God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Broken beyond remedy

November 29, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Warnings and Instructions

Proverbs 29; I die daily devotional.

¹ A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

The immediate reaction to this verse is… “TO ARMS!“ right, because naturally our internal defenses go up in preparation for war. Who enjoys being told that they’re being stubborn, especially when they already know it? If we do enjoy it, then I would say that we might be beyond broken, and are in need of the spiritual hands of a Surgeon. How do we react to the thought of God using His holy Word to expose what we need to repent of?

BEYOND REMEDY

If I’m honest, the sin that is present with me is alerted by forces of evil that invade my thoughts, whispering dark ideas of narcissism: “Close the hearing of my ears.” “Ignore the egotism that so desperately desires my subjection and allegiance.” “The intent is my humiliation once conceded; don’t give in, don’t back up, head up, back straight.” “I’m right, God is wrong.” “I’m justified” “‘But God is goo‘—” “That’s a lie”. The enemy is hard at work to keep me from the truth about being reconciled to God. Our spiritual war is real whether the world has convinced itself of the lie or not. (Let me ask you, reader. Do you sense any stubbornness by me [Nathan] in this post? ).

It is okay to acknowledge the potential of unaware elements to stubborness in our conversations even if our intent is not at all to be stubborn, or to harden our necks even if our motive is not to win the arguments. Ask someone that knows you—and knows you well (or even not well)—whether you’re being stubborn about something (anything), and just listen. They might even have fun with it; attempting to get a rise out of you, but let them try; practice balancing your emotions to accept the spiritual reproof—that’s the key—because it’s not about the person reproving you, it’s about tuning into the Holy Spirit of God at work in you. I’m not saying not to be truthful about how you will feel during this exercise, quite the opposite actually, be honest about what you’re feeling; be willing to accept time to revisit the necessary conflict for more practice at psychological development, but more importantly, resolution for a more intimate connection with God. Remember this verse when in conflict:

^{Ephesians 4:26} BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not give the devil an opportunity.

Is God good?
Is God your heavenly Father?
Is God love?
Does God love you?

Proverbs 29 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org
¹ A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy. ² When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan. ³A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth. ⁴ The king gives stability to the land by justice, But a man who takes bribes overthrows it. ⁵ A man who flatters his neighbor Is spreading a net for his steps. ⁶ By transgression an evil man is ensnared, But the righteous sings and rejoices. ⁷ The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, The wicked does not understand such concern. ⁸ Scorners set a city aflame, But wise men turn away anger. ⁹ When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest. ¹⁰ Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, But the upright are concerned for his life. ¹¹ A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. ¹² If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked. ¹³ The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives light to the eyes of both. ¹⁴ If a king judges the poor with truth, His throne will be established forever. ¹⁵ The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother. ¹⁶ When the wicked increase, transgression increases; But the righteous will see their fall. ¹⁷Correct your son, and he will give you comfort; He will also delight your soul. ¹⁸ Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law. ¹⁹ A slave will not be instructed by words alone; For though he understands, there will be no response. ²⁰ Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. ²¹ He who pampers his slave from childhood Will in the end find him to be a son. ²² An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression. ²³ A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor. ²⁴ He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He hears the oath but tells nothing. ²⁵ The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. ²⁶Many seek the ruler’s favor, But justice for man comes from the LORD. ²⁷ An unjust man is abominable to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked.

Here, (Prov 1—Matthew Henry)
1. The obstinacy of many wicked people in a wicked way is to be greatly lamented. They are often reproved by parents and friends, by magistrates and ministers, by the providence of God and by their own consciences, have had their sins set in order before them and fair warning given them of the consequences of them, but all in vain; they harden their necks. Perhaps they fling away, and will not so much as give the reproof a patient hearing; or, if they do, yet they go on in the sins for which they are reproved; they will not bow their necks to the yoke, but are children of Belial; they refuse reproof (ch. 10:17), despise it (ch. 5:12), hate it, ch. 12:1.
2. The issue of this obstinacy is to be greatly dreaded: Those that go on in sin, in spite of admonition, shall be destroyed; those that will not be reformed must expect to be ruined; if the rods answer not the end, expect the axes. They shall be suddenly destroyed, in the midst of their security, and without remedy; they have sinned against the preventing remedy, and therefore let them not expect any recovering remedy. Hell is remediless destruction. They shall be destroyed, and no healing, so the word is. If God wounds, who can heal?

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Bold as a lion

November 28, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Warnings and Instructions

Proverbs 28; I die daily devotional.

¹ The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion.

After reading the commentary for this verse provided in our resource, I appreciated the connection between the wicked flee when no one is pursuing, and guilt.

"Guilt in the conscience makes men a terror to themselves, so that they are ready to flee when none pursues; like one that absconds for debt, who thinks every one he meets a bailiff."—Matthew Henry

As I meditate on this verse and commentary, think to myself, “how does it apply to me.” In my head this exercise works, but now, how to articulate it into writing where it makes sense? That’s quite the psychological exercise because it’s no longer about me, but the relationships between: God, the author to this proverb, Matthew Henry (17^th/18^th century biblical commentator), myself, and you. However, I’ve already hinted at the focus, “How does this apply to us?” And a deluded paranoia comes over me by the thought that I’ve done something so terribly wrong that it’s impossible for me to be forgiven and reconciled to a holy God.

“Why is that—” I ask myself, and then remember my guilt. I remember how I was sexually abused. I remember how I was physically abused; psychologically abused; spiritually abused. But then I also remember how all that abuse—much like a virus invading cells—invaded to reprogram my psyche, and a lot of what happened to me convinced me of a different identity. I’d become the virus. I’m guilty! So now that the virus has successfully reprogrammed me, I flee. I make excuse after excuse to avoid the truth because the truth is pursuing me. … Is it?

BOLD AS A LION

It’s time to face the virus. I won’t forget my wife Laura in agreement to the encouragement of our friends, “go to this ‘re:generation‘ program” that my church provides, which is basically like going to A.A. meetings, but on steroids—so I thought. Okay maybe not steroids, but I think you get the point. I also won’t forget how Laura decided to go along with me as though she didn’t need it, and well—I’ll let her tell you that story—because that woman was dead wrong up-in-dis-house. As soon as we arrived at our first meeting, we’re separated (women with women and men with men), it felt sketchy the first couple of sessions, but it was a safe place. After I’d “graduated” the first six weeks, I was given a dedicated group of other adult men with issues all across the spectrum. It came about after 5 months in, all that testosterone was like a bomb going off and we all killed each other! I’m ghostwriting you right now… Are you paying attention? These guys dumped all their heavy weight of sin on the floor to watch it burn—because nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

“^{Romans 8:38} For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

To continue in our guilt is to continue in our very … insecurely … wicked behavior, that virus of sin—that does separate us from God. This is why the Word of God is preached and the gospel available to believe because it’s a miracle. You are a miracle! Yes, you could give me reasons to prove against that fact; it only makes sense, when we feel convicted by whatever sin separates us from God. And you might say to me, “But Nathan, you don’t understand what I’ve done! You don’t know the skeletons in my closet!” and you’d be right, but I can tell you this! Nor-do-you-mine! And if I’m here preaching a victory over my sin to you, do you dare challenge the validity of the Lion in me? Because shoot… bear with me another mile, and let me tell about this gospel!

It wasn’t a Lion that conquered the sin in you, but a Lamb. The Lamb of God—given as the sacrifice to atone for not only the “virus” of your enemies if their faith reveal it so, but for you, your sin. And if God were to have it be that your enemies be turned back to Him even after the injustice done against you, who are you oh man to talk back to the Lion of God—Jesus Christ. Is it not righteous to hope for those guilty of injustice to experience remorse, a conscience convicted, and forgiveness extended being reconciled to God? Is that not what it means to be as bold as a lion?

Don’t be afraid or a coward to confess the nature of what is hidden deep within you. If you believe in God through Jesus Christ then you have a Lion inside you, willing to help clean up all your mess. Find someone you know in the Lord, someone you can trust with all your soul, and let them pray over you—be healed.

^{James 5:16} Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Resources

Proverbs 28 (NASB)—blueletterbible
¹ The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion. ² By the transgression of a land many are its princes, But by a man of understanding and knowledge, so it endures. ³ A poor man who oppresses the lowly Is like a driving rain which leaves no food. ⁴Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But those who keep the law strive with them. ⁵ Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the LORD understand all things. ⁶ Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked though he be rich. ⁷ He who keeps the law is a discerning son, But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father. ⁸He who increases his wealth by interest and usury Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor. ⁹ He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. ¹⁰ He who leads the upright astray in an evil way Will himself fall into his own pit, But the blameless will inherit good. ¹¹ The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding sees through him. ¹² When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.¹³ He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. ¹⁴ How blessed is the man who fears always, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. ¹⁵Like a roaring lion and a rushing bear Is a wicked ruler over a poor people.¹⁶ A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding, But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. ¹⁷A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him. ¹⁸ He who walks blamelessly will be delivered, But he who is crooked will fall all at once. ¹⁹ He who tills his land will have plenty of food, But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty. ²⁰ A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished. ²¹ To show partiality is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress. ²² A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth And does not know that want will come upon him. ²³ He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor Than he who flatters with the tongue. ²⁴ He who robs his father or his mother And says, “It is not a transgression,” Is the companion of a man who destroys.²⁵An arrogant man stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. ²⁶ He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered. ²⁷ He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses. ²⁸ When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase.

See here, (28:1—Matthew Henry Commentary)
1. What continual frights those are subject to that go on in wicked ways. Guilt in the conscience makes men a terror to themselves, so that they are ready to flee when none pursues; like one that absconds for debt, who thinks every one he meets a bailiff. Though they pretend to be easy, there are secret fears which haunt them wherever they go, so that they fear where no present or imminent danger is, Ps. 53:5. Those that have made God their enemy, and know it, cannot but see the whole creation at war with them, and therefore can have no true enjoyment of themselves, no confidence, no courage, but a fearful looking for of judgment. Sin makes men cowards.

Degeneres animos timor arguit-
Fear argues a degenerate soul.—Virgil

Quos diri conscia facti mens habet attonitos-
The consciousness of atrocious crimes astonishes and confounds.—Juvenal

If they flee when none pursues, what will they do when they shall see God himself pursuing them with his armies? Job 20:24; 15:24. See Deu. 28:25; Lev. 26:36.

2. What a holy security and serenity of mind those enjoy who keep conscience void of offence and so keep themselves in the love of God: The righteous are bold as a lion, as a young lion; in the greatest dangers they have a God of almighty power to trust to. Therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed. Whatever difficulties they meet with in the way of their duty, they are not daunted by them. None of those things move me.

Hie murus aheneus esto, nil conscire sibi-
Be this thy brazen bulwark of defence,
Still to preserve thy conscious innocence.—Hor.

OUTLINE

-One verse at a time.
-Provide commentary.

I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley, Salvational Engineering

Iron sharpens iron

November 27, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Warnings and Instructions

Proverbs 27; I die daily devotional.

¹⁷ Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. ¹⁸ He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who cares for his master will be honored. ¹⁹ As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man.

I think it has nearly been more than a few years since I was a maintenance engineer of a German company by the name of Gaedeke at a 14-story class double AA office building close to Frisco Tx before leaving to help a friend startup a moving company that will hopefully succeed to achieve the million dollar status projection and then go beyond, but I won’t forget the iron tools used to give keys their identity for a possessor. I was the… “keymaster”! Well it felt that way after watching “The Matrix Reloaded” representing the cause of Neo to save Zion! That was my ambition, to save people from corporations that suck the life blood out of capitalism, but I’d missed the mark by a long shot considering I was engineer to help maintain its present course. That’s time past, my trajectory has changed, or … it’s simply dissolving … expanding rather, in the heat as the iron that represents my soul is forged into a sword that belongs to Christ my Lord.

IRON SHARPENS IRON

Hammering keys into their identity wasn’t all I did, but believe it or not, it was what I enjoyed the most as an engineer. It was during that time that I was inspired to organize what I called… “Salvational Engineering”.

I would pick up trash around my neighborhood with a neon orange or green long sleeve shirt that had “Numbers 21:6-9” and “John 3:12-15” painted on them. And now as I write this devotional out, I especially enjoyed punching those keys into their identity because symbolically that is exactly what Christ is doing with those that believe in the testimony of His Name. As we believers come together to converse the kingdom of God on earth until Jesus come, the Word of God sharpens us into the tool of salvation. A key that proclaims the name of Jesus Christ and the gospel.

IT TAKES TIME

But see, the thing is, it takes what feels like an eternity to make a tool perfect for it purpose. “Why is that?” I think to myself. Well, from my experience it’s because I didn’t start out as a tool in the kingdom of God, but was born as tool of sin that is separated from God until… yes until I decided for myself that I would read the gospel without an indoctrinated view, but purely from a heart willing to believe, and as long as I’m separated from God the pain of death is no more than a tool forged to serve its purpose. Jesus holds the keys!

^{Rev 1:17} When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. ¹⁹ Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.

We are now alive to a purpose like that of salvational engineers, ever being trained as blacksmiths to sharpen each other into the Word of God by the name of Jesus Christ. Use us Lord, please. In your name, Jesus. Amen.

How do you need to be sharpened?
Who are you sharpening?
Are you willing to believe?
Are you a key of separation or reconciliation?

Resources

Proverbs 27(NASB)—blueletterbible
¹ Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. ² Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips. ³ A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them. ⁴ Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But who can stand before jealousy? ⁵Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed. ⁶ Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. ⁷ A sated man loathes honey, But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet. ⁸ Like a bird that wanders from her nest, So is a man who wanders from his home. ⁹ Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend. ¹⁰ Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away. ¹¹ Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, That I may reply to him who reproaches me. ¹² A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naïve proceed and pay the penalty. ¹³ Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger; And for an adulterous woman hold him in pledge. ¹⁴ He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be reckoned a curse to him. ¹⁵ A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious woman are alike; ¹⁶ He who would restrain her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand. ¹⁷ Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. ¹⁸ He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who cares for his master will be honored. ¹⁹ As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man. ²⁰ Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied. ²¹ The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, And each is tested by the praise accorded him. ²² Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him. ²³ Know well the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds; ²⁴For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations. ²⁵ When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in, ²⁶ The lambs will be for your clothing, And the goats will bring the price of a field, ²⁷ And there will be goats’ milk enough for your food, For the food of your household, And sustenance for your maidens.

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

As the door turns on its hinges

November 26, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Similitudes, Instructions

Proverbs 26; I die daily devotional.

¹⁴ As the door turns on its hinges, So does the sluggard on his bed. ¹⁵ The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again. ¹⁶ The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can give a discreet answer.

This one will hit hard for those that toss and turn in the business of this world, that’s if there is any ounce of persuasion left in your soul to learn from these proverbs (the Word of God), but for those already convinced of the work ahead will also be hit hard with encouragement and the flame ever increasing to the heat of the will of God in the reconciliation of believers.

SLUGGARD

I often find myself conflicted between what value means in this world of business compared to the truth about what value means in the kingdom of God. The truth about value of any significance is the labor of our souls; when using our body members like hands to turn the pages of your bibles with eyes to read and a mind to understand the heart of God, that is a labor that will produce eternal results of causality that reveals the kingdom of God here on earth. To do that work of faith is to accept the spiritual crafting of heavenly results that reflect your being made alive in Christ (an eternal nature of righteousness), but it’s not seen in the sluggard that shifts from side to side on their bed because they’re too busy being “wise” about success in this life—confused by an alternative agenda that clearly communicates wisdom in this world—when it’s not actually success … at all. Financial freedom is not freedom because it’s wise, it’s freedom because it’s easy; it’s simple to achieve financial freedom when living by the means of what is needed rather than desired.

Are you more learned about how to do business in this life than business in the next?
When is the last time you woke up to seek God before your phone?
What does “sluggard” mean for you right now?
Will you convert your energy of business sluggard in this world to a labor of faith in the Word of God?

Resources

Proverbs 26 (NASB)—blueletterbible.com
¹ Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool. ²Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not alight. ³ A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the back of fools. ⁴ Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him. ⁵ Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes. ⁶ He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence Who sends a message by the hand of a fool. ⁷ Like the legs which are useless to the lame, So is a proverb in the mouth of fools. ⁸ Like one who binds a stone in a sling, So is he who gives honor to a fool. ⁹ Like a thorn which falls into the hand of a drunkard, So is a proverb in the mouth of fools. ¹⁰ Like an archer who wounds everyone, So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by. ¹¹ Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly. ¹² Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.¹³ The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square!” ¹⁴ As the door turns on its hinges, So does the sluggard on his bed. ¹⁵ The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again. ¹⁶ The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can give a discreet answer. ¹⁷ Like one who takes a dog by the ears Is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him. ¹⁸ Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows and death,¹⁹ So is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “Was I not joking?” ²⁰ For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. ²¹ Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. ²² The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body. ²³ Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross Are burning lips and a wicked heart. ²⁴He who hates disguises it with his lips, But he lays up deceit in his heart. ²⁵ When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart. ²⁶Though his hatred covers itself with guile, His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly. ²⁷ He who digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him. ²⁸ A lying tongue hates those it crushes, And a flattering mouth works ruin.

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

If your enemy is hungry

November 25, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Similitudes, Instructions

Proverbs 25; I die daily devotional.

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; ²² For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the LORD will reward you. ²³The north wind brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.

Funny thing, Laura and I sort of unexpectedly made alter egos for when we both found ourselves in a negative state. I’d say it happened organically as our conflicts progressed in a playful manner, we weren’t too upset to notice something was off about our treatment of one another when these conflicts manifested; usually because some sort of bodily necessity was being neglected or hadn’t been disciplined to emotional control. So we switched the first initial of our name’s when addressing the ego that is not our person, but a mysterious necessity requiring attention.

YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY

Laura and I would be at the kitchen table in silent thought until, “What are you thinking?”. Laura could tell when I wasn’t present with her even if we were in silence. After thinking about her question, “Nothing.” I would say, but my tone was off. I sounded annoyed because the truth was – I was. I didn’t want to be interrupted from what I was thinking, especially since we were already in silence, but the issue was something deeper; the issue was “Lathan”. Lathan is the guy that manifests as an enemy to my wife by responding with a callous undertone that is the truth to the lie of, “Nothing”. However, when Laura notices Lathan, there is a choice she processes internally to that enemy and the choices are: feed em or initiate Naura.

FEED EM

Now if Laura initiated Naura while Lathan was already on the verge of take over, the chaos of these two alter egos converge a very real reality that sends us down a spiral of unintentional infliction of pain. Well…it’s intentional for the egos, but not for Nathan or Laura after the demolition is complete and forgiveness extended. However, if Laura overlooking the undertone in a way to feed Lathan should convict my conscience by that act of love and service. At which point Lathan is quenched, and Nathan changes his attitude to reflect the true nature of who saved his soul, or at least … that’s my hope of practice.

Who is your alter ego (your enemy)?
What should you do about it?
How do you manage the balance?
Will you change your behavior into the reward?

Resource

Proverbs 25 (NASB) – blueletterbible.com
¹ These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.² It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.³ As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable.⁴ Take away the dross from the silver, And there comes out a vessel for the smith;⁵Take away the wicked before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness.⁶ Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of great men;⁷ For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here, ”Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.⁸ Do not go out hastily to argue your case; Otherwise, what will you do in the end, When your neighbor humiliates you?⁹ Argue your case with your neighbor, And do not reveal the secret of another,¹⁰ Or he who hears it will reproach you, And the evil report about you will not pass away.¹¹ Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances.¹² Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise reprover to a listening ear.¹³ Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters.¹⁴ Like clouds and wind without rain Is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely. ¹⁵ By forbearance a ruler may be persuaded, And a soft tongue breaks the bone.¹⁶ Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, That you not have it in excess and vomit it.¹⁷ Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house, Or he will become weary of you and hate you.¹⁸ Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow Is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.¹⁹ Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot Is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble. ²⁰ Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart. ²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; ²² For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the LORD will reward you. ²³The north wind brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.²⁴ It is better to live in a corner of the roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. ²⁵ Like cold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a distant land. ²⁶ Like a trampled spring and a polluted well Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. ²⁷ It is not good to eat much honey, Nor is it glory to search out one’s own glory. ²⁸ Like a city that is broken into and without walls Is a man who has no control over his spirit.

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

By wisdom a house is built

November 24, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Precepts and Warnings

Proverbs 24; I die daily devotional.

¹ Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them; ² For their minds devise violence, And their lips talk of trouble. ³ By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; ⁴ And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. ⁵ A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power. ⁶For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in abundance of counselors there is victory.

Christian of Jesus Christ according to the gospel,

That might be unnecessary, but to address you in that way feels appropriate considering the world’s connection via social media and not everyone claiming their allegiance to Jesus, is Christian, or those that are might be confused by its meaning. So, “Where is the line of determination drawn? How do we verify whether the claim is actually true?” you might wonder, but *laughing—I’m obviously wondering!

From my personal experience: The information about the gospel happened for me at a very early age (around 8 years old) by fear of what I didn’t understand yet; only that Jesus could save me from that experience of fear, and so I prayed religiously. However, growing up in church didn’t prevent me from rebelling against the principles preached from the pulpit. In fact, church was a perfect social setting to get frisky with my faith. This might upset some people employed to church stewardship, but I’m being vulnerable and honest. The membership structure of some churches at the highschool level to college young adult need serious attention because these are crucial years of faith development; our youth needs to be armored for a world of actualities and potentialities that undermine the warning label provided on the bottle of sin that our world is drunk in. Consider organizing specialists in these areas of faith development such as psychologists and therapists … just saying. The ruler of this world is actively devouring lives. Okay, I’m off that soapbox. Where was I—

Ah yes, “qualified ‘christian'” and “personal experience”; my sins are confessed, but the torment is very real as I live in repentance. I experience a conversion of energy as my life exists’ saved in the name of Jesus Christ and it’s known through a public proclamation (or baptism) of faith, but there is still a real possibility of apostasy that exists if my faith claim was/is a lie. Apostasy looks like self-proclaiming Christians that have hearts of deception only the Lord will draw out to reveal. If that truth about apostasy is understood, and we are convicted when accepting the gospel, then we have the fear of the Lord in us and don’t need to worry. If doubts are lingering in our faith don’t fear; the Lord knows our hearts, just listen when those experiences come—journal it out; call a mature believer; read an I die daily devotional. Lets not neglect our time with God because those difficult experiences exist to get our attention; God didn’t make us to be ignored, nor for Him to be ignored by us. Listen to the Holy Spirit for help because after all … He is the Helper!

House is built

Just as we can build physical houses with our tools, we can also build our spiritual house with our tools. Only our tool of choice is faith. By keeping and learning the book of prophecy will provide us with the tools of blessing to build our house of wisdom. First we need to change our perception about time because Jesus defeated death, so don’t let death fool you into thinking it’s the end—IT”S NOT!

Jesus is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the alpha and omega—not death. We are alive in Jesus Christ because the gift (or tool) of faith is given as our Helper to build life out of a dead soul; our soul. Remember what Jesus said? I’m paraphrasing (because I want to remember as closely as I can, but): he who wishes, seeks, and loves to save his soul in this life will lose it, but he who loses his soul for my sake and the gospel will preserve it to life eternal. Okay, so if we’ve decided by faith to lose (baptized with water in repentance) our soul in Jesus Christ will then be saved (baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire) then every moment of everyday is an opportunity to live in that mindset. Don’t worry about tomorrow because we are already alive in eternity through faith; for it is by grace through faith that not of yourselves lest any man should boast, but it is the gift of God. Faith is given as a portion for us to be responsible of and for building our house of wisdom in the kingdom of God. Why?

Because our God loves us that much, that’s why. It’s not about whether we are worthy because the point is…

HE IS!

Resources

^{2 Thessalonians 3} Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ⁴who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

^{John 16:7} But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; ⁹ concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; ¹¹ and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

^{Luke 3:16} John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

^{Romans 12:3} For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

Proverbs 24 (NASB)—blueletterbible.com
1 Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them; 2 For their minds devise violence, And their lips talk of trouble. 3 By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; 4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power. 6 For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in abundance of counselors there is victory. 7 Wisdom is too exalted for a fool, He does not open his mouth in the gate. 8 One who plans to do evil, Men will call a schemer. 9 The devising of folly is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men. 10 If you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited. 11 Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. 12 If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work? 13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste; 14 Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find it, then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off. 15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not destroy his resting place; 16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity. 17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Or the LORD will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him. 19 Do not fret because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked; 20 For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out. 21 My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change, 22 For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?23 These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good. 24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous, ”Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;25 But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight, And a good blessing will come upon them. 26 He kisses the lips Who gives a right answer. 27 Prepare your work outside And make it ready for yourself in the field; Afterwards, then, build your house. 28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, And do not deceive with your lips. 29 Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.” 30 I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, 31 And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down. 32 When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. 33 “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,” 34 Then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man.

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Put a knife to your throat

November 23, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

On Life and Conduct

Proverbs 23; I die daily devotional.

¹ When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you, ² And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite.

I remember reading when Jesus was presented with the delicacies of a ruler, those temptations of the devil in the wilderness; what that ruler underestimated was the God in front of him in human flesh. Satan, without realizing it, had put a knife to his own throat when using the delicacies of God to persuade God’s Son—the Lamb of God—for worship. Those delicacies never belonged to the ruler of this world. So when we are presented with an opportunity that amounts to great power, we need to consider the “who” that influences such an opportunity. If we don’t, and our appetite is ambitious for wealth … we’re in danger of slitting our own throats as truth reveals the nature of our hearts. Don’t buy into the ruler of this worlds’ wealth because it’s fleeting and foolish. Purchase truth, and do not sell it, get wisdom and instruction and understanding!

Knife to throat

“It is within my capacity—and come to think of it, opportunity in my current industry—to advance to the highest positions of entrepreneurship, but to what gain?”

“Who influences these desires?”

“How great is my appetite, and for what?”

Those questions shift and shape the world around me into what I desire. The ruler raises his eyebrows in haste, “Well! What will it be?” Knowing my self-conscious issues; my heart begins to race as my mind considers, but my palm is sweating, the knife is slipping. I can feel the sweat dribbling down my neck or, “is it blood” I wonder. The ruler slides the plate over, “Eat!”, he says. But I know … there’ll be no turning back. To eat this food would mean my sacrifice and allegiance to … myself. The ruler is me, and the offer on the table is not my escape from hell, but the opportunity to cure death for all to live. Thoughts are racing; “no more cancer, no more oppression, no more diversity, no more debt, etc.”. The ruler’s eyes are my eyes, and their gleaming; the words … compelling; my mouth … watering. The deal sounds a lot like scripture, how could it be wrong?

Some questions to think about:

What is the deal of my life and at what cost?
Who and where is my allegiance?
What does my heart reveal?
Who is my ruler and why?

Resources

Proverbs 23 (NASB)—blueletterbible.com

¹ When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you, ² And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite. ³ Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food. ⁴ Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it. ⁵ When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. ⁶ Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Or desire his delicacies; ⁷ For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you. ⁸ You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten, And waste your compliments. ⁹ Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words. ¹⁰ Do not move the ancient boundary Or go into the fields of the fatherless, ¹¹ For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you. ¹² Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge. ¹³ Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. ¹⁴ You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol. ¹⁵ My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad; ¹⁶ And my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak what is right. ¹⁷ Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always. ¹⁸ Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off. ¹⁹ Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way. ²⁰ Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; ²¹ For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags. ²² Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old. ²³ Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding. ²⁴ The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him. ²⁵ Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her rejoice who gave birth to you. ²⁶ Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways. ²⁷ For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well. ²⁸ Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men. ²⁹Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? ³⁰ Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. ³¹ Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; ³² At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. ³³ Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things. ³⁴ And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. ³⁵ “They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.”

^{Matthew 4:1} Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. ³And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” ⁴But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’” ⁵Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ and *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’” ⁷ Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’” ⁸ Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; ⁹and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰ Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” ¹¹ Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
^{John 12:31}Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
^{John 16:11}and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

A Good Name

November 22, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

On Life and Conduct

Proverbs 22; I die daily devotional.

¹ A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold.

There is so much content with these proverbs that I think I bit off more than I can chew doing them a chapter at a time. So I’m going to spice it up a little differently for the remainder of our proverbs. Although, I will say that this exercise has expanded my horizon for the future because I do hope to have devotionals/commentary of each chapter of every book in the bible—Lord willing.

A GOOD NAME

What does a good name look like to you, I wonder? What is wisdom telling us here—A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold. I’ve noticed that wisdom compares the value of character to wealth, not just in this verse, but throughout proverbs; that how we develop our character is where our true value is, not in how much stock we have. What do you think of as favor? And how is it better than silver or gold? Favor is extended as … well … this is where I’d like to search out the science, but it’s an expression extended upon someone that meets the eye. It’s relational, it has everything to do with a person to person relationship; this type of transaction between people is not something that is bought. We are loved by a Good Name, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Some questions to think about:

Where are the qualities that make for a good name supplied?
How are these qualities obtained for character development?
What about me do people favor?
What about me do people disfavor, and is there something to be done about it?

Resource

Proverbs 22 (NASB)—blueletterbible.com

²The rich and the poor have a common bond, The LORD is the maker of them all. ³ The prudent sees the evil and hides himself,But the naive go on, and are punished for it. ⁴ The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life. ⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards himself will be far from them. ⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. ⁷ The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave. ⁸ He who sows iniquity will reap vanity, And the rod of his fury will perish. ⁹ He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor.¹⁰ Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, Even strife and dishonor will cease. ¹¹ He who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend. ¹² The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man. ¹³ The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!” ¹⁴ The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; He who is cursed of the LORD will fall into it. ¹⁵Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him. ¹⁶ He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. ¹⁷Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge; ¹⁸ For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, That they may be ready on your lips. ¹⁹ So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you. ²⁰ Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, ²¹To make you know the certainty of the words of truth That you may correctly answer him who sent you? ²² Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Or crush the afflicted at the gate; ²³ For the LORD will plead their case And take the life of those who rob them. ²⁴ Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, ²⁵ Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself.²⁶ Do not be among those who give pledges, Among those who become guarantors for debts. ²⁷ If you have nothing with which to pay, Why should he take your bed from under you? ²⁸ Do not move the ancient boundary Which your fathers have set.²⁹ Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Proverbs 21: the king’s heart…

November 21, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

On Life and Conduct

Proverbs 21; I die daily devotional.

¹ The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. ² Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts. ³ To do righteousness and justice Is desired by the LORD more than sacrifice. ⁴ Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked, is sin. ⁵ The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

^(v.1)The king’s heart is like channels of water reminds me of when blood and water came out at the piercing of His side by a Roman solder doing his job … after all … ^(v.2) every man’s way is right in his own eyes.

It seems and feels as though I’ve been going about dying daily all wrong … because it kills me to think that I’m that Roman soldier with a spear in his hand, trained to kill. I honestly didn’t intend to be so melancholy in this devotion, but the Lord knows what this is about and who it is for.

^(v.2) But the Lord weighs the hearts and if this devotional misses that mark; you’ll learn and know the true nature of my writing. Thoughts about what it means for my heart to be weighed by this Jesus I pierced with my sin … taunts me to do it again. The sin of my past is always awake, never sleeping, … I hate it.

⁶ The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue Is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death. ⁷ The violence of the wicked will drag them away, Because they refuse to act with justice. ⁸The way of a guilty man is crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright. ⁹ It is better to live in a corner of a roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. ¹⁰ The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

Does ^(v.6) The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue Is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death, remind you of anyone? Judas Iscariot did exactly that during the duration of Jesus’ ministry, and his pursuit was accomplished.

What are you in pursuit of?

I’m asking you, but if you were to ask me that same question.

“What are you in pursuit of?”

I would say … after having paused to think—love. Initially I thought, “the book of prophecy”, but it’s not prophecy that I’m after, it’s what the prophecy of the book means, which is, love.

¹¹ When the scoffer is punished, the naïve becomes wise; But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge. ¹²The righteous one considers the house of the wicked, Turning the wicked to ruin. ¹³ He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be answered. ¹⁴ A gift in secret subdues anger, And a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.¹⁵ The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous, But is terror to the workers of iniquity.

I’m very curious as to what you might think ^(v.12) The righteous one considers the house of the wicked, Turning the wicked to ruin, means to you?

Without having dug into that verse elsewhere, I imagine this to mean a responsibility of the righteous to the wicked soul of a believer or wicked house of the church. You remember what Jesus did about His Father’s house when the people of God turned it into a den of robbers?

When we go to our closet or to church, it is like stepping onto holy ground because our Father’s house is a house of prayer. As soon as we make an idol out of our material possessions—turning our belief of a Holy God into a business for profit—we’ve ruined not only our closet—meaning soul—but our house—meaning family—and are in need of Jesus coming in to ‘clean house’ as He did with those aforementioned.

I understand how natural it can be to bring our business of this world into our house of prayer, but I’m reminded of where our house truly is … and it’s not here. All of our possessions in this life will perish because our true possession is made out of material that-will-not; material of the kingdom of heaven. Leave this life at the door before going into your soul to pray to our Heavenly Father.

¹⁶ A man who wanders from the way of understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead. ¹⁷ He who loves pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not become rich. ¹⁸ The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, And the treacherous is in the place of the upright. ¹⁹ It is better to live in a desert land Than with a contentious and vexing woman. ²⁰ There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man swallows it up.

^(v.20) There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man swallows it up. I was just telling my wife the other day that I’d like to be a virgin.

I couldn’t resist that humor, but what I actually said was, “I would like to be one of the virgins with plenty of oil to sell for those preparing to meet the bridegroom”.

I definitely would not want to be one of the virgins that needed to go to the dealers, and it be too late to be known.

How about you? Do you have spare oil for me to purchase?

I don’t want to get to half-full.

I would hate for you to find me without oil if it meant our salvation, and vice-versa.

Jesus is our Oil

²¹He who pursues righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness and honor. ²² A wise man scales the city of the mighty And brings down the stronghold in which they trust. ²³ He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles. ²⁴ “Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names, Who acts with insolent pride.

Are you a wise man or woman that scales the city of the mighty to bring down the strongholds in which they trust ^(v.22) ?

There are people who put their trust in animals killed for food rather than the Lord of our Salvation; their conscience is weak about the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Idols only exist as a means of a placebo to a person’s conscience undisciplined in their faith of our ministry, and if we’re not careful how we eat, could become a stumbling block to the members of our faith.

²⁵ The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work; ²⁶ All day long he is craving, While the righteous gives and does not hold back. ²⁷ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, How much more when he brings it with evil intent! ²⁸ A false witness will perish, But the man who listens to the truth will speak forever. ²⁹ A wicked man displays a bold face, But as for the upright, he makes his way sure.

^(v.28) …But the man who listens to the truth will speak forever. That’s awesome! It doesn’t require talking or writing to speak forever, but to listen. Listen…

³⁰There is no wisdom and no understanding And no counsel against the LORD. ³¹ The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD.

I love that last verse! ^(v.31) The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD. I mean I love it all, but that there is just … powerful! We can feel it as we read it, it’s so … certain!

I mean, imagine preparing your horse for battle; the armor is weightless, but impenetrable. It all seems so clear. Why even prepare for the victory won? The sound of the call is loud, you hear the drums begin to boom, and the vibration brings it all into reality—victory!

I couldn’t help but remember the song… “VICTORYYYY IN JESUSSSSS MYY SAVIORR…”, but to answer the question.

Why even prepare?

Because there is freedom to become an imposter of what you are not, just as Satan has the freedom to be an angel of light, but is not.

RESOURCES

Proverbs 21 (NASB)—Is what I’m using for these devotionals, but personally study with multiple versions.

^{John 19:34} But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
^{John 12:4-} But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, *said, ⁵ “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” ⁶ Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.
^{Luke 19:45} Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling,⁴⁶ saying to them, “It is written, ‘AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,’ but you have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”
^{Matthew 25:1-} “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.²Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴ but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. ⁵ Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. ⁶ But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’⁹ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. ¹¹ Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ ¹² But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
^{1 Corinthians 8:1} Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. ² If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;³but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. ⁴ Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. ⁵ For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,⁶ yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.
^{2 Corinthians 11:14} No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

VICTORY IN JESUS

I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory
How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me
I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning
Then I repented of my sins and won the victory

Oh victory in Jesus, my Savior forever
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood
He loved me ‘ere I knew Him and all my love is due Hi
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood

I heard about His healing, of His cleansing power revealing
How He made the lame to walk again and ’caused the blind to see
And then I cried, “Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit”
And somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory

Oh victory in Jesus, my Savior forever
He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming blood
He loved me ‘ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood, c’mon

He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood

Source: Musixmatch Songwriters: E M Bartlett Victory In Jesus lyrics © Albert E Brumley & Sons

OUTLINE

Have the chapter provided (for the convenience of the reader) and broken in sections to write throughout the chapter as read.
Lord my God, please bless to make us into the qualities of your victory in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Remove all distractions; invest in the Word of God.

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Proverbs 20; Wine is a mocker…

November 20, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

On Life and Conduct

Proverbs 20; I die daily devotional.

When I think, metaphorically, of wine and hard drink. I think of vices specific to influence the mind—not just alcohol—such as: prescription drugs, marijuana, caffeine, pornography, etc. (any substance that deals directly with the psyche). It’s not that we should feel guilty when enjoying a beverage, but that we understand the consequences of its intoxication. Wisdom teaches us what we don’t have to experience. That means we don’t have to get our kids drunk in order for them to learn the consequences of too much alcohol. So don’t go and find your favorite flavor of sin, become intoxicated and say, “OohHhaA that’s what wisdom meant”. No, don’t do that, avoid the substance of stupid.

¹Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.
² The terror of a king is like the growling of
a lion; He who provokes him to anger forfeits
his own life.
³ Keeping away from strife is an honor for a
man, But any fool will quarrel.
⁴ The sluggard does not plow after the autumn,
So he begs during the harvest and has nothing.
⁵ A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding draws it out.

Yessss… Jesus turned water into wine, but that wine is symbolic to the blood of the new covenant, His blood. And if we are reading the Word of God, then we are drinking all the wine we need!

⁶ Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, But
who can find a trustworthy man?
⁷ A righteous man who walks in his integrity—
How blessed are his sons after him.
⁸ A king who sits on the throne of justice
Disperses all evil with his eyes.
⁹ Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart, I am
pure from my sin”?
¹⁰ Differing weights and differing measures,
Both of them are abominable to the LORD.

If you and I are inspired by the Holy Spirit, then you and I live as archetypal kings that sits on thrones of justice to disperse all evil from our eyes! If we believe in Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God), we can say that we’ve cleansed our hearts, and in faith, are pure from our sin.

¹¹ It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes
himself If his conduct is pure and right.
¹² The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The
LORD has made both of them.
¹³ Do not love sleep, or you will become
poor; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied
with food.
¹⁴ “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, But
when he goes his way, then he boasts.
¹⁵ There is gold, and an abundance of jewels;
But the lips of knowledge are a more precious
thing.

Our deeds distinguish us by how we conduct ourselves. Are you pure and right? I would like to know whether I am, but my wife reminds me without my asking (perks of marriage); you don’t have to be married, intimate friends in Christ will do the same (perks of what marriage means). As for now, I can tell you that I (personally) have much work to do, but stick with me and watch the Holy Spirit work to the glory of Jesus Christ.

¹⁶ Take his garment when he becomes surety
for a stranger; And for foreigners, hold him
in pledge.
¹⁷ Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to
a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled
with gravel.
¹⁸ Prepare plans by consultation, And make
war by wise guidance.
¹⁹ He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip.
²⁰ He who curses his father or his mother,
His lamp will go out in time of darkness.

We are at war with spiritual wickedness that manifests through us when we choose to sin rather than repent. So let’s go to war with the sin that so eagerly desires to devour our souls and the souls of our loved ones. Don’t fear what it is evil, fear the Lord who casts out evil. Perfect love casts out fear.

²¹ An inheritance gained hurriedly at the
beginning Will not be blessed in the end.
²² Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the
LORD, and He will save you.
²³ Differing weights are an abomination to the
LORD, And a false scale is not good.
²⁴ Man’s steps are ordained by the LORD,
How then can man understand his way?
²⁵ It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!”
And after the vows to make inquiry.

I find it easy for me to compare myself to people who seem to have it all together; they’re structured, they have the right job, the right family, the perfect score! I also find it easy for me to compare myself to people who don’t have it all together; they’re crazy, free to explore, fun friends, revolving jobs, the perfect adventure! The worst part about this comparison issue is how I judge to determine the value of someone else’s life; Person 6’s’ life is what I want, but Person 5 … definitely not. Why does this happen? For me, I think of it as another kind of “substance” abuse; I don’t even have to do drugs or get drunk for this issue. Insecurities have a way of destabilizing me in ways that destroy my character and relationships; when I “drink” that “kool-aid” it looks like delirium, but don’t let that fool you, it’s insecurities that affect everyone. It’s a hard cycle to bend until it’s broken, but with discipline I’ll learn by these proverbs of Wisdom. If you’re with me on that struggle of insecurity, and on this journey with me … I feel you.

²⁶ A wise king winnows the wicked, And drives the threshing wheel over them.
²⁷The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD,
Searching all the innermost parts of his being.
²⁸ Loyalty and truth preserve the king, And he
upholds his throne by righteousness.
²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is their gray hair.
³⁰ Stripes that wound scour away evil, And strokes reach the innermost parts.

Let’s be KINGS!

Resources

Proverbs 20 (NASB)—Is what I’m using for these devotionals, but personally study with multiple versions.

OUTLINE

I have the chapter provided and broken in sections for me to write throughout as you read the chapter at your convenience.

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity

November 19, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

On Life and Conduct

Proverbs chapter 19; I die daily devotional.

¹ Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.
² Also it is not good for a person to be without
knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs.
³ The foolishness of man ruins his way,
And his heart rages against the LORD.
⁴ Wealth adds many friends, But a poor
man is separated from his friend.

Don’t hurry

Don’t worry, don’t hurry, breathe …

The phone was on silent and the alarm didn’t go off! The vibration of the buzzing wasn’t heard until the third call. “Yo! You okay!?”, the boss answers with an undertone of disappointment, and naturally so. …

Sometimes our circumstances in life might cause us to hurry and compromise our integrity—not because we wanted it to of course, it just happens. And when we’re operating on someone else’s schedule the pressure is on, justifications and excuses might arise as temptation would have it, but we don’t have to compromise our integrity for the sake of appeasement. Walk, don’t run; consider a ‘parable of the wet floor sign’:

Two devoted workers awake from sleep late to their job. One is a financial advisor, and the other a lawyer. Each person works at the same high-rise building in the Big City, but on different floors. The advisor and lawyer arrive at their office building at the same time, but as the advisor hurriedly walks-in and notices the “wet floor” sign—slows his steps, and proceeds to the elevators with caution; whereas the lawyer who was initially travelling at the same pace didn’t realize the “wet floor” sign, and she slips!

What happen? Why did the lawyer slip?

It might be simple to conclude that the advisor just used his senses, which is true, but that doesn’t solve our mystery. What if the context is that the advisor owned his own company? The advisor might’ve been late to a meeting, but he owned his own time and paid for everyone else’s; so where would there be room for anxiety or insecurities that distract the senses resulting a potentially expensive mistake? It’s less likely there would be room for err.

So what happen with the attorney? Why is it that she would be the one to slip? Well … what if it were because the attorney is of a partnership firm, late to a meeting with a client in desperate need? Where is there time for her senses to function properly when her focus is, “Get there! Get there! Get there! (at all cost)”, because she’s too busy thinking about the delicacy of the client’s time and information needed to go over? Definitely room for err!

⁵ A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who tells lies will not escape.
⁶ Many will seek the favor of a generous man,
And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts.
⁷ All the brothers of a poor man hate him;
How much more do his friends abandon him!
He pursues them with words, but they are gone.
⁸ He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;
He who keeps understanding will find good.
⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who tells lies will perish.

Don’t lie

Don’t worry about the lawyer, look what happens…

Just as the lawyer slipped, the advisor nearby catches her before she hits the hard tile floor. He quickly puts her on her feet, “steady as she goes”, he says gently. That next weekend they get married, and years later a future full of grandkids reminiscing the supernatural event responsible for harm, but instead to be the byproduct of the product—their lives.

Little did the advisor and lawyer know that their kids would grew up being late to everything. … I mean, come on … wouldn’t you? That story is epic!

The ‘parable of the wet floor sign’ is about being faithful in what we do; don’t worry about the wet floor sign. Use caution of course, but you know what I mean … don’t slip on the wet floor of anxiety. The Lord knows what we’re up against in this life. And as we keep faithful to the task, He’ll handle the rest. Don’t worry.

What’s truly dangerous is lying to ourselves and everyone else. Lies generate at our preconceptions. They form into what we assume, or figure to know something that we don’t actually know … convincing ourselves of lies. And I think a lot of the times it’s because of our egotistical pride failing to ask the necessary questions like, “how can I help?” or “What can I do?”, to react at the appropriate moments for the right reasons.

If the advisor had an unhealthy preconceived notion about this lady attorney in a rush, that situation would have been completely different; he would not have cared in a way that reflects the sourness of his soul or worse, using that situation to somehow gratify his perverted heart.

If the lawyer spent her life hiding her hatred of men, and lying about that condition; any and every attempt at man’s rescue or conviction to hold the door open would be ruined. She would’ve slapped him across the face with the accusation of sexual harassment that was projected onto him by a sexually abusive stepfather.

Lies are of the devil designed by Satan intended to deceive the innocent, and motivated to manipulate the truth about God. Let’s be honest—don’t lie! ⁸ He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. Let’s not lie or be a false witness; be faithful and trust the Lord!

¹⁰ Luxury is not fitting for a fool;
Much less for a slave to rule over princes.
¹¹ A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.
¹²The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like dew on the grass.
¹³ A foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the contentions of a wife
are a constant dripping.
¹⁴House and wealth are an inheritance from
fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Prudent Wife

I can honestly say that I am blessed with a woman of wisdom, a prudent wife from the Lord—Laura Dooley. She holds me accountable to the Word of God which is of eternal value, we wash our robes together. The Wisdom of our Lord, the Lamb of God has provided our way. Come on… everyone is invited, join us in this faith… wash your robes… ^{Revelation 22:14} Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

¹⁵ Laziness casts into a deep sleep,
And an idle man will suffer hunger.
¹⁶He who keeps the commandment keeps his
soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die.
¹⁷ One who is gracious to a poor man lends to
the LORD, And He will repay
him for his good deed.
¹⁸ Discipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire his death.
¹⁹ A man of great anger will bear the penalty,
For if you rescue him, you will
only have to do it again.

Don’t anger

Are you an angry person? Have you stopped being angry or am I in danger of—”…if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.“? Have you worked through that anger with the Lord? What are you angry about and why? Don’t carry that load by yourself, let’s get it worked out.

²⁰ Listen to counsel and accept discipline,
That you may be wise the rest of your days.
²¹ Many plans are in a man’s heart,
But the counsel of the LORD will stand.
²² What is desirable in a man is his kindness,
And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.
²³ The fear of the LORD leads to life,
So that one may sleep satisfied,
untouched by evil.
²⁴The sluggard buries his hand in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.
²⁵ Strike a scoffer and the naive may become
shrewd, But reprove one who has
understanding and he will gain knowledge.

Untouched by evil

It is so very reassuring to read—²³ The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.—because of the healing that is experienced in the soul of a believer. I know I personally get caught up in thoughts of despair and unworthiness accompanied with feelings of dread and depression. It brings healing to my bones to meditate on that verse.

²⁶ He who assaults his father and drives
his mother away Is a shameful
and disgraceful son.
²⁷ Cease listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
²⁸ A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice,
And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity.
²⁹ Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
And blows for the back of fools.

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

He who separates himself seeks his own desire

November 18, 2020 Nathan Dooley 1 Comment

Proverbs chapter 18 on the 18^th; I die daily devotionals.

¹ He who separates himself seeks his own desire,
He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

Good-morning, Readers. I love you people, and I mean it. That first verse of our chapter today describes Ander from our post yesterday—evil in the flesh. However, just as Ander was capable of such evil how much more are we capable of good; I pray for Ander. I pray that even though the man is in a cell and will experience justice; that he will not live in that jail the devil calls… home.

2 A fool does not delight in understanding,
But only in revealing his own mind.
3 When a wicked man comes, contempt
also comes, And with dishonor comes scorn.
4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
5 To show partiality to the wicked is not good,
Nor to thrust aside the righteous in judgment.

“Is jail my home?“

These proverbs are teaching me that every soul is in a jail cell, yours and mine, but the significance of my learning is how our personal beliefs and faith expresses the nature of that cell. Is jail my home, or is it freedom? Will freedom be my home, or will jail? Wisdom would have me know—and I think you as well—that my belief and faith—in light of the book of prophecy—convicts me of present sin all the while providing my release to those “cuffs” if-you-will, its grasp to hold me in that state of which is presently convicting me.

6 A fool’s lips bring strife,
And his mouth calls for blows.
7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.
8 The words of a whisperer are like dainty
morsels, And they go down into the
innermost parts of the body.
9 He also who is slack in his work
Is brother to him who destroys.
10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is safe.

So because I have the capacity for all sorts of evil, and good, my present condition contains the essence of law. The essence of law is alive in me to define the nature of my being, and with it the identity of my spirit and where I belong. So right now my conscience is stable in that my focus is writing out this devotional, but as soon as I take my focus off writing and think about the state of my surrounding—my room, where my “office” is—I can see responsibilities I’ve neglected, such as taking out the trash and vacuuming the carpet. At which point the nature of my conscience shifts to that essence of law that inspires me to respond or not respond, to which then consequences soon reveal the state of my room in reflection to the condition of my soul.

11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own imagination.
12 Before destruction the heart of man
is haughty, But humility goes before honor.
13 He who gives an answer before he hears,
It is folly and shame to him.
14 The spirit of a man can endure his sickness,
But as for a broken spirit who can bear it?
15 The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge,
And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

You be the judge

You being the judge—in light of the information I’ve given—would my soul be healthy or unhealthy; if I just left my room in the condition it’s in? It might not be severe at this time, but as days become years of neglecting my responsibilities will then result to a person who’s made their home into a jail—the devil’s home. And not just for me, mind you, but my wife also.

16 A man’s gift makes room for him
And brings him before great men.
17 The first to plead his case seems right,
Until another comes and examines him.
18 The cast lot puts an end to strife
And decides between the mighty ones.
19 A brother offended is harder to be won
than a strong city, And contentions are
like the bars of a citadel.
20 With the fruit of a man’s mouth his
stomach will be satisfied; He will be
satisfied with the product of his lips.

essence of law

Today’s I die daily devotional is a life changing one for me as I think about what all this means, and I pray you’ll see the results of the Spirit of God at work in me… a fellow believer and brother of the faith. My questions to you, my reader, are…

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
²² He who finds a wife finds a good thing
And obtains favor from the LORD.
²³ The poor man utters supplications,
But the rich man answers roughly.
²⁴ A man of too many friends comes to ruin,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

What is the essence of law telling you about your soul?
How should you respond in light of the Word of God?
When will you respond?
Who might you be affecting?

Recourses

Uhhh,,, well, none today.

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it

November 17, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Proverbs chapter 17; I die daily devotional.

¹ Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of feasting with strife.

A “dry morsel”, what?! … Okay, after uh-little digging was able to make sense of it.

I think back before I was married, a bachelor in the small city of Wichita Falls Tx, sitting in my living room on the couch with a dry morsel of popcorn watching the movie 2012; …turns out the Mayans were off about 8 years, they must’ve meant 2020, not 2012! And they didn’t even warn us to wear masks; murderers (being facetious)! But there I was… all alone… beside myself. The point is I was at peace in the quietness of my life at that time, living the American dream. And then I got married…

² A servant who acts wisely will rule
over a son who acts shamefully, And will share
in the inheritance among brothers.
³ The refining pot is for silver and the furnace
for gold, But the LORD tests hearts.
⁴ An evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
⁵ He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker;
He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

UNEXPECTED

While that was supposed to be funny, there’s truth to the negative connotation because… well… the proverb says—a house full of feasting with strife.

You know, a manual doesn’t come with your spouse at marriage. I mean, look! I tried finding an SOP once I was committed, and not even the Bible was helping me figure out how to work this thing. It was crazy, I’m telling yuh, don’t do it! “Run! Run away!” That’s actually what the SOP said! The apostle Paul does give a fair warning, but what the heck… How was I supposed to know that sex wasn’t all there was to it, that there’s actually a WHOLE LOT MORE to marriage than the sex part? “I wanna redo, that’s not fair!” No, not really, of course, but the sad reality did hit us hard at the first few years of our marriage. I enjoyed alcohol; Laura did not. I wanted to eat whenever and wherever as a family; Laura wanted to eat as a family at the kitchen table at a specific time. I wanted sex everyday; Laura wanted quality time everyday.

The challenges of marriage go on into eternity and the information is a mountain to explore, but once the mystery of marriage is learned, prepared, and decided… There are no words to describe the value and ecstasy of such a gift as marriage!

⁶ Grandchildren are the crown of old men,
And the glory of sons is their fathers.
⁷ Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,
Much less are lying lips to a prince.
⁸ A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
⁹ He who conceals a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter
separates intimate friends.
¹⁰ A rebuke goes deeper into one who
has understanding Than a hundred
blows into a fool.

As I dug into the scriptures, I also found an excellent commentary, (I thought) by Matthew Henry:

1. Those that live in unity and quietness, not only free from jealousies and animosities, but vying in mutual endearments, and obliging to one another, live very comfortably, though they are low in the world, work hard and fare hard, though they have but each of them a morsel, and that a dry morsel. There may be peace and quietness where there are not three meals a day, provided there by a joint satisfaction in God’s providence and a mutual satisfaction in each other’s prudence. Holy love may be found in a cottage.

2. Those that live in contention, that are always jarring and brawling, and reflecting upon one another, though they have plenty of dainties, a house full of sacrifices, live uncomfortably; they cannot expect the blessing of God upon them and what they have, nor can they have any true relish of their enjoyments, much less any peace in their own consciences. Love will sweeten a dry morsel, but strife will sour and embitter a house full of sacrifices. A little of the leaven of malice will leaven all the enjoyments.

And I couldn’t help but feel bias, and connected to it because of what the meaning of the word providence means for me personally, but in the commentary I found—”There may be peace and quietness where there are not three meals a day, provided there by a joint satisfaction in God’s providence and a mutual satisfaction in each other’s prudence. Holy love may be found in a cottage.“

¹¹ A rebellious man seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
¹² Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
¹³ He who returns evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.
¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
¹⁵ He who justifies the wicked and he
who condemns the righteous, Both of them
alike are an abomination to the LORD.

ABANDON THE QUARREL

Learning how to abandon the quarrel in marriage and or all-in-encompassing relationships is quite the reward—not that we abandon people or discussions—because information is invaluable to the relationships we mean to build.

Although… Don’t get me wrong; there are people of ‘family and friends’ that you don’t need to be in a relationship with; for instance, the devil. Laura and I watched this movie, “22 July”—based on a true story—where a right-wing extremist in Norway murders 77 people in 2011; planted a bomb that killed 8 just outside the office of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg in Regjeringskvartalet in central Oslo; then shooting 69 people (mostly teens) at a youth camp on the island of Utoya, 25 miles northwest of Oslo.

(A link is provided at the end of this blog under Resources [not that you’re stupid or anything] to read up on the story in more detail. Hmmm… Hey! That actually gives me some ideas and ways to develop my posts! Anyway—*sorry*)

The question is why, why did Anders Behring Breivik murder 77 people?

According to the resource provided in this blog, a section of it tells us that Ander believed himself to be a “savior of Christianity”:

“Hours before the attacks, Breivik e-mailed a 1,500-page manifesto to 5,700 people, titled 2083 – A European Declaration of Independence. In the document, Breivik attacks multiculturalism and the “threat” of Muslim immigration to Norway, as well as Marxism and the Norwegian Labor Party. Breivik copied large sections of the Unabomber manifesto. Breivik writes that he is a “savior of Christianity,” and claims to be part of an order called the “Knight’s Templar.” Breivik was active on anti-Muslim websites.”

¹⁶ Why is there a price in the hand of a fool
to buy wisdom, When he has no sense?
¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
¹⁸ A man lacking in sense pledges
And becomes guarantor in the
presence of his neighbor.
¹⁹ He who loves transgression loves strife;
He who raises his door seeks destruction.
²⁰He who has a crooked mind finds no good,
And he who is perverted in his
language falls into evil.

crooked mind

Now if that information is accurate about Ander—considering his belief—might be thought of as brother in the faith (a family member of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior). But is he?! And is he someone to build a relationship with? Well of course “…No!”, and “…No”—would be my answer—for reasons that the apostle Paul teaches the ^(1st) Corinthians in chapters 5 and 6, “…^5:12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? ¹³ But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. …” .

The severity of Anders’ punishment is yet to be experienced; being convicted for “life” (21 years) in a jail cell is not punishment for the devil, it’s his home. However, there is a punishment that God describes as His vengeance^{(Romans 12:18, Hebrews 10:30)} that Ander will experience. Ander made himself out to be a god in opposition against God by giving himself over to do the devil’s work—filled with the heart of Cain, who killed his innocent brother Able ^{(Gen 4)}—possessed by an eternal outcome of punishment according to Jude and Matthew 25:

^{Jude 1:7} just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

^{Matthew 25:46}These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

²¹ He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
²² A joyful heart is good medicine,
But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
²³ A wicked man receives a bribe from
the bosom To pervert the ways of justice.
²⁴ Wisdom is in the presence of the one
who has understanding, But the eyes of a
fool are on the ends of the earth.
²⁵ A foolish son is a grief to his father
And bitterness to her who bore him.

ways of justice

If we are a people of Christianity that behave as these proverbs contrasts’ the wicked from the good, are we then not testing God at His Word by our wicked behavior? As I write these final words… I think and examine my life …how is my faith discerned and judged by my fellow believers in Christ Jesus? What darkness might be about me that need be exposed—that hasn’t been exposed already? I ask myself the most deepest question I can fathom…

²⁶ It is also not good to fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
²⁷ He who restrains his words has knowledge,
And he who has a cool spirit
is a man of understanding.
²⁸ Even a fool, when he keeps silent,
is considered wise; When he closes his lips,
he is considered prudent.

“Is jail my home?“

Resources

Anders Behring Breivik (the devil at work)
https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/anders-behring-breivik

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

The plans of the heart belong to man

November 16, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Proverbs chapter 16; I die daily devotional.

¹ The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

PLANS

I feel like a got hit so hard I woke up tomorrow, and I nearly did. Laura and I both worked the graveyard shift last night, but had plans for today because we’re off. During the night last night we had planned to prepare a little video for today’s chapter once we were off the clock heading home; because on our way home the colors of the sky change as night turns into day, and as the sky changes, the colors complement the Dallas Tx skyscrapers in a way that inspires you to marvel in awe and wonder! So our schedule was a productive one to start the day today. But uhhh… That obviously didn’t happen! As soon as we made it home, it was lights-out, figuratively and literally! And it was only about an hour ago (6p) that I officially rolled out of bed. Needless to say… today’s proverbs is appropriate for me.

² All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the LORD weighs the motives.
³Commit your works to the LORD
And your plans will be established.
⁴ The LORD has made everything for its own purpose,
Even the wicked for the day of evil.
⁵ Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to
the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.

It wasn’t long after waking up, realizing the time, that thoughts began to race through my mind along with the feelings that accompanied them; confusion, guilt, shame, anxiety, sadness, depression, anger, etc. . All of that complexity in myself causes me to pause especially now, while writing this out, praying without even realizing that I’m praying—distracted by so many questions that flood my system—but then that reminder of yesterdays post comes to mind, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”. Except replace Elijah’s name with yours: “What are you doing here, [NAME]?”. And so here I am, applying my faith to that question:

“What are you doing here, [Nathan]?”

⁶ By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,
And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.
⁷ When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
⁸ Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income with injustice.
⁹ The mind of man plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps.
¹⁰ A divine decision is in the lips of the king;
His mouth should not err in judgment.

7:45^pm CST

In the wake of my human storm of logic and emotions clashing with my present circumstances, I knew one thing for certain! I’ve committed to devote dying daily for the sake of—Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24, Luke 17:33 and John 12:25—which is the greatest reward of faith to an eternal life while here on earth!

What is that reward?

¹¹A just balance and scales belong to the LORD;
All the weights of the bag are His concern.
¹² It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts,
For a throne is established on righteousness.
¹³ Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And he who speaks right is loved.
¹⁴ The fury of a king is like messengers of death,
But a wise man will appease it.
¹⁵ In the light of a king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain.

LOVE AND TRUTH

^{1 Timothy 2:3-} This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The greatest reward to experience here on earth is that desire; LOVE! Love—is instilled in every true believer that was saved. But saved from what? If the emotion and logic of love did not have meaning or purpose, the experience of love would render null and void—chaotic in nature, fire without limitations or boundaries, meaningless—to be completely random for ultimate destruction; forgotten to the memorial place of hell.

^{1 Timothy 2:3-} This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

But the reality of my experience to desire, is purposed with structure—even randomness—because of the knowledge of the truth. What is the knowledge of the truth? ^{1 Timothy 2:5} For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. Our warning to keeping this truth is different that the warning that was given in Genesis—^2:16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; ¹⁷ but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

¹⁶ How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
¹⁷ The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who watches his way preserves his life.
¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
¹⁹ It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
²⁰ He who gives attention to the word will find good,
And blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

WARNING

^{Revelations 22:18} I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

I’m curious as to what that warning means to you, Reader? For me, I hear what I’m not ready to understand yet—all the while, also—what motivates me to lose my soul. That may sound morbid, but actually, it might be selfish; because I believe in what it means for the reward at achieving it, which is eternal life, but more than that; for all to achieve the reward at losing their soul for the reason of God’s desire. I hope and pray for every man to be like King David in that he was a man after God’s own heart—^{Acts 13:22} After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.’

²¹ The wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.
²² Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it,
But the discipline of fools is folly.
²³ The heart of the wise instructs his mouth
And adds persuasiveness to his lips.
²⁴ Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
²⁵ There is a way which seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.

Especially because our Lord said, ¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”—that He is the root and descendant of David! Jesus is narratively, figuratively, and literally the heart of God! I hope for every man to be found with those words of that testimony:

A MAN AFTER MY HEART

²⁶ A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his hunger urges him on.
²⁷ A worthless man digs up evil,
While his words are like scorching fire.
²⁸ A perverse man spreads strife,
And a slanderer separates intimate friends.
²⁹ A man of violence entices his neighbor
And leads him in a way that is not good.
³⁰ He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

So what are your plans?

What are you hungry for? (Not talking about food).

Do our plans work together?

What is the tongue of the Lord saying to our plans?

³¹ A gray head is a crown of glory;
It is found in the way of righteousness.
³² He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.
³³ The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the LORD.

I plan to read the next chapter of proverbs, possibly have some more coffee since I’ve slept my day away. If the Lord will, I’ll eat, read, think, write, and plan more tonight with the Lord. I pray we will all rule our spirits as ^v.32 advises.

Until the morning…

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

A gentle answer turns away wrath

November 15, 2020 Nathan Dooley 3 Comments

Proverbs chapter 15; I die daily devotional.

¹ A gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.

GENTLE ANSWER

But don’t get it twisted because the truth when ‘spoken gently’, might effect to reveal the wrath of God in someone. For instance, the sadducees and pharisees; in both Matthew and Luke chapter 3 verse 7 it says, “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?“. I mean, if I were in their shoes at that time, “ouch!”. That would hurt and might provoke me to anger if I were NOT honestly seeking forgiveness from what John was exposing. The sin condition to look for is—defensiveness and justification (^{John 3:36} He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”).

² The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable,
But the mouth of fools spouts folly.
³ The eyes of the LORD are in every place,
Watching the evil and the good.
⁴ A soothing tongue is a tree of life,
But perversion in it crushes the spirit.
⁵ A fool rejects his father’s discipline,
But he who regards reproof is sensible.

CODEPENDENCY

A lot of the times, the issue we face as a people of relations is codependency. We depend upon family telling us who we are or friends giving us the help we think we need, but there is only One Person Who has the authority over—the course, and outcome—of all life! These proverbs will help train and guide us out of the sin of codependency!

⁶ Great wealth is in the house of the righteous,
But trouble is in the income of the wicked.
⁷ The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
But the hearts of fools are not so.
⁸ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination
to the LORD, But the prayer of the
upright is His delight.
⁹ The way of the wicked is an abomination
to the LORD, But He loves one
who pursues righteousness.
¹⁰ Grievous punishment is for him who forsakes
the way; He who hates reproof will die.

Without knowing it (possibly); you Reader, have a tremendous power that these proverbs emphasize. ² The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable and ⁴ A soothing tongue is a tree of life! Our tongues’ possesses the power to affect a person’s condition just as the tongue that wrote these proverbs are affecting us right now. Me and my wife had talked about codependency today and she said something remarkable! “God is who brings value to a person and gives them their identity”—Laura Dooley. I told my wife that I was going to tweak that quote uh-bit, to read, “God breathes value [soul] in a person and gives them their identity [born to be a child of God]”. What I didn’t tell my wife was that… I’m going to steal it and use it in this post (hope that’s okay honey haha’ *as author pulls’ neck collar* and *eh em* clears throat; moving on!)

¹¹Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD,
How much more the hearts of men!
¹² A scoffer does not love one who reproves him,
He will not go to the wise.
¹³ A joyful heart makes a cheerful face,
But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.
¹⁴ The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on folly.
¹⁵ All the days of the afflicted are bad,
But a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

TRANSFORMATION

When we use our faith to workout the meaning of ^{1 Corinthians 15:45}…“The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.—we experience a process of transformation from the death of our soul to a life-giving spirit! It starts from within our hearts. And from our hearts to our minds—^{Romans 12:2} And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

¹⁶ Better is a little with the fear of the LORD
Than great treasure and turmoil with it.
¹⁷ Better is a dish of vegetables where love is
Than a fattened ox served with hatred.
¹⁸ A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
But the slow to anger calms a dispute.
¹⁹ The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns,
But the path of the upright is a highway.
²⁰ A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man despises his mother.

LET THIS CUP PASS

Codependency is especially seen in parents to their children and vice-versa; the love there, is so strong, that the nature of it is possessive. And without wisdom, becomes destructive. Because not even God our Father took the cup away from His only Son when it came time for Jesus to be crucified—“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”! If there were some other way—let this cup pass from Me—Jesus pleaded with His Father; yet Jesus, trusting His Father, drank that cup so we could be saved and made alive to an eternal life in the kingdom of our Heavenly Father. You might think you love your child or children, but can you provide your child salvation from death and make them alive to an eternal life? Then respectfully and gently I say… God loves your child infinitely more than your capacity to fathom that depth of love God is for you and your children in Jesus Christ.

²¹ Folly is joy to him who lacks sense,
But a man of understanding walks straight.
²² Without consultation, plans are frustrated,
But with many counselors they succeed.
²³ A man has joy in an apt answer,
And how delightful is a timely word!
²⁴ The path of life leads upward for the wise
That he may keep away from Sheol below.
²⁵ The LORD will tear down the house of the proud,
But He will establish the boundary of the widow.

I pray and ask Lord for understanding, and thank you for a path that leads straight because of your name, Jesus. Lord please help us to find our counselors for success, and thank you for the joy we get to experience upon the purpose you give us to do while here on this earth. Lord, please bless us with wisdom as we exercise our faith, and thank you for tongues that speak a language of your truth and salvation. Please forgive us our sin, tear down our pride and establish our boundaries. In your name, Jesus. Amen.

²⁶ Evil plans are an abomination to the LORD,
But pleasant words are pure.
²⁷ He who profits illicitly troubles his own house,
But he who hates bribes will live.
²⁸ The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
²⁹ The LORD is far from the wicked,
But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
³⁰Bright eyes gladden the heart;
Good news puts fat on the bones.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Being human in all our complexity can be quite difficult to work with at times. Our emotions are very informative when we pay close attention to what we are experiencing and why. When the brains and hearts of people are not in sync it’s definitely noticeable, but the question is how to engineer a fix to a broken human system? The answer: kill em! That was a joke, but in a weird-kinda-way that’s happening to us already—so that method is taken. What’s next!? Well… the next thing would be to reeallyyy listen, pray, and process, until it’s time to speak or do something. That practice is especially useful with an inquisitive heart because you’ll want to be ready to ask questions for more insight into the condition that person is facing/experiencing. Navigate what people are experiencing with internal questions first, then trust how the Holy Spirit will use you in that situation—which could be that you’re presence is enough. Don’t force or expect healthy change that is not dependant or contingent on you, but the work and will of God in that person. Committing these insights to memory for practice when the time comes will prove a heavenly treasure. That’s been my experience anyway.

³¹ He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof
Will dwell among the wise.
³²He who neglects discipline despises himself,
But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.
³³The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom,
And before honor comes humility.

^{1 Kings 19:11-} So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

The wise woman builds her house

November 14, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Proverbs chapter 14; I die daily devotional.

¹ The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
² He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD,
But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.
³ In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
But the lips of the wise will protect them.
⁴ Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.
⁵ A trustworthy witness will not lie,
But a false witness utters lies.

Remember the 9th of this month? “Wisdom has built her house”. This chapter starts out similar: The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands. Upon hearing the gospel we find it very… ‘well, male. The biblical narrative is predominantly male for reasons that inspire me to understand the significance of the cross. Remember? The Lamb of God is where the house of Wisdom resides—on the throne. …(I’m going to stay on this train of thought as we read through our sections of this chapter of proverbs—that way I’m not all over the place—to exercise our faith).

⁶ A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,
But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.
⁷ Leave the presence of a fool,
Or you will not discern words of knowledge.
⁸ The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,
But the foolishness of fools is deceit.
⁹ Fools mock at sin,
But among the upright there is good will.
¹⁰ The heart knows its own bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.

Marriage according to God is when a man leaves his father and mother, to be joined to his wife; a male and female soul united as one being _{(Gen 2:24)}. And because Jesus is the male property of His female counterpart, Wisdom; there is a complete house—if you will—built in that relationship. Love describes the distinct qualities between male and female in the mystery and context of marriage. Jesus, the Son of Man, the Son of God, died willingly and obediently for us; His bride _{(Eph 5, Rev 19:7)}. It’s no coincidence that the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary (the mother of Jesus) because; The wise woman builds her house. And no one can go into her house, but through Jesus _{(John 14:6)}; the Lamb of God.

¹¹ The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.
¹² There is a way which seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
¹³ Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
And the end of joy may be grief.
¹⁴ The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied with his.
¹⁵ The naive believes everything,
But the sensible man considers his steps.

The resources to build our house are described in the book of Revelation. To believe in Jesus Christ is to receive the spiritual material necessary to function as an eternal being in a life that experiences the condemnation of death. I love how the female narrative describes our faith; faith that grants access and consists of an abundance to heavenly material. And since we believe, we have the “tools” available to “construct” our soul; not with human hands, but with hands of faith. That is the responsibility we have to our gift of salvation; it’s a work of faith, not of human will or understanding—but the will of God _{(Rom 12:2, 2Pet 1:21)}.

¹⁶ A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil,
But a fool is arrogant and careless.
¹⁷ A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
And a man of evil devices is hated.
¹⁸ The naive inherit foolishness,
But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.
¹⁹ The evil will bow down before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
²⁰ The poor is hated even by his neighbor,
But those who love the rich are many.

When we hold the testimony about Jesus in faith, we’re equipped with the spirit of prophecy _{(Rev 19:10)}. The spirit of prophecy is the book of Revelation. It’s important to pay attention to the book in its entirety, do NOT take away from it and do NOT add to it _{(Rev 22:18-19)}. That looks to me like a warning of a different kind of severity than when God warned the man not to eat from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

²¹ He who despises his neighbor sins,
But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.
²² Will they not go astray who devise evil?
But kindness and truth will be to those who
devise good.
²³ In all labor there is profit,
But mere talk leads only to poverty.
²⁴ The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the folly of fools is foolishness.
²⁵ A truthful witness saves lives,
But he who utters lies is treacherous.

Now look at this!

^{Rev 21:9}Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” When you read through the last chapters of Revelation you’ll see how a wise woman builds her house, the house of Wisdom! Those of us who believe have the seal of the Holy Spirit and promise of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In faith our conscience is washed clean, we are free! Look at the new heaven and new earth! Look at the bride, the wife of the Lamb—New Jerusalem! Now just try and tell me you don’t get excited when exercising your faith in the Kingdom of God, but I don’t care who you are… THIS IS EXCITING!

²⁶ In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
And his children will have refuge.
²⁷ The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
That one may avoid the snares of death.
²⁸ In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,
But in the dearth of people is a prince’s ruin.
²⁹ He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.
³⁰ A tranquil heart is life to the body,
But passion is rottenness to the bones.

When we look at eternity through the lens of the gospel, we don’t fear death. We have strong confidence with the fear of the Lord because we experience His fountain of life; His Words are True! Now with our faith, let’s built our house. Yes?! ^{Rev 21:27} and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. ^{Rev 22:10} And he *said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. ¹¹ Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.”

We have work to do!

³¹ He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,
But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.
³² The wicked is thrust down by his wrongdoing,
But the righteous has a refuge when he dies. ³³ Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, But in the hearts of fools it is made known.
³⁴ Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.
³⁵ The king’s favor is toward a servant who acts wisely,
But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.

^{Rev 22:14} Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.—I don’t know about you, but my soul still needs washing. Thank God He’s provided us His Lamb, and the wife of the Lamb for a house to wash our robes. We can not wash our robes without going to God in the name of Jesus Christ. So come on… come with me…

Let’s go!

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

A scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

November 13, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Proverbs chapter 13; I die daily devotional!

¹ A wise son accepts his father’s discipline,
But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
² From the fruit of a man’s mouth he enjoys good,
But the desire of the treacherous is violence.
³ The one who guards his mouth preserves his life;
The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
⁴ The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
But the soul of the diligent is made fat.
⁵ A righteous man hates falsehood,
But a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully.
⁶ Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless,
But wickedness subverts the sinner.

Wisdom speaks in a language that is always directed at the heart and soul of a person. When wisdom encourages a wise son to accept his father’s discipline _(v.1), how does that language inspire you? As for me; I don’t only think of how my dad disciplined me as a boy, but how I’m being disciplined as an adult with a spiritual nature of a child. Because even though I’m an adult, I’m not entitled. Jesus—who is the Child of God—is still teaching me what that means in Luke 18:17 (“Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”). And I don’t want to see anyone miss out on receiving the kingdom of God because of a (wicked) entitlement issue.

A scoffer…

Does not listen to rebuke. Now this is a hard lesson for me! Because sometimes it’s difficult to discern the nature of that condition. The spiritual condition of a scoffer; I myself have been guilty of this because it’s easy to put my ego before my ears. I mean, it doesn’t exactly feel nice when being told how jacked-up I am. Not that that gave me an excuse. It was natural for me to scoff at someone (like my wife) when my flaws were exposed. So there is a choice on how to respond:

Ignore, (react internally) get angry (use abusive language or worse) and suppress it (magnify the issue narcissistic-ally) as though it never happened.

Or shut-up, listen, and reason the issue for an appropriate adjustment/correction.

The former is noticed by people arguing politics on social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Etc), and especially now during this election debacle (voter ballot malpractice, undermining voter confidence) whatever; without guarding your heart to be blameless will result in being overthrown to a wicked cause or as the proverb says, subverted _(v.6).

“How do we guard against that?”

Wisdom

⁷ There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing;
Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.
⁸ The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,
But the poor hears no rebuke.
⁹ The light of the righteous rejoices,
But the lamp of the wicked goes out.
¹⁰ Through insolence comes nothing but strife,
But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.
¹¹ Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles,
But the one who gathers by labor increases it.
¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
¹³ The one who despises the word will be in debt to it,
But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.
¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
To turn aside from the snares of death.

The one who pretends to be rich has nothing to do with money, but whether you have a spirit of wisdom. You might be someone who is literally rich—I’m talking millionaire status—and thinks “I must be wise”. But in-fact, is poor! Because the wealth of our proverb means to buy and sell (or exchange) wisdom; not ecommerce.

Numbers…

Will give definitive answers about the condition of our lives and predictions depending on the trajectory that our spiritual condition reveals. Don’t get confused by what numbers mean from a worldly perspective because the ruler of this world devises deception. When the proverb (⁸ The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth, But the poor hears no rebuke.) talks about ransom of life; the ransom is symbolic to your soul. Your soul is your wealth, not money.

But get this,

Your soul is condemned to die because of sin; which means that every human soul is needing a remedy or vaccine to be saved from their debt of sin that we each owe, but can not pay. That is why we are cursed to die. We were never meant to experience the consequence of this knowledge through disobedience; as the saying goes, “knowledge is power”. Since we ate the fruit of knowledge _{(Gen 3)}, we now experience the ramifications of that disobedience and are responsible for not trusting a HOLY GOD at His Word!

God said,

“…you will surely die…”

And I’m very confident that our God is a Person of His Word considering the emphasis on…

“…you shall not eat…”

All in that same verse of Genesis chapter 2 verse 17! It says it all! It’s not like we’re experiencing life and death for the hell of it… literally… the hell of it!

¹⁵ Good understanding produces favor,
But the way of the treacherous is hard.
¹⁶ Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
But a fool displays folly.
¹⁷ A wicked messenger falls into adversity,
But a faithful envoy brings healing.
¹⁸ Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline,
But he who regards reproof will be honored.
¹⁹ Desire realized is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.
²⁰ He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will suffer harm.
²¹ Adversity pursues sinners,
But the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.
²² A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

“…for in the day that you eat from it…”

Yah, I better shut-up or this will be the longest post yet!

Okay

Verse (²⁰ He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.) is awesome because that is what I hope for the future of everyone, wisdom that prevents harm. Don’t be a stupid idiot and built-up your environment with foolish people! Or you’ll suffer through the way of escape. Whenever we dig in the dirt using our hands, our fingernails will feel the harm from the dirt compressed between the finger and the nail. That is what it feels like when you surround yourself with unbelief being a believer; believers with the Helper [Holy Spirit] in them are the shovel for your hands!

Now we all experience the fruit of the Helper in different ways and at different times; for example—you might be experiencing a flavor of clarity to a person who is experiencing confusion. The fruit of the Spirit is the same for all believers, but the flavors are different for specific purposes. If I’m confused about my finances, someone who is skilled in that area of expertise might perk up because of that Helper inspired to be of service for me.

You know what…

…let’s get a little…

…Personal!

My wife has a discipline of self-control in an area where I am desperate for that help; that’s what makes us interwoven. But she’s weird, you know! She does not experience a lust for the flesh; that makes no sense to me! That is my weakness. A wickedness that will subvert the sinner, me! So the counsel from her Helper (the Holy Spirit of her soul) is what I crave and desire more fervently than my desire for sexual sin. We have the same “fruit” (Spirit). But see without counsel, I’d be addicted to Pornography to relieve my appetite, or some other form of distraction; rather than accepting the truth of my condition and reason through it for the sake of…

My Wife!

Because she is…

…My…

…Wisdom!

²³ Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor,
But it is swept away by injustice.
²⁴ He who withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
²⁵ The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,
But the stomach of the wicked is in need.

Do you have abundant food? You might check your heart to see if you need some counsel, because if you don’t find it you’ll be swept away by the injustice incurred by wicked influences.

Go to church!

Or bring church home to you, but don’t neglect the life-giving spirit that the apostle Paul tells the Corinthians (So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.).

LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT…

That is in you!

in Chapter 15 verse 46… Don’t neglect the last Adam [Jesus Christ] by denying the truth of the Helper that saves you, blesses you with your spouse [Wisdom], and gives you life [God], by the promise of the Holy Spirit [Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation]!

If you’re hungry, don’t worry; the righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite in Jesus Christ! Bread is not sufficient to satisfy an appetite for wisdom, but the Word of God is!

Believing in Jesus Christ by way of the gospel is what it means to be wise and to not ever worry about surviving death! Rather; accept the logical conclusion about death and survive the lie of the devil, “The serpent said to the woman,

“You surely will not die!”

Yes

You

WILL

YOU WILL DIE!

The glory of holiness does not mix with the sin of wickedness, so accept the discipline of a heavenly Father throughout your life even until death! Because our heavenly Father loves us too much to behave wickedly!

“God is Love”

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge

November 12, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

But he who hates reproof is stupid.

Because chapter 12 on the 12^th says so!

Proverbs 12!

HEREEEE…

WEEEE…

GO!

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge; which sounds a lot like I should get into a whole lot uh trouble for a whole lot uh discipline to get a whole lot uh knowledge, but that’s also why anyone …who hates reproof is stupid.

Actively dying everyday for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ and the gospel is what this love of discipline and knowledge means.

Writing an “I die daily devotional” through Proverbs requires discipline each and every day. I could have the best plan laid out for these devotionals to be published, but as we all might know—plans will change rapidly and immediately—I have to adapt or die. Or actually…

I have to die to adapt!

Discipline will produce the skills for development, and knowledge will improve the ingenuity of those skills that will hopefully result in content that brings life to the soul in each and every published post.

And that…

was just verse 1!

² A good man will obtain favor from the LORD,
But He will condemn a man who devises evil.
³ A man will not be established by wickedness,
But the root of the righteous will not be moved.
⁴ An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.
⁵ The thoughts of the righteous are just,
But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.

These proverbs are so rich in content that we can write novels upon novels of how they prove accurate when applied to our daily lives.

There is soooo much I want to get into with this chapter, but can already tell you that won’t happen.

And that’s okay!

Who knows what treasure tomorrow will bring with our heart set on learning and applying these Proverbs to our lives.

Where are your thoughts?

When you’re seeking counsel, who do you turn to and why?

Discern between the wicked and the righteous in your life; counsel is very important. If you believe and have faith in the promise of the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth, you’ll recognize the nature of the Holy Spirit inside and outside of others in your sphere of influence.

¹³ An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous will escape from trouble.
¹⁴ A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words,
And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him.
¹⁵ The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

Gawwww!

As I read how an evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips and the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, I cringe with conviction because I know where I’ve made my mistakes today. That’s a part of learning though!

Speaking of, get this…

I had commented on a politically bias Facebook post where this particular person was bashing on Trump supporters, and I called out the bias of the post and my comments then started to disappear until finally I was “thrust out” of that thread. Not because I defended Trump radicals, but because I called out the same behavior of this person by the content of their post that bashed on Trump supporters.

I could’ve just left it well alone, but that’s the point; I will always be learning and practicing how to be wise about my language when, or if, it’s time to use it.

And thank God for grace and mercy to make mistakes that we can learn from, but not to willingly engage in for the perverted pleasure of it.

⁷ The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
But the house of the righteous will stand.
⁸ A man will be praised according to his insight,
But one of perverse mind will be despised.

Dang it!

Hit the deadline!

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

A false balance is an abomination to the LORD

November 11, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

What is in the balance?

¹³ “You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a large and a small. ¹⁴ You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. ¹⁵ You shall have a full and just weight; you shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. ¹⁶ For everyone who does these things, everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the LORD your God.—Deuteronomy 25

³⁵ ‘You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight, or capacity. ³⁶ You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin; I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt. ³⁷ You shall thus observe all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them; I am the LORD.’”—Leviticus 19

If I were measured and weighed with equipment that put me in the ropes with Mike Tyson; I’d update my will first, because I’m dead! That there would set me up to be cheated and slaughtered for the sake of entertainment if I didn’t understand what a just balance was, and that is what today’s chapter of proverbs is teaching. Check it out!

¹ A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,
But a just weight is His delight.

Your soul is…

Our souls are in the balance being weighed and measured by this life of good and evil. The judge that determines our “weight class” is the Holy Spirit of God that restrains evil enough for the preservation of the Word of God proclaimed and lived out on this earth. The apostle Paul teaches about the invisible work of the restrainer in Thess 2:

³ Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. ⁵ Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? ⁶ And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. ⁸ Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; ⁹ that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, ¹⁰ and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

I pray every soul reads those words of the Holy Spirit in Paul, but the key verses about the restrainer are— ⁶ …you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

“Hmmm…”

You know what?

Let’s dissect that!

Because it correlates with our chapter of Proverbs today and is the very meaning to the purpose of Wisdom sending out her maidens… You remember? From our Proverbs two days ago?—She has sent out her maidens, she calls From the tops of the heights of the city: _{(Prov 9:3)}

Wisdom is the heart and mind of the Lamb of God that inspires those who believe in Jesus Christ with a truth that slays the wicked one with the breath of God; that is what the Church is doing when living in obedience to the Word of God that guides our souls with knowledge and discernment for uprightness; providence describes that by making the invisible nature of good and evil visible in how we conduct ourselves in light of our reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ.

Those of us who believe in Jesus Christ have the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God through faith by grace because when the time comes for the wicked one to be revealed— ⁸ …whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; we’re all gonna die!

“Wait!”

“What!?”

Yes, we will all die!

“Why!?”

Because we are all wicked!— “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; ¹¹ THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ¹² ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

The glory of Jesus at His coming will be so magnificent that everything will perish because sin and holiness do not co-exist!

Jesus teaches us about future events and is why we have the promise of the Holy Spirit!

Look! Look!

²⁰ Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; ²¹ these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²² Philip *came and *told Andrew; Andrew and Philip *came and *told Jesus. ²³ And Jesus *answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵ He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. ²⁶ If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

Jesus in the gospel according to John says—²⁵ He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.

He who loves his soul in this life of wickedness… will lose it.

We must understand this!

It seems contradictory. I mean, after all.

“Who would love a life of wickedness?”

But there-in-lies the deception because no one can not be wicked while in this condition of sin and death. That is why it doesn’t matter how “good” you are. What we think is good means absolutely nothing apart from holiness. Holiness is an objective reality that exists as faith in our reality. (And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. ^{Heb 11:6}).

At the day of our Lord come, remember what Jesus said…

³⁶ “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. ³⁷ For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. ³⁸ For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. ⁴⁰ Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

In the gospel according to Matthew 24, Jesus says—⁴⁰ Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

We are all going to die; one will be translated into a new body prepared for the Kingdom of God; the other will be translated into a body prepared by their choice of unbelief, possessed by the wicked one…

……………

…….

I needed a second after writing that.

It’s heavy when thinking about what that actually means for at least 2 people—that I have direct contact with—still choosing to question, and 1 more—that I have indirect contact with—that fights for their position of unbelief.

I can spend my life praying for these people, but it doesn’t make it any less grievous or painful as each moment goes by as a witness to their blatant unbelief.

How would you govern your life?

Upright or Wicked?

Jesus is the Upright

² When pride comes, then comes dishonor,
But with the humble is wisdom.
³ The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.
⁴ Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.
⁵ The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way,
But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
⁶ The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.
⁷ When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish,
And the hope of strong men perishes.
⁸ The righteous is delivered from trouble,
But the wicked takes his place.
⁹ With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
¹⁰ When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.

I pray you’re not discouraged although, honestly, a pause is necessary.

The balance is just…

And!

The weight is eternal…

I think when we finally accept the reality of our condition of sin will then realize how death is defeated and embrace our judgement with confidence.

However, do not treasure your soul of sin in this life; your soul is wicked and must be judged to death, but don’t lose sight of your hope in Jesus Christ.

Remember, Jesus says in that same chapter—¹⁷ Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. ¹⁸ Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. ¹⁹ But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! ²⁰ But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.

Do not store up what defines your soul in this life as anything more than passing away. Because to do that…

Is wicked!

But to love your neighbor with a willing heart to serve the truth about salvation in Jesus Christ is what it means to…

Love!

Not because it’s your duty to love, or an obligation, but because that’s Who our God is… God is…

Love!

So if you love in the way your faith describes the nature of an invisible God through the Word of God in your soul… that…

Is Upright!

³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who is wise wins souls.
³¹ If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth,
How much more the wicked and the sinner!

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

The proverbs of Solomon

November 10, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

The prayer of Solomon

⁷ Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. ⁸ Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. ⁹ So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

How it pleased God

¹⁰ It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. ¹¹ God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, ¹² behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.

¹The proverbs of Solomon

A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
2 Ill-gotten gains do not profit,
But righteousness delivers from death.
3 The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger,
But He will reject the craving of the wicked.
4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

It is in 1^st Kings chapter 3 that we discover a boy who has a heart desperate for wisdom, and she (Wisdom) built her house in Solomon for our instruction generations later.

As I meditate on today’s chapter of Proverbs, I can’t help but think of what Jesus said in the gospels according to Matthew (6) and Luke (12): ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.—because we often worry about missing out in this life, thinking… “What if we don’t eat the best meals? What if I miss out on seeing the Grand Canyon? What about clothing, and what I should wear to meet societal standards; keeping up with the hottest trends? Will there be enough purpose to go around for me to exist? What does my future hold considering the impending death that awaits me? …Etc.”

Choose her over Worry

Her—meaning Wisdom.

Worry is a type of “she” that is a lot like the harlot known as Pornography as discussed in a previous devotional; she competes for your attention to torment your soul as the conviction of truth sets-in when we sin by worrying; pleasing Worry, rather than keeping Wisdom for our righteous pleasure, is not healthy.

So choose Wisdom over Worry, and—do not keep worrying. ³⁰ For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. ³¹ But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. ³² Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.³³ “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Remember our proverbs—² Ill-gotten gains do not profit, But righteousness delivers from death. ³ The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger, But He will reject the craving of the wicked. ⁴ Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

⁸ The wise of heart will receive commands,
But a babbling fool will be ruined.
⁹ He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.
¹⁰ He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will be ruined.
¹¹ The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

The soul is where Wisdom builds her house, but the heart is where the fruit of Wisdom becomes tangible, or etable; our language is what gives information about ourselves; whether we have chosen to receive commands; walk in integrity; or use our mouths to speak what is honest; our language will tell the truth about souls.

But what happens when we babble inwardly, seeking out what is perverted, and then conceal the wickedness for gaining an experience that speaks what language?

Hatred

¹² Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all transgressions.
¹³ On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.
¹⁴ Wise men store up knowledge,
But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
¹⁵ The rich man’s wealth is his fortress,
The ruin of the poor is their poverty.
¹⁶ The wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.
¹⁷ He is on the path of life who heeds instruction,
But he who ignores reproof goes astray.
¹⁸ He who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And he who spreads slander is a fool.
¹⁹ When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.

But hatred of what?

Hatred, once developed, is a VERY dangerous element to the human psyche if directed at the wrong system.

Hatred of what is evil signifies a house that is built on the rock; referencing Jesus according the Holy Spirit in Matthew chapter 7—²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. So hate what is evil, but don’t be an idiot; don’t think it’s our job to solve an evil problem by getting angry at it; that’s not smart and in-fact is consequential to a hard lesson learned or worse, stuck in the depravity of your sin by the guilt of what results come out of vengeful emotions.

How about it?

What do you think?

I think if we really listen to the instruction of wisdom will learn to…

be trained in righteousness!

We’ll start to make sense of a person’s identity by how they behave with the instruction of our proverbs in mind; growth of what is good is inevitable when our mind, heart, soul, and strength are inclined to understand words of righteousness from our Lord, Jesus Christ!

When we can make sense of a person’s identity then will know how to adapt to that person’s spiritual state, and hopefully influence our own personal gospel account of the Holy Spirit that inspires the salvation of Jesus Christ. Because…

Remember

It is not our place to be the savior of a person’s soul. That title is already claimed in what Jesus Christ did on the cross for the entire world. So our job is to proclaim the gospel by how we behave, and hopefully, EVERY soul will come to the experience of salvation in Jesus Christ. Now, I understand the possibility of some if not many people arguing the nature of Revelation—¹⁵ And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. So let me just clarify that I’m not implying all peoples will escape the reality of eternal punishment upon their judgement time, but only mean to communicate that that is NOT our responsibility to determine!

Judgement

The apostle Paul teaches:

¹ Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? ² Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? ³ Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? ⁴ So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? ⁵ I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, ⁶ but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?

In 1^st Corinthians chapter 6—² Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? ³ Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

We judge angels yo!

So our responsibility is to the acclaimed believers, not unbelievers.

We evangelize to the unbelievers in hope for their salvation, but do not execute the vengeance of God upon the unbelievers rejection of the gospel. God has already established what happens to those who choose their condemnation; that judgement is found in the book of Revelation.

The judgement we implement as believers—here and now—is governed by trusted church officials that remind misbehaving believers what the gospel convicts the sinner saved by grace through faith is, and unless they heed counsel and turn away from their sin; the work of the Holy Spirit has designated believers in Christian Churches that will organize an appropriate disciplinary action for acclaimed believers remaining in their sinful practice they know is contrary to the truth of the gospel: See Matt 18.

²⁷ The fear of the LORD prolongs life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
²⁸ The hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked perishes.
²⁹ The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright,
But ruin to the workers of iniquity.
³⁰ The righteous will never be shaken,
But the wicked will not dwell in the land.
³¹ The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.
³² The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted.

If you are a believer and do not have a church body; meaning three to eleven christian brothers and sisters in your personal life; you are depriving yourself wisdom.

Wisdom has built her house in your soul for the reason and purpose of intimacy with the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ; the Holy Spirit is working out your salvation within you as you respond to the sanctification process. However, that process does not happen without an actual relationship to the Word of God and a relationship with your Church:

¹⁹ Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; ²⁴ and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵ not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

In the book of Hebrews chapter 10, we are reminded of this level of intimacy between each other— ²⁴ and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵ not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Don’t do that!

Don’t develop that habit of forsaking your own assembling together!

²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
²¹ The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of understanding.
²² It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.
²³ Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.
²⁴ What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.
²⁵ When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

Listen, if you skipped to the end just to read this part well… I understand, it is kind-of-a long read, but if nothing else; please hear me say this…

Be that leader!

Organize yourself some designated people that will commit to being your personal church! That is vital for setting your soul in perfect order! You need your church or you’ll be left vulnerable to the devices and schemes of the devil in your life that couches at the door to devour you. Get rid of your ego and find your foundation that will hold you accountable to spiritual convictions when on trial for sin—which is every moment of your day that is called “Today”.

If you are living in Sodom and Gomorrah then it is time to move, pack your bags and bounce! Because we ain’t got time for that!

If you think you’re not a leader, then let me break it down for you…

You are!

Now organize a sit-down with those christian people in your life; that foundation, WILL BE RIGHTEOUS!

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Wisdom has built her house

November 9, 2020 Nathan Dooley 2 Comments

“Where is her house?”

1 Wisdom has built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table;

Her house is revealed in the revelation of the Lamb, that is where we will find the way to the house of wisdom. Jesus Christ is the way into this house.

“Where is Jesus Christ?”

Again (as you’ll find in the previous post) this following text will be small, but necessary for a reference point, and I’ll give the key verses after so you’re not forced to squint your eyes:

¹ I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. ² And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. ⁴ Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; 5 and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”⁶ And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. ⁷ And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. ⁸ When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ And they *sang a new song, saying,“ Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.¹⁰ “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”

The key verses from Revelation 5 above are; “¹ I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. ² And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.”—John the apostle of Jesus Christ is witnessing business conducted in the kingdom of God which is where the house of wisdom resides.

You’ll see that the Lamb of God that was slain, the Son of God, and the Son of Man are all one-in-the-same Person. Jesus Christ lived in the flesh of Man as God to do a work; His ministry exists today in declaration of that work; Jesus was crucified on the cross as the Lamb that was slain for the purpose of salvation and reconciliation to God. This work is being witnessed by John at the time of his exile on Patmos—who was still alive in the flesh while caught up in the spirit—as conclusive inspiration to all “Being” (as I think Jordan Peterson would identify our archetypal existence) or Creation that Jesus Christ is our worthy King.

“What about the seven pillars?”

So check this out!

As we continue reading in Revelation 5 _(v.12) we’ll find the meaning of the seven pillars!

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”

I mean…

look!

at!

that!

When we proclaim the truth of the gospel and utter the oracles of God, we are serving the world with the 7 PILLARS that the Holy Spirit has hewn inside the soul of a believer!

Remember!

² She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table;
³ She has sent out her maidens, she calls
From the tops of the heights of the city:
⁴ “Whoever is naïve, let him turn in here!
”To him who lacks understanding she says,
⁵ “Come, eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
⁶ “Forsake your folly and live,
And proceed in the way of understanding.”

When the soul of a person unites with the Word of God by faith through believing in Jesus Christ, a consummation of marital intimacy occurs producing the significance of:

Power
Riches
Wisdom
Might
Honor
Glory
Blessing

And this is how we set our house in perfect order as Jordan Peterson’s rule 6 would describe, but without Christ; we are serving the world in a different manner, one that has plates filled with the food of demons, and that is a house built on sand—don’t receive that person’s “food”.

How you have built your house in faith will determine the condition of food you have to offer; your house is your soul, your food is your influence, and your wine is a testimony about you, but Who do you serve; God or the devil? You can NOT serve two masters.

I’ve reached my deadline before tomorrow… write to you then…

Set your soul in perfect order!

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Does wisdom not call, and understanding lift up her voice?

November 8, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

These posts are tagged as “I die daily devotionals”, and if we are not experiencing what that means I’ve then neglected my responsibility and incorporated an alternative agenda that is not the gospel.

Today’s chapter 8 of Proverbs is rewarding when we develop our relationship to the active work of wisdom in our souls upon believing the gospel.

“What is the gospel?”

The good news of the gospel is an experience of faith that is a conviction; Jesus teaches us about what we will experience as believers in the gospel according to John; John is explaining the promise and purpose of the Holy Spirit that lives in us actively in chapter 16:

⁵ “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; ⁹ concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; ¹¹ and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.¹² “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. ¹⁵ All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

That text is small, I know, I’m sorry; I just wanted to provide this entire section, but the keys verses are: “⁸ And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; ⁹ concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; ¹¹ and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.“—concerning sin, righteousness, and judgement because the love of the world is distinct from the love of God.

“Why does wisdom call and understanding lift up her voice?”

God loves us in a way of discipline; like a father and mother raising their brows to communicate specific information to a misbehaving child; we now experience the knowledge of good and evil as a consequence for eating that fruit in disobedience, but check this out!

19 “My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,
And my yield better than choicest silver.
20 “I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 To endow those who love me with wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.

Our heavenly Father disciplines us in a way that reveals the meaning of love that this world will not understand unless it believes and trusts’ in Jesus Christ.

When the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil was eaten in disobedience, it can be understood—from a metaphorical perspective—that God looked at us with eyebrows raised at the children He loves because of the severity of what happens when we sin; the expression of a father and mother raising their eyebrows in that context is actually blessing (Adam and Eve) us with the fruit of wisdom even though it feels painful during that discipline (eyebrows raised, swatted on the rear); the blessing is knowledge about our relationship to God when we experience how we displease a heavenly Father by disbelieving His love for us.

“O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom.”

It seems contradictory in nature when we equate the discipline of this world with the discipline of a Holy God; the world experiences pain and suffering, and says, “God can’t be real, because if God were; this knowledge wouldn’t exist” even though we ate the fruit of it in two different circumstances; the wife of Adam ate it because she was deceived and fell into transgression whereas Adam ate it because he chose to _{(1 Tim 2:14)}.

However, that begs the question.

“Why did Adam eat that fruit?”

6 “Listen, for I will speak noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.
7 “For my mouth will utter truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 “All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.
9 “They are all straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.

What happened to the man and woman after God said that it wasn’t good for the man to be alone—God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep and created out of his rib something that the man would call, “Woman” _{(Gen 2:18-25)}. Does anyone find it a coincidence that the marriage of Adam and Eve (also called “the mother of all the living” _{Gen 3:20}) brought about the greatest blessing of all eternity—the birth of Jesus Christ? (The Son of Man! The Son of God!). But how did this come about? Well why does a man and woman choose to be joined in marriage?

LOVE

10 “Take my instruction and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choicest gold.
11 “For wisdom is better than jewels;
And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

There is nothing that compares to love when experienced in the design and nature of God’s good pleasure, because of it; produces…

LIFE

I don’t know about you, but no amount of silver or gold will change my faith about this wisdom we have in Jesus Christ!

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And I find knowledge and discretion.
13 “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverted mouth, I hate.
14 “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, power is mine.
15 “By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 “By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.
17 “I love those who love me;
And those who diligently seek me will find me.
18 “Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring wealth and righteousness.

This life and love we experience are a lie when accepting the reality of life and love in Jesus Christ; Jesus was born through faith by love that was established before the beginning of Adam and Eve.

22 “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 “From everlasting I was established,
From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.
24 “When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no springs abounding with water.
25 “Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills I was brought forth;
26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.

“Does wisdom not call?”

32 “Now therefore, O sons, listen to me,
For blessed are they who keep my ways.
33 “Heed instruction and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
34 “Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.
35 “For he who finds me finds life
And obtains favor from the LORD.
36 “But he who sins against me injures himself;
All those who hate me love death.”

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

My son, keep my words

November 7, 2020 Nathan Dooley 3 Comments

*Be careful people! Pornography has a twin, same personality, but different name as you’ll see in the featured image; this is also why I really like comments, accountability and interaction are very much appreciated.* (Thank you Tanner)

“Ummmm… don’t leave your wife at home?”

Well… not exactly.

That thought is funny to me because my wife made a similarly playful comment to that effect when on our little sunrise morning date with Jesus and coffee.

I mean; that is a fair thought when reading today’s chapter of proverbs—¹⁸ “Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with caresses.¹⁹ “For my husband is not at home, He has gone on a long journey; ²⁰ He has taken a bag of money with him, At the full moon he will come home.” I mean, dude shoulda never left without tending to his wife, but that’s not the issue being communicated by this information.

The nature of the human condition is influenced to such a degree that without proper discipline acquired from a spirit of instruction, we’re forsaken to untrained senses, gullible to cave at the call of a harlot that symbolizes a consequence of sin that we experience in this world.

When I ask the question, “Who are the parents teaching this son such words?” I reflect on the ministry of Jesus Christ; Jesus is called “The Word of God”_{(Rev 19:13)} for a reason, and now here we are; the Parent’s of us are speaking:

¹ My son, keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.
² Keep my commandments and live,
And my teaching as the apple of your eye.
³ Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your intimate friend;
⁵ That they may keep you from an adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

We are to “Keep”, “Bind”, and “Write” to memory, the wisdom that works in a way of which gives understanding to an experience needed NOT to endure for the sake of learning.

Don’t cave into the call of “her words”.

“Who is she?”

Her name is Pornography.

If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’ve been introduced to her already. And what’s worse is you might still be in bed with her? Thinking to yourself that it’s just the nature of the human condition, but you’d be wrong; it’s a choice of influence that resides in the souls of sinners (people spiritually separated from God).

If you are a husband or wife wilfully in bed with Pornography, then you are wilfully committing adultery; your marriage bed is defiled, but hear these words my son; it’s not just against your spouse in this world, but against the Husband of your soul that reconciles you to God; or have you forgotten His Name?

²⁰ Jesus has taken a bag of money with him, At the full moon he will come home.”

Who took a bag of money (our debt of sin _{Hosea 1:2, 3:2}) and purchased our love unto eternal life?

Or have you forgotten the sound of His voice?

When you think of your male or female neighbor, consider this; remember to “say to wisdom, you are my sister“; think of them as your brother or sister in faith and be married to the only ONE qualified to be a Spouse, that is Jesus Christ.

There is a nature of the soul. There is a nature of the spirit.

The spirit is given as an anointing to the soul desperate for a drink.
^{1 John 2:20,27}

Are you thirsty?

…Keep my words.

God and Coffee, I die daily devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Go to the ant, O sluggard

November 6, 2020 Nathan Dooley 1 Comment

There are thirty-one chapters of proverbs and today is the 6th of November, have you read today’s chapter from your Bible?

Be encouraged to start your morning or at the very least, sometime that day, to read a chapter of proverbs dedicated to that day.

How does today’s chapter speak to you?

⁶There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:¹⁷ Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,¹⁸ A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil,¹⁹ A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.

Pride
Lying
Murder
Deceit
Perversion
Gossip
Evil

Temptation is constantly crouching at the doors of our hearts ready to devour us, and many… sadly… are being devoured right before our eyes; I can’t think of a worse experience to pain endured than watching who you love reject their salvation; choosing rather to be consumed by six elements of hate, until finally converted to an abomination of evil that infested their soul for the devil’s household.

When the apostle Paul said, “…I die daily” _{(1 Corith 15:31)} would have liked to have thought that that is what he meant when teaching the Corinthians the power of the gospel; that the experience of death is watching a person you love so dearly being sifted, ripped and torn apart by the sin that divides us from the God who saved us in Jesus Christ; Paul saw the spiritual nature of the human condition.

The trajectory is clear, the forecast is eternal separation from the purpose we have here and now by the apologetics of our faith we so desperately preach, and mean to practice.

I don’t mean to burden my fellow brothers and sisters in the faith by those words of sadness… forgive me that harm; it’s not said without experience, where there is sorrow, joy exists in hope for tomorrow.

We have work to do!

So go to the ant, O sluggard!

Answering Hard Questions, Controversial, God and Coffee, Nathan Dooley, Salvational Engineering, Semantics, Spiritual Insights, Therapy

Is Every Person Convicted By The Holy Spirit?

October 13, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

The immediate answer that came to my mind was, “No. Because how can someone be convicted by what they don’t believe in?”. I had what felt like a heavy handed conversation last week, not in the way that you might interpret. We were talking about this question and I was explaining the experience of my conviction… Burdened—is probably a more appropriate word—I think is the term my friend used as he understood my position as perfect as a therapist would. I’ve had several conversations with this brother previous to this specific one. Diversity couldn’t be defined better upon learning about our relationship. And he was actually a prayer request to understand our present issues from a different perspective, and it was specific. My friend is a black gay conservative Christian.

My friend asked a good question about my conviction which was whether I believed I could lose my salvation. To which I referred to Hebrews and Romans for insight and pondered about how to answer considering my lifestyle compared to his belief; because he believed that a person can be saved while holding onto a homosexual lifestyle, whereas I believed that a person who has chosen that lifestyle has yet to become saved. I felt heavily burdened by communicating that because of how it might be perceived. The fact that it was a very delicate issue didn’t help and the last thing I wanted to communicate is myself to be the determining factor of salvation, but rather that the meaning of salvation is being communicated effectively through the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If what I am speaking is true, then the matter is turned to the person listening and contending with the Word of God for themselves. Jesus is the One Who determines their salvation by knowing the heart of that person processing the information of salvation.

What is biblical conviction? (see video)

What is the outcome for biblical conviction? (see video)

Devotional, God and Coffee, Nathan Dooley

What Is The Ministry Of Reconciliation?

October 7, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.

^{2 Corinthians 5:11}

This is a personal decision and it might be that you have yet to experience what that decision means? I would say that I am still presently experiencing my decision to this ministry. Now… I’m going about this devotion a bit differently. You will see a video with this devotional.

The fear of the Lord convicts us of the consequence for sin, which is His wrath that remains on those who decide not to believe in Jesus Christ. But thank God our Father who has provided this ministry of reconciliation. That wrath is passed over because Jesus Christ the Son of the living God died on the cross to give you and I the blood transfusion of the Lamb. We are saved from the condemnation of sin through a work of faith in the Holy Spirit of God in us. Therefore we are reconciled to God.

Devotional, God and Coffee, Nathan Dooley

What Is The Chosen

October 1, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

^{Acts 1:24-26}

The chosen are the apostles of Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus called these 12 chosen to follow Him personally during His ministry of the kingdom of His Father our God to His excruciating death on the cross. Notice that these people responded by accepting their call to follow and went, not that they chose Jesus, but are chosen by Jesus. However, one of these apostles who also went and shared in Jesus’ ministry as (our verse above describes) took his portion of that ministry and went to his own place. But what place was that? A place called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood _{(Act 1:19)}. Earlier in the chapter of Acts, the chosen apostles tell about 120 followers of Jesus that Judas was a personification of scripture fulfilled—“For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT’; and, ‘LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE.’ _{(Act 1, Psa 69, 109, Zec 5)}. So it was time to fill that office and the qualifications were men that accompanied Christ from His baptism to Him being taken up to the right hand of God after His resurrection from the dead _{(Acts 1:21-22, 2:32-33)}.

The chosen is a land and a people of Israel for the Kingdom of God that was taken from the hardened hearts of the chief priests and Pharisees in their office of the old covenant _{(Genesis 18:18-20}, _{Matt 21:33-46, Roman 11)}. And that Kingdom was given to the apostles that share in our present ministry of the new covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ _{(Luke 22:20)}. The Kingdom of God today is a ministry of reconciliation _{(2 Cor 5:17-21)} through the power and glory of God with the promise of the Holy Spirit. And it might be that you are wondering whether you are reconciled to God? If so, don’t worry, because every single one of the apostles wondered whether they were the one to betray Jesus saying, “Surely it is not I…?” _{(John 13:21-25, Mark 14:18-21 Matt 26:21-25, Luke 22:14-23)}. There was a time when I asked that question for myself, only a little differently. Let’s look at what sets the 11 Christians apart from Judas and the reason the lot fell to Matthais to fill his office .

It looks plausible that Judas was stealing enough money throughout his life including the course of their ministry to acquire a field before his betrayal _{(Acts 1:18)}. He had thrown the 30 pieces of silver back to the chief priests _{(Matt 26:15, 27:3-9, Zech 11:12-13)}, which indicates to me that he’d already acquired the field by his wickedness. The betrayal of Judas reminds me of the rogue angel _{(Eze 28:12-17)} guised in the eyes of a woman to be a serpent trusted by what God said to be very good _{(Gen 1:31)}, but was actually an act of betrayal. Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the Lord God had made …_{(Gen 3:1)}. The consequential program of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is genius, because in it is the capacity for what is created to be good capable of evil _{(Gen 2:9, Isa 5:20, 41:23, Eze 28:12-17 )}. We are not forced to be evil, all of creation is given life to share with God our Father in the program He wrote with the blood ink of His only Son, The Word of God _{(Rev 12:13, John 3:16, Acts 4:12)}.

The Lord knows the hearts of all men. If you are honest about your heart, what would the Lord know about it? We are all thieves on the cross, but are you the thief saying… “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” _{(Luke 23:39-43)}?

Devotional, God and Coffee, Nathan Dooley

What Is Discipline

September 25, 2020 Nathan Dooley 1 Comment

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

^{1 John 4:16}

You might have noticed a theme to these “What Is…” devotionals. I’ve stayed around the subject of Judas Iscariot because the relationship between Judas and Jesus reveals the love of God for His enemies; that’s paramount. But it also reveals the authority that is given the Son of Man to remove the restrainer that protects against the lawlessness of Satan _{(2 Thes 2:7)}.

God loves us as a Father that disciplines His children _{(Heb 12:7-11)}. We can see that happening as Judas exercises miracles, authority over demons, preaches the kingdom at hand _{(Mat 10:5-8)} and even eats the morsel received from Jesus at the passover _{(Jhn 13:26)}. So if God loved Judas, why would Satan be permitted to enter into him? Let’s look at this from another angle. Remember when Jesus calls out Peter saying, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” _{(Luk 22:31-32)}. What was going on with Peter that Jesus would say this to him? My observation (and Peter please forgive me for where I might be wrong) is his desire to lead by acting on Christ’s behalf, his ambition manifests through insecurities wanting to prove himself. And it looks like Satan was eating that up inside Peter because it wasn’t that Peter wanted to deny Christ, but his zeal was clouding his judgment about what Christ meant regarding thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel _{(Luk 22:30)}; possibly felt an erratic jolt of emotions for such a position, not to mention what came next, and didn’t know how to react or respond other than to get ampt. Next thing you know he cuts off a dudes ear and starts cursing… can you relate?! Shoot, I feel like I can!

But what do we make of Satan? This issue of sin dates back to the seed of Adam and is written in our DNA because Adam was not deceived when eating that fruit _{(1 Tim 2:14, Gen 3:6)}. And so we were living in the lie of evil because we are of our father the devil _{(Jhn 8:44)} choosing to believe in ourselves rather than the truth of the Word of God _{(Gen 3:7)}, which is what Peter was doing by cutting off the right ear of a chief priests’ slave at the arrest of Jesus _{(Luk 18:10)} and then denying Jesus for fear of his own life because it was time for the hour of darkness _{(Luk 22:53)} in fulfillment of scripture. Notice what Jesus said to Simon ^(Peter), …but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; …” Jesus said that He prayed for Peter. And why if Peter has no choice to his faith? After all, God is the one that hardens the heart, and Judas is the one to betray Jesus. So what glory is there to marvel at if God creates His vessels to do what they have no power over? We would be robotic in nature, without option but to marvel. Jesus prayed to His Father who gives us our faith that will either condemn or save us based on the condition of our hearts. And we are either using the faith of God to become hardened like Judas to an illegitimate father (Satan _{1 Cor 5:5, 2 Thess 1:9)}); or receiving salvation as promised like Peter through a relationship with the love of our heavenly Father (Jesus_{(Mat 18:14, 1 Tim 2)}). Because faith is obeying by believing that Jesus did come in the flesh, and is Son of God, that grants us our promise into the kingdom of God _{(Jhn 14:6)}.

The last significant detail about these words of Jesus to Simon is, …and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” . There is an obvious mediation going on here by the data revealed about Simon’s heart. Jesus is confident that Simon will be turned again to Peter _{(Mat 16:18)} for the responsibility of His office. But it’s through his portion of faith _{(Rom 12:3-6)} to trust in the seal of the Holy Spirit _{(Jhn 3:33-36, 2 Tim 2:19-26)}.

Devotional, God and Coffee, Nathan Dooley

What Is Justice?

September 21, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

“Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

^{Matthew 26:13}

Indeed… This gospel is being preached in the whole world! But why is it that this woman will be remembered for what she did? This devotional is something special to me because of what this woman did, and I hope it will prove the same for you. Because it might be that you are troubled by this idea of value; value as—your faith in Jesus Christ to be your personal Lord, and Savior, who took away your sin—wondering whether you are worthy of such an anointing of salvation _{(1 Jo 2:27)} by thoughts and feelings of past issues and present sins? How value is weighed and measured from a human or carnal perspective is costly because it’s deceptive. God is patient toward the activity of sin in this world for you, right now, reading this, because even the most unworthy can hear and believe this good news if their willing to receive it. But put this memory of the woman in your heart and mind as we learn just how worthy you are to God through what Jesus Christ did.

When Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? “For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. “For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. “For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. Notice how all the disciples became indignant or angrily suspicious at this treatment because their focus was in the value of the perfume, instead of Jesus. And one disciple in particular became so twisted in the heart giving root to that emotion of indignation sought the opportunity to betray Jesus _{(Matt 26:14-16)} through the temple priests already conspiring how to kill Jesus _{(Matt 26:1-5)}; Judas Iscariot became the how to for the priests already under the influence of evil; the invisible work of the devil uses the justice and love of God to manipulate the human perception, in this case, the minds of the temple priests and the heart of Judas Iscariot.

Justice is the law of God that Jesus Christ fulfilled and still proclaims today _{(Mat 5:17, Mat 12:18)}; which means the continued sacrifice of lambs, the temple building and priests, have no longer been necessary for the forgiveness of sins; the death and burial of Jesus Christ is the passing of the old covenant, while the new covenant is born in His bodily resurrection (a new body). And the reason this woman anointed Jesus with the costly perfume is because she perceived the significance of the burial. The perfume represents you and the fragrance of you is a soothing aroma to God. Your faith is that fragrance of Jesus Christ to God that produces salvation in you as your sin dies and is buried forever by believing that your sin was taken away to the cross of Jesus Christ. It is buried in history. You are free! Now that we believe with confidence that Jesus was raised from the dead, we too are raised from the dead by grace through faith, having a clean conscience before the throne of God (a new body). Your sin has no power over you. So turn from your sin, and have eternal life in Jesus Christ (the Son of Man).

_{The featured image is from The CHOSEN season 1 episode 8 and it turns out that this series is reaching the world with the gospel just as this verse with words in red indicate would happen. And no, this is not a paid mention for The Chosen or any favor. This is just information, and hope, for reaching the world with the gospel that preaches Jesus Christ.}

Devotional, God and Coffee, Nathan Dooley

What Is Truth?

September 19, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and *said to them, “I find no guilt in Him.

_{John 18:38}

Can you feel that question… “What is truth?…” If I may, please let me challenge you to ask that question for yourself without bias, don’t assume to know. Ask yourself, “What is truth?” For me that question causes thoughts about how I’ve come to know my truth. Questions immediately stir about my birth into this world (born into the Dooley family, Warrensburg Missouri—USA 1988, brought up in the Christian faith), but also… “How was it that I could comprehend two plus two equals four and why?” That question did actually come to mind, but more than that though, “…what does the value of truth mean and my relationship to that value?” This is quite the labor that will take some serious work to peel away the layers of life and indoctrination to discover what is truth. But when we do, it’s sooo worth it!

Pilate was in a position to crucify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And if he knew the truth of what he was doing, do you think that he would have crucified Jesus? Pilate thought that he had the power to release Jesus _{(Jhn 19:10)}, but what did Jesus say? “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” So who then delivered Jesus to Pilate? Jesus then *answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He *took and *gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus *said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” _{(Jhn 13:26-27)}. When Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me _{(Jhn 14:6)}—Jesus answered our question to this devotional.

Truth is not determined by angels or people because the authority to determine what truth is, belongs to the Son of God—the Word of God through Jesus Christ. Notice what command Jesus gave to Judas after Satan had entered him, Jesus told the fallen angel that we know as Satan to follow through the desire of Judas’ heart. And the truth about the heart of Judas was to betray Jesus for money _{(Mat 26:14-16)}. And so this is why it is so unwise to act as though you believe in Jesus while yet holding onto the idea of disbelief for the sake of gain. Do not wait for the opportunity to sell your confidence in Jesus for “money” and Satan to possess your heart. Check yourself before you enter into your future. Don’t feel ashamed to wonder about the condition of your heart, trust in Jesus Christ.

Devotional, God and Coffee, Nathan Dooley

The Perfect Promise

September 11, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

^{Hebrews 5:9}

I love this verse because it makes secure the salvation of your soul. In the first devotional you’ll read about the power of God through an instruction to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. In the second devotional you’ll read about how faith is our ability to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. In this devotional we have an intimate relationship between belief and faith that produces… The Perfect Promise!

If you’ve believed in the good news about the Son of God in the flesh of Jesus Christ—then you are perfect in that provision of love through faith, not fear, meaning that your confession of sin is forgiven _{(Luk 12:10)}. You might be experiencing a heavy load of guilt and shame for deep dark secrets that hold you captive to an environment of enslavement _{(Eph 5:1-21)}? It’s like your soul is screaming for help because there is a consequence for the rejection of truth about your environment _{(2Pe 2:1-22)}. If that is the case…?

Please literally stop what you are thinking and doing and listen to this promise. God promised that He would provide salvation not just for a duration of time, but eternal salvation, meaning that Jesus Christ is the perfect promise of sacrifice to remove and remember your sin no more and to help you handle the deepest darkest issues of your life for complete restoration in the resurrection of Jesus Christ _{(1Tim 2:4-6, Jhn 16:7-15)}. By believing that truth is an act of faith you’ve decided to choose by trusting in this promise of God.

And so how to obey is that you trust in the name of Jesus Christ, and if you’ve decided to trust in the name of Jesus Christ… you are made perfect in love by the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. The darkness of your life will be converted to light through faith, believe in your faith _{(Eph 2:4-9)}, because you are loved with an eternal love. And Jesus Christ is your source of perpetual salvation! By really meditating on this promise, you will experience the providence of the Holy Spirit.

Perfection

You Are To Be Perfect

How Faith Makes One Perfected In Love

Devotional, God and Coffee, Nathan Dooley

How Faith Makes One Perfected In Love

September 4, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

_{1 John 4:18}

Don’t confuse the language of fear in this verse with the language of fear in the Lord, because the meaning of fear in this verse is very different than having the fear of the Lord _{(Pro 14:26)}. If you believe in Jesus Christ as the living Son of God that has come in the flesh _{(1Jo 4:2)} then you have no reason to fear as described because our faith produces confidence in love that fills the place of fear _{(Heb 4:16)} through conversion. God is love _{(1Jo 4:16)}!

But you might be struggling with doubt or disbelief that God is love?
Or it might be that your belief is secure, but your faith is in question?

I pray this devotional will encompass you with perfect love. We need to establish the experience of faith to understand how love is perfected as the previous devotional incited. To do that, lets distinguish the difference between belief and faith because the relationship between the two reveals the invisible power of God for salvation to glorification. If you’re not a Christian, please consider following along our devotionals.

THE TREASURE OF FAITH

If you are a Christian, then you know who Jesus Christ is because you’ve heard and believed in the good news of the gospel; God sent His only Son (Jesus Christ) to be that Person who took away the sin of the world _{(Jhn 1:29, Heb 9:26)}. That means every repentant believer—although experiencing the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life—is born again to salvation through the baptism of Jesus Christ _{(Mat 3:13-17, 1Jo 2:16, Rom 10:8-13, Mark 16:16, Act 2:38)}. When our Lord was baptized, the heavens opened and our heavenly Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”_{(Mat 3:17)}. Why was our heavenly Father well-pleased?

Justice for sin is the death of this world unless it passes over somehow for life to exist eternally. To be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect means to have faith in the love of God—For God so loved the world—that He gave us the example of faith _{(Jhn 3:16-21)}. So to believe in Jesus means we’ve experienced salvation from our sin by the transfer of our account, that’s right, money and all—the sin of our souls—onto the cross of Jesus Christ. That requires faith! We no longer fear death because our lives are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ who still lives _{(Act 2:33)}! And that is how death passes over those who believe. So to have faith in Jesus means our future is established in heaven where He is right now _{(Rom 8:35-39)}!

The relationship between belief and faith is a declaration of trust in the invisible work of God. The aim of our faith is what casts out fear because we look to Jesus Christ!

The two most difficult tasks of faith conversion:

⁽¹⁾Dying to the idol worship of yourself (because when your faith is in sin—rejection of the truth—your belief remains in the evil one of this world _{Jhn 8:44}). The other is ⁽²⁾loving your enemy to the extent Jesus loves you (because it’s only natural to gravitate toward the comfort of your environment _{(Gal 2:11-13)} and harbor animosity against your abusers — to not care for the life of your enemies _{Mat 5:43-48}). But when your belief is united by faith in Jesus _{(Heb 4:2)}, you’ve overcome the evil one _{(1Jo 2:12-14)} and have the power to love your enemy even to death; your life is converted by the aim of your faith because your belief rests where Jesus is now _{(Heb 4:3)}. And so you are converted from a lifestyle of condemnation to a lifestyle of freedom; that is the promise of God and work of the Holy Spirit _{(Jhn 3:36)}. Our mission is clear, tell the world, and hope they hear _{(Luk 2:10-11)}.

How To Be Perfect

You Are To Be Perfect

Devotional, Nathan Dooley

You Are To Be Perfect

August 30, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

^{Matthew 5:48}

You know… this verse… if it doesn’t defeat you… it will have you feeling a lot like Jacob after he wrestled with God _{(Gen 32:24-32)}. Because to be perfectly honest ^{(forgive the pun)}, it’s defeated me on multiple occasions and still does! But I will not give up! To strive with the Word of God _{(Rev 19:13)} is sacred and powerful!

It might be that you are experiencing defeat upon wrestling with this verse of perfection?
Or it might have nothing to do with this verse at all, but that you are experiencing defeat at this time in your life?

Don’t be discouraged unless you’ve given up contending with God by setting the Bible aside to do as you please, and if that’s the case, let this devotional reignite that faith. To be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect means we have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Jesus would not have this verse inserted by the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit in Matthew if it was unattainable for us here and now while on this earth. So we first need to believe in the promise this verse provides which is… to be perfect in love …that is what perfection is—love. And how this was exemplified was the event of Christs’ death on the cross. At this point you’re saying, “The only person who could live perfectly was Jesus Christ and therefore it’s impossible for me to be perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect.”

And you’d be correct, but it also leaves us discontent because that truth is insignificant if it proves only that Jesus Christ died for Himself to be perfect. But that was not the will of our heavenly Father. Let us be reminded that Jesus pleaded for the cup to be removed from Him _{(Luk 22:44)} yet remaining obedient to the will of our heavenly Father. And so at that point the weight of our sin was so unbearable it could only be accomplished through the love of our heavenly Father as His only Son carried the weight of you and me… to death.

But see, it didn’t end there! As a matter of fact, our perfection began there when Christ breathed His last by committing His Spirit to God, our Father _{(Luk 23:46)}. Because it was in that transaction that the world became witness to salvation, and upon believing from the heart… a person is saved through the forgiveness of sin. So how then are we who believe—perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect—if we are still in sin? And the answer is… faith! Faith is the only treasure on this earth that enables our ability to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect _{(Heb 11:6, 1Jo 5:4)}.

I hope this devotional gives you the treasure of our heavenly Father. Let’s be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, Amen.

How Faith Makes One Perfected In Love

Controversial, God and Coffee, Nathan Dooley

When We Sin By Our Vote For Biden Or Trump In 2020

August 30, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

The question is not a matter of *if* we sin, but when? for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, _{(Rom 3:23)}. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us _{(1 Jn 1:10)}. Not one person of sound mind is ignorant of sin. Have you watched the conventions? We’ve nominated sinners up in this House! The heck is going on! Who do you think is going to rule the land for the next four years?

POWER OF SIN

Who’s it going to be?! Biden or Trump for 2020?! We’ll soon find out in a couple months. Oh yes, you’re right, I thought the same… “This ought to be interesting!”. It’s quite a choice deciding between the lesser of two evils; that idea should not be perceived as a slight against the character of Biden or Trump—because all of America’s citizens are on trial (myself included). Or… does the Voter not know that their vote is a portal to their identity? And so when the ‘lot’ falls on either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party, it will be due at the hand of your endorsement; we the people is more like we the demon possessing the condition of our White House or “home” to our governing administration. Or… perhaps you are an American citizen who has already voted due the immediately present media harbingers of power? If so… you’ve handed over the birthright of your soul long before there was even a choice you thought otherwise to consider.

Can you perceive the “call to arms”? Peoples defenses conjuring like it’s time for war! You’ve seen the riots lootings and shootings; that at the very least should cause pause, rampant emotions are the reason our country is in the face of civil war. And for radical change to happen we need to talk about the sin of our decisions, specifically—the decision to vote.

If you’re a Christian then your vote was cast at your conversion because we don’t serve two masters _{(Mat 6:24, Luk 16:13)}! I believe the Christians in America that vote are actually voting for a prayer, the coming of Jesus Christ _{(Rev 22:20)}; because when a Christian wakes up to reality of His return, it shakes you to the core because only your faith remains intact when He does _{(1Jo 5:4)}. The people of God are born again to the purpose of serving the ministry of reconciliation _{(2Co 5:19)}, not to vote for Roman whoops—I mean the United States of America’s agenda into power. We the Christian people all throughout the continents, although divided, know the teaching of Christ and it’s time to wake up! The American dream for liberty means well, but does not deliver anyone from their sin because it’s to busy endorsing it… The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; _{(1 Co 15:56)}. Do we not fear God?

God our Father has disciplined us to understand the Word of God all the while we trample it underfoot by our allegiance to a government that does not teach true liberty in Jesus Christ _{(Heb 10:29)}. Sin is not the law governed by America nor of any other nation than that of Israel, until Christ in the flesh on the cross that gave us the power of deliverance made available to all the world _{(Jhn 3:16}). but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ _{(1 Co 15:57)}.

RIGHT TO FREEDOM

Did you read that verse closely? but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ _{(1 Co 15:57)}. So who gives us the victory over the sting of death? God does! How does God give us the victory? but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ _{(1 Co 15:57)}. What does”…through our Lord…” mean? The Holy Spirit of God is given through your believing by taking part in eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus Christ! That is your right to vote—your right to freedom! The old covenant of the old testament did not deliver anyone from their sin, meaning that no one can earn salvation by voting Biden or Trump! If any christian in their right mind is a true patriot of their Kingdom then they should live as an alien to this country because they’re free indeed. We don’t live as slaves to the misguided nature and condition of this world. We live as ambassadors sent from the Kingdom of God for Jesus Christ!

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him._{—(2Co 5:17-21)}

So why not choose rather, not to vote? Or is it that we’ve placed our faith in this worldly government for the provision of our soul? Why would us Christians expect anything different from a people so desperate for their rights; to chase their sexual appetites, to decide their gender, to fight for their color, to kill for their pride, to steal for their pleasure, to lie for their lust, and to what end when the self-proclaiming “christians” are in a relationship with the devil that confuses the truth for a lie? Why expect… Is it because of what I wrote at the start of this post? Not one person of sound mind is ignorant of sin. So then that excuses the timidity of our christian military, does it? Like when king Saul was in the face of the philistine giant _{(1Sa 17:11)}? Do we not have the same Spirit of king David_{(1 Sa 17:26)}? Don’t tell me the church still needs to be trained on how to be a shepherd in the face of a lion when we’ve already been anointed as king to meet the face of Goliath. We are the rock in the sling, so ummm… let’s fly! Let’s go! Come on Church! What do you want from me?—no but seriously… It’s time.

Nathan Dooley, Therapy

Walking With A Ghost

August 21, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

Have you considered going to your local park and walking with no strings attached, just you and the air you share with others on the path? If you haven’t, you should. When you do, you won’t even realize you’ve entered the dreamlike state of your life. You might even start to give off this impression that you’re insane to fellow walkers or over achieving joggers—you know the kind—by expressing yourself to the air as though someone was listening, like a ghost perhaps. See that’s when people should know that you are having a good walk rather than assuming the worst like, “That woman is definitely plotting to kill her husband“.

Sometimes you just need the nature of fresh air to sooth your emotions and balance out your senses before waking up to the chaos of your reality. I’m telling you, you’ll feel much better after your walk!

What’s amazing about a walk is… you’re free to go any direction you choose and place you arrive—even if it’s nowhere—because believe it or not, nowhere is actually a place identified by you because well… you’re somewhere. The point is that you are someone of unique and important value that can be appreciated when on a good solid walk with the ghost of the air. There are a lot of things going on in your life and it can be stressful to manage, that’s not including the pressure of unpredictable people that add to the affect of your life.

We just don’t have all the information about what is going on all the time and that’s ok. We don’t have to have all the information all the time because otherwise the treasure of information devalues like the time you drove that new car off the lot, why not purchase a used car and learn how to take care of it. It will teach a great deal about responsibility and give experience that you can share with others who might could use your skills changing out the drum breaks.

Anyway… the point is… go for a walk and talk to the ghost of the air and then listen closely because you won’t even realize that the ghost is speaking to you until you start to listen as you process. You’re not alone.

God and Coffee, Nathan Dooley, Spiritual Insights

Spiritual Insight | 18

August 18, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

When spending even a little time online nowadays, opens up doors to the nature of sin that so easily entices us. Everyone reading this knows what their vices are. But what does it mean when we’ve confessed Jesus as Lord with our mouths, yet sin with our hearts? Say there was a time when you were a general in the military of your country until found laying on the ground nearly dead. Imagine yourself dressed in a suit of armor. You don’t want to live, but in the process of time you find yourself on a bench in a cage, looking down at the ground. Your thinking about all that you had—land, family, and peace. You remember walking through your yellow field, the stocks of wheat grown to pass through your fingers as you passed through. But then you hear your name called and snap back into the present, that memory is your focus—all was taken from you; your land burned, family murdered, and peace… buried.

The dirt beneath your feet feels more like sand, you bend down to the ground and prepare. The dirt combined with the sweat of your hands makes for good grip. There is no fear, only confident hope. You say to yourself, “Do not die, you’ll meet them again, but not yet, not yet.” You start to hear the sound of roaring and the host welcome you to your death, fans are in the stands. The gates open to the arena of games, chained tigers foaming at the mouth to devour their prey awaiting you on the other side. After the dirt is drained from your hands you stand and advance from the cage of slavery to the hope of freedom. Sword and shield in hand, a steady heart, and a ready mind. The sound of your name begins to grow louder and louder…

_{“Maximus!”}

“Maximus!”

“ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?”

Has the movie come to mind yet? (comments below). Getting right to it… in confessing with my mouth that Jesus is Lord means, I’ve heard the truth. But in the darkness of my heart resides sin that pierces my soul with guilt and shame, it only takes a glance to see my desire on the screen and a moment to feel the seed of sin in my heart take root. My soul and flesh are in immediate conflict for right of claim to the content possessing my soul, it’s amazing what the mind can do when the heart is convinced. The online world seems much like entering an arena of entertainment that might cost you your freedom. The only difference is… this arena is dark and quiet, there is only the influence of desire and silence. No person other than you and God knows what happens between you, the screen, and the sound of silence.

“Silence like a cancer grows”. Listen to The Sound Of Silence by Disturbed. Sin is the cancer that grows to kill you without mercy. But the spiritual insight is found in what Jesus Christ did to kill that cancer of sin. Now as you’ve read so far I’ve not provided bible verses in this post and don’t plan to; but as God as my witness, rest assured, the verses are with me as I write this good news out. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He didn’t stay dead as our parents’ parents have. It was foretold that God would deliver us from our sins and He has. I’m going to tell you about salvation as though every bible in the world has been taken, burned, and buried.

As I said at the beginning of this post, everyone knows what their vices are. But the vices are nothing more than objects used to influence the sin that you are. So the vices are not the issue, you are. The problem is that we blame the vices for causing us to sin rather than recognizing the vices as the objects they are. When we blame the content from the screen, we excuse our behavior of sin and our minds become deluded. The heart becomes convinced incapable of overcoming sin and what’s worse, invites it, giving right of pass—so to speak—to relieve ourselves behind closed doors, because after all… we’re sinners. There is a verse that says to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect—and while that might sound impossible because of the obvious condition, Jesus provided us that perfection. How?

Jesus was not of this realm when He was born into this world. He was not born by the seed of man, but the “seed” of God (the Holy Spirit). And when you hopefully recognize how you, me, we, are sin. You will then understand that sin was passed on to each and every living organism through the seed of our beginning like a cancer that seems impossible to kill because there is no cure. But there is a cure! There is a way to kill the sound of silence, that sin crouching at the door to devour your soul! The souls ability to discern the nature of sin was not knowledge that came from man. That is a very important clue to understand because when it is understood, so also is the mystery of Christ. Ask yourself, how is it possible for the human being to be convicted of the knowledge of good and evil? You might shutter in utter disagreement, but the answer is sin.

Let me be very clear. I am not saying that sin rewarded us the knowledge of good and evil. I am saying that this is the realm of the knowledge of good and evil, and we are captives to this realm as sinners unless we believe from the heart that Christ our Lord, the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth came into the world in our likeness and image of sin to pay the penalty of sin by His death on the cross that we may live in the realm where He is RIGHT NOW. The knowledge of good and evil is the writing of the law of God on the hearts and minds of those written in the Lamb’s book of life. And how else is the law of God written in your heart and mind without the meaning of baptism, which is being submerged in water as dead yet raised up out of the water as alive in Jesus Christ! Examine yourself with a clear conscience by studying your behavior, if you know what is wrong and still do it then you need to be weighed in the balance.

Really think about this, when Jesus died on the cross His body was broken and His blood was drained for you. Let me put this another way, God in His Son was crucified on the cross because their was no other way for free thinking people to understand the function of a relationship unless Jesus did the will of His Father. God is Love. And unless you’ve died to the will of your life of sin, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven because you’ve made your choice to trample under foot the love of God which is Jesus Christ. See if you weigh yourself in the balance of justice, there is no amount of good you can do to attain salvation. But if you weigh Jesus Christ in the balance of Justice as your placement, you’ve accepted the salvation of God and are made perfect through faith by grace. You are forgiven, redeemed, and made alive in the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 90:17

Daniel Grey, Trump Executive Order

EO: 13942 – Addressing the Threat Posed by TikTok, and Taking Additional Steps To Address the National Emergency With Respect to the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain?

August 16, 2020 Daniel F. Grey Leave a comment

What does EO: 13942 – Addressing the Threat Posed by TikTok… actually do?

Executive Order 13942 will attempt to protect U.S. citizens and government from attempts by the Chinese government to collect data from Americans by making all transactions with ByteDance Ltd. (owner of TikTok) illegal effective September 21st, 2020, unless you apply for a license that would grant an exception.

For more one – two sentence summaries of Donald Trump’s executive orders as described above visit our Donald Trump Executive Order Page.

Commentary

China is a communist country and one of the tenants of communism is that all businesses belong to the government. However, it does appear that in the late 20th century China did start to allow the privatization of some businesses. ByteDance Ltd. is a privately held company; however, “The company has an internal committee of the Chinese Communist Party as well as strategic partnerships with the Ministry of Public Security and Chinese Communist Party-supported ventures in Beijing and Shanghai.^{[11][12][13][14]} “

It is foolish to think that other countries do not and have not (at least) attempted to meddle in U.S. elections or politics. In fact, it is only fair considering the United States’ history of doing the same in other countries across the globe. That being said, any country that allows other governments to influence their citizens with no penalty would not be a government acting in good faith to its citizens.

I do not pretend to understand the Chinese government, but I think it is safe to say that they are at least a little more dishonest with the world than most other governments; they did a wonderful job at keeping their treatment of the Uyghur Muslims a secret, they lied about the coronavirus. China admitted their Three Gorges Dam was showing signs of weakness, finally.

In economics it appears China does not play the game of intellectual property in accordance with Western rules. I say this because of the 60 Minutes report and the cars they “design.” I’m sure those who are more educated on the issue could find more theft of Western companies. Maybe they do not prescribe to the idea of intellectual property. However, if you’re going to be a part of the global market I think you have to play by its rules and the rules are if you take someone else’s intellectual property, it is stealing.

I think all executive orders should be prohibited or at least heavily limited. However, this executive order appears to be fine. If another government is stealing information from Americans to do U.S. citizens harm then I think the U.S. government must take action.

As internet users we must get it into our head that websites are not free, apps are not free, social media is not free. No business can sustain itself by giving things away for free. So yes TikTok is taking your data, but so is Facebook, Google, CNN, etc… The only difference is TikTok may provide data to a country that is borderline hostile (at this point) toward the U.S.

Rating – Meh
Importance – Probably very important or not important at all… who knows.

If any website is free it is because you are the product. Otherwise, expect to be asked for money….. sooo…..

Consider supporting us by donating to our coming devotional or by sharing this website with your friends and family.

God and Coffee, Nathan Dooley, Spiritual Insights

Dark Energy, Dark Matter, God

August 14, 2020 Nathan Dooley 1 Comment

“The thing that is needed to decide between dark energy possibilities – a property of space, a new dynamic fluid, or a new theory of gravity – is more data, better data.”

The link provided above is a quote from Nasa Science—an article about Dark Energy, Dark Matter. And what we are learning about Dark Energy and Dark Matter is… it’s dark. Alright. That’s not fair. We’ve learned a lot from what we don’t know; even though we don’t know, we can at least identify the unknown as “dark”, and that is a start. But I’m curious about something, and it stems from a few bible verses. See I believe that in order to discover the unknown one must believe it is possible, which is the very act of faith, but I’m convinced that our hearts are in a difficult place of acceptance because of unbelief.

Help My Unbelief

Did you notice at the end of that statement from the quote is we need more data, better data. Well, at least, according to Nasa Science, they know that there is data that will enlighten us with knowledge about dark energy and dark matter. That is important to believe because of Who I know that data belongs to. That sounds very arrogant, but it’s not intended to be because actually, everyone knows Who the data belongs to even though they might struggle to accept it unless they just outright reject it. There is an event that occurs in our history recorded for our study and help when struggling to believe.

The scene of this event dates back to Jesus after revealing the Kingdom of God to Peter, James, and John on this mountain. They were on their way back to the disciples when they saw this large crowd about them, some scribes were arguing with the disciples there until Jesus asked, “What are you discussing with them?”. Then there was this one guy that yelled out from the crowd, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.”. Gaw, that’s rough. I mean, can you imagine seeing your child being tortured in this way? And maybe you have experienced something like this? But to know the doctors that had the ability to help could not is not only painful to accept, but embarrassing when the teacher of such power arrives on the scene!

Now while Jesus was disappointed and expressed it, He then asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And the father said, “From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” So here we get some context, this is no ordinary ailment with fits of rage. This is a possession of an extraordinary kind, one that requires much discipline to cast out. We can see from this data that the son is thrown into extreme elements that should kill a person and yet this boy lives. Now it could be that the father was around to save the boy from burning or drowning to death, but there is emphasis in the detail of these extremes by the meaning of destroy. In this scenario we can see spiritual forces at work. Jesus represents the force of good (positive) energy [order] and the spirit possessing the boy represents the force of evil (negative) energy [chaos].

It appears that the father of the boy had lost confidence in Jesus when had said, “…if You can do anything“. And Jesus was like, “ ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” BOOM! Finally we reach the climax of this event because we so quickly resort to unbelief for fear itself, limited by our cause to exist because of not what we understand, but because of WHO we don’t understand until this next moment! Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”! BOOM! If you haven’t realized it by now, God is in the language of the data given for us to believe and have a relationship with. What that means is… the dark energy and dark matter are an energy that is spoken out from the mouth of God for our present questions to be answered in respect of the relationship between God and man. Scientists! What do you think happened after the father cried out, I do believe; help my unbelief? To find out, check out a bible from your local virtual library or of course right here. God exists in the energy of existence!

EVERY $1.00 COUNTS

God and Coffee, Nathan Dooley, Semantics, Spiritual Insights, Therapy

Garden of Language

August 10, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

I invite you to the place where I feel most free!

_{A place where God is the limit. A place where you know me.}

_{It will feel like a dream, but it is a reality.}

A place where language is a garden of spirituality.

^{This place is untainted by the world in which you know. The world you wake up in day after day and adapt to compromise for the excuses and lies. Here you’ll discover the version of yourself suppressed in darkness for fear of the light in everyone’s eyes.}

There is a sound of music that speaks not what you’d expect. It’s a song that sings every genre, there is nothing quite like it. It will play without ceasing, we do not cease to exist.

A language of complete expression, there is no void, only the reality of your personality.

What is your mood?

Are you glad or sad?

There is a reason, there is a cause, but only for a season because there is a God.

See, in this language, we are a living symphony.

_{The decisions we have are not choices we make, but are a rhythm to the beat of loves’ sake.}

It doesn’t take hearing to experience the wave of vibrations from the sound of listening.

Are you listening?

Can you hear?

There are tears… but not fear!

Listen…

Listen…

_{God is near.}

When you think of the Garden of Eden, I ask that you don’t only think of it as a place that once existed in the past. But think of it as a spiritual language that has been passed on from generation to generation for all to hear and know the language of life found in Jesus Christ.

every $1.00 counts

Nathan Dooley, Semantics

Seeing The Future

August 7, 2020 Nathan Dooley Leave a comment

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

^{Revelation 1:1-3}

Number your days!

I think on what the Psalmist said and—I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I muse on the work of Your hands _{(Psalm 143:5)}. The Psalmist could see and experience the journey of God and understand it in such a way that the future was seen. Moses prayed and requested; teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom _{(Psalm 90:12)}. I’ve calculated the number of my days up to today and I’ve lived 11,781 days today (08/04/2020); well… that’s if I make it through today, Lord willing. My wife has lived 11,203 days. According to the CDC the average life expectancy is 28,689 days (78.6 years). Why is this important? As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away _{(Psalm 90:10)}. The truth is… we don’t have years to live, but days. And my question is… have you read the word of God and heard the testimony of truth?

What is truth?

This question is appropriate considering the time when Jesus was summoned before Pilate. Only it didn’t seem like a question then, but rather, mockery. Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and *said to them, “I find no guilt in Him _{(John 18:38)}. Pilate didn’t seem to understand that he was being manipulated by the power of his position given to him through the grace of God our Father to crucify the Son of God by an authority he thought he had _{(John 19:11)}. Pilate was a misguided “President” of his time because of what evil existed in the world through the hearts of men and women captivated by sin. Pilate was dictated by fear for his life whereas Jesus was dictated by the love of God, His Father; Jesus testified to the truth, and “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” _{(John 18:37)}.

The truth is that we have a condition, and that condition is sin. Sin becomes manifest in death. Death is the last enemy to be abolished_{(1 Corinthians 15:26)}. We will either regard our lives to be without sin or we will regard our lives as dead in sin. If we regard our lives without sin we make Jesus out to be a liar: If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us _{(1 John 1:8)}. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us _{(1 John 1:10)}. But if we regard ourselves as dead in sin… we are baptized in Jesus Christ. We, like the Psalmist, are looking ahead to the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay _{(Acts 2:31)}. You might think that I’m confused because David was looking ahead from the past to Christ whereas we are now looking back to Christ.

But I’m not confused because we are not looking back to Christ. We are looking ahead to the return of Christ. Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”_{(John 21:23)}. The apostle John is the one who heard and saw the book of this prophecy _{(Revelation 22:8)}. And I hope you are reading and listening with me because…“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done _{(Revelation 22:12)}.

Seeing the future!

When the people of God, Israel—at Pentecost heard the word of God preached—their hearts were pierced and asked the perfect question. “Brethren, what shall we do?” _{(Acts 2:37)}. And the apostle Peter said, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” _{(Acts 2:38-39)}.

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Commentary

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