Mattew 5:5

Can anything better be said of someone than that he or she is faithful? Such faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). When the Spirit enables us to be faithful to our God, we please and glorify Him. Another fruit of binding in Christ is meekness, and the Greek word gives of the idea of power on a leash. It is the picture of a horse who has come under the control of his master and then can be ridden. Finally, we come to self-control. Only the Spirit can help us here... as Paul tells us in Romans 7
:19 - "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do". Like all the fruits, self control is the results of the Holy Spirit's life within us. When we come to know Christ as our personal Savior, the Father sends the Holy Spirit not only to seal us, indwell us, and fill us, but also to produce fruit through us. 


Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control are fruits that are exhibited by a person who is well rooted and grounded in God's Word and who is obedient to His commands. 

Questions to be answered

1. Am I Faithful to God's Word
2. Am I Meek
3. Do I have Self-Control

We must abide in Christ and come under His control if we are ever to be able to answer 'yes' to this questions. 

Exodus 31:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
 2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
 3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
 4 To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
 5 And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. 

As we come to chapter 31 in the book of Exodus the Lord speaks to Moses. The Lord is assuring Moses, He is comforting Moses, and He is lifting a burden from Moses. It is evident from the life of Moses he wasn't a stone mason or was he a woodworker yet he knew stones would have to be cut and wood must be carved for the Tabernacle. This could've been a very troubling time for Moses seeing his inability and becoming overwhelmed with task at hand. 

There are many today who feel the same way... they are examining the task at hand and have come to the conclusion that they simply do not possess the ability to accomplish what the Lord has ask of them. It is in these times we can become discouraged and disengaged for the work. I have experienced this in my own life. As the Lord task me to lead the people of Tabernacle Baptist Church into a building project it became very evident I was in way over my head. I had never been in a building project, I had never led a congregation through a project this extensive... yet I knew this is exactly what God had task me with. Needless to say I could never accomplish this alone so I begin to ask God for wisdom and to surround me with people who had the knowledge, skill, and the heart for His work. What began as an overwhelming and sometimes discouraging task has now become a confident joy. The Lord placed people at the right time and with the right skills. 

God supplied Moses with the men he needed to complete the task. Notice in verse 2... I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship. 

filled =  with abundance or to consecrate (here the Lord has chosen a man specifically for this task)
wisdom = skill, shrewdness, prudence
understanding = intelligence, insight, skill
knowledge = perception or discernment 
workmanship = occupation, religious, political, public

Moses needed help and God gave him people to help. God didn't send men to stand in the presence of Moses but God sent chosen men who were able and willing. Men who had had the skills to achieve and accomplish the task. We have not been ask to build the Tabernacle with all its accessories but when God gives me and you a work it is just as important as building the Tabernacle. When you are faced with overwhelming task instead of allowing the task to crush you under the weight of its enormity just ask God to give you the helpers. No one can make it alone. 

Proverbs 4:19-24

19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. 20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 
Verse 19 reveals to us the truth of the wicked man’s way. The wicked man lives as if he is in total control of his life but the text pulls back the coverings of his life and shines a light on his reality. 
stumble = to cause to stumble, bring injury or ruin to, overthrow 1c2) to make feeble, make weak 
The wicked man is living a life of calamity and eventual destruction. They live in this world’s grasp without really knowing the true joy of Jesus. 
Verses 20-22 implores us to retain, remember, or to never forget the words of wisdom. Just as the darkness brings destruction to the wicked man, wisdom brings life. 

Verse 20
Attend = be attentive, hearken, pay attention
Incline =  to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, incline, bend, bow, to turn aside
These are words expressing the necessity for hearing and retaining wisdom… 
Here in verse 23 we are instructed to fortify our lives with wisdom. 
Keep = to guard, to blockade, preserve, garrison
Diligence = place of confinement, prison, guard, jail, guard post, watch, observance 1a) jail, prison, guard-house 1b) guard, guard post, act of guarding

We are instructed here to guard thy heart… this has a very practical meaning. when we hear wisdom we should then keep it, or guard it. In simple terms it means to do what ever necessary that so that wisdom can guide your life. 
This will not be an uncontended task… the world will attempt to counterfeit and deceive you to think there is a better way or a new way. Younger generations are more easily persuaded in change. This is why it is so important to know your Bible… It is absolute truth. 

Keep thy heart with all DILIGENCE… when you get truth and wisdom lock it away so the world can never dilute the truth you live by, 
Vinegar straight out of the bottle can be very difficult to drink but when you add water and honey you can tolerate it… that is exactly what the world is attempting to do… add a little here and a litter there… to make you think God’s Word is impossible to live by unless you add a little of the world’s excitement to it.. or add a little of the world’s tolerance there… the world is attempting to dilute God’s Word.. 
The word diligence has the meaning of locking away or put in prison. When in prison a person has no influence from the outside world. That is the very idea… Don’t allow the world to have an influence in your life. 

Psalms 62:6-8
6 He only [is] my rock and my salvation: [he is] my defence; I shall not be moved. 7 In God [is] my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, [and] my refuge, [is] in God. 8 Trust in him at all times; [ye] people, pour out your heart before him: God [is] a refuge for us. Selah.

Verse 6   Defense = security, stronghold... has the picture of a parent lifting a child above the ocean waves. 

Verse 7 Refuge = shelter, safety, protection. Picture of a child running to hide behind the parent. The child is frightened till it has safely found refuge behind the parent. 

Verse 8   Trust = confidence, feel safe, to be careless. The picture here is you don’t have to be on guard when you are trusting in the Lord. You can allow yourself to let down your guard knowing you are protected.

Verse 10 tells us that "if sinners entice thee, consent thou not." 

The word Entice means "to be simple, deceive, persuade, be naive, or seduce. We are given a heads up on the tactics of the enemy. They will attempt to seduce or persuade you. Thats exactly what satan did in the garden when he spoke to Eve. He deceived her, he seduced her and caused her to act against God's Word. 

But we do have weapons or tools to combat the enemies attack. Notice, this same verse tell us to "consent thou not." 

The word consent means to be willing, to yield to, to accept, or to desire. Here God's Word gives us wisdom to defend ourselves. We are told not to accept, not to be willing, or not to desire the enticements offered by the world. 

The old saying is misery loves company... Let's listen to God's wisdom and let misery be lonely. 

November 22, 2013 - Friday Morning



God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.2  We ... have access by one Spirit unto the Father.3 


O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.4 


The Spirit ... helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.5  This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.6  When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.7 



Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication.8 

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1Jud 1:20; 2Joh 4:24; 3Eph 2:18; 4Mat 26:39; 5Rom 8:26,27; 61Jo 5:14; 7Joh 16:13; 8Eph 6:18

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