THE WISE SON/THE FOOLISH SON

Proverbs 13:1-25

A choice is defined; an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with

two or more possibilities: the choice between good and evil.  So each day of life you and I choose between good and evil, at some point, most have established a value system that is in our minds and hearts, and we are not going to consider taking something that does not belong to us.  But do you really hold to that, what about the pens or postage notes from work?  Yes, I’ve been there with the rationale that it’s for work and yet we take and use it for personal business. It seems to come back to choices, let’s begin with the first verse; “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.”  Early in life, a child makes a choice, do I trust my parents to guide me in the way I should go, or do I choose to believe I can make better decisions, becoming a mocker, not a wise son.

The wise son in this example learns to guard his mouth and his thoughts and to obey his dad and also his Father in heaven.  But the other son the mocker brings harm to himself by the words that come from his mouth.  The wise son is diligent in his work, but the foolish son is a slacker.  The righteous son has made a choice not to lie, but the foolish son sees it as a tool to get what he wants.  The honest person will go to battle for a person of integrity, not so the mocker; he finds ways to support those who sin.

A son who responds to his father’s discipline will not be arrogant and will be open to the counsel of others.  The wise son is willing to give a day’s work for a day’s pay, and he chooses to save as he is blessed by having it multiply.  Do not have contempt for instructions or the penalty will be significant, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded. 

A wise son knows wealth obtained by fraud will fly off like a bird, but labor will multiply wealth.  That is why he welcomes instruction and is rewarded for doing what is required of him.  A wise man uses knowledge but not a foolish man he displays his stupidity.  The wise man understands poverty and disgrace are not far from a man who does not learn from discipline.

A foolish man sees no value in turning from evil, but a wise man has an understanding of what its endgame is; death.  One who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will only suffer harm.  A righteous man desires to leave an inheritance to his grandchildren, not of only wealth but also of integrity.  A wise dad will discipline his children in love but will make sure that the discipline fits the offense.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Who looks for a Unfaithful wife?

Proverbs 12:4

“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.”

I know I’ve never met you, but I’m sure that when you were giving thought to marriage, your end goal was not an unfaithful or quarrelsome wife.  I’m not sure what you were looking for some want one thing and others are not even considering those thoughts but are looking for something very different, but I bet all have this desire for their wife to be faithful to them.  But statistics tell us our dream often ends in divorce, and often we wonder why?

The Barna Group tells us the following; couples are saying their wedding vows, but one out of three is divorced at least once.  This is a part of the report put out by the Barna Group: In addition to finding that four out of every five adults (78%) have been married at least once, the Barna study revealed that an even higher proportion of born-again Christians (84%) tie the knot. That eclipses the proportion among people aligned with non-Christian faiths (74%) and among atheists and agnostics (65%).

With that information let’s go to the Proverbs and look at three types of wives, and what Solomon has to share with us about them.

A Wayward or unfaithful wife!  Let us begin with a warning against adultery, Proverbs 6:23-26, “For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life, keeping you from your neighbor’s wife, from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.  Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.  For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another man’s wife preys on your very life.”  I’ve never known a man who set out to be an adulterer, nor have I seen a man whose goal was to marry an adulteress or a woman he knew would be unfaithful. 

But Solomon in his self-help or advice tells a man to; “Keep my commands, and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.  Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.  Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.”  They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words.”  (Proverbs 7:2-5)  And the last word on the unfaithful wife, found in today's verse Proverbs 12:4b, “but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.”

Next, we have the quarrelsome wife or just ill-tempered!  These words from King Solomon are found in Proverbs 21:9 and 25:24, “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.”  I’m almost sure no one set out to marry someone who always wants to argue or is never pleased with what you have done for them.  And Solomon’s last word on this subject is found in Proverbs 27:15-16, “A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.” 

The Pure or Noble Wife, and last we look at a lady like the one I am blessed to share this life with, and one like her I wish for every man.  Where do the Jan’s come from, each man should make his goal to find such a lady, so let’s listen to Solomon’s counsel.  We find in Proverbs 19:4, “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.”  I was not that smart, I knew that no houses of wealth were coming from my dad, so if I read this, maybe I did not pray for such a lady, but thank you Lord Jesus for giving me one.

Now I always need to be respected by my wife, and often, very often did not earn or deserve her honor or respect, but she was still faithful in this area.  But when she became the queen of our home, guess what I got to be king, and she is my crown, “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,”  (Proverbs 12:4a).

And the final word from Solomon found in Proverbs 31:10-12, and I’m living with her, my bride of 52 years.  “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.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Righeous - The Wicked

Proverbs 12:5-28

 In case you have missed this thought, all of the Proverbs are good counsel, but should not be taken as absolutes.  Example, verse seven, “The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand.”   We see wicked men all around us, one of the evilest men that has walked the face of the earth, in my opinion, is George Soros who reported he enjoyed selling out the Jewish people to the Nazis as a young man.

But if we are looking at it from heavens view, it is absolute.  The wicked will not stand but the righteous will stand, and you and I need to pray for the wicked to come to a place in this life where they bow a knee to our Lord Jesus Christ and ask for grace and forgiveness, or be lord of their own life.

But there is much to explore in the verses and a wise man will do such, this is my feeble attempt to do so.  Solomon gives us two significant players, first the righteous and then the wicked, shall we explore each.

The righteous man thinks just thoughts, and the speech of the upright rescues him.  An honest man is praised for his insight, and he cares for his animal’s health.  The righteous man goes to work each day and provides for his family.  A righteous man always seeks wise counsel, and he ignores an insult.  He is also a true seeker in his speech and actions and gives thought before speaking.  Note: I struggle in this area but that does not change the truth, and I’ve often paid a big price in speaking before giving thought to how it will be received.  Praise God, I’m doing that less, but it is always wise to give thought before speaking.

Back to the righteous man, he is not only a truth seeker but also a truth speaker, and his words bring healing to many.  A righteous man understands that at best this life is like a vapor, God has numbered each persons days, and the righteous set out to honor God and live in peace with their neighbors and they find joy in doing so.  A goal of a righteous person is, to tell the truth, let me share why that is so important; this is what Proverbs 23:22 says.  “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”  A wise man takes heed to this; something each of us needs to put into action, I do not want to be detestable to the LORD.

A wise man is slow to speak and does not try to impress others with his many words or what he believes is knowledge.  He gives thought to keep from having anxiety; he recalls Peter’s words in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  He is careful in dealing with his neighbors, and he takes to heart Proverbs 12:28, “In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway, there is no death.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

To Speak-up or be Silence?

November 24, 2018

Proverbs 28:18-20

“Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.  Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.  A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.”

If your in sales and not a good manager of your time it is easy for a season to write good reports and build yourself up as someone who on top of things.  When the truth is you are spending time at the account that has time for you but is not going to buy anything.  It easy to be a superstar on paper but at some point all management what is orders.   The lack of integrity shows up in people who are lazy, and the other area that is common is not keeping a good record of your expenses, and I watch both managers and salespeople lose their jobs because they began to put personal items on their expense.   These are signs of a lack of integrity, and it carried over into all areas of life.

The same principle work with the salesperson and the farmer, it applies in all the areas of life. Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.  The Scripture is clear one reaps what he sows.  In Galatians 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.  For the one who sows to his typicalflesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

Money is not evil, but the love of money is many a person downfall.  Do not be deceived Scripture is clear God our provider and often when a will heart is set on being rich God allow it to show him the sorrow that comes with money.  Many a person allows wealth to replace any need for God.   But judgment is happening it may be at the end of life standing in front of a holy and jealous God who says depart from me into eternal damnation.   I also need to say that the desire to be rich is as common for the poor as the rich, trust God to provide and open all the doors and be rich in good deeds and love for your neighbors.

From the Back Porch, 

Bob Rice

Is it you or Jesus?

Proverbs 12:2-3

“A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of evil devices he condemns.  No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved.”

If we substituted a word for good to help us define the man Solomon is referring to, it might be righteous, just, or a man of integrity. An excellent biblical model or Scripture for such a man you will find in 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?”  When a man makes Micah 6:8 his model, it is my understanding from Scripture he’s becoming a good man, but is it him or is it Christ in him that is good? 

Do you recall the conversation between Jesus and the rich young man found in Mark 10:17-18?  “And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”  Our flesh is of this world, and unless trained in righteousness it will seek the world and not the things of the Spirit.  So when we see a man acting like Jesus, we see Christ in him, doing what Micah 6:8 tells us is good, and the requirement of allowing Jesus to do it all for you.  Such a man God calls righteous and will never be moved by the acts of the wicked, to do as they do.

It all began in the Garden of Eden with a question, “did God really say” a great answer would have been yes and do not ever ask me such a foolish question again.  But it did not stop with that question, and Eve’s reply did open the door for that old serpent had this to say in the response found in Genesis 3:4-5, “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  Now, if that is all true what a deal, you become the moral authority, the one in charge, but it was a lie from the one Jesus refers to as the thief, the devil, the deceiver, or Satan.  And God calls that evil or wickedness, for we have one God and He will not share that title or His place with His creation.

Many a person has bought the lie that you can be in charge of your life, old blue eyes sang a song I did it my way, and many a person is following that model, how about you, who is your model?  Only two plans, one designed by the old serpent, or thief, as Jesus described in John 10:10.  His goal is to steal, kill and destroy.  Or you have the other plan we can call the first plan #1 and the second plan #2, it’s God plan of redemption, its part 2 of John 10:10, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”   It has always been a choice, and once more today as you read this it is yours to make.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Discipline is a Requirement

Proverbs 12:1

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.”

Being on planet earth for 76 years has a few benefits, you get to observe and be around people you love, and some take a more significant effort than others to love.  It’s true in your family, at school, work and even at your local church.  So I, like Solomon, have set out to have some understanding of life’s practical and philosophical issues.  Now I’m not going to come close to a Solomon unless I learn from him and ask the Holy Spirit to open my simple mind to understand what knowledge my generation has not taken advantage of in the area of discipline.

How does the dictionary define “discipline”? “The practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.” Now let me add this caveat; “God is more interested in our character than He is in our comfort.”   That is a quote from some unknown source, but it holds to the Scripture.  And if our character is that important to our Creator has He also instructed us and given those who seek Him guidance?  The answer is found in 2 Timothy 1:7, “ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.”

So let me share a few observations from just observing little folks, have you ever watched two-year-olds play with other children?  The strangest things take place; they seem not to enjoy sharing toys, they seem to have a spirit of I want whatever the other child has, and often will take it from them.  Are their parents teaching them to be self-centered and mean to others, from where does that come?

Well, in all my observations of two-year-olds, I’ve discovered they come with the attitude of me first. If you’re a mom you understand this, those little darlings never were very considerate of your lack of sleep, when they have a problem the only one they give thought to is number One.  So it is going to take some training in righteousness to change those precious little sweet ones, and it's going to take correction, and encouragement and anyone with a small amount of brains understands it’s age-related.  No one in their right mind would take a switch to a baby; they need affection and love, not punishment.  But when they get to age two or three for some reason they have formed a battle plan about who is going to run the show, and guess what the answer is, not the parents, but the child. 

This is where love plays a part; a parent who loves their child understands that first and foremost your job is to train your child to become a person who loves God, and has been taught in righteous living, and to honor all authority.

Somewhere my generation dropped the ball, and have you noticed where we are today?  Moms and dads want to be friends and buddies, more than to do the hard work of training a child in the way they should go so that when they are a “teenager,” they will love God, and respect all authority.

Solomon said; “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.”  And let me share this from Proverbs 29:17, “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Are you a seeker of good?

Proverbs 11:25-31

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it. Whoever diligently seeks good, seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it. Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise. If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!”

God’s enrichment may or may not be monetary but joy, peace, and fulfillment, how does one put a value on such things?  Some of my best times in this life have been when God used me to bless another; it may be something so simple as taking time to talk with them about a matter of importance or to listen and let them pour out their heart.

Are you a seeker of good, it so, it is important to understand the words of Jesus when the young rich guy came to Him and called Him a good teacher?  Jesus who was and is God, wanted to clarify the definition of the word “good”, so He asked why do you call me good, for only God is good?  The real question is Jesus knew He was good, but the young rich guy had no clue he was addressing the Messiah.

So it says to me if I diligently seek for God, I will find Him, but if I seek after what the world has to offer, I will also see the evil that lives in my flesh.  And how that ties to those who trust in themselves and material stuff will find it tough to not put trust in them and seek God.  Not religion, but a personal relationship with a Holy God.  Many a person has arrived at the good life of stuff, lots of stuff, so many good things, they rented a storage locker to keep it in, but they find no need to seek God.  Let me remind you this life is a vapor, each person must decide where they will spend eternity!

We have all witnessed a foolish man bring trouble to his family, and I’ve been that foolish man, but God is the God of the second chance if we will humble ourselves and confess and ask for His forgiveness.  If you are that man or woman turn and run to Jesus who wants to forgive you and He will go to the Father with you.

If you are a follower of Christ, share with others the joy and peace you have in Christ, for it blesses the Father when we tell about what His only Son has done for us.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A beautiful woman without Discretion

Proverbs 11:22-23

“Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion. The desire of the righteous ends only in good, the expectation of the wicked in wrath.”

As one who hopes we are communicating, I find it necessary to define words, and this is what the dictionary said about “discretion.” 

“The quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information.”  King Solomon had a lot of experiences with the ladies as revealed in 1Kings 11:1-3. “Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, ² from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. ³ He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.”

 The old boy had experience in the subject of beautiful women, and discretion, so you and I need not attempt to one-up him, not sure that is possible.  Today we might say she is a ten on the scale of 1-10, but she loses or sleeps around, cannot keep her word, has little class, she lacks discretion.  A pig was unclean, and no amount of adornment could make up for this defect.

The next subject Solomon often talks to us about is evil and good, or the righteous and the wicked, “The desire of the righteous ends only in good, the expectation of the wicked in wrath.”   My Study Bible has to say; “The righteous . . . They desire to do good to others and this turns out well for them.  The wicked intend wrath for others, but their only hope for the future is wrath upon themselves.”

The following has been my experience when my goal is to be a Micah 6:8 man; I find great blessing in giving and serving but when it’s all about me it does not ever work as I had hoped.  So what kind of a man is a Micah 6:8 man; “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?”  It makes me wonder why I’m not that man all the time, why I seek to chase my tail, and not rest in His blessing?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A Divided House Falls

Luke 11:14

“Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.” Jesus Christ

Who is Jesus addressing, the crowd that saw him heal a mute man who had a demon, and the mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed?  Some accused Him of doing it through the power of Beelzebul the god worshipped by the Philistines and had become a nickname by the Jews for Satan. 

Jesus goes on to say the following, “And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Today in the country of my birth, we stand divided, and some call themselves progressives and others go by the title of conservative.   And we live in a country, a great nation with roots deep into debate and thought, and yet today we don’t listen to anyone with a view we do not like.  I believe that is from the devil of hell, for Jesus has stated; He comes to kill, steal, and destroy.  Jesus calls him a thief and a deceiver, and the devil is very good at division.  His goal is to oppose all that is good and holy and to deceive many, and he has done an excellent job.

So what can an ordinary man, a man of no wealth, and no status in this world do to combat such a foe?  Humble yourself and confess your sin before a holy God who loves all men, even fools.  But fools will not bow a knee at this time to God, and in fact, they will say there is no God.  Victory comes only in the prayers of a man who comes to the Father with a clean heart, looking to Him for the victory.

Yes, it is my understanding that victory comes when we pray our Fathers will, not ours when we love our enemies and do good to those who want to do us harm.  I believe that being on the other side and yet returning evil for evil is a trap that the enemy of your soul desires and tells you is good. 

First, we must be right before God and man, and love is from God, it’s only found in a relationship with the Lord, for God is Love.  So let me ask you a question, what are we as followers of Christ doing?   If I’m right, it is not working that well?  As a follower of Christ, we know that reproach is not pleasing to our Lord and if that is our attitude He will not hear our petitions.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Definite Contrast

Proverbs 11:15-21

“Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.  A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches.  A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.  The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.  Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die. Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those of blameless ways are his delight.  Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.”

King Solomon is making clear that co-signing a bank note for someone you do not know would not be wise.  I can recall a man I met at church and had only been around him a few times moving to another area, and sending me a letter asking that I do just that with his word that he would pay me back when he began to make money.  I ask another man who also had gotten the same request and knew him better, and he told me that he had helped him in the past and he never offers to pay back the money and yet he was working and making a good living at that time.  I listened to King Solomon and took his counsel.

What is your understanding of verses 16 and17?  They talk to us about a gracious woman and a man who is kind, and we are told that the gracious woman gets the honor, but often the man who only seeks riches at any cost cannot obtain honor because his life is all about putting self before others.  And the same holds true for the kind man whose goal is to honor God and serve others, but as we have witnessed a cruel man is unfaithful having little concern for others.

Verses 18-21 presents a definite contrast to anyone who has eyes to see; “The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.  Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die. Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those of blameless ways are his delight.  Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.”

Maybe each of us needs to be reminded that this is not just talking about physical death, but eternal separation from God’s presence, a reward of eternal darkness and pain, never-ending darkness and pain, such a person will not be playing cards with anyone in hell! 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Can narcissists learn from Others?

Proverbs 11:14

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors, there is safety.  

Can narcissists learn from others?  Psychology Today tells us no way, this is a quote from them; “I know best” and “It’s all about me, suggest narcissistic non-listening.”  They go on to say when talking or listening to a Narcissist talk when someone gives an opinion it’s one-sided listening; they do not see others as having value.  So when we discuss issues, my views are right.  Yours are wrong or else of minimal importance, that is the way a narcissist thinks. 

So that brings me to what if you work for such a person, what if you married such a person, and what if the leadership of your country is a narcissist?  Proverbs 11:14, is very direct and clearly states, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.  Now a narcissist could never follow the counsel of Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”  Listen to Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers, they succeed.” 

The subject matter of listening to many counselors has made my mind or ability to reason go almost to tilt!  Let me clarify “tilt” for those who never played pinball machines, if you hit the machine too hard it would go to tilt, and your game was over, you had to begin again.

As I began to think about the society you and I live in, it made me wonder are we little narcissists in our thinking when it comes to those outside of our social, economic, and belief system?  The first of many questions in my mind is, are we open to others, to listen to them?  If not, we are like the narcissists when someone gives an opinion it is one-sided listening; we do not see others of a different view as having value.  As I said it is happening on both sides, and all we have is a division.  Does knowing you are right change anything, the answer is no, and yet knowing something is wrong and going along to get along is also not good.

Division and hate are from the enemy of all of us, he plays both sides and brings about hate and fear, and that causes distrust and division.  This is what Jesus has to say about him, first Jesus calls the devil or Satan a thief, we find it in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”  Would you agree with me the old serpent, or devil, or thief has been very good at his job?

Could it be we need to learn how to value others, listen, engage in conversation, and remind them that a discussion is like negotiating, unless both parties come with that as the goal, it will not take place.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

When a righteius man is in office

July 12, 2018

Proverbs 8-13

“The righteous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead.
The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge, the righteous will be delivered.   When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.   By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.  He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his peace.  A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.”

How can one mess tell another that they are righteous or that they are not, that is a question one should ponder?  Let me ask you to consider this straightforward definition; Righteousness loves God, loves people, serves others and finds pleasure in giving both monetarily and of self.  Whereas the unrighteous has an incomplete description, they have little need of God, maybe for weddings and funerals, have self as their most important object, have a “WIIFM” live, and ask, “What is in it for me?”

I believe we have righteous a man in the office of Vice President of the United States, and much that is said about him is slanderous, designed to destroy his character.  What I observed is his knowledge of God’s word and his desire to follow Him has backfired on those evil people.  He has been rescued to obey God before man, and those that know him realize the slander is untrue.

“When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.   By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.”  Is that not also true with a nation, has it not happened many times in the history of countries, is it not happening at this time in the history of the United States of America?  I’m fearful that we are going to repeat history because our people have not studied our history, have no knowledge of the blessing of our God and Savior Jesus Christ and the men who gave their life and wealth up for freedom from a tyrannical government. 

I had a pastor who was famous for saying not to trust any man, and his point is he looked to God and not man.  Each of us should ponder these verses when it comes to putting trust in a man.  ^“ He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his peace.  A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.”  Jesus told us to love our neighbor as you love yourself, but how can one despise another person and love them at the same time, you can’t?  Be very careful with your inter circle, choose wisely what you share with others.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Just Two Questions

Proverbs 11:1-7

  

I was so blessed to work in sales for the 3M Company, and its goal was to bring excellence in its product offering.  For those of us in sales, often we were told two things would get us fired, lying and stealing.  And most in our sales group dealt with the end user in a way that made that clear, we were not often the cheaper product, but our products met the facts and standards that our company claimed they met.

That is not the standard of many large and small companies today, they deal in haft truths, and deception, and spin, we call that lies.  I received a letter from a significant provider of TV service, and they gave me a $19.95 per month price for that service for a year, but that was very deceptive, after exploring all the facts the basic package was not $19.95 per month for the first year, but $45.00 per month.  I want to report they did not earn my business, nor will they in the future. 

Proverbs has much to say about such a Company, “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.”  And in Deuteronomy 25:16, we have this word;  ^“ For the Lord, your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.”  I wonder if they believe they have a winning model, I never wanted God to detest me?

Proverbs 11:2-7 deals with a person with integrity, and one that always looks to deceptive ways of getting their needs met.  “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.  Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.  The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.  When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.”

 Pride is a close sister to arrogance, and Scripture states that God hates both, for when we grasp our sinful nature and God’s mercy and grace, what do any of us have to be proud of?  Pride puffs up and gives us a feeling of being better than others.  Verse three has much to say about integrity and how that offers guidance to a person’s life, and the contrast between that and treachery and where they end up.

Verse four has this to tell us; “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. “   These are words of Jesus; “What profit is gaining the whole world and losing our soul?”  The wise have a fear of the Lord, but not the wicked or the foolish.

Verse five, “The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.”  This Proverb has a home in our business world, way too often the desire to get ahead, or greed drove salespeople and even managers to lie or make up false reports.  I observed men that lost jobs over falsifying expense reports or trying to fix the wife’s car on Company money.

Verse six should go with verse five for it is the lust for more that brings out the evil that is in the hearts of such people.  “The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.”

Verse seven will be the last verse we deal with today; “When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.”  One of the big lies going around is that the one with the most toys wins, but it seems no one is willing to ask what the prize is?  What if the prize is being the leader of the world, but when facing a Holy God, He will ask just two questions; “What did you do with my Son the Christ?  Did you bow down and worship Him did you obey Him?  How one answers those two questions will determine their eternal fate. 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

How does one become righteous?

Proverbs 10:21-32

What a contrast between the righteous and the fool, but how does one become righteous?  I’ve never understood why a person would begin reading a book in the last chapter or in the middle, so let’s start at the book of beginnings.  Abram lived in a culture much like many Western one's today, a people that worship many things, but not the only true God.  So when Abram, heard God speak to him he obeyed Him, we have this fact recorded in Genesis 15:6, “And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”  I believe we have found the right path, but the Scriptures tell us we all sin and fall short of God’s requirements, so how does one fix that problem?

The apostle Paul shares this vital information with us in 2 Corinthians 17-21, and the key is verse 21.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

 I’ve always said Christianity is a “done” religion, whereas all others are based on “do” what one must do to earn God’s favor.  Christianity is centered in a relationship based on both faith and the grace of God, but where does that faith come from, the same place Abrams came from, God gave it to him, and he will give it to you if you ask.  Look with me at Romans 10:9-10, “ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”  So in the above, we have the answer to how does one become righteous?

How does one recognize a fool?  I read this on the net by Nathan Locksdale, and much of it hit home.

“The thing is it's hard for us to know whether someone is a fool or not because we've all done something foolish in the past no matter how wise or intelligent we are. There is also a difference between a fool (who always foolish things on a long-term basis) and somebody who acts a fool (someone who does foolish things once in a while). I will list the traits in bullet points so you will know what a long-term fool is:

• Someone who always makes mistakes and never learns from it

·       Someone with little knowledge who thinks they have a lot of knowledge and embarrasses themselves in front of people

·       A grown-up who behaved like an obnoxious child in public

·       Someone who doesn't know their limits spending their last pennies on things they don't need) Not thinking about the consequences before acting

• Someone who hates taking good advice that will help them

If these things in the bullet points are repeated every day, then that person is a fool. However, if it is a one-off thing, the person may not be a fool, but they are just committing a foolish act.”  I am so glad Nathan put in that last paragraph, for I’ve committed many foolish acts!  Now that is what Nathan said, and yet would it not be wise to look at what Nathan’s Creator has to say on the subject?

What does God call a fool?  “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1)  Now it is important to understand that God can see into a persons heart, and you and I do not have that ability, it’s only when they speak that we get some insight into what is in their heart.  Jesus, while talking to the Scribes and Pharisees gave them seven “woes” in verse 16 we see what they are saying, and in verse 17 Jesus calls them blind fools.  “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?

Neither you nor I should ever call a brother/sister in Christ a fool, for if you do Jesus tells us we have endangered our self.  It is so important to recall that we all fall short, we are all a mess, and it is only God’s redeeming grace we hold on to.  The Cross looks foolish to the unbeliever, but it is the power of salvation.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice