No Corners Cut, No Pacifying, No Round-About Way

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

What an insult to God…  God has set you free, why in the heck would you submit again to a yoke of slavery? Why? Because it feels good! Hell, sin always feels good in the moment, but did you know that “Sin will always cost you more than you intended to pay. That it will take you further than you intended to go; and it will keep you longer than you intended to stay.” Just look at you now, “Shackled by sin.” Sin is divisive, deceptive, destructive, and deadly [leads to death, destruction and damnation].  Listen you cannot eat at the Devil’s table without getting food poisoning.  You cannot warm yourself at the Devil’s fire without getting burned.  Satan shows you the neon lights of Sin City, but he doesn’t show you the graveyard.  Consider the words of [Proverb 20:17]… “Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.”  “What you pay for sin in cents, it will cost you in dollars.” Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for being… captive to sin.” [Acts 8:22-23].

Consider Judas’s final hours after giving the devil place in his life [Matt 27:3-10; Acts 1:18]. Consider Eve, after she took a little bite [Genesis 3:6].  Consider Lot’s wife after she took a little look [Genesis 19:26]. Consider Uzzah who took a little touch [1 Chronicles 13:10].  Consider Ananias and Sapphira who told a little lie [Acts 5:3].  Consider Samson [Judges 16:20] and Saul [1 Samuel. 16:14] whom the Lord’s presence departed because of sin. Do not allow sin to destroy you! Avoid it at all cost!  “Break every chain!”  Walk in the freedom you have been given. Mimic Paul approach to sin:  “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” [I Corinthians 6:12]. Jesus said that He has come to set the captives free. Sin doesn’t have the power to hold you prisoner. God has broken the chains. It’s what Jesus had in mind when he cried those last words on the cross: “It is finished!” So, do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”[Romans 12:2] The power to break free from the chains of sin – the power that God has already provided – is already available to you, right now. God’s will is for you to overcome.  “…stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” [Galatians 5:1]

By Lou Coleman

This is a question that you should carefully consider. You see, every day you’re trading your life, your soul for something. The question is, for what? Fame, popularity, financial gain, sex, pleasure, power, success. If that is the case, think of what the rich man in Hades would tell you – [Luke 16: 22-24]. Think of what the souls of the redeemed would say to you [Revelations 7:13-17].Think of what God has done to save your soul!  [John 3:16]. 

Can I tell you about Esau?  Esau’s life is the story of a man who traded his soul for fleeting pleasure. He sold his birthright, which included not only material benefits and family privileges, but spiritual blessings as well, for a bowl of soup. It says that “he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way” [Genesis 25:29-34]. He didn’t think twice about what he had done. He did it, it felt good, and only much later did he come to regret it. [Hebrews 12:17] however says that, “afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.”  Listen, the Bible says, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires…. [Ephesians 4:22, 23]. Don’t let the devil corrupt your mind. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” [Philippians 2:5]. For God says, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” [Jeremiah 29:11].

I want you to know that the Devil doesn’t give a damn about you.  That’s right! THE DEVIL DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOU!  He could care less if you go to Hell. Matter of fact that is his job, to get you to compromise knowing if you do, that you would go to hell. See his only job is to kill, steal, and destroy…. And if he can get you to exchange your soul for the trinkets of this world, then he had done his job. Now, I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. … [Romans 6: 19].

 You see, in the world of the ancient Hebrews, everyone served someone. It wasn’t a question of if you would serve, but who you would serve. Everything you had came from someone else and it came with strings attached.  Choose your master wisely. Jesus puts it like this: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. There I implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. [2 Corinthians 5: 18-20].

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Well ain’t no need of wondering… You know as well as I know why… Truth has left the building…. Truth has been sliced, diced and chopped up. You hypocrite! I want you to know that God’s desire is that His church should no longer be tossed to and fro. When it comes to God’s Word there is no tolerance. There is no variation in God; He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  You ought to know that it is not enough to preach any message you might choose. Rather, the gospel is what you must preach. You must preach ONLY the gospel because IT ALONE is the power of God unto salvation. [Rom 1:16]. You must preach ONLY the gospel because IT ALONE is the means by which we are begotten of God [1 Corinthians 4:15].   You must preach ALL of the gospel, in the TRUE SPIRIT of the gospel. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” – that’s what preachers are charged to preach! Know that you are under the threat of judgment from God for failing your responsibility to do so.  [1 Corinthians 9:16-17]  [Galatians 1:7-9].

Truth itself does not need to be reinvented or retooled in order to make it suitable for the times in which we live. The problem is we got to many people pleasers and not enough God pleasers in the pulpit. The same truth Abraham, Moses, David, and the apostles believed is still truth for us today. Changing times do not change the truth. Scripture is as unchanging as God Himself [1 Peter 1:25]. You dare not soften it or sweeten it to appeal to the vanities and vices of men. The Word of God is alive—it is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword”—and it must be delivered AS IS. Woe unto you for taking verses out of context, manipulate Scripture to introduce a thought, never to return to it for the rest of the message! These things ought not to occur in Bible-believing churches. Warning comes before destruction.  So, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for [God] have not found your works perfect before Him. Remember, therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. If you will not, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you,” saith the Lord [Revelation 3: 2-3].

“I solemnly charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;  and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. [2 Timothy 4:1-5].

“And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, [Daughter] of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life… Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered they soul.  Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord Gold, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?  [Ezekiel 33: 1-5; 9, 11]

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. [Galatians 1:10]

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

What would it take for you to realize that it is time to put your house in order? That it’s time for you to get your act together! Oh, I know, you’re hoping to be like the thief on the cross and meet your Savior in just the last minutes of your life? Well thus saith the Lord, “I want you to give careful thought to this once again, “What is your life? A vapor that appears for a little while then vanishes away.” [James 4:13-17].  Get your act together or you are going to Hell! Set your house in order, and pray that you are found worthy to escape the tribulation that is coming upon the whole world. Warning after warning in Scripture, telling you that the time is short; have sense enough to discern the signs of the times and see then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise… [Ephesians 5:16]. I want you to know that Hezekiah was forced to reflect on all aspects of his life.  He had to wrestle with the short time he had yet to live.  He had to wrestle with what would happen after death.   You see, death for all of us is just a breath away. And the nearer death is, the closer we are to answering to God for all we have said and done.”[2 Corinthians 5:10]. Get your act together or you are going to Hell! Believe it or not!

I want you to know that when Paul preached to Governor Felix he reasoned of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come. Thus, Felix was terrified! When Peter preached, the people were pricked in their hearts and cried out, “What must we do?” Today however, nobody trembles and cries out in anguish over their sins. Just like when Stephen preached they stopped their ears and all rushed upon him. But I tell you life is short; death is sure and God’s judgment is coming. So as [2 Kings 20:1] admonish you, “Set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live.” Prepare to meet thy God! [Amos 4:12]. Your very salvation depends upon it. The Bible makes it perfectly clear that God’s judgment is certain. And it IS coming! [Acts 17:31] tells us, “…because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” I don’t know about you, but even now I can hear the thunderous hooves of the four horses storming across the stage of human history, bringing deception, wars, hunger and death on a scale so massive it staggers the mind! Our time is growing short! While no man knows the day or the hour…all of the major players are walking onto the world stage. I believe that we are literally watching Bible prophecy unfold before our very eyes. So I will make it as clear as I can. Get your house in order. While you do not live in fear, you must be prepared. Your time grows shorter with every waking hour. Don’t wait another second to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life. You have no time to waste! Death is not just probable, but absolutely certain, and can happen at any minute,

“Then I saw another angel flying the in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wind of the wrath of her fornication.” Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength in the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosever receives the mark of his name.” [Revelation 14: 6:11].

“So teach us to number our days that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” [Psalms 90:12].

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

That’s a darn shame! Yet you expect God to bless you! Well forget about it! Ain’t going to happen! God made it very clear in [Matthew 6:33] He said, “Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” What part of “Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God” do you not understand? To seek means to have a keener sense of the spiritual.  It is to have that spiritual vision that there is more to life than the physical world. Being committed to everybody and everything but God… Slap yourself!

I want you to know that twice Haggai instructed the people, “Consider your ways.” [Haggai 1:5-7]. The word considers means to give careful thought to. It was time for the people to do some serious self-examination before the Lord. Haggai wanted the people to stop long enough in their busy schedules to evaluate their life in light of God’s Word. He wanted them to measure the consequences of their actions. Samuel urges the people of Israel to consider what great things God has done! “Yes, consider…and fear the LORD!  Consider…and serve the LORD!  Give yourself completely to Him” Samuel said. When we recognize what God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ, the only response is to give ourselves completely to him. Nothing significant ever happens in life without commitment. Your commitments determine your future. You can’t lose by being committed to God. The Bible tells us in [2 Chronicles 16:9] that God is looking for people whose hearts are fully committed to Him so that He can bless and use them. Paul put it this way, ‘Even before the world was made, God had already chosen [you] to be His through your union with Christ, so that you would be holy and without fault before him [Ephesians 1:4].

 I tell you if reflecting on God’s mercies doesn’t move you, then you are in trouble? Where would you be without God’s love and forgiveness? Where would you be without God’s presence in your life? What kind of hope would you have without him? [Psalm 37:5-6, 34-40]. God wants you to know that, “No other person must come before Him: not your children, your mate, your parents, or your best friend, not even.” Consider the greatest commandment. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, all thy mind, all thy soul, and all thy strength.” That is the greatest commandment and the second is like unto it, “Love thy neighbor as yourself and you shall live.”

I don’t know about you but I surrender my life to God because He’s given His life to me.  If God never did another thing for me, never blessed anything else in my life, never answered another prayer, never gave me another morsel of food or never said another kind word my way, I owe Him my all right now because of what He did for me on the cross. Paul writing about His own motivation in [1 Corinthians 15:10] stated, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and I labor more abundantly than they all-yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” I commit to Christ because I’m grateful for my salvation. You know Jesus told the Ephesians that they stopped loving Him, and to fix that problem He told them to do two things: Remember the height from which they fell. And repent by doing the things they did at first. God expects unconditional surrender. Whatcha gonna do?

Remember, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” [Proverbs 16:25].

 Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Going around doing things you know you have no business doing; all because you want to fit in! Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God [James 4:4]. You need to have a realization in your heart, that you are now a child of God, and you don’t have any business fooling with the things of the world. As Christians, we have to be ever so careful who we associate ourselves with. We have to be careful who we allow to be in our space. Fools cannot be real friends to a child of God. It is impossible, for they are incompatible by nature. They have nothing of value to offer. Avoid the company of fools and you will save yourself harm! Walk with the wise and you will become wise!

[Romans 12:2] says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. [Ephesians 5:15-16] says, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” So come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning … I say this to your shame” [1 Corinthians 15:33-34]. Listen, [Psalm 1:1] says, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. What a simple rule for wisdom and life! Get rid of foolish friends, and choose the wise for friends. You will grow in wisdom and avoid much trouble in life.  

The Bible declares, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” [I Corinthians 15:33]. The warning about deception is to save you. I ask you, How did Lot, Abraham’s nephew, end up in a cave with nothing but his two daughters pregnant by his incest? He moved toward Sodom and made friends in that wicked city [Genesis 13:12]. What a disaster it turned out to be for him, his wife, and five daughters. Be not deceived!  Fools cannot be real friends to a child of God. It is impossible, for they are incompatible by nature. They have nothing of value to offer. I tell you, if you lie down with the dogs, you will rise up with fleas. Do not go in their direction [Psalms 1:1; Proverbs 1:10, 15; 4:15; 9:6), and have no fellowship with them [Proverbs 14:7; Amos 3:3; Ephesians 5:11-12]. The clincher of Jehoshaphat’s story in [2 Chronicles] is the devastating effect that his compromise with the world had on his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and on the whole southern kingdom. In [Chapters 21 and 22] we read that after Jehoshaphat’s death, his son Jehoram [married to Athaliah] slaughtered all his brothers and then turned the nation to idolatry [see 21:6]. God struck him with a terrible disease of the bowels and he died after eight years in office. His son Ahaziah became king and lasted one year before he was murdered [see 22:3-4]. Ahaziah’s wicked mother Athaliah then slew all his sons [her own grandsons] except for Joash [a one-year-old] who was rescued and hidden from her. The Davidic kingly line from which Christ was descended came that close to being snuffed out! And then the wicked Athaliah ruled the land for six years. All this was the result of Jehoshaphat’s compromise with the wicked Ahab! Do not be deceived. He who lie down with dogs, will rise up with fleas!

My aim is to walk with God, to follow His Word of truth, and to help you do the same.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

You see they say, “Like Father, like son.” They say, “The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.” So tell me, “Who’s your daddy?” Who are you submitting to? Who is the, “Simon says” in your life; and don’t act like you don’t know who “Simon says,” is. You remember the rhyme. “Simon says to shake your arms. Simon says to jump up and down. Simon says to clap your hands. Simon says to stomp your feet. Simon says to touch your knees. Simon says to stick out your tongue. Simon says to wiggle your nose. Simon says to grab your ears. Simon says listen to what I say, and do what I tell you to…but only when Simon says.” Come on; tell me, “Who’s your daddy? Who has authority over you? Tell me the truth. Is God your father or are you a son of the devil? Now before you answer that, keep in mind what they say, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” Now be honest and tell me, whose your daddy?

Because I want you to know that Jesus makes His thesis statement three times in [John 8: 37-47]: He says, We have different fathers. You are of your father the devil.  You are not of God.  If God were your Father, you would love Me. If God were your Father, you would want to do His will.  If God were your Father, you would love the truth. If God were your Father, you would hear His words. But you can’t even bear to listen to what I’m saying to you. I am God’s love letter to the world. Don’t you want to open up your mail? Don’t you want to read what God would say to you? Don’t you want to hear the message? I’m it! But you’re not interested in Me because you’re not interested in God. Your will is set against Me because your will is set against God. Now, let me tell you plainly who your father is. Let me tell you plainly whose footsteps you are walking in…whose will it is that you are pursuing. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. You’re cut out of the same cloth. You have set your heart to do your father’s bidding: You seek to murder me. You speak lies. You seek to do his will, not the will of God. If God were your father, you would want to do His will. You would listen intently to Me. You would believe My words, meditate on them and seek to live in accordance with them. That’s what happens when you are a child of God. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Because God is not your father [John 14:6]. You have itching ears. But you rather hear a lie. Child of Satan!

I want you to know that life under the devil’s fatherhood is dark, oppressive, hopeless, and inevitably sinful [John 8:44]. And I want you to know that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth [Romans 1: 18-25]. The Good News however, is that Jesus has provided for you the way into the family of God. [2 Peter 3:9] says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Jesus said, “My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son [Jesus] and believes in him shall have eternal life” [John 6:40]. God wants to become the Father of each of us, and in order for us to come into His family; His will is that we “look to” Jesus His Son. Therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day Whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” [Joshua 24:14-15].

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” [Deuteronomy 30:19]

By Lou Coleman

Pretending to be a Christian! Pretending to love Me! You don’t love Me! [John 5:42]. You profess to know Me, but you deny Me by your works. You are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good works.” [Titus 1:16]. Admirably and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said: You hypocrite! You honor Me with [your] lips, but [your] heart is far from Me [Isaiah 29:13; Ezekiel 33:31-33; Matthew 15:7-8]. You Pharisees, “brood of vipers” and “evil.” Sons of Hell, fools, blind guides, white sepulchers, murderers, a generation of snakes [Matthew 23] imitating righteousness but as evil as all get up [2 Corinthians 11:13-15]. I want you to know that you will be sent to Hell [Matthew 23: 13-29; John 3:5; Hebrew 6:8; Luke 20: 45-47] if you do not repent and serve Me with your whole heart. [Matthew 23:27]. If you don’t believe anything else about me, you better believe that! I will whoosh your behind straight to Hell! Say something…. I dare you! I will gather you, and blow upon you in the FIRE of My wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof…, and ye shall know that I the Lord have poured out My fury upon you” [Ezekiel 22:18-22].

I want you to know that Jesus didn’t pull any punches. He didn’t mince His words. He spoke harshly, demeaningly, and with great anger in His voice to the scribes and Pharisees when it came to the sins and hypocrisy of their lives. Snakes hiding in the garden known as the Church, apostates whose doctrines are poisonous, you better learn what their markings are because there are many in the church today that are running neck to neck with Judas Iscariot who was the most successful hypocrite of all time. He played his part so well that no one but Jesus Himself knew that Judas was a fraud and a pretender. He was as common and as ordinary as the rest of the disciples. He was so ordinary that he never stood out from the rest. He hid behind the camouflage of hypocrisy. To who am talking too; running neck to neck with Judas; keeping a low profile and camouflaging your hypocrisy. If you pretend to know God when you don’t… the penalty for that makes every other form of punishment man can come up with seem like a walk in the park.   It will be worse than any other from the beginning of the world until now, says the Lord [Matthew 23; Matthew 24]. I want you to know that the story of Ananias and Sapphira warns us of the danger of the sin of hypocrisy [Acts 4:36-5:11] It was literally deadly for this couple.  [Acts 5:1-11]. This couple, who put on the mask of hypocrisy, was struck dead by God. You better get some get right quick and in a hurry!

You see the Bible calls hypocrisy a sin and clearly indicates that those who practice it will be sent to Hell. You must repent while “it is still day: while there is still time; while the doors remain open.  I urge you today to stop trifling with the patience and mercy of God, and allow God’s Word to confront your life. If you’re playing the religion game, quit now! Get real with the living God. Spend time each day with Him. Judge your sins and turn from them. Seek to grow in godly character. If you don’t know that one day the storm of GOD’s wrath will come sweeping down upon you and you will know then what your sinful stubborn heart will not let you understand now.  May God pit you in that day!

“Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.” [Luke 13:3]

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Going around bragging that you’ve arrived! Well thus saith the Lord; “to the arrogant, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.” [Psalms 75:4]. “You think you’ve arrived; but you haven’t arrived yet, says the Lord. Matter of fact your ship is about to sink. Your train is about to leave the station and you are about to experience the ride of your life. [Isaiah 2:12]. After I’m done with you, you will understand how blasphemous it is for you to take ANY of MY GLORY for yourself. Don’t you ever be lifted up in pride where you think it’s you, your talents, your abilities, and how great you are! It’s ALL ME and NOT you! It was Me who delivered you and set you free. It was Me who brought you out of bondage and poverty. It was Me who caused you to get wealth. But how quick you are to forget where I have brought you from. How quick you are to forget those times when you didn’t have a dime to your name. Just because you are in a good place and you seem to be able to provide well for yourself, don’t forget that it is I who has given you, not only the things you have, but also the very ability to provide for yourself.” You got me twisted! You better check yourself before you wreck yourself! It would do you good to remember where I’ve brought you from and where you could have been. If you want to maintain the blessings which I have granted you, then you would be wise to always remember that apart from me you can do nothing. The preposition is “apart” . . . from Me. The result is: nothing, zilch, naught, diddly squat, zippo, without Me! [John 15:5] You Got That!  “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols…  because no man will get my glory!” [Isaiah 42:8]. “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.” [Isaiah 48:11].

I want you to know that the Bible plainly states that one of the things God hates above all others is pride. God tells us over and over that He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Stealing God’s glory is not something that can be taken lightly!  We must understand that if we become arrogant, everything is taken away from us, our position, authority, power, and so on. Case in point, King Nebuchadnezzar [Daniel 4:29-31 34-37] As soon as Nebuchadnezzar said, “I did it,” God said, “The throne has left you.” When he became arrogant, God took away all his prosperity and power in a moment. [Proverbs 16:18] Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity, wisdom and glory; for seven years, he lived like a wild animal, being drenched with the night dew in the grass of the field. Afterwards, he realized that everything came from God and that he had been foolish to think that he had done everything by himself. He truly repented, and as he praised and thanked God with a humble heart, God restored his sanity and wisdom.

Do not forget the Lord – Remember the fact that all grace and blessings come from God. And as [Deuteronomy chapter 8] says, “Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these [] years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these [] years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.  Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”  But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.”

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Yet you think you know everything [1 Corinthians 8:2]. YOU KNOW NOTHING! You better talk to some grown folks and be schooled [Proverbs 28:16]. You better talk to somebody who’s been there, done that! For life is not to be trampled on. Life is not to be wasted. [Ephesians, 5:15-17] says… “Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Don’t act thoughtlessly! God has given you a life to live for His glory and your good. Think it through, know what you’re here for, know your purpose, make the most of every opportunity, be wise and try to understand what God wants you to do.  I tell you humility is always the most desirable option, but I know you can’t tell that to a fool because a fool despises wisdom.  A fool despises instruction. A wise man will hear and will increase learning [Proverbs 12:15] but a fool takes no pleasure in understanding… [Proverbs 18:2]. Like I said, YOU KNOW NOTHING! Yeah talking to you is just like talking to a child. You can tell a child repeatedly that fire is hot, but they never really get it until they have been burned. [Proverbs 23:9]. When this happens, they can then relate to what hot means. It is a lesson they will never forget as long as they live, but it was a bitter lesson to have to learn. Unfortunately, we all seem to possess this same characteristic. We have to be burned before we can learn!

I want you to know that in reading the book of Ecclesiastes, I realized this was Solomon also: been there, done that, now what? Solomon wrote three books in the Bible: Song of Solomon — a romantic book, it’s filled with chemistry and love and great words that sizzle of his first love. Then he wrote Proverbs — a middle-aged man, successful. “Been there, done that.” Then he reveals his inner heart and soul —the book of Ecclesiastes. The end result is that he looks back and says, “I have lived a life under the sun. It was a life of emptiness, a life void of meaning.” Solomon — who was the wealthiest person who ever lived and evidently one of the most brilliant individuals who has ever lived — gets to the end of his life, after he’s accomplished all that he’d accomplished, and he says it’s all empty, it’s all futility, it’s all vanity. And he says, “Now what, now what? What is it all about, what did it mean?” He missed the meaning of life. [Ecclesiastes 2-3]. Don’t let that be said about you. Don’t be a fool, taking pride in what you perceive as your intelligence and wisdom. Such wisdom “is foolishness in God’s sight.”[Proverbs 15:9]. By contrast, trust the Lord, learn His wisdom from the Scriptures of the Bible, acknowledge Him and His ways, and you will be truly wise. If not, Jesus says, “He will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. [Leviticus 26:19]. Make no mistake about it!

I want you to know that the School of Hard Knocks is now taking enrollment. What is the School of Hard Knocks? It is a school for those who think they know everything. It is a school for those who say, “It’s my prerogative, I’ll do what I want to do!”  It is a school for those who leave God’s path and hate His rules. [Proverbs 15:10-20] The School of Hard Knocks…Location: Anywhere….Cost: Free – Initially. The faster you learn, the cheaper the course. WARNING: The costs could become high if the lessons need to be repeated several times. This course is ideal for those who meet the following criteria: [1.] Hearing impaired: i.e. you ignore advice and warnings. [2.] Egocentric: You believe that the world revolves around you. [3.] Perfect: The more perfect that you believe you are, the more you will benefit. [4.] Well educated: The smarter you think you are, the more you will learn what you don’t know. [5.] Stubborn: The more stubborn you are the more intense the training will be. Length of Courses: Anywhere from a moment to a lifetime -depending on how many repetitions of lessons you require. Curriculum: Curriculum is individually designed to suit each person’s areas of resistance. Instructors: None: The ‘hearing’ impaired don’t listen anyway. Graduation Date: Undetermined: When you discover that you aren’t nearly as perfect and smart as you thought. When the world no longer revolves around you. When you don’t need hard knocks to teach you. When you’re hearing ability is restored and you can listen to other people. On graduation: At the end you will be counted among the wise if you listen to advice and accept discipline” [Proverbs 19:20].

So what does this mean to you today? It means that if you desire to maximize your purpose and potential in life, before you die, you must maintain a teachable spirit.  If you ever get to the point where you refuse to learn you will not be fit for the Kingdom.  God’s rejects the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (1^st Peter 5).  So be thankful for what you know, but know that you don’t know it all!

“He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.” [Proverbs 13:18]

“If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.” (Proverbs 15:32]