Proverbs 26

"The lazy man says, 'There is a lion in the road!  A fierce lion is in the streets!'"  (Proverbs 26:13)

Basically, if you consider the "lazy" in Scripture, you discover that, "The lazy man," does nothing, "So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground.  See, here is what belongs to you," i.e., what his lord had given him, and, with which he did absolutely nothing. (Matthew 25:25, NIV)  The, "lazy man," just cries out of all the danger, all the evil in the world, and stays in his family room, in his favorite chair, in the proverbial "comfort zone."

So, I guess if I don't want to be categorized as, "The lazy man," I had better watch my belief system, which governs my words, which will reveal what motivates me--------------- fear, or obedience to Jesus Christ.

Father, in Jesus' Name, when there is, "A fierce lion...in the streets!"-- help me to look at You and not the lion.  Amen.
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Please continue to pray for Andreea.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Proverbs 25

"Take away the dross from silver, and it will go to the silversmith for jewelry. (Pr. 25:4)

No matter what the full meaning of, "dross," we know we don't want it; neither does our Lord Jesus.  It is that which hinders, lessens the "value" or use.  Of course you and I are valuable as children of God through Jesus Christ.  But not everything in me is valuable; hence, "Take away the dross...."  I recognize it as a very long, even lifetime process; I have no illusions of who and what I am and my constant need of "dross removal."  Anyone who does not agree that this is a lifetime process is just not being honest with him/herself or their rightful view of other Believers in Jesus.  Do not imagine for a moment those "great" Christian personages whom you admire is dross free; they are not.  We all need the fire.

When dross is removed, then, "it will go to the silversmith for jewelry."  What is reality in the family of God is that the One Who deals with the dross is also The, "silversmith."  This is a total "in House" process.  This is not some capricious god destroying, ripping up lives for destruction, then saying, "Here, now try to fine some value in this;" no.  This is God, the Living Triune God, manifest in the earth to all nations in Jesus Christ, carefully, delicately dealing with dross, that which limits our life and service, and is no good to us or anyone.  I can just see our Lord when dross is removed, holding up you and me and saying, "There, My creation; 'Therefore, if anyone is in [Me], he is a new creation; all things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.'"  Perhaps the NLT says it best, "....a new life has begun."  It just began when we surrendered our lives to Jesus.  Could I put it this way?  A baby is born; he is our baby, will always be our baby.  But many baths are needed.

Father, in Jesus Name, thank You for being such a wonderful, "Silversmith."  Amen.
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Sarah and I depart October 27 for our Fall Mission; appreciate any prayers.
  

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Proverbs 23

"Do not remove the ancient landmark, nor enter the fields of the fatherless...." (Proverbs 23:10)  "My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways." (Proverbs 23:26)

Private Property:  Those who went to college, especially during or after the 1960s, probably remember the communist mentality propagated in various forms which railed on private property.  I once posted our text on Facebook and one of our reader's relatives came back with the best anti-private property___ I've heard since the 60s---- party line the whole way.  This is just one reason communism is so evil.  Anyone who reads and believes and acts on the Bible realizes that the Bible speaks of and honors property rights.  "....nor enter the fields of the fatherless."  What an absolutely different world this would be if this simple phrase would have been held in high honor over the centuries.  June 22, 1941, Hitler invaded Russia.  One pretext was to obtain more living space, "lebensroum."  It was a direct violation of Proverbs 23:10.  History is full of myriads of examples in every nation.

"Give Me your heart."  Our Living Triune God wants nothing less or more.  When one has a person's heart, he has everything.  We can work, put on a show of busyness (which is just a disguised ego trip), have church programs and activities which impress the shallow, but if Jesus Christ does not have my heart, He and I have nothing of each other, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  The heart reveals my treasure, my affection, my loyalty.  Every invitation Jesus made to people in the Gospels was to the heart.  One can accurately say, This goes to "the heart of the matter."  And, there is no doubt that when Jesus has my heart, then my, "eyes observe [His] ways."  The reverse is also true.  The surest indication that Jesus has my heart is, "[my] eyes observe [His] ways."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I give you my heart anew right now.  Amen.
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Article about Obama's plan to send Iraqi Jewish valuables back to Iraq, at:  jhs58.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Correction on Today's Devotional

Correction in the second paragraph: "very few of such super heroes know anything."

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Proverbs 22

"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold....He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor." (Proverbs 22:1 & 9)

Today is my Grandpa Barnette's 126th birthday.  "A good name," does not begin to describe him.  The word for, "good," can mean "acceptable, tried,"  Now I know many people do not like such personal references in sermons, devotionals, etc.  My Dad had a critic in one congregation who thought my Dad spoke too much about his Dad.  But to me, any illustration is always more "relevant" when it comes from your life experience; hence, I also have used many football illustrations over the years.  Regardless, Tom Barnette was a living example of both verse texts.  He was not "rich" by this world's standards, yet he had, and still has, as we found out a couple of years ago, "a good name," and, "loving favor," in Punxsutawney, PA.  There is just no amount of, "great riches," and, "silver and gold," which can buy that.  Tom Barnette was a person who gave, "of his bread to the poor," during the Great Depression of the 1930s.  At his funeral, I met a man who was one of the recipients of such, "a generous eye."   

 
Far too few religious people put great weight on the Book of Proverbs.  What Proverbs describes as, "favor," and, "blessed," just doesn't seem very "spiritual."  To them, Proverbs falls before misquoted and misunderstood passages such as, "by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."  They are those who speak much of worship, prophetic declarations, prayer, yet do not have, "a generous eye," and, "give[] of his bread to the poor."  (I wonder how many of the aforementioned tithe?)  Just observe what and whom people do put so much, "good name, " and their, "loving favor," upon; most of them are rich politicians, movie stars, professional athletes, and very few of such super heroes know nothing of, "a good name...who has a generous eye," and, "give[] of his bread to the poor."  Yet even many church-goers, are enamored with such people whom our Lord Jesus Christ bestows no, "favor," whatsoever.  Favor does not manifest in popularity among the masses, nor great wealth, nor in an everything-seems-to-go-right life.  The only, "Favor," and, "a good name," any of us should desire is that which is in the smile of our Living Triune God, and, quite frankly, we will never quite know of that, "until that Day."

As I read the Bible, Old and New Testaments, I say that, "A good name," and, "loving favor," come to the person, "who has a generous eye," and, "gives of his bread to the poor."  All other explanations are just religiously concocted vanity.  I want to look for more and more opportunities to a life of and in our Lord Jesus Christ, "that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."

Father, in Jesus' Name, may this description of You be mine.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Proverbs 19-21

"People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord." (Proverbs 19:3, NLT)  "A man's steps are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?" (20:24, NKJV)  "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes." (21:1)

Proverbs 19:3-- This is sobering in its truth.  I have encountered so many people over the years who live this way.  It is no way to live.  When people say they were, or refer to another who is, "angry at the Lord," some times one can detect a little approval, or at least understanding as to why that can be the case.  No personages ever "won" in life who, "are angry at the Lord."  May we always remember that.  It is a no win scenario, and, it breaks the Lord's heart.  May our love for our Lord Jesus Christ always supercede our lack of understanding, deep disappointment, and frustration with life which we cannot comprehend anyway.  There is never a justification for, "are angry at the Lord."

Proverbs 20:24-- It is because, "A man's steps are of the Lord,"  that he cannot, "understand his own way," i.e., without the Lord Jesus Christ.  I was "designed" by The Word of God, and I cannot function in life the way God intended without the Redeeming Blood of Jesus and His Words.  Someone once referred to the Bible as "the Manufacturer's Handbook;" it is.  You and I just cannot "work right" without Him and His Words.  People breathe and walk around and go to and fro; but they cannot understand life without the Lord Jesus Christ.  Remember your life before Him? 

Proverbs 21:1-- This is the "keeping the banks on the creek."  Mankind has done much to distort the Creator's purpose for him.  "Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom," has been the theme of the human race from the Fall.  Yet in and through it all, "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes."  All kings, prime ministers, presidents who opposed Jesus Christ throughout history are gone, and ones who are now in such opposition will discover that "kings and kingdoms will all pass away, but there's something about That Name."  Jesus turns all history, "wherever He wishes."  Any citizen of any nation who Follows Jesus Christ should take great heart today in the reality of this.  Though things seem out of control, and chaos many times seems to be the rule, human history and, "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to keep learning your ways.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2