Author Archive: Pastor Mark

Name Lord Tower

The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower

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Throughout this most excellent chapter of Proverbial statements are some which require a bit of a deeper dive.

These include the meaning behind the use of the phrase “the name of the Lord” and warnings against isolationism. That fools take pleasure only in their own opinions. The need to fully hear a matter before answering and the power of a strong human spirit causing one to gain victory over sickness of body and soul.

These are just a sampling, but there is much depth of understanding in these words.

I hope this teaching regarding them will be a blessing to you!

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Target Testimony

The Targets of our Testimony

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Being in God’s Kingdom has both privileges and responsibilities. Many of Jesus’ parables were about our stewardship over these responsibilities.

First and primary among these regard our fellow Christians. This is not a secondary issue but a primary one!

Secondarily is our testimony before the world.

We are NOT here to feed only, but to be trained and equipped for kingdom work. It IS important that we mature spiritually, but the deception of the enemy is to believe that we are growing in Christ’s likeness when we never engage in Kingdom work.

Our coming together for encouragement, instruction, community and impartation and reception of grace through one another is to have the ultimate effect of maturing us into Christ’s image and mobilizing us in kingdom work!

The difference between the way this is typically encouraged in churches today and what I am calling on you to do are two major points.

1. I want you to invite them to Christ – NOT church.
2. I want those who follow you here, to have already met Christ!

Don’t bring them to church to have the pastor or others do you evangelistic work FOR you. You win the lost and they will follow you to where you get fed.

All of this can be accomplished by programs and pressure from your church or pastor, but what it produces are altars built to God, hewn by human tools.

The only way Christianity really works, is when it is real, living and an automatic overflow of your own walk with and hunger for God!

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Fathers children glory

The Glory of Children is their Father

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Proverbs 17 has so far been one of the most straightforward proverbs we have covered yet. Though it possesses much in terms of practical wisdom for virtually any life, most of these proverbial statements stand alone and are easily understood with very little need for additional commentary or explanation.

Topics addressed include:
• Family
• Friends
• Servants
• The soul
• Counsel
• Rulers
• Fools
• Wicked
• Righteous
• Discernment
• Speech and how you use it
• Money
• Judgment and justice

In the end, the only ones who stand to get nothing out of this chapter are those who are undiscerning and foolish.

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Your Testimony

The word of Your Testimony

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Today we wrapped up Paul’s letter to the Colossians which springboarded us into a study on living out the great commission.

As you know I am beginning to really press you about going out and doing the work of the Kingdom!

We all have a sphere of influence and authority and it is IN that sphere that we are commanded to be lights and salt to the world. 

In order to be lights and salt requires that we FIRST have been and are continuing to be transformed into Christ’s likeness. Our daily encounters with Christ produces a transformed life which is itself a witness and it creates a platform upon which we extend to the world a life line into God’s kingdom!

James tells us that true worship of God is seen in control over your mouth and in extending yourself to those in need – offering orphans and widows as his token examples.

So this was the point upon which our teaching this week is pressing.

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Way right man

There’s a way that seems right to a man

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Translating and interpreting a text can sometimes present real challenges. We can be grateful that our knowledge of ancient Hebrew is as developed and robust as it is!

Even still there are some passages which require further investigation beyond even a good translation. This is largely due to ways of speech, idioms and things which were particular to an ancient culture.

This is even true today both between languages and even within a single language due to time.

In Germany they have a phrase that says, “You have tomatoes on your eyes.”

What it means is that “You are not seeing with your physical eyes what everyone else can see.”

Even within the English language both the meaning of words and their spellings have changed. In the 1600’s the word “cute” actually meant bowleggaged. So you can see how this might lead to misunderstanding!

All that said, Proverbs 16 offers some interesting statements that need further consideration. However, a good working knowledge of scripture helps eliminate certain options and steers you towards the meaning originally intended by the author – in this case King Solomon!

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