Integrity of Scripture

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

Daniel 8:25a Through his [anti-Christ] cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.

2 Peter 3:18 "3 knowing this first: that scoffers [skepticism, suppression of the truth] will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

We allow the enemy to deceive, to manipulate and to sabotage us through the world, the flesh and the devil.

1 Peter 1:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Believers do not need to be deceived.

1 John 2:13b I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.

1 John 2:14b I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.

#1 How to live

Romans 12

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (NKJV)

a time to...

Isaiah 2:4

He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.

Joel 3:10

Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’”

Micah 4:3

He shall judge between many peoples, And rebuke strong nations afar off; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.

Ecclesiastes 3

1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.

are you washed

in the blood? Written by Elisha Albright Hoffman.

spiritual riches

Job 28

12 But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding"

13 Man does not know its value,
Nor 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 purchased for gold,
Nor can silver be weighed for its price.

16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx or sapphire.

17 Neither gold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.

18 No mention shall be made of coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above rubies.

19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

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

21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
And concealed from the birds of the air.

22 Destruction and Death say,
'We have heard a report about it with our ears'.

23 God understands its [wisdom's] way,
And He knows its place.

24 For He looks to the ends of the earth,
And sees under the whole heavens,

25 To establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the waters by measure.

26 When He made a law for the rain,
And a path for the thunderbolt,

27 Then He saw widom and declared it;
He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.

28 And to man He said,

'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding'.

words of encouragement from Paul 4

I separated out each verse, in order to allow for a savoring contemplation of the incredible, "unbelievable" truths articulated in each of them. It is just breathtaking...

Romans 8

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written:

“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

comfort

Psalm 94

12 Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD,
And teach out of Your law,

13 That You may give him rest from the days of adversity,
Until the pit is dug for the wicked.

14 For the LORD will not cast off His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.

15 But judgment will return to righteousness,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?
Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

17 Unless the LORD had been my help,
My soul would soon have settled in silence.

18 If I say, “My foot slips,”
Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.

19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul."

What a blessing to trust and rest in the Lord.

who is wise and who is foolish??

The Biblical worldview can be contrasted with the secular postmodern worldview.

1 Corinthians 1
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to those who believe.
22 For Jews request a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom;
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

advice

"never trust anyone over 30", or so thinks Rehoboam...

Solomon has died and Israel (mostly the ten northern tribes) has come to make an appeal to King Rehoboam, Solomon's son. Our story is found in 2 Chronicles 10.

Israel's appeal:

4 "Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you."

He tells them to return in three days.

6 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive saying, "How do you counsel me to answer this people?"

7 They spoke to him, saying, "If you will be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever."

8 But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him.

and asked them what counsel they would give...

10 The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy',...say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins!'

11 'Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'"

hmmm...what advice will Rehoboam heed??

Israel returns:

13 The king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the elders.

14 He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men...

19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

wisdom

2 Chronicles 1:7-12

7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask! What shall I give you?"
8 And Solomon said to God: "You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place.
9 Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?"
11 Then God said to Solomon: "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life -- but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king --
12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like."

This passage of Scripture really struck me when I reading through it. I always wonder as I read about the course of Solomon's life, how a beginning like this could end so disasterously. But note, the two things he asks for are wisdom and knowledge, which is good as far as it goes. But wisdom can be a two-edged sword, read 1 Corinthians 1:18-25. Knowledge can also problematical, 1 Corinthians 8:1.

Had Solomon asked first to be a man after God's own heart, as his father David was [1 Kings 9:4-5], perhaps the widsom and knowledge that he had asked for would have borne positive fruit in the end. Read the sad ending of this story in 1 Kings 11.

I think it is interesting that immediately after granting Solomon's request:
"wisdom and knowledge are granted to you"
God says:
"And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like."

With all the wisdom and knowledge available to him, he was not able to manage the challenge, or test if you like, of the "riches and wealth and honor" that the LORD had given him.

The Greatest Virtue

LOVE ~~

1 Corinthians 13

The Greatest Gift

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The Greatest Need

COMMON SENSE ~~

Proverbs 3

1 My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my commands;

2 For length of days and long life
And peace they will add to you.

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,

4 And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.

9 Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor detest His correction;

12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects,
Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;

14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her.

19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;

20 By His knowledge the depths were broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;

22 So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.

23 Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.

24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;

26 For the LORD will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.

28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“ Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.

29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.

30 Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.

31 Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;

32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD,
But His secret counsel is with the upright.

33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just.

34 Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.

35 The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.