TRUNEWS with Rick Wiles - Morning Manna - October 2, 2025 - Proverbs 13:16-20 - Prudence, Reproof, and the Company You Keep

Episode Date: October 2, 2025

In today’s Morning Manna, we study Proverbs 13:16–20, where Solomon teaches that wise men act with knowledge while fools expose their folly. We see how a faithful messenger brings health, while rejecting correction leads only to poverty and shame. The passage also reveals that fulfilled desire gladdens the heart, but fools loathe to leave their sin. Finally, Solomon reminds us that the company we keep shapes our destiny—walking with the wise brings wisdom, but companionship with fools ends in ruin.Teachers: Rick Wiles and Doc BurkhartYou can partner with us by visiting FaithandValues.com, calling 1-800-576-2116, or by mail at PO Box 399 Vero Beach, FL 32961.MEGA FIRE reveals the ancient recurring cycles of war and economic collapse that have shaped history for 600 years. These patterns predict America is now entering its most dangerous period since World War II. Get your copy today!www.megafire.worldGet high-quality emergency preparedness food today from American Reserves!www.AmericanReserves.comIt’s the Final Day! The day Jesus Christ bursts into our dimension of time, space, and matter. Now available in eBook and audio formats! Order Final Day from Amazon today!www.Amazon.com/Final-DayApple users, you can download the audio version on Apple Books!www.books.apple.com/final-dayPurchase the 4-part DVD set or start streaming Sacrificing Liberty today.www.Sacrificingliberty.com

Good morning, everybody. Welcome to Morning Manna for this. It's a rainy Thursday here for us today. There's a big storm right off the coast of Florida. I was looking at it on a radar map. It's big. But fortunately, it's got enough distance miles between us and the storm that we're not going to get a lot of wind. But we're going to get heavy rain. rain today and tomorrow. So I like storms. I love storms. I love rain. Um, you know, rain is a gift from God. Amen. If you don't like rain, just go a year without it and see how how things look. Okay. Rain is a gift from God. Don't, don't gripe and complain about rain. Rain, rain brings life. It brings water. Water brings plants. Plants bring food. Do you ever wonder, Doc, why, what God thinks about people who gripe about rain?

I mean, think about it. He's listening to people grape. It's raining. I can't stand rain. Okay. Okay. He's only sending your life. Yes. Like you said, try living without it. So. Yeah. Well, we're studying the book of Proverbs and Proverbs is about wisdom and understand. understanding. And it's not wise to hate rain. It's wise to like rain because rain brings renewal. And we're going to be talking about that today what wisdom does for you. Okay. So we're in the 13th chapter of Proverbs versus 16 to 20. And then tomorrow's faith Friday and then on Monday we'll finish chapter 13 and move into chapter 14 on Tuesday. So let's pray, Almighty God, our Father in heaven.

We thank you for this beautiful, wonderful day. Thank you for giving us life. Father, we invite the Holy Spirit to lead this morning man of Bible study and teach us your word that we would be stronger disciples for your king, that we would be wiser and have more knowledge of your ways and be pleasing to you. in the name of Jesus, amen. Amen.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Morning, Manas. So glad to have you here with us today. We're continuing our study in Proverbs chapter 13, picking back up on verse 16 today. So if you have your Bibles, please turn there. We're going to read the passage of 16 through 20 here in just a moment. Welcome, everyone. We have folks checking in from Russia, from Brazil, from Australia, from Japan, from the Philippines,

and of course all across the U.S. and Canada today. God bless you. Welcome to today's edition of Morning Men. As Rick mentioned, tomorrow is Faith Friday. And on Fridays, we honor the Lord's table. And so we invite you to plan ahead for that tomorrow and join us. If you haven't participated in communion with a community of believers in a while, I encourage you to join us tomorrow at the end of our Faith Friday lesson. We'd love to have you for the Lord's communion. So But today we're looking at verses 16 through 20 of chapter 13. I'll be reading from the King James this morning. Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge, but a fool layeth open his folly. A wicked messenger falleth into mischief, but a faithful ambassador is health.

Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction, but he that regardeth reproof shall be honored. The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul. well i like that verse but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil in verse 20 he that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a companion a fool shall be destroyed god bless the reading of his word today amen there's some good ones in here today doc amen verse 16 king james every prudent man dealeth with knowledge, but a fool layeth open his folly. Subturgent, every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his own evil. The Aramaic Pashita, every prudent man acts with discretion, but a fool spreads abroad his folly.

Let's jump into this. prudent man. What is a prudent man or woman? Thoughtful, wise, careful, acting with foresight to show prudence means it's the opposite of being rash. Somebody's rash just, you know, move with by emotion, you know, excellent impulse, kind of knee-jerk reaction. But a prudent man or woman, restrains his or her thoughts and words and reactions and ponderes the situation, listens, considers, decides whether to say anything or not, and what should be said or what not should be said. That's a prudent person. The prudent person deals with knowledge. Deals with knowledge. you know it's a currency in the prudent man or woman's life knowledge is a currency to them

their actions their thoughts are grounded in truth in understanding they have they they use reflection um they think about things they ponder things they meditate on things just speaks just does with no thought about what he or she is doing or saying right so prudence restrains rash words impulsive acts i mean this is the essence between the difference between a wise person and a fool wise people guard their lips and it's especially difficult when when there's a fool running his or her mouth that what you know it's not difficult to keep your mouth shut to restrain your words when you're not around fools but the presence of fools can can that's the test to a prudent man or woman

When you're in the presence of a fool, because the fool will deliberately try to get you angry. I'm getting back to narcissists. That's one of their tactics. They're fools. But one of their tactics is to make you look like a fool. Yes. And you fall forward. You got it again. they got to me again they pushed that hot button they pushed that sore spot they got me riled up see and they walk away grinning i did it i got mr or mrs wise to act foolish and they're happy because they're getting some narc supply from it so it's it's not very difficult to be prudent when

around other wise people but it does take um spiritual and emotional strength to restrain your words and your actions and your thoughts when you are in the presence of a fool or multiple fools because see prudent people they consider the consequences they weigh the motives. They're seeking God's guidance. I want to say they consider the consequences. What's going to be the consequence of me saying this? What's going to happen? If I say what is right on the tip of my tongue right now, I'm ready to say it. What's the consequence of me saying it? If I do something right now, what are the consequences? Wise people who use prudence think about these things.

I remember the last chapter of Proverbs 12. 1223 says A prudent man concealeth knowledge and hides knowledge or keeps his mouth shut. Isn't that often the start of many problems in our lives

as we say things that we probably shouldn't have said? Yes. Yes. but it's usually in the presence of a fool yeah yeah yeah that's right wow fools and wise people don't mix just don't go they just don't go together okay the total opposites don't let a fool don't let them goad you into talking like a fool that's that's one of their aims to get you to be foolish to get your anger riled up to get you to say something then they have something to use against you um so what we're learning here

is prudence in our speech our actions in business and relationships and everything it keeps you safe it's for your own safety but let's look at the contrast the fool the fool layeth open his folly hey i'm gonna unzip it and unfold it hey there it is my stupidity there's my folly i'm proud of it that's the way of a fool a fool layeth open his or her folly what is hidden burst out they have no restraint no governor there's no control on the mouth and so a fool's speech rash actions quick decisions display that there's no wisdom behind it. And so a fool can't conceal his or her ignorance

because folly just bubbles out. It just manifests itself. So while the prudent person conceals faults with discretion. The fool flaunts sin without shame. At the heart of it, folly is rebellion against God.

It can't be hidden. It has fruit that reveals the nature of the tree. Let's look at the commentators, Matthew Henry, Presbyterian from the 1600s, a prudent man considers what he does and why he does it. But a fool exposes his folly, showing plainly that he has neither, that he neither has knowledge nor desires it. He doesn't even desire it, yes. Albert Barnes, another Presbyterian.

born eight as 1798 the contrast is between the thoughtful circumspection of the wise and the reckless self-exposure of a fool prudence builds folly destroys doc in many of albert barnes's commentaries about proverbs he focuses on the contrast he sees the contrast it's it's like that's what stands out that's what stood out to albert barns throughout the book of proverbs the contrast okay john calvin the prudent man acts according to knowledge being guided by reason and the fear of god the full destitute of counsel discovers his own folly out of Alexander McLaren, the prudent man acts on principles and knowledge, the fool rushes blindly and so reveals what he is.

Our actions always disclose our character. William are not. Knowledge in the heart of a prudent man is like a light and a lantern. It shines steadily, guiding each step. The fool is like a torch, blazing, smoking, and soon burned out. exposing his own folly. Verse 17. King James.

A wicked messenger falleth into mischief, but a faithful ambassador is health. World English Bible. A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing. Aramaic Bashida, a wicked messenger falls into trouble, a faithful ambassador's health and then the Septuagint a rash king shall fall into mischief but a wise

messenger shall deliver him so the wicked messenger a man who or what is a messenger is it's one who is entrusted to carry words instructions orders news you send forth a messenger You know, the Southern Baptist Convention, Doc, when they meet in their annual convention or biennual whenever they meet, their churches don't send delegates, they send messengers. That's right. They use that term messenger to carry the message of that local congregation to the corporate body. and then to bring the corporate message back to the local body. Yeah, they're not delegates.

They're not representatives. They're messengers. The idea was, you know, when I was first saved, I was in Southern Baptist Church for years, was that the local congregations were speaking to the whole assembly of people who were coming to the convention. They were sending a message, if you will, from the local congregation.

Yes. So a wicked messenger is careless, deceitful, corrupt. A wicked messenger could be given a good message to deliver, but he or she corrupt or changes the message. And so a wicked messenger falls into mischief. He brings harm upon himself and upon those who were lied on him. Doc, I had a cousin. He was older than me, a lot older than me. But his nickname was mischief.

Really? What did he do to get that nickname? name. Probably some mischief, I would guess, right? I guess so. He was a good guy. I liked him. I liked him. But he did something that he got nicknamed mischief. So apparently he was in trouble a lot. So a wicked messenger has a false or corrupted or twisted report, unfaithful. words that so confusion mistrust destruction again you can give the right message to somebody but if the if the messenger is him himself or herself corrupt they'll

change the message so false teachers false teachers in the church are wicked messengers. They betray their commission, and therefore they bring judgment upon themselves and those who follow them. A false prophet is not somebody who prophesied something and it didn't come true. This is a complete misunderstanding in the church today about a false prophet. it's because sometimes a person with a gift of prophecy will prophesy something others will say well this is what it means and then it doesn't happen the way according to the way the people said was the interpretation and then they say oh that's a false prophet and maybe that prophecy comes true 25 50 years from now right it doesn't make that person a false prophet a false

is someone who is not sent by God to prophesy. So false teachers and wicked messengers are the same. God doesn't send people out with twisted messages. What about the faithful ambassador? What does this word say? okay but a faithful ambassador is health a faithful ambassador a faithful ambassador an ambassador is one entrusted with representation has authority to speak has a responsibility to speak the word apostle means ambassador the apostles in the church were ambassadors of king jesus

what do you do with an ambassador a king or a president a government sends forth ambassadors to other nations to deliver the message of the king or the president or the prime minister the ambassador does not speak his or her opinion the ambassador speaks the opinion of the king Yes. And so a faithful ambassador in the church is a man or woman who knows he or she has been commissioned by King Jesus to speak on his behalf. They are entrusted with a responsibility to deliver a message. and in the church the message is the gospel but a wicked messenger is a false teacher so a faithful ambassador brings health wholeness prosperity peace stability healing they bring

health not just to your physical body but to your mind your soul your finances your fat every there's healing there's health a faithful ambassador builds trust a faithful ambassador strengthens relationships a faithful ambassador seeks peace whatever what are what our ambassadors of nations supposed to do develop peaceful relations with other nations the kingdom of god seeks to have peaceful relations with the nations of the earth but they have to submit to the king and that's why there's a conflict because the nations of the earth will not submit to king Jesus. So the messengers of God are sent to these nations to say, the king of the universe loves you, desires to bless you, however, you must submit to him. You must obey his ways.

And then nations either say yes or they say no. That's really what's going on in the world. That's the easiest way to describe God's relationship with humanity. He has sent forth ambassadors with a message. The king loves you. The king desires to bless you. However, the king requires obedience and submission. That's right. Submission. They don't like that word. Surrender and submit. That's how you know. If Jesus is really somebody's king, has that person surrendered and have they submitted? And do they obey? This is the three words. Surrender, submit, obey. If they don't do those three, that he's not their king.

Ambassadors of Christ bring reconciliation. The core number one, most important responsibility of every Christian is to promote the message of reconciliation. Between whom? God and man. That's our message. Almighty God, your creator, desires to be reconciled with you. You are estranged from your father. Your father is seeking reconciliation. That's the message. People, once they hear the message, they have to make a decision. Is he my father? Do I desire to be reconciled with him?

Or do I remain estranged and separated? That's the message. Makes it easy, doesn't it? Once you understand basics, the gospel and evangelism is easy. missionaries, missionaries are ambassadors. I read a story of one of these heroes of the faith I'd never heard of and I don't even remember his name right now. I could look it up, I'll find it. But one morning earlier this week, I saw it online, I saw this beautiful photo of a city in Thailand, a city of

I'd never heard of because you know we only know the big cities okay yeah and I'm like wow it's a beautiful city so I started to do research about it this is like you know five in a morning I'm reading those I'm like I'm learning about the city and and then um it said the name you know of the church like the city is I don't know 95 percent uh boot I said there was a Christian church in the city. So I clicked on the hyperlink to see about the church. So I started reading about the church. It was founded in the 1800s by a Presbyterian missionary.

And this man, and I'm sorry I don't remember his name, but I can find it. This man was beloved. by the Thai people. They loved him. He promoted education. He promoted the education of young girls, which was not taking place in Thailand at the time. He built schools. Doc, he was, this Christian Presbyterian missionary in 1800s was so loved by the people of that city that when he passed away that flags flew at half mass in a Buddhist city they honored a Christian missionary he was an ambassador he was a faithful ambassador and his the church he founded is still there today praise god john gill who passed away in 1771 said a wicked messenger whether negligent or false falls into mischief himself and brings it on others

that's why you got to stay away from they get to stink on you but a faithful ambassador brings health peace and prosperity and spiritually the gospel minister brings healing to souls Albert Barnes the proverb here to goes again doc he sees the con the proverb contrast the mischief brought by a false or negligent messenger with the blessing of peace and health brought by a faithful envoy faithfulness is health treachery is ruined Praise God. Alexander McLaren, the one betrays his mission and falls into ruin. The other fulfills his charge and is a blessing to all concerned.

Fidelity is life-giving. William are not of Scotland. A false messenger is like poisoned breath, spreading mischief everywhere, but a faithful ambassador is like the physician, healing by every word. poison breath poison breath and reform baptist charles spurgeon of london said faithfulness is health to be true to your commission is to bless men to pervert your message is to ruin both yourself and others verse 18 king james poverty and shame shall be to him that refuse with instruction but he that guard if reproof shall be honored. Septuagint, instruction removes poverty and disgrace,

but he that attends to reproof shall be honored. Let's talk about refusing instruction. Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuses instruction. refuses to be taught, refuses to be disciplined, refuses to be corrected, refuses to be counseled, advised. What comes to that person? Poverty and shame. Poverty and shame are the natural fruit of pride and folly.

If you cling to pride and folly, your tree is going to produce poverty and shame fruit that's what you get you can't get oranges and apples from a tree of pride and folly you get poverty and shame so and this poverty is not only just materials you know financial poverty it is spiritual destitution you end up in life spiritually destitute. So the rejecter of counsel, instruction, discipline, not only harms himself, but he or she loses credibility and influence,

but the worst is they leave their souls destitute on Judgment Day. they arrive before the king bankrupt was nothing to offer him what's the opposite to regard reproof is to receive correction with humility and and then to apply it's one thing to receive correction but you have to apply it you have to put it into action Correction can be painful. God never humiliates you. He never shames you. He doesn't beat you and whip you.

Doesn't mean that he makes it enjoyable. He doesn't make it enjoyable. Because Hebrews 1211 said, now no chastening or correction for the present seem joyous, but grievous. In other words, Yes, sometimes in chasing, sometimes in correction, there is some discomfort, if you will, maybe even some pain involved.

You know what I, I'll tell you what, it's not meant to harm. I'll tell you the godly correction I don't like. You'd have to go through it. I don't like it when he puts me in his crock pot. You just stew here for a while. Yeah. And he puts the lid on it. Stewing your own juices for a bit.

Yeah. Why do you put meat in a crock pot? To tenderize it. To tenderize it. That's what it's about. Praise God. And every once in while, you take the lid off and you stick the fork in to see if the meat is tender. Not yet. Needs cook some more.

Put the lid back on, let it stew some more. Slow cook. Oh, oh, I don't like his slow cooker. But when the cooking is done, don't you love the meat? Yeah, but, yeah, but you're the meat, you know? So it brings the light to the Lord. See, it brings delight to him. You're tenderhearted. Yeah, see, he's going to slow cook to get that toughness out of you.

That make you tenderhearted. But that's the one. i don't like because you're in there and you're thinking how long how long is this going to last going to last until until he gets the texture and flavor that he's desiring that's how long it's going to last and like okay let's get this over with but you know sometimes with slow cooking there's doc there is no fast way to slow cooking you know you can't do slow cooking quickly. So slow cooking is slow. All right, so you can do the opposite. Pressure cooking. Oh, oh, you're going to do it fast, but under pressure. How's that one,

feel? And then there's frying. They're stewing. There's all kinds of ways. that he can cook us. Well, correction, even though it's painful, is God's tool for our growth, our health, our prosperity. He corrects us because he loves us. You don't correct somebody else's child. You correct your own.

okay you correct somebody else's child what are you going to get you're going to get the child's father say hey that's not your kid get out of here right okay you don't correct somebody else's child you correct your own children and so when you're being corrected it means you are god's child that's why you receive it that's why you have the right attitude are your father I'm being corrected. You're doing things. I accept it. I submit.

What is it you desire? Let's get this process done quickly. Okay. When you accept reproof, when you recognize it and accept it, it lifts you out of your folly. That's what he's trying. He's trying to cook the folly out. out of you trying to cook the foolishness out of you and that's what he's after he's not after hey i'm just going to put you in a pressure cooker for the fun of it no he's he's trying to

cook the foolishness out of us so that we are a greater blessing to him a greater pleasure to him that we our lives are better and that we're we're blessing to others that's what he's trying to to get out of it so correction is is mercy it's not a burden let's see what the commentator said charles bridges poverty and shame are the just fruits of pride in refusing instruction but the man who regards reproof however humbling shall be honored in the end okay doc Albert Barnes, he's got a contrast. The contrast is sharp. Refusal brings disgrace, acceptance brings honor.

Wisdom grows by correction. Folly is exposed by rejecting it. Yes. But Barnes had a real, a very clear, sharp mind. He just said, well, there's black and there's white. There's good and there's bad. There's, here's the contrast. You can just see it.

John Calvin, he who despises correction is punished by poverty and shame, but he who heed reproof finds it the way to honor. For correction is the school of wisdom. Alexander McLaren refusing correction is a broad road to ruin. Receiving it is the narrow path to honor. correction is the friend of true greatness right so you can't be great unless you've been corrected we are not correction is a gift not a curse to despise it is to embrace shame to receive it is to win honor first 19 king james the desire accomplished is sweet to

the soul, but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil. The Aramaic Peshita, the desire accomplished to sweet to the soul, but it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil. And then the subterigent, the desires of the godly satisfy the soul, but the works of the ungodly are far from knowledge. All right, so the desire accomplished is sweet to the soul. You know, yesterday we talked about hope deferred. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but joy comes when that desire is fulfilled. So this is desire accomplished.

It sweet. It is sweet. It says, get the verse here. the desire accomplished is sweet to the soul is the longings your hopes your desires that are brought to completion so righteous desires the desires of the righteous men and women are in a line with god's will and when they're and when they are fulfilled they refresh and sweeten your soul amen win to do God's will. God is pleased and then he blesses you with sweetness in your soul because you did his will.

Amen. You make his desires, your desires. You accomplish his desires and God says, I'm so pleased. Now I'm going to send sweetness to your soul. so the joy is not only in the fulfillment but in the nature of the desire itself this is a good desire this is god's desire right now the ultimate desire fulfilled is to see christ that's that's the ultimate desire that when we can see Christ.

I told my father this morning, Doc, in prayer. I said, I wish I could just fly up to heaven, give you a hug and kiss and fly back down here. But then I said, if I saw you, I wouldn't want to come back. Right. Why would you come back if you saw him? But I just think about that. I wish I could just fly up to heaven, give him a hug and kiss, come back down and do his will.

But then after I thought about what I said, then I said to the Lord, yeah, but if I saw you, then I wouldn't desire to come back. I would just stay. Why would you leave the presence, the face of your father, to come back down here and deal with this stuff? only if he said it's my will go back i need you i need you to be what a faithful messenger a faithful ambassador bring forth the message of reconciliation to depart from evil that should be a delight that when we depart from evil when evil is there staring at us and we go no i'm going to depart from this that should be a delight to us but this proverbs says to a fool it's an abomination it's an abomination to a fool to depart from evil think about that

It's evil for a fool to depart from evil. What's an abomination, Doc? Something loathsome, detestable, despicable. Yeah. So they love it so much to depart from evil would be despicable to them. Yes. That's how bad it is. That's what this verse says.

They love their sins so much that the very thought of leaving it is revolving it is revolving. revolting to them. They don't have a desire to leave their evil. They're so corrupted that they despise righteousness and love and adore sinfulness. That's how corrupt their hearts are. so in the fool's mind sin is freedom and righteousness is bondage when in reality it's the opposite but then they that's why they're a fool they they see things corruptly so the refusal to part with evil reveals their hardened heart that treasures sin more than God yes and so that attitude that exposes the root of rebellion in their heart the fool will not give up his or her sin even for eternal salvation and joy

it's like in the revelation of jesus christ when christ comes back the fools are running in the caves begging the rocks to fall on them why don't you just repent because they're fools right christ is there they know this is judgment day this is it and instead of crying out oh god have mercy on me instead they run to the caves and say i'd rather a big rock fall on me than to submit to him doc that's man you talk about dumb but a lot of these people are going to do it So true sweetness in our soul comes, the devil will tell you, hey, you want to have sweetness, you want to have joy, indulge yourself in what you desire.

You know, Job chapter 20, verse 12, contrast to this says, though wickedness be sweet in his mouth. So there's a sweetness for the righteous, but for the evil. for those that pursue evil there's a sweetness in their mouth too but it's it's like a fake sweetener you know it's like splinda it's like sacrament yeah there's not real right yeah it only imitates sweetness oh there's a good book sin sacrin all right i got to remember that doc Yeah. Sin has a fake sweetness. It's artificial sweetener. You hit on something there, Doc. It's an artificial sweetener. Yeah.

I'm going to look at the commentators. Adam Clark. To see a desire accomplished as sweet to every soul, but fools will not depart from the evil which ruins them. and the thought of parting with it is abominable to them. Albert Barnes, the proverb, Barnes book of contrast, okay? The proverb brings out the sharp contrast. Fulfillment of desire is joy to the righteous, but to the fool to depart from evil,

the very condition of such fulfilling. fulfillment is hateful. Alexander McLaren fulfilled desire makes the heart glad, but to the fool, the one condition of true joy, which is departure from evil, is hateful. Yes. William are not, the man of God rejoices when his holy desire is accomplished. The fool cannot taste that sweetness, for he hates the first step toward it, which is departing from evil. Charles Spurgeon, Reformed Baptist, when grace has weaned a man from sin, the accomplishment of his desire is sweet indeed, but the fool cannot endure to part with his lust. He would rather lose heaven than to give them up. Wow. I have a feeling that Spurgeon preached hard. what do you think Sunday morning was like in that church?

Probably uncomfortable. Any of these guys are not McLaren? What were they like? They listened to them on a Sunday morning. Just think, imagine their eyes scanning that congregation. Maybe locking on to someone in particular back third row. on the right no microphones yeah they didn't exist no microphones just lungs lungs and lips and eyes that would deliver what a faithful message they were

ambassadors they knew they had a commission to deliver a faithful message Proverb 20, He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. The Aramaic Peshida, he who walks with wise men shall be wise, but he who associates with fools shall be destroyed. And the Septuagint,

He that walks with wise men shall be wise, but he that walks with fools shall be known. to walk all right there's not necessarily talking about going down a sidewalk right it's is to walk with light in life you're walking through life with wise people or walking with fools through life or stages of your life to walk with continual association friendship influence these are people who have your ear somebody always has your ear somebody is always speaking into your life right you have to choose who you allow to speak into your life yeah listen that you have some of you have got some very negative people speaking into your ear right you've got to cut them off

and maybe you can't physically separate them from them but you're going to have to mentally and spiritually and emotionally turn your ears off to their mouth right and this includes popular talk show host podcasters out there had a conversation with someone on uh on faith and values yesterday uh about a certain talk show host out there i won't even say who it is it could be anybody out there. And I have to say, is what their message they're putting out, does it glorify God or not? And the respondent said, well, do they have to talk about God all the time? That just tells you the attitude. One of the very first verses I learned as a new believer. In fact, I think it was the first verse I memorized was Amos 3-3. Can two walk together unless they be agreed?

can two walk together unless they be agreed? And, you know, there's something to be said about that. When you're walking with someone, you're conversing with them, you're on the same frequency, a wavelength as they are. Or you wouldn't be walking together, right? That's right. Yet we have people that will sit there and argue with you and say, well, I listen to so-and-so, and yeah, I know he cusses

and he talks bad about Christians and stuff like that, but he puts out some good information. puts out some good no you you can't have sweet and sulfur water coming from the same spring that's right we got to choose ladies and gentlemen you have to choose the voices that you allow to speak into your life this is the day to choose you can in five to ten minutes of a conversation with a person you can discern whether that person loves and adores almighty God and his son, Jesus Christ. You can discern it in five, ten minutes.

If you keep bringing up the name of Jesus and they just skirt past it and go back to some other topic, you realize, I don't care what label they put on themselves. They don't desire to talk about Jesus. Yeah. I know people who say they're Christians and I have never had a conversation with them about Jesus. Yeah. And yet they tell people they're Christians.

Well, how can you be a Christian, Christian, and not be in love with them? So wisdom is contagious and foolishness is contagious. Keep that in mind. Just like a disease, would you hang around somebody that has a contagious? disease. Well, you've got to treat fools that way. Right. Yes. They're contagious. It's contagious. But wisdom in a positive way is contagious. Amen. When you associate with other wise, godly men and women, you're strengthening yourself. You're strengthening them. They are strengthening you, iron sharpens iron. Proverbs 27, verse 17. You walk with people intentionally.

Again, walking means you are in alignment with him and you're going in the same direction. That's what, see, this is what you're going in the same direction as a fool. If there's a fool in your life, you've got the part company and I understand it sometimes you know you can be married to a fool a fool could be a relative a parent a son a daughter I mean it's it's in the family but you don't have to walk with them that's right okay you don't go in the same direction they're going towards the abyss They don't change. But wise men and women intentionally walk with other wise men and women.

Yes. Wise people and fools do not mix. They don't get along with each other. It's a clash. There's going to be sparks. And fools will be trying to provoke a wise person into saying, something rationally to make them look foolish and so you always have this contention going on it's better just to get away from them yeah put put distance between you and a fool

if if if there's somebody in your life that's constantly drawing something negative out of you cut it off cut it off and watch how your life starts to change for the better I mean, if you, if you're dating somebody and you argue all the time, what on earth are you doing? Why would you be dating that person? Do you think when you get married, they're going to stop arguing? If you get a friend that argues with you or is always trying to get you to go, a way that you know you really shouldn't go then where do you think that friendship is going to lead you okay but it says the companion of fools the

companion of fools close association shared life partnership their companions what attracts them to other fools. They're all fools. They recognize the spirit of foolishness and another fool. And so they're companions. It says the companions of fools shall be destroyed. sin is contagious foolishness is contagious bad company produces bad fruit the septuagin says the fool's companion shall be made known what does that mean your reputation is going to be tainted by the fools you hang out with Fellowship with fools hardens your heart and it eventually leads to your destruction.

Get away from the fools of your life. Charles Bridges, the contagion of example is mighty. Walk with the wise and you will grow wise. Walk with fools and you will be destroyed. We cannot choose our lot, but we can choose our competition. companions. Albert Barnes, wisdom is gained by association with the wise. The converse is also true. Companionship with fools brings men to ruin. John Calvin, the wise impart their wisdom to those who converse with them. The fools corrupts for evil communication destroys good

manners. Amen. Alexander McLaren, our character is mowed by our associates. We cannot but grow like those with whom we walk. Wisdom or folly is called by companionship. William are not. The atmosphere of fellowship is the medium in which men breathe. If that air is pure, they live. If it is tainted, they perish. I love it.

or not. And Robert Horton, Congregational Church of England, a proverb teaches that men become what their friends are. Wisdom spreads by association and folly by contagion. Charles Burton, a man is known by his company. Walk with the wise and you will be wise. Keep company with fools and you will not only be despised, but destroyed oh did we learn anything today i did we learn anything today i did examine your company today folks take a look at just consider today who has close proximity to you in your life who are you walking with you're willing who are you walking through life with wise or full do you want to go their way because their way will lead to your destruction yeah doc you know i have to admit one of young

Christian, you know, back in my, I got saved as short of 25, you know, in my 20s and late 20s and early 30s as a Christian, I have to admit my, my male friends, I was attracted to, I, my male friends, I was attracted to, I, my male friends, I was attracted to, I, I, I, my male friends, I was attracted to, to mischievous black sheep type of guys, okay? There was just something. But see, now I look back and I realize, okay, that was in me, okay? And then those friendships would break up. A friend would move away or something would happen.

And I look back now and said, God was protecting me. He was protecting me. He was saying that friendship in the end, in the long run, that friendship's gonna hurt you yes okay and you know it's a time when you when i'd lose those friendships it would it would hurt but now i look back and i go that was my father saying i'm keeping you from this person because this person's not walking right now some of those friends doc later in life became

strong christians but at that time they weren't okay uh so take a look at who you're walking with who you're hanging out with who do you listen to who do you fellowship with who has your ear and and having your ear that that's it's not only just physically in your proximity but as doc was talking about it can be podcasters influencers what do we have today in our society influencers yes so what are they trying to do they're trying to influence you That's right. So the only way they can influence you is if you're walking with them.

And then we learned yesterday through a news report that the state of Israel pays American podcasters $7,000 for each social media post that influences the thinking of other people. true story folks that they admit to it proud of it yes and some of you have a whole government division dedicated to it some of your favorite podcasters and social influencers are paid prostitutes and what they're putting out there on their podcast and their social media post is for them to get money yep to influence you. So you're walking with these people. See, don't walk with them through life. Cut them off. There's a very famous podcaster that the Lord told me 20,

somewhere around a year, 2002, 2003, the Lord said, depart from him, Rick. Depart from him. Have nothing to do with him. I know. I know. i didn't ask the lord why i just obeyed and i never tried to figure it out and i never tried to restore that relationship because the lord said have nothing to do with him okay there are people that you should not listen to because they have a twisted message and they're walking the wrong way okay if I say anymore I'll get myself in trouble so I'll just wrap it up right now well we don't want you get in trouble Rick I'm not enough of that in my life goodbye everybody enjoy your

day before we go want to remind everybody about mega fire get influenced by this folks you want to learn something learn about the cycles that I we've been living with throughout the course of human history and that the cycles that are colliding together right now to set the stage for what's going to happen in the near future. It's a fascinating read. Those of you that have the book already, you've been giving high marks for this, that you've been learning a lot. Rick, I had two people on chat earlier today before you came on, we were talking about the book. And two of them said, I get through the first couple chapters, and I'm weeping.

I'm weeping over what I'm reading. And so I assume that's in a positive way, but they're weeping because the Holy Spirit is impacting them so much. You want to be influenced? Choose your influencer. Choose who you walk with. Get this book, Megafire. Get it at megafire. World. Search online for Megafire by Rick Wiles. It'll automatically come up and get your copy and get a copy for someone else that you love or even for someone you don't love. Give a copy for them too. So praise God.

My only comment about this book is I think I was too optimistic. things are moving faster than I anticipated from the time I published a book. I published it just a month ago. Right. I finished writing it in June. I made last minute edits in June. And already here in October, I would make changes today if I could. Things are moving too quickly.

I don't like how fast it's moving. The Wall Street Journal today is reporting the press. President Trump is giving U.S. missiles to Europe to give to Ukraine and the U.S. intelligence agencies and the Pentagon are going to supply Ukraine's military with the intelligence and the satellite coordinates to hit major targets inside Russia. Right. Particularly energy infrastructure, which back, remember three years ago, said, We're never going to target energy infrastructure. Never, never, never, never. Lie, lie, lie. Doc, I believe Putin will have no other option other than to nuke Kiev.

Yes. Folks, if there's anybody in our class, if you're living in Ukraine, you better get out. You better get out. It's going to be newked. They're not going to tolerate it. I don't think Putin's going to hit the U.S. or Europe now, in the immediate future. I think if he uses a nuke, it will be against Ukraine, and he will say, I'm drawing the line. This is it.

You attacked our country with U.S. missiles. This is the warning right now. We've just nuked Ukraine. If you do it again, we nuke all of you. Well, Ben Wallace just saying, we've got to totally destroy Crimea so Russia can't have it. He said we're going to make Crimea uninhabitable. Yes. Well, the only way to make it uninhabitable is to have it radiated.

These people are insane. Yeah. They are absolutely insane. They're demon-possessed. And bloodthirsty. read the book that's nothing new by a copy for somebody else spread the word about the book yes we're running out of time time is is then diminishing okay time for mankind is diminishing okay and if we saw how few grains of sand were left in the hourglass we would be

shocked but that's it yeah that's it very soon it's going to be curtains for mankind you know so all right well tomorrow is faith Friday so we encourage you to join us rick's going to have a very special message on faith it's also the day that we honor the Lord's table the Lord's supper communion and we invite you to participate as well we often get asked who may participate in communion well if you're a confessing believer in Jesus Christ and you've been baptized in water according to scriptures, then we invite you to participate in the Lord's table with us with bread and either red wine or grape juice. So have that prepared prior to class time.

At the end of the class tomorrow, we will participate in the Lord's table. We invite you to be there for us with us as well. So on that note, we say farewell for today, but we'll greet you again tomorrow morning, bright and early 8 a.m. here on the east coast for morning manna and our faith friday edition god bless you we love you and we'll see you next time