Wisdom for Life #6

Friday, June 27, 2025

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is true wisdom for life….

Using diabolical ingenuity, Satan seeks to overthrow the four Divine institutions in creation. Whereas the LORD God established volition (free will), Satan’s lie program draws people away from God’s choice. Satan has no specific path for us to take, just as long as we choose to disagree with God’s way of life.

Marriage, God’s lifetime union of a biological man and a biological woman, is also under attack from Satan’s policy of evil. Pedophilia, homosexuality, transgenderism, divorce, bestiality, polyandry and polygamy (multiple husbands and multiple wives, respectively), spousal abuse, premarital sex, and extramarital sex, are all outside of God’s design in sexual relationships. Marriage forms the core of the family unit, so, if the marriage is in disarray, the family is automatically devastated.

The family is the most basic unit of nations, but fratricide (murdering one’s brother, such as Cain killing Abel), sororicide (murdering one’s sister), mariticide (murdering one’s husband), and uxoricide (murdering one’s wife), all complicate and destroy the family relationship. Here, we can also include disobedience to parents, child abuse, child neglect, child endangerment, abortion, and absentee mothers and absentee fathers.

Nations are the largest God-ordained entities of people—and while they have their distinct cultures, languages, and borders—internationalism blends them. Various religions and ideologies are thus mixed, and man in his own wisdom seeks to create the perfect life by leaving out the life of Jesus Christ. World peace, prosperity for everyone, eradication of all diseases, and so on, can supposedly be addressed by multicultural cooperation. In anarchy, borders do not matter, laws do not matter, government does not matter. Other complications are corrupt regimes, genocide, weak to no criminal punishments, unrestrained immigration, and so on.

All of these are departures from God’s standards. Romans 1:18-32 (note well verses 21,22,28) offers the details as to how sinful man—thinking his own thing and doing his own thing—contributed to his own spiritual, physical, moral, ethical, social, psychological, and emotional decline….

Wisdom for Life #5

Thursday, June 26, 2025

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is true wisdom for life….

According to the Book of Genesis (which is literal and historical), the LORD God wisely ordained four institutions in creation for the perpetuation of human life. The first is volition or free will, the second is marriage, the third is family, and the fourth is nationalism. Man’s problem is that he errs in all four spheres, choosing to lean unto his own understanding—thereby complicating and destroying life for himself and those around him.

The first two Divine institutions in creation were desecrated in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. In Genesis chapter 3, they chose to exercise their free will in a negative or sinful manner (following Satan, not God), and they turned on each other instead of living for the wellbeing of each other. The third Divine institution in creation is family, but that was overthrown when their unbelieving son Cain followed Satan and thus killed his believing brother Abel (Genesis chapter 4). The fourth Divine institution in creation was neglected after the Great Flood of Noah’s life. Whereas God commanded the people to scatter to represent their various nationalities in their respective territories (Genesis chapters 9–10), those nations assembled via internationalism—fellowshipping in satanic religion at the Tower of Babel (Genesis chapter 11).

Satan’s evil world system entices man to see something evil, want it, and assume he deserves it. Yet, the Bible instructs, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15,16). As Moses told Israel, “Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes” (Deuteronomy 12:8).

Yet, those four Divine institutions of creation are attacked even now because man has still not departed from evil….

Wisdom for Life #4

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is true wisdom for life….

“I can be good without any god!,” boasts the atheist (one who “does not believe in a higher power”). This is just one form of secular humanism, the idea that humans are their final authority. What man thinks and does is the highest form of living, and he answers to no one but himself. If man can be “good without God,” who exactly is determining this “good?” Has man appointed himself to be his own judge? Such is most convenient! If he serves as his own critic, man can do no wrong and never does wrong.

The Corinthians lived in a culture that esteemed the wisdom of men (philosophy, human viewpoint). In fact, they are the secular humanists of the Bible—skeptics or doubters, rationalists or intellectuals, entertainment- or pleasure-seekers. Man, if left to himself, will end up being a part of the spiritual circus or pandemonium described in the Corinthian epistles (see 1 and 2 Corinthians). “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-11).

It was here in Corinth that fortifications of bad information had to be demolished, as Paul wrote: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; ) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;…” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Only then could the Corinthians have true wisdom for life….

Wisdom for Life #3

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is true wisdom for life….

Many years ago, a so-called “grace Bible teacher” was constantly promoting false doctrine in the grace community on social-media. He relentlessly attacked people’s souls, and I in futility tried to reason with him from the Scriptures. I finally replied to him how God would hold him accountable for deliberately corrupting His people with man’s wisdom. This “Bible teacher”—who had also asked me to “pray for God to bless his ministry” (HA!)—wrote to me, “You are just trying to scare me!” He was not the least bit bothered. Well, he continued in his willful ignorance and spiritual immaturity, leading more and more people astray. He had no fear of God, no fear of the LORD. Why? His religious affiliation had taught him to lean unto his own understanding and the understanding of other natural-man thinkers. A best-selling “Christian” book he read had meant more to him than the Bible ever did… or probably will! He is just one of the many in our churches and schools we would be better off dismissing and ignoring!

A wise preacher once told his congregation, “I have no desire to tell you how to run your life, because I have trouble managing my own.” Indeed, he did—and we all do. If we know anything about ourselves—or, if we do not know this, we had better come to know it quickly—we know that we cannot trust ourselves. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Moses warned Israel, “Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people” (Deuteronomy 4:5,6). Israel’s wisdom would be the wisdom God taught her, not what “wisdom” Israel learned on her own….

Wisdom for Life #2

Monday, June 23, 2025

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is true wisdom for life….

“Acknowledging the LORD in all our ways” is recognizing His authority and accepting His truth in each and every area of life, inclining our ear as He speaks about what to do in this situation or as He talks about how to think about that circumstance. The opposite would be to ignore Him—claim He is not there or maintain He has not expressed any words in a Bible.

Read the latter part of today’s Scripture: “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” To be “wise in our own eyes” means that, instead of acknowledging the LORD, we make ourselves the standard. Or, we are right because we believe we are right. We find our justification in our own opinions. “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15). The wisest man is he who pays attention to the LORD’S counsel or advice. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20,21). Misunderstanding, misery, and misfortune await those who are right in their own eyes!

To “fear the LORD” (today’s Scripture) is to have respect or reverence for Him, to stand in awe of Him. Why should we not have such a high regard for our omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (all-existing), and omnipotent (all-powerful) Creator? After all, we did not create ourselves, meaning there is someone greater than we. Therefore, self-sufficiency (“I need no one!”) and autonomy (“I am my own authority!”) are foolishness, and such failure to “depart from evil” is disobedience to that Creator God and His words to and about us.

He has designed life, so we had better consult Him about life….

Wisdom for Life #1

Sunday, June 22, 2025

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is true wisdom for life….

A professing Christian wrote these so-called “words of wisdom:” “Life is precious, live life to its fullest, be kind, be gentle, place your trust in the Lord… or whatever your belief is, but believe in something good….” This is typical of watered-down Christendom. Half-truths are more dangerous than lies because a little truth is enough to convince many that the rest of the statement has to be true. Indeed, life is precious, we should live life to its fullest, we should be kind and gentle, and we should place our trust in the Lord.

However, we simply cannot agree with, “place your trust in the Lord… or whatever your belief is, but believe in something good.” The folly at the end detracts so much from the potency of the prior words; trusting in the Lord and trusting in someone/something else is antithetical. Being open to belief systems not founded on the Lord is to blatantly contradict the Bible. Read today’s Scripture again: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” If we do not trust in the LORD wholeheartedly—trust Him in our soul totally—then we automatically lean to our own understanding (trusting in ourselves to some degree). To place our faith in someone or something other than the LORD is foolish, especially since we are not perfect. Moreover, if it is not of the LORD, it is not good.

“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” These “ways” are courses of life or modes of action. If we desire, God will point us where to go—which path to take, what we should do, and so on. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

Let us consider this further.…

Training Replacements #12

Saturday, June 21, 2025

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26 KJV).

One of the lesser-known purposes of Christ’s earthly ministry was that He trained 12 men to continue His work once He returned to His Heavenly Father!

We Pauline dispensationalists are frequently charged with exalting Paul above Jesus—this is Bible ignorance. For example, God’s inspired words in Romans 11:13 are: “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:….” We do not worship Paul, but we do “magnify” (lift up, honor, esteem, glorify) his God-given office or apostleship. To diminish its importance or ignore it entirely, like many do, is a most serious error.

Supposedly, we throw away everything in the Bible except Paul—this too is Bible ignorance. For instance, God’s inspired words in 2 Timothy 1:13,14 are: “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.” Timothy has heard something of Paul (not simply “Jesus”). Paul is Jesus’ spokesman, and Timothy would do well to notice just as Moses was God’s spokesman to Israel (see Matthew 8:4; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14), so Paul is God’s spokesman to us. We study all the Bible, Genesis to Revelation, yet, we are to firmly grip, not let go of, particularly the pattern of sound Bible doctrine in Romans to Philemon.

Now, 1 Timothy 1:3,4: “As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.” Finally, 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” Timothy is to teach others the same information he learned from Paul. Likewise, we train men to come after us in grace ministry, for we will not always be here on Earth either. We too are training replacements!

Training Replacements #11

Friday, June 20, 2025

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26 KJV).

One of the lesser-known purposes of Christ’s earthly ministry was that He trained 12 men to continue His work once He returned to His Heavenly Father!

The Lord Jesus Christ has not been on planet Earth physically for 2,000 years. However, He did send the Holy Spirit to take His place. Firstly, the Holy Spirit came upon the Little Flock, Israel’s believing remnant, in Acts chapter 2: He enlightened the people of God as touching prophecy (today’s Scripture). Secondly, the Holy Spirit’s ministry moved over to Paul’s ministry and the Gentiles in chapter 9, after unbelieving Israel had fallen and mystery had interrupted prophecy.

Acts 26:16-18 describes our Apostle Paul’s commissioning: “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I [the Lord Jesus Christ] have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee [‘apostle’ = ‘sent one’], To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

First Corinthians 4:1,2 likens Paul unto a “steward”—a household manager who distributes his master’s goods throughout the estate as his master directs. Paul delivers (“dispenses”) to us information the Lord Jesus Christ directly gave to him: this is the 13 Pauline epistles, Romans to Philemon, or what the Bible calls “the Dispensation of the Grace of God” (Ephesians 3:1,2). Here is how Christ lives His life in and through us as members of the Church the Body of Christ. Unless we know God’s will to and about us, we cannot work with Him by faith in accomplishing His will. If we do not hold firm to that sound doctrine, our lives and ministries are simply the works of sinful flesh.

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Training Replacements #10

Thursday, June 19, 2025

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26 KJV).

One of the lesser-known purposes of Christ’s earthly ministry was that He trained 12 men to continue His work once He returned to His Heavenly Father!

Notice the phraseology of our King James Bible in Galatians 2:7: “But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;….” These are two separate and distinct Gospel messages, one given to Peter (Peter’s Gospel) and another given to Paul (Paul’s Gospel). Modern English versions do an extremely great disservice to their readers by retranslating it as “the gospel to the uncircumcision” and “the gospel to the circumcision”—thus teaching that Peter and Paul preached the same Gospel, but to different groups. We know this is wrong. Their Gospels themselves were opposites.

Whereas Gentiles blessed of God through Israel’s fall was the central point of Paul’s apostleship and Gospel (Romans 11:11-14), Gentiles blessed of God through Israel’s rise to kingdom glory was the heart of Peter’s apostleship and Gospel (Acts 3:19-26). Paul learned nothing from Peter, but, the very reverse was true: Peter learned something from Paul. Even at the end of his earthly life, Peter struggled to understand that radical dispensational change that transpired when prophecy gave way to mystery (2 Peter 3:15,16).

Failing to make these distinctions between our Apostle Paul and Israel’s 12 Apostles, we will assume God is training us to replace Israel. NO! In the grand scheme of things, both prophecy and mystery, both Israel and the Church the Body of Christ, both entities and programs are necessary to fill the Heaven and the Earth with Christ’s life, God’s life.

The same Holy Ghost who revealed Christ’s doctrine to the 12 in prophecy (today’s Scripture), reveals to us Christ’s doctrine through Paul in mystery: “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;…” (Ephesians 3:4,5). Here is Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon….

Training Replacements #9

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26 KJV).

One of the lesser-known purposes of Christ’s earthly ministry was that He trained 12 men to continue His work once He returned to His Heavenly Father!

Christendom believes Paul’s ministry is an extension of that of the 12. His being such a “supplement” is patently false. After all, he did not train under the 12 Apostles. Furthermore, though they had spent three years learning from Christ, Paul did not meet them until a few years after his salvation or justification. Paul’s delayed meeting clearly demonstrates they had nothing to teach him, but that he had already been taught—by Christ Himself too!

“But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it [by other men], but by the revelation of Jesus Christ…. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother” (Galatians 1:11,12,16-19).

“But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person: ) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles: ) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision” (Galatians 2:6-9).

The distinction between the Apostle Paul and the 12 Apostles is obvious, but only if we want to see it….