The book of Proverbs is full of wise sayings on many respects. The difference between the foolish and the wise, the peril of trusting in riches and how to use one’s tongue for good are just a few of the topics covered in the book. The overall theme of Proverbs is, of course, wisdom – not wisdom of the world but wisdom according to God’s Word as is mentioned throughout the book (“the fear of the Lord…” Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 14:27; 19:23; 23:17 NKJV). Proverbs 8 portrays wisdom crying out, “Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things; for my mouth will speak truth” (Proverbs 8:6-7). The book implies that there are two “ladies” calling out to us throughout our lives. One is from God, lady wisdom whose words are righteousness (Proverbs 8:35). The other is from the evil one, the immoral woman whose words cast one down to hell (literally, Sheol, where the wicked dead await, Proverbs 7:27). All women will give ear to one of these “ladies,” and the decision made will determine their fate. One will lead us down the path to true life, while the other leads us down the path to death. The question every woman must ask herself is which type of woman portrayed in the book of Proverbs is she – the sinful woman (Proverbs 7) or the virtuous woman (Proverbs 31). “With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with

We all enjoy things that smell good, and we do our best to avoid anything that smells bad. We buy things based on how they smell and make many decisions using our nose! No one, to my knowledge, prefers bad odors to the pleasant ones. The Bible mentions fragrant spices and oils used to make things more tolerable to the olfactory senses. Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with a costly oil that filled the house with its fragrance (John 12:3). At the burial of Christ, John further records that Nicodemus provided the mixture of spices bound in the linen around His body (John 19:39-40). We are told this was the Jewish custom. The women also brought spices to the tomb on the first day of the week (Luke 24:1). We understand that dead flesh stinks, and these spices help to mask those odors. However, the body of Jesus did not stay in the tomb long enough to amass much smell since He rose from that grave! Physically speaking, much of our lives are concerned with the odors our senses encounter, but what about our spirituality? What do we smell like? How Christ Smells Ephesians 5:2 tells us that Christ smells good to God: “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (NKJV). Those thousands of sacrifices over the centuries that were “a sweet aroma to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9) all pointed to Jesus.

The reality of sin has become distorted in the minds of many individuals in this ever-increasing humanistic world. Many souls do not understand what sin is. You can see it in such statements as, “He was a good person; now he is in heaven” or “I’m not as bad of a person as she is.” The reason for this misunderstanding of the nature of sin is due to the fact that the majority of people have drifted away from God’s Word. Many have grown up without being taught the Truth. They no longer look to the Holy Scriptures for answers to man’s greatest problem – sin. Indeed, many do not know that there is a problem! Because of this, we along with the prophet Hosea can say, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6 NKJV). Instead of letting the culture around us define sin, let’s look at what God’s Word says about this subject, which affects all of mankind. What is sin? First John 3:4 states “sin is lawlessness.” The Greek word for sin means “to miss the mark” (to be mistaken, to miss the target, to lose the way) (Koehler). Psalm 51, written by a penitent, inspired David, contains some synonyms for sin – “transgressions” and “iniquity.” Sin is rebellion against God and a perversion of what He has set forth. We have the complete Word of God (1 Corinthians 13:8-12). By it, we can know what is good and what is evil. All people today are

Have you ever been in a situation and thought, “I have got to run away!”? Maybe it was some kind of danger you encountered or an aggressor was approaching and running is all that you could think of at that moment. Some view running away as cowardly and think that one must always put up a fight. When we think of fight or flight, regarding spiritual matters, there are times for both. Christians are in a spiritual warfare, and thus must be hard, fighting soldiers (Ephesians 6:10-17; 2 Timothy 2:3-4), but at the same time, there are situations in which those in combat just need to run! The New Testament is full of warnings and admonitions for Christians to guard against going back to the old life of sin (Romans 6:5-14; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 5:16-21; Colossians 3:1-11; Hebrews 10:19-31; James 1:21-27; 1 Peter 4:1-3). In so doing, the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul used strong terminology at times. He directly told the church at Corinth, “flee fornication” (1 Corinthians 6:18). This command came after rebuking Christians there for not disciplining a brother for this very sin (1 Corinthians 5). We see that there were sexual addiction problems in the 1st century similar to what we see today in society. (It is seemingly worse today due to the fact that TV and the Internet have allowed people immediate and private access in their homes.) Fornicators in the church! May it not be! Sadly, we know all too well that even God’s people do not

The phrase “Love you to death” is common in American vernacular. It is used to convey the utmost love for another – until death do us part – if you will. It has become a light-hearted idiom that is often stated with no real thought behind it and even while saying something negative afterward. One example is, “I love him to death, but he makes me so angry.” I was thinking about this expression one day and realized that spiritually, we are loving people to death! As Christians, we are letting those whom we know are lost pass us by in this life without teaching them the truth. We avoid talking with erring brethren, never reminding them of what the Word says and never pleading with them to return to God. We claim to love them, but in reality, we are letting them stay on the path to spiritual death. Why is this, and what can be done? Sadly, the world around us has become increasingly more tolerant of sin. So much so that if you speak out against it, you are labeled “judgmental” and “intolerant.” Ironically, those who do such name-calling are being judgmental and intolerant. This has crept into the Lord’s church, and now, some have “grown-up” in the church never having heard certain truths from God’s Word because elders or preachers didn’t want to offend anyone in attendance. Many have never witnessed church discipline conducted properly when there is a member in need of being corrected. Several Christians

As a whole, diverse cultures are good. From observing the created world around us, it is evident that the Creator likes variety. He intended for mankind to spread all over the globe (Genesis 9:1), and He knew that they would eventually have their own separate manners and culture. Indeed, when men disobeyed God’s command to fill the earth, the Lord made the different languages to confuse them and scatter them (Genesis 11). Surely, the various languages influenced the people groups even more to develop their own distinct civilizations. Today, studying different cultures is interesting and can enrich our lives as we learn how others view certain perspectives. However, there are many areas of our cultures that, as Christians, we must ask ourselves where do we stand on these issues? Christianity has always been countercultural. Christ came in human flesh at a time when Rome ruled the known world. Most people proclaimed Caesar as lord. First-century Christians proclaiming that Jesus is Lord clashed with their counterparts in all aspects of life, and it is no different today. Or, is it? I fear many Christians love the world and the things here more than the Lord Who they claim is their Master (1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4). Many of us are looking at self (or others like us) – seeing a reflection of ourselves and our own self-imposed, worldly standards instead of looking to God’s Word – the Standard – to see what we should be. The Sermon on the Mount is

In Acts 5, after being imprisoned for teaching Jesus, escaping from that prison by the assistance of an angel of the Lord and then being brought again before the Jewish council, the apostles were ever resolved to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29 NKJV). At that council, one man named Gamaliel showed wisdom in reminding his Jewish brethren that others claiming to be somebody had risen to power for a short time, died and their followers consequently scattered. In stating his conclusion, Gamaliel said, “…if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it – lest you even be found to fight against God” (Acts 5:38-39). Indeed, the book of Acts bears out over and over that the Jews did fight against God. The first century church mainly suffered persecution from Jews early on rather than from the Romans (Acts 21:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). Jesus warned of this attitude exhibited in the majority of Israel and the consequences of rejecting His will (Matthew 23-24). From the beginning of Christ’s ministry on earth to the end, the Jews continued to reject the will of God (Luke 7:29-30; 23:35). Israel did not recognize Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah of which their Scriptures prophesied. With every miracle that they saw Him do, every teaching that they heard and every prophecy He fulfilled, they turned a blind eye to it; they fought against God! The evidence that Jesus

When we think of the word “mystery,” many define it as something that cannot be understood – that which is shrouded in incomprehensible ambiguity. The Word of God, however, does not predominantly use it in this manner but rather as something which was hidden or secret (although the clues were there) and was later brought to full understanding. There are things kept hidden or dimly lit throughout the Old Testament concerning man’s salvation that have been brought to light – revealed completely in the New Testament. The “mystery of God” is a central topic of the New Testament. What exactly is this mystery? Background of the Mystery The Old Testament contains records of prophecies that the Lord spoke through various ones (prophets) who, many times did not fully understand the very message they were given and instructed to tell others. One such prophet, Daniel, admitted as much in Daniel 12:8 as he received visions of the latter days (Daniel 10:14). God’s answer to him was “the words are sealed till the time of the end” (Daniel 12:9 NKJV). A reading of the whole of chapter 12 gives us the details that were revealed to the prophet concerning “a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation… when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered… and the abomination of desolation is set up…” (Daniel 12:1, 7, 11; cf., Daniel 9). Students of the New Testament do not have to speculate about Daniel’s vision. The

The prophet Isaiah witnessed the God of Glory on His throne in a vision (Isaiah 6). Imagine this majestic scene. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew and one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.(Isaiah 6:1-4 NKJV) As the Lord of hosts gave Isaiah a glimpse into His heavenly temple – observing the multi-winged creatures, the doors shaking as the message rang out and the encompassing smoke – it caused him to reflect upon some things. What can we today learn from this vision? Who God Is This scene truly showed Isaiah Who God is (verse 3). Like the prophet, we also need to recognize the Lord’s nature. This takes study and application of His complete Word (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3). From a similar vision given by our Lord Jesus to His servant John, we learn God is holy and worthy of honor and glory (Revelation 4:8-11). The One, True, Holy God demands our reverence because we were created by Him (1 Peter 1:14-16;

The culture at large has become increasingly self-centered. This is no surprise, since from the beginning, Satan has succeeded in tempting mankind to serve self by doing what we think is best and doubting God’s Word (Genesis 3:1-7). Throughout history, Satan continued to corrupt what God had made good. At times, Israel doubted, “Will God really deliver us?” “We can just worship this golden calf as our god” (Exodus 32; Numbers 14). Just within the last few hundred years, especially with the acceptance of Darwinism, man has questioned whether the Genesis record can be trusted. “Did God really make the earth in six literal days?” Today, we live in the age of thinking, “Does God really exist?” and we are seeing the fruits of atheistic reasoning. Man is his own god (2 Timothy 3:1-5)! Therefore, in such a humanistic culture, we see the serving of self in the world every day. The media parades the philosophy of self before our eyes every time we turn on the TV or computer. Ads are full of beautiful and handsome (but often indecently dressed) individuals persuading us that we need whatever product in our lives, and many times we think to ourselves, “I could look like that and be happy like them if I bought the product.” Technology today allows us instant self-gratification. We order things for next day delivery; we download and upload whatever we want; everything is at our fingertips. Slogans such as Cbelieve in yourself,” “do what makes you happy” and “have

I forgot my Bible! My husband and I had loaded the car with some things at my parents’ house, and I, in the hustle and bustle of moving things, had laid my Bible on a table and then placed something on top of it. Those things on top of my Bible were not coming with us, and thus, I forgot my Bible and left without it. This Bible is a wide-margin, note-taking Bible with lots of verse references with which I do most of my study, and as circumstances would have it, we were not at my parents’ house again for several months! Now, I was not without a Bible for those months since I have other Bibles at home, but it bothered me that I had laid something on top of God’s Word and consequently forgot it was there. Since then, I try not to lay anything on top of a Bible! This made me think about how often we let things obscure our vision of the Word. The cares of this world are on top of our Bibles instead of the other way around. If we are forgetting to read and study the Holy Script, then we are most likely distracted by the things of this world. More times than we often realize, our culture and worldly influences (money, our appearances, and entertainment choices) preoccupy our time rather than thinking on spiritual matters. This leads us to wonder about our underlying attitude toward the Bible. Do we really believe it

Three young, Hebrew men were brought in before King Nebuchadnezzar for refusing to pay homage to the golden idol that the king had set up on display for all to bow down in worship of it. Consequently, the monarch of Babylon angrily addressed them with the threat of being burnt to death if they dared to resist again. Daniel 3:16-18 gives us their response to that prideful king. …O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. (NKJV) Notice the faith of these Jews in the phrase of verse 18, “but if not.” In the face of imminent death, they not only informed the mighty king of the most powerful empire at the time that the God of Israel could deliver them from the fire, but also, that since their God is All-Powerful and All-Knowing, He may allow their lives on this earth to end in that furnace. Either way, they would not bow down to false gods, and the One, True God would be glorified! We must ask ourselves if we have faith as displayed by these Israelites. The world is still full of idolatry to which

Why do we as humans feel the need to always be speaking about something new or interesting and have itching ears that long to hear some alluring piece of information? Maybe that is a question for psychology, but it certainly plays a part in our spiritual walk on this earth as God’s people. One cannot go through a checkout aisle without seeing the gossip magazines the media produces. Maybe as Christians, we are not concerned with that type of gossip as much as the everyday hearsay of a coworker, neighbor or a fellow Christian. Many times, we can get caught up in what others are saying about someone or a particular situation involving another, and even if we do not have all the facts, we feel compelled to give our “two cents” worth. How often do we stop before we speak to think: “Will this help or hinder?” “If the person in question were here, would I say this to his face?” “Am I trying to be sincerely helpful or unfairly judgmental?” In other words, before we join in a conversation about another person who is not present, we need first to examine our own motives. How we use our tongues every day reflects upon the church of which we are a part and the God whom we serve. The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines gossip as, “Idle talk, which foolishly or maliciously spreads rumors or facts” (“5000-HUMANITY”). Webster’s Dictionary explains it as “information about the behavior and personal lives of other people.” Gossip

Having joy in our God and in the salvation He offers is a theme throughout Scripture (1 Samuel 2:1; Nehemiah 12:43; Psalm 2:11; 5:11; 9:2, 14; 32:11; 100:2; 118:24; 122:1; 126:3; Mark 4:16; Romans 12:12, 15; Galatians 5:22). The Holy Spirit through Paul commands Christians to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). “Joy” and “rejoice” are keywords in the Book of Philippians (1:4, 18; 2:2, 16-18; 3:1, 3; 4:1, 4, 10). It is a noteworthy topic to consider and have as a reference to easily look up in your Bible. In your Bible beside Philippians 4:4 write, “Command—why? (Luke 1:14, 47).” Turn to Luke 1:14 and write, “Rejoice because Christ has come making salvation possible (Acts 13:32-52).” Turn to this passage in Acts and write, “Salvation for all peoples (Acts 15:3).” Next to Acts 15:3, write, “(1 Peter 1:3-9).” Here, write, “Greatly rejoice because Christ’s resurrection gives us a living hope (Romans 15:13).” Next to Romans 15:13 write, “Joy comes in believing (obeying) Christ (Acts 8:37-39).” In Acts write, “Joy follows repentance and immersion for the forgiveness of sins (2 Corinthians 7:9-10).” Here, note that Paul rejoiced when the Corinthians had Godly sorrow, which produced repentance. Write, “(3 John 3-4)”. In 3 John, write, “Walking in the truth brings joy (Matthew 5:12).” In Matthew write, “When persecuted—rejoice (1 Peter 4:12-16)!” Here, write, “Rejoice in trials because we share in the sufferings of Christ (Acts 5:41-42).” Here, note that the apostles rejoiced and kept right on teaching Jesus. We must do

A wise, older preacher once told me, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” The older I have gotten, the more I understand this. What we think in our minds affects our actions and our lives. Many days end well or badly depending on our mindset that day. Many situations could have turned out differently if an attitude check had preceded the event. The overall mindset we possess in life will ultimately determine where we end up. This applies in the physical realm with our careers and earthly endeavors, but also and more importantly, it applies in the spiritual realm—where we will be in eternity. One important characteristic of God’s people is an attitude of thankfulness. God’s Word stresses the importance of having a disposition of thanksgiving. As we keep that attitude, we will not forget the love of God shown toward man, take blessings for granted or forget the sacrifice Christ paid for us, thus “setting our minds on things above” (Colossians 3:2, 15; Ephesians 4:23-24). With thanksgiving at the center of our minds, we will have the attitude of the Psalmist (100:4), spend more time in God’s Word (Matthew 5:6) and live Spirit-filled lives as commanded in the New Testament (Ephesians 5:15-21). Having an attitude of thanksgiving means we will think about and be thankful for Christ’s sacrifice every day (not just on Sundays). Have you ever contemplated what it would be like in this world if He had not made that sacrifice and fulfilled all righteousness? Without His death, burial