​“Help, I need wisdom!” How many of us have asked this at one time or another.
 
When we speak of “wisdom,” we are not speaking of “knowledge” or the simple accumulation of facts. We all know people who know a lot about a lot, but they are not necessarily “wise.”
 
So what is wisdom? Wisdom can be defined as “applied knowledge” or “practical information.” But in the spiritual realm, wisdom has been referred to as “viewing life from God’s perspective.” In Psalm 119:98-100, the writer brings out the contrast between God’s wisdom and human knowledge:
 
You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
 I understand more than the ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.
 
In this brief look at wisdom, we will make three observations:
 
1. The Holy Spirit imparts wisdom.   Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:12-16)
 
As Christians, we have the indwelling presence of the 3rd Person of the Trinity guiding us in the things of the Lord. In fact, without the Holy Spirit, those who are unsaved oftentimes do not “get it” when it comes to the Scripture or the basics of the Christian life.
 
2. God wants you to have wisdom. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)
 
If you want wisdom, the Scripture says to ask for it and God will give if fully and freely. There is no limit as to how much wisdom you can ask for or how often you ask for it.
 
3. God’s wisdom begins by honoring Him.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:6)
The “fear of the Lord” does not necessarily mean being afraid, but rather the recognition of that the One True God is the source of all wisdom. So we worship and exalt Him and walk in His ways.
 
Do you want or need wisdom? Do you want to see life from God’s point-of-view? The best way to start is to find it in God’s Word, the Bible. A trusted friend or pastor can help you find specific Scriptures that have a bearing for your circumstance.
 
And of course, pray. It can be as simple as saying, “Help! I need wisdom!”

(Editor's note:  this blog was originally posted 9-5-22. It was accidentally deleted, so we're re-posting it. Thank you for your understanding)

It is painfully obvious that in the Christian life, there is a battle to influence us toward sin and away from righteousness. One of the fronts in this battle involves the company we keep.
 
In 1 Corinthians 15:33, we read, “Do not be deceived, evil company corrupts good habits.” Other translations enlighten this:

• New American Standard: “Bad company  corrupts good morals.”
• New International Version: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
• Contemporary English Version: “Bad friends will destroy you.”

The principle is that we are to beware of and avoid building deep relationships with those who are not walking with the Lord.
 
Before we unpack this principle, let’s clarify something: it does not mean that you cannot have unsaved friends or interact on any level with non-Christians. There are two reasons we know this is true:
1) Jesus Himself ate with sinners, and 2) It is impossible to witness and share the gospel with our unsaved friends if we have none. Avoiding bad company does not mean a monastic isolation from any and all who do not know Christ.
 
So what does it mean? Let’s look at a few principles from Scripture that might help us understand:
 
Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.
Another way of saying this is that our companions should affirm and build-up our faith. We should all have a buddy or circle of friends that will help us be a better Christian.
 
2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
This is often applied to dating and marriage, but there is a broader application as it relates to any close relationship, be it church ministries or even business relationships. Experience has shown that most of the time, these unequal pairings result in the saved partner compromising or walking away from their Christian principles.
 
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.
This is related to the earlier principle of walking with the wise. Why spend most of our time and energy with those who want to steer us away from the things of the Lord or those who would introduce doubts into our life? Many a Christian’s walk from faith can be traced to the one who has predominately spoken into their life.
 
When evaluating our relationships, we should ask:

• Is what our partner doing considered sin?
• Are they engaged in an activity that would cause me to violate my Christian principles?
• Will I be in a position where I am forced to choose between my Christian friends and my unsaved friends?
• Do I find myself avoiding my Christian friends or even putting them down to make myself more likeable to the non-Christian companion?

 
If any of these things are true, we need to reconsider the nature of that relationship. Whether it is in morals, habits, or character, we need to be aware of who is influencing us.  “Do not be deceived,” says the apostle in 1 Corinthians 15:30.  Avoid bad company.

​Is worry a part of your life? Chances are, at one time or another, for one reason or another, you have experienced a time or season of worry. According to a recent survey, 60 percent of U.S. adults report daily stress and worry. While it possible that many of these individuals are reacting to the recent pandemic, it still highlights what experts have observed for years: worry is a widespread and ongoing condition.
 
Worry takes on many forms and can be triggered by many things. It can be a mild anxiety about a new situation, like a job interview or a date. Or it could be that lingering, closed-in feeling of helplessness due to overdue bills or medical concerns. Sometimes, there could be physiological, chemical, or lifestyle factors (in which case, it may be wise to seek out further assistance to help determine if there are more serious factors contributing to the worry). But most of the time, most of us have felt that sense of concern over something that seems to overwhelm us.
 
Not surprisingly, the Bible has a lot to say on the subject of worry. God, in His Word, reminds us of four things:
 
1. Remember that God is with you.  Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
This is a wonderful verse to memorize, because it lays out the simple fact that you do not have to fear because God is with you. No matter the circumstance, He is there.
 
2. Remember that God cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7: “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
God tells you to take those worries, fears, and anxieties that press down upon you and give them to Jesus. Why? Because He cares for you. What a great promise.
 
3. Remember that God listens to your prayers. Philippians 4:6-7: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Just like one of our previous verses, this one starts with a command: “be anxious for nothing.” So if you are not be anxious for anything, what do you do? You pray. No request is too small or trivial. No request is too big or devastating. You bring it all to God, Who brings you peace through Jesus.
 
4. Remember that God will never leave you. Hebrews 13:5-6: Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
We learned earlier that God is with you. Here is assurance that not only is God with you, but He will never leave you. God simply will not give up on you.
 
There is an old children’s song that says, “Don’t be a doubting Thomas, rest fully on His promise, why worry, worry, worry, worry, when you can pray?” It is a simple reminder to remember that our source of peace, even in the midst of worry, is Jesus Christ

​A story is told of two preachers who were standing on the side of the road with a sign that proclaimed THE END IS NEAR. TURN BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. A car zipped passed them and the driver yelled, “You crazy fanatics. Get off the road!” A few seconds later, the preachers heard the squeal of brakes, followed by a big splash. One of the preachers shook his head and said, “That’s the third one today. You think maybe we ought to change the sign to BRIDGE IS OUT?”
 
When it comes to the subject of prophecy and the end of the world, there is no end of opinion, speculation, and argument. Scholarship in the field abounds, text books and fictional novels line our shelves, and it’s hard to find a nationally known preacher who has not delivered a series from Revelation or Daniel at least once in their career. There is no question that prophecy is popular in a lot of Christian circles.
 
But there are also those who simply do not like the subject. One well known pastor received a letter that described the subject of Biblical prophecy as endless arguments over obscure Bible verses with no benefit to the average Christian. What possible benefit is there to prophecy? Jesus is coming back—so what? There’s a rapture and tribulation and something about a millennium—so what? The end is near—so what?
 
About 2000 years ago, one of Jesus’ followers, a man by the name of Peter, addressed that very question. He was writing the second of two letters that bore his name, and in it, he was correcting some teaching that was spreading about the second coming of Jesus, teaching that was proving to be upsetting to the Christians of his day.
 
Jesus’ followers lived in the expectation that Jesus would return. But there were skeptics who said, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:4).
In other words, they were saying, “What’s up, you crazy fanatics? You said He’s coming back, but here we are—still! I mean, the world is exactly the way it’s been since the beginning. And Jesus isn’t back. Maybe He isn’t coming back at all. We ought to party like it’s 65 AD!”
 
Peter replies by challenging their assumptions:
            1. Challenges their assumptions that the world continues the same as it has since it was created. In 2 Peter 3:5-7, Peter reminds them that there was a catastrophic flood. Not only that, the next big catastrophe will be that of fire. So no, all things are not the same as they’ve always been.
            2. Challenges their assumptions about the Lord. In verse 8, he points out that God is not subject to the measurement of time. “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.” Peter is not giving us a formula here—he could have easily said, one day is with the Lord as 275 years, and 5 months as 3 weeks. It would mean the same thing: time is meaningless to God.
 
So why the apparent delay? Verse 9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” The heartbeat of God is for people to come to know Him as their Lord and Savior. Any perceived waiting period is for people to repent.
 
Three principles of living in light of the fact that the end is near:
 
1. Living with an eternal conduct (2 Peter 3:10-13)
Since Jesus is coming back, how then should we live? In holy conduct and godliness. He says is verse 11, “what manner of persons ought you to be. . .” Is our lifestyle and behavior in conformity to what God says?
 
Not only do we live in holy conduct and godliness, but we live in hope and expectation. Vs. 13 tells us that we “look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” There’s a new world coming. All the rotten stuff in this world will pass, and we look forward to a place “where righteousness dwells.”
 
2. Living with diligent outlook 14-16
We live in peace because our lives are pure. (14) Our character and reputation are spotless and blameless, not because we’re great people, but because of Christ.
 
We live in expectantly because of Christ’s patience (15). As we mentioned earlier, God is patiently waiting for people to repent.
 
We live in caution because some would twist the Scripture (16). We are students of the Scripture, not easily swayed by thoughts and opinions not founded on the Word of God.
 
3. Living with steadfast growth 17-18
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
Not only are we careful to avoid falling in our faith, but we are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (verse 18). There are several things we can do to help that growth:

• Keep Christ in the center of your life
• Devote yourself to the Word—listen to it, read it, study it, memorize it, think on it.
• Make prayer a habit—not just asking for things, but taking the time to thank the Lord for what He’s done and praise Him for Who He is.
• Spend time with other believers in a good, Bible-teaching church
• Tell others about Jesus.

 
There’s a story told of a man who satisfied a life-long ambition by purchasing a high quality barometer for his home. His excitement soon turned to disappointment when he saw that the needle appeared to be stuck, pointing to the sector marked “Hurricane.” He tried shaking it, recalibrating it, and even cursing at it. Finally, he wrote a scathing letter to the company, demanding a full refund. He mailed the letter on his way out-of-town for a business trip. But when he returned, he found the barometer was missing. . .  along with his house! The barometer had been right all along.
 
The end is near…so what? Are you ignoring the needle on the barometer or will you purpose to live in expectation of Jesus’ return?

​Chances are, if you have attended church or even if you have a passing acquaintance with church, you have probably connected worship with the church service. Worship is, after all, closely associated with music, so the singing portion of the service is often called “the worship set.” And after the singing portion is done by the designated worship team, we flip a mental switch to the “sermon,” and then another to “fellowship.” And when the service is completely over, it is time to switch everything off and get back to the real world. If that is your idea of worship, you are not alone. But worship is so much broader than the one to two hours you may spend in a building.
 
In the gospel of John, Jesus makes the following statement during his encounter with the Samaritan woman: God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. While we could do a deep-dive into this verse (and the whole passage for that matter), let us briefly look at a couple of things.
 
First of all, worship is not primarily external, but internal (worship in spirit). Certainly, what we do on the outside—singing, lifting our hands, prayer—is good, but God wants our worship to start on the inside.
 
In Psalm 2:11, we are admonished to “serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”  This seems like an odd instruction, given how uplifting our worship experiences are.  But as we worship, are we really aware of the very real God that we are worshipping? The Lord is our Friend and yes, we can come to Him and confide in Him, and even laugh with Him. But at no time is He merely our “Big Buddy upstairs.” Our worship and praise recognize the true and living God and knowing the real God should make us quake a little. It is okay to feel good in worship, but make sure your heart attitude, your spirit, is right.
 
So as you worship, what is going on inside?
 
Second, worship is not primarily subjective, but objective (worship in truth). Please do not misunderstand that statement. Worship hits on all the proverbial cylinders of our very being, including emotions. Unbridled joy and crushing sorrow and everything in between can and does well up when we are worshipping the true and living God.
 
Once again, it is okay to feel good during worship. But our worship should be consistent with the Word of God. Just like having an accurate view of God internally, we need to make sure what we are saying about God externally is accurate as well. Our thoughts should be like those in Jeremiah 10:10, “But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King.” Do not sacrifice the solid revelation of God in Scripture on the altar of feelings.
 
Worship is a wonderful thing. It helps us draw closer to the Lord. And it is so important, that God wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth.