The Wise Man – Part 5

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

His Relationships

 

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Proverbs 14:16 “A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.”

Proverbs 15:33 “The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”

 

A wise man’s relationship to God is important because we know that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:20 “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” It is almost as if Paul is saying to the wise man of the world that if he is so wise then come and give us the solutions to the problems that we are faced with in the world today. They have no real solutions! Why? To begin with, it’s because they have the wrong world-view.

 

According to the book of Proverbs a man is wise, because of his fear of God and he has God’s view of the world, what we call a “Biblical Worldview.” A Biblical Worldview is laid out in the first 10 chapters of the book of Genesis which brings out the creation, the fall of man, and God’s solution with the redemption of man. This is why the wise man in his relationship to God has the right foundation to bring solutions to the problems of the world today.

 

The wise man of Proverbs is a man that acknowledges God; that God is exactly who He says He is in His written Word. Because of this he trusts in the Lord to direct his steps and makes his decisions to follow God’s ways, laws, commandments, statues and decrees. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”  Proverbs 3:5

 

The problem that we have today is that we depend upon man’s knowledge and experience and not God’s character and revelation. Like the book of Proverbs brings out, there is a way that seems right to a man, but it leads to death. We see this in the 20th century with the rise and fall of fascism, communism as well as humanism “isms” have been responsible for over 150 million deaths. This is the result of man’s wisdom without God.

 

The wise man according to Proverbs is also a man who heeds instructions and does not despise the discipline of the Lord. Because he knows that the discipline of the Lord is leading him not only in a prudent life, but a life of doing what is right, just and fair.

 

One other aspect of a wise man according to Proverbs and his relationship to his Lord – is his quickness to confess his sin. He knows this truth that he “who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

 

The wise man according to Proverbs is a man that knows that God is slow to move from the seat of mercy to the seat of judgment, but move He will. The wise man has a healthy fear of his God. He rests in the truth that when he confesses sin and rebellion that God is quick to move from judgment to the seat of mercy.

 

Abraham’s Journey of Faith – Part 2

Posted by & filed under Carols Blog.

Genesis 13-15

 

Born-again believers in Jesus Christ are to have Abraham’s faith in God, not Abraham’s fear of man.

 

Pray out of faith, not worry, not fear, but out of faith in what God has directly said ‘to you’ in His Word by His Spirit.

 

Abraham did some dumb things along the way but the Scriptures say that at the end Abraham believed and it was credited to him as “righteousness.”

 

Abraham and Lot had to separate because of the size of their herds; there just wasn’t enough land for food living with each other. As the story goes Lot chose to go live in Sodom, while Abram remained in the hills overlooking the cities. When four kings allied to overtake the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, and 3 other kings (four kings against five kings) they succeeded and seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions since he was living there. Abram found out about it and during the night with his men – he recovered all that these kings had taken. (Chapter 14)

 

God gave Abram victory in defending the city of Sodom and Gomorrah only because of Abram’s concern and responsibility over his family (Lot’s clan) who came with Abram when the Lord called Abram to the Promised Land. When the king of Sodom wanted to basically pay Abram for what he did, Abram said: “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’” (vs. 22-23)

 

Then the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” Genesis 15:1

 

I wonder how many of God’s people here in America are looking to the president and the government for what they need and want. I wonder how much longer it will be until God’s people no longer get their non-profit tax relief from the government if they preach against certain things that God calls evil. Who makes the people of God to prosper anyway? Who gives God’s people the freedom to live the way that pleases Him? Man? Man can try to prevent it – but “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the LIVING GOD!”

 

We know God and Abram were not defending the wicked lifestyles in the societies of Sodom and Gomorrah because later we see that God sent His angels to Abram with the warning of judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah and for the increasing torment upon Lot and his family there. Lot sat at the city gate each day to welcome visitors into his home so they would be protected from hostility. God favored Lot for this. (Chapters 18 and 19)

 

In America we (of the Christian faith) have slowly (progressively) been brought into slavery by America’s enemies, those who have been elected and placed into powerful positions of our governing branches that are NOT God-fearing and that are working against America’s Constitution. God is not going to defend the wicked lifestyles of our culture today. God will although defend His people who have repented of their own wicked ways and returned to Him, trusting in Him and what He says to them directly.

 

Then the Lord made His covenant with Abram, and you can read about it in chapter 15. But in a nutshell God ‘sealed’ His promise to Abram. Do you have a promise from God? Did our founding fathers have a promise from God? From what I have seen in the Bible, a promise from God always follows what He is asking us to do, or commanding us to do. When we are faithful to God – God rewards the faithful. When God is pleased – God is generous. And God was certainly generous to Abraham.

 

“Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to Abram as righteousness.” (15:6)

 

Lot and his family were told by the angels of the Lord who came to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah – to leave Sodom, but where on earth can the righteous flee today and be free to live out their faith in the Lord without any hindrance or enemies. America was pretty much the last place of religious freedom.

 

God said to Abram in a dream that “his descendants would be strangers in a country not their own and that they would be enslaved and mistreated there.” And He went on to say: “But I will punish the nation you serve as slaves, and you will come out with great wealth.” Genesis 15:13-14 (“you” meaning Abram’s descendants who became Egypt’s slaves)

 

Are we losing our country as it was? Old America is being transformed into a new America with strange thinking and abnormal lifestyles that never used to make up our culture. We are fast becoming the strangers in our own country, enslaved by a government that has removed Jesus Christ and the Bible out of everything – with the thinking that they are gods in control of how to live, who lives and who dies, and even the future of mankind.

 

Do we as disciples of Jesus Christ have a land with a promise from God?

 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, who through faith are protected by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

One thing we have learned from history is that we have learned nothing from history. Therefore we will make the same mistakes as past generations. Look into why so many Jews were killed in Germany, and you will see why Christians are hated with a vengeance and killed; why Christians won’t be prepared like the Jews were unprepared: believing the lies they were told.

 

The Lord clearly tells us in His written Word what is coming and the world events and natural disasters that lead up to the Day of His glorious return:

 

Matthew 24:9-12 NLT

You will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are My followers. And many will turn away from Me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.

 

Revelation 6:9-11

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters-their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred – had joined them.

 

So are you ready? It’s very wise to be prepared spiritually, mentally and physically – for what is certain to come. Listen to the Holy Spirit, for He will show God’s people how to be ready and prepared.

 

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

2 Peter 2:7 “Lot was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of wicked people around him – where he lived.”

 

“My burden for the United States of America” I want to apologize to all the family, friends and associates that are offended by what I’ve written concerning my understanding of what has happened to America.  But, I think it is necessary to understand why I believe the way I do, because we are NOT fighting against flesh and blood, but against rulers of the unseen world. These unseen rulers are the ones behind all of the changes in our land, behind the new policies, and behind our civil warring, and behind America’s destructive path – that I write about below.

 

The United States of America as it used to be – is gone; for we are not united by any means. For unity to return it would mean that the older generation has to die out. The older generation sees where America is headed and is not at all interested in supporting that in any way.  This ‘new’ America will be in the form of socialism with the government in complete control of every part of our lives; a government designed to ‘supposedly’ meet your needs; which God calls a “false god” because this is not what ‘government’ is supposed to do. These progressives of new America will teach all children their new thinking that sounds good but is pure evil. This mindset of new America is opposite of the thinking of the older generations who trusted in God.

 

It is my belief that for the progressive agenda to succeed it has to destroy the family unit, remove Jesus Christ from everything except cursing, and to remove God’s Word (the Bible).

 

The progressives with their agenda first needed to change what a true family is as God designed the family, which is the strength of any nation. They needed to replace a family by new ideas that come from the real enemy behind the progressive agenda. The best place to start this new thinking is in our schools, and teach our children at a very young age that they need to open up their minds to this new thinking of what a family is. Therefore, the Bible is no longer the source of truth on this subject.

 

Birth control and abortion has attacked the family, with Margaret Sanger in the 50’s and 60’s forming Planned Parenthood primarily to extinguish the black race. But, birth control and abortion has spread like a disease everywhere. Then came the sexual revolution in the 60’s with the younger generation coming against the older generation’s ‘morality’ so that they could continue living a lifestyle of no rules or consequences for sexual activities. They coined the idea that love is about sex.

 

The progressive leaders of our day came out of this moral breakdown of the true family which had always been the strength of America under God’s blessings. So they got to work removing God/Bible/prayer schools and from public places saying that it offends some people, which grew to offend more and more people under the influence of America’s real enemy and his cohorts. The real enemy didn’t want America’s children influenced by the teaching of the Bible and by openly praying to God, so schools were no longer allowed to teach the Bible, or to pray and now children are not even allowed to say the Pledge of Alliance to our flag in school because of the words: “one nation under God.”

 

Then the “progressives” went about taking away the rights of parents to discipline and teach their children the way God tells us to, and if we do not surrender to their thinking – we are threatened with arrest if we do what God tells us.

 

Then began the propaganda of making any wife/mother who stayed at home with her children to be regarded as “less” than what a woman is; that a real woman is one who can have a family and a career outside the home. Women began competing with men going after their leadership positions. The purity of marriage started breaking down with adultery and divorce. Adultery no longer a crime. Divorce no longer shameful. Women wanted to fight like men and were allowed into the military branches. Children being left for others to care of and teach. This caused a redefining of what a man or woman is, and led to unnatural mixtures with men acting like women and women acting like men, even men wanting to have sex with men and women with women; all unnatural and destructive. The victories of the real enemy in our lives.  Now children are growing up to think this is all right and good; going against their conscience, which comes from God, to harden them against godly conviction. Therefore, it’s all working to destroy the America God started with our founding fathers; a nation God wanted to use to bless people.

 

Then came the arrogant idea and humanistic teaching that man has the answers and solutions to everything in the world. A modern generation has grown up to think men working together in unity can come up with the solutions to anything happening in the world. (Tower of Babel all over again!) All this “progression” away from God has caused a spiraling effect of corruption, injustice, a holocaust of babies in the womb, bold sexual perversions brought before the eyes and ears of children, and the redefining of marriage, family and culture.

 

This new progressive thinking is not about the truth at all, and not about consequences for any wrong doing, and it’s not about helping people live the way they want either, but rather it is a growing society of people thinking self-centered thoughts all the time – influenced and led by the REAL enemy who has been working day and night to bring good old America down to her knees. These “progressive” teachers and leaders keep coming up with ideas, plans and policies that will allow their agenda of a “new” America to work for them.  But sadly, nothing will work for the good except God’s design for family and government.

 

This “progressive” thinking is simply setting up America, like all nations, to welcome in a despicable man that the real enemy will embody. He will slip in when least expected and take over by flattery and intrigue. With deceitful promises, he will make various alliances. He will become strong despite having only a handful of followers. He will distribute among his followers the plunder and wealth of others – something his predecessors had never done; but this will last for only a short while.

 

Do I believe we can turn America back? No! If we could then we would have to take over the schools and teach the children the truth according to God and get going sharing the Gospel of Jesus of Christ who is the Hope of all nations, and do it at any cost. We would have to stand as strong pillars in our society as to what a real marriage and family is all about. We would have to see godly mem taking over governmental positions. We would have to uphold righteousness in our personal lives as well as holding our own children to being responsible for truth and righteousness, and accountable for their bad choices. We would have to rally together in prayer to our God – asking Him to help us bring this nation back to Him. For this to be done it would take at least 50 – 60 years to bring about.

 

So what do we do then? I say get ready for judgment because this nation’s cup of inequity is full – according to God. The rotting of a nation starts from the head down. Study the Word of God so that you will understand what is to come and how to be prepared both spiritually and physically; how to teach your children and grandchildren so that they are trusting God and following through with what He wants them to do in their time – before our King comes to reign on the earth, just as He promised. The last kingdom of the earth – will be the everlasting Kingdom of God!

 

“As it is in heaven – it will be on the earth!” This is the truth, according to the Savior of the world: Jesus Christ – Son of the Living God and Creator of us all.

 

 

Abraham’s Journey of Faith – Part 1

Posted by & filed under Carols Blog.

Genesis 12 starts Abraham’s journey of faith with God’s call to him:

 

“Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

 

Abram left his father’s home in obedience to God and with his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot and his household they set out on pilgrimage to the Promised Land of Canaan.

 

“The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the Lord, had had appeared to him.”

 

A famine came into the land and so Abram went down to Egypt to live there awhile. Abram became fearful – telling his wife to act as his sister not his wife. He told the Pharaoh that Sarai was his sister out of fear of the Pharaoh wanting to take such a beautiful woman into his house. So he instructed Sarai to go along with his lie, and she ended up in Pharaoh’s house as his wife. “God inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife.”

 

So Pharaoh found out that Sarai was Abram’s wife, but how he found out the Scripture does not say. He called Abram in to rebuke him and command him to go with his wife and all his belongings. Abram was humiliated by Pharaoh as he sent them all on their way with everything Pharaoh had given Abram for his offense with Sarai.

 

The result of Abram’s fear was cowardice in doing that which is right; that which of faith and not of fear.

 

What comes to me is the question: Have Christians in America (the Lord’s people) made decisions for their families based on fear of what they think the government will do to them if they stand up and speak the truth? Maybe all that has been happening in our land is because God’s people, for the most part, have been living in fear (lying to themselves) instead of living by faith in God, holding firm to the truth and speaking the truth on all occasions; afraid of what will happen to their physical life and possessions. Why not leave the results in God’s hands for our obedience and courage? Has the Lord’s church in America become like Abram and Sarai when they first started on their journey of faith?

 

I wonder what Abram was willing to see happen to his wife in the house of Pharaoh, as one more wife of the Pharaoh? Why does a man use his wife, or children, to protect himself from what he thinks ‘might’ happen, if not because of the lies of the devil to put fear in all of us?

 

Abram’s lie only humiliated him, but it caused a plague of infertility in the whole land and a disgust for the people of God, so that they were all glad to see Abram leave with everything that belonged to him. Is this what we have brought on America as well because we as God’s people have cowered down with fear and unbelief in our God?

 

Pregnancy being prevented – was the plague that came because of Abram’s fear. Marriage with infertility is not God’s design. Marriage and fertility IS God’s design, and if anyone or anyone’s plan of disobedience to God’s natural design – tries to come against God’s natural designs – bad things happen.

 

Of course, God was in control of this plague of infertility to put fear into the king because of taking another man’s wife into his house, but the devil can put fear in people also, but for an evil agenda. When God puts fear in us – it is for a very good purpose in our life; it will always have a good outcome to bless us. But when the devil puts fear in us – it is for evil; it will always have a bad outcome to hurt us and to harm others by what we do out of fear.

 

Here in America birth control and abortion is a plague in our land because the devil has been able to put fear in women and men: fear of not being financially capable of or emotionally qualified to raise a child or another child, fear of raising the child alone, fear of having a ‘not so perfect’ child, fear of what our kids do behind our backs, fear of ‘what will people think?’, etc. and I’m sure the devil has many more lies and schemes than I’ve mentioned.

 

When we live by fear instead of by faith in God and His Word, the result is not good: self-deception, sickness, distress, depression, paranoia, indifference, selfishness, unnecessary hardships, relationship problems and divisions, broken marriages, children confused and fearful, drug and alcohol addiction, suicide, crime, etc. (as if this wasn’t enough).

 

Abram feared man, instead of God in the early part of his journey, but God was still with him to raise him up to be exactly what God told Abram he’d be.

 

Job 28:28 “And to man God said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’”

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke

 

For the last couple of months I have heard a lot and read a lot about how upsetting it is that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the only choices for president.

 

I am 66 years old now and I am telling you that this did not JUST happen but started some time back. For example: When I was in my early 30’s, Carol and I were the youth directors of the little church we belonged to. I was a deacon, taught Sunday school, and taught the youth. I had also just started a business and was working from 10 to 12 hours a day, and to top this off we had two little children nine months apart.

 

 

One day a couple came to our church and they received Jesus into their hearts. They were about the same age as us, and we would meet with them regularly. The man had a daughter who was a dance instructor and he wanted to build a dance studio for her. So one day he asked if I could come and help him install some trim. While I was working with him he said, “My friend who lives in Lincoln just got saved, and he is very depressed because of the witches that live all around him. My friend continued on and said that he and I needed to go over to this man’s property and cast out demons.” While he was talking – a voice said to me, “If you come here I will expose your deep sins that you do not want anyone to know about.”

 

I talked the man out of going to do what he felt the two of us should do, because of fear in what the voice said to me. There are men who are more than capable to lead this great country, but are afraid to stand up, because of a voice telling them that every secret sin in their lives will be exposed. Or, when they do start to lead and their sins are exposed they are quickly judged and condemned by self-righteous people with a code of behavior, saying, “Look at the way he lives his life, and the things he says, and he calls himself a Christian!”

 

A man who is not afraid of the voice telling him he will be exposed, and moves forward with what he believes he is to do – is a leader that I will support. Because Jesus said “He who is without sin let him cast the first stone.”  No one is perfect in all that we do, and we all say things that we later regret saying.

 

So what do we do about the choices we have in this election, nothing? Or, do we stand up and let the little condemning voice say whatever it wants to say, and move forward with the will of God. The truth is that we are all sinners, and no one wants his or her secret sins exposed. But when we are not afraid to be exposed for our past sins – we are free to move forward – leaving our enemies to God; those enemies who are determined to expose our sins and discredit us from doing anything for God’s good purpose.  God uses anyone He chooses to accomplish His will.

 

I want to say to all my friends and associates who are so fearful about this upcoming election: My God is the living God, and He will accomplish all that He said He would. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His rule will never end. He will perform miraculous sign and wonders in the coming days in the heavens on earth. He will rescue His children at just the right time.

 

Therefore, His children will not fear the bad news that just keeps coming, for they are confident in their Father’s promises to them, and they are fearless to push forward in the will of their God – no matter what. They will share and give generously to those who are in need. They will have influence and honor, and the wicked will see all of this and be infuriated; threatened that their wicked plans will be held up, and their evil desires frustrated. So we must not be afraid of “exposure” but leave it in God’s hands who has accepted His Son’s blood covering all our sin; past, present and future. We must not let our human imperfections stop us from doing the will of God. God is looking at what HE can accomplish through each of us as we allow Him to.

Machine Gun Preacher

Posted by & filed under Carols Blog.

Mike and I watched the movie Machine Gun Preacher, a true story about a messed up angry abusive man who surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and how that led him in a mission that not many Christian men would even consider.

 

Sam Childers, a former alcohol and drug using gang biker turned into a preacher defending South Sudanese orphans. The film tells the story of Childers and his efforts to save the children of South Sudan in collaboration with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) against the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

 

What came out to me is how he went from being an evil man himself to a new man in Christ, and how the Lord used his flaws against the atrocities of the LRA devils who force children into their army by ways that would make you and I want to do exactly what Sam Childers did in righteous anger. This man gave all he had: his money, his business, and even gave up being with his wife and daughter to do what God put on his heart to do there. Sam Childers still leads armed raids to rescue children from the LRA.

 

I would consider Sam Childers and men like him – true heroes of the faith; men that actually practice what they preach. What made Childers so very angry was when he went into American churches for financial help only to find apathy with the people. But, now there is a growing support for what he is doing. The man in the movie who played Sam’s best friend before and after Sam’s conversion, works with the real Sam Childers and spreads the vision of Sam Childers.

 

Men like this are not the only ones who are true heroes of the faith. There are heroes we rarely hear of that fight against the “principalities of the air.” These spirit demons are the ones that are controlling human beings, cities and governments at all levels. These heroes spend hours each day fighting the real enemies in the land.

 

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:11-13

 

They fight against the devil and his demonic cohorts who are in control of evil men that have formed armies like Hitler’s, Al Qaeda’s, LRA, or even the BLM in our nation pillaging and killing as they please. These prayer warriors are heroes too as they live their day to day lives in continually warfare prayer. A good movie to see about these kind of heroes is “The War Room.” This movie was about a broken marriage that was healed and the family united in Christ to become God’s vessel in helping others going through the same trouble and suffering in the same way. Whatever ‘we were’ before the Lord set us free and healed us – becomes our mission in helping and freeing others. Some have more responsibility than others, but God makes all His sons and daughters responsible in some way for setting captives free.

 

Jesus said of Himself: “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19

 

And as His servants, those that He has set free, we have been given the same ministry to set captives free both spiritually and physically. Free men – free other men. A captive is anyone who is kept from the truth of Jesus Christ, kept from becoming whom God created them to be, kept from living the life that Jesus Christ died to give us: the abundant life of God’s eternal life; the life that overcomes sin, evil and even death. Thank You Jesus for all that You have done for us that we could never do for ourselves!

 

Childers was a hostile man who hurt people before he surrendered his life to Christ. God used that ‘hostility’ about him, but in a ‘good’ way – against the LRA. God doesn’t waste anything about us; He knows how to use everything for His GOOD purpose. God taught Childers how to guard his new heart from God and how to use his anger in the ‘right’ way, God’s way.

 

The devil and his cohorts are lying to Christian men about their masculinity and to women about their femininity. God designed both for a very good purpose on earth, but we see how men have become like women and women have become like men – but not in ‘good’ ways at all.

 

God listens to His prayer warriors who live before Him day and night. He answers the prayers of the humble who uphold those that the Lord is seeking to set free and bless. God rewards them because they eagerly seek after Him, believing that He exists in all the ways that HE SAYS HE DOES and that we can see in all the various accounts in the Bible.

 

I’ll bet Sam Childer’s wife leads a strong prayer ministry in her church for her husband in the work God called him to, supporting him in every way they can. They are both true heroes of the faith, in God’s eyes, and in mine.

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Are you a free person or a slave, and do you know the difference? When God delivered the Israelites from slavery He told Moses, “I am not going to lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that is the shortest route to the Promised Land because these people when faced with a battle, will change their minds and want return to the land where they were slaves.”

 

What you do when faced with fear will determine your freedom or slavery. If your first response is to say, “I wish for the good old days when I did not have this problem” then you will not see how to be free during the problem; to allow fear to enslave you again. What a free person says when faced with fear is, “Your road Lord will lead me through adversity, and You will provide a pathway through the mighty waters of troubles, a pathway I did not know was there!”

 

God’s children need to think like free people, then our choices and actions will set other people free. Free men free other men. So stay calm – trusting in the Word of the Lord, and He will reveal the pathway to you, and light the way.

 

 

The Wise Man – Part 4 – Character

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

Proverbs 19:2 “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.”

 

Proverbs 13:16 “Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly.”

 

Proverbs 14:8 “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.”

 

Proverbs 12:23 “A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly.”

 

Proverbs 15:2 “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”

 

Hebrews chapter 12:2 tells us that we should fix our eyes on Jesus because He is the author and the finisher of our faith. When it comes to the character of a wise man there is no better example than Jesus Christ Himself when He walked on this earth as a man.

 

Jesus was a cautious man in the sense that He was not rash in what He was doing. He knew His Father’s will and that His steps were measured to fulfill the destiny that His Father had for Him. Because of this He did not miss the way and on the cross His final words were: “It is finished.”

 

We are told in Proverbs 13:16 “Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly.” This is a wise man who thinks before he acts and before he speaks. How often our tongues get us into trouble, not only in what we say, but also what we write. Today with the Internet what we say and write can very quickly become public.

 

When I look at the life of Christ here on earth I see a person who waited before speaking and when He did speak it astounded the audience that was listening. When He was asked if we should pay taxes to Caesar, what was His answer? He took time and said: “Show me a coin” and then He asked: “Whose inscription is on it?” and the answer was: “Caesar’s.” So He said: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” What an answer!

 

Or take the example when they dragged a sinful womab to Jesus and said that according to the law of Moses such a person should be stoned. What did Jesus do? He did not answer immediately, but took His time, stooped down and wrote something in the sand, and then He said: “He who is without sin let him cast the first stone.” I believe that the reason Jesus took time before answering was to allow His Heavenly Father to give Him the answer. We too need to be slow to speak and quick to listen.

 

Another example is that the wise man is patient and this is seen in his forgiveness. Like Proverbs says: “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.”  Proverbs 19:11

 

Today we see how easily our so-called wise men become offended and vindictive. Just take a look at our politics today and you see what I mean.

 

Lastly, according to Proverbs the wise man is concerned about goodwill and peace among men and he works towards that goal.  Proverbs 14:9 “Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.” We read that when Jesus was born there was a host of angels who said to the shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:13-14

 

To me the distinguishing mark of Christ, and I believe the distinguishing mark of a wise man in the book of Proverbs is that he is a man who pursues peace and goodwill towards his fellow man. And we desperately need wise men today.

The Wise Man – Part 3 – His Character

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Proverbs 15:33 “The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor. “

Proverbs 17:27 “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.”

Proverbs 29:8 “Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.”

Proverbs 29:11 “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”

 

According to the book of Proverbs the wise man is one of impeccable character exemplified by the life of Christ that we read about in the Gospels. God is wanting to form us into the image of His Son. One of the most prominent characteristics of Christ is His humility. We read in Philippians 2 that “though being the very nature of God he did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing; being made in the very nature of the servant; being made in the likeness of man He humbled Himself.”

 

How different from what we see today with the so-called wise men as they seek recognition in what they have achieved or done for the Lord. Jesus humbled himself and because of that he has been highly glorified and honored.

 

Another aspect of Christ and a wise man according to the book of Proverbs is that he is a self-controlled person. “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. “ “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.” How often in the heat of the battle or crisis the tendency is to lose our calm and we use words that we wish we could take back, but they have already gone out and have done the damage.

 

A wise man in the midst of the storms of life will not be a man of anxiety and confusion, but a man who has a calmness and peace around him. Why? Because his life is rooted in the fact of who God is. We see this with Jesus, as a man, walking here on earth in the midst of the accusations and going to the cross. We see Him as a man who has a tremendous calmness around Him and being able to say: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

 

Also remember what He said to the disciple that He loved as well as his mother:  “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” (John 19:26-27) The influence that we can have is to have the same calmness in the midst of the confusion, shaking or terror that is gripping our nation as well as our world.

 

We are told to “be angry but sin not.” We do see the need for anger when it comes to some of the things that we see being done today. It is not an anger against a person, but an anger against ideas, philosophies and satanic bondage that is holding many in captivity. Jesus was calm, but when He walked into the temple and saw the money changers and what was being done we see a righteous anger bubbling up within Him when He saw the house of God being turned into something that was completely contrary to God’s ways.

 

Yes, a wise man, according to Proverbs, will not only be humble, but self-controlled. May God work these attributes into all of us!