Grandkids!!!

I think it is hard to understand the full meaning of this verse until you have grandkids.  What a blessing grandchildren are!

Proverbs 17:6(NKJV)

6    Children’s children are the crown of old men,      And the glory of children is their father.

It's so fun to watch the next generation grow and prosper!

Happy New Year everyone!

"And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Hey Folks,

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas.  I took a week off and am now back at it.  I didn't really take a week off on purpose.  It just sort of snowballed and before I knew it a week had gone by.

So let's get going.  Take a look at this Scripture.

Luke 7:23(NKJV)

23And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

As a Christian, one of the things that is hard is being ridiculed for our beliefs.  It makes us shy about sharing sometimes.  This Scripture however is causing me to take a fresh approach.

Why not offer everyone the opportunity to be blessed?  Talk about Jesus often.  Those who are not offended will be blessed.  Those who are offended; tough!  It's their choice to be offended and it is their choice to forego the blessings of Christ. 

Our job isn't to save every person.  Our job is to make sure that every person on earth gets to hear the story of Jesus so they can decide if they want the blessings or not!

A Merry Heart

Attitude is the key.  These two Scriptures speak to the value of cheerfulness and merriment.  They are good for the soul.  Reminds me of a quote that I have seen most often attributed to Lincoln.

"I imagine most people will be about as happy in life as they make up their mind to be. "  Abe Lincoln

Proverbs 15:13(NKJV)

13    A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,      But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Proverbs 15:15(NKJV)

15    All the days of the afflicted are evil,      But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

Bits and Pieces

There just so many great bits and pieces in Proverbs that I thought I'd have a little fun today and comment on some from Proverbs 14.

Proverbs 14:4(NKJV)

4    Where no oxen are, the trough is clean;      But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.

Success in life is hard work and it can be messy.  But that is what it takes.  So if you want a nice clean easy life, you may not be happy with the results.

Proverbs 14:6(NKJV)

6    A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it,      But knowledge is easy to him who understands.

If you are truly seeking knowledge it is easy to find.  If however the motive is not true, life can be difficult. 

Proverbs 14:7(NKJV)

7    Go from the presence of a foolish man,     When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.

Don't hang out with foolish people, people who are going nowhere in life, they will only bring you down.

Proverbs 14:15(NKJV)

15    The simple believes every word,      But the prudent considers well his steps.

Don't be gullible.

Proverbs 14:21(NKJV)

21    He who despises his neighbor sins;     But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Helping other is good and fulfilling for us.  It makes us happy.

Proverbs 14:23(NKJV)

23    In all labor there is profit,      But £idle chatter leads only to poverty.

Amen to that!  One of my favorite movie lines is from a Clint Eastwood movie.  He play a gun fighter turned preacher.  He's getting ready to help some guys with sledge hammers break up some rocks.  One of the guys doesn't think he should be doing that because he is a preacher.  Here was his reply:

"The soul ain't worth spit without a little sweat!"  :)

Ain't nothing wrong with a little hard work, it's good for us!

Proverbs 14:25(NKJV)

25    A true witness delivers souls,      But a deceitful witness speaks lies.

As followers of Christ, isn't that what we are supposed to do?

That's enough for today.  There are so many good nuggets in each chapter of Proverbs that it is sometimes hard not to include them all!

Satan recognizes what many men don't!

I always marvel at how many people reject Jesus.  Especially when you see in Scripture how Satan and his minions have no trouble recognizing Him! 

Luke 4:33-34(NKJV)

33Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, 

34saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

The Biblical Version of Success is the Best Revenge?

Proverbs is one of my favorite books in the Bible.  I've read it many times.  I'm surprised I never noticed this Scripture before.

Proverbs 12:9(NKJV)

9    Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant,      Than he who honors himself but lacks bread.

Seems to me that this is God's version of success is the best revenge.  Or in other words don't pay any attention to the nay sayers, consider the source.

Sure different than the view we get of the rich from the New Testament. 

Juxtaposition

Proverbs 10:22(NKJV)

22    The blessing of the Lord makes one rich,      And He adds no sorrow with it.

VS.

Matthew 19:23-24(NKJV)

23Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 

24And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Many people, including Christians, use the Matthew verses to attack and condemn the wealthy.  But is that an accurate interpretation of Scripture? 

Let's go back to basics.  God and Jesus are always in agreement.  Proverbs tells us that the blessing of the Lord makes one rich.  That same verse also tells us that He (God) adds no sorrow with it. 

So if being rich is a blessing from God and God doesn't add sorrow to our blessings of richness, then how do you square that with the Matthew verses.

 I believe the key is righteousness.  I am reading Proverbs right now and throughout Proverbs it continually links righteousness and success, riches, etc. 

So based on that, my conclusion is that if a person accumulates wealth as a result of blessings from God it is because of their righteousness in God's eyes.  As long as they keep their eyes on God and continue to live a life focused on following God, entering the Kingdom of Heaven will be no problem, even if they are rich.

Make sense?

Does God show mercy to everyone, or only to those who qualify?

I think I have mentioned that one of the things that I have been studying is the tension between God: Merciful and Just; the benefits that the Bible tells us to expect from following Jesus/God; and the Saintly Poor who many in Christianity today seem to think deserve all of the benefits of accepting Jesus and following God, without actually having to do so.   

Now Scripture tells us that God will have mercy on whomever He choses to have mercy on.  However if God just starts handing out mercy to everyone, willy nilly; doesn't that make a mockery of justice?

That is why I found this verse interesting.

Luke 1:50(NKJV)

50    And His mercy is on those who fear Him     From generation to generation.

Now I'm not suggesting that this is the complete answer.  I will continue to look for other Scripture on the subject, but this verse seems to indicate that God does have a general standard on who deserves His mercy. 

It seems to be saying that God reserves His mercy for those who fear Him.  In this context I believe fear Him refers to those who love Him, respect Him, and follow Him; not those who fear Him in the sense that God will hammer them if they don't believe. 

Make sense?   

It'll be interesting to see what other Scriptures I find to help explain this tension. 

How To Deal With a Scoffer

One of the tenants of the Christian faith is that God and Jesus are one and therefore always in agreement.  So when I find something in the New Testament for example, I like to see if I can find confirmation in the Old Testament.

I found a Scripture in Proverbs that provides an example of what I am talking about.

Proverbs 9:7(NKJV)

7    “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,      And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.

I have written a couple of times lately about the example that Jesus sets for dealing with scoffers.  People who aren't truly seeking God but instead are trying to dissuade others from even believing. 

The example that Jesus gives us is that He doesn't play their games.  He doesn't spend His time and energy trying to convince them, trying to talk them into believing.  Jesus respects their free will choice of rejecting Him and Jesus moves on.  They have condemned themselves and He accepts that.  They are always welcome to change their mind and Jesus will accept them with open arms but He doesn't force Himself on others.  As I said, He respects their free will choice.

Now I know some who would say we shouldn't make that judgment about others and we should try to save all.  My answer would be that we aren't talking about any judgment what so ever.  We are talking about people who through action or word have made it clear that they reject Jesus.  They have heard the message of saving grace and they have purposefully rejected it. 

So it was interesting to run across todays Scripture which I think says pretty much the same thing.  Don't waste your time debating the enemy.  They aren't  honestly seeking and are not going to be convinced.  Your efforts are more likely to bring you down than win the person over.  Notice the Scripture tells us that you only harm yourself when you do this.

Some may be thinking, but Jesus told us to preach the Gospel to the whole world.  That is correct.  He did tell us to do that.  If someone has rejected Jesus then that tells us that they have heard the message and rejected it.  What Jesus didn't tell us to do is beat people over the head with the Bible until they submit.  Make sense?

Sacrificial Giving

Why is giving important and why specifically is sacrificial giving important?

Mark 12:41-44(NKJV)

41Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 

42Then one poor widow came and threw in two £mites, which make a quadrans. 

43So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 

44for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

Scripture tells us over and over about the importance of giving to God.  As the saying goes God can do more for me with the 90% left over than I can do for myself with the whole 100%.  But I believe Scripture is talking about more than money when it instructs us to give.  I believe it is talking about giving not just of our money but of our lives

In addition Scripture tells us that our heart is where our fortune is.  Giving freely to God helps demonstrate where our heart truly is.

Now on to sacrificial giving.  In the story the focus is on money but I'd like to look at another issue.  For many people today giving money is easy.  Just right a check or give electronically.  Occasionally people will give a bit more than usual but for most, even that isn't all that sacrificial.  It's not like we are going to miss a meal or anything. 

Now don't get me wrong, I think it's good to give money.  The more the better in fact because I believe God will bless you for doing so.  It's just that I think many of us have something that is even more important to us than our money.

That would be our time and energy.  Our mental abilities.  Our hands and feet in the service of God.  For many people today, giving of their time and efforts is more sacrificial than giving money.

I think the principal here is to give freely to God of everything you have, but especially give freely to God the things you treasure most.  That more accurately shows where the heart is in my opinion. 

Not Far From the Kingdom of God

How necessary is it to believe in Jesus as the Son of God?  Isn't it enough to just believe in God and try to always do good and be a good person? 

Mark 12:29-34(NKJV)

29Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 

30And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ £ £This is the first commandment. 

31And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ £ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 

33And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, £with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question Him.

Here is what struck me about these verses.  The scribe summarizes his understanding of what Jesus just said.  Seems to me that the summary is a bit like those who think just believing in God is enough.

And what is Jesus' response?  Did Jesus tell the scribe he was right on?  No He didn't.  Jesus told the scribe that he was almost there.  But apparently not close enough.  Loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself won't get you into Heaven.  What will?

Accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior!  Have you don't that yet?  Have you asked Jesus to come into your life and lead you?  Why not do it right now?  Just have a conversation with Jesus.  "Dear Jesus…."

People do not despise a thief...

I find the wording of this verse interesting.  Check it out. 

Proverbs 6:30-31(NKJV)

30    People do not despise a thief      If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.

31    Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold;     He may have to give up all the substance of his house.

Couple of things here.  First is the motive issue.  This Scripture seems to be saying  that it is understandable if someone steals to keep themselves from starving, not to despise them for doing it because they were desperate. 

For me the question it raises is are we then to assume that we should despise a thief that just steals for the fun of it?  Now I'm not suggesting that we go hating  people for stealing but what I think this is saying is that it is OK to deal more harshly with someone who is a career thief vs. someone who steals just to eat.  Make sense?

That being said, the Scripture goes on to make the point that even the starving man, if caught, still has to pay the penalty for his crime, even if it costs everything he has. 

Considering we serve a just and merciful God that makes sense to me.  The mercy part is in the compassion of understanding the reason the starving man stole but justice is still served through the penalty. 

God's Sense of Humor Can Be a Little Twisted! :)

And I mean that in a good way!

I've been out the last couple days with the flu.  Yesterday I was in bed the whole day and I can't remember the last time that happened. 

One of the things I love about letting God lead my life is that even when I am sick, if I just follow His lead, it can still turn out to be an awesome day.  Yesterday was just such a day! 

So I get up this morning and I am praising God as I start my day.  Thanking Him for such a great day yesterday.  As I step into a nice warm shower I'm thinking to myself what a blessing it was to have had the flu.  Then my feet sink into a pile of meat that I had thrown up in the shower on Tuesday morning and had not gotten completely rinsed down the drain. 

It squished under my feet and up between my toes.  LOL!  Blessings, blessings, blessing!

I can just imagine God sitting there laughing out loud!  :)

How many people could improve their lives immediately if….

….they simply followed this one instruction from God's word?

Proverbs 4:5-7(NKJV)

5    Get wisdom! Get understanding!     Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

6    Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;     Love her, and she will keep you.

7    Wisdom is the principal thing;     Therefore get wisdom.     And in all your getting, get understanding.

How many people do you know, especially those who are less successful in life, who stop learning as soon as they graduate from high school and are proud of the fact.  They even brag about it.  "Man, I haven't opened a book since I graduated!".

One of the saddest things to see for me is a broke Christian.  Why?  Because there is no reason for it.  All they have to do is seek the wisdom found in the Bible and put it into practice. 

And yet you see many poor Christians sitting around waiting for Santa Claus Jesus to just drop some success in their laps and make things all better.  It doesn't work like that.

Proverbs 4:7 tells us that "wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom".  If God doesn't see us pursuing wisdom, why in the world would we expect Him to reward us with a better life?  Does that make sense?

God has given us a road map to success, Godly success.  It is in the Bible and it starts with the pursuit of wisdom!