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The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

Discontentment is a horrible vice! It is the mark of a bloodsucker (30:15)! Men who are never satisfied are compared here to four other things that are never satisfied. The grave, the barren womb, the dry ground, and a raging fire illustrate the vice of discontentment.

Foolish man is never happy! He loves silver, and gets some; but he is not content, for he wants more (Ec 5:10)! He marries a beautiful woman, but he lusts after others’ wives (Jer 5:8). Covetousness, a hideous sin, denies men contentment, peace, or satisfaction in life.

The grave is never satisfied. No matter how many are buried today, cemeteries will take more tomorrow. Though death cuts men down by the thousands, there is room for more. The grave never says, “It is enough!” It has an insatiable desire for the bodies of men.

The barren womb is never satisfied. Today’s women do not count – they are perverse. In Bible times, women craved bearing children. Rachel said to her husband Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die” (Gen 30:1). The barren womb has an insatiable desire for children.

The earth that is not filled with water is never satisfied. Dry ground absorbs water applied to it and is still dry. The water disappears, and the ground demands more. Though much water is supplied, it yet wants more. The dry ground has an insatiable desire for water.

The raging fire is never satisfied. As long as it can find combustible material, it will continue to burn. It never approaches a forest or house and stops due to lack of desire to burn. The raging fire has an insatiable desire to burn anything it can touch.

These four things – never satisfied and with insatiable desires – powerfully picture man’s sinful lusts. Some men are never content, though given much, for they always want more. They live frustrated and painful lives, with their eyes always looking for more (27:20).

Contentment leads to happiness; and it is easy to get; but few men find it. It has nothing to do with circumstances (Phil 4:12). It is a learned choice (Phil 4:11). To the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet (27:7). Choose it by making the Lord your portion (Gen 15:1; Ps 73:25-26; Heb 13:5-6). Great gain is godliness with contentment (I Tim 6:6).

Are you content, reader? Or are you frustrated? Why? God has given you much, and promised you more! What else could you possibly want? You are like the grave, the barren womb, the dry ground, and a raging fire, if you do not choose contentment today.

1. Words of Wisdom

Thought for the week: “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” – 3 John 1:2 (NIV).

“Diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the body.” – Cicero

“In a disordered mind, as in a disordered body, soundness of health is impossible.” – Cicero

“I see rejection in my skin, worry in my cancers, bitterness and hate in my aching joints. I failed to take care of my mind, and so my body now goes to the hospital.” – Astrid Alauda

“A healthy body and soul come from an unencumbered mind and body.” – Ymber Delecto

“In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences.” – Robert Green Ingersoll

2. On the Lighter Side

“When Can I Get Advertised?”

A little boy asked Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California, “When can I get advertised?”

He meant “baptized” but he made the right point—baptism is advertising that you’re a Christian.

3. From Noah Webster

A special word of advice from Noah Webster, 1882: “Let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who will rule in the fear of God (Exodus 18:21)…. If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted…. If our government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.”

4. The Elephant Story

Bob Cavinder, in his Daily Hug, talks about a favorite motivational speaker, Bobb Beihl, who shares the following message that he called, “The Elephant Story.”

It was eleven o’clock on Friday night. I was sound asleep when the phone rang. On the other end was my friend Duane Pederson, founder of the Hollywood Free Paper and now president of Helping Hands Ministries. “How would you like to go to Tucson tomorrow?”

“Tucson?” I groaned, “What in the world would we do in Tucson?” “My friend, Bobby Yerkes, has a circus playing in Tucson tomorrow and I would like to go down just to get away, clear the cobwebs, and work the circus with him. We’ll move some props, have a good time, and be back by ten o’clock tomorrow night.”

Now there probably isn’t a man or woman alive who hasn’t dreamed about running away with the circus as a child, so it didn’t take me long to agree to go. Early the next morning at seven o’clock our jet lifted off the runway at Los Angeles International Airport headed for Arizona.

When we got there, it was a hot, dusty, windy day at the fairgrounds where the circus was playing. We moved props from one of the three rings to the next, helped in any way we could, and generally got dusty, dirty, hungry, and tired.

During one of the breaks, I started chatting with a man who trains animals for Hollywood movies. “How is it that you can stake down a ten-ton elephant with the same size stake that you use for this little fellow?” I asked. (The “little fellow” weighed 300 pounds.)

“It’s easy when you know two things: elephants really do have great memories, but they aren’t very smart. When they are babies, we stake them down.

They try to tug away from the stake maybe ten thousand times before they realize that they can’t possibly get away. At that point, their ‘elephant memory’ takes over and they remember for the rest of their lives that they can’t get away from the stake.”

Humans are sometimes like elephants. When we are teenagers, some unthinking, insensitive, unwise person says, “He’s not very good at planning,” or “She’s not a leader,” or “Their team will never make it,” and zap, we drive a mental stake into our minds.

Often when we become mature adults, we are still held back by some inaccurate one-sentence “stake” put in our minds when we were young leaders.

Don’t let an imaginary stake someone placed in your life hold you back. You’ve got what it takes and you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!

Source: The Daily Hug by Bob Cavinder, http://www.2nspireyou.com/

Ed. Note: To see how past experiences can affect today’s relationships, see the article, “The Thing I Fear” at: www.actsweb.org/daily.php?id=665.

5. Urgent National Need

When Arnold Toynbee, the renowned British historian, was 83, he made the following observation about Western society:

1. There’s a decline in honesty, and absence of common purpose in the Western world.

2. Material success and gross national product are aims of Western peoples and governments.

3. Nations rise or fall in relation to the moral unity of the family and the moral purpose of the state—both in decline in the West.

Even though Toynbee was pessimistic about the West, he believed if leaders of government would appeal to the ideals of the people and not just to their pocketbooks, there could be hope for an ethical revolution.

True, we need an ethical revolution, but much more we need a spiritual revolution. But unless we turn to God and acknowledge his rightful place in our hearts, and as the One who made our nation possible, and rebuild our nation’s moral foundation based on his directives, neither an ethical nor a spiritual revolution is likely to happen.

As God’s Word says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34, NIV).

6. Needing Approval More Than Advice

By Michael Josephson of Character Counts (694.3)

No matter what Gary did, it was never enough to please his father. When he got seven A’s and three B’s, his dad asked about the B’s. When he described the wonderful girl he’d fallen in love with, he got a lecture cautioning that she may be different than he thought.

Gary’s dad was stunned and hurt when Gary took a job in another town. He tried to talk him out of it, explaining the advantages of being close to the family and the pitfalls of moving. Finally, Gary exploded, “Dad, I’m moving to get away from you! I love you, but I can’t stand the way you tear down everything I do.”

He braced himself for a counterattack, but for the first time in his life he saw his dad’s mask of confidence dissolve into vulnerability. With tears in his eyes, his dad stammered, “All I ever wanted was to make you better and help you reach your potential and avoid risks. It’s what I do. It’s why my business is so successful. Do you want me to ignore my experience and just be a cheerleader?”

“Dad, our relationship isn’t about productivity,” Gary explained. “You’re my dad. Sometimes I need praise more than a push, and approval more than advice. Constantly trying to make me better just makes me feel worse. It’s not enough that you love me; I need you to appreciate me.”

That’s an important lesson. In personal relationships, there may be benefits to the relentless pursuit of better, but the cost may be too high.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

© 2011 Josephson Institute of Ethics; reprinted with permission. Michael Josephson, one of the nation’s leading ethicists, is the founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics and the premier youth character education program, CHARACTER COUNTS! For further information visit www.charactercounts.org

7. People Power—A Mighty Force

A sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

Jesus Christ said, “You are to go into all the world and preach [communicate] the Good News [the gospel] to everyone, everywhere.”1

People Power is without question one of the most powerful means to accomplish any cause—either for good or evil. As Richard Halverson pointed out “People Power is a mighty force.”

People have the power to close down any operation—or prosper it! For example, pornography prevails because enough people want it, buy it, watch it, listen to it, and read it. It is extremely profitable because countless people prosper it!

People Power has also prospered the tobacco industry, the liquor industry, the movie industry, the gambling industry, the abortion industry and endless numbers of other products and causes—some of great value, some of little or no value whatsoever, and some that are destructive of individuals, families, and society.

The People Power principle could also work miracles for reaching millions of people around the world with the saving gospel message of Jesus Christ. As God’s people we have the power to prosper or hinder the reaching of people worldwide with the gospel. This is why we believe God has led ACTS to commence a People Power for Jesus movement. To date, 2,650 folk have made a commitment to God (not to me) to be a part of this movement.

I want to invite you to join this People Power for Jesus movement and see how you can help reach people for Christ in an extremely simple yet attractive way. For more information and to join, go to: www.actsweb.org/people_power/.

And for helps in how to be involved, go to:www.actsweb.org/people_power/. And for helps in how to be involved go to: www.actsweb.org/people_power/tips.php.

If you truly care about helping to reach the lost for Jesus, being obedient to Christ’s command, and having a vital part in what God is doing in the world today, I urge you to prayerfully consider becoming a People Power for Jesus Partner today. With God’s blessing untold millions of people worldwide can be reached with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ through People Power.

“When many people each do a little, together we can accomplish great feats for God.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, because you gave your life to die for me, I surrender my heart and life to you in order to live always for you. Please use me to be ‘as Jesus’ to every life I touch and use me to help share the gospel in an attractive way with my family, friends and contacts. So help me God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Please join People Power for Jesus today at: www.actsweb.org/people_power.

1. Mark 16:15 (TLB) (NLT).

I’ve got to be honest here…MOST church leaders do not lack the wisdom to do what they need to do, they just lack the courage to do it.

In the hundreds and hundreds of conversations I’ve had with church leaders there has very seldom been a time where a situation was presented to me and I was able to share some new information with a leader about their particular set of circumstances. In fact, I will usually listen and then look at them and say, “well, you know what you need to do” and they will begin to nod their head and say, “yeah, I know…but…”

Like I said…most of the time it’s not necessarily that we lack the wisdom. We just lack the courage.

Let me be VERY clear…it’s not easy doing what God has called us to do! Moses begged God to send someone else. Jeremiah accused God of deceiving him! Paul got the absolute snot beat out of him on several occasions…and let’s not forget that the one we say we follow actually went to the cross.

It’s not easy…that’s why God calls, equips and leads leaders! And…if He has called you, equipped you, enabled you and brought you to the place of making the decision that you know you need to make then He will be with you through that decision and will NEVER leave your side.

In other words…if He called you to it then He will lead you through it! (Philippians 1:6)

Take a second to read Judges 4:15-16 (actually the whole chapter is awesome) and NOTICE WHEN GOD began to move…it wasn’t BEFORE the leader made a move that required both faith and courage…it was AFTER!

As church leaders we should beg God for HIS wisdom in leading His church (James 1:5)…but…when He reveals Himself to us and we know what we need to do…then we’ve GOT to do it OR we are living in the land of disobedience!

Remember…delayed obedience is disobedience!

So…what’s He calling you to?

Start a church?

Begin a new campus?

Hire a staff member?

Have a difficult conversation with a staff member/volunteer?

Confess/repent of sin in your life?

I could go on and on! Just remember…the steps of faith He commands us to take are never really easy! EVER!!! Seriously, where in the Scriptures did God EVER ask a leader to do something that was completely within his or her grasp of being able to pull off by themselves?

He ALWAYS calls us to do the impossible so that HE can get the glory when all is said and done.

So…whatever He is calling you to do…DO IT! (See John 2:5)

Does God give everyone the same opportunity?
… or …
Does God choose some people above others?
???
When Israel wanted to have a king …
… who was God’s first choice…?
Saul … or … David?

… and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel,
that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines ……
And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold
the man whom I spake to thee of, this same shall reign over my people.
— 1 Sam 9:16-17

God sought out and chose Saul to reign over His people,
… and instructed Samuel to anoint Saul …
so that Saul would be equipped with strength and ability,
… to do what God had chosen him to do … to save His people!
1 Sam. 10:1
Saul did well and successfully reigned over Israel,
… while he honored God and walked in God’s anointing,
… but when some pressure came …
… instead of waiting on God,
Saul decided to do things his own way …!

And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly:
thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee:
for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
— 1 Sam 13:13

Saul thought he would lose the support of the people,
And instead of trusting God, who put him in charge of them …
… Saul did things his own way …
… and continued to do things his own way …
1Sam.15:18-19
…
God did not reject Saul …
Saul rejected God and God’s commandments!
!!!
Was Saul a good choice? … Yes!
Did Saul live up to God’s choice? … No!

You are God’s choice! … What is your choice?

… Read …
Eph. 1:1-12
Rom. 8:28-31
1 Sam. 8:4-7
1 Sam. 13:11-14
1 Sam. 15:10-11
1 Sam. 15:22-23

It’s hard to look at the world and some of the people who seem to get ahead without occasionally asking ourselves why we should be ethical. However normal it is to think like this, the question should be off limits for people who profess strong religious beliefs. After all, what religion does not mandate morality?

To authentically religious people, the motivation toward virtue is grounded in the acceptance of a nonnegotiable duty to be a good person in the eyes of God, not in anticipation of personal benefits. Dishonest, irresponsible, or unfair conduct is simply wrong.

Although there are skeptics who are suspicious of the rhetoric of religious advocates and proselytizers, there is a positive correlation between religious conviction and virtue. I think the vast majority of deeply religious people draw guidance and strength from their beliefs and live better if not perfect lives.

Still, religious claims and even sincere convictions are no guarantee of genuine righteousness.

Besides disturbed individuals such as those who believe God commands them to perform horrible acts, discredited televangelist preachers, and priests who molest parishioners, we must face the fact that Bernie Ebbers of WorldCom and John Rigas of Adelphia, the masterminds of some of the world’s greatest swindles, were highly vocal and visible about their Christian beliefs.

Whether such wrongdoers are mentally ill, hypocrites, frauds, or sincere believers with personal weaknesses, their stories remind us that we can’t take for granted the link between religious claims and worthy conduct. It’s not that religion fails people; it’s that people fail their religion.

In the end, regardless of its source, righteousness is revealed in ethical and upright conduct, not rhetoric.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

The Golden Rule As the Road of Honor
Five hundred years before the birth of Christ, Confucius was asked, “Is there one word that may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life?”

He answered, “Reciprocity. What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” This basic principle, now called the Golden Rule, can be found in every major religion and philosophy.

Although many people evoke one version or another of this rule, it’s often misused. You see, the Golden Rule is not primarily a rule of enlightened self-interest. Sure, people are more likely to be nice to you if you’re nice to them, but the moral center of this principle is lost if you simply view it as a rule of exchange: Do unto others so they will do unto you. Do unto others as they have done unto you. Do unto others before they do unto you.

The core of the Golden Rule is a moral obligation to treat others ethically for their sake, not ours, even if it’s better than the way they treat us. Therefore, we should be honest to liars, fair to the unjust, kind to cruel people.

Why? Certainly not because it’s advantageous, but because it’s right. And because the way we treat others is about who we are, not who they are. It’s like the man who broke off an argument that had descended into name-calling by saying, “Sir, I will treat you as a gentleman – not because you are one, but because I am one.”

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

The goal of wisdom is to please God and men (3:3-4; Luke 2:52), so Agur lists four kinds of people that are irritating and annoying. If you are wise, you will never be one, and you will reject those who are. Here are four kinds of people that greatly disrupt the world, and you must learn to avoid being like them, being around them, or approving of them.

This chapter of Proverbs contains several lists of things to teach wisdom (30:11-31). The wise prophet Agur used this method to teach inspired wisdom to Ithiel and Ucal (30:1-6). In this list, we have four kinds of people that disquiet the earth – disturb the peace and pleasure of life, and that the earth cannot bear – are irritating and frustrating to most men.

Most men love a quiet life – one of peace, pleasure, and security. But that goal is ruined, if one of these four is near. You will be angered by their disrespectful and intolerable conduct. Relaxation and rest will be impossible, for they are bent on making life miserable for others, even though they never grasp how much they are despised!

The first is a “servant when he reigneth.” God made masters and servants, leaders and followers. When this divine order is altered, and a person God made to serve is put in authority, the power corrupts their weak character and makes them unbearable. Solomon despised this perversion of roles (19:10; Eccl 10:5-7). It is found today in labor unions, employee committees, some deacon boards, political polls, and spoiled children.

The second is a “fool when he is filled with meat.” Prosperity and pleasure are a curse to the fool, for they flatter his depraved soul and cause him to boast and offend. The best thing for a fool is a beating and starvation (20:4; 26:3). The worst thing you can give a fool is honor and kindness (19:10; 26:1,8). Such fools are found today in rebellious youth with pampered lives, athletes with excessive salaries, and actors with contracts.

The third is an “odious woman when she is married.” Here is a common curse to mankind – an irritating, overbearing, and repulsive woman. Many men have had their lives ruined by these deplorable creatures. Solomon warned about her many times (11:22; 12:4; 19:13; 21:9,19; 25:24; 27:15-16). She will hide her ugly soul and character while dating in order to entrap a foolish man, but after marriage he will discover marital hell. It is wise and important for young men to let married men interview their dates!

The fourth is a “handmaid that is heir to her mistress.” A female servant could become heir of her mistress by legitimate service, earning the approval of her mistress, or by marrying her master (Gen 16:1-4). Either the prospect or the possession of the mistress’s position had a subverting effect. Though of low origin and character, the servant would swell in pride and haughtiness. If promotion comes, men must remember their humble beginnings and reject arrogance. Today we see excessive divorce settlements, haughty politicians from slums, critical employees with stock option plans, and estate battles.

These four kinds of people ruin a peaceful and pleasant life. You must examine yourself to see if you are like any one of them, and repent before God and men if you are! Do you seek or have a position above your God-given abilities? Does your foolishness come out when prospered or in pleasure? Are you an overbearing woman? How many good men and women love your company? And are you from humble origins? Then stay humble!

You must also identify such people around you and oppose them. Do not approve promoting employees over employers! Do not allow fools to enjoy honor or pleasure! Do everything you can to keep odious girls and women single! Protect foolish young men! And remind those from poverty that their promotion is by God’s grace (I Cor 4:7)!

I get asked all the time how we do discipleship at Elevation. Related to this question, I also get asked how we follow up with new believers.

Do we relentlessly call people until they’re in a small group?
Do we offer 57 Bible studies for people to grow in their faith?
Do we provide a yearlong systematic theology course for new believers?

We do have specific and practical things that we do. But when it comes down to it, our philosophy is pretty straightforward and simple:
1) We point the way and 2) we clear the path.

1) We point the way.
Like I said yesterday, there’s ultimately nothing we can do to force people to grow in Christ. Nothing. So whether we offer a 26-option discipleship program or a 4-option one really doesn’t matter. If someone really doesn’t want to grow, they’re either going to say no 4 times or 26.

For that reason, we keep it pretty simple.
We give new believers material to help them grow in the initial stages of their faith and we call and encourage them to get plugged in. We constantly stress the importance of small groups. We faithfully proclaim the Word and encourage people to read it for themselves. In short, we point the way to what it looks like to have a relationship with Jesus for themselves.

If they decide not to walk that way, that’s their decision. And we’ve made the decision that we’re not going to chase all of them down if they don’t.

Some people might say to this: Is that what Jesus would do?

I don’t have to wrestle with that question because it’s exactly what Jesus did. Jesus didn’t hook his finger in people’s noses to make sure they were following him. When you read through the gospels, Jesus always cast His net extremely wide. Everyone was invited to follow. But He didn’t chase people down if they weren’t committed (as in the case of the rich young ruler).

The call was to follow Him. Not be dragged kicking and screaming behind Him.
All He did was point the way. To Himself.

2) We clear the path.
This is where our greatest responsibility comes into play. If we’ve pointed the way clearly and people are responding, it’s our job to make sure the path is clear for them when they decide to walk on it. There’s no room to drop the ball when it comes to people’s spiritual development. If they’re taking a step towards Christ, we’ve got to make sure that step lands unobstructed.

In other words, we’ve got to make sure our systems and processes are running at full speed. And running efficiently. If someone wants to get in a small group, we’ve got to follow up with them quickly. If someone needs counseling, we need to get them into it right away, and into the best counseling available.

Whatever approach your church uses to pull the maximum God-given potential out of people, it really doesn’t matter. Whether you take people through a five-year development plan. Or you just put them into to small groups and let the growth happen more organically. Your responsibility is ultimately the same either way:

1) Point the way to Jesus clearly.
2) Clear the path to Him effectively.

Let’s commit to doing both with excellence so we can see our people become all that God has dreamed for them.

I turned 40 last Friday…and a few people have asked me, “in 40 years of life what is the one thing you’ve learned about God?” I know a lot of people might have to take some time and think about an answer to give; however, every time someone asks me that my reply is always the same…

GOD IS FAITHFUL!

I spent some time reading Lamentations 3:19-27 the day I turned 40 and have pretty much been glued to that passage since that day. In this text the prophet Jeremiah is in a pretty bad situation…things are not “ideal” in his world…and yet He declares that God is faithful, that His mercies are made new every morning and He will wait on the Lord.

God has been incredibly faithful to me in my 40 years on this planet…in good times and in bad.

When my mother passed away from cancer in 1982 He was faithful to me.

When my house burned down in 1984 and my father and I lost everything we had He was faithful to me.

When my dad was arrested for selling drugs in 1988 and I had to watch him walked out of our home in handcuffs and put in a police car He was faithful to me. (AND He was faithful to my dad as I was able to see him repent several years later!)

When I was homeless my senior year in high school and just lived with whoever I could live with He was faithful to me.

When I “happened” to sit behind a guy in school who began inviting me to play basketball at church He was faithful to me.

When He loved me enough to draw me into a church that preached the GOSPEL and revealed to me that I was a sinner and was unable to save myself from my sins He was faithful to me.

When He called me into the ministry He was faithful to me and has always been with me and has never left me or forsaken me.

In hard times in ministry He has been faithful to me (II Corinthians 4:16-18)

When I had no money and no ability to go to college He absolutely blew open the doors and made it possible…He was faithful to me. (Revelation 3:8)

When I knew He was calling me to start a church He was faithful to me…we had no experience, money or strategy…but what we had was HIS Word, HIS Holy Spirit and HIS promise that HE would build HIS church! He is doing it!!!

When I got married He was faithful to me…I had no idea what I was doing and still struggle to be the husband He has called me to be, but He gave me an incredibly patient and godly spouse who loves me and has walked with me through good and bad times. I am so thanking for HIS gift to me in allowing me to marry her.

He has been faithful to me in giving me an amazing daughter and is teaching me through her that HE is a good Father who desires to give good gifts to His children.

He has been faithful to me in surrounding me with godly men and women who love HIM and then love me…who speak truth to me even when it hurts! Who love this church as much as I do and want to see HIS KINGDOM ENLARGED!

He has been faithful to me in teaching me that it’s His voice and not the voice of the critic that matters (see THIS post!) He is the One who has called me, saved me and will define me…and if I am focused on “them” then I won’t be focused on Him!

He has been faithful to me in showing me that even though NewSpring Church has seen some amazing things take place that IT’S NOT OVER, in fact, we’ve only just gotten started. Isaiah 49:6, Isaiah 54:2-3 and Luke 12:48 have been screaming to me lately!

We have a faithful God…in His mercy He pursues us for the purpose of saving us AND sanctifying us. He is patient with us (II Peter 3:9) and HIS kindness is the very thing that allowed me to repent and come to Him (Romans 2:4!)

God IS faithful! My circumstances do not dictate His character!!! I can always trust Him and know that He is in complete control of the universe…and that ALL things are ultimately for HIS GLORY and my good (Romans 8:28!)

GOD IS FAITHFUL!!!

Is your stuff being stolen or simply breaking?
Do you just never have enough left over at the end of the month?
Does your stuff just not last?
… Then it’s time to do something …!

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. 3:11

God says to us …
…Let Me look after your stuff for you!
!!!
Why would God do that for you?
Because God is a good God …
… and God wants to bless you!
!!!
How will God do that for you?

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. 3:10

God will bless you and protect your belongings …
… if you will Honor Him, Obey Him and Trust Him!
!!!
If you want God to protect ALL your belongings …
YOU have to trust Him with ALL your belongings!
Tithe and give … so that God can bless you, abundantly!
… and He’ll rebuke the devourer for you!
!!!
Jesus tried to explain that to the rich young ruler …

Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast,
and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:
and come and follow me.
— Matt. 19:21

Jesus told the rich young ruler …
Put your trust in Me and not your riches!
Put your riches in My hands and I will protect them!
And give to others on My behalf … and I will bless you!

Don’t be like the rich young ruler … trusting in the little you have!
Put what you have in God’s hands … and give on His behalf …
God will not only bless you …
… but He’ll stop the devourer and protect your goods!

… Read …
Matt. 19:16-22

He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

The LORD is patient and longsuffering. He is gracious and merciful. But He is not so forever! Any person rejecting His many offers of wisdom and correction will be destroyed without warning. There will be no recovery from the judgment. Rebellion and stubbornness are heinous sins against the most high God, and he will not overlook them.

Here is one of the most frightening warnings in Scripture – for those who play with sin and rebel against reproof. Wise readers will read, consider, and remember this grave description of how God deals with scorners. This text ought to be in every church bulletin and on the face of every pulpit, for rejecting preaching and Scripture is horribly serious! Parents sometimes say, “Don’t make me say it again.” But so does the LORD of heaven!

God reproves by various means – parents, friends, magistrates, ministers, conscience, Scripture, the Spirit, circumstances, and nature. But many harden their necks – or rebel – by rejecting His correction outright or hearing it without changing (II Kgs 17:14; Neh 9:16,29). By many reproofs, God is fair and kind. By despising His fairness and kindness, men deserve His severe judgment, for they are brutishly wicked (5:12; 10:17; 12:1).

The LORD will come in His time to destroy such men. No matter what efforts they make for protection, or how highly others esteem them, He will crush and destroy them (6:12-15; 28:18; Is 30:12-14; Zec 7:11-14; I Thes 5:2-3). The ruin of their lives will be without healing or recovery. God will laugh (1:22-31). See the notes on 1:26. God turned Lot’s life upside down with pregnant daughters in a cave for daily ignoring his vexed soul.

In this day of effeminate and carnal Christianity, such a warning falls on deaf ears. These so-called Christians have created a god to their own liking who is “watching from a distance” and overlooks their sins (Ps 50:21). But what does He say? “Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver” (Ps 50:22).

Rebellion and stubbornness are heinous sins, regardless of outward worship (I Sam 15:22-23). The LORD counts rebellion as witchcraft, and stubbornness as idolatry and iniquity. Careful listening and obedience are far more important than formal service. Because Saul rejected God’s reproofs, He ripped the kingdom from him irretrievably.

When God saw man’s great wickedness 1536 years after Creation, He sent Noah to preach and warn them for 120 years (Gen 6:1-7). When they rejected that kindness, He suffocated every single one, young and old, in the waters of the Flood (Gen 7:21-24).

Consider Pharaoh, who arrogantly hardened his neck against Moses’ reproofs. The LORD despised Egypt and desolated their nation from every angle! Suddenly their firstborn were dead and Pharaoh suffocated at sea! Israel took their wealth into Canaan.

Eli’s sons rejected their father’s rebukes for their sins, so the LORD killed them both in one day! Because Eli himself had not forcibly restrained them from their evil, the great God completely wiped out his family tree, even though he was the high priest of Israel.

Judas Iscariot hardened his neck against the most gracious Reprover ever, even though He had witnessed His perfect righteousness up close and personally for three years. He scattered his own bowels by suicide in an open field on his way to an eternity in hell!

Ahab, king of Israel, married the wicked Jezebel, who stirred him up to do evil (I Kgs 21:25). They both rejected the reproofs of Elijah. Though disguised and in armor, Ahab was killed by a chance arrow (I Kgs 22:34-35). The blessed God had Jezebel thrown from an upper window, trampled by a horse, and eaten by dogs (II Kgs 9:30-37). Glory!

God saw Nebuchadnezzar’s great pride and wickedness, so He sent Daniel and his friends with warning reproofs (Dan 1:17-20; 2:24-30,46-48; 3:24-30; 4:19-27). But when the great king rebelled anyway, God reduced him to an animal for seven years (Dan 4:28-33). He could have had a lengthening of his tranquility, but he chose to harden his neck! Only by great mercy did Nebuchadnezzar’s humility remedy the situation (Dan 4:34-37).

God loved His people Israel. But when they had mocked His messengers, despised His words, and misused His prophets, His wrath against them rose until there was no remedy (II Chron 36:15-17). He sent Nebuchadnezzar with the Babylonian armies to utterly destroy them without regard for young, or old, or females. Consider it well, reader!

In mercy, He gave Israel another chance 70 years later, when He regathered them to Jerusalem. But they again rejected His prophets, apostles, and then His Son; so He sent the Roman armies to obliterate them by horrific destruction! Yet He warned by Daniel and for forty years before doing it (Matt 21:33-46; 22:1-7; Luke 19:41-44; Acts 2:40).

The church at Thyatira allowed a false prophetess named Jezebel to compromise the purity of the gospel (Rev 2:20). The Lord Jesus Christ gave her only “a space of time to repent,” then He purposed to destroy her and her followers with death (Rev 2:21-23). Are you in your “space of time” for some sin for which you have been often reproved?

If you are froward – difficult or rebellious – that is how the LORD will treat you. “With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward” (Ps 18:26). God “repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face” (Deut 7:10).

How do you hear preaching? God does not owe any man truth or wisdom. If you neglect or reject correction, He will judge you severely. See the comments on 1:26 and 28:9. One of the basic lessons of Proverbs is to humbly receive instruction, lest you be classified and judged as a scorner. See the comments on 9:12; 13:1; 15:12; 21:29; and 28:14.

To refuse instruction is to despise your own soul, for you deprive yourself of the best thing in life and bring destruction upon yourself (15:32). What folly! When you sin against the correction and instruction of wisdom, you wrong your own soul; when you hate reproof, you love death (8:36). For God is coming to destroy you! What folly!

Reader, what sin in your life has been often reproved? Has it been preached against? Does your conscience smite you? Have others warned you? Have you been reminded of it from other sources and by other means? The clock is ticking. The longsuffering of God is expiring. Judgment is coming. Flee! Repent! Today! Before it is irremediably too late!

Daniel said it well to Nebuchadnezzar, “Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility” (Dan 4:27). But the king rejected God’s gracious warning and brought upon himself horrible judgment.

There is no hiding from this dread Sovereign! All the thoughts and intents of your heart, and your secret sins, are naked and opened to Him (Heb 4:12-13). “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num 32:23)! “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal 6:7). Tremble before Him today!

Jesus is LORD! He may be your Saviour; but He is your LORD! Every tongue shall confess He is LORD in the Day of Judgment (Phil 2:9-11). He has the keys of hell and death (Rev 1:18). When He opens, no man shuts; when He shuts, no man opens (Rev 3:7). If you are resisting His warnings about any sin, you face dreadful consequences.

He breaks His enemies into shivers – small fragments, as a rod of iron shatters pottery (Ps 2:9; Rev 2:27). And he will laugh at them and have them in derision (Ps 2:4)! If a man will hear His teachings and fall on Him in repentance, he will be broken; but if He must fall on a rebellious man, He will grind that man to powder (Matt 21:44). Amen.