Tag Archives: Wisdom

August 25, 2023 · 7:00 am

Wisdom for Millions | Episode 8 | Educated to Be Poor

The employment system we have today was implemented during the Industrial revolution. As the world shifted from an agro-based economy to industrial manufacturing, a lot of people migrated from the countryside to the centers of production (cities). As motorized equipment replaced people in the field, and new industries came into existence, more and more people started working in the factories.  

To make sure that factories had a stream of qualified employees, public schools were developed, and standardized tests were administered to ensure quality control. To ensure factories ran without interruption, housing complexes were built, steam powered horns (first alarm clocks) were introduced, and the modern workday was introduced out of necessity. 

In those early days, the working environment were unsafe and working conditions merciless, and something would often happen that prevented the worker from carrying on. In that scenario, the factory worker would retire to his quarters or be retired. Hence, retirement was about being used up and leaving one’s post to someone else.  

In this system, the employees worked many hours, sacrificing their health, mental wellbeing, and time with family. They did this all for a fraction of the cost of the ones who managed and owned the factory. While the entire society ultimately benefited from the work of the employees, only the business owners and those running the business became wealthy. Instead of paying the workers what they were actually worth, they would be paid what was just good enough to make the employees stay. While owners make the money, workers are there to make the owners money 

This system still exists today. We go to school and earn a degree that qualifies us to enter the workforce. Just think of the word workforce. The employees are the force that do the work. For many people, the workforce is more like the work-forced. They feel forced to work jobs and take positions that they do not like just to make ends meet or for the sake of security. Can you relate to this? 

After being forced to work for many years, they are forced to retire, whether they have saved up enough money to retire or not. If you think that is not the case, just ask a person who is over 60 years old how hard it is to find a job, though they may be mentally and physically capable. And who are the people who have built up wealth and living large? It is no other than the executives and business owners and founders. Note that executives are business owners because they run the business and own equity in the business.  

In the U.S alone, the chief executive officer earns roughly 265 times the pay the average worker earns. Is this chief executive adding 265 times as much value as the average employee? It is debatable. Is he 265 times as smart as you are? I doubt it. Is he working 265 times harder than you are? Certainly not! He has the same 24 hours as you do, and he also has to sleep. 

All the above is why it is unwise to try to build wealth following the societal norm of going to school, finding a job, and then working in a steady and secure job. It is unwise because the education system today is built to churn out employees and not employers! For too long, the education system has not focused on the critical areas necessary to be a successful business owner: Financial acumen, personal development, leadership, and relationship management.  

My aim in saying this is not to rail against the system, although I know I sounded that way. It is to jar you away from your comfort zone and clue you into what you must do to build wealth. 

The trail of wealth does not belong to the employee, it belongs to the business owner. 

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August 21, 2023 · 7:00 am

Wisdom For Millions | Episode 6 | The Power of Sacrifice

In life, it is not a question of whether you will sacrifice, you will! The question is: What are you willing to sacrifice? Will you sacrifice the chance for wealth and a rich life for security and comfort? Will you sacrifice time with family and friends for more time on a dead-end job? Will you sacrifice your energy to make progress towards the life you have designed, or will you sacrifice it for the life others have designed for you (and then being frustrated and making excuses).  

If you are going to live, why not choose to live the best life possible? If you are going to sacrifice, why not let it be on something worth your sacrifice? You know that not everything you are doing will lead to the life you have envisioned. This is the time to act with wisdom and cut out those things that are not aligned with where you want to be tomorrow. Don’t be lazy and procrastinate on what you need to do. Now is the time to cut out those activities and those relationships that are holding you back instead of moving you forward. 

Now is the time to seek out those conversations, relationships, and activities that will propel you forward. So, I ask you, who are you speaking to and what are you speaking about? Are you talking about your goals and dreams and how to get there or are you always complaining about your boss? All these things make a difference!  

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August 18, 2023 · 7:08 am

Wisdom For Millions | Episode 5 | You Have Been Lied to About What it Means To Be Lazy

Laziness is not what you think it is. You have been told that a lazy person is not willing to work hard. This is not entirely true!

King Solomon, shares a little secret concerning laziness when he said: “The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy will be put to forced labor”.  

Read this saying again and consider: A person who rules tells other people what to do. A ruler speaks, and his or her bidding is done. He or she doesn’t have to lift a singer. On the other hand, according to Solomon, the lazy person is the one whose hands is put to hard labor. In other words, it is the lazy person who ends up doing all the hard work. 

Therefore, just because someone is working hard does not mean they are not lazy. So, what does it mean to be lazy?

Definition of Laziness: A lazy person is someone who does not do what they need to do now, so that they end up doing what they do not want to do later. On the other hand, the diligent person does what they need to do now, so that they can do what they want to do later. 

My question for you is this: what do you want to do tomorrow? What do you want your life to look like? The truth is that there is a timing component to life. Farmers know that if they do not plant a particular crop in a particular time frame, they will have to forfeit the harvest of that crop in that season. Financial advisers speak of a window of opportunity for workers to start saving a certain percentage of their income if the workers are to have the type of retirement they desire.  

Why all this talk of laziness? It is because if you want to be wealthy, you cannot afford to be lazy, only working hard at a job that you know won’t take you to your vision of wealth and a rich life. I am not saying that you should quit your day job now. Heavens no! I know you have responsibilities that you cannot shirk off. What I am saying is that you must find a way to start doing something to build wealth now! You need to start doing something today that will move you away from working hard and making little progress, to a place where you can start ruling in life.  

You cannot afford to be lazy in your mind. You must start thinking of what you need to do to build wealth. If you are working a 9 am – 5 pm job, then you need to start working on your vision and wealth building machine for a couple of hours after your job. This still gives you time to rest and spend time with family. If you want to build wealth, you cannot afford to be lazy about it. You cannot afford to continue putting it off in favor of working hard at a dead-end job or a career that you know won’t lead to the life you want to lead. You have a choice – you can use every mind trick in the book to make yourself stay where you are or use every mind trick to find a way to achieve your full potential. 

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August 5, 2023 · 12:27 pm

Wisdom for Millions | Episode 4 | Link Between Wisdom and Wealth

The pre-requisite to wisdom is knowledge and understanding. What is knowledge? Knowledge is information. What is understanding? It is the illumination of knowledge that has been gained (these are the moments when the lightbulb comes on in our head. It is when we get clarity and a previously hidden path becomes uncovered).  

Link Between Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom

Wisdom stands apart in that it is the application of the knowledge that has been understood.  

Knowledge

Today, information is everywhere. It is easily accessible on the internet and can be gained by just a few clicks of the mouse. With the onset of artificial intelligence technology, a ton of knowledge is just a few commands away! Unlike the previous generation, you and I cannot use lack of knowledge as a reason for our lack of progress in building wealth. If we are being honest, it is just an excuse for covering up our fears. If we seek knowledge, we will find it. 

Understanding

While information is everywhere, there are few who understand it and can explain it to others. Those who have this ability are called wise. They are the ones that seem to see the information from an angle that can make all the difference. These are your teachers, coaches, and mentors. They are the ones that enlighten you on how to use information to get results. Still, though a wise person possesses understanding, they may not possess wisdom. 

Wisdom

Wisdom is even in shorter supply compared to understanding. There are many wise people who have knowledge, know how to apply it, but won’t apply it! Wisdom requires action. It demands that we do something.

No coach, teacher, or mentor can force you to do anything. I can’t force you to change your limiting beliefs or take the advice in this blog. All I can do is give you a compelling case for action. While knowledge and understanding give you a compelling case for action, only you can act on what they say. If we don’t act, then we become a “wise fool”.

Hopefully you have enjoyed blog and episode of wisdom for millions. May God bless you.

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July 13, 2023 · 1:32 pm

Wisdom for Millions – To Believe or Not to Believe – Episode 2 Video

You wouldn’t believe that nothing is possible, yet you doubt it when I tell you that anything is possible! In life, it is impossible to achieve anything beyond what we believe, and it is impossible to sustain achievement beyond who we become.  

Take a moment and think about these statements for a while. As we begin this journey to wealth, the two fundamental questions you need to ask yourself are: What do I believe? Who am I becoming? After answering these two questions, you need to consider this third question: Is what I believe and the person I am becoming pushing me forward in life or holding me back? 

These questions are not mutually exclusive but are complimentary. What you believe will impact who you choose to become. And who you are becoming will impact the beliefs you choose to hold onto and the ones you choose to push to the side.  

So, what do you believe? Do you believe you have to come from the high echelons of society to be wealthy or do you believe that it does not matter? Do you think you can do anything you put your mind to do or do you think there are somethings that are just beyond you? Do you believe you can live beyond the limitations of your upbringing or are you the one that throws your hands up in the air and just gives up? Do you believe some just get lucky, others are just unlucky, and there is nothing anyone can do about it? Be honest with yourself about what you believe and then ask yourself if it is helpful or holding you back from wealth. 

To Believe or Not to Believe – The Choice is Yours

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July 17, 2017 · 9:06 pm

From Slavery to Freedom – How Wisdom Overcame Foolishness

Introduction: In Old Testament times, some cultures held the practice that should a person who owed another person a debt have no financial means to pay, he or she could sell or herself into the service of his creditor to work off the debt owed.
In this arrangement, a bond between both parties would be made, such as ‘work for me for these many years or make for me these may baskets to pay off the debt you owe me’. In this arrangement, the person was ‘bonded’ by law to the creditor and so became a ‘bond-servant’.
Moreover, at times the written bond agreement was placed at the entrance of the person’s habitation to remind him and everyone else that he was in a debt bond. Indeed, such a person was in ‘bond-age’, because he/she was not free to go as he/she pleased.
Consider: Imagine walking up to the house of a person and seeing a bond statement. Imagine that out of curiosity, you reach for it and discover the following: The man sold himself into bondage though he owed no debt to his creditor when he first sold himself. And because he sold himself of his own freewill for nothing, and his now master agreed to the surrender of his freedom and freewill for bondage, no sum of money or work could redeem him, for indeed, there was nothing to pay.
Seeing this, I bet you’d be somewhat dumbfounded. You’d wonder whatever possessed the man to do such a thing – sell himself voluntarily into bondage for nothing. You might also feel sorry for the man!
How one moment of temporary insanity and foolishness can lead to a lifetime of bandage.
The interesting thing is this: You and I are the ones that sold ourselves into bondage for absolutely nothing (this is what plays out in the story of Adam and Eve for they owed the devil absolutely nothing). God saw what we did and took pity on us. Knowing the only thing the slave master (Satan) would settle for to let us go was the utter control of God’s kingdom and domain, God immediately formulated a plan.
Story of Wisdom: So how did God overcome our foolishness? He overcome it with Wisdom. Since the scripture tells us that Jesus is wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30-31), we see that God combatted our foolishness with Jesus (wisdom). Jesus came and substituted himself for us of his own free will so that we could regain our freedom. Here is how he did it.
He started by writing a new bond agreement that allowed himself to be a substitute for the man in bondage. Then he knocked on the house (heart) of the bondservant and said: Lets make an exchange; lets make a binding perpetual accord – your freedom for my bondage. I will take your place under the same bond that you agreed with your current master. Dumbfounded by Jesus’s love, the man accepted and was immediately set free, and Jesus took his place. Jesus then took the parchment that contained the man’s bond agreement and folded it into two, signifying the debt of the man is now invalid, and kept the agreement between him and the man with him.
Next day as the creditor comes, he sees Jesus instead of the old bondservant. The creditor asks Jesus what happened, and Jesus explains that he has taken the place of the man. Glad that he has a bondservant, the creditor asks Jesus to get to work. Then Jesus asks the question, why? The creditor replies that because he has taken the bondservant’s position. To this answer, Jesus asks said, what is his debt so that I may begin to pay it? When the creditor replied, well he has no debt, Jesus simply said, well consider his non-debt paid, and simply walks out!
The creditor knew he had been outmaneuvered. While he could have argued that debt of the bond-servant was his freewill promise to him, he could not argue that Jesus owed him a debt for He had not made any such promises or agreement with him. Furthermore, since Jesus was substitute for the old-bondservant, he could now no longer go and get the man back.
Upset, the creditor quickly tried to see if he could convince the old bondservant to tear up his agreement with Jesus. When he found the old bondservant, he simply laughed at the creditor and said ‘why would I fall for your trap again! And besides, even if I wanted to tear up that agreement, I can’t because a condition of our agreement was that only He could tear it up. You will have to find Him and convince Him. Moreover, our agreement supersedes my agreement with you. Therefore, if something ever possesses me to work for you again, I can walk out freely when I come to my senses. You can no longer hold me against my will’

Point to Ponder: Anyone suffering in bondage is wise to consider accepting Jesus’ proposal for freedom and sign up.

Bible Verse: You have sold yourselves for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money – Isaiah 52:3 NKJV.

Disclaimer: This story is not meant to fully and accurately depict how Jesus won liberty for us. He did it through the shedding of His blood.

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January 23, 2016 · 4:54 pm

Don’t Fall for the Facts

“And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are you the coming One or do we look for another?”

That John the Baptist sent disciples to Jesus to ask him if He was the Messiah is quite astonishing considering that (1) he (John) was the forerunner who told everybody about Jesus (2) baptized Him, and (3) saw the heavens up and heard the voice the proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God.

That John – that man who Jesus called the greatest man to ever live – doubted the identity of Jesus tells us that the people must have had some credibility with John and or were very convincing. It also teaches us that we must be careful to examine what we are told before we allow ourselves to internalize it – to let what may be facts become truth to us.

The folks who spoke to John I am sure came as angels of light. ‘Oh John, we don’t want you to think of us as tattle tales, but we  must tell you that you have been bamboozled. He is not who you think He is. It pains us to tell you this but we must tell you nonetheless for we care about you and we don’t want you to spend time in jail. Why should you die in part because of your allegiance to this phony fellow’, they must have said. Then they proceeded to tell him some carefully chosen facts.

Now why did they present only a few facts? It is either because they ‘loved’ John or because they hated Jesus. Either way, they wanted to get their own way!

For whatever reason, instead of seeing the wonderful things that were happening through Jesus – the deaf hearing, blind receiving sight, demons being cast out and much more – they were more concerned that he hung around with tax collectors and sinners. In other words, they were more concerned about holding onto their laws than giving their life to people (selfishness versus selflessness)!

They cared more about when he decided to heal (whether on the Sabbath or not) than that people were getting healed. They even paid attention to what he ate and what he drank. In other words, they were busybodies instead of staying busy helping everybody!

Check out what Jesus says about these folks (Matthew 11:18-19 paraphrase): They accused John of having a demon when he decided not to eat and drink. Yet when I eat and drink, they accuse me of being a glutton and being a drunk! But wisdom is justified by her children.

What Jesus is doing here is warning us of people that (1) you can’t satisfy (2) have preconceived notions in their head about the way things ought to be (2) only see what they want to see (3) want people to fit into a bubble that they construct for them so they feel secure (4) are very resistant to change (something different) even if it is good (5) want to keep a hold of traditions that worked before but have now outlived their usefulness (6) are blinded by the futility of their own thinking (7) have their own agenda.

Since we won’t necessarily know when people are behaving out of such a heart (for we can all be guilty of being like those who went to John), this passage of scripture in Matthew gives us 3 things to always do when we are hear something about someone that we are not sure fits.

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Pray: In a spiritual sense, what John did by sending his disciples to have a chat with Jesus about it was pray. When you are hearing all sorts of slander about someone, the first thing you need to do is go to Jesus and ask Him about it. Ofcourse in the case of John, that person was Jesus.

Examine the Person’s life: Jesus said in response to the people that were accusing of everything that ‘wisdom is justified by her children’. Moreover, he told John’s disciples to give him a report of the wonderful things that were happening. Friends, wisdom always gives birth to the fruit of the Spirit and achieves good, both in the life of the wise and the lives of people the wise touch.

Ask the Person: After praying and examining the person’s life, the next thing to do is ask the person (if needed). John did not guess at it when he could not corroborate or deny the words of those that spoke to him. He went straight to the accused.

Note: John was unable to truly examine the character of Jesus’ life for he had been thrown in prison. That’s why I believe he asked

———————————————————————-Friend, if you are unsure about Jesus, instead of asking everyone else about their opinion of Him, how about asking Him to reveal Himself to you? It will save you a ton of confusion and wasted time.

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May 21, 2013 · 1:45 am

2 Things You Must Do to Experience Heaven on Earth

God desires that we live a life that is abundant in every way imaginable (see John 10:10). Not only does He want us to enjoy the treasures of eternal life in heaven, He wants us to enjoy a portion of heaven right here on earth. If you do not believe me, perhaps you will believe Jesus. Here is how He puts it:

Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life – Mark 10:29-30

It is clear that Jesus distinguishes between what we inherit in this life versus what we inherit when we pass through the door of death. In this life, we have the ability to receive a hundred fold in material wealth (lands and houses) and be awash in enriching and meaningful relationships (family and friends).

But because we live in a fallen world, we are to increase a hundred fold in persecutions in this life as well. Even so, God tells us that He will deliver us from all negativity that comes our way (Psalm 34:19) for He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Moreover, great is our reward in heaven for enduring these persecutions. Therefore, persecutions are simply opportunities for us to be victorious in this life and store up treasures for the life to come.

Here are two things you must do if you are ever going to experience heaven right here on earth

Surrender Your Will

In other words, you must surrender your stinking thinking for the sweet thoughts that God has to prosper you and to give you a future (see Jeremiah 29:11). Many times, the way that seems right to us leads to terrible consequences (see Proverbs 14:12) but the way of God leads to honor, riches, and life.

Solomon understood this and so He asked for wisdom to do God’s will. Jesus also understood this and so cared not about His own will (see John 5:30).

Lightbulb MomentThe result of surrendering wholeheartedly to the will of God is wholehearted obedience to His voice and commandments. When you do this, He promises that blessings will overcome us wherever we are and whatever we do. Just read all the blessings He has promised us in Deuteronomy 28:1-14! How incredible. God will always make good on this promise for He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19).

If you love yourself, you will surrender to His will. If you want to know His will, start reading the word of God. The word of will speak into your heart.

Surrender Your Heart in Humility

A great reason to surrender your heart to God is because your heart is what He examines (1 Samuel 16:7). God wants to perform surgery on your heart but you must willingly surrender it to Him – God is a gentleman and not a tyrant. When you do, the first thing He does is remove all those hardened areas of your heart – areas of hurt, fear, insecurities, anxiety, and turmoil. He takes all the muck out of your so that you can start to enjoy your life. Instead of fear, you can enjoy love. Instead of anxiety, you can enjoy peace.

Lightbulb MomentWhen you open your heart up to God is when you open your heart up to love in all its forms.

When you submit your heart to God is when He is able to purify it so that you can see Him (see Matthew 5:8). No one see’s God without seeing the attributes of God. So when you see God, you will surely see love, goodness, mercy, kindness, patience, miracles, favor, peace, council, and so much more in your life. When you are poor in spirit (humble) is when you inherit all the goodies of the kingdom of heaven right here on earth (see Matthew 5:3).

I want to encourage you today to get over yourself (your past mistakes, your pride, your will) and surrender all you are to Him. You will not regret it.

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May 18, 2013 · 1:29 am

Is it ever okay NOT to honor my father and mother?

We are taught to honor our father and mother so that our days may be prolonged (Exodus 20:12). Before breathing a sigh of relief that this scripture is found in the Old Testament, Apostle Paul repeats this instruction in his letter to the church in Ephesus – teaching us that it is applicable to us today and reminding us that it is the first commandment with a promise.

But does this mean we have to acquiesce to every wish of our parents? Absolutely not! The bible tells us that we are to not to seek the honor that comes from man but to seek the honor that comes from God (John 5:41).

What does this mean? It means that we are never to honor the wishes of any man – including our parents – above honoring God. Why? This is because in being human, the wishes of our parents are at times driven by their fear, prejudice, selfishness, history, upbringing, culture, and life experiences.

In essence, the will and wishes of man is not always good for us and acceptable to God. Conversely, the will and wish of God for our lives is always good, acceptable and perfect (see Romans 12:2)

Lightbulb MomentIt is alright to honor the wishes of our parents only if what they want lines up with what God tells us to do as instructed by the Holy Spirit.

Put another way, our ultimate authority is God and not man – not matter how close the relationship! The perfect example of honoring God above man is that of Jesus. If Jesus had listened to his family, He would not have done the will of His father to do good and heal those who were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38). We know this because the bible tells us that His family wanted to whisk Him away from the crowd to which He was healing, setting free, and preaching. Why? They thought He was out of His mind (Mark 3:20)!

Have you wondered why Jesus’ teachings and wonderful miracles did not excite His family? It is because they were only thinking of themselves! See, Jesus was the first-born son of His household; therefore, the responsibility of caring for the family fell on Him after Joseph’s death. Being a skilled carpenter and not breaking a jot of the law, He provided for His family very well! How do we know Jesus was well off? We know for the God promised great things for those who kept his commandments and obeyed His voice (see Deuteronomy 28). Since God is not a liar, it is clear that He commanded blessings into everything to which Jesus put His hand –  including His storehouse (see Deuteronomy 28:8).

See, the family of Jesus had it good! By Jesus leaving it all behind to embark on this new ministry of His, He had not only seemingly shunned His responsibility as the patriarch of His family, but they were also worried that He was no longer going to be able to provide for them! They would no longer live the good life. They wondered to themselves: ‘Why is He leaving this goodness to go perambulate the wilderness – just walking from place to place? God has blessed Him and given Him a duty to take care of us. And why is He going against our traditions? What will people say? Why is He simply throwing all He has away? Surely, He has lost His mind’.

You see, His family were being selfish in thinking only about themselves without pausing to think of how wonderful Jesus’ ministry was for those He was setting free.

Thank goodness Jesus did not decide to honor His family above the word and voice of God. Can you imagine if He had said: ‘Well, I must honor my family and so stop what I am doing’? How horrible for the entire multitude to which He ministered; how horrible for all humanity! Though His family did not understand, He understood what He was doing, and that is all that mattered. As we know, His own brother did not believe in Him at the beginning but would later come to understand and believe.

This tells us that every decision made in Christ will sooner or later be understood by all who doubted us. Why? It is because wisdom (the instruction of God) is always justified by her children (its results). In obeying the voice of God, Jesus not only honored God but ultimately honored His family and all humanity by paying the price for our sins on the cross and honoring us with a way back to God.

Moreover, He made sure His mother was going to be well taken care off as well (John 19:26).

Lightbulb MomentThe only way to truly honor man with love is to honor God. Anything done outside of God is not love but fear in disguise.

Food for Thought: I am right for honoring my parents, but I am wrong for honoring them above God.

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October 8, 2012 · 12:59 am

Food for Thought – The Excellence of Knowledge

The excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it (see Ecclesiastes 7:12). Lets face it, there is no shortage of info out there. Simply click a button and voila, knowledge at our fingertips! And since knowledge is power, the more we have of it and can apply, the better off we are right? Not necessarily, for knowledge when misapplied is power misused!

Just as a buttering knife in the hands of a nutter becomes a destructive weapon, so does knowledge in the hands of a person devoid of wisdom. And since the bible tells us that Jesus became our wisdom (see 1 Corinthians 1:30), we can say that the application of knowledge without the help of God (wisdom) is foolishness (the opposite of wisdom) and leads to death (the opposite of life).

Therefore, it is possible to be extremely knowledgeable and still be extremely foolish; to know much scripture without it ever yielding fruit. This is why knowledge alone should not impress us much!

Lightbulb Moment Without God, all Knowledge is misapplied. Thus, Knowledge – God = Foolishness

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