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Today is Tuesday July 27, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Proverbs, chapters 27-31. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-27

Today's Message: Be A Hearer & A Doer

God does not stress enough the importance of knowing all of His Word, ““Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” - Proverbs 30:5,6. We are to accept God's Word as it is and not alter it under any circumstances. People do not realize it, but every time a new version of the Bible is printed 20% of God's Word is being taken out, added, or changed because any version other than the King James version (which is where they got their information first) is copyrighted and must contend with copyright laws. Jesus Said, quoting from the Book of Deuteronomy, “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” - Luke 4:4. We are to live by Every Word of God. I understand that some things in the Bible are hard to understand, but we are not meant to understand them all at once, but gradually so we do not go into overload. The more you read, the more you will understand. This past Sunday at our church we had an evangelist speaking and he raised an interesting subject pertaining to how we as Christians view the words of the Bible. He said some read it and accept it as it is written, some read it and alter it to fit their needs, some do not read it all and rely on what other people tell them, some have never read it and say they have, or some just have no interest in reading it at all. We all fit into one of these categories and if we want to truly see God's blessings in our lives we need to learn to be a hearer and doer of His Word.

The Proverbs are amazing and interesting, only in one sentence can a person be lifted up and convicted at the same time. They can be confusing to read, I do not know how many times I have read Proverbs and still find something as though it were never in there, such as every book, but once you catch it you know it must be something that God wants you to come to understand. For instance this verse, “Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.” - Proverbs 27:22. I read this verse over and over again this morning trying to figure it out. After looking up several definitions I finally figured it out. The word bray means to scream and shout at someone and a pestle is a tool used to grind down wheat to make mortar (cement). What God is saying here is that you should try to hold down a fool and knock some sense in him, but he will never change. Some people are never going to read and follow God's Word no matter how much you try to convince them, but you should never stop being the example to follow. You may not realize it, but even the most stubborn fool sees your faithfulness and strength and is envious of you.

Which brings to mind these verses, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.....A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.” - Proverbs 27:1,2,15,16. The word boast means to speak with exaggeration and excessive pride, we can feel good about what we are accomplishing through God, but we should not be so proud that we are constantly bragging about ourselves. There is no need to praise ourselves with words, show praise to God through our actions and will be praised by others, even people we do not know. “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” - Proverbs 31:30,31. One day I was at a grocery store and the cashier was having some problems. She handed me my change and I walked away, not counting it, but after counting it I realized that she gave me too much so I took it back to her. She felt embarrassed, but thanked me and as I was walking away from the register a customer walked up to me who was watching and said, “You have Christ in you”. Now, I imagine a lot of people return money when the cashier has given them too much back, but how many people come up to you and say that they see Christ in you? That is perhaps one of the best praises one can receive. To know that complete strangers see Christ in you is to know that you are not only receiving praise from others, but God as well. Praise God!

Incidentally, the word contentious means being hostile or loud and obnoxious, just like a constant rain can drag one down a contentious woman can as well. Have you ever gotten around a woman who is loud and obnoxious? The word bewrayeth means to reveal or expose. What God is saying here is that you can not hide a loud woman, the more you try the louder she gets and exposes herself, embarrassing you in the process. “He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.” - Proverbs 28:25,26. A woman that is too proud gets loud and if you try to keep her quiet she will get louder to the point that every one hears her. I remember years back when I was working as a merchandiser, this was when my ex-boyfriend was arrested, everyone kind of picked on me as if I knew what he was doing that got him arrested. We were working at a store that had to be immaculate because it was going to be a model store for others to follow. It was so crazy that people were going over other peoples work, well I said something to one of the managers and he tried to write me up because he said I yelled at him in front of the customers. I was in the storage room with three managers arguing with them, the more they tried to shut me up the louder I got. I was too proud just to let it go because I knew I did not yell at him, but I was yelling to get my point across and I never did sign those papers. Interestingly enough, after that, they stopped picking on me and three weeks later I was transferred to a different team, but my reputation followed, strangers thought I was always a contentious woman.

God's Word never fails and if we want to receive all the blessings that he has in store for us than we need to read and follow all of it. He knows what He is talking about. Satan loves to get us to think that we do not have to live by Every Word or that we can get by with someone telling us what we are supposed to do, but he is lying and deceiving us. The only way to receive God's blessings and be guarded against Satan is to learn His Word for ourselves. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” -Ephesians 6:11-17. Praise God!

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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