CHOOSING RIGHT FRIENDS

The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12:26

People who fight for freedom choose their friends carefully. The right kind of friend will help us win the fight. The wrong kind will usually cause us to lose the fight.

Remember that Proverbs writers want us to live life skillfully. Even little one-line instructions like the one we consider today, have that goal. Don’t forget, too, that Solomon possessed incredible wisdom. Beyond that, he wrote under the influence of God’s Holy Spirit. Put all of that together, and we need to pay attention to this instruction.

The thinking is really simple. Good friends will help us become what God wants us to be. Most of us who read this email every day do so because we want to grow in our walk with Jesus. We look for encouragement, instruction, help for the journey. For the same reasons we need to build solid friendships with people who provide the same kind of support for us. While we don’t forsake non-Christian friends, we discover from this verse that we can’t just hang out with anyone.

None of us is immune to the influences of those around us, especially those who are our friends. People who were friends when we walked in ways that brought addictions our lives, need to hear what the Proverb Writer says to us in this little instruction. Once we’re clean and walking with Jesus, we may need to break off those friendships. The influence of those who don’t walk with Jesus (the wicked) will often lead us back to sinful life patterns. We don’t want to go there!

Take a few minutes today and think about the people who influence you. Do your friends help you stay free? Do they encourage you in your walk with Jesus? Don’t minimize the influence of your friends, and, don’t forget that all your friends aren’t people. Books are your friends. Do you read books that push you toward Jesus or away from Him? What about your TV friends? The material you allow into your life through your eyes and ears from big or small screens can help you or hurt you.

Don’t forget: Choosing the right friends protects you from failure! (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

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DON’T GO IT ALONE

“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14

The fight for freedom happens best when fought with others. God didn’t design us for isolation.

I’ve seen isolation happen too often not to recognize the signs. With men particularly isolation often provides the first indication that sin is taking root in our lives. That isolation from others is more prevalent than ever with various internet addictions. We can’t drag ourselves away from the pictures or the online casino or the chat room. We can do whatever we want in the privacy of our home or office . . . or so we think.

If you choose to read Proverbs this month, you’ll find other places that speak to the danger of isolation and lack of counsel in our lives. Proverbs writers frequently beat the same drum. We need each other. We live in danger when we reject those who can give us counsel and encouragement.

A man on my church Board spent a year in Iraq. He’ll be the first to tell you about the security that comes with safety. We’re never safe if we nurture life-dominating sins in an unholy cocoon of isolation. Safety comes in numbers. The Proverb writer saw safety in multiple godly counselors who walk with us as we pursue freedom from those sins.

How about you? Do you live in the safety of many counselors? Or, do you live in the dark shadows of isolation? If you’re living in the shadow world of secret sins, I encourage you to leave the darkness. God didn’t design His people to live there. You may think no one cares. You may think that if people knew of your shadow world that they would only judge you. Some might do just that, but finding those who won’t judge you makes the risk worthwhile.

You’ll never find a better day than today to come out of the dark corners of isolation. If you want to take that step and don’t know where to go, respond to this email. Bill Welte can contact you, or you can ask for me to contact you. We want nothing more than to walk with you in the light.

Don’t forget: God didn’t design you to live in the dark world of isolation. (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

DON’T LIVE IN ISOLATION
“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14

The fight for freedom happens best when fought with others. God didn’t design us for isolation.

I’ve seen isolation happen too often not to recognize the signs. With men particularly isolation often provides the first indication that sin is taking root in our lives. That isolation from others is more prevalent than ever with various internet addictions. We can’t drag ourselves away from the pictures or the online casino or the chat room. We can do whatever we want in the privacy of our home or office . . . or so we think.

If you choose to read Proverbs this month, you’ll find other places that speak to the danger of isolation and lack of counsel in our lives. Proverbs writers frequently beat the same drum. We need each other. We live in danger when we reject those who can give us counsel and encouragement.

A man on my church Board spent a year in Iraq. He’ll be the first to tell you about the security that comes with safety. We’re never safe if we nurture life-dominating sins in an unholy cocoon of isolation. Safety comes in numbers. The Proverb writer saw safety in multiple godly counselors who walk with us as we pursue freedom from those sins.

How about you? Do you live in the safety of many counselors? Or, do you live in the dark shadows of isolation? If you’re living in the shadow world of secret sins, I encourage you to leave the darkness. God didn’t design His people to live there. You may think no one cares. You may think that if people knew of your shadow world that they would only judge you. Some might do just that, but finding those who won’t judge you makes the risk worthwhile.

You’ll never find a better day than today to come out of the dark corners of isolation. If you want to take that step and don’t know where to go, respond to this email. Bill Welte can contact you, or you can ask for me to contact you. We want nothing more than to walk with you in the light.

Don’t forget: God didn’t design you to live in the dark world of isolation. (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

Good words for our consideration today!

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”

Proverbs 9:4&16

We see this phrase twice in the chapter 9. Yesterday we learned that
Lady Wisdom is better than anything else we might want. She stands
“where the paths meet” to help us choose between right and wrong,
between prudence and foolishness.

Today Proverbs confronts us with the two paths: the way of wisdom and
the way of foolishness. Both cry for our attention. Both initially
look attractive. Both make offers that seem appealing. Freedom
Fighters, this lesson in living life skillfully, must take root in your
souls!

The choices you make have consequences. The voices that hold your
attention will either protect you or destroy you. Before we go on,
let’s make sure we understand. Each of us is “simple.” We’re not
prepared to make wise choices by ourselves. We need this lesson!

Notice vs. 4. Whoever is simple, let him turn in here. Wisdom asks us
to take her path and promises to multiply our days and add years to our
lives if we do. (vss. 6&11)

The invitation comes to us again in vs. 16, but it’s offered by “a
foolish woman.” She tells us that what she offers us is “sweet” and
“pleasant.” Many who read this have taken her path. It just looks more
appealing than Lady Wisdom’s path.

The contrast couldn’t be more huge! Lady Wisdom offers us life,
understanding and knowledge. The Foolish Woman offers us a little
pleasure that carries with it the sting of death. Read Proverbs 9:18
and let it reverberate through your mind the next time you stand “where
the paths meet.”

Freedom Fighters love truth and avoid lies at all costs. Grasp once and
for all this truth. The way of foolishness is a lie! It has always
been, and it will always be. It is never what it appears to be, and it
is always worse than we can imagine.

The way of wisdom keeps you in the light. The way of foolishness keeps
you in the dark so you can’t see how bad it is. Believe Solomon when he
tells you that you don’t want to walk the way of foolishness. Accept
Lady Wisdom’s invitation today, tomorrow and every day for the rest of
your life.

Don’t forget: You have two invitations. Only one of them offers you
life worth living.

LADY WISDOM
“To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. O you simple ones, understand prudence, and you fools, be of an understanding heart.” Proverbs 8:4&5

Proverbs 8 personifies wisdom as the opposite of the foolish woman we see in chapters 7 and 9. She speaks to men, all men, inviting them to hear her . . . to discover her benefits for their lives. The men who need to hear her are simple and foolish. Those to whom Solomon wrote were not unlike you and me. Even those of us who truly follow Jesus have those moments when we act imprudently and foolishly. Would any of us ever struggle with life-dominating assaults if we weren’t sometimes imprudent and foolish?

Two things stand out in my reading of this chapter. First, I notice where this lady (wisdom) stands. She stands “where the paths meet.” (vs. 2) Think of her as standing at the place in our lives where we decide to act wisely or foolishly, prudently or imprudently. She stands “where the paths meet” and tells us that she (wisdom) is better than rubies and that any other thing we might want can’t compare with her. (vs. 11)

Do you get the picture? You and I are standing where the paths to wisdom and foolishness (trouble!) meet. We have to decide. The foolish choice looks really good. Or, the foolish choice feels really good. Or, the foolish choice tastes really good, but it’s still foolish. Lady Wisdom stands in the middle of the two intersecting paths. She cries out to us, “I’m better than all those other choices! I’ll help you and make your life better.”

Have you heard her voice when standing “where the paths meet?” I have. I wish I could tell you that I’ve always listened and chosen the right path. Like many who’ll read this, I haven’t always made the right choice. I can tell you that I’m more committed to hearing Lady Wisdom than anytime in my life. Even those of us who are slow learners can still get it! We can still hear her voice. We can still choose her over all the other things that will only do us harm. I invite you to join me in choosing to listen for Lady Wisdom.

Don’t forget: God places Lady Wisdom “where the paths meet” in your life to protect you from poor decisions. (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist Toms River)

WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING

My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your nearest kin, that they may keep you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words.
Proverbs 7:1-5

Addiction is all about lies. We believe lies about ourselves and about our addictions. The biggest lie we often tell ourselves is that we’re not addicted! Those who fight for freedom must understand that it is a fight-an all-out war! Our enemy is the Master Liar, and he’s incredibly skillful at making those lies look like truth.

Just a few lines down in chapter 7, the writer tells us about a young man who went the way of the harlot. He was “devoid of understanding.” He didn’t know how to live life skillfully. The ability to tell truth from lies didn’t exist in his life. He believed all her lies and paid a huge price for his “night of pleasure.”

The lines from Proverbs 7:1-5 tell us how to detect the lies and avoid their consequences. You may think I sound like a broken record, but the tools for skillful living haven’t changed. Solomon simply says “Be good friends with God’s Word!” It will keep you out of the ditch.

Your harlot may not be a woman. It may be a bottle or a pill. It may be a computer or a VCR. Whatever your poison, if it brings you into bondage and away from the God of heaven who loves you, you live a lie. You believe a lie. That’s the bad news.

Here is the good news. You don’t have to live in slavery! Jesus Christ came to set us free, to break the chains that bind us. He has given us the tools we need to discern truth and avoid lies. First, as genuine followers of Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit, also known as the Spirit of Truth. Then, we have this book we call the Bible. Finally, within this book, we have one particular book designed to build wisdom into our lives.

Look at the things you that take your time and attention. Do they have the ring of truth, or do they have the odor of lies? Can you tell a lie when you hear it? You may need some new relatives. Solomon calls them wisdom and understanding. They’re available if you want them.

Don’t forget: Wisdom and understanding . . . don’t leave home without them! (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

Good words for today!

LIVING IN THE LIGHT

“For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light. . . .” Proverbs 6:23

Constant reminder may be the best benefit of reading Proverbs every month. The writers remind us of things best avoided and of things best remembered. Much of chapter six reminds us of things from which we ought to run. Right in the middle of, however, Solomon makes sure we remember how to stay on track.

He tells us that the commandment (God’s Word) is a lamp. The law (God’s Word) is a light. This Word of God has the power to light our way. Think about driving down a dark road at night without lights on your car. If you choose to drive through life without God’s Word, you almost certainly will wind up in some ditch!

The psalmist said it this way: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (119:105) If we choose to fight for freedom from bondage, we better choose the right weapons for the fight. The commandment and the law help us see what lurks in the darkness that can do us damage. Without the light of God’s Word, we’re just asking for trouble.

The question is simple. Do you make time for the Scriptures? This commandment . . . this law . . . this light protects us from Satan and his devices. It’s like a flashlight without batteries, though, if we don’t allow it to saturate our lives. That saturation can’t happen without disciplined time in God’s Word regularly.

Again, the psalmist helps us see the importance of this Book. Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. (119:11) We’re just a week away from Memorial day, a day set aside to honor those who have died to defend our country. The day reminds us that freedom is never free; it always has a cost.

If you choose to pursue freedom from life-dominating sins, be prepared to pay the cost. Freedom demands disciplined time with the commandment that is a lamp and the law that is light. You and I will never know freedom without them!

Don’t forget: If you live in the dark without the light, you will wind up in the ditch! (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

“My son, pay attention to my wisdom. . . .” Proverbs 5:1

I’ve learned a few things through more than thirty-five years of ministry. One thing stands out as I think about this line from Proverbs. People caught in the throes of addiction don’t want to listen to wisdom. While it doesn’t make sense, my experience tells me that people in bondage to some habit think they know more than anyone else.

I’ve counseled people who drink, gamble, eat too much and engage in sexual sin. Even as I type these words I think about how remarkably unsuccessful I’ve been in those counseling situations. Some of the failure may be lack of skill. Much of it, however, results from people who won’t listen to wisdom from God’s Word.

People who read these Freedom Fighter emails, at least many of them, read because they want freedom from some life-dominating sin. Chapters 5, 6 & 7 of Proverbs all address the issue of sexual sin. Some commentators believe that some of this teaching speaks to the problem of spiritual adultery. They suggest that the “immoral woman” (3:3) may be anything that causes us to be unfaithful to God’s instructions.

While that may be true in part, I believe much of this instruction warns us about the dangers of sexual sin. These are hard chapters to read, especially if you’ve been guilty of any of these offenses. They tell us how to avoid the same sins in the future, however. We need to listen!

If you remember, Proverbs is about living life skillfully. We live in a world full of sexual land mines. Navigating the dangers requires more of us than we naturally can do. Others who have already navigated the territory can help us avoid the dangers. We need to listen!

Those who don’t listen, who don’t receive the instruction of those with more wisdom, live in danger. The Proverbs writer tells us that those who think they know all they need to know will “die for lack of instruction.” (3:23) We need to listen!

I have one goal in writing Freedom Fighters this month. I want all of us men to learn how to live life skillfully . . . safely . . . freely. God’s Word knows more than we do. Some people in our lives know more than we do. We need to listen!

Don’t forget: listening to wisdom protects us from danger! (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

Listen this week on Keswick Today as Jim George shares WHAT GOD WANTS FOR YOU — 20 Ways to Experience His Power. Listen right from the website: http://www.americaskeswick.org.

GUARDING AND KEEPING YOUR HEART

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23

God designed us with a “control center” that He calls the “heart.” It’s the place where we know God and from which life issues come.

Solomon’s warning is clear and simple. We need to guard our hearts. The issues that determine whether we live free or enslaved to some habit begin as heart issues. Ultimately, we are responsible for the decisions that begin in this “control center” called the “heart.”

Jesus made that clear in His teachings. Check out Matthew 5:21-30 where He says that murder and adultery begin in the heart. Then later in Matthew (15:11-20), He lets us know that the things that come out of our mouths that defile us begin in our hearts (vs. 18).

Your heart and my heart need guarding. We have the responsibility to do that guarding. Steve Green sings a song titled “Guard Your Heart.” He sings of wrecked homes and hearts torn in two when hearts go unguarded. Some of us who read Freedom Fighter understand those lyrics. We know the pain that comes from choosing to not guard our hearts.

We each have to choose to guard that “control center” of our lives from which come the issues of life. How do we do that? Maybe choice is the key word.

First, we have to choose to obey the Word of God that tells us “keep our heart with all diligence.” Once we’ve made the choice, then we have to go to work on the diligence issue. The world in which we live doesn’t give us an opportunity to let down our guard. As soon as we do, we’ll discover temptation waiting to take over.

A man in my church has struggled in the past with pornography and impure thought issues. He has overcome those attacks. Just recently he told me that he “prays on the armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10-17) each morning before he finishes his quiet time. He has also asked me to hold him accountable in this area of his life.

You can guard your heart. It’s a matter of choice. And you’ll probably want someone you trust to help you. I have three men who get a report every week on my computer usage. Simply put, they help me guard my heart.

Don’t forget: your heart is worth guarding! (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

Have a blessed Lord’s day, my friend.

SAFETY FOR THE JOURNEY

Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble. Proverbs 3:22

I’m bypassing two of the most familiar verses in all the Bible today. (See Proverbs 3:5&6) Another line of wisdom from this chapter jumps out at me today. It’s especially appropriate for a Freedom Figther since many who fight for freedom from sin and/or addictions need to know safety. It’s easy to live in fear when we want to resist sin and temptation but know intimately the frustration of continuing failure.

Solomon tells us we can walk safely through the land mines on the landscape of our lives. Some of you probably doubt that; your experience tells you otherwise. Maybe you just need a new experience.

Back up with me and look at Proverbs 3:19-22. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew. My son, let them not depart from your eyes-Keep sound wisdom and discretion; So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck.

Understanding, knowledge, wisdom and discretion recur frequently in Proverbs. We need close acquaintance with these character qualities. In the verses you just read, Solomon gives us the key to safety. As we keep sound wisdom and discretion before our eyes (perhaps by reading God’s word regularly?), they bring life and safety to us.

We must learn these lessons to live safely. We don’t know on our own how to live free. Only God can build into our lives genuine freedom that brings true safety. He is the one who, by teaching us wisdom and discretion, can bring us away from danger into sure safety. It’s a safety that lets us sleep without fear and address danger with confidence.

All of us have failed somewhere along the journey. Solomon convinces me that choosing to keep wisdom and discretion in the fear of the Lord (vs. 7) before our eyes can change us. Instead of knowing a little victory with much failure, we can be men who know much victory with little failure.

Don’t forget: Safety for the journey is ours if we’ll have it! (written by Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)