*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE FIRE MUST NOT DIE! (4)* *Scripture Treasure.* 1 Sam 3: 1-4 *And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.* *And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;* *And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;* *That t

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE FIRE MUST NOT DIE! (3)* *Scripture Treasure.* Daniel 3:19-27: *Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.* *And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.* *T

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE FIRE MUST NOT DIE! (2)* *Scripture Treasure.* 1 Kgs 18:24 *And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.* *Insight and Highlight.* God's fire over the righteous is holy fire. His fire on His adversaries is a consuming fire. *Scripture Commentaries.* Elijah's encounter on Mount Carmel with the four hundred and fi

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE FIRE MUST NOT DIE!* *Scripture Treasure.* Exodus 27:20-21 *And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.* *In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the Lord: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *GOD'S PRESENCE (5).* *Scripture Treasure.* Psalm 46:1 *God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.* *Insight and Highlight.* God is a very present help in trouble. He is present not passive. He is not without help, active response and resistance in your time of trouble. *Scripture Commentaries.* While God does not wish us trouble, the sinful world will create problem because it is in rebellion against God. Jesus told us in Matt 6:34 of

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *GOD'S PRESENCE (4).* *Scripture Treasure.* Psalm 46:1 *God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.* *Insight and Highlight.* Not everyone finds God's presence in their times of distress *Scripture Commentaries.* While the wicked in their abomination can drive God's active intervention away, the righteous often experience God's inactivity in times of trouble. This is the focus as we look at why God often restrains Himself in the time of

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *GOD'S PRESENCE (3).* *Scripture Treasure.* Psalm 46:1 *God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.* *Insight and Highlight.* God will not hear the prayers of the sinner. *Scripture Commentaries.* Yesterday, we looked at how and why God would restrain His providential care in the midst of our troubles. In answering this, we gave answers under the first of two illustrations. First is that God restrains His providential care when He remai

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *GOD'S PRESENCE (2).* *Scripture Treasure.* Psalm 46:1 *God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.* *Insight and Highlight.* God is ever present but may not actively participate or mediate in times of trouble. *Scripture Commentaries.* While God is never absent in the goings in this world, He reserves His choice to not respond to all troubles. Though He sees, actively watches and knowledgeable of any ongoing distresses, He may choose t

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *GOD'S PRESENCE.* *Scripture Treasure.* Psalm 46:1 *God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.* *Insight and Highlight.* God gives us the inalienable rights to His presence in our difficult times. *Scripture Commentaries.* The psalmist tells us that having God's presence in our time of trouble is a Kingdom right not a privilege. This not just because of God's sovereignty but because His presence abides. Few things teach us this. First

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *A DAY AT A TIME.* *Scripture Treasure.* Matt 6:34 *Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.* *Insight and Highlight.* While we prepare for our tomorrow, God warns us not to carry our worries along. *Scripture Commentaries.* Jesus warns us that we should not worry over what we can not control. This is an admonition to rather pray than the anxious. Ever

*WISDOM FOR TODAY* *THE POWER OF THE TRUTH (9).* *Scripture Treasure.* Mark 6:16-29 *But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.* *For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.* *For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.* *Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would h

*WISDOM FOR TODAY* *THE POWER OF THE TRUTH (8).* *Scripture Treasure.* Judges 16: 13, 16-21. v13  *And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.* v16 *And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;* v17 *That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, T

*WISDOM FOR TODAY* *THE POWER OF THE TRUTH (7).* *Scripture Treasure.* Prov 14:12 *There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.* *Insight and Highlight.* What is right may not be the truth. *Scripture Commentaries.* Prov 14:12 teaches us about the difference between 'what is right' or 'what seems right' and 'what is true' or 'what is the truth'. In most conversations, we reply 'right' to what we know is true. So 'right' and 'truth'

*WISDOM FOR TODAY* *THE POWER OF THE TRUTH (6).* *Scripture Treasure.* Prov 29:12  *If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.* *Insight and Highlight.* If you listen and hearken to lies, you are a liar! *Scripture Commentaries.* Humans or children of men became wicked because the first family, Adam and Eve, listened to a lie. Rom 3:23 says *For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;* As Adam and Eve fell short of God's perfect standard and missed

*WISDOM FOR TODAY* *THE POWER OF THE TRUTH (5).* *Scripture Treasure.* Prov 29:12  *If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.* *Insight and Highlight.* Righteousness exalts, lies destroy. *Scripture Commentaries.* Proverbs tell us here that what a leader listens to and do will determine the kind of people that follow him. So also is the attitude of those who follow a leader will be a reflection of what they hear and do. In other words, a leader who hearken to r

*WISDOM FOR TODAY* *THE POWER OF THE TRUTH (4).* *Scripture Treasure.* Gen 3;1-7 *Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?* *And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:* *But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye

*WISDOM FOR TODAY* *THE POWER OF THE TRUTH (3).* *Scripture Treasure.* Proverbs 12:19 *The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.* *Insight and Highlight.* People can live lives of lies *Scripture Treasure.* In Jesus, truth has an identity. Jesus says we have to know it. When you know the truth, you will discern a lie. Knowing the truth is highly recommended by Jesus. This is why He said, *".....ye shall know the truth,...."* When

*WISDOM FOR TODAY* *THE POWER OF THE TRUTH (2).* *Scripture Treasure.* John 8:32 *And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.* *Insight and Highlight.* Being set free is not being made free. *Scripture Commentaries.* In the world of today, the truth can set you free but only Jesus can make free. For example a prisoner, can be released or set free having fully satisfied his terms of imprisonment. He is 'set free' and absolved from the crimes he had committe

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE POWER OF THE TRUTH.* *Scripture Treasure.* John 8:32 *And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.* *Insight and Highlight.* Truth is absolute! *Scripture Commentaries.* Jesus teaches us that the only way to freedom is saying and knowing the truth. The world has become chaotic because almost everyone has his definition of what truth is. Whatever works for people becomes their truth about success and life. In this world, the abundanc

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *DO NOT GIVE ROOM TO SATAN.(7)* *Scripture Treasure.* Rev 3:20 *Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.* *Insight and Highlight.* There is a strong call for everyone to keep guard over the door of their hearts. *Scripture Commentaries.* Jesus' word that He *".... stands at the door and knock....."* and God's word to Cain that *".....sin lieth at the