How to be Wise

Micah 6:9-16

Andy Stanley has a series on “Christian” and the meaning of the word, where it came from and the number of times it was used in Scripture is 3 times.  But his bottom line is “Christians” have tried to make non-Christians conform to rules both moral and religious rather than showing love.  And even worse, there is no place in Scripture where followers of Christ are told to do so.  The Church is only to police its own actions and to show love to outsiders.  That does not mean we are to accept evil, in fact we are to resist evil and to live godly lives so that by our love the world will seek Jesus.

Earlier this morning I was writing on wisdom and how to find it, and Proverbs 1:7 states; “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  Being a fool is not a new thing, it has no limits, we witness fools with the highest of possessions to those with not one dime.  We witness fools in the highest offices of our nation to the very lowest of public servants.  Micah 6:9, states the following: “The voice of the Lord cries to the city—and it is sound wisdom to fear your name: “Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it!”  But fools do not learn wisdom, and if God instructed earthly fathers to not spare the rod, would it not seem reasonable that God would also use the rod on those who do evil.  And as long as we examine what is passable for God’s wrath, would you agree that it would first begin with His own people, both then and now.  That should make one fear, but you recall; “fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Micah 6:10-15, “Can I forget any longer the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is accursed?  Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights?  Your rich men are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow, making you desolate because of your sins.  You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you;
you shall put away, but not preserve, and what you preserve I will give to the sword.  You shall sow, but not reap; you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.”

If you recall this is not directed to a non-Christian, but to one who is a follower of Christ, and many of you have allowed the evil one to speak into your life lies from hell, and if you find you have been using deceitful ways in your family, business, or marriage, payday is just around the corner.  I must ask is what you are doing bringing satisfaction, is there peace and contentment, or does it seem the more you acquire the greater is your fear of lose.  If so you are experiencing judgment.

God refers to two evil kings, Omri and Ahab and because of them God’s judgment fell on Jerusalem and its inhabitants.  Ahab had killed the LORD’s prophets and stolen Naboth’s family inheritance.  These two were full of greed as many of the leaders in and out of the church today, and greed’s sister is always lies and even the murder of others.

Quote from Voltaire: “It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice