"You Look Familiar "

We have probably all heard the saying “familiarity breads contempt”. Well I would like to add another thought to that one. Contempt is not all familiarity breeds.

• Familiarity breeds comfort
• Familiarity breeds routine
• Familiarity breeds laziness

One more that you would think is true but often proves to be false is this - "Familiarity breeds insight." The truth is that familiarity usually kills insight because we think there is nothing more we can learn. We know all there is to know, so we stop looking for new insights. And consequently the result is that familiarity does not breed insight it breeds boredom. Let me illustrate.

For most husbands there are three days of the year we tend to dread. Our wife’s birthday, our anniversary and Christmas. The reason being those days mean we have to pick out a present for our wife. Well imagine early on in the marriage a young, naive husband learns that his wife loves perfume. So suddenly all of his questions about what to buy on those special days have been answered. Be it a birthday, anniversary, or Christmas he no longer has to think or interact with his wife about what to buy. He has found out all he needs to know so he can (finally) get back to the golf course. When this happens in marriage, we sometimes stop listening or paying attention and begin to miss things. (important things) We miss all the hints about a new outfit, the pictures of jewelry left lying around . We stop listening. We stop asking what they would like. Why? Because we know the answer. We stop trying to discover more about our spouse, because perfume is easy. No matter what the occasion, perfume is always the answer. Then you hear those words no husband really wants to hear “honey, we need to talk!” (a wise man will listen without a golf club in his hand.)

No where is this more evident than in our study of familiar passages of the Bible. Sometimes in our Bible reading when we get to these stories we skip over them because we already "know" them and to dig in familiar territory is needless work. What we know about that story no longer excites us and what we don’t know no longer concerns us. Consequently we stop trying to learn more, stop meditating, and stop studying. Stories like Jonah and the Whale – David and Goliath – The Cross – the Resurrection of Christ - The Christmas Story. Stories many of us have heard since we were old enough to go to Sunday School
It takes thought and concentration to get beyond the cliches and the obvious truths we have heard so many times. It means acknowledging that there is more to these stories than meets the eye.
God says that the Scriptures are alive. They are living and active they always have something to say to us. Are you bored with Bible study? Do those old stories you know so well still excite you and challenge you? Has familiarity led to complacency and boredom?
May I challenge you, maybe even today to get out your Bible and look up a story you know so well you can almost quote it. Begin to study it with a renewed desire to see what it has to say. Study it to to get below the surface and dig for fresh insight. Start looking for nuggets of truth that have been hidden because you thought you “knew the story”. Ask God to open your eyes that you might see wonderful things from His Word – insights and truths you have never discovered in all these years.
Remember these words from Proverbs, this is how we need to approach God’s word
Pro 2:1- 5 “My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

I remember driving down the same road year after year thinking it was the most boring stretch of road on the planet.. I’d seen it all a hundred times, I knew it like the back of my hand. Then one day I decided to walk down that same road and I noticed things that I had never seen before. When I slowed down and walked that which once seemed boring came alive with new life . Things I had never seen in all these years jumped out at me – the beauty of flowers, the aroma of the blossoms, the rustling of the leaves on the trees, the birds singing, it looked new and fresh and exciting. And all I did was slow down.
Next time you are tempted to skip over a familiar story because you know it so well - slow down - and you may find God putting his arm around you saying “FRIEND, WE NEED TO TALK”

2 Timothy 3:15 "study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed."

"Ready - Fire - Aim"

“Ready, Fire, Aim.” You will never find these instructions in the manual that comes with a firearm. The reasons are obvious. The results would be disastrous. Someone would eventually get seriously hurt. Learning how to aim is the key to using a firearm and it is also the key to using our words.
I have never done this, and never will, but if I were to carry around a tape recorder with me all day I wonder what my words would sound like. How many of my words just shot out of my mouth with little thought or aim given to them? Proverbs gives us a wonderful word picture to help us to use our tongues properly. So no one gets hurt.

Proverbs 25:11 “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”

Apples of gold in settings of silver, that is a beautiful table setting. Pleasant to the eyes. Solomon compares that to words fitly or rightly spoken.
There is something very beautiful about the right word at the right time isn’t there. We’ve all been victims of people trying help and all they have done is hurt. They fired but forgot to aim. And we have all been the recipient of that right word, that fitting word and know how much it meant to us.

• A word fitly spoken at the graveside of a loved one is a memorable thing.
• A word fitly spoken to that teenager whose heart has been broken is a precious thing.
• A word fitly spoken to those who need a loving rebuke is a valuable thing.
• A word fitly spoken is a word that has been chosen with a great deal of thought and preparation.
• A word fitly spoken is a word spoken with the right attitude, the proper tone and at the right time.

Shooting from the hip seldom brings images of apples of Gold in settings of silver. It usually conjures up images of a train wreck. The Apostle Peter was never at a loss for words, and on one occasion it even tells us in Mark’s Gospel that Peter spoke and the only reason he spoke was because he didn’t know what to say. That's the equivalent of saying I'm not sure where to aim so I'm just going to start shooting. It might be wise to turn off the tape recorder before you start. Jesus tell us in Matthew 12:36 something that should make us all reach for the duck tape "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak," with that in mind we should listen to this great counsel from Ecclesiastes

12: 9 - 10 “Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.”

Proverbs reminds us to learn to choose our words thoughtfully , especially in tense, emotional settings. Think about what would encourage, and uplift. Often I have found that a few words can speak volumes. We cannot take our words back once they are said. Therefore, seek to find right words, fitting words, and if you can’t find them and don’t know what to say ( can't get the aim right) that’s ok. Take your hand off the trigger. (Bite your tongue) Believe it or not, sometimes our hurting friends, or our kids, don’t need our words, they just need us put an arm around them and be quiet. Remember, Silence can be golden as well.

"The Green Eyed Monster"

We have all probably heard of the “green-eyed” monster. No, not Shrek, the other one. It has many different names but the most common one it goes by is “Envy”. Being a book about life and godly wisdom it is not surprising that Proverbs talks quite a bit about envy. Jonathan Edwards defines envy this way - “Envy is a spirit of dissatisfaction or opposition to the prosperity or happiness of other people.” Proverbs helps us narrow down a particular group of people we as believers may be tempted to envy and it may surprise you.

Proverbs 23:17 “Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.”

The fact that Proverbs tells me not to do this means that this must be something I find myself prone to do. So I did a quick inventory of my heart and sure enough it was there, the tendency if I am not careful, to envy sinners. Now there are some sinners I don’t envy. I don’t envy drug addicts and alcoholics, or those whose lives or families are falling apart because of sinful choices. I don’t envy John and Kate and their eight kids, I feel sorry for them. But not all sinners are drug addicts or have their lives falling apart around them. Some are upstanding citizens, have nice families, good marriages, nice homes and good reputations. Some sinners have a lot of really nice stuff as well. Nice stuff, stuff I would really like to have! They seem to enjoy life. They get up on Sunday morning and never think about church. They have a nice breakfast, get the kids ready for soccer. Go to the game, come home and spend some time around the pool with the family and some friends and never give one thought toward God or church. They seem perfectly happy in this world because they are. This world is all they know. They are at home here, this is their turf. Yes sometimes it is easy to envy them.
But I am thankful for the honesty of scripture and for recording for us another man’s struggle with this same thing in Psalm 73 his name was Asaph.

Psalm 73:2-14 “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not h stricken like the rest of mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace violence covers them as a garment. Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.”

Thankfully psalm 73 does not end with vs 14 and Proverbs 23 does not end with verse 17. There is more at stake than just this life.

Psalm 73:16-17 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.

Just read today about a famous celebrity who passed away. I'm sure there would be much about his life one could envy, but where is he now? Where will sinners be 1 second after they die. What is their future from an eternal perspective. For the believer the future is bright and filled with hope beyond the grave. It comes through salvation in Jesus Christ. Remember, we are not home yet. We are strangers and pilgrims on this earth, the best is yet to come for the believer. We have a sure and certain hope, we have a home prepared for us, and we are awaiting our Father’s return for us so keep looking up. For the sinner this is as good as it gets, the worst is yet to come for them. We need to keep an eternal perspective on our lives. Life is not about the abundance of the things we possess. Here is the point of this little article -

It is very unlikely we will have much of a passion for evangelizing sinners if we are secretly envying sinners.

We will be home soon, so don’t envy sinners. When tempted go re-read Psalm 73, then seek to rescue sinners from the wrath to come by telling them the good news of Jesus Christ. Our relationship with God will bring greater satisfaction than any “thing” this world can give.

Proverbs 23:18 Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

"Do It Again!"

Heb 13:7- 9 “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.

Here is very thought provoking quote read it slowly...

“A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” [G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, Chapter 4]

Think about it... this spring we were looking forward to the trees blooming and they did. But it was the same as last year - green leaves - every year green, green, green. But we don’t mind.
There is glorious detail in every flower down to the smallest particle - yet it is the same every year. It is true that we rejoice that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. But sometimes we cringe at the thought that something might be the same this week as it was last week.
There is a certain security in the routine, in sameness. Children can hear the same bedtime story again and again and again. So much so that the parents secretly are tempted to “loose the book” so they can read something else. Children never seem to tire of repetition. They love to do it again. Children love routine - they flourish under routine - schedules. The best teachers are teachers that understand the power and importance of routine and schedules.

Obviously God is perfect and we are not and when we are doing something there is always room for improvement and change
But what is the reason we should be willing to change? Is it because sameness is bad or routine is bad? Is it change for the sake of change. No!

We change because we are open to the fact that there may be a better ways of doing something. We change because we are learning - and learning implies a willingness to change. To change because we think routine and sameness are bad or wrong is to be mistaken. It is the flesh not the spirit that hates routine, discipline.

Golfers practice for hours and hours so they can learn to repeat he same swing time after time. There success depends on the ability to reproduce the same swing every time. They never complain about being bored. Routine is the key to there success.
It may be a mark of our sin nature and immaturity that we get bored with sameness and not the other way around. There is nothing sinful about routine - there is nothing wrong with knowing what comes next.
Do you wonder what heaven will be like? Will it be constant change? Or will there be a perfect , glorious sameness that we will rejoice in for eternity?

“It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." When I pray to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Daniel, Isaiah and David, The God of Paul, John, and Peter, the God of Luther, Edwards and Livingston I am praying Father "Do it again... in me."

"Worn Out"

A few years ago a survey was done interviewing married couples who had been married from 2 years to 20 years. One interesting statistic gathered from from those interviews was this... Those couples who had been married for 2 years when asked about marriage and their mates talked about the positive attributes of marriage and things they enjoyed and appreciated about their spouse. Those couples who had been married 20 years tended to talk about the negatives of marriage and the things about their spouse they didn't like.

There are probably several lessons we could draw out of these findings but let me give you just one. Time has a way of wearing us down, of changing our perspective, and our outlook if we are not careful. I came across this quote the other day...

"Satan has in fact a plan against the saints of the Most High which is to wear them out. What is meant by this phrase, "wear out"? It has in it the idea of reducing a little this minute, then reducing a little further the next minute. Reduce a little today, reduce a little tomorrow. Thus the wearing out is almost imperceptible; nevertheless, it is a reducing. The wearing down is scarcely an activity of which one is conscious, yet the end result is that there is nothing left. He will take away your prayer life little by little, and cause you to trust God less and less and yourself more and more, a little at a time. He will make you feel somewhat cleverer than before. Step by step, you are misled to rely more on your own gift, and step by step your heart is enticed away from the Lord. Now, were Satan to strike the children of God with great force at one time, they would know exactly how to resist the enemy since they would immediately recognize his work. He uses the method of gradualism to wear down the people of God." -Watchman Nee

Wearing down... what does it look like in our lives as believers, what does it look like in ministry?

• Amazement wears down to amusement
• Rejoicing wears down to routine
• Power wears down to programs
• Conviction wears down to concern
• Devotion wears down to duty
• Relationship wears down to responsibilities
• Affection wears down to activity
• Ministry wears down to methods
• Obedience wears down to obligation
• Holiness wears down to happiness
• Expository Preaching wears down to eloquent persuasion
• Prayer wears down to platitudes
  

We dare not be ignorant of Satan’s devises. He loves to just wear us down little by little, getting our eyes of Christ and His glorious cross little by little and trusting in our own strength and ingenuity more and more to get the Lord's work done. Before long are we're complaining of being just worn out. The joy of serving, witnessing, and worshiping is a distant memory. If that is you may I encourage you with these verses.

Isaiah 40:28-32
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

The devil comes to steal and destroy, Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” The fear of the Lord leads us to life in Jesus Christ. Worn down people need a place to rest. That rest is found in Christ. He invites us to "Come unto me all you labor and are heavy laden,(Worn out) and I will give you rest." Christ does not want us to snore - He wants us to soar.

"Squeaky Stairs"

I grew up in an old farmhouse in Northern Maine. It was a nice old farmhouse, lots of character and charm. However, there was one thing about that house as I grew into my teen years that I began to despise. There was a general understanding between me and my parents that I was to be home on week-ends by 11:45 PM . That normally did not present a problem because in my home town you ran out of things to do around 6:30. But one particular night I found myself arriving home around 1:00 AM. (I must have been out of town.) So I took off my shoes and started to go up (sneak up) the stairs to my bedroom - when suddenly ... “CREEEEEEAK”. Those old squeaky stairs were shouting to my parents, “HE”S LATE”. They heard the shout, “Hal, is that you?” Now If I said nothing I risked being shot ( my dad was always ready for intruders) so “Yes” was the prudent but reluctant answer. “Good night Hal , we’ll talk about it in the morning.” So I laid in bed contemplating this unfortunate turn of events. I concluded they must have gotten up at 11:46 and squeezed every last bit of moisture out of those stairs because there is no way they were that loud when I left. I hated those stairs. All I really wanted to talk about in the morning is where can we find a good carpenter to silence those stairs. (to increase the resale value of course ) All they wanted to talk about is what the “creaky stairs” told them last night, “HE”S LATE”.

Proverbs gives us a flashing yellow light "squeaky stairs" to warn us we may be going down a dangerous path. It helps us know when we or others might be about to make a very bad decision.

18:1 “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
he breaks out against all sound judgment.”

Avoiding counsel, avoiding accountability, avoiding the “squeaky stairs” is a sure sign we are considering a decision that we know may be wrong. When that is true it is amazing how loud and annoying people can be. So we isolate ourselves. We stop coming to church, stop reading our bibles, stop asking for advise. Why? We are seeking our own desire, we are being driven by selfishness. At the end of that road is one thing - heartache. Where are you right now? Are you angry with some “squeaky” friends or family members. Are you avoiding people because you are afraid what they will tell you? Thank God for people in your life who will hold you accountable, who will warn you when you are about to go down a wrong path. You don’t need to silence the stairs you need to silence your guilty conscience, you need to listen, humble yourself and repent. When our desire is to live holy and pleasing lives before God and our conscience is clean we will not find squeaky stairs annoying but rather a gift.

Proverbs 18:10 "The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

the righteous man runs into it and is safe."

"You Have the Right to Remain Silent."

It puzzles me, in an age where appearance is everything , why more people have not caught on to the biblical way of improving their perceived intelligence. It is found in Proverbs…

17:28 “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.”

Now granted, being considered wise and deemed intelligent is not the same as being wise and intelligent, but we all have to start somewhere. It is better than opening our mouths and removing any doubt whatsoever.

There are many things that can be hidden in silence. For example, it is amazing how smart I can appear in a room full of well educated people when I let them do all the talking. The conversation is intriguing, the subject complicated, and a couple of well timed nods of agreement, or the furrowed brow of one in deep thought can give the appearance of intelligence and comprehension. It hides the fact that I’m just trying to figure why my watch stopped working, is it broken or does it need a new battery. Where do you buy batteries for a watch like this? I don’t have a clue what they are talking about, but that all gets hidden in the silence.
A couple helpful hints for hiding ignorance... from someone with a lot to hide.

1. When the meeting is over GET OUT! Get to the battery store before it closes.
   
2. “Stop blogging”! Unless it's already to late.
   

I think the flip side of this verse points to the path of true wisdom and real intelligence. It is the reason fools never find it. Silence and closed lips need to be accompanied by listening ears. James says “be swift to hear and slow to speak…” Jesus said "he that has ears to hear, let him hear..." I have found in my own experience that it is impossible to listen and talk at the same time. I need to learn how to listen, to pay attention. When my lips are moving I am not learning. The greatest need I have in my life is to listen to God ...to be still and know that I am NOT God. I need to listen to that “still small voice”. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give others is a listening ear. There is a time to speak and a time to listen. May God grant us the daily wisdom to know what time it is. If we want to be truly wise and intelligent, we need to exercise our rights...

We have the right to remain silent - let's use it.

Here are some encouraging words from James

James 1:19-25 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

"Short Fuse"

When I was a young teenager my brother and I somehow “acquired” a large supply of firecrackers. It so happened that the farm we lived on also had a large supply of apple trees. So we began to think ...firecrackers …..apples….. firecrackers ….. apples ... hmmmm what could we do. (Devious minds were at work). We soon discovered that if you put a firecracker in an apple it makes a great little apple grenade. So we began to assemble an arsenal of loaded apples. Rotten apples worked especially well. How we enjoyed lobbing these “apple bombs” at the unsuspecting friends we had invited up for target practice. The looks on their faces when those apples exploded - “priceless”. As I said, devious minds were at work, but devious minds are not always the brightest minds on the planet. On one occasion I had lit the fuse on one of my apple bombs. I held it so it would burn a bit then then tossed it but nothing happened. I went and got it and discovered that it had burned down to the top of the firecracker and went out. It was still good it just needed to be relit. (caution genius at work) So I picked it up, got real close so I could see the fuse , lit the match, touched the fuse and “BOOM” right In my face. I suddenly began to have some empathy for my former friends. Fortunately God preserves the simple and I wasn’t hurt. But I got a new appreciation for the term “short fuse”. I realized that when someone is described as having a short fuse it’s not a good thing. It can get real messy.

Proverbs talks about the dangers of short fuses. Hot tempered short fused people have destroyed countless relationships, families, marriages, children and friends. We have all been on both ends of the short fuse. We have watched friends or a family member blow up in our face and we have blown up in their faces as well.

Proverbs 16:32 “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

Slow to anger = long fuse. How do we do that? “He who rules his spirit …” Self control. The problem is that for short fused people everyone else rules their spirit. They become like the people they are around. He yelled at me, I yell back. People yank our chain and off we go. They control us. We need to learn to respond to people instead of just react to them. We need to be controlled by a power greater than ourselves. We need to be filled with the Spirit of God

Eph. 5:18. "....Be constantly be being filled with the Spirit"

Then we can do what Proverbs 15:1 tells us “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

A soft answer is a controlled answer. The air may be hot and the temperature is rising are you going to be controlled by the temperature (thermometer) or are you going to control the temperature (thermostat). A soft answer comes from someone with a long fuse, a Spirit controlled, long-suffering person. A harsh word stirs up anger and we all know that is true. When someone yells at me and I yell back things don’t calm down, they blow up. Who is ruling your spirit today? Who is in control of you? You will know as soon as your fuse is lit. How long did it take to blow up? Short fuse =self - Long fuse= the Spirit.

Here are some great verses to encourage you in this battle.

Gal 5:16- 23 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, a you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

"Can You Keep a Secret?"

"Can you keep a secret?" Ever had someone ask you that? All of a sudden your heart starts to beat faster, your eyes get wider, your ears are tingling. What are they going to tell me, is it good news, bad news, juicy news. Yes I can keep a secret, tell me quick before I explode.
Who at some point in their life has not had to deal with the awesome responsibility of keeping a secret. When we are confided in by that friend what a test of character we are being confronted with. This is a juicy bit of information I could use to bolster my career by making this person look bad. I could use it to tear this person down or I could use it to build my self up. Or out of love and respect for this person I can conceal the matter. Hide it in my heart. Guard it with my lips. Revealing vs concealing. What to do, what to do? This verse may help you decide. Pro 11:13 A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.

Proverbs has much to say about how we deal with others especially how we deal with the information other people tell us in confidence.

Pro 20:19 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.
Pro 25:9 = Debate your case with your neighbor himself, and do not disclose the secret to another;
Pro 26:20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.
Pro 26:21 = As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
Pro 26:22 = The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.
Pro 14:5 = A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies.

Tale bearers are flatterers – they say things to your face they would never say behind your back – they say them to get you to bear your soul and then they reveals your secrets – Solomon’s advice – do not associate with them 20:19
There a things we go through in our relationships as friends, family, husband & wife that should never go beyond those boundaries. They should be kept between the two parties involved. Sign of friendship – sign of a good marriage – problems are solved between the two people and no one needs to know the details. 25:9
Talebearers are people who infect offices, churches, homes with strife. They are like charcoal to a burning fire – they keep things going. The only way to eliminate the strife is to get rid of them. When they go the strife ceases. 26:20
Slander may be sport to tale-bearers, but it is death to those whom they abuse. We can commit murder with the tongue as well as with the hand. The worst evil you can do a man is to injure his character. The world for the most part believes that where there is smoke there is fire, and what everybody says must be true. 26:22

"Gossips of both genders, give up the shameful trade of tale bearing; don't be the devil's bellows any longer to blow up the fire of strife.. Praise God more, and blame neighbors less. Any goose can cackle, any fly can find out a sore place, any empty barrel can give forth sound, any briar can tear a man's flesh. Think much, but say little; be quick at work and slow at talk; and, above all, ask the great Lord to set a watch over your lips.” Spurgeon

Guard that secret a friend has told you in confidence.
Avoid those who make a sport out of spreading lies, spreading gossip, causing strife and discord. You may find that if you do this you will be out of the loop but the bible says that the loop you were in was a noose and if you are not careful it will strangle you.

Every time you make a choice, you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And, taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures and with itself. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other. ... C. S. Lewis

Choose to conceal that which will only hurt others
Choose to be a person of character
Choose to be a person in whom people can confide
Choose to be like Jesus – Live like Jesus not only by what we say but in what we don’t say.

Let me leave you with a question – Can you keep a secret?

"Stick out Your Tongue"

When I used to go to the doctor as a young boy he would begin the examination by telling me to stick out my tongue. I wasn't sure why, maybe it was a way to check my hearing. "He stuck out his tongue, so his hearing is fine." What I didn't know then (but I do now) is that doctors know the tongue reveals a great deal about a person's physical health.
What we learn from the Bible is that the tongue is also a great indicator of our spiritual health. Therefore the Bible has a great deal to say about how we use our tongue.
James chapter three is a great passage that deals with the tongue. The power of the tongue, the inability of man to tame the tongue are some of the things covered. James also says the tongue acts in our lives the same way a rudder acts on a boat. It is small in comparison to the size of the ship, but it determines the direction of the entire vessel. So it is true in our lives. A person's whole reputation hinges on the tongue. The book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom and warnings surrounding our talk. Here are some verses to ponder about the tongue from Proverbs chapter 10

11-14 "The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense. The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near."

18-21 "The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool. When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense."

31-32 "The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse."

Do you want to know what is going on in a person's heart? "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks". If you want to know the difference between a foolish person and a wise person, the tongue will tell the story. How is your spiritual health? Not sure. Stick out your tongue and have a listen.
David prayed what we all need to pray daily in Psalm 141:3

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!"

"Under the Influence"

This is not a post about drinking!!
Question, are you under the influence? Stupid question? Or you might ask (a bit defensively) the influence of what? Is something influencing you right now as you are reading this? Let me go one step further and give you the answer – the answer is yes and I can say that with certainty even though I don’t even know you. Each person reading this is under the influence of something very powerful so much so it influences the way you talk, the way you think, it influences your decisions, your dreams, goals, and even your outlook on life. It Influences you both in a positive way and a negative way. What I am talking about may surprise you– I am not talking about drugs or alcohol but rather your friends. Whether we want to admit it or not each one of us right this moment is under the influence of our friends to some degree or another.

Proverbs tells us...

Pro 12:26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.

“When you choose the company you keep, you choose the messages of life you will hear, which means you choose your future.” Zig Ziglar

The Bible re-enforces this principle time and time again. We are all influenced by the company we keep.

1Co 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."

The righteous should choose his friends carefully – Why ?Because they will influence his life!
We are all under the influence – the influence of our friends. The influence consists of the messages of life we are getting from those we choose to be with. This may be a positive thing or it may be a negative thing What are the messages of life you are getting from your friends? What’s the use, why bother, things will never change, you can’t do that, don’t believe that believe this, and on and on it goes. Dream? Crumbling, complaining, why bother it will never happen - Negative, negative, negative. Are those the messages you get from your friends, then you need some new company. If the messages from your friends are positive, and pointing you to Jesus Christ and His word that is great – keep those friends.

Read a story a long time ago drives home the point …
Somehow an egg from an eagles nest had rolled into a chicken coup and hatched. After the little eaglet came out of the egg he began to listen to the other chickens. He learned from them the messages of life from the perspective of a chicken. As the eaglet began to grow it looked up and could see these majestic looking birds flying overheard. He was told they were eagles but he could never fly like that because he was just a chicken, so he would just peck around in the dust, jump up and down with the other chickens. As he grew he longed to be up there soaring – something in him said there had to be more to this life even though all the messages he was getting from those around him said there wasn’t. One day he decided to try flapping his wings – all the other chickens laughed at him and mockingly flapped theirs to . But as he flapped he began to fly, and suddenly he was up in the air soaring with the other eagles realizing that all along his well meaning but misguided friends had not been telling him the truth.

Maybe you have been wondering is there more to life – wondering about the Bible, Jesus Christ
Your friends think you’re crazy, there is nothing more. Maybe today you need to start flapping your wings of faith. Pick up that bible and dust it off, go to church, talk to someone you know who loves God. Maybe you’ve been told you will not amount to anything so stop trying – but you have a dream, longing to be used by God in a special way. Maybe you need to surround yourself with some new messages of life from some new friends. Remember, "There is a friend who is closer than a brother" his name is Jesus and His message is a life changing message. It is a message of love, forgiveness and freedom from sin, abundant life and becoming a new creation through faith in Jesus Christ. Lies will always enslave, the truth will always set us free. The issues at stake are your future on earth but also your eternal destiny. Make sure you are under the influence of those who are telling you the truth. The truth as it is revealed in the Word of God. We are all under the influence – the only question is WHOSE?

“When you choose the company you keep, you choose the messages of life you will hear, which means you choose your future.” Zig Ziglar

What Do You Think?

Where is God when I need Him? Ever asked that question? A better question and a more revealing question is this. How often do I think I need him? Most people would answer that question theoretically with "I need thee every hour." That sounds good, unfortunately in the practical everyday stuff of life it it doesn't always ring true. When it comes right down to it, our attitudes are often more like the Church at Laodicea in Revelation "for you say I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing." I came across this quote in my reading recently that really made me think...

"If we think we are usually good, then God is usually irrelevant" Edward T. Welch "When People are Big and God is Small"

What a tragic thought - that I could live my life in such a way that my creator, the one who gives me breath, my Savior the one who died for my sin, the one who rose from the dead and calls me to walk in newness of life, the one who came to give me life more abundantly, the one who now lives within me - that I could live my life in such a way that Jesus Christ becomes irrelevant shows the deceitfulness of sin and depravity of the human heart. The scary thing is that it can happen even though we still go to church and talk about Jesus. Our hearts and minds get taken captive by the feel good rhetoric of our culture and we buy into what pop psychology says about man (that he is basically or usually good) and consequently render irrelevant the Cross and the scriptures as far as dealing with mans real problems. Heaven and Hell, sin and repentance, grace and forgiveness are seen as out of date and irrelevant to our new way of thinking and acting.

How can God become usually irrelevant in our lives? I mean, we go to church we have several bibles in our homes, how does this happen? It is a very deceitful thing.

• If we think we are usually good - The cross of Christ (the Gospel) is usually irrelevant
• If we think we are usually good - Hell is usually irrelevant
• If we think we are usually good - God's forgiveness is usually irrelevant
  
• If we think we are usually good - God's law is usually irrelevant
• If we think we are usually right - God's Word is usually irrelevant
• If we think we are usually strong - God's strength is usually irrelevant
• If we think we are usually clever - God's wisdom is usually irrelevant
• If we think we are usually safe - God's protection is usually irrelevant
• If we think we are usually free - God's deliverance is usually irrelevant
• If we think we are usually lovable - God's grace is usually irrelevant
• If we think we are usually in control - God's sovereignty is usually irrelevant
• If we think we are usually in need of nothing - God's throne of grace is usually irrelevant

Irrelevant means - God doesn't matter, God is of no consequence, God carries no weight in our decision making, God serves no purpose, I don't need God. Before we know it we have a "form of godliness" but deny the power needed to make us truly godly. I believe churches are filled with people like this. It is hard to get people excited about someone who is thought to be irrelevant to their lives. As we see in the church at Laodicea God will not tolerate being relegated to a place of irrelevance in His church or in the lives of His people.

The reality is there is no one we need more than God. We need to be saved from our sin, we need cleansing everyday from sin and we find it at the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross humbles, us, cleanses us from every sin, it becomes our joy, our boasting, our Life. "For me to live, Paul says , Is Christ." We are weak but His strength is made perfect in our weakness, His wisdom keeps us from stumbling and keeps us safe, His word is true, sufficient and powerful. When my life is spinning out of control, God is still in control. Our neediness manifests itself in our prayerfulness. Therefore pray without ceasing.
If I believe that in me dwells no good thing, If I believe that God's kingdom rules over all, If I believe that God loves me sent his Son to die in my place on the cross, If I believe that one Day Christ is coming back to this earth, If believe that one day I am going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ, then God is always relevant. What we really believe becomes evident and relevant in the everyday stuff of life. What do you believe?

"If we think we are usually good, then God is usually irrelevant"

2 Corinthians 10:4- 6 "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete."

Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

"You Can't Miss It" Proverbs 1:20-22

I hate asking for directions. The main reason being, I have done it before and it seldom works. Local people assume way to much when they are giving strangers directions. I need more than hand signals. Sitting in the car watching and listening to the waving and pointing and mumbling, I think he said "When you leave here turn right and go past 23 stop lights then turn left, at the next intersection take a sharp right, go past 5 gas stations, when you come to the fork in the road take it. The place you are looking for will be on your right side just down a few blocks. Then you hear those 4 words you hate to hear and you hope no one else in the car heard - “you can’t miss it”. As soon as those words are out of our friends mouth there are bets being taken in the back seat that dad will miss it. And sure enough, that place I couldn’t miss, I missed it. Now that I have a GPS in the car I no longer need to ask for directions. Fortunately the voice that talks to me on my GPS has been programed to be polite, unlike those in the back seat. When I miss a turn it simply says “recalculating” which means in GPS language “you missed it stupid?”
If you have a heading in your Bible just above Proverbs 1:20 it says “The Call of Wisdom.” If I could summarize what God is telling us in vs 20 - 21 about finding wisdom it would simply be this, “you can’t miss it!”
“Wisdom cries aloud” it does not whisper
“Wisdom cries aloud in the streets” not in secluded back alleys
“In the markets” where everyone gathers on a regular basis
“In the markets she raises her voice” she wants to be heard
“At the head of the noisy streets” as people travel by
“At the head of the noisy streets she cries out” listen to me
“At the entrance of the city gates” where rulers often sit, where strangers come and go
“At the entrance of the city gates she speaks” she has something to say
All these indicate that if we want wisdom, wisdom is not playing hard to get. Wisdom is not hiding, wisdom in not obscure, wisdom is not out of reach. Wisdom is right in front of us. Then what is the problem? How do we miss it? The problem has to do with what we love and delight in more than wisdom.
How long...will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing, and fools hate knowledge. Vs 22
Wisdom is a heart issue. We have no excuse for living without God’s wisdom. But we need to remember, God does not give wisdom to the curious. He gives wisdom to the humble, obedient and hungry heart.
Hardness of heart leads to ignorance of God’s truth and wisdom. People cannot hear wisdom because they are not listening for it. They are in love with the sound of their own voice. They are in love with their sinful life styles. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Eph 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

But to the humble believer seeking to honor and glorify God in his daily life God gives this wonderful promise.

James 1:5-8 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

“If any of you lacks wisdom as a parent, in your marriage, on your job, in your trial, let him ask God, who gives generously …”
Wisdom cries aloud, Wisdom cries clearly, Wisdom cries everywhere

“YOU CAN’T MISS IT”

Thank God for this wonderful promise.

"Can You Hear Me Now"

Proverbs 1:8-10 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

Proverbs has much to say about the family. Much of what is written is a fathers instruction to his child. These three verses present us with one of the challenges of parenting. Teaching our children is one aspect of parenting, getting them to listen is the other. Teaching is of little value if a child has not been taught to listen.
"Can you hear me now?" is not only a good slogan for a cell phone company, it is a reminder to parents that we need to be asking that of our children as they go though the different stages of life. Can they hear me now? Who has their heart?
One of the responsibilities parents have in bringing up their children is to bring them early on in their lives to the place where they will listen to instruction. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. Part of that foolishness manifests itself in an unwillingness to listen. 1:7
It is not just hearing us as parents, that's not enough. If their ears work properly they can hear you. But are they listening to you? That is a different story altogether.
Bringing a child to the place where they will listen takes place in the first five years of their lives. These are the most important years in child rearing. I am sure many teachers in our schools would agree that far to many children come to school that first year who can hear but will not listen. How do I know if they are listening to me? One word - Obedience. Do they obey you. Do you have their heart?
Why is this important - obviously there are several good reasons but let me give you two found in vs 8-10.
1. Listening ears dress your child up so they look good to others. graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. These are things that make a child look good to others. There is something to be admired when you see a well behaved child. It makes you smile. On the other hand, there is little smiling done when you are around a disobedient child.
2. You are not the only voice in your child's life. if sinners entice you
Parents we need to bring our children to the place where they listen to us because the voices in this world are powerful, enticing, destructive and appeal very much to the sinful heart resident in every child. The world wants our children. We need to be prepared to fight for our children. Part of that battle is a battle for their hEARts. Bring them to the place where they will listen to you, and teach them the life changing Word of God. Teach them...
God loves them.
Their heart is sinful.
Jesus died for their sin and rose again.
If they come to Jesus by grace alone through faith alone they can be saved
Saved people have a new heart.
Saved people know and listen to God's Word.
May these truths and many others be taught early to our children so that when sinners entice them they will say NO, my heart belongs to Jesus. "My son, Can you hear me now?" "Listen to the instruction of your father and do not forsake the law of your mother."

Cross references:

1. Proverbs 1:8 : Proverbs 6:20; Psalm 34:11; Eph 6:1, 2
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Proverbs 1:9 : Proverbs 4:9; Proverbs 3:22
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Proverbs 1:9 : Gen 41:42; Dan 5:29
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Proverbs 1:10 : Proverbs 16:29
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2 Timothy 3:14-15 "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."