Proverbs 25

1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.

2 It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. 3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable. 4 Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; 5 take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. 6 Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great, 7 for it is better to be told, "Come up here," than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

What your eyes have seen 8 do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? 9 Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another's secret, 10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end.

11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. 12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. 13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters. 14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone. 16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it. 17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you. 18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow. 19 Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips. 20 Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda. 21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22 for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. 23 The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks. 24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife. 25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. 26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. 27 It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory. 28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Proverbs 24

1 Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, 2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble.

3 By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, 6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth.

8 Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. 9 The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. 11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. 12 If you say, "Behold, we did not know this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?

13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. 14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

15 Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; 16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, 18 lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.

19 Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, 20 for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21 My son, fear the Lord and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, 22 for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

23 These also are sayings of the wise.

Partiality in judging is not good. 24 Whoever says to the wicked, "You are in the right," will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, 25 but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. 26 Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.

27 Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.

28 Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. 29 Do not say, "I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done."

30 I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, 31 and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. 32 Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

Paul's vision for the church

Viewpoint by T. M. Moore

We cannot read the epistles of Paul without realizing he harbored a clear vision of the local church. He considered that Christ had raised him up in order to lay out the blueprint for His Church-building agenda (cf.Matt. 16:18; Eph. 3:8-10, 4:11-16). Paul saw the church as a community in which the Word of God was firmly planted, had taken deep root, and was beginning to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God (Rom. 14:17, 18). Since we are all members of the Body of Christ, it is our duty and calling to contribute to this community of the Word of God. As the living Word of God dwells richly in us, we must contribute to the enrichment of our local church by bearing the fruit of the living Word with our fellow church members.

What particular forms should we expect that to take?

Teaching and admonishing

First, Paul commands us to express to one another what God is impressing on our souls by His Word. The words “teaching and admonishing” cover a wide range of activities, both formal teaching and informal conversations, simple exposition and earnest warnings, individual and corporate settings. We have a duty to one another, in encouraging one another for wisdom and for love and good works (Heb. 10:24), to take an active part in the instruction and discipleship of those who are fellow members with us in the Body of Christ.

The Lord has placed pastors and teachers in each congregation, and the greater burden of instruction falls on them. But each member in whom the Word of Christ dwells richly must also take responsibility for teaching and admonishing others, so that together the Body of Christ can attain increasingly to the maturity of Christ.

Worship

A second way the indwelling Word leads us to contribute to our local church is by our active and lively participation in the worship of God. Worship is not a spectator sport. We are worshiping God as He prescribes when we are actively adoring Him, attending to Him, and assisting our fellow worshipers to do the same. Paul says the fruit of the indwelling Word will be manifest as we sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to the Lord, and as we give Him heartfelt thanks together for all His abundant goodness.

Such worship begins in our hearts, where we daily respond to the Lord’s kindness, and it continues as an ongoing celebration of the Lord whenever we are together with His people as the Body of Christ.

Everything in Jesus’ name

Finally, the members of Christ’s Body will represent Him to the watching world as they go out from their times of instruction and worship to live for Christ in every area of life. Local churches should have a vision for how they can impact their communities for the Lord. They must equip their members to receive the indwelling Word and to let it live through them in lives of service, witness, and social and cultural engagement for the glory of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus came into a community, everything changed. This should be the same wherever His Body is living out the living Word together. A community of the Word of God will make a Kingdom impact on the larger community as it follows the example of Christ and the vision of Paul to turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ.

Each of us in whom the Word is beginning to dwell richly must make every effort to contribute to the health and growth of our local church, for it is as a community of the Word that the church becomes a true agent for the Kingdom of God, spreading righteousness, peace, and joy throughout its community in the name and for the glory of Jesus Christ.

This article taken from Breakpoint.org

The Virtue of Penance

T. M. Moore

The beauty of virtue in doing penance for excess…

-          Taliesin, “Loves” (early Welsh)

 

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

-          Romans 12:21

 

None of us is naturally virtuous. We acquire virtue as we grow, by God’s Word and Spirit, into the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever virtue we are able to realize is only the life of Christ and His righteousness being lived out in us.

 

But we will not realize progress in Christian virtue without the virtue of penance. Here I’m thinking of penance not as a sacrament, but as a spiritual discipline. This is the way Celtic Christians employed penance during the period of the Celtic Revival in Ireland, Scotland, and across Europe (ca. 430-800 AD).

 

The basic idea behind penance is summarized in the Celtic Christian motto, found in several of the penitential handbooks of this period, “contraries are by contraries cured.” That is, behavior that is contrary to the Law and Word of God is corrected, over time and under the watchful eye of a caring soul friend, by practicing the opposite and virtuous behavior. A person who had a tendency to use his tongue for carping and complaining, let’s say, would, upon coming under conviction, be prescribed a regimen of Scriptures to recite and sing daily, until he trained his tongue for praise and edification. Thus he would “overcome evil with good.”

 

It’s not enough to confess our sins whenever the Spirit of God brings them to mind. We must confess and repent if we hope to be restored to the Lord and to regain our footing along the path of Christian virtue. And for this, the discipline of penance can be a beautiful virtue indeed.

 

Once you have identified the problem you’re dealing with, search the Scriptures to find guidance as to what the opposite and virtuous behavior would look like instead. You might enlist a soul friend or pastor to help you in this search. Then, using the Scriptures you’ve identified as in the path of virtue, chart a course of daily obedience that will help you to walk that path rather than the one for which the Spirit of God has convicted you. Be accountable to someone who cares about you and will pray for you. Give your heart and mind to the Lord and practice daily those new behaviors until they cut a true groove of virtue into your soul.

 

Virtue doesn’t just happen in our lives. We have to work at it, daily, diligently, conscientiously, and by very specific paths of renewal and growth. We don’t have to be afraid of penance. It’s a very Biblical and extremely useful discipline for helping us to be transformed increasingly into the image of Jesus Christ.

 

Let penance do its work in your life, and you’ll find out why Taliesin regarded it as “beautiful” and one of the real loves of his life.

From Breakpoint.org

Acts of the Apostles

  10 "...let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Proverbs 23: 19-35

19 Hear, my son, and be wise;

And guide your heart in the way. 

20 Do not mix with winebibbers,

Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 

21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,

And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

22 Listen to your father who begot you,

And do not despise your mother when she is old.

23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it,

Also wisdom and instruction and understanding. 

24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,

And he who begets a wise child will delight in him. 

25 Let your father and your mother be glad,

And let her who bore you rejoice.

26 My son, give me your heart,

And let your eyes observe my ways. 

27 For a harlot is a deep pit,

And a seductress is a narrow well. 

28 She also lies in wait as for a victim,

And increases the unfaithful among men.

29 Who has woe?

Who has sorrow? 

Who has contentions? 

Who has complaints? 

Who has wounds without cause? 

Who has redness of eyes? 

30 Those who linger long at the wine,

Those who go in search of mixed wine. 

31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,

When it sparkles in the cup, 

When it swirls around smoothly; 

32 At the last it bites like a serpent,

And stings like a viper. 

33 Your eyes will see strange things,

And your heart will utter perverse things. 

34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,

Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: 

35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt;

They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. 

When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”

Proverbs 23: 1-18

1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,

Consider carefully what is before you; 

2 And put a knife to your throat

If you are a man given to appetite. 

3 Do not desire his delicacies,

For they are deceptive food.

4 Do not overwork to be rich;

Because of your own understanding, cease! 

5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not?

For riches certainly make themselves wings; 

They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

6 Do not eat the bread of a miser,

Nor desire his delicacies; 

7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

“Eat and drink!” he says to you, 

But his heart is not with you. 

8 The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up,

And waste your pleasant words.

9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,

For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

10 Do not remove the ancient landmark,

Nor enter the fields of the fatherless; 

11 For their Redeemer is mighty;

He will plead their cause against you.

12 Apply your heart to instruction,

And your ears to words of knowledge.

13 Do not withhold correction from a child,

For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. 

14 You shall beat him with a rod,

And deliver his soul from hell.

15 My son, if your heart is wise,

My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself; 

16 Yes, my inmost being will rejoice

When your lips speak right things.

17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,

But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day; 

18 For surely there is a hereafter,

And your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 22:17 - 29

17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,

And apply your heart to my knowledge; 

18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;

Let them all be fixed upon your lips, 

19 So that your trust may be in the LORD;

I have instructed you today, even you. 

20 Have I not written to you excellent things

Of counsels and knowledge, 

21 That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,

That you may answer words of truth 

To those who send to you?

22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor,

Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; 

23 For the LORD will plead their cause,

And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.

24 Make no friendship with an angry man,

And with a furious man do not go, 

25 Lest you learn his ways

And set a snare for your soul.

26 Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge,

One of those who is surety for debts; 

27 If you have nothing with which to pay,

Why should he take away your bed from under you?

28 Do not remove the ancient landmark

Which your fathers have set.

29 Do you see a man who excels in his work?

He will stand before kings; 

He will not stand before unknown men.

Proverbs 22: 1-16

1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

2 The rich and the poor have this in common,

The LORD is the maker of them all.

3 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,

But the simple pass on and are punished.

4 By humility and the fear of the LORD

Are riches and honor and life.

5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;

He who guards his soul will be far from them.

6 Train up a child in the way he should go,

And when he is old he will not depart from it.

7 The rich rules over the poor,

And the borrower is servant to the lender.

8 He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow,

And the rod of his anger will fail.

9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed,

For he gives of his bread to the poor.

10 Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave;

Yes, strife and reproach will cease.

11 He who loves purity of heart

And has grace on his lips, 

The king will be his friend.

12 The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge,

But He overthrows the words of the faithless.

13 The lazy man says, “ There is a lion outside!

I shall be slain in the streets!”

14 The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit;

He who is abhorred by the LORD will fall there.

15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;

The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,

And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.