The Proverb 31 Woman's Husband

You as brethren in the church, and particularly as men, you may ask the question, I am married, I have children, and I want to be a good example to my wife and to my children, a true follower of Christ. I really want to do what God wants me to do. And I want to be a good Christian godly leader, how God would want me to be.

How must I change? Brethren, in today's world, everything is upside down. Really, everything's upside down. You and I look at films and TV and what do we see? We see the father family being joked at, as the father always being incompetent, incapable, always doing things wrong, always making jokes of the father.

And men in the society are basically the big sinners and the abusers of women. Now, I'm not saying that there are cases where men have been abusers of women, and of course they are. But we in the church should not be so, and we should be striving to be a godly example of manhood.

So, how does the true Christian man become how God wants him to be? To be a real male, loving, caring, as a man according to biblical principles. One thing is, the husband and a father of children, we have to reflect our God, our Father in heaven. So, how does a Christian demonstrate his true manhood in a godly way? If you turn with me to John chapter 2, in the second chapter of John, we see the situation where Jesus Christ went to the temple, starting in verse 13, John chapter 2, verse 13. And you see now, this was the time of the Passover, and he went to Jerusalem and to the temple. And in verse 14, and he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and money changers.

It was people were converting money from one currency to another because people came from different lands and therefore they were exchanging money and doing businesses. And so he made a whip of cords and he drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and oxen and poured out the changers money and overturned the tables. Now, imagine this today. Imagine this today. He walks in and turns tables and chases people away.

What would we have? People of their cell phones, videotaping and putting it on the internet. Look at what is done! Look what is done! Brethren, what we saw there is that Christ acted with great zeal because as we read a little later, there it says in verse 17, his disciples remembered that it was written, zeal for your house has eaten me up.

And we can see that he was truly a man. He was not afraid of doing what was right. He had courage, but we see through his life that he was a loving, compassionate man. But there was a time that he needed to exercise courage and do what needed to be done. Now, we know physically speaking that he worked as a builder, in some cases, he is a carpenter, but he could. If we look at the houses that were done in those days, they were mostly of stone.

So he could be a stone mason person working with stone. And we can see a man that walked around often. So you can see that physically he was fit. But one thing besides that, he was not effeminate. He was not effeminate. Now look with me in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And we're going to read from verse 9. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom? Now, understand an important point here. We ought to inherit the kingdom. It's not only to be in the kingdom. We ought to inherit the kingdom. It's going to be our kingdom. It's the kingdom of God, we the children of God, and we're going to have some ownership.

It's like an inheritance. The inheritors inherit. We ought to inherit. That is something that sometimes we don't fully grasp, the awesomeness of it. But continuing, we are reading in chapter 6 verse 9. The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom. Don't be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites. But you have a margin there that some people translate that as katamites, but in some translations it's translated as effeminates. Effeminates, nor sodomites, because sodomites is basically the same thing as an homosexual.

So you can see that people of these attitudes of LGBT etc. are criticized in the Bible. Or people say, no, it's not talking about that, but you know very well what a sodomite is. But it's also effeminates, people that are going to be effeminate. God created a man in his image, and God's wish is that man be man. Real man, not dictators, not people that dominate and want to do everything my way. No, but real, loving, caring man.

So we are talking about the approaches, the way of being, how we treat other, those sort of attributes and qualities. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually are to be masculine, not effeminate from a man. Today's world wants to end that distinction. Oh well, you're not a man. Oh, you are. Maybe what do you feel like today? You can decide that. That is obviously an abomination before God. God wants man to be man that are leaders, that are decisive, that can make decisions. And quite often when we talk about leaders in this world, people usually have a wrong perception. What type of leadership does God want? God's leadership is one that is based on God's laws, which is based of what is always of outgoing love and concern for others, for the well-being of others. It's to serve, it's to sacrifice for others. Look at Matthew 23, Matthew 23 verse 11. Matthew 23 verse 11. Matthew 23 verse 11 and 12. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant, and whoever exalts himself will be humble, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Leadership in a godly way is not to be a dominator, a Hitler, quote-unquote, a somebody that's on top of either. It's not a tourney. It's an act of service, of service. Now, simply, put it simply, what do we have today, brethren, is we have an enemy called Satan. And Satan is attacking society, is attacking men, is attacking fathers, is attacking the family, because he wants to destroy humanity. When you have a broken family and you have men going the wrong way, Satan feels like he's on the winning path. Brethren, God's church encourages men to repent and to be real men, real husbands, and real fathers, according to God's principles. Otherwise, there will be a plague on earth. Turn with me to Malachi chapter 4. Malachi chapter 4, that's the last book in the Old Testament. Malachi chapter 4 verse 5 and 6, the last two verses in the Old Testament. And it says, Behold, I'll send you Elijah the prophet. In other words, God is sending us at the same time a work of Elijah the prophet. The gospel of Elijah the prophet is going out. And it says, Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And brethren, the great and dreadful day of the Lord is coming. We can see it's coming. But it says, the work of Elijah the prophet, which is the work that God's church is doing, is to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children. It's to turn parents, and particularly starting with the head of the family, which is fathers, to the children. And the hearts of the children then automatically will then return to their parents and specifically to the fathers. Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. And brethren, the earth is being cursed. You and I can see that. The earth is being cursed. But God wants us to do our job. God wants man in the church to be trained, to be leaders, to be an example, a courageous example which fulfills the job that God's given them, because if not, there will be problems.

Although ladies in this society don't understand it, they will only be truly happy when they have a loving husband that cares for them and looks after them, and that is a fact of life. That will give them a sense of security, and that's what the Bible says. The woman will look to the man. When husbands develop this leadership and when practice it with a godly, masculine, loving attitude by staying care for one another, an attitude of service for the well of their wives and their families, then the wives will only be too happy to complement and support and encourage their husband. And they'll only be too happy because the husband is one that she can trust. However, when this godly authority does not exist, what is the result we have? Well, the Bible also tells us what the result is, and we can see how true it is based on comparing it to today's society. Look at Isaiah chapter 3 verse 12. Isaiah chapter 3 verse 12. Isaiah chapter 3 verse 12. And it reads, As for my people, children are their oppressors. Young adults are running the streets as rebels, as causing trouble, causing demonstrations. Brethren, they are oppressing society. Even the police are now running away from them. We saw that, some of you may have not seen, in New York City. But you know, I saw it last week in Luanda, Angola. You see, it's not just in this country. It's a spirit of the world. It's Satan. How can people that can't understand English, at the same time, in a completely different continent, be doing exactly the same thing?

You and I have to grasp that it is a spirit being inspired and inciting the world today. Yeah, in America, quite often we get, say, oh well, it's because it's a month of elections, and or a year of elections. And we start taking this as a political thing. Please, brethren, don't take it as a political thing. Yes, politics are being played. But it is a spirit of rebellion that is existing and exists in the whole world today. It's not just in this country. And so let's continue there in Isaiah chapter 3 verse 12. And women rule over them. Oh, my people, those who lead you cause you to err. Those who lead you. People are saying, well, if that's okay, then they start saying, well, we'll do this, we'll do the other things, and you and I can see, you can watch the news. I don't want to mention specific things, but you watch the news and you say, that is ridiculous. How can leaders in our nation encouraging specific things that it just boggles your mind? You see, those who lead you cause you to err and destroy the way of your paths. Brethren, that's what Satan is inspiring today. Look at verse 4 and 5 of the same chapter. I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. In other words, as not two or three monthly or old babes that's ruling over us, it's people with a mindset, which is immature. That's what it is. They're immature, and people will be oppressed, everyone by another and everyone by his neighbor. The child will be insolent towards the elder, and the base towards the honorable. This is what is happening. Children are being insolent towards their parents. Why? Because there's not a godly position at the home. You see, certain groups of people, they have a lot of problems, and then they say, oh well, it's because of this or that. No, the problem, if you look at it at those specific groups of people, you find a lot of them don't have a father at home. Stop looking at other symptoms that people want you to look at. Look at the real cause. Has that group of people, that people are saying, well, well, whatever this is happening, and therefore, oh, this reason, that reason. And as you can see, I'm trying to be careful not to identify groups, but look behind the scenes and say, are they having examples of their fathers being at home? They're not, and because of that, there's crimes amongst those social groups. That's what happens. Why? Because men are not taking up their positions of leadership. Oh, men taking up their positions of leadership. Look at Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5. You see, because a position of leadership should be one like Christ's position of leadership. In Ephesians chapter 5, and you know that very well because it's talking about marriage, but in verse 25, it says, husbands love your wives. But it doesn't stop there. It gives us an example. An example is just as Christ loved the church. How did Christ love the church? He emptied himself of being of the form of God, came as a human being, as a servant, as a slave, as quote-unquote, nobody famous, and died for you and I.

That's how we as husbands are to love our wives.

Obviously, not to physically die. As we read in Romans 12 verse 1 and 2, our reasonable service is to be a living sacrifice. I mean, we're not going to be very good to our wives if we just die on day one. We go home and we're dead. Well, I gave my life for you. Well, she doesn't want that. She wants you to help her and to give of your life and of your time, of your energy to her. We all, brethren, have a lot to learn, me included. I'm not giving this because, well, you all are bad. No, because I am bad. I need to improve. We all need to improve. So, it says, just like Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. All ladies need a man that loves her, that protects her, that cherishes her, and that guides her. That's basically the marriage covenant. That is a marriage covenant. And that's what we as men are being trained to be. Unfortunately, the society is not training that. The society is training something completely different. But if we don't do that in the church, God will bring a great curse on the earth. But because some of us will do it, because of the left side, God will stop the great tribulation earlier. We'll cut it shorter. So, we look at, for instance, the scripture in the book of Proverbs, in the last chapter of Proverbs. You know, Proverbs 31, the virtuous woman. And you as ladies are saying, well, the sermon has got nothing to do with me. Why am I listening? Well, there is a lot to do, because behind every good leader, there is always a strong lady backing him up. There's always a strong lady backing him up. But look at the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31. A virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 is obviously virtuous because of characteristics of her, but is helped, as we can see in Proverbs 31, by having a Proverbs 31 husband. Are we a Proverbs 31 husband? Well, look at some examples. Just briefly. Look at verse 11. Jesus says, yeah, the heart of her husband safely trusts her. The husband has absolute confidence in her. Look at verse 23. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. Why is he known in the gates? Because she's backing him up. She's helping him. Look at verse 28. Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her. So, yeah, as a husband, there is encouraging a wife that's praising her, that's giving her the liberty to do things that she does. So, man, we need to be real men the way God wants us to be.

So, what is through Christian manhood? So, today we want to look at a few points of what it is to be the husband of the virtuous woman. And for ladies, this is also important to you. Because you need to support, have a support spirit and attitude, and you need to teach your children, you need to teach your children these principles. They are important for you to teach so that your children, so that we break the cycle of the society. Because, after all, the ladies we created as a help meet for the husband, and therefore, you are to help the husband to fulfill this role. Look at Proverbs 18 verse 22. Proverbs 18 verse 22. Proverbs 18 verse 22 says, he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. Why does he find a good thing? Because she's helping him, she's encouraging him, she's motivating him, she's helping him to move forwards, to serve, and she's helping him in this way. She's not there to destroy him, she's not there to pull him down, no, she's there to help him.

So, one of the first characteristics that we as men need to have is to be servant leaders, fearing God and deeply conversing. We need to be leaders that serve and fear God, always fearing God, and deeply converted.

It says in the Bible, one of the Beatitudes, that we are to hunger and thirst after righteousness. We need to hunger and thirst to get to know well God the Father and Jesus Christ, so that we can do what pleases them. As you and I grow, this applies to men and women, as we and I grow being in the image of God with our own individual characteristics that God gave us, because God gave some of the characteristics of him to men, and God gave some of the characteristics of him to women. And we men need to learn and work with the woman to be more like God, and women, we need to work more with the men to be more like God, so that we can be together one, because it says the two will become one flesh. We're working together to be one. And so, as we pray and study God's Word, being sensitized to the different roles that God has given us, and as we pray and we go on our knees and ask God to help us to fulfill our roles, men as we ask God to fulfill our roles as men, and ladies as we ask God to fulfill our roles as ladies, and slowly, slowly, step by step, step by step, we're surely going to be growing in the various characteristics that God wants us to have. Men, masculine characteristics, and ladies, feminine characteristics. And as we put these into practice in our lives, we are learning to become more like God. But we have to put it into practice. We have to put it into practice. As we learn and we put it into practice, we are growing. And as we learn more and we put it into practice, we grow more. And as we learn and put it into practice, we're going to grow more and sell more. It's what I call a virtuous circuit. Not a vicious circle, but a virtuous circle, because you're growing in virtue, growing positively. However, if we don't practice what we learned, we are slipping. You know, have you ever seen a car trying to climb up a hill, and maybe there's ice or whatever, and the wheels just, and you make no progress? You're actually going backwards? Well, the same thing if you have a little bit of oil on the street, and you just, you make no progress. If we are not putting it into practice, we like that. We're just slipping and going back. We've got to put it to practice. As we put it to practice, what are we doing? We're looking at God, we're reading and studying the Bible, we're looking at God's image, which is who? Christ, right? He's the image of God. And therefore, we can look at somebody physical, and we can replicate, we can imitate, we can copy, and therefore we can reflect. We can be like a mirror reflecting, trying to follow the same example. Like Christ said, follow me. We are trying to reflect, to follow, to copy God. Turn with me to Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, chapter 3 verse 18, 2 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 18.

2 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 18.

But we all with unvailed face, beyawling as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord. Brethren, we, with our faces, our minds not blinded, we're not blinded, we look at Christ's example, and we look at it, and it is supposed to be to us like a mirror, and you and I are to reflect the same characteristics of Christ. So he says, but we with unvailed face, beyawling as in a mirror, you know, was reflecting as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord. So when we look in a mirror, and we look at in the morning at myself, or at yourself in the morning, then he says, yeah, I am exactly like Christ. Well, I wish I could say that. I wish we all could say that, right? But you know, that's what we should be doing. He says, yeah, I am practicing. I'm reflecting Christ's glory. Am I? Are we? Well, I must admit, I'm a long way from it. Now, maybe some of you are better off, but I am a long way from it. So, but that's what we are. Therefore, he says, we are being transformed. We are being changed. We are slowly being, becoming new people into the same image. Which image? The image of Christ, which is the image of God. We are becoming the same image from glory to glory. In other words, we are to put on the same type of personality, of kindness, of love, of application of God's Holy Spirit. We are to put on the same type of people we are to grow. That's what it is, just as the Spirit of the Lord. So, using God's Holy Spirit, that's what we're going to do. So, man, if we do this, and ladies, if we do this, we're going to be real, good, real, masculine men. And ladies, you're going to learn principles of being from God, of being true feminine ladies. And as parents, as men, as women, we're going to reflect the character of God in a respectful way in the abundance of God's Holy Spirit. We men need to be an example to our wives, and to our children, and to our family. This is the leadership that men need to exercise. And that's what it is to walk in front. That is, it is to be the first one to give the steps. Now, this is not a case of being a dictator, as I mentioned, because a dictator is a failure. A dictator is a failure. A true, masculine man, one that loves God, is one that absolutely obliterated carnality. Well, I think we're all a long way from it. And indeed, a true Christian woman is one also that has obliterated carnality. Have we done that? We need to. We need to repent of our carnality. We need to grow in the image of God, in the glory of Jesus Christ daily. So that is, let's call it, the first characteristic that we need to have, and that is to be a true leader, a serving leader, fearing God, and deeply repented. Secondly, we need to have an internal, strong strength of will, strength of desire, or in other words, self-discipline, self-control, with character and firm. You see, Jesus Christ's example, we see in the Gospels, he was an example of somebody that he knew what he was going to do, and he did it. He had self-discipline, and he overcame with self-discipline.

So the example that we need to have to our wives and children is one not to dominate, but one to have courage to be a good example. Look with me to Acts 14, and we look at the story of Paul. When he was basically stoned to practically death in Acts 14, or at least they gave him up as dead, and then what did he do after that? He went back in! He went back in and preached the Gospel. Acts 14, verse 19 through 22. Acts 14, verse 19 through 22.

It says, then the Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes. In other words, they persuade the multitudes. You can imagine what it is. They go there with loud speakers or whatever. He's like, okay, let's go! Get him! Let's get! And they incited the multitude for this rebellion, civil rebellion. And what they did, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city and supposed him to be dead. They beat him real good. Then they thought he was a dead man, and they walked away.

However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city again! What did he do? He went back! Would you have gone back? I'm not gonna go back. I'm gonna duck. He went back. And the next day, then he departed with Barnabas and Derby. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. They returned! They went back again! Brethren, we have here Paul was courageous. He was a man. He had guts. And that's what we need to be. We need to have self-control with character and firmness. And brethren, that is positively encouraging to all of us, just not to man, but to woman. Look at the example of Peter as well, Acts 5, verse 29. Acts 5, verse 29. When they told him, you can't preach anymore! You are prohibited to preach about that name of Jesus, of Jesus Christ. And then on Acts 5, verse 29, what did he say? Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than man.

And so they went on preaching.

And look at it in verse 40. In verse 40, he says, And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go.

So brethren, we need to have courage to do what's right. Not just that. Do we have courage to overcome our weaknesses, our fleshly desires? Do we have courage?

You know, the true man, the true leader, a God-fearer, does not or should not submit to temptation easily. We need to have courage to fight and overcome our temptations and obviously overcome Satan. And that doesn't just apply to man, it applies to women. A godly woman needs to do the same thing. Does not break under pressure. We need to remain firm. We need to trust God till the end.

And the end is the death of our passions and desires, of our lusts.

This type of person has a fellowship with God. He is or she is God's friend and others will respect him. The wife will respect him and for the wife the husband will respect her. Look at 1 Corinthians 16. 1 Corinthians 16. Verse 13. 1 Corinthians 16. Verse 13. 1 Corinthians 16. Watch, stand fast in the faith. Be brave, be strong. In other words, be strong like man. Be brave. Don't quit.

Don't quit. Go and be strong. So, brethren, we need to be disciplined. There are situations in which or to which we have to say no. So whether it is temptations or even situations that we get involved in that come upon us, then we have to say no. I remember some situations that I got into and I said no. And I'm not glorifying myself, but I had to say no. And looking back, I'm grateful that I said no. You look at the situation of Joseph. He was tempted with a woman and he said no. And he walked away. There are situations in our lives that we have to have the courage to overcome our weaknesses and say no. To give up on sin. To win until the end. That is auto self-discipline. And that means controlling our time. That means controlling our body. That is controlling the situations.

There was a time in the first chronicles, King's chronicles. Let's have a look.

After King's, when the instructions were given to the judges, 1 Chronicles chapter 29, verse 10 through 12. And he said, David blessed the Lord with all the assembly, blessed are you the Lord, and in YHWH the Lord is the greatness, the power of the glory and the glory. And the power and glory, the victory and the majesty for all that is in heaven, earth is yours, yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from you. What we have here is a definition of God's standards and values. Of God's power. Then he says he's got the power, he's great, he's got control over everything. God wants us, as his children, to have the same attributes of courage, of strength, and of stability. We need to demonstrate how we discipline ourselves. And the ladies respect a man with these characteristics of character, of self-control. They're not dictators, but they are servants in love. And when, then, they take that self-discipline, and then we move on to the third point, is that now they lead with courage and confidence. They lead with courage and confidence. Look at the situation here of Paul. Paul in Acts 13, it says he came to Cyprus, and we can see that he was like, mentions all the others, and then his name is the last one. Look at Acts chapter 13. And then he had to confront a situation. So let's look at that Acts chapter 13. Acts chapter 13, verse 1 and 2. And it says, Now the church that was at Antioch, there were certain prophets and teachers, Barnabas and Simeon, who also called Nigar and Niger, and Abigail Parlin, and Luxius and Serene, Manahan, who had been brought up with Herod, the Tetrarch, and Saul, and they ministered to Saul and fostered the Lord. And the Holy Spirit said to them, Now separate to meet Barnabas and Saul. Barnabas and Saul. Who is first? Barnabas and Saul, which have called them. And then having fostered and prayed and laid hands on them, they sent them away. So they ordained them to do a responsibility. Right, so they were ordained, Barnabas and Saul, and then they went to Cyprus. And we can see a little bit later there in verse 9, in verse 9, then Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked into Antederem because there was the saucer, Elimus, or elements, so his name is translated, or by Jesus, that there was a Jew, a certain saucer, a false prophet. And then Saul was called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, I'm reading in verse 9, said, verse 10, Oh, full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil. Now imagine the courage to say that in front of somebody else. And he says, You full of deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all unrighteousness, would you have the courage to stand up and speak like that in front of somebody else? Because they just arrived in that area, and not very long before, and he says, Will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? Well, when you see people that are perverting the truth and true Christianity, do we have the courage to say something like that? But you know what happened. Look at verse 13. Now when Paul hand his party, was no more Barnabas and Saul. It was now Paul and his party. He now was the leader.

So from here onwards, Paul was the leader. And he stayed like that throughout the whole book of the Acts. He was ahead, not behind. He spoke with courage decidedly. He was not indecisive. He was not effeminate. And we as leaders, we have to be able to have the courage to move forwards and be faithful in what we know what we need to do. Look at this example, 2 Chronicles 19, verse 9. This is the one about the instruction to the judges that I was referring to earlier on. And I would mention that inaccurately early on. There in 2 Chronicles 19, verse 9. Kings Chronicles, just before, 2 Chronicles 19, verse 9. The instruction to the judges was saying, 2 Chronicles 19, verse 9.

And he commanded them, saying, You shall act in the fear of the Lord faithfully and with a loyal heart. The instruction was, we ought to be faithful and loyal with a loyal heart. We have to have courage. We have to have confidence. We have to be faithful doing what we need to do. That is our Christian goal. That's what we need to be. Faithful. But always asking God for help. Look at Philippians chapter 4, verse 6. Philippians chapter 4, verse 6.

Philippians chapter 4, verse 6.

He says, Be anxious for nothing, but everything by prayer and supplication or thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Our requests must be made known to God. Our small requests and our big requests, whatever it is, with prayers and supplications, made known to God. And then God with His Spirit gives us His Spirit for us to be courageous. And then we get on to the next point, which I have is now we've got to be consistent and sincere with all hard work, fulfilling what we know it needs to be done. The real man is consistent. He's not up and down all the time. He's consistent.

Sure, we all do get discouraged. Sure, we all do get times in which we down. But as true Christians, we need to reach a level of consistency of being faithful, what we are, and staying there. And then, as it says in Philippians chapter 4, verse 13, a little bit further ahead, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Then we've prayed, we ask for that strength, and then Christ will strengthen us, will give us the help, and then we can have the confidence and actually do it. Do it! It's not just talk, it's do it. We've got to move forwards and do it. You know, right at the beginning when God gave the instruction to Abraham, he said, be you perfect. In fact, in Matthew, God tells us, be you perfect. We have to be perfect. And that means, in whatever we do, we have to make it do as much and as completely as possible as we can.

We look at situations. Even David, David tried to be committed. You read Psalms. You see how he continually was praying to God and praising God, Psalm of the Psalm of the Psalm. You can see he was always completely devoted to praise God. But he made faults. Oh, did he make faults? You know the story of Bathsheba and Uriah? He made big faults. But you know what? When a prophet came to him, you read that in Psalm 51, he says, I have hurt and have sinned against God. He didn't give excuses. He didn't say, oh, well, it's his fault. Or it's they, whatever. Like Saul said, oh, the people did this. No, he gave no excuses. You read in Ecclesiastes, it says, wherever you find your heart to do it, do it with your whole heart. So as men, we need to be sincere and do and complete to do everything we're supposed to do with our whole heart. But, but, we need to do the right things. We need to do the right things. You see, yes, we need to be decisive and do, but we gotta have wisdom. We gotta have wisdom to do the right things. Well, some people say, oh, well, I believe in God. I trust in God. I, I, I, and therefore, God, make the decision for me. How many people have you heard? Well, I'm praying and I'm waiting for God to make a decision for me.

I think that shows an ignorance of an important point. Let me give you an analogy. Most of you have had children, right? And your children grow. Don't you want your children to get a point to be adults and make their own decisions? Or do you want them every time to come to mommy and daddy to say, what do I do? Do I go to school or don't I go to school? Do I do this or don't I do that? You want them to grow up and to learn to make decisions, don't you? We want our children to be mature, to grow up. Now, aren't we the children of God?

Now, does God want us to make decisions? Or is He always making decisions for us? If He is always making decisions for us, then we'll be a robot. Now, don't He tell Adam and Eve, He has two trees. Choose! He has a tree of life. He has a tree of death. Okay. Knowledge of good and evil, which means if you decide for yourself what's good and right, there's going to be troubles and in the end, there'll be death if you don't repent.

Does God want us to choose? You read in Deuteronomy 30, verse 19, I set before you two ways, life and death. Choose life that may be well with you. Does God want us to choose? Or does God say, no, don't choose to sit there and wait for me to make a decision for you? How many of us? Well, I'm deciding whether I'm going to do this or not. I'm praying God hasn't told me yet, so I don't know what to do. Well, maybe God's not going to tell you because God's given you a brain and He's given you principles in the Bible for you to decide what is right and wrong. And He wants you to grow and to be mature and to learn to discern the right and wrong. God wants us to mature and grow and learn to discern what is right and wrong. Look at Hebrews chapter 5, verse 14. Hebrews chapter 5, verse 14.

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, those that are mature. They're not babes. They're mature. They know this is right and this is wrong. They are mature. They're full age. That is, those who by reason of use, those that have put to practice, that have learned to make decisions and have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Those that have learned to make decisions of their own free will, obviously checking against God's principles, and therefore, we're maturing. That is solid food. God wants us, as the children of God, to learn to make wise decisions. And many times, he leaves it on us to make the decision. Because that's how we grow. How many times you do that to your children? He says, yeah, you got this, this. What do you want to do? What do you choose? You're teaching them, you're teaching them to make the right decisions. Why? By allowing them to make wrong decisions. That's what God's doing to us. Because those wrong decisions, you and I know very well, cause pain as suffering. And you know what? You learn from it. And you know what? You become a better person.

And God says, oh well, you made a wrong decision. No! God says, well, now that you've repented, well done. Don't do it again. That's it. We learn. We learn. That's what it is. God wants us to learn. Why? Why? Brethren, because this physical life is just a piece of dust. It's just like a little flower today's year, and tomorrow it will be gone. You know, there are some flowers that they only bloom for one day, the next day they did. I mean, they are. And they're so beautiful for one day, but they did. It's like a butterfly. It's beautiful. And many butterflies, they only live for a day or two, and then they're gone. You know, our life is like that. It's like, come and God. But the value is what we learn spiritually from it. Because God is going to use that, that character we have learned, to make the right decisions. When He gives us a spirit body which is eternal, and He wants to give us power to rule the world. That's why it says we'll inherit the Kingdom, and He'll give us power to rule this whole universe. That's why He's given us this whole universe, which is basically empty. Except Earth. You look at all the other billions and billions and billions of stars and planets. They're all empty, waiting for what?

For us to inherit the Kingdom, and many, many years from today, sometime in the future, God will open up this planet for us to do something on it, and then later on another planet for us to do something, and so on. And there are billions of them out there. Trillions. But He wants you and I to be in that top echelon of government that nobody will ever take it away from you. Nobody will ever take it away from you.

But He doesn't want to be always into eternity to look over the shoulder, your shoulder, and see, has He done the right thing or not? Because He knows, and He knows that He knows, and He knows that He knows, because you in this life have learned, and He says, I will not go back to the misery that that life, physical life that I lived there in Lexington, or whatever, or in Cincinnati, or in New Brunswick, or whatever it is.

I don't want to go back to that. You never want to go back. I remember once I went to Brazil and there was this man that saw me at at the airport, and I'm glad I saw him at the airport. And I'm convinced this man had a demon because you could see it in his eyes. And the conversations that he was talking about, that he had seen God and God's throne and light and this and that and that, and then he says, that's why, one of the things he was telling me, that's why there's got to have to be hell forever. Because once people are in the kingdom, I don't want them ever to go wrong. Therefore, they can look at hell forever and say, I don't want to be there, therefore, I will be here. You know, that's ruled by fear, not by love. That's not God. That's Satan. You know, God doesn't want hell there forever. It burns, God finishes, suffering's over. Then there'll be a time of happiness and joy, and there'll, no weakness will dwell there. Only righteousness will dwell there. That's what it is. And so God has absolute trust in his sons because they've been trained now with solid food to make right decisions. That's what you and I need to be doing now. So, brethren, as man, we need to make the right decisions. We need to learn to make these decisions the way God wants them to be. And so, as we make these decisions, as we've learned these characteristics of being a serving leader, deeply conversed, full of internal confidence with character, putting to practice with courage, being consistent, sincere, and doing work, and having God's wisdom, then with that, you and I need to learn the principles through Christianity of living in a kind, compassionate, merciful way, which is what we learn time and time again on the Sabbath in church about being like a Christian. But as man, we have to be leaders, which are, and as ladies in the church, we have to be servant leaders, profoundly converted and committed and fearing God with a strong will, a strong self-control, character, courage, doing what we know it needs to be done, and knowing what it needs to be done because we got godly wisdom that we get it from God. And then we put all that to practice through Christianity with love and care and compassion towards others. Then, if you are a man like that, a man of a Proverbs 31 woman like that, then the woman will be encouraged and uplifted as your wife to be the virtuous woman.