The Remedy

"A worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who points with his fingers; who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, who spreads strife. Therefore his calamity will come suddenly; instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing." PR 6:12-15

Proverbs does not paint a very pretty picture of the The Fool. Adjectives describe a person as worthless, wicked, perverse, relentlessly deceptive, and destructively divisive. Any similarity, with current public figures, is totally coincidental.

There is no remedy for the self-destructive behavior of The Fool. He must run his course, and come to the calamitous end that he so intensely pursued. The mission statement of Thelma and Louise must have been, "FORWARD!" Screaming, as they plunged off of a cliff, they were never heard from again. No sequel. No reunion tour. No second term, so to speak.

This passage in Proverbs describes someone who is not what he seems to be. He is a con artist, a slight of hand expert. Walking one way, and pointing to another, he distracts attention away from what he is really doing. Stirring up strife, to cause a riot overshadows his personal corruption. It is his personal m.o. He lives to lie. He cannot speak the truth, even when it is in his best interest to do so.

The Fool is not a leader in the classic sense of the word. Leaders influence people, and inspire them to greatness. Fools use them and manipulate them for their own glory. Blinded by a passion for personal preference and aggrandizement, The Fool sees people are merely speed bumps, a means to an end. When the cry of people interferes with the plans of The Fool, they become road kill on highways from Benghazi to Brooklyn.

The Fool cannot see beyond his own ego, and that his actions will lead to his own destruction. The ash heap of history is full of them. Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, and Omar Kadafi, just to name a few. You get the picture.

What should a Wise Man do, when encountered by The Fool? Don't imitate his behavior! Talking to, and about The Fool, leads The Wise to fall into a pit.

Talking to The Fool only puts The Wise Man deeper into the hole. When The Wise Man discovers what he is doing to himself, he must stop digging, throw out the shovel, and call for help.

Prayer is the tool God places in the hands of The Wise. It is not a shovel, designed to dig a deeper hole. It is the ultimate "Deus ex Machina" designed by God to get His children out of, what appears to be, at first glance, an impossible situation. Prayer transforms the tongue, from a shovel in a pit, into a staircase to God's Presence. Stop digging and start praying.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Boundary pt 2

"For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He watches all his paths." PR 5: 21

This passage in Proverbs provides both, a word of comfort and a word of warning. It is mentioned in the context of a powerful commentary on the consequences of marital infidelity and sexual impurity.

Politicians and preachers share an amazing similarity to one another. They both have the capacity to ignore God in the most vital areas of their lives. The result is the same. Men embarrass themselves when they don't restrain themselves.

If the Redneck Mantra is, "Watch This!" The Fool's Mantra is, "No one will know!" The Redneck hurts himself in a multitude of different ways, trying to prove he is a man. The Fool hurts everyone around him, and proves he is not a man.

The ash heap of history is filled with the residue of once great men, and those who were on the threshold of greatness, but could not master the one thing that greatness calls for,...the harnessing of oneself.

Male PMS has been described as Power, Money and Sex. It is never a pretty picture, when men behave badly in any one of these three arenas. The Wise humbly yield to God's plan for their lives, and receive His direction. The Fool proudly blasts through life, politely and privately ignoring God or publicly and loudly insulting Him. The result is the same. The Fool invites God's correction.

Pride places the foolish man in the position of being exposed for who he really is...a fool. The humble man knows that he is not perfect, and more than capable of foolish behavior. This knowledge keeps him close to God, and away from those who encourage him to disrespect the boundaries God has, for his protection, in the use of power, money and sex.

Proverbs reminds a grown man, he never outgrows the need to hear the words that always strikes fear, in the most rebellious child..."Wait til your Daddy gets home!" When my mother spoke those words to me, I always knew I had crossed the line. I had worked hard at getting into trouble, and payday was coming. It was never pretty.

There is a boundary that God has placed on decent behavior, and those who cross it invite His correction. The Wise invite God's direction, protection and correction into their lives. Prayer provides daily, moment by moment, uninterrupted, consistent companionship with Him. Saturating oneself with prayer gives God elbow room to guide a man in the proper use of power, money or sex. Wise Men never substitute status, stocks or soul-mates for success. They know God is watching and they...

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Comfort

"Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right of God, who also intercedes for us." Romans 8:34

Jesus believes intercession is of eternal significance. His followers should place a high priority on it, or at least admit they just don't get it. Believers often try to resolve their differences, by talking through them. God's plan calls for praying through them.

Talking something to death only results in breathing new life into an old argument. Putting rouge on a corpse does not bring it to new life. Talking and praying are as different as a funeral service and a resurrection. One only prolongs the burial. The other makes it unnecessary.

"Discernment is God's call to intercession, never to faultfinding." Oswald Chambers

When we see someone in need of prayer, it usually because they got under our skin or in our face. The proper response is to pray for them. Our usual reaction is to criticize them. Guess which one Jesus would choose? Yeah. I know. Sometimes, it doesn't help.

I am new at this praying for people, I would rather criticize, but I am pretty sure God intends for me to grow old doing it. Today I heard about a young friend, in need of encouragement, and I passed these words, on to her.

"If I could hear Jesus praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies, but the distance makes no difference. He is praying for me." Robert Murray M'Cheyne

I followed up with a gentle reminder, that people have passed on to me over the years. Those who know about the fog of war, have learned from experience the ancient truth, "This too will pass." I put it to her this way.

Dana and I believe in you. More importantly, God believes in you. He has placed His Son in your heart, and He has a great plan for your life, and His Spirit will lead you through the battles that come your way. If you listen closely, you can hear him say, "Comfort!" He is reminding you of who He is, and what He can do for you. Right now, He is all you need.

Comfort is a word of great power. It sometimes loses a bit of its punch in the contemporary use of it. "We must not be content to be cleansed...but be filled with the Spirit. The word 'Comforter' as applied to the Holy Spirit needs to be translated by some more vigorous term. Literally it means 'With strength! Jesus promised His followers, 'The Strengthener' would be with them. No lullaby for the fainthearted, but a blood transfusion for courageous living." E.P.Hovey

When William the Conqueror's men were retreating, before the shield wall and the arrows of King Harold's Anglo Saxon archers, his brother, a Bishop, road his horse up into the middle of the men and began to shout "Con Fortis!" He took his shepherd's staff and began beating them back into formation. His action was rooted in the ancient meaning of the word comfort - it is a shout that empowers us to fight with strength, with courage, with heart,

I am praying for you to hear the Holy Spirit whisper these words to you, and to have the courage to take Your Savior by the hand and take the hill. He did it once for you, and that is all that really matters.

Til the storm passes and the fog lifts...

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Unborn

"A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him." PR 28:17

There is no statute of limitations for the act of murder. This is a statement that can still be made, even in the arena of ever-changing public opinion and shifting moral absolutes. This legal doctrine is rooted in the mind of God. It is His view on the sanctity of human life that established it, as the law of the land.

God loves those He has created. His children matter to Him. He is relentless in the pursuit and punishment of those who do kill them, and He has no patience for fools who support those who do.

God intends to pursue and punish those who take human life. His followers must never forget how precious life is. Those who believe America can run from the blood of 60 million babies, murdered in this country since Roe vs Wade, are wrong. They are kidding themselves to believe; God hasn't noticed or He doesn't remember. He does. His people should too.

Many have no concern for the death of millions of babies, at the hands of abortion, in America. They cannot be expected to express angst over the death of just one murdered ambassador in Libya. Expecting the mainstream media to report one murder, when they ignore millions, is a placing faith in a false messenger. Look elsewhere.

What can you do? Stop supporting people who are "laden with the guilt of human blood." Stop voting for any candidate; Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian or Vegetarian who supports, personally or corporately, the "legalized" murder of innocent children. It is not enough for a person to be able to parse their words and say they are personally pro-life, but support a pro-death agenda. It is a ridiculous use of language.

The death of innocence, through abortion, is a shame and a scourge on the soul of America. It makes what happened, to an ambassador in Libya, pale in comparison. Yet there is a parallel, between the two national scandals, that should not be missed.

The real scandal, in the death of our citizens in Libya, is the cover up of it, in America. The stubborn truth continues to unravel, and it reveals a callous disregard of those who were in charge. When the attack was underway, the evidence is mounting, that cries for help were ignored, for hours.

The current administration and the mainstream media cannot get their stories straight or their anger up for the real tragedy. Lives were lost. They might have been saved. Lies were told. They didn't make sense, at the time, and they do not age well, when repeated over and over again. Everyone is passing a buck, that has yet to land, on anyone's desk who will take responsibility for their actions.

America is better than this. People who pledged loyalty to this nation, served under the flag of this nation, deserved better from the leaders of this nation. Crisis always reveals character. Pressure from the outside, always squeezes out what is on the inside. It is rarely a pretty sight.

Time will tell if the American people will demand justice, for those who cannot speak for themselves. They too may be as preoccupied with the election as others were, who were at the time of the attack. They may be too calloused to feel the pain, or too deaf to hear the cries of the parents of the young men who died. Perhaps, ignoring millions of deaths, does make it harder for a people to be outraged, at just a few, bumps in the road.

So, here in lies the lesson. Abortion is the murder of innocent children. It is the taking of life, from the defenseless. Cries take place. Pain is felt. One thing is constant. When an abortion takes place, the baby always dies. Pro-choice people choose to kill a baby, every time. No judgement. Just fact.

Many pro-life people believe they are not supporting this act of murder. They could be wrong. God hates the shedding of innocent blood. His Word says, He is relentless in the pursuit and punishment of those who carry out the murder. His word also warns those who support the murderers, to stop doing it.

Ignoring murder, making excuses for it, and supporting those who do it, doesn't make a person innocent of it. God puts murderers and their supporters, in line for the same pursuit and punishment.

Delayed obedience is just another form of disobedience. Immediate obedience is the first step, to the next Great Awakening. Don't delay in praying for the soul of America. When you open your eyes, look at your leaders, and into your own heart, through the eyes of God. Vote accordingly.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Tongue

"A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin." PR 26: 28

The tongue is a powerful instrument, for good and evil. When it speaks the truth, it edifies. When it lies, it destroys. God considers lying, hating, crushing, flattering, and ruining to be synonyms. Good to know.

The Fool lies when the truth would serve him better. Lying is the language of Hell, and it has always been its greatest export. God knows that a lie is the fruit that comes from being connected to the hidden tap root of hate. Unless the connection is broken, the mouth of a fool can only produce the fruit of the root. The lying words can be sweetened, and softened, but the intent remains the same. Great nations and individual lives are ruined by liars.

The Wise tell the truth, even if it hurts. The words may sting, but they bring healing. The challenge remains, to always speak the truth in love. When in doubt, pray it before you say it. Prayer takes the edge off of a scalpel that may do more harm than good, if the words cut too deep. Prayer purifies the intent of the heart, and allows the tongue to be honed into gentle messenger.

Evil intent changes the very meaning of a word. It doesn't matter what comes out of your mouth, if your heart is up to no good. Parsing words does not purify them.

Meaningless phrases, strung together in an eloquent way can be used by a fool to manipulate people. Eloquence and oratory lose their power over people, when they equate moving lips with a lying tongue. Powerful phrases that come from an evil heart irritate God, even when they are prayed.

"And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." MT 6:7-8

The Fool places power in his own eloquence to mobilize people to do what he wants done, for his glory. The Wise place confidence in prayer to do for people what only He can do, for His glory. Tired of the sound of your own voice?

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Paradox

"Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit." PR 25:28

Unbridled words and violent mood swings expose a person to attack from his enemies and reveal a fool to his friends. The spirit of a man cannot be controlled without the power of The Spirit.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church of Galatia, "But the fruit of The Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

Paul pointed out to the early church that the key to control was crucifixion. The crucified life is a paradox. Death precedes life. For a man to truly live, he must have a passionate conviction that his flesh must die. From repeated failure to control himself, a man must not just admit his failure. He must die.

The Spirit takes over when dead men recognize they no longer live. They lose control. They yield. They submit. They are buried, and put away. The flesh craves the power and recognition. The Spirit provides the power of the resurrection.

The Spirit-filled man is under the control, jurisdiction, influence, and authority of God. This new power over the life of the dead man is exercised by The Person of The Holy Spirit. The control of The Spirit is not found in a one time filling, or a second blessing. It comes from crucifixion. Paul described it as, "I die daily."

The crucified life begins with a pronouncement, but it continues as a process. The "Dead Man Walking" must come to his own acceptance of God's pronouncement of death placed on his flesh. The process continues as a "Dead Man Talking." When the "Dead Man" tries to talk himself through a crisis, he attempts to resurrect his own flesh and take control of his life.

The Spirit reminds the "Dead Man" of his true condition and shows him his death certificate. The crucified life brings a man to the end of himself, and to the power of God. Praying in the Spirit is the process of yielding control, and it is the only breath a dead man has. Prayer turns death into life.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Waiting

"Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked." PR 24:19

Newspapers invented "yellow journalism." TV NEWS developed the "Special Report." Hollywood created the film version of the "cliff hanger serial." All of them were designed to offer a mirage of an oasis, while creating a thirst they could never quench. They offered salt water questions, and profited from people who could not get enough answers to quench their thirst. Bad news became entertainment. Entertainment became the world's substitute for joy. Like the old Sonny and Cher song says, "The beat goes on."

Fretting whets a ravenous appetite, and creates a ferocious thirst, but it provides no relief or satisfaction. Insanity has been defined as, "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." To expect thirst to be quenched by drinkng salt water is a from of insanity. Jesus characterized the citizens of His Kingdom as those who, "Hunger and thirst after righteousness." Matthew 5:6

To fret over evil only whets an appetite for relief or revenge, but it does not describe what Jesus had in mind for the future, of the citizens of The Kingdom. The Beatitudes serve as a preamble of His Constitution. The way one of His citizens comes on, is the way a citizen must go on. Jesus offers satisfying relief for thirsty people. The world says, "Stay thirsty my friends." Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink." John 7:37

Fretting and envying produce a scorched earth in the soul of a person. Fret is a word used in the Bible to refer to anger. It is not an immediate outburst, but a result of providing endless kindling to a smoldering rage against an offense, received or perceived. Fretting and envying are like two sticks rubbed together, until they create an internal heat that becomes a combustible fire. The vexation on the inside eventually becomes a visible flame, for all to see.

God never intended for His children to live in a self-induced, arid climate, that sheds more heat than light on current events, and irritating characters. The world places a great value on the zealot who can zing his offender with a zany one-liner that zaps him into submission. God hates that kind of childish display of unbridled temper. He wants something greater expressed to those who are hostile to Him. Grace.

When God's children take up His offense, they must fear becoming more offensive to Him, than the original act of the offender. God expects more of His children, than envy, and jealousy. He doesn't desire for them to become what He hates, but to conform themselves to His character.

Fretting is not praying. Envying is not interceding. Praying does not always change the crisis, but it always improves the character of someone in the middle of it. Interceding for someone who is hostile to God, does not always change them, but it keeps a child of God from hating them, while God is in the process of changing them, into one of the family. While logging time, in the waiting room,

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Rant

DEBATE PREP 101: "Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words." PR 23:9

One of the great challenges in life is to avoid over-reacting to an offense. The Wise maintain perspective and find a way to hit the right mark, between a proper response and an over-reaction.

Just because a person doesn't take offense at what is said or done to them, does not mean that a word or an action was not offensive. It reveals a resolve and strength of character to refuse to stoop to the level of the offensive word or the offending person.

An older and wiser pastor once told me, "You will never get to town, if you stop and throw rocks at every barking dog." Wise words. His point was that some things just aren't worth getting worn out over, and some people will just wear you out, if you let them. You have a choice. You can only die on one cross, so choose it wisely.

What is said and the way it is said, are two different things. What is done and the way it is done, are not the same. A statement can be made, and when put into print, it does not reveal the smirk or the contempt with which it was delivered. The offender is always quick to point out, "I only said." What they are not as quick to point out is, "I really meant." The Wise know the difference.

The Fool parses and poses, using words to antagonize, minimize or marginalize another human being. It gives them a sense of moral superiority to see their words or actions cause a person to burst into flames, while they appear to keep their cool. It is an ancient strategy, and one that has been used often, to make great people shrivel, in the eyes of others, under the heat of slander, innuendo and rumor.

Letting fools rant and rave, may at first glance appear to allow an offender to get the upper hand, to have the last word, to win the argument, or to get the parking space. In God's Debate Manual, only twits return tit for tat. Taking an eye for an eye leaves both people blind. The Wise will use an intended offense, as a way to reveal the offender for who they really are...a loser, posing as a winner. Eventually, the truth comes out, and a person's true character is revealed. Prayer shrivels pride, and improves character. To reveal less of the former and more of the latter, pray it, before you say it.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Fear

"The fear of the LORD leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil." Proverbs 19:23

Proverbs provides a profound paradox. The fearless are lifeless, and sleepless. The fearful find rest and protection.

Children learn to fear what they hear. That usually means the first word they learn to say is, "NO!" There is a reason for that. Little ones are prone to wander into great danger. For their own good, they must learn to listen and and to obey the voice of a protective parent. Without some kind of consequence for their actions, they just keep repeating the same mistakes. Anyone who does not believe in "original sin" has never dealt with a two year old.

Wayward adults are merely king-sized versions of children who never developed a fear of the word "No." Rebellion does not age well. The longer it is allowed to develop, the more bitter it becomes.

The fear of the LORD refers to a respect and a reverence for God's direction, correction and protection. It is exhibited by an inclination for and an implementation of immediate obedience to the first thing God says to do. It requires no explanation from God, before being obedient to Him. God said it. Just do it. Nuff said.

America is a nation in crisis. It is exhibited by the scourge of abortion, and an epidemic of sleeplessness. There is no fear of God, and it has resulted in a national shame. Since Roe vs. Wade, the number of babies killed in this country matches the total population of 26 states. This callous disregard of God's gift of children indicates a total disrespect for the Giver of Life.

Sleep Aid ads abound, but still there is no rest for the weary. God will not be ignored. It may sound like another paradox, but sleeplessness requires a Great Awakening. There will be no rest until God is obeyed. Til then, expect nights to be short, days to be long, nerves to be on edge, and satisfaction to be a distant mirage.

Prayer invites God's direction, correction and protection. There is little hope of protection, when a nation of rebellious people ignore His direction and correction. In a world filled with fanatics who hate the very mention of the name of Jesus, and the very existence of the nation of Israel, it should come as no surprise that evil reigns.

Evil can only march into territory that has been yielded. When a person lowers the flag of God's authority in their own life, they are invaded by forces of evil who have no fear of a fellow rebel. They fear only God, not man. Where man reigns, evil rules. Where God reigns, evil runs.

You may want to plant a flag over your heart today, UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP. While you are raising the flag, remember, being untouched by evil begins with being in touch with God.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Prep

"Answering before listening is both stupid & rude." PR 18: 13 (The Message)

"He who gives an answer, before he hears, it is folly & shame to him." PR 18:13 (NASB)

DEBATE PREP 101: Listen before you speak.

Regardless of what version of the Bible you use, this message rings true. The recent debates between the candidates for POTUS & VPOTUS revealed a startling lack of understanding, of this maxim, on their part.

Proverbs provides great wisdom to any person making their case, in the court of public opinion, or taking part in daily conversation. It could be said to all of the candidates for these two high offices, or to any of us, "If you are listening, you may not be losing."

So, take stock of yourself. God made you with two ears and one tongue. Do the math. In His grand design, He placed a priority on listening. My first grade teacher, Miss Hamm, repeated to us every day, "If you are talking, you aren't learning." Wise words that a person never outgrows the need to apply on a daily basis. Thanks Miss Hamm. See, I was listening.

When candidates or anyone else, for that matter, become obsessed with the sound of their own voice, they are probably losing their audience and their argument. The ears of the citizens of this nation have grown weary of the unreliable promises of politicians. There is a great deal of truth in the popular assessment of politicians.
Q: "How can you tell when politicians are lying?"
A: "Their lips are moving."

God intends for His children to listen before they speak. Giving people a piece of your mind doesn't give the person receiving it much peace and it doesn't leave you with much mind.

Avoid attending any independent lecture series that begins with the statement, "I have half a mind to say something about that." People with half a mind are usually full of themselves. They are seldom right, but never in doubt.

In the last debate, a candidate was held accountable for a statement made about a national crisis. His response was, "Get the manuscript." The moderator did, and spoke her mind. When the dust settled, the moderator was wrong, the candidate's argument was weakened, and his opponent started preparation to use it against him in the next debate. There is a lesson here.

The Word of God is a manuscript that is meant to be read, understood, and applied, on a daily basis. Having it in your hand, by your bed, or on your shelf is not enough. It must not be ignored. It must be read, obeyed and applied. When we speak before we listen to what God has already said, in His Word, it reveals more about us than we want others to know. A person with half a mind is never full of the wisdom of God.

In this combative, confrontational culture there is always a huge temptation to speak before you listen. The worst thing a person can do is to speak for God, before they have listened to Him. Spend time in His Word, and ask Him to give you a firm grip on what it means. Listen before you speak.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!