KNOWLEDGE   Part 3

Knowledge comes from listening to God. Many Christian errors come from studying the philosophies of theologians. 

From his mouth come knowledge 2:6


Should you listen to the knowledge that comes from critics of a corrupt system?
Wise people store up knowledge. 10:14
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.  11:9
Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge. 19:2
Apply….your ears to words of knowledge.  23:12


Are Christian leaders doing right when they hide sins from regular Christians?
The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, But the heart of the fool does not do so.  15:7
But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.  20:15

KNOWLEDGE  Part 2

The Proverbial virtues actually overlap and build on each other. I'm jumping ahead, but knowledge is necessary in order to have wisdom. Wisdom is necessary to have understanding, etc. Without knowledge, you can only advance slightly into the other Proverbial virtues.

Christian colleges that teach all sides of an issue don't get the scandals that stricter colleges do. Knowledge is a source of Godliness, not a threat to Godliness.

Knowledge and the fear of the Lord go together.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge  1:7
Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD. 1:29

KNOWLEDGE Part 2

The Proverbial virtues actually overlap and build on each other. I'm jumping ahead, but knowledge is necessary in order to have wisdom. Wisdom is necessary to have understanding, etc. Without knowledge, you can only advance slightly into the other Proverbial virtues.

Christian colleges that teach all sides of an issue don't get the scandals that stricter colleges do. Knowledge is a source of Godliness, not a threat to Godliness.

Knowledge and the fear of the Lord go together.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge  1:7
Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD. 1:29

THE VIRTUES OF PROVERBS

The Ruckmanites teach that Christians need to blindly obey Ruckmanite leaders in order to prevent sin. If you point out problems, such as the Ruckmanites have replaced the Catholics as the most sexually corrupt religious leaders in the United States, you are accused of gossip and criticism. But how do you keep yourself out of sin?

"Knowledge"--the ability to recall truth.

Notice that I did not say "the ability to recall Scripture." Scripture is truth, but there are other historical facts that are true. One evangelist actually teaches that Christian liberty consists of obeying leaders whom he approves. Knowledge tells us that he had approved a high school principal as his unaccredited Bible College president, and the president later went to prison for sex crimes with a minor.

The Holy Spirit gives us knowledge  John 14:26  “ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

Because ALL Christians have the Holy Spirit giving them knowledge, it is better NOT to isolate yourself from Christians outside of your own group. Proverbs 11:14 tells us "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety." Will the Devil destroy you if you listen to saints outside your group? The Holy Spirit will teach you, and He has been teaching them as well.

Christian groups try to keep from losing members by keeping them from reading outside writings. But Calvinistic Charles Spurgeon has been a great blessing to large numbers of non-Calvinist Christians. Soft on Catholicism, Bill Gothard has helped so many saints with Scriptural methods of dealing with spiritual problems that his "radical" teachings are now commonplace.

Some Christians are  surprised to learn that there is only one command in all the Epistles to go soul-winning, while entire chapters are devoted to spiritual gifts. In my college, we were taught nothing about spiritual gifts, which have opened many doors of Christian service to me.

Knowledge is not something to fear. Unless you're an organization that has something to hide.

We are sometimes confronted by a Christian who claims to be a prophet and demands obedience. When we express doubts, the Christian then rebukes us for our lack of faith.

The prophet Jeremiah had to deal with prophets who gave messages opposite to what Jeremiah said. Whom do you believe? In Jeremiah  28: 9, Jeremiah explains "As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent."

You are allowed to wait to see if the prophecy comes true, and don't let anybody frighten you into pretending to believe a message that you have doubts about.

But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, do not go to Babylon.' Jeremiah 27:18

Remember that we are citing guidelines, not commands, for the gift of prophecy. Prophets can get prayers answered. God answers prayers in accord with His will, and if a prophet knows God's will, he will know what to pray for.

You will sometimes find a person who is not being used by God, who suddenly claims to be a prophet and demands obedience. Forget it. If that person really knows God's will, he or she will be getting prayers answered.

My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. James 5:10

If you're looking for prestige and glory on earth, prophecy is not the gift for you. Despite having the greatest gift, the prophets were despised and persecuted.