Romans 1:1

“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God . . .”

The Gospel was the favorite subject of the Apostle Paul. He used the term four times in the first chapter of Romans, 15 times in the book, and a total of 71 times in his writings. It was the subject of every letter he wrote, and every message he preached.

When writing to the Corinthian church he declared, “For I determined not to know anything among you accept Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2

Here, he refers to himself as being “set apart to the Gospel.” The picture he paints is that of an Old Testament Priest, who was set apart to the service of God around the Temple. The priest’s whole life was consumed with the service of the Lord. His daily activities, lifestyle, even…

2 Chronicles 24:20

“Thus says God: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you. ’”

Isaac Newton is credited with discovering certain laws governing the natural world. These laws cannot be broken. The law of gravity simply states, what goes up must come down. We prove that to be true each time we toss something into the air and watch as it lands back on the ground. Just as there are natural laws determining the course of nature, so there are spiritual laws that will determine the course of our lives. One of those laws is expressed here.

“Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper?”

To prosper means succeed, flourish or get ahead. Zechariah essentially declares, it is impossible to ignore or trample over the commands…

Psalms 149:1

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints.”

Sometimes, worship can have a tired feel to it because we are singing the same songs over and over again. It is so refreshing when the worship team brings a new song; partly because new songs come out of new experiences with the Lord. I spent many weeks of my early years of ministry serving at a Christian camp. Those days were filled with lessons I still benefit from today. One afternoon, while sitting by the pool, I struck up a conversation with the worship leaders wife. While her children were in the pool, she was relaxing in the sun, but her husband was noticeably absent. I will never forget her response when I asked where he was, she said, “He is taking some time alone with Jesus because that…

2 Chronicles 22:3

“He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother advised him to do wickedly.”

These were dark days in Judah. The once glorious land was filled with idols, immorality and unrighteousness. This had so weakened the nation, they were being attacked and defeated on all sides. Desperate times like these always provide a backdrop for men and women of God to rise to the occasion, and have a tremendous impact upon their world for the kingdom of God. Unfortunately, Ahaziah was not that man. Instead of using his position as king to bring about true and lasting change by turning the hearts of the people back to the ways of God, Ahaziah led the people farther and farther away from the Lord. This young man helped weaken the nation and hasten its demise. Sadly, the strongest influence in leading Ahaziah away from…

Psalm 147:5

“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.”

Bible writers use a variety of adjectives to help us better understand God. The Psalmist chooses the word great. Great is a word with vast meaning. It can indicate size; one dictionary defines it as “very large and imposing.” It can also mean important, distinguished, superior and preeminent. It is clear, the Psalmist is declaring God is above all His creation. One way he chooses to express the greatness of God, is to refer to His infinite understanding. There is nothing God does not know. The Psalmist declares,

“He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.” Psalm 147:4

Scientists have been fascinated with the heavens for as long as man has been on the Earth. In the third century B.C., Aristarchus accurately measured the distance of the moon from the…

2 Chronicles 20:12

“O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

I have often found myself in circumstances similar to that of Jehoshaphat. I am not saying the Moabites have ever tried to attack my house, but I often feel as though I do not know what to do, and my only recourse is to keep my eyes on the Lord. While it is obvious Jehoshaphat did not know how to defeat the swelling armies of his enemies, he was not without direction while he awaited the Lord’s instruction. We see three key ingredients that should be part of our lives when we do not know what to do.

First, we read, that while confused, Jehoshaphat gathered the congregation of Judah, and they…

Psalm 145:4

“One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.”

When God divided the Jordan River, enabling Israel to cross into the Promised Land, He instructed Joshua to memorialize the event by building a simple altar. Twelve men, one from each tribe, carried a large stone out of the dry riverbed and placed it in the area of Gilgal. One by one, as these stones were piled atop one another, a rudimentary altar was formed. This altar was not a place to sacrifice, but a place to remember. Joshua instructed the people that these stones would serve two purposes. First, they were to be a reminder of the mighty works of God, and second they were a teaching tool that one generation should praise His works to another. Joshua declared,

“When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these…