crocheting not knitting.

Ok, enough emails! So I don't know the difference between "crocheting and
knitting." I've never received so many responses! How about the Hebrew? How
about the meaning of Wisdom??? Well, it has given me something to laugh
about tonight...i will be more careful with my photos of woman knitting in
the future...I mean crosheting...yes I know I spelled it wrong!

The Wisdom Woman Proverbs 31

These last eight weeks have been a whirlwind. Eight weeks ago I decided I wanted to learn to fly...it has been the most challenging and most difficult experience of my life...nothing compares. I am amazed at what the human mind can really do when it is forced into action. There is simply no way under heaven that I ever could have thought that I could have learned this stuff and gained this skill (a skill I will always be learning, and so far just enough to land on the runway! And not in someone's yard or house...) in this amount of time...when we want to learn something and we have the will to do it, we can...but it takes extreme commitment and sacrifice. More about this later, but I would like to share that I passed my aviation written (two and half hours) exam with an 88! I have never studied so much in my life...but a few hours after the test, I boarded a Cessna 172 and flew cross country alone to Dansville NY and enjoyed the evening having a Bible study with a new Christian and his dear wife...we had a wonderful evening! While enjoying the Word, tea, and banana bread, my friend's wife was knitting while we were enjoying the Scriptures. What a picture...not one you see much today...and I am not saying the women need to start knitting again. But it reminded me of the last chapter in Proverbs where God closes this great work with a description of a virtuous woman..."her hands are not idle...she strengthens her arms....she lays her hand to the spindle...she rises while it is yet night...she stretches out her hand to the poor...she makes her own coverings for her household, and when it snows, she is not afraid because she knows everyone she loves will be warm...she looks well to ways of her household...she buys and sells real-estate, she does her husband good and not evil all the days of her life...and the list can make any woman feel like she will never measure up...and I have good news...this list is really not a list for women! If you studied this section closely, you would find that the woman in Proverbs 31 is really WISDOM personified. The whole book of Proverbs is about Wisdom...and it ends with using a woman as a picture of wisdom at work...her price is far above rubies..., “rubies” and earlier reference to wisdom!  This doesn't mean that these qualities are not for women to pursue (and men)...they are, but just remember that these qualities are wisdom in its perfect state...we will never arrive completely or attain to such a level of perfection but certainly this is a list of qualities that should inspire and motivate us.

            Earlier in this chapter, what I call the Wisdom Woman, you have instructions of a mother to a son who is a king. Again, this is Wisdom (mother) speaking to her son of what is important in life and what he needs to do to be a worthy king. She teaches him simply to stay away from alcohol and sexual temptations. Stay focused as a king...do what kings do...if you look at Proverbs 31 as a whole you will see that Wisdom stays focused on what we have been called to do with our lives. In a day when the family is disintegrating at alarming rates, we need to get back to our focus...God, family, career, church, community, government...lots to balance, but if we would remove the multitude of distractions from our lives, I think we will be amazed at what we can accomplish. Oh, notice how this chapter ends: "Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."  Do you see the connection to wisdom?  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom!"  And what makes this even more interesting, since the whole Bible is about the Lord Jesus, it only makes sense that Jesus Himself if considered, "The Wisdom of God."

forcing wrath

            When one believes they have been wronged and the other isn't willing to admit the wrong, it is easy to enter a spiraling never ending conflict. It happens in marriage often. It can last for years. As the years go by, both become tired of the same old repeated cycle of conflict, shame, and the environment of strife. There seems like there is nothing left to do except to remove yourself, if not physically from the relationship, at least emotionally. Marriage for many, is the most difficult responsibility in the world; it is also the most rewarding if effort, prayer, sacrifice, humility, and forgiveness are demonstrated. It is also the most hurtful and harmful to one's health and well being when two people head in separate directions. If I could take a few verses out of the Bible, I would take out, "Husbands love your wives and be not bitter against them." This doesn't seem to be fair. If my wife is constantly bringing shame to my life, I would think that I would have good reason to be bitter. I would also take out, "Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her."  I can see a man loving and giving himself to a wife who appreciates him, cares for him, loves and honors him--but a wife who is odious as Proverbs 30:23 describes?! Isn't God taking this a little too far? There has to be a limit and some boundaries I would think.

            Well, if there were boundaries to God's love and forgiveness, where would we be today? (and yes there are boundaries…we do have to believe and receive his gift of forgiveness) God broke through the barriers of our sin and disloyalty and stubbornness and demonstrated the ultimate form of love--he died for us.

            In Proverbs 30:33 the Scripture reads, "Surely the churning of milk brings forth butter, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood; so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife."  God has given us a glimpse of the results of what will happen when we try to force relationships to work. I have been so guilty of this for so many years. It is the method I use most when all else fails…all else except for God’s amazing love that says that love never fails. The problem is that we want it to work today. The results are up to the Lord…he will heal; he will restore; he will redeem. It is called trust and faith in who He is…and this trust and faith is demonstrated by following his thoughts and ways…Husbands love your wives…wives see that you honor your husbands.

Looking Isaiah 45:22, Proverbs 29:18

I was talking to someone who said that they didn't enjoy the Old
Testament. That is so sad, because the OT is two thirds of the story! You
cannot properly understand the NT without a solid understanding of the OT.
In fact, most of the NT is written with quotes, references, and ideas taken
from the OT.
In Isaiah 45:22 the prophet writes, "Look to me, and be saved, all
the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no one else." Just prior
God speaks and says, "And there is no God beside me, a just God and a
Savior; there is no one else."
Looking is so important! People who don't look don't find. Whether
you are a Christian or someone who is searching, God desires for us to look.
Just this weekend I had the opportunity to share God's great plan for
mankind with a young lady on my flight to Dayton. We were stuck on the
runway because of weather and I was studying for my flight test that I have
to take today (and I need to start studying!); I was extremely focused and
she was trying to get a hold of her sister to let her know when she was
arriving. I noticed how fast she was able to text (speed of light) and I
commented on her ability; an ability I will never acquire because I
absolutely hate cell phones and text messaging (yes I am living in the stone
age). Well she shared about her ex-husband and her three children and I
realized that God was giving me my assignment (but Lord I have so much to
study!!!); so I closed my book and asked her if she would like to know God's
plan for her and her children. But I said, "Before you give me an answer, I
want you to know that I will need to take you back four thousand years and
work my way up to today." Now that is one way for me to get back to my
studies! Actually, I was hoping that she wanted to know...a desire to know
God's plan is paramount to finding his help...in a sense "looking."
So there we were...a delayed flight and no where to go...for
approximately two hours I had the privilege of sharing God's plan and ended
in the gospel of Matthew chapter 15 where Jesus heals the Syrophonecian
woman's demon possessed daughter because of her most famous last three
words, "Lord help, me." There were tears, and hope being birthed. It was a
miracle from our Father. Please pray for her...as always, the wicked one
will come to snatch out of the heart that which has been sown...please pray
for her husband and children...i can't wait to see God redeem this home for
his glory.
We live in a culture where people need to begin "looking" again; not
looking for redemption in a new president but in God. And it is up to us
who know the Lord to point them in the right direction...to give them
direction. In Proverbs 29:18 Solomon writes, "Where there is no vision, the
people perish; but he that keeps the law/Word, happy is he." This verse has
been so misunderstood over the centuries. The word "vision" is not referring
to man's plan for the future or someone who is a visionary and has a great
plan for the future. No, this word carries the idea of prophetic word from
God. He gave his prophets "visions" who saw not only future events but also
wrote God's plan for his people and his rules to live by.
I believe the reason that people have a hard time sharing their
faith today and why the world doesn't seem to want to listen, is because
Christianity in the west has lost touch with the directions...the
vision....and without knowing fully what God's direction and vision is (or
is "are?), there is no attraction to want what we possess. All of the trite
methods we teach today, from Evangelism explosion (and I am not saying that
the program is trite) to the pressure we place on people from the pulpit to
share their faith, is missing what is most important--and that is intimately
knowing our God through his Word...through his vision for our lives, that he
recorded in a book. Without an intimate knowledge and relationship it is
difficult to share anything with anyone. It is the same in sales. You really
cannot share about a product unless you first believe in it and know
everything about it. My son David is that way about computers and cars. He
knows so much about Apple computers and Fords that when he was fourteen he
influenced me to sell my GMC and buy a Ford truck. I hated Fords! Even now
nine years later I still can't believe that my fourteen year old was able to
talk me into this. But he was so convincing...he was able to share the
intricate details about the truck and what made it superior to other models.
It is only until we become that intimate with the knowledge of God and
intimate with God himself, that we can begin sharing our faith in such a way
that others will want to "look" to learn more. Pleas don't
misunderstand...i myself feel very privileged to have had such wonderful
opportunities lately...God is often good to me in spite of me....i have a
long way to go before I become the light he intends. May we all labor to
know him more intimately. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceeds from the mouth of God, shall man live."
(and yes, the picture was taken this morning! Snow in October...but
isn't that just amazingly beautiful with the white on that red maple?
Amazing God...how did he think this all up?!

Urgent prayer needed for Christians in Orissa, India

PLEASE PRAY!
This is a request for prayer for YWAM (Youth With a Mission)
missionaries and their churches in Orissa , India . The request came
from Mabel Hurst, an associate of HCJB Global. Please, we need to come
boldly to the throne of Grace together...

Dear beloved sponsors and friends of Good News India .

We have never seen anything like this. We knew that Orissa was the most
resistant and hostile State in India as far as
the Gospel is concerned. And we brushed off the continuous threats and
harassment we
faced as we went about His work. But none of our staff imagined that
they would see this kind of carnage.... And it seems to be totally under
the radar of the Western Media ....
Let me explain.... A militant Hindu priest and 4 of his attendants, who
were zealously going around the villages of Orissa and 'reconverting'
people back to Hinduism, were gunned down by unknown assailants in
Central Orissa last weekend.
Immediately the Christians were blamed.. The cry rose up...'Kill the
Christians!' And the horror began.... In the past 4 days, we have first
hand witness to hundreds of churches being blown up or burned and many,
many dozens of Christian tribals have been slaughtered. For no other
reason than they bear the name of Christ.
Night and day I have been in touch with our Good News India Directors
spread across 14 Dream Centers in Orissa... they are right in the middle
of all this chaos. In Tihidi, just after the police came to offer
protection, a group of 70 blood-thirsty militants came to kill our staff
and destroy the home. They were not allowed to get in, but they did a
lot of damage to our Dream Center by throwing rocks and bricks and
smashing our gate, etc. They have promised to come back and 'finish the
job.' Our kids and staff are locked inside and have stayed that way
with doors and windows shut for the past 3 days. It has been a time of
desperately calling on the Lord in prayer.
More police have come to offer protection. In Kalahandi, the police and
some local sympathizers got to our dream center and gave our staff and
kids about 3 minutes notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a
change of clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the blood
thirsty mob came to kill everyone in the building. We would have had a
mass funeral there, but for His grace. In Phulbani, the mob came looking
for Christian homes and missions. The local Hindu people, our neighbors
turned them away by saying that there were no Christians in this area.
So they left.. We had favor. The same thing happened in Balasore.
All our dream centers are under lock down with the kids and staff
huddled inside and police outside.. The fanatics are circling outside
waiting for a chance to kill. Others were not so fortunate. In a nearby
Catholic orphanage, the mob allowed the kids to leave
and locked up a Priest and a computer teacher in house and burned them
to death. Many
believers have been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the
road.... even women and children. At another orphanage run by another
organization, when this began, the Director and his wife jumped on their
motorbike and simply fled, leaving all the children
and staff behind.
Every one of our GNI directors that I have spoken to said: 'We stay
with our kids.... we live together or die together, but we will never
abandon what God has called us to do.' More than 5000 Christian
families have had their homes burned or destroyed. They have fled into
the jungles and are living in great fear waiting for the authorities to
bring about peace. But so far, no peace is foreseen.
This will continue for another 10 days.... supposedly the 14 day
mourning period for the slain Hindu priest. Many more Christians will
die and their houses destroyed. Many more churches will be smashed down.
The Federal government is trying to restore order and perhaps things
will calm down. We ask for your prayers. Only the hand of God can calm
this storm. None of us know the meaning of persecution. But now our kids
and staff know what that means. So many of our kids coming from Hindu
backgrounds are confused and totally bewildered at what is happening
around them. So many of their guardians have fled into the jungles and
are unable to come and get them during these trying times.
Through all this, I am more determined than ever to continue with our
goal: the transformation of a community by transforming its children.
Orissa will be saved... that is our heart's cry. If we can take these
thousands of throw-away children and help them to become disciples of
Jesus, they will transform an entire region. It is a long term goal, but
it is strategic thinking in terms of the Great Commission.
What can you do?

First, please uphold all this in fervent prayer.
Second, pass this e-mail on to as many friends as you can. We must get
the word out and increase our prayer base for this is spiritual warfare
at its most basic meaning. We are literally fighting the devil in order
to live for His Kingdom. The next 10 days are
crucial. We pray for peace and calm to pervade across Orissa.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please pass it on and help
us to get as many people to partner with us on this cutting edge effort
to fulfill His mandate: Go and make disciples of all nations....

Prayer works!
Blessings, Chip & Sandy Wanner Col 2:2 MBI
Team Facilitators to YWAM frontlines

Prudent Wife Sexist View part 2

When I write about themes such as the "prudent wife," I have a tendency to think that my readers have been discussing this subject with me for days. When I wrote what I wrote in part one, I knew that I had said some things that could easily lead to confusion, particularly the comment about a man not be responsible to be prudent. First I am thankful when readers respond and question. Certainly a man should be prudent. However, prudence in the framework of a woman's role, a man will never be able to be truly prudent. He is simply not wired to be prudent. Let's first look at how Noah Webster in 1828 defined this word:  definitions:

 

PRU'DENCE, n. [L. prudentia.] Wisdom applied to practice.

 

Prudence implies caution in deliberating and consulting on the most suitable means to accomplish valuable purposes, and the exercise of sagacity in discerning and selecting them. Prudence differs from wisdom in this, that prudence implies more caution and reserve than wisdom, or is exercised more in foreseeing and avoiding evil, than in devising and executing that which is good. It is sometimes mere caution or circumspection.

 

Prudence is principally in reference to actions to be done, and due means, order, season and method of doing or not doing.

 

Even in our modern dictionaries we find:

 

Prudence: the careful management; economy.

SYNONYMS  prudence, discretion, foresight, forethought, circumspection. These nouns refer to the exercise of good judgment, common sense, and even caution, especially in the conduct of practical matters.

 

Men and women have been wired by God differently, and each remarkably creative to fulfill specific roles.  Even in the medical field has noted that the brain functions of men and women are distinct. For example, it has been researched and noted that adolescent boys and girls have a completely different wiring system. Briefly, there are three parts to the brain: (I am going to place this on the blog and complete this later…I am scheduled to speak shortly, but will get back to this…)

Webster Most Important

"In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the
first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be
instructed...No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian
religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights
and privileges of a free people."
- Noah Webster, preface to his 1828 dictionary

wine, wisdom, meddling

I am still planning on addressing the submission, sexist topic, but this morning I have come across so many wonderful truths in Proverbs and Matthew.  When I came to know Christ as my savior at 22 years old, I was saved out of a life where the bar was a social gathering place. Alcohol and drugs were an every day common occurrence among my peers. When I experienced Christ for the first time in my life, the whole of creation opened for me...i was able to see the beauty and majesty of God for the first time. I was overwhelmed by his love, his beauty, his forgiveness, and his magnificent plan for my life. Almost immediately there was no time and no desire to stay with the old crowd or my old ways...all things had become new. Since that time, over thirty years ago, I have never looked back or even once desired the old ways. Having an alcoholic drink, though I would not judge another, does not appeal to me. One, I do not enjoy the taste, so I don't know if I would hold the same conviction if I did; I would hope so because of what the Scriptures teach. My view of alcohol from a Biblical perspective began when a good friend of mine, Dr. Colin Smith, whom I admired, shared that Kings and Priests, and the Nazarites in the Bible did not drink alcoholic drinks. They were forbidden. In fact the language in Leviticus 10 is so strong that I would be scared to death if I were a priest. “And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, ‘Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.” That is pretty strong language! And I do realize that the context is referring to abstaining from alcohol when in the tent of meeting, or in the presence of the Lord, but that is what makes Dr. Smith’s teaching so powerful. We today are in the continual presence of God because we are the living walking temple of God…He lives within us!

            If you went on line and just typed in the phrase (did priests drink wine in bible?) you will find some very interesting articles about fermented and unfermented wine and pictures of what happens to the brain for those who drink alcohol. It is an eye opener.  Well, I can see that I am running out of time and won’t get to the wisdom and meddling subjects as noted in the title. What I wanted to say, was that my generation seems to stay away from alcohol, we who are first generation Christians (for the most part), but our children’s generation seem to accept it as an ordinary part of their lives. Maybe because when something is forbidden, you tend to want it all the more…? Below are some very eye opening truths taught in the Bible…that I found this morning while doing some digging…

---

In the Old Testament, the Bible says:

The very first time drunkenness appears is in Genesis where Noah gets drunk and as a result, it opens the door for his son to commit some detestable sin that brings a curse upon his family for generations to come. So in a sense, the first sin, after God had just judged the entire world with a flood, was initiated because of alcohol. That should say something.

Hosea chapter 4 (TEV)

11 The Lord says, "Wine, both old and new, is robbing my people of their senses!"

Proverbs chapter 23 (TEV)

19 Listen, my child, be wise and give serious thought to the way you live. 20 Don't associate with people who drink too much wine or stuff themselves with food. 21 Drunkards and gluttons will be reduced to poverty. If all you do is eat and sleep, you will soon be wearing rags.

29 Show me people who drink too much, who have to try out fancy drinks, and I will show you people who are miserable and sorry for themselves, always causing trouble and always complaining. Their eyes are bloodshot, and they have bruises that could have been avoided.
31 Don't let wine tempt you, even though it is rich red, and it sparkles in the cup, and it goes down smoothly. 32 The next morning you will feel as if you had been bitten by a poisonous snake. 33 Weird sights will appear before your eyes, and you will not be able to think or speak clearly. 34 You will feel as if you were out on the ocean, seasick, swinging high up in the rigging of a tossing ship. 35 "I must have been hit," you will say; "I must have been beaten up, but I don't remember it. Why can't I wake up? I need another drink."

A prophet of ancient Israel said:

Isaiah chapter 28 (NLT)

1 Destruction is certain for the city of Samaria - the pride and joy of the drunkards of Israel! 7 Israel is being led by drunks! The priests and prophets reel and stagger from beer and wine. They make stupid mistakes as they carry out their responsibilities.

In the Book of Proverbs, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 31 (TEV)

1 These are the solemn words which King Lemuel's mother said to him:
2 "You are my own dear son, the answer to my prayers. What shall I tell you?
4 Listen, Lemuel. Kings should not drink wine or have a craving for alcohol. 5 When they drink, they forget the laws and ignore the rights of people in need.
6 Alcohol is for people who are dying, for those who are in misery. 7 Let them drink and forget their poverty and unhappiness."

---

There are also Bible quotations in the New Testament warning Christians not to get drunk. The whole frame of mind of a Christian should be one in which we don't want to be controlled by anything or anyone other than the Holy Spirit.

The Bible advises Christians:

Ephesians chapter 5 (NLT)

18 Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life.
Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

Galatians chapter 5 (NLT)

16 I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. ....

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin.

Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us:

• love,
• joy,
• peace,
• patience,
• kindness,
• goodness,
• faithfulness,
• 23 gentleness,
• and self-control....

1 Thessalonians chapter 5 (NLT)

6 ... Stay alert and be sober. 7 Night is the time for sleep and the time when people get drunk. 8 But let us ... think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 9 For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return.

---

Some people justify drinking by saying that Jesus turned water into wine so it must be ok. But some understanding of the cultural background/customs of the time and in the area where the miracle happened shows that this was not just a simple case of Jesus approving intoxication.

And from The New Testament Commentary: Vol. III--John (1886) by B. W. Johnson:

From some cause, perhaps from a larger number of guests than was expected, the wine gave out.
"None but those who know how sacred in the East is the duty of lavish hospitality, and how passionately the obligation to exercise to the utmost it is felt, can realize the gloom which this incident would have thrown over the occasion, or the misery and mortification it would have caused to the wedded pair. They would have felt it to be, as in the East it is still felt to be, an indelible disgrace."--Farrar.

 

Below is a view I heard thirty years ago and have just recently found again. If i had to take a position, it would be here:

 

It must be borne in mind that among the Greeks and Romans and in Palestine there were three kinds of wine: 1. Fermented wines, which, however, were very unlike our fiery liquors, and contained only a small per cent of alcohol. These were mixed with two or three parts of water. The laws of Zaleucus, the Locrian, put to death anyone who drank unmixed wine, except as medicine. The fermented wine, at first mild, and then diluted with water, was a drink as used, that had no intoxicating power unless used in enormous quantities. 2. New wine, the fresh juice of the grape, like our new cider, not intoxicating. 3. Wines in which, by boiling the unfermented juice of the grape, or by the addition of certain drugs, the process of fermentation was stopped, and which had no intoxicating properties. We cannot surely determine which kind the Savior made here, but we agree with Whedon, who says: "We see no reason for supposing that the wine of the present occasion was that upon which Scripture places its strongest interdict, (Proverbs 20:1; 23:31; Isaiah 22:13,) rather than that eulogized as a blessing (Psalms 104:15; Isaiah 55:1)." Even adopting the view that it was fermented wine, it was totally unlike the fiery and undiluted drinks sold as wines in saloons, used in many families, offered at hotels and wine parties, and even poured out at communion tables.

 

Well, I think there is enough opposition to alcohol in the Bible that would far outweigh any positive argument, that should help one to make a clear decision about what is important to God. That’s my view…again, I would not judge another for disagreeing.

submission, sexist, prudent, and wise.

When I receive input from a blog post I always read it with the mind that
there is something for me to learn. If you read the two posts yesterday on
the Prudent Wife and the Sexist View, you will find two divergent views,
both with valuable input. Before I comment on them, I would like to give
time for other comments...i seem to have hit a nerve and don't want to rush
in before giving some reflection on how I should respond. Before I do, I
would like to say that a man should certainly be prudent as much as a
woman...just not in the context of the nature of a woman. Only women have
been designed by God to be the glue, the unifying force of her home. In many
ways, the woman, is a parallel to the Holy Spirit...even the words used in
Genesis would convey this; but let's save this for another day...my little
bit of research so far on the woman's role from God's perspective has
surprised me...words that I thought I knew the meaning are a little different
than what I believed them to be...i think everyone will be a little surprised at my
findings...well, if you have any comments on yesterdays blog and posts,
please send them...i think this one is going to be interesting!
Ps. I have been meditating upon this verse from Proverbs lately and
in light of our economic woes (and for what it is worth, any presidential
candidate who would leave and denounce his church after twenty years just
months prior to an election speaks volumes about his pragmatic world
view...i hope people can see through the charisma), it would be good to
consider:
"Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist."
Proverbs 23:4 When we cultivate our God-given skills to serve Him and
others, money always comes; when our focus is to make money, people are
robbed of joy even if they get what they were looking for; and few seem to
find it. "The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with
it." Proverbs 10:22

Twist on Proverbs 12:27 Diligence

Here is a twist on meaning...when I find ambiguity in the Scripture I have

found that it is usually intentional.

Proverbs 12:27 states in the King James, "The slothful man roasts not that

which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious."

In the ESV it states: " Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the

diligent man will get precious wealth."

Or it could be translated, "Whoever is lazy will not roast his game, but

diligence is a man's precious wealth."

            At first glance it would appear that the King James translated it most accurately, but I do have to consider the third option as well...i love ambiguity!

            I have really found that Christians in the west are among some of the laziest people on earth. Please don't misunderstand...i realize that most of the people who read my blog are industrious, hard working, mothers who work tirelessly, fathers who work 12 to 14 hours a day etc...but among the masses, I see that Christians are amusing themselves to death, caught in the trap of pseudo pursuits...what are pseudo pursuits? The word pseudo means fake, pretend, simulated, artificial, bogus, counterfeit, imitation. The past president of USC wrote how Americans have fallen into the trap of reading the newspaper every morning...a newspaper filled with pseudo information that has little to do with our lives. I personally haven't read a newspaper in years. Once I learned how newspapers and magazines are nothing more than manufactured information for the purpose of advertising and promoting irrelevant information and for the most part an anti Christian world view...or information that would appear relevant, it was a simple choice to begin spending time with reading books of substance. Even as a non-Christian, this president advised that the Bible was one of the super books that should be read by all. I don't know about you, but reading the Bible, biographies, books devoted to my career and now aviation, I could not imagine having time to read peripheral pseudo printings.  I have said this before but only 5% of the entire north American continent reads non-fiction...We are slipping into a moral and economic decline that is going to continue unless God's people start growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. It is time to awake out of our sleep and with a sense of renewed diligence do all that we can to make a difference for Christ...i love what Peter wrote in his second letter about this:

 

Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises, which allows us to share in the divine nature, and escape the lustful corruption in this world. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge self control; and to self control, endurance; and to endurance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if these things be in you and abound, they will make you that you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacks these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brothers, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you will never fall:

 

Now that is a promise worth doing something about…the reward for diligence!

It is righteousness that exalts a nation…not the military, nor the government, nor wall street…

 

 

 

 

 

Prudent wife: sexist view?

I received and email this morning about the word "prudent" in yesterday's blog, on the prudent wife. Here is what was asked:

Does prudent mean "wise" in this text? In some regards this could be construed as a sexist view. Would it be fair to say in today's society there is room for a 'prudent husband'?

First the word "prudent" is not the word for "wise," though wisdom is in the range of meaning. The Hebrew word is שׂכל śâkal, pronounced, saw-kal'

It is causative in form, meaning "to make or act, to be." This word carried the idea of circumspect, hence intelligent: - to consider, to be an expert, to instruct, to prosper, (deal) prudent (-ly), (give) skill (-ful), or cause to be skillful; have good success, teach, (have, make to) understand (-ing), wisdom, (be, behave self, consider, make) wise (-ly), guide wittingly.

What an amazing word! To answer the question whether this word given thousands of years ago could be a sexist view in todays economy, the answer is absolutely YES! God has created the sexes to be different, to fulfill different roles, to walk in the image that he created us. And moreover, this sexist view from God's perspective, is absolutely beautiful. But let's first define sexism. In our culture, we have made sexism as a view of superiority over the other. Today there is both male and female chauvinism. When one views themselves as superior, then they have strayed from God's view and plan for the sexes. And before I stray from the original question, the answer is NO, there is no room for a prudent husband! (I will discuss this later)

Allow me to explain. We are made differently. A man is meant to be, and even from the meaning of the word man, "the strong leader and protector of his home." The word woman, carries the idea of "a strong one who keeps the family unified, like glue." God has given each of us innate qualities that enable us to fulfill those roles. In todays culture we have strayed so far from this biblical model. In our quest for self fulfillment, we alter the divine plan. If you reread the list of what makes a prudent wife, you will see that God has equipped her to truly be the glue, the unifying, prudent influence in her home. The NT bears this out when it teaches that wives are to be workers at home, loving their children, loving and submitting to their husbands. Does this sound sexist? Yes. But that understanding is so far from God's plan. It is a beautiful plan that when lived out, we are richly blessed.

If you were to read Titus chapter 2, you would find that where God speaks about a woman's role, he ends by saying, "so that the Word of God be not blasphemed." This speaks volumes! When we fulfill the roles that God has laid out, others are attracted to how we live. Why? Because God blesses our families when we follow his plan. It is that simple. The other day, my mom was in a restaurant where there were five children sitting at a table with their parents. She was so impressed at their behavior that she went up to them and complimented them. The father then proceeded to tell my mom that there were two others who were older and at home as well. He also shared how his wife teaches the children at home. Now this is not to say that just because they teach their children at home that they have it all together; but the point is that my mom was attracted to an unusual phenomenon in public—she was attracted to godly behavior and this attraction occurs most when we are fulfilling our biblical roles.

To become a prudent wife takes years of preparation, a foundation of faith, and solid character. In order to become a prudent wife, it requires one to know God intimately, walking with him second by second. A wife who cultivates a prudent life is truly a gift from God as Solomon taught us: "A prudent wife, is from the Lord." Her focus is on her home, her husband, her children…and then, as a prudent wife, she also sets time aside for herself, to use her skills to help others, to glorify God in an array of opportunities that he has designed. There will not always be children at home…and husbands do eventually grow up…wives, there is great reward that comes as a result of a prudent life.

Does a man really not have an obligation to be prudent? Well in a general sense yes--we all should be prudent and wise. But in the sense that a "prudent wife" is a gift of God, no. doesn't a man have to be prudent? (i will address this more thoroughly in part 2) The Bible does say that he should be wise, self-disciplined, diligent in his work, to love his wife and be willing to die for her, to love her as his own body, to not be bitter against her, to be a protector of his home, to not provoke his children, to be skillful, to be courageous, to always be abounding in the work of the LORD, to be diligent, patient, to be a man of faith, humility, good works, protector of the weak, and to know and walk intimately with our great God. And this is the short list.

When we are fulfilling our roles, the world is attracted to what we have. They will notice…because the fulfilling of God's plan is always attractive and most often different that the cultural norms. It was the same for OT Israel. God gave them all these laws that were different from all of the other nations. They didn't understand why they needed to do and obey all of these unusual rules that now governed their lives. Some didn't and they paid the price. But at first, those who did, caused some of the nations around them to be envious and desire to have what they possessed. Israel, this tiny nation, became the leader and attraction of the known world because of set of laws that governed their lives. The queen of Sheba traveled from another country just to see it for herself…and after she saw, the Bible says it was like taking her breath away. Today, we have been given God's rules to govern our lives. In many ways for many people, they don't make sense. We rationalize why they are not for today…but it is really because of the hardness and selfishness of our heart…we want to live our own way, following our own pursuits, or own plans, and not willing to be governed by our all wise God. When we do submit to his plan for our lives, the joys and blessings are infinite.

Toiling for Wealth-- Proverbs

Proverbs 23:4
"Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist."
I have been around long enough to see fads of Amway, New Skin, and many
other schemes that promise get rich quick. Are these companies dishonest in
their approach in what they promise? Probably not...they are businesses
trying to make money like any other business. Most of the dishonesty occurs
within the ranks of leaders who have trained other leaders, who have swerved
from the organizations true mission. As a result, the company gets a bad
name and the pyramid schemes become taboo.
It is all about purpose, world view, and our reason for getting
involved. When we get involved in pursuits that we think will bring us
security, happiness, and ease...it never, ever works...in fact, it becomes a
trap where we end up working harder, more, and for less. Solomon taught us, "Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense." Proverbs 12:11
When we use our time for endeavors that contribute and make a difference in peoples
lives...if we provide a service or product that brings glory to God and makes this world a better place to live...the money and security come as a result.
Proverbs 24:27 says, "Prepare your work outside; get everything
ready for yourself in the field, and after build your house."
Too many are trying to build their house first, without preparation
for their future. Having the job of your life and the security that you
seek, requires years of preparation in connection to one's God-given
abilities. Learn...seek out instruction...read, read, read...pray.
"See a man diligent in his work? He will stand before kings, and not
before obscure men." Proverbs 22:29
"A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty
will come upon him." Proverbs 28:22
"Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it." Proverbs 13:11 What insight!!!
"One gives freely, yet grows richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered." Proverbs 11:24,25
"Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but hte righteous wil flourish like a green leaf."
"The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it." Proverbs 10:22 Lastly,
"By humility and fear of the Lord, are riches, honor, and life." Proverbs 22:4

There you have it...from the wisest man who ever lived. Again, it is all about our world
view and heart...may we never forget that our hearts are deceitful and
wicked above all, and we cannot even know it...but we can know, even if we
have justifiably convinced ourselves that our goal is just and worthy; the pursuit of wealth defines a truly "stingy" person...no matter how much
you say you want to give away.

Prudent Wife...more Ponderings in Proverbs

            If you are on the north east coast, good morning on this frost covered beautiful day. The colors of the maple and dogwood trees are just...can't even describe it. For those elsewhere, especially for you 70 degree daily, no seasons in southern CA, good morning. Something about the seasons.

            In Proverbs 19:14, Solomon writes, "House and riches are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD."

            Like most proverbs, this is a contrasting thought. A man works hard to leave an inheritance to his children and his children’s children. This is a gift and a worthy gift given from a man to his children. God gives gifts as well to his children. And one that rivals an inheritance, is a prudent wife.

            There are so many thoughts that rush to my mind. One that we need to prepare our daughters to be prudent, so that the Lord has many gifts to give. He does not work outside of our cooperation with him. In the same thought, our boys need to be taught to work hard to leave an inheritance to their children and grandchildren. Proverbs 13:22 says that “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children;”

            As I ponder this verse of the prudent wife, another thought comes to mind: a prudent wife supports her husband so that he is able to leave such security to his family and future generations. She is his counter part; she supports his endeavors, encourages him, speaks the truth to him, prays for him, and patiently waits for him to fulfill God’s plan for his life and his family’s. So many men flounder in life; it is a prudent wife who sees her supportive role in encouraging him…it is true that behind every great man is a great or greater woman.

           

Tremendous is in HEAVEN!

Good morning. The sunrise this morning is breathtaking. And it is only fitting that it would be so, as my dear friend and mentor, Mr. Charlie T. Jones, otherwise known as Mr. Charles Tremendous Jones, a few hours ago, entered into the presence of the Lord Jesus. He was so excited to see the Lord—a life well lived…he, through his weakness and love for a forgiving and faithful God, was able to literally influence the world.

 

Let me tell you why his nickname is tremendous. Well first let me tell you the story how I first met Charlie. I was twenty five years old and attending Pensacola Christian College for my Master’s in Administration. The guest speaker one morning was Charlie. I had just been humbled by the Lord through a teacher named Miss Rosanne Petermeyer. I was failing her class and asked her if I could do some extra work to get my grade up. I explained how I was a baby Christian and had an unfair disadvantage because I had not grown up in a Christian home nor had I ever heard of these Old Testament characters and facts that the others had learned prior to attending who were in the class. There were about seventy of us all together and I was the only one struggling. She proceeded to ask me if God had called me there and then let me know that I lacked the character to do what it would take to serve God in ministry. I proceeded to tell her that her school and her teaching methods reminded me more of communism than Christianity, and that I was done with her class and her school. She then let me know if I turned my back on this difficulty, that God would never use me in ministry. I then smiled and let her know that is was for this judgmental attitude that I was leaving.

 

So there I was. A baby Christian who had lacked the character in a difficult situation and I was running. And I knew that unless I went back that she was probably right. So I returned, knocked on her door and she let me know what I had to do…I had to get a hundred on the final exam and to start studying for the first time in my life! Well she didn’t know my well kept secret, that I had never read a book in my life, but I started to study. And to make a long story short, (I do wish I had time to tell you the whole of it), I did receive 100, and as a result I was invited to attend a seminar that morning where Mr. Charles Tremendous Jones was speaking.  There were about 3000 people and Debbie and I were sitting in the front. As Divine Providence would have it, Mr. Jones walked out into the crowd and chose me to come up on stage where he proceeded to ask me who my mentors were; what great Christian literature I had been reading, and what biographies were the best books I had ever read. He then rather energetically, to say the least, proceeded to shake me, as the crowd was laughing hysterically, and demanded that I tell him what was my favorite book last month, last week, and last night! And since The Cat in the Hat was the only book I could remember, and that words weren’t quite coming out of my mouth, he proceeded to let me know that he was see me afterward. I looked at him and told him that he would never see me again, all the while the crowd was laughing so hard that some were in tears, especially my wife…not because she felt sorry for me, but because she was laughing so hard!

            Three days later, after driving in a state of shock, from Florida to western NY, after a grueling summer of study, there was a special delivery box waiting for me on my door steps. It was a package from Mr. Jones. And there was no way I was opening it because I knew there must be a bomb in it…he was going to finish me off. As I opened the box I saw 12 biographies; the first was D.L. Moody, the Greatest Evangelist of the 19^th Century. And because it was only about 3/8^th inch thick, I gave it a try. Two and a half hours later I had read my very first book. The next was George Mueller, where I learned what D.L. Moody did on his feet, George Mueller accomplished on his knees.  And then Hudson Taylor, and Amy Carmichael, Gladys Alwardt, Abraham Lincoln and more. I was hooked…I couldn’t put them down and my life has never been the same. And as most of you know, Lamplighter Publishing and Ministries was birthed about ten years after that experience and God has done for me almost exactly what he did for Charlie. I am now walking in his footsteps doing almost the same.

            The reason he is called “Tremendous” is because if you have ever met Charlie, you would know that life is tremendous. His love for life and the Lord and others is beyond description or compare. If I told you all of the experiences between Charlie and me, it would literally be a book…so much to tell, like the time we spoke at the same convention, where I told him he looked the same as he looked twenty years ago…he slapped me on the forehead, and said, “be healed, you must be blind!” He was quite the character. I wish I could tell you about the party at his house where we all (the board of Executive Books) were given children’s musical instruments (like the ones we had when we were all children), and played while singing Christmas songs. I had the miniature xylophone with a small wooden mallet (I wanted the drum, but Bill wouldn’t share). Charlie had a children’s microphone where he would sing and put his arm around us and make us laugh and cry; we were having such a grand time. What he was actually doing, was helping us all, in our busy lives, to have a memory where we once again could feel what it was like to be a child. It is a memory I will never forget. Every summer Charlie would go to NY City and take a van full of kids back to his property and give them the time of their lives.

            There was never a time when I was with Charlie, when I didn’t see him telling someone about the Lord he loved so much. One time in particular, we were eating at the Hershey Hotel when Charlie and his wife Gloria (now I would have to write another book just for Gloria and her commitment that allowed Charlie do what he did), where he noticed an attractive lady, about in her fifties, leaning against a pillar. She seemed to be daydreaming and there was something missing in her spirit. You could tell that it had been a long time since joy was in her life. Charlie, immediately went up to her and whispered in her ear for the longest time. There was no doubt that he was telling her about a God who loved her and died for her. When he was finished, it was like life rushed back into her eyes and with a smile, she looked at Charlie, and said, “Thank you, kind sir.” Even as we were walking through the gardens at Hershey, Charlie would wander from us telling people, complete strangers about the God who made the flowers and a Savior who wore the thorns so we could have life. Oh, the stories are quite endless…once a good friend had a meeting near where Charlie lived, so I called Charlie and asked him if he would be willing to meet with her. He told me that he was extremely busy but he would give fifteen minutes. I think he actually gave an hour and that night my friend received Jesus as her Savior.

            I asked Charlie recently that after he talked to the Lord and met up with friends and family that he would seek out my dad out and tell him that I love him and that it won’t be long before I see him again. Until then, may I and you be found faithful as we have been given this precious life; a life that is tremendous! “Thank you Lord for allowing me the privilege of knowing and loving Charlie.”  Great job Charlie! You did it! My heart is broken to lose you, but I am more committed than ever to follow in your steps.

           

Ponderings in Proverbs

I love the book of Proverbs. It is filled with the keys to the mysteries of
life and at the same time it creates its own mysteries, leaving us with a
sort of uncertainty about it meaning. In Proverbs 18:9 we read, "Whoever is
slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys." 19:15, "Slothfulness
casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger." 20:13 "Love
not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have
plenty of bread."

I love to work; I love to get up early and enjoy God's incredible creation.
But Proverbs also teaches that life must be lived in balance. I realize that
I am wired a little different than most, but I simple love to work...i see
it as a gift...but with any gift we can become overbalanced. So this morning
I also read in Proverbs 19:2, "Desire without knowledge is not good, and
whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way." This is probably where
the phrase, "Haste makes waste," comes from...not really a Bible verse like
most think. In Proverbs 19:23 we read, "The fear of the Lord leads to life,
and whoever has it rests satisfied; and will not be visited by harm." In
Proverbs 21:5 we read, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty."
Balance! Work hard, plan, be diligent, don't be lazy, don't sleep
too much--but don't be in a hurry...think it through--"Whoever gives thought
to the word (or a matter) will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts
in the LORD." Proverbs 16:20
If you are keeping up with my flight instruction, please read the
previous blog...could use some prayer this morning!

No Good Thing Will He Withhold

In the Psalms, David writes these words for one of his songs:

"The Lord God is a sun and shield; he gives grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them who walk uprightly."

The pictures and the videos remind me of God’s promises and his character.

            There is so much to share I don’t know where to start…ok, this weekend…flew up to western NY to see my mom who is the best cook in the world! She almost fed me to death this weekend…but while there I did some flight training with a high school friend who is a pilot trainer. We flew thirteen hours in three days, including five cross country’s, two of them at night, ten night landings (the first one was a little hard!), and one trip just looking at the instruments…I enjoy that the most. Well, it looks like this week I will be doing my first cross country solo…hope I don’t get lost up there.

            When I returned this morning I received a phone call telling me that a good friend of mine was dying and wanted to see me. When I first met him twenty years ago I knew I had found a kindred spirit. He loved the Lord and His Word. Even during these last hours, he is still talking about our great God and His awe inspiring Word. I asked him what would be the most important thing he could tell me before he went to be with the Lord: he quoted 1Co 15:58 , “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that you labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

            I do not know many who have finished their course better…his lungs are failing so I told him that I would be willing to give him my lungs so he could continue to live.  He smiled and said that under no circumstances would he miss out on seeing the Lord at this appointed time…I am so thankful to have had such incredible mentors in my life.

            His wife was in the room and I asked what had given them such a successful marriage these 59 years. She said, because she had honored him and he had respected her…we live in such different times…God help us all  

 

 

Many Advisers--Proverbs 18:1, 16:20, 15:22, 14:23

The letter below was written to two of my staff members who are working on
redesigning our website. They have a limited amount of time and the work
they have in front of them is monumental...here is what I wrote.

.... thank you for the work you are putting into the web. It is not going
unnoticed. Please maintain your work for the Lord, the King of kings...we
are all working for Him. Your labor is never in vain in the Lord. I told you
I had wanted to share some Scripture that would be helpful to you...it is in
Proverbs 18:1, 16:20, 15:22, 14:23
"Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire, he breaks out
against all sound judgment."
What an incredibly insightful verse! As you proceed, get wisdom,
get understanding...a wise man seeks out knowledge...ask, and ask again and
again...seek out those who possess the knowledge and information you need.
I have been around long enough to observe the fool and the wise...the wise
seek out knowledge. The fool likes to tinker and figure it out himself,
wasting time and money. When I read the natural talent book by Maxwell,
this was one of the identifying characteristics to those who excelled in
their work...they learned from others...the gained wisdom. In one of our
books, Willy's Trunk, this same principle is promoted...read, study, and
ask...
It appears that you are following this line of wisdom...keep pushing
forward...this will not come to completion without a test in perseverance
and proactive initiative. If you hit any roadblocks...seek out advice...stay
in touch with me...let me know what resources you need to accomplish your
end...
Proverbs 16:20 says, "He who gives thought to a matter will discover
good." This project is going to take thought during every possible spare
moment you have. For example, you may need to discipline yourself to keep
the radio off while you are driving to work, thinking about this project.
You may already do this but when I fly from airport to airport or have to
stop for my oil change at Jiffy Lube, I find that those times can be my most
productive; We live in an undisciplined culture; thank you for your
commitment to this work, especially in my absence. Your charts, your notes,
the meticulous detail, and the white board...really blew me away! In
Proverbs 14:23 Solomon writes "In all toil there is profit;" that is a
promise...i can't wait to see the outcome of your work!
Lastly, in Proverbs 15:22, Solomon gives some amazing counsel,
"Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed."

Proverbs 16:6; 17:9, Covered by Love and Snow in Alaska

Just returned from Alaska as you can see from the photos...what an amazingly beautiful frontier. So diverse yet in many ways still maintains that old fashioned hospitality, work ethic, and family values. One of the things I learned there was the emphasis on neighbors helping neighbors or even complete strangers. In Alaska, people are still helping each other...it may be the last frontier.

In Proverbs 16:6 Solomon writes, "By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is covered/atoned, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil."

In Proverbs 17:9, "Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends."

In I Peter 4:7, 8, Peter writes, "The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

In order to love earnestly and bring redemption to broken relationships, we must exercise self-control in order to be effective in prayer. Wesley wrote:

But the end of all things - And so of their wrongs, and your sufferings. Is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer - Temperance helps watchfulness, and both of them help prayer. Watch (or stay awake, be attentive, stay focused), that ye may pray; and pray, that ye may watch (or stay awake, be attentive, stay focused).

Peter continues by helping his readers know exactly how to apply this “covered love” in their lives: “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God (this means, that those who have the gift of speaking need to speak as if he was conveying God’s Words directly to man, as if God was speaking Himself); whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

So, whether we are speaking or serving, we need to do it in a way that brings heaven down to earth; to do it in a way that you know that you just experienced a little bit of the divine nature of God. Well, this weekend I experienced this. When I arrived in Alaska, the family that I stayed with (I know I will spell this wrong), the Maakestad’s, opened up their home, their heart, their family, and their refrigerator! At midnight, we started with Salmon spread on toasted bagels…after speaking for four days and flying to Alaska that evening, this was such a treat. Not only was the Salmon treat special at such a late hour, but when I slipped under the covers I found that they had arranged my bed with so many blankets and comforters, I thought I was sleeping in a cloud. I share this because this is exactly what Peter is talking about. This family served me in such a way that I sensed the presence of God…a little taste of heaven. Maybe when the Scriptures say, “taste and see that the Lord is good,” that this is what it is referring to. And breakfast! I can still taste it! I can’t imagine how unfathomable our lives are going to be on the new earth.

Well, it didn’t stop there. Then there were two special ladies, Wendy and Pauline. They set the book tables up, worked tirelessly, took them down, set them up again in another location and again worked tirelessly. Lamplighter has always been blessed with reps who work for the Lord and not man. I have seen the same with Nicole, Beth, Jennifer, Mary, Kathy, Lane, Sherry, Char, Millie, Tina, Kathy, Brooke, the Olson’s, Ally, Rosalie, and Mandy—they certainly aren’t doing this for the money and the amount of work that they do and how utterly exhausted they are after they serve cannot be described. But again, this reflects what Peter is talking about—when you serve, serve by the strength that God supplies. He will renew our strength when we are serving him and others for Kingdom purposes. There just isn’t anything like serving the King!

My experience in Alaska didn’t stop there. The next family, the Swanson’s blessed me once again. I woke up to literally the most beautiful vista I have ever seen. And then breakfast with the family, and then driving me here and there; setting up the flight simulator (everyone has an airplane in Alaska!) so I could practice my landings—I crashed. Then a phone call from Terry who made arrangements for me to take a flight lesson so I could experience Alaska from the air. The number of blessings that came to me way were really more than I could handle…and this is what Peter is talking about. And it didn’t stop there…my time with Joe and Janelle, and the precious time with all the families on Sunday afternoon with all the children; the fellowship, the Scriptures, the beautiful piano selections (that should be on an album!), the children, Doug’s arrangement for the shooting of the machine gun!...yes, I am now officially in the Rambo club as you can see in the picture. Well, I know I am leaving a host of people and blessings out of this letter, but I know that they didn’t serve this weekend to be recognized…in fact they probably wished I didn’t mention their names.

This has grown too long...the experience at church was only one more blessing I wish I could share...we serve an awesome God; may we also continue to serve one another to show the world a little bit of heaven on earth!

FW: Alaska & Oregon

Well, I arrived here in Alaska...and to my surprise, its COLD! It's 25 degrees! But everyone else thinks its warm. But the people are incredibly WARM and very hospitable...Wherever I go, God's people have been just like family. It really is one of the marvels of God's plan. His people really do love each other...and we need each other.

If anyone knows where this verse is, I would appreciate if you could let me know. It talks about where there are many words, sin abounds. I think it is in Proverbs. Well, have to sleep...speak in a few hours.

The photo is from the falls in Oregon. (If you didn't read the blog on the STICKY WOMAN...YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THAT WRITE UP!)

The Sticky Woman - Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14 is filled with an array of wisdom for life and godliness. The first verse states "the wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down."  

 

The Word for father in the OT, pronounced AV or transliterated AB or in Hebrew ba…without going into a lesson in Hebrew, this is where the word Abraham comes from…he was the “father” of all nations. His ancestor EVR or EBER means “to cross over.” The Hebrew line were the ones that God chose to “cross over” from death to life. The word AV (short vowel sound for the ‘a’) ba, shows the first letter (reading right to left) as a picture of a bull with horns. The father was the bull—the strong one. The b show a picture of a blueprint for a house with a pole in the center. The pole in the center would have a sharpened point that allowed the center stake to be driven into the ground; it was also used as a weapon where it could be used quickly in case of attack. Thus the father of the house is the strong leader and protector of his house. The mother, ma is the also the strong one, but the letter m conveys a picture of water. According to Jeff Benner in the Ancient Hebrew Language and Alphabet, the mother was one who boiled the hides of animals in the water to make glue. The sticky substance that would rise to the surface during this process was extracted and used for glue. The mother therefore is the strong one who holds the family together.

 

In Proverbs 14, the wisest of women builds her house. In Titus we learn that the aged women were to be in behavior that becomes holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed.

 

We live in a day where fathers and husbands are no longer the strong leader protector of their home and mother wives are no longer the strong glue that holds everything together (men cannot hold the family together like a woman!). When we focus on our roles and diligently pursue what is important to God, the family flourishes. Husbands, we are to dwell with our wives according to knowledge, giving honor to them, as the weaker vessel…it is not their role to be provider and protector, it is ours. This doesn’t mean that a mother and wife cannot be gainfully employed as was the woman in Proverbs 31. It does mean that she should not be gainfully employed at the expense of her first priority, that of being the strong glue that holds her family together…so that the Word of God be not blasphemed. The world needs what we have…let’s attract them to our redeeming God through the beautiful display of our proper God-given roles.

error and great restaurant

            The Lamplighter enewsletter was sent out today and there was sentence that was supposed to be an obvious disparaging remark on the word 'billions."  It had to do with how easily people talk about billions of dollars and billions of years....etc..i and Lamplighter does NOT believe that we have been around for billions of years. We believe in a young earth, approx 6000 years old...plus or minus a few decades!

            On another topic, if you are ever in Portland, OR, you have to stop in to Milo's for breakfast or dinner. The food and the service, is equal to the best of them...and their prices are better than all of them. (go the bottom)Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss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sorry about that...fell asleep. Ok, where was I?  Oh yes, Milo's. It hard to find a restaurant like Milo’s where there is such creativity in the presentation, selection, and taste, yet they keep their prices at least half the price of most restaurants with that level of excellence.  Very rare.  We live in a day where most run a business with their goal to make money. When you work and place your skill above greed, God will honor and you will be more successful and content. Proverbs 13:11 says, “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”  It is interesting that Solomon connects the following verse with his definition for depression: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Striving to get ahead in life is a misguided goal. Strive to become the best that you can become with the gifts that God has given you and some day if you are diligent, you will stand before kings and not mean men as Proverbs 22:29 teaches; meaning, because you lack the skills of excellence, others will use you for their advantage at your disadvantage. “In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.” Proverbs 13:16

If you are looking for some excellent reading material that will help you grow to become a person of excellence, I recommend the following books:  The book of Proverbs; Good to Great; How to Find A Job I Really Love; Message to Garcia; Talent is Never Enough by Maxwell; Ascent of a Leader; the videos of Lew Sterrett especially The Heart of Passion; and for children, Willy's Trunk is a Must Read, as well as Stick to the Raft, Mary Jones and Her Bible, and for 12 and up, Ishmael and That Printer of Udell's. That Printer is the book that inspired Ronald Reagan to become president of the US.  You can find these books on www.lamplighterpublishing.com  Enjoyed chatting with you this morning. Off to speak to the Christian school teachers here in Portland and then off to Alaska tonight. 

 

knowledge & diligent

This morning I sent the following letter to a childhood friend who just gave
his life to Christ...i am so excited for him and he is loving learning all
that the Word is presenting to him. Here is the letter (I almost bought an
airplane at a very low and affordable price for our ministry but a friend of
mine who is a pilot thought it might be a little too soon. To pass up this
great plane with such a low price was difficult, but then I came upon this
verse this morning...i should have known better...i didn't buy the plane:
Proverbs 13:16 "In everything the prudent acts with knowledge." I
have a lot to learn before I buy a plane!
Hey, I also came upon Proverbs 22:29, another great memory verse.this verse
has been one of the pillar guides of my life over the past thirty years:
"Show me a man diligent in his work and he will stand before kings and not
before mean men." The word diligent carries the idea of free flowing;
skilled, a sharpened stone on both sides for a blade (a two sided knife was
unusual in those days).you get the idea.a man whom God would honor because
of his work will be a man who hones his God given abilities into the
greatest skill and excellence.the world then will want what he has and be
willing to pay for it!
Otherwise, you become subject to "mean" men. The word mean, carries the
idea of "obscure." This means that a person who isn't highly skilled.a
person who doesn't work his tail off to become the best will in the end be
subject to those who will use you for their advantage at your disadvantage.
Looking forward to seeing you.store his Word in your heart!
Mark

Wealth Gained Hastily

I come across so many people who try to earn money in the stock market. Some
do...many do not. Some become consumed with trying to make some quick money
on a hot tip but often find that it leads to a dead end. In Proverbs 13:11
Solomon teaches us, who by the way was the riches man in the world, that
"Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little
will increase it." The next verse is one of my favorites!