Lessons from Lemuel’s Mother

“The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him: Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.” [1]

She is obviously referring to multiple uncommitted relationships based on pleasing one’s fleshly desires and instead of a relationship with one woman that places God and others before oneself.

“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted.” [2]

She taught her son that there a good reason to avoid using harmful substances to one’s body… they impair one’s ability to fight for the causes that really manner such as loving God and one’s neighbor and caring for the afflicted.

“Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” [3]

Rather than being preoccupied with pleasing himself (as people with great power tend to do), he was to rescue perishing people, make good judgments, and advocate for people who did not have their basic needs met.

“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.” [4]

Here she counters her earlier warning about “women” with the inestimable valuable of a virtuous wife: one wife, who is committed to their relationship.

“She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” [5]

Surely only God could give such a woman to a man.

“Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.” [6]

She not only respects her husband, but she helps others to respect him as well.

“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.” [7]

She has been with the Lord and He has taught her how to use her mouth and tongue to build up and not tear down. She surely is more valuable than many rubies.

“She watches over the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” [8]

She helps her husband bear the weight of providing for the health of their family.

“Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” [9]

Unlike the men who pursue the women who use feminine wiles to win the temporary praise of the masses, Lemuel is marry a woman who will be a blessing to his children and his praise as well. Incidentally, the word praise comes from the old French word "preisier” which means to prize. Lemuel’s mother taught him to avoid women and substance abuse, do what’s right in God’s eyes and for others, and marry UP! Good advice!

[1] Proverbs 31:1
[2] Proverbs 31:4-5
[3] Proverbs 31:8-9
[4] Proverbs 31:10
[5] Proverbs 31:11
[6] Proverbs 31:12
[7] Proverbs 31:26
[8] Proverbs 31:27
[9] Proverbs 31:28, 30

Lord Jesus, You Are...

“Lord Jesus, You are...
Worshiped by millions of angels...
The focus of adoration in heaven...
Help us here on earth...
To know Your matchless worth...
To esteem You higher than...
Worldly riches...
Worldly pleasures...
Worldly approval...
Grant that we would...
Render abundant praise...
Lavish thanksgiving...
Celebration with songs...
Unto Your Name alone...
Unmute our lips...
To proclaim Your salvation...
To everyone.”

“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” [1]

“Look carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God... lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.” [2]

“Help us, dear Lord Jesus, to follow the example of Moses who by Your Spirit and Word knew Your matchless worth. Let us not be like Esau who traded his blessed inheritance for temporary pleasures. For it is in Your Name we pray. Amen.”

[1] Hebrews 11:24-26
[2] Hebrews 12:15-17

Meek & Humble People

Meek and humble people
Amidst the rebellious and arrogant
Trusting in God,
Experiencing God's presence
Experiencing God's gladness
Experiencing God's love
Experiencing God's songs
God Almighty saves them

“Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted,
To the oppressive city!
She has not obeyed His voice,
She has not received correction;
She has not trusted in the Lord,
She has not drawn near to her God.

The Lord is righteous in her midst,
He will do no unrighteousness.
Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He never fails,
But the unjust knows no shame.

I will leave in your midst
A meek and humble people,
And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
‘Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.’”

Zephaniah 3:1-2, 5, 12, 16-17

ομολογώ

The primary Greek word for “confess” is homologeo (see above) basically means “to say the same word.”

homo - same
logos - word

To be a confessor of our Lord Jesus Christ is to say the same thing that He is saying in His Holy Word - the Bible.

Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” [1]

To be a follower of Christ is to be one who believes and confesses that Jesus Christ alone is the way to the Father... the way to eternal bliss after this life is over. The Gospel is that Jesus Christ accomplished everything that was needed for our salvation. We receive salvation from Him as a free gift with no merit of our own... “by grace you are saved.” [2]

We need to beware of confessing or believing something that is other than what Jesus said. “Obscurantism is, obscuring the Gospel by emphasizing things that are actually external to the Gospel as being central to it. The end result is a false gospel that becomes a stumbling block to those Christians and churches are trying to reach. Syncretism is the mixing of Christianity with something else so that it becomes a different gospel. Syncretism can take place with a positive-thinking gospel, a nationalist emphasis, or emerging culture.

When anything is added to the message of the Gospel, the uniqueness and sufficiency of Christ is compromised and another gospel can be created that is, well, actually not the gospel. In this, obscurantism and syncretism are closely related, each leading to the creation of a false gospel.” [3]

[1] John 14:6
[2] Ephesians 2:8
[3] christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2014/june/avoiding-pitfall-of-syncretism.html

Glory & Honor to Our Redeemer King

“He by whom all things were made...

was made one of all things.

The Son of God by the Father without a mother...

became the Son of man by a mother without a father.

The Word Who is God before all time...

became flesh at the appointed time.

The Maker of the sun was made under the sun.

He Who fills the world lays in a manger,

Great in the form of God,

but tiny in the form of a servant;

This was in such a way that neither was...

His greatness diminished by His tininess,

nor was His tininess overcome...

by His greatness.” [1]

“He was in the world,

and the world was made through Him,

and the world did not know Him.

He came to His own,

and His own did not receive Him.

But as many as received Him,

to them He gave the right to...

become children of God,

to those who believe in His name:

who were born, not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but of God.” [2]

[1] Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 187

[2] John 1:10-13

The Word of God

Once upon a time in a land faraway, the Director of Hong Kong Youth for Christ, David Chu, passed onto me an illustration that the Navigators had passed onto him.

He asked me to hold out one finger. He asked me if I could hold onto the Bible very well with one finger.

My was answer, "no". He said that trying to hold onto the Bible with one finger was like trying to remember the Word of God with only hearing others preach about it.

He proceeded to add that we needed five fingers to hold onto the Bible so tightly that no one could pull it from our hand. Each finger was a metaphor for a method to retain Bible knowledge. (Please see the attached pictures.) When I gripped the Bible with five fingers, it was difficult for Director David to pull it from my hand.

The Apostle Paul who wrote much of the New Testament and planted churches in Asia minor taught his young disciple, Timothy, in a similar way. He wrote to Timothy:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” [1]

King David, one of God's greatly used men of God, wrote:

“Your Word [Lord] is very pure; Therefore, Your servant loves it.” [2]

“Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness.” [3]

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word.” [4]

Let us endeavor to hear, read, study, memorize and meditate on the Word of God - the Bible.

[1] 2 Timothy 3:15
[2] Psalm 119:140
[3] Psalm 119:159
[4] Psalm 119:9

Thank You Jesus for Caring for Souls

“The Lord said [to Jonah], ‘You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than 120,000 persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?’” [1]

“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Long-suffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” [2]

[1] Jonah 4:10-11
[2] Psalm 86:5, 13, 15, 17

A Faithful Witness for Christ

We have a High Priest [Jesus Christ] who sympathizes with our weaknesses. He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. [1]

“He [Jesus Christ] is...
despised and rejected by men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

We hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised,
And we did not esteem Him.

Surely, He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God and afflicted.

He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

He poured out His soul unto death,
He was numbered with the transgressors,
He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.” [2]

“I am thankful that You, Jesus Christ, are my high priest. I don’t deserve You. I cannot earn You. But I worship and love You. Thank You for suffering for me. I am an unworthy sinner. You are my hope. You are the hope of all people. Please help me to be a faithful witness for You.”

[1] Hebrews 4:15
[2] Isaiah 53:3-7, 12

THE HEAVENLY VISION

Paul told King Agrippa, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” [1]

What was the heavenly vision that JESUS gave to Paul?

The heavenly vision is a mission...

Open their [the nations’] eyes
Turn them from darkness to light,
Turn them from the power of Satan to God,
So that...
They receive forgiveness of sins...
And an inheritance among those...
Who are sanctified...
[set apart for divine use]
by faith in Me [Jesus Christ]. [2]

The vision that Jesus gave Paul was the same mission that Jesus gave His church...

“Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” [3]

Go and do!

The first two letters of God’s name are:

G O

The last two letters from right to left are:

D O

TO BE OBEY THE HEAVENLY VISION OF JESUS CHRIST, THE GREAT COMMISSION, WE MUST BE A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST ON A MISSION TO BRING OTHERS TO FAITH IN HIM... AND TO FOLLOW HIM.

Let’s go and do...

[1] Acts 26:19
[2] Acts 26:18
[3] Matthew 28:19-20

On The Very First Christmas

A Divine Son left His home

He left the best food

He left the most beautiful vacation spot

He left the best fellowship

He left the place where He was loved

To do what?

To be born into human body

That could suffer and die

Placed as an infant

In an animal's feed box

To serve us

To walk with us

To enrich our lives

To bring us to heaven

To heal out broken hearts

To set us free

To save our souls

To open heaven doors

For you and me

Heaven is a Wonderful Place

“Heaven is a wonderful place,
Filled with glory and grace.
I want to see my Savior’s face,
Because heaven is wonderful place.” [1]

When we realize how wonderful God is and how splendid His eternal kingdom is, it seems a small thing to obey His will. For example, Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. The heroes of the Christian faith embraced and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. They desired a better country, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God was not ashamed to be called their God, for He prepared a [heavenly] city for them. [2]

“The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” [3] The brighter days happen as we grow in Christlikeness. The final outcome of our walk with Christ is a better and heavenly country.

[1] Words and music by O.A. Lambert, © 1958, 1964 SACRED SONGS
[2] Hebrews 11:13-14, 16, 25
[3] Proverbs 4:18