The Mystery of Our Ways

Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way? Proverbs 20:24

Man's goings therefore being of the Lord, they must often be enveloped in mystery. We go out in the morning not understanding our way; not knowing what an hour may bring forth. Some turn, connected with our happiness or misery for life, meets us before night. Joseph in taking a simple walk to search for his brothers, never anticipated a 20-year separation from his father.

And what ought these cross ways or dark ways teach us? Not constant, trembling anxiety, but daily dependence.

I will bring the blind by a way they know not: I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them (Isaiah 42:16).

I dare trust

thy wisdom

thy goodness

thy tenderness

thy faithful care.

Lead me

uphold me

forsake me not.

Keep Thy Heart...

Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life. Prov 4:23
Solomon urges us "to keep" four things: heart, mouth, eyes, feet. First in the list is the heart, because it is the citadel of man, the seat of his dearest treasure, and the guardpost of his life. If the citadel be siezed, the whole town must surrender. If the heart be siezed, the whole man - affections, desires, motives, pursuits - all will be yielded up.

The heart is the vital part of the body. A wound here is instant death. Thus, spiritually as well as naturally, out of the heart are the issues of life. It is the great vital spring of the soul, the fountain of actions, the centre and seat of principle, both of sin and holiness. The natural heart is a fountain of poison. The purified heart is a well of living water.

As is the fountain, so must be the streams. As is the heart, so must be the mouth, the eyes, the feet. Therefore, above all keeping, keep thine heart. Guard the fountain, lest the water be poisoned.

Runaway Jury - A True Story

Unbelievable... every other jurist just voted "not guilty".  The physical evidence was overwhelming!  The testimony of the police officers was credible!  A security camera had clearly captured the criminal committing the crime!  Yet 11 of my fellow jurists voted "not guilty".  Unbelievable... surreal... that 11 reasonable people have chosen to ignore the obvious truth.

Just two hours ago, the vote was 10 guilty to 2 not guilty.  In those two hours, one vocal juror has monopolized the discussion, suggesting that the accused has been framed.  Sort of a one-juror filibuster, holding the floor for two long hours, droning on about a rather wild and unplausible conspiracy theory until my ears are weary of the sound of her voice.

But it's worked.  As I look around the table at all their faces, I can see that glazed-over, just-get-me-out-of here look.  The filibuster has worn everyone down.  My number one desire at the moment is to have some peace and quiet, and from the looks of the others, they feel the very same way. 

• Eleven people want to escape from the sound of her voice. 
• Eleven people want to go home. 
• Eleven people want off this stupid jury.
• Eleven people are ready to relax.
• Eleven people have had enough.

 And now that the vote has been announced, there's something else in their faces.  Frustration...

• One stinking juror is holding out.
• One stinking juror is being difficult.
• One stinking juror is not cooperating.
• One stinking juror is keeping everyone else from getting out of here and going home.
• One stinking juror is prolonging everyone else's misery.

Unfortunately, that would be me.  Our frustrated, weary foreman asks who voted "guilty".  I raised my hand.

• Eleven inaudible "ughs".
• Eleven people lean in toward me, elbows on the table.
• Eleven sets of serious eyes bore through me. 
• Eleven adamant faces say "this better be good".

 A loud outburst from our filibustering juror, which is surprisingly cut off by the foreman. "We've heard from you" he says.  "Now we want to hear why she's still voting guilty."

"Keep it short and sweet" my instinct whispers to me.  "They're fried."

So I said, "I believe the police officers are telling the truth, and I believe the evidence is real.  That's all."

Silence.  Ahhhh.  Wonderful, refreshing silence.  To be able to hear yourself THINK again.

And they did just exactly that.  They THOUGHT.  They thought about the evidence.  They thought about the testimony of the police officers.  They put their minds in gear and THOUGHT.

One by one, they broke that precious silence to say they wanted to change their vote.  Even the filibustering juror!  It was unanimous.  A guilty verdict.  Rendered by a thinking jury.

That day, I saw a vivid picture of how easily a group can be swayed by an emotional appeal.  It was so easy for the jurists to go along with a flawed "conspiracy theory."  To be swept away by a long emotional tirade.  To stop thinking.  To throw out the obvious truth.

If the filibustering juror had prevailed, the accused would have been set free to commit more crimes.  Three honorable, truthful policemen would've been greatly discouraged.  An overworked, underpaid prosecuting attorney who so thoroughly presented an airtight case would have been wrongly defeated.  Truth would have been defeated.  The people of truth would have been left twisting in the wind... defeated.

The jury would have been party to a miscarriage of justice.  Twelve decent, good-willed people would have been derelict in their duty to weigh the evidence and testimony and render a reasonable verdict.

We are bombarded with so many messages, some of which are simply not true.  We get weary.  We get tired of listening.  We get tired to refuting.  We get tired of thinking.  Sometimes we mentally check out.   We become silent.  And in our silence, the false message and the ever-present, ever-vocal false messengers often carry the day without opposition.  How sad.

Yes, silence is golden.  There is a time for silence.  But there is a time to speak.  To remind people of the truth.  Even when they don't seem like they would want to hear it...

Sloth is un-American

Here in America, sloth is considered one of the worst character defects. Laziness is just un-American.  For over 200 years, each generation of Americans has taught the next that this nation was built through personal industry, the work ethic, the fundamental belief that any man who will roll up his sleeves may prosper.  For that reason, we truly believe (even if we don't say it out loud) that poverty in America is not the result of oppression, but of sloth.  This engrained Americana esteem of good, honest, hard work sprung from the Puritan work ethic, which is rooted in the Bible.

The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labor. He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not. Prov 21:25-26

"The desire of the slothful killeth him..."
Sloth leads to no effort, therefore to no fruit. The slothful man thinks to live by wishing, not by working. His sloth is not caused by lack of physical power or activity; in fact, he spends the whole of his time and energy in busy idleness. But for useful labor, he has no heart.

"He coveteth greedily all the day long..."
He becomes a prey for covetousness, envying those whose industrious diligence enables them to give, and spare not. His idle days are filled with coveting rather than labor. Day after day, he desires the fruit of industry, but not enough to exert himself. His sloth is one of many forms of moral selfishness.

Americans tend to think of sloth as sort of... un-American...

We must value the Puritan work ethic because we keep passing it down to our children.  We encourage our children to train hard to be physically fit.  We encourage our children to study hard to be intellectually fit.  We encourage our children to work hard to be financially fit.  We even encourage our children to play hard to be recreationally fit. 

But do we encourage them to diligently seek the Lord to be spiritually fit?  Sounds silly, doesn't it?  How common is it to overhear parents in the breakroom (or even in the church house) comparing notes about how they coax their children to study their Bible, or pray, or love God, or surrender their lives to the Lord?  If parents were diligently seeking the Lord to be spiritually fit, wouldn't the spiritual fitness of their children be a greater priority?  Wouldn't it crop up in conversation at least as much as SAT scores?  Ouch.
Perhaps we are spiritual sloths... desiring the fruit of the spiritually diligent, but unwilling to roll up our sleeves and labor.  Perhaps we exert too much of our energy and passion in the physical realm to the neglect of the spiritual realm.

But without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.  Hebrews 11:6

Is sloth un-Christian?
Simply being a member of a gym does not produce physical fitness.  Simply showing up at the gym every day doesn't promote physical fitness.  Physical fitness comes from regularly and consistently exerting yourself to cooperate with the equipment in the gym as it was designed to be used.

Likewise, simply being a member of a church or showing up for church regularly doesn't promote spiritual fitness.  You can go to church every time the doors are open and not be spiritually fit.  Sorry.  Spiritual fitness comes from regularly and consistently exerting yourself to cooperate with God's equipment as it was designed to be used.  Spiritual growth occurs when we cooperate with the Holy Spirit of God as he uses the Word of God to transform us into the image of God.

Whoever DESIRES only and REFUSES TO LABOR to be a growing Christian daily, gives doubtful evidence whether he is a Christian at all.

Is spiritual fitness profitable for the individual?
When an individual works out at the gym consistently, their physical fitness (and their endorphin-triggered buzz) stands out.  When an individual works out spiritually for a year, their spiritual fitness (and their joy-triggered buzz) stands out.  While physical fitness profits us in our brief time in this world, spiritual fintess profits us in both this life and in the life to come through all eternity.

Exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. I Timothy 4:7-8

Is spiritual fitness profitable for the nation?
America's combined work ethic piles up a staggering gross national product in one year's time. Makes me wonder what kind of abundance a combined spiritual diligence would pile up in a year's time. I wonder how far the divorce rate would plunge... the suicide rate... drunk driving deaths... crime rates... tylenol sales... domestic violence... child abuse... depression. See, for all the material abundance that our work ethic produces, it sure hasn't solved or even reduced our social problems. In fact, the richer we become as a nation, the worse our social problems seem to become.
So I challenge you, reader, to commit yourself to a one-year spiritual fitness training program. Have a daily spiritual workout with God's equipment. See what a year of spiritual growth will do for you, and for your nation.

Conviction by Affliction

Do convicts like verdicts?  Have you ever heard of a a guilty person asking to be sentenced?  "Please, PLEASE give me my sentence!"

Oddly enough, that's exactly what David requests.  He asks God to "quicken" or revive him with a verdict, a sentence.

 

"Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments." Psalm 119:156

The word 'judgment' means verdict or sentence.  So David is speaking to God the Father as his judge - a judge who passes down both tender mercies and verdicts/sentences.  David acknowledges God's tender mercies, but he asks to be quickened, not according to those tender mercies, but according to God's judgments.  Strange.

How do God's verdicts "quicken" us?  How do God's sentences "quicken" us?  In what way does a verdict or a sentence bring life?

Maybe David's experience with God's mercy and judgment will shed some light on his strange request.  Remember when Nathan the prophet told King David the story about the rich man who stole and killed the poor man's only ewe lamb?  King David indignantly pronounced judgment on the rich man - that he would repay fourfold for the lamb.  When Nathan replied, "You are the man", David knew he was convicted and judged by the words of his own mouth.  David openly and publicly confessed and repented of his sin in Psalm 51.

God showed the repentant David great mercy in many ways; by forgiving him, allowing him to continue as King, allowing him to keep Bathsheba.  But the fourfold judgment that David pronounced upon himself did come to pass.  David lost four of his children throughout the years to come. The first repayment occurred immediately as God struck the infant son of Bathsheba and David with an illness and he died.  The other three repayments occurred throughout David's life as he lost three sons by the sword: Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah.

David lived to see three of the fourfold repayments. Each time, David experienced a personal revival.

The First Payment: David's infant son dies by the hand of God

Upon hearing of his infant son's death, David immediately left off mourning for his son to worship God.  David accepted the blame and the judgments.  He harbored no animosity toward God for his verdict, no animosity toward Bathsheba as his partner in sin, no animosity toward Nathan as the messenger of his sentence.  Rather, he worshipped God, comforted Bathsheba, sent for Nathan, and named his next child "beloved of the Lord".  All these things are evidence of a personal revival. 

The Second Payment: Amnon dies by the sword

After Amnon's death, Absalom fled, and David mourned for three years.  Then "the soul of David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead" (II Sam 13:39 ).  Although David allowed Absalom to return to Jerusalem, he still would not see Absalom.  David had not fully forgiven Absalom for murdering Amnon.  Five years after Absalom murdered Amnon, David finally showed true forgiveness by seeing Absalom and kissing him.  David's forgiveness is evidence of personal revival.

The Third Payment: Absalom dies by the sword

After Absalom's death in the uprising he orchestrated against his own father, a grieving, but gracious King David pardons treason and excuses failure in his subjects.  He sets aside his personal grief for Absalom in order to comfort and thank his subjects for their loyalty.  David doesn't demand the throne as the prize of victory, but rather seeks his subjects' consent to his rule.  David returns to Jerusalem, not in the frame of mind of a conquering king, but in the frame of mind of a humble servant.  These things are evidence of a personal revival.

David surely recognized these events as part of the sentence he had pronounced upon himself.  Each time a payment was made, it brought back the remembrance of his great sin.  Each time his family suffered turmoil, he traced its root to his sin.  The rest of David's life was lived in the shadow of the next payment, the realization that the fourfold payment had not yet been fulfilled.  The fourth payment was finally made after David's death, when Adonijah died by the sword.

The judgments and the way they played out over the course of his life seemed to make David a better subject of God as well as a better king.  In a way, the judgments did "quicken" him.  Perhaps his exalted position as king was "quickened" by the sense of humility that the judgments wrought.  Perhaps his willingness to forbear and forgive the failures and betrayal of others was "quickened" by the "my sin is ever before me" awareness that the judgments wrought.  Perhaps his zeal for the cleansing Word of God was "quickened" by the realization of his own depravity that the judgments wrought.  Perhaps the conviction of affliction created in David a desperate desire for God that "quickened" his kingdom to desire God.

Revival By Affliction

Nobody likes affliction.
Except God.
Affliction pleases God because affliction brings revival.

In Psalm 119:154-160, David is in the midst of affliction.  And he asks God to "quicken" him three times.  The first time David asks God to quicken the joy of his salvation.

"Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word." Ps 119:154

'Deliver' means to redeem, to act as kinsman-redeemer, to ransom.  This verse speaks of God the Son as Kinsman-Redeemer, who ransomed me with His own blood from the destruction I earned as a sinner.  At the moment I trusted in Jesus Christ to save me, my dead spirit was quickened, or made alive.  I was born-again as a new creature with a new capacity to know, love, and obey God.

I don't ever need to be born-again... again, and neither did David.  So I don't believe that David is asking for salvation in this passage.  But he is definitely asking for something connected with his salvation.

I think the next verse clarifies it.  "Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes."  David is observing that the wicked peopel around him are not turning to God for salvation;  David is observing his fruitlessness.  David is not asking to be quickened as in "I'm dead in my trespasses and sins.  Save me".  He's asking to be quickened as in "I'm not bearing fruit.  Make me fruitful."

I can relate.  I can look back on my life and see seasons of fruitlessness.  And those seasons of fruitlessness - those periods of drought - were broken by affliction.  God brought a storm into my life before He allowed the rain to fall.

The affliction brought me back to the basics.  Back to a remembrance of my salvation.  Back to a joy in my salvation.  God used affliction to restore the joy of my salvation to me, and when that joy was restored, or quickened, a new season of witnessing, teaching, discipling, and bearing fruit commenced.  Thank you, God, for the afflictions you use to restore the joy of my salvation.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Psalm 51:12-13

Seeing is Believing... right?

Some thoughts provoked by a stirring sermon on Father's Day...

Seeing is Believing...

It's a common expression. It's a common way of life. Walking by sight. In fact, it seems to be the most socially acceptable way of life. Nothing wins the approval of the masses like following the herd, drifting with the currents of conventional wisdom.


The reverse holds true, too, though. Nothing draws such fierce criticism as breaking from the herd, or rowing against the current. When we "walk by faith, not by sight" - our actions won't make much sense to those who are walking by sight. In fact, they may see our actions as "irresponsible", "immature", "careless".


How did Abraham's actions look to his community? He "went out, not knowing whither he went...". His actions may have appeared "irresponsible" to his community. What about later when he offered Isaac? His actions may have appeared "cruel" and "uncaring" to others.


How did Gideon's actions look to his community? After raising a good-sized army, he sent most of them home. Then he armed the few he had left with lanterns and trumpets. His actions may have appeared "careless".


What about George Mueller? He took in orphans with no plan of feeding them - apart from prayer. And everybody knows you can't eat prayers. His actions may have appeared "irresponsible", "careless", "immature".


What about my husband? He's done some things that others see as being irresponsible, immature, careless, even foolish. Like working with bus kids who (everybody knows) will eventually drop out of church and live a wicked life just like their parents. Like giving his children to God instead of grooming them for "real" paying jobs. Like sending his children to Bible school with no scholarships, no loans, and no visible means of paying the tuition - apart from prayer. Like discipling the sort of down-and-out people who will obviously never change. Like obeying in these things in the midst of criticism... and bearing it with grace.


What a privilege to walk hand in hand with a man who "believes to see", who "walks by faith and not by sight". What a privilege to witness firsthand the faithfulness of God to him. What a wonder to see the fruit of a faithful man following a faithful God all these years down the road.

I had fainted, unless I had BELIEVED TO SEE the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13

What's in Your Wagon?

Christians in this world are like pilgrims on a journey, pulling our little red wagons along behind us.  The "Dreamers" pile up their wagons with high lofty dreams.  The "Planners" load their wagons down with heavy contingency plans.  The "Hopers" - oddly enough, they don't actually load anything into their wagons, but they do pull their empty wagons along behind them, hoping to come across something nice put into it as they travel.  The "Rollers" also set out with empty wagons, convinced that an empty wagon may come in handy somewhere down the path.  They all set out to make their way in life, pulling their little red wagons behind them.
As happens on all journeys on all roads, the pilgrims come to a fork in the road.  A narrow path leads up into some hills while a broad path cuts straight through the plain.  The narrow mountain path immediately appeals to the rather adventurous "Dreamers" and as well as the artifact-seeking "Hopers".  The "Planners" like the looks of the narrow mountain path, but feel it would be irresponsible to unload their heavy contingency plans.  So the "Planners" opt for the broad path, which is more suitable for pulling wagons weighed down with contingency plans.  The "Rollers" opt for the narrow mountain path, assaying that empty wagons must be of some use there.

After a while the narrow path forks again.  A very narrow path leads up into wooded mountains, while a more heavily-traveled path winds back down into the plains and rejoins the broad path.  The "Dreamers" yearn for the adventure the very narrow path promises, but the trees present a problem.  You see, the high lofty dreams in the "Dreamers" wagons are taller than the tree branches.  The "Dreamers" therefore reluctantly decide to cut short their adventure on the narrow path to rejoin the broad path.

The "Hopers" and the "Rollers" continue along the very narrow path, pulling their empty wagons.  Eventually, they come to a country store.  The Proprietor asks them to use their empty wagons to transport mail, supplies, and ammunition back and forth between several base camps and the store.  At this, the "Hopers" wince, envisioning themselves finally coming upon the nice things they've been hoping to find - but with no cargo space for them in the wagon.  They politely decline, feeling it wise to reserve all the cargo space for the nice things they hope to find.  Thus, the "Hopers" continue on the very narrow path, pulling their empty wagons behind them.

Meanwhile, there's quite a commotion in the "Rollers" group.  Upon hearing the Proprietor's proposal, they've gotten all excited!  They're smiling and hugging, laughing and singing, whistling and working.  They're busy as beavers cleaning their wagons, oiling the wheels, and tightening the bolts.  Now they're loading up their wagons as the Proprietor directs and setting out up the very narrow trail.

This arrangement with the Proprietor goes on for the rest of their lives.  Sometimes they enjoy the work, sometimes they don't.  But even on the days when they don't enjoy the work, they're satisfied that their wagons are useful to the Proprietor and the folk at the base camps.

Meanwhile, the "Dreamers", the "Planners", and the "Hopers" have continued on the broad plain path, pulling their wagons loaded with lofty dreams, heavy contingency plans, and vain hopes.  Sometimes they've enjoyed the path, sometimes they haven't.  But even on the days when they've enjoy the path, they've had the nagging feeling that something is just..... missing.  Always dreaming, but never doing.  Always planning, but never implementing.  Always seeking, but never finding.



You see, we tend to walk through life pulling our little red wagons full of our hopes, dreams, and plans. And somewhere along the way, we realize that our own hopes, dreams, and plans just do not satisfy us.  But they often prevent us from being useful to the Lord.  Sometimes we turn away from God's purpose for us in order to hang on to our own hopes, dreams, and plans.  We fail to realize that we're sacrificing our true purpose for a mirage.

The Bible urges us to "Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established (Proverbs 16:3)".  The word "commit" actually means "to roll".  In other words, "Roll your undertaking unto the Lord, and your plans will be securely determined and settled."

If something is just.... missing.... perhaps it's time to become a "Roller".  Commit our works unto the Lord.  Roll our undertakings unto the Lord.  Let Him pack the wagon.  Let Him choose the path.  Only then will be we experience satisfaction and fulfillment.

A Fool and His Foolishness Are Not Parted

Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.  Proverbs 27:22

Correction by itself works nothing

for the fool that despises it.

Yes, the rod will drive foolishness from the heart of a child (Proverbs 22:15), but when the child becomes a man in strength of habit, and stubbornness of will, a hardness will take hold.  Pharoah, Ahaz, the generation of Noah - all were brayed in the mortar, yet all clung to their foolishness.

If a rock be broken, the broken pieces

will retain their hardness.

Likewise, a man may be crushed,

yet not humbled.

Sermon Notes: Pulling Down Strongholds - Fear

Most people who are not living right

are motivated by fear.

The devil is just as happy

to SCARE YOU into sin

as he is

to DARE YOU into sin.

You may be living in fear if you are experiencing hopelessness, constant worry, or inability to trust.

(1) HOPELESSNESS or thinking that things will never get better.  It's also known as stinkin' thinkin'.  Hopelessness ignores the truth expressed in Jeremiah 29:11-14.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.  And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

(2) CONSTANT WORRY.  It is said that worry is the interest we pay on borrowed trouble.  What good does it do to worry?  After all, worry never prevents a problem from occurring; rather, worry often causes more problems.  Furthermore, worry ignores the truth of God's goodness and providence as expressed in Matthew 6:27-34.

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?  or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

(3) INABILITY TO TRUST God and other people.  Okay, now, you've been hurt, disappointed, let down by other people, right?  Well, so has everyone else.  In fact, you may have been the source of someone else's hurt, disappointment, and let down.  And you're right, it's going to happen again.  It's not just a possibility or a probability; it's a CERTAINTY.  But here's something to consider: your lack of trust won't prevent it from happening.  All that you will accomplish by not trusting others is isolation - walling yourself off from being blessed by and being a blessing to others.

So how do we STOP living in fear?

Answer: By strengthening our faith.

So how do we strengthen our faith?

Answer: "Faith cometh by hearing,

and hearing by the Word of God."

Romans 10:17

God's Hidden Treasure

He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Proverbs 2:7-8

LAYETH UP means "hides, treasures, stores up"


The same Hebrew word is used when Jocabed hid baby Moses...
And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. Exodus 2:2


... and when Rahab hid the spies...
And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were. Joshua 2:4


... and when God protected David from Saul...
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. Psalm 27:5


... and in David's epic psalm in the very heart of the Bible...
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:11


... and at the mouth of Solomon's fountain of wisdom...
Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. Proverbs 10:14


God's treasure is the wisdom that He has hidden, treasured, and stored up for those who trust in His Son for salvation.  May the Holy Spirit guide us into all truth as we glean God's wisdom from the Bible.

Wisdom? Sounds stuffy... why bother?

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.  Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.  Proverbs 4:5-9

Get wisdom, get understanding...

Learn from wise men and apply what you learn to your daily life.

Forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth...

Don't forget what you've learned or thrust it away from you.

Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee:  love her, and she shall keep thee...

Don't abandon wisdom, but let wisdom be your chaperone to prevent you from indulging in mischief.  Cherish wisdom, and let wisdom be your body-guard to prevent mischief from assaulting you.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 

Wisdom is the first thing, the chief thing, the choice thing.  Wisdom is the basic building block, the foundation, for all else in your life.  So get all the wisdom you can and apply it as you get it.

Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. 

Esteem and prize wisdom, and wisdom will exalt you.  Wisdom will bring you abundance and glory when you clasp your life to wisdom.  Sort of like getting towed by a star.

She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. 

Wisdom places a wreath of grace on your head, which means she causes others to bestow favor and grace upon you.  Wisdom places a crown of glory on your head, which means she causes others to bestow rank and renown upon you.

So why bother with stuffy old wisdom? Why indeed!

DreamHouse Phase 3: Furnish the chambers

In Phase 1 we selected the finest raw materials.  Then we constructed the shell from the finest blueprints in Phase 2.  Finally, we'll furnish the chambers in Phase 3.  After all, who wants to live in a bare home?  Even if the home is made of the finest raw materials and masterfully constructed from the finest blueprints, it will be cold and uncomfortable at best without furnishings.

It is the furnishings - furniture, rugs, pictures, linens, dishes, etc - that make a house a home.  It is the furnishings that promote a house from rude shelter to comfortable home.  It is the furnishings that distinguish a house from the house next door; the furnishings become a vivid visual depiction of our individuality - our tastes, styles, temperament and priorities.  The furnishings make all the difference.

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4

Phase 3 - Furnish the chambers... and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

• KNOWLEDGE - cunning, skill, awareness, perception
• CHAMBERS - innermost part within a house; bed chambers
• FILLED - fully furnished, fulfilled, replenished, satisfied
• PRECIOUS - valuable, bright, clear, costly, excellent, honorable
• PLEASANT - delightful, sweet
• RICHES - wealth, enough substance

In other words, through awareness, perception, cunning, and skill, the heart of a home (family) is fully furnished with valuable, excellent, honorable, delightful, sweet substance.

Awareness and perception of what?

Answer: awareness and perception of (1) the architecture and (2) the lifestyle of the inhabitants. One of the principles of good interior design is that the furnishings should complement (not conflict with) the architecture. For example, don't use Grecian columns in a house of modern architecture.

As we're furnishing our chambers, we need to have an awareness and perception of God's architectural design for our family. What specific roles and tasks has God designed for my family? How do those roles and tasks effect our lifestyle? Does the lifestyle of a doctor differ from the lifestyle of a farmer? Obviously. Does the lifestyle of a Pastor differ from the lifestyle of an evangelist or a missionary? Yes, of course. Does the lifestyle of a family with infants differ from the lifestyle of a family with teens? Yes.

An awareness and perception of God's design for our family will lead us to furnish and equip our family with the very things that complement God's design. The equipment that is valuable, excellent, and honorable in helping us carry out God's roles and tasks will also be delightful and sweet to us. God has designed us to enjoy the equipment we need for our work. How sweet is that?

What about our individuality?
We know that God has a standard blueprint for all families, right? And within that standard blueprint for all families, He has a unique design for my family. But here's something else that we don't often consider. Within God's standard blueprint for all families, and within God's unique design for my family, there's a place for my individuality. That's right - individuality.


You mean we can follow God's standard blueprint and God's unique design and still express our own individuality? Yes! Don't buy into that common misconception that obedience to God's will somehow stifles individuality. God's creation is living proof that God is not opposed to individuality. How many varieties of butterflies did He create? Fish? Flowers? Vegetables? The great variety in creation proves that God enjoys and gets glory from diversity and individuality.

As we furnish our chambers, let us do so with an awareness and perception of God's design for our family. And let us express our individuality in a way that complements God's architecture.

DreamHouse Phase 2: Construct the Shell

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4

According to these verses, there are three distinct phases of homebuilding:

• Phase 1 - Obtain raw materials
• Phase 2 - Construct the shell
• Phase 3 - Furnish the chambers 

 Phase 2 - Construct the Shell
... and by understanding it is established... 

• UNDERSTANDING - the act of understanding (skill), the faculty of understanding (intelligence, insight), the object of knowledge
• ESTABLISHED - set up, prepared, fixed, fastened, made firm, made stable

Phase 2 is primarily concerned with transforming the raw materials into a shell that will provide shelter, shade, and protection.

Here's an important distinction: understanding is not the same as knowledge.  Knowledge is something that resides in the gray matter in our brain; understanding is what happens when we call up that knowledge from our brain and act upon it.  For example, if knowledge is the blueprint for the house, then understanding would be the act of constructing the house according to the blueprint.

Through understanding (acting upon what we know of God's blueprint for the family), the home (family) is set up, prepared, fixed, fastened, made firm, made stable.

How important is it to follow a good blueprint when you're building a house? It's vitally important. It's the difference between a sturdy, functional, beautiful house and a tree house!

So don't just pick up a hammer and start nailing boards together! That may be a great way to build a tree house, but it's not a great way to build your dream house.

If you're serious about building a dream house, you ought to study God's blueprints for your family the way a master carpenter studies the blueprints for a home. Then demonstrate your understanding by following the blueprints.

DreamHouse Phase 1: Get Your Raw Materials

My daughter is signing a contract to purchase a house today, on the 24th of May.  How appropriate that my Bible-reading this morning included these verses from the 24th chapter of Proverbs, it being the 24th day of the month... And now that I think about it, we moved into our house on the 24th of November.  Hmmmm.  How interesting is THAT? 

God's Word is alive and powerful, as fresh and nourishing as newly baked bread, more relevant and informative than the latest news report or scientific discovery.

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  Proverbs 24:3-4

OK now... this is the home I want...  But this kind of home isn't just something you obtain with your wallet.  This kind of home requires much, much more... This kind of home has three major phases:

• Phase 1 - Obtain raw materials
• Phase 2 - Construct the shell
• Phase 3 - Furnish the chambers

Phase 1 - Obtain raw materials
Through wisdom is an house builded... When I looked up the key words in my concordance, here's what I found.

• WISDOM - skill of an artificer, skill (in war), wisdom (in administration), shrewdness, prudence (in religious affairs)
• HOUSE - home as containing a family
• BUILDED - to build, establish a family, cause to continue, make permanent

In other words, through wisdom, a home (family) is established, continued, and made permanent.  The raw materials of the family are a man and wife, equally yoked as born-again believers in Jesus Christ, committed to love and serve one another as a picture of Jesus Christ and his beloved church, co-laboring to serve the Lord in their local church, and bringing up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

When wisdom guides the selection of raw materials, a family will be established (stable), continued (enduring), and permanent.  When wisdom does not guide the selection of raw materials, the family will be unstable, waning, and temporary.

A home will never be any more stable, enduring, or permanent than the raw materials used to build it.  So phase 1, select your raw materials with care and wisdom.  Don't settle for less than the best.

New to FarmTown - WordCrops!

A man's belly will be filled with the fruit of his mouth,

and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue:

and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. 

Proverbs 18:20-21

Sowing and reaping imagery... my words as the SEEDS which I sow, and my food as the FRUIT they bear someday.

Suppose facebook revamped "FarmTown" to grow crops based on the words you speak to and about your friends and family? What would your farm look like? Would it be filled with flourishing crops, flowers, and trees? Or would it be full of thorns, thistles, and cockleburrs?  Let's mentally examine the crops our words may be producing....

It is the habitual, not the occasional, use of this little member, that determines its fruit.  A saint may speak unadvisedly-- a sinner acceptably--with his lips. Neither would thus determine his true character. Charles Bridges

Hey Moms, Dads, and Children...
...imagine the words you speak to those who live with you as seeds.  Imagine that your words have been collected in a basket for you each day, and before you go to bed, you scatter the whole basket into your front yard.  When those seeds sprout, what kind of landscape will people see in front of your home as they pass by?  Will they wish that their yard looked as lovely as yours?  Or will they wish you would MOVE?


Hey Hubbies & Wives...
...imagine the words you have spoken about your spouse as seeds that you have scattered at the community park.  What is springing up as the result of your words?  Are your words bearing a harvest of respect and honor for you and your spouse in your community?  Or scorn and dishonor?


Hey Mother-in-laws...
...imagine the words you have spoken to (and about) your daughter-in-law over the years as seeds that you scattered at the family farm. What kind of crop have your words produced? Perhaps medicinal plants that soothe and heal? Perhaps practical herbs that add seasoning and spice to meals? Perhaps an impenetrable briar forest to rival that of poor Sleeping Beauty?

What about your words to and about...
... your "so-called" friends
... your Pastor
... your teacher
... your supervisor
... your co-worker
... your rival

Remember, death and life are in the power of your tongue.  Not death and life for the one you speak to/about, but death and life to you, the speaker.

Great Moments in Prayer

Notes from Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Speaker: Chris Edwards


Preparation for great moments in life are survived by great moments in prayer.

Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch with me...

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears.
Matthew 26:36, 38, 40; Hebrews 5:7

In Jesus' time of great sorrow, He asked his three closest friends to watch and pray.  Instead, they went to sleep.


Jesus did not protect himself from the high cost of friendship - he paid the cost to be a friend. But Jesus also didn't rely on human friendship to sustain him in his greatest times of need. He relied on Scripture and Prayer.

Jesus was committed to being a good friend despite their lack of reciprocation.

Encountering the Lame at the Gate

Notes from Monday, April 12, 2010
Speaker: Tim Butler

Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.  Acts 3:1-3

The Companions
Apparently, Peter and John didn't hang out together that much.  In the Bible, Peter is usually with Andrew, and John with James.  They're unusual companions because they had completely different temperaments.  Peter is "vocal"; John is "quiet".  Peter is a "doer"; John is a "dreamer".  Peter is a "motivator"; John is a "mystic".

The love of Jesus Christ had a unifying effect on these different men, so much so that they were coming to the temple together to pray.  They were planning to agree together in prayer before the throne of God.  Likewise, a love for Christ should unify even the most different personalities in a congregation to agree in prayer.

The Cripple
The man had been lame from birth.  He had a birth defect that rendered him helpless and hopeless.  He had no way of helping himself, except to beg.

The lame man is a picture of every one of us, born with the birth defect of sin.  Helpless and hopeless, with no way of helping ourselves, except to beg.

The Contrast
Beside the wealth of a nation, his woe
Beside the loveliness of the Beautiful Gate, his lameness
Beside a place of blessing, his hopelessness

The lost are in our midst everyday, lame at the gate.  Do we race right past them in our determined pursuit of wealth?  Are we blinded to their lameness by our adoration of lovely material things?  Have we become so comfortable in our blessings that we can no even longer comprehend or empathize with their hopelessness?  May God help me to understand that the lame at the gate are my persistent responsibility.

The Confrontation
"Look on us."  
Very bold.

"Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee". 
The cure to his lameness was not money or government assistance.  The cure to his lameness was the Lord Jesus Christ.

"And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up."
Peter didn't heal him from a distance; he took him by the hand, as a friend.  In the same way, we must follow Christ's model - we must get personally involved in the lives and troubles of others in the spirit of friendship.

Perhaps I should be praying every day
"Lord, help me see the lame at the gate. 
Help me stop and offer the true cure for their lameness - Jesus Christ."

How to Limit God

Notes from Sunday, April 11, 2010
Speaker: John Reynolds

Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.  Psalm 78:41


Whoa! Wait minute! They limited God? How?


Have you ever driven a car that had a "governor"? If so, you know that the governor is designed to limit the speed. The governor doesn't reduce the power of the engine, but it does limit the "outworking" of the power that was originally built into the engine.


Sometimes we limit the "outworking" of the power of God in our lives.


(1) By forgetting what He's done for us.


They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy. Psalm 78:42


It's important to keep remembering and reciting what God has done for me. I need to keep a journal of God's provision and read it, especially when I find myself among giants and fortresses.


(2) By being lazy.


But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22


When we don't put into practice what we've heard, we lose that knowledge. It's important to USE what we LEARN each week.


Last week, I heard over 20 sermons and attended about 8 seminar sessions at a conference. And in all those sermons and seminar sessions, some common themes emerged. If I haven't found ways to weave those common themes into my everyday life over the course of the next few weeks, I'll forget about them within the month. God also used the sermons and sessions to impress upon me some specific steps I need to take. If I don't begin to take action on those specific steps in the course of the next few weeks, I'll forget about them within the month.


(3) By misplaced loyalties.


And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. I Samuel 16:1


God is rebuking Samuel for his misplaced loyalty in Saul. Sometimes we continue to place our loyalty in a person or an institution even after it has gone wrong. We must place our loyalty in the Lord, and not in man or institutions.


(4) By unbelief.


Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest. Hebrews 3:7-11


And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:58


Unbelief provokes God to wrath and grieves God. He chooses not to perform mighty works because of our unbelief. It's so important to believe God's promises. When my heart believes God, that belief will work its way out into my actions and words. My words and actions will always reflect either belief or unbelief, whatever is in my heart.


(5) By prayerlessness.


...ye have not, because ye ask not. James 4:2


Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3


Lack of prayer brings lack of power. I would love to convert my weaknesses to strengths through prayer this year. I'd love to convert worry to prayer this year. I'd love to convert "fretting" uncertainty to prayer this year. I'd love to convert hurt to prayer this year. I'd love to convert inadequacies to prayer this year.


I see evidence of these five governors in my life. And the sad thing is, I've installed every one of them myself! May 2010 be the year I remove the governors... and remove the limits.

SITL 4: Peculiar People Beside A Beautiful King

And now for verse 4 of Stepping In the Light...

Trying to walk in the steps of the Savior,
Upward, still upward we'll follow our Guide;
When we shall see Him, the King in His beauty,
Happy, how happy, our place at His side.

Another vivid word picture of following our Guide (Holy Spirit) in the steps of the Savior upward and upward. A joyful journey because we will see our Savior in His heavenly state - a beautiful King. And He will honor us by inviting us to stand at His side.
 Perhaps the songwriter was reading this passage in Titus as he composed the lyrics for verses 3 and 4...

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;


Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:11-14

A long journey, indeed, and all uphill - climbing upward, and upward. A tiring, challenging journey, but the vision of what awaits us spurs us on. That blessed hope, the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ, is our motivation to walk upward in His steps and yield as He purifies us along the way. The day is surely coming when a people, made peculiar by His redemption and purification, will stand beside their beautiful King.

How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior,
Stepping in the light, stepping in the light.
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior,
Led in paths of light.

SITL 3: A Journey of Grace

And now for verse 3 of Stepping In The Light...

Walking in footsteps of gentle forbearance,
Footsteps of faithfulness, mercy and love,
Looking to Him for the grace freely promised,
Happy, how happy, our journey above.

What a vivid word picture this verse expresses. In my mind's eye, I see the same strong Savior who defended me from temptation in verse two, now leading me on a journey.

The strong Savior doesn't goad and push and drive me from behind like common cattle; He goes before me on the journey and leads me gently with forbearance,

For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.  Psalm 103:14

He is faithful to "never leave thee nor forsake thee" on the journey. He is merciful: He doesn't give me the bad that I deserve; instead, He gives me love that I do not deserve. What a vivid picture of grace, a grace that teaches me to forsake the world's path and take up His path.  A grace that makes me want to follow Him closely, step where He steps, keep His pace, endure and perservere without complaint.

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... Titus 2:11-12

SITL 2: Press Close or Slide Away

Have you ever known anyone who gradually slid away from the Lord, then later you hear that they've become heavily involved in sin?  Maybe you thought that the sin was a result of their backslidden condition.  It is true that a backslidden condition will weaken us spiritually, just as starving weakens us physically.  Then in our weakened condition, we're more prone to sin, like a starving person is more prone to disease.

However, a good friend of mine recently showed me that the reverse is also true.  She became heavily involved in sin before she became backslidden.  Sort of.  She gave herself over to sin while remaining very "active" in church - sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, attended every preaching and prayer service.  Kept up the charade for at least a year.  She wasn't backslidden according to her activity level, but looking back, I can see a change in the quality of her activity.  Her humor gradually became sarcasm; reverence gave way to scorn; holiness gave way to sensuality; passion gave way to apathy.  Her heart eventually worked its way out into her actions and words.

How could this happen to someone who attends every service?  To someone who teaches a Bible lesson every week?  To someone who is surrounded by believers?

I don't know exactly how it happened to her, but I can understand one thing at least.  I understand that we can't gauge spiritual condition by activity levels.  Spiritual condition is a matter of the heart.  Sin begins in the heart and eventually works its way out to actions and words.  The battleground is in the heart.  That's why the Bible warns us to 

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23

How do we keep (guard) the battleground of our hearts?  We press closer to Christ - and not with activity levels, but with our hearts, in a relationship.  And we trust His strong arm to defend us.

Pressing more closely to Him who is leading,
When we are tempted to turn from the way;
Trusting the arm that is strong to defend us,
Happy, how happy, our praises each day.

My good friend once had a beautiful life when she walked with Christ, but it's slipping away piece by piece.  Oddly enough, it seems to grieve her loved ones more than it grieves her.  Big lesson - in times of temptation, resist the instinct to pull away from Christ.  Press more closely to Him with your heart.

How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior,
Stepping in the light, stepping in the light.
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior,
Led in paths of light.