PEACE & JOY

This week, we are going to start our online church service with some good advice. Please, turn with me to Proverbs 3:5-6. Let's read it together:

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

I told you this would be good advice. Well, was I right? Let me welcome everyone to your 24/7 week-long online church service. Always remember, every one is welcome in this place.

My friends, God's desire is for you to live in victory and peace during your lifetime. Even in difficult and bad situations, God wants you to have peace and joy. So, Brother Bob, how can we have joy and peace in our lives when so many things are going wrong? The answer was just given to you in the above scripture. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. That is the first step to peace and joy.

Ladies and gentlemen, the above scripture is speaking to believers. It is impossible to trust in God with all your heart if you don't even believe in him. The scripture goes on to say, acknowledge God and he will direct your ways. Listen to me, church, if God is directing your way, there is no possibility of defeat in your lives. Will things come against you? Could bad things such as sickness, job losses, lack of money, strained relationships, and so on, come against you? The answer is, yes, but God says he will direct your way and his direction will always lead you right past defeat and straight to victory.

That is this ministries desire for you, church. Victory in Jesus right here on the earth. Let's continue with Proverbs 3:7-8. And this is what it says:

"Be not wise in thine own eyes: Fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones."

This is great advice, my friends, and it doesn't come from me. It comes directly from the Word of God and it is directed straight to you and me. Do you see what God is saying to us, folks? Trust in him. Acknowledge him in all your ways. Do not trust or follow your own or men's wisdom but follow the wisdom of God which is found in the instruction book of life which is, of course, the Bible. Finally, the scripture hits the nail on the head. It says, "depart from evil."

Now listen to me, church, I understand I am preaching mainly to Christian believers. Some of you may be offended to have me say to you, "depart from evil." But if you reread or listen again to this message, you will see that I did not say this to you! God did!! The truth is, many believers today are dabbling in the very sin you have been set free from. My friends, please stop doing that right now. God says, "depart from evil" and he will reward you with all good things. Health to thy navel and marrow to thy bones. In other words, health to you body.

Sin is a destroyer of all good things you have, my friends. Depart from it and watch things turn around for you in so many good ways. I am excited for you, church. Good things are ahead for you. I am pointing out the benefits of following and trusting God. We at the Spirit of Wisdom Ministries know that the way to true peace and joy comes from only one source, the Lord Jesus Christ.

My friends, the biggest expression of love from God to us was allowing his son, Jesus, to come to this earth to preach, teach, and heal and then to actually die on a cross just to redeem you and me from sin. Our 24/7 online church has always strived to teach you the ways of God. We have approached you in many different ways to introduce you to the one way of salvation and that is Jesus Christ.

Our mission is not only to see people be saved through Jesus Christ but it is also to see you live and enjoy the peace and joy that God provides to you every day of your life. We understand how all the complications of life can be used by Satan to try and steal your joy in Christ and living.

In the first scriptuire given to you in this message, the key words were "trust in the Lord." Ladies and gentlemen, the Lord Jesus Christ is your joy and peace. Take your eyes off your present situation, whatever it may be, and return your focus to loving God and receiving his love and peace.

Jesus pointed out to you so many times in his Word how much he loves you. Even as he was getting ready to leave this world by way of the cross, he had words of encouragement to us. Look at John 14:27. Jesus is talking here:

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

You see, church, Jesus knows the difficult things and the difficult times we have to endure on this earth. Let his words encourage you, my friends. Jesus is telling us clearly here, the peace the world philosophers and leaders promise us is a false peace. He says the peace he gives us is an enduring peace that is available to you in every situation of life. Once again, take your eyes off your circumstances of life and draw on the peace of God. He left his peace here just for you.

This message is focused on three things, church: trust in God, the peace of God, and the joy of living that only God will provide for you. In the book of John, chapter 15, Jesus tells us, if we truly follow him, he will provide his joy to us. What joy is that? The joy of life. The joy of your wife or husband. The joy of your children and grand children. But, most of all, the joy of knowing you are a child of God. I suggest you read the fifteenth chapter of John for yourselves. In John 15:9-11, Jesus once again speaks to us. Let's see what he has to say:

"As the father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If you keep my commandment, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my fathers commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."

The commandment Jesus is talking about is stated in the very next verse, John 15:12. This is what it says:

"This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you."

There it is, my friends. We must share the love that God has given us with others. Always trust in God and what Jesus did for us on the cross. Jesus said he desires his joy to remain in us and that our joy be full. That is also our desire for you. May you always trust in God and may God's peace and joy always remain in you.

God Bless You,

Brother Bob

A FATHER'S DAY MESSAGE (Repost from June 20, 2010)

Please note: This is our annual Father's Day message. This is a reposted message (both, the written and audio) from June 20, 2010. Be sure to read and listen to it. You will enjoy it!







Today is celebrated as “Fathers' Day.” We certainly welcome all Dads to this week's 24/7, week long, online church service. I am sure you know by now, everyone is welcome in this place. Early in the Bible in Exodus 20:12, God gave us the Ten Commandments, which to my knowledge have not been repealed or revoked by God. I know there are some who wish or believe the Ten Commandments are not valid for today. After all, shouldn't we live life as we desire? Does that not sound like the mantra for today's living? Let's read the fifth commandment of God in Exodus 20:12:

“Honor thy father and thy mother: That thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”

Notice that our heavenly father gives you the commandment and then gives you the benefits of following his proclamation. God says honor your father and mother so you may live long on the earth. How many here desire to live a long and fruitful life? A long life full of joy, peace, mercy and grace? By honoring your father and mother, you are honoring God.

Another scripture also points out the benefits of honoring your parents. Please turn with me to Ephesians 6:1-3:

“Children obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”

Are you beginning to see the complete picture? God desires for you to honor and obey your parents and he will reward you with long life. I know some of you are thinking: “The way my Dad treated me, it is hard if not impossible to honor him.” I'm going to touch on that later in the message, so just hold that thought for a moment.

One of the greatest blessings of my life is being the father of five wonderful children. They are all grown up now, but sometimes I still see them as ten-years-old or so. If I look back on one of the best accomplishments of my life, it would be that my children, now adults, still love us (their parents), almost as much as we love them. No father or mother could ask for more. Do we agree with them on everything? Absolutely not!! Do we have opinions about life and living that are different than theirs? Many times over the years, definitely yes. Do we respect them? You bet!!

The instruction book of life (the Bible) gave me many tips and instructions on how to be a loving and caring father. One of those instructions is found in Ephesians 6:4:

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: But bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Let's dissect this scripture a little. What is God saying to us fathers here? I believe God is saying – Fathers raise your children in love and not hate or fear. Let them express their observations of life and their feelings about such things. Listen to them. Then, give Godly advice in a way that they can see the wisdom of your words and know that if you disagree with their conclusions about life, you still love and respect them. Is that easy to do? Not always. But, it is the right thing to do. The second part of this scripture tells us: Dads, we have a responsibility to bring our children up in the knowledge and ways of God according to his Word. It is never too early to give your children a biblical foundation regarding Jesus Christ. Tell them about Jesus as early in their young lives as you can. It will pay off in the long run.

I guess one of my biggest regrets in life, is that I didn't give my life to the Lord until my first two children were in their teens. Their formative years saw a Dad that drank too much and was away from home too much; a Dad that loved them, but wasn't always reliable. I always feel repentant about that, But thank God, he saved me and delivered me from the things destructive in my life. The salvation was instant, the recovery a process.

Today I would rather have my children see me as a man that loves God and his ways, rather than a man who loved the ways of the world. I look around me today and I see young fathers making the same mistakes I did and it breaks my heart. Young Dads, listen to me!! Your wife and children are the most important things in your life. Not your job, not another woman, not the respect of other men. The alcohol, drugs and addiction to your job will kill you. I promise if you keep on, you will lose everything near and dear to you.

This year when you receive your Fathers' Day card, pay attention Dads. Your family is calling to you. Get right with God. Love God and your family with all of your heart. The payoff to that will be great for you. I am praying for you, Dads. I know you can do it. God loved you so much he blessed you with your wife and children. Take care of them and love them above everything else on the earth. Stop whatever you are doing right now. Go look at your family, aren't they something?

Fathers' Day is celebrated all over this country. Many good fathers will be honored. Yet for many, it is not a celebration at all. Their dads abandoned them. Some even abused their children. Other fathers by example have led their children away from God. I would say these fathers may never know the joy they could have had by serving God and raising their families with love.

Children, I am asking you to forgive your wayward dads, not for them but for yourselves. Let the bitterness and the hurt go. You will live life much freer if you do that. Easy to do? No!! But your life will be so much better. Your heavenly Father, who always loves you, will be honored.

My friends, let me conclude with this: God sent Jesus to the earth to die for you and your sins. He was the perfect sacrifice accepted by God. If you will accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will no longer be just a creation, but you will be an adopted child of our heavenly Father. God is a father without flaws; a father who will always love you no matter what. He is the Father you have always dreamed about. Paul talks about this in Romans 8:14-16:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”

Today is Fathers' Day. Be sure and say “Happy Fathers' Day” to your Dad. Oh, by the way, if you are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, say “Happy Fathers' Day” to your heavenly Father also. He will enjoy that.

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob

YOU ARE STILL HIS CHILD

You may have noticed that we had a little technical problem with our audio last week. For those of you that do listen to our messages, we apologize for the delay. The audio has been restored. Our hope is that you will return to last week's message and read or listen to it again. I believe it was a message of love and hope and it was designed just for you. Welcome everyone to your 24/7 week-long online church service. Everyone is very welcome in this place.

The message we are presenting this week could and hopefully will stir up something in the non-believers out there. After all, our ministry mission is to point you to Jesus Christ. But truthfully speaking, it may apply more to believers that for whatever reason have become lukewarm or even cold in their faith. Some of you may have walked away from your church, your faith, and your walk with God. Now, some people would say, "shame on you." But we say, "turn back now. Come on back home."

A good friend of mine, Jim Vaughn, used to tell people, "your church or some believer may have hurt you by their words or actions." "But Jesus has never hurt you so why walk away from Him?" I keep telling you, church, God's love for you is never ending. Why not come back and return that love to Him? My friends, God never gives up on you. That is shown, not only in the New Testament, but in the Old Testament, as well. Understand this, church, it takes both the Old and New Testament to complete God's Word to you. In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet was talking to Israel but the words he spoke to them also apply to us. Let's look at Jeremiah 24:7 and see what God has to say through his prophet. Jemimah 24:7 states:

"And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart."

 My friends, the moment you truly received Jesus into your heart, God gave you a new heart or, in other words, a heart with a desire to know Him. Notice, I did not say a desire to know about Him. God desires you to know Him in all his glory and love. In this scripture, God calls you "His people." That is how much He loves you, church. Let's face it, we all take care of our own people, don't we? How much more would God care for you and me just because we are His by our choice? But, there is even more. The verse goes on to say, "and I will be their God." That is an exclusive, my friends!! 


God is saying clearly here, because of our love for Him, He is our God. This is personal, folks. That is the reason God stays available to you even when you have lost your way. Why, He even sends old preachers like me out to holler as loud as I can to you. God loves you. Come back home. May I say the word "repent" to you? What does that mean? It means to do an about face and come back to Jesus. because of God's love for you, He is ready and willing to forgive you. 


God says, He believes in you. How do I know that? Well, just keep reading verse 7 of Jeremiah 24. That's where God says, "for they shall return onto me with their whole heart." It's time, isn't it? You know and I know that the trappings of this world are no substitute for the love and closeness you once had with your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.


Let me remind you of the darkness that filled your life before Jesus. Think back to just before your conversion to a new life in Jesus Christ. What was it, my friend, that had you bound up so tightly? Let me ask you this question, why return to that same darkness and to the bondage of sin and guilt that was destroying you? The Apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians says it better than I. Please turn with me to Ephesians 5:8. There is instruction in this verse just for you. The scripture says:

"For you were sometimes darkness, but now are you light in the Lord: Walk as children of light."

This is not judgment, church. This is Godly information and instruction for your benefit. The Apostle Paul is reminding you here of who you really are. A child of God. Notice Paul does NOT say, "you were once in darkness." No, he says, "there were times when you were darkness." I know in my heart, my fellow believer, you do not want to return or to stay in that state of being. So here is the instruction. Take another look at verse 8 in Ephesians. it continues, "but now..." Let me repeat that. "But now are you light in the Lord: Walk as children of light."

My brother or sister in Christ, you are no longer darkness. You are light in the Lord. Now, snap out of it! Choose this instant to return to God and walk as children of light. Who is the light? Your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Who is your Heavenly Father? God almighty. Walk as His child. Let me remind you, you are still His child. Now, walk as his Son Jesus does. Full of light, mercy, and grace. This is a short message but I have said enough!

God Bless you,

Brother Bob

Understand this: You are loved of God!!

I trust everyone had a great Memorial Week. It is always good to remember our men and woman that have served our country so bravely. If not for their love of country, where would we be today? In that same spirit of love, please allow me the opportunity to tell you, our online Church members, how much this ministry cares for you. God has placed you squarely on our hearts. Because He loves you so much, He has given us anointed messages to share with you. It always amazes me how God knows just the message that would help somebody. Now, let me welcome everyone to your 24/7 week-long Online Church service. Everyone, and yes, that includes you, are welcome in this place.

Our prayer to God and our often-stated mission is to help somebody. We give God all the glory and praise for the people he has helped through the Spirit of Wisdom Ministries. You see folks, the unconditional love we show you is really the unconditional love that God allows to flow through us. Truth be known, when you are one of his, nothing or no one can separate you from his love. Let’s back this statement up with the Word of God, which, of course, is your Bible. What? You don’t own a Bible? Well, go get one today!! The Bible is truly your road map through this journey called life. Romans 8:38,39 states:

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What more can be said, my friends? The apostle Paul is telling us here, nothing or nobody in this world can separate us from the love of God by and through his son, Jesus Christ. Evil doers, poverty, sickness, or any other demon spirit cannot succeed in separating you from the love of God and his son, Jesus Christ. Do you get this Church? No one, or no thing, period, over and out!! This is all possible because of the sacrifice of Jesus who died on that cross with only one thing on his mind. You, my friends, you. Verse 35 of Romans 8 says this:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword.”

Does this verse not describe the conditions many people find themselves in today? Are any of you believers going through distressful times? You see, folks, the Bible through all generations, talks to us. Just as God is a present-time God, His word, the bible, is his present-time word. Now, with that in mind, let’s look at the above verse a little closer. What it is questioning is God’s love for us on any and every situation of life isn’t it? Why, what nerve that apostle Paul has to question God about anything. But, you see, Church, when you already know the answer to your question, it is not arrogance; it is a way of proving your point. The apostle Paul seems to be questioning God’s faithfulness towards us. But when you read Romans 8:37, it becomes more clear to what the answer to the above question really is. The scripture says:

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquers through him that loved us.”

Now, who would the “him” in that scripture be, I ask you? The answer to that question is, God almighty and his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Listen to me, Church; no matter what you are going through this day. No matter how dark the future seems, because of God’s love for you, you are a mighty conqueror that will come through it all. I am giving you the truth of the Word that God has revealed to me. What I am teaching you today is this: God loves you and because of his love for you, he will allow no one, or thing, to separate you from him. You are his family and God loves his family.

Listen to me closely, church. My preaching is straight-up from the Word of God and what the Holy Spirit reveals to me through the Word. In almost three years, I have not used any other reference or guide than the Word of God. Of course, sometimes I have looked up words to better present the message to you. But all substance is what God has shown me through his Word, which, of course, is the Bible.

My desire is for you to know and understand that you are loved of God. I personally believe, once you really comprehend how much God loves you, your main desire would be to love Him back. You know folks, in everything God does, there is  a purpose. I believe the Bible teaches us about God’s love for us clearly. It is also clear in the Word of God that we should return His love and to love others. Jesus speaks of his love for us and tells us in no uncertain terms we must share that love with all. In fact, he makes it a commandment. Turn with me to John 13:34. Let’s read it together. Remember, this is Jesus speaking here:

“A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

This is that love that no man or thing can separate us from. God gives us that kind of love and commands we give that same love to others. One can only do that by an abiding faith in Jesus Christ and what he did for us on that cross. Jesus goes on to drive this point a little farther. He says in John 13:35:

“By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.”

Are you a true disciple of Christ? Do you want others to see this in you, my friends? Then show them the same love that God shows you. A pure love that no one or thing can steal away from you or the ones that you show love to.

God Bless You,

Brother Bob