The Fear of the LORD is the Beginning of Knowledge

  The proverbs of Solomon son of David, King of Israel

 

1. For attaining wisdom and discipline;  for understanding words of insight;

2. For acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;

3. For giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—

4. Let the wise listen and add to their learning and let the discerning get guidance—

5. For understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and the riddles of the wise..

 

6. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

 

Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

 

1. Pay attention to the instruction of your parents.

2. Do not give in to peer pressure.

3. Do not steal from anyone or hang around with those who do.

4. Those who rob others and get into trouble will end up wasting their lives, or worse.

 

5. We will find wisdom in studying, reading and meditating on God’s Word.

 

6. We will hear wisdom when we choose to seek it out from others who know God and have a new life in Christ Jesus. This is why we go to church, to hear God’s Word explained, to worship our King, and to make new friends with whom we can encourage and find common ground with.

 

7. We pray that our unsaved friends, and yes, even enemies, come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, be granted the grace of repentance, the faith to believe, and be given new hearts to desire to follow after Jesus Christ.

 

 

Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom

 

God has given us His Holy Scriptures so that we may seek Him and find Him when we seek Him with all our heart. Wisdom and knowledge come through Jesus Christ who is the Word of God made flesh.

 

God has given us a conscience and gives us many teachers during our lifetime. Some of those teachers are people in our lives who speak God’s wisdom to us at various times. Some of those teachers are tests and trials and other hardships to cause us to look to God. God can speak to us in various ways, but the number one way is through His Word, the Bible. 

 

We can either curse God, ignore Him, or cry out to Him for mercy and salvation.  God speaks to our conscience many times during our lifetime.  We know when something is evil, we know that when we lie or steal it is wrong, although before we are saved we may make excuses for these things. God has made Himself known in many ways so that man is without excuse. None of us know exactly how much time they have on this earth, and any one of us could be snatched away in an instant in an accident, or any kind of disaster.  This is why God says, “Today is the day of salvation.”  You may not have a tomorrow.

 

Wisdom is seeking God until you find Him.  Then continue to seek Him on a daily basis for getting to know Him in a deeper way. Listen to your heart conscience, as God will impress upon it what He knows you need to hear.

 

Where do you seek Him? Begin with His Word, particularly the Gospels first, and the letters, then Psalms and Proverbs, then you will be more prepared to understand the Old Testament books. Find a Christ honoring, Bible teaching Church that is full of grace and the love of Christ. Ask God to open up your understanding of His Word so that you may know Him and grow spiritually in Him. 

 

Before you seek Him in His Word, first ask Him to open your understanding so you can know Him and know what you need to do.  He will never turn away anyone who is sincere in wanting to really know Him. Your motive must be humble and sincere. If you go to His Word to try to prove Him wrong or to trash His Word, He will not listen to you.  You will be putting yourself in greater danger of judgment.  He is God and there is no other.  He has the right to do what He pleases even if we cannot understand the why of any particular thing.  He has given us enough information to be able to trust Him even when we do not understand the why of any situation. That is why we live by faith upon faith until the end of this life on earth. In eternity we will understand the why of everything.

 

~Annie~

 

The Passover to the Cross

 The Passover to the Cross

 The Law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22).

 

Exodus 12 is a forerunner of salvation by the blood of the Lamb of God.

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to the size of their house, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for one  lamb he may share with his nearest neighbor according to the number of persons, according to what each can eat.  Your lamb should be without blemish, a one year old male. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month  when the whole assembly of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on both of the door posts and the lintel on the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. It must be roasted with its head and it legs and inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until morning; anything that remains until morning you shall burn.

In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. "It is the LORD's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments (there was a plaque for each of the gods of Egypt):  I am the LORD.  The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plaque will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

This day shall be a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast (Exodus 12:1-14). God continues with more instructions concerning this feast.

*****

God gave instructions through Moses to the Israelites who for 400 years had been slaves in Egypt. God, who heard their cries, would free them from their bondage and lead them into the Promised land if they would trust and obey Him.  God did not do this immediately, but after having sent 10 plaques upon Egypt, because the Pharaoh had a hard heart and did not want to lose his slaves. Each of the plaques represented one of Egypt's many false gods. After having put their trust in God's Word and obediently carrying out God's instructions, God provided the way out of the land of bondage and to freedom. They would then journey through the desert to the promised land.

 

However, after being baptized in the red sea they will be put through a series of tests as they journey through the desert on their way to the promised  land. Faith must be tested in every child of God in order to reveal to us (not to God) what is really in our heart. Our faith, like gold, must be put through the fire to be tested to determine if it is genuine. Are we truly trusting and getting to know our One and Only living God?  What areas need to be strengthened, what sin needs to be confessed, what do we need to let go of, what lessons need to be learned, what desires need to be exchanged for His desires, who is our focus on, who or what are we trusting in, and who do we look to for wisdom and direction? Are our eyes and heart fixed on Jesus the Author and perfecter of our faith? Have we surrendered our will to His will? 

Does this sound familiar?  John 1:29, John the Baptist said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" He is speaking about Jesus, the promised Messiah (Christ, Savior) of the world for all who would turn from sin (repent) and put their faith in Christ Jesus and be covered by His shed blood.

He would be the final Lamb without blemish or defect that would replace the millions of lambs previously sacrificed. All those previous lambs could never take away sin, or cleanse our conscience. They could only give a  temporary cover each year untill the Lamb of God went to the cross of Calvary as a substitute, in our place, to pay the penalty for our sin, so as to satisfy the justice of our Holy God and to reconcile us to Him, so that through the shed blood of Christ Jesus, we now have access to Him at the throne of grace.

 

Just as the Israelites' faith was tested in the desert, and just as Jesus'  faith was tested by Satan in the desert, our faith will be tested in many ways on our journey home.

 

This testing is necessary and good for building us up in the faith. It is also necessary for us to know God in a deeper way and learn to lean on Him more quickly. These are probably the most painful, or stressing times in our lives, but also the most favorable time to witness, as God can use them for our benefit and His glory.

 

The power of God will be working in and through us as we rely on His wisdom and strength when we walk through the fire.  Like Shadrach, Meshshach, and Abednego, Jesus will enter the furnace with us and bring us out unsinged by the heat.  He is our Savior!

 

~Annie~

 

Planted in Christ

 

Planted in Christ

It is a singular and beautiful providence of God that nearly all the plants in hot climates, where the rain is scarce and the rivers few, have “tuberous roots buried far beneath the ground,” so that they know not when drought comes, and are almost independent of their outward circumstances.  Such is the special privilege of the children of God who are planted in Christ.  The roots of their lives are down in the depths of the fullness of God.  This life is entirely independent of outward surroundings of the pleasures or fashions of the world.  They shall not see when drought comes.  They are like trees planted by rivers of water, whose roots lie buried beneath in the ever flowing stream of God’s eternal love and unchanging grace.  So their leaf shall not wither.  (Handfuls on Purpose -Smith and Lee)

This brings to mind Psalms 1:1-3.  Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 
 
It also brings to mind John 15:1-8.  1) I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2) He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3) You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4) Remain in Me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.  5) I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.  6) If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers, such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  7) If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.  8) This is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.
 
Jesus answered, " It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' " Matthew 4:4.
 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning John 1:1-2.
 
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth John 1:14.
 
In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Colossians 2:3.

We get our nourishment from the Vine, which is Christ Jesus, the Word made flesh.
We are to feed on His Word and drink of the Holy Spirit.  Every word in the Bible has been God-breathed out for us to feed on so that we can grow spiritually mature as we gain a deeper knowledge of Him.

Check out 2 Peter 1:19-21. 
19)And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.  20) Above all you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.  21) For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 

Feeding on the Word of God is vital for our spiritual growth as well as gaining a deeper knowledge of God.  Relying on the Holy Spirit to open our understanding by illuminating Scripture passages that we prayerfully meditate on, will cause us to delight in His Word as we make this a daily practice. The more we do this as a regular practice the more rooted we will become in His Word.

He is also the Word of God and has told us His Word is our daily manna to feed on. The Holy Spirit has been given to be our Teacher and Counselor. He will take the Word of God and open it up to reveal to us the wisdom and direction we need.  God has provided for everything we need.  Our part is to pray, seek His wisdom in His Word with the help of the Holy Spirit, and act upon it in faith.  The more we store up in our hearts by meditating on His Word daily, the quicker the Holy Spirit can take from what has been stored up to bring to our remembrance in times of trouble.

Actually, Psalm 119:11 tells us to store up His Word in our hearts so that we will not sin against Him.  When temptations come, and they will, that Scripture that has been stored up in our heart will come to mind and check us.  That Scripture stored up in our hearts will also be brought to the forefront by the Holy Spirit when we are in difficult or frightening circumstances, and it will comfort and encourage us. When we are in a situation where we do not know what to do and we need wisdom, where do we find it?  Well, Jesus is the source of all wisdom and knowledge  (Colossians 2:3), so who better to go to.

I know there are some Christians who rely on the Holy Spirit but pretty much neglect the Word of God.  The Word of God cannot be separated from the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit cannot be separated from the Word of God. They always work together.  If one does not know what the Word of God says on any particular thing because they are not familiar with it, how can they have discernment against false teachings?  How can they be sure the spirit they have is the Holy Spirit. If you have the Holy Spirit you should want to be in God's Word to learn more about God Himself, His character, attributes, and His purpose as well as what His purpose is for us.  Please do not think you can go just with the Spirit and neglect the Bible. The Holy Spirit always honors Jesus Christ before Himself and will not take the glory away from Jesus who is the Word made flesh.  His purpose is to honor Christ Jesus.  There may be times you are not in the Bible every day, but still have the Holy Spirit, but you will miss the time you were in the Bible and desire to get back in it. If that desire is not there, please confess this to the Father and ask Him to put that desire into your heart so that you can know Him in a deeper way and gain discernment of what is true and what is error in the teachings that are being broadcast over the air and in some churches.  The desire to be in His Word may not be very strong in the beginning, but the more regularly you are in His Word and actively meditating on it, the stronger the desire will become.

As a genuine Christian we are planted in Christ but let us also be rooted in the Word of God. The Holy Spirit takes from what we have stored up or have studied or meditated on, and will bring particular passages to our mind as we need them in any type of situation when we rely on Him. The more you daily meditate on His Word on a regular basis, preferably daily, you will take greater delight as the Holy Spirit illuminates God's Word and begins revealing treasures we missed when first reading through.  God's Word is an endless supply of treasure that we will go on discovering even into eternity.

~Annie~

Pressing On



Let us press on each new day...

 

Not that I have already obtained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me (Philippians 3:12).

 

What is Paul saying here?  As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit that is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

 

But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions... it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms with Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith...and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God...not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:1-10).

 

Through our baptism we died to sin. How can we live in it (practice it) any longer? Our old self was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.  We are to count ourselves dead to sin but alive to Christ Jesus.  Therefore, we must not let sin reign in our mortal body so that we obey its evil desires.  Sin is no longer our master.  We are to count ourselves dead to sin so that we can live our new lives to God. (paraphrased from Romans 6:1-14).

 

We also died to the law through the body of Christ that we might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.  For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.  But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code (Romans 7:1-6).

 

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in sinful man in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

 

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their mind set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

 

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation...but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.  For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (Romans 8:1-17).

 

In John 4:23,24 Jesus tells us, "A time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is Spirit and His worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth. His Word is truth...In John 17:17 Jesus prays "Sanctify them by the truth. Your Word is truth. Those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires (Romans 8:5b).

 

Paul says, "For it we who are the circumcision (of heart), we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3).

 

Paul says, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained (Philippians 13-15).

 

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from that empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  (1 Peter 1:18,19).

 

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8,9).

 

Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain that is, His body, and since we have a great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:19-23).

 

As we press on, let us be in prayer for others who are pressing on through horrific persecution in other parts of the world, especially those who are in the path of ISIS, Boko Harem, and other evil terrorist who are all under the influence of the Evil one, Satan himself.  Let us pray for the victims, that God will pour out His mercy and grace upon them and give them His steadfast peace as they press on through knowing and remembering they are "blood bought" saints who belong to Christ Jesus.   Nothing and no one can snatch them from the Father's hand and take their salvation from them once they belong to Christ Jesus. They can kill the body but not the soul.  I pray they will remember this, and us too, if we should at some time experience the same or similar persecution.  We must build ourselves up in the faith and in the Spirit who opens the Word of God to us and directs us in His ways.

 

~Annie~

The Mind of Christ

 

 

Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5)

 

It is expected that all Christ followers should have the same disposition as their Master.

 

 

Features of the Mind of Christ

 

1. Resignation:  "Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done (Luke 22:42)

Seeking not our own will, but the will of the Father (John 5:30).  Even Christ Jesus put the will of the Father ahead of His own will.

How Jesus prayed to His Father... "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me.  Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done (Luke 22:42).


2. Devotedness:  Jesus said "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work."

The foundation of Christian character is "Not my will, but Yours, be done."


3. Meekness:  He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7).

Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30).

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth (Mathew 5:5).

They shall be guided and taught His ways.  He leads the humble in what is right and teaches the humble His ways (Psalm 25:9).

The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord (Isaiah 29:19a).  They shall find rest for their soul in His service (Matthew 11:29).


4. Prayerfulness:  Although Jesus Christ was the busiest man on earth, He always made time to pray, and sometimes continued all night in prayer.  He was never out of fellowship with His Father. His whole life was one long unbroken intercession. Let this mind be in you. "Pray without ceasing."

Recorded prayers of Jesus:  Luke 5:16; 6:12; 9:28,29;   Mark 1:3-5; Matthew 26:3-39; Hebrews 5:7-9;  John 11:41;  John chapter 17.


5. Sympathy:  "Jesus wept." (John 11:33-35)

Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41.

Jesus is our High Priest who is able to sympathize with our weakness (Hebrews 4:11).
Jesus also taught us to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.


6. Grief at the unbelief of others: (context from Mark 3:1-6).
Jesus entered the synagogue where there was a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees watched Jesus to see if He would heal the man on the Sabbath so that they might accuse Him.  Jesus knew their thoughts, and so questioned them. "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill? They were silent.  Jesus looked around at them with anger grieved at their hardness of heart.  Jesus then healed the man's withered hand. The Pharisees' response was to go out and hold counsel with the Herodians in how to destroy Jesus.

7. Benevolence: 
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.  He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Let this mind of Christ, the disposition of Christ be in each of us who belong to Him.


Taken from Handfuls on Purpose.. Smith and Lee

`Annie`