For three chapters in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus speaks to a crowd from a mountain. We know this as the Sermon on the Mount, and a huge group of people hear Jesus speak about many different things. He speaks about who is really blessed, and he explains how to pray, and He delves into issues regarding how to deal with people and the whole focus of life changes from focus on self to focus upon Jesus Christ. The whole multitude has listened to Jesus, hanging on His every word, and Jesus concludes this sermon with an illustration. Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
   The whole thought that Jesus  closes with is that all of the previous things He has said are a foundation for life. Each aspect of teaching that has been brought out to the people if obeyed is a great foundation for life. In order to be a wise man (or woman) you simply obey the sayings of Jesus. Jesus compares heeding His words to a man who builds a house on a rock. Jesus says that no good contractor is going to build his house on sand, because the house will crumble in the first windstorm. The same is true in our life. If we have built our foundation on the things of earth, on our own laurels, on the temporal, then our house will crumble.
   All of our lives should be on the Rock. We know that the Rock is Christ (I Peter 2:6). We need to have our foundation placed upon Him. When we trust Christ as Saviour, we move our house from the sand to the Rock.
   Whenever I read this passage I think of a old popular hymn. In that hymn it speaks of our whole lives are secure in Christ. That Jesus is the Rock, and upon Him can we stand. It is only by the power of Jesus Christ that our houses can be built upon His foundation, the Rock. Our hope is indeed built on nothing less than His blood and righteousness. The chorus to that hymn was penned by Edward Mote and he wrote this:
                                    " On Christ, the solid rock I stand;
                                       All other ground is sinking sand,
                                       All other ground is sinking sand."

   The last section in Proverbs 1 shows a different side of wisdom. There are those who ignore wisdom, they pay no attention and they do the opposite of wisdom's instruction. True wisdom, and of course God's wisdom, never intends to hurt, but to help. Sometimes we wish we could do something even though it is sin, but we must remember that it is for our good. in v26 we see that wisdom laughs, this seems like God laughs at the misfortunes of others, however, that is not correct. God does not laugh out of malice or cruelty, instead this is showing how utterly ridiculous it is to ignore wisdom. It is foolish to ignore the advice of God. There is a time when men will be judged for not heeding to God and His wisdom. On Judgment Day many will want to repent and turn from their wicked ways, but it will be too late. We know that God will not always strive with man (Genesis 6:3). So God will judge and at that time there will be no turning back. Those people hated wisdom and knowledge, and they did not fear God, completely ignoring Him.
   There is a blessing however, for those who do heed to the voice of Wisdom. Salvation belongs to those who are wise. Those who listen to the wisdom of God and fear Him will be safe, without fear of any evil. We can have the confidence in knowing that God is with us because we have listened to Wisdom.
   Are you ignoring the wisdom that God has sent your way? Have you not listened intently to the Gospel message and accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior? Today is the day of salvation, and you listen to the wisdom of God and dwell safely with Him, without fear!
    - Assistant Pastor Rick Mitton

   Proverbs 1:20-23 "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you."
   We know that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, from v7. We also have seen through our study that listening to our parents is a mark of wisdom, and last week we saw that there are people we should avoid in order to be ethical and upright. Now we see that to get wisdom is not a secret formula. Wisdom cries out to all of us. Wisdom is not a hidden gem where we must search and hope to find it. Instead it is easily found, wisdom sticks out like a sore thumb. We will see correlation between wisdom and Jesus Christ when we reach chapter 8, here though, we see that we are to search for wisdom. When we tie that in with v7 we realize that in order to search out wisdom we must fear God.
   Many of us live our lives with the motto "Ignorance is bliss". Being ignorant is not always a good thing. If I have a child playing with the electrical socket, it is not going to be blissful if I am purposefully ignoring this fact. In fact it would be unloving as a father to be ignorant of such things. Wisdom is something in which we must search for. God has given us His Word, and for His children He has given His Spirit, so we can be wise.
   Are you searching for wisdom today? Do you long for it? God can give us the wisdom, all we need is to ask for it!
   - Assistant Pastor Rick Mitton

   No one wants to befriend a thief and killer and other negative traits. There are very few 8 year olds that think they will joyfully enter into a life of crime. Yet it starts with the friendships formed and it grows and unfortunately there are those who have grown up on the wrong side of the law. Proverbs 1:11-19 tells us that we need to beware of the friends we make. From v11-14 there is a description of these people. They prey on the innocent, and kill people needlessly. They are thieves and they take what they want. Then in v15-19 we see the reason why we need to be careful of these kinds of people. They are those that end up destroying themselves. This father, like most others, warns his son that he should not get taken into this trap. The idea is that this son would not follow after people that would bring him down, where he would walk in their midst as one of them. It starts out small but it soon becomes a large problem
   We must also be wise and careful of who we share friendships with. The closest friend to a believer should be the Lord Jesus Christ. Other believers should be closer as well. The best thing for any Christian is to have close friends that are also believers. The encouragement from a good Christian friend is a blessing. We as Christians should always encourage others to live for God. Here, in Proverbs we see the warning that we should be careful who we fellowship with. Who are your closest friends? Are they believers or unbelievers? Does your friendships influence your decisions for Christ, or do those decisions pull you away from God?
    - Assistant Pastor Rick Mitton

   Many children when they are young will believe their parents are the smartest people on the planet. Then as a teenager, they think that parents know nothing. And as an adult they learn that parents are indeed wiser than they thought as a teen. One of the reasons for this is that as a teen they are striving for independence, and a natural expression is for them to think that they are more intelligent, especially in making life choices.
   When we look into God's Word, Proverbs 1:8,9 says " My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck." The reality is that parents have been through experiences that give them an awareness that young people do not have. In v8 we read that Solomon is asking his son to listen to the teachings of his parents. Solomon had gone through some experiences and as we read these proverbs we will see that Solomon was indeed the wisest man in the world. Since Solomon was so wise, it would also be wise for his son to listen to his words. Not only the wisdom of the father, but also the mother. Both parents deserve respect, but the mother has a special place in the home, and she is to be respected greatly! Verse 9 tells us that the instructions, and the wisdom from parents are like beautiful necklaces and ornaments, and precious jewelry. The best quality a young person can have is the respect for their parents, and the wisdom to hear and listen to their parents advice.
   The reality is that in our culture there are things that parents are teaching their kids that are ungodly. So, a young person must take what their parents say and check them out with the Scriptures, the final authority, and if the parent is wrong in a certain area, it should be brought up with respect and dignity, in a way that honors God.
   The bottom line is that as a child, whether we are 5 or 85, we are to give honor and respect to our parents, listening to their advice, and taking in what they may have to say. We should also always look to our Heavenly Father for advice as well, for He is All-Wise!
         - Assistant Pastor Rick Mitton

   Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
   There are two thoughts stated in this passage. Firstly, for one to be wise they need to fear God. This is not the same kind of fear as we say that people are afraid of the dark, or water, spiders, snakes, heights, public speaking, etc. This is a different type of fear. The word refers to a deep respect and reverence for God. To realize who God is, what He has done, the power and knowledge of the Creator should bring us to tremble before Him. One thing lacking in our society today is a fear for God. There is an idea that God is our buddy, and we hang out with Him like an old friend, laughing and doing silly things together. The reality is that God needs to be honored, He deserves respect and reverence. God is our friend, and we can boldly go to Him with our requests, but it should be done in reverence. It is up to the individual to show show reverence in their own way, which means there is no legalistic way of doing it. It is not expected that everyone must sing a Gregorian chant every time they pray, nor to pray in a specific manner. For us to become wiser people, we need to fear God. The beginning of knowledge, or the principle part, the main thing is the fear of God.
    Secondly, fools despise wisdom. Psalm 14:1 says "The fool hath said in his heart there is no god". It is foolish to think that there is no god. Romans 1 tells us that there is no excuse, that creation itself bears witness to God. Many people believe there is no God, and they are fools according to the Bible. It is the fool who hates learning to fear God. If the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge, if we learn by fearing God, then the opposite of that is hating true wisdom, and that is a lack of fear of God.
   Do you fear God? Do you revere Him for all that He has done? If you desire wisdom then begin by fearing God. That fear will lead you to Him as you read His Word.
   - Assistant Pastor Rick Mitton
  



Some people are motivated by fear, and others are paralyzed by it.
  

   We have begun looking through the book of Proverbs. And we have seen a few introductory thoughts as we began. We looked at some of the historical background to this book and other such things. Today we will look at the first few verses of this great book God has given to us.
   The author of these proverbs is listed in the very first verse: Solomon, King of Israel, son of David. This statement of authorship gives credibility to the reader. Knowing that Solomon was the wisest man, it would be only fitting to listen to what he has to say. In order to learn about something, we have to listen to those who are wiser in that subject. If I want to be a nuclear physicist, I need to listen to the experts of that field. The fact is that Solomon wrote these proverbs, but the real Author, is God. He wrote this book, gave Solomon the words, and thoughts. Proverbs is inspired by God (II Timothy 3:16,17; II Peter 1:21).
   The reason for this book, and what I want to focus on is from v2-6. The goal is that we know wisdom, and learn. That we would understand the things taught to us. Solomon wants his son specifically as we will see later one, but all of us, to be wise, to understand right from wrong, and sound judgment in all our doings. Solomon is speaking from much experience, and with so many different struggles he had, now he relays a message of warning. Solomon says that wise men listen, and watch for traps that others have fallen into.
   As we read through even the first 6 verses we realize that Solomon's desire was that no one follow his steps of disobedience and idolatry. Solomon wanted his son to really understand what was going to be taught to him. God, who inspired this book desires the same for us, that we would not fall into Satan's traps. He has laid out many temptations and trials before us that we can avoid with wisdom. If we focus on God, and His wisdom, and if we learn from this book we will grow closer to Christ. Jesus Himself said that He was wisdom (Luke 7:35) The wiser we are the closer to Christ we become. Wisdom is so important, for every day of our lives we come to decisions, and choices, and it is up to us to make the right choice. As this world becomes worse and worse the decisions become harder, so wisdom is necessary.
   - Assistant Pastor Rick Mitton

   Today I want to begin a series of blogs from the Book of Proverbs. Before we delve into the book though, I want to bring out some background info on this book. It is considered to be written by Solomon, who wrote over 3000 proverbs I Kings 4:32. A proverb is a short statement or phrase that carries a basic truth that can be applied to common situations, which is why this book is difficult to outline. The Book of Proverbs deals with many subjects including parenting, speech, who God is, justice, work ethic, women, etc. Solomon wrote these for one of his sons, generally thought to be Rehoboam, though they are very applicable to our lives. Since it was written for that purpose, it is a great book to study as a youth, one who can learn from the mistakes of the older, and more experienced.
   Solomon was the wisest man that has ever lived. That is not just an opinion, but God states that in I Kings 3:12. Solomon was granted much wisdom from God, but Solomon also learned much wisdom from his life. Solomon had gone through some incredibly tough times, and he made some bad decisions. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, and this led Solomon to worship other gods. He had a long hard struggle, yet through it he gained more wisdom. Solomon was King David's son and became king of Israel in 970BC and reigned for 40 years until his death.
   It has been said that for one to be wise he should read a chapter of Proverbs each day of the month, every month. Another person said that the proverbs are "laws from heaven for life on earth". This is a book of profound wisdom about God, and through looking at this book I trust we will have a greater understanding of who God is. Also this book will deeply impact our lives, that we would take some of these proverbs and apply their truths to our lives that we would live godly, Christlike lives, serving Him!
   - Assistant Pastor Rick Mitton

   Today, I want to draw your attention to Jonah. And immediately those who are familiar with this Prophet would have a negative mindset toward this man. We all know about how he ran from God and that he was whiny and sulked while the City of Nineveh repented of their sin. But was Jonah really that bad? Was he really the worst prophet God ever had? Should God have chosen someone else? Was Jonah not qualified enough to do the job? Why was Jonah so unspiritual and unwilling to serve God?
  Jonah is first mentioned in Scripture in II Kings 14:25 "He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher." Jonah was called by God to be a prophet and Jonah did exactly what God commanded Him to do. God called an experienced prophet to Nineveh, not one who had not served God. Jonah's first mission here, was not an easy one, he was asked to talk to King Amaziah, an evil king who did not serve God. Jonah had to speak to this King, at the risk of his life and tell him to restore some of the land. Also as we look at this verse, we see that the writer refers to Jonah as the "servant of God".
  When we look at the events in Jonah's life, from the Book of Jonah, we see a much different picture of this prophet, and we see who he was. We know all about his shortcomings and issues, but notice throughout the book, God never leaves Jonah, Jonah leaves God. In Jon 1:3, Jonah "fled from the presence of the Lord". As Jonah runs away, God is still there, we see God is with Jonah in Jon 1:4, and the fish that God prepared (created) was at the right place and right time. In the belly of this fish Jonah cries out to God and God hears him. And throughout the rest of the book we see that God stays with Jonah, always there to assist Jonah in his walk with the Lord.
  Many times as we look at this book we think that Jonah should have had it all together, that he should have been a better prophet, or a better servant of the Lord. But even the most devout disciple has days of struggle, times when they want to run away, and yet God is right there beside us. We have a gracious God who does not give up on His children. People at times look at the Pastor of a church and think he is perfect, and when he does something wrong he is jumped on. Some look at an author or famous speaker and think that they are where everyone should be, they are the benchmark, until they falter in a certain area, then they are completely rejected by all. None of us is perfect, we are all sinners, and we must be careful to remember that even the best of servants struggle through times of hardship. Jonah made a few bad decisions, but he was still God's servant, and God still used Jonah in Nineveh and with King Amaziah. God still uses us, and we ought to obey Him, but when we stumble, remember that He right beside us ready to help us back up to run that race for His Glory!
   - Assistant Pastor Rick Mitton