UNDERSTANDING PROVERBS 19

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Life, you give life love. You give love so I can live. Welcome to Life Talks with Stephen and Pam. Well, thank you for all of you listening. Thank you for subscribing to this podcast. We really believe that you're born to win. And it's such a privilege for Pam and I to sit with you as we go through Proverbs 19 today and just indulge in God's magnificent, amazing word. [00:00:33] Speaker B: Yeah, it's going to be an exciting day. Getting wisdom, as we've read so much in Proverbs, means that we get riches, honor and long life. All sorts of riches, all sorts of honor and long life. And the ability to actually operate in the will of God in our life. [00:00:47] Speaker A: Pam, I think that as we read the word of God aloud, as we meditate on it, joy comes. [00:00:52] Speaker B: Yes, of course. [00:00:53] Speaker A: I think there's a joy and a decisiveness. You know, James says that we're to be single minded as opposed to double minded. This is in the book of James 1. It says, if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives liberally to everyone who asks. But when you ask, ask in faith, nothing wavering. Because it says he that wavers in their faith is like the waves of the ocean that foam up and basically are kind of scattered and go nowhere and dissolve. Don't be a double minded man. [00:01:21] Speaker C: No, don't do it. [00:01:22] Speaker A: Or a double minded woman. And here's what it says to me that's really sobering. A double minded person is unstable in all their ways. Let not them think they will receive anything. [00:01:32] Speaker C: Oh no. [00:01:33] Speaker A: From the Lord. So when I think about that, a double minded man or a double minded woman, it's not just in your intellect and your thoughts, but double minded. I think it means to be divided between your mind, will and your emotions. So like your soul is divided. The place that our spirit man has dominion and authority over. So to not bring our souls before the Lord and have it healed, united. Jesus said that the comforter, the Holy Spirit would comfort us. [00:01:59] Speaker C: Yeah, that's so good. [00:02:00] Speaker A: I believe that Jesus saves our spirit man, our spirit woman, makes us born again. But the Holy Spirit, the comforter, comes in and removes the brokenness of our soul. [00:02:10] Speaker C: Oh, thank God for that. [00:02:12] Speaker A: So that it becomes a united vessel container able to hold the love, the joy, the peace that ends up being an extension, a river that flows out of us. You know, in Galatians it says that the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness goes through all these different things, but starts with the major three Love, joy and peace. [00:02:28] Speaker B: Yeah, that's right. And I think that indecisive is such a horrible thing. I used to be so indecisive. But the problem is that then you kind of cop out and say, well, I won't make the decision, right? I don't have the courage, the unity, enough in my mind will and emotions to make this decision. But your indecision is a decision. Either you're gonna make a decision for the kingdom of God and the will of God and be courageous enough to submit yourself to understand what a good decision is, or you're submitting yourself to the ways of the world. And that is a decision too. [00:02:59] Speaker A: It is. [00:02:59] Speaker B: You've chose to say, I guess I'm not courageous to make a quality decision, a God decision. [00:03:04] Speaker A: And that's why Pam and I, we want to thank you for making the decision, to subscribe to this podcast and to even share with your friends and family and promote the word of God in their lives. Because that decision, I believe, is a unanimous vote for wisdom and understanding in your life. [00:03:21] Speaker C: Come on, everybody, vote for wisdom. [00:03:23] Speaker A: That's the admission to wisdom, is to pay attention beyond money, beyond gold and silver, to pay attention, to focus. So that's what we're doing today. And so let's invite the Holy Spirit just to help us unite our hearts, the vessel of our souls, so that we can retain and hold the faith that comes as we read this word. [00:03:43] Speaker B: Yes, Father, we thank you that we submit our mind, our will and our emotions. We bow before you, Father God, we bow before you and we say we give you our mind, will and emotions. Now we bind our mind to the mind of Christ, our will to the will of God, our emotions to the working and the leading of the Holy Spirit. We submit ourselves to your wisdom, your understanding, your truth and your joy today in Jesus name. [00:04:08] Speaker A: Yeah. Amen. Thank you, Father. Proverbs 19, starting at verse one, Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is perverse in his speech and is a self confident fool. Now again, God's always pointing at the future. What you're sowing and then what you reap, how you're living and then the path of life that it leads to, or the path of death that it leads to. [00:04:30] Speaker C: Right? It's a spiritual forecast, an everything is [00:04:33] Speaker A: a process in life. Whether it's life unto more life, glory unto more glory, or death unto the finality of the extreme of death. The place of the dead, Sheol, Hades, Hell. Better as a poor man who walks in his integrity. Well, he may not have a lot of substance or a lot of stuff, currency. He may not have a lot of worldly things right now, but he's walking in integrity. But we know the outcome of this is that he will keep increasing more and more. [00:05:01] Speaker B: That's right. That law of joy. [00:05:03] Speaker A: That's right, Pam. This guy is working the law of reciprocity to get more love. He'll have more good friends, the right friends, more opportunity. And I believe that gold and silver will come into this person's life as she is walking on that path of integrity. But the person who has a lot of stuff, the rich man. You know, I often think of this. The rich young ruler who came to Jesus, he denied Jesus offer to come follow him, to forego his present wealth to follow Jesus. I think there came a place where he ended up losing everything anyway. Probably lost all of his inheritance, failed on some business venture. And then I think in his mind, kept thinking about Jesus face and how much Jesus loved him. I think he came finally, maybe 10 years later to the saving knowledge of Jesus, gave his heart to the Lord. [00:05:49] Speaker C: Oh, I like this. It's like the rest of the story. [00:05:52] Speaker A: And then once he began seeking first the kingdom of God, all these things that Jesus had promised were added unto him. And he probably ended up with more wealth than he ever had before. And thinking, man, why didn't I follow Jesus right in that moment? But thank God that I eventually came to him. [00:06:07] Speaker C: Seriously, what an amazing rest of the story that would make. And it'd really be in keeping with Christ's redeeming plan for his life and our lives. [00:06:14] Speaker A: He probably didn't need to suffer all the loss that he did. [00:06:17] Speaker B: I agree. You know, I think sometimes we will take a scripture and we will twist it just a little bit. The word of God is not saying that it's better to be poor because you'll walk in integrity. This is a choice. It's saying that a rich man who leans on his wealth and his self confidence and is perverse in his speech is not really a rich man actually, even though he appears rich. And I think that's important even like what you're talking about, the rich young ruler, it is God's will that we go forward, that we prosper in our mind will and emotions, that our needs are met according to his riches and glory, that we are truly blessed so that we can turn around and bless others. This is the will of God. You know, a lot of people will quote the scripture that says prosperity ruins a fool. Well, don't be a fool. Right, because it doesn't say anywhere in the word that prosperity ruins a wise person. [00:07:07] Speaker A: No, that's true. [00:07:07] Speaker B: A person that seeks wisdom, godly wisdom and understanding. [00:07:11] Speaker A: I just want to say this because right now there's so many examples in the news. The back half of verse one says a rich man who is perverse or a rich woman who is perverse in their speech and is a self confident fool. Right now there's so many examples of wealthy people and wealthy companies, corporations in the news who have basically used what the Bible calls twisted or perverted speech to further agendas and decisions that are in opposition to God's morality. [00:07:36] Speaker C: Yeah, we see it happening in the news. [00:07:38] Speaker A: And their name equity, their reputation, even their wealth and market share is crumbling right in front of their eyes. But they won't take responsibility, own it and say we're wrong, that was perverted, immoral. So they can't undo the demise of their pride occurring almost overnight. [00:07:56] Speaker B: Overnight. [00:07:57] Speaker A: So you know, I just want to say again, because of the two examples, the person that seems to not have a lot of wealth but walks in his integrity, the word says is better than the rich people that are perverse in their speech, who are into bribery, who are into all kinds of corruption and are self confident fools. We're seeing even in the news, the end of that right now. [00:08:16] Speaker B: Is that what perverse means? [00:08:18] Speaker A: Perverse in their speech. So you know, you're using your words for ungodly acts. So it could be using your words to be corrupt, to use your words to bribe, to be dishonest, misleading, harmful to others, especially the vulnerable and the defenseless, flattering with double speak. So you can be coercive, dishonest, to [00:08:38] Speaker B: say one thing but not really mean it, to have an alternative motive. [00:08:40] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, you're right. [00:08:42] Speaker C: Okay, I think we understand this better now. [00:08:45] Speaker A: Verse 2. [00:08:45] Speaker B: Desire without knowledge is not good. And to be over hasty is to sin and miss the mark. You know, too many times in the past I've been over hasty without getting knowledge, understanding the way to work something out. I was talking with a friend yesterday and we had been talking about this too, how that sometimes people will get a prophetic word and they just keep going from one conference to the next conference to get another prophetic word. But yet they're not seeking out another anointing that would help them unfold, get wisdom and knowledge on how to walk out that prophetic word. So they spend their life going from one conference to another conference, getting one prophetic word after Another, but never really knowing and getting wisdom and understanding on how to walk out the will of God in that prophetic word. This is a little bit of that desire without knowledge. Understanding, wisdom, the unfolding of something is not good, Pam. [00:09:37] Speaker A: That's just good. Psalm 37:4, that famous verse says, delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. I feel like to expand on that. Desires without knowledge, without the knowledge of the Lord, without knowing what God is saying and what he's downloading from heaven. So just to hold your desires, but hold them apart from God, that vacancy, that vacuum leaves lots of room for destructive behavior, for coveting envy, jealousy, because without the knowledge of the Lord in there, without the knowledge of what God is saying and weighing in on the matter is to remove all patience, all fruits of the spirit from the equation. And now therefore, you've basically, you're just this carnal person with a great desire. Now you're left with only carnal ways and means of pursuing it and going after it. And so like you said, you end up being over hasty, right? Which is the opposite of patience. [00:10:31] Speaker C: Oh, I've been there too many times. [00:10:34] Speaker A: You end up getting into sin and missing the mark. [00:10:36] Speaker B: And then sometimes it takes longer. If you want to even take the prophetic word, God's will, he's unfolding something, something's going to happen in the future or that is his will. And so sometimes if you're over hasty, you go, well, I got this word, so I'm out the door, down the street, and I'm not building a good foundation. And what happens a lot of times is it takes me longer to get that prophetic word to manifest because I'm not willing to submit, to pay attention, to listen and not talk so much to the way it needs to work out to value someone's anointing that might unfold it for me. [00:11:09] Speaker A: You know, it's funny, you and I were just talking the other day and a good friend of ours told us she had desired this couch for her home. You know, she's got a little girl and she desired this couch for her home. And she had exactly the design and the way she wanted it and the quality and everything. And she'd been saving up her money, saving up her money and praying about it, saying, God, this is the couch I desire. And there were opportunities to don't pay a cent until, you know, we heard those back in like 2006, don't pay a cent until 2008. Well, 2008 is coming, right? And so she was kind of getting some of those same deals from the commercial world, saying, hey, you can get your couch now and don't worry about paying for it for a year from now. But she was like, no, I'm going to trust the Lord. Well, finally, somehow, a few people found out, you know, at her church that she was praying for this couch. And they were like, oh, my goodness, so and so is selling. They're moving and they can't take their couch with them. And they're selling. It looks like that exact same couch. Well, she went and checked it out. It was the exact material, the exact layout design. Everything that she wanted, she made known to them. Oh, I would like to buy your couch. How much are you asking? And I guess they just kind of thought, you know what? We so love this woman and her family. It's yours, free. [00:12:21] Speaker B: Take it. [00:12:22] Speaker A: I know, couch is yours. Can we help you get it on the truck? And it's like, there you go again. She had a desire, but she wasn't hasty. She waited on the Lord, she was patient, and look at what the Lord did. And now she still has her couch fund sitting in the bank. [00:12:35] Speaker B: Right? For something else that God wants to design it for. Right? [00:12:39] Speaker A: You got it. God wants to add to her blessing portfolio. Verse 3. The foolishness of man or woman subverts their way, ruins their affairs. Then their heart is resentful and frets against the Lord. Pam, I can't stand it when I hear people who end up in their own ignorance or foolishness, ruining their own affairs and then turning around, blaming it on God and blaming God. Oh, man. I mean, doesn't God care about me? If only God would have. Oh, if only he would have just helped me. If he would have told me, you know, we know from wisdom. Wisdom says get wisdom at the entrance of the city. How many times do people make decisions, get into the city, and then start going, oh, we're in trouble, we need to get wisdom. Well, you know, of course it's never too late to repent. Repent now. But you may have to endure some consequences for buses you've already walked out in front of. [00:13:31] Speaker B: If we're a person and people that are continually changing, you know, one minute we say God told us this and. And we broadcast it to all our friends, and then all of a sudden, two days later, you're doing the total opposite thing all the time. Now, I know sometimes we've gotta be quick to repent if we heard things wrong. I get that. But if we're A people that others [00:13:51] Speaker C: can look and say, you know, I never know what to believe with them. One day they say this, and then the next they're doing the total opposite. [00:13:59] Speaker B: So to me, when I'm around a person like that, I'm very cautious to share things with them because I feel like, you know, you're not really trustworthy. You know, I understand some of that a little bit occasionally. But if you're walking in consistent indecision and changing your mind all the time, you come across as very unstable. [00:14:16] Speaker A: So don't be racing down the highway 30 miles an hour over the speed limit, get pulled over by the police, and as the policeman's walking up going, God, come on, don't you care about me? If only the Lord would just protect me from, you know, speed traps. My goodness. Again, the foolishness of man subverts his way, ruins his affairs, then his heart is resentful and frets against the Lord. So don't go around the rest of the day all morose because you got a $200 speeding ticket. [00:14:44] Speaker B: That's good. [00:14:45] Speaker A: Angry that God didn't warn you that there was a speed trap? [00:14:48] Speaker B: Yeah, don't fret against the Lord. That'll amount to nothing. Verse 4. Wealth makes many friends, but the poor man is avoided by his neighbor. Now, again, that doesn't mean that that's the right thing. It's just kind of a statement that sometimes wealth will seemingly bring friends, quote, unquote. [00:15:07] Speaker A: Think about it. If you got wealth, Pam, do you want friends that are friends with your wealth or with you? [00:15:11] Speaker B: I want friends that are friends with me. [00:15:13] Speaker C: Right. [00:15:14] Speaker A: Because it's really a matter of loyalty. A good friend is loyal to you, not to your stuff. A friend, a true friend, will stick with you not for what you have, but for who you really are. It says here, wealth makes many friends. They're loyal to the wealth, they're not loyal to you. [00:15:31] Speaker B: Right. [00:15:31] Speaker C: But in this fallen world, that's what people are attracted to. [00:15:35] Speaker B: The poor man, though, because he doesn't have wealth. Sometimes people will not look at the quality of the person. They just avoid them because they don't have something that they want. [00:15:44] Speaker A: That's a really good observation, Pam. The lack of obvious wealth or assets obscures the perception of people who view everything through the lens of temporary wealth, mastered by their greed for stuff. For me, verse four is basically speaking to the nature. The fallen nature of man. Yeah, the fallen nature of man pursues the friendship of wealth, which is not a good friend. The fallen nature of man avoids and is Offish with the poor. Which is not right because the Bible says when you give to the poor, when you help the poor, you actually lend to the Lord. It's an offense to God to despise the poor. It's an offense to God. So verse five, a false witness shall not be unpunished. God doesn't like a false witness. It says a false witness shall not be unpunished. And he who breathes out lies shall not escape. It's amazing in this world, even on a national and a global platform where we see so many people coming out and bearing false witness against other people [00:16:47] Speaker B: and trying to ruin someone's life, right? [00:16:49] Speaker A: So we see it in the entertainment world, in the political world, we see it in the marketplace, in businesses where people are trying to sabotage their competition's business by speaking falsely, by trying to say their product has this problem and their using false witnesses to take them down. That's what they did at the cross with Jesus. [00:17:08] Speaker C: That's right. They used immoral people to bring false witness against him. [00:17:12] Speaker A: Religious people, because they were so jealous of Jesus fruitfulness and his crowds, they put together a whole team of false witnesses to come against Jesus and speak against him. And even that couldn't bring down the Messiah. It had to be Jesus own disciple, hand picked, who Jesus said later was the devil himself. [00:17:32] Speaker C: It's so hard to imagine God choosing his own backstabber to betray him. [00:17:37] Speaker A: It was almost like God had to help out the world to bring Jesus to the cross. [00:17:41] Speaker B: Yeah, that's so true. 6 Many will entreat the favor of a liberal giving person. And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. You know, it's basically going back to human nature again. We've seen it like in a lot of celebrities, recording artists, different things. They'll come on. And years later, after their huge success, all of a sudden we see a documentary on them, how they lost their millions because they had just an entourage of entourage of people that they were pouring money into because they were so needy of friends only to lose it. [00:18:12] Speaker A: All, right? Every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. [00:18:16] Speaker B: Not a true friend. [00:18:17] Speaker A: But I think there's two sides of this coin. I think it's good to be God is a giver. And God's called us as sons and daughters, givers to be liberal. Luke 6:38 says give and it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. And it actually says shall men give into your bosom? So it kind of denotes that as a giver that you will be even rewarded. God will set up a law of reciprocity so that even laterally, people around you will reward you and give back to you. [00:18:45] Speaker C: Right. That's a great way to put it. [00:18:47] Speaker A: God encourages us to be liberal with our giving, not other people's, but to give as we've purposed in our own hearts. Being liberal but with other people's resources is stealing. And God does not put that on your account if that's what you're sowing. That's spiritual socialism, I call it. And I'm not talking a political party here. Jesus talked about, you know, giving a cup of water in his name, that your reward would not be lost to help your neighbor, to comfort one another, you know, not just even give money. [00:19:15] Speaker B: But that being said, I really felt. I'm so glad you touched on that. Not just giving money. I feel like sometimes in our inner court of people closest to us that we call friends or we want to call friends, sometimes we're unwilling to actually give gifts of impression, help, kindness, mercy, patience. We'll do it with people we hardly even know. And we wonder why we don't have any closer friends. [00:19:40] Speaker A: That's a really good point, Pam. It's definitely a failed opportunity to give. [00:19:46] Speaker C: Maybe it's because people are so easily offended. Communication breaks down, but in the end, the person's sitting there wondering why they have so few friends or no friends. [00:19:55] Speaker A: And loneliness is epidemic in the world right now. So we need to rethink our idea of giving and be a friend if we want to have friends. Or sow the seeds of offense and shut off any good harvest to welcome a bad harvest of being alone, miserable, sad, offended. [00:20:13] Speaker B: Offended at the world because you're very fragile and prickly and you're not willing to be liberal and giving with your kindness, with your mercy, with your celebration to the people that you want to be your friends. [00:20:27] Speaker A: It's like the word saying, hey, heads up if you're going to be. And God's called us to be givers, to be generous. It's saying that many will entreat the favor of a generous person. Every person is a friend to him who gives gifts. Yeah, I think it's where discernment kicks in. You need to have discernment now to know who really is a friend based on the fact that they're loyal to you or based on the fact that you just give gifts so that, hey, I want to hang out with you because you give gifts and you're liberal and you're kind and you're generous hearted. Well, I don't think it should change us. We should all be generous, kind and giving. But I do think we should be discerning who we give to and what we give. [00:21:04] Speaker B: Yeah, that's true. [00:21:05] Speaker A: You know, the right seed for the right ground. All ground doesn't qualify for the same seed. Maybe this ground here needs the seed of wisdom far more than it's qualified for financial investment. Maybe this ground over here needs instruction more than it needs opportunity or promotion. Reproof is very valuable, it really is. But you never reprove a fool, so you have to discern the ground that's good. Verse 7. All the brothers of a poor man detest him. How much more do his friends go far from him. He pursues them with with words, but they are gone. So this is just the law of poverty. Even family members tend to distance themselves from the poor man. Now remember, poverty and being poor is not just about the state of your pocket. [00:21:50] Speaker B: No, it's not. [00:21:50] Speaker A: Yeah, it's not just that you don't have money in your pocket. It's your attitude too. Right. Being poor has less to do with your net equity and more to do with your thinking. An attitude toward money and assets. In the eyes of God, the person who is not generous can never generate a future, a legacy or a life that's poor. Remember the widow with the two mites? [00:22:14] Speaker B: Yeah, that's true. [00:22:15] Speaker A: Two copper coins. We might have all looked at her and saw her as poor. Jesus was in awe of her giving. [00:22:21] Speaker B: That's right. [00:22:22] Speaker A: Her giving moved the heart of heaven. Poverty and poor is really about your mindset. [00:22:28] Speaker B: Verse 8 He who gains wisdom loves his own life. He who keeps understanding shall prosper and find good. [00:22:36] Speaker A: Yay. He who keeps understanding. So I love the process there, Pam. He who gains wisdom loves his own life. He who keeps understanding shall prosper and find good. So you go from having wisdom, that means you're loving your own life. And then you go from wisdom to getting understanding. And it says that you shall prosper and you shall find good. All that does is ignite a fire in me to want more wisdom and to want more understanding. I want more wisdom and more understanding. God satisfy my desire for more wisdom and more understanding. [00:23:12] Speaker B: Because this is God's will that we prosper. I've heard some people don't like the word prosper for some reason, then they're Christians. But if we don't like the word prosper, prosper means to increase, go forward, not backwards, but always increase in every area of our life. Our health Our needs being met, our understanding and wisdom of communication better, our influence. Prospering means to go forward and increase, to multiply. This is the will of God. [00:23:39] Speaker A: And listen to the heart of God expressed through the Apostle John to the church. In 3 John 2 he says, Beloved, I wish, I believe this is the heart of God toward us as sons and daughters. Beloved, I wish that you would prosper, be in good health, even as your soul, your mind, will and emotions prosper. He didn't just leave it at prosper, but it was a holistic whole person approach to prosperity. He said it would all correlate with your mind, will and emotions prospering. Pam if I don't have joy, if I don't have peace, who cares how much gold I have? I'm a miserable person without God's joy and peace. [00:24:18] Speaker B: That's so good. And I think perhaps some of you listening, maybe somebody has unfolded or you've heard something where, where you've developed a [00:24:25] Speaker C: distaste for the word prosperity because of how someone has misused it or how the world misrepresented it. [00:24:32] Speaker B: You can't really disdain the word prospering, the true meaning of it, because you're disdaining the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I came to give you life and abundant life that's prospering. In Genesis it says that we were called to multiply, to take dominion. This is the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now maybe somebody you heard only unfolded one layer of prosperity to you. [00:24:56] Speaker C: Someone might have insinuated that prosperity is only to do with money and stuff. [00:25:01] Speaker B: You know, your nickels and dimes, your dollar bills, your stuff. It is one side of it so we can be a blessing to others. But there is multilayers of the word prospering and what it truly means. [00:25:13] Speaker A: Pam and you said it so well that to get a disdain for prosperity in a real way, it's to hate the gospel. Because Jesus said the spirit of the Lord is upon me. When he quoted Isaiah 60:1, he said, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, right? Well, good news for the poor is that you don't have to be poor no more. And if you read 2 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 9, it says that Jesus his undeserved favor and spiritual blessing in and though he was so very rich, yet for our sake he became so very poor in order that by his poverty, by Jesus poverty here on earth, we might become enriched, abundantly supplied. Now think of it. If Jesus intentionally put off the wealth and the riches of heaven so that he would be considered poor on earth and yet still take 5,000 men beside women and children out for lunch one day. I don't know how many poor people you know that can take like close to 20,000 people out for lunch. [00:26:06] Speaker B: Yes. And there was leftover fishing. And I think some people, sometimes we have to realize, don't be a repeater of something, somebody else's anger of something that was misunderstood. It's arrogant. [00:26:17] Speaker A: Now, why is that, Pam? Like, why is it when people talk against the prosperity that's in the gospel, that God would not only save our souls, save our spirit man and our soul, and convert us from illegitimate children to becoming legitimately royalty in the name of Jesus? Why do some people get such an angst? They become angry when they talk about it. [00:26:39] Speaker C: Right. It's so true. [00:26:40] Speaker A: I'm telling you, Jesus doesn't want you to be better off. And why do they hold onto that poverty mindset but try to blend or synthesize the work of the devil poverty with the good news of Christ? [00:26:54] Speaker C: Why? Well, it kind of goes back to [00:26:56] Speaker B: some people who don't believe that Jesus wants to heal minds and bodies today. You know, if you're going and asking for prayer, Lord, I really want a healing in my body. That's a form of prospering healing. So if you're going to throw out the entire word, don't ever ask for healing. In fact, why take medicine. If you feel like it's God's will for you to be sick, why are you going to the doctor? Submit to it wholly. If you don't feel like God wants to move you forward from grace to grace and honor, to honor and glory, to glory and keep moving you forward, multiplying you, then why do you ask for a raise? Why do you complain when you don't get a raise or even giving more authority? [00:27:32] Speaker A: Well, let's say if you don't believe [00:27:33] Speaker B: God wants to prostitute and if you [00:27:35] Speaker A: really think that God wants you to be poor, then. And if you're making, let's say, 45,000 a year, then why not give 30,000 of it away to your favorite charity? And I'm not talking about yourself. [00:27:46] Speaker C: Exactly. Exactly. [00:27:48] Speaker A: And why aren't you asking for a double portion of poverty? [00:27:51] Speaker B: Yeah, no, it's true. It's the inconsistency and the arrogance. And, you know, there's really seven things that the Lord just sets his heart against and hates. And that's an arrogant heart. [00:28:01] Speaker A: Right. [00:28:01] Speaker B: And I think we have to realize in all Areas we can get into arrogance very subtly. [00:28:06] Speaker A: Oh my goodness. [00:28:07] Speaker B: And become full of pride and not listen to somebody else's point of view [00:28:11] Speaker A: and almost become proud that we're poor. [00:28:13] Speaker B: Proud. Yeah. [00:28:14] Speaker A: And I know, I've been there. Like, I mean, I was born raised in poverty. And you know, it came to a point where it's almost like that becomes like a virtue that you don't have and that you're struggling. That's just so foolish. It's not that it's wrong to be without and to be struggling. I'm talking about when you make it a virtue. And you actually. And you actually in your heart esteem yourself as better than somebody that has wealth. [00:28:39] Speaker B: Right. [00:28:40] Speaker A: It becomes a lie. You're believing in that somehow you're better because you have less. And that's the dangerous thing. Pride can get in even when we are poor, when we don't have. There's nothing wrong with not having. Paul said this. He said, I've learned to handle much abundance and how to handle very little. And you know, being in a jail cell, right. Since I've learned how to handle it all with great grace and peace, holding on to Jesus. You know, we've got to believe that Christ, the King of all kings lives on the inside of us and Jesus lacks for nothing. [00:29:10] Speaker B: Sometimes I think we justify ourselves. We are willing to scorn the scorner and be angry to the angry. That's just combating wrong with wrong. We teach our children that that's not right. Why do we operate in it? Sometimes on tv, I'll start talking to, you know, and I'll start getting mad at some things that are in consistent people talking on tv, in the news, different things. But it's never okay for me to scorn the scorner and become angry with the angry. Now I can have righteous indignation against Antichrist way of thinking and doing things, but I can't scorn the scorner and poor cannot scorn the rich. We know it's wrong for the rich to scorn the poor. But then we think it's all right for the poor to scorn the rich. That's not right either. Because there are precious people in both camps. [00:29:54] Speaker A: Just because the wicked person has wealth, wealth doesn't mean that the wealth is a wrong thing to have. That's like saying because a wicked person drinks a glass of water, therefore a glass of water is wrong for everybody else to drink. That's just foolish. Just because a wicked person drives down a certain highway doesn't mean that that highway is a wrong way to drive down. Or just because a wicked person lives in a certain city doesn't mean that the city in and of itself is wicked. [00:30:18] Speaker C: That's really good. You know, Psalms 37:7 says, fret not because of him who prospers in his way, for evildoers shall be cut off and those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the earth. [00:30:31] Speaker A: There is a time when the wicked prosper in the way. But the Bible says that the wealth of the wicked is laid up. So there's a storage house for God's children, right? It's collected for the righteous, for those who will share it and disperse it under God's direction for righteous ends. [00:30:49] Speaker B: Right. [00:30:49] Speaker A: Key, you have to always understand there's a process going on that God is well aware of. [00:30:55] Speaker C: That's right. We need to be conscious that God is keeping an account and able to balance the books of life. He balances the scales of justice and he makes things right. [00:31:05] Speaker A: Pam, things may not look balanced or righteous right now. In fact, they may appear downright evil and completely without justice. But God is the one that's going to bring the final judgment and bring the law of reciprocity. And this is why he says in this thing, God is not mocked that whatsoever a man or a woman sows that and that only is what they'll reap. And you got to always measure things by the final outcome. [00:31:29] Speaker B: You know, we have some precious people that in currency and other ways of their life, they're prospering. [00:31:35] Speaker C: And so they're able to sponsor one of the thousand communities in outreach that this ministry impact all over the world. You know, I like to think of it as a living room church learning center, but it's less formal. It's more like life active for living strong. [00:31:51] Speaker A: Amsa, let's tie this all up with a bow and like, read verse eight one more time. [00:31:55] Speaker B: He who gains wisdom loves his own life. He who keeps understanding shall prosper and find good. [00:32:00] Speaker A: I would also say the contrary is true. He who does not get wisdom or despises wisdom hates his own life. Life. Verse 9. A false witness shall not be unpunished. Man, this proverb's really zoning in on the outcome of being a false witness. Yeah, a false witness shall not be unpunished. And he who breathes forth lies shall perish. [00:32:24] Speaker B: Number 10. Luxury is not fitting for a self confident fool, much less for a slave to rule over princes. [00:32:31] Speaker A: So that doesn't mean that a fool can't be in luxury. It says it's not fitting for A self confidence, confident fool. [00:32:37] Speaker B: It doesn't seem to fit. We've all seen people living in luxury and they're so foolish with it that they are actually a slave to it. You know, we've also seen people of integrity, of wisdom and understanding having people over them that just are foolish. And so it seems like a foot out of joint, something always seems wrong. Like that's wrong. [00:32:57] Speaker A: Yeah. And look at it. Says it's not fitting right. You ever seen clothes on somebody that just don't fit? [00:33:02] Speaker C: That's good. [00:33:03] Speaker A: It's like really? [00:33:04] Speaker B: Like that doesn't fit. [00:33:06] Speaker A: I don't think that fits the way you think it fits. [00:33:08] Speaker B: Something's not right there. [00:33:09] Speaker C: Right. [00:33:09] Speaker A: Like you're a size this and that looks like. I don't think that's fitting the way you think it's fitting. The second half says much less for a slave to rule over princes. Here's my understanding of this principle because it can sound out of date or even politically incorrect. With our culture today, it's not proper order for an employee to have directorship over a manager or a boss or an owner. The core of this is at the thinking. Because as a man or a woman thinks, so they are. Let's look at a very practical example. Like the leadership team of the cryptocurrency company FTX came to a catastrophic end with criminal charges for cheating billions of dollars away from investors. So how does this verse apply? These were young people in their 20s enslaved to greed and arrogance. So they thought that they should rule over the simple minded, law abiding people that worked hard for their money. Now if these selfish, prideful college kids would have worked for a firm with leaders of integrity who could have helped discipline them and show them the value of ethics, these kids might not be in prison today with reputations that are completely rotten. The world scorns them now. They're considered young Bernie Madoffs and all because their poverty tried to rule over people who are rich in wisdom and honest. You can't do that. [00:34:29] Speaker C: You might be working in a factory or in a job that's considered even entry level, but if you're a child of God, you are royalty and therefore you've got an instinct to be an authority over the stuff. [00:34:43] Speaker A: That's right, Pam. If you're born again and your mind is renewed to God's way of thinking, something transformative is going on right now. You are beginning to not fit under that person that has a wrong mindset, that has a corrupt mindset that's enslaved to maybe taking orders from money or from their addictions or from even their anger. You are just like Joseph. You may seem like you're under. You don't fit. Joseph didn't fit under Potiphar. He didn't fit under the prison. He didn't fit under the warden. And when you don't fit, and there's a spiritual law of flight that's coming up on the inside of you and you don't fit, there is a breaking forth right now, I believe that's coming on you. As you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and you continue just to grow on the inside, you will be lifted by God. You don't have to promote yourself. Don't try to honor yourself. That's false. But let God Almighty honor you, lift you and exalt you. And you will be promoted to a place just like Joseph was. Was where you are ruling and reigning. I believe that with all my heart. And then you will be a conduit of blessing for God's sake, because you will keep that humble mindset and always operate in subjection to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Verse 11. Good sense makes a man or a woman restrain their anger. That's a good rebuke for all of us. Good sense makes a man or a woman restrain their anger. And it is their glory to overlook a transgression or an offense. Pam, we've talked about this before, but I practice this in traffic. Somebody cuts me off. [00:36:21] Speaker C: Uh oh, I think I know where you're going here. [00:36:24] Speaker A: It is an honorable thing and it ends up being to my glory to overlook a transgression or offense. [00:36:30] Speaker C: Oh, you know, this is something I [00:36:32] Speaker B: have to work on for sure. [00:36:34] Speaker C: I get tempted to get upset with [00:36:35] Speaker B: people when they pull out in front [00:36:37] Speaker A: of us, but you getting better. So it's, you know, it's your glory to overlook those wild drivers transgressions, right? [00:36:44] Speaker C: Oh, that's right. [00:36:45] Speaker A: But you know, I always believe it's practice for the bigger challenges in life. [00:36:50] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:36:51] Speaker A: You know, when somebody, you know, in a crowded place elbows you or steps on your toe, it may be frustrating, but it's to your glory and honor to overlook an offense. Always err on the side of blessing people. If you want to bless people that curse you, you got to practice, even in the small things. [00:37:05] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, and even when somebody brings up a different point of view. Now take a deep breath. Don't be so defensive. I was talking to somebody of the day and this one person that they talk to every time, no matter the subject, if it's if they have any different point of view at all than [00:37:18] Speaker C: this person just overreacts and starts ranting and raging with their eyes all wild and their pupils dilating. [00:37:24] Speaker B: And it's just, like, overreact to everything. It's, like very defensive. And that's not princely. You don't have anything to prove. Just take a deep breath. [00:37:33] Speaker A: And let me ask this to our dear listener, our audience. And I don't want you getting into condemnation or shame. This is so important. When you hear the word of God, if you get convicted, that's good, because conviction brings life. But don't get condemned. And I know what it's like. When I was younger, I struggled with anger and frustration. So if that's you, if you're quick to get angry, don't get condemned. But right now, let's just ask ourselves, why am I so quick to get angry? And for me, there's some things I had to let go of in my childhood, things that I needed healed from. There was some insecurity and fear. Insecurity is rooted in fear, and fear brings torment. And I didn't want to be insecure, to be insecure. It's almost like, you know the root of your tooth when that cold water hits it, it's like, oh, it's just like, right, right. You get some ice in your mouth or you get something hot, and it's like that root, because it's not securely covered, it's vulnerable to the heat and to the cold. Well, as soon as it hits that nerve, it's like, oh, my goodness, like somebody just put a gun in your mouth. Right, that's true. And so, you know, when you have insecurity rooted in fear, you feel anger come up quickly. It's like, why are you questioning me? I said this. And why are you? You know, there's a greater way that insecurity flares up. Ask yourself, my friend, with no condemnation, if you're going, you know what, Stephen? That's actually me. I'm like that. I do that. Well, here we go. Here's what we do. Father, I just bring that insecurity to the foot of the cross. I bring that fear right now to the foot of the cross. I confess it. I resign from it. And right now I receive your covering, Master. I receive at the cross the love of God. The unfailing love of God covers me, fills me every little place where the new nerves are exposed. God, your love and your joy cover me right now. In Jesus precious name, I receive the everlasting oil of joy, running down my life over my spirit man and my soul. And I am covered by you in Jesus name. [00:39:30] Speaker C: Amen. [00:39:31] Speaker A: Amen. And that's how you handle that. Let anger be the trigger that reminds you, oh, brought that to the cross. Hallelujah. I've got patience, I've got peace and I'm not afraid. Just remind yourself of that all the time, right? [00:39:44] Speaker B: Take a deep breath, Take a deep breath. Breathe in is peace. You know you can do that. You have authority over your earth suit, which is your body. [00:39:52] Speaker A: You have the ability to overlook a transgression or an offense and bless those who curse you. You're empowered to do that. [00:40:00] Speaker B: Verse 12 the King's wrath is as terrifying as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as refreshing as dew upon the grass. [00:40:08] Speaker A: Remind yourself of that when you're at work or you're dealing with your manager or your boss, CEO, or always be respectful. The Holy Spirit will give you wisdom to pacify a leader's wrath, but always to indulge in their favor. The Lord will give you the wisdom. How to experience favor like Joseph in the Old Testament had with Potiphar and the warden in the prison, right? [00:40:31] Speaker C: You know that's right. God taught Joseph to walk in favor with leaders even when he was at a major cultural disadvantage. [00:40:38] Speaker A: Verse 13 A self confident and foolish son is the multiplied calamity of his father. And the contentions of a wife are like a continual dripping of water through a chink in the roof. What a picture, right? [00:40:53] Speaker B: That is such a powerful statement. Because you know, it says it's better. Where is it found? Where it's better to. To go into a house just with like oatmeal and milk, then meal of flamingon with just dissension, you know, you can go in and you can feel it, right? It's just so uncomfortable. And this contentions of a wife, they're not being sexist, it's just that sometimes people can just continue. I remember when we first got married, I was fearful of some things, right? And so I would say a little bit and then you were going to pray about it and trying to get answers. But because I did it, see enough response from you. I was just like, oh I remember, I remember honestly, just exhausting, Just like a continual dripping. [00:41:35] Speaker A: Oh no honey, not you. [00:41:37] Speaker B: Never until you turned to me said honey, I just want you to know I am taking this as very important. I understand this and I'm praying about trying to get answers. And I went oh okay. But I just realized I started laughing because I was like, I am like this scripture right here, just continually dripping. [00:41:52] Speaker A: I think the word of wisdom that God would speak to us through this is don't be a dripper. [00:41:57] Speaker B: Don't be. And you know, male or female, don't continually drip. [00:42:01] Speaker A: That's right. You're right, Pam. It's male or female, don't be a dripper. Don't go through life being a drip. That's not God's will for your life. Right. And the word says here a self confident and a foolish son, you know, that could be a self confident and a foolish daughter. [00:42:15] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:42:16] Speaker A: Ends up being a calamity to their father or their mother to your parents. That's why it's so important. Even at a young age, when you're raising up your children, keep your eye on their character, on their soul. Don't tolerate foolishness. It's easier to deal with at a young age than allowing a corrupt ideology to grow and get deep roots. I mean, of course children need to have fun, they need to play. They need to be able to laugh hysterically. They need to be able to enjoy themselves and be silly. There's nothing wrong with that. When we're talking about foolishness, we're talking about the thing that measurable that makes a fool a fool. Psalm 14:1 says that the fool says in his heart there is no God. The thing that makes a little child rage against principle immorality is the lack of a true standard. The absence of God's word, which means an absence of true love. The space in their heart only God can fill. That's the multiplied calamity you want to prevent as a parent. And it's the product of making sure your child knows God's love and promises for their life. God's word does the transformative work, not you indulging your kid with what you think they want or what you think will make you the cool parent in the neighborhood. Right. [00:43:31] Speaker C: That's so true. You know, kids are desperate for God's love and his standard for life. [00:43:37] Speaker A: Children should be laughing and playing and carrying on and having those times where they can just enjoy themselves and. And get a little bit crazy. That's not what this is talking about. [00:43:46] Speaker B: No, it's talking about even characteristics like overlooking an offense. We need to teach our children to quickly, like a duck where the water rolls off its back to be that we know we're offended. Maybe we'll cry, you feel it. But to overlook a transgression to bless, that's not foolish. That's right to not give Their way to anger all the time, to be quickly. That's it. And self confidence, you know, like, like we need to be confident in who we are. And I dare say, but not self confident. [00:44:14] Speaker A: Young fools turn into drips. [00:44:17] Speaker B: Right, right. And self confident, arrogant people. [00:44:21] Speaker A: So don't be self confident arrogant because you're probably going to turn into a major drip. [00:44:26] Speaker B: Right? And we don't want that. Verse 14. House and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding and prudent wife is from the Lord. [00:44:36] Speaker A: Now, God led me to this verse before I got married. I said, you, word says, house and riches are the inheritance from fathers and Lord. The most important thing is you said, a wise, understanding and prudent wife is from you. So I said, I'm looking to you for that. And I'm telling you, Pam, when I began to humble myself and continually come to God, in fact, I wrote that scripture on a little sticky note and put it in the studio where I worked. I would meditate on that. Sometimes when I was just taking a break from being in the studio and working, I'd look at that scripture and I'd think, father, you said, a wise, understanding and prudent wife is from you. And now look at, here I am, fast forward these many years later and look at I'm married to you. [00:45:14] Speaker C: Yay for us. [00:45:15] Speaker A: I've got not only a wise wife, not only a prudent wife, but an understanding wife. And you're awesome. [00:45:22] Speaker B: Thanks, honey. I want to be understanding and have [00:45:25] Speaker C: foresight for the future. [00:45:26] Speaker A: Good scripture. If you're single, doesn't matter boy or girl. Get this scripture. House and riches are the inheritance from fathers. And a wise, prudent, wise, understanding and prudent wife or husband is from the Lord. God blesses us with the right relationship. So God is blessing you right now with amazing relationships when you trust in him. [00:45:46] Speaker B: College, a lot of times, at least two years for your job. This is far more important than your job. [00:45:50] Speaker A: I would dare say that being married is far more complex than even becoming a doctor, a lawyer, a pilot. You look in those cockpits of a plane of 747, they look very complex. They don't compare to the complexity of the genius of God's design of marriage. It requires wisdom from heaven, within marriage, within family, within friendships, brothers and sisters in the Lord. Relationships can be very, very complex. Verse 15. Slothfulness casts one into a deep sleep and the idle person shall suffer hunger. [00:46:22] Speaker B: It doesn't say the driven person, though, y'. All. It means, you know, we don't just lay on the couch all day and eat all we want and do anything, anything we want, watch whatever we want. That's slothfulness. But it doesn't say anything about being driven either. Be consistent, be faithful, be loyal, be strategic, be on time. I think that's the opposite of slothfulness and idleness, don't you? [00:46:43] Speaker A: That's good, Pam. And you know what else I was thinking? One of the worst forms of being idle that brings on the very worst consequences is to be idle. To hear the word of God. [00:46:54] Speaker B: Now see, that's, that's really good. And we don't hear that very often. [00:46:57] Speaker A: I talk to so many people and try to encourage them because they're in a difficult place in life. They're not listening to the word of God. They don't have a time with the Lord. They've got a lot of excuses and they're very busy. And I've got a wife and I've got a husband, I've got children, I've got mortgage, I've got this and that, and I'm busy and I've got work. I've got three jobs and I've got 87 hobbies and I've got this and that. They're busy. Every one of us burn up our 20. A 24 hour allowance every day. The entire population of humanity. As long as you're here on Earth in this state of mortality. [00:47:28] Speaker C: Yes. [00:47:28] Speaker A: So we all in a way are busy. We all burn up our 24 hours. [00:47:32] Speaker C: Right. [00:47:33] Speaker A: But there is a slothfulness and an idleness of the thing that is ultimately important to the next thousand years of your life. [00:47:41] Speaker B: So good. [00:47:42] Speaker A: And when you neglect listening, when you don't pay attention. [00:47:46] Speaker B: Attention, yeah. [00:47:47] Speaker A: You pay admission to that show you went to. But I'm talking about paying admission to hearing the voice of God, which is going to cost your attention. And that means don't be idle. And for you guys who are listening, that's you, you listen. You're going after the word of God. You're hearkening to the Word of God and there are promises that you are automatically triggering as you listen to the word of God. Get your expectancy up. Because God says in Joshua 1, those first few verses ending in verse 8, and he says, you will make your way prosperous and you will have good success. It says you do that. [00:48:19] Speaker B: That's good. [00:48:19] Speaker C: How? [00:48:20] Speaker A: By listening, not being idle, but being diligent to hear the word of the Lord. [00:48:25] Speaker B: That's so good. [00:48:26] Speaker A: Right. [00:48:26] Speaker C: And when you're led by the word of God, you can do one thing in obedience to Him. That's far more productive and profitable than the 70 things you're doing in your own efforts. [00:48:37] Speaker A: Just to be busy, because that's really trusting in myself. And we just read in Proverbs 3, to trust in the Lord with all your heart. [00:48:43] Speaker C: Lean not onto your own understanding, but trust in the Lord. [00:48:49] Speaker A: My understanding is just to get busy and to do this and do that and do this and do that. And then you come to Jesus and he's like, stephen, one thing, right? Isn't that what he said to Martha? Mary has chosen the one thing. Martha was busy, busy. Somebody could say, well, she's not idle. Look at her, boy, she's busy. She was idle in hearing the words of Jesus. You got Jesus in your house, and you're busy in the kitchen making Jesus cookies. Oh, my goodness. [00:49:14] Speaker B: She. [00:49:14] Speaker A: You need to indulge in pulling a Mary and be busy about the one thing that won't be taken away from you. That's hearing the word of God. [00:49:23] Speaker C: Then as you hear the word of God, he can direct you in all of your movements and diligence so none of it's in vain or futile. [00:49:30] Speaker A: What to do and what not to do, what to teach your children and what not to teach your children. I know some parents pulling their hair up because they're taking their kids to every water park, every. Every sport, every chess club, every event the school has. They're signed up for this, signed up for that. And it's like, hey, we're going to have a Bible study. Oh, I'd love to be there, but I got to take my kids to soccer. I got to go to this. You know what? Maybe there's time where you got to take time for you to hear God's word, indulge in God's word, because that translates into wisdom in your life so that you can even be a better parent to your children instead of just running off according to your heart, thinking you're being a great parent by doing these 80 things for your kids. Do this one thing for you, download the wisdom, and then maybe you're only doing 10 things for your kids, but [00:50:18] Speaker C: every one of them is profitable, hitting the mark, producing an eternal life outcome. [00:50:24] Speaker A: That's exciting. [00:50:25] Speaker C: Oh, that's good. [00:50:25] Speaker B: I love it. [00:50:26] Speaker C: So good. Let's go to verse 16. [00:50:29] Speaker B: He who keeps the commandment of the Lord, or the ways of the Lord keeps his own life, but he who despises God's ways shall die. That's a very sobering and very sad God doesn't want anybody to perish. [00:50:43] Speaker A: Somebody might say, well, Frank, from all appearances, Frank looks like he's despising God's way and he's still alive. Oh, you haven't seen the end of the matter yet, right? Unless Frank repents and begins to embrace God's way of doing things, the end is not going to be pretty. And if your name's Frank, forgive me. [00:51:00] Speaker B: We love you, Frank. [00:51:01] Speaker A: We love you, Frank. You're amazing. [00:51:04] Speaker B: But it almost is like, you know, you can be walking zombies, so to speak, dead. In so much of your mind, will and emotions, your affection, you're in so many areas, you just shut down and are dying. Maybe your body's still going and the world thinks, well, looks pretty good. But inside, you know, it's the way. In the will of the Lord, his way always leads to abundant life, to joy, to peace, to answers, to comfort, to power, to strength. And when we despise his ways, the contrary comes upon us. It's just a law of gravity. It's not God punishing us, is we're going away from God's way, as in going to the evil way, which is always destruction and dying and disease and going down. [00:51:46] Speaker A: I love this too, Pam, because in a way, it gives us power over our own lives. How? It says you keep your own life by keeping the commandments of the Lord. [00:51:56] Speaker C: Yes. [00:51:57] Speaker A: So every time, like we're doing right now, we're indulging. I use that word a lot when it comes to the word of God. But we're enjoying and spending time in the word of God. What are we doing as we spend time in God's word? You are my friend, keeping your own life. [00:52:12] Speaker B: Wow. [00:52:12] Speaker C: What a powerful truth that is. [00:52:14] Speaker A: It's like you're wrapping your spiritual hands around the life that God has made you a steward of. And as you listen to the Word, meditate on the Word word, you're keeping your own life. [00:52:25] Speaker C: God really has given us the power to choose life or death. [00:52:29] Speaker A: Joshua 1:8. You make your way prosperous and you have good success. How? By listening to, hearkening to God's word morning and night. As we meditate on God's word morning and night, you make your own way prosperous, and you have good success to a great degree. Have power over your own life by indulging in keeping the commandments of the Lord. [00:52:52] Speaker C: It's just a powerful truth that we all need to meditate on. [00:52:55] Speaker A: Verse 17. He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord. Well, we were talking about that at the beginning of this chapter, he who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given, he will repay to him. When we have pity on the poor, it's like we're making a loan to God. And God says, don't worry, I'm going to repay you. [00:53:15] Speaker B: Wow, that's so good. [00:53:16] Speaker A: Isn't that cool? [00:53:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:53:18] Speaker A: Now, it's not the same as investing in the kingdom. Having pity on the poor, it doesn't say, is an investment where there's times where God says, like we quoted it earlier, Luke 6:38. Give, and then there's a multiplication that happens. Give, and it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over. There's a multiplication, there's an investment. Jesus tells a parable about those that who invest in the kingdom. Good ground, they turn. Yeah. What's in good ground? It multiplies. So this is not the same, but it's still very important. Having pity on the poor, it says, is lending to the Lord. And when you lend to the Lord, God repays. [00:53:54] Speaker B: That's right. [00:53:55] Speaker C: And you know, again, get your understanding around the term poor. So if you realize there are different areas you can be poor in. [00:54:02] Speaker B: Yes. Poor in currency, but there's people poor in a lot of different other ways of life, so. [00:54:08] Speaker A: Or in encouragement, they're discouraged. [00:54:11] Speaker C: Yes. [00:54:11] Speaker A: Somebody who's discouraged is poor in encouragement. So guess what seed you should be sowing to them. [00:54:17] Speaker B: Courage. [00:54:18] Speaker A: Loan to them some of your courage. [00:54:20] Speaker B: Right, right. [00:54:21] Speaker C: Let's take back the terms and make them as broad as best aligns with truth. 18. [00:54:28] Speaker B: Discipline your son while there is hope. But do not indulge your angry resentments by undue chastisements. And set yourself up to his ruin [00:54:37] Speaker A: so you can cross a line there with your discipline, where you actually set up because you're getting angry and resentful, where you set up your daughter or son for complete ruin because you've crossed a line. My brother told me a story, this was quite a few years ago, of him being in a cafe and there was a man with his little four or five year old in front of him. And they came up to the counter and there was some donuts in the counter. And so the man kind of looked down at his little boy and he goes, okay, well what do you want? Tell the woman what you want. My brother said he was kind of nervous and he looked at the counter and he was like. And the man right away got impatient with him. He's like, ugh, will you stop it, you stupid little and he started swearing at him. He said, just tell her what you want. And the boy's like. He started stuttering and stammering, and the man started shaking his head and he goes, ugh, what is wrong with you? I mean, even as my brother was telling me the story, I was just. I felt like an anger about the injustice. The injustice, the unkindness, the lack of love and empathy and just the lack of a true father's heart for this little fella. And I'm thinking, talking about this, verse 18, think about the ruin, the brokenness that this father is sowing into this little boy. In a way, it makes me even understand why when you've got. Sometimes these young people who are so angry at life, they come by it honestly. They come by this from the brokenness that they've been raised up under. The lack of compassion and the lack of fathering, true fathering. God corrects us, but he corrects us as a father who dearly loves us. [00:56:15] Speaker B: Discipline, it says in the first part of this, is important, but think how Father God disciplines us. He gives us answers. You know, there are consequences. But he's always there to lead us and direct us. He always wants to show us things to come. So there is borders of protection that we need to put on our children. [00:56:34] Speaker A: It says, do not indulge your angry resentments. If you're about to discipline your child, your son, or your daughter, and there's an angry resentment comes up on the inside, even anger, step off, go to your bedroom, cool down, count to 10, and back down again. Do some math problems, talk to Jesus, bring your anger again to the foot of the cross and wait until you are as calm as can be and you're displaying the character of God before you discipline your child, you're only going to make more trouble for yourself, for your home, and you're obviously going to lead your child to ruin by disciplining them out of anger. [00:57:14] Speaker B: Yeah, it's so good. [00:57:15] Speaker A: Verse 19, A man of great wrath shall suffer the penalty. Well, we were just talking about that in verse 18. A man of great wrath shall suffer the penalty. For if you deliver this guy from the consequences, guess what will happen? He will feel free to cause you to have to do it again. And I've said this before, in relationships, to insulate people from consequences is not godly. When you've made friendship with an angry person, you're going to be forced to insulate them from consequences over and over and over. And this is why the word God says, make no friendship with an Angry person, person angry man or woman. Part of the consequences should be them losing relationship with you. Somebody could say, well, that's not very Jesusy. Oh, isn't it? Maybe we need to read a little bit more of the gospels. Who Jesus was friends with and who he wasn't. [00:58:04] Speaker B: That's right. [00:58:05] Speaker A: It took the disciples three and a half years to move from servant status to friend status. Jesus said, you've been servants, but now I call you friends because you want. Because you know what my Father is doing and you want, you know, the will of God. [00:58:17] Speaker B: You want to hear me and you want to do my will. You know, this verse also reminds me of just, you know, like some employees, people that whether it's in business, in ministry, some people will employ people. And, you know, I feel like you should have a lot of patience with mistakes, different things like that. That's where your patience should be. But if a person that's under your employee, is it one of your employees is consistently like 90% of the time just easily gets defensive. Easily. Is a man known of wrath. You should quickly arrest that and give him or her consequences in a kind. Put borders up. [00:58:52] Speaker A: Otherwise you're going to become complicit in something very bad because that will hurt [00:58:57] Speaker B: people around them and then the good people will eventually leave you. [00:59:01] Speaker A: That's right. That's really good. Pam. Here's the thing. A man or a woman of great wrath, is there hope? Absolutely. [00:59:07] Speaker B: Of course there is. [00:59:08] Speaker A: But there has to be a willingness to bring that great wrath to the cross. If they won't bring it to the cross, then you need to distance yourself from them as fast as you can because there are going to be great penalties coming in on not only that person, but whoever they're in relationship with. [00:59:24] Speaker B: It's very true. [00:59:25] Speaker A: So get out of the way. That's what I got to say. Verse 20. Pam. [00:59:29] Speaker B: Hear counsel, receive instruction and accept correction that you may be wise in the time to come. I'm going to repeat that. So number one, pay attention. Hear. Listen to counsel. [00:59:42] Speaker A: I'm listening. [00:59:43] Speaker B: Number two, receive instruction and number three, accept correction that we may be wise in the time to come. [00:59:51] Speaker A: Pam, I would have to say the thing that would help you do all those three things to hear counsel, receive instruction and accept. Accept correction. Gotta have humility. [01:00:00] Speaker C: Yeah, it's true. [01:00:01] Speaker A: You gotta be willing. [01:00:02] Speaker B: Posture. [01:00:03] Speaker A: Yeah. Especially when you're talking about receiving instruction and accepting correction. Notice they get more intense. Hear counsel, then the intensity increases. Receive instruction, the intensity increases. Accept correction. Needs humility. [01:00:18] Speaker B: I've learned A lot in the last couple years where maybe I thought I had an answer. You know, sometimes my motive is to help people, but. But I'm quickly like taking a breath and kind of just being discerning if I should say anything or not. But to listen way more, listen 80% more than I used to and just 20%, you know, bring out an answer. But y' all just like weigh yourself. Are you constantly just talking and not listening? If 90% of the time you're talking, just judge yourself in a good way, not condemning way, but like, you know what, I talk all the time. I'm always the one talking. I need to be listening more and at least balance out, you know, I know when you're in a teacher leadership position, you have to talk, you have to give counsel, you have to do it. But we all have to realize, no matter what position of leadership we're in, we first are human beings and sons and daughters under the most High God. So this is the pattern God set for us. Whoever we are, we must hear counsel, take time to receive instruction and accept correction for us that we may be wise to unfold things to other people. [01:01:22] Speaker A: That's good counsel, Pam. Thank you. [01:01:24] Speaker B: Alright. [01:01:25] Speaker A: Verse 21. Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand. Let me read that again. Many plans are in a man's mind or a woman's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for that person that will stand. You know, Pam, I believe that God has a specific purpose for each one of us. Ephesians 2:10 says this, that we are his workmanship, recreated in Christ Jesus unto good works which he has before ordained that we should walk in them. God has designed each one of us for a specific purpose. And God is very accurate in his designing and his ordaining. I want to be slid perfectly. He's quarried me as a stone in the quarry, but he shaped me and fitted me perfectly for his position that he's already ordained in his temple, in the body of Christ. And I want to be fit perfectly for that purpose. You know, Paul wrote to the Corinthians and talked about people in the body of Christ, different parts of the body of Christ, and saying, you know, some are an eye, some are an ear, some are a nose. He said, if the whole body was an ear, where would be the seeing? Or if the whole body was an eye, where would be the hearing? And I think sometimes we get so caught up in wrongly thinking that agreement is sameness. Instead of realizing agreement is harmony, there's an agreement between my eyes and my ears that has nothing to do with sameness, everything to do with harmony in perception. So I think even in the body of Christ and with this scripture here, Many are the plans in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for that person that will stand. We've already learned from the proverbs that that the plans belong to man, the plans belong to woman. That's our part. Orderly thinking belongs to us. That's what we do. But it's the Lord's purpose that stands. So if we work it backwards and we try to think, well, if I just plan hard enough, and if I just get orderly enough in my thinking, I can do whatever I want to do, it's like, wait a sec. That would be like telling my vacuum cleaner that it can do whatever it wants to do. No, there's a specific purpose for my vacuum cleaner. And when it's used according to its purpose, it works really well. [01:03:35] Speaker B: Right? [01:03:35] Speaker A: But if you work it backwards and just somehow go, well, let's just let this vacuum cleaner do whatever it wants to do. Speaking of which, my sister got one of those robotic vacuum cleaners, you know, and she went to work and she left a couple of the dogs at home, and they were a little bit resentful about being left alone, and they did a little bit of their number on the floor. And that robotic vacuum cleaner, even though it was working its purpose, it wasn't working it according to a good plan. And that robotic vacuum cleaner pushed that dog doo doo all over the house, all over the hardwood floor, all over the carpet. It was not a pretty picture. [01:04:14] Speaker B: No. [01:04:14] Speaker A: So no matter how good your plans are, lady or man, no matter how good your plans are, they still have to be in alignment with God's purpose. You were made on purpose for a purpose. You're precious. [01:04:27] Speaker C: That's right. [01:04:28] Speaker A: Don't get so caught up in thinking that somehow you can bypass God's purpose with the excellence of your plans. Make your plans subject to you being in alignment with God's purpose for your life. Amen. [01:04:41] Speaker B: Alignment 22. That which is desired in a man and woman is loyalty and kindness. [01:04:48] Speaker A: Oh, isn't that the truth? [01:04:50] Speaker B: And is glory and delight are his giving. But a poor man is better than a liar. [01:04:56] Speaker A: Poor man's better. I like it, saying like this, well, but a poor man's better than a liar. [01:05:00] Speaker B: Yeah, it's like, why is that on there? It just seems like this random statement. The first part is Just so powerful. It's like, why did you throw that in? [01:05:08] Speaker A: But when I read that 10, 15 years ago, I don't know if it weighed as heavy with me. But when you realize what disloyalty is, oh, my goodness. [01:05:16] Speaker B: Painful. [01:05:17] Speaker A: How precious. How precious. Loyalty is so precious. So when you read that which is desired in a. In a friend, in a man or a woman is loyalty, you know, it's funny. Loyalty doesn't sound really like. Loyalty just sounds like, oh, okay, loyalty. It's great, but, oh, my goodness, how precious it is. Loyalty is the thing that makes love weighty. What Hollywood can never understand, what pop culture can never figure out when they use what they call the L word. Loyalty is the thing that makes love really weird. Loyalty is the thing that makes faithfulness, Faithfulness, loyalty. And, you know, again, loyalty can be negative. There were people back in their 30s and 40s in Hitler's regime that were loyal to him. And that was a very demonic loyalty. You know, I believe the demons are loyal to Lucifer. [01:06:09] Speaker C: Now, that's a bad type of loyalty, [01:06:11] Speaker A: which is Antichrist and godless. But what we're talking about here is a loyalty that's subject. Subject to righteousness and holiness. And that which is to be desired in a person, a man or a woman is loyalty and kindness. And it says, their glory and delight are in their giving. Well, you know, love gives. [01:06:30] Speaker C: Hey, that's what I always like to say. Receive, grow, and give. Love gives. [01:06:36] Speaker A: Right. The act of loyalty and the act of kindness is the ultimate seed of giving. But then it says here, but a poor man really comes down to the inability to give. Somebody could have millions of dollars and be a poor man. Can you see that? Somebody has millions of dollars but they can't give. They're unkind. They're disloyal. That's a poor man. You know, a woman that's all about spending her money on getting her lips pumped up and wearing Chanel, but is merciless with giving to people. She can't even give a true compliment. [01:07:10] Speaker C: Yeah, that catty personality that's always quick to criticize or do that. The, you know, the eye roll thing. [01:07:16] Speaker A: She's so caught up in herself. And I kind of think of the inner soul as being like a body of water. If it doesn't have a spring of fresh water coming up in it, and it doesn't have a way to disperse waters abroad, it becomes a stagnant cesspool of growing bacteria. And that is poor, and that is [01:07:36] Speaker B: very poor in the same way, you know, I know you're not trying to single out women. It's the same way with a man that has a great big position and is very unkind behind people's back. He's very disloyal. [01:07:48] Speaker C: He might have the expensive suit, the luxury car, a big position. But if he lacks character and morals, the bottom line is he stinks. [01:07:58] Speaker B: It's true. [01:07:59] Speaker A: Yeah. Somebody who owns a company or is a CEO of a company and is taking all kinds of profits as the company grows and expands and is profitable, but is trying their best to make sure that those who are working the line, those who are out on the delivery trucks, don't get any of these benefits or market share, but instead are kept under subservient. This executive tries to do everything he can to negotiate lower wages and lower benefits for them. That's poor. That's poor thinking. The shareholders are happy. But the guy who's in the delivery truck, you're determined that he's not going to get a raise days or get a bonus. That's just poor. But at least that poor man is better than a liar. [01:08:41] Speaker B: Yeah, that's true. [01:08:42] Speaker A: Verse 23. The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord leads to life. And he who has it, has what? The reverent, watchful fear of the Lord rests satisfied. So I have to ask myself, do I feel satisfied right now? Do I feel like you do at the end of a good meal? It's like, oh, that was. That was so satisfying. Do I feel satisfied? Because if I don't, I can almost be guaranteed I'm not practicing the reverent worshipful fear of the Lord. And then it goes on and ends. The verse like this. The person who truly is humbled under the mighty hand of God, it says he cannot, she cannot be visited with actual evil. Wow. [01:09:22] Speaker B: That's definitely a wow. [01:09:23] Speaker A: Is that not an amazing spiritual lie? [01:09:26] Speaker B: So here's a question. We can have it tattooed on our forehead that we are a quote unquote worshiper, but if in our life we're not humbling ourselves in reverential awe and looking to the hand of God, then that doesn't lead to light, but when we do, it leads to life and we rest in it and we're satisfied and we can't even be visited with actual evil. [01:09:49] Speaker A: That's awesome. And I love that. That's kind of a strong indicator, like a measurable. How do you know that you really are practicing the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord? You rest satisfied. [01:10:01] Speaker B: Right? [01:10:01] Speaker A: There's this sense of being satisfied on the inside of you. And you cannot be visited with actual evil. [01:10:09] Speaker B: I think some people would say, hey, well, I knew somebody that really was humble before the Lord and led their life with the Lord and some bad things happened to him. But you see, I liked what it says, actual evil. Like, I think of even some of the martyrs through history who were asked to renounce their faith in Jesus, you know, and they went boldly, like, into heaven, just with a smile on their face in victory. They weren't even visited with actual evil. But I think that what is saying is, are we resting? Are we satisfied? This old song, something I don't. I can't get no satisfaction Rolling Stones, girl. Yeah, well, that's not God's will if we're not satisfied. Satisfied in our heart no matter where we are. Something's wrong. [01:10:50] Speaker A: You're probably not submitted to God and living in the reverential awe. [01:10:54] Speaker B: Yeah. Of his presence. God wants us satisfied. [01:10:57] Speaker A: Yeah, he sure does. And it tells me that there's protection in the presence of God. [01:11:01] Speaker B: Right? [01:11:01] Speaker A: There's amazing protection. The word says that God wants us to live and abide under the shadow of his beautiful wings. Isn't that awesome? [01:11:11] Speaker B: 24. The sluggard buries his hands in the dish and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. You know, I think that that's so interesting. You can, in some ways, the Father God has set before us a table that is beautiful with all that we need. And sometimes I think we will pray that I'll be fed. And I look and I think, well, there's this beautiful turkey dinner before you, that's all, with beautiful dishes, and you have silverware. Just pick up the fork, Put something in the fork. Fork the piece of turkey and stick it in your mouth. Yeah, we'll pray that. You know, I. I have a friend and her little girl the other day, it was so cute. So we were praying on the phone about something, and she was on the other line and she wanted to get in the prayer thing. Well, pray for me. Pray for me, too. I said, well, what do you want me to pray for, honey? Pray that I can eat breakfast. And I said, well, honey, do you not feel good? No, I feel fine. I said, well, we don't need to pray about that. Mommy's already making breakfast. All you have to do is eat it. [01:12:09] Speaker A: The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. I think that's important to see that for what it is. Okay, what does that mean? The dish to me represents supply. It's where the food is, it's where the porridge is, it's where the soup is. And they literally. They bury their hand in the dish. Like, it's just, like. Just shove their hand in the supply, which is kind of gross. You ever been to a party? Party. And there's dip. [01:12:35] Speaker B: Oh, gross. [01:12:35] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:12:36] Speaker B: Double dipper. [01:12:37] Speaker C: Right? [01:12:37] Speaker A: A double dipper. You got somebody. There's dip. You know, it's gross to people when they just even take their chip and they run it first time through, take a bite, and then take the remainder of the chip and run it through again. People find that gross. Imagine somebody that comes along to the guacamole and they just shove their hand in it, and then they just keep talking. So anyway, I says to them, you're like, hey, are you going to pull your hand out of that guac? No. It's very comfortable. Yeah, right. It's just. It's gross. It's just. It's like, how lazy do you have to be that you can't do the appropriate thing and get your hand out of the dish? Right. So what they do is they don't satisfy their own hunger because they're too lazy to bring it to their own mouth. But they contaminate it for others. But they affect everybody around them. [01:13:24] Speaker B: Them. [01:13:24] Speaker A: They're determined that in the process of not helping themselves, they want to even hinder others. [01:13:29] Speaker B: I think it's a law of recognition as well. I think we have to recognize what's already put before us and be willing to do what we need to do to work the works of the Lord. You have a wonderful sermon. Working the works of God. God's already given us his works. He's already invented things. He puts those in our hands, and we just work his works. We're not inventing anything. [01:13:50] Speaker A: Right. [01:13:50] Speaker B: But we need to be diligent to accept it, receive it, and walk in it. [01:13:55] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:13:55] Speaker B: And that's our part. [01:13:56] Speaker A: I've talked to people that needed finances, needed some help, needed a job. I've gone out on a limb and called some of my friends who are employers and made something happen, and then, you know, come back to them 30 days later. Pastor Steve, can you just pray for me? Because I just. We're really still struggling. I'm like, well, how did that go? Did you. Oh, I didn't. I didn't get my application in or I didn't have. Have whatever. I didn't have ink for my printer to get a resume in. It's like, you have to be able to invest in your own help. Somebody will come along and open a door for you. But be willing to take a bath and put some decent clothes on. Get your clothes washed. If all you got is a T shirt, dress it. [01:14:32] Speaker B: Yeah, look nice. [01:14:32] Speaker A: Or find a friend that's got an iron and iron your T shirt. Look the best you can if you don't have any gel, like ask a neighbor if you can get a little gel for your hair. But look decent. Invest in your own appetite. Help yourself here. Verse 25 Strike a scoffer and the simple now not the scoffer. Strike a scoffer and the simple will learn prudence, foresight for the future. Reprove a man of understanding and he will increase in knowledge. [01:15:00] Speaker B: But we do know already from past scriptures if you strike a scoffer or try to even reprove a scoffer, you will be bit and punished back because a scoffer cannot be reproved. [01:15:11] Speaker A: So you can't reprove a scoffer. But it says here there is an effect on the simple around sometimes. I guess as an employer you have to fire a scoffer. [01:15:19] Speaker B: That's good honey. [01:15:20] Speaker A: And so the scoffer is not going to learn anything from this. But the benefit could be that the simple who are watching the situation play out, at least they will learn some prudence from this, some foresight for the future and go wow. Scoffing is not the way to go. But it says reprove a man of understanding and guess what will happen? This guy will even, this woman will even increase increase in knowledge. [01:15:42] Speaker B: 26 he who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who causes shame and brings reproach. [01:15:50] Speaker A: Now let me give you just an even example of how this could play out. You could be doing violence to your father's car. You could take your mother's car out and just be driving over curbs and being the opposite of a wise steward and mishandling your parents property. You could be just doing violence to your parents house, throwing things against the wall. You know your dad said when you leave your bedroom, turn the light out. There's all kinds of ways that you can do violence to your parents and chase away your mother. You can be stealing your parents money or your grandparents money by just abusing their tools or going against what they said. If they said please put the sprinkler on the lawn while we're gone and you don't do that and you're disobeying their word in a way you're doing your parents violence because you're disobeying their word. And it says that you end up causing shame and bringing a reproach, right? Yeah. Of course there are kids that literally physically end up hurting their parents. Back in the 90s, the Menendez brothers were found guilty of brutally murdering their mom and dad. But maybe if the family knew God's code of honor, they would have never come to such an unthinkable end. You still are partaker of doing your parents violence when you disrespect them, even in the little things that make up their life. Verse 27. Cease, my son, to hear instruction, only to ignore it and stray from the words of knowledge. It's dangerous just to sit in church and hear instruction, but ignore it. It's dangerous to come in front of your parents and say you're listening, nodding your head yes, but in your heart going, yeah, I'm not listening to a word of that. It says it's actually dangerous to hear instruction and ignore it and stray from the words of knowledge. [01:17:32] Speaker C: Now that's a life giving warning to pay attention. Too many of us have grown too lazy to even pay attention. So that's a great life giving warning. Verse 28. [01:17:44] Speaker B: A worthless witness scoffs at justice and the mouth of the wicked swallows iniquity. [01:17:50] Speaker A: We see examples of that all the time in the news, right? People who are witnesses in big Supreme Court cases and things like that, and they're worthless witness. They've been found to be, to have a life and a legacy of just lying, but yet they get brought before Congress, they get brought before the Supreme Court because somebody wants to indulge in hearing lies. People who are dishonest love lies. So they like, just like the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were looking for false witnesses. They didn't run an ad in the paper. Hey, we're looking for honest people, people that can give us testimony about Jesus, you know, we would like to hear some honest testimony. You've got an honest testimony? Yes, the Lord. I was blind, but now I see. Yeah, we're not interested in you. We're interested in other honest testimony. So they ultimately they knew what they were looking for. We're looking for experienced liars. Any experienced liars out there. You, you, you look like you could really tell a good one. [01:18:44] Speaker B: We'll give you money if you like. [01:18:46] Speaker A: Yeah, we're going to give you some money. Like, what kind of good lie can you make up? Oh, that sounds delicious. Do you mind saying that before Pontius Pilate? We just really want to accuse Jesus and we need you to Basically say that he is this awful, treasonous hate Caesar, you know, like that kind of thing. Could you kind of say that kind of stuff? That would be great. Wonderful. All right, who's next? Verse 29. Judgments are prepared for the scoffers and stripes for the backs of self confident fools. Pam, I do not want to be a scoffer and I do not want to be a fool. And my only hope is to submit myself to the word of truth. That's why I love reading the book of Proverbs, because the more I read the book of Proverbs, the more I fall in love with wisdom, understanding and knowledge. But at the same time, there's a duality going on inside of my man, inside of my renewed mind, there's a duality. The more I fall in love with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, the more I begin to hate and loathe lying. Even in my own life, I, more than anybody's lies, I detest any lies that would come out of my mouth. [01:19:53] Speaker B: Amen. [01:19:54] Speaker A: I begin to loathe what my heavenly Father loathes, detests. My Father hates discord among the brethren. So that means I can't stand any words that would come out of my mouth that would sow discord among the brethren. I hate it, loathe it. I'm quick to repent of it, Quick to repent, yeah, I don't want that kind of stuff. And I realize here judgments are already waiting for scoffers. The Word says that God scoffs at scoffers. He mocks the mockers, but he gives grace unto the humble. So I want to be one of those people that reverently worship and fear the Lord. [01:20:31] Speaker B: Circumstances can allow us to become hard. Our friend Dr. Don Colbert says, you know, a lot of the problems with the main heart problems is the hardening of the arteries, the unflexibleness of it. That's what causes not even really the cholesterol. [01:20:48] Speaker A: Cholesterol. [01:20:49] Speaker B: Because cholesterol, if it's flexible, can move on through. But the problem is when an artery or gets hard, then that's the most dangerous. And it's the same way with our heart and our attitude and our mind, will and emotions submitted to the Lord. Let us ever be willing to be soft in the hands of God, tender in the hands of God, willing to [01:21:09] Speaker C: bow our knees and to be quick [01:21:11] Speaker B: to repent of a wrong attitude and bring it to the cross. [01:21:15] Speaker A: Father, right now, in the name of Jesus, we pray the word that's inspired us here from Proverbs 19 in the name of Jesus, we are determined with the help of the Holy Spirit to keep your commandments. Thank you, Jesus. And in keeping your commandments, Father, we keep our own life. Thank you for that, Father. Thank you for your word. Father. We realize that luxury is not fitting for a self confident fool. But Lord, we want to be fit with your righteousness. You have made us royalty, being born of the king of all kings. And Lord, your word says in Romans 5:17, that says through the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, we reign as kings in life. So you have equipped us to rule over our souls, over our mind, will and emotions. So we take authority and Lord, we have decided and determined to speak truth. Yes, Lord, we love wisdom. [01:22:08] Speaker B: Yes. [01:22:09] Speaker A: And because we love wisdom, Lord, we gain wisdom. Father, we prosper and we find good. We, we thank you for these keys. We have the keys of the kingdom and wisdom is a huge key on that keychain. [01:22:21] Speaker B: We love wisdom and wisdom loves us. [01:22:23] Speaker A: Amen. Father, we thank you that you have taught us the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord. Not the fear that leads to torment, but the fear that leads to life. The fear that recognizes the hand of God. And Father, we rest satisfied. Praise God. Praise God. For Father, I thank you that you're making us loyal people, kind people and Father God, it is our delight and our joy to give. We're called to be givers, Father, in the name of Jesus, I repent of being poor in my mind, meaning I repent of being greedy and grasping and unwilling to joyfully give. Father God, you have imparted the joy of the Lord to me. And Father, you make me a joyful giver, Lord, a prompt to do it. Giver Father God, I thank you for that. I thank you, Lord God, that you protect us, Lord, from the violence out of our own wickedness. Father God, and you lead us through Jesus, through your word, living and righteous giving. Righteous living and righteous giving. And that's why we can say even without a penny to our name, that we are rich in Christ Jesus because we have an attitude of giving and Father God, that makes us full of a harvest of living, Lord, living the good life in Jesus name God, we can submit to your purposes for our life. And in doing that they succeed because they're subject ultimately to your design and your purposes for our life. We believe we receive that. Father Pam and I speak a blessing on all those who have subscribed to this podcast and Lord who are listening, who are taking time to pay attention to the word of God, to the living Word of God. Father, thank you for your word is spiritual DNA. It's incorruptible. It never fails. We release it now into the lives and the hearts of all of our friends and family. We release the blessing of Almighty God. Lord, make his face to smile upon you and give you great peace, the peace of Jesus in His precious name. Amen. [01:24:29] Speaker B: Amen. Remember, you are born to win. [01:24:34] Speaker A: Thanks for listening to Stephen and Pam Marshall. To receive more information or more teaching, go to www.stephenandpam.com. stephen Pam Ministries is a 501c3 charitable organization, and your gift helps us to take this message to 1000 communities worldwide.