Sunday, March 26, 2017

PROVERBS 26 - "THE FOOL OR FOOLISH"

Some of the paragraphs are covered by scriptures.  Please click on the link below if you wish to read it it without the verses covering 2 of the paragraphs.  It is well worth reading!
Proverbs 26 – Today is Day 26, so I am going to focus on Proverbs 26. There are 28 verses in this chapter of Proverbs. We are closing in on the final chapters of Proverbs in this 31 Day Proverb Challenge.
Read Proverbs 26.

Proverbs 26

Proverbs 26, talks a lot about a fool. A fool is an immoral, evil person. I believe just about every verse in the 26th Chapter has something about the fool, in one manner. Yes, the Bible does use the word, fool. It has used it in previous chapters in Proverbs too.
Proverbs 26, starts off talking about snow in the summer and rain in the harvest. These are not unheard of as they could happen, but they could also lead to damaging effects. I believe it is telling us that a fool doesn’t show honor or if they do, it would be rare like these type of events.
We are not to answer a fool with foolish answers. We must expose there folly so they will understand. If you answer him in a foolish way, you are just like the fool yourself. We are also not to trust the fool either. Trusting a fool will lead to destruction.
A fool doesn’t know how to apply what he knows that is what it means by it being like a person that is lame, a person that is lame is a person that has legs that don’t work.
Proverbs 26 also tells how fools may share proverbs to other people. Most of the ways it says are basically saying they are pointless to have a fool share proverbs.
“Do not answer a fool according to his folly or you will be like him yourself.” Proverbs 26:4
A fool doesn’t accept correction or punishment. They will continue doing what they know without repentance. This is what it means by when a dog returns to its vomit. We know that dogs usually will go back and eat what they vomited. A foolish person will continue to repeat their mistakes. I say someone that continues and lives in open sin is a fool. They know better, but wont’ take corrective measures to try to sin less. We can’t live in open sin.See Dog Returns to his own vomit.
As a dog returns to his own vomitSo a fool repeats his folly. Proverbs 26:11
Proverbs 26, also talks about a man believes their way is right, just like a few other Proverbs. But only a foolish man thinks his way his right. He won’t consider that God’s way is the right way. He may think that God really meant this or its okay in certain cases, but God’s Word allows for no compromising. Man’s ways believe you can compromising or accept things based on circumstances. But God’s plan is right there in words plain as day.
Make sure you check out the other Proverbs post.I have already Posted Proverbs 1 to Proverbs 31. That is the complete series of Proverbs, there are 31 chapters and 31 blog post, you can see a link to each chapter below.
Proverbs 26, also talks about a lazy man, only a fool would be lazy. Being lazy brings a lot of things. It can bring poverty, hunger and even death. The lazy man will want others to do things for them, instead of doing for themselves or their family.
It also tells us when we pass someone and see them in a dispute that we are not to join in and meddle in these disputes. Those disputes are suppose to be between those two people to settle. By you intervening, it going to add to the fire you can say. It could make one more upset than the other, plus you don’t know both sides of the story.There is always two sides to the story, you must gather the facts.
Proverbs 26, also tells about joking on neighbors. Again neighbors means those around us, not necessary those who live near us as we are associate with today. So don’t be like a jester and lie to make jokes. These jokes are no fun to be part of. Nor are they good for you or the person you are pranking.
Proverbs 26, also warns us about deceit, lying, anger and much more as well.  Only a fool will try to make himself something that he is not. This is deceit and lying. But only a wise person will know the truth.
It talks about digging a pit and falling into it or moving a stone and it rolling onto you. I think this goes back to what ever a man sows, he shall also reap. It is a warning to be careful in what you do. If you do the wrong thing it will cause disaster. If you wish bad onto others, it will back fire and fall onto you instead.I also think when it says when we dig a pit and we will fall into it, that is like we reap what we sow.
A liar will sooner or later make their own ruin. Remember you have to make up tons of lies to cover up for the one lie that you told. Sooner or later you will forget what you said and the truth will sooner or later come out and that will lead to your ruin. Don’t think you can get away with lying. The world may not know, but God does. He knows all and sees all. Think of it like this, we put a chip in your head. It records your thoughts etc for 24 hours. We put it on a big screen and let your church, family, coworkers  and everyone you know or came in contact with watch it. Don’t you think that would be embarrassing? That is how God does with us. He sees it all. He also knows the truth too.


Read more: http://www.courageouschristianfather.com/proverbs-26/#ixzz4cV1uz3E5

"PASTOR" MIKE MURDOCK EXPOSED! "THE SEED SOWER OF MONEY"


This is one of the worst of all of the false prophets I've seen in a long time.  Every single night, when I go to bed for some reason he is always on my television set.  I have to have background noise to sleep and there are very few shows I can watch and most of them are older shows, long before TV became the instrument of "the evil one" that it has become today.  I don't condone nor condemn television.  I DO say you need to be very careful what you allow into your gray matter.  I also always tape what I watch in order to avoid commercials.  I've seen some that make me want to throw a brick through my television screen and one day, I just might.  I subscribe to PureFlix and to me, it's a great alternative.  You just have to be aware that even though they're faith-based, many are fiction and do not necessarily line up with scripture.  As Christians AND adults, we should be able to discern truth from fiction or man's imagination.  But this is not about television.  This is about exposing a very dangerous false prophet.

He preaches the doctrine of "sowing seeds of faith," and it is always about sowing seeds of money.  He promises you that if you want a credit card debt to be wiped out, use that credit card and sow a "seed" of $1,000 and God will wipe out that debt!  Doesn't the Bible teach against borrowing?  We should not rack up tons of debts to buy things we want that only make us happy for a short period of time.  We should store up our treasures in Heaven because that's where our heart will be...where our treasure is. I'm sure God doesn't care about our bank accounts but He DOES care what we do with what we have been blessed with.  Do we really need all those clothes, 200 pairs of shoes, the latest gizmos and gadgets?  Does God really expect us to go into debt to make a false prophet, who brags about his wealth nonstop?  I don't think so.  Give yes, but without expectation but we are not to be deceived.  God never promises us money.  He may bless us with financial gain but it also can be taken away within days or even minutes.  I know what it's like to leave everything you love behind and start fresh, without anything of value, not monetarily or even sentimental.  You may be very surprised at what you are given in return.  You will be blessed when you truly put your trust in Him and that He WILL provide for you.  Sow seeds too.  Seeds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He will definitely provide you with much increase and isn't that better than anything you could buy, knowing you led another person to the saving grace of Christ Jesus?  Now THAT'S worth rejoicing over!  Below are many videos exposing this liar!!!  TURN HIM OFF!



At the beginning of this video, there are written words in regards to Helen Keller.  I have never done any research on what is said so I cannot say if this is true or not.  If you want, you can research this but I do know the "occult" symbol for love is a very real sign in American Sign Language.  Always remember that satan imitates what is good for evil.  However, I do concur with everything else he says in regards to this man!

Below is a video exposing many false prophets!  The "Wealth and Prosperity" doctrine!



I have a question.  If God meant for us to seek after riches and wealth on this earth, then why did Jesus Christ say "money is the root of all (some say many) EVIL"  He has much to say on the subject of money.  He told the rich man to sell all he had and follow Him.  He also said, "it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of God."  He again said, when asked about taxes and money, again He said, "render unto Caesar's that which is Caesar's and render unto God what is God's."  That is but a few.  Jesus Christ when our God and Savior walked on earth as a man, He never had money.  The Apostles had a little bit but they quit their jobs and stopped working for money to follow our Lord and Savior!  God rewards us with blessings.  Twice we were flat broke and both times $20 showed up in our bank account.  Even the bank couldn't explain it and there were no errors.  Yes, I believe He caused it to be there but He didn't make us rich.  He gave us enough.  If He were to bless me with great wealth, it wouldn't last long.  All I can think of is all the people I could help if I were blessed with a lot of money.  However, how do I know it wouldn't change me?  I would hope not but He does know and I don't want anything that would cause me to displease Almighty YHWH.  Why don't these men do what Jesus said to the rich man and help all the needy people in the world?  I do NOT understand!  God bless and sow the seeds of the Gospel of Salvation by Grace Alone through Jesus Christ Alone?  You cannot buy your way in.  Beware of wolves in sheeps' clothing and be ye not deceived!



See the Plan of Salvation in complete at the bottom of my blog.  Much love and LOVE MUCH in Christ Jesus by sharing His Gospel!



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WHAT "IS" GODLY LOVE? ARTICLE FROM BIBLE.ORG





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A little girl was invited for dinner at the home of her first-grade friend. The vegetable was buttered broccoli and the mother asked if she liked it. “Oh, yes,” the child replied politely, “I love it!”
But when the bowl of broccoli was passed, she declined to take any. The hostess said, “I thought you said you loved broccoli.” The girl replied sweetly, “Oh, yes ma’am, I do, but not enough to eat it!”
Do you love your family? “Of course I do!” We all would say that! It’s the only right answer. But what do you mean by love? So often we love our family like that little girl loved broccoli: We love in the abstract, but when it comes right down to it, we don’t want to get too close. In the words of the Apostle John, we love in word, but not in deed and truth (1 John 3:18).
What does biblical love look like? We know that our relationships in the family need to be marked by love. Husbands, especially, are to love their wives. But, wives, too, must love their husbands. Parents and children, brothers and sisters, must love one another. But how do we know what such love looks like in everyday dress?
Paul’s famous chapter on love, 1 Corinthians 13, tells us. The Corinthian church was emphasizing a good thing, spiritual gifts, to the neglect of the best. They were using their gifts apart from love. Paul makes the point that the use of their God-given gifts would amount to nothing if the Corinthians did not make love their priority.
Selfless love is the priority for every Christian.
These verses are the most eloquent and profound words ever written on the subject of love. To comment on its parts is a bit like giving a botany lecture on a beautiful flower--if you’re not careful you lose the beauty and impact of it. But we can profit from understanding the parts and applying it to family relationships.
In verses 1-3 he shows the preeminence of love, that love is greater than all spiritual gifts because without love, gifts are empty. In verses 4-7 he shows the practice of love, how love is greater than all spiritual gifts because of its selfless characteristics. In verses 8-13 he shows the permanence of love, that love is greater than all spiritual gifts because it outlasts them. We’re going to focus mainly on verses 4-7, where Paul describes how love acts. While in English most of these words are predicate adjectives, in Greek they are verbs. Love is not talk; it is action.
We’re all prone to apply verses like these to others: “My mate and my kids could sure use a lesson in love. But me? I’m basically a loving person. I’m really easy to get along with.” But I ask each of you to forget about everybody else and ask God to apply these verses to you.
Paul enumerates 15 characteristics of love to show how love acts or what it looks like in everyday life. A New Testament definition of agape is “a caring, self-sacrificing commitment which shows itself in seeking the highest good of the one loved.” Jesus Christ, in His sacrificial death on the cross, is the epitome and embodiment of this kind of love. A whole series of sermons could easily be preached on these qualities of love. But let’s look briefly at each of them.

1. Selfless love is patient.

Ouch! Why did he put that first? This often confronts me with my failure in relating to my family. Patience is an interesting quality in that when I don’t need it, I want it. It’s when things start to irritate or frustrate me that I need patience, but usually at that point I don’t want to be patient!
The Greek word comes from two words meaning, “long-tempered.” If you’re patient, you’re slow to anger, you endure personal wrongs without retaliating. You bear with others’ imperfections, faults, and differences. You give them time to change, room to make mistakes without coming down hard on them. Do you do that, men, with your wife and children?
I read a story of a man who had developed this quality to a far greater extent than I. During the late 1500’s, Dr. Thomas Cooper edited a dictionary with the addition of 33,000 words and many other improvements. He had already been collecting materials for eight years when his wife, a rather difficult woman, went into his study one day while he was gone and burned all of his notes under the pretense of fearing that he would kill himself with study. Eight years of work, a pile of ashes!
Dr. Cooper came home, saw the destruction, and asked who had done it. His wife told him boldly that she had done it. The patient man heaved a deep sigh and said, “Oh Dinah, Dinah, thou hast given a world of trouble!” Then he quietly sat down to another eight years of hard labor, to replace the notes which she had destroyed. (Paul Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations [Assurance Publishers, #2350.) Next time you think you’ve arrived at being patient, that will give you something to aim for!

2. Selfless love is kind.

Kindness is patience in action. The Greek word comes from a word meaning “useful.” A kind person is disposed to be helpful. He seeks out needs and looks for opportunities to meet those needs without repayment. He is tender and forgiving when wronged. The word was used of mellow wine, and suggests a person who is gentle, who has an ability to soothe hurt feelings, to calm an upset person, to help quietly in practical ways.
The kind person shows kindness in response to harsh treatment. Jesus said, “And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same thing. . . . But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men” (Luke 6:33, 35). The kindness of God leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Kindness motivates others toward positive change.
As with patience, the real proving ground for kindness is the home. Are you kind to your wife and children? Do you do kind, useful things for them? Are you training your children to be kind to one another by the way you treat your wife and them? Love is not macho; love is kind.

3. Selfless love is not jealous.

The word means to eagerly desire, and it is used both positively and negatively in the Bible. Jealousy in the negative sense is related to greed and selfishness. The jealous person wants what others have, he wants things for himself. He is too selfish to applaud others’ success; he has to have all the attention. In the family, a jealous husband refuses to trust his wife. He doesn’t want to recognize her abilities and contributions. He is jealous of the time she spends with the children or with her friends. He wants it all for himself. James says that jealousy is often the source of quarrels and conflicts (James 4:2).

4. & 5. Selfless love does not brag and is not arrogant.

These ugly twins are related. They both stem from selfishness and are the flip side of jealousy. “Jealousy is wanting what someone else has. Bragging is trying to make others jealous of what we have. Jealousy puts others down; bragging builds us up” (John MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 1 Corinthians [Moody Press], p. 341). Bragging is an outward manifestation of pride.
The braggart tries to impress others of his great accomplishments in order to make himself look good: “After all I’ve done for you, and you treat me this way!” But love isn’t trying to build up me; love is trying to build up the other person. Love is humble. The humble, loving person is aware that everything he has is an undeserved gift from God (1 Cor. 4:7). So he doesn’t boast, but thankfully uses what God has given to serve others.

6. Selfless love does not act unbecomingly.

The NIV translates, “It is not rude.” Love does not needlessly offend. Love has good manners. It is courteous, polite, sensitive to the feelings of others and always uses tact. The reason we are not courteous, of course, is that we are thinking only of ourselves and not of others.
I read of a man who was generally lacking in manners. He never opened the car door for his wife. “She doesn’t have two broken arms,” he would say. After many years of marriage, his wife died. At the funeral, as the pallbearers brought her casket out to the hearse, the husband was standing by the car door. The funeral director, who knew the husband by name, called out to him and said, “Open the door for her, will you?” He reached for the car door and then, for one second, froze. He realized that he had never opened the door for her in life; now, in her death, it would be the first, last, and only time. A lifetime of regret came crashing down around him. Love is not rude.

7. Selfless love does not seek its own.

It is not selfish, does not demand its rights. Alan Redpath said, “The secret of every discord in Christian homes, communities and churches is that we seek our own way and our own glory.” R. C. H. Lenski put it, “Cure selfishness, and you plant a Garden of Eden” (The Interpretation of I and II Corinthians [Augsburg], p. 557). Selfishness is the root problem of the human race; it is the antithesis of love, which is self-sacrificing.
Elisabeth Elliot was once speaking on this subject to an audience that included some young children who were sitting right in front of her. As she spoke, she wondered how she could make this plain to them, so that they could apply it. Later, she got a letter from one of those children, a six-year-old boy, who wrote, “I am learning to lay down my life for my little sister. She has to take a nap in the afternoon. I don’t have to take a nap. But she can’t go to sleep unless I come and lay down beside her. So I lay down with my little sister.” That boy is learning to love!
If husbands and wives, as well as children, would apply this verse as that little boy did, our homes would be free of conflict and an honor to Jesus Christ, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t insist on His rights? He would have stayed in heaven and we wouldn’t be saved!

8. Selfless love is not provoked.

The Greek word means to sharpen, stimulate, rouse to anger. Phillips paraphrases, “It is not touchy.” Love does not have a hair-trigger temper. Some people make everyone around them walk on eggshells. They’re easily offended. One little thing that doesn’t go their way and “KABOOM!” They use their temper to intimidate and to punish. When you confront them, they say, “Sure, I have a bad temper. But I get it all out and it’s over in a few minutes.” So is a bomb. But look at the devastation it leaves behind! When you’re angry, usually you’re not loving.

9. Selfless love does not take into account a wrong suffered.

This is an accounting word, used of numerical calculation. It is used of God not imputing our guilt to us, but instead imputing the righteousness of Christ to our account (Rom. 4:6-8). Love doesn’t keep a tally of wrongs and bear a grudge until every one is paid for. It doesn’t try to gain the upper hand by reminding the other person of past wrongs. Love forgives.
One married man said to his friend, “You know, every time my wife and I get into a conflict, she gets historical.” His friend said, “Historical? Don’t you mean hysterical?” “No, I mean historical. She rehearses everything I’ve ever done wrong in the whole history of our marriage.” That’s keeping score! That’s not love.

10. & 11. Selfless love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.

These qualities are the flip side of one another. Moffatt puts it, “Love is never glad when others go wrong.” To rejoice in the truth means to be glad about behavior in accordance with the truth of God’s Word. If someone you don’t like falls into sin, you don’t gloat; you grieve, because God is grieved over sin. If they repent, you rejoice.
There is a fine balance to love. Although love is kind and overlooks the faults of others, it does not compromise the truth or take a soft view of sin. To allow another person to go on in sin, whether it is known sin or a blind spot, is not to seek his best; it is not love. Love will sensitively confront and correct precisely because it cares deeply and knows that sin destroys. Love rejoices with the truth. Love gets excited when it hears of spiritual victories. Love encourages by expressing joy over little evidences of growth. John, the apostle of love, wrote, “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 4).

12. Selfless love bears all things.

The word can mean either to bear up under or to protect by covering. If it has the first meaning, then it would be the same as “endures all things” (end of v. 7). I prefer the second meaning, to protect by covering. Love doesn’t broadcast the problems of others. Love doesn’t run down others with jokes, sarcasm or put-downs. Love defends the character of the other person as much as possible within the limits of truth. Love won’t lie about weaknesses, but neither will it deliberately expose and emphasize them. Love protects.

13. Selfless love believes all things.

The NIV translates, “Love always trusts.” This does not mean gullibility; it does mean that love is not suspicious and doubting of the other person’s character and motives without good reason, even if his actions offended you. If trust has been broken, then it needs to be earned again, step by step. But love believes the other person is innocent until proven guilty, not guilty until proven innocent. If there is a problem, love doesn’t jump immediately to blame the other person.
In the family, trust shows itself by not grilling the other person about every detail of his story, like an attorney cross-examining a defendant. It means believing in your kids, expressing confidence in them. I’m thankful that my parents trusted me as a teenager; it made me want to live up to that trust. One of my friends had parents who did not trust him, and he lived up to their distrust! Sometimes you will get ripped off when you trust, but love persists in trusting.

14. Selfless love hopes all things.

It is not pessimistic. It does not expect the one loved to fail, but to succeed. Love refuses to take failure as final. It exudes a godly optimism which says, “I know you can do it, because God in you is able!” It does not ignore reality. It doesn’t close its eyes to problems. But it rests on the promises of God, that He is working all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And so love always hopes.

15. Selfless love endures all things.

The word “endures” is a military word meaning to sustain the assault of an enemy. It has the idea of holding up under trial, of perseverance in spite of difficulties. It means that love hangs in there. It is not just a passive, stoic attitude. It is a positive, triumphant spirit that sticks it out.
There is an epidemic among Christians of bailing out of tough situations. People don’t like something that happens in a church. They go find another church more to their liking. They run into problems or disagreements in their marriage, grow tired of the effort and bail out. “But,” you say, “isn’t adultery a legitimate grounds for divorce?” Technically, yes. But all too often one partner uses it as an excuse to bail out of a marriage where both partners have wronged one another repeatedly in many ways. I’m not minimizing the seriousness of adultery. It destroys trust and creates all sorts of problems in a marriage. I’m not suggesting that it’s easy to work through. It takes a lot of hard work to rebuild, a brick at a time. But God’s best is to forgive and renew the marriage, not to bail out. Love endures all things.
That’s how love acts. It is selfless, wholly directed to build the other person. Of course nobody can love like that. Only God is love (1 John 4:7). Put “Christ” in verses 4-7 instead of “love” and you have a description of Him. He is patient, kind, not jealous; does not brag, is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; does not seek His own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. If we want to love one another, we must focus on His love for us and walk in His Spirit who produces His love in us (Gal. 5:22).

Conclusion

Humorist Sam Levenson says, “Love at first sight is easy to understand. It’s when two people have been looking at each other for years that it becomes a miracle” (Reader’s Digest [3/83]). But it’s not really a miracle; it’s the result of yielding to God, repeatedly confronting our selfishness and daily practicing biblical love in our homes.
An old legend says that in his old age the apostle John was so weak that he had to be carried into the church meetings. At the end of the meeting he would be helped to his feet to give a word of exhortation. He would invariably repeat, “Little children, love one another.”
The disciples grew weary of the same words every time. Finally they asked him why he said the same thing over and over. He replied, “Because it is the commandment of the Lord, and the observation of it alone is sufficient.”
Someone has said that if we discovered that we had only five minutes left to say all we wanted to say, every telephone booth would be occupied by people calling other people to stammer that they loved them. Selfless love is our priority. “Pursue love” (14:1).

Discussion Questions

  1. How does patience in love fit in with not tolerating sin? Does patience (even God’s patience) have a limit?
  2. Love does not get provoked and yet God gets angry at our sin. How do you reconcile this? Is it wrong to get provoked about someone’s sin?
  3. Love always trusts. But is it loving to trust a person who has repeatedly violated our trust? Where do you draw the line?
  4. What would you say to someone who said, “Love is more important than doctrinal purity”? Can we love apart from truth?
Copyright 1995, Steven J. Cole, All Rights Reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, © The Lockman Foundation
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THE GREATEST WAY TO SHOW TRUE GODLY LOVE AS JESUS CHRIST COMMANDS IS TO SHARE THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION TO THE WORLD!  "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON SO THAT WHOSEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE!  THAT'S HOW WE SHOW THIS WORLD HOW MUCH WE LOVE THEM...WE DO NOT WANT THEM TO PERISH EITHER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY HAVE DONE!  WE ALL SIN AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD!