He would go through and He still made the choice that gave us new life! Thank You, Lord Jesus! AMEN! Verses 36-37:

³⁶Jesus answered, My kingdom (kingship, royal power) belongs not to this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My followers would have been fighting to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, My kingdom is not from here (this world); [it has no such origin or source]. ³⁷Pilate said to Him, Then You are a King? Jesus answered, You say it! [You speak correctly!] For I am a King. [Certainly I am a King!] This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth [who is a friend of the Truth, who belongs to the Truth] hears and listens to My voice.

That is OUR Jesus, our Lord and personal Saviour, speaking! And WE are the ones who know the Truth and hear His voice! Now OBEY! AMEN!

In 2 Samuel 3:1 we see the summary of these chapters:

¹THERE WAS a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

David, a man who went full out after God's heart in order to please God and not himself, is about to increase and see the fulfillment of the things that God had spoken to him! Don't ever let go of the promises that you have received from the Lord, especially when it LOOKS like it will never work! Get ready! That's when the enemy has fired his best shot and he's done in! Victory is ALWAYS ours, as Blood Covenant partners with Almighty God, IF we never quit and never give up! AMEN!

Shalom in Him

Shalom,

Proverbs 7:1-4:

¹MY SON, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments [for use when needed] and treasure them. ²Keep my commandments and live, and keep my law and teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye. ³Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. ⁴Say to skillful and godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend

The word, "keep" in verse 1 is the Hebrew word, "shamar", which means: to guard, to have charge of, to keep watch over, to observe, to protect, to retain, to treasure up, to celebrate. We are to guard and protect God's Word in our lives. Why do we need to do that? Do you remember the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4:14-20? The enemy comes immediately to try to steal the Word. Weeds (cares of this world) try to choke the Word. One of the best ways to protect the Word of God in your heart is to meditate it (think about it, talk about it, write it down and continue to look at it over and over), sing it, teach it and, most importantly, obey it! Treat the Word of God as your most precious possession and rejoice every day that you are privileged to even HAVE this wonderful Word of God! Giving the Word of God a high priority in your life will put you in position to be successful in every area of your life!

In keeping with the message of the importance of the Word of God, we see John 17:17:

¹⁷Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth.

It is the Truth of God's Word that sets us apart from the world and unto God! An unbeliever cannot understand the Word of God. You must be born again by the Spirit of God to understand the Word of God because it is one of the roles of the Holy Spirit to teach us the Word! 1 Corinthians 2:12-14:

¹²Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¹³Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Once we receive Jesus of Nazareth as our Lord and personal Saviour, the Word of God will begin to make more sense to us! For even greater understanding and comprehension of the Word of God, and the anointing upon that Word, you need to be filled with the Spirit of God! Check out our website at www.thespokenwordchurch.org to find out more about this and other precious Truths from the Word of God!

In 2 Samuel 1-2 we see another account of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. David laments their deaths, even though Saul sought to kill David at every turn! Why did David do this? One reason is because David and Jonathan were very close. (1 Samuel 18:1) The other reason that David mourned the deaths is because he very highly valued the anointing of the Lord. David knew that Saul had been anointed with oil by Samuel in obedience to the instructions of the Lord. The gifts and callings of God are without repentance! (Romans 11:29) Saul still carried the calling and anointing of God on his life. He should have obeyed God and then his kingdom would not have come to the end that it did, but the anointing of God was still on him. David knew what God felt about His anointed: 1 Chronicles 16:22 and Psalm 105:15:

²²Saying, Touch not My anointed, and do My prophets no harm.

¹⁵Saying, Touch not My anointed, and do My prophets no harm.

What is the best approach to take with people who sin? Pray for them, bless them according to the Word and never speak out in judgement of another believer! God will take care of them! We need to keep ourselves in the Love of God and protected from the traps of the enemy! Remember that our faith works by love (Galatians 5:6) and love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8a)!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Proverbs 6:6-11:

⁶Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise! ⁷Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler,⁸Provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest. ⁹How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? ¹⁰Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down and sleep-- ¹¹So will your poverty come like a robber or one who travels [with slowly but surely approaching steps] and your want like an armed man [making you helpless].

Have you ever watched ants at work? It is fascinating to watch a tiny little ant trying to haul a piece of something several times bigger than itself! They are VERY industrious! What these verses are telling us is that in order to succeed in life we MUST work at it! It takes diligence to be successful! Remember when we read Joshua 1:8? It is by diligence in the Word of God EVERY DAY that we "make our own way prosperous" and "deal wisely and have good success". A lack of diligence on our part will allow the enemy to come and do what he does best: steal, kill and destroy! Don't be a "sluggard", which is like a sloth: lazy; listless; lacking fire, passion and enthusiasm. YOU were recreated in the image of God in order for you (and me!) to ACT LIKE GOD! And God is NOT sluggish! Once we understand these verses, then we can understand what verse 4 means! It is not wrong to sleep! Some people have health problems because they don't allow themselves to get enough sleep! But what verse 4 is saying is spelled out well in the Amplified Bible:

⁴Give not [unnecessary] sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids;

Unnecessary sleep means more than you need to be healthy, vibrant and useful to the Kingdom of God! You KNOW if that's you or not! Don't be lazy about the things of God! If you can only be diligent about one thing, make that one thing the Word of God! Doing that will get you in position to be able to be diligent in every area of your life! AMEN!

John 16:7-11:

⁶But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts [taken complete possession of them]. ⁷However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. ⁸And when He comes, He will convict and convince the world and bring demonstration to it about sin and about righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God) and about judgment: ⁹About sin, because they do not believe in Me [trust in, rely on, and adhere to Me]; ¹⁰About righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God), because I go to My Father, and you will see Me no longer; ¹¹About judgment, because the ruler (evil genius, prince) of this world [Satan] is judged and condemned and sentence already is passed upon him.

Jesus is telling His disciples, who are very sad in hearing that He is leaving them, why it is to their benefit (and ours!) that He must leave them. I remember as a little girl thinking how awful it was that those men killed Jesus. I thought that because He was God, if they hadn't crucified Him, then He would still be alive and I could see Him! When I grew older and realized I was a sinner who needed a Saviour, I realized how silly those thoughts had been! If Jesus hadn't died, then I could never be born again! Thank You, Jesus, for dying my death for me, so that I can now live in YOUR LIFE! AMEN! The Holy Spirit is the One who draws all people to Jesus when a believer shares the Gospel! (John 12:32) Then Jesus goes on to say in verses 12-15:

¹²I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon you or to grasp them now. ¹³But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. ¹⁴He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. ¹⁵Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.

The Holy Spirit will teach us the Word of God and lead, guide and direct us as we allow Him to! He is all-knowing, all-powerful, all seeing and it would be to our GREAT benefit to spend intimate time DAILY fellowshipping with Him!

In 1 Chronicles 8-10 we see more of the genealogies of the people of Israel. When we read those every year, we may be tempted to skip over them or just sort of skim the names. The awesome thing to know, though, is that God DOES NOT! He knows every name and how many hairs have ever been on every head! It is important to Him to spell this all out in great detail and by doing so, He shows us just how meticulous He is about OUR lives! Realize that every name that is named in these books is someone created by God with specific and unique personality, gifts, talents, dreams, goals and callings! Realizing this will help us to see the people around us in a different light! Remember 2 Peter 3:9:

⁹The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.

THAT is the heart of our God! THAT is the reason behind the unique calling on YOUR life! Find it out, commit totally and completely to it and you will know success and fulfillment that you never dreamed of! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Proverbs 5:1-2 says:

¹MY SON, be attentive to my Wisdom [godly Wisdom learned by actual and costly experience], and incline your ear to my understanding [of what is becoming and prudent for you],²That you may exercise proper discrimination and discretion and your lips may guard and keep knowledge and the wise answer [to temptation].

To "attend" in verse 1 is the Hebrew word, "qashab", which means: to prick up the ears, to hearken, to be attentive to, to pay attention, to listen, to heed. We are told to pay attention to Godly wisdom! I love the way the Amplified Bible phrases this. Solomon is exhorting his son (AND us!) to be attentive to his (Solomon's) wisdom! He says that he learned this wisdom from actual and costly experience! That's what wisdom actually is, learning from the mistakes of others, so you don't have to make those same mistakes! The Lord wants us to have a good understanding of what His plan is for our lives. He also wants us to be in position to properly discern and judge the things that happen in our lives and the lives of our loved ones. Take the time to learn from the wisest of all so that you don't get left behind in any good thing!

John 15:7 says:

⁷If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

The KJV says "abide", which is the Hebrew word, "menoo", which means: to remain, to abide, and (most important in my mind) to continue to be present! Be ALWAYS aware of the presence of the Lord IN you. He says that when you and I will do that, then we will ask what WE decide to ask and it WILL be done! AMEN! When you and I are in close fellowship with Him every day, our wills will line up with His! What a powerful place that will be!

In 1 Chronicles notice the great attention to specifics and detail that go into the genealogies. God knows every person ever born and has a unique plan for each! This should encourage you that God never forgets His promises and they are ALL good for you! His thoughts toward you and plans for you are ALL good! Jeremiah 29:11:

¹¹For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

Choose HIS plan, it's the perfect plan for you!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to look at 2 verses in Proverbs 4 today. We'll look first at verse 7:

⁷Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Wisdom is the "principal" thing! This is the Hebrew word, "re`shiyth", which means: first in place, time, order or rank, the beginning, the best, the chief, the choice part. Getting Godly wisdom is the vital key to walking the victorious life that God wants us to walk on this Earth! This verse goes on to say "therefore (BECAUSE it's so important) GET wisdom! "Get" is the Hebrew word, "qanah", which means: to get, to acquire, to possess, to attain. Make it your primary goal, after loving the Lord your God with all of your heart, to get this wisdom! Remember what James 1:5 says:

⁵If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.

The other verse we'll look at is verse 23:

²³Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

You and I need to remember that our heart is the combination of our born-again spirit (IF we've received Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Saviour) and our soul. Our soul consist of our mind, emotions and will. The spirit of a born again believer is recreated in the image of God! Our souls are renewed day by day by meditating on and obeying the Word of God! We protect that spirit/soul combo by guarding what goes in our eyes and ears and what we choose to think about. That's why we have this instruction in Joshua 1:8:

⁸This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

When we put the Word of God inside in abundance, that's what will be coming out of our mouths! Luke 6:45:

⁴⁵A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Did you realize that what you think about is so very important? You do now! AMEN!

John 14:6:

⁶Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

Jesus is the ONLY "way", the Hebrew word, "hodos", which means: a road, a route, a means, to get to the Father! He IS the Truth. John 17:17:

¹⁷Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth.

And John 1:1 & 14:

¹IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. ¹⁴And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.

Jesus is the Word, the Word is Truth, SO Jesus IS Truth! He is also the "LIFE"! That is the Hebrew word "zoe", which means: the absolute fullness of life which belongs to God, or Life as God has it in Himself! Did you know that 1 john 5:12 says:

¹²He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life.

That is the same life! ZOE! Life as God has in Himself is IN YOU if you have received Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Saviour! Aren't you glad you have?!

John 1:12:

¹²I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.

These are God's Words! Jesus Himself said that WE are to be doing the same things He did! What did Jesus do? Matthew 9:35:

³⁵And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Let's be about our Father's business and get the WORK done! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We're going to look at Proverbs 3:1-2 today.

¹MY SON, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; ²For length of days and years of a life [worth living] and tranquility [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death], these shall they add to you.

We are told here NOT to "forget", the Hebrew word, "shakach" which means: to forget, to cease to care, to ignore, the Law and teaching of God. Then we are told to "keep", the Hebrew word, "natsar", which means to to guard, to watch over, to preserve, His commandments! Verse 2 tells us the results of obeying God's Word! "Length of days" means having enough hours in a day to be able to accomplish what you need to accomplish. "Years of Life refers to a long life, WORTH LIVING! Another result of obeying the Word of God is "peace", the Hebrew word "shalom" which means: completeness, soundness, welfare, safety. That sounds to me like tremendous results for simply obeying God's Word!

John 13:1 in the Amplified Bible is very powerful!

¹[NOW] BEFORE the Passover Feast began, Jesus knew (was fully aware) that the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. And as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the last and to the highest degree.

Jesus KNEW what was ahead of Him and He WANTED to do it! Why? Hebrews 12:2:

²Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

WE are the JOY that Jesus was seeing when He looked into the future! He knew that once He paid, once for ALL, the ultimate price for sin, that all humanity would have the POTENTIAL of belonging to HIM! The only thing between us and eternal life in Heaven when we leave this Earth is what we do with what Jesus has already done! Do YOU believe that Jesus came to this Earth, died on the cross for YOU, was raised from the dead and is now seated in Heaven with the Father? Then is there any reason you can't receive Jesus as YOUR Lord and personal Saviour right now? Pray this prayer:

Almighty God, I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth, died on the cross for me, was raised from the dead, and is now seated at Your right hand. I accept and receive Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and I invite Him to come into my heart and become Lord over my life. I thank You now Father, for welcoming me into Your family. You are my Father. I am Your child. Jesus is my Lord! Amen.

Now YOU belong to the family of God! You have a future and a destiny mapped out by Almighty God from before the foundation of the world! Get into the Word of God and find out just who YOU are in Him! The best way to do that is to get involved in a good local church that teaches the Word of God. Go to the Spoken Word Church link on the left side of this blog and contact us with your address. We will try to help you find such a church in your area! Welcome to our family! AMEN!

In 1 Chronicles 1-2 we see a genealogy from Adam. The most important thing I get from looking at these genealogies is that every person goes back to Noah and then back to Adam. Adam walked face to face with God in the garden before he sinned. He KNEW God and everyone who lived during his time had access to the Truth! Everyone that exited the Ark had first hand knowledge of God and what He could and would do! He had proven to them that He was faithful to His Word to perform it! Every person that descended from Abraham KNEW the Truth about God and His promises to Abraham! There is NO EXCUSE for people NOT to know the Truth today! The Word of Go says in James 4:8a:

^8aCome close to God and He will come close to you.

If any person on Earth really wants to know the Truth, all they have to do is ASK of HIM! He WILL reveal Himself to anyone who sincerely wants to know! If people DON'T know, they just don't want to yet! Present the REAL Jesus when you talk to people! The One who so greatly prized and dearly loved the world that He gave HIS OWN LIFE! John 3:16:

¹⁶For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

Now THAT is the REAL Good News! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Proverbs 2:1-4 tells us what we need to do about wisdom:

¹MY SON, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you, ²Making your ear attentive to skillful and godly Wisdom and inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding [applying all your powers to the quest for it]; ³Yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, ⁴If you seek [Wisdom] as for silver and search for skillful and godly Wisdom as for hidden treasures,

The word "receive" in verse 1 is the Hebrew word, "laqach", which means: to take, to get, to lay hold of, to seize, to acquire, to snatch, to take away, to take possession of, to capture. Those are some pretty forceful words! That is how we are to go about getting the Word of God inside of us! Then we are to treat His commandments as a precious treasure! Verse 2 tells us to MAKE our ears pay attention to wisdom from God's Word and apply everything that is within us to the quest, or search, for wisdom through the Word of God! Verses 3-4 tell us to cry out for wisdom! Be vocal about it! James tells us to ASK for wisdom! (James 1:5). We are to seek for wisdom as we would for silver we wanted to find! We are told to search for wisdom as we would for the most valuable treasure we could ever imagine! What are the results of doing these things? Let's look at verses 5-6:

⁵Then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of [our omniscient] God. ⁶For the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

This says that at the time that we DO those things above, then we will understand the fear of the Lord. Remember from yesterday's reading that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom! the Lord is the source of all wisdom and there is NO real wisdom apart from Him! Then verses 7-8 say:

⁷He hides away sound and godly Wisdom and stores it for the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him); He is a shield to those who walk uprightly and in integrity,⁸That He may guard the paths of justice; yes, He preserves the way of His saints.

God hides His wisdom within His Word. He doesn't hide it FROM us, but rather, FOR us! He hides it in the Word for us to find out! Remember that the righteous are those who have received Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Savior, being made in right standing with God through the precious Blood of Jesus! His purpose? To guard and protect our way! We do OUR part and God will most definitely do HIS part! AMEN!

In John 12 we see Jesus returning to Bethany, to the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. There's Martha in her old familiar spot in the kitchen! This is also when Mary takes the very expensive ointment, meant for burial, and anoints Jesus with it. Judas complains, not because he really cared about the poor, but because he wanted the money that the ointment was worth to be put into the "bag", the ministry treasury, so he would more to pilfer from!

Then we see Jesus riding on a donkey into Jerusalem and the people praising Him as He went. A short time later some of these very people would be crying to have Jesus crucified! It was amazing to me to stand on the Mount of Olives and look down into the city and the Temple Mount and imagine what Jesus must have seen and felt when He did the same! Our Lord is a wonderful and awesome God! AMEN!

In 1 Samuel 30 we have one of my favorite Old Testament stories! David and his men find that the Amalekites have raided their town, burned it and taken their wives and children captive. What is the very first reaction of the mighty man of valour who had slain his tens of thousands? Verse 4:

⁴Then David and the men with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.

Oh, so David was human after all? Oh yeah! But he repents (changes his thinking to agree with God) and encourages himself in the Lord again. He seeks the Lord's direction in what to do and then obeys the instructions of the Lord. If you find yourself doing what David did and start crying over your situation, then KEEP doing what David did and start encouraging yourself in the Lord! Remind yourself of all the times He delivered you in the past and expect Him to do it again! AMEN! So David did, God did and everyone was blessed, especially those who had "stayed with the stuff"! I LOVE the way that David handled this situation! Those who go and spread the Gospel around the world are blessed of God and will receive rewards in Heaven for their obedience to God's Word. Those who stayed and prayed and paid for them to go will also receive the same rewards for doing THEIR PART! Let's encourage each other to fulfill the ministry God gave to each of us individually and we'll all share in the rewards! AMEN!

We see the death of Saul and his sons in the next chapter. Not a pleasant thing to read about, but one we knew was coming. Now David will take over and everything will be FANTASTIC! Right? Oh-oh! Stay tuned!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We begin in Proverbs today. A proverb is a "short pithy saying in frequent and widespread use that expresses a basic truth or practical precept". "Pithy" means: precisely meaningful, forceful and brief. That pretty much sums it up! Now the Book of Proverbs uses this format to expound on Biblical Truth in a very practical and simple way. LOVE them! They will bring stability, wisdom, strength and peace to your life WHEN you heed them! Proverbs 1:16 says:

¹THE PROVERBS (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: ²That people may know skillful and godly Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight, ³Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity, ⁴That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth-- ⁵The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]-- ⁶That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles.

Solomon is the writer of Proverbs. He ONCE was wise when he asked God for the proper wisdom to rule God's people. These Proverbs are a result of that wisdom! We will not go through each verse, but just a few each day. Today we will look at verse 7:

⁷The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.

A "pithy" saying usually doesn't need explanation! That is true of this verse! The #1 most important action that we, as born again believers in Jesus of Nazareth, must take is to fear and revere the Lord our God! The Amplified Bible clearly spells this out here! And now we KNOW how all of the foolish people in the world became foolish! No fear of the Lord and no regard for and obedience to his Word! DON'T BE A FOOL! You get to choose, so choose wisdom! AMEN!

Verses 20-21 say:

²⁰Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the markets;²¹She cries at the head of the noisy intersections [in the chief gathering places]; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

The word "cries" in verse 20 is the Hebrew word, "ranan", which means: to give a ringing cry, to shout, to shout, to cry aloud. The word "cries" in verse 21 is the Hebrew word, "qara", which means: to call, to utter a loud sound, to proclaim, to invite. That tells me that wisdom is not hard to find, it's just that many people don't WANT to find it! It is so obvious that people have to make a conscious decision NOT to understand. And THAT is very obvious in the world we live in today!

In John 11 we see the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. Jesus said in verse 4:

⁴When Jesus received the message, He said, This sickness is not to end in death; but [on the contrary] it is to honor God and to promote His glory, that the Son of God may be glorified through (by) it.

Raising Lazarus from the dead brought glory to God and showed that Jesus was exactly Who He said He was! One thing about this story that always comes to mind when I read it is found in verse 28:

²⁸After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, privately whispering to her, The Teacher is close at hand and is asking for you.

It isn't recorded anywhere that Jesus asked for Mary! My personal thought is that Martha didn't have the confidence that Jesus loved her as much as He loved Mary. That would be sad! He has loved each and every one of us with the same everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3) It could also be that because Martha always busied herself with other things, when it came time to operate in faith, she thought Mary could do it better. She may have been right about that! We DO know now that "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17)!

In 1 Samuel we find Saul still trying to do things his own way. He knew that dealing with witches, wizards and mediums was against God's Word, but that's exactly what he did! Sounds a lot like those who forsake wisdom that we read about in Proverbs! Make sure you don't try to do things your own way when God's Word is very specific about what to do and how to do it! But you are a student of the Word or you wouldn't be reading this blog! You already have a head start! Keep it up!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 150 is the best possible way to end the Psalms! The Word "praise" is used 13 times in this Psalm and 10 of those times we are commanded to "Praise him"! The word "praise" here is the Hebrew word that we have looked at several times, "halal", which means: to shine, to flash forth light, to praise, to boast, to glory, to act like a madman, to be clamorously foolish! To me that says that praise can be heard and seen and it is a loud and boisterous testimony to the greatness of our wonderful God! In verse 1 we are told to:

¹PRAISE THE Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power!

His "sanctuary" is the Hebrew word, "qodesh", which we have also talked about before. It means: sacred place or thing, holiness, set-apartness. It is the same word translated "holy" and "holiness" many, many times throughout the Old Testament! That's not talking about praising God in church, although that can be included. It's really talking about giving Him the praise that is due Him because of, and in light of, His extreme holiness! His total set-apartness from the world and the world's ways of thinking, speaking and acting!

Verse 2 says that we should praise Him for what He has done AND for Who He is! Verses 3-5 tell us HOW to praise - with singing, dancing and instruments! Verse 6 says:

⁶Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

That includes EVERYONE! If you are breathing, then you are commanded to be praising the Lord! DO IT!

John 10:9-10 says:

⁹I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out [freely], and will find pasture.¹⁰The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

First of all Jesus is telling everyone who will listen that He is the only "door", Hebrew "thura", which means: door, gate, entrance, to be "saved", the Hebrew word, "sozo", which means: to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, make whole, do well. It includes being born again, but SO MUCH MORE!!! Verse 10 tells us more! He came to give us 'life", Hebrew "zoe", which means: the absolute fullness of life which belongs to God! He came for the very purpose of giving everyone who WILL receive the very same life that is IN HIM! That is: life, in abundance, to the full, till it overflows! I think we should praise Him all over again for THIS! AMEN! GLORY TO GOD! HALLELUJAH! Then we have verses 15-16:

¹⁵Even as [truly as] the Father knows Me and I also know the Father--and I am giving My [very own] life and laying it down on behalf of the sheep.¹⁶And I have other sheep [beside these] that are not of this fold. I must bring and impel those also; and they will listen to My voice and heed My call, and so there will be [they will become] one flock under one Shepherd.

WE are the "other sheep"! We are the ones "grafted in"! (Romans 11:17-24) But He has NOT given up on the original flock! God has imminent plans for the nation of Israel and the world will watch and see that God IS God over Israel! AMEN!

In 1 Samuel 26:8-11 we see that David has another opportunity to kill Saul, but chooses not to touch "God's anointed". (Check out 1 Chronicles 16:22 and Psalm 105:15) David is honoring God's Word and putting his trust in the Lord to vindicate and protect him. But all of this running for his life has taken a toll on David and in 1 Samuel 27 we see him begin to lose heart and enter into doubt and unbelief, relying on underhanded tactics to try and protect himself from Saul. Some of the more desperate sounding of the Psalms came from this particular time. David always repents, though, and gets himself back in right fellowship with the Lord, trusting in Him again! Stay tuned!

Shalom in him!

Shalom,

You could use Psalm 149 as a manual on praise and worship! We are told to praise the Lord, to sing "a new song" (in other tongues OR your known language), to rejoice, to praise Him by dancing before Him, to praise Him with musical instruments, and any other way the Holy Spirit leads you to offer your own personal worship to him! I especially like verses 5-6:

⁵Let the saints be joyful in the glory and beauty [which God confers upon them]; let them sing for joy upon their beds. ⁶Let the high praises of God be in their throats and a two-edged sword in their hands,

We are to be filled with joy in His presence! We are told to "sing for joy" upon our beds! Do you do that? The first thing I do when I wake up, after shutting off the alarm clock, is to sing my own personal song to Him! Start you day off right with praise and worship and your days will become so much more full and rewarding!

John 9 records Jesus healing again! He heals the man born blind! I LOVE the way this man answered the critics of Jesus after he was healed by Him! Verses 24-34:

²⁴So the second time they summoned the man who had been born blind, and said to him, Now give God the glory (praise). This Fellow we know is only a sinner (a wicked person).

²⁵Then he answered, I do not know whether He is a sinner and wicked or not. But one thing I do know, that whereas I was blind before, now I see.

²⁶So they said to him, What did He [actually] do to you? How did He open your eyes?

²⁷He answered, I already told you and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Can it be that you wish to become His disciples also?

²⁸And they stormed at him [they jeered, they sneered, they reviled him] and retorted, You are His disciple yourself, but we are the disciples of Moses.²⁹We know for certain that God spoke with Moses, but as for this Fellow, we know nothing about where He hails from.

³⁰The man replied, Well, this is astonishing! Here a Man has opened my eyes, and yet you do not know where He comes from. [That is amazing!]³¹We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and a worshiper of Him and does His will, He listens to him.³²Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.³³If this Man were not from God, He would not be able to do anything like this.

A man born blind had been healed for the first time and all they could think about was what day of the week He had done this amazing miracle! Now THAT'S a few hard hearts!

In 1 Samuel 24-25 we find that David had passed up another opportunity to kill Saul! He would not so much as touch the anointed of God! Then in chapter 25 we read about Samuel's death and a very dumb Nabal! He spurns David and his men. BIG MISTAKE! David ends up with the food supplies he had asked for AND a new wife! AMEN! It PAYS to do things God's way. Thank You, Lord Jesus!

Shalom in Him!