11-11-06 Proverbs 2:21-22

Proverbs 2:21-22 (KJ21)
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it; but the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

Proverbs 2:21-22 (NAS)
For the upright will live in the land, And the blameless will remain in it; But the wicked will be cut off from the land, And the treacherous will be uprooted from it.

Proverbs 2:21-22 (NIVUS)
For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

Proverbs 2:21-22 (NLT)
For only the upright will live in the land, and those who have integrity will remain in it. But the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be destroyed.

When you look at the circumstances in the world, you may think that the kingdom of darkness is winning, but you need to remember what the Most High God has said. Adonai has told you that the righteous will continue and will permanently reside in the land. No matter how hard the wicked try to get rid of those who are upright, the Lord will always have a remnant. Not only will these abide, but they will dwell in rest.

You have become righteous through the blood of Yeshua and in Adonai's sight you are upright. You are a man of integrity, complete and without blemish. As you walk in the truth, you are being made perfect and undefiled. The cleanness of your hands and your heart will preserve you. Adonai has made you to excel and to abound. In this you can rest.

You can be assured that wicked, ungodly men will be cut off and cut down, for they have not cut a covenant with Almighty God. These shall fail, be destroyed and perish. God will free the earth from their presence. Those who are deceitful and treacherous will be plucked up by the root, while your roots will grow down deeper. You will not easily be moved. They shall be torn away and destroyed, but you shall remain and grow stronger, for you have been woven together with the Lord.

11-10-06 Proverbs 2:20

Proverbs 2:20 (KJ21)
Thus thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep to the paths of the righteous.

Proverbs 2:20 (NAS)
So you will walk in the way of good men, And keep to the paths of the righteous.

Proverbs 2:20 (NIVUS)
Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous.

Proverbs 2:20 (NLT)
Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous.

A walk, in its simplest definition, is a series of steps that take you from one destination to another. Your steps can be fast or slow. You can run, march, or gently saunter along. If you stay on your path, you will eventually get to where you need to be, no matter the speed at which you go.

Jehovah the Lord has laid out a path for your feet in His word. He wants you to travel with good men, which is the best course that your life can follow. If you take this mode of action, your life will be bountiful, cheerful, and fine. In following God's well-trodden road, you will find favor, joy and beauty. As you extend grace and kindness to others, you will have the same returned to you. Along the way, you will receive sweet and precious things that will bring you wealth and make your life prosperous and pleasant.

However, the Lord your God expects you to keep to the highway of the righteous. You should be circumspect in your dealings, so that you always appear clean and pure. You must take heed to yourself to insure that you act justly, doing what is right. In this you will have a sure salvation and the Lord will build a hedge of thorns around you. You will be safe and protected wherever you go.

11-09-06 Proverbs 2:15-19

Proverbs 2:16-19 (KJ21)
Wisdom will deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger, who flattereth with her words, who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God; for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

Proverbs 2:16-19 (NAS)
To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words; That leaves the companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God; For her house sinks down to death, And her tracks lead to the dead; None who go to her return again, Nor do they reach the paths of life.

Proverbs 2:16-19 (NIVUS)
It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.

Proverbs 2:16-19 (NLT)
Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the adulterous woman. She has abandoned her husband and ignores the covenant she made before God. Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to hell. The man who visits her is doomed. He will never reach the paths of life.

Women today think that they have been liberated, since they are part of the sexual revolution. In this they see themselves as free; however, this is not freedom, but it is immorality. Modern day women have sold themselves short. By lowering their standards, they have lowered their value. Giving their bodies sexually to many and various partners has made these "ladies" little more than glorified prostitutes.

The Bible warns men to stay away from such strange and profane women. According to God's word, when women act as adulteresses, they are not acting as normal women; their behavior is considered strange and should be rejected. Their words may be smooth and flattering, but they are meant to take away something precious from another. They have become loose and have relinquished the guidance they received as girls. Through this, they become destitute and are treated as refuse. These women no longer pay attention to the covenant that Adonai has established. God and His word do not interest them; in fact, they choose to forget Him.

A loose and strange woman has made her house a dungeon, where she imprisons any who comes her way. Her house and those who frequent it will sink towards death, where there is only pestilence and ruin. Instead of making her whole, this woman's circular path will only bring weakness and failure. Those who succumb to her power and wiles will become like someone in a trance. As they continue to follow her ways, they will fall and never be able to return to their starting place. They have chosen a perverted lifestyle.

You, however, have chosen a different way. Your path leads to life and not death. Unlike the strange woman, you have not forgotten Adonai's covenant. Through it, you are continually refreshed and made strong. You have chosen God's promises over the body's sensual desires. You always find nourishment and restoration in God's word. As you live in accordance with the Almighty's will, you are truly free and whole.

11-08-06 Proverbs 2:12-15

Proverbs 2:12-15 (KJ21)
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from men that speaketh froward things, who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice to do evil and delight in the frowardness of the wicked, whose ways are crooked and who are froward in their paths

Proverbs 2:12-15 (NAS)
To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things; From those who leave the paths of uprightness, To walk in the ways of darkness; Who delight in doing evil, And rejoice in the perversity of evil; Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways;

Proverbs 2:12-15 (NIVUS)
Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.

Proverbs 2:12-15 (NLT)
Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose speech is corrupt. These people turn from right ways to walk down dark and evil paths. They rejoice in doing wrong, and they enjoy evil as it turns things upside down. What they do is crooked, and their ways are wrong.

Evil and ungodliness have been on the rise in America for years. When the Supreme Court declared that it was illegal to pray in school, crime and wickedness began to increase. Today there is very little morality left across the land. Selfishness and rudeness have become normal. The lawlessness prophesied in God's Word is becoming more and more evident.

As a child of God, what should your response be in this evil generation? You should realize that Adonai holds the ultimate control and authority. The path of wicked men may seem broad. It looks as if they can walk over whoever or whatever gets in their way. However, they do not have power over Almighty God or you as His child. In fact, God will snatch you away from them, providing you with a way of escape and rescue. He will defend and deliver you without fail. They will not be able to continue to trouble, vex, or afflict you.

These evil men are only perverse frauds who have forsaken the highway of uprightness; instead of pursuing a straight and pleasant course, these have chosen a crooked way that only leads to darkness, misery, and destruction. Even though death and sorrow are at the end of their journey, these wicked ones rejoice in doing evil. They take great glee in causing calamity, distress, and grief. They spin with violent joy when they are able to pervert others. They seek to overthrow the godly, converting them to their evil ways. Their thoughts are distorted and twisted, for they begrudge the godly man the blessings that the Lord has given him. The path that they have created for themselves is an unending circle of wretchedness.

You, however, walk in the light of God and are on a path that leads to prosperity and peace. Although the wicked are tied in knots, the Lord Jehovah has loosed you from what has bound you. You are now free through your Savior and Lord.

11-7-06 Leviticus 26:6

Leviticus 26:6 (KJ21)
And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

Leviticus 26:6 (NAS)
I shall also grant peace in the land, so that you may lie down with no one making you tremble. I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from the land, and no sword will pass through your land.

Leviticus 26:6 (NIVUS)
I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country.

Leviticus 26:6 (NLT)
I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep without fear. I will remove the wild animals from your land and protect you from your enemies.

There are some things in life that are real commodities, but most of us take these very valuable things for granted. If someone would ask you what is important, you would probably say your family and friends; perhaps you would say your job or your home. All of these are things that matter and you should be thankful for them. However, there are deeper and more eternal values that you, like everyone else, need.

Jehovah the Lord wants to give you more than you can imagine. He wants to complete your life, so that you are sound and full of peace. Your welfare, health, and prosperity are uppermost in His thoughts toward you. Through the covenant relationship that Adonai has established with you, you can have quiet tranquility and contentment. Lying down in rest and relaxation is something that you can experience on a daily basis, as you learn to cast your cares on the Lord your God.

Your trust in God will keep you from terror and fear. You will not tremble, quake, or move anxiously about. Almighty God will exterminate and destroy anything evil or malignant that tries to attack you. He does not want you sad, unhappy, or hurt in any way. Those who are wicked will not be able to injure, break, or shatter you. No living thing, whether man or beast, will be able to harm you. They will be unable to raise their swords or knives to lay you waste, leaving you desolate or in ruins. The Most High God will keep you safe and secure in your land and you will finish your course in wholeness.

Leviticus 26:4, 5 11-6-06

Leviticus 26:4, 5 (KJ21)
Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

Leviticus 26:4, 5 (NAS)
Then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. Indeed, your threshing will last for you until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until sowing time. You will thus eat your food to the full and live securely in your land.

Leviticus 26:4, 5 4 (NIVUS)
I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

Leviticus 26:4, 5 (NLT)
I will send the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees will produce their fruit. Your threshing season will extend until the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will extend until it is time to plant grain again. You will eat your fill and live securely in your land.

Adonai the Lord has always wanted to bless and provide for His people; all that He asks is that you trust in and cooperate with Him. The Lord your God knows that you need rain: He, therefore, sends it at the proper time and season. He has done this continuously throughout the history of mankind. He knows better than you, when your land needs a shower or a good, drenching rain, so that it will yield the best crop possible. You can trust God to water your soil so that it will produce abundant fruit and you will see increase. Every tree in your field will bear the best and choicest fruit. If someone would judge its produce, it would receive the first place award.

Soon you will come to the threshing time, when you will bring your harvest into your storehouses. However, your yield of grain shall be so much that its harvesting will overtake the yield of your vine. You will continue gathering your grapes until it is time to sow new seed in your fields. You will continually eat from your harvest and nothing shall be wasted or destroyed. The bread that you fought for will satisfy you and you shall be full and enriched. The Lord will cause you to dwell in your land in safety and security, for He will provide for you abundantly!

Psalms 12:7, 8 (KJ21)
Thou shalt keep them, O LORD; Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

Psalms 12:7, 8 (NAS)
Thou, O LORD, wilt keep them; Thou wilt preserve him from this generation forever. The wicked strut about on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

Psalms 12:7, 8 (NIVUS)
O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever. The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

Psalms 12:7, 8 (NLT)
Therefore, LORD, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation, even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land.

In the United States, you have a unique opportunity that many other peoples around the world do not have. You are able to vote those men and women into office who will govern you for the next four or six years. Your vote will either count for godly or ungodly leaders; but you should exercise your right to vote. Even when you do so, however, the wicked and criminal may still get into office.

Since Adam disobeyed Adonai in the Garden of Eden, there have been men who have been hostile to their Creator. It may seem that wherever you turn, there is another evil person. You are surrounded by their vileness. These like nothing better than to see you quake and tremble in their presence; their joy is to make you feel worthless and insignificant, while they exalt themselves. Instead of lifting up and magnifying the name of the Lord, these wicked men set themselves in the place of God. They live lavish lifestyles that are opposed to the Most High.

Even though these evil men seem to be in control of this generation, you do not need to fear them. Jehovah the Lord is still mightier and stronger than they are. He keeps, guards, and watches over you, for you are His treasure. You have given Him charge over your life and He protects and saves you. He keeps the wicked within boundaries. He has set up a blockade against them, so that they are restrained. Since you are close to the Lord and have received His favor, He preserves you in and from danger.