PROVERBS

Today is Friday.  Mrs. Vicky is gone to a ladies conference where she is speaking in Spanaway, Washington.  About 15 of our ladies traveled the three hours to get there too.  They will have a great time I'm sure.  Last night, we had soul-winning and I lead a 16 year old teen boy to Christ.  He sure wanted to go to Heaven when he died and I had the great joy of showing him how.  He prayed and trusted Jesus Christ.  On Fridays, we take off.  This is the first year we have ever done that and I'm getting where I love Fridays!  It is nice to have a day to get caught up on rest and get errands ran.  Today, I'm in Proverbs 21-31.  I went 11 chapters to finish up the book of Proverbs.  Now each verse could be commented on, but I'm going to have the hard task of just picking out a few to comment on.  Here they are:

1) OUR SOVEREIGN GOD IS IN CONTROL- In Proverbs 21:1 (I didn't get far into the reading before I had something to comment on did I?)  "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water:  he turneth it whithersoever he will."  We see presidents and other world leaders make decisions that affect millions of other people, and yet.... God is still in control.  God does not endorse their decisions, but God allows it to happen so that His plan might be carried out.  God is sovereign, and He IS in control.  He uses the free will of man to bring about His eternal plan.  Don't fret dear friend..... it is all going to work out... just do your part and reach others for Christ!

2) GET OUT OF DEBT!  This is my new theme for today's economy.  Get out of debt!  Proverbs 22:7 says:  "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."  So many are servants to Visa and Mastercard that they cannot serve Christ in their tithes and offerings.  Now, I believe that it is a heart issue that neglects to put Christ first.  But, even it you pay your tithes and offerings and have "manageable debt", that "debt" still makes you a servant to the lender.  Pay it down, pay it off!  Put away an emergency fund of $1,000.00 first.  Then start a snowball debt reduction plan to pay debt off fast.  (look it up)  Then put away a few month's income. (this can take a while, but use what you paid on your debts to do this)  Then invest and have your money work for you.  It is God's way.  It will work. 

3) EVERY WORD IS PURE!  Proverbs 30:5,6 says:  "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."   This is why I stick with the old and trusted King James Bible.  It is a word for word translation, believing that "every word of God is pure".  These new "translations" are not translations at all.  They put God's holy word into their thoughts and paraphrase the whole Bible.  Since they do not believe that "every word of God is pure", they have no problem changing the words and thought of Scripture.  They don't mind paraphrasing into their own words because it is not sacred to them.  It is to me!  And to the LORD.  Stick with the KJV and be assured that "every word of God is pure".

Well, so much for today.  I'm going to get another cup of coffee!  Blessings on you friend. 

Pastor Mike Mutchler