Epaggelia

Key Text: Proverbs 5:1-18, & 1^st Cor. 6:9-20.

Honey turning to Wormwood? v1-4. The bitter oil of the wormwood plant is toxic and can kill, so Solomon uses it to describe the after-effect of sweet temptations from women. When a man’s curiosity is blended with time to contemplate his sexual desire, this sweetness can immediately be tasted & enjoyed, but it is always ultimately disastrous. Adultery can kill, v5. The law of Moses sentenced adulterers to death, Lev. 20:10. Today, the price of adultery is paid in many costly ways, if not sooner, than later, and no one can afford it, Prv. 6:29. Foolish but beautiful women know this allurement, and every Christian man must be equally aware of what they are really doing. This can preserve your purity. Purity grows in value if we… 

Maintain discretion, v2. If women do not try to dress and act discreetly, then men will find it difficult to maintain discretion. So don’t go ‘near her door’. Be aware of the opposite gender’s natural inclination to be pleasing and behave accordingly! 1Cor. 7:33-34.

Safeguard knowledge, v2. If we are talking about the truth, and keep focused on the facts, then the deceptions of the opposite sex will be exposed for what they truly are. Malachi 2:6-7

Keep Vitality, v9. The honourable beauty of a virgin (male & female) is to be persevered and counted precious. This lends towards longevity of life. Romans 1:24-27. 

Regret vs. Forgiveness. King David experienced paying the price for adultery, and yet lived to enjoy forgiveness. However, regret was a very real and lingering effect he took to the grave, Read 1Kings 2, and understand the enduring struggle between Solomon & Adonijah which disturbed David to his death. David’s adultery had consequences which forgiveness from God did not erase. Remember Galatians 6:7-8. God can forgive us and totally forget our sins for eternity. But the consequences can linger for a few generations to come. Compare Psalm 103:10-12 & Exodus 34:6-9.

Pleasure in Your Own Spouse, v18. God instituted monogamous marriage (Gen. 2:24 & Mt. 19:6-12) for several reasons, one of which is safe & enjoyable sex. Erotic love within marriage is the only place you can find sex which is truly safe and simultaneously pleasurably fulfilling. If we express eros outside marriage we become lost in our own stupidity, v23. The very nature of erotic love is too intimate for sharing with more than one.  This should be obvious, but these verses warn us all, because our own desires and temptations from outside are strong and plenty. Even ignorant atheists know that sex is potentially very dangerous, but who knows where safe sex can be found?

Key Text: Proverbs 4:1-19 & 24:12 

Solomon is telling all his sons, what their grandfather first told him. This reminds us that God uses parents to instill wisdom by example in our hearts as a child. Listening seems to be a lost art today, in years past before television, we listened to stories and the radio, but today we are more visual in our learning than audible. This fact makes your living visual example more important in the eyes of your children and lost neighbors, friends and family.  We may learn a valuable lesson from the Proverbs, if we take the time to write down our own experiences and life-lessons for our children to read, instead of just relying on them listening to us. As important as hobbies, vacations, household chores and family leisure might be, there is nothing as important as parental advice and the sharing of experience with God’s wisdom. Instead of telling our children they MUST get a good college education, or they MUST keep trying to get a better job, or they MUST a good retirement account or investment, we SHOULD be telling them to GET WISDOM! There is no greater joy than to see your children walk in truth, 3^rd John v4.  This is more than making sure your children get to Bible class on Sunday! The commandment with promise from Ephesians 6:2, is reiterated here in Proverbs 4:10. It is a true generalization that if we live our life practicing God’s wisdom, we will extend our days to accomplish more for God’s glory on earth, than if we live according to the world’s ‘wisdom’, see Luke 16:15.There are more rewards too! Loving and embracing wisdom is promised to bring us Protection (v6), Exaltation & Honor (v8), and Grace & Beauty (v9). Jesus taught that we will be rewarded for our deeds for eternity, Mt. 16:26-27. We often get confused about rewards and salvation. Our rewards are blessings here on earth and within heaven, but our salvation is based on God’s grace accepting our soul’s faith, not our works and a wise lifestyle in our body. Do not confuse the two. God’s acceptance of us is based on our genuine faith in His son’s blood, which leads to Him securing our salvation, then afterwards, there are even more rewards in heaven than what we have experienced on earth. He will repay each of us according to our works, Romans 2:6, 2^nd Tim. 4:14-16, 1^st Peter 1:17, Rev. 2:23, 20:12-13, 22:12. In all of these very critical passages warning those who have lived foolishly and hindered their brothers & sisters in Christ, it is ominous that their salvation is not spoken of, but yet their rewards seem to be obliterated and they rest under God’s chastisement with their salvation at risk, not necessarily revoked. See 1^st Cor. 3:12-15, to help keep your view of salvation and rewards distinctly different.  Proverbs 24:12.

The Straight Paths, mentioned in verse 11 are exactly what Jesus was teaching on in Matthew 7:14, in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, Mt. 7:21-23, therefore your salvation ultimately depend on whether or not you accept the right WAY or path. Jesus said He was the Way, John 14:6. Zacharias saw this prophetically when John the immersionist was an infant, Luke 1:78. Do you help people see the pathway to peace? They need your help, Prv. 4:18-19.

The Path of the Wicked, seen in verse 14, is the way which seems right to humanity in the world, Proverbs 16:25, it leads to our own destruction. That way is broad, wide and easy to walk, the people who desire it may say Jesus is Lord, but they do not live like Jesus is Lord, Mt. 7:21. The Lordship of Jesus in our life will characterize us with humility, repentance, wisdom and self-sacrificial love, Luke 9:23.

Which Path will you choose? We choose one everyday, whether we realize it or not, make yourself aware of which Path you really desire and walk upon.

Key Text: Psalm 40:1-16
Why Praise God? The Hebrew word for “Jew” (Est. 2:5), is a derivative of “OWDEH”, meaning to praise. Gen. 29:35.

1. Because no other creature but humans can sing as an expression of love & thankfulness.

2. Because when we patiently cry, He hears & answers! Psalm 40:1

3. Because God not only answers, but He delivers us from trouble on earth, delivering salvation in heaven! Psalm 40:2-3.

4. Because He put a new song in our heart and has given us a new name. Psalm 40:3, Isa. 62:2 & Acts 11:26, 26:28, 1st Peter 4:6

5. Because God not only delivers salvation, but He also blesses us in countless ways here and now! Psalm 40:5-10, 16, James 5:13

6. Because God views our praise as a fulfilment of prophecy in the body of Christ, Heb. 2:9-13, Psa. 22:22.

7. Because God views our praise as a sacrifice! Hebrews 13:15

8. Because God can teach us when we sing, Colossians 3:16.

9. Because God uses our praise to strengthen our resolve & help continue growing in His Spirit, and win over sin! Mat. 26:30, Mk.14:26, Acts 16:25, 2nd Chron. 20:17-22, Ephesians 5:18-20.

For all the reasons above and probably more that I will learn of in the future, I will forever fix my will daily, to praise Him. When evil days come that I feel even God is against me and I want to give up. I will try to plead my concerns to Christ my intercessor. Why? So that I might build up in my heart a new desire to praise Him. Remember Job 13:15.

Key Text: Matthew 6:5-15 

We all need to be decisively determined to pray with confidence. Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time, Hebrews 4:16. If we lack confidence to pray, it is probably because of a lack of discipleship to the prayers of Jesus. Matthew 6:5-15, is one of the best passages to start working on to develop our lifestyle of prayer.  After all, if we feel spiritually powerless, it may likely be that we are faithless in our prayer, or absent of prayer altogether. One of the greatest needs of Christians is to be devoted to prayer, Colossians 4:2. We indeed may be ignorant about what answer to expect and what exactly to ask for, but we should not be ignorant about the need and act of prayer itself, Romans 8:26. We should be determined to ask, as the disciples asked, “Lord teach us to pray”, Luke 11:1. The person who does not pray, is really no better off than Christians who do not know how to pray. Having some kind of method or discipline of prayer, is better than having none!

Jesus gave us a starting place in Matthew 6:5-15. Notice the brevity of this prayer, Matthew’s account gives 64 words, and Luke’s account gives us 37 words. Firstly we learn that whatever method of prayer we use, it should be straight to the point and understood. If we don’t really know why we are saying what we are saying, we will either quit, or keep going aimlessly. The religiously pious people Jesus saw and derided, were on street corners getting rewarded for their prayers from men, Mt. 6:5, so obviously our method of prayer should not reflect an outward appearance, but rather we should be praying in such a way, that reflects an inward humility and sincerity. Do we search in our prayers, to be rewarded by God, and not men? Hebrews 11:6. This an obvious goal in prayer. Mt. 6:9 is filled with reverence because of the holiness of God the Father, which Jesus wanted to impress upon his disciples, Lev. 19:2 & Isa. 6:3. His name represents His power, and without God’s strength, we are helpless to live holy lives. This address in verse 9, is a type of praise, and helps us keep our hearts open for his strength.

 Jesus prayed publicly, and also taught his disciples to pray privately. The place of prayer isn’t real important to God, it’s the attitude that counts. Jesus prayed at his baptism, (Lk. 3:21), before crowds (Lk. 9:16) and on the cross (Lk. 23:34), but also privately on the mount being transfigured, (Lk. 9:28) and in the garden of Gethsemane (Mt. 26:39-44), and all night before selecting his twelve apostles (Lk. 6:12). Therefore he didn’t condemn praying for a long time, what he condemned was the meaningless repetition. If we follow His example, our private prayers should be longer, and our public prayers should be short. But the effect will be lasting on and on…

Key Text: Proverbs 3:1-12 & 34 

BIND MERCY & TRUTH AROUND YOUR NECK, v3Mercy & Truth are virtues which are like keys, you don’t want to be without, keep them on your body to use at all times. They can also be compared to a soldiers I.D. tags around his neck, so that he can be identified anytime, anywhere. Jesus reminded religious people to never forget mercy as a weightier matter that they cannot afford to lose, Mt. 23:23. He grew in Mercy & Truth, before He could bring these qualities of perfection to the world, Lk. 2:52. The boy Jesus knew what it was like to learn about them, put them on, EVERYDAY, so that he grew in wisdom. God never expects us to do something He wasn’t first willing to do Himself. How do you wear Mercy & Truth? If you don’t wear them all the time, you can fall out of favor with God and lose a good reputation with your neighbors. This is one of the first steps in becoming a real disciple. 

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, v5When we hear the truth from the words of Jesus, we should put our trust in Him and not trust our own version of the ‘truth’. God’s opinion is far better to trust than our own in any subject, Eph. 1:12-13. In order to win God’s approval and look good in His sight, we need to prayerfully study God’s word so that we can correctly understand the word of truth in the right context, 2^nd Timothy 2:15. When we deliberately do something that we know God says is wrong, we have immediately placed our trust in our self, instead of Him. This is discipleship in action. Faith without deeds is dead, Jas. 2:17. Our heart is a tablet God can write upon, 2^nd Cor. 3:3, will we submit it and let Him write? 

DO NOT DESPISE THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD, v11The New Covenant of Jesus only records this act of God once in the entire New Testament, which proves that chastening is not a priority of God, but rather a necessity. A little of the Lord’s disciple if taken in the right way by ourselves, can go along way, and have great affect. Hebrews 12:5-6, is a divine commentary on this proverb. God disciplines us because He loves us, and since He is full of justice and practices righteousness, His discipline is always perfect, Jer. 9:23-24. Never forget the truth of Prv. 17:10, when enduring the pain of any event which you feel is the Lord’s chastening, the truth sets us free and embellishes the God’s lessons of life on our heart. The fruit of holiness is worth the price of the pain. 

HE SCORNS THE SCORNFUL, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE, v 34

James 4:6-10, Any exhaltation is pure grace, because none of us deserves to be exhalted by our Omnipotent Creator,  God the Father, please read 1^st Peter 5:5-6.  If we  believe that He exhalts so highly so as to keep our name written in the Lamb’s book of life, and that He truly cares for us personally, then there is no enemy evil enough to make us fall, not even the roaring lion himself, 1^st Peter 5:8-9. However, the Lord’s view of people who mock Christianity is dim, see Psalm 138:6. We need always to consider how near or far we are in God’s sight. He is Omniscient, but His personal recognition of sinners, is dim towards people who won’t get personal with Him. Associating with the humble, will help us remember our place before God, Romans 12:16.

Key Texts: Prv. 2:1-15 & Matthew 13:34 & James 1:5 

We can not gain a meaningful relationship with God as mere happenstance, anymore than we can gain a spouse or even a close friend. We must…

Incline our ear

Apply our heart

Cry out and search avidly for His wisdom

Accepting and practicing this advice will protect us from sin. It is good for us to train our soul to search for God’s wisdom, this blesses Him and He blesses us. Prv. 2:1, Heb. 11:6 & Psa. 103:1-4. Whether we are searching for God or not, once we find Him, we should recognize the benefits and blessings He offers, and be willing to SELL ALL to grow in His wisdom, power and blessings, Matthew 13:44-45. How do we “incline”, “apply” and “search avidly”? (v2-3). By prayerfully reading His word and discovering his nature and will. In prayerful reading, we should actively ask God for understanding. That is truly to “incline our ear”. Then when we understand, we should prayerfully ask Him to strengthen us to practice what we understand. Without His strength, we will not apply wisdom. Then of course, we need to KEEP searching for more and grow in His nature. This is easier for you as a Christian, than it was for any faithful Jew, absent of God’s Spirit in their heart. Rom. 8:9 & Gal. 5:22-23.  

Since God is our creator, He knows what will work best for us and help us be completely satisfied and whole. He will protect those who try to live righteously and help our pathway be successful, 2:6-8.  A Selfish Greedy Christian, or a Devoted Mormon Elder?Does God view either of them worse than the other? If we truly love, apply and search to grow in God’s wisdom, then God will protect us from becoming perverted. Remember God sees us as perverted, if we grow twisted and fruitless, instead of straight and fruitful. John 15:5-8. 

In what way is the knowledge we are to pursue more than the mere intellectual awareness of facts?  How can we gain wisdom?  When you recognize the truth of a “lesson in life”, what do you do about it? 

There are stories from eastern legends which tell us of Syrians, Egyptians and Arabians, using their front door to their house as a threshold altar for sacrifices. This is reflected in the Bible, when God tells the Hebrews captive in Egypt to put lamb’s blood on the front doorposts of their house during the tenth plague, Ex. 12:1-13.  In some eastern cultures, weddings are still held in the front-yard and sometimes an animal is sacrificed during or right before the wedding, then soon after the ceremony, the groom carries the bride over the blood before the threshold. This is the origin of some modern grooms carrying their bride into a new abode. It is interesting that three important modern day events are still affected by an ancient threshold covenant.

1, Weddings. 2, Passover and 3, Communion.
In Judaism, the doorposts or threshold of every Jewish house was sacred, where the shema of Dt. 6:4 is inscribed on parchment and kept protected for the touching or kissing of it practically everyday. When pious Jews do this, they quote “the Lord shall preserve thy coming in and going out from this time forward and forever”, (Psa 121:8). But why? It reminds them of God’s covenanted promise! His faithfulness and blessings. 

The word “Passover” has two meanings, both to pass above something and also to pass through. Today modern orthodox Jews during their Passover feast, will put an empty chair and an extra cup at the table in the hope that God’s messenger will cross the threshold, entering the home as a welcomed guest. In the ancient 10th plague on Egypt, the angel of the Lord passed over the life of the firstborn child, if and only if the blood was on the front door posts. If not, then the angel of the Lord killed the firstborn child as he passed through.  The issue is this: Is the Lord welcome?  Obviously the Egyptians had rejected the Lord, but the faithful Hebrews were receiving Him. Why? The blood. The same sentiment is found in the ancient eastern custom of a groom passing over the blood at threshold with his bride. Why? Because the blood means she is received into a new family and is welcome!

Jesus conglomerated both the Threshold Covenant and the Passover Covenant together to make a new Covenant, which is renewed every Lord’s Day in the Communion. He did this by using the cup, representing His blood, but also the bread, representing His body which suffered to give the blood, Luke 22:14-22. Have you ever wondered why Jesus said repeatedly, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God”.  Because that is where we are finally received and welcomed. This reflects His desire to have us share in taking the cup and bread, as a sign that we welcome and receive Him (His Holy Spirit) every first day of the week. It reinstates that we are ‘betrothed’ to Him and a bride for no one else spiritually, until the great wedding feast in Heaven is enjoyed, Rev. 19:6-10. Why? Because of the blood, it means we are received and welcomed in this new eternal family, Eph. 1:10 & 3:14 in heaven and on earth, we are one.  On earth before we become a Christian, we are outside the family and destitute of God’s blessings & promises of forgiveness, power and life eternal. But when we become a Christian, all that changes into a new family.

What are the full and glorious benefits of His covenant with Christians here on earth and also in Heaven?
In the body of Christ on earth, the church or kingdom of Christ (Col. 1:12-14)
Forgiveness of redeemed people & sanctification of their hearts to grow the fruit of His Spirit.
In the body of Christ in heaven, the kingdom of God (1st Cor. 15:24-28)
Eternal life with glory & power unimaginable, while enjoying the full effects of all the spiritual blessings from the tree of life.