A Crucified Life - - Recognizes The Call of TheTrinity

 While the word "trinity" in and of itself is not used in the Bible, it is implied in The Scriptures.  Matthew 28:19 "Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 

Reference also: John 15:26, Luke 1:35. 

     ISAIAH 48:16

"Come near unto Me, hear this:  I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now The Lord GOD, and His Spirit, have sent Me."

    Isaiah 11:2

The Spirit of The LORD will rest on Him—The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and strength, The Spirit of knowledge and fear of The LORD. 

    Matthew 3:16

As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw The Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him.

    Isaiah 42:1

“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in Whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations."

    All of these verses tell us God, His Christ and His Spirit - -Three Persons in One. We are called to "Come near and hear". Hear The Word of The Lord. There are 147 verses specifically saying to us "Hear The Word of The LORD". God repeats Himself to instill in us the necessity of hearing Him speak to us. 

    In Revelation, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" is spoken at the end of each letter written to the seven churches. 

-Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29

-Revelation 3:6, 13, 22

    To hear The Word of The Lord is to receive The Word not only into our hearing but into our hearts, where The Word takes root and grows into fulness within us, strengthening us and perfecting us. For we are God's covenant people. Becoming holy is a necessity; it is The Blood of God's Christ applied to our sins which cleanses us from all unrighteousness. It is The Spirit of God Who makes us holy throughout our lifetimes. 

    To hear The Word of The Lord is to obey The Word of The Lord wholeheartedly and in The Love of The Lord. We  are thrilled to be called to do something for Him...because we love Him. 

    Obedience requires trust; trusting that God has a plan and a purpose for the immediate work at hand even if we can't see how it could possibly work out. 

    Obedience requires faith in God; faith to persevere through difficult times; faith to continue the journey even when tears blind our eyes. Faith to follow Christ even when our families and friends threaten us, beat us, kill us. 

    We answer the call of The Trinity to "Come near" and listen. For God speaks with a quiet voice. We need to "be still and know that He Is Lord". We must allow ourselves to remain in His presence and not be distracted by the other voices calling out our names, voices that keep us from His presence and prevent us from hearing what The Word has to say to us. 

    We are instructed to be wise and gain instruction (Proverbs 1:5), but the entire Book of Proverbs is filled with Words of Wisdom. We need to read it with understanding that we may learn what is required of those who read it. This is hearing The Word of The Lord. 

    I could go on, but perhaps the rest of this study should be concluded by yourselves. What are you hearing when you "Come Near" to God, His Christ and His Spirit?

CALLED BY THE TRINITY

Trust - Sixpence None The Richer

Hear The Word of The Lord - Kingsmen

Walk By Faith - Jeremy Camp

Word of God Speak - MercyMe

Waiting Here For You - Martin Smith 

 

A Crucified Life - - Answer's God's Call

 

    Romans 10:21

But as for Israel He says: "All the day I have stretched out My hands to a disobeying and contradicting people."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 483

Contradicting: speak against, oppose

From the Greek word 'antilegó' (pronounced an-til'-eg-o): properly, voicing opposition; to contradict, especially in a hostile (argumentative) way; to dispute in order to thwart. 

CONTRA=ANTI=AGAINST

DICTING=LEGO=SPEAKING

The Voice of Wisdom Calls to No Avail

Proverbs 1:23-27

    The Promises of God are for they whom God calls His people, the people who obey Him and follow His lead, direction, guide, Spirit. The Judgments of God are for the people who refuse to obey Him, who decline to walk in His ways, who are determined to thwart His every move. 

    Yes, God is Love. But in His love is holiness and justice. His holiness demands a holy people. A people who endeavor to obey God's Word and increase His happiness. His righteousness demands a righteous people. A people who are covered in the righteousness He gives them. 

    In the Old Testament this righteousness from God was awarded by faith in God (Hebrews 11). Faith has substance and is not just a spiritual unseen object (Hebrews 11:1) and is in itself evidence {because our first measure of faith comes from God [Romans 12:3]}. We must first believe that God is (exists) and that He is a Rewarder of them that believe (Hebrews 11:6). 

    The people who refuse to answer God's call will be judged for their refusal. Whichever darkness they clothe themselves with now will give way to the Light of God's judgment and justice on the day in which He dispenses it.

     Hear the Word of The Lord: do not be one of those people. To day is the day of salvation. Now. While you are alive in this world is your opportunity to acknowledge that GOD IS. To day is your day of redemption. As Jesus began His ministry, He preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 4:17). 

    We must draw near to God through Jesus Christ, repent of our wicked ways (our selfish and self-involved desires, our willful disobedience to His Word and His commands, our trespasses against Him) and surrender our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice. 

    To draw near is to come and be close by, so close we can hear the whispering voice of God speaking to us; His breath, His Spirit, on our hearts. The only Way that is possible is through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16, John 14:6). 

    This Word is still relevant to us. After death it will be too late. The commitment to answer God's call on our lives must be made in our lifetime. 

ANSWERING GOD'S CALL 

God Be Merciful To Me - Jars of Clay

Waters - Jimi Cravity

I Claim The Blood - Ben Speer

I Know Whom I Have Believed - Redeemer Church of The Shoals

With My Hands Lifted Up - Integrity Music

There Is A Place - Nathaniel Bassey

A Crucified Life - - Speaks For Itself

 

2 Corinthians 6:8

By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No.

Evil Report: defamation, reproach, ill-repute

From the Greek word 'dusphemia' (pronounced doos-fay-mee'-ah).

Good Report: commendation, praise

From the Greek word 'euphémia' (pronounced yoo-fay-mee'-ah).

    Slandered. Spoken ill of for speaking the Truth. To share the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ is to expect people to come against you. As they came against Christ who not only speaks Truth but is Himself Truth, how can we expect any less to happen to us as His faithful followers? 

Jesus Himself warned His disciples that as many came against Him for the Truth of the Word which He spake, people would also come against them, against us. 

>John 16:1-3

>John 15:18-20

>Proverbs 29:27

>Matthew 10:22

>Matthew 24:9

    Knowing that even the very mention of the Name of Christ could get a person killed, how does the kingdom of God keep growing? Grace.Joy. Peace. Rest. Forgiveness. Wisdom. Love. Hope. Mercy. Of God. In Christ. Through the Holy Spirit of God. 

>GRACE: Ephesians 2:8

>JOY: John 15:11

>PEACE: John 16:33

>REST: Matthew 11:28

>FORGIVENESS: Ephesians 1:7

>WISDOM: Proverbs 11:30

>LOVE: 1 John 4:16

>HOPE: Psalm 39:7

>MERCY: Titus 3:5

    All of these things Christ is to us who believe. All of these are in us and need to be displayed to everyone else by our words and our actions. The name is the reputation. Whose name are you defined by? The faithful follower of Christ is defined by Christ's Name and carries His reputation with them wherever they go. 

    Philippians 2:7, 8

But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

     As such He did, so, too, do we, His followers. We make ourselves of no reputation, and yet, we are known by many for who we are. As Christ is known, both loved and hated, we who love Him and follow in His steps, are both loved  and hated. Though we desire no reputation of our own, we are given two. We are only slightly known to this world. But in God's kingdom we are fully known.

REPUTATION

Clean Hands - Lauren Alexandria

Better Than Life - Phil Wickham

Here's My Heart - I Am They

No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus - Steffany Gretzinger

Nothing Without You - United Pursuit

I Belong To Jesus - Paul, Hannah McClure

Give Us Clean Hands - Caedmon's Call

I Speak Jesus - Here Be Lions

Hands and Feet - Audio Adrenaline

Build Your Kingdom Here - Rend Collective

Known - Tauren Wells

    

Guard Your Heart - - Godly Diet & Exercise

 

Matthew 15:10, 11

Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, "Listen and understand. A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2840

Defiled: to make common
From the Greek word 'koinoó' (pronounced koy-no'-o): I pollute, make unclean, desecrate; I regard as unclean. Treating what is sacred as common or ordinary.

WORLDLY DIET & EXERCISE

Touch Not, Taste Not

1 Timothy 4:3 

3. They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 

Self Discipline For Personal Gain

1 Corinthians 9:25

Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.

GODLY DIET & EXERCISE

Taste The Word

Psalm 34:8 

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in Him.

Psalm 119:103

How sweet are Your words to my taste—sweeter than honey in my mouth!

1 Corinthians 11:23-25

23. For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 

24. and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

25. In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Exercise Godliness

1 Timothy 4:8

8. For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for the present life and for the one to come.

WORLDLY WISDOM

Colossians 2:20-23

20. If you have died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations: 

21. “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”?

22. These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

23. Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

GODLY WISDOM

Job 28:28

And He said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"

Psalm 111:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!

Proverbs 1:5

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.

EXERCISE GODLINESS

2 Peter 1:3

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

    So, how can we live a godly life in this day and age? For many are offended at the least little thing. A man's article of clothing is resented by those around him who demand he remove it 'because it's offensive' to them. Everything a born again Christian does or says is going to offend someone somewhere. That's just the way it is when we faithfully follow Christ and we need to accept that as fact. 

    The Bible tells us that the very name of Christ is offensive, that the gospel of salvation through Christ offends other religious factors. If you want to live a life that offends no one, then you will offend God, but I'm determined not to walk that path, for that way only ends in God's wrath and eternal damnation. 

    Being obedient to the moving of the Holy Spirit on our lives is of more value than being obedient to the offended spirits who control the people who obey those spirits. The spirit of antichrist is any person who rebels against Christ. 

Matthew 24:5 "For many will come in My name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."

Matthew 24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible."

Mark 13:22 "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible."

1 Timothy 4:1 "Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons."

1 John 2:18 "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour."

    But, remember that you are valuable to God (Matthew 10:31) and blessed. 

Matthew 5:11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me."

Matthew 10:22 "You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved."

1 Peter 4:14 "If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."

    Come, let us taste of this Word which The Lord our God has given us today. Let us pray together for understanding The Word. It is bittersweet: bitter to the hearing yet sweet to the tasting.  The result is the betterment of our souls. We are enriched. 

    Lord, increase our faith. Help us to live godly lives which glorify You and humble us. Spirit, lead us in godly wisdom that our souls may prosper, even as The Word prospers in us. 

In Jesus' Name, we pray,

Amen.

Better Than Life

Peace 

Taste & See

Honey In The Rock  

Bread of Heaven 

       

Guard Your Heart - - Be Wise

 

Romans 12:3

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.

*Strong's Ex. Con. No. 4993

Sober Judgment: be of sound mind, temperate, exercise self-control, think shrewdly

From the Greek word 'sóphroneó' (pronounced so-fron-eh'-o). A personal word/phrase: I exercise self-control, I am of sound mind, I am sober-minded.

    Self-examination of how we think and why we think thus and so is good for our souls. As in all other aspects of our life, we learn by observation. So we must watch ourselves. Not so much as to be self-involved, but to see ourselves for who we truly are: sinners who need a Savior. 

    Because we recognize we need a Savior, we are made aware that it is not only ourselves who need saving, but the people around us, whether we know them or not. We are the church and as the church we need to go out into the highways and byways to reach the lost and dying, bringing them into the body of Christ with us. None of us is greater or lesser than the other. "We are all members of one body" (Ephesians 4:25). And that body is Christ's (1 Corinthians 12:27).

    How do we exercise self-control in our thinking? Be wise/shrewd as serpents (Matthew 10:16). Be wise in knowing what is good and innocent (Romans 16:19). We can only know what is good and innocent when we know God's Word, so we must read it and study it out for ourselves. We need to meditate on God's Word, allowing God to write His Word on our hearts when we study and pray. 

    We exercise wisdom when we listen to the voice of Wisdom (Proverbs 1:33; Proverbs 2). Ignoring the voice of Wisdom is our downfall. Now, remember, Paul is writing to the church. So these words he pens about being sober-minded, he pens to the church, to us who believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation. 

    If we are going to boast about anything, it should be that we have received the salvation of God through the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:17; 1:31; Psalms 105:3; Jeremiah 9:24): let us glory in The Lord. 

    Romans 12:14-20  gives us more insight on how to be shrewd Christians:

14. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.

15. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

16. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.

17.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.

18. If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.

19. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

20. On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

    Have compassion. Live in harmony. Enjoy the company of the humble. Do what is right. Live in peace. Don't be vengeful, petty or rise up against those who come against us. And, as verse 20 tells us, Feed our enemies, give water to the thirsty. 

    We are living in a world that is so self-centered and self-involved that doing the right thing in the eyes of God is becoming a criminal act. People are not only having their Bibles taken away and burned, but their churches are being demolished, their religious rights are being struck down in high courts. Children are separated from parents, the elderly are encouraged to die instead of receiving healing care.

    Yet, we are not to attack in any way, shape or form those who are coming against us. We are not to think of ourselves as better than the unsaved who desire us to vanish away, but to remember that they need a Savior, they need to be loved into the kingdom of God just like we were loved into the kingdom of God when someone prayed for us. 

    Love. The true love of God in Christ is our only hope, our testimony is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That is how we are to love one another. whether or not they are a part of the body of Christ, for the body is continually growing. The Word says to us, "Love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34). 

    When we love one another like that, we know we are being wise. Because a person cannot love like Christ unless Christ is living in them. We are directed by The Holy Spirit of God which direction to go in and He fills our mouths with the words we are to speak at the right time they need to be spoken. 

    Are you filled with The Holy Spirit? Seek God in prayer and wait on Him to fill you. Then you truly will be able to live a life of self-control, for He will help you. 

 O Lord fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we might walk in Your Spirit, live in Your Word and Your Word live in us. We need Your strength, Your wisdom and Your power to lives out these last days You have given us. Help us to make wise choices, lead excellent lives: for Your glory and Your praise. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen. 

Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns

Spirit Lead Me by Michael Ketterer

Abide In Me by Andrew Marcus

Ancient Words by Michael W. Smith    

Word of God Speak by MercyMe

    

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - Not All Who Seek Him Find Him

 

Matthew 2:3, 4

3. When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

4. And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 

He asked not out of good intentions, for his heart was evil. 

In these next few verses, Matthew 2:5-8 and 16-18, we see the result of Herod not finding Jesus. Jesus had only just arrived; it was not His time yet to be found by those whose sole desire was to kill Him.

#Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5015

Disturbed: agitate, stir up, trouble

From the Greek word 'tarassó' (pronounced tar-as'-so). To put in motion (to agitate back-and-forth, shake to-and-fro); (figuratively) to set in motion what needs to remain still (at ease); to "trouble" ("agitate"), causing inner perplexity (emotional agitation) from getting too stirred up inside ("upset"). 

The result of Herod not finding Jesus where He was said to be was that all boys two years old and younger in Bethlehem and it's surrounding areas were immediately murdered by Herod's men. Sadly, this fulfilled another prophecy from Jeremiah 13:15 "This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:17, 18) 

Who knows the intentions of the heart better than God? for the heart is what He looks at when He looks in our direction. Are the hearts of men/women in this day and age still looking for Him to worship Him or to seek His destruction? We can only answer for our own hearts. 

Having been unable to take out Jesus at His birth, the devil tries to destroy Him during His ministry, but it wasn't time. When the time did arrive, the devil's plans backfired: for the crucifixion of Christ overcame for once and for all all of the devil's stratagems.  Joy to the world, indeed. Now, through Christ, we too can overcome the enemy of our souls. 

Seek Him with a desire to know Him and He will surely reveal Himself. He does not hide Himself from the people who truly desire to know Him, love Him, adore Him.

Choose wisdom. Follow after it like the gold seekers of times past, for the wisdom of God is a far greater treasure than any earthly treasure that could be gained. 

The reason so many people do not understand the Bible, and why many misinterpret it, is because they do not want to know the God of the Bible. They are looking constantly for ways to deny Him, His existence. Some believe theories instead of facts because facts obstruct their beliefs. But what is a theory? Conjecture, speculation, assumption, ideology, philosophy are but a few words that mean the same thing as theory. ( I looked in the Thesaurus). 

Conjecture is 'what if'. Speculation is 'maybe'. Assumption is assuming something to be so without actual facts to back it up. Ideology is 'the body of belief or doctrine upon which a person or persons builds their life'. The dictionary has several definitions of Philosophy, none of which contradict each other, but the main theme is that Philosophy is the study and basis of rational thought, rational existence and conducting one's life with studious thought on how to behave. 

Theory is not fact. A fact is known entity. A theory is an unknown entity. Not the same. Wisdom of God is a known entity. The wisdom of men changes with the wind: for whichever the wind blows, man in and of himself, allows himself to be bent by the winds of heresies, false doctrines and the false prophets who spew them into the hearing of the hearts that reject Christ as Lord and Savior of their souls. 

Whose voice are you hearing today? Whose steps do you follow in? Who is your king?Where is your heart? I know where my heart is. For the Bible says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart is." (Luke 12:34) And my heart is with Jesus. 

O Come Let Us Adore Him by Elevation Church

 

Arming The Spiritual Warrior -- Godly Wisdom

Proverbs 18:15 

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

In the KJV the word 'prudent' is used, which means, (according to Strong's No. 995): intelligent, discern, gain understanding of,  diligently consider, pay close attention, investigate. Plus a few more definitive words given, but we'll start with these in this study. 

Understanding what words mean is a one of the steps in being able to explain what the Bible tells us. The other is a saved and filled heart: saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and filled with God's Holy Spirit, who is described as the Spirit of God, or Wisdom personified. Godly Wisdom comes from God.

GODLY UNDERSTANDING

Daniel 1:17

As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

2 Chronicles 26:5 (referring to King Uzziah) 

And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

Godly Understanding comes from seeking God's Wisdom with fear, a reverence, of God. Fearing God is more advantageous to one's soul and life than fearing anything that people may do to us. It is not a fear of consequences, but a loving respectful fear. 

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

GODLY WISDOM IS GOD'S GIFT & INVALUABLE

Job 28:12-28

(12) But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

(13) Man knows not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

(14) The deep says, ‘It is not in me’; And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

(15) It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

(16) It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

(17) The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

(18) No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

(19) The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

(20) From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?

(21) Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

(22) Destruction (Hades) and death (those who have died without godly wisdom)  say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. (heard a rumor, a report of [it, wisdom])

(23) But God understands its way, and He knows its place.

(24) For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

(25)  When He gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure,

(26) when He made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder,

(27) then He saw it and declared it; He established it, and searched it out.

(28) And unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Are we discerning Christians? Do we seek out, look for, the fear of the Lord that He may impart to us His Wisdom? Or are we too lazy, content to be barely saved, saved enough to attend church and/or become involved in church activities? 

Do we understand the times in which we live? If it came to choosing life in Christ or life without Christ, would we be able to choose Christ knowing that this choice means death? This is Wisdom: making an informed decision to follow Jesus Christ all the way to the cross, into the garden? 

John 8:28, 29 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me. He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”

• Jesus lives His life in the Love of God in service to His Father. 
• Jesus speaks to us what His Father speaks to Him.
• Jesus does what pleases God

ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE

Proverbs 15:31

The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.

Ecclesiastes 7:5

It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.

Proverbs 4:7

Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.

Proverbs 16:16

How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.

So just how do we acquire, get, this Godly Knowledge?

Isaiah 55:6

Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.

Psalm 119:105

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Job 23:11

My feet have followed in His tracks; I have kept His way without turning aside.

Psalm 119:157

Though my persecutors and foes are many, I have not turned from Your testimonies.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil in the Lord is not in vain. (KJV)

The ESV reads like this: So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Are you smiling yet? I am. I have joy inside me and it is overflowing to the outside of me. I am being poured into and the Spirit is pouring out of me. 

You Are My Joy

GODLY WISDOM

To acquire knowledge is to hear what the Lord God says to us in His Word through His Spirit. We must be willing to seek out God's face and submit to God's will, surrendering every aspect of our lives to His purpose. This is honoring God, this is blessing God. More than lip service or acts of kindness: it is a whole-hearted, God-fearing lifestyle. This is Godly Wisdom, too. 

 

Godly Wisdom is given to the heart of the born-again believer, not the brain. It is with the heart that we believe. It is in the heart that Jesus Christ, The WORD of God, takes up residence. It is from the heart that Wisdom speaks. It is the heart that makes the decisions, so the heart must be filled with The WORD in order to make wise decisions.

The heart of the born-again believer makes sound decisions, but the heart of the foolish makes unwise decisions.  God has given each of us the ability to choose. And He wants us to choose wisely, but we know that doesn't always happen. While we are in this world, we are tempted on every side to make wrong, unwise, decisions. But we don't have to stay in the consequences of those decisions, we can choose to make a decision to leave the unwise decision and seek out God's wisdom for our lives. 

Lord, help me. Help me to lead a life that is pleasing to You. Help me to hear Your voice more clearly. Help me to see You in every decision I make and follow through in the doing of that decision. Lord, be my strength as I follow You. Give me Your wisdom that I may make decisions based on Your Word. In Jesus' Name, I pray, Amen. 

 

Arming The Spiritual Warrior -- Sanctification & Wisdom

 1 Thessalonians 5:23

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 37

Sanctify:  to make holy, consecrate, sanctify; I make holy, treat as holy, set apart as holy, sanctify, hallow, purify

To be sanctified is to separate one's self from that which is unholy and cling to that which is holy. This begins to happen when we first believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. It is both a spiritual thing and a physical. 

     The physical separation from wickedness happens when we choose not to do the things we did before we got saved. The spiritual separation from a wicked lifestyle happens when the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us and on us, leading us to a consecrated, set apart lifestyle. The Holy Bible helps us do just that. 

     Every study of God's Word should be bringing us closer to God, not farther. We must submit what we want to learn from it to what God wants to teach us from it. He is the Author after all. 

     I was an alcoholic drunk. I had blackouts. There are nights I don't remember how I got home. There came a time when I didn't want to drink any more. But I couldn't stop completely on my own. I got married, had kids, and went back to church. The kids got saved and I got saved again. And this time I heard about and saw the Holy Spirit in action. 

     But the enemy of our souls attacked me when I wasn't ready for it. Separation of the family, divorce and moving to another city. I started drinking again even though I didn't want to, until a new friend reprimanded me for drinking, questioning the why of it. My physical separation from sin had been temporary. I knew I needed more. Then the new church I was attending had a week-long revival. That's what I needed. I was working now and the job kept me from the revival until the very last night. 

     That's the night I got baptized in the Holy Spirit and began to sing in tongues. It was a totally new experience for me, and a wonderful one, at that. It was as if I had exploded in song. That began my spiritual sanctification process. I no longer had the desire to drink. When I was around it, I got nauseous. I am no longer an alcoholic. I am delivered. 

I neither drink nor do drugs because the Holy Spirit of God has breathed on me and set me on fire to serve God with my body, my talents and my gifts. My choice. It is not that I can't live a life of wickedness now, it is that I choose not to. I have turned my back on sin and my face on God. For I have chosen to live a sanctified life: a life that is set apart for God. A life that chooses to honor God and be a good and faithful servant in His kingdom. 

     If you think my testimony sounds awful, you need to acquaint yourselves with *other Christians who have been delivered from the sin in their lives. Examine yourselves. For example, John Bunyan was an illiterate tinker, having dropped out of  school to learn his trade (he learned to read after he got married). He was a 'ringleader of vice and ungodliness' (in his own words) during his youth, before he got saved and became the author of Pilgrim's Progress, a book second only to the Bible in its publishing and distribution. 

GOD OF PEACE

1 Corinthians 14:33

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Romans 16:20

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

GOD SUSTAINS US THROUGH IT ALL 

1 Corinthians 1:8

He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Malachi 3:2

But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner's fire, like a launderer's soap.

1 Corinthians 3:12-14

If anyone builds on this foundation (Jesus Christ) using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward.

CHRIST OUR WISDOM FROM GOD

1 Corinthians 1:30

It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

WISDOM OF GOD FROM GOD

     The Book of Proverbs in the Holy Bible is called The Book of Wisdom. It is filled with pearls of great truth and nuggets of riches which can only help a man or woman grow into the person God wants us to be. These, too, help sanctify us. We read that Wisdom has a voice and calls out to us to listen to what Wisdom has to say. Wisdom informs us of right living results and wrong living results, sometimes in the same verse. 

Proverbs is written by King Solomon son of King David of Israel way back in ancient times, yet the very wisdom imparted is still crucial today. Wisdom from God, is after all, what King Solomon asked God for when God asked him what he wanted after Solomon became King. 

1 Kings 3:1-15 tells us of Solomon's dream, in which God asks him what he wants and Solomon replies, "Discernment, an understanding heart that would know how to judge and rule over God's people." 

James 1:5

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

BEING HOLY IS A WAY OF LIFE

Holiness is a command from God to us. 1 Peter 1:15. 16 reiterates Leviticus 11:44, 19:2, 20:7, 26; Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Our conduct in this life should be impeccable. 1 Peter 1:17  "Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners."

     Sanctification requires a submissive heart which surrenders its rights to God's desires,  God's will. Wisdom directs our hearts to seek out God and inquire of His will for our lives. We cannot be fully functioning Spiritual Warriors unless we do both. Without a set apart lifestyle, we are hypocrites. Without godly wisdom we are ignorant wretches. 

     This is what we have been studying every day since the beginning of this year. I had thought the new study Being Born Again Is A Lifestyle would be January's study. Little did I know that I would still be studying such a message even now and perhaps into the end of this year or into the next. I am merely the pen, the conduit, which the Holy Spirit flows through, which God wields when He writes with me. 

     And subdivided from the main study have come separate studies within the mainframe study. Such as Arming The Spiritual Warrior, this month's study. I'm having fun both learning the Word and applying the Word to my life. Aren't you? 

Take My Life

*Deeper Experiences of Famous Christians by James Gilchrist Lawson (1911) 

Today's Word -- Inherent Nature

 Proverbs 2:6 

For the LORD gives wisdom: out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. 

We are all born with an inherent knowledge of good and evil thanks to Adam and Eve's decision to disobey God. "No" is one of the first words we learn to say after we learn our caregivers names, "Mama", "Dada", or in my son Brian's case, "Dani" (his sister). And we learn when to say 'No': when we want something we can't or shouldn't have and when we want to do something we should or shouldn't do. It's our nature. 

The same logic is applied when we become born-again Christians. We learn what is good and what is evil. We learn to walk in the Spirit. We learn to talk in the Spirit. We learn to read God's Word with wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Especially when we have good leaders to lead us and guide us through God's Word; leaders we look up to and find ourselves following after. 

As this verse in Proverbs 2:6 states, wisdom, knowledge and understanding come from God. And it is to God we must turn to in order to receive each one and apply them to our lives as His children. No longer are we under sin's command, now we are under God's command. And His command is love. Our new nature is very different from our old nature. Before, we always said 'No' and justified according to our desires. Now, we say 'Yes' and are justified by grace according to God's desires for us. We live in His love and can only grow and thrive in His love as long as we remain in His love, His Word. 

Wisdom is Applied. 

Knowledge is Gained.

Understanding is Growth.

Our new nature seeks after God in His Word and in prayer with Him; that's how we hear from Him. This new inherent nature is through Christ living in us: we are new creations in Him. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 

We are new creations in Christ when we believe that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, that He died on the cross in our place, rose from the dead and walked out of the grave into newness of life and is seated at the right hand of the Father Hebrews 12:2 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."