#theproverbsproject

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The Proverbs Project showcase at The Rooster Gallery.

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"Work Hard, Stay Humble" Proverbs 10:4

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“For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags” - Proverbs 23:21 The Bible goes into clear detail regarding the repercussions that accompany gluttony; be it an over indulging of food and wine, or greed for material wealth. By taking in excessive amounts of unhealthy foods and alcohol, this choice results in laziness, poverty and shame to others (Prov. 28:7). Think about it. How does a person usually feel after partaking in a buffet with three to five full plates? What about a night out at the bar and becoming so inebriated that the next day hangover is, to say the least, unbearable? Let’s not even discuss the amount of money that was spent on the alcoholic beverages; resulting in an empty bank account. Ephesians 5:18 states, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit”. The word “dissipation” itself means “a descent into drunkenness” and “the squandering of money, energy or resources”. As Christians, when we made the decision to accept Jesus as our Savior, God sealed the deal by giving us the Holy Spirit on that very day (Eph. 4:30). Our body then became the Holy Spirit’s dwelling place and we are instructed to glorify God by treating it like a temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20). We cannot expect Him to live in us and effectively do a good work from the inside out if we block His voice with over indulgence of food, alcohol, drugs, sexual immortality and/or greed (to name a few). When we do this, the Word describes this behavior as stubborn and rebellious because we are not obeying our Fathers commands (Deut. 21:20).

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  Proverbs 25:28

"Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control."

We all know that moment. You’re having a conversation with your spouse, friend or co-worker and that person says something that suddenly hits you from left field...and I don't mean a friendly remark. An expression comes over you as if a skunk just sprayed you in the face, your blood pressure sky rockets, and it takes every fiber of your being not to unload a wave of wrath on that person. It could have been a lengthy comment or a simple word, but now you are physically looking at the person and your senses have become set to "fight" mode.

Pause here…

That sneak attack was not from your spouse, friend or co-worker. That personal blow was from Satan and, like a game of chess, the enemy is setting up for the "check mate". Ephesians 6:12 clearly address who it is that we are struggling against saying, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms". And if you haven't noticed, the enemy will use whomever He pleases to administer that personal blow to your spirit (husband, wife, family, close friends, etc.). When we unleash our anger back at that person, as Proverbs 25:28 mentions, our walls get broken in and we lose our self-control. This results in a loss of power that He has so rightfully given us as a son and daughter of the most High God; "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV). Did you catch it?? We have POWER over all situations and the SELF-CONTROL to deal with that problem with LOVE. But we must stay plugged into The Word in order to stay connected to our power source!

When a situation like this arises, take a second, minute or however long it takes to reflect on the greater picture. 1 Peter 5:8 states, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour". Don't use your earthly eyes when facing the person that just pushed the wrong button, but use your spiritual eyes and see who the TRUE adversary is that you’re standing against; Satan, whose very name means "adversary". Instead of giving he or she a piece of your now angered mind, reach for your own Sword of the Spirit, that special bible verse you can meditate on day and night, and cut Satan down in his tracks! Will it be easy...absolutely not! But when you respond to that person's words with love, gentleness and self-control, then YOU retain your God given power and your spiritual eyes will see Satan's plan defeated when that person doesn't know how to react to your controlled, love filled actions...rendering the enemy powerless!

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Proverbs 30:6

(Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.)

I have come across a mixture of explanations from a lot of people who are true to Gods word but this makes me wonder about the negative feedback that is being isolated by our fleshy desires apart from God, We are created to be amazing, fearful and wonderful (Psalm 138:14) and we know that truly what God creates is good and perfect.

We all have our gifts, which are from God they make us appreciate and be grateful to God for his presence, we are intelligent YES, this however is no invitation to interpret the word of God in our own self-intelligence but through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This should be a clear indication that the word of God is complete and needs no altering from humans. We have the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17), let us not enhance our own opinions to the TRUE word of God.

The freedom that we have is alone the power God has given us to be unique and extraordinary in our identity in Christ Jesus, Thus there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1) but God seeks righteousness from his people, We should always be producing fruits of the spirit and not those of the flesh, regardless what we think is correct the true fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

The true word of God is connected and complete. But the flesh is weak and seeks its own fulfillment and glories however the spirit is willing (Matthew 26:41). We cannot be gods just because we have a little knowledge of this world, we are always increasing in knowledge reason we should test everything and reject every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).

Let us continue in the hope of HIS GLORY and not ours, surrender to self and walk in Gods guidance, not the flesh. Produce the fruits of the spirit and do not add to his word but walk in truth(Gods word).

(Luke 9:23-25) Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross DAILY and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

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Proverbs 31:9

"Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Two areas of duty, as followers and believers of Christ, that should be emphasized from this passage are helping the less fortunate and lost souls.

First, when God has blessed us and we are to be able to give more than the 10% of our earnings in tithes (Gen. 28:22), then there should be no doubt to give to those who may not be in the same financial standing. The Word says, upon the return of the Son of Man, He will divide all nations one from another and judge them based on their willingness to give to the less fortunate; "Assuredly, I say to you, in as much as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (Read Matt. 25:31-46). So, instead of purchasing the latest in fashion trends or electronic devices and turning a blind eye to the less fortunate, why not try donating to a local clothing bank or purchase groceries for that fellow church member who may be struggling to make ends meet with their family.

Secondly, as "Christians", why are we so quick to look down on others who do not know the Lord or may lack spiritual knowledge? We are quick to pass judgement when a man enters the church looking tattered, has multiple piercings and wreaks of alcohol. Or we look sideways at the young lady wearing a mini skirt and a tight blouse. We are not willing to share our own testimony on how Christ freed us from our bondage, and then have the audacity to judge them further when he or she backslides into their old ways. The Word talks about how the Pharisees asked why Jesus ate with the tax collectors and sinners. Jesus replied, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick" (Matt. 9:12). Don't expect to increase His kingdom when we are more willing to gossip in the church instead of providing counsel. "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors, there is safety" (Prov.11: 14). Your testimony may be the light for that person who is seconds away from taking his or her own life...so let it shine and share The Good News!!!

Let's make more effort to sow The Word (Mark 4:14) instead of passing judgement, counsel those who desire a relationship with The Lord, and give back to those less fortunate; "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7).

  God Bless!

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“Make plans by seeking advice, if you wage war, obtain guidance.” Proverbs 20: 18

Where God guides, He provides.

Proverbs 20: 24, warns us that an individual’s steps are ordered by God, therefore, how can he/she understand their own way?

So make plans by seeking advice, if you are to build your life. That is, provide instructions for yourself and your important and urgent relationships, because these instructions will provide guidance when you work on the development of your ambitions.

Involve God when writing the instructions of your life at all times. It is through the power of God that enables one to achieve their ambitions anyway.

And this is why:  All the achievements of man in the world, required them to be attached to their ambitions; to be willing to endure; to have expectation; and to be loyal to their ambitions. In essence, all of man’s achievements required them to believe in the spirit in them; and man’s spirit is the voice of God in them. Genesis 1: 26, tells us that God made mankind in his image and likeness, and He made them to have complete authority over the earth. Therefore, the spirit that we have in us contains our ambitions – in order to be fruitful, to multiply, and have dominion over the earth’s resources.

If these ambitions are not provided with instructions/advice, they become feeble, corrupted, and destroyed. That is, if your spirit is not connected to the [correct] source of developing your ambitions, you perish. 

Let us develop our ambitions with the word of God, because His Word is profitable for instruction, for reproof, for correcting, and for teaching in the knowledge of our skills and relationships, II Timothy 3: 16-17.

So therefore, make plans by seeking advice, let God guide your life, because he always provides. He says he will never leave us nor forsake us, Joshua 1: 5.