Is laziness and lack of faith why there is so much sickness?

I have always been intrigued by John 9:1-4. In fact, I have preached a sermon at church based on that scripture. Until the last year or so my preferred Bible translation was KJV or NIV. They both read very similarly for this text:

1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me."

This week I have been reading it in the NLT and I have been stirred and convicted.  It reads like this:

1As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us."

Verse 4 is what is getting me. In this translation Jesus seems to be saying that this guy is blind so that God can get the glory from his healing AND we must quickly heal him. Is the "tasks assigned us by the one who sent us" referring to healing the sick as well as other works. 

I would love to help heal all the sick people I know but the truth is that I don't have the faith or boldness to tell some body "be healed". Jesus tells us: 1) if we had faith the size of 1 small mustard seed we could move mountains (Matt 17:20) and 2) we have all been given "the measure of faith" (Rom 12:3). If the Bible tells me this, why don't I act? The sad fact is that I must not truly believe this, otherwise I would act.

Or maybe the problem is that I don't truly love. When dad was diagnosed with cancer, I fasted and prayed for 3 weeks. At the end of the fast, I went to his house and with no emotions or tears I prayed a short prayer of faith and told dad he was healed.  Every test after that showed no signs of cancer. He died 9 months later as a result of a fall but when he died he was cancer free. 

I loved dad so much that I was willing to step out in faith. Do I just not lover others? I thought I did. I'm in the middle of another fast, praying for a number of things. One of them being that God will teach me how to exercise the faith that he has given me.

My hope is that this post will stir you to prayer so that you will learn to exercise your faith too.

God loves you and I do too!

John

My 21-Day Fast

I've fasted before but I have never documented my methods, reasons, or results. This is my attempt to document my fast in hopes that it may help someone down the road.

First the reason: why fast?  The Bible is full of examples of fasting, commands to fast, and reason's to fast. If I tried to document the reasons why a Christian should fast we would be here for a long time. Daniel fasted and because of his fast, his prayers were answered. Jesus said certain spirits could only be cast out through prayer and fasting. My interpretation of that is greater power in Jesus.

Fasting works.  Three years ago, I went on a 21-day fast because my dad was diagnosed with incurable cancer. After my fast, I prayed for dad and from that point on, he proclaimed his healing.  His doctors weren't as convinced.  Finally, in July of 2013, Dad's doctor told him he was cancer free.

I am fasting now for a number of reasons. First is because I need to be closer to God, I believe if I fast, I will draw closer to him. Second is for a number of personal needs in my family. And my last reason to fast is because my wife (Kim) is going to.  I want to support her. The fact is it is easier to fast with a partner.

My methods: This fast will last 21 days starting January 4, 2016. I will be fasting meat, bread, and sweets. I will eat bread without yeast or lard (unleavened bread). I do plan to drink flavored water and diet drinks.

For anyone that is tempted to reply with how I am fasting wrong, please just take it up with God and keep it to yourself. I haven't found the "10 commandments of fasting" in the Bible which tells me that God is looking for self discipline.  If we are going to fast, God is trusting us to fast something that is meaningful.  So if you don't like the way I'm fasting, you can fast your own way....and I'll fast my way. I'll publish updates every few days.

Day 1:

Started the day with a brief prayer time.  Breakfast/snack is seedless grapes, carrots, celery stalks, and flavored water. My weight this morning was 243.2 lbs.

Snacked on carrots, grapes, and celery.  Had salad, mashed potatoes, and corn for lunch. Read John 7 and 8.

Kim made vegetable soup for dinner and also made some unleavened bread. The bread was interesting and it made a nice substitution for crackers. I drank diet mtn dew. I didn't get home last night until almost 9:00 so I didn't read or spend significant time in prayer. Day 1 didn't feel like a stunning success but I've learned not to go on feelings.

Day 2:
I had an interesting and very improbable to come true dream last night. But when I woke up all I could think about was "with God nothing is impossible" Luke 1:37. Banana and nuts for breakfast. 

For lunch I had rice and mixed vegies (all cooked in vegetable oil only) and a small salad.  I read John 9 and 10 at lunch.  I will probably re-read that scripture. It shows a great view into Jesus' personality.

For dinner I had leftover vegetable soup.

Day 3:
Banana and Almonds for breakfast.  I had eye surgery so I spent all my time in prayer for Dr. Cunningham during the surgery. Lunch consisted of fried onions and potatoes and a salad.

I wasn't allowed to read so I missed out on Bible reading.  I spent all day on the couch watching TV because I wasn't allowed to do anything so I meditated on God quite a bit. Potatoes, onions, and salad for dinner because they were so good at lunch.

**Right now, Kim and I aren't "feeling" like we are sacrificing enough for the fast but I want to research and pray about that.  Proverbs says that our feelings will lead us astray.

Day 4:
Banana for breakfast.  Nuts and carrots for snack. Rice and mixed vegies for lunch. Salad with fruit and nuts for dinner.  Tried to cut back today because I was feeling guilty for being full.  Hunger is my biggest enemy during a 3-week fast but I think, at least at times, it is essential.  I don't think that opinion is necessary biblical.

Tonight, Kim and I spent 2 hours researching the Russian Orthodox church because Kassidi is in the process of converting. We weren't happy with that decision before tonight based on our research. After tonight, the Orthodox Church's worship reminds me a lot of the Pharisees.

Day 5:
Banana for breakfast.  Nuts, grapes, and carrots for snack. The hunger is there but it isn't overbearing.  

Lunch was my rice and veggies main-stay. For dinner, we had oat meal. Today, I found out that Kassidi puts her hope and faith in Mary (Theotokos) as well as Jesus. I believe that this belief is unscriptural and anti-Christ. I now know what the focus of my fast is.

Day 6:
Banana and peanut butter for breakfast. Popcorn for a snack at TWC lady bulldog game.

Day 6 brought a scare with Kelsi almost getting electrocuted. We spent the evening at Children's Hospital but as I expected she was just fine, just a burn on her finger. I give God the glory for her being OK because the conditions were right for something more devastating. 

We had a b-day party to go to Saturday night. We were late because of the scare but we made it. Against my better judgement, I had pasta with cheese and salad. We didn't have meat but we didn't want to make a big deal to anyone there that we were fasting.

Day 7:
Banana and peanut butter for breakfast. Day 7 was our 10-year anniversary as a church at RIO 180. We decided that because this was a celebration with our church family, we would not fast at lunch. However, I did put on the brakes compared to what I would have normally eaten and I was not a glutton. Got home and the spring on our garage door was broke ($250)

Dinner was very good.  Kim made rice, veggies, and fried tofu.  Yes, tofu. Kim is an amazing cook. I've eaten tofu before and it was just awful. I told her not to make me any, I would be happy with rice and veggies. To keep from hurting her feelings and so the kids would try it, I tried it. It was really good, I mean really good. Like I said, Kim is amazing and can even make tofu taste like southern cooking. I love her so much!!

Took Kassi back to school tonight. Oh my!! If you read this, please pray for my daughter. she needs guidance. Please pray for me, I need wisdom.

Day 8:
Banana for breakfast with some nuts for snack. Weight is 240 lbs. I am not fasting for weight loss or health reasons. BUT, I sure thank God for the residual effects. I feel great! I'm not tired or lethargic like I have been on a full fast. I would like a burger and I'm often hungry but other than that, I feel great.

Rice and veggies for lunch at Chef's Asian Cuisine.  For Dinner, Kim made Chili with some kind of beans that act like meat. It was really good

Day 9:
Mixed nuts and banana for breakfast. Nuts and carrots to munch on during the day to keep my hunger at a minimum. Rice and veggies for lunch.

While at lunch I got a text from my sister saying that my mother is going to have to have open heart surgery. More to fast and pray about. Salad for Dinner.

Day 10:
Banana and nuts for breakfast. Carrots and nuts for snack. I'm finding that I'm avoiding the craving for tasty foods by eating a lot of nuts, maybe too many. Rice and veggies for lunch.

Kim made a tasty potato soup for Dinner.  It was very good, it was hard not to over-eat.

Day 11:
Banana and nuts for breakfast. Carrots and nuts for snack. Rice and Veggies for lunch. I'm almost finished with the book of John and it is highly entertaining. The Holy Spirit and Brad Bryant, pastor of RIO 180, has really helped me to read the Bible with a fresh perspective. 

Really struggling with my daughter's orthodoxy. My prayers are really focused on her. Their belief that Mary is equal to Jesus and that all grace and mercy comes from her is damnable in my opinion.

Salad for dinner. I don't know if you've noticed but I'm a creature of habit and not creative. Kim and I tend to eat the same thing over and over. I believe that this is helping the effectiveness of our fast by further denying ourselves pleasure through food.

Day 12:
Banana and nuts for Breakfast. Soup and salad for lunch. Had lunch with my good friend John Meyer. Salad for Dinner.

Day 13:
Oatmeal for breakfast.  Popcorn for lunch at Kassi's BB game. Kim made potatoes, onions, and salad for dinner. So, so good!

Day 14:
Cereal for breakfast. Great church service today! Chili supper after church but we passed because of our fast. Salad for lunch at Ruby Tuesday's. It was tough not eating any of their delicious croutons.

Soup for dinner. Kassi and her boyfriend came over. We had a hard, heartfelt conversation with them regarding Orthodoxy. I was so sad for Kim because she poured her heart out and Kassi was emotionless.

Day 15:
It's a good think that I'm not fasting to lose weight. Weight today is 239.6. Banana and nuts for breakfast. Nuts and carrots for snack. Rice and veggies for lunch.

Rice and veggies for dinner.

Day 16:
Banana and nuts for breakfast. Carrots and nuts for snack. Potato soup and salad for lunch at Aubrey's. Although I do like rice and veggies and they are $3 cheaper than soup and salad, I'm finding that I might be growing a little tired of them. Finished the book of John and started Acts today. I can tell it will take me a while to read because it is so intriguing.

Vegetable chow-mien and rice for dinner. We ate out at Oriental Cuisine in Maryville. Although we don't eat out much, I do enjoy eating out with my family.

Day 17:
Banana and Nuts for breakfast. Banana, nuts, and carrots for snack. I added the banana to try to cut down on the nuts because even though I stay fairly hungry, I'm gaining weight.

SNOW DAY!! Left work early and it took an hour and 20 minutes to get home (33 miles). Salad for lunch. Played outside from 4:00 - 8:20 and had soooo much fun. Found out that Kelsi can ride a snow board really good.

Salad for dinner.

Day 18:
Banana and nuts for breakfast. Nuts and carrots for snack. Mixed veggies for lunch. I'm thoroughly enjoying acts. If I haven't said so, lunch is my Bible time.

Egg noodles, salad, and green beans for dinner.

Day 19:
Banana and nuts for breakfast. Banana, carrots, and nuts for snack. Salad and potato soup for lunch. Acts will be a slow read for me because I'm re-reading almost everything. I'm loving how much Acts is talking about the Holy Spirit and how much He is important to our lives.

Baked spaghetti for dinner. No yeast or meat, although very tasty, met the requirements of our fast.

Day 20:
At this point I'm looking forward to a burger or chicken fajitas. Life cereal for breakfast. Salad for lunch. Got some really good Bible time today and continued to read Acts. Today is Saturday and I've been reading Acts since Tuesday and in 3.5 hours I've only finished 10 chapters because I'm soaking it in.

Soup and salad for dinner.

Day 21:
Even though this isn't a diet, final weight is 237.6 so I lost 5.6 lbs. Banana and nuts for breakfast. Rice and mixed veggies for lunch and dinner. I doubt I'll have rice and veggies for a long time :)

Brad continued his series on MOVE. It has been very inspiring. He is challenging us to try to grow in the fruit of the spirit that we lack the most. Kim says mine is gentleness (same as Brad's) and I can't disagree with it.

Conclusion:
Kim and I both agree that although this fast has been successful, we think we should have deprived ourselves of more things. The last 21-day fast that I did I fasted meat and all processed food except milk and juice. It was so hard that I ate a TON of nuts and gained weight.

The thing that I see that has changed the most is in Kim. She has grown in wisdom and her passion for the Bible. I'm amazed by her growth in just 3 weeks. I am so proud of Kim and I'm so lucky to have her as my wife and help mate. I can't emphasize how she is grown in the Lord in just 3 weeks

Does Bad Company Really Corrupt Good Character?

Bad company corrupts good character.  That's what my mom told me.  That's what I've told my children.  That's what I've told converted Christians that wanted to witness in bars.  But does bad company really corrupt good character???

When I think about the life of Jesus I have to answer "not all of the time".  Jesus was our perfect example and, other than the disciples, He hung out with bad company.  Where did Jesus eat many of his meals?  He ate with tax collectors who were considered the worst sinners because they generally stole from the poor.  Tax collectors like Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) and Matthew (Matt:9-11) hosted Jesus.  But according to Matt 9:10,11 there were plenty of sinners there.  Sinners like tax collectors, prostitutes, and Pharisees.  In Matt 9:12 Jesus went on to say that "It isn't the healthy that need a doctor but the sick", referring to "bad company" as the sick.

So bad company only corrupts good character some of the time.  Really?  I wonder which times that is.  This just doesn't make sense to me.  Jesus is our perfect example, our moral compass if you will (WWJD).  Jesus said that the "bad company" are the ones that need a physician so we need to know which bad company will corrupt good character and which ones won't.

The problem with my thinking is that I'm focusing on the bad company as being the problem.  Really, the problem with bad company corrupting good character isn't the bad company.  Bad company is bad company, we shouldn't be surprised when sinners sin.  Good character on the other hand is a different story.  Good character isn't supposed to go bad.  

When Jesus went to the men with leprosy (Luke 17:11-19) Jesus didn't catch it.  He healed them.  When Jesus hung out with sinners He didn't sin, His good character was incorruptible. In my opinion, the reason for this is because everywhere that He went He looked to serve in as humble and loving way possible.  I'm not saying that He served up booze, porn, or drugs.  What I am saying is that He served with love, providing what the bad company really needed, with love.  He didn't tell the prostitute and tax collectors "YOUR GOING TO HELLLLLL".  That's what He basically told the Pharisees.  

So with all of that, I have to make the declaration that bad company does NOT corrupt good character!  However, I will say that "bad company corrupts average character" or "bad company corrupts mediocre character".  

The type of ministry that Jesus did is not for the faint of heart.  We like to compare ourselves to the disciples and hope that we can find similarities.  The fact is that Jesus did not let His disciples minister to "bad company" unequipped.  Jesus told them to wait on the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49, John 14: 16,17) after He was crucified.  The reason was He knew that they must have the power of the Holy Spirit to be able to endure and maintain there good character.

God has called us to witness in the highways and byways (Luke 14:23).  He wants us to server others.  You've heard the saying that "love is a verb", well Christianity should be an action word too.  Am I telling you to go to a bar alone to witness?  Absolutely not!  However, you should listen to the Holy Spirit and go where He draws you.  If you find yourself in a situation where you aren't serving the "bad company" that you are around, you should probably ask yourself why you are there.

Live for Jesus completely today so that tomorrow, you won't regret what you did yesterday.

God loves you and I do too!

The One Who Sins Will Die!! What??

As unexciting as it may be, I've been reading almost completely out of the Old Testament for the past few months.  You can't beat the Gospel in the New Testament but I love going back to the stories that I learned in Sunday School as a little boy.  Most of them came from the Old Testament.  Many scriptures are jumping out at me as I read but the ones that are really resonating with me seem to be those of redemption and forgiveness.  

Today, I was eating lunch and reading Ezekiel, when I got to chapter 18 the heading said "The One Who Sins Will Die".  

Now I don't know about you but that got my attention...real quick!  It's funny how the editors of the different Bible editions know exactly how to catch someone's attention.  It's funny because that really isn't the important message, it isn't what Ezekiel 18 is about at all.  Yes, Ezekiel 18 spends a good deal of time focusing on a sinner.  But it also focuses on the righteous and, more importantly to me, the the repentant sinner.

For some reason lately, I've really had repentance and forgiveness on my mind when I've been reading the Bible.  Partly, I'm sure, because of Prison Ministry.  So anytime I get to read a verse that backs up what I believe, I think it's awesome.  Maybe I'm the only person that the devil still tells during those tired times that "you aren't saved".  Or "none of this would have happened if you were really saved".  Of course I know better but that still doesn't mean that the devil doesn't come at me with that crap.  Ez. 18:21 (NIV) says;

 "But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die".


That verse really excites me.  When I read it I just said to myself "that's me".  I was a wicked person but I turned away from all the sins that I committed and I keep the decrees of the lord.  I do what is right and just.  I have repented.  That's me!

Is it you?  Are you the new man in Ez. 18:21 or are you the man depicted in Ez. 18:24in which God says;

"But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live?  None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered.  Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die".

The great thing about God is that he always makes provisions.  If you happen to be the person described in Ez. 18:24 (righteous turned wicked), God sent His son Jesus to die for your sins.  Simply turn from sin and do good and seek forgiveness from Christ and you will be the person described in Ez. 18:21.  As for me, I've been wishy-washy like the Ez. 18:24 man in the past but my commitment to God is to never be like that again.  Our walk with Christ and our eternal fate is much to important to ever turn back on God.

If you live for Christ today then tomorrow, you won't regret what you did yesterday.
God loves you and I do too!

Happy Birthday Little Brother!!

Regret!!!  Life is full of it.  In it's simplest form, regret is just the mindset of wishing you would have done something different, usually because of the outcome of a decision.  I try to teach my children to not have regret in life because it is very hard to fix.

My life is full of regret; I wish I would have tried harder in school, I wish I would have been closer to my grand parents whom are all dead now, I wish I would have insisted on playing Line-Backer full time instead of Defensive End, I wish I would have had short hair, I wish I would have tried contacts sooner, I wish I would have taken my relationship with God seriously, I wish I would have maintained friendships...... I think you get the picture.

Now what does all of this have to do with wishing my brother (Jody Knight) a Happy Birthday?  Well its simple, I have a lot of regret when it comes to the way I handled our relationship as children.  Anyone who knows us knows that we have completely different personalities and we always have since birth.  Basically, his personality was good and mine was bad.  I loved my brother but I was jealous of him because he was "cuter" or "nicer" than I was.  When you couple that jealousy with the fact that I was mean , I was more of a bully than a brother much of the time.  

Now don't get me wrong, we had a lot of fun.  We played football, baseball, and Nerf-hoop in our bedroom all the time and we played in the woods, swung on muscadine vines, played in the creek in the woods, went swimming, and rode our bikes a lot.  But for anyone who has ever been in a bad relationship, the memories that tend to stand out aren't the good ones, its the bad.  It would be too easy for me to tell too much about the negative so I think that I will just leave it at "I was mean to my brother, too mean".

After all these years I love my brother very much and I always have.  I have always been very proud of him.  I have the utmost respect for my brother.  He was a great athlete in school, he was was always smarter than me, and he beat me at every video game we ever played.  Now, he is a strong, reliable, Christian man.  He is a loving husband and loving father.  Like me, he isn't perfect but I think he is a lot closer than I am.  I've done what I know to do to let him know that I love him and I know that he knows that I love him.  The problem is that word "regret".  I just can't help but wonder how things would be today (for both of us and our families) if I would have let the love of Christ overshadow my relationship with my brother.

And you?  Do you have any regret like me?  You can't go back and undo what has been done but you can ask for forgiveness and then move on. Maybe you were on the other end of the stick and you are harboring hard feelings because of the way you were treated.  You must forgive.  

Regret isn't healthy but it is a fact.  All we can do is live our lives from this point on with no regret.  If you live today completely for Jesus, then tomorrow, you won't regret what you did yesterday.

I love you and God does too!

It's never too late

A few weeks ago, pastor Brad used Jeremiah 18:1-4 in a message series that he preached.  Since then, that scripture has been echoing in my mind.  The NLT version reads like this:

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel.4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

Verse 4 is what resonates with me.  God specifically was telling Jeremiah that Israel had not turned out as he intended, so like a potter does clay, he was going to crush Israel and start over.  This verse makes me think about my personal life and testimony.  I can see myself on the Potter's wheel and things are spinning and He is molding me as planned.  But then a flaw comes out of the clay that messes up the pot.  As long as I am willing to accept being crushed, the Potter takes me back to a form he can work with and starts again.

Sometimes, the Potter has to completely crush me because the flaw is so big that I just have to go back to the beginning.  Sometimes, he just has to use a tool to dig out an imperfection.  This may leave a scar but that will become part of my testimony.

Obviously, I use this verse when I do prison ministry because everyone knows that a felon needs to start over.  But how about us?  How willing are we to let God crush us into a lump of clay so he can start over with us?  Too often, I'm afraid, we tell God "not yet, let me finish here and then you can have me".  Or just as bad, we see other flawed jars and we tell God that our flaw isn't so bad, especially compared to our neighbor.

Probably the saddest situation is the person that thinks that their flaws are too bad for God to want to fix.  Or maybe they think they aren't important enough for God to fix.  I know this sounds crazy but after talking to the people that I have over the years, you should never be surprised how someone may think or feel.  I have met so many people that just didn't feel worthy to be saved or "fixed".  There are so many hurting people that don't realize that what they have done just doesn't matter to God.  All He cares about is whether you are a willing vessel that is willing to let Him mold you.  Are you?

God loves people, period!  He may hate sin but he loves people.  He loves drunks, drug addicts, child molesters, adulterers, homosexuals, murderers, and liars...to name a few.  He will forgive sins and THEN put you on the Potter's wheel for him to mold.  God is ready to forgive sins and accept you as you are, we just have to be willing vessels.

God loves you and I do too!

We can be like David

I've been reading the old testament this year, slowly.  I've thoroughly enjoyed it.  Right now, I'm on 1st Samuel.  Saul has been annointed king but he has disobeyed God so God has removed His annointing.  Now the Israelites are at war with the Philistines.  They are camped across from each other and every day Goliath comes out and taunts the army or Israel.  He dares them to send a champion to fight against him but the Israelites are afraid of him.

Now enters David.  He is there to bring food to his brothers but he is intrigued by the war.  He heads to the front line to hear what is going on.  Thats when he hears Goliath taunting the army.  David, although he is just a boy, is angered by Goliath's taunting.  He asks who is going to fight Goliath but no one steps forward.  David doesn't hesitate and he volunteers.  Here is where the story gets good.  I'm going to leave out a lot of the details and cut straight to the chase.  David tells Saul what he is going to do and Saul basically tells him he can't do it.  

Here is my favorite part.  It isn't when David kills Goliath, it's what he says to Saul.  David says "Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued  it  from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized  him  by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God." And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." (1 Samuel 17:34-37 NASB).  

How soon many of us forget how God has delivered us from a situation.   Can one of you that is reading this say that God has never bailed you out or given you the strength and ability to bail yourself out?  I can't.  God has bailed me out so many times.  In the last trial that I was going through I read this verse about a dozen times.  I said to the devil, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from you too".  And He did.

Trust in God during your trials and don't doubt Him.  Remember 1 Samuel 17:37 and remind the devil who your deliver is.

I love you and God does too!

Thank you God!!

If you are close to my family, you will know that the last few months have been VERY hard for us.  We have been presented with situations that we never dreamed we would be in.    We have been scared.  I know that we aren't supposed to be but the fact is that as God closed doors and opened others, we were scared.   We questioned God along the way, not much but we did.  

We saw God close a door in May and we knew it but we kept pressing until we thought it was opening again.  In June, we tried to open it again and it seemed like it was opening but once again, God closed it.  At the end of July, we tried once again to open it and much to our dismay, God closed it.  We knew what God wanted us to do based on this door staying closed but going through the open door was going to be hard, so hard.  As we were going through the open door, we tried one last time this past Saturday to open the closed door.  We did EVERYTHING we could to get this door open because it was the easy way out but for the last time, God closed it.

As we continue down this new path that God has set before us, we have to walk by faith.  We have to lean on God that he will always provide.  The thing that keeps us going is God's face and not His hand.  We do our best to have the attitude of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednigo "Our God will deliver us, but even if He doesn't, we will not bow".  We trust in God to provide for our needs, but even if he doesn't, we will continue to serve Him.  

Thank you God for loving my family so much that you guide us to where you want us to be.  Thank you for not giving in to our selfish wants and providing us with what we need.  Thank you for giving me the most awesome wife in the world who trusts me as the spiritual leader in our house.  Thank you God for giving me children that trust their parents with future changing decisions.  Thank you God for sending your son Jesus to die on the cross as the eternal sacrifice for my sins.  Lead us God and we will follow.

We so often confuse God's voice with the voice in our head.  Sometimes God's voice isn't a voice at all, it's biblical truths, it's honesty, it's integrity.  I challenge you this week to hear God's voice.

I love you and God does too!

Seek his face, not his hand

When was the last time you spent 15 minutes in prayer without asking God for anything except forgiveness? When was the last time you spent time in worship without asking God for a blessing? It's really hard when we are such needy people.

David was a man "after God's own heart". David was a man that just wanted more of God "Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek His face evermore.  Psalm 105:4". In Hebrew, "face" is used in place of presence. David was saying "seeks his presence evermore". When we can learn to be like David and just want more of God, we will truly be able to worship Him in "spirit and truth" (John 4:24). That is what being a Christian is really about, being in God's presence. That's why he created us. He created humans so he could have a relationship with a being that had a choice. Why do we settle for less than all of God?

I challenge you today to spent time with God without asking for anything. I challenge you to just praise him and acknowledge his forgiveness and his love. Thank Him for what He has done for you but even more, thank Him for who He is. Seek His face evermore!

I love you and God does too!

Names of God Wednesday Lesson

I spoke at church last night and here is the outline I used talking about some of the names of God. I love the story about Paul and the nameless or unknown God (Acts 17:22-26) but the fact is we know that God has a name. He told Moses he "I AM". There is a deep study just on that name and maybe I will share my opinions here some day. Would be too long to get into AND to list my outline for this blog. This study talks about some of the names in which people of the bible, through God's inspiration, addressed God.

Names of God: 

"ELOHIM"  is the first name for God found in the Bible, and it's used throughout the Old Testament over 2,300 times. Elohim comes from the Hebrew root meaning "strength" or "power", and has the unusual characteristic of being plural in form. In Genesis 1:1, we read, "In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth." Right from the start, this plural form for the name of God is used to describe the One God, a mystery that is uncovered throughout the rest of the Bible. 

Throughout scripture, Elohim is combined with other words to describe certain characteristics of God. Some examples: 
Elohim Kedem - God of the Beginning: (Deuteronomy 33:27). 
Elohim Mishpat - God Of Justice: (Isaiah 30:18). 
Elohay Selichot - God Of Forgiveness: (Nehemiah 9:17). 
Elohay Marom - God Of Heights: (Micah 6:6).
Elohay Mikarov - God Who Is Near: (Jeremiah 23:23). 
Elohay Mauzi - God Of My Strength: (Psalm 43:2). 
Elohay Tehilati - God Of My Praise: (Psalm 109:1). 
Elohay Yishi - God Of My Salvation: (Psalm 18:46). 
Elohim Kedoshim - Holy God: (Leviticus 19:2, Joshua 24:19). 
Elohim Chaiyim - Living God: (Jeremiah 10:10). 
Elohay Elohim - God Of Gods: (Deuteronomy 10:17). 

"EL" is another name used for God in the Bible, showing up about 200 times in the Old Testament. El is the simple form arising from Elohim, and is often combined with other words for descriptive emphasis. 

Some examples: 
El Shaddai - The all-sufficient God (Gen 17:1)
El HaNe'eman - The Faithful God: (Deuteronomy 7:9). 
El HaGadol - The Great God: (Deuteronomy 10:17). 
El HaKadosh - The Holy God: (Isaiah 5:16). 
El Yisrael - The God Of Israel: (Psalm 68:35). 
El HaShamayim - The God Of The Heavens: (Psalm 136:26). 
El De'ot - The God Of Knowledge: (1 Samuel 2:3). 
El Emet - The God Of Truth: (Psalm 31:6). 
El Yeshuati - The God Of My Salvation: (Isaiah 12:2). 
El Elyon - The Most High God: (Genesis 14:18). 
Immanu El - God Is With Us: (Isaiah 7:14). 
El Olam - The God Of Eternity (Genesis 21:33). 
El Echad - The One God: (Malachi 2:10). 

"ELAH" is another name for God, used about 70 times in the Old Testament. Again, when combined with other words, we see different attributes of God. Some examples: 
Elah Yerush'lem - God of Jerusalem: (Ezra 7:19).
Elah Yisrael - God of Israel: (Ezra 5:1). 
Elah Sh'maya - God of Heaven: (Ezra 7:23). 
Elah Sh'maya V'Arah - God of Heaven and Earth: (Ezra 5:11). 

"YHWH" is the Hebrew word that translates as "LORD". Found more often in the Bible than any other name for God (almost  7,000 times in the old testament and almost 1000 times in the new testament), the title is also referred to as the "Tetragrammaton," meaning the "The Four Letters". YHWH comes from the Hebrew verb "to be" and is the special name that God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. "And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM; and He said, thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you... this is My eternal name, and this is how I am to be recalled for all generations'" (Exodus 3:14-15). Therefore, YHWH declares God's absolute being - the source of everything, without beginning and without end. Although some pronounce YHWH as "Jehovah" or "Yaweh," scholars really don't know the proper pronunciation. The Jews stopped pronouncing this name by about 200 A.D., out of fear of breaking the commandment "You shall not take the name of YHWH your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7). (Today's rabbis typically use "Adonai" in place of YHWH.) 

Here are some examples of YHVH used in scripture: 
YHWH Elohim - LORD God: (Genesis 2:4). 
YHWH M'kadesh - The LORD Who Makes Holy: (Ezekiel 37:28).
YHWH Yireh - The LORD Who Sees/provides: (Genesis 22:14). 
YHWH Nissi - The LORD My Banner: (Exodus 17:15). 
YHWHShalom - The LORD Of Peace: (Judges 6:24). 
YHWH Tzidkaynu - The LORD Our Righteousness: (Jeremiah 33:16). YHWH O'saynu- The LORD our Maker: (Psalm 95:6).

God loves you and I do too!

He ain't tired yet

My God is awesome. I was just thinking about Him a few minutes ago when He brought this verse to my memory. There is no one like our God. We need to remember that every day. It's so easy for some people to walk through their day-to-day and forget that God is God. He is our almighty and our strenth and our joy.

(Isaiah 40:25-31 NASB)
"To whom then will you liken Me
That I would be his equal?" says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,

He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD,
And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God"? Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,

Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Get ready, the 3rd day is coming!

I've been reading Exodus lately and its funny how much I have forgotten since the last time I read it. There are some great stories there and I encourage you to read it the next time you aren't sure what to read.

The bible is amazing to me. The bible, from Geneses to Revelations, was written over a span of over 2000 years and yet the whole thing points to one event; the resurrection of Jesus. Our faith is worthless if Jesus didn't raise Himself from the dead. In the garden, God told the devil that Eve's seed would bruise the devils head (Gen 3:15). He prophesied that Jesus would come to step on the devil and the crucifixion would be no more to Jesus than a bruise on his heel compared to what Jesus would do to the devil. I'll never understand how people doubt the validity and inspiration of the bible when you know how it was written, by whom it was written, and over the long time span.

In Exodus 19 God was speaking to Moses telling him that He would come to Mount Sinai and visit with Moses and the people could watch. But before the people could be in the presence of God, they had to prepare themselves. They had to be consecrated by Moses and then they had to wash their clothes so they would be ceremonially clean. Then in verse 11 God says "and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people".

Obviously, this was symbolic and prophetic regarding the coming of Christ. I believe it was also symbolic toward us today. We know that Jesus came as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins and that our sins have been washed in His blood. Nevertheless, the 3rd day is coming. God wants to come to our Mount Sinai but before He does, we must be ready. We need to wash our symbolic clothes and consecrate ourselves. To consecrate means to set aside as sacred, to consecrate yourself means that you have declared that you are God's and God's alone. Not only that, you are presentable to God because you are sacred.

Are you presentable to God as sacred? Are your spiritual clothes clean? God wants to meet you on your Mount Sinai but first, you have to be ready to meet Him. I'm not saying that you have to clean up before you get saved, heavens no! What I am saying is that if you are saved, its time to set yourself aside as a sacred presentation to God. When you do, He is faithful and will present Himself to you.

I encourage you to be a peculiar people (1 Pet 2:9), set apart for God so that you can have a deeper relationship with Him.

I love you and God does too!

Where are you God?

In several of my past posts I've talked about spiritual troughs, those are the times in your life that God seems to remove the ability from us to be able to feel Him. Recently, Kim and I had the misfortune of going through a spiritual trough. This was really tough for us. Since we both were going through it, we didn't recognize subtle changes that were taking place until last week we knew something wasn't right. Nothing was wrong, we weren't fighting, but something just wasn't right. When Kim pointed out to me that we weren't the same, I knew immediately what was going on. We talked quite a bit about it and we talked about what to do.

During this time of test you will have one of three reactions; 1) Recognize what's going on and continue to seek God, 2) Run from God because you are upset, or 3) You don't recognize it until damage is done. For Kim and me, I think we recognized what was going on and we began to seek God.

During our talks about this, Kim asked how to get out of the funk that we were in. It really felt like we were going through the valley of dry bones. I told Kim the only thing we could do is to continue seeking after God, read our bibles, and pray. That is what we did. Kim and I have an awesome marriage, I don't know another couple that loves each other like we do. I'm not saying that we're perfect because we aren't, but we sure do love each other. So when we recognized that each of us was in a spiritual trough, we prayed for each other. Because our marriage revolves around God, if we aren't growing closer to Him, it feels like we aren't growing closer to each other. God is so good to us and we give Him the glory for everything. We put our marriage and our kids in His hands and He has always been faithful to us. My hope is that we are as faithful to Him.

If you follow my blog then you know that I love music and God ministers to me through music. I heard a song that is a couple of years old today by Thousand Foot Krutch called "Breathe you in". There is a line in the song that says "Through the highs and lows, there's one truth I know and its you". This one statement is what should carry us through any spiritual trough that we go through. Life is easy during the highs. During the low parts of our life, and there will be low points if you're a Christian, if we just remember that the one truth in life is Christ we will be OK. One truth? He is the one thing that we can always count on. He is the one God that will always be faithful to you.

I encourage you to recognize the low points; whether it is a test from God or whether you have just slipped. Recognize them and fight to get back to feeling God.

I love you and God does too!

Crucifixion Outline

I spoke at RIO 180 last night. Here is the outline that I used. I don't have time to fill in the details but this is a very good summary for you to go on to understand what our savior did for us.


1) Jesus was betrayed by Judas

2) He prayed until his sweat became as great drops of blood

3) Abandoned by all of his friends

4) Walked 2.5 miles during a sleepless night

5) He had many people bearing false witness on him yet he did not defend himself

6) He was beaten on the face and mocked at Caiaphas’ house

7) He was beaten by the cat-of-nine tails (according to Roman custom), 39 lashes (Deut 25:3)…Describe what that does

8) He was robed…but when de-robed later, the pain would have been horrific.

9) He was crowned with a crown of thorns

10) He had to carry the top part of his cross

11) The nails were 8 – 10 inches long and they went in his wrists, not hands…explain the tearing

12) One nail was used for his feet

13) When the cross dropped into the ground, his shoulders and elbows would have dislocated (Psalm 22)

14) He was crucified naked (Roman custom), they cast lots for his clothes.

15) His heavenly father turned his back on him...“eloi, eloi, lama sabacthani”…My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? All this because he became our sin. II Cor 5:21

16) His blood began to thicken as water started gathering in his lungs because of the short breathes he was taking. His lungs were working overtime to try to get oxygen from the blood. This is why that blood AND water flowed when his side was punctured. A clear sign of what was happening.


I'm happy to field any questions.


God loves you and I do too!

THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS...Must Read

A good friend forwarded this to me today (Thanks Mark!). I have edited it some and added scripture references. I have preached this message a number of times and it is impossible for me to do it without crying. As I type even now, thinking about how my savior suffered for me, my eyes have filled with tears".


At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death. At the time, Crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals were condemned to be crucified. Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus. Unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixion, Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet. Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long. The nails were driven into His wrist, not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There's a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist, that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could breathe. With every breath in, His bear, beaten back had to rub the splintery cross. Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled his feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain so He was forced to alternate between arching His back and then using his legs just to continue to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage. Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours. Yes, over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of suffering? But before the nails and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face. The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men would not have survived this torture.

The lungs filter oxygen from blood but because Jesus could not take a normal breath, his blood thickened leaving behind water in his lungs. He had three nails hammered into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His chest... all these without mentioning the humiliation He suffered after carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in his face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part, where His hands were Nailed), He was crucified naked (as was the Roman custom).. As he became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21), God the Father could not look upon His Son, that's why he cried out "Eloi, Eloi, lama, sabacthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" (Mark 15:34).

Jesus had to endure this experience, to open the gates of Heaven, so that you can have free access to God. So that your sins could be washed away. So that you could be put in right relationship with God. 

JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU!

God loves you and I do too!

How to deal with people, part 4 - The Fool

The final negative personality that Proverbs deals with is the fool. One of the reasons for this is that fools are the most dangerous people to be associated with. Proverbs is full of tidbits on how to identify a fool and how to handle them.

It is much easier to identify a fool in terms of what he is not than in terms of what he is. Notice the following characteristics of the fool as the Book of Proverbs describes him. Unless otherwise stated, all quoted verses below are from Proverbs.

1. THE FOOL IS UNRIGHTEOUS. The fool hates what is holy, righteous, and good, and he loves evil.

Desire realized is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil (13:19).

Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool; And so is wisdom to a man of understanding (10:23).

Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is good will (14:9).

2. THE FOOL IS UNWISE. Throughout Proverbs the fool is the counterpart of the wise. Wisdom is contrasted with folly. The fool does not possess wisdom, cannot obtain wisdom, and would not obtain it if he could.

THE FOOL DOES NOT POSSESS WISDOM;
The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of understanding (10:21; cf. 1:20-33).

THE FOOL IS NOT CAPABLE OF OBTAINING WISDOM:
Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense (17:16).

A scoffer seeks wisdom, and finds none, But knowledge is easy to him who has understanding (14:6).

Wisdom is too high for a fool, He will not open his mouth in the gate (24:7).

The fool has no capacity for wisdom. In the words of 17:16, he has “no heart” for it. He may seem to seek wisdom, but is incapable of recognizing or retaining it.

THE FOOL HAS NO DESIRE FOR WISDOM, AND WOULD REJECT IT EVEN IF HE COULD ACQUIRE IT BECAUSE HE HATES IT:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction (1:7; cf. 1:22).

The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on folly (15:14).

A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind (18:2).

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words (23:9).

The fool is not neutral toward wisdom--he hates it. Wisdom is to the fool what liver is to me: as freely and frequently as it may be offered to me, I will do everything I can to avoid it.

3. THE FOOL IS UNREALISTIC. The fool fails to see things as they are. Reality is distorted by the fool’s distorted outlook on life.

THE FOOL IS UNREALISTIC ABOUT HIMSELF in that he overestimates his knowledge and abilities:
“Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names, Who acts with insolent pride (21:24).

THE FOOL IS UNCONCERNED WITH PRESENT REALITIES, and is a wishful thinker. His “ship” is always about to “come in.”
Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth (17:24).

4. THE FOOL IS UNDISCIPLINED. The fool looks upon self-control as a needless and useless denial of present pleasure. Because of this, every area of his life lacks discipline.

THE FOOL IS UNDISCIPLINED WITH HIS MONEY AND MATERIAL RESOURCES:
There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man swallows it up (21:30).

THE FOOL IS UNDISCIPLINED WITH HIS TEMPER:
A fool’s vexation is known at once, But a prudent man conceals dishonor (12:16).

A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back (29:11).

THE FOOL IS UNDISCIPLINED WITH HIS MOUTH:
A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims folly (12:23, cf. 10:14).

The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly (15:2; cf. 18:2,7).

It is little wonder that the fool is referred to as a “babbling fool” (literally, the foolish of lips, 10:8,10).

5. THE FOOL IS UNRELIABLE.

HE IS UNRELIABLE IN HIS WORK: The fool is dishonest and evil and cannot be trusted in any area.
He cuts off his own feet, and drinks violence . He sends a message by the hand of a fool (26:6).

Like an archer who wounds everyone, So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by (26:10).

HE IS UNRELIABLE IN HIS WORDS. The words of the fool are always to be questioned. He is a liar, a deceiver, and a slanderer.
He who conceals hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool (10:18).

The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, But the folly of fools is deceit (14:8).

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool (19:1).

Even what the fool believes to be true may be only his worthless opinion. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly (15:2).

The lips of the wise spread knowledge, But the hearts of fools are not so (15:7, cf. v. 14).

6. THE FOOL IS UNTEACHABLE. Try as you like, attempting to teach a fool is frustrating at best, and often painful. Whenever a fool is faced with wisdom and instruction, he will reject it.

Now that we have seen the characteristics of a fool and have learned the root causes of his folly, we must direct our attention to the treatment of a fool. Proverbs has a good deal to say on this subject, and nearly all of its instruction pertains to what we should not do. Our actions with regard to fools are often more negative than positive.

How to deal with a fool

1. WE SHOULD AVOID THE FOOL IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. While wisdom is not contagious to a fool, folly is to the wise; therefore, the wise man should avoid the fool.

Leave the presence of a fool, Or you will not discern words of knowledge (14:7).

In addition, the fool is dangerous and harmful, and we should avoid him like a bear robbed of her cubs (17:12).

2. THE FOOL SHOULD BE DRIVEN OUT. In those cases where we cannot leave the fool, the fool may need to be sent away.

Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, Even strife and dishonor will cease (22:10).

The New Testament teaches that Christians should not fellowship with professing Christians who are living in sin (I Cor. 5:9-13). The church is instructed to put out those who disregard biblical rebuke and correction (Matt. 18:15-17; I Cor. 5:5). The words of Paul to Titus seem closely related to the teaching of Proverbs that we should avoid the fool:

Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned (Titus 3:10-11).

3. WE SHOULD NOT WASTE OUR INSTRUCTION ON FOOLS. In the New Testament Jesus taught that we should not “cast our pearls before swine” (Matt. 7:6). In Proverbs, we are told not to attempt to teach fools:

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words (23:9).

4. WE SHOULD NOT ALLOW THE FOOL TO DRAG US DOWN TO HIS LEVEL. If you don't pay attentionh to anything else, pay attention to this. The fool is exasperating; he is looking for trouble, and he often tempts us to oblige him. Since the fool will spout off and speak his mind, we are tempted to lose our temper with him as well. Proverbs instructs us not to allow him to get the best of us, lest we be lowered to his level.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you be like him (26:4).

5. WE SHOULD NOT DIGNIFY A FOOL BY GIVING HIM UNDUE HONOR, SO THAT HE WILL-BE FLATTERED AND PUFFED UP EVEN FURTHER. The fool is pompous and proud, and he will take any positive strokes as a compliment. We should avoid giving him any honor.

Like snow in summer and rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool (26:1).

Answer a fool as his folly deserves, Lest he be wise in his own eyes (26:5).

6. WE SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE FOOL, FOR IN SO DOING WE WILL ONLY PUNISH OURSELVES. The fool is never open to rebuke or correction. Any effort to correct a fool by mere verbal rebuke is futile.

He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself. Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you, Reprove a wise man, and he will love you (9:7-8).

When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest (29:9).

7. WE SHOULD NOT MAKE LIFE EASY FOR THE FOOL. While verbal rebuke is not effective with fools, we should not seek to cushion the painful effects of their folly. The “way of the transgressor is hard” (13:15) and so the folly of a fool will bring about many difficulties. These painful consequences of sin may be instrumental in bringing the fool to the end of his folly, but regardless, the painful blows of sin should not be softened.

A fool’s lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul (18:6-7).

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction (1:7).

Because they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, And be satiated with their own devices. For the waywardness of the naive shall kill them, And the complacency of fools shall destroy them (1:29-32).

Whenever the fool is disciplined, he resists it.

A fool rejects his father’s discipline, But he who regards reproof is prudent (15:5).

He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves wicked man gets insults for himself. Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you (9:7-8).

A scoffer does not love one who reproves him, He will not go to the wise (15:12).

A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding Than a hundred blows into a fool (17:10).

The folly of a fool is deep-seated. No matter how hard one strives to rid the fool of his folly, such efforts end in failure. A fool and his folly are seemingly inseparable.

Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his folly will not depart from him (27:22).

The fool cannot even learn from his own mistakes. Given the opportunity, he will repeat his folly:

Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly (26:11).

It is ironic, but true, that while the fool refuses to be taught, he is eager to teach others from his abundance of “wisdom.”

A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims folly (12:23).

A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind (18:2).

8. THE FOOL IS UNPLEASANT, UNLIKED, AND UNDESIRABLE. The fool is a menace, a detriment to society. He is a pain to his parents, for he hates them (15:20) and causes them grief (10:1; 17:21,25; 19:23). He is a disaster wherever he goes (10:14; 17:12).He hinders the understanding of others (14:7).His speech is slanderous (10:18). The fool is quarrelsome (20:3), and he stirs up dissension and anger.

A fool’s lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for blows (18:6).

Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, Even strife and dishonor will cease (22:10).

So far as society is concerned, the fool is an abomination.

The devising of folly is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men (24:9).

God loves you and I do too!