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  • Eugene Adkins 6:52 am on May 16, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , wisdom   

    Some Alternative Statements When Visiting the Seriously ill 

    I thought I would pass this article along for any one to have who can appreciate it. A wise sister in Christ gave me a copy of it several years ago. She made a copy of it from an article that appeared a long time ago in the Bulletin Digest. I could tell why she would have kept it near by when I first read it. I would give full credit to the original author but unfortunately the only part of his name that got copied was Virgil F. I can see that the article came from Abilene, Texas, but that’s all I can say about it.

    Instead of: “I don’t want to bother you with my phone calls and visits.”

    Try: “Is this a good time to visit?”

    Instead of: “You’ve got a long, hard road ahead of you.”

    Try: ”No matter what happens, I want you to know you’re not alone.”

    Instead of: “My uncle had the same thing, and he died.”

    Try: “What’s going on with you today?”

    Instead of: “God knows you can handle this illness or He wouldn’t have let you get it.”

    Try: In times like this, do you find your faith makes a difference?”

    Instead of: “Don’t take it personally, but I just don’t like being around sick people.”

    Try: “Being with you is more important than my fear of hospitals.”

    Instead of: “Wouldn’t it be better if your (husband/wife) stayed at work rather than spend time with you?”

    Try: “Serious illness affects the family too, doesn’t it?”

    Instead of: “Don’t worry about your job or the house. Everybody’s covering for you.”

    Try: ”The work is getting done, but you know no one can take your place.”

    Instead of: “Don’t talk about dying. You’re going to outlive all of us.”

    Try: “Even though it’s difficult, I’m willing to talk when you are.”

    Instead of: “God has a reason for this.”

    Try: “There’s a lot in life we don’t understand, isn’t there?”

    Instead of: “If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

    Try: “I’m praying for you, I would also like to _______ (name specific appropriate act). What time is best for you?”

     

    • Don Ruhl 11:57 am on May 16, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks, Eugene, I am going to reprint it in our bulletin.

    • Chad Dollahite 10:26 am on May 21, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Good thoughts. I think this would be Virgil F. Hale, if I remember correctly from other articles I’ve seen elsewhere.

      • Eugene Adkins 7:19 pm on May 21, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Thanks for filling in the blank, Chad. If I had to guess, the article probably came from the mid to late 90′s so I wasn’t familiar with the author. Guess I could’ve tried Google :)

        • Chad Dollahite 12:25 pm on May 22, 2012 Permalink

          No problem…I just happened to recognize the name, or I’d have been in the same boat as you.

  • Eugene Adkins 7:03 am on May 3, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , wisdom   

    Intellectual Arrogance 

    Several days ago I was told by someone who believed in the “thousand-year days” theory of Genesis 1-2 that I could not understand the real meaning because I only had my “lay” experience to rely on. One thing is for sure – you can’t teach someone who has already learned it all!

    Several times throughout the scriptures you can find people who simply tried to out-think the plain meaning of God’s word. The result wasn’t good. They resisted the truth in the past just as Jannes and Jambres did in Egypt, and many continue to do the same thing today (2 Timothy 3:1-8). Often times these individuals rely heavily upon the “enlightenment” they receive at the feet of their earthly teachers and their words to reveal the “true” meaning of scripture, but they worry little about sitting at the feet of God with his word and allowing scripture to reveal to scripture.

    Now, is there necessarily anything wrong in and of itself with attending a religiously natured school and gaining knowledge from those who have been students of both God’s word and experience for many years? Absolutely not. In more ways than one there is everything right with properly studying the scriptures of God (2 Timothy 2:15). Some receive fine educations at these institutions without a doubt; but without a doubt some only get ”schooled and wooled” by false teachers with an ego (2 Peter 3:15-16). Some students leave the complex at the campus while others leave the campus with a complex!

    When one’s education (spiritual or secular) causes a person to look down their nose at others, then that person has fallen prey to his or her own brain. There is a difference between being “book smart” and being “wise in the word of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-31).

    There is much more that I could say on this topic, but why write a book to share something when it only takes a few paragraphs to explain it? After all, I only have my “lay” experience to rely upon.

     ”Now when they saw that Peter and John were without fear, though they were men of no education or learning, they were greatly surprised; and they took note of them that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13 – BBE)

     

  • TFRStaff 7:54 am on April 25, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , wisdom   

    God’s simple wisdom 

    Brothers and sisters, wisdom is the principle thing. Let’s all be diligent to get wisdom. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 1:17-31. This particular passage is about two main concepts: the way man receives instruction about salvation and the nature of God’s wisdom in comparison to ours.

    We would generally consider foolishness to be the opposite of wisdom. But verse 25 of our text says that God’s foolishness is wiser than any wisdom which man might believe he had captured.

    Of course, God is never foolish. But that which God has done to provide our salvation, which seems foolish to man, is wiser than all the wisdom which the ages of man has been able to concoct.

    Consider that the “sages” like Aristotle, Socrates, Plato constantly tried to explain the meaning of man and were never able to even come to consensus, let alone correctness. The “great” religious leaders of centuries past have only confused mankind about the right way to heaven by the establishment of multiple religions. Believing that they were capable of helping God’s plan, multiple new creeds and commandments have been written causing many to turn away from religion altogether and millions others to assure themselves even though they are outside the salvation of God.

    God’s simple wisdom is: Salvation is through obedience to the Savior. The plan is disseminated to the world through preaching.

    Brothers and sisters, let’s preach (spread the gospel). But let’s preach the simple message. Let’s not believe that we must embellish it in order to make it palatable to man. An embellished gospel cannot save. Let’s not ignore parts of it. The violation of even one point constitutes breaking the law of God (James 2:10). And, let’s not fail to preach it. That is the wisdom of God.

    Mike Glenn

     

  • Richard Mansel 10:36 am on March 31, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: grandmothers, mothers, , , , wisdom   

    Be Careful What You Say 

    Early in my preaching career, I realized that I must be careful the way I phrase things in order to be sensitive to the needs of the audience.

    For example, on Mother’s Day, I always remember that not all women can be Mothers. In our exuberance to praise Mothers we can say something that will harm the childless.

    Imagine being a childless Mother who hears the preacher say that God blesses godly women with children. The obvious conclusion is that she doesn’t have children because she is a sinner. Where does Scripture say that?

    We can inadvertently say things that can offend people if we do not consider the larger implications of our words.

    When I prepare a power point presentation, which are largely images, I give thought to how something can be taken. In our writing we must always consider this. Sometimes, I fail and people get offended. I apologize to them. But the better path is to try to prevent it from happening in the beginning.

    We cannot always know what will offend people. In an audience, there are many people’s whose lives consist of events and scars that the preacher cannot possibly know.

    Naturally, we can say things that cause harm without intention. Nevertheless, we can give every consideration to what we can control, in this area.

    On Facebook, I just saw a quote that is intended to praise Mothers and Grandmothers. The quote is: The Best Moms Get Promoted to Grandmas.” That is sweet but doesn’t hold a shred of evidence in the real world. Accordingly, I would caution any speaker from using it in a lesson.

    Countless Mothers have children who either die, are infertile or choose not to have children. What does it accomplish to brand these women as bad mothers? How does that help spread the Gospel and help anyone get to heaven? In fact, it may impede their spirituality!

    Let us be careful what we say and use our tongue and pen wisely (James 3:1-12).

     

    • Glenda Williams 11:14 am on March 31, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      So very true. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

    • Eugene Adkins 12:07 pm on March 31, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I understand what you mean, Richard. One way that I address the situation on Mother’s and Father’s day is that I remind everyone that there are people, young and old, who need mother and father figures in there life (Romans 16:13 & Exodus 18:13-24).

  • John T. Polk II 1:03 am on February 23, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , bad advice, wisdom   

    How To Recognize Bad Advice – James 3:13-16 NKJV 

    “13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”

    There are many people who don’t seem to have a clue about knowing what’s wrong in their world today, or what to do about it. Everyone’s “standard of living” seems to have shifted and confusion abounds on these matters. As always, the Bible not only identifies the cause, but also gives the cure. Based upon this passage in James 3, there are two tests to help us see if we are following bad advice.

    1. The “fruit” test.
    Observe the “good conduct” that should be evident if one is following the wisdom “from above” (James 3:15). If, however, a person’s religious wisdom (or philosophy) produces “bitter envy and self-seeking,” it is not from Heaven.
    “Bitter envy” is the motive for: “keying” another’s expensive car; constantly raising taxes “on the rich;” throwing animal blood on someone’s fur coat; destroying a “capitalist’s” business; engaging in a murderous “jihad” or “crusade” against the non-members of a religion; or setting fires to burn down big houses.
    “Self-seeking” is the motive for: claiming to be the spiritual head of a religion (e.g. Pope, Prophet, Father Divine, TV-Ministries, Buddha, Archbishop, Swami, Imam, Reverend, Rabbi, ad infinitum); or attempting to control political power over many people(s); or being the ego-stroked spoiled brat(s) who must be the center of attention regardless of what it takes or what embarrassment it causes.
    This is just as Jesus taught His disciples to recognize false teachers in Matthew 7:15-20:
    15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
    God could call “the works of the flesh” “evident” in Galatians 5:19-21 because no one in their right moral mind could ever justify such practices, and even people in the world find reason to condemn such deeds!

    2. The “ Level” Test.
    There are 3 levels of lower wisdom listed in the James 3 passage: 1) “earthly,” 2) “sensual,” 3) “demonic.”
    1) By “earthly,” is meant only the level of humankind. Jesus could draw spiritual lessons based upon “earthly” things (John 3:12), but to live on that level means not to lift oneself above that to a higher moral plain (Philippians 3:17-21). This lifestyle is justified because “everybody else does it,” or “look what my parents did to me,” or “I haven’t been treated fairly.” It lets humans set their own morals and is woefully inadequate for improving anyone. These people use “human government” to set their standards and grant them “rights” to practice: homosexuality, abortion, euthanasia, birth control outside of marriage, covetousness, divorce and remarriage, prejudice against the “rich,” extortion, murder. This is the violent “do it to them because they have done it to me” philosophy that totally contradicts God’s wisdom in Romans 12:17-21:
    “17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. 20 Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

    2) By “sensual” is meant only the level of animals. Everything that only appeals to the baser instincts of sex and survival reduces humans to acting like “natural brute beasts,” with “eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin” (2 Peter 2:12-14). They engage in sexual behavior without any respect for God’s laws concerning marriage, adultery, or fornication (Hebrews 13:4). They react to present situations and circumstances without any regard for the future, living entirely for the moment(s) of pleasure. These people use drugs, alcohol, bars, dorms, movies, TV shows, blogs, etc. and find like-minded individuals who will make this way of life sound “normal.” This is contrary to God’s faithful leaders. Moses, for example, in Hebrews 11:25-26, chose,
    “25 rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.”
    Truly, John’s inspired assessment in 1 John 2:15-17 is completely accurate:
    “15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
    When the fleeting moments of lust, avarice, and selfishness have had sway, one is doused with sadness because it’s over; moans because nothing is completely satisfactory; and feels emptiness because he/she, or their friends, didn’t “commit” to long-term relationships! Jesus adequately described such a person in Luke 15:13-20.

    3) By “demonic” is meant only the level of the Devil. Everyone that “loves evil” has been completely “de-graded.” Rape and robbery, pillage and plunder, hijacking and kidnapping, hatred and murder, all without conscience, are characteristic of this life. One doesn’t have to attend a “church of Satan” to be his minister. In 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 the Apostle Paul wrote:
    “13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”
    The line of evil is clearly drawn as Jesus said in John 7:7, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.” When people have reached this level of life, then they think Jesus Christ and the church of Christ are their enemies! Jesus further identified this as
    “19 the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:19-20).
    While in this mindset, even God gives up on them (Romans 1:18-32). Again, there is no question that evil can be recognized, for Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). These are vile, perverse, uncontrolled, blind, and ignorant people who have descended into the darkness of their own doing and may not be recoverable. A stark warning is given in Ephesians 4:17-20:
    “17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ.”

    If, by a careful study of God’s wisdom contained in His Bible, we have determined on which low level we are living, but we wish to go up to a higher level of life, we must then get on the escalator of “repentance.” God “now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30), because “godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10). If you can, respond to what “Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38). We should all pattern our “good conduct” (James 3:13) after Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:21-25). Contact a church of Christ nearest you for further study in God’s Word.
    —–John T. Polk II—–

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 11:40 am on January 11, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: cowboy wisdom, , , wisdom   

    Welcome to ‘Old Cowboy’ Roy Coffman 

    Please welcome TFR’s newest Fellow, Roy Coffman, who will be sharing some old cowboy wisdom with us. He tired of Facebook (a common tendency these days), so we invited him to share his posts here.

    Roy is from Oklahoma, lives in Omaha, Nebr., and is a preacher with experience in broadcasting.

    We look forward to learning from Roy’s old cowboy experience and insight.

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 4:21 pm on December 30, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , wisdom   

    Nudge: What must the wise know beforehand? 

    I read this in some recent research: “The wise man must not know after but know before.” —Epicharmus (460 BC), cited in C. Spicq, TLNT, 2:472

    I used it on my blog, also, but here’s a question for you to answer in the comments or, if you’re a long-winded Fellow (which is a good thing), in a separate TFR post: What must the wise man know beforehand?

    Yup, I made a Nudge out of it.

     

    • Barbara Ann Oliver 4:25 pm on December 30, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      That he does not know.

    • Eugene Adkins 6:16 pm on December 30, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      How about what he himself would do in a certain situation? Or maybe even the real source of wisdom? (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10) Of course this is from a Christian perspective. I have a hard time giving opinions from any other perspective now…but if you ask my wife she says I do very well with seeing things from a “man’s perspective” especially when it comes to stinky things like perfume :) But she knew that before she married me – there’s another answer for your question!

      Good question.

  • Don Ruhl 1:52 pm on December 8, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , wisdom   

    Welcome Advice 

    Some of the best advice comes from the Book of Proverbs, and the best way to get that wisdom into you is to read the chapter that corresponds to the day. For example, for today, December 8, read chapter 8 and there you will hear wisdom saying to you, “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors” (Pro 8.34). Right there, the Book of Proverbs tells you to read it daily!

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 8:49 am on December 8, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , wisdom   

    Nudge: welcome advice 

    We’ve not had a Nudge in a long time, so here goes one for you. What advice do you wish you’d received before you needed it?

    Advice is usually considered something unwelcome. Let’s think about a piece of advice that we would have been glad to have received, perhaps helping us to avoid a mistake or live on a higher plane.

     

     

    • John Henson 10:53 am on December 8, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Good one.Needs thought.

    • Eugene Adkins 11:27 am on December 8, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Hey Randal. One for me would have been how to control my anger. Especially as a teenager. It got me into a LOT of trouble. I only knew what I saw and I didn’t get much encouargement from others I knew to do otherwise.

      • Eugene Adkins 11:29 am on December 8, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        And I also meant to say that the book of Proverbs would’ve helped. It has a ton to say (warnings) about anger.

        • J. Randal Matheny 12:58 pm on December 8, 2011 Permalink

          Proverbs would solve about 90% of the world’s problems. Am I being conservative in my estimate?

  • J. Randal Matheny 10:30 am on October 14, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , website ministry, wikis, wisdom   

    God’s kingdom: no competitors need apply 

    Church competitionOver the weekend Dennis Ritchie died. He invented the computer languages on which Steve Jobs built his empire. But Ritchie isn’t getting the hubbub that Jobs did. So what does the world do? Bicker about who deserves more credit. (Read comments, for example, at link above.) Isn’t that typical? You know what saints in the kingdom of God do. They praise the Lord for every person’s contribution and for the Lord distributing his various gifts among his people. No competition mars the kingdom of God. On its door hangs the sign, “Competitors not welcome here.” Nor cheerleaders of others’ worthiness, for that matter.

    • I’ve gotten the itch again. No, not that kind, but the tinkering itch. I blame it on my mom, who used to (not anymore) move the house furniture around every few weeks and drafted me to help. But I have reasons. (Which came first: the reason or the itch?)

    • First, I’m frustrated with recurrent problems on my personal site.
    • Weylan found a large pizza ad on my ministry website, hosted by wordpress.com, which also hosts TFR.
    • Also, I’m getting increasingly disaffected with Facebook’s information harvesting and feature creep, though I’ll not abandon it completely for the Lord’s sake. I’d love to see Diaspora develop further, it’s already a decent option, so I’m working it. Don’t even get me started about the spookiness of Google+. But, yeah, I’m on there, too.
    • And, the defunct Christian Poets site had some software to dissolve into virtual air; attempts to get the domain moved (in process) also got me to thinking of another (vain?) attempt at resurrecting it, so I made a halting start. Wanna join?

    Instead of bellyaching (despite your conclusions as to what I’m doing here), I tinker.

    • The most wonderful thought of wisdom occurred during the night, or before eyes closed in slumber (that takes about two minutes). But this morning said thought has vanished into darkest, deepest jungle, apparently never to be discovered again. Why are the best thoughts those we lost?

    • I love wikis (think, WikiPedia, though a bad example). Dozens of wiki software clones exist, though not all have kept up with the Web 2.0. I’ve used DokuWiki among others. (Still do for this Brazilian site.) Many people just don’t seem to get them. I’m checking out several others, again, like TikiWiki, which I’d tested a few years back and seems to have come a long way. Thinking out loud here.

    • Speaking of the Christian Poets site, keep watching for a poem about the Lord’s parables, if it ever gets finished. One line mentions that ignorance is not so much the tragedy we think it is, remedied by education, but hostility toward God’s revelation, signaling mankind’s rejection of the Creator. It’s not that we can’t know, but we don’t want to know.

    Have a great weekend and a blessed First Day!

     

    • Weylan Deaver 11:13 am on October 15, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Randal, I’m getting a bit disenchanted with Facebook. Why is there a “spookiness” about Google+? Has anyone signed up for Diaspora other than you? FB seems to be where everyone still is.

    • J. Randal Matheny 11:37 am on October 15, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Yeah, FB is creepy, G+ even more so, since they crawl the web and can cross your Plus data with what they find there. A few are on Diaspora, but you can be the early adopter who convinces others. I’m also tinkering with http://friendika.com which seems to promise more flexibility than D*, but it’s buggier for now. And there’s also http://saintsmeet.com by bro. Trent Wheeler for the brotherhood, hosted by ning.

  • Ron Thomas 7:50 am on September 26, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: blush, , , , wisdom   

    Don’t Blush 

    Many preachers find strength is reading the words of the prophet Jeremiah. I certainly do. For me, there is something about that with which he was continually struggling that I find very helpful in that which I do. For instance, when the people of the land were crying out that all would be well, Jeremiah cried out that all would not be well. In fact, so deluded were the people in their thinking about what was going on that they could no longer blush (8:12).

    In our day many surely follow the same philosophy that the people of Judah adhered to in Jeremiah’s day, don’t they? Women wear clothing that is so short that it would not take much more cutting off before the clothing item would become underwear! What about the dresses and the skirts? How about the tops that are worn, and should we mention anything about the bathing suits? In order to meet what some call modesty the clothing that covers the body is tight fitting and every crevice of the body is seen. Pitiful! Men are just as guilty, though the sheer number of items worn might be smaller to lament. When is it ever right for a male to go about shirtless, exposing that portion of the body that should only be seen by his wife (or, only within his home)? Some of the males exhibit their wisdom in the pants they wear when they have to walk in such a way that their knees are wider than their shoulders, and that’s only to prevent the pants from sliding down to the ground and really exposing their “wisdom”!

    In our society this is a norm, and we don’t blush.

     

    • Mike Riley 8:12 am on September 26, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Sad to say, our society is a non-blushing society.

    • johntpolk2 1:04 pm on September 26, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Ron,
      Again, you have presented for consideration an oft-ignored subject. Hormone-driven relationships are the antithesis of what the Bible teaches, and the “world” has difficulty recognizing where the problem lies: in a lack of a truly loving relationship. Jesus Christ is the example of a truly loving relationship, and surely shows the way to a loving God, but people must set aside their worldly ways (repent) and be forgiven (be baptized) in order to repair the damage done by their sins.
      May I suggest 7 charts on Solomon’s wisdom on the subject?
      http://doverchurchofchrist.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Chart-Love-Or-Lust.pdf
      Keep up the good work.

  • J. Randal Matheny 9:39 pm on June 10, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , disappointments, wisdom   

    He could not subdue it 

    • Son #2 is doing his first wedding tomorrow, for his father-in-law. Asked me about wording on some parts, as we skyped tonight. I wasn’t sure, it’s been so long since I’ve done a wedding in English.

    • Life is full of disappointments. A time to learn, a time to shrug the shoulders, a time to move on.

    • Tolkien wrote in The Silmarillion that “Melkor hated the Sea, for he could not subdue it.” Would that we might hate our uncontrollable tongues! We seem however to love to wag them. Is it a principle that we hate what we cannot control?

    • “The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die” (Psa. 116.15 NLT). What a difference that truth makes to those who remain!

    • On Quick Bible Truths, I wrote, “Man makes an idol. God makes a man.” There lies the difference.

    Have a great evening, my friends!

     

  • TFRStaff 4:24 am on June 3, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , wisdom   

    TFT: Milestone Friday 

    Today our “Thought For Today” reached a milestone of 15 years … Wow, Thanks for the memories.

    If you had a favorite share it with us. My favorite comes from my favorite granny: “There is plenty of cheese in a mousetrap, but you never see a happy mouse there.”

    (Prov 2:6-7)  For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly.

    “Thoughts For Today To Brighten Your Day”

    From: Glenn, Mercedes & Lauren Hitchcock

     

  • John Henson 10:33 am on May 24, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , wisdom,   

    World Turned Upside Down 

    Does the world seem right to you?

    From everything we can see, the world seems to be in its proper place, but it’s not. It’s been turned upside down.

    It’s been turned upside down by sin. Once, the world was a paradise and then sin entered the world. And by sin death came, too. When that happened, the world was turned upside down.

    It took the death of Jesus on the cross and the teaching of the apostles to turn it right-side up. In Acts 17:6, after preaching in Thessalonica, Jews who opposed Paul incited a mob and a riot. The rioters dragged Christians before local officials screaming, “these that have turned the world upside down have come here also.”

    The apostles were helping turn the world right-side up. But the wisdom of men is often true foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:27f).

    Is your world upside down? Take another look; it might be.

     

  • John Henson 9:45 am on May 4, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , wisdom   

    What Has Christ Done? 

    There are many people who have heard lessons on what Christ has done for us, but none is clearer than the one in 1 Corinthians 1:30.

    Paul wrote, “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin, (1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT). Notice the component parts and how clear Paul’s lesson is.

    “God has united you with Christ Jesus.” Through baptism, we have been united with Christ into his death (Romans 6:3). When the apostle  uses the phrase, “in Christ,” as he does in most all of his writings, it is with this idea. The meaning “in” is “within the sphere of influence of.”  United with Christ, we live within his sphere of his influence.

    “For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself.” The Corinthians had based their idea of wisdom on something that was less than true. Christ is the true wisdom, not human thinking. It was Plato who taught that we have all the knowledge we need at birth; all we need do is “recollect” it. How foolish!

    “Christ made us right with God;” Upon our obedience to the gospel of Christ, we became justified by faith, and reconciled to God. Nothing else could do that.

    “he made us pure and holy…” Our sins were washed away in his blood (Revelation 7:14). Christ Jesus was the only perfect sacrifice that could do this. We were filthy in our sins. While ours may not have been a physical impurity, it was a spiritual one. Jesus made us clean.

    “and he freed us from sin.” Again, this from Romans, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin,” (Romans 6:6, 7).

    The Lord Christ has done much more for us, but it is wonderful to think of these wonderful things, isn’t it?

     

  • Richard Mansel 9:02 am on March 24, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , humans, , , wisdom,   

    Learn the Scriptures and the People 

    One can be a devoted student of Scripture and yet not understand the people to whom they minister. We must not be cloistered in our hole, failing to interact with others. The Bible student who is not also a student of human nature, misses the other half of the equation.

    The ultimate goal of  Bible study is two-fold.  First, we desire heaven as our own future destination. Secondly, we want to inspire others to take the same path. How do we do the latter if we know nothing of our subjects?

    We need to be very attentive to the ways and motivations of human beings. We must study how they think and react to certain ideas. Study the culture and know what turns people’s heads. In so doing, we become better armed when we reach out to people.

    There is danger in this method, of course. Nietzsche is credited with saying, “When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back into you.” If we will learn the culture, we must not let it drag us into its web of deceit.

    (More …)

     

    • J. Randal Matheny 9:13 am on March 24, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Spot on, Richard. Thanks for this. I’d only add that if we are alien to them — looking at it from the perspective of those we want to reach –, we will almost certainly not reach them.

    • John Henson 9:54 am on March 24, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Excellent points, brother!

  • J. Randal Matheny 7:17 am on March 17, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: attention, , sensible words, wisdom   

    Sensible words to pay attention 

    On yesterday’s Nudge about the most sensible thing heard lately. Would be from our good brother Alexandre, visiting our home this weekend, who also preached for us in SJCampos and Taubate. He alerted us all to “pay attention to life, to God, to yourself.” His vigorous exhortation came as a bracing reminder of our holy walk in the Lord. I was blessed, because I got to hear it twice!

     

  • TFRStaff 3:10 pm on March 3, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: inexperience, , wisdom,   

    Learn this before you turn 21 

    Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Became 21 Years of Age!
    by H. Leo Boles*

    20 truths and principles that teens and adolescents would still do well to learn and heed!
    (More …)

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 3:00 am on March 1, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , personal development, spiritual truths, wisdom   

    Daily Nudge: Clear your throat; now: discourse! 

    Choose one of these 60 Inconvenient Personal Development Truths and develop that thought. Share some passages of Scripture to bolster your point of wisdom. Show us how Jesus embodied that principle. Demonstrate if any spiritual truth is needed to balance it or correct it in some way.

    Ready, go!

     

  • John Henson 2:26 pm on January 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , wisdom   

    Now that you’re in Christ… 

    Okay. Now that you’re a Christian you need to realize you’re in Christ.

    In baptism, you were clothed with him and are in him. You’re not the same person you were. Oh, you don’t feel any different? Let me put it this way: When Jesus was raised from the dead, he became different. He possessed a spiritual body instead of a physical one. You’ve been raised from death in a sense. You’ve been raised to walk in “newness of life” from your watery grave (Romans 6:4). You’re different now.

    You’re going to learn to live differently. The more you grow spiritually, the less worldly things will matter to you and you’ll become stronger and stronger living for spiritual things. The Apostle Paul said, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace,” (Romans 8:5-6 ESV).

    But until you’ve grown into that process, there will be occasional problems. Just because you’ve been raised with Christ doesn’t mean you’re perfect. You won’t be. So remember to be patient with yourself. When you find you’ve sinned, don’t give up living for Jesus. Just admit the sin and turn from it.

    Find yourself a Barnabas. A Barnabas is someone who will help and encourage you. I’m not talking about some kind of “father confessor.” I’m talking about a friend who will help you understand that sin needn’t mean the end of your relationship with Christ. It is because of sin that Jesus died for us. But, sometimes people become so discouraged they give up. That’s something you must never do, so remember that when you ask forgiveness, forgive yourself.

    Okay. You’re all set. Come to me or to the elders when you need help, and remember how much you’re loved and how much God loves you. Don’t forget that.

     

    • Mike Riley 3:10 pm on January 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      As always, great points, Bro. John!

    • Steve 9:12 pm on January 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      John, great points! I often wonder how we can make brothers and sisters more comfortable to do just ask you speak – reach out to your Barnabas. Also, I wonder if it is easier (possibly more comfortable?) for women to have that Barnabas than guys. Thanks for reminding us that the growth process requires involvement of others.

  • J. Randal Matheny 5:10 am on January 21, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , wisdom   

    Daily Nudge: patience and repentance 

    Share a word of wisdom to a new convert about the balance between the need for patience with oneself in the process of growth and the need to put away sin, wrong attitudes, and bad habits; to repent, in short.

     

  • Ron Thomas 5:52 am on January 17, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: wisdom   

    Can one be wise? 

    Can one be wise without the Lord (cf. Jeremiah 8:8-9)? In one respect I suppose this is possible. But the wisdom one has without the Lord is a wisdom that originates in this world. What will that wisdom do for the one who has it? All it will really do is help them meander through this world’s aggravations. On the other hand, if one has the Lord’s wisdom, two things will result: first, it will help a person meander through the morass of this world spiritually unscathed and, second, it will “transport” that person into the next life in the “arms of the Lord.” There are many wise people in this world, but the origin of their wisdom tells you where they are going (cf. Jeremiah 9:23-24). Which wisdom would you like to have?

     

  • Mike Riley 9:40 am on October 6, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , emotion, , heated, , , rational, , , , , wisdom   

    Dealing With Anger 

    Usually when my wife and I get in a heated argument, I’ve found that the best way to deal with anger is to just simply get out of the house and go walking. Not only does it cool the fires of anger between me and my wife, it also allows both of us to think rationally about the situation, instead of using our emotions.

    Additionally, walking allows me the time to not only “think” about the situation, but to also take it to the Lord in prayer, relying on His wisdom and understanding, in order to arrive at a solution to the problem.

    Article on resolving problems: http://mbriley.preachersfiles.com/2007/05/22/resolving-problems-in-human-relationships/

     

    • John Henson 2:10 pm on October 6, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Which one of us HASN’T been there? I would say you and I are alike in that, after we’ve had time to think, we know our anger is not helping God work out his will through us in this world.

  • Mike Riley 2:34 pm on October 4, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: confide, , , feeling, , innermost, , pour, , , troubling, , wisdom   

    When I’m In Trouble 

    When I have a troubling or difficult problem to face, I want a friend I can confide in; one with whom I can pour out my innermost feelings to; one who understands what I’m going through, and one who can offer wisdom, insight, and if possible, a solution (or solutions) to the problem.

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 4:53 pm on June 25, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: actions, , , wisdom,   

    Wisdom is the art of seeing connections between thoughts and words, between words and actions, between actions and consequences.

     

  • Richard Hill 11:46 pm on May 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , wisdom   

    Momma Quoted Scripture 

    It wasn’t just a verse or two. Momma quoted any number of scriptures to me. The first Psalm was among the most frequent. She must have thought there were some things I especially needed to hear.

    What better Psalm to tell a child? Everyone talks about the good life, but this is the real deal! Better to learn it early on, as the Preacher says, “before the evil days come.”

    1 Blessed is the man
    Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners,
    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
    2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
    And in His law he meditates day and night.
    3 He shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;
    And whatever he does shall prosper.

    4 The ungodly are not so,
    But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
    5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
    Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

    6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
    But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

     

  • Laura 11:53 am on May 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , wisdom   

    Nudge: Proverbs 12:1 

    “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” — Proverbs 12:1

     

  • Ron Thomas 11:26 am on April 24, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: female, , wisdom   

    The Wisdom of Abigail 

    The old adage, “you can’t live with them and you can’t live without them” is one that many males understand well. What the phrase is supposed to mean is that women are difficult to understand! From the female’s perspective, are the males any less difficult to understand?

    Generally, the phrase is used when frustration sets in for the male with respect to some aggravation surrounding a female. It is important to remember, however, that when God created Eve, he created a human that was perfect in all respects, just as God created Adam.

    No matter the frustration that sets in on occasion, when the male looks at the female, he sees something in her that he lacks in himself. One such example, in Scripture, is Abigail and Nabal. Nabal was a complete fool, but Abigail, on the other hand, was something to write home about (to borrow a phrase). It was the quality of her character that impressed David, who was soon to be king over Israel. He saw in her something that was missing in him. Her sound wisdom stopped him from committing a great injustice; she soothed his male image, and many people were spared tragedy. She was a great woman.

     

    • Richard Hill 12:06 pm on April 24, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      As you’re reading along this story appears almost incidental. Then as the account develops you see what a great person Abigail is. It is as though God shines a spotlight on this very intelligent woman of integrity. Her actions stand above all the rest, including David’s.

      Thanks for the insight into the male/female psyche. Interesting take.

    • Ron 10:04 am on April 25, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks, Richard. I have always been impressed with Abigail. In fact, I am always impressed with women like Abigail and those who live by the exhortation in 1 Peter 3.

    • Richard Mansel 4:22 pm on April 29, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Well done, Ron.

  • Richard Hill 4:33 am on April 1, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , wisdom   

    Silence allows for meditation 

    Meditation stands in opposition to the typical American lifestyle. We plan out all the quiet time and are left with “marginless” lives. If a potential quiet time arises we destroy it with phone calls, texting, music, talk radio, TV, internet surfing and the list goes on. Why do we run from quiet moments? Is it fear? Are we afraid to be alone with our thoughts? Are we addicted to all this noise?

    Meditation is a counter-cultural idea whose time has come. We have lost the calm and serenity of previous generations. I believe much of the problem comes from all this silence-killing activity. Human beings were not designed to be constantly bombarded in this way. It is hard on soul and psyche. We must find quiet times and actually use them.

    Don’t think of meditation as doing nothing. When we meditate we are involved in an action—an action critical to our spiritual growth. It is not expendable so guard those times. It is too easy to let them be taken away.

    Meditation takes what is on the surface of the mind and draws it in deeper. Think of the stuff on the surface as knowledge, then knowledge, when drawn in deep, as wisdom and understanding. Meditation then becomes a means of converting knowledge into wisdom and understanding.

    Proper meditation brings clarity. A melding of mind and concept occurs in this stress free, yet often intense environment of meditation. Links between concepts are realized. The big picture bursts upon the screen of the mind. Our knowledge of God is no longer a random bunch of ideas. By meditation it comes together and makes sense. We gain insight into the great Creator and what He has revealed to us in His Word.

    Consider these passages. . .next time you meditate.

    Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

    Joshua 1:8 …meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

    and Psalm 119 especially verses 97-105

     

    • Robert 10:18 am on April 1, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

    • sbradd 12:04 pm on April 1, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Excellent thoughts Richard!

    • Richard Hill 12:29 pm on April 2, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks for the comments.

  • J. Randal Matheny 10:46 am on March 25, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , wisdom   

    Daily Nudge: proverb — and news 

    a modern proverb

    Which proverb?

    Cite your favorite proverb from Scripture and explain why it’s nearest and dearest to your heart, goes this Daily Nudge. This week, we’re doing several favorites, again, but no repetitions from past days.

    A proverb, says Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, is “a short, pithy statement about human nature and life.” It packs a lot of wisdom in a small space. I like pithy. As such, this literary device is “designed to make God’s truth accessible to all people, so they might direct their lives in accordance with His will.” Another means, then, of divine revelation, so we dull and simple folk might get it. Isn’t it wonderful that the Lord doesn’t write for scholars?

    Obviously, anything from the compilation we call the Book of Proverbs qualifies. But other proverbs are scattered throughout Scripture, so you’ll lose no points if you cite one from elsewhere than the 31 chapters of the book of wisdom by Solomon and other pithy writers.

    With the modern’s short attention span and social networks like Twitter, one would think that the proverb would be a wonderful device for communicating truth today.

    Am I late today? I stayed up working on an article on my neglected blog, about three rules for approaching the Bible, using Acts 1, which should go up later this morning. Being my day off, I slept in this morning and was able to snooze until 8 a.m., which I’ve not done in ages and ages. But enough of my personal habits.

    I’ve not answered the Nudge in several days, so here goes my choice of proverb. It’s a word of Jesus’, in Matt. 11:17 and Luke 7:32. I quote from Luke, in the NET Bible:

    They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another,
    ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance;
    we wailed in mourning, yet you did not weep.’

    I like it because it reminds us of human inconsistency in people who, like the Jews of that generation (v. 31), unhappy with anything that didn’t fit their preconceived ideas, discount wisdom whenever it appears in any of her children (v. 35), be it John the Baptist or Jesus himself (v. 33-34) or a saint today.

    Who’s got news today?

     

  • Mike Riley 11:04 pm on March 22, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , enterprise, , illumination, , wisdom   

    There is no other book so varied as the Bible nor one so full of concentrated wisdom. Whether it be of law, business, morals or that vision which leads the imagination in the creation of constructive enterprises for the happiness of mankind, he who seeks for guidance – may look inside its covers to find illumination. As a nation, we are indebted to the Book of books for our national ideals and representative institutions.

    Herbert Hoover
     

  • J. Randal Matheny 8:54 pm on March 3, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Google feed, , , wisdom   

    Pulling in links 

    Just a note: one will see in the lower right hand column a section called “Out there: church of Christ.” It’s a Google feed for the phrase “church of Christ.” We filtered out “United,” which may screen out some legitimate congregations. We haven’t blocked “Scientist,” so you’ll see some links to Church of Christ, Scientist, at this moment.

    The section is included to provide you a small window of what’s out there on the Internet. And it’s supposed to call attention of those sites to our presence on the Internet. So said one supposedly in the know. So it serves a double purpose.

    We trust our readers will have good judgment when following such links produced automatically.

     

  • Mike Riley 2:29 pm on February 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , , wisdom   

    When do I grow the most spiritually? When I’m teaching a Bible class where members can freely discuss the topic that is being presented from God’s word. Many times, members of the class have brought up thoughts and ideas that I never thought of in my study of the topic.

    The Bible class teacher always benefits the most, not only from his or her study of the Bible, but from the input of other members as well. I grow spiritually, when members of the class offer their good wisdom and insight into the Word.

     

  • Mike Riley 2:41 pm on February 7, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , , wisdom,   

    My main principle of work? Ecclesiastes 9:10:

    “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.”

    In His earthly ministry, Jesus put the above principle of work into practice, for He said in John 9:4:

    “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”

    Our time on earth is short. Let us manage our time wisely, fulfilling the responsibilities God has given us (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16).

     

    • B.Esudas 4:15 pm on February 7, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Yes Our time on earth is short. Let us manage our time wisely, fulfilling the responsibilities God has given us (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16).

  • Ron Thomas 10:17 am on January 18, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , wisdom   

    Wisdom 

    The new year is upon us; not much different than the old year, just a few days older than eighteen days ago, hopefully wiser. Wisdom, truly, belongs to those who love the Lord. many speak of their ability to get along in this world, being wise about its doings, but is that wisdom? No, it can hardly be. The wisdom of this world, if we can call it wisdom, is fleeting and superficial. However, with respect to the Lord, He answers prayers, He protects, He forgives, and it is He that has said: “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” No matter what goes wrong in your life today, the Lord is God! No matter who is in the White House, the Kremlin, or Buckingham Palace, the Lord is God! No matter how you feel, the Lord is God! He is always in control. He is sovereign. Nothing gets by Him. Nothing takes Him by surprise! This is wisdom!

     

    • Mike Riley 2:19 pm on January 18, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Ron, Some good thoughts to ponder. Yes, the world’s wisdom doesn’t appreciate spiritual things – its wisdom is indeed fleeting and superficial (1 Corinthians 1:18-23).

    • Avatar 4:36 am on September 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Great post on wisdom.. may God grant us all wisdom… :)

  • Laura 9:07 pm on January 12, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , wisdom   

    My personal Bible verse for 2010 is Proverbs 12:1. Here Solomon, through inspired wisdom states, “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” Mistaking instruction for unfair criticism or nit-picking will result in a lack of growth in knowledge and maturing as a Christian. Perhaps the biggest culprit of this phenomena is our pride. We are warned time and time again about pride and told to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord.

    I am posting this verse in a highly visible place to remind myself to be humble and take correction.

     

  • John Henson 7:48 pm on January 12, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , wisdom   

    My personal Bible verse for 2010 is Daniel 2:20, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him,” (NASU). I want to remember each day how great God is and how much I depend on Him for everything. Daniel understood the source of all wisdom is God. Daniel wrote, “It is HE who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness and the light dwells in Him.” If I can remember that this year, I may be able to convey that message to God’s people clearly.

     

  • Ron Thomas 1:01 pm on December 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: arrogant, wisdom   

    Hard Sayings (5)

    Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:21)

    In Acts 17, Paul went to a place where men gathered to speak about things that were of importance to them (as they saw it). The Holy Spirit, via the writer Luke, said that which they talked about was really nothing more than an effort to speak about some new thing that had come along. I am currently reading a history of philosophy book which is nothing more, really, than a “synthetic interpretation” of ideas being discussed like ethics, politics, beauty, and metaphysics. According to one man, “Science gives us knowledge, but philosophy can give us wisdom” (Durant, The Story of Philosophy, p. 3). In reading this book (and the other books I have already read), I can conclusively say that if wisdom is to be gained by philosophy, then there is no longer any reason for us wonder why man is as corrupt as he is. In truth, however, wisdom is actually gained by fearing the Lord – for this is where substantive knowledge actually is Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). Did I need to read a philosophy book to learn this? No, but in the reading of it, I have learned (and had reaffirmed) that the Scriptures are man’s best source for true knowledge.

     

    • Randal Matheny 8:00 pm on December 22, 2009 Permalink | Reply

      Amen, Ron, the more one delves into the works of men, the more the word of God shines forth in its wisdom, beauty and worth.

      • Ron 1:21 pm on December 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply

        Thank you, Randal. Amen on your words.

        Ron

  • Richard Mansel 9:52 pm on December 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: intellect, , wisdom,   

    Growing and Learning 

    I wish to encourage writers in our brotherhood to become more skilled in their craft and to dig deeper in their understanding of God’s Word and in their grasp of human nature.  Intellect is an indispensable foundation of teaching the Word, if we hope to obliterate the rationalizations and errors of the wicked. Doing so requires wisdom, knowledge and savvy. Will we seek to grow and sharpen our intellect?

    Moreover, words are tools and we must broaden our scope and employ them to the glory of God (Ephesians 3:20-21). We need to expand our minds and become more effective in sharing the Word of the Most High God so the Gospel can move hearts to repentance (Acts 2:38-38).

     

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