Pam Padgett ... teacher
Proverbs 19: 8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
It is not external things/possessions that are good and profitable for our souls, but wisdom and understanding. How different than the ways of man! We know that through God is the only way we can have wisdom and understanding, and that God has promised us in James 1:5-7 that if we ask for wisdom, asking in faith and not waivering, He will give it to us.
We then need to keep the wisdom and understanding God gives us.
Keep
– to take care of
– to protect or guard; defend
– to maintain in good order
While considering what we’re told here, I wrote down two things I believe God has allowed me to understand by His Spirit and asked God what might pervert or steal each of these things from me and what I needed to do to protect/guard these things. This was enlightening to me.
It can be easy to rejoice over something God has shown us and assume since we've heard, we "have" it, and not really hold on to it, protecting it in our hearts, and continuing in it. Many of us have probably done this; I know I have. But this is like in the parable Jesus told us about the seed that fell on the stony ground …
Mark 4: 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
Prov. 4: 4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. 5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. 9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
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Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
I was thinking about the instruction God has given me in Gal. 6: 14 ... God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ ...
What could cause this instruction to be stolen?
I think the main thing that could cause this instruction to be stolen is for me to continue to go in ways opposite, trying to achieve things.
What I did was to stop those things which would bring glory to me ... refuse to participate ... refuse to feed myself with those things.
All my life I have been involved in various competitions ... in sports and in achieving at school (degrees)
One thing I did was to remove ESPN from my favorite channels on my TV. I no longer see these competitions as a surf the channels. It felt very strange at first but now I no longer think about it at all.
I tried playing bridge on computer but at end of each hand it shows you how you compared with the entire field ... so I just stopped playing on computer ...not wanting to achieve for myself.
We have to be sensitive to those things that would cause the word to be stolen and especially refuse to feed the old way.
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Sandra heard from God that her appearance is too important to her ... What she would need to do is to abstain from things that had to do with physical appearance and to avoid feeding this area.
Each of us are this way.
When we believe we have an instruction from God we must take appropriate actions and refuse to feed that problem area.
And we continue to refuse it as we go forward ... we must continue in the way that is right and avoid the other way.
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I try to be very diligent to refuse to go in any way that might make me look good or might cause me to achieve in worldly things.
HE is worthy ... keeping my focus there is important.