A gift from God

September 8, 2018

Proverbs 19:13-14

“A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.  House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.” 

Let me be clear on this, when I married Jan she got the short end of the deal, on the outside, the public side, I acted very confident and yet inside I was a very insecure person who was full of fear.  Love, I knew the word but not the meaning, and much of the time would not nor could I share with anyone nor come to any real understanding of what the vows I had made were all about.

With that said let me also say that we both professed to be Christian, but what we came to understand was we were Baptist, who knew a lot about Jesus Christ, but neither of us had a personal relationship with the living Christ.  I do believe I was the foolish son to my dad and it breaks my heart that I was not a joy to him.

Now with that confession let me also confess that Jan my wife of 53 years is a fantastic lady, and a gift from God.  When I read about a wife that quarrels are like a dripping of rain, I’ve never experienced such things in our marriage.  Jan did often tell me to be kind, and tender and not so harsh, and over the years God has sent many men to teach me how to do that by the model they lived out in front of me.

So if you are a young man and are only looking at the outside package, she may be a drop dead 10 and a demon on the end side.  You would be wise to spend time with her parents and observe how they treat each other.  It would also be wise to pay close attention to how she interacts with them.  Note: ladies you also need to do the same with him, if you see too many red flags run.

The above counsel comes without charge, it was not asked for, and my dad was always quick to say such counsel has little value.  But guys these Proverbs are written by a man who had seven hundred wives, now he knew a little about the quarrelsome wife!  So these are some of the things he had to say: In Proverbs 21:9, “It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.”  And verse 19, “It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman. “

How when it comes to the word prudent let me share the meaning of that word.

A person who is prudent looks like my wife Jan, they have good sense, and they are careful in considering consequences and careful in managing resources. 

 I will end with this statement from Solomon, and let me also answer King Solomon, I found her, and I am a blessed man.  “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.”  (Proverbs 31:10-12)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Who were the evilest people of the last 50 years?

Proverbs 18:3-5

“When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes reproach.  The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.  It is not good to be partial to the wicked, and so deprive the innocent of justice.”

While reading this thought entered my mind, what effect have evil leaders had on our world?   What Proverbs give us insight into such leaders, and this is a sample of what I found.

Proverbs that give us insight into lousy leadership and the harm it brings on a people and a nation. “It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness.”  (Proverbs 16:12)

“A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.”  (Proverbs 28:16)

 “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”  (Proverbs 29:2)

“By justice, a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down.” (Proverbs 29:4)

“If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.” (Proverbs 29:12)

Where does one go to get such a list, this is what I did.   I ask this question of the lady on my I-phone; Who were the evilest people of the last 50 years, I was not surprised at most of the answers: Adolf Hiller, Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, Heinrich Himmler, Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Kim Jong-il and his son, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Mao Zedong.  

But I then went to Google, and ask who were the worst leaders and people who influenced with money and power.  The list that came up; Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hiller, Osama Bin Laden, Pol Pot, Vladimir Lenin, Fidel Castro, Kim Jong-il, Vladimir Putin, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Heinrich Himmler, Karl Marx, Saddam Hussein, Baskar-al-Assad, Benito Mussolini.  I asked one more question, and it did not give me an answer, what one man has done the most harm in the USA with his power and money in the last 25 years?  I got no answer, but I do have a name in my mind, does one come to yours?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Choices we make

September 4, 2018

Proverbs 17 Selected Verses

Shall we begin with verse seven; “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.”  If you have not been offended or betrayed by someone you love or consider a friend, you are very rare.  For most of us it has happened and now the ball is in our court, what are we going to do?  Well, it may come into your thinker if you are a follower of Christ, to forgive as you have been forgiven, that will be one voice you will hear.  If you listen to that voice all will be good, but a much louder voice that sounds much like your own is also giving advice.  And it goes like this, tell everyone you know not to trust that person, they are a backstabbing no good scum of the earth.  Now it may make you feel better to listen to the second voice, but you will not please God, and you will destroy a relationship.  It is always our choice!

I believe each of us should give thought to verse 13, “If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.”  Only a very foolish person would ignore such teaching.  I’m sure many do so with little regard for what they have brought on their family.

Verse 14, I’ve been foolish and made an error in the teaching of this verse, first let us share the verse; “Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.”  In my job as a senior salesperson, I took responsibility for some of the younger salespeople who worked with me.  I was always looking for ways to promote them to upper management.  Now it might surprise you but that is somewhat rare in sales, and I believe it was my calling at that time to promote those who were looking for ways to increase our performance.  One such man was John, and he had been working on a way to make our products friendlier for both the customer and the salesperson.  I believed it was a great tool John had come up with and I shared what John had been doing on his own time with upper management.  John had covered most of his bases in that he had gotten the labs approval but did not run it past the marketer in charge of the line of products.

So the email began to fly, and I got caught up defending John, that was good but I let my big mouth put on paper what I was thinking about, how little Austin Center knew about our customer's needs, and the war began.  I did a lot of damage to my career.  If only I had dropped the matter before a dispute broke out, I would not have gone through an awful time.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Powwer of the Tongue

Proverbs 17 & 18 selected verses

 Words have meaning, one is wise to look up the meaning of words they do not understand, and I spend a lot of time looking up words.  Words also can bring a smile to a person's face or bring hurt and sorrow.  How one uses a word is very important, for Solomon tells us in Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

An example I’ve heard is a child that lies to his parents, now there are two ways to handle this; one destroys the other does not.  If the parents say, you are such a liar you are now talking about their character.  But if you say you lied to us, you know we do not approve of that nor does God.  You are talking about an action, not a way of life.

So let’s examine how a wise man handles words, and I want to use a footnote from Holman Study Bible page1031 taken from Proverbs 1:5, “a wise man will listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance—“ The footnote: “A discerning man has the capacity to understand what he hears and sees and to internalize so that it directs his actions.”  I believe that gives understanding to Proverbs 17:27, “The intelligent person restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a man of understanding.”

Have you listened to many of our college students being interviewed from some place of higher learning?  This verse often comes to my mind when they open their mouth; “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” (Proverbs 18:2)  I have also been guilty of doing that in my past, and I hope and pray I no longer do such foolishness.

Solomon has much to say about the fool and also the person of wisdom, but a wise person can learn much from studying both.  I have witnessed both of these verses in my own life, and once more I hope they are in the past.  Proverbs 18:6,7, “A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.”

One of the hardest things to teach a salesperson is to listen to the customer, and I believe it is also hard for parents often to listen to their children.  Proverbs 18:13, nails us on this; “The one who gives an answer before he listens—this is foolishness and disgrace for him.”  Many a sale has been missed by not listening to the needs of the customer, and many a child quits trying to talk to parents who do not listen.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Integrity

Proverbs 19:1

“Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.” 

A man does not have to tell you he has integrity, and you should watch out for one that does.  I worked for a man that always had to pull out his business card to let people know that he was my boss, and for a good reason, it was hard to believe that a person so insecure and unstable would have such a title.  I also worked often with Bill H. our national sales manager, when Bill walked into a room he always used the same line, even when ask his title, I’m in sales!  And everyone in the room knew he was the boss.  So back to a man of integrity, he is a safe man, one whose word is his bond, one who walks uprightly before God and man. 

So today shall we see how Solomon addresses the word integrity in the Proverbs?  Beginning in Proverbs 10:9, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.”  I’ve learned to watch out for the businessman who puts up the sign stating he is a Christian and a man of integrity; many of them show themselves to be crooks.  If you are a Christian, your life will testify to that truth.  Note: You may also look at Proverbs 28:6.  But before we look elsewhere shall we see what Proverbs 11:3, has to say with us.  “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”  Two roads and one less traveled in our world today, the way of integrity.  It is hard to find in the business world, it is also missing in the Political world, and sad but true, it is absent in our news reporting, for truth has been put away for spin or lies.  What does a person of integrity look like, they are genuine, they are honest, a person of worth.  But a person who goes on the road of duplicity they are deceitful and subversive.

As a follower of Christ, the model we have in 1 Peter 3:14-17 is the only road for us.   ^“But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”  But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.  For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Three Verses

Proverbs 17:4-6

“A wicked person listens to malicious talk; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.  The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker, and one who rejoices over calamity will not go unpunished.  Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers.”

I’m sure these three Proverbs verses do not tie together, but each needs to be looked into and discussed.  “A wicked person listens to malicious talk; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.”  Not a day passes that my email is not full of stuff that is passed on to me from church people who I like and yet they are sharing information that only supports one side of the issues and often is not verifiable and sometimes not accurate.  At best it is disturbing, it sure is not uplifting nor does it make one want to do as Christ commanded, to love your neighbor as yourself, or love your enemies.  I am also guilty of sharing information that was passed on to me, but now I am saying if I do not know, this may be one big lie, I’m not sure, but it is funny, or it looks correct.

“The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker, and one who rejoices over calamity will not go unpunished.”  We all have one Creator, and yet many do not have good models and make a bad decision.  Both will affect how a person ends up in life, but others allow the color of ones skin or the environment they grew up in to control what they become.  It is a choice for the person, but for us who are in Christ, it is not a choice of how we respect and love those who are poor.  No more than it is to turn our back on those who have had some calamity in their lives.  At Oakwood we have a saying, “IE” Intentionally Engaging our Community with the love of Christ, it is simple, and it has much to do with those who are under-resourced or have had some calamity.  I also have had the joy of serving with Samaritan’s purse, after a flood or storm, and their goal is helping in Jesus Name.

“Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers.”  I’ve often been in denial on many things about life and age may be one of them, in that I’m blessed with a healthy body and a mind that can still work most of the time.  With that said, a few years back at a Hampton Inn in Fort Worth, Jan and I got locked out of our room and could not get back to our stuff.  It is 10 p.m. and it is a family reunion of people who most have a few years on us and we like them are ready to go to bed.  The lady at the front desk comes up to help and has a machine that will open the lock, but it also does not work, and it is now passed eleven and we just want a toothbrush and a bed.  So I go back to the front desk and ask if she can give us the items we need and a room to sleep in and the lady calls her boss to ask for permission.  Now why am I sharing such information with you, it is what came out of the ladies mouth, she told her boss, I have this elderly couple that is locked out of there room!  My first thought was we are not the only ones; this new system of locking doors must not work very well.  So I looked around, and it was me she was talking about, and she looked like she was within ten years of my age; I ’ve gone from being kind to very upset, I’m sure not elderly.

When it comes to grandchildren, they can call me whatever, what a joy they are, Jan and I have two of the finest young men on planet earth.  And I’ve been blessed to have a son-in-law who loves God and my daughter and those two boys.  I do believe they are the pride of his.  And as mother always said, that’s good pride, not the kind that gets one in trouble with God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Many Choose Gold

September 1, 2018

Proverbs 16:16

“How much better to get wisdom than gold!  To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”  Wisdom is not education, but education can be a help or hindrance to wisdom.  For the Scriptures are our guide to defining Wisdom, first we must go to Proverbs 1:1-7, The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; ^to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth.  Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles^.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Many who are in higher education fall under God’s use of the word fool, for they have no fear of God!  Many a man who loves the title of self-made man also has no understanding of wisdom, for they exchange this mist of life and what it offers for the eternal life, that is foolishness.

Now back to the Scripture to discover wisdom, in Job 28:28, “And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’  There are those who teach that being old brings wisdom, but in my 76 years of life on planet earth, I’ve experienced many older folks who are very foolish.  Listen to the words of this young man speaking to Job; “And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said: “I am young in years, and you are aged; therefore I was timid and afraid to declare my opinion to you. I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.’ But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.  It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right.”

  

We must look and ponder on three more Scriptures, and yes there are many you may look at, but these will give all who seek wisdom a guide to finding it.  Hosea 14:9, “Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.”  The next verse Matthew 7:24, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man.”  And this is wisdom, 2 Timothy 3:15, “and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

I do Fear God

August 28, 2018

 Proverbs 16:6

“By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.”

I do not have a clue about your past, your thought life, or your walk with the Lord, but I’m somewhat of an expert on mine, and I’ve had many bought lessons that I hope you have not had.  When I ponder on steadfast love and faithfulness, Jesus always fills the picture in my mind.  Do you recall John the Baptist seeing Jesus coming to be baptized and he proclaimed to the crowd, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  I, like you, have a sin problem, and as a child, I went to church, heard many sermons on how to ask Jesus to come into my heart, but even as a child I wanted to be the one in charge of my life.  I believed that Jesus was the Son of God and that the Holy Spirit placed Jesus into a virgin, named Mary, and that He died on a cross to pay our debt of sin.  And yes, I believed He rose from the grave in three days and that He lives with the Father in heaven.  But all of that knowledge and belief does not make one right with the Father, in fact, the devil also believes and trembles at what he knows to be correct about his eternal home of fire and torment.

“And by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.”  I was blessed to know a man I respected for the wrong reasons, and he asked me one day to attend a Bible Study.  For six months I went to that Bible Study, and for the first two months I thought I would never go back, but five men who I found out had a personal relationship with the Lord that I was only informed about.  They loved me and treated me as a brother, and I believe the hounds of heaven were released on me.  One night I opened a hotel Bible and read Romans 10:9-10, and this is what I read that night and acted on.  ^“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.”

That night I was very fearful that a Holy God had run out of patience with me.  For a month I had been trying to make a deal with God, and it was not working, on that night, I just wanted to have Him in my life and become the man I so needed to be.

I’ve had teachers who said God is not to be feared but loved and honored and yes we must do that, but I do fear my God.  Do you recall Jesus words on this subject in Matthew 10:28,  ^“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”  You may also want to read Luke 12:4-5, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have more they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Wise listen to God

Proverbs 21:13

“Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.”

We all have had the guy or gal that approached us for money on the street, some have signs I will work for food but most won’t.  We even had the more aggressive one that wants to wash your car windows, but the ones I detest are the ones that beg for their church, as if God needs the world to fund His mission.

So what does the Bible say about the poor, a lot of ink is in the Bible on the poor, and a wise person will pay attention to what God is saying to each of us?  Shall we explore the Scriptures and learn how God looks at the poor?  Proverbs 19:17, states; “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”  Proverbs 22:9, “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.”  What about Proverbs 14:31, “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.”

Do you recall Jesus said these words to the righteous; “For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, I was a stranger, and you welcomed me, I was naked, and you clothed me, I was sick, and you visited me, I was in prison, and you came to me.”  If so I’m sure you recall the righteous reply in Matthew 25:37-39, asking when did we do this for you; and this was Jesus’ reply in verse 40.  “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

But Jesus said much more about the poor in Luke 14:13-14, “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

I am blessed to be part of a local church that has a heart for the under-resourced and has many programs to help them.  But Jan and I also give to Samaritan’s Purse that supports and cares for the poor worldwide.  As a follower of Christ, one should take these Scriptures very serious.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

 Proverbs 16:1-5

“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.  All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.  Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.  The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.  Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.”

I am not going to attempt verse one at this time for I’m not sure how to handle it, but the second verse seems to be saying, our spirit is the actual measuring tape. Most of us can see fault in others but believe we are walking in a way that God and man will be pleased.  In fact, many of us who have chosen to follow Christ may be deceiving ourselves into believing God is happy we are so tight with Him.  Let me make a statement; we need to stop and pray for understanding and wisdom for we have made God into someone like ourselves.

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”  Sounds so easy, but is it?  It sure has not always been easy for me, often I form the business plan to get the job done and ask the Father to please bless my plan.  I know my Father wants to be part of my plan, but would I not be wise to gather more facts and get more counsel and then spent time in prayer before doing anything?  You may want to ponder on Psalm 33:11, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.”

“The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.”  Do you recall Nineveh a great city, but a very evil city and God sent Jonah to preach to them?  Now Jonah despises, I mean he loathed and had only contempt for those people.  Much like many in the church have for the left who have no regard for the ways of God.  Do you recall he is refusing to go and in fact would rather die than bring God’s messenger to such a people?  But after three days in a large fish, I like to think of it as an underwater motel designed to change the attitude of Jonah.  Now turn to Matthew 12:41, we have these words from Jesus, “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

                       

I have asked myself am I a real follower of Christ or am I more a Jonah in my attitude and spirit, and it is a great question we need to be asking?

Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.”  Go to 2 Corinthians 13:5, and take the test.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Wisdon's Instruction

Proverbs 15:33

Men I’ve known personally, men of wisdom and the gift of teaching, have instructed me in how to study the Scriptures, watch how often God deals with subject matter and make sure you take it seriously.  So let us look only at the subject “Wisdom” and how often Proverbs 15:33 is repeated.  If it is more than once it should give you reason to give thought; God is making a point.  Shall we explore verse 33, “Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.”

It is essential to open the first chapter, verse seven, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  Fools despise wisdom and instruction and the self-made man needs no one to tell him the way to go, but a wise man knows he needs both wisdom and guidance.

Everyone should give thought to Proverbs 3:13-18, “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.  She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.  Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.  She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.” 

Often in business one will find a person who makes little of the things of God searching for wisdom in a matter.  This is what Proverbs 14:6 states “A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.”  And last, allow me to share one more Proverb 9:10-12, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.  For by Wisdom your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.  If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.”

Jan and I attempt to invest in both our minds and physical health, we go to the gym, eat food we believe will be good for us, and make sure we spend time in God’s word looking for direction, instruction and wisdom.  I do think it begins with loving God to the best of your knowledge of Him.  The promises are too great for those who seek Him with all their being.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

How does a wise man become foolish?

Selected verses from Proverbs 15

What a fantastic man was King Solomon, but how can a man be the wisest of men and also become the most foolish?  As I ponder that thought, many others come to mind, what about Adam and Eve, now it’s not possible for you or I to grasp life without sin, but the Bible tells us this couple experienced such a life.  We do not know for sure how many years they were without sin but this we do know they walked in the cool of the evening with God and had no fear.  To my knowledge God only gave them one rule, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

We know the serpent was crafty, more so than all the other beast of the field, and Satan used Him to do the knockout punch on Eve. Where was Adam, not working, not being the protector of his woman, no, he was just a wimp, or passive man, standing by his lady and not stepping in and taking care of the serpent?  And that day sin entered them, they hid from God, because they knew He was pure and for the first time they were sinners, and sin entered the world.

So how does that give us an understanding of the question of how can a man be the wisest of men and also become the most foolish?  We must explore how Solomon became the wisest of men, and what took place to lead him to desire exploring evil.  First, how did this young boy King become the smartest man born with an earthly dad?

We get understanding about this from 1 Kings chapter three, let us begin in verse 5, “At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.”  Now skip down to verses 7-13, “And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David, my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.  And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.  Give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.  And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.  I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.  And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

Now we understand how Solomon became the wisest of men, but how does a wise man become a fool?  It has been recorded over the year how very wise men, men who once walked with God, have fallen into foolishness and desired the offering of this world over a close walk with our LORD.  Too much success, both in wealth and power, too many people following, but no person or a group they are accountable to.  They, like Solomon, believed they could ignore the statutes of God; it always comes from an unchecked life.  Each of us needs someone holding us accountable, to be Micah 6:8 men.  He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? 

I believe a wise person will pay close attention to how King Solomon ends the book of Ecclesiastes 12:13-14,  ^“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What happens to a generation of fools?

Proverbs 15 select verses

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3)  The best of commentaries are the Scriptures, so go with me to Psalm 139:7-12, “Where shall I go from your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”  We also have this from Jeremiah 23:23-24, “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? ²⁴ Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?  Do I not fill heaven and earth? Declares the Lord.”

Many a person needs to ponder on these verses, yes Heaven and Hell are real places, but one should give thought to this fact, Jesus talks more about hell than He did about heaven.  You have never gotten by with anything, but God has placed the cross, and it is a stumbling block to many but salvation to any who will receive the gift of redemption.   My prayer is that you will come to an understanding that all have sinned and fallen short, we have no claim to God’s love, it cannot be earned, nor is it deserved, it is His love gift to all who come with a broken and contrite heart of repentance.  He longs to forgive each of us!  Neither is it based on wealth, status, or performance; it is grace through the faith God will give to anyone asking.

Proverbs 15:5-6, “A fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.  ⁶ In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.”

What happens to a generation of fools?  The latest studies show the millennial would rather be under a socialist type of government than a capitalist.  My sincerest hope is this is not true, and some say about 7 percent would choose communism over the freedom of the United States of America, what has happened?

How did we get to this point, let me share a few thoughts that might give insight into the problem?  Everyone wants to blame the liberal professors, and they may contribute to the problem, but they are not the reason.  Others may blame the education system, and they also may have been a small part of this puzzle, but not the cause.

So who is to blame, it must be the government or the greed of politicians, they play a role, but the root cause is not too much materialism or technology, no it is much more profound.

We the people of the United States of America have grown foolish, we have fashioned God into our mold, and have not bowed our wills to His.  So He has allowed us to go the way of Sodom and Gomorrah and it has been our choice, but a wise man would read how that comes out in the book of Genesis and if I recall it was not good.

Dads are the primary blame and it matters not the nationality. The Black family was one of the strongest, they went to Church and watched over and gave guidance to their children and yet where are the Black men today?  Many are the breeder but not a leader of their home, they have chosen the way of foolishness leaving sons and daughters without direction.  What about the white men, are they better dads?  Some are, but many have sold out to materialism, ignoring the ways of God for what they foolishly believe is a better way.

Mothers have chosen to farm out the kids to daycare so that they can have a career and freedom of expression.  Also, let us not forget sports, especially elite sports that keep your family out of Church and from learning the ways of God.  How foolish of me to talk this way, I must not understand, mom’s and dads are investing in giving them a better life, one we would have wanted.  And the mom and dad said in their heart; I would move my place at the same level as God.  No, that is what the devil or thief as Jesus called him said, you know the one that came to kill, steal and destroy.

Why anyone would give up the freedom to be free to choose is beyond my understanding.  But I am so grateful to God for loving me and putting me in a home with parents that believed the Bible, and we never had much of this world’s stuff, we were taught to work hard, to save some of our paychecks and to give God a tenth of all He had blessed us with.  Those were the roots of my small success, fear God, love people and forgive as you have been forgiven.

Every day I give thanks for being born in this great land of freedom and opportunity!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Are you devious in your ways?

Proverbs 14:2

  “Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.”

It is not often the word uprightness comes into our speech in 2018 it must be one of those church words that preachers use.  Maybe I need to explore the meaning of the word in a dictionary “Uprightness” I found these words; decency, honesty, morality, honorableness, and we could sum them all up with the word integrity.  This is the reason if you are a seeker of truth; words and there meaning are essential.  So I looked at other versions of the Bible to see how they handle the translation of the word “Uprightness” and want to go with the Holman Study Bible in Proverbs 14:2, “Whoever lives with integrity fears the Lord, but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him.”  

Once more I am driven to Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”  I believe that is a man of integrity and how I desire to be that man and yet often I find myself falling short of those basic requirements.  Often I find, and I mean frequently, I do as 2 Corinthians 13:5 instructs; “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”  Now the question is not am I in Christ, for that was settled long ago in a hotel in Victoria, Texas; it’s about am I allowing the Holy Spirit to guide my life, am I open to His leadership, do I obey when He speaks?  That is a test each of us who claim to have a relationship with Christ must often take.

Now we get to another word used in both translations of the Scriptures, the word devious.  Do you understand the word meaning of “devious”?   The devious ways in which they bent the rules: underhanded, deceitful, dishonest, unethical, immoral, fraudulent, dubious, unfair, calculating, scheming, sneaky, secret, covert, crooked.  Each of us must examine ourselves, are you a rule breaker?  It reminds me of a question a Policeman ask a motorist, what color was the light when you went through it?  And the reply was excellent, so crafty they were not given a ticket, this was the reply; Officer I recall it being burnt orange.

Do you have a bend the rules attitude, if so it is not pleasing to our Lord it is a lousy witness to your children and the neighbors, and your fellow workers?  I’ve had to fight this part of my flesh, and it has to be made to comply with the authority God has placed over you.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Looking to God for direction

Proverbs 14:14-21

As we look into God’s word, I hope you ponder on these verses, we see a contrast between the prudent and simple or the fool who is reckless and careless.

“The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.”

^15 “The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.”

^16 “One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.”

^17 “A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.”

^18 “The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.”

^19 “The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.”

^20 “The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends.”

^21 “Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.”

Shall we direct our thoughts to verse 15, ^“The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.”  Once more we see a contrast between the mocker and the simple.  The mocker has such a high opinion of self that he has little belief in anything he cannot control.  Whereas the simple person accepts everything, and if you told him you saw Jesus in a tortilla they would believe it and tell others as if it was the truth.  What about the prudent person is that a person who is an old prude?  If you look at what is a prudent person they are wise, cautious, farsighted and guided by godly wisdom to pay attention to how they walk with God and man.

One would think Proverbs is a must study for all, but like all Scripture, it requires the Spirit of God to teach one these truths.  If fools believe themselves wise, will they look to God, for direction in life?  But if a prudent person examines themselves, they search for God’s counsel in the Scriptures.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice