A brother in Christ from the Philippines, once related to me, how rice was sold in the poor village he was raised in. The rice merchant would first measure the rice into a large scoop โ hold it up for the buyer to be reassured they were receiving full measure โ and then, as he was lowering the scoop to pour the rice into their bag, he would subtly pour a small amount of the rice back into the large bin. This slight shaving resulted in more profit for him, since he did it to everyone.
SINCE MANKIND IS INHERENTLY EVIL< THIS STORY SHOULD NOT SURPRISE US. BUT< IT SHOULD SADDEN US.
We must admit, that we all โshave off,โ here and there in our dealings with our fellow man, and with respect to honoring the Lord. Do we give โfull measure?โ Or, do we hold back somewhat? Just a little here and there? Does He have our whole heart? Or have we kept back a portion for the world? Do we cut corners in our worship and service?
DON’T SHVE OFF OR CUT CORNERS IN YOUR WORSHIP AND WITNESSING, FOR HE HAS GIVEN US THIS PROMISE –
Luke 6:38
ย Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
The prevailing trend is to put animals on the same level as man – making continual referrals to our “closest relative” – the chimpanzee. We see many well produced, heart-tugging, and expensive commercials for the Humane Society, or the ASPCA. All the while, crisis pregnancy centers struggle to keep their doors open, and private property owners are forced to surrender everything to an endangered animal.
Man is not an animal, man is God’s jewel of Creation
God. . .breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Genesis 2: 7
Man is special to God
God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion . . .upon the earth. Genesis 1: 26
Man is positionally important to God
Thou wast precious in My sight. . .and I have loved thee. . .Even every one that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. Isaiah 43: 4, 7
Our God is a Triune God
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is One Lord. . .Deuteronomy 6: 4
Man was created a triune being
I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5: 23
The New Age Religion seeks to spread the blasphemy, that not only is man one with nature – but God is also one with everything.
“Swami Vivekkananda, a Hindu guru widely thought of in America, taught that because the Mother-Goddess Kali is all, all in one, and all is cyclical, God is both good and evil:
‘Who can say that God does not manifest Himself as Evil as well as Good? But only the Hindu dares to worship him in the evil. . .How few have dared to worship death, or Kali? Let us worship death!’
Likewise, Lucifer is said to be neither evil nor good. He simply is. Formerly a destroyer, Lucifer now becomes a god – perhaps the God – chosen to shepherd mankind into the brightness of a New Age.
He is the Shiva and Kali of the New Age.” (Dark Secrets of the New Age,p. 87, Texe Marrs)
When young boys and girls are told repeatedly in school that the human embryo is no different than a chicken embryo in the early days of development – this sets the stage for abortion later on. After all – we eat chickens – don’t we?
14 I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139: 14-16
If you – or someone you know – is faced with an unplanned pregnancy – think about this one thing. . .ending the life that is growing, will not solve anything. Please, choose the miracle of life. Choose God’s way, not Satan’s way. God loves you so much, and you are so precious to Him, that He gave His life, so that you could live – you and your unborn child.
There are lovely and caring women, just waiting to help you, at crisis pregnancy centers all over America. Just look in the yellow pages. You will not be judged, you will be loved. You – and your child.
The reward of heeding wisdom, is God Himself. He is our reward! This is in direct contrast to what the prosperity ministries teach. If we seek after Him with the same intensity as a carnal person would seek after buried treasure – He will reveal Himself to us.
We continue on the same theme. This time finding out exactly what happens when we receive this Godly wisdom.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
12 To deliver thee from the way of the
evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
This “evil man” can come in the guise of a co-worker, a friend, TV personality, a worldly book or magazine, employer, family member, class mate, neighbor, internet, or even a passing acquaintance.
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
Of course, the “strange woman” could be any woman. She could be the neighbor that dresses immodestly in front of your husband, the girl at work, the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, one of the female false prophets on TV, your hairstylist, or even your kid’s Bible study teacher!
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
Proverbs 2: 10-22
And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:19
ย And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. . .ย ye shall be as gods. . .
Genesis 3:4
James Hughes Ph.D., the Executive Director of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, is a bioethicist and sociologist at Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut where he teaches health policy and serves as Director of Institutional Research and Planning. He holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of Chicago, where he also taught bioethics at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. Dr. Hughes is author of Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Future , and is working on a second book tentatively titled Cyborg Buddha. Since 1999 he has produced a syndicated weekly radio program, Changesurfer Radio.
As transhuman possibilities increasingly develop, the compatibilities of metaphysics, theodicy, soteriology and eschatology between the transhumanist and religious worldviews will be built upon to create new โtrans-spiritualities.โ In this future religious landscape there will be bioconservative and transhumanist wings within all the worldโs faiths, and probably new religious traditions inspired by the transhumanist project. We will create new religious rituals and meanings around biotechnological and cybernetic and cybernetic capabilities, just as we did around fire, the wheel, healing plants, and the book.
James J. Hughes, The Compatibility of Religious and Transhumanism Views of Metaphysics, Suffering, Virtue, and Transcendence in an Enhanced Future
In the Caltech experiments, the researchers stripped an HIV virus of its disease-causing elements and used it to virally infect single-cell embryos of mice with a gene from a jellyfish.
Any number of different genes could have been selected. For the purpose of the studies, the researchers chose a specific jellyfish gene that could serve as a โmarkerโ to indicate whether the gene transfer was successful. The gene produces a protein that gives the jellyfish a green fluorescence.
When the mice were born, they carried the jellyfish gene in their own genes. Under fluorescent light, all their major tissues and organsโincluding skin, bones, muscles, lungs, liver, kidney, stomach, brain, and retinaโemitted a green glow.
The trait became a permanent feature of the mice genome and was passed along to many of their offspring. (National Geographic)
This has gone much, much farther than glow mice. This description of the fearsome locusts in Revelation 9: 6-12 does not sound all that incredible in light of this.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. 12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. Revelation 9:6-12
Anyone may see, how electronics (via the prince of the power of the air) have captured the hearts and minds of an entire generation. A well stocked home library can effectively stem that evil tide! And via garage sales and thrift stores, the home library can be filled to the brim with books for every member of the family. Truly, the warm pages of a book are far superior and more intimate than a Kindle or lap top.
Our local Salvation Army has paperback books at two for $.99. And absolutely free – children’s books and Bibles. Hardback books are $1.99, and some are truly nice. I also have picked up many sheet music books (barely used) at the same price they charge for paperbacks.
Findings published in the journal Social Science Researchshow that raising a child in a home filled with books positively impacts her future academic growth and job attainment. Specifically, asPacific Standard reported, the study found that when it comes to standardized tests, โRegardless of how many books the family already has, each addition to the home library helps children do better.โ That makes sense: A book-filled home encourages a culture of reading for enjoyment and talking about books.
A growing body of evidence shows that growing up with home libraries boosts adult literacy, adult numeracy (math skills), and adult technological competence, with the greatest returns to the growth in smaller home libraries. In other words, adding just a few books to your home library can make a big difference.
Going from no books at home to some books at home. Going from some books to a few more. This is doable! Thatโs what weโre doing at BookGive all the time.
In this study, the researchers found that growing up with almost no books was associated with literacy levels at about 50% below average. Having at least 80 books raised the literacy levels to average. Once a home library hits the 300 range, the literary gains are not significant, although weโd never discourage folks from surrounding themselves with lots of books.
Our home library is significantly smaller now that our family has grown up and out, but we still feel that books are the gateway to knowledge. Some of my personal books are so well loved, they are more tape than paper… My sewing books are in the sewing room, cookbooks are in the kitchen, and and gardening books are all in a corner shelf near the piano. A full set of encyclopedias is stowed on a very high shelf in the linen closet. Because you never know!
The time you spend reading to and with your children, will be remembered with far greater clarity than any cartoons or games children play.
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, And liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, And searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.
As is so often the case – scientists are studying God’s Creation- and applying it to modern technology. Until recently – it was a mystery, just how geckos were able to cling so easily to even the smoothest surfaces, and still be able to maneuver around on the same surface. But now – the fascinating truth is discovered!
Even though gecko toe pads adhere strongly to almost any surface, they can peel off of those surfaces quickly. That’s because the pads have tiny hair-like projections made from the tough protein keratin that can only be seen at incredibly strong magnification. If the geckos’ feet and tiny keratin fibers got dirty, that sticky interaction wouldn’t work, making them instantly vulnerable to predators.
In an effort to find out how geckos keep their feet clean, researchers based at the University of Akron (UA) found that phospholipids, which are special kinds of thin oils, are manufactured and excreted to keep the keratin hairs clean and serve as the temporary contact adhesive between geckos’ toes and the surface on which they’re walking. (Brian Thomas, M.S.)
Scientists have already taken advantage of the phospholipids, and are synthesizing adhesives with great potential for formerly unheard of applications.
For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.
Colossians 1: 16
For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.
Often the secular world will accuse Christians of being exclusionary – “Jesus can’t be the only way.” (Oprah Winfrey) What about that? Is He the only way?
Yes !
In reality, there have always been two Books. The Bible, and Creation. Creation has been around for 2,500 years before the Bible was given.
The outdoor book speaks to man about God through natural revelation. Every person born on this earth, is witness to God’s eternal power and Godhead, through nature. Common sense tells man that there is beauty, order, intelligence, and design.
Lift up your eyes on high, and behold Who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth. Isaiah 40:26
Are the heathen accountable? Yes.
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1: 19-21
If the individual responds positively to the truth that is revealed in nature, God, who knows our very thoughts, will raise up a missionary to give that person the truth in the written Word.
For example, when Paul and Silas wanted to go to a certain area in Asia, they were “forbidden of the Holy Ghost” – Acts 16:6,7.
Instead, God sent them to Western Europe, where He knew they were waiting to receive the Word. If people do not respond to the outdoor Book – they are still responsible for rejecting it – even if they never hear the Written Word.
Rejecting the truth of Creation will eventually cause individuals, as well as entire nations to become perverted. It makes no difference if the person is living in a hut in a third world country, or a penthouse in a fabulous city – it still applies.
Oh โ those loud, attention seekers. They speak without thinking, and put their proverbial feet in their mouths at every opportunity. Well, as annoying as they may be โ the jabber mouths will not go on forever. The ones who take delight in mocking and ridiculing the Lord and His people will not get the last laugh!
Proverbs 10:31-32
31ย The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.
Recalling that only those who are under the Blood of Christ are considered โjustโ by God โ it does not bode well for those who have a froward tongue!
adjective: froward
(of a person) difficult to deal with; contrary.
In point of fact โ our blessed Redeemer made mention of this very thing, while He was here in the flesh:
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
32ย The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.
How do we know what is โacceptable?โ By reading, studying, and memorizing the Word of God. Being a Christian does not automatically cause you to speak with wisdom! This kind of righteousness comes only with having the mind of Christ, and making His thoughts and Words a part of you. And to prove that our own words can not count as wisdom, we look to our Savior once again, and see how He responded to the Devil during the temptation.
Matthew 4:3-10
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Notice that the Lord ONLY used Scripture to respond to the Devil. This is especially important for those Christians who somehow think the Old Testament no longer has meaning or importance to the Church! If the Living Christ thought it was important enough to quote โ how are Christians confident in not doing so as well? Are we responding to temptation with our own logic and reason? Are we foolish enough to think that our own resources can outfox the Fox? The Devil? The Tempter? This one thing โ failing to use the Word of God against temptation โ is the greatest weakness of the Church.
Donโt get bogged down in debate with the evil one and his minions โ you canโt possibly win against a supernatural intelligence like that using your own abilities. ย Use the Word of God as the sword of Truth!ย Memorize it, inhale it, study it, devour it.ย The wicked will flee. . .
The way of theย Lordย is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Once again, the Proverbs make a clear demarcation between the saved and the lost. The pagan world is stymied when Christians repeatedly stand tall in the face of adversity. They would prefer, if when faced with calamity, that we collapse and fall into the abyss of sinful behaviors that they are mired in. But โ the Proverb states that the Lord is our strength. We do not need to resort to the worldโs accepted methods โ we have the Word of God. Nothing more is required to see us through lifeโs darkest hours.
Psalm 1:6 For theย Lordย knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Proverbs 10:30
The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
Thatโs right all you Mother Earth worshipers, you do NOT inherit the earth. No matter how much you do to โsave the planet,โ it wonโt help โ because itโs not yours to save. The earth is the Lordโs, and everything in it โ and He will give it to whom He chooses. It will not be given to the unrepentant, that is a fact.
Psalm 37:29
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
Revelation 21:6-8
6ย And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7ย He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8ย But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
Those that are unsaved and living for the world system, fear death to the point they will do almost anything to avoid it. Because they have no hope for the future, and no concept of an eternity โ they cling with fervor to this earthly realm. Being completely self centered, they think nothing of killing the unborn, or using their body parts to extend their own lives.
25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
As believers, we know that our future is already sealed. That is our hope โ something the wicked couldnโt possibly understand. With Jesus Christ as our Righteous and Everlasting foundation, we are known by name, are built onto โ and permanently attached to Him. Once we are in heaven with the Lord, the wicked will no more come to our minds. Or to the Lordโs mind! And how grateful we should be for that! Not to think about what the evil are up to anymore โ that sounds like heaven to me.
Isaiah 65:11-17
11 But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget My holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.
12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before Mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, My servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, My servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, My servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:
14 Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.
15 And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto My chosen: for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call His servants by another name:
16 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from Mine eyes.
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
If you will only let God guide you, And hope in Him through all your ways, Whatever comes, Heโll stand beside you, To bear you through the evil days; Who trusts in Godโs unchanging love Builds on the Rock that cannot move.
Only be still, and wait His leisure In cheerful hope, with heart content To take whatever the Fatherโs pleasure And all discerning love have sent; Nor doubt our inmost wants are known To Him Who chose us for His own.
Sing, pray, and swerve not from His ways, But do your part in conscience true; Trust His rich promises of grace, So shall they be fulfilled in you; God hears the call of those in need, The souls that trust in Him indeed.
Winkworthโs original translation:
If thou but suffer God to guide thee And hope in Him through all thy ways, Heโll give thee strength, whateโer betide thee, And bear thee through the evil days. Who trust in Godโs unchanging love Builds on the rock that naught can move.
What can these anxious cares avail thee These never ceasing moans and sighs? What can it help if thou bewail thee Oโer each dark moment as it flies? Our cross and trials do but press The heavier for our bitterness.
Be patient and await His leisure In cheerful hope, with heart content To take whatever thy Fatherโs pleasure And His discerning love hath sent, Nor doubt our inmost want are known To Him who chose us for His own.
God knows full well when time of gladness Shall be the needful thing for thee. When He has tried thy soul with sadness And from all guile has found thee free, He comes to thee all unaware And makes thee own His loving care.
Nor think amid the fiery trial That God hath cast thee off unheard, That he whose hopes meet no denial Must surely be of God preferred. Time passes and much change doth bring And set a bound to everything.
All are alike before the Highest: โTis easy for our God, We know, To raise thee up, though low thou liest, To make the rich man poor and low. True wonders still by Him are wrought Who setteth up and brings to naught.
Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving, Perform thy duties faithfully, And trust His Word: though undeserving, Thou yet shalt find it true for thee. God never yet forsook in need The soul that trusted Him indeed.
Words:Georg Neuยญmark, 1641 (Wer nur den lieยญben Gott lรคsst walยญten); first pubยญlished in his Fortยญgeยญpflantzยญer muยญsikยญalยญisch-poยญetยญischยญer Lustยญwald (Jeยญna, Gerยญmaยญny: 1657). Caยญtherยญine Winkยญworth transยญlatยญed the words from Gerยญman to Engยญlish in 1855, and pubยญlished them in the Choยญrale Book for Engยญland, 1863.
Music: Neumark, Georg Neuยญmark, 1641 (MIยญDI, score). The tune is said to have been used for 400 difยญferยญent hymns.
Things appeared desperate for Georg Neumark. Walking cross country in the early Autumn of 1641 to begin his studies at the University of Konigsberg, the young German scholar was robbed of virtually everything he owned. With no money left to pay for food or classes, George had to drop out of college and look for work. He was hungry, poorly clothed, forced to take whatever shelter he could find as the cold weather came on.
He went back to Magdeburg but could find no work there. However, he made friends easily, and they pointed him to different cities. But he had no more success in the next three cities he tried: Luneburg, Winsen or Hamburg. He passed on to Keil. The chief pastor of Keil, Nicolaus Becker took an interest in Georg. Like Georg, he was from Thuringia. However, he could find him no immediate work. It was now December. What was Georg to do?
At this darkest moment, a miracle happened. A tutor in a prominent family fell into disgrace and fled. Nicolaus Becker recommended Georg for the position and he was hired. Georgโs response was to burst into a hymn of praise, โon that very day.โ
If thou but suffer God to guide thee And hope in Him through all thy ways, Heโll give thee strength, whateโer betide thee, And bear thee through the evil daysโฆ. Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving, Perform thy duties faithfully, And trust His Word: though undeserving, Thou yet shalt find it true for thee. God never yet forsook in need The soul that trusted Him indeed.
We remember George Neumark mainly because of that one hymn and the tune he composed for it. For two years he worked and saved his money, finally getting together enough to enter University. In 1646 he again lost everything he owned, this time to a fire.
However, he was able to complete his studies and return to his homeland. There Duke Wilhelm II of Sachse-Weimar recognized his merits and gave him a trusted position.
Georg went blind shortly before he died, but the court allowed him to keep his jobs with their badly-needed income right to the end. He died on this day, July 18, 1681, having turned 60 shortly before. He had performed his part faithfully and God did not forsake him, bearing him through the evil days.
Bibliography:
Covert, William Chalmers and Laufer, Calvin Weiss, editors. Handbook to the Hymnal. (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Christian Education, 1936).
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
How many of us think, that if we only had enough money in the bank, or enough food in storage, or enough gold coins, or enough whatever โ that we would be safe from impending doom?ย
Or conversely, how many of us rely on our poverty to sustain us?ย Believing that some entity or other will always be there to pick us up after we fall, or feed, clothe, shelter, and educate us merely because we exist?ย Assuming no harm can befall us because โtheyโ will help?ย
Proverbs 10:15
ย The rich manโs wealth is his strong city:
This image applies to both aspects of the Proverb โ because within a city or any metropolitan area like that โ both the wealthy and the poor live within yards of each other. Artificial insulation deceives the dwellers into thinking that all is well. The wealthy thinks his high tower protects him, and the poor thinks the system will protect him. And it doesnโt only apply to cities โ think of the wealthy plantations in the South before the Civil War. They were micro-complexes of supra-independence. But many of them were razed and burned to the ground โ lock, stock, and barrel.
the destruction of the poor is their poverty.
Do people trust in poverty? Absolutely! It is the same assumption that the wealthy make โ trusting in the world. Content to let others care for them โ the poor will end in destruction says the Proverb.
Not everyone who is poor or wealthy must end this way. It is a matter of where we put our trust. Trusting in ourselves, in money, in โprepping,โ in the government, in family, in religion, in education, in the media, in anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ โ is folly and destruction for both the rich and the poor.
Psalm 118:8-9
8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
Please look at verse 8 above โ putting confidence in man โ includes yourself! V. 9 โ putting confidence in princes is the same as putting confidence in politicians.
Psalm 9:9-10
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10 And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.
There is an entire industry devoted to โprepping,โ or the storing up of food and provisions in cases of extreme emergency.ย But there is something else we need to think about storing up.ย And it is something that is mentioned frequently in the Word of God โ while โpreppingโ is not.ย Indeed โ it would not be an exaggeration to state that โpreppingโ has become a religion to many people!
Another way to describe storing up โ is laying up.
Proverbs 10:14
ย Wise men lay up knowledge:ย
It has been stressed repeatedly throughout these Friday Proverb studies โ that the only thing truly worth knowing about โ is Godโs Word. It is the foundation and cornerstone of all knowledge and wisdom. There is nothing โ NOTHING โ more important to our earthly sojourn โ than to โlay upโ knowledge of His Book! If you donโt โ you fall into the โbutโ category of this Proverb-
but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
The fact is โ If we posted all the fools featured on television in just one dayย โ from all the different sources such as news and talk shows โ wordpress would probably crash!ย
Thinking before speaking is a sign of wisdom. Laying up knowledge before speaking is another sign of wisdom. Far too many open their mouths to opine on things they know nothing about. By prefacing their opinion with an โI think,โ they believe they are qualified to hold forth, often having no more understanding of what they are talking about than a child would. Moreover โ they resist any efforts by others to teach them what they do not understand! That is willfully ignorant! And my friends โ Christians are guilty of this too. . .
Is ignorance an excuse? Not for believers! We are told again and again to feed on the Word. The more we take in the deep things of God โ the more we will know when to speak and what to say, and when to hold our tongues. What should come out of our mouths, is not our thoughts โ but His thoughts. And the only way to know His thoughts โ is by laying up the Words in His Book!
James 1:19
ย Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath
James 1:26
ย If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this manโs religion is vain.
1 I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus, the Nazarene, and wonder how he could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean.
Refrain: How marvelous, how wonderful! And my song shall ever be: How marvelous, how wonderful is my Saviorโs love for me!
2 He took my sins and my sorrows; he made them his very own; he bore the burden to Calvary and suffered and died alone. [Refrain]
3 When with the ransomed in glory his face I at last shall see, โtwill be my joy through the ages to sing of his love for me. [Refrain]
Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (August 18, 1856, Wilton, Iowa โ September 14, 1932, Hollywood, California) was a writer of gospel songs and composer of gospel tunes. He is said to have written and/or composed between 7,000 and 8,000 songs,[1] many of which are available in 21st century hymnals. He used several pseudonyms, including Charlotte G. Homer, H. A. Henry, and S. B. Jackson.[2]
Charles Hutchinson Gabriel was born in Wilton, Muscatine County, Iowa, and raised on a farm. His father led singing schools in their home, and young Charles developed an interest in music. It is said that he taught himself to play the familyโs reed organ.[2] Even though he never had any formal training in music, he began to travel and lead his own singing schools in various locations around the age of 17.[3]
His musical talent was well recognized in his boyhood home of Wilton. There is one folklore story, that the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Wilton (Pastor Pollock or McAulay) once saw Gabriel walking in town early in the week. He asked Gabriel if he knew a good song to go along with his sermon. The pastor shared the sermon topic and by the end of the week the boy had written a song for that Sunday, words and music. The Rev. N. A. McAulay was a pastor at the Wilton church for many years, and it is also said that young Gabriel wrote the music for one of McAulayโs songs. The song, โHow Could it Be,โ was later published in Songs for Service, edited by Gabriel, with the music being credited to โCharles H. Marsh,โ possibly one of Gabrielโs pseudonyms.[4]
ย I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
O for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemerโs praise, The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of His grace!
My gracious Master and my God, Assist me to proclaim, To spread through all the earth abroad The honors of Thy name.
Jesus! the name that charms our fears, That bids our sorrows cease; โTis music in the sinnerโs ears, โTis life, and health, and peace.
He breaks the power of canceled sin, He sets the prisoner free; His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me.
He speaks, and, listening to His voice, New life the dead receive, The mournful, broken hearts rejoice, The humble poor believe.
Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb, Your loosened tongues employ; Ye blind, behold your Savior come, And leap, ye lame, for joy.
In Christ your Head, you then shall know, Shall feel your sins forgiven; Anticipate your heaven below, And own that love is heaven.
Glory to God, and praise and love Be ever, ever given, By saints below and saints above, The church in earth and heaven.
On this glad day the glorious Sun Of Righteousness arose; On my benighted soul He shone And filled it with repose.
Sudden expired the legal strife, โTwas then I ceased to grieve; My second, real, living life I then began to live.
Then with my heart I first believed, Believed with faith divine, Power with the Holy Ghost received To call the Savior mine.
I felt my Lordโs atoning blood Close to my soul applied; Me, me He loved, the Son of God, For me, for me He died!
I found and owned His promise true, Ascertained of my part, My pardon passed in heaven I knew When written on my heart.
Look unto Him, ye nations, own Your God, ye fallen race; Look, and be saved through faith alone, Be justified by grace.
See all your sins on Jesus laid: The Lamb of God was slain, His soul was once an offering made For every soul of man.
Awake from guilty natureโs sleep, And Christ shall give you light, Cast all your sins into the deep, And wash the รthiop white.
Harlots and publicans and thieves In holy triumph join! Saved is the sinner that believes From crimes as great as mine.
Murderers and all ye hellish crew In holy triumph join! Believe the Savior died for you; For me the Savior died.
With me, your chief, ye then shall know, Shall feel your sins forgiven; Anticipate your heaven below, And own that love is heaven.
Charles Wesley 1739
Wesley wrote this hymn to comยญmemยญoยญrate the first anยญniยญverยญsaยญry of his conยญverยญsion to Christ. This orยญiยญgin is reยญflectยญed in the lyrยญics, โOn this glad day the glorยญiยญous Sun of Rightยญeousยญness arose.โ The stanza that beยญgins โO for a thouยญsand tongues to singโ is verse seven of Wesยญleyโs origยญinยญal poยญem. This work first apยญpeared in Hymns and Sacยญred Poยญems in 1740.
The majestic music for this breathtaking hymn was composed by Carl Glaser, 1828.
Psalm 35:27-28
27ย Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let theย Lordย be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28ย And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
Psalm 119:171-173
171ย My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.
172ย My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.
173ย Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.
Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? [originally, For such a worm as I?]
Refrain
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!
Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thineโ And bathed in its own bloodโ While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood.
Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!
Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creatureโs sin.
Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.
But drops of grief can neโer repay The debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away โTis all that I can do.
Words: Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spirยญitยญuยญal Songs, 1707;
[***Note from sage โ you may not be familiar with this rendition โ but it was the one that Fanny Crosby was referring to in 1880. The music sung in churches today was not written until 1885 when the well known refrain was added]
Hudson,ย Ralph E. Hudson,ย Songs of Peace, Love and Joyย (Alliance, Ohio: 1885)ย It is with this tune that the hymn is known asย At the Cross.
Fanny Crosby wrote of this hymn:
[In] the autumn of 1850โฆreยญvivยญal meetยญings were beยญing held in the Thirยญtiยญeth Street Methยญodยญist Church [, New York Ciยญty]. Some of us went down evยญery evยญenยญing; and, on two ocยญcaยญsions, I sought peace at the atยญlar [sic], but did not find the joy I craved, unยญtil one evยญenยญing, Noยญvemยญber 20, 1850, it seemed to me that the light must inยญdeed come then or neยญver; and so I arose and went to the alยญtar alone. Aยญfter a prayer was ofยญfered, they beยญgan to sing the grand old conยญseยญcraยญtion hymn, โAlas, and did my Savยญiour bleed, And did my Sovยญerยญeign die?โ And when they reached the third line of the fourth [sic] stanยญza, โHere Lord, I give myยญself away,โ my very soul was floodยญed with a ceยญlesยญtiยญal light. I sprang to my feet, shoutยญing โhalยญleยญluยญjah,โ and then for the first time I realยญized that I had been tryยญing to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other.
Unruly behavior is one thing โ unruly mouths are another. Using our mouths to glorify Him is wisdom, which only comes from Him.
Proverbs 10:13
ย In the lips of him that hathย understandingย wisdom is found:
Any wisdom that comes forth from our mouths comes from Him.ย Havingย understandingย is different than having knowledge.ย The depth of our understanding will be commensurate to our walk with Him.ย Many sheeple devote their energies to earning advanced degrees or to studying the evil antics of politicians.ย From a humanistic perspective, they could be identified as having great knowledge.ย Yet โ they do not have understanding.ย No passage in Scripture expresses thisย difference better than the following:
Job 42:5-6
5 I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
In the forty-two chapters of the Book of Job, he makes an arduous journey from the mere knowledge of God โ to the true understanding of God. When Job submits โ he receives understanding.
but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
At its very essence โ the above verse means exactly what it says . . .ย rejecting Jesus Christ demonstrates a complete void of understanding.ย
Is that a tired and trite old saying โ โHate the sin, love the sinner?โย The ecumenical church movement has hijacked the Biblical definition of love, and morphed it into a mushy, weak-willed tolerance.ย Tolerance is not love!ย Oh you who say that God is Love, must also recognize that God is Truth โ and His Truth can not lie.ย And His Truth will not allow us to lie to ourselves.ย We can dig into this even deeper. . .
Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirreth up strifes:
The infamous Westboro Baptist Church perfectly typifies this Proverb. Their hatred has consumed them, and causes people outside the faith to make assumptions about others who carry the name of Baptist. Hatred blinds us to the Truth โ the Truth of the Gospel, which includes the truth of our own sin. Hatred causes families to fall apart, and continuous strife between people for every reason under the sun. If there is no forgiveness โ there is hatred, resentment, bitterness, and misery. Often lasting a lifetime.
Do you have someone you hate? Perhaps you were abused or neglected, and have good reason. But the hatred and bitterness you hold for that person or people, will eat away inside you, causing internal strife โ and stealing your inner peace.
but love covereth all sins.
Wow. Take a good long look at the above picture. That is an aged parent and adult child clasping hands. It isnโt always a parent that has hurt us โ sometimes itโs a sibling, neighbor, employer, teacher, friend, spouse, religious leader, peers, coworker, some corrupt entity or other . . . no matter what the source โ the resentment and hatred is the same. It could be something like a visceral hatred of the government โ to the girl who made fun of you in 7th grade. Only when you let that go โ and allow yourself to forgive (weโre not saying you will forget) and stop holding so tightly to the hatred that is sustaining you โ can you experience the Perfect Love that covereth all sins.
You canโt do it on your own, pray to Him for help, and He will relieve you of that burden. Once you are relieved of that terrible canker eating away at you, you will feel the covering of that sin like a soothing blanket, and the terror and anguish and hatred of whoever or whatever was the recipient of that hatred (deserving or not) will fade away like yesterdays clouds on a sunny day.
It is His love, and His love alone, that makes this possible.ย
1 John 4:17-19
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love Him, because He first loved us.
1 Corinthians 13:7
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
If you do not forgive โ your unforgiveness will grow and fester into hate.
Let His perfect love cast out that resentment, and feel the freedom of His perfect love. Love does not require you to become someoneโs doormat โ love frees you from hatred. Your view will change โ and you will see the the person you hated โ as a miserable sinner who needs salvation. Suddenly, things that seemed really important will diminish, and the Gospel and the sharing of it, will become what is most important to you.
Oh,ย the power of the tongue to commit good and evil!ย Wars have been waged over verbal missteps.ย Studies show that children parrot what their parents say -good or bad.ย Throughout Scripture, we are taught to speak with measure and care.ย The unsaved will judge the entire church and the Godheadย by what just one Christian says!ย It is so important, that there are dozens and dozens of verses relating to what people say with their mouths, not just their actions.ย
Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life:
With our words we can encourage, comfort, teach, edify, and otherwise do great things through the Righteousness of Christ. We can ask Him to speak through us โ to use us to glorify Him. The only righteousness the believer can possess is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ โ it is His Holy Spirit working through us that allows our words to be a well of life. And done in His Spirit โ our words can do the work we are here for. We can worship Him โ and we can witness about Him. All with words. And at the Judgment Seat of Christ we will be rewarded for what we have done with words.
When we talk about the gospel to the unsaved โ we are giving someone a lifeline โ we are giving living waterย from the well of life โ Jesus Christ!ย
The second half of this Proverb must be fairly important, because it is repeated twice in Proverbs 10.
but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
Once again we see that the wicked will not be able to speak to defend themselves. Right now โ it seems that the wicked are in great power, and have control of the air waves, and all media. Scripture assures us that this will not last much longer. And these scorners and mockers of Jesus Christ will not be allowed to speak at the Great White Throne Judgment when the charges are made against them. No lawyers to speak for them, or juries to empathize with them. Jesus Christ is the Judge, and Jury.
Revelation 20:11-13
11 And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Please donโt delay getting right with the LORD. Now is the right time to find Him โ not after you are dead. After this life is over โ there is an eternity โ and it is up to you to choose how you will spend it. That is the free- will given to man by God. We must choose Him. And we must come to Him by the way He specifies in His Word โ the Bible. If you would like to talk to us about it โ please email at:
Is it enough to worry only about our own sins?ย So many lovely Christians feel they should not ever judge, and allowย people to work out their own misery.ย But where do we draw the line?ย Do we let someone drown in water?ย Do we let someone drown in sin?ย Is there any difference?ย
Proverbs 10:10
ย He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow:
In the true understanding of the 1611 KJV, โwinketh with the eye,โ quite literally means โturning a blind eye.โ This is something that everyone is guilty of, including Christians. We need to speak up, not sit on our hands! Just the fact that Christians as a whole have been cowed into passivity in the past does not mean we need to let it continue. If you see something that is wrong โ speak out! Yes โ especially if it is in your church. . .
God has โturned a blind eyeโ intentionally to the worldโs free-fall into utter depravity, but He will not always do so!
Acts 17:29-31
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and manโs device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.
but a prating fool shall fall.
We all know them, even at church. Give them a mic and they never want to let go. I am saying this as kindly as possible to my brothers and sisters โ listening is a great gift that every believer should try to cultivate within themselves. Letโs not think about ourselves, but let us always have in mind the well-being of others. Many times, the well being of others involves listening to them with hearing, understanding and compassion. The less time we spend thinking and talking about ourselves, the more time we will have for others and even more importantly The LORD, and the more filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit we will be.
Click “Watch on YouTube” to hear this classic hymn!
Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? [originally, For such a worm as I?]
Refrain
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!
Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thineโ And bathed in its own bloodโ While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood.
Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!
Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creatureโs sin.
Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.
But drops of grief can neโer repay The debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away โTis all that I can do.
Issac Watts [1707]
From his birth his father would read the Word of God to him and pray for him. His father was a godly preacher and a Nonconformist to the Church of England. His father was sent to prison twice because of his convictions. His family were Dissenters or Non- conformists. The Dissenters were Protestants who did not think that the Church of England had separated enough from the doctrines of the Roman Catholics and refused to conform to the Church of England.
Isaac was born in 1674 and was the oldest of nine children. At the age of eleven his father addressed a letter to all of his children encouraging them to โfrequently to read the Scriptures โ get your hearts to delight in them โ above all books and writings account the Bible the best and read it most โ lay up the truth of it in your heartsโ.
Isaac Watts was saved at the age of fifteen and by the age of sixteen he had mastered Latin, Greek, Hebrew and French. When Isaac was about twenty he became dissatisfied with the singing of the Nonconformist Congregation. At that time it was viewed as sinful to sing songs that were not taken from the Scriptures the majority of which were Psalms or metrical Psalters. His major complaint was the quality of the writing, his father challenged him if he did not like what was being sung to do something better. Over the next two years, from the age of Twenty until he was Twenty two, he wrote the majority of his hymns. He was greatly criticized by both the Roman Catholics and the nonconformist who called his hymns โuninspiredโ because they were not direct quotations from Scripture. His reply to this was โโฆif we can pray to God in sentences that we have made up ourselves (instead of confining ourselves to the Our Father and other prayers taken directly from the Scriptures), then surely we can sing to God in sentences that we have made up ourselvesโ.
Isaac Watts wrote Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed in 1707, it originally had six stanzas and no refrain. The original tune as intended by Isaac Watts is not known, but in 1800 Hugh Wilson began using his original music composition entitled Martyrdom. In 1885 Ralph F. Hudson added the refrain and the tune that we know use and know as โAt The Crossโ.
It is interesting to note before we explore the doctrinal content of Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed, the in the Fall of 1850 at the age of thirty, Fanny J. Crosby went to the altar at the Thirtieth Street Methodist Church in New York City. She had been to the altar twice before by had not received the peace she sought. While at the altar the congregation was singing the hymn โAlas and Did My Saviour Bleedโ, according to her own testimony and in her own words she says: โโฆit seemed to me that the light must indeed come then or never; and so I arose and went to the altar alone. After a prayer was offered, they began to sing the grand old consecration hymn, โAlas, and did my Saviour bleed, And did my Sovereign die?โ And when they reached the third line of the fourth stanza, โHere Lord, I give myself away,โ my very soul was flooded with a celestial light. I sprang to my feet, shouting โhallelujah,โ and then for the first time I realized that I had been trying to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other.โ
Isaac Watts was a brilliant young man and because of his intellectual acumen and proclivity to study he was encouraged by his friends and a prominent Southampton physician to go to one of the Universities, at their expense, in hopes that he would eventually be ordained into the Church of England. Because of his background and being raised as a Dissenting Nonconformist, he refused and rather chose a nonconformist academy. He started preaching at the age of twenty-four and pastored his became pastor of a well-know independent congregation in 1702, he died on November 25, 1748.
The doctrinal content of โAlas and Did My Saviour Bleedโ could be examined from a plethora of Christian Theology, Justification, Propitiation, Christology, Anthropology, Harmitiology, Soteriology just to name a few, for all of these are contained within the lines of this hymn. We will however, briefly explore the doctrine of propitiation as found in the lines of โAlas and Did My Saviour Bleedโ.
This research, recently published (July 2024), entitled โReal-Time Self-Assembly of Stereo microscopically Visible Artificial Constructions in Incubated Specimens of mRNA Products Mainly from Pfizer and Moderna: A Comprehensive Longitudinal Study,โ indicates that everyone who was coerced into taking that Pfizer or Moderna vaccine could very well be infected with some strange unidentifiable nanotech.
Just Read the Highlighted Text:
As we reported here, we have isolated numerous and various unidentified materials โ a few ฮผm in size โ beyond the nanoparticles described in FDA reports for the mRNA injectables, in the Pfizer and even more so in the Moderna products.
Having concluded various experiments and careful observational studies, we infer that the materials and their observed stages of development are not natural. They are synthetic, and elemental seeming to govern a well-programmed process of structural self-assembly. That their provisional final production could be described as artificial has already been suggested in the numerous articles referenced so far…
โฆSasha Latypova, an executive and researcher for the pharmaceutical industry, discovered an extreme deviation in side effects among the batch-to-batch vials of mRNA COVID-19 injectables. In a normal world, this sort of wildly uneven deviation would be intolerable in ordinary pharmaceutical products receiving routine oversight by regulatory bodies adhering strictly to established protocols and safety guidelines. Nevertheless, as the public has been reminded continually, we are living in a โnew normalโ. How, therefore, might we understand more generally this obvious deviation from the old normal? One way is to consider intentionality. These products were meant to serve foremost as experimental injections for the whole of humanity โ including all ethnicities, sexes, and age groups.
This depiction squares with the FDA approval letter of the Comirnaty (Pfizer product; FDA, 2021), the post-marketing requirement, in infants under 6 months of age, the study completion of July 31, 2024, and the final report which is to be submitted by October 31, 2024. Worth nothing is that in the accompanying documents for the injectable products all details referring to the factories where they were manufactured were conspicuously redacted, which begs larger questions about secrecy undermining informed consent.
Broudy, Daniel & Lee, Young. (2024). Real-Time Self-Assembly of Stereomicroscopically Visible Artificial Constructions in Incubated Specimens of mRNA Products Mainly from Pfizer and Moderna: A Comprehensive Longitudinal Study. International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research. 3. 1180-1244. 10.56098/586k0043.
…
2 Timothy 3:1-9
3ย This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2ย For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3ย Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,4ย Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;5ย Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.6ย For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,7ย Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.8ย Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.9ย But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.
If you are a regular reader of these Friday Proverb studies, you will be well grounded in the fact that true wisdomย onlyย comes from God.ย Intelligence is not to be confused with wisdom!ย Your IQ is largely a combination of genes, whereas Godly wisdom is a gift from our Creator.ย
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Todayโs Proverb demonstrates the stark contrast between the wise and foolish.
Proverbs 10:8
ย The wise in heart will receive commandments:
How much do you love the Word of God? Do you put it aside for sports, soap operas, or other worldly pursuits? How do you feel about Bible Doctrine? Do you find it wearying? Or edifying? Do you think you know all there is to know about Bible doctrine? Or do you feel you could spend your whole lifetime studying the Word and still never know it all? This discussion brings to my mind a rather infamous intellectual, who is completely devoid of wisdom:
This man, Bill Oโ Reilly, claimed on numerous occasions that the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is a collection of allegories.ย How on earth would he know that?ย While no one could argue that he is indeed intelligent โ he is completely bereft of wisdom, because he is completely bereft of the Holy Spirit.ย He can not understand doctrine because he does not know the Teacher.ย Nor can he receive doctrine โ because he is not even in the classroom with the students of the Word.ย And, like many others outside the household of faith โ he creates his own doctrine!ย
but a prating fool shall fall.
Millions upon millions of sheeple mistakenly believe that today is โGood Friday,โ or the day that our Lord was crucified. Why do they believe that? Because they took the word of a powerful, organized religion โ the Roman Catholic Church โ over the Word of God. Rather than searching and studying the Scriptures for themselves โ they let the Vatican do it for them. Virtually all organized religions now believe this teaching of the corrupt Roman church. We even follow their calendar!
Whenever we receive our doctrine from something other than the Bible โ we are fools.
It is endlessly fascinating to me, just how specific the Word of God is on virtually every subject. Most thinking people are aware on some level of the basic human desire to be remembered after passing on. Some call it a legacy โ some want their name in the history books โ some want a nice eulogy at their funeral. However it is expressed โ it seems to exist in all people on some level โ and that is why it is addressed in the Bible.
What is notable about the Bible and Its treatment of this subject, is that It is only concerned with Godโs memory of our legacies. Not things made with human hands, such as plaques, memorials, headstones, charitable trusts, art work etc. . .
Do you know that to God โ there are only two kinds of people?ย Sheep and goats, or saved and unsaved.ย Thatโs right โย not good, bad, hard working, lazy, selfish, charitable or greedy โ it makes no difference.ย You are either justified and sanctified by the Blood of Christ or you are not.
Proverbs 10:7
The memory of the just is blessed:
Think about that โ if you repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior He has promised that He will not remember your sins, because God will only see His righteousness โ and we achieve justification through Him.
Psalm 103:11-13
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.
but the name of the wicked shall rot.
No matter how famous, no matter how much charity, no matter how many good works โ the promise for the wicked unrepentant is that every idle deed and word is remembered โ none of the record of their world famous deeds will stand โ none of their riches โ not even a bowling trophy! The only thing, the only thing that matters is that you trust in Him today without delay!
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power;
Chapters 10-15 of Proverbs consist entirely of comparisons made between the wise and the foolish. The Lord Who made us, understands how our minds work. We always crave comparisons. It is part of our very nature. Over the next weeks as we look at these comparisons, we should examine ourselves and question honestly โ which category do we fall in โ wise or foolish?
Proverbs 10:1
ย The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father:
but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
The pride a man can have in his son is to be expected. Every man wants to make himself over, except โbetter.โ When the son grows up pleasing his father with his behavior and choices, the fatherโs heart is gladdened in a way that most women have trouble understanding.
At the same time, when a son does things that she deems to be immoral and/or destructive to himself and others, it is a heaviness on the motherโs heart that most men would have trouble understanding. Fathers can usually forgive their sonโs moral lapses more easily than mothers can. For her, this child of her body is laying boulders of pressing, hurtful weight. Historically, women have been dependent on their sons, especially in the case of widowhood, which was not an unusual situation.
We can think of the greatest Son who ever lived, Who, in the last few moments of His earthly life, had compassion on His mother, and appointed His most beloved disciple to care for her. He was the wisest Son of all . . .
John 19:25-27
25ย Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His motherโs sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son!
27 Then saith He to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
Are you a wise son? Or are you a foolish son? As an adult โ any rifts you have with your parents are not worth nurturing. Not in the bigger picture of eternal life. Do the wise thing โ and gladden your fatherโs heart, and relieve your motherโs .
Todayโs Proverb is short and heavy hitting.ย Last week, Wisdom was inviting us in โ this week โ Wisdomโs polar opposite opens her doorย and beckons โ she is . . .
FOOLISHNESS
Proverbs 9:13-17
13ย A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, andย knoweth nothing.
14 For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,
15 To call passengers who go right on their ways:
(Nowadays โ this woman can beckon from cyberspace)
16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
17Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
Secret? Her claim is ludicrous.
(does anyone seriously think they can hide sin from The LORD?)
Last week, the lesson for us was that godly wisdom is eternal riches โ unlike the fading riches of this world. Today โ we learn to listen to wisdomโs call. . .
Proverbs 9:1-12
Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:
2 She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.
3 She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,
4 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.
6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
Here, wisdom is likened to a home maker, whose house is well kept, and furnished with comforts of food and drink. Hardly anyone can deny the appeal of a well laid table. In vs. 4 โ wisdom pleads with โthe simple,โ to come and eat and drink their fill of the riches of godly wisdom. Wisdom finishes by adjuring the simple ones to forsake foolishness, and LIVE in wisdom.
The Proverb goes on to give an example for living in godly wisdom. I canโt help but think of the recent debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham in regards to this Proverb. See if you agree with me!
7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
9ย Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
It is unfortunate, but true, that the only thing that was accomplished by that entertaining debate โ was funding. Bill Nye is a scorner โ he proved that in his ridicule of the Bible. God would call Mr. Nye a fool โ yet the world loves him. Scorners are not to be rebuked! If you just look at the eyes of those two men โ the difference between the flint hard glare of Mr. Nye and the tender expression of Mr. Hamโs is a good indication of the condition of the heart. Scorners have hearts of stone.
Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Ken Ham will be blessed by God for his tenacious defense of the Gospel. Was he shamed? In the eyes of the fallen world โ yes. Bill Nye will receive the worldโs accolades.
10ย The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
11ย For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.
12ย If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.
Bible believing Christians understand that the marriage between one man and one woman was ordained by God, and that it is holy and undefiled. It is the only union of human beings capable of bearing fruit โ the blessings of children. Please consider very carefully the sodomiteโs obsession with the part of the body designed for eliminating garbage and waste โ the dead parts.
Here is the fruit of the sodomite culture of death:
Homosexuals Throw Human Excrement At Christians, And Wipe Their Anuses With Pages Of The Bible
When up to a thousand conservative Christian parents in Germany were protesting against a new pro-homosexual โsexual diversityโ curriculum in their schools, homosexuals charged at them and thew human excrement at the Christians. They also ripped pages of the Bible, wiped their anuses with the pages, crumpled them up and threw them at the Christians.
According toย the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians:
They were spit at, eggs were thrown, and little bags with feces or color. Cables of loud speakers were torn out โฆPages were ripped out of the bible and used to wipe backsides, then formed into a ball and thrown at the parents. โฆChristians were deeply hurt in this process. At least one banner was snatched and destroyed in front of the eyes of the parents. Marshals were target[ed] with pepper sprays. Shouting by counter-demonstrator[s] made the planned public speaking partly impossible.
The police, instead of bringing order, came and took the side of the sodomites, telling the Christian protesters to leave. As the organizersย stated:
Police urged the organizers to dissolve the rally, in order โto avoid escalation.
This is why we support the current law in Russia in regards to homosexual propaganda. The sodomites must be suppressed in order to prevent their agenda from spreading and taking root in any component of civilized. This is why God gave us this law:
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (Leviticus 20:13)
But since the Divine Law has been replaced by the dictates of politicians whose souls are seized by the devil, these sodomites โfill the land with violence and continually arouseโ the anger of God (Ezekiel 8:17)
St. Peter described governors as โthem that are sent by him [God] for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. (1 Peter 2:14) Evildoers would include sodomites, since St. Peterโs moral code would have been from the Divine Law.
In the words of St. Paul when he addressed the sodomites in his Epistle to the Romans:
Although they know Godโs righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:32)
The sodomites know they do evil, and we as Christians know that the Divine Law must be imposed upon them, or else they will โcontinue to do these very thingsโ.
When I was in Catholic school decades ago, I was given religion class in one room (not Bible study!) and then science class in another room. All through my education, some form of Haeckelโs Embyroโs made their appearance in text books and wall charts.
I remember this one vividly, due to the argument I got into with the nun who was teaching this blasphemy to us. Replying to my objection that these drawings made no sense โ she said it was just something we had to accept, even if our Bible stories said that God created the earth and everything in it in six days.
If you are of African descent, you should find this particularly offensive. This image was in my fatherโs high school science book. It is yet more of Haeckelโs artistic interpretations.
Here is another one. These images have been presented in school books for over 100 years! If you think they no longer are โ think again. Here is a link to an excellent article, documenting the exact textbooks that still contain this garbage. You will be shocked.
Excerpt from article. . .
Textbook VIII. Michael Padilla et al., Focus on Life Science: California Edition (Prentice Hall, 2001), pg. 372:
Analysis:(1) The text uses a graphic which is essentially a colorized adaptation of Haeckelโs original drawings, and it obscures the differences between early embryos just as much as Haeckel did.
All I can say is that the editors and publishers of these materials must be demonic, to knowingly indoctrinate our children in this way. Educators are fully aware that imagery such as this becomes a permanent part of a personโs psyche, and are not easily dislodged. As the old saying goes โ โwhat has been seen, can not be unseen.โ
The same effort is being made to form young peopleโs world view to accept every morally aberrant behavior known to man. What is being done is conditioning, and it is done with incessant fervor.
The Vine Vigil 
