Ten Years Ago Today

Ten Years Ago Today – By Dave Watson, An Urban Christian

Ten years ago it was a beautiful September morning,
A perfect transition from summer to fall.

Ten years ago it was just another work day, a school day, a Tuesday
A Primary Day to choose Mayoral candidates

Ten years ago the city felt good, housing was up, the economy was great, stocks were high and our spirits were even higher.

But all that changed ten years ago, ten years ago today.
And we will never forget!

Ten years ago terror struck our city
Struck our towers, struck them twice

Ten years ago evil incarnate showed up and did the unimaginable
Nearly three thousand innocents were murdered, murdered in broad daylight

Moms and dads, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers,
Snuffed out by the thief who comes but to rob and to kill and to destroy

Oh the horror ten years ago, ten years ago today.
And we can never forgot

And then their were the firefighters and cops
The probies and the vets who ascended the towers and never came back

They journeyed from their firehouses & their precincts as they had so many days before
But this time it was different, different in the worst kind of way
For many it was the last ride of their lives

They fulfilled their calling as public servants.
They were and always will be NYC’s Finest and NYC’s Bravest

They became forever this cities heroes ten years ago, ten years ago today
And we must never forget


Today it’s 9-11 instead of September 11th
Today we are still on edge, still nervous about another attack

Today they have filled the hole and began the rebuilding
Today they say there’s closure since we got Bin Laden

But today there are still empty seats at dinners
Today there are empty seats at christenings, at graduations and at Little League games too.

Today there are empty spaces where dad was suppose to be at the wedding or where mom was suppose be at the baby shower
But most of all there are empty places in our hearts

So Lord we pray this day we will feel your presence and know your love.
Without you we can’t make it through this season, this day

They say time heals all wounds but Lord, you don’t say that, they do
Some holes are just so deep that gravel and steel and buildings and time cannot fill them.
Only eternity can. Then You will wipe away every tear from our eyes
Until then, we can never forget

The horror, the pain, the disbelief,
The courage, the faith, the duty, so clearly displayed
Ten years ago, ten years ago today

proverbs 31

A good reason to open my big mouth - Proverbs 31:8-9 - 8 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,defend the rights of the poor and needy

proverbs 30

A good prayer for every day - Proverbs 30:8-9. 8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying;give me neither poverty nor riches;feed me with the food that is needful for me,9 lest I be full and deny youand say, "Who is the Lord?"or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

proverbs 29

So when I just have to give someone a piece of my mind I would be a ..........

Proverbs 29:11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
but a wise man quietly holds it back.

proverbs 28

Voting by my conduct

Proverbs 28:4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them.

proverbs 27

Friendship and Loyalty

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

10 Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend,
and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity.
Better is a neighbor who is near
than a brother who is far away.

proverbs 26

What goes around, come around!

27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.

proverbs 25

File under "defenseless"

28  A man without self-control
is like a city broken into and left without walls.

proverbs 24

Get Involved

10 If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12If you say, "Behold, we did not know this,"
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man according to his work?

proverbs 23

Fearing the Lord is a state of being that rescues me from myself

17 Let not your heart envy sinners,
but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.

proverbs 22

24  Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
nor go with a wrathful man,
25  lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

proverbs 21

Planning + Diligence = success

5  The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

proverbs 20

Get good counsel and then get more good counsel than act


18 Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.

proverbs 19

Don't blame the Lord when we ruin our lives by violating His principles

3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,
his heart rages against the LORD.

proverbs 18

Isolation is so that I can do what want to do

1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
he breaks out against all sound judgment.

proverbs 17

In the portait of a wise individual their mouth is always shut

27 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge,
and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

proverbs 16

The plans that I have coming to fruition must be a God driven endeavour

3 Commit your work to the LORD,
and your plans will be established.
9 The heart of man plans his way,
but the LORD establishes his steps.

proverbs 15

Get good advice and a lot of it


22 Without counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.

proverbs 14

No other human being knows how I feel. In reality only God and I know

10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger shares its joy.

proverbs 13

This is why 65% of lotto winners are broke with in a few years of winning

11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,
but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

proverbs 12

Get rich schemes don't work11 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.

Dilgent work does work

24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
while the slothful will be put to forced labor.



27 Whoever is slothful will not roast his game,
but the diligent man will get precious wealth.

proverbs 11

Our city needs us to flourish and bless it.

10  When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
11  By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but

proverbs 10

Living right in the eyes of God is the best security I can have

9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

proverbs 9

Receiving rebuke will result in receiving wisdom. Don't close the door on rebuke. Invite it in.

8  Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9  Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

proverbs 8

What's in your wallet

10  Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11  for wisdom is better than jewels,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

proverbs 7

I need some serious engraving work done on my heart

2 keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3 bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.

proverbs 6

These will kill you!!!!

16 There are six things that the LORD hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.

proverbs 5

Really, the LORD is really watching


21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD,
and he ponders all his paths.

proverbs 4

Evaluation of where I am is a very wise move
A good step before you step is to watch your step

26  Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
27  Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.

Proverbs 3

When I honor God by putting Him first He honors me by blessings my labors.

11 Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.

This is the Old Testament Matthew 6:33

proverbs 2

The dual deliverance of wisdom

12  delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,

16  So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words

proverbs 1

Proverbs 1:25-26 - 25  because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
26  I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,

Listen to wisdom or be laughed at by wisdom

Smart Summer

Thus far the most transforming device of the 21st century is the smart phone. In the palm of our hand we have a device that connects to everyone who is important to us (and so many who aren’t). In addition, we have access to “the cloud”-- the worldwide web -- also known as the information super highway. Through this small wonder of technology we can; call, connect, text, email, book hotels and flights, find restaurants, be guided via GPS, do research, take pictures, video breaking news, read, edit, and write. It is absolutely amazing.

As smart as the smart phone is though, sad to say, it is not often possessed by what appears to be intelligent life. In fact, owners of smart phones are known to do incredibly stupid things. Some smart phone users send inappropriate pictures, others text while driving. Still others accidentally drop their devices in the toilet. (How the phones get in the bathroom I’ll never know). It is a shame that smart phones can’t enable us to become smart people.

I really want to become a smart person. By that I don’t necessarily mean book smart. I want to be smart in how I live. I guess what I am saying is that I want to be wise and live wise. This summer I am committing myself to becoming a wiser person. Along that line, here’s the good news for me as well as you. There’s an app for that.

The book of Proverbs in Old Testament was written in order for us “To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding…. (Proverbs 1:2).” The LORD in His infinite wisdom gave us an app that can help us to become wise. That app is the book of Proverbs. If I will expose myself to its teaching and apply its principles to my life I can become a wise person.

I want to challenge you to make reading Proverbs a goal of yours this summer. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs. If I read one chapter a day beginning July 1st I can actually read the book through twice this summer (there are 31 days in July and 31 days in August). It’s very easy to know what chapter of Proverbs I am supposed to be on. What ever the day of the month, that’s the chapter I should be reading. For example, on the fourth of July I’ll be reading the fourth chapter of Proverbs. How easy is that?

To make our study complete we will be doing three other things. On Sunday morning beginning July 11th I will be preaching on select passages from Proverbs. In addition, on Wednesdays this summer we will be studying the book of Proverbs and I strongly suggest you come out and study with us. Finally, we will be sharing our thoughts about what we are reading and learning through our blog page at http://proverbssmartsummer.blogspot.com/2011/06/smart-summer.html. Please visit the page every few days and share with us what God is showing you through your reading in Proverbs.

I hope this summer brings rest, relaxation and refreshment. More than that I hope all of us are wiser when it draws to a close. Take me up on the Proverbs challenge. Put down that cool phone and open that awesome book called the Bible to the book of Proverbs. Start reading. Get smart.

In His service,
Pastor Dave Watson