Proverbs 3 “Wisdom and Understanding”

“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. (vv.13-15)

This psalm speaks to the, “Guidance for Youth.” The guidelines laid out in this psalm come with a prescribed reward of; length of days, long life, and peace, if kept. Trusting in the LORD and laying down our self-will, are the cornerstones of being directed by God (vv.5-6). This then will bring wisdom, understanding, length of days, honor, peace, rest, confidence, and protection (vv.13-26).

Many are they that seek riches, they spend their lives in that pursuit. Only to look back later in life and wish they hadn't. Seeking God's wisdom, pursuing His Word, turning our hearts to hear His direction for our lives, have a greater eternal value than any earthly pursuit. Therefore, as we look for wisdom in His Word, our reward will be greater than the profits of silver, and our gain greater than fine gold.

The Truth: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.” (Psalm 37:23-24)

Proverbs 2 “God Gives Wisdom”

“For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (v.6)

Here in our text Solomon is explaining the value of wisdom to his son, and how to acquire it to find the knowledge of God (vv.1-5).

His first direction to him is, “to incline your ear to wisdom and your heart to understanding” (v.2). In other words listen intently to those who speak the scriptures, and then apply it to your heart and life.

Second, “cry out for discernment and lift your voice for understanding” (v.3). Meaning, ask the LORD for guidance, direction, and clarity during times of difficulty and uncertainty.

Finally, “seek her (wisdom) as silver, search for her as a hidden treasure” (v.4). The warning here is, don’t think you have the answer right off the bat, seek the LORD, listen for confirmation, and you will find the “hidden treasure”, wisdom.

Remember, God doesn't force truth on those who don't want it, but He hears the earnest cries of those who request it.

The Truth: “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” (John 16:24)

Proverbs 1 “Wise Council”

“A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel” (v.5).

We gain insight when we listen to those who have experience to share, who know more than we do—the insight we miss when our pride stands in the way. We're able to learn from others when we humble ourselves and acknowledge how little we know. Willingness to learn, is a mark of those who are truly wise.

Even our LORD sat in the midst of teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions (Luke 2:46). May we also both listen and ask questions to those around us who have spent their lives seeking God’s wisdom. C. S. Lewis said, “The next best thing to being wise oneself, is to live in a circle of those who are.”

May we learn take to heart the counsel of those who have lived in the Lord’s presence and are mature in His wisdom. They are God’s gift to us and our churches.

The Truth: “Then, after three days they found Him (Jesus) in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:46)

Mark 16 “He Is Risen”

“And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.” (v.6)

Here an angel is announcing to the women who arrived at the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, that His body was no longer in the tomb because He had risen from the grave. He then commanded the women to bring this good news to the other disciples, and to tell them that Jesus had already gone before them into Galilee (v.7).

In short, Jesus had fulfilled His purpose on earth, God had raised Him from the dead, His resurrection (like His birth) was announced by an angel, and later He met with and commissioned His disciples (then and now) to bring this good news to others (v.15). The phrase “go into all the world” literally means, “as you are going.” So it doesn’t just mean, go to a foreign land and be a witness, but everyday, as you go about your life, be a witness for the Lord.

The Truth: Then he told them, "As you go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to everyone.” (Mark 16:15 - ISV)

Mark 15 "Playing To The Crowd"

Here in chapter 15 Jesus is brought before Pilate (by the chief priests) early in the morning. One of the accusations against Him by the elders was, His claim of being a king. So Pilate asked Him directly, “Are You the King of the Jews?” His answer to Pilate was, “It is as you say.”

Admitting this before the very man that could have saved Him, brought a respect for Jesus. Pilate marveled, the Bible tells us, at Jesus for His honesty and for His silence before His earlier accusers who had mocked Him, beat Him and spoke blasphemously against Him (Luke 22:63-65).

Pilate, the Bible tells us, believed Jesus to be an innocent man, who upon examination of Jesus said, “I find no fault in Him worthy of death. He has done no evil (Luke 23:14-15). Then turning to the crowd three times Pilate asked, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?” (Matthew 27:22) Upon hearing the crowd Pilate, wanting to gratify them more than doing the right thing, delivered Jesus to His accusers to be crucified as they requested. 

How many times have you given into peer pressure, allowing the crowd to dictate your actions, even though you knew in your heart, “this is wrong.” Actions have consequences. Even though Pilate believed Jesus to be innocent and literally washed his hands of the blood, still delivered Him to death. Therefore, Pilate is just as guilty of murder as were the chief priests who planned it and the Romans who carried it out. 

Our lesson here is to, like Jesus,  stand for the truth, not with the crowd. Do what is right, not what may earn you favor in the eyes of others - to satisfy God, and not man.

The Truth

“For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” (James 3:16)

Mark 14 “Jesus’s Prayer in Gethsemane”

“Abba, Father,” He said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from Me. Yet not My will but Your will be done.” (v.36)

This pray offered by Jesus to His Father the night before He was to be crucified, shows His concern for what He was about to suffer for us. Luke's gospel tells He was in such agony that His sweat became "great drops of blood" (Luke 22:44). Nevertheless He was obedient to His Father's will.

Three things to take away from this portion of scripture concerning prayer are: 1)The Lord does not always answer our prayers in the way we request of Him. Even His Son had to walk the path directed for Him. 2) He will not give us more than we can handle and will strengthen us and carry us through all our trials. 3) All things are working together for (a greater) good for those who love the Lord and follow His will, even when we don’t understand why.

There is no greater gift of love than this, our Savior’s willingness to obey the Father even to His death for us. May we share His love with all we come into contact with.

The Truth: “Greater love has no man than this, that He would lay down His life for His friends.” (John 15:13)

Mark 13 “The Great Tribulation”

“For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.” (v.19-20)

Here we see Jesus describing to His disciples a time of great tribulation which is to come, the likes of which the world has never known in its history. A time worse than the flood of Noah’s day, worse than the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, or any other event yet future. Never has the world seen, nor will it see anything equal to what is going to transpire during this three and a half year period.

Therefore, He warns them (and us) that, “when you shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (Daniel 9:1-27), then let all that be in Judea flee to the mountains (vv.12-14). During that time, those Jews (in Judea) that heed this warning of Jesus and flee to the wilderness area that God has prepared for them, He will provide and take care of them for that three and a half year period. And, “unless the LORD had shortened those days, no flesh (on earth) would be saved” (v.20).

Therefore, take heed, watch and pray, especially for those in our lives who need the gospel, for we do not know when this will take place.

The Truth: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10)

Mark 12 "The Wicked Vinedressers"

"Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others." (v.9)

Here in chapter 12 we find our Lord speaking to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders with a parable. The parable concerns an absentee landlord (a common figure in those days) who had leased his vineyard to a tenant farmer, a vinedresser.  At harvest time landlord sent his servants (multiple times) to collect some of the fruit, and each time they were met with violence, either beaten, stoned, or killed. Finally, the landowner sent his only beloved son to collect some of the harvest. Surely they would honor him. But the son was killed just like those before Him.

In this parable the religious leaders are the vinedressers, Israel is the vineyard and God is the absentee landlord. So we have God sending prophet after prophet to check on the progress of His tenant farmer, only to see each one of them beaten or killed. Finally, out of incomparable love, God sends His only Son to check on the harvest, but they rejected Him as well, nailing Him to a cross.

So, what will the landowner of the vineyard do? He will destroy the vinedressers (the religious leaders) and give the vineyard (the fruit of His promise) to others. The late Pastor Chuck Smith put it this way:

“The nation of Israel had failed to fulfill the purposes for which God had established them as a special people unto the Lord. They failed to bring forth that fruit that God was desiring the nation to produce. So, what will the Lord do? He will take away the privileges, the opportunities, and he will give them to others. And so, we see the door opened to the Gentiles, and Jesus here is prophesying and predicting that God is going to do His work, not among the Jews in this age, but more among the Gentiles. And thus, we see the work of God’s Spirit in a powerful way among those Gentile believers in Jesus Christ.”

But, make no mistake, judgment will fall upon those who did not reverence His Son.

The Truth: “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me.” (John 16:8-9)