Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The Importance of Godly Wisdom

By Pastor Ken Foreman

Text: James 3:13-18; Proverbs 3:13-18

Happy is the man that finds wisdom. It's more important than money, fame, possessions, positions, power, honor, and strength. James 1:5 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

Spiritual exercise is hard and continual work, and, like physical exercise, letting off means loss. The wise show works with meekness of wisdom. Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us to "walk circumspectly... as wise... redeeming the time." There are two types of wisdom; earthly (verses 15-16) and heavenly (verses 17-18).
  • Earthly Wisdom (worldly) is...
    • sensual - appeals to the flesh ("feels good")
    • devilish - causes confusion ("envying, strife, and every evil work")
    • manipulative, flatters
    • earthly wisdom boasts and promotes itself.
  • Heavenly Wisdom comes from above and is...
    • pure
    • peaceable
    • gentle
    • easy to be intreated
    • full of mercy and good fruits
    • without partiality and hypocrisy
    • speaks the truth in love
    • slow to speak, slow to wrath, quick to listen
    • not a respecter of persons (appearances)
    • heavenly wisdom is revealed by its works.
"And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." (James 3:18)

"The LORD is exalted; for He dwelleth on high: He hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is His treasure." (Isaiah 33:5-6)



Charity

By Justin Jeffrey

Text: I Corinthians 13

I Corinthians 13 is also known as the "love" or "charity" chapter. Jesus said all men would know we are His disciples by the love we show to one another. He called it a new commandment and repeated it many times over. John, James, Peter and Paul, in their letters to the churches, made love a frequent topic. This was not some weak, paltry kind of love, but an all-consuming, self-sacrificing, giving love modelled after Jesus' example. "We love Him because He first loved us."

I Corinthians 13, verses 4 through 8 outline the properties and effects of Jesus' kind of love...
Verse 4
  • long suffering - waits, is patient.
  • kind - looks for opportunities to do good.
  • envieth not - is happy for the success of others.
  • vaunteth not itself - doesn't promote itself; it isn't puffed up.
Verse 5
  • does not behave itself unseemly - it's courteous.
  • seeketh not her own - not out for itself, serves others at its own expense.
  • is not easily provoked - it controls itself.
  • thinketh no evil - it's not judgmental, or critical.
Verse 6
  • rejoiceth not in iniquity - does not condone sin.
  • rejoiceth in the truth - lets truth prevail.
Verse 7
  • beareth all things - keeps on keeping on.
  • believeth all things - believe the best.
  • hopeth all things - hope for, expects progress.
  • endureth all things - steadfast, stand fast, hold fast.
Verse 8
  • charity never faileth - it's always there.
Verses 8-13 (Recap)
  • Love outlasts prophecies, tongues, and knowledge.
  • Now we know in part - then we'll know as we're known.
  • Now we prophesy in part - then we'll understand all.
  • The partial will pass when the perfect comes.
  • Children think, speak, understand as a child - Men put away childish things.
  • Now we see through a glass darkly - then Face to face.
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."


Editor's Note: Justin is our youth leader here at New Life. The E.D.G.E. youth group seeks to find the leading edge of the move of God and become a part of the flow of the Spirit. We're proud of their accomplishments in life and in the Kingdom of God!


For Who He Is!

A poem by Donna Franklin

 
We PRAISE the Lord for what He's done,
But we worship Him for He's THE ONE!
The One true God, the Mighty King,
The Great I AM, Lord of everything.
 
Our testimonies are our praise,
Thanking Jesus in so many ways,
We tell the world of blessings given;
Praising God for this new life we're living.
 
This brings us to worship of the Lord Most High,
Glorious in power, Perfection we magnify;
Acknowledging His greatness, exalting His Name;
Jesus Christ, our Creator, for ever the same.
 
 
 
Editor's Note: Donna Franklin attends the Paoli United Pentecostal Church (Pastor Terry Erwin) in Paoli, Oklahoma.


Thanksgiving Prayer

A Poem by Charles R. Grisham


Thank Thee God, for everything,
Praise to You we ever sing,
For food, shelter and happy life,
In our great nation, free from strife.
 
Bless each one as here we gather,
That we might dwell with You for ever,
Abide with us, we humbly pray,
Till we behold Your face some day.
 
Mold our lives in peace and love,
Direct our eyes to things above,
Forgive the sins that we've committed,
That each mistake might be remitted.
 
Protect us, Lord, throughout the year,
Daily draw us ever nearer,
Hold our lives within Your hand,
Until we meet in Heaven's land.
 
 


A Little Word...

By Marjorie Kinnee
Editorial


Text: Matthew 6:9-15; 18:21-35; (Luke 11:2-4)
"And forgive us our debts, AS we forgive our debtors." (Matthew 6:12)

In other texts, the word, "debts," is rendered as "trespasses" and the verse reads, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." The word, "trespass," is defined as "going beyond the known boundary or boundaries."

In that context, let us closely examine the little word, "as."

Used as both an adverb and a conjunction, Webster gives several meanings for this two-letter word...
  1. (adv.) - to the same extent or degree
  2. (conj.) - in the same way
  3. (conj.) - at the same time
  4. (conj.) - for the reason that
  5. (conj.) - with the result that
  6. (conj.) - in accordance with
Forgiveness, according to the texts above, is required. There is no plan B, no other option is provided, no excuses, no evasions, and no extenuating circumstances. It is a given that offenses and trespasses will come. You can count on it. It is also set in stone that we are required to forgive those offenses and tresapasses. Our forgiveness from God hinges upon our willingness to forgive others.

So far, nothing we've said is new news. We've quoted and sung the Lord's Prayer all our lives. It's been said that in the highjacked flight over Pennsylvania on 9/11, those who tried to retake the plane prayed the Lord's Prayer just before saying, "Let's roll!"

But it all boils down to that one little word - as. Think about it!
  1. Forgive - to the same degree or extent - you've been forgiven.
  2. Forgive - in the same way - you've been forgiven.
  3. Forgive - at the same time - you're being forgiven.
  4. Forgive - for the reason that - you've been forgiven.
  5. Forgive - with the result that - you'll be forgiven.
  6. Forgive - in accordance with - the forgiveness you've received.
Peter wanted to put a number on forgiveness. He sought for a limit. "Lord, how oft shall my brother [poor Andrew!] sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" Jesus' answer nipped Peter's question in the bud. He set the number high enough to be unreachable in any given day. And considering that we know HIS mercies are new every morning and we are told not to let the sun go down on our wrath; the count must restart every day!

The next thing Jesus did was to launch into a parable. Seems a king was taking account of his servants. One came with a debt of 10,000 talents. There was no doubt that he owed it and no way he could repay it. He pled for mercy and patience, promising to repay all.

For whatever reason, the king was moved with compassion. Maybe he'd just learned that his wife was going to have a baby, maybe some enemy had been defeated in battle, maybe some plot to overthrow his rule had been thwarted; whatever the reason, the king's compassion caused him to forgive the enormous debt and set the servant free.

On his way out of the palace, the forgiven servant noticed a fellow-servant who owed him 100 pence. We're talking gold, (the 10,000 talent debt,) vs. copper (100 pence). The forgiven man takes the little guy by the throat demanding immediate payment. The little guy begs for mercy, but to no avail. He was cast into prison until the debt was paid.

The fellow-servants witnessed it all and went to tell the king, who, in turn, recalled the culprit. "Wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, just because you asked. Shouldn't you have had at least the same pity on your fellow-servant as I had on you?" Furious, the king restored the entire 10,000 talent debt back into the record books and delivered the debtor into the hands of the tormentors until all the money was repaid.

Peter's final answer was Jesus closing statement... "So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." (Matthew 18:35)

Oh Lord, Forgive us our trespasses [crossing His known boundary/ies] AS we forgive those who trespass [cross over our known boundary/ies] against us!