A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17

I think my friend, Bill Welte, coined the term “freedom-fighter.” I’m also pretty sure that I have a good idea about his thinking behind the term. It speaks of freedom that is available through Jesus Christ. The freedom of which we speak lets us pursue righteousness and releases us from the bondage of sin.

But we can’t forget the second word. Those who would know freedom will also know the fight. We have an enemy. He is the enemy of our souls, and he knows well that “residue of the flesh” we thought about earlier this month. The Wicked One knows the tug of that “residue,” and he is quite good at using it against us. To know freedom is to fight the one who fights against us.

Many of us think this fight should be easy. Sometimes it is. Adversity comes along at other times, and the intensity of the battle is more than we think we can take. That’s why the Proverbs Writer gave us the line we’re thinking about today.

All of us must learn that we don’t resist Satan alone. Choosing to fight alone usually means we’ll lose. Friends, real friends, who love us will help us in the fight. They’ll love us enough to confront us, to hold us accountable. They’ll love us enough to encourage us when we’re hanging on by a thread. Apart from the power of Jesus Christ at work in our lives, one good friend who loves us may be the key to victory or defeat in the fight for freedom.

Notice the rest of the verse. ” . . . and a brother is born for adversity.” The writer’s assumption is simple. Adversity will come. It’s not a maybe thing; it’s a definite thing. He lets us know that God gives us brothers for those adverse times. These brothers aren’t always brothers by natural birth. They’re probably brothers by “the new birth.” They share faith in Jesus, and they know the fight for freedom.

God gives us these men to fight with us and for us. They don’t run when things get hard. They don’t walk away if we experience temporary failure. Brothers in adversity have lasting power, and they love us enough to engage the battle with us. You and I need these brothers. If you’ve been a believer for forty years or four months, you need these brothers! If you have them already, as I do, praise God for them. If you don’t, find them. If you don’t know how to find them, write Bill Welte or me, and we’ll help you find them.

Don’t forget: You and I need those men who will stay with us through adversity. (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

Sorry for the delay this morning. We are in Minnesota celebrating the birth of our second grandchild, Lindsay Alice Groen, and Pastor John Strain has been forwarding me the daily FF’s from Proverbs that he is writing. For some reason we didn’t the one for today. Here it is . . .

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3

Too many men live hidden lives. We keep secrets. We maintain appearances that don’t truly reflect our hearts. Many of us actually think we’re really good at it. “Nobody knows and nobody needs to know” is often our thinking.

This line from Proverbs strips us of our secrecy. All the people who know us may not know our secrets, but God does. Those who struggle with life-dominating sins that they think are secret need to wrestle with this revelation. Try as we may to hide, it’s impossible to hide anything from God.

This reality brings us back to the beginning of our thinking in Proverbs. Do you remember “the fear of the Lord?” Pursuing the fear of the Lord-that humble, obedient spirit that puts God first-makes Proverbs 15:3 incredibly important.

We try to hide from our wives, co-workers, friends at church, etc. We really live, however, for an audience of one. Someone has said that what we do when no one is watching reveals our true character. That statement has one huge problem; someone is always watching!

All of us who live with the “residue of the flesh” sometimes want to satisfy that flesh. Knowing that God always sees us ought to motivate us to flee from evil whenever it comes near us. Resisting and fleeing make sense because we know evil is dangerous. We know it will do us damage rather than good. Most of all, however, we flee from evil because God sees us. If we choose not to flee from evil, we run the risk of hurting God. For all of us, that’s just unacceptable.

When we nurture those addictions that plague our lives, we live in a fantasy world. We think we’re OK; no one will ever know. Proverbs 15:3 is real-world truth. We’re never OK when we do wrong. We’re never going to do wrong without that “audience of one” knowing. So, let’s quit fooling ourselves. Let’s make sure that what the Lord sees from our lives is good, not evil.

Don’t forget: We have no secrets from the all-knowing God!

Good word for today!!!

STAY AWAY FROM EVIL

A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident. Proverbs 14:16

Too many of us want to live to close to the edge. A few years ago I had the privilege of driving up Pike’s Peak. Once you get above the tree line, the road becomes gravel, and there are no guard rails. I chose to hug the middle of the road that day!

The Proverbs Writer cautions us in this description of a wise man. Once wisdom begins its work in our lives, we become less macho and freely admit that some things deserve our fear. Evil, in any form, is one of those things. Some things warrant us running the other direction; we don’t need to hang around to see if we’re brave enough to handle them.

I read this week that New Jersey’s Casino Commission has renewed the license of a casino executive who had lost the license because of a gambling addiction. I don’t know the man involved, but he shouldn’t be applying for a renewed license. He ought to be as far away from Atlantic City as possible!

If your addiction is alcohol, you don’t need to hang out in the bar with your buds drinking diet sodas. You need to avoid the place like the plague! If you’re hooked on internet porn, you either need to give up your computer or put software on that blocks the porn. Someone other than you should control that software!

Do you get the idea? Our Proverbs guy tells us this morning that a fool is self-confident. “I can handle this!” Do you know men with life-dominating sins who think that way? I do, and they almost never handle their issue wisely. Wise men know their limitations, and they run from evil. They don’t mess around with the things that can lead them down the road of the foolish.

This really is simple stuff. If God’s wisdom is at work in your life, you’ll figure out the nature of evil and know when to be afraid. If you’re the self-confident fool who thinks he knows everything, you’re probably living closer to the edge than you should. You may need to think about how far down it is if you get too close.

Don’t forget: Lady Wisdom urges you to stay far away from evil! (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, but he who regards a rebuke will be honored. Proverbs 13:18

The issues of correction, rebuke and instruction run through the entire book of Proverbs. It is as though the Proverb writers knew how resistant we are to those things. I’ve seen how often I get defensive when someone tries to correct me. Many with whom I’ve worked seem to have the same problem. Those who struggle with addictions seem particularly resistant to correction.

I’ve often wondered why those who so much need help resist receiving it. A good friend of mine who travels the country teaching on prayer may have the answer. He speaks of believers struggling with “the residue of the flesh.” All of us have that “residue.” It often flares up when rebuke or correction comes our way.

The writer of Proverbs 13:18 wants us to see the benefit of a godly rebuke. He wants us to know the danger of resisting correction. Do you remember the two paths that meet. It is the place where Lady Wisdom stands and calls out to us? She’ll remind us that we receive blessing when we accept needed rebukes. She’ll also let us know that we’re wrong when we won’t accept correction from those who care about us. We need to listen.

Let’s think for a minute how we receive rebuke and correction. I believe strongly that correction needs to come from mature believers. You’ll usually find these people in a Bible-believing local church. The Colony of Mercy at America’s Keswick insists that graduates of the Colony connect with a good church and establish a pastoral covenant. We find safety in a good church. We find people who can correct us and help us stay on course. All of us need that.

You and I are better for having people who love us enough to correct us when they see us straying from the right way. Let’s thank God for them and benefit from them. Let’s make sure we don’t ignore them or resist them.

Don’t forget: Resist the “residue of your flesh” and pay attention to wise correction. (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)
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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)

Senility is setting in — I wished you all a Happy Father’s Day yesterday . . . Better early than never? Listen this week to KESWICK TODAY and meet Dr. Jimmy DeYoung, our Prophecy Week speaker. Join us for an action-packed week of information to help you understand prophecy in light of today’s news. You can tune in by visiting our website: http://www.americaskeswick.org

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!