Wise Up!

The book of Proverbs provides God's detailed instructions for His people to deal successsfully with the practical affairs of everyday life.  Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, King Solomon, the principle author, gives the divine perspective necessary to handle life's challenges.  The dominant theme of Proverbs is wisdom in its various aspects.  In Proverbs "wisdom" (Hebrew, hokma) is skill in living as God intends, and is often connected with both understanding and knowledge.  Wisdom instructs God's people on how to live wisely in a foolish world. 

A very good habit to follow is to read one chapter of the book of Proverbs each day (the chapter will coincide with the numbered day of the month).  DO THE MATH.  Following this habit means you will read through the entire book of Proverbs each month, and 12 times over the span of one year.  One can only imagine the powerful impact this will have on your personal relationship with Christ and your Christian walk of faith.   Don't you think its time to "WISE-UP"?  God bless!

What Can We Say (Romans 8:31-34)

Having asked and answered four rhetorical questions (i.e. Who can be against us if God is for us? Who can hinder God from giving us all things if He did not even spare His own Son? Who can bring a charge againts us when God has justified us? Who can condemn us when Christ died for us, rose for us, and is seated at the Father's right hand for us?), the apostle Paul teaches us that not only is the Judge of the entire universe on our side, we also have an Advocate.  We have a perfecct Man in heaven, Jesus Christ, who is right now interceding for us at God the Father's right hand.  All our hopes are pinned on Him.  Who is there to condemn us?  No one on earth or in hell below can condemn us because we are "in Christ." HALLELUJAH, WHAT A SAVIOR!

Resurrection Victory!

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ said:  "Fear not, I am He that lives, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death" (Rev. 1:17-18).  In this great victory statement, our Lord mentions three specific realities:  First, the reality of Jesus' sacrificial death ("I am He that lives; and was dead").  Second, the reality of Jesus' glorious resurrection ("and, behold, I am alive forevermore").  Finally, the reality of Jesus' powerful triumph ("and (I) have the keys of hell and death").   Resurrection Sunday (and every day of our lives) is a time to celebrate that Jesus Christ, our Savior, lives.  This truth brings comfort to our hearts and lives.  Praise God, Jesus is ALIVE!

Our Divine Resident (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

One of the greatest realities for the Christian is that at the very moment of salvation the Holy Spirit came to dwell permanently in their life, no matter how imperfect or immature that life may be.  As our permanent resident, the Holy Spirit seals us, guides us, teaches us, convicts us, comforts us, encourages us, equips and empowers us, and fills us. 

Just think ---- we are never alone in our struggles and troubles.  When life seems too much for us, when we encounter tought times or we're treated unfairly, we can rejoice in the presence of our divine resident, the Holy Spirit.  Praise God, our divine resident is not just "with" us, He is "within" us!

Giving to God

How do you view giving?  Some view it as an obstacle, burden, or punishment.  Some, obviously need to change their whole attitude about giving to God through their local church.  Churches suffer today financially because only 9-10% of all Christians tithe through their local churches (though 17% say they do).  The reason for this:  GREED and COVETOUSNESS.  As Christians we need to be tranformed from attitudes of greed to generosity, from attitudes that give grudgingly to an atttitude of giving liberally, and from an attitude of stinginesss to one of sharing.  According to 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, our giving should be done gratefully (v.1), sacrificially (v.2), eagerly (vv.3-4), worshipfully (vv.5-6), and exemplary (vv.8-9).  Our giving is a reflection of our love for the Lord Jesus Christ.  You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.

Where Is Your Treasure? Matthew 6:19-24

Have you ever played the game, MONOPOLY?  Monopoly is the game where players accumulate property, build houses and hotels, and then wait for the other players to land on their property so they have to pay up.  Eventually, you hope to bankrupt everyone else and take all the money and property.  But, regardless of who wins the game, when the game is over, the board is folded up, all the pieces put away, and the lid goes on the box.  It has only been a game.  This is exactly how it is in this "more is better" society in which we live.  When our life is over, the game pieces are put away and the lid closed on our coffin.  At that point, it won't matter who owned the railroads and Boardwalk.  Earthly wealth doesn't guarantee earthly happiness or heavenly treasure.  As Christians, we ought to spend our lives laying up "treasures in Heaven."  The treasures we send on ahead to heaven are mothproof, rustproof, and burglarproof.  How, then, do we make deposits on earth that yield heavenly dividends?  We store up treasuress in heaven by investing our money in that which lasts for eternity --- the lives and souls of people!  Everything else will decay and/or disappear.  As missionary Jim Elliot once said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."  AMEN!