Proverbs 24:3 "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:"
Proverbs 24:4 "And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches."
An empire of dirt will come to ruin and a house without a foundation will fall. To accummulate real wealth and riches, grow in faith, and increase your learning, wisdom and understanding in GOD's Word.
Proverbs 4:5 "Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth."
Proverbs 4:6 "Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee."
Proverbs 4:7 "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding."
Wisdom is the understanding of spiritual truths in GOD's WORD. Prudence is the ability to apply that wisdom from your FATHER, as well as spiritual discernment, which is a higher level of common sense, in your life. Get wisdom first, but don't just stop at hearing it. Apply the Word in your thoughts, words and actions, and GOD's wisdom will bring to pass the understanding in your mind and heart. If you plan to acquire, or get, true riches and substance, get wisdom and understanding first.
1 Timothy 3:15 "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of GOD, which is the church of the living GOD, the pillar and ground of the truth."
The LORD is our Rock, our Fortress, and our Deliverer. Ground yourself in the Living Word, in the truth. People who aren't grounded in truth will start making up their own rules and end up following the precepts/rules of men. A bag of untruths, or lies, is a lot of weight to be carrying around in life.
Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to GOD must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
You must put GOD first in your life by loving, serving and pleasing Him, and through living a Christ-centered life. GOD has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. You must make yourself foolish, in order to become wise. Forget what you think you know. A child's mind is open; an indoctrinated mind is closed. Unlike indoctrination, faith has no burden. Humble yourself as a little child and absorb the real Word, verse by verse, with understanding (Matt 18-3-4).
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Faith is trustworthiness, lived and established in truth, being captivated by GOD the Father and the Lord Jesus CHRIST. It will take work and effort, on your part, to diligently seek our FATHER for wisdom and understanding in His Word.
Romans 8:5 "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit."
Romans 8:6 "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."
Get out of the carnal mindset, the default setting of the self-man, and get into the Word. Build up a spiritual library of the Word of GOD in your mind and engrave it in your heart.
You must focus on the spiritual things and not rest your entire reason and understanding on carnal knowledge and the material world. Your understanding of yourself, as well as others, should not rest on outer appearances or so-called status, or postions, in the world.
If you were to sell out to the devil, the world and all the ungodly and carnal, would cheer you on. Spiritually, they're dead and the only things that they see are temporal pleasures, fame, fortune and recognition from men. The world is backwards. Choose your friends wisely. Show me a man's friends and I tell you about the man. You are what you eat and you share a table with friends. You'll feel unvalued around those that don't seek GOD, because they place all of their emphasis on the things which can be seen, the material world. So yoke yourself with others who seek righteousness, value godliness and live the Word.
Jesus was always pointing out the hypocrisies and backwardness of men and their traditions. As a Christian, you'll see the same things in this world. And if you don't see, perhaps, it's time to reconsider how much leaven you've allowed into your mind and heart. A hypocrite sees himself backwards or in a reflection. He sees and judges others the things that he won't see in himself, meaning what he sees is his own image projected onto others.
Be bold as a Christman and never be ashamed of Jesus Christ. Strike the balance, which can only be done by the grace of GOD, and help through the Holy Spirit, in being wise as a serpent, yet peaceful as a dove. Be a true swordsman with the two-edged Sword, the Word of GOD. It should be your weapon of choice, because there is no weapon sharper and stronger than the WORD. Protect your credibility; cast not your pearls to swine.
John 7:24 "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."
Discern situations and others based on the Word of GOD. If it's sin, recognize if for what it is, wickedness, and you're not judging. If you're passing judgment based on false evidence; assumptions; hypocritical views; outward appearance; jealousy; spite; etc, then you're being judgmental. Judge righteous judgment, not superficial judgment. You don't condone other people's sins and abominations. Judging others based on self-righteousness is wrong; but opposing sin is right, because you must draw the line between light and darkness. Judge not after the flesh, for it a symptom of double-mindedness and hypocrisy.
John 8:15 "Ye judge after the flesh; I [Christ] judge no man."
John 8:16 "And yet if I judge, My judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the FATHER that sent Me."
John 8:17 "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true."
John 8:18 "I am one that bear witness of Myself, and the FATHER that sent Me beareth witness of Me."
Peace in CHRIST JESUS,
Spread-the-Truth
Mr baptist.
