God’s blessing on everyone and I hope that you spend this day with family and friends praising and enjoying God and each other. As I sat here in my secret place, contemplating what was being dropped in my spirit, I remembered from the last few messages that the grace of God has been rolling through the group and there is also a theme of judgment that is impending for those that don’t live under grace. I’m led to share Proverbs chapter 1 with you this morning as a reminder of the things of God. Stay blessed.
Today’s Prayer
Most gracious heavenly Father, many of us as leaders, ministers and teachers come together in September to consider the year ahead, and the opportunities that it will present to share Your Word with others. We ask Your help as we seek to be Your ambassadors in a hurting and confused world. Remind us that we each need to be open to Christian growth, knowledge, and understanding that can only come from spending time in Your Word, and seeking the Holy Spirit’s interpretive guidance and direction. Remind us too that Your will never take us beyond where Your grace can sustain us! Help us, as leaders, to truly commit ourselves to pray, and to work diligently to help our local church to become more nearly like the Church that You first envisioned! Lord, as we try to grow in faith and knowledge, help us to become more dedicated ambassadors, that others will desire to know You. It’s I Jesus’ name that we present this and all things, Amen and Amen.
Let’s eat.
Grace and Judgment
(Proverbs 1)
The Purpose of Proverbs
These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
A Father’s Exhortation: Acquire Wisdom
8 My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck. My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! They may say, “Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent! Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave; let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death. Think of the great things we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take. Come, throw in your lot with us; we’ll all share the loot.” My child, don’t go along with them! Stay far away from their paths. They rush to commit evil deeds. They hurry to commit murder. If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away. But these people set an ambush for themselves; they are trying to get themselves killed. Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life.
Wisdom Shouts in the Streets
Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate: “How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge? Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise.
God calling and giving Grace; Man Refusing
“I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered.
Judgment; Man Fearing
So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you— when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm you. “When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”
Quote of the Day
When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.
Corrie Ten Boom
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REV. ELDER G E STERRETT
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