Tag Archives: God

January 23, 2017

Golden Apples

By Chris Jordan

Proverbs 25:11-12.

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.” (KJV).

A Word Fitly Spoken: Timely Advice

I love the Bible. Not just because it is God’s Word, giving us wisdom for living life and teaching us how to get to Heaven – but also because of the majestic, poetic symbolism the Holy Spirit uses to communicate truth with us. In Proverbs 25:11, Solomon (under the inspiration of God’s Spirit) tells us that someone who gives a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. The New Living Translation says: “Timely advice is as lovely as golden apples in a silver basket.” It’s sweet. It’s beautiful. It’s awesome.

Words are powerful! I have experienced many times the truth of Proverbs 18:21: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Every word that we speak can bring life – comfort, encouragement, and hope – or it can bring death – depression, discouragement, or hopelessness. I have had people lie about me, gossip about me, and slander my name, and I know how much it has discouraged and frustrated me. How much it has caused me to want to give up.

But I have also experienced the flip side of the coin – words of encouragement, timely advice, words fitly spoken, that have been sweet, beautiful and awesome. I have people in my life who encourage me – whether it is through spoken words, handwritten cards, or an e-mail note or Facebook message. I believe it was Mark Twain who said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” That’s so true!

An Earring of Gold: Valid Criticism:

In Proverbs 25:12, Solomon tells us that a wise reprover upon an obedient ear is like a golden earring. In other words, “Valid criticism is as treasured by the one who heeds it as jewelry made from finest gold.” (NLT). Not only do we need words to encourage us when we are doing well, but there are times when we need good friends who will speak the truth in love and let us know when we’re messing up in our lives. Their goal isn’t to hurt or destroy us, but to help keep us on the straight and narrow. Such people are more valuable than precious jewels.

It would be nice if every time a wise person corrected their friend that they would be met with an obedient ear, willing to respond to that correction, but that is not always the case. Sometimes even when we speak the truth in love, people will reject that truth because they don’t want to change. That’s unfortunate!

Lord, give us people in our lives who will speak encouraging words of life to build us up and encourage us when we need it. But also give us people in our lives who will be wise reprovers, who will challenge us when we get into sin or error, and help us to have an obedient ear that is open to correction. Amen!

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January 12, 2017

I’ll Make You Famous!

By Chris Jordan

Proverbs 25:8-10.

“Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another: Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.” (KJV).
“Don’t be in a hurry to go to court. You might go down before your neighbors in shameful defeat.  So discuss the matter with them privately. Don’t tell anyone else, or others may accuse you of gossip. Then you will never regain your good reputation.” (NLT). 

I’ll Make You Famous!

billy the kid

The fall after I graduated from high school (in 1990), I went to Calgary for two weeks to spend some time with my biological dad. Because he and my mom were divorced before I was five years old, his involvement in my life was minimal, and I never really knew him well. However, during this trip, I spent two weeks living with my dad, getting to know him for the first time.

One of the things I remember about my visit with my dad was that we saw the western movie Young Guns II together. The movie tells the story of the infamous Billy the Kid, and the movie ends with this main character, played by Emelio Estevez, saying, “I’ll make you famous!” However, there’s a big difference between being famous and infamous.

Dealing with Offenses:

In the days of cowboys and cattle drives in the Wild West (so Hollywood would have us believe) all disagreements were quickly dispatched with a six-gun. But the Bible gives us better ways to deal with our hurts and offenses!

In today’s Scripture, Solomon tells us to be careful about running to court to sue someone who hurts or offends you. Instead, he says we should go and talk to that person first and try to work it out with them. Jesus taught the same thing in Matt. 18:15: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.”

It’s unfortunate that nowadays, when someone does something wrong to somebody, they turn around and gossip, slander them, lie about them, or blog about them. God’s Word has a lot of strong warnings against those who would gossip! “A gossip goes around revealing secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence” (Proverbs 11:13). In today’s Proverb, Solomon says that if we start gossiping, our “infamy” will not turn away.

Do you want to be Infamous?

That word infamy means extremely bad reputation, public reproach, or strong condemnation as the result of a shameful, criminal, or outrageous act. If you are a gossip who stirs up strife, be careful, because you may never again regain your good reputation. Gossip says, “I’ll make you famous!” Or is that… infamous?

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January 4, 2017

Don’t Be Lazy!

By Chris Jordan

Proverbs 24:30-34.

“I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.” (KJV). 

The Fields Preached a Sermon:

In today’s Proverb, Solomon describes a story from his personal life. He tells about a time he was walking by the field of a simple, lazy man, and – no surprise – it was overgrown with weeds, the fence was knocked down, and there was no fruit. The lesson he learned? If you are lazy, and spend all your time napping, you will become poor really quickly, and you won’t be able to do anything about it. What a great lesson for today’s generation!

lazy

Today’s Lazy Young People:

I don’t know about you, but I have noticed that a lot of young people today lack any sort of work ethic. They don’t want to do anything, and they want everyone to do everything for them. There is a song by Bruno Mars that I think so perfectly captures the spirit of today’s generation: “Today I don’t feel like doing anything, I just want to lay in my bed.” It is aptly named simply “The Lazy Song.”

I know that I am greatly (and perhaps unfairly so) generalizing here, as I know that there are many young people who are diligent and hard-working. However, such persons are so rare that when they are seen, they are taken as a notable exception to their peers, and are looked upon as extraordinary.

The Book of Proverbs has a lot of warnings to the lazy man (or woman):

  • 12:24: The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.
  • 12:27: The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession.
  • 13:4: The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

Application: How Then Shall We Live?

First of all, if you’re 30 years old and still live in your mom’s basement playing video games all day long – go out and get a job! (That challenge is only partly tongue-in-cheek). God’s Word challenges us to be diligent and hard-working people, and warns against a lazy lifestyle. The Bible says, “Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Colossians 3:23, NLT).

If you work hard and are diligent, God will bless you. So don’t be lazy!

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December 24, 2016

Kissing the Truth

By Anthony Baker

Proverbs 24:23-26

These things also [belong] to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them. Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

Ultimate Turnoff

There are a lot of things which we could cover in today’s proverb, but I will focus on only one: attraction.

What attracts you to other people? Their good looks? Their personality? Their sense of humor? You could probably create a long list of attractive qualities, but the last on your list, I would bet, is prejudice. And more than that, I bet people who lie on the witness stand or render prejudiced verdicts from the bench disgust you, don’t they?

According to this proverb, those who call the wicked “righteous” and let criminals walk free are the scum of the earth. Nobody likes them (except the wicked). People from all walks of life “abhor” prejudicial judgment; it’s the ultimate turnoff.

Ultimate Attraction

According to verse 26 the most attractive thing is truth. Now, I am not one who goes around kissing everyone who gives me a correct answer. For instance, I’ve never kissed anyone who gave me truthful directions. I’ve never kissed my daughters every time they answered a spelling question correctly.

When I asked my dog, “Did you do this!?” I did not kiss his wet nose the moment he bowed his head in guilt. But, I did kiss my wife when she said, “I will.” I assumed that was the right answer.

What Solomon is trying to express is the refreshing joy we feel when someone tells the truth, especially when the wicked are being judged. Truth makes the system work. Truth gives us hope. Truth brings justice. Truth is not prejudicial. That is why the wise are drawn to it.

Note: Isn’t it interesting that Judas, the most abhorred man in history, betrayed Truth with a kiss? (Matthew 25:48-49)

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November 29, 2016

I Will Arise!

By Chris Jordan

Proverbs 24:15-16.

“Lay not wait , O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (KJV). 

There is a false teaching going around the church today that says, “Once you believe in Jesus and become a Christian, you won’t have any more problems in your life.” However, as much as I wish that was true, there is no Biblical basis for this belief. In fact, Jesus Himself said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

Just because you believe in Jesus doesn’t mean that you won’t have any more troubles. Walking in obedience to God’s Word is no guarantee that you will never have a problem in your life. However, when Jesus is your Lord and Saviour, He will always be there to help to overcome those trials and challenges. There is a story in the life of Jesus that illustrates this truth for us:

“As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” He was already in the boat, so they started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are going to drown?” When he woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Quiet down!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:35-39).

Sometimes we think that bad things only happen when we disobey God. But Scripture tells us otherwise. Jesus’ disciples found themselves in a storm immediately after being obedient to Jesus’ command to “cross over to the other side of the lake.” You can be walking in faith and obedience, doing your best to live by the principles of wisdom in the Bible, and yet troubles will still come. However, you don’t have to let those troubles overcome you. When a storm comes, remind yourself that Jesus is in your boat. And Jesus can bring peace into the most dark and difficult storms in our lives!

The next time you fall down, don’t sit there and have a pity party and say, “I’ve fallen but I can’t get up!” No! Instead, do what the prophet Micah said to do: “Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The Lord will be a light to me.” (Micah 7:7-8). When you get knocked down, ARISE!

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November 21, 2016

Small Strength

By Chris Jordan

Proverbs 24:10.

“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” (KJV).

The Crisis:

It was the fall of 1994 in Surrey, BC, and I was 22 years old. I was involved in full-time ministry as the assistant youth pastor at Victory Christian Centre (now called Relate Church). And I had just gotten engaged to Liza. Everything was going my way. We were going to get married, have lots of children, and serve the Lord together.

And that’s when it happened.

I got called into the pastor’s office and he told me that because of the financial difficulties that the church was having, they were going to have to lay me off. I was still welcome to work with the youth on a volunteer basis if I wanted to, they just didn’t have the money to pay me anymore.

And that’s when I started freaking out. How was I going to get married in less than six months? I couldn’t start a family without a job! And so I made the decision to call off the wedding.

The Challenge:

But thank God for fellow believers in the church, amen? One of my friends shared the above Bible verse with me. He said, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” Ouch! That was a Scripture spanking for sure! He was saying that if I was to give up just because of a difficult challenge, then my strength was small.

You see, it’s easy to appear strong and look like you have it all together when everything is going good in your life. But when a crisis comes up, then you find out what’s really in your heart. And so I made a decision to step out in faith, go ahead with the wedding, and trust God to provide for my needs.

Chris and Liza - March 25, 1995

Chris and Liza – March 25, 1995

The Conquest:

I’m happy to report that even before two weeks had passed and I was finished at the church, I had another job already lined up working as a prayer minister for an international television ministry. While I was working there, I learned a lot about prayer and had many great experiences that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

I still worked with the youth in our church until the Lord called me to the youth ministry at another church down the road – Bible Fellowship Church (now called Horizon Church). We have four wonderful children, and have been married for over 20 years now. God is good!

What kind of adversity, crisis or challenge are you facing today?

Life is hard, but I want to challenge you to look to the Lord today to help you with whatever you’re going through! “I will lift up my eyes to the hills– From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.” (Psalm 121:1-3).

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November 11, 2016

Evil Dead

By Chris Jordan

Proverbs 24:1-2.

“Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.” (KJV). 

Worse Than a Horror Movie:

No, today’s devotional isn’t a commentary or review of the latest terrible Hollywood horror film. The title is based on a combination of today’s Scripture, which talks about evil men, and a New Testament Bible verse that says that before we come to Christ, we are “dead in our trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). The evil dead. What a terrible state to be in!

What is evil? A simple dictionary definition tells us that evil is anything morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the world we’re living in is full of evil people. Turn on the TV, read the newspaper, or watch the movies, and you will see story after story filled with lying, stealing, cheating, murder, rape, terrorism and war.

In today’s Proverb, Solomon teaches us two things about evil. In the first verse, he tells us how we should respond to evil people, and in the second verse, he tells us what evil people do. I’m going to start with the second verse.

The Nature of the Evil Dead:

In Proverbs 24:2, Solomon teaches us two things about evil people: Their heart studies destruction, or plots violence. They are always looking for ways to destroy or harm others. Eugene Peterson paraphrases this verse thusly, “All they think about is causing a disturbance” (The Message).

In addition to their evil schemes, their lips talk of mischief – making trouble. Not only do they do bad things themselves, but they are always trying to get others to sin as well. Lying, gossiping, and stirring up strife; cursing, name calling and more. Do you know anyone like that? How should we deal with these kinds of people? Verse one gives us the answer:

Our Response to the Evil Dead:

The first thing the Bible tells us to do is to not envy evildoers. There’s something about our society that – especially in the secular media – likes to glamourize evil and sin. People say, “Ooh, he’s such a bad boy,” like that’s a good thing. However, God tells us that we shouldn’t envy evil people. No matter how cool or fun the world makes evil look!

Secondly, God warns us against wanting to be with them. First Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.” If you hang around with evil people, they will negatively influence your behaviour, and impact your relationship with God. Does this mean we can’t build relationships with non-Christians for the sake of leading them to Christ? Of course not. But look at your closest circle of friends, because whatever they are like – good, bad or ugly; living or dead – you will become!

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October 19, 2016

The Meaning of Life

By Chris Jordan

Proverbs 23:17-18.

“Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” (KJV). 

I often say that Proverbs is God’s wisdom for daily living. But lest we think that the book is limited only to the here and now, Solomon reminds us to look towards the future as well. The NKJV version of that verse says, “For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.” Translation = this life is not all there is! There is life after death, and after we live our lives on planet Earth, we have the hope of everlasting life in Heaven.

I’ll never forget the fall after I graduated from high school. I was at an all-nighter drive-in with some friends and sat down with one of them and said, “You know, there’s got to be more to life than just partying, getting drunk, and dating girls.” Less than a month later, I had a life-changing encounter with the Lord Jesus that was the beginning of my Christian walk.

Another book that Solomon wrote is Ecclesiastes, where he takes his readers on a search to find the meaning of life. He writes:

“I said to myself, “Come now, let’s give pleasure a try. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless… After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. While still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I hoped to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world. I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves… I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire! So I became greater than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. And with it all, I remained clear-eyed so that I could evaluate all these things… I did not restrain myself from any joy. I even found great pleasure in hard work, an additional reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless. It was like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11).

Solomon looked for meaning and satisfaction in pleasure, drinking, possessions, money and hard work, but didn’t find it there. After twelve chapters searching for the meaning of life, he writes: “Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

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October 11, 2016

Don’t Move the Stones

By Anthony Baker

Proverbs 23:10-11

Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: For their redeemer [is] mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.

Landmarks

stone pillarUnlike what we have today, people in Bible days didn’t have GPS systems to determine property lines. In ancient days about the only way to mark off one’s property was with stones. Sometimes, instead of just an engraved stone or two, stone pillars might be erected to designate the boundary to one’s property.

The problem with stone landmarks is that they can be moved. All one had to do in order to expand one’s territory would be to move his neighbor’s landmark, but that was a dangerous thing to do. A person could be put to death for moving stones.

The Fatherless

When orphans and widows inherited property, especially if there were no other men in the family, it was common for neighbors to move the landmarks. Many times the only way to keep one’s property was to daily walk the borders, and for many widows, especially orphaned children, that was impossible.

Many people today treat the fatherless in the same way. Greedy crooks find ways to take advantage of the helpless in order to have access to their inheritances. Unless someone can come alongside to guide and protect, many orphans lose what is left to them. Fortunately, their is a legal system in place, but the fatherless still needs a good lawyer to plead their case.

Warning

The message of this proverb should be taken seriously. It is a warning to stay away from the boundaries of the fatherless; don’t even enter into their fields.

Many laugh at how easy it is to skirt the law. It is not uncommon, even, for lawmakers to change boundaries in order to get what they want. They claim “immanent domain” and take away widows’ and orphans’ homes and farms. They enter into the fields and remove the landmarks.

But God is not pleased. As a matter of fact, He is not only an attorney that has never lost a case, but He is the Judge who will decide the guilty’s fate. Those who take advantage of the helpless won’t laugh forever.

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August 13, 2016

Dealing with Troublemakers

By Chris Jordan

Proverbs 22:10.

“Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.” (KJV). 

Building the Church:

I don’t know where it has come from, but we’ve got this idea in the church today that we need to keep everyone who walks through our doors. “We don’t want to lose anyone!” However, I would like to suggest to you today that maybe this isn’t the healthiest perspective to have when it comes to building the church.

Every church is full of good people and bad people – those who love the Lord and want to honor and obey Him, and those who don’t. However, the seeker-driven church model today is so anxious to get more and more people to join the church that they give no thought to lifestyle concerns, and will let anyone in if they would simply make a profession of faith. However, this leads to all sorts of problems!

If you let people join your church who don’t believe in your mission or vision, they’re not going to help fulfill God’s purpose for your church. In fact you might even find them fighting against what the Lord is calling you to do. (Incidentally, the word division comes from two words: di meaning two, and vision. Two visions). This is one of the many different situations that wise King Solomon is addressing in today’s Proverb.

Kick out the Troublemakers:

In the Message paraphrase of our Bible verse, Eugene Peterson writes: “Kick out the troublemakers and things will quiet down; you need a break from bickering and griping!” In other words, if you have someone in your church who is a troublemaker, then it’s probably best to ask them to leave – for the good of the church!

One of my life verses is Psalm 133 which says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious (anointing) oil… For there the Lord commanded the blessing– Life forevermore.” In other words, when a church (or a family) lives in unity, that’s where God’s anointing (presence), blessing, and eternal life can be found. But where there is strife, there is every evil work. That’s why it’s better to remove the troublemaker, for the sake of the unity in the church.

The Pruning of the Lord:

Now – this isn’t easy! As a pastor, I am thankful that I have never had to actually do this, although there are times where we have had troublemakers in our church. Thankfully, the Lord in His graciousness did some pruning and removed them from our body before they could to any more damage than they already had. And in every circumstance where the Lord brought about a pruning and removed a troublemaker, we found that the church always grew again in a better and a healthier way. So maybe a good starting point in dealing with a troublemaker is asking the Lord to do the pruning, so you don’t have to!

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