TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 23-24 & Psalm 53-54

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 23- The Challenge 

2 Samuel 23:8
“These are the names of the mighty men whom David had…”

David was a man mightily used by God. Although he started his journey walking alone into the valley to fight the giant, he did not remain alone. David’s faith was magnetic, and he was soon surrounded by men of great faith. This chapter tells the story of some of the men who surrounded the king. Among those listed are:

* Adino – He had killed eight hundred men at one time.

* Eleazar – He arose and attacked… Read More

2 Samuel 24- Consequences 

2 Samuel 24:10
“And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.’”

King David committed a sin by taking a census of the people, rather than trusting in the arm of God as Israel’s defense. His sin was forgiven, but the consequences were grave.

This passage is a vivid illustration of temptation, failure, repentance and results. In the parallel passage in Chronicles we read,

1 Chronicles 21:1
” Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.”

The initial cause of David’s… Read More

Psalm 53- Don’t Be A Fool

Psalms 53:1
“The fool has said in his heart,
‘There is no God.’
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.”

Biblically speaking atheism is considered folly because God has gone to great lengths to reveal himself to mankind. Paul, when writing to the Roman church divided God’s revelation of himself into two categories; he spoke of things being manifested “to us and in us.”

The things of God are revealed to man through creation. Paul wrote that the invisible attributes of God are visible through His… Read More

Psalm 54- Strong Hands

Psalm 54:1
“Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength.”

This Psalm is a prayer set to music. In It, David is crying out to God to deliver him from those who are seeking to end his life. The title of the Psalm gives us insight into the situation he is facing.

‘A Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, ‘Is David not hiding with us?’”

Because of the jealous… Read More

Psalms 53:1
“The fool has said in his heart,
‘There is no God.’
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.”

Biblically speaking atheism is considered folly because God has gone to great lengths to reveal himself to mankind. Paul, when writing to the Roman church divided God’s revelation of himself into two categories; he spoke of things being manifested “to us and in us.”

The things of God are revealed to man through creation. Paul wrote that the invisible attributes of God are visible through His creation. This revelation has a wealth of empirical data to support its effectiveness since all over the world and throughout time people have believed in God. With all the research done by social archaeologists they have never uncovered a single atheistic society. People even in the most difficult surroundings have come to the realization that there is a God and that He deserves their worship.

The things of God are revealed in man through conscience. There seems to be a pattern that develops within cultures. When one generation attempts to suppress belief in God the next generation cries out with a greater desire. When the “Iron Curtain” collapsed in Eastern Europe it did not take long for missionaries to leave their homes and families to bring the gospel to regions that had previously been closed. What they found was that young people who had been raised to believe there was not a God were the first to respond to the message of Christ and surrender their lives to Him.

In a similar passage the writer of Hebrews declared that while God had used many methods to reveal Himself to mankind the pinnacle of His self revelation was the incarnation of Christ. Inner testimony and creation screams that God exists, but it is in Christ that we learn who God is and what He is like. No contemplation about God will be complete without considering Christ. If we want to know God we should start by reading the Gospel according to  John. His purpose in writing was to reveal God to us.

Pastor Jim

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 21-22  & Psalm 51-52

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 21- Giant Killers

2 Samuel 21:22
“These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.”

In middle school, I could always be found hanging around with my friend Sean. We spent so much time together, we soon walked and talked the same. Truly, we had a walk; it was more like a strut. If you can imagine two 12 year old… Read More
2 Samuel 22- Battle Plan

2 Samuel 22:35
“He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”

As the sun begins to set on David’s life, he begins to recall how faithful the Lord has been. As king of a nation surrounded by hostile adversaries, he was faced with constant battles. With the poetic expression he became known for, he attributes his success to the Lord.  It was never his strength that led to victory, but the enabling work… Read More

Psalm 51- Born Into Sin

Psalms 51:5
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.”

David makes reference to the fact that he was born into sin. He realizes that his sin is not just a mistake that he made but a consequence of his very nature. The bible teaches that sin was passed down to us from Adam and has affected all of us making all of us sinners. Reforms are good and necessary both individually and nationally but these reforms cannot… Read More
Psalm 52- Good And Evil

Psalm 52:1
“Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually.”

We live in a world of contrast. On the one hand, we see the fingerprint of God all around us, demonstrating His goodness. Earlier in the Psalms, David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm19:1). When we see the beauty of creation, the birth of a child, or the love of betrothal, we are struck by the goodness of… Read More

Psalms 51:5
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.”

David makes reference to the fact that he was born into sin. He realizes that his sin is not just a mistake that he made but a consequence of his very nature. The bible teaches that sin was passed down to us from Adam and has affected all of us making all of us sinners. Reforms are good and necessary both individually and nationally but these reforms cannot change our nature. We can become better husbands, fathers, neighbors and citizens but until we are born again we still have a nature that is unredeemed and we will be forbidden access to heaven.

Jesus came not to reform us but to transform us. He took our sins on the cross and offers us his perfect nature when we place our trust in Him. Because of our spiritual condition we must be born again in order to have a new nature and be fit for eternity.

I find it interesting that while David understood his sin nature he did not use it as an excuse for his sinful behavior. He realized that he was guilty before God for his actions and responsible to make amends for how he wronged others. Today it is very popular to blame our actions on everyone or anything. If I misbehave it is not my fault and I shouldn’t be held responsible because I am Irish, I had a bad night sleep, didn’t get my coffee, have an unreasonable boss, didn’t have a father figure in my life… It seems like the excuses today are getting stranger and stranger while the way we wrong each other is getting worse and worse. As a believer in Christ it is important to realize that we sin because it is in our nature, but that does not excuse our behavior. We must take responsibility for our mistakes, seek the forgiveness found in Christ and seek to to make amends with those whom we have wronged.

Pastor Jim

 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 19-20  & Psalm 49-50

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 19- It’s Not Free

2 Samuel 19:4
“But the king covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, ‘O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!’”

I recently watched a news segment which focused on two teenagers who decided to rob a local business. One of the boys was reluctant to get involved, while the other boasted confidently that “no one would get hurt.” Sadly, as the story unfolded, one man lay dead and two young men were sent to prison for life. Sin is just like that. It promises to bring us happiness, and ensuring us that no one will get hurt. Regrettably, David found this out the hard way. One night, while… Read More

2 Samuel 20- Dissenter

2 Samuel 20:1
“And there happened to be there a rebel, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet, and said: ‘We have no share in David, Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse; Every man to his tents, O Israel!'”

There is a great difference between a leader and a dissenter. A leader has vision and has the best intentions for those who follow him. A dissenter is only capable of pointing… Read More

Psalm 49- Eternal Investments

Psalms 49:17
“For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.”

Have you ever heard the phrase “You can’t take it with you”? It seems like this sentiment might be as old as time itself. Thousands of years ago the sons of Korah used it as a lyric in one of their most famous songs. The basic thought is that when this life comes… Read More

 

Psalm 50- Promises

Psalm 50:16-17
“But to the wicked God says: ‘What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you?’”

One of the strangest phenomenon that I have experienced, over the years, is to hear the unbeliever quote the Bible. It fascinates me how those who have read so little of it seem, at times, to consider themselves the authority on what it says. Those who are living a lifestyle which the Bible does not condone, and quite… Read More

2 Samuel 20:1
“And there happened to be there a rebel, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet, and said: ‘We have no share in David, Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse; Every man to his tents, O Israel!'”

There is a great difference between a leader and a dissenter. A leader has vision and has the best intentions for those who follow him. A dissenter is only capable of pointing out everything wrong with someone else’s leadership and is seeking a position for himself. Sadly the church seems to be filled with dissenters. Certain Christians with strong personalities who struggle with authority are very good at pointing out every flaw in the leadership style of others. These folks, like Sheba do not have the best interest of the church in mind but are often looking for a leadership position for themselves. Sadly, church splits happen all the time because a dissenter with a strong voice gathers a group of people to his side and breaks away from the fellowship of believers. Over the years I have witnessed several such cases which almost always result in a sea of hurt Christians who in some cases never fully recover.

Clearly, there are reasons to question the authority of those in leadership. If a pastor is teaching false doctrine, is involved in immoral living or is taking the church away from rock solid biblical ministry principles we should reconsider where we and our families are fellowshipping. The problem is that more often than not people will endure those things because they like the music or have a lot invested in the church, but will fight over peripheral matters and split churches.

Jesus spoke of the importance of unity among His followers. A church is unified when all its members rally behind Jesus and are committed to the furtherance of His kingdom. Sheba proved that he had no interest in the things of God because he stood against the kingdom of David.

Pastor Jim

Psalms 49:17
“For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.”

Have you ever heard the phrase “You can’t take it with you”? It seems like this sentiment might be as old as time itself. Thousands of years ago the sons of Korah used it as a lyric in one of their most famous songs. The basic thought is that when this life comes to an end all that we have accomplished will be left behind. In recent years I heard a similar phrase that carries the same thought, “You never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer.”

The reality we all must face is that life will one day come to an end and everything we have accomplished here will be left behind for the generations that come behind us. Solomon, because of his extensive worldly possessions struggled with this. He spoke of the folly of working hard to gain wealth only to leave it to those who did not work for it and would not see the value of it. Jesus spoke of the folly of a man who lived to store up earthly possessions without ever taking time to make eternal investments. Jesus commented on his actions and said,

Luke 12:21
“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

While it is true that we cannot take earthly possessions beyond the grave, that does not mean that we cannot make investments in eternity. Jesus spoke of storing up treasures in heaven. This reveals something wonderful about the economy of God. He has established a system where eternal rewards are given for everyday actions. What we do with our time, talents and treasures can have eternal benefits. While we could never bring an earthly item beyond the grave we can send things ahead. We can store up eternal rewards by making investments in the kingdom of God. This is done whenever we serve the Lord in any capacity. Eternity will reveal the vast and elaborate reward system God has established for those who live their lives in light of eternity.

But there is another important truth we might want to consider. When this life comes to an end we will all leave things behind. Whatever possessions we have acquired will become the inheritance of those who we have loved the most. For many the inheritance will be nothing more that an itemized spread sheet with a list of possessions and their earthly value. But for others they will leave behind a heritage worth far more than any piece of property or lump of cash. They are the ones who chose to live for Christ and have made a rut in life’s road so deep that the generation behind them feels almost compelled to keep following Christ.

No matter what your age or how you have lived up until today, it is time to start making eternal investments that will outlast your life and will set a good pattern for the generations behind you.

Jim

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 17-18  & Psalm 47-48

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 17- Be Prepared

2 Samuel 17:23
“Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his father’s tomb.”

It is remarkable how many Biblical phrases have become part of our everyday lives. When a person is diagnosed with a disease that advanced medicine has no hope of curing, it is common for this passage to be quoted. They are told to “put their house in order.” Sadly, Ahithophel made preparations to die, without giving the proper consideration to what he would face after death. Too many still approach life that way. It might be, you have… Read More

2 Samuel 18- Pride

2 Samuel 18:9
“Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on.”

When I was younger, we used a wide variety of slang terms to describe a proud person. We considered them to be smug, snooty, puffed up, or stuck up. But the term that I remember most, when referring to pride, is “big headed.”… Read More

Psalm 47- Clap Your Hands

Psalm 47:1
“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!”

Sometimes knowing the setting in which a psalm was written is beneficial to understanding its content. Other times, like in this psalm, the setting is not given because the truth is universal. Whatever our condition, whether we would classify it as good or bad, blessing or trial, God remains the same and is always worthy of the highest praise. The truths tucked away in this psalm transcend every experience the child of God endures. Whatever state you are currently facing, it is a good idea… Read More

Psalm 48- Growing In Christ

Psalm 48:9
“We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness, In the midst of Your temple.”

We learn two very important things about following Jesus from this one verse.

First, the Psalmist talks about his location. We find him in the midst of the Temple. The Temple was the center of worship for the Old Testament… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Samuel 15-16 & Psalm 45-46

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 15- Memory Lane

2 Samuel 15:14
“So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, ‘Arise, and let us flee, or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.’”

Perhaps you have heard someone speak of having their whole life pass before their eyes. In a moment’s time, while facing imminent danger, all they had done, whether good or bad, seems to flash into their mind. David is having a similar experience. His son Absalom has stolen the hearts of the people, mounted a large army to overthrow the king, and steal the kingdom. Instead of remaining in Jerusalem and turning the holy city into a battle… Read More

2 Samuel 16- Love, Mercy and Grace

2 Samuel 16:4
“So the king said to Ziba, ‘Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.’ 
And Ziba said, ‘I humbly bow before you, that I may find favor in your sight, my lord, O king!'”

We are first introduced to Ziba in 2 Samuel 9 where he is described as a servant of king Saul. After David was established as king he began to look for descendants of king Saul. His search led him to Ziba who in turn led him to Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan. David  treated Mephibosheth with kindness and gave him a sons portion within the kingdom. Ziba in turn was given the responsibility of… Read More

Psalm 45- Worship

Psalm 45:11b
“Because He is your Lord, worship Him.”

This is a Messianic Psalm, meaning that it is speaking prophetically of Israel’s coming Messiah. In it, the Psalmist is describing the glory of Jesus, our King, and the beauty of His Bride, the church. After describing Jesus as the King of Glory, girded with a sword, overthrowing wickedness, ruling in righteousness and reigning in glory, he speaks of the proper… Read More

Psalm 46- Help In Trouble

Psalms 46:1
“God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.”

A refuge is a shelter or protection from danger or trouble. It is not uncommon in places that are threatened with severe weather to build rooms designed for refuge. The idea is that when danger arises the family can flee to a room that is designed to withstand the storm. A few years ago I was traveling in Israel and stayed… Read More

2 Samuel 16:4
“So the king said to Ziba, ‘Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.’ 
And Ziba said, ‘I humbly bow before you, that I may find favor in your sight, my lord, O king!'”

We are first introduced to Ziba in 2 Samuel 9 where he is described as a servant of king Saul. After David was established as king he began to look for descendants of king Saul. His search led him to Ziba who in turn led him to Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan. David  treated Mephibosheth with kindness and gave him a sons portion within the kingdom. Ziba in turn was given the responsibility of caring for all that belonged to Mephibosheth.

Years later, as David flees the city, Mephibosheth is no where to be found. In his place we find Ziba who appears to bless David. When the king asks about Mephibosheth, Ziba explains that he has chosen to side with the rebellion in hopes that the kingdom would be returned to him. Once the rebellion was squashed and David returned to the throne Mephibosheth will appear bowing before the king claiming that he did not rebel and the Ziba had lied to David about him.

David is in the midst of quite a conundrum. On the one hand he has Ziba claiming that Mephibosheth rebelled and on the other he has Mephibosheth claiming that Ziba lied. Without the aid of divine intervention David is forced to make a decision. Rather than casting judgment based upon uncertainty or limited information he chooses to do the only wise thing.

2 Samuel 19:29
So the king said to him, “Why do you speak anymore of your matters? I have said, ‘You and Ziba divide the land.”

Sometimes we are forced to make decisions based solely on faith. We lack divine insight and are not privy to all the facts, yet circumstances pressure us to intervene. We can learn a great deal from the actions of David who instead of making a rash judgment chose to show mercy on both parties. Obviously if the Lord revealed the truth David could act accordingly but without that he decided to make a decision that would bless both parties. When we are unsure on the right action to take it is wise to take the road that expresses love, mercy and grace.

Pastor Jim