TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Kings 5-6 & Psalm 59-60

Old Testament: 1 Kings 5- Expanding Your Portfolio

1 Kings 5:13
“Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel; and the labor force was thirty thousand men.”

Building the Temple was a massive undertaking. It was to be a structure like no other. Unlike the pagan temples that were built in an attempt to reach up to the gods, this temple was built… Read More
1 Kings 6- The Temple

1 Kings 6:11-13
“Then the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying: ‘Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.’” … Read More

Psalm 59- I Did It My Way

Psalm 59:13
“And let them know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth.”

In the early eighties, a well-known Christian band wrote a song called “God Rules.” In some ways, it became the anthem of many young Christians. I remember having a “God Rules” bumper sticker on my car, and proudly writing it on my school notebook. To me, that phrase was a slang term meaning little more than the fact God… Read More

 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Kings 3-4 & Psalm 57-58

Old Testament: 1 Kings 3- Divided Heart

1 Kings 3:3
“And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.”

Throughout his life Solomon showed evidence of his love for the Lord. He wrote three thousand proverbs to instruct … Read More

1 Kings 4- Wisdom

1 Kings 4:30
“Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.”

Solomon was known for his great wisdom. We are told his understanding of psychology, botany and biology … Read More

Psalm 57- Shelter

Psalm 57:1
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by.”

No matter where we live, we are faced with the storms of life. Growing up… Read More

 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Kings 1-2 & Psalm 55-56

Old Testament: 1 Kings 1- One Man Army
1 Kings 1:36-37
“Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, ‘Amen! May the Lord God of my lord the king say so too. As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.’”
…Read More

1 Kings 2- Man Up

1 Kings 2:2-3
“I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.” ...Read More

Psalm 55- Wings Like A Dove

Psalms 55:6-7
“So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.
Indeed, I would wander far off,
And remain in the wilderness.”
Selah… Read More

 

Psalm 56- Book Of Tears

Psalm 56:8
“You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?”

David refers to God’s book. This is not a reference to the Word of God; for he tells us that the content of this book is David’s tears. He is not the only writer to refer to a book that God… Read More

Psalms 55:6-7
“So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.
Indeed, I would wander far off,
And remain in the wilderness.”
Selah

David was facing an extremely difficult season in life. The more things began to unfold the more he desired to run away and hide. He writes of his desire to flee to the wilderness far away from the problems and the people that surrounded him. He writes of desiring to have wings that could carry him far from his problems. I don’t think the psalmist is alone in this. I know I have felt this way and have met many believers who long for a way to escape the difficulties of life. I wonder how many of us have wished for our own private get away far from the problems and issues of life? While there is no island or mountain hideaway where we can be saved from the issues of life, there is a place the child of God can run for refuge.

Psalms 55:17
“Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.”

David made the Lord his hiding place. Rather than fleeing from his problems he brought them to the Lord and encourages us to do the same.

Psalms 55:22
“Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Whatever trials you are facing that make you want to hide under the covers, flee to the mountains or even long for heaven take them to the Lord. Take them daily until the Power of God is provided to set you free or bring you through.

Jim

 

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