The book of the Proverbs presents significant wisdom concerning godly parenting, and especially concerning the responsibility of godly discipline in godly parenting.
Proverbs for Life
The book of the Proverbs presents significant wisdom concerning godly parenting, and especially concerning the responsibility of godly discipline in godly parenting.
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Outlines in Psalms
This outline is a companion to a previous outline: In the Day of My Trouble - Psalm 77 In Psalm 77:4-9 the psalmist Asaph cried out and complained, saying, “Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.” Through this cry and complaint, we understand that the psalmist had come to a place of utter discouragement and depression. In addition, we understand that the foundational reason for the psalmist’s discouragement and depression was that he had come to a place of doubting and questioning the gracious, merciful, and faithful nature of the Lord his God. Yet by the end of this psalm, the psalmist had come to a completely different place, to a place of comfort and courage through whole-hearted trust in and praise of the Lord his God. So then, what brought about this change? The turning point of the psalm is found in verses 10-12. Meditations in Exodus
This meditation is a companion to a previous mediation: What Is His Name? - Exodus 3:13-15 (Part 1) Exodus 3:13 reads, “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?” In Exodus 3:9-10 the Lord God expressed his call upon Moses to send Moses as His instrument of deliverance for His people Israel. In verse 11 Moses responded with an expression of humility and hopelessness concerning his ability to fulfill the Lord’s call – “And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” In answer, the Lord God responded with His promise to be with Moses and to enable Moses in fulfilling His call – “And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.” Yet in Exodus 3:13 Moses presents another question unto the Lord God. This question did not concern Moses’ inability, but now concerned the Lord God’s nature and ability. Indeed, Moses indicated that the children of Israel would ask concerning the name and nature of this God of their fathers who had sent Moses unto them – “What is his name?” In verse 12 the Lord had promised to be with Moses and enable Him. So then, who is this Lord God who will be with His servants and His people – “What is his name?” In verse 10 the Lord had placed His call upon Moses to send Him unto His people. So then, who is this Lord God who calls and sends His servants unto His people to lead them and help them – “What is his name?” In verse 8 the Lord had pronounced His purpose to deliver His people from their affliction and to bless them with abundance. So then, who is this Lord God who will help and deliver His servants and His people in their affliction – “What is his name?” In verse 4 the Lord had proclaimed His personal recognition of His people’s sufferings and sorrows. So then, who is this Lord God who personally knows the sorrows of His servants and His people – “What is his name?” Yea, what is the name and the nature of this Lord God, the Lord our God? Already in the first part of the meditation (see above), we have considered three truths, that the Lord our God is the Self-Existing One, the Eternal One, and the Unchanging One. In this second part of the meditation, let us consider three further truths. Thought (Questions) for Meditation (Examination)
Often the counsel is given to leaders in the ministry (especially to younger ones), "You must make a plan; then you must work your plan." Yet is this counsel able to be supported from the absolute truth of God's Holy Word, or is it founded upon the wisdom of men? Furthermore, what about finding out and following after our Lord's purpose and plan? What about committing our way unto the Lord? What about waiting on the Lord, and keeping His way? What about acknowledging the Lord in all our ways, and allowing Him to direct our paths? Finally, is it truly possible to work our plan without it being altered, regularly and often significantly, by the revision of our Lord's direction, by the resistance of our adversary the devil, by the rearrangement of others' decisions, and by the reality circumstantial difficulties? P.S. When we give counsel to leaders in the ministry, would it not be better to give it direclty from the truth of God's Word, especially from those epistles in the New Testament that were given for that primary purpose? Weekly Sermon
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 reads, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” At the time that the apostle Paul wrote these things unto believers at Corinth, there were false teachers out and about. Some of those false teachers were falsely teaching that there was no such thing as a resurrection from the dead. Therefore, the apostle wrote 1 Corinthians 15 in order to defeat this false teaching. In sod doing, the apostle began by communicating the elements of the gospel message and the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ's resurrection out of the dead. In verses 1-2 the apostle declared unto the believers at Corinth, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” Now, the word “gospel” means “good news.” Herein the apostle Paul was speaking of the gospel, the good news; and in verses 3-4 he revealed the three elements of this good news, saying, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” Proverbs for Life
This is a companion post to two previous posts: The Proverbs & Our Love (Part 1) The Proverbs & Our Love (Part 2) Having considered in two previous posts (see above) what the book of the Proverbs teaches concerning the direction and the demonstration of our love, let us now consider what the book of the Proverbs teaches concern-ing our hatred. Outlines in Psalms
“To the chief musician, to Jeduthun [praising, celebrating], A Psalm of Asaph.” I. The Cry of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:1-3) II. The Complaint of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:4-9) III. The Confession of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:10a) IV. The Commitment of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:10b-12) V. The Confidence of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:13-15) VI. The Comfort of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:16-20) Meditations in Exodus
Exodus 3:13 reads, “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?” In Exodus 3:9-10 the Lord God expressed his call upon Moses to send Moses as His instrument of deliverance for His people Israel. In verse 11 Moses responded with an expression of humility and hopelessness concerning his ability to fulfill the Lord’s call – “And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” In answer, the Lord God responded with His promise to be with Moses and to enable Moses in fulfilling His call – “And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.” Yet in Exodus 3:13 Moses presents another question unto the Lord God. This question did not concern Moses’ inability, but now concerned the Lord God’s nature and ability. Indeed, Moses indicated that the children of Israel would ask concerning the name and nature of this God of their fathers who had sent Moses unto them – “What is his name?” In verse 12 the Lord had promised to be with Moses and enable Him. So then, who is this Lord God who will be with His servants and His people – “What is his name?” In verse 10 the Lord had placed His call upon Moses to send Him unto His people. So then, who is this Lord God who calls and sends His servants unto His people to lead them and help them – “What is his name?” In verse 8 the Lord had pronounced His purpose to deliver His people from their affliction and to bless them with abundance. So then, who is this Lord God who will help and deliver His servants and His people in their affliction – “What is his name?” In verse 4 the Lord had proclaimed His personal recognition of His people’s sufferings and sorrows. So then, who is this Lord God who personally knows the sorrows of His servants and His people – “What is his name?” Yea, what is the name and the nature of this Lord God, the Lord our God? Thought for Meditation
When we are suffering under fiery trial and fierce tribulation, we must ever remember that the Lord our God is far more concerned with our growth in godly character than with our participation in personal comfort. Weekly Sermon
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 exclaims, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Brethren, too many of us believers too much of the time are living our Christian lives on the ground of a spiritual lie. Too many of us too much of the time are living out our lives as if they are our lives to live as we please. Too many of us too much of the time are making the decisions of our lives as if they are our decisions to make as we choose. Too many of us too much of the time have convinced ourselves that we have the right and the freedom to do what want to do, to say what we want to say, to enjoy what we want to enjoy, to pursue what we want to pursue, to choose what we want to choose, to think what we want to think, to feel what we want to feel, and to desire what we want to desire. Yea, even when we would never make such a bold claim to such complete freedom in these areas because we recognize that there are some spiritual boundaries that we are not to cross, we still live out our lives and make our decisions most of the time on the ground of our own heart’s natural course without any consideration of any higher authority or priority. We would not stubbornly declare, “It’s my life, and I will live it the way I want to!” Rather, we simply go forward each day with whatever flows naturally. Thereby, without stubbornly declaring it, we actually live out our lives the way that we want to. In addition, our adversary the devil has deceived us with the lie that we believers are no longer under the law, but are now under grace, and that because we are now under grace, we have the spiritual freedom to live and decide as we please. Brethren, the great deceiver, our adversary the devil, is a liar from the beginning. Certainly it is a Biblical truth that we believers are no longer under the spiritual bondage and condemnation of the law, but are now under the spiritual freedom and justification of God’s saving grace. However, God’s saving grace does not provide us with the spiritual freedom to live and decide as we please. As Jude 1:4 reveals, this is the teaching of the ungodly, who are ever “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [unbridled lust, doing whatever one pleases].” Rather, God’s saving grace has provided us with the spiritual freedom to overcome temptation and sin and to walk in fellowship with God and in righteousness before God. Even so, Galatians 5:13 declares, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” In addition, Titus 2:11-12 proclaims, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Now, the truth of our obligation and responsibility as believers to live in this manner is founded upon another truth – the truth that we are “bought with a price,” with the price of the shed blood and sacrificial death of God the Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So then, from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 let us consider four important elements concerning this truth that we are “bought with a price.” Proverbs for Life
This is a companion post to a previous post: The Proverbs & Our Love (Part 1) The book of the Proverbs presents a number of truths concerning that upon which we should or should not set our love, and concerning the manner in which we are to love. In this second part of the study, let us consider the manner in which we should demonstrate our love. Outlines in Psalms
This outline is a companion to three previous outlines: And Forget Not All His Benefits - Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O My Soul - Psalm 103:1-2, 20-22 Bless His Holy Name - Psalm 103 The two themes that tie this central portion of Psalm 103 together are as follows: (1) the mercy of the Lord that He displays toward us, and (2) the fear of the Lord that we are to maintain toward Him. Psalm 103:8 – “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” Psalm 103:11 – “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” Psalm 103:13 – “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.” Psalm 103:17 – “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children.” Meditations in Jeremiah
In Jeremiah 30:10-11 the Lord our God proclaimed unto His people Israel, “Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.” Although the Lord our God made promise to His people that He would never completely disown them and forsake them, but that He would eventually deliver them and restore them, yet He indicated that He certainly would correct them “in measure” and would not leave them “altogether unpunished.” Even so, in Hebrews 12:5-8 God’s Word declares unto us New Testament believers, “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” Thought for Meditation
(This thought is a companion to a previous thought for meditation: Love for God Defined) It is often said that true Christianity is not about rules and regulations, but is about a loving relationship with the Lord our God. Indeed, this is a true statement -- as far as it goes, in meaning that true Christianity is not foundationally about rules and regulations, but is foundationally about a loving relationship with the Lord our God. Yet it must ever be remembered that we cannot walk aright in a loving relationship with the Lord our God if we do not faithfully pursue obedience to His rules and regulations. Weekly Sermon
In 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 the apostle Paul revealed the foundational principle for stewardship, syaing, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” In its immediate context, the apostle was speaking concerning himself and those who served with him as ministers of God’s truth for Christ’s sake. He revealed that such ministers are stewards of the truth of God’s Word, responsible to minister gospel truth unto the lost and edification truth unto the saved. Then the apostle revealed God’s foundational principle for stewardship, saying, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” Brethren, in stewardship from the Lord our God, faithfulness is required. Now, although the immediate context of this passage concerns ministers of God’s truth, it is important for us to understand that the foundational principle for stewardship in verse 2 has an application to each and every one of us as the servants of the Lord our God. Whether or not we have been called as minister of God’s truth, as our Lord’s servants we all have been given some stewardship from the Lord. Therefore, the foundational principle of stewardship stands for us all – Faithfulness is required. |
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