Whats Wisdom?

Proverbs 9:10 

¹⁰ “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding

 I have been on a absent of late with my blogs I apologize.  Sometimes life gets to busy and we get caught up with other things, or something else draws our attention and focus away. This reminds me of Paul.

In Romans Ch. 7 we find Paul with daily struggles. Struggling to do the things he knows he should do and not do the things he knows he should not do. This is with every believer. However out of these struggles something is born inside of us. "WISDOM". 

 I learn from my mistakes, tho it doesn't mean I have mastered the correct response to ever error or mistake I have made.  Its these same experiences that have shaped me into who I am today.  These mistakes have helped me make better and wiser decisions for my present and future, based on past experiences.

 Wisdom is a beautiful thing, True wisdom starts with this verse stated above. Fear and knowledge of God.  This along with life experiences grows our wisdom. With out the knowledge of God and the sacrifice of His Son mans wisdom fails. This true knowledge however  gives birth to such a great wisdom that it leads to eternal Life.

 I have been growing in wisdom in these past few months. I have started seeing more of  a Focus in my ministry and for my family. While I'm not declaring perfection, I have made my self more available to God and thus he has used me to do His will. He has revealed to me more and more of the direction he wants me to go.

Like Noah in his day, God gave him a task. Build the Ark.  But one thing we don't read in depth is Noah preparing himself mentally for such a task and dealing with the destruction of mankind.

 Any Ministry that God gives to any person is no different. We must ready ourselves, and God also readies us by allowing us to go through different situation, cause its through these situations that we can use the wisdom and knowledge that was gained to over come the same situation and not only that but to help guide others who are experiencing the same thing.

 The saying goes " I have been in those shoes! I know how you feel"  That is wisdom, but this wisdom is all for nothing unless we get back to the principal of what wisdom truly is, and that is Fearing God and understanding the Holy One.  

Worldly wisdom can be a great thing, but the knowledge of God is pure wisdom,  more pure than and piece of silver and Gold.

Proverbs 10:21

The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for lack of wisdom.

The Brick Wall

Concerning the people in the Macedonian city of Berea, Luke's very refreshing evaluation of them:
 "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few."
(Acts 17:11-12)

I wanted to share with you  an experience I had this week in  discussing the bible. Sometimes this can be very rewarding but sometimes it can be a dangerous thing.  This past week I had a discussion with 2 different men on a heated topic in Christianity. Though I do not want to share the contents of the discussion here as it may lead to a debate, I am sure you can relate to the issue as it delt with Women and their roles in Ministry.



In this discussion I  talked separately to each one about the same topic. I asked what was their view and could you show me support of it. After each one discussed with me their side, I brought a few verses in  to see if they have considered these in light of what they believe.

The 1st man  said "your not going to convert me, that's how I believe, and that's the bottom line". He got upset quickly. I was actually shocked at his response and his actions. What I showed him was just a verse out of the bible.  My whole point to him was not to try and convert him but as I did explain to him, I am looking at both sides of the coin in my own study.

However for him he felt threatened because it challenged his belief.  So he threw up the brick wall and changed the subject. I was at a loss how quick this went down hill. What started out a very nice discussion grew cold quickly with me getting lectured for a few minutes. I understand there are many mixed views and feelings on this subject and I just wanted to discuss both sides nothing more.


The second man, who is a friend and a preacher, he like the first man had very similar beliefs on the subject. He did attempt to discuss the verse that I brought to his attention, his response to the verse took the verse out of context and placed an implied meaning on it that wasn't there.

This caused us to discuss further and dig into the bible.  However in the end the door was slammed on me and he looked at me like a heretic. I hit another brick wall.  I did not offend them, but both of these men had a line of discussion they would not cross or entertain.

I feel this is an issue that we must deal with. If people are going to close up and block people off because they disagree on  certain topics or dont want to discuss the flip side how can you grow?  Most of my bible knowledge is due to the fact when I prayed to God for wisdom and knowledge, He didn't send me to school,  He sent me into discussions.  In these discussions I was forced to do my own in depth studies,even going back to the Greek and Hebrew in some situations.

I have actually been told by a person he did not want to discuss anything with me cause i had no degree in Greek Theology, even though I studied up on the subject and the words and sentences in question.  "The World Wide Web makes research easy and interesting".

 I would study both sides of the coin, why do you view it this way, why is it interpreted this way, does this always apply to every situation, does this stand alone in the bible, are there more instances in the bible, is this found in the original Greek and is it correctly interpreted.

I understand that there is some doctrines that we should not budge on, however  sometimes we should speak with people who disagree with you on that type of doctrine. It could be that God is sending them your way to show them something that they may have never thought of even if it feels repetitive.

These men are close friends and still are, but we should never want to stop trying to progress our wisdom.  My intention was to discuss the specific topic with them and share ideas on it, enlight of what scripture says. I was not seeking a right or wrong answer from them, but both men drew a line and just would not cross it.  I was not for sure if it was because of their denominational teachings or if it was because of their own studies.

I believe Luke said it best, in Acts 17 "in that  we should  received the word with all readiness of mind, and search the scriptures daily, whether those things are so."  My friends dont close the door let us be as the Bereans!!

Power of Prayer

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much James 5:16(B)

   I am taking an excerpt of a sermon that I will be preaching in a couple of weeks, dealing with the Power of Prayer. Prayer is the heart beat of a christian.  The more you pray the more your spiritual relationship with God flows.  Prayer is a fundamental pillar in Christianity.  It is the form that God has chosen to be the highway of communication between us and Him.

  

Prayer has the ability to heal the sick, cast out demons and to give victory over your enemies.
God through prayer can open eyes, heal wounds of sorrow and grant wisdom.
Prayer is meant to be the steering wheel in our life to guide us every where we go. However most of us use prayer as the spare tire.  Meaning we only use prayer when we get a flat.

  The above scripture (James 5:16) reminds me of Hannah in 1 Samuel Ch.1 In these times it was terrible for a woman to be barren or have no kids. This was viewed as a type of curse.  She was married to man whom had another wife.  This woman had no issues with having offspring.  However Hannah grieved over this situation waited for her husband to go to Shiloh for the yearly sacrifice, and after dinner went to pray at the alter.

  The Bible says she was so deep in prayer that she wept heavily and though her lips was moving no words was coming out. She was in a deep fervent prayer. Asking God to give her a son, whom she would dedicate back to the Lord.

  Because of her prayer God allowed her to bring the prophet Samuel into the world.  This child would anoint the first king of Israel Saul, and also King David.  Her prayer not only effected her life but many others.  Let us not use prayer as a spare tire but allow God to guide us with it in our every day Life.

Do to Others as You would have Them do unto You

Matthew 25:34-39
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

 Twice a month  I try to go and minister at the local rescue mission where I live.  Its very interesting the people you come across.  Majority are homeless, others just need a place to relax while their mind and emotions settle down. I however get intrigued by the stories they share. Some stories are very inspiring, while some are sad and terrible. There is a phrase I have came across  that states  "walk in my shoes first before you judge me".

 I know Most people view those at the missions as rejects, lost cause, failures or just another statistic.
However these people have a heart beat just like everyone else, and if you prick them they bleed!! They have emotions, feeling hurt and suffering cause they have lost much of what they have had.

 I wanted to share a story of the man that I met last night. His name is Daniel. This man had suffered great loss in his life, both parents and his wife passed away, he also had lost one of his legs(though I do not know the cause). The man though having endured so much in his life, which usually leads to bitterness was very passionate and kind.

I only spent a hour with this man and his devotion to God captivated my attention.  Here is a man struggling in everyday life, still trying to get past yesterday, reliving his pain, yet still pursuing after God.  As we discussed the bible, he told me he had trouble reading, but he was a great listener, and indeed he is because he displayed his knowledge of the bible quite well.  When we talked about Jesus and the sacrifice that was made on the cross for him, he started to tear up.  He said i couldn't have done that, but he was so grateful that Jesus did it for him.


Though I was a encouragement to him, he at the same time was a encouragement to me.  He said i would love for many to hear my story but they wont listen, they don't care.  Well brother I do! and I'm glad I got to meet you in this life, and hope to see you in the Next.

I know life doesn't always deal us a fair deck of cards, but its how we utilize what is given to us to continue to press forward.  These people do need help! Some just need some one to be a shoulder to cry on, one just wants someone to just be a ear and listen, and some just want to feel accepted and loved.

He, just like many others in missions everywhere and  people going through similar situations feel broken and worthless. Sometimes God puts these people in our paths to remind them that they still have Value.

Matthew 25:40
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

comments are welcomed

The Substance Of Things Hoped For.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. - KJV

  People live everyday by a measure of faith even if they truly do not realize it. Since Faith is the things we hope for I'm sure everyone of us have hopes and dreams. Even if we don't agree on theology or even if you don't believe there is a God, we all have hopes for our children and our personal lives.


  I'm sure we can reach common ground in that we all have hopes that are kids will be healthy and one day will make something of themselves.  I'm sure we all have hopes that one day we will get all these bills paid off and that we can get to a simplicity of life and not worry about financial strain.

  That is (Faith). Its what We hope for!  Some one saying don't get your hopes up is basically saying don't put your faith into it.  Regardless if your religious or not, we all have hopes. These hopes are faith driven, because it is what one day we want to see happen.

  I know I have seen much criticism for my faith, and much of that comes about  from other  people who claim to be a christian but are in fact hypocrites that like to throw judgment at people they see. It seems to me that some of these so- called Christians sorta relish the thought of people burning in a everlasting fire...   In discussion boards and forums i have seen the line, " O you just wait buddy your gonna get it in the end, and burn in hell"

  Man that is so heart breaking, these people who are so-called Christians don't realize that everyone is a sinner. The only thing that separates me from them is that i place my hopes in Christ. I dont want no one to go to such a place. The Bible states that God wants all people to come to repentance. It is my hope that all people some day do.  Yes i know we are not perfect but it seems like people are more interested in casting judgment than showing the Love of God through them.

  If I may, I would like to share some of my Hopes with you. Yes they are religious, but I think you would agree with where I am wanting to go. I hope for a world one day, where they will be no war, there will be no hatred, no greed, no sickness, no murder, a world united in unity out of love. A place where if some one is struggling all those close by wont think a second to lend a hand. A place were i wont have to worry if i left my door unlocked when i leave my home, cause no one will covet what i have.

 I am wanting a world where the Bible describes as a Utopia.  Where the Kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of Our Lord and His Christ, and there is truly peace. A place of tranquility and prosperous lives to which is no end.

 You may disagree with me about  beliefs and such, and yes you may think I'm a dreamer, but as John Lennon said in that  song (Imagine)  "I'm not the only One".   Who wouldn't want such a world?  Now I don't agree with what John Lennon believed or everything in that specific song, but I do want a world that is One, and this is One under God. This is the true Hope of many of those in Christianity.

Since I shared some of my hopes with you, would you be willing to share some of your hopes with me. Though I ask please no swearing or cursing I do want to keep this civilized.   God Bless

TOUCH DOWN!!

 I am a football fan. I love the sport, but there is a day better than Superbowl Sunday and that is Resurrection Sunday!! Why is the Resurrection so important?

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:17 -NIV

¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

If Jesus is not raised from the dead are faith is useless and we are bad witnesses of God.

In fact it is through the Resurrection that we know Jesus is the Messiah.

Romans 1:4 -NIV
and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.


 The Resurrection was God's faithful witness to us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He did in fact wash away sins through  Jesus atoning sacrifice.

Acts 1:8-9 -NIV
⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 - NIV
³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas,^[b] and then to the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

 Many people saw the resurrected Christ, and because of this many believed.  Both Peter and Paul made note in preaching that the Messiah would not see decay like King David.  That God would raise Him.

Truth of the matter is we celebrate Resurrection Sunday once a year, but really for anyone who declares themselves to be a true Christian, we can celebrate the Resurrection everyday.

  Just as Christ was raised from the dead in like manner one day those who have believed on Him shall likewise be raised from the dead. The Resurrection is what Guaranteed our salvation, it Guaranteed Jesus Spoke the truth, it Guaranteed that the prophecies of the coming Messiah would be fulfilled.
Happy Resurrection Sunday  Go JESUS!!  The true Superbowl MVP

Pictures courtesy of turnbacktogod.com

He was Pierced For ME!!!

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are
healed.” (Isaiah 53: 5)

Tonight, the Biblical Festival of Passover (Pesach) begins, coinciding
this year with Good Friday.

On Sunday, as Passover continues, Believers will celebrate the resurrection of
Jesus on Easter.

Around the world, as the Jewish People commemorate their exodus from slavery in
Egypt, and celebrate the saving power of the God of Israel, Believers in Yeshua
(Jesus)—both Jewish and Gentile—will celebrate freedom from slavery to sin.

This freedom, the salvation of Israel and all mankind, was accomplished through
the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), as the
sacrificial Passover Lamb.

“Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will
appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are
waiting for Him.” (Hebrews 9:28)

In fullfillment of scripture, Jesus became our guilt offering, paying the price for sin once and for all.

".. though the Lord makes His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand isaiah 53:10"

 

 

While the guilt offerings on the alter of the temple could only roll back sins for another year.

Jesus's death and ressurection actually removed sin for all time.

 

 

As John said when he saw Jesus comming to him at the Jordan River

"Behold the lamb of God that takes away the Sin of the World" -John 1:29

Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you
really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7)

“But you know that He appeared so that He might take away our sins. And in Him
is no sin.” (1 John 3:5)

Why did Jesus do this? Cause He loved you. By taking your punishment for sin, the judgment of God shall passover you.  My sins have been washed away because of the Finished work that Jesus did on the Cross.  He was Pierced for me, He can be Pierced for you as well.



Pictures and some wording taken from Messianic bible society

I Have a Anchor for My Soul!

Hebrews 6:19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,  - NIV

 The anchor is a heavy object attached to a vessel by a cable or rope and cast overboard to keep the vessel in place either by its weight or by its flukes, which grip the bottom.

 The bible says the anchor enters the inner  sanctuary behind the curtain. This is where the Ark of the Covenant is. In the old testament the high priest would enter in once a year to make atonement  for the nation of Israel placing the blood of the sacrifice on top of the mercy seat of God.

  In the New Testament the author of hebrews, points out that Jesus entered into the Holy of Holies, made the one and only sacrifice and then sat down at the right hand of the Father. It was Christ Blood that is the atoning sacrifice on top of the Mercy seat of God.

 Mark 15:38  The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. -NIV

At the crucifiction of Christ when Jesus took his last breathe and He gave His Spirit back to God, the temple veil was torn.  This signified that the old covenant was over, and a new one has started.  No longer will just one man enter in once a year, but all who seek after God can enter into the Holy of Holies at any time. For because of Jesus we have all access.

  The anchor we have is our faith, that is securely anchored to the Mercy Seat of God. For through Jesus we have obtained God's Mercy. We have a anchor for our Soul!

Dont Jump ship!!

Acts 27:31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved
Acts 27:32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.  -KJV

  Formerly being in the Navy, I can't tell you to much of the effects of a major storm or a hurricane.  I was in the submarine force. During one deployment close to Guam we hit typhoon Paka in 1997. First a submarine is a round cylinder and is not made to stay on the surface, so during these storms we would dive beneath the waves.  However even at a depth of 200 to 300 feet below the surface the waves above us was still causing us to shake.

  So I cant imagine how Paul and these sailors felt. Their ship was at the mercy of the sea. No one driving, lost with out any star to gain a refference from and the only light for their ship would be the occasional lightning bolt accross the sky.

I can't say exactly how I would actually be in such a situation, but one thing for sure, I would be scared for my life and maybe even frantic.

  From the tone of the passages I read in acts 27, many of the crew felt this way, even to the point that they would want to leave a much bigger boat to get into a smaller boat to save their life.  Common sense would tell you if the bigger boat isnt gonna make it, the little life boat isnt gonna make it either. However during such a storm and the stress on these men, I can understand their desperate need to try and do something instead of waiting and doing nothing.

 Paul said these men must remain on this ship, they must  stay on board  or you cant be saved. At this they believed Paul and cut the ropes to the  life boat. These men was about to jump ship to the life boat which would have lead to their deaths.

 This is modern day Christianity.  Infact many people are on this same ship (spiritually) fighting through many storms in life.  Their faith wanes as each wave strikes them, and during such a storm they contemplate lowering the Life Boat. Storms test us and stretch us, but these storms will not last forever, eventually the clouds will part and the (SON) will shine through.

 It also reminds me of the statement " The grass is greener on the other side". People abandoning their relationships with Christ Jesus and getting into a small boat of appeasing traditions and doctrines that will not be sound, but will soothe their itching ears.

 Many so-called theologies out there are nothing but lies sprinkled with a little bit of truth. They look appealing to the eye, yet deadly filled with poison. One must search for themselves and seek the Guidance of God in this situation. We need to ask for a Spirit of discernment to help us understand what is right and what is wrong.

 There are many things that come against a believer during their years of walking with Christ Jesus in a relationship, and some of these are very tempting to lure us away from such a great relationship but  I believe what Paul declared to be just as valued today as the words he spoke back then  "STAY ON THE SHIP".

In the Beginning

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  -NIV

The above picture represents a growing issue for modern day children in our school systems that believe in God.  I can remember studying evolution and how man came from ape over a series of millions of years, this is also reffered to as Darwinism.

Charles Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist.^[I] He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors,^[1] and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.^{[2]   (wikipedia)}

The majority of scientist to this day still believe in the evolution hypothesis. I wont call it a theory cause as time goes on more scientist are starting to challange these hypothetical so-called facts.

In a survey done by Brian Alters shown that a study surveyed over 1200 college freshman, and found that large percentages of students who reject evolution stated scientific reasons for holding their views. 

(Basically it was evolution versus science)

Alters claims that all their scientific reasons are wrong, and another educator simply believed that students' views could be corrected by telling them what to think, i.e., if "misconceptions are countered with specific evidence."

While some of their reasons may be questionable, some of them are on the right track--i.e., students rejected evolution due to insufficiencies of the mechanism of random mutations or the statistical impossibility of the origin of life. As the study stated, "nearly 40 percent of those skeptical of evolution believe the chance origin of life to be a statistical impossibility"!

We still have many who believe in this evolution tree, however many questions have been brought up that this evolution can not explain.

This is a link to some of the problems that face the current hypothesis of  Darwinism.

http://www.dissentfromdarwin.org/links.php

If it has been proven, (which many believe that there is sufficient proof )  to counter Darwins Theory, why is it still being taught in schools today?

I for one Believe  what Genesis 1:1 stated, and i do not believe we evolved over time from a single celled bacteria that one day became a fish, who then grew legs and walked on land etc. etc.

Though i do like science, and science tries to give us a logical answer to explain things, this doesnt mean that science is always right.

This Bloggers preference is creationism over darwinism.

http://www.creationism.org/

Getting to the place where God wants you.

Jonah 1:17
But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. -NIV

(This was taken from a unkown diver who took the picture. I would love to give him the credit he deserves for it.)

Jonah was sent to warn Nineveh of God's coming wrath if they didn't repent. However instead of being a fisher of men he chose to flee and run from God. In a series of events the LORD sent a fish to catch the man instead!!

 I found myself hitting some deep theology when i gazed at this picture.

   First  I wondered what was on the mind of the diver who lookes like he is going to be fish food. Then secondly it reminded me of Jonah. Very seriously he tried to run from God. He did not want to go to the place that God wanted him to be.  This brought back memories of my own time of  running away from God, trying to hide in the world.  I had fell in love with sin and was persuing my own self centered wants and desires. 

  However God chased me. HE wanted me to get back to the place that HE desired for me to be in the beginning.  Its obvious Jonah didnt like or enjoy his trip back to land, and at the same token its not easy for us to let go of many worldly pleasures. The trip is a hard road. I can however look back at these rough waters, and especially this giant whale shark and appreciate what God has done in my life.

 Getting back to a relationship with my Creator and being apart of His eternal plan versus life on the run that truely was living in agony.    Im glad and thankful HE sent such a fish in my life.
In the end Jonah gave up  running away from God. He had grown tired and was fighting sorrow from the sailors lives that was threatened from the storm. At some point we need to realize the same and that is, what does it take for us to stop running from God?
 God can get you where you need to be!!

Luke 5:4

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." -NIV

Its very important, that if you want to enjoy Fish Soup, you must let down your nets for a catch.

We who serve God are fishers of men, and it is up to us to push out into the deep (the present day world) and cast out our nets. The catch we bring in is not substance for our body in literal food but it is people who receive spiritual salvation through Jesus Christ.


Join me in future topics as we discuss modern day Christianity and our role as servants of God.