PUT GOD FIRST AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Proclamation

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Explanation

These are the words which were spoken by Jesus, The Christ, to His disciples and to the surrounding crowd during His Sermon on The Mount, as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Matthew.  While teaching them not to worry about the things that they need, Jesus said that their Heavenly Father knows what they need. (Matthew 6:31-32)  He said, if they put God first, then God would supply all of their needs.

Application

All too often we focus on, and get caught up worrying about, the unimportant worldly things.  We take our focus off of The Lord God and then we wonder why things go wrong.   Remember, the Apostle Peter walked on water towards Jesus and did not start to sink until he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the storm. (Matthew 14:28-31)  As we begin this New Year, let us put The Lord God first.  Let us pray before we speak or take action that we may please Him.  May The Good Lord grant all of us a blessed, healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year.

THE LORD GOD CAN RESTORE THAT WHICH WAS LOST

PROCLAMATION

“Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land … ‘Give her back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.’”  2 Kings 8:5-6 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Elisha told the woman whose son he restored to life to leave the area because a severe seven year-long famine was coming, and she obeyed him and left. (2 Kings 8:1-2)  After the famine ended, she returned and appealed to the king to return her house and land.  Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, was just telling the king about the woman and what Elisha had done for her son when she presented herself to the king. (2 Kings 8:3-5)  The king questioned the woman regarding the events surrounding the restoration of her son and then assigned one of his officials to see that she received everything that belonged to her.

APPLICATION

There is a blessing in store for us when we obey The Word of God as spoken to us by the man of God.  Obedience to God’s word is paramount, even when it appears that by doing so we will lose something of value.  The Lord God can restore that which was lost and also provide an additional unexpected blessing.  Remember Job, a wealthy God-fearing man, (Job 1:1-3) lost everything that he had (Job 1:18-21) and afterwards The Lord God blessed him with twice the amount that he had. (Job 42:10) 

THE LORD GOD WILL MAKE A WAY

PROCLAMATION

“At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans.  When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, for The Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army … so they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents … and ran for their lives.  The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank.  Then they took silver and gold and clothes and went off and hid them.”  2 Kings 7:5-8 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After Elisha asked The Lord God to blind the Arameans who attacked him and he led them into the city of Samaria, The Lord opened their eyes and they saw where they were.  The Lord told the king of Israel not to kill them, but to feed them and let them go. (2 Kings 6:18-23)  Then there came a great famine to the area. (2 Kings 6:25)  There were four men with leprosy sitting by the gate at the entrance to the city and starving. (2 Kings 7:3-4)  They decided that rather than just sit there and starve to death, it would be better for them to go to the camp of the enemy to surrender and be fed or be killed.  So, they got up and left the city and when they got to the camp, they found that it had been abandoned.

APPLICATION

There are times when things seem very bleak and hopeless to us.  We forget that God is still in control.  He can protect us and provide for us.  He can cause our enemies to leave us alone.  He can provide food for us when we are hungry.  When we have come to the end of our resources, He can make a way out of no way.  He can use the people that we come into contact with to be a blessing for us.  We should thank The Lord God daily for the things that He has done, is doing, and will do for us as He blesses us.

CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

PROCLAMATION

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son.  She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn ... Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ, The Lord … Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests." Luke 2:4-14 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These words were recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Luke, the physician and frequent traveling companion of the Apostle Paul.  Luke’s account of the birth of Christ had been passed down to him by those who were the eyewitnesses to the events. (Luke 1:1-4)  For a more complete account of the events surrounding the birth of Christ, one must also read Matthew 1:18 to 2:21 and Luke 1:26 to 2:40. 

APPLICATION

As believers we all know the story of the birth of Christ and during this time of the year, we often sing about it.

AWAY IN A MANGER, The Christ Child was placed there after His birth on that SILENT NIGHT.  However, it was not a silent night for long for HARK, THE HERALD ANGELS SING songs of praise to The Lord.  Their message was JOY TO THE WORLD THE LORD IS COME.  They probably praised The Lord by singing HALLELUJAH, and if they didn't, we still should.  O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL, let us give thanks for THE FIRST NOEL, and let us all sing and shout HALLELUJAH as we celebrate and commemorate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, The Christ.  A joyous and very MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you.  May The Good Lord bless each of you with good health and much happiness for the remainder of this year, and throughout all of next year, and for all of the future years to come.

PROTECTION BY AN ARMY OF ANGELS

PROCLAMATION

“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out…an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city…‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered.  Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’  And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’  Then The Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.’  2 Kings 6:16-17 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

The king of Aram was at war with Israel (2 Kings 6:8) and after conferring with his men, he sent horses and chariots to surround the city where Elisha was. (2 Kings 6:8-14)  When Elisha’s servant woke up and went outside, he saw that they were surrounded by an army with horses and chariots, and he was afraid. (2 Kings 6:15)  It was then that Elisha told him not to be afraid and he prayed that The Lord God would open his servant’s eyes and allow him to see the army of angels, horses and chariots that were protecting them.  When Aram’s army attacked Elisha, he prayed to The Lord to strike them with blindness. (2 Kings 6:18)

APPLICATION

Even when we are in what appears to us to be a hopeless situation, The Lord God protects us.  He sends unseen angels to fight our battles, and to stand between us and our enemies.  He has the power to slay them or to render them helpless and unable to harm us.  When The Lord God is with us, He is more than all the world against us. (Romans 8:31)  And as believers we know that He is always with us.  He said that He would never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)

HEALED BY THE POWER OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“Elisha sent a messenger to him, ‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed … his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.”  2 Kings 5:10-14 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Aram.  He was great and highly regarded but he had leprosy. (2 Kings 5:1)  A young girl from Israel, who served his wife, suggested to him that he go and see the prophet Elisha, who was in Samaria, to cure his leprosy. (2 Kings 5:2-3)  After loading up with silver and gold, he got a letter from the king requesting that he be cured, then he set out to see the king of Israel. (2 Kings 5:4-6)  The king of Israel could not heal him and was upset that he was sent to him.  When Elisha heard what had happened, he sent for Naaman, and then sent a messenger to him. (2 Kings 5:7-10)  Naaman was upset that Elisha did not come out and see him and pray over him.  He was also upset that he was told to go wash in the Jordan.  After he was convinced to follow the instruction of the man of God, he did so and was cured. (2 Kings 5:11-14)  Naaman offered to pay Elisha, to give him gifts of gold and silver but Elisha refused them. (2 Kings 5:15-16)

APPLICATION

We may not always like what the man of God and the Word of God says, but if we follow God’s word we will be blessed.  We want things to be done in the way that we prefer but that is not how God works.  The Lord God works in mysterious ways His wonders to unfold.  All things are done His way and not our way.  We just need to pray and ask for his guidance, direction, and healing.

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MIRACLES BY THE MAN OF GOD

MIRACLES BY THE MAN OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“She went and told the man of God, and he said, ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debts.  You and your sons can live on what is left.’”  2 Kings 4:7  (NIV)

EXPLANATION

The wife of one of the men in the company of prophets with Elisha told him that his servant, her husband, was dead and now his creditors were coming to take her two sons to sell them into slavery to repay the debt. (2 Kings 4:1)  Elisha asked her what she had at home and she said that all she had was a small bottle of olive oil.  He told her to go borrow as many empty jars from her neighbors as she could.  Then she was to go home and pour the oil into the empty jars.  The oil kept flowing until all of the jars were full. (2 Kings 4:2-5)  Afterwards she went to Elisha and told him what had happened, and he told her to sell the oil and pay her debts.  Elisha also blessed a Shunammite woman with a son because she had been kind to him. (2 Kings 4:8-17)  The child grew and one day complained of a headache and died.  Elisha brought the child back to life. (2 Kings 4:18-35)  Later Elisha fed one hundred men with twenty small barley loaves of bread. (2 Kings 4:42-45)  

APPLICATION

In days of old, people would take their problems to the man of God and he would advise them.  Even today, the man of God can be helpful in problem solving.  The Bible encourages us to take certain problem to the elders of the church so that they can pray over us and anoint us with oil in the name of The Lord. (James 5:14)  Our pastors watch over our souls and must give an account for them. (Hebrews 13:17)  We are also encouraged to pray for ourselves and to take our concerns directly to The Lord in prayer.  There is power in the prayers of the righteous. (James 5:16)  Miracles still happen today, however, for some reason we don’t very often give The Lord God the credit for them.

WATER FROM HEAVEN WITHOUT RAIN

PROCLAMATION

“For this is what The Lord says: ‘You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, for you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.’”  2 Kings 3:17 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After king Ahab died, Mesha king of Moab rebelled against Israel. (2 Kings 3:5)  So, Joram king of Israel sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah to join with him against Moab along with the king of Edom. (2 Kings 3:6-9)  Joram had done evil in the eyes of The Lord (2 Kings 3:2-3) but Jehoshaphat did that which was right in the eyes of The Lord. (1 Kings 22:43)  Wicked people can benefit from friendship with the righteous.  In their journey through the desert of Edom there was no water for them or their animals. (2 Kings 3:9)  So the three kings sought out the prophet Elisha, who only agree to meet with them out of his respect for the God-fearing king of Judah, Jehoshaphat. (2 Kings 3:11-14)  Elisha told them that The Lord would will fill the valley with water for them and their animals.  He also told them that they would defeat the Moabites.  They were told to dig ditches for the water which they had requested. (2 Kings 3:16)  The next morning the land was filled with water. (2 Kings 3:20)

APPLICATION

The Lord God will provide.  He can perform miracles and bless His own.  He can make a way out of no way.  He can make water appear in the desert without rain.  He can protect us from our enemies, and He can help us to defeat them.  We must prepare for the blessings which we have requested.   When we pray for something, we must believe that we will receive it, and act like it is already done. (Mark 11:24)

A DOUBLE PORTION OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD

A DOUBLE PORTION OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me, what can I do for your before I am taken from you?’  ‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,’ Elisha replied.”  2 Kings 2:9 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After the death of Ahaziah, Elijah knew that he was near the end of his life, so he walked with Elisha. (2 Kings 2:1)  Elijah told Elisha to stay there because The Lord had sent him to Bethel, but Elisha said that he would not leave him. (2 Kings 2:1-2)  The Lord also sent Elijah to Jericho, to the Jordan, and each time Elisha said that he would not leave him. (2 Kings 2:4-6)  At the Jordan, Elijah took his cloak and struck the Jordan, and The Lord God parted the waters and they crossed over on dry land. (2 Kings 2:8)  It was after they had crossed the Jordan that Elijah asked Elisha what he could do for him before The Lord took him away.  Elisha asked for a double portion of The Spirit of God that Elijah had, and Elijah if you see me when I am taken away, then your request will be granted. (2 Kings 2:10)  As they were walking, they were separated, and a chariot of fire with horses of fire took Elijah away in a whirlwind up to heaven, and Elisha saw the whole thing. (2 Kings 2:11-12)

APPLICATION

Elisha was a greater prophet than Elijah was because he had a double portion of The Spirit of God upon him.  If we want to do more for The Lord, we need to ask for His help to do it.  The Holy Spirit of The Lord God is within all believers, (Ezekiel 36:27) we just have to learn to yield control of our lives to Him.  We need to pray that God will renew His Holy Spirit within us (Psalm 51:10) so that we can all get more involved in kingdom building here on earth.

DON'T ACT AS IF THERE IS NO GOD

PROCLAMATION

“But the angel of The Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?'”  2 Kings 1:3 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel.  Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, succeeded him as king of Israel and ruled from Samaria as his father had done. (1 Kings 22:51)  Ahaziah injured himself when he fell through the lattice work of his upper room.  He sent messengers to go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if he would recover from his injury. (2 King 1:2)  Like his father and mother, Ahab and Jezebel, Ahaziah worshipped Baal and this angered The Lord God of Israel. (1 Kings 22:52-53)  The angel of The Lord told Elijah to go and meet the messengers from the king, and ask them if they were going to seek Baal-Zebub because they thought there was no God in Israel?  Elijah told them that The Lord said that the king was not going to recover from his injury and that he was going to die from it. (2 Kings 1:4)  Then he told them to return to the king and tell him what The Lord God had said. (2 Kings 1:5-6)  Twice the king sent a captain and fifty men and ordered Elijah to come down from the mountain and go with them to the king, and twice Elijah called down fire from heaven which consumed them. (2 Kings 1:9-12)  The third captain humbly approached Elijah and begged him to spare his life and the lives of his men, and so he went with him to the king and told the king what thus said The Lord. (2 Kings 1:13-17)  Elijah called down fire from heaven to prove that there was a God, and that he was a man of God with a message from God.

APPLICATION

Unfortunately, some people behave as if there is no God.  They may not actively worship something or someone else, but they do not worship The Lord God.  Occasionally even believers act as if they do not believe in God and they disobey The Word of God.  Some of the time The Lord God allows things to happen to us in order to get our attention so that we can turn from our sinful ways.  We need to remember that there are sins of omission as well as sins of commission.  Doing nothing is a sin of omission when we should be worshipping and praising The Lord.  If nothing in our life is giving The Lord God glory, then who are we glorifying?

THE PROMISES OF THE LORD WILL COME TRUE

PROCLAMATION

“So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there.  They washed the chariot at the pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of The Lord had declared.”  1 Kings 22:37-38 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

The word of The Lord came to Elijah telling him to go Ahab, king of Israel, and tell him that in the place where his wife Jezebel had Naboth killed, so that he could have his vineyard, the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood and dogs will also lick up his blood. (1 Kings 21:17-19)  Three years later Ahab joined with Jehoshaphat king of Judah to battle Aram to reclaim the land of Ramoth Gilead which had previously belonged to Israel. (1 Kings 22:1-4)  During the battle Ahab was wounded by an arrow and subsequently died. (1 Kings 22:34-37)  It was three years after He said it, but what The Lord told Ahab, through the prophet Elijah, came to pass.  Dogs licked up his blood in the same place where dogs had licked up the blood of Naboth.  The promises of The Lord God will be fulfilled.

APPLICATION                                                                                                                   

Everything in The Word of The Lord God is true and all that He has promised will come to pass. (Matthew 5:18)  The promises of God, which were made through the prophets, are given to us today through Jesus, The Christ.  To all of the seed of Abraham were the promises of God made. (Galatians 3:16)  As believers we are part of the seed of Abraham.  These promises were made to cover us in every situation; to pardon all of our sins; to all penitent believers; for the sanctification of His people; for our support in temptation and during trials; for our guidance during perplexity; for our peace in death; and for eternal life and glory beyond the grave.  To God be the glory!!!

PUNISHED FOR THE SINS OF OUR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS

PROCLAMATION

“Then the word of The Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: ‘Have you noticed how Ahab humbled himself before me?  Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.’”  1 Kings 21:28-29 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Near the palace of king Ahab there was a vineyard which belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite.  Ahab wanted this vineyard for a vegetable garden but Naboth would not sell it to him. (1 Kings 21:1-3)  This saddened and angered Ahab.  When his wife Jezebel found out about this, she plotted to kill Naboth so that Ahab could have the vineyard. (1 Kings 21:4-14)  After Naboth’s death Ahab took possession of the vineyard.  Then the word of The Lord came to Elijah telling him to go Ahab, king of Israel who ruled in Samaria, and tell him that in the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will also lick up his blood. (1 Kings 21:17-19)  The Lord God was going to bring disaster on him and wipe out all of his descendants.  His wife would be devoured by dogs along with all those who belong to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the fields. (1 Kings 21:21-26)  When Ahab heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, fasted, and went around meekly. (1 Kings 21:27)  Then The Lord told Elijah that because Ahab humbled himself, He would not bring the disaster during his lifetime but during the life of his son.

APPLICATION

Most of us do not like to hear about the sins of our parents.  However, as difficult as it is to hear this, the truth is that some of the problems that we face today may be part of the punishment for the sins of our parents and/or our grandparents.  The Lord God said that He would punish the guilty, and their children to the third and fourth generation. (Exodus 34:6-7)  Sin will be punished although we will not lose our salvation because of it.  All we can do is pray and do our best to walk in the ways of The Lord and know that He is a merciful God.

THE GOD OF ANOTHER CHANCE

PROCLAMATION

“Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, ‘This is what The Lord says: ‘Do you see this vast army?  I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am The Lord.’”  1 Kings 20:13 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Ahab, king of the ten northern tribes of Israel, did even more evil in the eyes of The Lord than all of those before him, and his wife, Jezebel, who worshiped Baal, was just about as bad as he was, if not worse. (1 Kings 16:29-31)  However, after Elijah challenged their god Baal with the public sacrifices, he prayed to The Lord so that the people would know that The Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel was the only true God. (1 Kings 18:36-37) Baal was unresponsive but The Lord God sent down fire from above and consumed the sacrifice.  Ahab left the sacrifice and went home to Jezebel.  The Bible does not say that he became a believer, but  afterwards The Lord was with him in his battles against Ben-Hadad. (1 Kings 20:1-21 and 22-30)  After defeating Ben-Hadad, Ahab was disobedient and did not kill him.  Instead he made a treaty with him and let him go. (1 Kings 20:34)  This displeased The Lord God. (1 Kings 20:42)

APPLICATION

We may sin differently but all of us have sinned. (Romans 3:23)  There is no such thing as a big sin or a little sin, all sin is sin.  Committing only one sin still makes us a sinner. (James 2:10)  Jesus, The Christ, paid the price for the sins of the world. (John 1:29)  Believers still sin, but when we pray and ask for forgiveness, our sins are forgiven. (Romans 10:9-10)  There is no sin that is so egregious that it cannot be forgiven.  The Lord God gives us another chance to live right and to do right.  It is said that He is the God of “another chance” because we all used up our “second chance” a long time ago.  We need to pray for, and to thank Him for, one more chance.

ARE YOU WHERE THE LORD WANTS YOU TO BE?

PROCLAMATION

“There he went into a cave and spent the night.  And the word of The Lord came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’”  1 Kings 19:9 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After The Lord God sent down fire from above and consumed the sacrifice, the alter, the stones, the soil, and the water around it, (1 Kings 18:38) He ended the three long year drought and allowed rain to fall on the land. (1 Kings 18:45)  King Ahab left the site of the sacrifice and went and told his wife Jezebel everything that Elijah had done, including the killing of all 450 prophets of Baal. (1 Kings 18:40 and 19:1)  Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah and told him that within 24 hours she was going to kill him. (1 Kings 19:2)  Elijah was afraid and ran for his life and hid in the wilderness.  Then he travelled for forty days until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God, and there he rested. (1 Kings 19:8-9)  It was there that The Lord God spoke to him and twice asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9 and 19:13)

APPLICATION

Sometimes we allow our human fears to cause us to forget about the all-powerful God that we serve.  We will hide from people that we have no need to fear.  We let our fears cause us to go places where The Lord God did not intend for us to go.  The Lord God did not give us the spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7)  We need to examine our lives and ask ourselves if we are where The Lord wants us to be.  We have been blessed with God given talents, gifts, and abilities which we are to use to the glory of God.  We talk to and influence people every day, but we don’t always talk about The Word of God.  The Lord God has kingdom building work for each of us to do but we cannot do His will if we are not where He wants us to be.

THE LORD HE IS GOD

PROCLAMATION

“Then the fire of The Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.  When the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The Lord He is God!  The Lord He is God!’”  1 Kings 18:38-39 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Three years after Elijah had told king Ahab that there would be a drought in the land of Israel, The Lord God told Elijah to go back to Ahab and tell him that He would send rain to the land. (1 Kings 18:1-2)  When Elijah met Ahab, he told him that he and his family had brought trouble to Israel by abandoning The Lord’s commands and following Baal. (1 Kings 18:16-18)  Elijah then offered Ahab, the prophets of Baal, and the people a challenge.  He suggested that two sacrifices be prepared, one to their god Baal, and one to The Lord God, and see which god would consume the sacrifice by fire. (1 Kings 18:20-24)  Then the prophets of Baal prepared their bull for sacrifice and called on the name of Baal, but there was no response.  Afterwards Elijah repaired the alter with twelve stones, arranged the wood, prepared his bull for sacrifice, dug a trench around the alter, and then had the people pour water on the offering and the wood three times until the water filled the trench. (1 Kings 18:30-35)  Then Elijah prayed to The Lord so that the people would know that The Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel was the only true God. (1 Kings 18:36-37)  The Lord God sent down fire and consumed the sacrifice. 

APPLICATION

Unfortunately, some people will only believe when they see a miracle for themselves.  It is as if they are from the “show me” state of Missouri.  Like the apostle Thomas, they will only believe when they see for themselves.  However, Jesus, The Christ, said, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)  The gospel according to the apostle John was written so that all people might believe that Jesus is The Christ, The Son of God. (John 20:31)  Jesus, The Christ is God. (John 10:30 and 1 John 5:7)  The Bible says, “In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God.” (John 1:1)  The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14)  The Lord God is God.  He is the one and only true and living God. (Jeremiah 10:10)

THE LORD GOD WILL PROVIDE

PROCLAMATION

“So he did what The Lord had told him.  He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there.   The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.”  1 Kings 17:5-6 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

The prophet Elijah delivered a message from The Lord God to king Ahab and told him that there would be no rain or dew in the land for the next three years. (1 Kings 17:1)  Then The Lord told Elijah to leave there and go to an area just east of the Jordan river. (1 Kings 17:2-3)  The Lord told him that he would drink from the brook and that the ravens would bring him food. (1 Kings 17:4)  So, Elijah did that which The Lord God told him to do.  When the brook dried up, The Lord told him to go to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and He would have a widow woman supply him with food. (1 Kings 17:7-9)  Again Elijah did what The Lord God told him to do and He provided for him.  He even allowed Elijah to be a blessing to the widow woman and her son. (1 Kings 17:10-23)

APPLICATION

Believers know that The Lord will provide.  He will supply all of our needs. (Philippians 4:19)  He knows what we need even before we ask Him for them. (Matthew 6:8)  When our “brooks have dried up” and human logic says that we have come to the end, The Lord God can replenish us with His “living water” or He can direct us to another source to sustain us.  The very breath of life that we enjoy comes from Him (Genesis 2:7) and it is through Him that we live, move, and have our very being. (Acts 17:28)  Our very life is both a miracle and a blessing from The Lord God, and we should thank Him daily.  We are also blessed as He provides for our needs.

THEY DID EVIL IN THE EYES OF THE LORD

PROCLAMATION

“But Omri did evil in the eyes of The Lord and sinned more than all those before him.  He followed completely the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebet, committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of The Lord, The God of Israel, by their worthless idols.”  1 Kings 16:25-26 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Baasha, king of the northern tribes of Israel, did evil in the eyes of The Lord following in the sinful ways of Jeroboam worshiping idols (1 Kings 15:33-34) and so did his son, Elah who succeeded him as king.  Then Zimri, one of Elah’s officials, killed Elah and succeeded him as king. (1 Kings 16:9-10)  As king, Zimri killed off Baasha’s whole family (1 Kings 16:11) but the Israelites rejected him as king and proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, as their king. (1 Kings 16:16)  Then Zimri killed himself by setting the palace on fire when he saw that the Israeli army had seized the city. (1 Kings 16:16-19)  However, Omri also did evil in the eyes of The Lord.  When he died his son, Ahab, became king and he did even more evil in the eyes of The Lord than all of those before him, and his wife, Jezebel, who worshiped Baal, was just as bad as he was, if not worse. (1 Kings 16:29-31)  Asa, king of Judah, was the only king during this time who did right in the eyes of The Lord.

APPLICATION

The world is full of men who do not follow the ways of The Lord.  There are also many leaders who have led the people away for the ways of The Lord.  Every leader is not a man of God.  In order for us not to get caught up in a cult or follow some leader who is not of The Lord God, we need to pray, read, and study The Word of God.  That is the only way that we can verify that we have heard is true and that we are going God’s way.  Following ungodly leaders will lead us to damnation.  We cannot follow The Word of God if we do not know it.

DOING THE RIGHT THING WHEN OTHERS AROUND YOU ARE DOING WRONG

PROCLAMATION

“In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah … Asa did what was right in the eyes of The Lord …”  1 Kings 15:9-11 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

When Asa, son of Abijah, son of Rehoboam, son of Solomon, son of David, became king of Judah, he did that which was right in the eyes of The Lord.  In his old age, King Solomon let his wives lead him astray.  He worshiped other gods and did evil in the sight of The Lord. (1 Kings 11:1-6)  After the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam became king and rejected of the advice of the elders of Israel which led to the division of Israel with only Judah following the house of David.  Jeroboam, who had rebelled against King Solomon (1 Kings 11:26-40) became king of the northern tribes of Israel. (1 Kings 12:20)  He made two golden calves for the people to worship. (1 Kings 12:26-33)  Abijah became the king of Judah and he committed all the sins which his father Rehoboam had committed. (1 Kings 15:1-3)  When Abijah died his son Asa became king of Judah and he did that which was right in the eyes of The Lord. (1 Kings 15:9-11)  Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, the northern tribes, and he did evil in the eyes of The Lord. (1 Kings 15:25-26)  Baasha killed Nadab and became king of Israel (1 Kings 15:27-28) and he did evil in the eyes of The Lord following in the sinful ways of Jeroboam worshiping idols. (1 Kings 15:33-34)  Asa was the only king during this period who did right and followed the ways of The Lord.

APPLICATION

It is very hard to do the right thing and follow The Word of God when all of the people around you are doing that which is wrong.  Standing alone and doing right is difficult when the crowd is doing that which is wrong.  Today we are bombarded with influences which encourage us to sin and to turn away from the teachings of The Word of God.  There are many negative worldly influences including political leaders, movie stars, television personalities, co-workers, and friends that can exert a lot of peer pressure on us to behave in an ungodly manner.  We need to read and study The Word of God, to stay “prayed up,” and to associate with and encourage believers who are also struggling to do the right thing in the face of pressure to do that which is wrong.  The Lord God did not say that it would be easy, but He said that He would be with us and never leave us. (1 Kings 8:57 and Hebrews 13:5)

THE LORD GOD KNOWS WHO WE REALLY ARE

PROCLAMATION

“But The Lord had told Ahijah, ‘Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer.  When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.”  1 Kings 14:5 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Some time after King Jeroboam’s hand was shriveled up and restored to normal by the man of God, (1 Kings 13:4-6) the king’s son became ill.  He told his wife to disguise herself and seek out the prophet Ahijah in Shiloh who had told him that he would become king. (1 Kings 14:1-3)  The prophet Ahijah was blind but The Lord God told him that Jeroboam’s wife was coming to see him and told him what to tell her. (1 Kings 14:4-6)

APPLICATION

At times, for whatever reason, some people will pretend to be someone that they are not.  With their disguise or their lies they may fool some of the people some of the time, but no one can fool all of the people, all of the time.  God has blessed some people with the gift of discernment. (1 Corinthians 12:7-10)  However, there is no amount of pretending or disguise which can conceal the nature of the real person from The Lord God.  He not only sees our actions and hears our words, He knows our thoughts, our motives, and our heart. (1 John 3:20)  He knows us better than we know ourselves.  He knew all about us even before we were born. (Psalm 139:13-16)  When we lie to God, we are only deceiving ourselves. (Galatians 6:3, Titus 3:3, and 1 John 1:8)  It is in our best interest to confess all of our sins, including our sinful thoughts, and ask Him to forgive us and guide us.  For if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

MEN WILL LIE TO YOU AND LEAD YOU AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“I have been told by The Word of The Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return the way you came.’  The old prophet answered, ‘I too am a prophet, as you are.  And an angel said to me by The Word of The Lord: Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’  But he was lying to him.  So, the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.”  1 Kings 13:17-19 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king. (1 Kings 11:42-43)  But Rehoboam consulted the elders of Israel and rejected their advice.  This eventually caused him to lose the support of the people (1 Kings 12:16-17) and led to the division of Israel with only the two southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin supporting him.  Jeroboam, Solomon’s son who had rebelled against him in his old age, became the king of the ten northern tribes, built shrines and two golden calves to be their gods and led them to worship idols. (1 Kings 12:28-33)  King Jeroboam was standing by the alter when a man of God came and cried out against the alter of the idols.  When the king stretched out his hand and told his men to seize the man of God, his hand shriveled up and he could not move it. (1 Kings 13:4)  The king then begged the man of God to pray for him, which he did, and his hand was restored. (1 Kings 13:6)  To reward him the king invited him to dine with him and offered him a gift, but the man of God refused per his instructions from The Word of God. (1 Kings 13:7-10)  The sons of a prophet in Bethel saw this and told him what had happened to the king, then he went after the man of God and invited him to dine with him.  The man of God declined, and the prophet lied to him saying that he had been sent to get him by an angel of The Lord.  The man of God listened to the lying prophet and disobeyed The Word of God.  When he left the prophet’s house he was attacked and killed by a lion. (1 Kings 13:23-25)  

APPLICATION

We can get all kinds of advice and requests from people who make false claims which will lead us away from The Word of God.  That is why we need to read and study The Word of God for ourselves.  Just because someone claims that The Bible says something does not mean that what they are saying is the truth.  We all will pay a price for our disobedience to God’s Holy Word.

O GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD

PROCLAMATION

“O give thanks unto The Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people.”  Psalm 105:1 (KJV)

EXPLANATION

This psalm was written by King David and it begins with the same words that he used when he brought the tabernacle into Jerusalem. (Chronicles 16:8-22)  He goes on to recount the history of the children of Israel emphasizing what The Lord God has done for them, giving them the reasons that they should be thankful. 

APPLICATION

We are encouraged throughout the Bible to give thanks unto The Lord.  Psalms 105, 106, 107, 118, and 136 all begin with the phrase, "O give thanks unto The Lord ..." and then they each go on to provide reasons for doing so.  However, Psalm 105 goes on to say, "... call upon His name; make known His deeds ... Sing unto Him ... talk ye of all His wondrous works ... Glory in His holy name ... rejoice ... Seek The Lord ... Remember His marvelous works ..." (Psalm 105:1-5)  When we think of all of the blessings that we have received from God throughout our lives, we ought to say, 'Thank you Lord'.  We all have so much to be thankful for; every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) comes from The Lord.  Also, think of the things and people that He kept us from.  We have been blessed in more ways than we can count, and we should be thankful. (Psalms 100:4 and Colossians 3:15)  We have been blessed so that we can be a blessing to others. (Proverbs 11:25)  Let us thank God for the blessings which we have received and let us share with those who are less fortunate.  Let us not worry about anything and pray about everything with thanksgiving to God. (Philippians 4:6)   O, give thanks unto The Lord. 

May you have a blessed Day of Giving Thanks.

LISTEN TO THE ADVICE OF YOUR ELDERS

PROCLAMATION

“Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime.  ‘How would you advise me to answer these people?’ he asked. … But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.”  1 Kings 12:6-8 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king. (1 Kings 11:42-43)  When Jeroboam, Solomon’s son who had rebelled against him in his old age and then fled to Egypt, heard that Rehoboam was king he returned to Israel. (1 Kings 12:2-4)  Jeroboam asked King Rehoboam to lighten the burden which Solomon had placed on him and said that he would serve him.  Rehoboam told him the go away for three days and then return, to allow him to consider his request.  Then he consulted the elders of Israel and rejected their advice.  He decided to follow the advice of the young men that he grew up with.  This eventually caused him to lose the support of the people (1 Kings 12:16-17) and led to the division of Israel with only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin supporting Rehoboam.  Jeroboam became king of the ten northern tribes, and he built shrines and two golden calves to be their gods and led them to worship idols. (1 Kings 12:28-33)

APPLICATION

All too often the young ignore, reject, and do not follow the advice of their elders.  They feel that they know better and that their elders are “old fashioned”, uninformed, and out of touch with reality.  If they listen to any advice it is usually that which comes from their friends and peers.  Rejecting good advice usually results in bad outcomes.  Only after they mess up and get into trouble do the young realize that their elders, their father and mother, really did know what was best for them. (Proverbs 5:12-14 and 30:17)  Listen to the advice of your elders for with age and experience comes some wisdom.

DON'T BE A FOOLISH OLD MAN

PROCLAMATION

“As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to The Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”  1 Kings 11:4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

For as wise as King Solomon was as a young man, his wisdom began to fail him as an old man, or maybe it was just his weakness for women.  Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, many of whom were from foreign nations which The Lord God had told the Israelites not to marry. (1 Kings 11:1-3)  Solomon did evil in the sight of The Lord and worshiped the idol gods of his wives. (1 Kings 11:5-8)  He would still go through the motions of worshiping The Lord God, but he was not fully and completely into it.

APPLICATION

It does not matter how wise, or smart, or educated, or intelligent we are, if we cannot control our behavior.  The uncontrolled worldly sinful lust has caused many great men, and also many average men, to fall and to lose their influence.  There are countless examples of men who did a lot of good as leaders, but they are now remembered for their shameful downfall.  As we age and get older, we should also get wiser and benefit from our years of experience.  Some of us get so caught up in ourselves and our desires, and we make even bigger mistakes in our old age.  The dictionary defines foolish as “lacking in sense, judgment, or discretion.”  There is a saying, “There is no fool like and old fool.”  As the number of days in front of us gets much smaller than the number of days behind us, let us reflect on our past and see where The Lord God has brought us from and all that He has brought us through.  Let us thank Him and praise Him for all that He has done, let us draw closer to Him in our old age instead of drifting away from Him and making foolish mistakes.

BLESSED BEYOND IMAGINATION

PROCLAMATION

“King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.  The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.”  1 Kings 10:23-24 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

King Solomon was the wisest man in the world, and he was also the richest man in the world.  When the Queen of Sheba, who was rich in her own right, heard of King Solomon’s wealth and wisdom she did not believe what she heard.  She went to Jerusalem to see for herself and to test Solomon’s wisdom. (1 Kings 10:1)  After she talked with Solomon and saw his palace, his officials, his servants, and the feast that was prepared to feed them, she was overwhelmed and said that his wisdom and wealth far exceeded the report that she had heard. (1 Kings 10:2-7)  There was no throne like King Solomon’s throne. (1 Kings 10:18-20)  His wealth was greater than anyone could even imagine, and he was clearly the wisest man in the world.  Remember, Solomon did not ask God for wealth and riches, he asked for discernment so that he could do a good job judging God’s people. (1 Kings 3:9)  All of this was a blessing to him because God was pleased with his heart and his desire to do a good work. (1 Kings 3:10-13)

APPLICATION

We may not have Solomon’s wealth or wisdom, but we can be abundantly blessed.  Jesus, The Christ said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)  Not only a physical life but a spiritual life and an eternal life.  Additionally, we can have an abundance of grace, spiritual blessings, joy, and happiness.  We are already blessed in more ways than we can count, and this abundance is on top of that.  If our prayer requests are for things that will give God glory, they will be granted (John 15:7-8) and then we too will be abundantly blessed.  If you only want to be rich in money, then you are really very poor. 

CONDITIONAL BLESSINGS

PROCLAMATION

“The Lord appeared to him a second time … The Lord said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer … I have consecrated this temple … and My heart will always be there … if you walk before Me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness …’”  1 Kings 9:2-4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

When King Solomon had finished building the temple of The Lord and his palace, The Lord God appeared to him a second time. (1 Kings 9:1-2)  He was pleased with Solomon’s efforts and said that His eyes and His heart would always be there.  He would watch and watch over His chosen people.  Then He made a conditional covenant with Solomon which was dependent upon his behavior.  The Lord God spelled out what would happen if Solomon was faithful and obedient. (1 Kings 9:4-5)  He wanted Solomon to obey Him and to walk before Him “faithfully with integrity of heart”, to be sincere and righteous.  He also spelled out what would happen to Israel if King Solomon or his descendants turned away from The Lord God and worshiped other gods. (1 Kings 9:6-9)

APPLICATION

We receive a lot of blessing from The Lord God, many more than we can count.  However, there are some blessings from The Lord which are conditional blessings.  These blessings will only be received when we fulfill the specified condition which is required of us.  They can be referred to as “If … then …” blessings.  There are several conditional blessings presented in The Bible.  My favorite one is: “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

KING SOLOMON BLESSES THE PEOPLE OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“May The Lord our God be with us as He was with our ancestors; may He never leave us nor forsake us.  May He turn our hearts to Him, to walk in obedience to Him and keep the commands, decrees and laws He gave our ancestors.”  1 Kings 8:57-58 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After all of the work on the temple was finished, King Solomon had all of the things that his father David had dedicated, the silver and gold and all the furnishings, brought into the temple. (1 Kings 7:51)  Then he summoned all of the elders of Israel to Jerusalem.  When they had arrived, he had to priests to bring the ark of The Lord and the tent and all of its furnishings to the temple. (1 Kings 8:1-5)  When the priests withdrew from the temple, a cloud filled the temple of The Lord. (1 Kings 8:10-11)  Then Solomon prayed for the people, (1 Kings 8:12-21) and he prayed a prayer of dedication for the temple. (1 Kings 8:22-53)  Solomon then pronounced a blessing upon the people of God, (1 Kings 8:54-61) after which he observed a festival with all of Israel and the celebration lasted fourteen days. (1 Kings 8:65)

APPLICATION

We all need to understand that we need God’s help to walk in His way.  It is by His grace and mercy that we make it through each day.  Solomon’s request that “The Lord God be with us as He was with our ancestors” was a great blessing for us because we need God’s help.  Only He can turn our hearts from our worldly appetites to walking His way and doing His will.  Only He change our hearts.  He can harden our hearts, as He did with Pharaoh, (Exodus 7:13, 9:12, 10:20, 10:27, 11:10, and 14:8) or He can turn us over to our reprobate minds, (Romans 1:28) or He can give us a new heart and spirit. (Ezekiel 11:19)  That is why we should pray, as David prayed, that He will create within us a clean heart and a right spirit which is focused in Him. (Psalm 51:10)

THE TWO PILLARS OF THE TEMPLE

PROCLAMATION

“He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple.  The pillar to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.”  1 Kings 7:21 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

When the temple was completed, King Solomon sent for Hiram, the artisan, who was a skilled worker in brass.  Hiram cast the two large pillars at the front of the porch of the temple in brass. (1 Kings 7:13-22)  He also cast the capitals at the top of each pillar in brass.  When Hiram had finished, Solomon named the two pillars Jachin and Boaz.  Jakin (Jachin) means “God shall establish” and Boaz means “in it is strength.”  The concepts of strength and beauty are part of the temple sanctuary. (Psalm 96:6)

APPLICATION

There is beauty in the worship of The Lord, and there is strength in the salvation of His people.  These two concepts should be part of the spiritual life of all believers.  It is His power and strength that saves us and delivers us from the penalty of sin.  The Bible teaches us to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 29:2, and Psalm 96:9)  Our bodies are also temples and we are also beautifully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)  It is by His strength that we are able to accomplish things. (Psalm 78:4)  It is The Lord God who gives strength to His people. (Psalm 29:11)  We should praise The Lord God for who He is and for what He has done.