Thursday, February 22, 2007
The book of proverbs is outstanding, over whelming. It contains instructions, solid, basic, instructions for life. There is no need to ponder over the words and phrases to find commands.
For this chapter, i found many insights within the words of knowledge.
Verse 2 : All a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.
Osama Bin Ladin bombed the World trade center and killed many people. Many of us think he is evil and has done wrong. But to him, he has done a great deal of righteousness for his believes and people.
Many of us have our views of right and wrong. You may have done things in which you think you have done right, but some of the things you have done are considered by the Bible as 'Filthy Rags'.
Only God is truly right. To follow His instructions and His ways are to do right.
Another example, you may donate to charity. But what for? To gain favour? To gain attention? Or to help the poor? The Lord sees your true intentions. And to avoid donating or doing good for evil self intentions, you need the Lord. For when the Lord is with you, sin runs away. Who can stand to the Lord? No one.
Verse 3 : To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
Many a times we think, "oh i did good, to cover for my wrongs" and we cover our guilt. But when did we ever think "I did wrong, i'll do good to cover them, and i'll LEARN HOW TO NEVER DO THAT WRONG AGAIN."
We do not attack the root of the problem, sin. We merely cover it, hide it, to avoid embarrassment and punishment. You need to be pure to give sacrifices to the Lord. And how can you do so when you sin? Therefore, sacrifices isn't something to repay for your sin. The Lord HAS ALREADY FORGIVEN YOU. But you need to attack the root of the problem and stop sinning.
Verse 5 : The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as the haste leads to poverty.
Winners believe in hard work. Losers believe in luck.
All good things come from the Lord, and the Lord gives favours to hardworking people. He detest slackers and people who love sleep.
Verse 9 : Better to live on a corner of a roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
A Quarrelsome wife or husband is a great lost, a great burden. A partner who has no trust is a snare in your life and walk with God. He or she causes depression, pain, heartache, and distance from God.
But only the wise makes use of this situation to turn to God as a refuge and draw closer to him. Are you one of them? Are you strong enough? Strength here, means closeness to God. Besides, the wise wouldn't fall to temptation to get a partner that quickly, he or she has ways to avoid this temptation of getting the status of a boyfriend, or girlfriend.
Thier ways, is God.
Verse 11 : When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom.
To put it simple, punishment is an act of love to repel folly and prevent the child from being seperated from God.
Proverbs 22 verse 15 : Folly is the bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.
Do not despise punishment. When God punishes you, He is not gloating of how He is right and you are wrong. Why Should He? He is humble, and He is always right. So there is no need for Him to gloat. When God punishes you, He is helping you in a way you would be very grateful in the end.
Take me for example, i was proud in the past, God punished me in the most embarrassing way i could think of. Now, i do not have to torlerate the consequences of being proud (Giving others the impression that you can do this when you can't. And when your secret if revealed) and was pulled back into the path of the Light.
Verse 14 : A gift given in secret soothes anger
When you give a person a gift, you might bring out a heart of pride as people marvel at your kindness and in most cases, richness. Also, others who did not get the present might be jealous. If giving a gift brings out sin, then you should hide it from eyes of the envious.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Jesus Loves Me, This I Know,
For The Bible Tells Me So.
Little Ones To Him Belong;
They Are Weak, But He Is Strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus Loves Me, He Who Died,
Heaven’s Gate To Open Wide;
He Will Wash Away My Sin,
Let His Little Child Come In.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus Take This Heart Of Mine,
Make It Pure And Holy Light,
On The Cross You Died For Me,
I Will Henceforth Live For Thee.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus Loves Me, This I Know,
As He Loved So Long Ago,
Taking Children On His Knee,
Saying, “Let Them Come To Me.”
Yes, Jesus Loves Me!
Yes, Jesus Loves Me!
Yes, Jesus Loves Me!
The Bible Tells Me So.
Jesus Loves Me Still Today,
Walking With Me On My Way,
Wanting As A Friend To Give
Light And Love To All Who Live.
Yes, Jesus Loves Me!
Yes, Jesus Loves Me!
Yes, Jesus Loves Me!
The Bible Tells Me So.
Jesus Loves Me, He Will Stay,
Close Beside Me All The Way;
Thou Hast Bled and Died For Me,
I Will Henceforth Live For Thee.
Yes, Jesus Loves Me!
Yes, Jesus Loves Me!
Yes, Jesus Loves Me!
The Bible Tells Me So.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Proverbs 1: 5 to 7
Let The Wise Listen And Add To Their Learning, And Let The Discerning* Get Guidance For Understanding Proverbs And Parables, The Sayings And Riddles Of The Wise. The Fear Of The Lord Is The Beginning Of Knowledge, But Fools Despise Wisdom And Discipline.
Discerning means to *To not fully understand what one learns*
If you have something that you are unsure of, do not sin by lying, and by saying you understand it completely. Instead, seek help and find its true meaning so that it would not be kept a secret to you.
Most of us look forward to teach others. Some do it to show others their wisdom, others do it to pass down knowledge. But the truly wise people would not take pride in being wise. For through learning how to be wise, he has learnt about pride and its consequences.
Pride has indeed been the downfall of many people. Our Lord Jesus came to the Earth to *Serve and not to be served* Even though He was the Son Of God, He came here to serve us and to die for our sins. That is a great example of being humble.
Truth be told, if you are wise, and marvel people with your wisdom, you have gone below, even the lowest of peasents. For people are all very sensitive to pride. They detect others trying to gain pride very easily. Because they themselves want pride. And if they can't get it, then why should others?
Therefore, be like our Lord Jesus and humble yourself. For whoever dares to boast of his greatness, let his words be heard by God Himself. Who then, can say that he is great?
We are all like the 'young and discerning'. Only our God is truly wise. Even the apostles look upon the Lord and Fear Him for knowledge. But the truth be told, if you recongised that you are like the young and discerning, and you want to humble yourself and to learn from the Lord, you are already wise from the inside.
Matthew 5: 38 to 42 (An Eye For An Eye)
This chapter mainly talks about how you can do something that is good, sacrificial, pleasing the the Lord's eyes, and achieve two things. When someone insults or attacks you, bless him, instead of cursing. This way, he will see your ways and the ways of Jesus, you will rise higher than him, and he will change to be good. You have saved him.
As seen from this example, wisdom is truly a great gift from the Lord. It enables us to save, to change eternal destinations of people. Heaven or hell. Wisdom is the power to save, which is ten times the power to destroy. But you need to earn it. By reading the *Lord's Love Letter to you*, the Holy Bible.