What Kind of Father Are You

 Wisdom's Instructions for Right Living

 Book of Proverbs Chapter 13

 A father who gives instructions to his children or administers corrections to them is wise, but a father who says, "Do as I say and not as I do," will hardly get his point across.

 A father who does not walk in righteousness cannot instruct righteousness.

 The greatest proof of wisdom is a willingness to learn from those who know more than we do.

 It is the same for us today that we can learn from the Word of God because He knows much more than we do.

 We could say that this lesson today is the contrast between the two sons.

 One son is wise and listens to and learns from his father, while the other is a foolish son who will not listen to anyone and goes his own way.

 As Christians, we are the sons and daughters of God, and if we are the true children of God, we will hear and obey the instructions of our Heavenly Father.

 We show our wisdom as we submit cheerfully to His discipline because we know that He is the only God.

 1Ti 1:17  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

 *****Pro 13:1  A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. 

Pro 13:2  A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. 

Pro 13:3  He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

 The father who gives wise instructions is wise, and the son who listens to those instructions and takes that advice shows himself to be wise also.

 There are many things in this world that are not as simple as they seem.

 We can also say that there are many things in this world that are not as complicated as they seem to be.

 It is not a complicated thing to become the child of our Heavenly Father!

 We must only be wise enough to listen to what He has to say and then be obedient to those things.

 Wise children obey their righteous parents.

 Foolish children mock their parents and refuse to listen to them.

 To mock is to ridicule and scorn.

 Mockers rebel against instructions by refusing to listen to them.

 Wise children listen, learn, and change their behavior.

 Pro 15:12  A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise. 

 A wise child has control of his mouth, but the foolish will harm all others through their quarrelsome and perverse mouths.

 The hearts of the wicked are only satisfied by violence, and they will not stop until they get what they are craving for!

 We see this all over America today.

 Some are so full of themselves that they will go anywhere in the U.S. to ridicule and scorn if you will pay them.

 Pro 18:21  Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. 

 The wise will control their words and preserve their lives.

 All of us know that the human tongue needs guarding!

 We know that many of the victims of mockery and ridicule will sometimes strike back, and many of them are stronger and fiercer than those who mocked them.

 They hit harder and fight more with malice than anticipated.

 At the same time, the wise will guard their lips so that they do not let inflammatory words escape their mouths, even though this is hard to do.

 The wise will bite their tongue and walk away.

 The wise will not take the bait that violent people dangle in front of them.

 Doing this will preserve their lives for much of the time.

 Angry words can be very painful at times.

 Foolish people say hurtful words if they get their feelings hurt by someone else.

 Jas 3:2  For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 

 Pro 21:23  Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. 

 As the world we live in goes from bad to worse, these things will become even more important for the Christian.

 *****Pro 13:4  The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. 

 A sluggard is anyone who has a habit of being lazy.

 They may have a desire for a lot of things, but they are just too lazy to work to obtain them!

 Handouts have made much of our nation this way today.

 Those who have never had to work to obtain the important things in life will refuse to work to get them!

 Pro 21:25  The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. 

 *****Pro 13:5  A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. 

Pro 13:6  Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner. 

Pro 13:7  There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. 

Pro 13:8  The ransom of a man's life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke. 

Pro 13:9  The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. 

 It is verse five that hits the nail on the head.

 We trust too much in our own understanding instead of trusting in the Lord.

 We must show the Lord, we trust Him by trusting with all our heart because when He looks at us, He looks into the heart rather than what is on the outside.

 1Sa_16:7  But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

 Most righteous people are people of integrity and have a solid work ethic.

 Lazy people are just the opposite; they are unreliable.

 If we are to have a personal relationship with the Lord, then we have to trust Him with all our hearts!

 This is the greatest lesson we should learn first in our relationship with our Savior.

 We are to love what He loves and hate what He hates.

 This does not mean we are not using our own understanding.

 God does not expect us to run to the Bible every time we have something to do, but if we question what we are about to do, we should.

 We are to use our understanding while we depend upon God and His directing and His overruling providence.

 Jer 9:23  Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 

Jer 9:24  But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. 

 Some try to show they are rich but are not.

 Some pretend to be poor, but they are just misers, while they have wealth.

 This means that we can never trust in appearances, and God did not call us to judge to begin with.

 If we are not rich toward our Heavenly Father, then we do not have true riches!

 Our riches lie in the inheritance of the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Rom_8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

 Gal_3:29  And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 Tit_3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

 Jas 2:5  Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 

 A rich man may be able to save himself from many of life's difficulties, such as he may be able to pay a ransom if he or one of his children is kidnapped.

 But a poor man does not have to worry about these things because he is too poor for the robber to mess with and can live in peace.

 The light of the righteous man is the child of the Divine command of God.

 Gen 1:3  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 

Gen 1:4  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

 The light of the wicked will be put out because God will divide the light from the darkness.

 Light comes naturally through the Word of God.

 Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

 Those who reject the Word of God will live in darkness.

 Pro 24:20  For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. 

 Light refers to life!

 Jhn_8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

 *****Pro 13:11  Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. 

Pro 13:12  Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. 

 Wealth that you receive without working for it, or by illegitimate and dishonest means will not last very long.

 This includes gambling, and it could include charging someone a high rate of interest on a loan.

 Jas 5:1  Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 

Jas 5:2  Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 

Jas 5:3  Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

 Righteous people work hard, save as they can, and prosper in this world. It does not mean we become rich, but we do possess integrity and honesty.

 Life without the Lord is vain even if you are rich.

 It is an empty life that has no lasting value.

 Many who win the lottery are broke again soon after.

 Many sports figures die broke.

 God has determined that we should earn our bread by the sweat of our brows: Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 

 This is part of the sin of Adam we have inherited.

 Those who refuse to work who are healthy and able should just listen to what God has to say: 2Th 3:10  For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 

 This does not include those who are unable to work.

 On those, we are to have compassion.

 The Church is to be a people of integrity, who live in truth and try to live honestly according to the Word of God.

 *****Pro 13:12  Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. 

Pro 13:13  Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. 

 When we were lost and out in the world, most of us had the same hopes as we have now, but we knew we had no way to fulfill our hopes by the world's standards.

 We just knew that we live for a while and then we die, and we thought that was it.

 We did not understand life.

 Now, after becoming a child of God, hopes and dreams are an important part of our lives.

 It is our dreams of Heaven that keep us going through the dark days when nothing is going right for us.

 Remember that old cripple at the pool of Bethsaida, he knew he would not get the chance to get healed because he knew he could not be the first one to get to the pool of water once the angel had stirred the waters.

 He had high hopes, but he knew those hopes would never be true.

 You see he had to meet Jesus then his hopes became a reality, and his dreams would bring joy to his heart.

 He now lived close to the "Tree of Life".

 The "Tree of Life" is the knowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ is the giver and the taker of life.

 Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

 Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 When our hope is gone, we will be miserable, and we will see no purpose for living.

 We find these truths in the Word of God, so if we despise the Word of God, we will have no life!

 When we despise the Word of God, we are subject to the penalties for violating the Word of God, even if that penalty is death.

 At the same time, God rewards those who fear His commandments and reverence Him and obey His laws.

 We all should have a reverent fear of God, but we should also realize we need to fear the Awesome Power of God; He is All-Powerful.

 God will richly bless all those who submit to Him!

 We need to understand what God is saying.

 *****Pro 13:14  The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. 

Pro 13:15  Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard. 

Pro 13:16  Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly. 

Pro 13:17  A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health. 

Pro 13:18  Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. 

Pro 13:19  The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil. 

 The Law of the Wise is the Word of God!

 It concerns me when most of the world looks on the Word of God as the words of man, but they are just confused.

 The Word of God came by writers who were used of God to communicate His will to mankind for our benefit.

 2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

 God's Word cannot fail because it was written under the guidance of God's Holy Spirit and free from error.

 All saving knowledge can be found is obtained from the infallible Word of God!

 1Pe 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 

1Pe 1:24  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 

1Pe 1:25  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. 

 It is the wisdom of God; He has shared with all who ask Him.

 Most people just do not realize this world is filled with the snares of death.

 Many animals that fall into the snares of man die some instantly, and some slowly.

 The ones that die slowly or even escape do everything they can to escape because death is so frightening.

 Some animals caught by a leg or an arm will bite that arm or leg off just to escape death and go through their remaining life maimed.

 It is no different when humans fall into Satan's snares.

 1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 

1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 

 Satan has no intention of making anyone his friend; his purpose is to destroy anyone who might turn to God.

 It is a foolish human who thinks Satan will not harm them.

 Even with the knowledge of Satan's treachery, people will continue to ignore the Lord Jesus Christ and play games with the Devil. There is no better definition of being a fool than this.

 As ambassadors for Jesus Christ, we have been handpicked to tell the world about its Savior.

 Satan's cohorts intentionally misrepresent their wicked leader. This is what liars do!

 Jhn_8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

 Pro 15:32  He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. 

 With the wisdom of God, we can reach most of the goals we set in this life, if not all of them, knowing that our main goal is to reach the New Heaven and spend eternity with our Savior.

 Not many foolish people who hate the Lord Jesus will ever have peace in this life and will certainly not have peace in Hell.

 I have no greater hope than to spend eternity with our Redeemer!

 It is this hope that keeps me going day by day.

 I understand that I need God's instructions to succeed.

 The Word of God will lead me to the glory world.

 I must think through every action that I might take and act wisely, knowing that wisdom comes from the mind of my Heavenly Father.

 I must live my life so that my Heavenly Father can trust me.

 I can do this if I apply the Word of God to my every action before I take that action.

 Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 

Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

Psa 1:3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

 I must be a good steward of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 *****Pro 13:20  He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Pro 13:21  Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.  

 It may be more important today to watch who we associate ourselves with than it ever has been.

 One of the biggest decisions our children will make as they grow up is the choice of companions they hang out with.

 As parents, we know this to be true.

 We must also realize it is just as important to each Christian to choose the right companions.

 The Bible says 1 Thess_5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil.

 Our lives can be influenced by the people we hang out with.

 God has placed wise men and women in our lives for this reason.

 We get most all our wisdom from God Himself, but we can call gain wisdom from that true Saint of God.

 What is a shepherd?

 What does the shepherd do?

 In the early morning, he led forth the flock from the fold, marching at its head to the spot where they were to be pastured. Here he watched them all day, taking care that none of the sheep strayed, and if any, for a time eluded his watch and wandered away from the rest, seeking diligently till he found and brought it back. In those lands, sheep require to be supplied regularly with water, and the shepherd for this purpose has to guide them either to some running stream or to wells dug in the wilderness and furnished with troughs. At night, he brought the flock home to the fold, counting them as they passed under the rod at the door to assure himself that none was missing.

 Psa 23:1  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

Psa 23:2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 

Psa 23:3  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 

Psa 23:5  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 

Psa 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. 

 We must know that fools will influence those whom they are allowed to lead. That influence will not be good!

 When we remain firmly in the hands of God, we will be rewarded with good things.

 When we associate ourselves with those who are immoral and those who live wicked lifestyles, we will get caught up in their trouble and their influences.

 These are proven things, and God says to avoid them.

 Look at King Solomon, who did not follow His own advice, and see where it took him. Not only him, but his sons.

 1Co 15:33  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 

1Co 15:34  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. 

 *****Pro 13:22  A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. 

Pro 13:23  Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment. 

Pro 13:24  He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. 

Pro 13:25  The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want. 

 Most righteous people care about family.

 Righteous people respect the institution of marriage.

 Righteous people value the sanctity of life.

 So, wherever God places us, we want to do the very best we can.

 A poor person usually has only a small portion of land, but if they work hard in tilling the soil, that small piece of land will yield enough food to feed their family.

 Righteous people will always try to leave something of benefit to their family.

 Divine justice will determine the final disposition of that inheritance.

 God has a way of making sure the righteous come out on top.

 It is the righteous who are rewarded with the blessings of God.

 It is the judgment of God that gives the wealth of sinners to the people of God.

 We see this all through the Scriptures.

 It is a foolish person who steals from the poor!

 Many a rich man has lost everything they have by dishonest practices.

 We all must be good stewards of the things God has given us, or the things God has loaned to us.

 Everything upon this earth belonged to our Heavenly Father and he has given all those things to His Son Jesus Christ.

 No matter what we have, this world we live in will try to take it away from us.

 We must remember that if we do not correct our children while they are children, we will never be able to correct them after they are grown.

 We know how foolish we were when we were growing up, and this world is much more wicked today than it was then.

 The Word of God will correct us at any age, but the Scriptures say, if we refuse to correct our children, then we must hate our children.

 Pro 19:18  Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

 Pro 22:15  Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. 

 Pro 23:13  Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 

Pro 23:14  Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

 God is not talking about a severe beating. God is talking about firm discipline!

 God will bless the righteous.

 God promised to provide our needs.

 Mat 6:30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 

Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Our Heavenly Father loves family.

He has chosen us as His family. He has chosen all those who want to be in His family.

When we walk in the wisdom of God, we will live a righteous life, and we will be more like the Lord Jesus Christ, which is what being Christian is all about.

When God's wisdom works in our lives, we will walk in the Spirit of God!

Psa 34:8  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 

Amen

Wisdom Invites Us to the Truth

 Wisdom's Invitation

 Book of Proverbs Chapter 9

 Without a doubt, the Bible is the place to find "wisdom" and "understanding" of the things in our lives today and the things going on in this world.

 We can see much of God's wisdom in His creations, especially in the nighttime sky. However, we can also see the great wisdom of God in childbirth, new life, and all of His other creations.

He created humanity; we did not come from monkeys.

The theory of evolution is the doctrine of atheists!

 The Bible tells us that "wisdom" is the principal thing, or the most important thing, for understanding the things of this world and of course God's World to come.

 Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

The Bible says that without wisdom, we cannot even apply our hearts to understanding.

 The Bible tells us where to find this wisdom:

 Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

 So, what are these 7 pillars of wisdom so that we can build our house of understanding?

 Let's jump right into our lesson today.

 *****Pro 9:1 Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

 James, the Half-Brother of Jesus, gives these seven pillars of wisdom to us:

 Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

 1) The wisdom from Heaven and God is first "Pure":

 In other words, these 7 pillars of wisdom must first be built upon Jesus Christ:

 Jesus Christ is our foundation for wisdom:

 Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 Remember, it is not Peter that is the "Rock," it is what Peter had just said!

 Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

 This can happen only one way:

 Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

 Without the purity of Jesus Christ, the other pillars will fall.

 2) The wisdom from God is next "Peaceable":

 The Bible says:

 2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

2Ti 2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

2Ti 2:6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

 3.) The man of wisdom must next be "Gentle":

 Every child of God must be a gentleman or gentlewoman.

 Again, the Bible says:

 Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

 4) The man of wisdom must next be "Easy to Be Entreated":

 This is being reasonable when it comes understanding the Word of God.

 2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 5) The man of wisdom must next be "Full of Mercy and Good Fruits":

 This is always helpful and considerate!

 The Bible says:

 Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

 6) The man of wisdom must next be "Without Partiality"

 The word "race" is not in the Bible. The word "tongues" meaning languages suggests only other cultures, and "race" is irrelevant!

 The Bible says:

 1Ti 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

 7) And the man of wisdom must be without "Hypocrisy"

 Again, the Bible says:

 1Pe 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

 Being a Christian is not putting on a show, but "It Is" being sincere in speech and our actions.

 We must be "doers of the Word," not hearers only!

 There is no "Wisdom without the Lord," and your house of "Wisdom" will fall without these "Seven Pillars"!

 Here again, we see wisdom in the sense of a female, and King Solomon shows us two females, or we could say hostesses serving up a meal to guests in their homes.

 As we are filled with the Holy Spirit of Jehovah, we also have the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

 Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

Isa 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

 With the wisdom of God as described by James, the stepbrother of our Lord Jesus, we begin to see that wisdom is the source of life-giving nourishment.

 The woman of wisdom is the builder and the dweller of a beautiful house who has prepared her meal and sends her maids out to invite guests.

 The woman of folly is pictured as a lewd woman who sits on a chair at the door of her house and lures passersby to come to her, and she has also prepared her feast.

 True wisdom is revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ: Col 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

Col 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

 *****Pro 9:2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

Pro 9:3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,

Pro 9:4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

Pro 9:5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

Pro 9:6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

 All those who lack wisdom are searching for something, but they do not understand what it is.

 They do not know that they need this wisdom to live, but are easily influenced by foolishness.

 To accept the woman of wisdom is to have life and have it more abundantly; pleasure is not mentioned.

 To accept the woman of folly means to enter into the realm of the dead. Pleasure is mentioned so she can hide the death that is in the end.

 The woman of wisdom addresses all those who are without discernment to all who would attend.

 2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

 Those who accept the invitation of the woman of wisdom, which results in a major life change.

 They choose to forsake their foolish ways of the world and go in a different direction.

 It is called to repent.

 Wisdom's house is not on the path to destruction but upon the road of life.

 Those who are simple are those who are foolish, who are traveling on the road to destruction and every foolish way.

 To accept the woman of wisdom is to make a choice.

 To accept the foolish woman to remain on the path they are already traveling on the road of pleasure that leads to death.

 *****Pro 9:7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

 Who are those who will now be called foolish? Those who reject the wisdom of God!

 They are the scorners.

They are the wicked souls of mankind.

 2Ch 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

 There is no remedy for those who reject the wisdom of God.

 Pro 15:12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.

 As we have found out, not many will accept the truth of the Messiah.

 Not many will accept the truth of God.

 Most people will refuse to change their lifestyles just because we tell them they must be saved.

 They will get angry, and God's messengers, and we know that Christian persecution is on the rise.

 Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

 They remain lost because they refuse to believe that they are lost!

 There is only one path to tru life, and there can only be one path!

 Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

 Then how are we to continue as the messengers of God?

 *****Pro 9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

Pro 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

 1) Do not reprove or rebuke a mocker, someone who is unteachable and filled with pride.

 The Lord Jesus said: Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

 2) Rebuke only those who humbly acknowledge their sinful condition and accept that they need to repent of their sinful ways.

 3) Instruct the wise, and they will grow wiser. This is discipleship.

 4) Teach the righteous, and they will seek to know more.

 5) We must all know the beginning point of wisdom, which is the fear of the Lord. We must trust the Lord as we begin a personal relationship with Him. We begin to know by experience as we see what He has done in our own lives.

 Wisdom will reward its messengers.

 *****Pro 9:11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

Pro 9:12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

 We must be real with ourselves! Every person will bear the consequences of the choices they make in this life!

 Wise choices will produce good fruit.

 Foolish choices will result in decay and death.

 For all those who accept wisdom's invitation will receive sweet fruit.

 One of the rewards for accepting this wisdom is long life, many days, and additional years.

 Pro 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

 Pro 3:16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand, riches and honour.

 Pro 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

 We do not know how many more days or how many more years are still in the hands of God, but we know they all are.

 Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Jas 4:15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

 Pro 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

 We can be sure that the wisdom from Heaven will enrich every day we have left upon us.

 What do we know for sure?

 1) The Lord Jesus is building a house for all those who accept Him.

2) Our Father's house can hold many mansions.

3) The Lord has extended an invitation to anyone who believes in the marriage supper of His Son.

4) The Lord Jesus Christ is the embodiment of wisdom.

5) Every believer is commissioned to deliver the Lord's message to the world.

6) Every believer can expect to be persecuted in this world.

7) The way of the foolish is death!

 *****Pro 9:13 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.

Pro 9:14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

Pro 9:15 To call passengers who go right on their ways:

Pro 9:16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

Pro 9:17 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

Pro 9:18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

 The woman of Folly, the foolish, also has her house.

 This woman is loud, boisterous, and noisy.

 She is naive and gullible, and lacking in judgment.

She is prone to pitfalls. just like those who are taken by her.

She knows nothing.

She is ignorant of the truth.

She does not have good sense.

She is ignorant of the fear of the Lord.

 She sits in her doorway to lure in her prey.

Her house sits on a hilltop, so she can be easily seen.

She loves to be seen and heard as passersby go past her.

Her house is neither spacious nor is it safe to enter.

She has prepared nothing for those who enter.

She is lazy and selfish.

She is always on the lookout for her next victim.

She always sits in the best location.

She calls out to all who pass by, even those who are minding their own business.

She invites them all into her house of doom, especially those who are trying to find her.

She lives on the road to destruction.

She especially tries to distract those who ignore her.

She finds many on this road to destruction who do not know where they are.

She targets those who are simple and lost.

She entices them all with her secret sin.

 Her folly fulfills all those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Wisdom is a life built upon the "Fear of the Lord" and the repentance from our sin nature!

 Folly is a life built upon the rejection of the Lord.

 Jesus gives us a description of the sin that cannot be forgiven: Jhn_16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Jhn_16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

 Folly is a deceptive harlot and an unworthy wife.

 She serves only water and makes it thrilling by the fact that she has stolen it.

 There is no substance in her drink, nothing of lasting value.

 There is good reason to believe that these things speak of immorality, but we will not go there for now.

 She is wicked and immoral, and those she traps are doomed to Hell.

 So, we can see this lesson is about the choices we make in this life.

 The woman of wisdom and the woman of folly are both trying to capture souls.

 If we choose wisdom, we will live wisely by building our lives around the "Fear of the Lord".

 We will turn away from all paths to destruction.

 God will reward us!

 If we choose folly, we will build our lives around sin, we will reject the Lord Jesus, and we will continue traveling that road to destruction.

 We will remain separated from our Creator and our God!

 The only choices that we need to make are:

 1) Choose wisdom.

2) Choose Christ Jesus.

Choose Life.

 Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 We should know that Satan is the king of folly.

 Satan offers nothing to those caught up in his grasp.

 He is a thief and a counterfeiter and a murderer.

 He takes what he steals from God and then corrupts it.

 He will tell the same lies that he told Eve.

 Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

 We need to be aware of the choices we make in this life and just choose our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Amen.

Instructions From heaven

 A Father's Instructions

 Book of Proverbs Chapter 4

 We know that if we hear what the Lord has to say and listen to it just once, then this is enough, and we should abide by it.

In last week's lesson, we saw that we must submit to all the Word of God, not just comply with it.

 As we read the Book of Proverbs, we will see that the Holy Spirit teaches us by repetition.

 Once is enough, but when we see a matter repeated over and over, then it must be important to the Lord that we have a clear understanding of that Scripture.

 We must agree with the Word of God to have a clear understanding of it!

 We are to read, to listen, and to pay attention to what is being taught.

We must understand the Word of God as God’s commands and not God’s suggestions.

We must know that the Word of God is wisdom.

We must recognize that there are numerous benefits to possessing the knowledge and wisdom of God.

We must know that there is great danger in rejecting the wisdom of God, our Heavenly Father.

 There are some things that our Heavenly Father hates, and we must stay away from them!

 Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

 These are things we must avoid as we follow in the path of Jesus, and we should treat this chapter as words from our Heavenly Father and not King Solomon.

 *****Pro 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Pro 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

 I find that I am better prepared on Sunday if I read the Scriptures out loud so that I can hear them at the same time.

 We must, as the children of our Heavenly Father, read these instructions as they came from Him because they did come from Him.

 2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

 The word "hear" in this Scripture means far more than to hear the Word of God; it also means to observe and to obey what our Father is saying to us.

 Solomon may have received these words from his father David, and David may have received these words from his father Jesse, but Heaven was the source of these words and was delivered by the Holy Spirit.

 We know that all the Law of Moses also had their beginning in Heaven.

 These words we have now are intended for all generations that exist and those in the future that remain.

 Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

 The word "good" in verse two means "in the wisest sense".

 It is good doctrine because it came from Heaven.

 Jas_1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

 *****Pro 4:3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

Pro 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

 This verse speaks of the historical record of King Solomon and being the child of promise, but it also speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 2Sa 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

 Bathsheba knew her son was to be King of Israel.

 Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew her child was in some sense the child of the Living God.

 She had been told by the Angel Gabriel that her son would be the Savior of the world.

 She may not have grasped the complete meaning of these things, but she pondered them in her heart.

 Luk_2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Luk_2:51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

 We know the remainder of the family of Jesus did not believe what they heard about Jesus, only His mother.

 Mrk_6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

 The more we know of the Lord Jesus Christ and live in faith, the more we will enjoy a long and happy life.

 The key to our lives is our faith in the wisdom of our Heavenly Father. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the actual image of God’s wisdom.

 *****Pro 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Pro 4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Pro 4:8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

Pro 4:9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

 Without the wisdom of our Heavenly Father, we will never have the right understanding of life as we live in this wicked world.

 Without obedience to the Word of God, we will perish.

 That word get means to buy wisdom and understanding if we have to. Money is not nearly as important as the wisdom of God.

 Pro 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

 Getting wisdom is not a once-and-for-all decision; it is a lifelong process!

 Getting wisdom requires an ongoing commitment.

 Wisdom must be used, but it must also be sustained.

 We may lose a lot of things we have had in our lives, but we must hold onto the wisdom of our Heavenly Father and apply it to our lives every day and not allow it to slip away.

 We know what happened to King Solomon; he turned away from his father's advice and turned away from our Heavenly Father's commandments.

 We cannot allow the wisdom we have strived to get from our Heavenly Father to just slip away!

 God's wisdom will protect and watch over us if we abide by it!

 Wisdom is personified in the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what gender is referred to in this passage.

 2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 Wisdom is also personified by the Church, which is the Bride of Christ, if we hold onto the wisdom of God

 Wisdom is the principal thing because wisdom begins with the "fear of the Lord".

 Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 How can this be explained? Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

 Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

 The wisdom of God will bring favor to those who get it.

 The wisdom of our Heavenly Father is an ornament of His "Grace".

 The wisdom of our Heavenly Father will bring a "crown of glory to the victor".

 These principles are intended to be taught to children by their Christian parents.

 The home is the right place to teach the wisdom of God to our children, and then make sure they go with us to a Bible believing church.

 They will not learn it in schools, which will only teach them the ways and wisdom of this world, which will come to nothing.

 Spiritual training needs to begin in the early years of a child's life.

 The father has a special role in the Spiritual leadership within the family!

 *****Pro 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

Pro 4:11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

Pro 4:12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

 For years, many a person has wasted time and money seeking the truth for a long life.

 The Word of God explains the truth in a few simple words. Receive the truth of the Word of God and hold to it.

 We simply must choose the right path of life and stay on the path.

 Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 We must travel the way of wisdom rather than the world's path to destruction.

 Will we live a life of submission to the Lord, or will we be slaves to the Devil and to sin?

 We will all get an opportunity to choose one way or the other, and it helps a great deal to know the truth of our Heavenly Father.

 We must understand that our flesh will lead us to join the foolishness of this world.

 This is the path of destruction.

 The wisdom of our Heavenly Father will lead us down that path which leads to life, "eternal life" in that Heavenly Home of our Heavenly Father.

 *****Pro 4:13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Pro 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 

Pro 4:15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

 We should understand that the "wisdom" of our Heavenly Father does not just give us a good life.

 The "wisdom" of our Heavenly Father is life!

 Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 It is not the quality of life, but life, eternal life.

 Taking hold of the "wisdom" of our Heavenly Father is a matter of life and death!

 If we do not choose the "wisdom" of our Heavenly Father, we are certain to face eternal death!

 1) We must heed this warning from our Heavenly Father.

2) We must never let go once we know the wisdom of God.

3) We must keep and guard the Word of God,

4) We must never start down that path to destruction.

5) We must not veer to the left or the right nor follow the ways of evil men.

6) We must avoid that wicked path altogether.

7) We must not even go near that wicked path.

8) We must go in the opposite direction from all evil.

9) We must move past that wicked path and continue on the path of righteousness.

 *****Pro 4:16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

Pro 4:17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

Pro 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Pro 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

 We sometimes just do not think much about the wickedness of this world.

 If we believe the Word of God, then we need to believe what God says!

 1Jn 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

 Only those who are committed to the truth of the Word of God are not wicked, though none of us are perfect.

 Why do we fail so often? Because all the rest of the world is lying in wickedness!

 We belong to our Heavenly Father, and the rest of the world belongs to the Devil.

 2Ti_2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

 We may try to see some goodness in those who are lost, but we must know that at any time the Devil will use them for one of his wickedly sick purposes and they will be unable to resist him.

 Mrk_10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

 Those who are lost, their lives revolve around sin.

 We know this because we were once just like them until we met our Savior.

 Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

 They eat a steady diet of sin!

They drink the wine of violence!

 The color of their wine is the same color as blood.

 We see these things increase in our world today.

 There is no comparison between the life of a true Christian and that of the lost.

 There is a perfect day in our future, but for the lost and wicked, there is only the life turmoil now and a future of eternal torment.

 Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Joh 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

 Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

 1Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

 The way of the lost is in darkness!

 Even the Bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season, and many of the lost hunt for that pleasure all their lives and never find it again because they remain in the darkness of the Devil.

 Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

 All of these take great pleasure in sin that, in truth, has made them captives of the Devil.

 *****Pro 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Pro 4:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

Pro 4:22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Pro 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

 Here we see our Heavenly Father almost begging us to hear what He has to say.

 This is the loving concern for us that He always shows us.

 We must listen closely to what God has to say to us. He always has our best interests in mind.

 Pro 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

 We must pay attention to what God is saying to us.

 Jesus Christ said: Jhn_14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 We cannot just listen to what the Lord is saying, we must act upon it. We can do that only if we keep the Word of God in the midst of our hearts.

 God's wisdom is like life-giving blood; it flows through our bodies, giving us new life that we never knew before.

 2Ti_1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 What is our heart like before we meet Jesus?

 Mat 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

Mat 15:20 These are the things which defile a man:

 A fact of life is that out of our hearts come the issues of life, our moral conduct.

 The wisdom of God will purify our hearts, and if our hearts are pure, our lives will be pure.

 Ezk_36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

 This is why we are to guard our new heart above all else.

 A wise person will recognize the importance of keeping wisdom in the heart!

 These wise people are the Body of Christ!

 When our hearts become the fountain of moral life, then our moral life will be the fountain of our conduct, which everyone sees.

 When we hear corrupt talk around us, we need to get as far away from it as we can.

 *****Pro 4:24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

Pro 4:25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Pro 4:26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Pro 4:27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

 A person with a dark heart will spew ungodly words and evil speaking, and we should not trouble our ears to hear such filth.

 The Lord Jesus makes this very simple for us to understand.

 Mat 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Mat 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

 If there is no evil in our hearts, no filth will spew out of our mouths!

 Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

 We need to take the words in the Word of God about the New Heaven and try to visually see what it looks like, and then focus our path on the entrance gate, and as we complete our walk in this life, the vision of that place will become brighter as we walk in that direction, not veering to the left or the right.

If we keep our focus upon Jesus, we will find the entrance to heaven because He is that entrance.

 If we spend our time looking around trying to see some evil, we will surely see it.

 Remember David on the roof of his mansion, just looking out to see what he could see, and there it was right in front of him. A beautiful woman with no clothes on probably innocent to his stare.

 There is no profit in our looking to see how evil our world is; we must know that it is because the Word of God says it is, and keep our focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, who will lead us to His Father's mansion.

 We need to remove all the stumbling blocks out of our pathway and walk on the glory road that ends in New Heaven.

 If we stay focused on these things, we will not see things on the left or the right that might deceive us!

 These are the same things we must teach our children, our grandchildren, and our great-grandchildren.

 God has sent us an invitation to join Him around His glorious throne, and we would be foolish not to want to be there with Him!

 This is the prize we seek.

 It is the glory of God that will blind us from the path of evil if we just listen to Him and obey Him!

 Amen

Wisdom Has Its Rewards

 The Rewards of Wisdom

 Book of Proverbs Chapter 3

 We know that the Book of Proverbs is a collection and compilation of true, divinely inspired, wise sayings, and they are unquestionably Scripture.

 2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

 We should know that many of these Proverbs existed as a teaching tool long before King Solomon

 Num 21:27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:

 1Sa 24:13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

 We should understand that all genuine truth, regardless of its human origin or proclaimer, has God as its ultimate source.

 Ecc 12:10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

Ecc 12:11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

 We should understand that if God can speak through a donkey, He can cause some truths to come from a pagan human being, if He chooses.

 2Pe 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

2Pe 2:16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

 God still loves all His created beings but insists that they become believers. Who's to say He did not put words of wisdom in their mouths?

 It was the Holy Spirit who decided which proverbs would be included in the Scriptures, just as every other Word, Passage, and Book.

 There are many other proverbs in this world, but the Holy Spirit decided these were important to the believer.

 Most scholars have said it was Solomon who assembled this Book of Proverbs as directed by the Holy Spirit.

 Solomon wrote: Pro 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

Pro 1:6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 We have this verse of prophecy: Pro 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

 God also says this to all unbelievers: Pro 1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

Pro 1:27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

Pro 1:28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

Pro 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

 If we seek true wisdom, then we will also find the Lord! Pro 2:5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

 Pro 2:9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

 Pro 2:22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

 It is very hard to view these three chapters as one lesson, but this is the way of our lessons.

 *****Chapter 3 Verse 1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

Pro 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

 We should clearly understand that God does not desire our compliance with all the Word of God, but God requires us to submit to all the Word of God.

 Obedience without submission is compliance.

We must submit all the Word of God because we know it is the truth.

God is not some tyrant trying to force His ways upon us.

Just to be compliant because someone says so, shows we still have a rebellious spirit.

 These are so-called believers who, though the outward action is present, rebellion is still in their hearts, and their prayer life will never amount to anything fruitful.

 Chastisement may drive the child of God to compliance, but it takes love to drive the child of God to submission without rebellion.

 The Lord Jesus Christ is treated as the Son of God as a member of the Holy Trinity. Not three Gods but the three persons in the One God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

 As adopted into the family of God, He is our Heavenly Father. This is why He speaks to us as His dear children!

 If the God of all creation sees us as His dear children, then why in the world would we rebel against Him?

 We talk a lot about the Ten Commandments, and we know that the Jews were given 613 commandments in all, but the truth is that all the Word of God is commandments written to us in love.

 Our Heavenly Father will never force us to recognize Him as our Father, but it is the wise thing to do.

 The Laws of the Father are the same laws of the Son.

 Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Joh 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

Joh 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

 Our life span upon this earth is really not very long. As I grow older, I feel the call of my Heavenly home, but as I have reached the age to see my Great Grand Children and the things going on in this world, I know they need me as long as the Lord leaves me here. I think most of us feel the same way.

 To be honest, we have not left such a great world for our grandchildren and certainly not our great-grandchildren.

 I am already experiencing verse two and have been at peace for a while now. I'm certain I'll end up in New Heaven and am prepared to go whenever the time comes.

 This is why submitting to the Lord is far better than trying to keep up with a bunch of laws.

 My God, my Heavenly Father has promised mercy because of His great love, and mercy means I will never see His wrath upon me.

 Mercy means I will not receive the punishment for my sin that I deserve but will receive the "Grace" of God instead.

 *****Pro 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

Pro 3:4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

 Listen as our Heavenly Father teaches us.

 "Mercy without truth is like a great rain in a desert place that is not a blessing because there are no plants that need its nourishment".

 When we receive the mercy of God, it means we are not getting what we deserve, eternity in Hell, which is a real place.

 For those who believe in Heaven but doubt a place called Hell means they have rejected the truth. Both places are mentioned in the Word of God.

 Our Heavenly Father exhorts each of us to grab hold of His mercy and His truth and never let go.

 That mercy and that truth came to us in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Truth means things we can rely on, and we can rely on the truth of the Gospel!

 God has proven He loves us as He has made a way for us to miss out on His wrath.

 Our obedience to His Word proves we love Him!

 The obedience of the Christian is the outward behavior of each Christian's inner devotion to our Heavenly Father.

 The terms binding and loosing to the Jew mean permitting or forbidding or declaring anything to be forbidden or permitted.

 What are the benefits of being obedient to the Word of God?

 We will find favor and understanding with our Heavenly Father.

 The favor of God is God's "Grace," which means His good will, His acceptance, and the many benefits that come from these things.

 When we devote ourselves to the Lord, we will remain true and faithful to Him.

 Love and faithfulness are to be worn like precious jewels in a necklace.

 To the Jew, the throat is the life of every person. Mercy and truth are tied to the throat, so mercy and truth are to become a part of our every breath.

 We bind them to our neck and then we write them in our heart!

 This means that we know that the Word of God is to become a major part of our lives.

 Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

 Even as a child of twelve, our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated these rewards in His life.

 Luk 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

 We can do none of these things until we have submitted ourselves to God!

 God wants to see our love for Him with His own eyes!

 God wants us to demonstrate our love for Him by being obedient to Him!

 1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

 Without this faith in Him, we can never please our Heavenly Father.

 Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

 *****Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

 Today, most people trust in their own understanding, even though most of that understanding comes from media sources that have forgotten the truth and have allowed politics to dictate their beliefs, much of which comes from hatred.

 Just look at Microsoft News, and ninety percent of it is distorted news who do everything it can to go against our duly elected President.

 People do not get to learn on their own understanding because all we get is a distorted worldview.

 The truth of the Word of God is so easily seen as it teaches us how to live in a mind at peace with this world, because we are no longer a part of this world.

 When we acknowledge our Heavenly Father, He knows it.

When we love our Heavenly Father, He knows it.

When we trust our Heavenly Father, He knows it.

When we accept the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, He starts a building program in the New Heaven.

 This applies to every minute of our lives, at home, at work, at church, and in everything we do.

 The enemies of Israel came against King Asa and Asa called upon the Lord: 2Ch 14:11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

 Every day we go out to battle in this world, we need to say, "Help us, O Lord our God, for we rest upon thee and in thy name, we go out into this lost and dying world with the Gospel".

 We can do this if we are devoted to Him and His Word!

 Our path is the same path that our Lord Jesus walked.

 Our understanding will be darkened by our sinful nature if we depend upon our own understanding.

 Eph 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

 We can walk in the darkness, or we can walk in the Light of Life.

 Jhn_8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

 *****Pro 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Pro 3:8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

 Self-confidence can be a good thing, but when we put our own confidence above the truth of the Word of God, then we will fail.

 Any wisdom against the wisdom of God is wrong, and it is sin.

 Isa 5:21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

 We should always seek the direction of God in everything we do!

 We are also able to see that our moral condition and our physical self are closely linked together!

 Godliness is profitable for all things.

 1Ti 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

 When we have a reverent fear of the Lord, it builds our relationship with Him, and we can see His promise, we will live healthier lives here on earth and in eternal life when we reach His home in New Heaven.

 Godliness means we hate evil and the evil ways of man.

 To be self-sufficient is to be arrogant and self-righteous.

 If we wish to conquer the challenges of this life, we have to cry out to the Lord God for His help and His wisdom.

 Pro 2:5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

 Every command that God gives us is for our well-being in every dimension of this life we live now.

 Sin will rob us of time we can spend with our families and enjoy this life as we prepare for that eternal life.

 That word naval actually means the neural chord we were attached to when we were in the womb of our mothers.

 If we belong to the Lord God, our Creator, our naval chord is now attached to Jehovah God and He will moisten the marrow of our bones.

 Psa 63:5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

 We can say all these things and do all these things, but there is a way we can prove to the Lord, we love Him.

 We can bless Him as He has blessed us.

 It's called self-sacrificing.

 *****Pro 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

Pro 3:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

 This means more than just tithing, which we are all called to do.

 Our first fruits are to be presented to the Lord in gratitude and thankfulness to Jehovah.

Our first fruits are to be the best we have.

 Trusting the Lord with all our hearts includes our wealth and our substance.

 Fearing the Lord extends to His commands about finances and material things.

 These things honor God because they show our submission to Him.

 When we give our best instead of our leftovers, it glorifies our Creator.

 Many leftovers of our meals go out to feed animals, so we do not have to wonder how God feels when we try to give Him our leftovers.

 Our first fruit must be a token of our gratitude to the Lord for the blessings that He has already given to us.

 When we are willing to give God the best that we have, which includes our time, it is really just a trial of our faith.

 Ask Abraham how he felt when God told him to give up his son?

 God says to prove Him: Mal 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Mal 3:11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

Mal 3:12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

 Can I say I have received a gift from God that was not special, and a thing I needed?

 God will do for us what only He can do!

 2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

2Co 9:9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

 We could say that giving to the Lord is our supreme act of faith.

 We must also know that we are only human, and humans are made from dirt, and we will fall under Satan's temptation on occasion.

 We cannot make excuses but own up to our failures and ask or sometimes beg for forgiveness.

 *****Pro 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

Pro 3:12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

 None of us likes any sort of punishment.

 No child of God can love pain or loss.

 None of us looks forward to the knife of the surgeon.

 We must completely understand that God not only rewards His children and prefers to do so, but He is also a loving Father who will discipline us. It is called chastisement.

 As long as we remain in this sack of flesh that we wear, we will make mistakes, and we will need discipline.

 If we are or were parents, we understand this clearly.

 If we are being disciplined by the Lord, we must understand it is because He loves us.

 None of us enjoys discipline, but we are to submit obediently to God's hand of discipline.

 As we travel that narrow path to Heaven, we will need His guidance, and we already know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the door to the entrance into the glory world.

 He is not the doorway but the door.

 Jehovah God never gets angry with His children; He corrects us!

 Job 5:17  Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: 

Job 5:18  For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. 

 As God is our Heavenly Father, we are part of His family, so it is discipline of a family and not like as school or prison.

 Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 

Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 

 We can understand the word "bastard" as those born of the world and have Satan as their father.

 2Co 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 We show our trust in the Lord by just believing what He says.

 Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 

Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 

 *****Pro 3:13  Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 

Pro 3:14  For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 

Pro 3:15  She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 

Pro 3:16  Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 

Pro 3:17  Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 

Pro 3:18  She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. 

 We should know that just like precious metals and precious jewels, wisdom is to be found.

 We must diligently seek God's wisdom!

 We can see that God's wisdom will bring happiness.

 Happiness is the result of being in God's favor!

 God's wisdom has much more value than silver. Silver is used to make musical instruments in Heaven.

 God's wisdom is much more valuable than gold. Gold is nothing but paving material in Heaven.

 God's wisdom is much more valuable than jewels. Jewels are used as wall decorations in Heaven.

Out of everything we might ever desire, wisdom will make us richer than any money ever will!

Instead of seeking some magic potion for long life, the only potion that will work is the wisdom of God.

God's wisdom can bring honor.

God's wisdom can bring happiness and peace to our lives.

God's wisdom is truly the tree of life here on earth and will lead us to our new home in the New Heaven.

Wisdom is truly the source of life!

Wisdom brings happiness to God's people.

Amen

Sharing the Love of the Lord

 Collection and a Conclusion

 Book of 1 Corinthians Chapter 16

As we finish our study of the Book of 1 Corinthians, we should keep in mind that someone had written a letter to the Apostle Paul about things going on in the Church at Corinth, and the Apostle Paul had written or dictated to a scribe the answers to their questions and had sent this epistle in the hands of Timothy a young preacher to get this church headed in the right direction.

All the epistles of the Apostle Paul are written to the Church established by the Lord Jesus Christ and are, in fact, the written Word of God established by the Holy Spirit.

  It should have been clear to the Church in Corinth that it was from that first church in Jerusalem that the source from which all the blessings of the Gospel had flowed.

 It was fitting for the early church to help the poor people of the first church in Jerusalem if they were able.

 Gal 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

Gal 2:10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

 As we saw in Chapter 13, the Book of Love, the lovers of God give freely to Him. If we have the love of the Holy Spirit, then we will give to the Church.

 What had the Lord Jesus said? Act_20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

 Psalms 41: Psa 41:1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

Psa 41:2 The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

Psa 41:3 The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

 Pro 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

 The Lord Jesus is serious about this: Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

 Every child of God, even if they are poor, is also a saint of God!

 At this time, it was the poor Christians in Jerusalem who struggled the most.

They were being persecuted by the members of Judaism and fellow Jews.

 In Jerusalem was a sharp contrast between the rich and the poor, with the saints of God being the poorest of the poor.

 Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

 It is said many times that God will provide our needs, and many times He expects the Church to help in this matter.

 Remember this was to help the saints of God in the church at Jerusalem and not a handout to all the poor, even though at times we can help them, but the Church comes first. It is the Church that has the promises of God!

 This was to be a special gift for the poor in the church at Jerusalem, which we would call today a love offering.

 Paul had given these same instructions to other churches he had established.

 It had been thirty years since the church at Jerusalem had begun to practice the common ownership of goods, but this thing had soon ceased.

 Many believed this had failed and caused widespread poverty among the Jewish Christians.

 Whatever the cause, the believers in Jerusalem were in desperate need of help.

 God has a special place in His heart for those who give unselfishly!

 Heb 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

 What is being a good steward? 1Pe 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

 *****1Co 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.

1Co 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

 This lesson is clear: the Church is to help meet the needs of the poor believers.

 Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

 We can also see from this Scripture that the churches gathered together on Sundays, the first day of the week.

 The Jews met on Saturdays as commanded in the Laws of Moses, but the Church has no such command, and the Church meets on the Lord's Day. The church can also gather again on any other day, for where two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus Christ, we can have church.

 Rev_1:10 I was in the Spirit on “the Lord's day”, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

 It was on Sunday when the Lord Jesus Christ walked out of that grave.

 Joh 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

 It was on Sunday that the Apostles gathered after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Act 20:7 And upon “the first day of the week”, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

 Paul preached on the first day of the week, which is Sunday.

 Notice the believers were not to make occasional offerings; they were to give regularly, every Lord's Day, on the first day of the week.

 They all were to give, even the poor were to give as they were able.

 2Co 9:12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

2Co 9:13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

2Co 9:14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

 It is giving that builds a strong fellowship among believers, as verse 14 states.

 Any offering that was made was to be kept at God's storehouse.

 2Ch_31:10 And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the LORD hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.

 During the week, these believers were to lay up what they could and deliver it to the storehouse when they gathered together.

 Today, this would be the treasury of the church.

 Mal 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

 *****1Co 16:3 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.

1Co 16:4 And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.

 Notice that those who were to handle this money going to Jerusalem were to be hand-picked by the church.

 This offering was to be handled very carefully.

 They must choose men of character.

They must be men whom the church could approve and “trust" to handle the money.

They were to be men whom the Apostle Paul could commend through letters of commendation.

 Paul would write letters on their behalf to the church in Jerusalem.

 If Paul could not go with them, he would write letters of introduction for them.

 This was something that was done so brothers could be received as brothers in the Lord and not as strangers.

 Act 18:27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

 Rom 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

Rom 16:2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.

 That phrase "your liberality" means the things we talk about in Chapter 13.

 If this offering were not voluntary, it would mean nothing to the Lord and bring no reward to this church at Corinth.

 It was not to be a gift of obligation but rather a gift of brotherly love for one another.

 Paul himself would not touch this offering so he could remain above reproach at all times.

 Even if his schedule allowed him to make the journey to Jerusalem, those men would be personally delivering that offering to the believers in Jerusalem.

 *****1Co 16:5 Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia.

1Co 16:6 And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go.

1Co 16:7 For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.

1Co 16:9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.

1Co 16:10 Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do.

1Co 16:11 Let no man therefore despise him: but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the brethren.

 We must know that there is always a need to keep in touch with God's people.

 All of us need strengthening and building up from time to time.

 This world will wear us down, and it is just going to get worse!

 We see here that God does not always want us to do as we plan to do.

 God's will must be the rule of our lives as we minister for Christ!

 God is not too busy with all the things He does to not get personal with us.

 We are wrong when we do not listen to Him!

 Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him "who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will":

 We must understand that all things are brought to pass by the will of God!

 God has a purpose for each one of us, and also as a group!

 2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, "but according to his own purpose and grace", which was given us in Christ Jesus "before the world began",

2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

 What the Holy Spirit is saying is "it's our time to shine" as we are brought into the plan God has had from the beginning, way back before Genesis.

 No one upon this earth is as wise as God!

 We can only be wise if we yield to the will of God!

 Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

 God does as He pleases, but everything He does is the right thing to do!

 God does not adjust His plan according to events that happen upon this earth!

 Dan 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

 1) There is the directed will of God; these are the things God actively brings about.

 He creates. Isa 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

 He controls this universe. Dan 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and no one can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

 He establishes rulers and governments. Dan 2:21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

 He calls those to be saved. Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

 2) There is the permissive will of God.

 This means that even though God has determined all things, He may do them Himself, or He may bring them about through secondary causes.

 Sinful acts do not frustrate the plan of God; they just cause us to suffer the wrath of God. God does not ever cause sinful acts!

 Man is responsible for all sinful acts that happen in this world.

 All the things that God created have one purpose: they are designed to reveal the glory of God!

 Psa 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Psa 19:2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

Psa 19:3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

 Our Lord Jesus died, was buried, and has risen and returned to Heaven because this was the plan of God for our redemption.

 Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Act 2:25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

Act 2:26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

Act 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

 The Apostle Paul knew he could return to this church in Corinth only if it was in the will of God for him to do so.

 At this time, they had Timothy, a young preacher who preached just as Paul did, and they would get the truth of the Gospel.

 We would rather run our own lives, but once we recognize these truths of God, we know it is best to yield to His will for us, as did the Apostle Paul.

 As we learned from Chapter 13, Paul expressed love rather than division.

 *****1Co 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

1Co 16:20 All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.

1Co 16:21 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.

 We should understand that this Christian family of Aquila and Priscilla was greatly involved in establishing the churches in Corinth and in Ephesus.

 They were also Paul's partners in a trade that provided Paul with the funds for his journey. He accepted very little help from the churches.

 They had established a church in their own home.

 Many churches have begun in the humble surroundings of someone's home.

 Gethsemane met first in the home of a church member.

 A holy kiss is the kiss of peace that should reign in all the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Rom 16:16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.

 The body of Christ is supposed to be one body, but we know that is not the case in today's world.

 We are all supposed to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We all have the same Heavenly Father.

We are all brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are all supposed to have the same Scriptures. There is only one true Word of God!

We are all going to the same New Heaven and New Jerusalem.

We are all filled with the same Holy Spirit.

 We have to wonder why we do not act like it.

 Paul's signature on these epistles was a sign of the authenticity of the Word of God coming by the Holy Spirit.

 2Th 3:17 The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.

 Anathema in this passage means that those who do not love the Lord Jesus Christ are objects of hatred, from disgust to all holy beings. They are guilty of rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ and deserve condemnation.

 They have exposed themselves to the sentence of "everlasting destruction” from the presence of the Lord, which is what Maranatha says.

 The word Maranatha means the Lord Jesus is coming, and He will judge all those who have made Him seem meaningless in this world, all those who are Anathema.

 God is very serious about how we treat His Son!

 Amen