Resources to aid your Understanding
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Subtitle: "The Fear Of The Lord Is The Beginning Of Wisdom: And The Knowledge Of The Holy Is Understanding" (Proverbs 9:10, KJV)
This past week a newspaper article caught my attention and after reading it, I was once again dismayed by what I characterize as "educated ignorance." It seems a new study concerning the practice of teaching and promoting "self-esteem" in our schools has reached the conclusion that it accomplishes very little. In fact, when they they interviewed convicted felons in prison, they learned that the majority of them were actually narcissistic and quite satisfied with themselves! Of course this runs counter to the long-held position that it is low self esteem which leads to lives of frustration, lack of achievement, and, then as a consequence, to criminal behavior. But instead they found that those with high self esteem are much more likely to respond with aggression toward those who dare to criticize them. The article went on to state that Neo-Nazis, street toughs, and school bullies--typical of groups who combine extreme self esteem with violence--amply demonstrate the fact that the one (self esteem) does not lessen the other (violence). And what is so tragic about the whole affair is that it, along with many other misunderstandings concerning human behavior, can be cleared up by a careful study of the Word of God--the Christian Bible. The Scriptures teach that man is a fallen creature, selfish and depraved to the very core of his being. He is alienated from God by virtue of a sin nature, which he inherited from the first man Adam--the federal head of the human race. In this state of being, man is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins (Eph.2:1), a slave of Satan (Eph.2:2), incapable of understanding that which is spiritually discerned (1 Cor.2:14) and will not seek after God (Rom.3:11).
Society in general continues in its failure to recognize that the whole of mankind, by nature, has entirely too much self esteem! We love ourselves and this fundamental principle is revealed by a universal tendency to "look out for number one." Selfishness is innate and not learned behavior. Most of us spend years trying to "grow up and play nice" with others, in an attempt to overcome our baser instincts. And this sinful and God dishonoring trait is such an obvious fact of our existence, it seems reasonable to conclude that everyone ought to be aware of it. But judging from the continuing stream of misguided pronouncements coming from secular "experts," this is obviously not the case!
Another example of this brand of illogic was demonstrated when John Stossel, the reporter for the ABC TV show "20/20," admitted he had always believed what he had been taught concerning factors contributing to the differences between the behavior of boys and girls. For years behavioral scientists have insisted these differences are shaped strictly by environmental factors and role models play a large part in the process. In other words they believe aggressiveness by boys and the "sissy" behavior of girls is something that is learned. Yet countless generations of parents could have saved them all of the time, trouble, and expense--having long since concluded through common sense and personal observation that it is purely genetic! Stossel's admission came during a report on the results of a lengthy study which conclusively proved the theory was wrong. Can you believe it?--Another "scientific" fact bites the dust! But I believe the greatest example of "science" gone to seed concerns the theory of evolution as it applies to the origin of the species. Many sincere men of science are adamant that mankind (and everything else) evolved from basically nothing to something and did so through a series of random processes occurring over many eons of time. They insist that this is no longer a theory or hypothesis, but a scientific fact. And because such large numbers of respected scientists support this view, it has been taught in our schools for years. Creationists, like myself, are derided for our belief and our position is dismissed as being one of faith, not science. But evolution is the "only game in town" for those who deny God's existence and creative acts--especially since they do not have a solid factual and undeniable answer for where all matter originated. It is either admit God created it out of nothing or cling to the only alternative.
Rather than entering into a lengthy argument against evolution, which is beyond the scope of this article, we merely want to point out the extreme faith required to adopt that position! The odds against random processes bringing forth life (a "something" science still cannot explain) are beyond astronomical. They are quite literally undefinable and fly in the face of common sense. Yet, otherwise sane and sensible individuals cling tenaciously to that faith and are offended when we dare question its validity. It is to these individuals we throw down the gauntlet and demand that they end this stand-off once and for all by proving their case with empirical data and claim the $250,000 reward offered by Dr. Kent Hovind at the following web address:
http://www.drdino.com/cse.asp?pg=250k
If evolution is indeed a scientific fact, they should have no problem whatever proving it to the satisfaction of the panel of scientists Dr. Hovind has assembled. Absolute fact will always overrule personal bias and I am sure these men/women are honorable. Once they authenticate the data, Dr. Hovind will have to pay up! So to those who can prove evolution is a fact, here is your chance to make a tidy profit and silence all of us ignorant and unsophisticated Christian rubes.
Dictionaries define wisdom in various ways--learning, erudition, and even common sense are included, but I prefer the definition of a preacher friend. He says that wisdom, as we find it expressed in the Bible, is "seeing things the way God sees them." It is such a wonderful commodity that the Word of God exhorts us over and over to acquire as much as we possibly can. The Book of Proverbs contains several of these:
(Unless otherwise noted, all quotes are from KJV and emphasis mine)
Proverbs 1:5
"A wise man will hear,
and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain
unto wise counsels"
Proverbs 9:10 (The subtitle for this article)
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding"
Proverbs 2:6-8
"For the Lord giveth wisdom:
out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. [7] He layeth
up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
[8] He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints"
Proverbs 2:10-11
"When wisdom entereth into
thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; [11] Discretion shall
preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee"
Proverbs 4:5
"Get wisdom, get understanding:
forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth"
Proverbs 4:7
"Wisdom is the principal
thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding"
Proverbs 16:16
"How much better is it
to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen
than silver!"
From these verses it should be clear to us that true wisdom involves the proper use of knowledge. But the most pointed barb of all is reserved for those who pursue knowledge merely for the sake of knowledge and give no thought to using it wisely--as we see in the following:
Proverbs 17:16
"Of what use is money in
the hand of a [self-confident] fool to buy skillful and godly Wisdom, when
he has nounderstanding
or heart for it" (Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible commentary, emphasis
mine)
Someone has said that you can take a fool and educate him, but all you get for your trouble is an educated fool! Adolph Hitler surrounded himself with educated men--several holding advanced degrees--but history has proved that the entire lot collectively did not possess enough common sense to equal that of the average idiot! Great knowledge without the necessary wisdom to use it properly is a curse, not an advantage. Worldly wisdom derives conclusions irrespective of God and thus is doomed to eventual exposure as being worthless at best and destructive at worst. Hitler's "Third Reich" made quite a splash on the world's stage, but its demise took millions down with it--most of whom were beguiled by misplaced faith in their occult-saturated leadership.
I have long been intrigued by the verse of Scripture found in 1 Timothy 6:20, that says:
"O Timothy, guard and keep the deposit entrusted [to you]! Turn away from the irreverent babble and godless chatter, with the vain and empty and worldly phrases, and the subtleties and the contradictions in what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination" (Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible commentary, emphasis mine).
It is a natural tendency for people to respect and follow those who display what is perceived to be intellectual genius and a flair for leadership. Many of us were not blessed with a great deal of "smarts" and thus gravitate toward those who apparently possess it, depending upon them to be our leaders. But this trait is obviously loaded with dangerous possibilities and unscrupulous men continue to take advantage of it, causing untold misery for humanity.
The Greek word translated "knowledge" in the verse above (1 Tim.6:20), is gnosis and is the root word for "gnosticism"--according to the Bible, the erroneous belief that one can attain spiritual life through a quest for knowledge. It is as old as man and over the centuries has taken on many forms, but regardless of whatever name it hides behind, it remains spiritual poison and deadly for those who are ensnared by it. True spiritual illumination can not be obtained by means of personal investigation and knowledge gained. This lie was first promoted by Satan (surprise, surprise!!) in Genesis 3:5 when he told Eve that to partake of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would open her eyes and she would be "as gods." And even in the pristine state of sinless perfection she enjoyed at the time, Eve was titillated by the prospect of knowing something forbidden to her. Satan pushed exactly the right button and, as a direct result of Eve's subsequent disobedience, sinful men have been lusting after the very same illusion from that day until this. The Illuminati, or "illumined ones," are at the apex of the organizational "pyramid" of Rosicrucianism/Freemasonry and their religion is gnosticism.
Daniel 12:4 says:
"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased" (KJV, emphasis mine).
Various authors have noted that we are in the midst of a knowledge explosion and with the advent of the computer, scientific knowledge has become exponential--literally doubling at an ever-increasing rate. Supposedly there are more scientists alive today than the total of all those who have ever lived! Truly, we are living in a day when knowledge--the compilation of factual information--is fulfilling Daniel's prophecy. But at the same time we need to carefully consider another phenomena that is becoming more and more of a problem to society. The overwhelming deluge of information has resulted in what is being termed "information overload," and apparently due to all the new facts and figures to work with, pronouncements are being made that greatly affect people. A good illustration of this is found in the field of medicine. Oat bran was touted as reducing cholesterol and millions rushed to buy a new breakfast cereal, but later it was contradicted by another study. Medicines are approved only to be removed from the market after having killed an "unacceptable number" of people. Various surgical procedures are alternately praised and damned. Monetary issues are basically driving the whole field and the wealth of new information is complicating the competition between rival groups. And the public is caught in the middle, not knowing whether to eat oat bran or take the latest pill advertised on TV. But the very fact that the opinions of large numbers of people swing back and forth with each new development should tell us something! The perception of expertise--whether it be in medicine or politics--is a powerful tool in the hands of anyone who is determined to misuse it.
If we are to weather the evil and extremely powerful forces at work against society, godly wisdom is a must. Deception can not succeed when it is recognized. Proverbs 1:17 says,
"Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird" (KJV)
In other words, even birds have enough sense to avoid a net when they see it being set up! Should we not have enough sense to keep our eyes open and watch for those things the Bible tells us are coming?
I, as I believe is the case with most people, highly respect those who use education wisely instead of letting it use them. But I must confess to having a really bad attitude where extremely liberal nonsense masquerading as knowledge is concerned. The ridiculous conclusion that environmental factors determine the differences between boys and girls is a case in point. How in the name of sanity could anyone ever come up with such a hare-brained idea, when common sense and observation clearly dictates otherwise? More than likely it began, as David Bay often points out concerning public opinion manipulation, when a respected "expert" pontificated on the subject and legions of brain-dead groupies took it as being gospel. The attitude of "it's so, because professor so-in-so says it's so," is the curse of academia! Unless subjects are dissected thoroughly and the ability to arrive at wise conclusions imparted--the teacher has not truly taught. Merely compiling knowledge through rote memorization and passing tests does not an education make. Obtaining specific information is now easier than it has ever been, but finding those who possess wisdom and can think "outside the box" is made increasingly more difficult by a government-controlled educational system bent on promoting mediocrity through regimentation.
As Proverbs 1:7 tells us, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." Proverbs 9:10 then completes the prerequisite for true education by telling us, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." Knowledge without the wisdom to use it properly, is dangerous. When the US government turned its back upon God by prohibiting the Bible from being taught in our public schools, it put the last nail in the coffin and sounded the death knell for education where the masses are concerned. Millions of otherwise intelligent students are unwittingly being subjected to a curriculum deviously designed to shape their thinking, rather than teaching them how to think. The Russian scientist Pavlov proved the validity of conditioned reflex by his experiments with dogs. A bell was rung each time they were fed, with the intent that they associate the bell with food. And after a period of time, the dogs would salivate in anticipation of food whenever the bell was rung--even when they were not fed. Today our young people are being indoctrinated rather than educated and it is nothing short of conditioned reflex. An inordinate focus on social skills (including the incessant "feel good about yourself" mantra), extreme environmental issues, and a world view in which national sovereignty is surrendered "for the good of all concerned" has long since displaced academics in terms of relative importance. Subjects that were once mandatory are now ignored. Geography, for instance, is rarely taught and tests show that college students are generally so abysmally ignorant of the subject that they cannot associate cities with nations, let alone find them on a world map! Verbal skills and the ability to communicate with the written word is at an all-time low--proving to the discerning eye (one with a degree of wisdom) that something is terribly wrong. The leaders of tomorrow are obviously being short-changed intellectually to insure the proper degree of docility and manageability when everything is turned upside-down by the New World Order of antichrist.
If you have been born again and received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, but have been very lukewarm in your spiritual walk with Him, you need to immediately ask Him for forgiveness and for renewal. He will instantly forgive you, and fill your heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Then, you need to begin a daily walk of prayer and personal Bible Study.
If you have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, but have come to sense His reality and the approaching End of the Age, and want to receive His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you truly believe in Him as Lord and Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that the Kingdom of Antichrist will not touch you spiritually. If you would like to become Born Again, turn to our Salvation Page now.
We hope you have been blessed by this ministry, which seeks to educate and warn people, so that they can see the coming New World Order—Kingdom of Antichrist—in their daily news.
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