Wise Guys

One thing I appreciate is preachers who maintain a sense of humor. Many Christians (including myself at times) tend to take themselves too seriously and need to lighten up more. As Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart does good, like medicine…”

I also enjoy listening to comedians as long as their material is clean and don’t contain profanity. To this day I still laugh while watching old Three Stooges films. Who could forget all the crazy sounds made by Curly Howard plus his various catchphrases? One of which sometimes used by the other Stooges was “Oh, a wise guy!”

Once I was married to a woman whose maiden name was Kerley. Although that short-lived marriage ended acrimoniously, one fond memory I have of my ex was her calling me a “wise guy” when I said or did something funny. To which I replied, “What do you expect? I married a Kerley!”

God wants all of us to be “wise guys”…or in other words have wisdom. Proverbs 4:7 (KJV) says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” The New Living Translation of this verse reads, “Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.” 

One dictionary defines wisdom is “the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment.” Knowing a bunch of facts and figures won’t do much good if one cannot apply them to their lives.

There are many wise guys in the Bible. Among them include…

• Joseph – “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.’” (Genesis 41:39)

• Temple Craftsmen –  “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you:” (Exodus 31:6)

• Joshua - “Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.” (Deuteronomy 34:9)

• David – “And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him” (1 Samuel 18:14)

• Solomon (often considered the wisest man who ever lived) - “And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.” (1 Kings 4:29-30)

• Daniel and his three Hebrew friends - “As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.” (Daniel 1:17)

Regarding our Lord’s earthly ministry, Luke 2:52 says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

And of course, there were the wise men from the East who traveled to see the Lord after He was born in Matthew 2. Nativity scenes usually show them with the shepherds looking at a newborn baby Jesus. The fact is by the time the wise men reached Bethlehem, Jesus was referred to as “the young Child.” That’s why Satan influenced King Herod to order all the male children two years old and under to be killed in an attempt to wipe out the promised Messiah.

Do you have a pressing situation in your own life but don’t know what to do? James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” One great way to cultivate wisdom is to share the gospel and lead others to salvation…

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” - Proverbs 11:30

“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” - Daniel 12:3

So if you’re serious about progressing in your Christian walk, be a consistent soul winner and surround yourself with like-minded believers. Again God wants all His children to be wise guys (and girls).

“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.” - Proverbs 13:20

Cross Dressing

Two days ago while waiting for a friend to pick me up at the Minneapolis Public Library, a man with a beard walked in wearing open-toed high heels plus short denim shorts. The latter in itself was bizarre considering the temperature outside was at the freezing mark. This man ended up causing a ruckus at the library. A couple of times I heard him defiantly challenge people to touch him. Because he refused to leave on his own accord, three security guards tackled the man to the floor and hauled him away in handcuffs.

I recall at least one incident when witnessing to a crossdresser. Again this happened in Minneapolis. While walking towards the downtown area, I encountered a homeless person sitting outside. He claimed to know Jesus but wasn't going to church anywhere because of not being accepted dressed as a woman. This man even claimed God told him it was okay to be transgender. If that was true, God would be contradicting His own commandment in Deuteronomy 22:5...

“A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God.”

On the other hand, there are preachers who go the other extreme by proclaiming man-made dress codes. Years ago while working for Billy Graham’s World Wide Pictures, I called one female pastor who wouldn’t show any of our films. Her reason? “Women shouldn’t wear pants.” What would this pastor do if God called her to minister in Scotland? She might have a hard time seeing Scotsmen wearing kilts.

I’ve also heard ministers preaching against men having long hair. Personally I’m not fond of women with really short hair but that’s between them and the Lord. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “...man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Nevertheless, God expects men to act like men and women to act like women. 1 Corinthians 6:9 (KJV) states that effeminate men will not inherit the kingdom of God. Anyone who lives a lifestyle as the opposite gender is rebelling against God’s word. 

There is one type of “cross-dressing” acceptable for Christians...wearing the cross of Christ.

“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” - 1 Peter 5:5