Maranatha - Awaiting Christ's Return

1 Cor. 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Category: Spiritual Growth

Read Through Psalms and Proverbs Every Month

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On May 16, 2022

In Bible Studies, Christian Walk, Miscellaneous, Read Through Psalms & Proverbs, Spiritual Growth

I love to incorporate the Book of Psalms and Proverbs in my daily reading. I’ve been doing this since 1986 and it has been a blessing to me. Both provide comfort, guidance and much wisdom. I would like to share it with you! At the end of the month, you will have read through both books! 😀 Use your calendar as the reference for which day to read, i.e. Day 1’s readings on the first of the month; day 2’s readings on the second of the month, etc. (Psalm 119 has 176 verses so it’s easier to break it up in sections. The structure of this Psalm is comprised of 22 stanzas, each starting with a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Each stanza has 8 verses. ) If you look at the bottom of this page, you can create a PDF of this page and print it out.

Day 1:

Psalm 1Psalm 31Psalm 61Psalm 91Psalm 119:1-8
Psalm 121Proverbs 1
Also read Proverbs 31 (if there are only 30days in the month)

Day 2:

Psalm 2Psalm 32Psalm 62Psalm 92Psalm 119:9-16
Psalm 122Proverbs 2

Day 3:

Psalm 3Psalm 33Psalm 63Psalm 93Psalm 119:17-24
Psalm 123Proverbs 3

Day 4:

Psalm 4Psalm 34Psalm 64Psalm 94Psalm 119:25-32
Psalm 124Proverbs 4

Day 5:

Psalm 5Psalm 35Psalm 65Psalm 95Psalm 119:33-40
Psalm 125Proverbs 5

Day 6:

Psalm 6Psalm 36Psalm 66Psalm 96Psalm 119:41-48
Psalm 126Proverbs 6

Day 7:

Psalm 7Psalm 37Psalm 67Psalm 97Psalm 119:49-56
Psalm 127Proverbs 7

Day 8:

Psalm 8Psalm 38Psalm 68Psalm 98Psalm 119:57-64
Psalm 128Proverbs 8

Day 9:

Psalm 9Psalm 39Psalm 69Psalm 99Psalm 119:65-72
Psalm 129Proverbs 9

Day 10:

Psalm 10Psalm 40Psalm 70Psalm 100Psalm 119:73-80
Psalm 130Proverbs 10

Day 11:

Psalm 11Psalm 41Psalm 71Psalm 101Psalm 119:81-88
Psalm 131Proverbs 11

Day 12:

Psalm 12Psalm 42Psalm 72Psalm 102Psalm 119:89-96
Psalm 132Proverbs 12

Day 13:

Psalm 13Psalm 43Psalm 73Psalm 103Psalm 119:97-104
Psalm 133Proverbs 13

Day 14:

Psalm 14Psalm 44Psalm 74Psalm 104Psalm 119:105-112
Psalm 134Proverbs 14

Day 15:

Psalm 15Psalm 45Psalm 75Psalm 105Psalm 119:113-120
Psalm 135Proverbs 15

Day 16:

Psalm 16Psalm 46Psalm 76Psalm 106Psalm 119:121-128
Psalm 136Proverbs 16

Day 17:

Psalm 17Psalm 47Psalm 77Psalm 107Psalm 119:129-136
Psalm 137Proverbs 17

Day 18:

Psalm 18Psalm 48Psalm 78Psalm 108Psalm 119:137-144
Psalm 138Proverbs 18

Day 19:

Psalm 19Psalm 49Psalm 79Psalm 109Psalm 119:145-152
Psalm 139Proverbs 19

Day 20:

Psalm 20Psalm 50Psalm 80Psalm 110Psalm 119:153-160
Psalm 140Proverbs 20

Day 21:

Psalm 21Psalm 51Psalm 81Psalm 111Psalm 119:161-168
Psalm 141Proverbs 21

Day 22:

Psalm 22Psalm 52Psalm 82Psalm 112Psalm 119:169-176
Psalm 142Proverbs 22(Ps. 119 finished)

Day 23:

Psalm 23Psalm 53Psalm 83Psalm 113Psalm 143
Proverbs 23

Day 24:

Psalm 24Psalm 54Psalm 84Psalm 114Psalm 144
Proverbs 24

Day 25:

Psalm 25Psalm 55Psalm 85Psalm 115Psalm 145
Proverbs 25

Day 26:

Psalm 26Psalm 56Psalm 86Psalm 116Psalm 146
Proverbs 26

Day 27:

Psalm 27Psalm 57Psalm 87Psalm 117Psalm 147
Proverbs 27

Day 28:

Psalm 28Psalm 58Psalm 88Psalm 118Psalm 148
Proverbs 28

Day 29:

Psalm 29Psalm 59Psalm 89Psalm 119Psalm 149
Proverbs 29

Day 30:

Psalm 30Psalm 60Psalm 90Psalm 120Psalm 150
Proverbs 30

Day 31: (If there aren’t 31 days in the month, skips this one)

Psalm 31Psalm 61Psalm 91Psalm 121Proverbs 31

Beside the Still Waters

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On October 6, 2021

In Beside the Still Waters, Bible Studies, Christian Living, Christian Walk, Devotionals, Spiritual Growth

Photography by Bob Sabo

There are times when a believer needs to sit by the still waters and be encouraged by God’s Word. The words of life are found in the Scriptures. This devotional was originally done in 2006 and deals with various issues of life. I wrote it to be a blessing for a friend of mine with a chronic illness. Every person needs someone in their life to walk beside them in time of need. Just as we need that Balm of Gilead to heal our wounds, we need the spiritual Balm of Gilead to heal us spiritually.

My prayer is that you will be encouraged.

Are You Moving Forward?

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On September 22, 2021

In Bible Studies, Christian Living, Christian Walk, Spiritual Growth

Written in April 2008

Backsliding – we’ve all heard the term and some Christians are even in this state as I’m writing this. The term is not used in the New Testament but is found in Jeremiah:

Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. ~Jeremiah 8:5

According to Noah Webster, the word perpetual means:

1. Never ceasing; continuing forever in future time; destined to be eternal; as a perpetual covenant; a perpetual statute

Notice Jeremiah uses the terms perpetual, holding fast to deceit, refusing to return. The born-again Christian who is stirred by the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, will be under conviction when he/she sins against God. It is when we quench the Holy Spirit that we find ourselves in a state such as this. We all go through a dry spell from time to time. But when one is in this state all the time, it is very dangerous. We blaspheme the Word of God with our actions.

A Christian will either be moving forward for the Lord as he submits himself to God’s will for his life, or he will be standing still or moving backwards. Standing still can be just as bad as going in reverse, my friend. Neither one of these produces anything positive for the Lord. A believer who is stirred in his spirit by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit cannot stand still and will not go backward. He will move forward as he submits to the hand of the Potter. The stagnant believer, as well as the one who is going back to his old ways, is submitting to the work of the devil in his life.

~James 4:7-10 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (7) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. ( 8 ) Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. (9) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (10)

The reason we get this is way is because we have strayed from God – we have not submitted ourselves totally to His will for our lives. That is why the devil can “have his way” in our lives. Verse 7 says that if we submit to God and resist the devil’s tactics in our lives, he (the devil) will flee from us. James was writing to believers and, therefore, he is not talking about being demon possessed here. The devil can influence us with distractions – he can cause the lust of our flesh to work against us. The devil can even use God’s work to distract us. If we are all consumed with doing the Lord’s work yet leaving our spiritual life aside, it is a distraction and it is keeping us away from our First Love!

Notice verse 8: Many quote the first part of this verse but they fail to quote the rest, which is what we must do to draw nigh to a Holy God: Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

  1. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners – I don’t believe the Lord is telling us to wash our hands here – I believe He is asking us to examine our lives and wash away what is unpleasing to Him: ungodly music, unacceptable TV programming, etc. (you know what your weaknesses are). ~ James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
  2. Purify your hearts – Christ must be at the center of our hearts after salvation. Purify (according to Noah Webster) is to free ourselves from pollution. What is polluting your life today? It could be the things you discovered about yourself in the previous verse. It could be your walk with the Lord. Are you praying? Are you reading the Word? If not, go back to 12 o’clock in your spiritual walk and start over. Again, remember your First Love. When you don’t feed your body food, it becomes weak and you waste away. If you do not feed your spiritual body the Heavenly manna found in the Word and follow its convictions, you starve spiritually and your spiritual self will waste away. To the believer, conviction should be hard at work in the heart at this point. Don’t just listen to conviction but apply conviction to your life. This is the only way you will experience change and forward movement in your spiritual walk.
  3. Ye double minded – When you are away from the Word long enough, you become double minded. You do not hold the same “standards and convictions” as before. You begin to doubt your convictions or slack off. You are unsettled in your thoughts. God provides your with conviction and you do not heed His command for you. This is not of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. That is why you are unsettled in your heart and you are not at peace.

So what do you do to get out of this rutt?

~Rev 2:4-5 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. (4) Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. (5)

Return to the joy of your salvation day. Remember when you were in the Word every chance you got and you obeyed the voice of God when He told you to repent from a certain sin? Get back into the Word – obey His voice. As you start your new plan, don’t over schedule your time in the Word to the point where you will fail. Some people have the right intentions and spend 2-3 hours in the Word right from the git go. Although this is admirable, it may not be what is needed right here and now to keep you motivated and continuing to move forward. The devil will see your intentions and will cause all kinds of distractions to come your way. Instead, until you have re-established your habit, keep your time in the Word manageable. Schedule it like any appointment in your life. A scheduled appointment is more likely to be kept than to face the day with a list of things to do and no rhyme nor reason in its timing.

It’s O.K. to say no to too many commitments. After all, we don’t have to do everything that we are asked to do. Saying no is not that bad  Look over what things you have committed to. See if some can be eliminated. If you’re in a quandry as to which one to eliminate, ask your husband or a spiritual adviser and get their opinion. A wife’s primary role in life is the Lord – right after that, she is to be a helpmeet to her husband. Then next on her list is to be a good mother. Church activities, ladies meetings, etc. must not take priority over these. When we have our priorities in order, everything else falls into place. If you must say no, simply say, “I would love to do this, however, I will have to say no at this time.” Simple – to the point – and usually no one pushes for a better answer after they hear no. 

Don’t delay – don’t procrastinate – don’t give up! You’re under conviction for a reason and that is because of the Holy Spirit’s work in your heart. Once you are back in the Word, being nourished by the Spirit and heeding His convictions, you will see this discouragement melt away!

Will I Come Forth As Gold

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On September 22, 2021

In Bible Studies, Christian Living, Christian Walk, Spiritual Growth, Trials

Photography by Chris Michaud

(Job 23:10) But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

I’ve seen study after study and devotion after devotion on this verse. But until you personally experience a series of trials in your own life, and experience this verse, you really can’t fully appreciate what others are trying to explain. So it was for me! Although I was greatly blessed by reading those studies, I have to admit that it wasn’t until recently that I have fully appreciated Job 23:10! For those of you who do not know, I have two sons. Aaron just joined the U.S. Army and is at Basic Combat Training in Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. Adam is a U.S. Marine and is wrapping up his MOS training in Coronado, CA. My husband and I recently sold our house and downsized to a two-bedroom apartment! We were planning our retirement and were scheduled to leave Virginia after May 1st. That is, until we found out a couple of weeks ago that John has been diagnosed with cancer. Radiation, chemo, surgery and follow-up treatments are what lie in store. I truly praise the Lord that at least I have my sons and my husband! I have not suffered as Job suffered, that is for sure! But I can surely sympathize with him and understand his account so much more as I go through these trials.

It is the first part of the verse that spoke to my heart, actually. The Lord knows the way that I take! This brings me much comfort knowing that my Shepherd knows my way. He has seen the future and knows the results of all that is going on in my life! My Creator, who has numbered the very hairs on my head, knows me intimately and cares for me. No matter how discouraged I may get, I can turn to the Word and the Lord gives me something that encourages my heart! (Psa 61:2) From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Our Heavenly Father hears our pleas of despair and comes to our rescue! (Psa 18:6) In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Thank You, Lord! I glorify Your Name on high!

Job’s reputation has followed him through the ages because he was able to claim this verse in the Bible. Even to this day, we hear the phrase “He has the patience of Job.” The trials that this man suffered are unbelievable, aren’t they? Job was attacked on every side by ole slew foot! The devil attacked Job’s character, he attacked Job’s belongings (cattle, etc.), he attacked Job’s servants, he attacked Job’s family, and he attacked Job’s own body! There is no one, that I know of personally, who has been through each of these in his life time – let alone within just a few weeks! I have learned that the Lord never gives us more than we can bear! With each burden, he provides us encouragement along the way. It is up to us to search out that encouragement! The Word should be our main source of encouragement! The title of my blog shows who that Source is: (Psa 121:1) [A Song of degrees.] I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. (Psa 121:2) My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

I also noticed that Job did not get to the point where he cursed the day he was born until after his friends came to “comfort” him! The devil kept attacking him and saw that he could not succeed so he sent along people he could “use” to accomplish his goal – discouragement. Where do you sit today, my friend? Are you one in need of encouragement or are you to be used of God to do the encouraging? Are you the type of friend that Job had? As I searched my heart, I realized that although I was experiencing trials of my own, there are many out there who are going through things that make mine look like child’s play! What kind of friend am I to those dear ones who are suffering?

If you are one who is experiencing trials today, do you surround yourself with whiners, complainers and nay sayers? It is these types of friends who will drag you down spiritually. Surround yourself with people who love the Lord, will pray for you and are there to lend an ear just in case you need one. Turn to your spiritual mentors who will not allow you to wallow in self-pity but will help you out of the pit of despair. You cannot expect someone who cannot swim to rescue you from drowning! Therefore, do not turn to those Christians who will nurture your discouragement instead of lifting you up in the Lord.

I don’t know why the Lord laid this on my heart today. Maybe I will need this down the road – or maybe you are going through a similar trial and need to be encouraged! With that said, won’t you say as Job did, (Job 23:10) But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Being a Good Sister

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On September 22, 2021

In Bible Studies, Christian Living, Christian Walk, Spiritual Growth

What is a friend? I think we can all think of one special person (not our husbands) who we can say is a very dear and close friend. I think of my dear friend, Vicky, who lives in my home town in Maine. Not only were we best friends all our lives, but our mothers were best friends also. We were always together. The Lord used Vicky to lead me to Him! What a wonderful friend she is and she is also my sister in Christ as well as my spiritual mother.

I think before we can look at the verses which talk about what a friend should be to YOU, let’s look at what God’s Word says about what kind of a friend WE should be. Proverbs 18:24 “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” The Lord tells us that before we can have friends to call our own (I’m not talking about acquaintances here), we must FIRST be friendly. Why do you think God threw this verse in here? The ball is in our court here. We have to be the initiator of friendships. Don’t wait for someone to come to you … go to them.

I remember when we switched churches and how I dreaded the thought of starting over in getting to know a new group of ladies. I’m a friendly person but I have to really work at being outgoing and the “first one” to start a conversation. Some women, on the other hand, are extremely shy and would rather die than to start a conversation with new people. Instead, they wait for those others to make the first move. Then you have those ladies who are just naturally friendly and outgoing and can talk to anyone! Which lady are you like? Whichever lady you are like, you must FIRST be friendly, right?

Let’s look on to what God’s Word says about the “qualities” of a friend so that we can learn to be this kind of friend. Firstly, we’re told a friend’s love doesn’t have a time table. Proverbs 17:17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. God says that you must love your friend at ALL times. You cannot be a “fair weather” friend, can you? You must love this friend at ALL times. I like that little three-letter word, “all”. It’s so small, yet it packs such a punch! You must love your friend whether she has her makeup on or whether she just got out of bed!

You must love her when she’s having good days as well as when she’s having bad days. You must love her and DEFEND her then walk away when others are “having her for lunch” in their gossip session! You must love her when YOU’RE having bad days. She should not just receive your love when you feel like giving it to her. It should be constant and consistent.

Next, God’s Word says that you must be faithful to your friend in spiritual matters as well. Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. You should love your friend so much that you will reprove and correct her spiritually when she sins. Of course, you do this with love and it is received with love. If she were to be walking off a cliff, you would stop her right? You should do the same for her spiritually. How you ask? Here’s a good example (one that I have experienced myself). Have you ever heard her dishonor her husband in her conversations with you when he’s not around? You KNOW better and you know that this will not bring God’s blessings upon her when she does this. Do you lovingly correct her with the verses she needs from God’s Word? Or do you let it go because you’re afraid to hurt her? Do you think you’ve helped her by not saying anything? No, what you’ve actually done is leave the door open for God to punish your friend.

Do you want God’s punishment on her? Of course you don’t. That’s why as a true and good friend, you should share with her things even if they will temporarily hurt her or cause her embarrassment. I have been spiritually corrected by two or three women in my life time whom I have respected. I didn’t despise them for their correction but was thankful that they loved me so much to help me and guide me. This is one characteristic of a friend which needs much prayer and forethought before exercising it.

Thirdly, a friend is spiritually wise, which means to be a good friend you must be in the Word and walking with the Lord. Proverbs 27:9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel. A friend gives sound biblical counsel to you when you are in need. At times the Lord works through a dear friend to speak to us. It reminded me of another verse: Proverbs 15:23 “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!”

A true friend will have words spoken in due season for you. They will be spiritual words that have been thought about and prayed over before speaking. I’ve seen too many times where women have opened their mouths and voice opinions and have only served to hurt the very person they were trying to help. Be sure you know this is what the Lord would have you say. Think before you give counsel. Pray before you give counsel. Look up verses before you give counsel. God will direct you for the benefit of your friend.

Fourthly, you must sharpen your friend’s countenance. Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” How can you sharpen a friend’s countenance? I can think of encouraging words, sweet words (Scriptures) in time of need, rejoicing when she rejoices, weeping when she weeps. The countenance is another word for face. You can see a bright and happy face here if the sharpening has been of the Lord. I see someone whose friend has been encouraging her, uplifting her, rejoicing with her to the point where her countenance is affected. This means that this friend is close to her and knows her very well. Haven’t you ever been down in the dumps only to open your mail and find a sweet card from a dear friend that says exactly what you needed it to say? Didn’t that make your gloomy face change to a smiling one? Your countenance had just been sharpened by this friend! In turn, this is the kind of sharpening you must do to your friend.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the verses dealing with friends. I picked the qualities of a friend that I enjoy in my dear friend and expounded on those qualities. I’m sure you can all contribute several other verses and qualities that you see in your dear friend as well. Take a moment and meditate on what your dear friend means to you and what you like most about her. Thank God for her in your life and make a commitment to be that kind of friend to her or to someone else that the Lord has laid on your heart.

Now that we have seen what a friend IS … how can we, personally, BE that friend to someone else? This will take work on our part. Anything that we want bad enough, we must work for. As we first saw in the beginning in Prov. 18:24, we must FIRST show ourselves friendly before we can be blessed with a friend such as this. What can we do to teach ourselves to be this kind of friend to others? Let’s read on.

Incorporate your gift(s) from the Lord in nurturing your friendship. What gift(s) has the Lord blessed you with? Are you craftsy? Do you love to write poetry? Do you love to play the piano? Do you love to send cards? Do you love to cook? Do you love to sew? Take this gift that God has blessed you with and use it to bless your friend! I told you earlier that I wasn’t excited about having to get to know another group of ladies. I love to send note cards to folks. So I used this “love” to write to each of the ladies in the church thanking them for welcoming me and my family into their church family. This opened doors with these ladies and it did not take long before we got to know each other better.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

If you love to sew, make your friend(s) a Bible book cover or apron… you know, a “just because” you love her gift. If you love to play the piano, record yourself playing some of her favorite hymns and give her the cassette  If you love to cook? Next time you make lasagna or whatever, make a little extra for her and her family. We always seem to wonder what we can do to bless our friend. There are so many ways. Can’t think of anything? Does your friend have children?

Babysitters are so expensive, why not offer your time to her? Watch her
children while she goes out shopping or watch them so she and hubby can have a date. Many times, the BEST gift we can give our friend is our “time”!

Praying is the BEST thing we can do for our friend(s). The BEST thing we
can do for our friend is to lift her needs daily before the Throne. There are always things that we don’t ask God about for ourselves… your friend probably has things she would never ask God about but YOU could ask God on her behalf.  Ask her periodically what she needs you to pray about. Ask her to be specific, for example, baby needs new shoes this month or your friend would really like to have material to make a couple of new dresses. Lift your friend up to God frequently and thank God for placing her in your life. Ask Him to show you ways to be a better friend to her. Ask Him to show you what areas He wants to use you in. God loves a willing vessel.

Now … take your abilities of prayer, gifts, & love and get to work at being the best friend you can possibly be.

In closing, your gift of friendship does not need to be limited to just one or two friends. Be a blessing to someone in need. Be a friend to someone who is in need of a friend. I’m sure there is a lady in your church who needs befriending. I’m sure you can think of someone right now that appears lonely. Is there a widow in your church family? Is there a lady whose family lives out-of-state and she’s alone? If you can’t find someone, ask your pastor or your pastor’s wife if they know someone who could use a friend like you.

God bless you as you hone your “friend” skills in light of God’s Word.

The Fool

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On September 22, 2021

In Bible Studies, Christian Living, Christian Walk, Spiritual Growth

Written in January 2008

Sixty-three times, the Bible talks about “the fool” or “a fool.” What an eye opening topical study! Why would God concentrate so much on this teaching? We will let the Word speak for itself because the Word has all the answers to every question under the sun. (Ecc 1:9b) …and there is no new thing under the sun. I thought it would be interesting to see what defines a fool.

1. The fool is a sinner:The first time the phrase “the fool” is used in the Bible is in (1 Sam 26:21) Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. The word is defined clearly here. There is no mistakening that the fool is a sinner who does harm to others and makes mistakes to a very great degree. This is not my interpretation but that of Noah Webster. Noah defines exceedingly as:

To a very great degree; in a degree beyond what is usual; greatly; very much.

2. The fool says there’s no God:

(Psa 14:1) [To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.] The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

(Psa 53:1) [To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David.] The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

3. The fool troubles his own house:

(Pro 11:29) He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

4. The fool loves evil:

(Pro 14:16) A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.

5. The fool will receive his due:

(Pro 26:3) A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.

(Pro 26:10) The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

6. The fool walks in darkness:

(Ecc 2:14) The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

7. The fool is lazy and will destroy himself and his household:

(Ecc 4:5) The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

8. The fool does not recognize nor understand that God is in creation:

(Psa 92:6) A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.

9. The fool is easily captured by fleshly lusts and desires, i.e. adultery, prostitution:

(Pro 7:22) He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

10. The fool is a liar and a slanderer:

(Pro 10:18 ) He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

11. The fool does mischief:

(Pro 10:23) It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

Noah Webster definse mischief as:

Harm; hurt; injury; damage; evil, whether intended or not.

12. The fool thinks he’s O.K. and doesn’t listen to wise counsel:

(Pro 12:15) The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

13. The fool has a hot temper:

(Pro 12:16) A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.

(Pro 18:6) A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

(Pro 18:7) A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

(Pro 27:3) A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.

14. The fool spreads his foolish talk and actions to all in his path:

(Pro 13:16) Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.

(Pro 17:7) Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.

(Pro 29:11) A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.

(Ecc 10:3) Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

(Ecc 10:12) The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

15. The fool hates his instruction:

(Pro 15:5) A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

(Pro 17:10) A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

16. The fool does not seek to find wisdom with his money because he does not desire it:

(Pro 17:16) Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

17. Parents have no joy in having a fool for a child:

(Pro 17:21) He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

18. The fool has no wisdom and he is searching all over for fulfillment:

(Pro 17:24) Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

(Pro 18:2) A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

19. The fool is stubborn:

(Pro 19:1) Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Noah Webster definse “perverse” as:

2. Obstinate in the wrong; disposed to be contrary; stubborn; untractable

20. The fool does not take delight in spiritual matters:

(Pro 19:10) Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes. John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states:

they do not know how to make a right use of their prosperity; nor to moderate their enjoyments, pleasures, and delights. Some understand this of spiritual delight in the Lord; in his ways and ordinances, which wicked men are strangers to: and a very uncomely thing it is for such persons to talk of spiritual joy and delight, and of their communion with God, when they live in sin;

(Pro 23:9) Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

(Pro 24:7) Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

21. The fool repeatedly goes back to his old ways:

(Pro 26:11) As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

22. The fool thinks he’s on the right path:

(Pro 26:12) Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

(Pro 28:26) He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

23. The fool does not change after chastisement:

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

24. The fool speaks before he thinks:

(Pro 29:20) Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

(Ecc 5:3) For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.

25. The fool is at a loss when making decisions of importance:

(Ecc 10:2) A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.

Spiritual House Cleaning

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On September 22, 2021

In Bible Studies, Christian Living, Christian Walk, Spiritual Growth

Luke 10:38-42, Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

I love how God puts examples in the Bible that help us to learn His lessons for us. Here are two women, both raised in the same family but yet very different. There are a few spiritual applications we could glean here, that’s for sure. Martha could be an example of a person who is not saved and does not desire the things of God. It could be that Martha represents the saved woman who has not studied to show herself approved unto God. It could be that Martha represents the woman who has been saved a long time and has become comfortable in her Christian walk and feels she doesn’t need to grow spiritually anymore so she “works” a lot. Which Martha are you today, ladies?

Luke points that that Martha was “cumbered, careful and troubled about many things.” She was expecting Jesus and many others in her home. She was busy in her thoughts, laying out plans, what dishes to use, what meal to make, housework needed to be done, and everything in its place. In fact, these thoughts obsessed her so much so that she went to Jesus saying, “There’s so much to do, tell Mary to come help me!” Think about this for a minute. If you were receiving guests in your home and your sister wasn’t helping you with preparing, would you go to your guest and ask them to tell your sister to get to work? Is it me or was this a strange request to make? I think this goes deeper than meets the eye, don’t you? I think Martha wanted to draw attention to herself and all the work she had one by herself. SHE wanted the credit, in my opinion.

Jesus saw through this and told her that she was caught up in what needed to be done but was leaving her spiritual life unattended. He came right out and told her that Mary had chosen the good part and that this spiritual nourishment would not be taken away from her.

Is your spiritual housework all done, ladies? Is your house nice and spotless but your Bible study life is not? Do you put emphasis on cleaning your house but you leave your spiritual housework undone? What can we do to have a spiritually house clean?

1. Ask God to show you those secret sins in your heart and confess them.
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. (Psa 19:12)

2. Ask God to show you all your sins and to wash you thoroughly from them so you don’t repeat them. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (Psa 51:2)

3. How can we continually cleanse our hearts? By taking HEED to the Word. Not just reading it but taking HEED to it. BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (Psa 119:9)

4. Again, the Word washes. It helps us to stay clean. What happens to water as it goes into a colander? It goes through the colander, right? But the colander is cleaned by that water, even though the water does not stay contained in it. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Eph 5:26) The same with our spiritual lives. We may not remember everything we read in the Word or study, but continual reading and studying helps us to stay clean.

5. Getting closer to God will clean our hearts. It will bring conviction, repentance and a need to ask forgiveness from the Father. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (Jam 4:8)

6. Abstain from worldly lusts. The things of this world have a lot to offer the flesh. Think in your hearts today what worldly things God is revealing to your heart right now. Is it TV? Is it music? Is it a book? Is it a distraction that keeps you from His Word? Any of these things distract. (2Co 6:18) Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2Co 7:1)

Are you having difficulties saying no to the things this world offers? Are you having difficulties in your spiritual walk in general? Do a spiritual house cleaning today. Ask God to show you what He wants cleaned out. You probably already know what needs cleaning. Then ask the Lord to help you keep your spiritual house clean. He can, He will and He promises to help you. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1Jo 4:4)

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