50 Days of Wisdom
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Wisdom is a skill in living that begins with fearing God, then progresses to guarding your mind, choosing your companions, controlling your body, monitoring your words, pursuing your work, managing your money, and loving your neighbor. Very simple. But that’s it. And when you’ve done that, you’ve learned wisdom. It’s vital to be taught wisdom. For example, as a father, if I fail to teach my son to fear God, the devil will teach him to hate God. If I fail to teach my son to guard his mind, the devil will teach him to have an open mind. If I fail to teach my son to obey his parents, the devil will teach him to rebel and break his parents’ hearts. If I fail to teach my son to select his companions carefully, the devil will choose them for him. If I fail to teach my son to control his body, the devil will gladly teach him to give it completely over to his lusts. If I fail to teach my children to enjoy speech that is honorable to God, the devil will fill their mouths with filth. If I fail to teach my children to pursue their work, the devil will make them lazy. If I fail to teach them to manage their money, the devil will teach them to waste it on riotous living. If I fail to teach them to love their neighbor, the devil will gladly teach them to love only themselves. And the only reason I can pass such wisdom on to my children is because God has graciously made it all available in the Bible.
Seek and learn God's wisdom every day!
Day 655
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About Bible Translations
I want you to know that the Scripture in my mind is profound. It’s unsearchably rich. It’s deep, as to excel all ideas, all philosophies, all opinions, and all insights by all human beings put together. Yet, I find it almost impossible to locate anybody on television who will just mine the depths of Scripture. Opinions and insights are plenty, but it’s almost impossible to find someone who understands the beauty and loftiness of Scripture. It’s important to know that superficial preaching always provides a weak view of Scripture and a shallow understanding of its immense treasures. Therefore, I recommend a book written by Leland Ryken called “Understanding English Bible Translation.” It’s a book on English Bible translations, and it makes the case for a literal approach. It discusses the philosophy of translation. For example, why are the King James, New King James, New American Standard, and English Standard Version word-for-word “formal equivalency” translations, as opposed to all the other translations, which are called “dynamic equivalencies”? Reading it is valuable for understanding that some individuals, even among Bible translators, hold a low view of the Scripture. They feel that the prevailing power that reigns over the Scripture is the contemporary reader, rather than the author. The goal of their translations is to provide the reader with what they want, not what the author intended. Therefore, you have translations like The Message, The Living Bible, The New Living Translation, The NIV, The TNIV, The Message, Good News for Modern Man, etc. And all of them make the reader sovereign, putting the Bible into a modern context and the modern language, no matter what the author intended. They are the most popular translations, and they dominate the evangelical world. However, these translations reflect a similar misunderstanding: when approaching the Bible, it is essential to ensure that you are reading what the author intended and what the Holy Spirit inspired, rather than a contemporary committee's interpretation of what they believe readers desire. So, it’s a very, very important issue. Listen, I’m very thankful for influences in my life through the years that have led me to the conviction that I want to know what God meant by what He said, and I want to know what He said originally, the way He said it. Of course, we want Him to be sovereign over His Word, not the modern reader. So, we use literal translations. I preach from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and the New King James Version (NKJV), both of which are considered literal translations. I also use the English Standard Version (ESV), a new, perhaps more poetic, more beautifully structured translation, which is also a “formal equivalence” word-for-word translation, rather than some form of a paraphrase. We use these translations because they are excellent examples of formal equivalency texts. We can turn to the Word of God and find everything we need to know in these translations. We don’t need a Bible that’s in the contemporary mood or a Bible that’s been updated for us. We can easily go back to the original literal translations and get everything that we need as intended by the author, the Holy Spirit. (Update: Since the writing of this sermon, John MacArthur has released a formal equivalence translation called the Legacy Standard Bible, available at LSBible.org.) Repent and believe! GTY.org (90-380) - Why Sunday Is the Lord’s Day – 90-380
Today's Wisdom
April 17, 2026
Day: 898
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Grace and peace,
My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, “I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. In other words, bear fruit for eternity. And by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks, you too become contributors to the advancement of His kingdom. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.
The Truth in Love,
Mark Paul - Servant of God
Now grant, O Lord, that when the souls who read these books cast their eyes upon these lines, their minds may be illuminated and their consciences convinced and awakened, that they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and be converted so that You may heal them. Amen
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