Mockers and Fools vs Wisdom and Knowledge!

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Proverbs 14:1 NIV

A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them. Proverbs 14:3 NIV

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. Proverbs 14:6 NIV

Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips. Proverbs 14:7 NIV

Looking at The Word through Solomon’s insights, there really is no competition between the foolish and the wise. Wisdom trumps foolishness every time.

Wise people build–their houses with solid foundations that will endure the test of time and storms. Any foundation that is week and has not been properly shored up, will buckle and eventually cave in causing destruction to the whole house. And whenever there is a problem with the foundation, steps should be taken to make sure it stabilizes before it crumbles and falls.

The building principle is true of every aspect of our lives–we build relationships on solid foundations. We build careers on solid foundations and we build up our faith in God, on the solid foundation of The Word.

Pride speaks without thinking–not considering its ways or how what is said will affect the hearer. Pride doesn’t care and since pride doesn’t care–they are often revealed as fools. While the wise are careful to research and think before speaking, mindful that words carry impact and impact affects those who hear their words.

The mocker–those who mock others for whatever reason–seeks wisdom in all the wrong places and from the wrong people and therefore never obtain what he/she is seeking. But those who have knowledge and wisdom, easily discern what the fools never understand.

Solomon reveals the valuable lessons he’s learned throughout the Proverbs and carried over into Ecclesiastes–the wisdom he gained from God who gives liberally and from making mistakes in his disobedience. He learned that wisdom never leads anyone astray, but a fool–will also find himself lost, without direction, never knowing right from left or up from down–when to stay and when to quit–when to speak and when to be quiet.

With all that Solomon has to say about fools–and there is quite a bit–we, who read The Word with understanding, are without excuse in recognizing a fool when we see or hear one. And if we are wise, we know to stay away from fools for there is no knowledge or wisdom in them and all they do–is mock others–because they have no foundational substance in the make up of their character.

Now, we need to think–before making a decision about what we’ve read–and determine where we are in the greater scheme of things. Are we in the camp of the wise or the foolish?

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Plotting Against Builders!

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. Nehemiah 4:6-9 NIV

Through every life a little rain must fall and during the building process of almost anything, we run into Sanballats–who are determined to mock what we do and stir up trouble.

I can imagine that anyone who has been the founder of anything has run into the same problem the determined Jews faced while they were trying to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem.

They had their share of mockers and scorners–just as people do today. Plotters–the ones who simply cannot stand to see success that they did not create and since they did nothing to promote the success, they do everything in their power to tear it down. They keep people stirred up with blatant lies and half truths (still whole lies), angry that they are not getting what they want out of life and are determined to hinder the success of those around them.

I’ve known of a couple of these types throughout the years–whenever I’ve been involved with “building” just about anything. The first non-profit organization I established as a teen-ager in high school was mocked by those who didn’t understand the vision and when it succeeded without them, they stirred up trouble. There was a clique that didn’t want me to receive any recognition for the establishment of the organization, but the teachers who sponsored it for me made sure that all was the way it was supposed to be. And long after I left the school, the organization thrived.

Let’s face it. Some people are builders and some are plotters against building. The builders spend their time planning and doing, organizing what must be done and making sure things are done. The plotters–those who simply sit around gawking, laughing and making fun of those actually working–are the naysayers–always finding fault with those who are only interested in getting the job done.

The one sure way, builders can move plotters out of their way is by prayer. We know what God has put in our hearts to do and no matter what the plotters do, God’s plans will succeed. When we pray and believe that we are doing what God desires us to do, the plotters don’t have a chance. Unfortunately, some of them won’t realize that until they suffer the same fate as those of old–total humiliation when they cannot stop God.

Whatever God has called upon us to do–when we diligently work to please Him, we are guaranteed success and the building continues–in the face of the naysayers.

Remember this–the Philistines laughed at David, but David prevailed against the giant. Joseph’s brothers laughed at him and sold him into slavery, but he still rose to a position of authority. They mocked Jesus–and said, “he’s nothing but a carpenter” and He continued to raise the dead and heal the sick and is now Lord of Lords.

Don’t let the mockery of the plotters stop you from building whatever it is that God has placed in your heart. Pray, Work and Achieve–exposing the plotters for who they are.

Who The Smart Ones Are!

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” (I Corinthians 1:18,19 NIV)

Paul understood how those who “did not understand” the salvation message relied upon their “intellect” to scorn and mock those who received the message of salvation with gladness. While the scoffers laughed and called people who believed the message foolish, and those who preached the gospel, “foolish and unlearned”, those receiving the message and those preaching the message knew who was truly wise.

In the 21st Century, the scoffers are still with us, thinking that they are more intelligent that those preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and those receiving the message with joy! Some things just never change. The scoffers are those who openly refute God’s existence and certainly the idea of a virgin birth and mock those of us who receive and believe. They can be found all over the Internet. Wherever a Believer is found glorifying God, a scorner can be found mocking them. If they are so intelligent, why don’t they have something more intellectual to do with their time other than seeking us to mock us? That doesn’t really sound like a smart use of time.

We who promote the gospel understand the importance of sharing the Good News while we have an opportunity to do so because time is winding down for all. For those of us who believe–we are not concerned for ourselves, but for others who have yet had opportunity to hear and receive Truth. For those who mock and scorn us–they have made their decision and their end has already been determined. There is nothing we can for those who persistently defy God.

When we have a relationship with God, we have access to Him directly to receive all the wisdom He has to offer and we have no need to depend on “man’s wisdom” that is contrived for their own purposes. We know who we are and another–who does not know God–we will not believe. For those who perish as  scorners and mockers they will have an eternity that we shall never know. For those who leave this realm to spend eternity with the Most High, we have no need to fear our end, but to look forward to it. Hallelujah!

Every day we are awakened, we are given another opportunity to share the Good News with others. We are the ambassadors for Christ, spreading the salvation message so all will have the same opportunity for eternity in Heaven as we do. Let’s do the “smart” thing. Let’s live our responsibility to The Lord today and with great joy, share His love.

 

Called For a Purpose!

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV).

I have probably used this verse of scripture in a previous post, but I’m moving in another direction–hopefully–from the one used.

When God “calls us” into His service, we are called to fulfill His purposes–not our own.  And when we acknowledge that call, enter into His service to fulfill His purposes, everything we do–works for our good. Now, the opposite of what was just stated is also true. If He did not call us or we do not fulfill His purposes, then nothing we do works out well. We can say we love God from daybreak until sunset, pray without ceasing, and if we never venture forth to do what He has called us to do, we are wasting our time.

Some people are called into service for God by other people–their mothers, their fathers, their pastors, or even their own greed to be seen or to pimp a pulpit. First of all, a call to serve God by Him–does not mean a person should be standing in a pulpit preaching the Gospel–especially when they are not equipped to do so. “Who God calls, He qualifies and equips to get the job done.” When I see foolishness reign in a church, I question the call of God on the life of the leadership because I see no evidence of God being involved. How do I know God is not involved?

Through Holy Spirit, God anoints and appoints those He desires to use. Holy Spirit leads and guides us into doing all things according to The Word of God, not our feelings or current trends or popular belief. When the leadership cannot read the Word, has no clue as to what The Word means, and has never attempted “to study to show themselves approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed,” then I know God is not involved. God is true to His Word and it is man (or woman) that makes a mockery of God’s callings by trying to be something they were never intended to be!

Will those who counterfeit God’s calling have a measure of success? Usually, they do–a manufactured success that once exposed, falls apart as quickly as it was contrived. How quick is quick? God determines time and with Him–one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day–but it will come and all will see who contrived their calling.

We can fool people–sometimes, but we can never fool God. Little by little, things begin to be exposed–mismanagement of money, abuse of position and authority, scandal of all types and magnitudes, prophe-lying prophets who can’t predict the next rain, let alone what God is going to do for someone. If they really knew what God was going to do, they would run and hide out of fear of being exposed and experiencing God’s wrath. Church dwellings become more like the night-clubs and the praise-dancers are more pole dancers without the pole–the seductive moves are the same as being on the pole. The elder women in the churches don’t bother to teach the younger women anything because the younger women don’t want to learn anything. The young women act like they are on the street in a club more than they act like they are in a church. When people can be heard cussing, found in hidden niches of the building making out and doing all manner of evil–in the church–I know God is not involved. Where the Spirit of the Lord is–we would be too afraid to do such things.

God’s callings and gifts are without repentance–He does not take them back even when we abuse or misuse them, but we open the door for Satan to reign when we do. God’s purpose in calling us into service for Him is for Him to be glorified and for us to be blessed so we are a blessing to others.

Know your calling and God’s purpose for using you and do all to His glory. Magnify the Lord in all you do so no shame is ever felt and watch God work out all things for your good!

Father, in the name of Jesus, if we have not acknowledged our calling from You or understand Your purpose in calling us–reveal it to us and give us wisdom in all things so we will glorify You.