October 1

Oct 1 - Today from Proverbs 1 we look at verse 5
"Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance."

It's quite amazing, but that's what they do. It's a bit of a paradox - you would think the Teacher would say, "Let the fools add to their learning and let the simple get guidance." They're the ones who really need it. The fact of the matter is, the wise should never stop learning, and the discerning should never cease seeking guidance. They, in fact, are the greater influencers and carry a lot of responsibility.
There is almost a 'natural' process in the formation of leadership. Whatever the situation, over a given period of time those involved in the situation will begin to select the leader(s) simply by placing their trust in those who prove to be trustworthy. The wise are those who appear to have a good working knowledge of the situation, and also know how to apply that knowledge to make progress. The discerning are those who develop keen perceptions as they progress in the endeavor, complementing the broader application of wisdom. Someone once said, "Leaders are made, not born." There is some merit of truth to this. One can be promoted to a position of leadership - by others or by self - but unless others follow out of a sense of trust, they are not true leaders. Promotion, position and titles do not necessarily make a person a leader. Recognized wisdom and discernment do.
I attended a seminar of John Maxwell's once - a man renowned for leadership training. He is also a very successful Pastor. He recounted how early on in his vocation that when he took a call to a new church, he would carefully observe the congregation to see who the leaders were. They were not always seated on the Church Counsel. There were people in the congregation who appeared to have more influence than the Counsel members. These were the people Pastor John would pay particular attention to. When important decisions were in the works, people would look to these individuals to see how they felt about the issue. 'How they felt' would pretty much determine the outcome. Pastor John was wise enough to take these 'untitled leaders' into his confidence and tap into their wisdom and discernment. Rather than making formidable opponents whose influence could easily derail Pastor John's vision and ministry, he developed strong allies in them. These influencers became great assets in the ministry of the church. Pastor John is a leader himself, with great skills in facilitating.
What was the secret of these 'untitled leaders'? Over the years they developed a sense of trust from the people of the congregation. They were not the 'power mongers' who eventually split congregations. They were the wise and discerning who cared about the health of the flock. Without campaigning, or even total awareness, they built a bond of trust which elevated them to a position of influence.
I have served in positions of leadership in several churches over the years. I have observed this principle in every church. Even where I serve now, I serve with such a man. He is a humble servant, full of wisdom, and displays very impressive discernment. He is closing in on eight decades of life - and he is still committed to adding to his learning and seeking guidance in his processes. He does not hold an official title in church leadership, yet he is a huge influencer. I enjoy very much discussing issues of life with him. He is a natural 'anticipator - not in fearing the worst, but in preparing for the unexpected. In doing so, there are few unexpected situations with him. Unpleasant - yes. Unexpected - not entirely. He has good discernment. Rather than having a panic attack, he has a plan. I love it, and I am learning from him. He is a big influence in my life right now.
As the Teacher of proverbs indicates, this wise servant continues to add to his learning. This discerning servant continues to seek guidance. It's quite amazing, but that's what he does. He is an asset to our church, and to the Kingdom of God.

September 30

Sep 30 - Today from Proverbs 30 we look at verses 11 and 17
"There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures."

Proverbs 30 is a real challenge to the Western mind. Whoever Augur was (verse 1), he had a true Eastern philosophical approach. Western thinking is more on the pragmatic side. Factual, actual and to the point. Eastern thinking is far more contextual. Their philosophers circle around the point in ever tightening loops with stories, illustrations, and analogies until they touch the reality of the subject. Jesus was raised and lived in an Eastern culture, and used this technique very effectively. The crowds He taught were much more likely to understand His teaching method than are we in the West. I remember our trip to India a few years ago. It seemed that at every opportunity our national host used the simplest of natural observances and wound them into a spiritual truth. He wasn't lecturing us. He was just enjoying the saturation of God's truth in every aspect of life. I observed much the same kind of approach to life with a dear Saint I met in Ethiopia while serving on a project there. So it is with Augur. Without understanding Eastern philosophy, this chapter is a quick read for us Westerners.
I only chose verses 11 and 17 to draw out the point Augur was making. Verses 12-16 are the concentric spiraling loops, which connect the two and give dimension to the entire illustration. Verse 11 starts with the observation that there are children who have made a decision to rebel against the authority of their parents (the first authority they encounter in life). The loops in verses 12-16 develop a picture of the character of such children as they mature into adulthood. The chief of these characteristics being covetousness and cruelty (the two daughters of the leech in verse 15). They consume life, and are never satisfied with their lot. No matter how much they may have, people who never have enough are never rich. They end up losing the ability to see the true richness and beauty of life (their eyes plucked out by the carnivorous birds). Such is the end of those who begin in rebellion against their parents, and continue to nurture their stubbornness and rebellion throughout life. Contempt of parental authority is a step onto a path of a life consumed but never fulfilled. The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 6:1-3, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and your mother' - which is the first commandment with a promise - "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.'" In Light of Proverbs 30:11-17, I would say that the word "enjoy" might be a key focus in the Ephesians 6 text.

September 29

Sep 29 - Today from Proverbs 29 we look at verse 20
"Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him."

The particular Hebrew term for fool in this instance indicates silliness - a person lacking in good sense. I think this contrast was chosen by the Teacher to indicate that the one who speaks in haste is not a fool, rather, one who has the capacity and resources to process a thought but does not take the time to do so. This is a very serious liability for one who is in leadership - or aspires to be a leader.
A leader, by definition, is one who carries authority. A leader is to stand responsible for his words. There usually is not a great expectation of the word of a silly person. Silly people are known to babble - it's difficult to hold them accountable. But the words of leaders are to carry weight. Every thought a leader has is not necessarily a responsible or valid thought. There needs to be a processing period between the time it enters the mind and the time it comes out of the mouth. If not, there may be consequences. There are many examples of this in the Bible, one of the best known being the haste in which King Herod spoke when pleased with the dance of Herodias' daughter on his birthday (Mark 6:21-28). So heady was he at the party that he offered the girl anything she wanted. This gave the girl's mother a long-sought opportunity for revenge, and John the Baptist lost his head. It was not Herod's wish, but once his oath of promise left his lips, he was committed to it. He did not process his thought - he simply blurted it out in a heady moment.
Leaders at any level must learn the discipline of processing their thoughts. First, in their own thinking. Many invalid thoughts can be either discarded or processed right there, before they are ever 'birthed' through speech. But even then, leaders are not always able to have all of the needed information in order to process more complex thoughts. In those instances, the speaking should be done only with fellow leaders and trusted counsel before making the thought public. Had Herod counseled with his royal advisors before making his hasty offer, I am sure he would have put wiser limitations on the girl's request.
Hastily spoken words have probably damaged or brought down more leaders than did their enemies or competition. Wisdom and integrity take time to develop into an impenetrable fortress for leaders. They become the most valuable of assets. For the leader who never learns to develop these assets . . . there is more hope for a fool. A fool doesn't have all that far to fall.

September 28

Sep 28 - Today from Proverbs 28 we look at verse 26
"He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe." (NIV)
"He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool, but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered." (KJV)

Sometimes we can get a better insight by reading a passage in more than one translation. In the case of our Proverb for today, the KJV renders a better picture of the Teacher's focus. There can be a significant difference between the concept of being kept safe and of being delivered. By looking at the subtle differences of the two terms, I think we would all choose being kept safe over that of being delivered. The Teacher is using a word that literally means delivered.
What is the big difference? To be delivered means that the subject was in some sort of eminent danger and did not have the ability within his own resources to escape. We would err to believe that people who walk in wisdom never find themselves in circumstances of eminent danger - "kept safe". The truth is, we live in a fallen world, fraught with sin and its effects. Sometimes I think we as Christians focus solely on the power of God without ever properly considering the power of sin. The Son of God Himself was not 'kept safe' from its power when He walked this earth. He was genuinely tempted. Hebrews 4:15 says He "has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet without sin." Jesus did not have the ability within His own resources to escape temptation. He was delivered - every time - because He walked in perfect wisdom.
Right now I am quite sure some are ready to charge me with blasphemy. "Jesus is God! What do you mean He didn't have the resources within Himself to escape temptation?" Jesus never ceased being God, but Philippians 2:7 clearly says He "made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant." Why, when Jesus was baptized, does the scripture point out that the Holy Spirit came on Him - and remained on Him? Why did Jesus continually go off on personal retreats and spend so much time in prayer? Why did Jesus repeatedly tell His disciples that He did not act or speak on His own, but only that which the Father showed Him? Because in the incarnation, even though He was the very nature of God, He made Himself nothing and took the nature of a servant. Why, when tempted by Satan himself, didn't Jesus say, "Look here you son of perdition - I'm God, and I'm ordering you to get out of here and leave me and all of my followers alone!" Instead, Jesus used the power and wisdom of His Father's Word, and only then was Jesus delivered from the temptations.
A servant does not trust in himself. A servant does not have authority or resources within himself. A servant’s delivering authority and resources come from his master. When a servant finds himself in a dangerous and overwhelming situation, he would be a fool to trust in his own paltry authority and resources when those of his superior master's are available. It is when he humbles himself and acknowledges and utilized the resources of the master that he will be delivered.
We live in a fallen world, fraught with sin and its effects. We find ourselves in constant danger of temptation and exploitation. We are not 'kept safe' of their presence and power. We need to be delivered. "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." A petition from Jesus' model prayer. We find deliverance by walking in wisdom. Studying God's Word, talking with God, and living our lives the way God meant them to be. Taking the nature of a servant and walking humbly with our God does indeed keep us safe - through constant deliverance.
"Thank you Lord for your delivering power. Grant me the humility to utilize it. Amen."

September 27

Sep 27 - Today from Proverbs 27 we look at verse 10
"Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you - better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away."

Even today the bond of community in the Mid East is of one of the highest of values of culture. Before Saddam Hussein was captured, I was amazed as I watched a one-time personal physician of Saddam being interviewed on a news channel. He was Saddam's personal physician for years, and then made one minor error that made Saddam angry or perhaps suspicious. In any case the man was thrown into prison where he was tortured and isolated for over a dozen years until the regime fell. The interviewer was curious as to why Iraqis were hiding Saddam at the time, and not turning him in. The Doctor explained that once under your roof, you are obligated to serve and protect your guest at any cost. "If Saddam were to come into your home today, would you turn him in?" asked the interviewer.
"No," replied the Doctor.
"Not even after he threw you in prison, tortured you, and took away a dozen good years of your life!?!"
"As long as he is under my roof, my first priority is to protect him," said the Doctor with sincere conviction.
The Western mind cannot conceive of such a notion. We are rugged individualists. We deal with community, but when it comes to comfort and safety, our homes become fortresses unto ourselves. "Let our neighbor fend for himself! Let our enemy perish!" (sic) Perhaps we have lost something of greater value than personal comfort and safety in our Western culture. We have lost the incredible bond of community.
In the Mid East the father is clearly the patriarch. The friends he makes are a part of the family assets. You can readily understand this when you understand the depth of commitment between friends and neighbors. We gasp as Lot offers his daughters to the Sodomites in order to protect his two guests (Genesis 19). A person of that culture does not question Lot's offer. Protecting a guest is of higher value than is protecting a family member. It may not be right or noble in our sight (or God's), but it reveals the incredible value the Orientals place on honoring their guests. Whoever the father honors must be honored by the entire family. Whoever are friends of the father are friends of the family. The bond is as strong as iron - until one member betrays that bond. If a son betrays a father's friend, that friend has the cultural option of removing his pledge of assistance and protection. The son has risked a valuable asset to the family. He dishonors the friend, he dishonors the father, and he dishonors the entire village in which he lives.
The loss of this value in our culture has had great consequences in the attitude of the church. We have often developed a 'fortress attitude' toward outsiders. We deal with the community, but our churches become fortresses unto themselves. "Let our neighbor fend for himself! Let our enemy perish!" We do not always accept those who the Father accepts. We tend to pick and choose our own friends and even those who we are willing to minister to. We value our 'family' significantly above any guests who may come into our home. The evidence is not in our 'core values' or our 'mission statements’. The evidence is in our behavior. It is revealed by observing where we place the majority of our finances and efforts.
I often wonder how many of the people 'out there' see the church as a 'neighbor nearby' where they can depend on finding comfort and protection. I wonder how can we change that perception.
Don't you?

September 26

Sep 26 - Today from Proverbs 26 we look at verse 2
"Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest."

This is a valuable proverb to master - and also difficult. It has much to do with the confidence of the student, confidence in his own integrity.
The curse spoken of in this verse is not some superstitious or supernatural pronouncement upon a victim of a practitioner of the occult. It is a statement made with the intent of defamation of character. It is to speak ill of another. It is as common in our culture as sliced bread. We are all prone to curse others on some level. James, writer of the book often referred to as the 'New Testament Proverbs' states it like this; "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." (James 3:9,10). That's right - James is writing to the brothers, fellow believers and members of the body of Christ. We may be saved, but we are far from being perfect. We are being perfected. Thus it is almost unavoidable to be the recipient of curses as we process life - even from our fellow saints. The personal challenge is not to avoid them, but to not be deserving of them.
There is an old secular proverb regarding a curse which says, "If the shoe fits, wear it." In other words, if someone points out a severe flaw in your character, don't be so quick to bristle and throw off the taunt. Perhaps it does fit. Nobody likes being put down and belittled, much less in a public arena. Even if the shoe does fit, the person delivering the curse is guilty of ungrace. But that does not excuse the behavior of the recipient of the curse if there is validity to the statement. It requires some active humility to overcome the power of a valid curse and regain integrity. It requires things like confession, apology, repentance and restitution. The proud will fall, the humble will be exalted.
The better course by far is to live in such a manner that the curses seldom, if ever, do fit. People may try to slander a person of integrity, but time will prove the curse to be undeserved. Living with integrity however is only half the battle. In this proverb the Teacher is encouraging the students not to react to an undeserved curse. That is why the proverb becomes difficult to master. In reacting to a malicious curse with another curse, we become drawn into a snare. We enter into an area where pride prevails and love and grace quickly diminish. We go in with integrity, and come out tarnished with residue of self. Paul writes this strong imperative in Romans 12:14, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." Your integrity is of far more value than is your pride. Time will vindicate you, and the curse will not find a place to rest in the character of integrity.
Finally, do not be broken by an undeserved curse. If the shoe does not fit - don't try to wear it. Don't even hang on to it. Let it go. It becomes a curse of another kind if we allow the undeserved hurtful remarks of others to consume our thoughts or hinder our progress. Our confidence rests in Christ. If we keep that relationship vital and functioning, what others may think or say about us becomes of little consequence. Know and live who you are in Christ, and you will master this proverb.

September 25

Sep 25 - Today from Proverbs 25 we look at verse 15
"Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone."

Chapter 25 begins the section of the Proverbs for kings - originally collected and assembled for the king and those who dealt with him. Although it contains valuable insights for leaders and developing leaders, the principles are universal. Such is the case with today's meditation.
My first thought is that the most common type of people that rulers come in contact with is that of other rulers. There is something peculiar about successful rulers - they have strong convictions about almost everything. They need to - who wants leadership that waffles at every turn? We have a modern term for people of strong conviction. We say, "They have backbone." That would mean that they hold a fairly rigid posture on whatever issue is under consideration. When two rulers of fairly equal strength differ in their convictions there is almost certain trouble. It means either war or isolationism ('cold' war). Neither are healthy for the people represented by the rulers. In order for there to be a solution, either one or both parties is going to have to experience a 'broken backbone'. They will have to be persuaded that their posture will have to soften or there will be great consequence. If one ruler is far more powerful than the other, it becomes quite obvious which will be broken if resistance is pursued. But when powers are relatively equal, at least one ruler will have to apply wisdom.
Patience is a very valuable virtue. Coupled with wisdom, it erodes positions that can not be overcome by force. Time has a way of diminishing fiery emotions. Time puts distance between a strong reaction and the person who reacted. It is like plucking a fiery brand from the furnace with a tong. One could not possibly take hold of it immediately after being pulled out. But if one walked for a time and distance with the brand in the tong, eventually one could take the brand into hand without being burned. Patience is that long walk between the plucking and the holding.
A gentle tongue is the art of finesse. While waiting for patience to do its work of 'cooling off', the ruler is to be formulating negotiations to be gently convincing rather than making argumentative challenges which tend to rekindle the fires. Some keys to finesse: Treat the other with respect. Be a listener. Make compromises where they do not affect absolute convictions. Let the other win a battle if it means not losing the war. Never make the other look weak or foolish - particularly in the presence of others. Be sincere and not condescending. Always behave with the greatest of integrity. There are others, but I think you get the general idea.
Patience and finesse are hallmarks of good leadership. Good leaders are not to attempt to crush those who oppose their views, but they are to learn the skills of dismantling the rigid postures of those who would hinder their progress. This is the Teacher's lesson for us today.

September 24

Sep 24 - Today from Proverbs 24 we look at verse 29
"Do not say, 'I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did."

Today we enter into one of the most difficult areas of righteous living - revenge. There is a clear indicator when one holds an attitude or accomplishes an act of revenge; it is the question formed in the mind of the victim, "There. How do you like it?" When someone has violated us, we want them to know what it feels like in return. Maybe then we can be assured that they are really sorry. This proverb teaches that the righteous are not to seek revenge.
But, there appears to be some conflict here. Moses writes in Leviticus 24:19, 20, "If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him; fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth." Does God's word contradict itself? Hardly. The context of the Leviticus passage is civil law and justice. Humanity is seriously flawed by sin, and without a moral law and the authority to enforce that law, there would be chaos. When God formed a nation of Israel, He set down a civil law and justice system. This passage is a part of that system. Paul supports this truth even in the New Testament where he writes in Romans 13:4, "(The governing authority) does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, and agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." God never authorized vigilantism, where we have been given permission to take justice into out own hands. In fact, this proverb forbids vigilantism. The operative phrase in the passage is "I will".
Jesus addresses the issue at the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:38-42, "You have heard it said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." This cannot possibly be taken literally! Are Christians to allow others to trample all over their rights? What is Jesus really teaching here?
Let's try this on, "We are to give up our rights when they interfere with our witness." Jesus set the bar pretty high for us, but not so high that He was not willing to live up to it. He came to live for us the life God purposed for every man. His teaching and life are to be an example for us. He came to die for us the death we deserved. What rights does that leave us? When God himself came and lived and died for us, how can we claim we have any personal rights? We sing the words of the old hymn, "I Surrender All". Well, all except . . . what? What is it that we value more than our witness to His life, death and resurrection? Our pride? Our clothes? Our time? Our possessions?
A pastor once gave a simple illustration. It was a picture of some boys throwing rocks at a coconut tree to get the coconuts to fall. Once the coconuts fell, the boys stopped throwing. The moral of the illustration was this, "When people throw stones at you, give them fruit." The illustration seems a bit too simplistic at first - until you take a close look at the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When I was living for myself, I was throwing stones at Him. But He never retaliated. Instead He offered me fruit. When I discovered this, I stopped throwing. Now He tells me I am to be His witness. What rights do I have that are of more value to me than to be His witness?
Yes, He set the bar high. But not too high. When He ascended back to the Father, He poured out grace. Grace to live as His witness. Grace not to seek revenge, but instead to love. That grace is found in a vital relationship with Him. "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." -Matthew 5:44

September 23

Sep 23 - Today from Proverbs 23 we look at verses 10 and 11
"Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you."

Wisdom understands the concepts of and reasons for boundaries - and honors them. Our founding fathers were wise, and incorporated the concepts of boundaries in our founding documents. They recognized the Creator (What? I thought there was to be a separation of church and state!). In recognizing the Creator, they identified the inalienable rights of every man. Inalienable is that which cannot be transferred to another. The Creator has endowed very man with personal boundaries that are not to be encroached upon by others - "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". Every man. This means that our liberty ends at the boundary of my neighbor's endowment. As the old adage goes, "I have the right to swing my fist, but that right ends at the tip of my neighbor's nose."
The law is not so much a list of my personal rights as much as it is a set of boundaries that are there to protect my neighbor's rights. We were created to serve, not to be served. The first of the Ten Commandments establishes the sovereign authority of the Creator who endows (indicative, or 'because'). Unless this authority is first recognized, honored and established, there is no accountability to an absolute in keeping the boundaries of the next nine. The second half of the Ten Commandments establishes the boundaries of those endowments under the authority of the Creator (imperative, or 'therefore'). "Love the Lord your God (indicative - because He is the Lord your God) with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself" (imperative - therefore love Him with your all and your neighbor as yourself). This is to fulfill all of the law.
To love your neighbor as yourself (imperative) is:
- To seek to elevate the quality of life for your neighbor ("I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was naked and you clothed me, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you visited me. . ." -Jesus, Matthew 25:35,36)
- To protect your neighbor's liberty ("Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." -Ephesians 4:32)
- To aid your neighbor in the pursuit of happiness (Love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil, rejoices with the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." - I Corinthians 13:4-7)
To encroach upon the boundaries of one's neighbor is to take from another that which the Creator has endowed them. To take particular advantage of the weak and unsuspecting because they appear to be easy pickings, (e.g. 'the fatherless' ), is to challenge the Creator Himself. It is He who has endowed, and He will take up their case against the perpetrators. Let's look at some of the big encroachments:
Yesterday 'the fatherless' were humans created in the image of God and relegated to human slavery by selfish men who moved boundary stones to make people with dark skin appear less than human in their eyes.
Today 'the fatherless' are the unborn humans created in the image of God and relegated to 'products of conception' by selfish men who moved the boundary stones to make the unborn appear less than human in their eyes.
Tomorrow 'the fatherless' may very well be any human who has no 'social value' and is relegated to a 'negative quality' of life to be terminated by selfish men who moved the boundary stones to make the aged and disabled appear less than human in their eyes. This is already a reality in some extremist cultures, and our 'civilized' Western culture is rapidly approaching it.
When we remove recognition of and honor to the Creator revealed in the first tablet of the Ten Commandments, who is there to protect the inalienable rights of every man revealed in the second tablet? Are we to entrust ourselves to a system of shifting values (self-centered vs. God-centered), and apply those values to our relationship with our neighbor? When the indicative is removed, there is no integrity in the imperative. To write and display the commandments on stone is of little value to a culture. They must be written in the hearts of men. Wherever the commandments are written in men's hearts, there is to be fruit to evidence the reality of God's character through acts of grace. This is the task of the church. Love God, love your neighbor. Honor the boundaries.

September 22

Sep 22 - Today from Proverbs 22 we look at verse 29
"Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men."

One of the wonderful doctrinal positions which (re)emerged out of the Reformation is the principle of the priesthood of every man. It put down the notion that the clerical leaders were of a special vocation which gave them privilege and presence before God while the masses were able to approach God only through their service. It was not unlike Judaism in Jesus' day. There were basically two classes of people; the associates and the people of the land. The associates were comprised of the wealthy and the learned; people such as the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodians and the Essenes. They were the 'righteous', the privileged before God. The majority of the people were considered 'sinners' - people of the land. They pretty much worked from sunup to sundown and had no time or ability to study the scriptures - the means to righteousness. Jesus dismantled this improper theological position when He not only welcomed and ate with 'sinners', but He constantly taught that God was no respecter of men. He taught that the kingdom of God was available to all, regardless of vocation or social position.
The proverb we look at today speaks to the subject of vocation. In the grand scheme of things, one honest vocation is not superior to another. Being a surgeon is not superior to being an auto mechanic. Being an astronaut is not superior to being a refuse worker. Being a lawyer is not superior to being a maintenance person. Man may errantly ascribe a values system to various vocations, but God does not. What does matter is excellence in service. For instance, let's take our first statement from above; Being a surgeon is not superior to being an auto mechanic. There are surgeons who will never be considered to operate on the President of the United States - or any other heads of state - because their record is marred with mediocrity or incompetence. They may have a practice, but they will never rise to a place of recognition for their skills. On the other hand, the Presidential limousine - and his other vehicles - are checked over by mechanics regularly. You can bet that these are some of the finest and most reputable mechanics around. Who has greater honor and respect, the mediocre surgeon or the extremely professional mechanic. Thus we see that it is excellence in service which determines value - not just the service itself.
No matter what vocation a person might choose, their goal should be excellence in service. Growing in achievement of such a goal would include among other things:
- Proper education and training. Make work of it. Learn all you can about your chosen field.
- Interning (serving with others who are already established and reputed in the field of your chosen vocation). Books can only teach so much. There is an untold wealth of information available from those who have grown through experience.
- Utilizing and benefiting from every 'rung of the ladder'. You are preparing for a long-term vocation. Don't take short-cuts, and don't expect to be in the top of your field immediately. Learn from others, capitalize on failures, roll with the punches and persevere. If you are not passionate about your chosen vocation, perhaps it's time to seek one in which you are.
- Maintain integrity, at all costs. Your integrity of character is, and always will be, your greatest asset. Many young prodigies rose quickly as they impressed their world with exceptional skills and abilities - only to fall because they had no integrity. No matter how good you are, an employer or a customer will turn you away if they cannot trust you.
Become the best you can at what you do - and then fortify your ability with integrity. When it comes to ability and integrity - integrity will always give you the edge. You can take that to the bank!
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:17). Your vocation is something you do. Doing it in His name is a vital part of your active priesthood.

September 21

Sep 21 - Today from Proverbs 21 we look at verse 13
"If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered."

When contemplating the book of Proverbs, one must keep in mind that we are studying a book of principles and not promises. Wisdom is understanding life the way God meant it to be. We are to apply these principles of understanding in order to see the quality of life restored in a manner that both honors and pleases our heavenly Father. Especially the quality of the life of those around us - our 'neighbors'. I share this because some teachers would use today's verse as a threat for the purpose of manipulating people to give out of reasons lesser than to love God and love their neighbor. The reason any believer is to be attentive to the cry of the poor is because the Father's ear is attentive to the cry of the poor. Love for our neighbor is not born out of good feelings toward them. It is born out of gratitude to our Father and of responsibility to our neighbor.
'Agape' love - the God kind of love - is not a feeling, it is a decision. When a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, it is a decision he must make. "Do I heed the cry, or shall I simply ignore it?" In choosing to ignore, he has decided not to love and that he is 'not his brother's keeper.' He has chosen to adopt the seed of Cain (Gen. 4:9). Cain knew the principle of this proverb way back at the beginning of history. He knew that because of his selfish heart, he would cry out and not be answered (Gen. 4:14). If this proverb were a law, Cain would be condemned to live without mercy just as he showed no mercy to his brother. But God extended mercy even to Cain and placed a mark on him to deter any man from exacting revenge against him (Gen. 4:15). God's punishment was to be enough. But the proverb is still a principle. Self-centered people whose first priorities in life are their own pleasure and comfort find little pity from their fellow man when they fall on hard times. Particularly from the people who were ignored and looked down upon in better times. Were it not for God's mercy, they might readily perish under the vengeful attitudes of those who were scorned in the past. Even though such victims of hard times may survive, they will find themselves 'banished wanderers' looking for an act of mercy to see them through. This is the picture of Cain's punishment (Gen. 4:12).
The lesson for the student is to be merciful, even as your Father in heaven is merciful (Luke 6:36). It is God's original purpose for man to serve his fellow man in community. When one acts self-sufficient, he sees little need for the greater community and is tempted to scorn those who are in need. But this world system is unstable, money fails and situations change every day. One day that same proud person may very well find that he is no longer self-sufficient. It is only then that he discovers that by his own actions he has 'cut himself off' from the community which could now serve as his resourcing. His quality of life suffers because he thought that it was bound in material resources rather than in human resources.
Paul shares a law associated with this proverb in Galatians 6:7. It's known as the Law of the Harvest;
"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."
There is another law associated with this proverb. James calls it the Royal Law in James 2:8;
"Love your neighbor as yourself."
In principle and in law, we are to be attentive to the cry of the poor.

September 20

Sep 20 - Today from Proverbs 20 we look at verse 19
"A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much."

From all my years of experience (including the recollection of my own faults and motives), I am convinced that the basic motive for gossip is self-importance. That is why gossip falls into the sin category - it is rooted in pride. Gossip is different from a malicious lie in this; it is nurtured from a seed of perceived truth. In other words, the perpetrator does not fabricate a damaging bit of information out of nothing. Instead, he moves about seeking whatever information he can get. When something of significance appeals to his self-interests or purposes surfaces, he banks it into his 'pool of secured information' to be pulled out and elaborated upon at just the right time with just the right audience. He has no qualms about betraying the supplier of the information or about working it to his advantage in a situation. Gossip is full of half-truths, out-of-context statements, and what the media people call 'spin'. We all get good at it.
When Christ sets us free from self-importance, our propensity to gossip should, and must diminish. It is not found in the character of our Savior, and we are to continually abide in Him. It falls under the fruit of self-control, which is contrary to self-importance. The Holy Spirit urges us not to be a gossip. Wisdom instructs us to avoid getting into sensitive areas of discussion with gossips. They may be your 'friend' and confidant for the moment - but who knows what kind of a case they will be making later. They can readily take your statements, do a little doctoring, and 'spin' them to support a self-important presentation in some other circle. As a result, your own reputation can get damaged as you were misquoted and misrepresented in the situation. Being caught just one time in such a situation should be all the lesson you need not to confide in that person again.
In most cases, you needn't be personally trapped in order to detect the propensity of an acquaintance to gossip. In such cases, observation is a safer teacher than is experience. If you listen to the subject matter of an unsure, untested acquaintance long enough, you will begin to detect their focus and motives. Listen for their favorite subject matter. I heard it once said that small people talk about other people, common people talk about things, and great people talk about ideas. That's not the word of God, but it is a pretty good principle. Beware of sharing confidence with small people.
Be careful what information you entrust and to whom you entrust it. It may come back to bite you.

September 19

Sep 19 - Today from Proverbs 19 we look at verse 1
"Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse."

This proverb is all but impossible to embrace - don't you think? The Hebrew word for poor in this verse does not simply mean someone with only the barest of essentials; it means someone who is destitute - utterly lacking. This proverb is actually saying that keeping your personal integrity intact is even more valuable than having just the bare necessities of life! Can you imagine that?

"Isn't it okay to do a little shaving on your income taxes so that you don't have to sacrifice your budget?"
"Isn't it okay to forgo your tithe so that you can make those car payments?"
"Everybody takes what they can from their employer. It's expected."

And those aren't even nearing the bare necessities.
What is your integrity worth?
Integrity is an element of faith. Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit. There are Christians in the world who literally have to put this proverb to the test every day. They live under persecution and in destitution and still maintain their integrity and their testimony. Sometimes I think we in the West have it too good. The apostle Peter wrote a letter to the church as it was suffering deep persecution, and he had the audacity to encourage them to rejoice in their far-off unseen inheritance in heaven while they were destitute of even the barest of necessities of life in the now! "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (I Peter 1:6, 7).
"Yeah, right Peter. Give me the gold - you can have the trials and the grief. What kind of a faith preacher are you anyway?"
What is your integrity worth?
Oh. . . that little lump in my cheek? That's my tongue. Sometimes it's more effective saying what we really think than it is to say what we ought to think. Words are cheap. Faith and integrity are priceless.

September 18

Sep 18 - Today from Proverbs 18 we look at verse 19
"An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes like the barred gates of a citadel."

This proverb addresses the nature of the condition of man. Man is generally ambitious to get his own way and generally resents people who keep them from getting their own way. As vessels of the Spirit of Christ and agents of the kingdom of God, we are to appropriate grace to avoid being either.
Selfish ambition is a powerful force - and it is very short sighted. One can connive and manipulate and win the battle, and in doing so one can easily lose the war. James writes in chapter 4 verses 1-3:
"What causes quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but you don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasure."
Selfish ambition. Resentment. Spoiled children.
One may, through manipulating, politicizing, and using whatever means available to attempt to get what one wants from his brother, but even if he gains his prize he has lost something of far greater value - his brother. When trust is broken, the relationship disappears. When the soul is wounded, protective walls go up. "I trusted you once. I will not make that mistake again soon."
This proverb reveals the nature of man so that we can avoid the building of citadels and barred gates in our relationships with others. We are to build bridges and to mend ways so that we may use our relationships to honor and glorify God. There are times when we may have to give up the prize in order to keep the thing of greater value - a relationship. This is the principle of Jesus' message in His Sermon on the Mount. If you have the opportunity today, read the beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-11. Here you will find the kingdom principles for building bridges rather than walls.

September 17

Sep 17 - Today from Proverbs 17 we look at verse 3
"The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart."

Most of you are probably familiar with the analogy here, so I will repeat it in brief.
The value of precious metals increases with purity. "Gold refined seven times" means that the gold went through the process of being melted by heat and brought to a precise temperature which causes impurities to rise to the surface seven different times. Each time the increasingly subtle impurities are skimmed off, leaving the gold more pure than when the process began. Often the analogy ends with the Q.&A. "When does the refiner know the metal is pure? When he can see his own reflection from the crucible."
It's a great analogy to teach - a very difficult one to live and learn. Many 'faith teachers' of today essentially teach that the crucible is controlled by the devil. If you have enough faith, you can rebuke the crucible and the fire, and it will flee . . . and the refining process is halted. I concur that the devil may place one in a crucible, and he may even stoke the flames, but it is God who controls the heat. That's the frustrating part for many of us. We struggle with the concept of how a loving God can allow us to be placed in such painful trials. Only God knows what is truly in our hearts, and only God knows exactly how much heat it will take to release any impurities that may reside there. It is true, we can often stop the refining process. God created us as free-will agents. If not, we would be incapable of love, trust or obedience. We can chose to yield our will to Him, or we can resist Him. We can choose to seek to draw near Him, or we can turn from Him. We can choose to be grateful or we can be bitter and resentful.
(fallen) Human nature tends to adopt a "fair-weather-friend" attitude. We tend to yield, draw near and live gratefully as long as things are going the way we would like. But even that's superficial. The test of a true relationship is when things aren't going the way we like, will we still be loving, trusting and obedient? Often our faith is to be a sheer act of the will, going totally contrary to our feelings and unrelated to our circumstances. You can often see this principle in the lives of the 'heroes of the Bible"; Job, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Esther, Ruth -- just to name a few. As you recall and study the lives of the O.T. saints, you will see them go through trial after trial, and each time they trust God, you will notice that some impurity was removed and they became more pure in their faith and stronger in their relationship with God. They were not perfect. They were being perfected.
Hebrews 5 verses 8 and 9 contain a truth about Jesus' incarnation that we seldom fail to grasp. There it says, "Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him." We somehow want to hold to the idea that even in the incarnation, Jesus continued to have the attributes of omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence. But Philippians 2:7 clearly states that Jesus emptied Himself of His equality with God and took the nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. That means he had to live by faith - just as we do. As a human, Jesus had to learn obedience. It's easy to obey when the instruction falls the way we want and like things. If Father told Jesus, "Just use your faith Son and cast the devil aside, and I will take the cup of the cross from you and place you directly on the throne," Jesus wouldn't have had to sweat blood in Gethsemane. Instead, He had to fully trust the Father. He had to choose to stay in the crucible. Because He did, he became the source of our salvation. The heat of His crucible was far more than any of us can even imagine - and because He stayed in it, we will never have to experience it. We will have crucibles in this life. God will call us to deny self that His will might be done. But on the other side of the crucible is spiritual maturity and blessing.
Remember this lesson the next time you sing the words of 'Refiner's Fire':

Refiner's fire, my heart's one desire
Is to be Holy
Set apart by you Lord
Ready to do Your will

I have 'prayed' the words of this song many times. They sound so good. But how do I do when God answers this little prayer? Is my heart's desire to be Holy and ready to do His will - whatever? Or am I only ready to do His will if it coincides with my will and desires? Discipleship is surrender - total surrender to the will of the Teacher. Even Jesus had to learn that. The wonderful thing about our God -- when we surrender to his call and will, and commit to stay in the trial, He gives grace. We don't have to endure the trials in our own strength. Remember, God's hand is on the controls, and His Spirit lives in you. "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -Jesus, John 16:33

September 16

Sep 16 - Today from Proverbs 16 we look at verse 7
"When a mans ways are pleasing to the Lord, He even makes his enemies live at peace with him."

We must remind ourselves once again that Proverbs is not a book of promises, rather it is a book of wisdom. As believers, we are to be a people seeking to live life the way God purposed. God intended for mankind to live in peace and in harmony – with one another and with Himself. Sin had introduced jealousy, envy, hatred, covetousness, and all kinds of divisive attitudes into the human family that God created. When we see Christ, we see God’s intentions incarnate. Jesus tells us in John 14:9, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." Jesus is, in fact, God’s final word to mankind. "Follow me," He beckons us. And who is this Son of God? He is the Prince of Peace. He has come to restore peace between God and man, and in doing so peace is to be restored to mankind. The restoration of peace is a hallmark of His kingdom. Those who gain entrance to His kingdom through His sacrifice become sons of God, and they are to be agents of peace on His behalf.
Although sin has been conquered through Christ, His victory has not yet been fully consummated. This will be fulfilled at the last day – the end of time as we know it. Until that day, sin will continue to work divisiveness in the human family. It is only by the manifestations of God’s love and grace through His children that peace can be managed. Irreconcilable conflict only occurs when neither side is willing to serve the best interests of the other. God has called us to love our enemies, the kind of love that acts n response to the needs of others in order to benefit them. "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." –Jesus, Matthew 5:44.
Our enemies may not always choose to live at peace with us through our obedience to God, but if we will live out the Great Commandment, more often than not the conflicts in our lives will be quenched. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." Matthew 5:9.

September 15

Sep 15 - Today from Proverbs 15 we look at verse 3
"The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good."

"He is watching." To some this statement is a threat. Those who would plot and execute their deeds in darkness are uncomfortable with this thought. Not a physical darkness, but an 'inner' darkness - that secret place in the recesses of the soul where no one else can see. Not a physical darkness, but a 'covert' darkness - acting in areas where no one is looking. Such darkness is the place the wicked delight in, for it is in such darkness that they are able to plan and execute their self-serving deeds. They take comfort in the thought that darkness hides their intents and their deeds. "But men loved the darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19). Little do they know that even the darkness is as light to the Lord, (Psalm 139:12).

"He is watching." To some this statement is a comfort. Those who love the light and find themselves in dark places are comforted to know that even there He sees them. "Even in the deep and dark valleys where the wicked would rule, I will not fear, for I know that you are watching. That your weapon is sure (rod), and that you will rescue me (staff). In this I find comfort." (A paraphrase of Psalm 23:4). Those who walk in the light of truth see through eyes of faith.

"He is watching." It is the same Lord who is watching both. He is unchanging. The difference in the response to the fact that He is watching lies in the heart of the one being watched. Two young boys in the dark. One is in bed. In the middle of the night he thinks he hears an unfamiliar sound in his room. Fear grips his heart. "Daddy," he cries. His door cracks open and his daddy pokes his head in. "It's okay son, daddy is right here." He goes back to sleep - comforted to know that daddy is watching.
Two young boys in the dark. The other is sliding a stool over to the kitchen counter. Once there he climbs on the counter and opens the cupboard. There are the cookies. His daddy said he couldn't have any more before bedtime, but he has different ideas. "What are you doing?" His daddy is standing in the doorway watching. Fear grips his heart. Daddy is watching.
The difference in response lies in the heart of the one being watched. The one in a right relationship finds great comfort. The one in disobedience is fearful. One day all will come to realize that "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere." One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. None will be able to escape that day. None. Some will embrace that day and their knees will bow in gratitude and homage, and their confession will be a confession of great joy and jubilation. Others will be in great agony on that day and will bow in fear and trepidation. Their confession will be a choking confession of remorse. He will be the same Lord of all. The difference in response will lie in the hearts of those who were watched.
"For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Col. 1:13, 14).

September 14

Sep 14 - Today from Proverbs 14 we look at verse 31
"He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God."

Ask any believer, "Do you want to honor God?" I am quite sure the response would be a solid "Yes." Then ask, "What does it mean to honor God?" You may hear one of dozens of responses:

"To respect Him."
"To obey Him."
"To live like a good Christian."
"To appreciate Him."
"To be grateful to Him."

These, combinations of these, and additions to these are sure to be plentiful - and correct. The word 'honors' in today's verse incorporates all of these thoughts - and so much more. The literal translation from the Hebrew means 'to be heavy' or 'to make weighty'. That, my friend, is worth meditating on.
Let's say you had to stay late in the office one day, and for the first time you met the cleaning lady who comes in after hours. Her clothes are neat, but you can tell that they have seen a lot of wear. You can see just by looking at her countenance that she carries a heavy burden in her heart. You give her a friendly greeting, and she responds with a warm but tired smile. You engage in conversation with her as she does her work and you discover that she lives in a small apartment with her three children. Her thirteen year-old daughter cares for the younger two while she works. She worries about her children. She only holds fear for their future. "Have you ever heard about Jesus?" you ask. Yes, she's heard about Him, and about many other spiritual faiths. She doesn't have time to pursue a God who remains distant toward her and her kids. She spends every waking minute trying to provide and care for them.
"Believe me, God loves and cares for you and your children very much," you say. . .

Where do you see the conversation going from here? Even more importantly, how are you going to honor God in this situation? You told the woman that God loves and cares for her very much. How are you going to make that statement weighty?
I'm not going to finish the story. You have to do that. We have to do that in practical ways every day. If we really want to honor God, we have to give weight to our testimony through our attitudes and actions. James writes in chapter 2:14-16, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" Intentions alone do not honor God -- actions do. Intentions alone are not the evidence of faith in God -- actions are. How can we call ourselves 'people of the faith' or 'God-honoring' and never give weight to our Lord Jesus' claim, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18, 19)?
Do you want to honor God? Find the opportunity today to carefully read Isaiah 58 - and then prayerfully ask God how you can honor Him in light of this truth. It is His Word. It is His heart. He proved His intention at the cross. How can we prove ours? The Spirit of the Lord is on you. He has anointed you. He has called you to be His witness. God is very serious. How serious are we?

September 13

Sep 13 - Today from Proverbs 13 we look at verse 23
"A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away." (NIV)
"Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor, but there is he that is destroyed for the lack of justice." (KJV)

When I can't quite get my mind around a verse or passage of scripture, I often go to the KJV version. The translation is usually more accurate, which happens to be true in this case. According to the original Hebrew, the 'field' in this proverb is indeed 'fallow ground'. Fallow ground is a field that has been plowed but left unseeded during the growing season. To simply translate the text to say 'field' is correct to a point, but it leaves out some pretty critical information. By understanding that our teacher meant fallow ground, we now have a clear picture to begin with.
The other term that needs to be clarified in this verse is 'justice'. The original language indicates this is a pronounced verdict that affects rights and privileges. This helps us to understand 'the rest of the story'.
The farmer lived in an area where farms were small and the soil was depleted through too many years of use. Like his neighbors, he was tilling the same little plot his father and grandfather scratched out their livings on. The field barely produced enough to put food on the table - and sometimes not even that. There were never discretionary funds in the budget, and never any extra to invest back into the farm for fertilizer or new equipment. He was a bad risk, and the local bank wouldn't even consider a loan. Last year was very dry and the crop very lean. So lean that the family had just eaten the last of the 'seed' saved for sowing this spring. He did what he always did in the spring, he went out and plowed his little plot of land. He went back to the house and sat at the kitchen table and looked out the window. Tears filled his eyes as he looked at the fresh plowed ground. There would be no planting this spring.
How does the community look at the poor farmer?

"What a lazy man. He plows his field and then sits in the house all day. No wonder he is stuck on that tiny little farm."
"If he can't take the initiative to go and plant his field, he deserves to starve next winter!"
"Poor soul, it looks like he'll be stuck on that place 'til he dies - just like his pappy and grandpappy."
"Oh my. It looks like a lean year for them. I will bake them a pie tomorrow to lift their spirits."

The tired mother turned the key in the lock of the tiny apartment and opened the door. Her oldest was fixing a 'meal' for the two younger. Another dinner of bread soaked in a little milk with sugar sprinkled on. It would have to do until she gets her paycheck on Friday. It was getting hard to stretch groceries from Friday to Friday. Everyone had their coats on - the heat was off again. She would like to help her older daughter get some private tutoring so she could learn to read. The little thirteen year-old was literally raising the family while mom worked cleaning offices. Her studies suffered terribly. Mom was very worried about her ten year-old son. The gangs were enticing him to carry drugs for them. So far he has resisted, but the lure of more money than he had ever seen was a huge temptation. And then there was the little three year-old - her little jewel. What would become of her? She sat under the bare bulb at the kitchen table and looked at her three children. Tears filled her eyes.
How does the community look at the poor mother?
How do you look at her?
The church is to be God's instrument of justice. What are we doing for those like the farmer or the mother?
I challenge you today to join me in seeking our Lord to change our hearts and to be more mindful of our 'mission' as the church. If we begin to understand His mission to the cross, then we will find the passion for our mission to the disenfranchised. We have to do something. . . and we have to do more than bake them a pie.

September 12

Sep 12 - Today from Proverbs 12 we look at verse 27
"The lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions." (NIV)
"The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting, but the substance of the diligent man is precious." (KJV)

Values. Values asks the question, "What is most important to me?" Our true answer does not come from our mind or our mouth, but from our heart and our actions. I see in our little proverb story of today a man who might have said, "The game I took today is valuable for food and sustenance for me and my family." But that's not what his heart and his actions revealed. The Hebrew term for roast in this verse is rooted in the idea of a braid and gives the idea of "game entangled in a net or caught in a snare". I am not a Hebrew scholar, so I have no idea why the word was translated into our word, roast. It is not found anywhere else in the Bible. Depending on how you translate, the action of the lazy hunter could be seen in two different ways, but the results are the same:

1. If the translation is closer to the original Hebrew, I see that the hunter put out his nets and snares to capture some birds or small game to provide food for his table. He indicated his values up to that point. But apparently something more important to him came into play as he never bothered to go and check his nets and/or snares. The trapped birds and/or animals were likely to perish and end up as a meal for the wild animals. They would be of no value to the hunter or his household.

2. If the current translation holds true, the hunter did retrieve his game, but something more important to him took him away from this task. In the days this was written, game either had to be eaten immediately or it had to be cured. Both processes involved roasting. One process was for consumption, the other for drying and smoking. If neither were done, the game would spoil and be of no value to the hunter or to his household.

Now I think you can see the point of the proverb. Values. Education and common sense can cause us to know and articulate proper values. . . what should be most important to us. But only our hearts and our actions reveal what is truly most important to us. It is true that it is vitally important that we know what should be our proper values, but as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to be committed to actually making them our values by our actions. This is where we need the power of the Holy Spirit through an ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ. If we let up on our disciplines, we will see our spiritual sustenance starving in the snares or rotting on the table. Not a nice picture, is it?
Our church just went through the process of identifying and articulating a beautiful values statement. As I read through the statement point by point, I am convicted. There are some things I obviously deem more important by my actions than what was written in the statement. It is also obvious to me, and to our community, that our church does not uphold these values well either. When our fellowship of believers (myself included), commits ourselves to be disciplined disciples in order to make this values statement true through our actions, we will become a dynamic force for the kingdom of God in our community and our world. It is a great possibility! It is the mission of the church!
I am praying for some changes in my own personal values (action, not articulation), and for the demonstrated values of our church. I can pray with conviction, because I know it is the will of the Father. Join me, for yourself and for your church: "Come Holy Spirit, and move upon our hearts. May the passion of our Savior move us to action in love for the glory of His Name. Amen."

September 11

Sep 11 - Today from Proverbs 11 we look at verse 17
"A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself." (NIV)
"The merciful man doeth good to his own soul, but the cruel troubleth his own flesh." (KJV)

Kindness. Have you ever tried to define it? What makes a kind person kind? I looked it up in my desktop dictionary and there it says "generous or warm-hearted character". Then I used my concordance to see how the original languages of the Bible defined kindness. The N.T. Greek translates to either kindness or gentleness (e.g. Gal. 5:22), and literally means excellence in character. The O.T. Hebrew is translated to either kind or merciful (as we see in today's text). Hebrew is a very pictorial language. The literal translation for 'kind' in this passage is rooted in the idea of bowing at the neck. It signifies courtesy to an equal. I like that. What makes a kind person kind? They are courteous and they treat you as an equal - that is excellence of character.
The verse previous to this verse says "a kindhearted woman gains respect". The term kindhearted in this verse goes even a step farther. It is rooted in the idea of bending or stooping in kindness to an inferior. In both terms we see a person with excellence in character. We see Jesus.
As I reflect on my own character in light of His, I am convicted. Today he says to me "Although in my very nature I am God, I made myself nothing and took on the nature of a servant for you" (Phil. 2:6, 7). He stooped in kindness to me, an inferior in every respect. Today He says to me "I no longer call you servant. . . I have called you my friend" (John 15:15). Kindness. The Lord of eternity bows at the neck to me, extending courtesy as an 'equal' (the firstborn among many brethren - a joint heir with Christ). I am not worthy. Today He asks me "Do you understand what I have done for you?" (John 13:12). He washed my feet. He girded Himself and became my servant. He says to me "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you" (John 13:15).
I must repent of my unkind ways, and ask for grace to be more like Him - excellence in character, warm-hearted, acknowledging others as equals in value, stooping in kindness to those who are 'marginalized', learning to wash the feet of those who are too proud to wash mine . . . I have a long way to go. How about you? As we look to the cross, let us look to be more like Him. In order to do this, we must go to the cross daily and die with Him in order that we might experience His resurrection power. The power to be kind.

September 10

Sep 10 - Today from Proverbs 10 we look at verse 31
"The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out."

You probably noticed that most of this chapter is about speaking. It's one of the marvelous human traits that separates us from the animal kingdom. (When I say 'speaking', I am talking about forming a thought and articulating that thought with meaningful words.) Our words reveal much about our heart and our character. They form the main vehicle by which we transfer ideas, intentions, knowledge, and emotions. If our eyes are the window to our soul, then our words are the highway from our soul. When two people are speaking with one another and communication isn't happening, they often say "We're just not connecting here." They are sending out words on two different interstates. They somehow have to get on the same highway in order to properly transfer their thoughts.
When people speak words that make sense, other people are attracted to their highway. People don't like dealing with the unknown. I know I don't. I would rather know the truth than not know at all - even if it hurts. If you have the truth, you are forced to deal with it. If you don't know, your mind can be consumed with doubt, fear and confusion. Who wants to live that way? Yes, deep down, people want to know the truth. The righteous are those who speak words of truth. Wisdom is truth about life the way it is meant to be from the perspective of the Creator of life. "The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom." People may not initially want to hear the truth of the righteous, but when the chips are down and they are facing critical life situations - they want truth, and they are looking to hook up to any highway that brings it. Here is where integrity is so key.
The righteous may be ridiculed and ignored - but they never waver in their convictions. They tell the truth, and they live the truth as best as they know how. Those who ridicule and ignore still take notice - and when the chips are down, they often go to these people of conviction seeking truth. Fair-weather friends who change their opinions with every self-serving whim may be a lot of fun to hang with, but in time they prove that their words are perverse. The root word for this term in the original Hebrew means to overturn or to change. It's difficult to seek truth from a person who has shared overturned opinions their whole life. You're not sure if you are getting the truth or just the latest opinion. No, you're going to shut that highway down and go look for a highway of truth. "The perverse tongue will be cut out." Not literally, but certainly figuratively.
We are called to be people of truth. It is seen in God's foundational edict of moral behavior; "You shall not bear false witness." David writes in Psalm 34:13, "Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies." We are to be witnesses of Christ. A witness tells the truth. God says of Levi (the heir of the covenant of priesthood), in Malachi 2:6; "True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin." Levi (the priesthood), was entrusted with the Word of God, and was faithful to speak forth its truth. The people listened when life situations became critical, and many turned from their sin.
"You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood. . ." (1 Peter 2:9). You are called to continue the task of Levi. By being consistent, and by speaking the truth in love, you can be God's agent and see many turned from their sin. -or- You can avoid being ridiculed and ignored for your convictions by simply holding your tongue. You ‘can cut’ out your own tongue and no one would be the wiser. You could keep all of that valuable, life-changing, life-saving truth to yourself. . .
And your friends could die in their sin.

September 9

Sep 9 - Today from Proverbs 9 we look at verse 9

"Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning."

I have no idea where I got the concept from, but when I was a boy I thought that when we died and went to heaven, we would then know everything. I was confident that all the things that puzzled me, that were too difficult for me to understand, and all the things I never knew - I would suddenly know. Perhaps it was an excuse not to study and learn - I would get it all when I got to heaven. I was not at all academically motivated when I was a boy.
I no longer believe that. I am now convinced that I have eternal life. It began for me on the day Jesus revealed the truth about Himself to me, and I received that truth. On that day I 'began' eternal life. On that day I entered eternal school. Even when I pass through the veil from time into eternity, I will continue to learn. Learning is no longer drudgery for me. I am thrilled when the Lord gives me a new revelation of Himself or His kingdom. The more we know of Him and His kingdom, the more we see how everything fits together. God's mind is incomprehensible. His ways are so awesome that we will never achieve a full understanding of the infinite perfection and order of His being. Even in eternity, He will have wondrous surprises for us! Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:9, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." The very best your mind could possibly conceive falls short! Yet, we can begin to know now. Paul continues in verse 10, "But God has revealed it to us by His Spirit." The instruction and teaching our verse for today refers to is spiritual instruction and teaching. Wisdom is understanding life the way God meant it to be. To become wiser is to gain further understanding of His purposes through spiritual instruction. Spiritual instruction comes by revelation of His Word. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God's Word is living and active. When you write a letter to a loved one, it's not just ink on paper. It is your essence - a communication from your soul to their soul. God's Word is not just ink on paper, it contains the very soul of God. It becomes alive to us through the work of the Holy Spirit - spiritual instruction. But in order for it to be alive, we must receive it. We cannot just say, "That's nice," set it down and walk away without a second thought.
I remember when I was serving in the military in Viet Nam, and I would get a letter from home. I couldn't wait to open it. I feasted on the words. They kept me in touch with the reality of an unseen world for me. I didn't read it once and throw it in the trash. I read it over and over. I carried it until the next letter came. Those letters were alive, and fed my soul news and love from home. I now see God's Word the same way. I love getting new insights into His character and His ways. His Word keeps me in touch with the reality of the unseen home that is mine through Jesus Christ. All that is seen is only temporary.
The other thing about wisdom and learning is that they are the vehicle by which we grow in the character of Christ. When we received His redemptive work and made Him our Lord and Savior, He left us here for a purpose; to bring witness to His character and to demonstrate His purposes through our service. We are to glorify Him! The more we grow in wisdom and add to our learning through spiritual instruction, the more we glorify Him. That makes learning extremely gratifying. When I stop and think of the overwhelming debt He paid for me, I want to glorify Him. Apart from His love, I am lost and without hope. But, because He loved me, I have an eternity of wonderful and delightful surprises ahead of me, things that my natural mind cannot even conceive of. An eternity of knowing and enjoying the presence of God in the total absence of sin or any of it's distortions. No wonder the saints can shout from the depths of their hearts - "HALLELUJAH!"

September 8

Sep 8 - Today from Proverbs 8 we look at verse 8

"All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse."

Anyone who has ever taken a very young child fishing should get a sense of the picture the Teacher is presenting here. The fish-line serves the purpose of connecting the control end of the vehicle (rod & reel), to the business end of the vehicle (hook and bait). When the child properly follows instructions, they should eventually enjoy the thrill of catching their first fish. More often than not, the child watches the adult cast and thinks that might be more fun. Soon there is whining voice, pleading for help. The adult turns his attention to the child only to discover that there is something drastically wrong between the control end and the business end - a big knotted snarl of fish-line. The frustrated adult may be able to identify the two ends, but to follow the line through the snarl is impossible. Often in such cases I have found the pocket-knife to be the best solution. (Maybe the zoo wasn't such a bad idea after all.)
Verses 1-3 of Proverbs 8 identifies who is speaking in verses 4-36; it is wisdom personified. If wisdom was given a personality and was enabled to speak, this is what she would say about herself. All of her words would be 'just'. This adjective speaks of moral equity and righteousness. The antithesis of 'just' would be 'crooked or perverse'. These adjectives also bear looking at. In the Hebrew, crooked gives us the picture of winding and twisting. The word perverse goes even farther, it gives us the picture of a knot. Thus, from the contrast of the adjectives we can gather that those who embrace wisdom not only understand things the way God meant them to be, but they are committed to honestly pursue living out that understanding. Those who understand God's purposes but would rather live for themselves tend to twist and turn God's Word in order to have it fit their self-serving desires. Eventually their reasoning ends up in a knot - a snarl which is so bound up that it becomes impossible to follow the reasoning from where it begins to where it ends.
Our 'reasoning' is meant to connect us from the control end (God's Word), to the business end (our service). When we consistently apply wisdom to our reasoning (“trust in the Lord with all your heart”), sooner or later we will enjoy the fruit of our labors. We get into trouble when we begin to twist what God has said in order to fit our own scenarios (“lean not on your own understanding”). We begin to add to His Word to make it flex a little more. We begin to subtract from His Word in order to give us a little more wiggle room. Pretty soon our reasoning is so knotted and snarled that it becomes impossible to follow. Moral justice and righteousness is not that complicated. It is our fallen nature that complicates it. We were created to be worshipers of God and servants of one another. That's what Jesus lived and taught. He is the Word that became flesh (John 1:14). He and the Word agree - always. He warned us that there are dire consequences in adding to or taking from His Word (Revelation 22:18, 19). When we do, we get things snarled between the control and the business ends. Jesus has called us to be fishers of men. He has provided the ‘proper rod, reel and bait’ to accomplish it. We are to keep the line from getting snarled by applying wisdom.

September 7

Sep 7 - Today from Proverbs 7 we look at verse 25

"Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths."

Two men, two cars, two different times and places. The first man had been fighting depression for weeks. He was terribly emotionally unstable. He could no longer manage any joy or see any good in life. He struggled though his routine daily and lie in torment on his bed at night. On this particular morning he was driving down the freeway, taking his regular route. The cloud in his mind was particularly dark today, he could no longer face things. He pulled on the steering wheel and ran head-on into the concrete abutment at 75 miles per hour. He died instantly.
The second man was on top of his game. It seemed as though everything had been going right for him lately. He had just gotten engaged to the most wonderful woman he had ever known. He had just closed two new very lucrative accounts that he had been working on for months, and today he was about ready to close the third. His future had never looked brighter. At this particular hour he was driving down the freeway on his way to close the third deal. He was talking to his associate on his cell phone going over the last minute details. There was some confusion on one of the points. His eyes dropped down to his briefcase where the document explaining the point was. He leaned down to get it, and as he did his other hand pulled on the steering wheel. In a flash he lost control and careened into a concrete abutment at 75 miles per hour. He died instantly.
Which accident was more tragic? Which life was more valuable? Proponents of situation ethics might take up the arguments, but they would miss the point. Perhaps the proper question is, "Which man was more dead?" Death plays no favorites. It honors no values systems. It is the great equalizer. One man purposely turned and the other inadvertently strayed. The point of the two tragedies is this; they are both dead.
Our proverb today is set in the background of a young man seduced by an adulteress. But the principle could be applied to any sin. Whether the victim of that sin has purposely plotted to go headlong into it, or the victim was distracted and in a moment of weakness strayed off the path of faithfulness and integrity - the consequence is the same. Death is separation. Sin breaks fellowship with God and it corrupts relationships with others. We might attempt to use our 'self-righteous' balance and place all of our good behavior on one side and weigh it against that one crucial mistake on the other side and think that it's enough to overcome - but that's not how death works. Death plays no favorites. One mistake is enough for death to exact its cost.
It would seem that we all are then hopelessly doomed, for we all have sinned and fallen short. But God in His love provided a way of overcoming the exacting cost of death. He bore the penalty of our sin in His own flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus never turned or strayed, yet He experienced death that we might be reconciled. Amazing grace! Yet, we must appropriate that grace through confession and repentance. It is an ongoing experience. Every time we crash into an abutment, we must climb out of the wreckage and confess our disobedience in either our intentional pull on the wheel, or our giving in to momentary distraction and then pulling on the wheel. And then we must repent - commit to Him and to ourselves not to steer or stray in that way again. When Jesus healed or forgave in His earthly ministry, He would often say, "Now go and sin no more." A call to repentance.
You cannot run into an abutment without some consequence. There may be some damage to overcome, some injuries to heal from, but praise be to God we have overcome the ultimate penalty of sin - the sting of death. Our relationship with God has been restored through the shed blood of Jesus, and there is healing in our relationships with our fellow man through that same blood. Confession and repentance. It is odious to self, but self got us into trouble in the first place. Why should we pay attention to it?

September 6

Sep 6 - Today from Proverbs 6 we look at verse 4
"Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids."

Obviously this verse needs to be placed in context. The context is that if you have said something that places you in debt to another, make it a priority to correct the matter in a manner of integrity. In verse 3, immediately prior to our text for today, the Teacher says, "Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor." The word humble is an indicator of integrity.
In the familiar Lord's model prayer, one of the petitions is "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." (Matthew 6:12). Was Jesus speaking about money or material goods? Of course not. He was speaking about sin. We seldom think about the fact that sin places us in debt to another. . . until someone sins against us. "You owe me big time, mister!" is a common phrase one uses when betrayed. There are huge monetary settlements every day in our legal system for 'emotional damages'. There is a cost to sin, and the first to pay is the victim.
When you sin against another, you have extracted a cost from him or her. We seldom think about that.
When another sins against you, they have extracted a cost from you. We can become obsessed with that.
Jesus tells us that those who are indebted to us because they have sinned against us are to be released from that debt by an act of our will (not our emotions). The petition of His model prayer begs the question, "How can you come to your Father in heaven and ask for mercy when you are not willing to extend mercy to your brother?"
Our proverb for today looks at the other side of the coin. When we have sinned against our neighbor and extracted a cost from him, we cannot demand that he forgive us. It is ludicrous to think that we can do emotional harm to another and then open the Bible and say, "God says you must not judge me, but you must forgive me. If you don't, then you are in sin." Where is the humbleness? Where is the remorse? Where is the repentant attitude? God did not give the royal law of 'Love your neighbor' for your wounded neighbor. He gave it for you.
"He deserved what he got." Lord, help us that we do not get what we deserve. We need to look at the cross daily and remind ourselves of what it cost Him to forgive us. He has every right to ask us to go to a neighbor whom we have sinned against and humble ourselves and seek release from the debt we incurred. Our verse today says that immediately is not too soon. If you have placed yourself in debt to your neighbor by your reckless words, your self-serving attitudes, or your ungodly activities, your swift action to go to your neighbor and confess, repent, and offer to make any restitution does a number of things:

1. It restores integrity.
2. It serves to stop your neighbor from entering into sin himself by seeking revenge.
3. It stops the devil dead in his evil schemes to exploit the situation. He has no defense against love.
4. It allows you to live in joy, free from debt to your neighbor.
5. It pleases your heavenly Father
6. It glorifies your Lord and Redeemer

That is a very impressive list. Humbling ourselves is not the end of the world - it is the beginning of joy and peace. Have you wronged a neighbor and buried it somewhere hoping it will just go away? It won't. It will only fester and erupt to cause more sin and pain.
Trust God. "Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids." Humble yourself and go to your neighbor today and see what it will take to be rid of the debt. Believe me - believe God - it will be worth it.

September 5

Sep 5 - Today from Proverbs 5 we look at verse 15
"Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well."

Water. We take it so for granted in this wonderful land of plenty. Yet researchers suggest that upwards of 40,000 people a day die from lack of fresh, safe drinking water. About half of the hospital beds in the world are filled with people who are either directly or indirectly affected for lack of safe drinking water. I guess we don't think much about safe drinking water until it is a rare commodity. I remember driving into Romania with my family back in 1987. We were warned in no uncertain terms not to drink the water, or to drink any juices from open pitchers (because more than likely it would be made from concentrate). It was one of our several cardinal rules. Our sons were in their mid-teens at that time, and their drinks of preference were products like Dr. Pepper, Coke and Mountain Dew. It was a common summer sight to see one of them with their head in the refrigerator, and the dialogue would go something like this:
"Ma, I'm thirsty. Do we have any Coke?"
"No. Just drink some water."
"WHAT? Water!!! I'm going down to 'Stop-N-Go' to get a Coke."
Just a couple of days into Romania, and either of them would have traded a whole six-pack of Coke for one glass of cold water. Why? Because it was unavailable. We had some water in the van, and even though it was lukewarm, it was distributed it very sparingly.
When a Mid-Easterner read this proverb, he thought about it much more differently than we do. In the arid and desert lands the family well was about one of their most important possessions. The family would also most often have a cistern to catch and preserve rainwater for washing and irrigating and possibly even cooking. A Hebrew would not even consider buying a piece of land if there were no well on, or water available to the parcel. In the Old Testament times there were actually territorial wars fought over wells. Or, if an enemy wanted to make sure the conquered did not return to the land, as their victims fled the enemy would fill in their wells behind them. Water was such an important commodity that it was actually a crime to steal water from another person's well.
The Metaphor of this proverb relates to adultery, and its lesson was not lost on the listeners. To tamper with another man's water supply was a threat to the health and security of his entire family. So it is when a man commits adultery with another man's wife. The bond of matrimony is to provide something personal and pure for those who take the vows, and for their entire household. Marriage is one man bonded to one woman, a system of life that is not to be tampered or interfered with by outsiders. The consequence of such activity is destructive, and effects every family member with critical emotional damage. The Teacher ends his discourse on the subject with a question. "Why embrace the bosom of another man's wife?" (vs. 20)
Why indeed! There is no good answer. The only answers any could possibly come up with would be self-serving, and that is the essence of evil. Evil destroys.

September 4

Sep 4 - Today from Proverbs 4 we look at verse 24
"Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips."

The epistle of James is often referred to by scholars as 'the Proverbs of the New Testament'. If you are at all familiar with this epistle, you are probably aware that he dedicated over a half chapter to the subject of the tongue (3:1-12). Immediately following this pithy discourse, James takes on the subject of 'genuine wisdom' for the remainder of the chapter (3:13-18). Although the writers of the Bible did not write in chapter and verse, they did write in blocks of thought. It is not coincidence that James married these two topics in one block of thought. As we regularly read through the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament, we frequently come across verses referring to our use of words. When you stop and think about it, one of the great attributes that separates man from the animals is our ability to reason, formulate thought, and articulate our ideas and feelings through a complex vocabulary of words. We marvel when some biologist spends years training an 'intelligent' ape to sign some of the most basic of thoughts and emotions and then make some quantum leaps as to the possibilities of their equality to man not in ability - but in possibility. But when you look at the marvelous achievements born of the fruit of man's reason and understanding - the 'signing apes' are far less than inferior or primitive, they are not even remotely in the same class as man.
Man was created in God's image. That is what uniquely sets man apart from all of the rest of the animal kingdom. We were created with the unique abilities of reason and the ability to articulate in order to commune with God and to worship and glorify God. To 'glorify' God literally means 'to make weighty' or to 'intensify'. Perhaps we could relate to the term better if we were to say that to 'glorify' means to 'advertise one's reputation'. Man was created to advertise God's reputation. Man was given the ability to reason and articulate thought in order to reflect God's character. That is exactly how it was in the beginning - when things were still good. Then sin entered the picture and all of creation became distorted - including man's speech. Man no longer used his tongue solely to advertise God's reputation, he used it mainly to promote his own reputation. The tongue became the most useful instrument of man's self-centered heart. Thus James connects the concepts of the use of the tongue and of genuine wisdom. Wisdom is understanding God's original purposes for creation, and the tongue is to be the most useful instrument in applying that understanding. Knowledge is of the mind - wisdom is of the heart. The tongue is to be an instrument of the heart. We cannot, as James puts it, 'tame the tongue', without first having our hearts changed.
James introduces genuine wisdom with this statement; "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom." (3:13). Then he describes genuine wisdom in verse 17; "Wisdom from above is first of all pure; then peace-loving, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." This is a description of the character of Christ. The character of Christ is referred to as 'the fruit of the Spirit' in Galatians 5:22-23. Man cannot tame his tongue because his heart has been perverted and corrupted from its original intent and purpose. We get our tongue under control when we give the Lord control of our heart. We do that by dying to 'self' in Christ Jesus. When we practice this most basic kingdom principle, we will find ourselves growing in our purpose and ability to advertise the reputation of a loving, just, merciful and saving God who originally created this now perverted and corrupted world good. We have been enabled by His Spirit to reflect His character in speech, in attitude and in deed. They all work together from the issue of a pure heart - cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
Our greatest work is not to do good, but to die to self.