Wisdom, as the Bible uses the word (over 240 times), is simply the application of knowledge.
"Transformation occurs through faith in what the Word says about who we really are, seeing ourselves in our new nature in Jesus Christ," explains Jordan. “We have an identity in Christ in the spirit world that we can’t touch or feel, but it’s REAL.
"It’s the w-o-r-d-s of the Spirit on the physical pages of a Book that’s the connection. It’s my faith resting in those w-o-r-d-s in a Book that energizes my inner man. That’s the mechanics of it. That’s how it works! It’s just that simple!”
"Transformation occurs through faith in what the Word says about who we really are, seeing ourselves in our new nature in Jesus Christ," explains Jordan. “We have an identity in Christ in the spirit world that we can’t touch or feel, but it’s REAL.
"It’s the w-o-r-d-s of the Spirit on the physical pages of a Book that’s the connection. It’s my faith resting in those w-o-r-d-s in a Book that energizes my inner man. That’s the mechanics of it. That’s how it works! It’s just that simple!”
“If you talk to God about what’s on your mind, wouldn’t you like to hear what’s on His mind? So, how’s He going to talk to you?
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“Paul makes it clear that the exceeding great power of God’s Word is at work within us today in the most excellent display of God’s power," writes Bible teacher Keith Blades. "It's put on display in an unprecedented manner.
“This is because not only is God’s Word working within us able to do ‘exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think’ regarding the condition of our inner man, it is also able to do exceeding abundantly above all that Satan thinks he can do, as he works to show the capacity he still has to influence us in our inner man.
“That Satan desires to show that he is still able to affect our inner man, is something Paul makes clear throughout our epistles.”
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“Our culture today is totally dominated by the human viewpoints and philosophies of men,” says Jordan. “There’s a complete rejection of God’s Word and God’s truth.
“The Psalmist in Psalm 39 says that ‘man at his best state is altogether vanity.’ That means the best you’re ever going to do with your human thinking processes apart from the Word of God, and what God has to say, is going to be empty, futile and delusional.
“In Isaiah 55:8, God talks, saying, ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.’
“The 19th century English poet Matthew Arnold wrote, ‘What is the course of the life of mortal men on the earth? Most men eddy about here and there—eat and drink, chatter and love and hate, gather and squander, are raised aloft, are hurled in the dust, striving blindly, achieving nothing; and then they die.’
“That’s saying exactly what the wisest man in the Bible, King Solomon, says. I think the first two verses of Proverbs 18 are two of the most deadly verses in the Bible:
[1] Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.
[2] A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.
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[1] Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.
[2] A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.
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“Do you know the only logical thing to do as a Believer is to be who you are? It’s the only thing that makes any sense. You ever read that verse in II Timothy 2 where Paul talks about those ‘who oppose themselves’?
“Paul says, ‘And be not conformed to this world.’ Don’t let the world system be what controls the way you think. Don’t coast along, but be transformed.
“II Corinthians 3:18 says, [18] But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
“Sit down before God and say, ‘Lord, I’m going to cherish who you’ve made me. I want to live in light of who I am and not let the world decide what my life is about.'
“I hope you’re writing this down. This works, folks! All of a sudden, you don’t wonder what a profile of a mature believer would look like if He lived in my skin; you can make it yourself. If you’ll by faith take this plan, you know what you’ll find? You’ll find the joy that it produces.
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“Romans 12:12, which simply says, ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer,’ is really, in a lot of ways, one of those encapsulized Bible statements put in the middle of a passage that sort of gathers together a full description of the Christian life.
“Verse 12 is in the context of how we relate to other Believers. Verse 9 says, ‘Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.’
"In other words, the focus in our relationship with others is going to be on love. Let love be the real thing. Don’t ‘diss’ somebody when it comes to love. Be genuine.
"In other words, the focus in our relationship with others is going to be on love. Let love be the real thing. Don’t ‘diss’ somebody when it comes to love. Be genuine.
“When Paul says, ‘Let love be without dissimulation,’ that’s a negative way of saying a positive thing. He’s just saying, ‘Be real. Don’t put on a face.’ When you simulate something, you model it. If you ‘diss’ it, it’s a phony.
"Don’t be a phony; be real. I mean, take off the mask, and if you take off the mask, and you’re real, Paul says, ‘Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.’ ” You have a bent toward wanting what’s right in God’s eyes.
"Don’t be a phony; be real. I mean, take off the mask, and if you take off the mask, and you’re real, Paul says, ‘Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.’ ” You have a bent toward wanting what’s right in God’s eyes.
“One of the most wonderful things in the Christian life for me, and it’s kind of scary because it’s difficult and a lot of folks never get here, is the ability to take off the mask and be real. It’s the ability to hurt when you hurt and let other people know you hurt because they’ll hurt with you.
“It’s the ability to rejoice when you rejoice because other people, instead of being jealous, will rejoice with you. That’s what I Corinthians 13 talks about charity being.
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“I John 4 is very clear: ‘If God so loved us we ought to love one another.’ Your love for others HAS to be based upon an understanding of God’s love for you.
"The reason the world can never love their fellow man . . . you see the world thinks if they can get rid of the differences between people you can get rid of conflicts. Consequently, you have an egalitarian society where everything’s equal. We call it ‘multi-culturalism’ and all that kind of stuff.
"The reason the world can never love their fellow man . . . you see the world thinks if they can get rid of the differences between people you can get rid of conflicts. Consequently, you have an egalitarian society where everything’s equal. We call it ‘multi-culturalism’ and all that kind of stuff.
“The only way you get rid of conflict is to get rid of sin. The only way you deal with the sin issue is the Cross. The world thinks the Cross is foolishness so they reject the ONLY answer that’s really there.
“That’s why I’ve said to you for years that you can’t abandon the world you live in. If you want to have some impact and influence in the culture you live in, go out and preach the gospel, the truth of God’s grace, and get people saved and then they’ll know and understand how to love people. Otherwise they NEVER will!
“ ‘Abhorring evil and cleaving to that which is good’ is essential to love. Love doesn’t mean you just think everybody and everything’s the same. Love takes divine viewpoint and says, ‘This is good and that’s evil.’ God told Israel, ‘Woe to them that call good evil and evil good.’
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“You get to verse 12 and you’ve now got this dominant theme of love just kind of echoing in your mind. That’s why it’s essential, by the way, that you go back to verse 2 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
“Verse 12, under that banner of love, is, while I’m serving my brother and brethren, while I’m not being slothful in business, my attitude in it is I’m going to be rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation and I’m going to be instant in prayer.
“I’m going to be continually, constantly in prayer, all for the sake of loving others and loving our enemies as we ought. This is how Christ is designed to become visible and more real, and frankly more convincing to those who are about us. His life becomes a tangible reality.
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“II Corinthians talks about that living epistle; the epistle of Christ written in your heart and that life of Christ living our through you.
“You see, grace isn’t just a theology and what he’s saying here is, ‘This is the way you think through . . . that renewed mind thinks through how to deal with the issues of life.’
“Romans 5 says, ‘And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
[4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
[5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Tribulation ashamed.’
[4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
[5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Tribulation ashamed.’
“Our joy, hope, patience--they’re not found in freedom from trouble; they’re found in the midst of the difficulties.
“Tribulation works patience. So the tribulation has done its work. It’s taught you that there’s no other place to go but the truth of God’s Word. Patience is something that sustains you; keeps you there.
“Paul doesn’t just tolerate tribulation; he says God takes this tribulation and makes it serve you. First, you’re rejoicing in hope. It’s important to understand what the hope is.
"The verse is telling you your hope is based in hope. Hope is the rock in which joy is rooted. It’s the soil out of which the rejoicing comes. The ground of our hope and the goal of our hope are all in Christ.”
(I'm heading back home today after weekend letting my mom and brother baby me. Thanks to my taste buds returning (nothing to take for granted as you realize when you get a cold!) I could enjoy the steak my brother grilled last night. Also, he put a new Nissan-factory valve cover on my Altima and saved me hundreds of dollars. For my mom's part, she filled me up with belated Valentine's Day presents--everything from Tommy Hilfiger pajamas and top-of-the-line knit Dearfoam slippers to Kodiak buttermilk-vanilla toaster waffles, smoked mozzarella ball from Murray's Cheese Shop and Southern Pecan Pie. New article tomorrow.)
"The verse is telling you your hope is based in hope. Hope is the rock in which joy is rooted. It’s the soil out of which the rejoicing comes. The ground of our hope and the goal of our hope are all in Christ.”
(I'm heading back home today after weekend letting my mom and brother baby me. Thanks to my taste buds returning (nothing to take for granted as you realize when you get a cold!) I could enjoy the steak my brother grilled last night. Also, he put a new Nissan-factory valve cover on my Altima and saved me hundreds of dollars. For my mom's part, she filled me up with belated Valentine's Day presents--everything from Tommy Hilfiger pajamas and top-of-the-line knit Dearfoam slippers to Kodiak buttermilk-vanilla toaster waffles, smoked mozzarella ball from Murray's Cheese Shop and Southern Pecan Pie. New article tomorrow.)
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