Daily Devotional – 1469 – Agur the Evangelist

Daily Devotional – 1469 – Agur the Evangelist 

Some thoughts for today by Papa “J”

For the older generation, the Keystone Cops are just a memory of the past and yet the past would not be complete without that memory. What then will complete the memory of a ten year old sixty years from now? The wisdom of his or her father!

Comments and Challenges

Agur (harvester or gatherer) the writer of Proverbs 30 who is the son of Jakeh (obedient ((symbolic name for Solomon), who having wisdom speaks a declaration to a couple of his friends, Ithiel (a godly person) and Ucal (devoured or consumed one). Of course what I am leaning on to say this morning is simply conjecture and there may be someone who reads these devotionals with better insight to Proverbs 30 and if so please feel free to send me an email.

As I have said many times, I love words but I am by no means linguistic or a polyglot (able to speak or write fluently in other languages) in fact, I need a “handicap” sticker to hang on my English jargon “a disclaimer that is” whenever I speak or write. However, Proverbs 30 has always stirred up questions without answers every time I read it.

While most of us are not farmers and know very little about harvesting crops, we are gatherers. Some of us gather information and others gather things. I know a man who has the answers to my questions before I fully complete the question. He gathers information like a vacuum gathers dust. Myself I gather lawn equipment. I have a piece of machinery for every kind of lawn care. My yard looks terrible but I have the equipment to fix it… someday.

And this is how I see Agur as he has the ability to collect the dust of the air from Ucal who is all consumed with the details of life and all eaten up with the materials of life. He also is capable of extracting godly information from Ithiel. Agur knows the questions to ask since being raised  under the authority of his father whom can easily be Solomon, Agur has learned to ask questions that spawn answers as in “iron that sharpens iron” as in Proverbs 27:17.

“Surely I am most ignorant, or more stupid” says Agur to his friends. “I am a brute” or as Sargent Schultz might say… “I know nothing!” but like Schultz; Agur does know some things, he is simply gathering more information and this too is what you and I should be doing daily since we do not have the understanding needed in conversations, nor do we have the wisdom and knowledge of godly people as we ought.

Proverbs 30:4 - Who has ascended into heaven or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name and what is His Son’s name, if you know?

Proverbs 30:4 has six major questions that all of us should be asking daily. Agur has wisdom of who God is, otherwise He would not have asked Ithiel and Ucal what is the name of God’s Son. Evangelists of today must be able to ask the right questions. Questions, which can wake up the godly one who can be lost in religious globally gook; and questions that challenge the one who has consumed his or her life with “life’s” darkness and sin.

In the reading of Proverbs 30 there are many topics; the purity of God and the impurity of man’s mouth and the temporal needy life that only God can satisfy. The generations that have no respect for parents, those who are lofty and proud and yet have sword teeth; not ones who have tooth decay, but those who have learned to use their mouth as the fangs of a serpent and who know how to destroy the poor and needy.

Also Agur is aware of the beautiful things of life; an eagle in the sky (just a visual thought brings tears to the eye) the serpent warming itself on a warm rock and the one that always grips my heart; a ship at sea; for me is as majestic as the Olympic Mountains on a clear day in Washington State. Another thing that Ucal understands (sometimes easier for a woman) is the way of a young man with his virgin bride.

Well you can read on your own the rest of Proverbs 30 but I see Agur as a wonderful evangelist  who is ready to give the right question to provide the right answer; such as the apostle Paul charges Timothy with 2 Timothy 4:1-5.

Daily Devotional – 1468 – A Little bit of Labor

Daily Devotional – 1468 – A Little bit of Labor

Some thoughts for today by Papa “J”

Ergon, a Greek word meaning “work”, to labor or toil – Itstsbown (its-tsaw-bone) a Hebrew word for “toil” meaning to be worrisome, to labor in pain or sorrow. If you tie Hebrews 4:10 and Genesis 3:17 to the thought of work the challenge of resting in the LORD is clearer.

Comments and Challenges

When we come of age we seek employment and begin to earn a wage for the labor we complete daily. Any large corporation including the government seeks to obtain good results of their employees. A normal work day in our nation is eight hours; the good result that management looks for is over seven hours of production, excluding a half-hour break for food but including two 15 minute breaks to freshen up. The average employee today will produce a little over five hours of work. 

Since God worked to create the world the question is: Did God worry, or did He labor in pain and sorrow over what He Created? The answer is emphatically – NO! God does not sin and what He created was viewed by Him as being VERY GOOD – Genesis 1:31. The Hebrew word for “very” is “meod” meaning loudly, and the word good is “towb” meaning, among other definitions of the same “joyfully the best”. So it gives me “goose bumps” to think that when God looked at what He had labored over for ‘SIX DAYS’ that His words “very good” were heard throughout His Created world. All of creation including Adam and Eve heard that message.

Strike One: In an eight hour day most of us will walk with the counsel of ungodly people.

Strike Two: In an eight hour day most of us will stand in the path of sin.

Strike Three: In an eight hour day most of us will sit in the seat of scorn.

The three strikes above are common in the work place and take time. Ten minutes listening or participating in the counsels of all sorts of subjects unrelated to the job at hand. Twenty minutes agreeing with the sin within the office or work site like; complains over materials, tools, bosses or other employees. Then there are the moments of scorn that develop in the mind while we sit and seek to work, but the mind prevents production because worry has taken over.

We do not leave the workplace with a shout that is heard by all “This was very good” see you tomorrow. No it is more like we are nothing but “chaff” being blown away by the foulness of a heart full of pain and sorrow because we cheated those who put their trust in our effort; Psalm 1:1-6

Daily Devotional – 1467 – Periscope Depth

Daily Devotional – 1467 – Periscope Depth

Some thoughts for today by Papa “J”

There are always opportunities for change. People change and so do places. Do not look for change from God, He does not change! If He did, we might all be dead! Malachi 3:6-7

Comments and Challenges

Any Diving Officer of the watch at periscope depth (about sixty-five feet) will tell you that rough seas are one difficult maneuver for the crew in the control room. It can be very difficult to keep the ship from “broaching”. Broaching is a term used when the ship comes up out of the water when only the periscope should. Since most of the diving control is above the surface when the ship broaches; getting the vessel below the water again can be very difficult. Getting control of the depth can be dangerous, time consuming and not very pleasant. The unpleasantness is not from looking like a “fishing bob” on the end of someone’s fish pole but because of the reprimand from the Officer of the Deck, like… “Diving Officer make your depth six-two feet and hold it”. “Six-two feet; eye, eye Sir, passing six-four feet Sir, passing sis-six feet sir.” Diving Officer I said… “make your depth six-two feet!” “Six-two feet; eye-eye Sir!”, passing six-four feet sir, passing six-two feet sir, passing six-zero feet Sir!” and the nightmare goes on. Is this scenario preventable? Yes, yes it is in most cases, proper weight and ballast is the steady platform. I will stop here, but my point “waffling” is always a change of the mind and an intention to change your place. It is frantic and unsettling.

Psalm 37:27-29

Either we do what God says or we reap the consequence. The world around us lives in a system of relativisms’ it is nearly silly, but sadly the world believes in the unbelievable. Anyone could conclude that a life without absolutes will produce highs and lows of temporal results, some good and some evil. Here in Psalm 37:27 God simply but boldly says. Stop and get away from evil and dwell forevermore; “or maintain a level life by looking to Me”. 

There are added rewards for those who dwell in the justice of God’s Will through His Word. Take a look at this next verse. Saints are those who trust the Blood of Christ (His sacrificial Death and Resurrection for justification and they will not be forsaken), these who trust Him are preserved forever. This is the first step to live life in the grace of God. This awesome hope and confidence that the saints of God have will be rewarded and protected by God forever; it is a trustworthy promise. This is the only steady platform of TRUTH!

 Now look! The psalmist says in Psalm 37:25 – I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging bread. He is ever (Literally – ALL DAY LONG), merciful and lends; and his descendants are blessed. So what do you think? Which is better? To live in the rough seas where you are tossed to and fro with every kind of good and evil thought (James 1:6-7) or to fully trust in the LORD who calms the sea? I have made my decision, what will yours be?

Once again His Name is Jesus Christ and God says, for us to Hear Him and follow Him ONLY. Psalm 37:29 and Philippians 2:5-11.He is the Captain of our Salvation, the Author and Finisher of our Faith.  Notice the King James Version of Hebrews 2:10 – For it became Him, for whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of the their salvation perfect through sufferings.

The Devotional - Pray for our National Heritage

To the Brave... A Memorial Day Message!

The Devotional - Pray for our National Heritage

Papa “J” and one of his thoughts?

A steady hand, an earnest expectation and the proper energy will always produce a ruler, or a slouch. Both characteristics work hard at what they do best, even when forced! Proverbs 12:24

Comments and Challenges

We push a button, move a lever or toggle a switch and presto! The thing designed to function in a certain way takes the next step and begins to warm up, then on to the task it goes. Human training and discipline can parallel or resemble mechanical attributes, but there are warnings with mechanical things even with human training; these warnings are to protect from human error.

No one should try to do a human task without proper training in the disciplines of living. For mankind, there is that warm up called family life. Growing up in a family where one man is the father and one woman is the mother is not optional, it is optimal. It is the Will and Plan of God for mankind.  In our current day in the United States of America – family life is a train wreck! Let’s see what God’s original design is.

Genesis 2:23-24 – And Adam said: “This (Eve) is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man”. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become ONE flesh. The apostle Paul quotes from Genesis 2:24 in Ephesians 5:31 so in the Will and Plan of God; nothing has changed, nor will it; God will not change: He expects “humans” to abide in life (you are human; are you not?) under the foundational truth of those original LAWS of creation.

There are those who seek to change the glory of the incorruptible God into THE image of corruptible man; (Idolatry leads man to Immorality) and while these people profess to be wise in this corruption… God REMAINS God He has not changed and states clearly that these false professors of human involvement are nothing more than FOOLS, fools who are willing to wreck the family and destroy children. And the FOOL does this KNOWINGLY.  Notice

 

Romans 1:32 – Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but approve of those who practice them. If you believe that family life can be optional where two men or two women, or even one man with a family or one woman with a family is normal, take a moment and consider this! In your heart if you are willing to take a look, your soul will tell you that your obedience to selfish idolatry is FOOLISH!

Memorial Day is a day to remember those who fought to the DEATH, even if they LIVED to preserve US a NATION and yet because of the filth in our LAND, there is a day on the DOORSTEP of tomorrow where the entire focus on Memorial Day will change to JUST ONE TOMBSTONE with words far to bitter to speak for this great country. WAKE UP CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! Return to God and He will Heal the Land!

The Devotional – 1465 – And the books were opened!

The Devotional – 1465 – And the books were opened!

Proverbs 23:26 – My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes OBSERVE My ways.

Comments and challenges

I am so excited about the Living Word of God I can hardly keep it quiet, then again why should I be quiet. In today’s world, people blab everything; if you don’t believe that then you no doubt do not have a password to get into “facebook”! “Now don’t go get one, if you did not need one before this, you do not need one now.

Isn’t it exciting to know the LORD Jesus Christ as your Savior and LORD? Do you not long for the day when your relationship with Him will be face to face in ALL of His Glory? And yet it is joyfully pleasant to be in fellowship with Him through the Holy Spirit isn’t it? In fact the scripture reveals this: Nevertheless when one turns to the LORD, the veil is taken away. Now the LORD is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is liberty.

Do you know where to find the above? Try 2 Corinthians 3:16-17. Now there is more to this and it is so often overlooked. Notice: But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror (reflection) the glory of the LORD, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the LORD - 2 Corinthians 3:18. What are, or what does your countenance reflect today? I dare say that if you are honest with yourself, you like me could do a whole lot better.

We have been looking at one specific book identified in the Holy Bible as the Book of Life. It is my personal belief that every person who ever lived, is alive or will be alive is at birth recorded in that book. It is also my personal belief based on scripture that we have already reviewed that there are other books recorded and held in the archives of eternity that contain information about, many peoples, nations, tongues and kings; Revelation 10:11.

Just a brief peek at scripture has revealed this to us over the past week. Also just as there were many saints of the past who wrote books in time and were not placed in the canon of scripture we now have. The history of the times before and after the birth, death and resurrection of our Savior is rich with writings except that many are lost in time. Also the apostle John helps put this in perspective.

John 21:25 – and there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if these were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen! Now here is a rub! Do you suppose that all of the things that Jesus did on this earth for example; Creation, life, death, design, weather, color scheme, being born of a virgin, living sinless among sinners, healing the lame, rescuing the broken hearted and above all ascending back to heaven and all else is lost because of time? God has Deuteronomy 29:29 in the Bible for a reason, there is a lot to learn of about Jesus, we simply need to wait for eternity to “roll”.

No I do not believe that anything is lost because of time and one day soon God will be willing to open the books like the Father to His children. Whether these are pictures, stories or actual views of life then and now, for the saints of God (His children) it will be “joy unspeakable and full of Glory” and sadly for those who are lost it will be “sadness unspeakable and full misery”.

I hope and pray that this Memorial Day will be full of the joys and happiness’s of remembering those people in your life who served you and our nation. Some you will be able to pat on the back and say; “JOB WELL DONE” of course, others are written in the books of eternity. God Bless you all. I will be writing again on Tuesday unless the LORD has a better idea.