"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE DANGER OF DISOBEDIENCE"
1st Kings 11:1 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites--
1st Kings 11:2 from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:
The events recorded in 1st Kings took place towards the end of Solomon's life. Earlier in his life, and even before his life, God had spoken the Children of Israel about what a ruler was to do, and not to do. Solomon knew God's Word, but unfortunately he chose to ignore it, and rather gave into his own desires, instead of being obedient to God. He became disobedient and it was the start of much, much trouble for him personally, and ultimately for the nation as a whole.
1. Direct disobedience to God's Word is never fruitful.
1st Kings 11:1 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites--
We are told what the disobedience was. 1st Kings 11:1 But King Solomon loved many foreign women,
God had directly warned His people and His rulers not to do this.
The New Testament calls this being un-equally yoked together with unbelievers. Light and darkness do not mix.
As Christians we are light in the Lord, and to marry, or to engage in business relationships etc, is an effort that is in direct contradiction to God's will for His people. You cannot blend the two. Trouble will ensue
2. Direct disobedience will bring about consequences that are not a blessing.
1st Kings 11:2 from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.
Here we have God's Word spoken very clearly. And, we are also given the reason for this command.
Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon
God told Solomon, that these foreign women would turn his heart away after their gods. Solomon's heart had been towards the Lord, but now it was being turned away from the Lord and towards the gods of his wives.
If you read on in 1st Kings, you hear about the various God's, Astoreth, was the goddess of sex. One of the other gods he wound up worshipping was Molech, which involved the sacrifice of children, having them burned alive as in their worship of this god Molech.
One only has to stop and think for a moment that if one god is sex, and that's what you gave yourself to, then the natural outcome would be pregnancies. We would call these today, unwanted pregnancies. So, they would have sex, get pregnant and then kill their children. This is what Solomon was involved in. It's hard to believe, but it happened. It's so sad to read about, but how true it was.
3. Direct disobedience is something that Satan seeks for God's people to do.
1st Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
There is no question that satan was involved in all this pagan worship as he is this very day. His goal is to destroy the work of God in God's people. And, he did a good job when it came to Solomon, just like he seeks to do today in our lives.
Our defense against Satan is available, and it's called the armor of God. See Eph 6:10-18. We are told there, that if we will put on the armor that God has made for us, that we will stand in victory and not go down in shameful defeat.
Putting on that armor is in it's simplest form, is putting on Christ. Putting on Christ in it's simplest form, is knowing Him, and following Him, and obeying Him.
Some questions:
1. What did this devotional today make you think of?
2. Can you see that even the mighty can fall like Solomon did?
3. Can you also see that obedience is the best path to choose?
4. God knows what's best for us. It's for our good to be obedient to Him.
5. Can you think of any area of your life right now that may need adjustment from disobedience to obedience?
6. Do you know that God loves You, and will forgive you and restore you if you have been disobedient?
7. Do you know that just because a person is in a position of leadership, they are not immune form the consequences of disobedience.
A prayer:
Father, thank You for not glossing over the harsh realities of this life. Here we have the story of a wise man, the wisest of men, who to his own hurt chose to give into his lust, and disobeyed You, and how it hurt the nation in the days following. Father, the same sequence can happen in our lives. We today, would want to quickly and sincerely confess and repent of any known sin in our lives, and cling to You, and forsake our sins. Thank You for wanting to protect us. May we heed Your Word with all of our hearts. Give us grace and mercy this day we pray. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Thursday, June 12, 2014
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOING THROUGH TRIALS"
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOING THROUGH TRIALS"
Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests the hearts.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:
The Book of Proverbs has been given to us by God to show us how to walk in wisdom day by day.
As you read through the 31 chapters, you run into just about every situation that you actually experience in life. Proverbs gives us both insight from God, encouragement from God, warnings from God, and explanations from God. This verse is one of explanation. God is explaining a little bit to us about "Trials"
1. Man uses methods to refine silver and gold.
Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
In days of old, and even today, the method to purify is heat. Silver and gold, which are precious metals, need to be heated, over and over again, in order to separate the dross from the actual silver and gold. The heat is what separates the two.
In fact, God uses this concept to explain to us how His word is pure.
Psalms 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times.
So, right there in Ps 12:6, you have even some more detail as to the number of times heat is applied to purify. God's Word of course did not need to be purified, but God was simply using a real life illustration to show the purity of His Word. And, in doing so, we see that men actually would use furnaces to purify precious metals, and apparently 7 times was the needed amount of time to make the metal pure.
2. But LORD tests the hearts.
Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests the hearts.
Now we see by contrast what God does in the heart of man to purify him. Man may use fire to purify precious metals, but the LORD tests the hearts of men. Or He seeks to purify the heart of man.
3. Here are four direct references to this process of testing our hearts, or the LORD putting us through trials. Please keep in mind, that God's goal is to purify our lives. What a blessing that He would have such an interest in us, as to bring that purification into our lives. These verses help us understand God's ways of using trials to purify our lives. And, to bless our lives.
(1) The first one is found in James chapter 1.
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
These verses encourage us to look at the big picture when we are being tested. The test is designed to produce in us patience. And, it's needful that we allow the Lord to do His work, by trusting Him, and as we do, we will become more well rounded believers, we will grow into maturity.
(2) The second is found in Heb 12:11
Hebrews 12:11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
This verse does not sugar coat the difficulties of trials. They are not joyful to go through, but they are painful. But, if we go through them, we will come out the other side different people. We will experience the peaceable fruit of righteousness in our lives. God uses trials to purify us.
(3) The third one is found in 1st Peter
1st Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
Here we are told not to think it's some strange thing when we find ourselves in a fiery trial. It's going to happen. This simply is God's helpful instruction to us, to not panic or wonder what is going on. We are going through a trial, and it's fiery. Remember, it's to purify our lives.
(4) The fourth one is found in 1st John 3.
1st John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
1st John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
This last reference is one connected with the fact that as God's children, we will one day be changed, and we will be like Him when we see Him. And, please notice what's said in 1st John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
The hope of being with the Lord has a purifying effect upon us. We know that He is coming, and that knowledge helps us to purify ourselves. This is why it's so important to keep in mind the clear Biblical teaching that Jesus is coming back again soon.
Some questions:
1. What did you learn from these verses today about trials.?
2. What were you reminded about from these verses today?
3. What application is the Lord showing you to take from these verses?
4. Isn't it wonderful that God wants to improve our lives, to purify them?
5. Which of us does not realize the need to be made purer than we are at this moment?
A prayer:
Our Father in heaven, how great and loving You are towards us Your children. You took us out of darkness, and made us light. You then begin the process of growing us up, and conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ. Though the trials are fiery and not pleasant, they nonetheless yield wonderful benefits in our lives. They make us more like Your Son Jesus. Thank You for Your work in our lives Lord. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests the hearts.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:
The Book of Proverbs has been given to us by God to show us how to walk in wisdom day by day.
As you read through the 31 chapters, you run into just about every situation that you actually experience in life. Proverbs gives us both insight from God, encouragement from God, warnings from God, and explanations from God. This verse is one of explanation. God is explaining a little bit to us about "Trials"
1. Man uses methods to refine silver and gold.
Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
In days of old, and even today, the method to purify is heat. Silver and gold, which are precious metals, need to be heated, over and over again, in order to separate the dross from the actual silver and gold. The heat is what separates the two.
In fact, God uses this concept to explain to us how His word is pure.
Psalms 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times.
So, right there in Ps 12:6, you have even some more detail as to the number of times heat is applied to purify. God's Word of course did not need to be purified, but God was simply using a real life illustration to show the purity of His Word. And, in doing so, we see that men actually would use furnaces to purify precious metals, and apparently 7 times was the needed amount of time to make the metal pure.
2. But LORD tests the hearts.
Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests the hearts.
Now we see by contrast what God does in the heart of man to purify him. Man may use fire to purify precious metals, but the LORD tests the hearts of men. Or He seeks to purify the heart of man.
3. Here are four direct references to this process of testing our hearts, or the LORD putting us through trials. Please keep in mind, that God's goal is to purify our lives. What a blessing that He would have such an interest in us, as to bring that purification into our lives. These verses help us understand God's ways of using trials to purify our lives. And, to bless our lives.
(1) The first one is found in James chapter 1.
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
These verses encourage us to look at the big picture when we are being tested. The test is designed to produce in us patience. And, it's needful that we allow the Lord to do His work, by trusting Him, and as we do, we will become more well rounded believers, we will grow into maturity.
(2) The second is found in Heb 12:11
Hebrews 12:11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
This verse does not sugar coat the difficulties of trials. They are not joyful to go through, but they are painful. But, if we go through them, we will come out the other side different people. We will experience the peaceable fruit of righteousness in our lives. God uses trials to purify us.
(3) The third one is found in 1st Peter
1st Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
Here we are told not to think it's some strange thing when we find ourselves in a fiery trial. It's going to happen. This simply is God's helpful instruction to us, to not panic or wonder what is going on. We are going through a trial, and it's fiery. Remember, it's to purify our lives.
(4) The fourth one is found in 1st John 3.
1st John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
1st John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
This last reference is one connected with the fact that as God's children, we will one day be changed, and we will be like Him when we see Him. And, please notice what's said in 1st John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
The hope of being with the Lord has a purifying effect upon us. We know that He is coming, and that knowledge helps us to purify ourselves. This is why it's so important to keep in mind the clear Biblical teaching that Jesus is coming back again soon.
Some questions:
1. What did you learn from these verses today about trials.?
2. What were you reminded about from these verses today?
3. What application is the Lord showing you to take from these verses?
4. Isn't it wonderful that God wants to improve our lives, to purify them?
5. Which of us does not realize the need to be made purer than we are at this moment?
A prayer:
Our Father in heaven, how great and loving You are towards us Your children. You took us out of darkness, and made us light. You then begin the process of growing us up, and conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ. Though the trials are fiery and not pleasant, they nonetheless yield wonderful benefits in our lives. They make us more like Your Son Jesus. Thank You for Your work in our lives Lord. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT GOD CAN AND WILL DO"
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT GOD CAN AND WILL DO"
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.
1st Kings 8:57 “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,
1st Kings 8:58 “that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:
The verses above come at the end of prayer by Solomon, upon the completion of the temple, and the bringing into the temple the ark of the covenant. ( The ark by the way, it's top covered with gold, was called the Mercy Seat, and it's there that God had promised to meet the people, i.e the High Priest. God met the hight priest on the basis of mercy not self righteousness ) The entire prayer is rich with truths about God and promises of what the Lord would do. The verses we are looking at are filled with praise to God for His faithfulness, and a request that He would work in the hearts of His people Israel.
1. God is to be blessed.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD,
God is to be praised. The word blessed here is sometimes used to mean, "congratulate" Solomon, was demonstrating true worship here. That is, that His people respond to what He has done. Such was the case here.
As you read through this whole 8th chapter ( which as you do, you will see what a beautiful prayer it is ) you can see that Solomon was in a very real sense congratulating God for His goodness and His many blessings to His people.
True worship then, is one where we are responding to what God has already done. The rest of these two verses actually describe things that God had done for them, and ends with something that God wants of any of His people.
2. God has given us rest.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel,
God had been faithful to give rest to the people. The books leading up to 1st Kings describe the many, many difficulties they had faced, but at the dedication of the temple, it was clear and appropriate to thank Him for having given them rest.
This is one of examples where there is a type for us in the Old Testament. God through Christ, and our faith in Him, has also given us rest. We have rested from all of our efforts to make ourselves right before God and have accepted His gift of salvation, and are now resting in what Jesus has done for us. We rest in the Lord.
3. God keeps His promises.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised.
Solomon was also acknowledging in this prayer that God had been faithful to keep His promises to them. Again, the books of the Bible leading up to 1st Kings are chock full of promises that God had made to His people. And, at this very moment, here as the temple was being dedicated, it was very clear, that God was faithful, dependable, and that when He promises to do something He does it.
It's the same way today. God keeps His promises. One basic reason is that He cannot lie. Another reason is that He is powerful and no one can stop Him from keeping them. For example, didn't He promise to send Jesus and He did it. And, didn't He promise that if you would believe in Christ You would be saved, and you are. Etc, etc, etc.
4. God's Word does not fail.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.
This part of the prayer is an extension of praising God for His faithfulness. But, You will notice the emphasis on "all that He promised" And, then, "There has not failed one word of all His good promise" etc. So, each and every promise that God had made, He made good on. And, that's the way our God is. His Word is full of promises, and He keeps, or will keep each one that He has made. Our God is faithful.
5. God is with His people.
1st Kings 8:57 “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,
This part of the prayer turns a little bit in the direction of a request. Please read it again. “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,"
Solomon was simply asking that God would be with them, the people of His day, just as He had been with the people of Moses's day some many years earlier. He also was asking God to do something that He is committed to do. And, that is, "May He not leave us nor forsake us," Isn't that beautiful. This is one of the great blessings we have in Christ. They are two things he will not do. He will not leave us nor forsake us. Now we might leave and forsake Him, but, not He towards us. No, He is faithful to be with His people. He is with you this very moment.
6. God will incline your heart toward Himself.
1st Kings 8:58 “that He may incline our hearts to Himself,
This is another request by Solomon for his people, the nation of Israel. And, it's one that we also can pray, and know that the Lord will answer for us. The word "incline" means, to stretch out, to turn, to bend, to hold out, to influence. Here's how the verse reads in the NLT. 1st Kings 8:58 May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, laws, and regulations that he gave our ancestors.
So, the idea here is that we can pray and ask God to give us the desire to do His will in all things. Isn't that encouraging?
7. God wants you to walk in His ways and keep His commandments.
1st Kings 8:58 “that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.
The purpose of our hearts being inclined towards Him, is that we might walk, or live, or conduct ourselves in the way of keeping and obeying the commandments, the statutes, and the judgements of God. Or all that He has commanded us to do.
It's a blessing to realize that God will help us to do what He wants us to do. We find of course by walking in His ways, it's the most blessed way to walk, or to live.
Some questions:
1. What can you worship and thank God for today?
2. Are you struggling to walk with God today, or are you resting by faith in Him?
3. Can you think of some promises that God has made in His Word, and are there any in particular that He has drawn Your attention to, and You are waiting on Him to fulfill?
4. Do you know that even though You may not "feel" it, God is indeed with You at this very moment.
5. Would you take a moment to just consider again what is in this verse. 1st Kings 8:57 “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, What a great prayer, and what a great truth about the Lord that He will not leave you nor forsake you. Do you believe this today?
6. Do you have a desire towards God at this time in your life? Has that desire grown stronger, or has it slowly bled away?
7. Would You take a moment today, right at this time to bow your heart before God and thank Him for His faithfulness to you, and would you make your requests known towards Him? He is faithful, He will do as He has promised.
A prayer:
Father, what an encouraging prayer we have just read. How faithful and true You are towards Your people. We want to say thank You for the years, and years of being faithful towards us. Lord, there is indeed, not one single promise You have made to us, that You have not made good on. Father, whatever we might be praying for today, please help us to pray along the lines of Your known will to us. Because we know for sure, that if we pray according to Your will, that we will find You answering us, and bringing glory to Yourself.
We praise You this day heavenly Father, in the name of Your wonderful Son Jesus Christ.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.
1st Kings 8:57 “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,
1st Kings 8:58 “that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:
The verses above come at the end of prayer by Solomon, upon the completion of the temple, and the bringing into the temple the ark of the covenant. ( The ark by the way, it's top covered with gold, was called the Mercy Seat, and it's there that God had promised to meet the people, i.e the High Priest. God met the hight priest on the basis of mercy not self righteousness ) The entire prayer is rich with truths about God and promises of what the Lord would do. The verses we are looking at are filled with praise to God for His faithfulness, and a request that He would work in the hearts of His people Israel.
1. God is to be blessed.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD,
God is to be praised. The word blessed here is sometimes used to mean, "congratulate" Solomon, was demonstrating true worship here. That is, that His people respond to what He has done. Such was the case here.
As you read through this whole 8th chapter ( which as you do, you will see what a beautiful prayer it is ) you can see that Solomon was in a very real sense congratulating God for His goodness and His many blessings to His people.
True worship then, is one where we are responding to what God has already done. The rest of these two verses actually describe things that God had done for them, and ends with something that God wants of any of His people.
2. God has given us rest.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel,
God had been faithful to give rest to the people. The books leading up to 1st Kings describe the many, many difficulties they had faced, but at the dedication of the temple, it was clear and appropriate to thank Him for having given them rest.
This is one of examples where there is a type for us in the Old Testament. God through Christ, and our faith in Him, has also given us rest. We have rested from all of our efforts to make ourselves right before God and have accepted His gift of salvation, and are now resting in what Jesus has done for us. We rest in the Lord.
3. God keeps His promises.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised.
Solomon was also acknowledging in this prayer that God had been faithful to keep His promises to them. Again, the books of the Bible leading up to 1st Kings are chock full of promises that God had made to His people. And, at this very moment, here as the temple was being dedicated, it was very clear, that God was faithful, dependable, and that when He promises to do something He does it.
It's the same way today. God keeps His promises. One basic reason is that He cannot lie. Another reason is that He is powerful and no one can stop Him from keeping them. For example, didn't He promise to send Jesus and He did it. And, didn't He promise that if you would believe in Christ You would be saved, and you are. Etc, etc, etc.
4. God's Word does not fail.
1st Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.
This part of the prayer is an extension of praising God for His faithfulness. But, You will notice the emphasis on "all that He promised" And, then, "There has not failed one word of all His good promise" etc. So, each and every promise that God had made, He made good on. And, that's the way our God is. His Word is full of promises, and He keeps, or will keep each one that He has made. Our God is faithful.
5. God is with His people.
1st Kings 8:57 “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,
This part of the prayer turns a little bit in the direction of a request. Please read it again. “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,"
Solomon was simply asking that God would be with them, the people of His day, just as He had been with the people of Moses's day some many years earlier. He also was asking God to do something that He is committed to do. And, that is, "May He not leave us nor forsake us," Isn't that beautiful. This is one of the great blessings we have in Christ. They are two things he will not do. He will not leave us nor forsake us. Now we might leave and forsake Him, but, not He towards us. No, He is faithful to be with His people. He is with you this very moment.
6. God will incline your heart toward Himself.
1st Kings 8:58 “that He may incline our hearts to Himself,
This is another request by Solomon for his people, the nation of Israel. And, it's one that we also can pray, and know that the Lord will answer for us. The word "incline" means, to stretch out, to turn, to bend, to hold out, to influence. Here's how the verse reads in the NLT. 1st Kings 8:58 May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, laws, and regulations that he gave our ancestors.
So, the idea here is that we can pray and ask God to give us the desire to do His will in all things. Isn't that encouraging?
7. God wants you to walk in His ways and keep His commandments.
1st Kings 8:58 “that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.
The purpose of our hearts being inclined towards Him, is that we might walk, or live, or conduct ourselves in the way of keeping and obeying the commandments, the statutes, and the judgements of God. Or all that He has commanded us to do.
It's a blessing to realize that God will help us to do what He wants us to do. We find of course by walking in His ways, it's the most blessed way to walk, or to live.
Some questions:
1. What can you worship and thank God for today?
2. Are you struggling to walk with God today, or are you resting by faith in Him?
3. Can you think of some promises that God has made in His Word, and are there any in particular that He has drawn Your attention to, and You are waiting on Him to fulfill?
4. Do you know that even though You may not "feel" it, God is indeed with You at this very moment.
5. Would you take a moment to just consider again what is in this verse. 1st Kings 8:57 “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, What a great prayer, and what a great truth about the Lord that He will not leave you nor forsake you. Do you believe this today?
6. Do you have a desire towards God at this time in your life? Has that desire grown stronger, or has it slowly bled away?
7. Would You take a moment today, right at this time to bow your heart before God and thank Him for His faithfulness to you, and would you make your requests known towards Him? He is faithful, He will do as He has promised.
A prayer:
Father, what an encouraging prayer we have just read. How faithful and true You are towards Your people. We want to say thank You for the years, and years of being faithful towards us. Lord, there is indeed, not one single promise You have made to us, that You have not made good on. Father, whatever we might be praying for today, please help us to pray along the lines of Your known will to us. Because we know for sure, that if we pray according to Your will, that we will find You answering us, and bringing glory to Yourself.
We praise You this day heavenly Father, in the name of Your wonderful Son Jesus Christ.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT JESUS, HIS CHURCH, AND YOU"
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT JESUS, HIS CHURCH, AND YOU"
1st Kings 7:1 But Solomon took thirteen years to build his own house; so he finished all his house.
1st Kings 7:2 Now King Solomon sent and brought Huram from Tyre.
1st Kings 7:3 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker; he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.
1st Kings 7:48 Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold on which was the showbread;
1st Kings 7:51 So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the LORD was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:
This chapter, 1st Kings 7, deals primarily with the fact of Solomon building his own house, and it ends with a mention that He also built the house of the Lord, the beautiful temple of God. There is a man named Huram who is mentioned, and he had the wisdom and understanding and skill in building. And, this man did all the work.
Solomon provided all the furnishings both for his own home, and for the house of the Lord. The chapter comes to and end, telling us that all the work was finished. I'd like to draw some comparisons and applications today from this story. May they be an encouragement to you.
1. Solomon, in a sense is a type of Christ building the church.
And Jesus of course is the one who said, Matthew 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Jesus is indeed the builder of the church, and it's His church, He purchased it. and You as a christian are part of His church. And, He is seeking to build you also, build you up into a mature Godly, God honoring believer.
2. Solomon is like Jesus in calling people and using them to help build His church.
1st Kings 7:2 Now King Solomon sent and brought Huram from Tyre.
This man Huram was called by Solomon to do the work of building, and he was skilled and had understanding in how to build and and he worked and accomplished his work.
God's church is actually not brick and mortar, but people. And as a person is saved, they are also gifted by God to perform certain functions within the body, and as they use their spiritual gifts, the body is built up and made strong in love. See the two scriptures below.
Ephesians 4:15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--
Ephesians 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
3. Solomon's temple was beautiful beyond compare, and so is the love of God that is part of building up the church of God.
There is nothing more beautiful in this world, than to see the work of God taking place in person's life, and ultimately, that work is revealed in the fruit of the Spirit
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
4. Solomon eventually finished building the temple, and one day, Jesus will also finish building His church.
1st Kings 7:51 So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the LORD was finished;
When God's work of calling out a people to make us His church, His work will be done in that sense. And, He then will come and get His church and take us to heaven.
God is also seeking to finish His work in You as an individual, and He wants you to finish the work He has given you to do.
John 17:4 “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
Heb 13:21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
2nd Tim 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
5. Solomon brought all the precious things and put them into the house of the LORD.
1st Kings 7:51 So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the LORD was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD.
You are precious in the eyes of the Lord. He has already saved you, (if you are born again) and He has placed you in His body, the church. But, one day, He is going to place you into heaven itself. You are His treasure, and He will bring you into something more beautiful than the temple Solomon built, or even the beauty of the body of Christ, and the fruit of the Spirit, it will be the beautiful new Jerusalem coming out of heaven, that is described for us in the last chapters of Revelation. You are headed for that place. God is going to bring you there.
6. Solomon was busy building, and so is Jesus at this very moment.
John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
He is busy right now in heaven building, and preparing a place for us, and He is going to come back and get us when it's the right time. And, then, we will be with Him face to face forever, and ever. Praise the Lord.
Some questions:
1. Do you see how God uses people to help build up His church, the body of Christ?
2. Can you imagine what a weak body it would be, if there were no workers, working and serving in love?
3. Do you know that God has a work for you to do in building up His church, the body of Christ.
4. Do you know that God uses the gifts He has given you to use you in doing that work?
5. Do you know that God actually calls each and every christian to be busy serving the Lord and using their gifts?
6, Are you involved in your local church serving under God's direction, being a blessing to the rest of the body?
7. If you don't know how to get started, just ask the Lord to show You and He will. Will you ask Him?
A prayer:
Father, it's such a blessing to see that really everything in the Bible in one way or another points us to Jesus Christ. Either by types or direct explanation and teaching about Jesus. There are so many wonderful stories that can help us draw spiritual nutrition for our souls. Thank You for this one today. And, thank You Lord that You are at work this very day, building up Your body. May You find us available and at Your service to use the gifts You have given us. In Jesus name. Amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
1st Kings 7:1 But Solomon took thirteen years to build his own house; so he finished all his house.
1st Kings 7:2 Now King Solomon sent and brought Huram from Tyre.
1st Kings 7:3 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker; he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.
1st Kings 7:48 Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold on which was the showbread;
1st Kings 7:51 So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the LORD was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:
This chapter, 1st Kings 7, deals primarily with the fact of Solomon building his own house, and it ends with a mention that He also built the house of the Lord, the beautiful temple of God. There is a man named Huram who is mentioned, and he had the wisdom and understanding and skill in building. And, this man did all the work.
Solomon provided all the furnishings both for his own home, and for the house of the Lord. The chapter comes to and end, telling us that all the work was finished. I'd like to draw some comparisons and applications today from this story. May they be an encouragement to you.
1. Solomon, in a sense is a type of Christ building the church.
And Jesus of course is the one who said, Matthew 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Jesus is indeed the builder of the church, and it's His church, He purchased it. and You as a christian are part of His church. And, He is seeking to build you also, build you up into a mature Godly, God honoring believer.
2. Solomon is like Jesus in calling people and using them to help build His church.
1st Kings 7:2 Now King Solomon sent and brought Huram from Tyre.
This man Huram was called by Solomon to do the work of building, and he was skilled and had understanding in how to build and and he worked and accomplished his work.
God's church is actually not brick and mortar, but people. And as a person is saved, they are also gifted by God to perform certain functions within the body, and as they use their spiritual gifts, the body is built up and made strong in love. See the two scriptures below.
Ephesians 4:15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--
Ephesians 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
3. Solomon's temple was beautiful beyond compare, and so is the love of God that is part of building up the church of God.
There is nothing more beautiful in this world, than to see the work of God taking place in person's life, and ultimately, that work is revealed in the fruit of the Spirit
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
4. Solomon eventually finished building the temple, and one day, Jesus will also finish building His church.
1st Kings 7:51 So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the LORD was finished;
When God's work of calling out a people to make us His church, His work will be done in that sense. And, He then will come and get His church and take us to heaven.
God is also seeking to finish His work in You as an individual, and He wants you to finish the work He has given you to do.
John 17:4 “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
Heb 13:21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
2nd Tim 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
5. Solomon brought all the precious things and put them into the house of the LORD.
1st Kings 7:51 So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the LORD was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD.
You are precious in the eyes of the Lord. He has already saved you, (if you are born again) and He has placed you in His body, the church. But, one day, He is going to place you into heaven itself. You are His treasure, and He will bring you into something more beautiful than the temple Solomon built, or even the beauty of the body of Christ, and the fruit of the Spirit, it will be the beautiful new Jerusalem coming out of heaven, that is described for us in the last chapters of Revelation. You are headed for that place. God is going to bring you there.
6. Solomon was busy building, and so is Jesus at this very moment.
John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
He is busy right now in heaven building, and preparing a place for us, and He is going to come back and get us when it's the right time. And, then, we will be with Him face to face forever, and ever. Praise the Lord.
Some questions:
1. Do you see how God uses people to help build up His church, the body of Christ?
2. Can you imagine what a weak body it would be, if there were no workers, working and serving in love?
3. Do you know that God has a work for you to do in building up His church, the body of Christ.
4. Do you know that God uses the gifts He has given you to use you in doing that work?
5. Do you know that God actually calls each and every christian to be busy serving the Lord and using their gifts?
6, Are you involved in your local church serving under God's direction, being a blessing to the rest of the body?
7. If you don't know how to get started, just ask the Lord to show You and He will. Will you ask Him?
A prayer:
Father, it's such a blessing to see that really everything in the Bible in one way or another points us to Jesus Christ. Either by types or direct explanation and teaching about Jesus. There are so many wonderful stories that can help us draw spiritual nutrition for our souls. Thank You for this one today. And, thank You Lord that You are at work this very day, building up Your body. May You find us available and at Your service to use the gifts You have given us. In Jesus name. Amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
Monday, June 9, 2014
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD BEING WITH YOU"
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD BEING WITH YOU"
Acts 7:9 “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:
Stephen was one of the men who was chosen to help serve tables. He was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God was at that time growing in the early church ( See Acts 6:7 ) Stephen was also said to be full of power and did great wonders and signs among the people. This activity drew the attention of some men who were arguing with Stephen about matters relating to God. They were unable to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. So, they secretly recruited some men to lie about Stephen, , accusing of him of speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God. They stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him, and seized him, and brought him to the council. They also set up some false witnesses to speak against him. And, then Stephen began to speak when given the chance.
Thus, what you have above in Act 7:9 is one simple verse, that is part of a much longer speech that Stephen gave where he was reviewing the history of God's wonderful work in establishing what was now the nation of Israel, and eventually, Stephens speech came to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I'd like to just mention a few things about Acts 7:9, and pray that they would be an encouragement to you.
1. Joseph one of Jacobs sons had been given a dream of his future by God.
Acts 7:9 “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him.
Joseph in telling his older brothers the dream of God's will for his life, stirred up jealousy and resentment on their part. They wanted to kill him, but were persuaded by one of the brothers not to. So, selling him to the Egyptians became their option to take out their hatred for him, and thus he was sold. "But God was with him"
2. Joseph not only was sold by his brothers, but then once in Egypt, he was falsely accused of rape, sent to prison, but God was with him.
It's encouraging when you read the story of Joseph, that though he went through one trial after another, that God was with him. And, it's no different for any of God's people, though they go through trials, God is with them also.
3. Joseph had a long history of being mistreated, and or apparently forgotten about, but, "God was with him"
You may want to read his story in total in Genesis, it's one of the most encouraging stories in the Bible.
I say that because, it's a picture for us of how one of God's people can go through so much trouble, but God was with him. And, not only was God with him, but God had a plan, and over time that plan became very obvious. God used Joseph in ways that were so helpful to others and brought great glory to God.
4. May I say to you today, that if you are going through a trial, being mistreated, betrayed, lied about, forgotten by others, don't lose heart. You know why? Because God is with You. Here are a few verses to encourage you.
De 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Jos 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Jos 10:25 Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
5. In fact, look at these verses, and may it help you to remember that God is with you, and that nothing can separate you from His love.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Rom 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Some questions:
1. Isn't it easy to forget that Jesus told us in the world we will have trouble?
2. Isn't it just as easy to forget that God will use all that trouble for your good?
3. Have you by any chance forgotten the things mentioned above?
4. Would you allow the Lord to remind you and comfort you, that "God is with You"
A prayer:
Father, thank You for never leaving us nor forsaking us. This is what You have promised to us. And, Your promises are not lies, and You live up to Your promises. Not one of them is ever broken or forgotten. Thank You that You are with us now, and we are with you, and we will be with You forever, and ever. We love You Lord. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Acts 7:9 “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:
Stephen was one of the men who was chosen to help serve tables. He was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God was at that time growing in the early church ( See Acts 6:7 ) Stephen was also said to be full of power and did great wonders and signs among the people. This activity drew the attention of some men who were arguing with Stephen about matters relating to God. They were unable to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. So, they secretly recruited some men to lie about Stephen, , accusing of him of speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God. They stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him, and seized him, and brought him to the council. They also set up some false witnesses to speak against him. And, then Stephen began to speak when given the chance.
Thus, what you have above in Act 7:9 is one simple verse, that is part of a much longer speech that Stephen gave where he was reviewing the history of God's wonderful work in establishing what was now the nation of Israel, and eventually, Stephens speech came to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I'd like to just mention a few things about Acts 7:9, and pray that they would be an encouragement to you.
1. Joseph one of Jacobs sons had been given a dream of his future by God.
Acts 7:9 “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him.
Joseph in telling his older brothers the dream of God's will for his life, stirred up jealousy and resentment on their part. They wanted to kill him, but were persuaded by one of the brothers not to. So, selling him to the Egyptians became their option to take out their hatred for him, and thus he was sold. "But God was with him"
2. Joseph not only was sold by his brothers, but then once in Egypt, he was falsely accused of rape, sent to prison, but God was with him.
It's encouraging when you read the story of Joseph, that though he went through one trial after another, that God was with him. And, it's no different for any of God's people, though they go through trials, God is with them also.
3. Joseph had a long history of being mistreated, and or apparently forgotten about, but, "God was with him"
You may want to read his story in total in Genesis, it's one of the most encouraging stories in the Bible.
I say that because, it's a picture for us of how one of God's people can go through so much trouble, but God was with him. And, not only was God with him, but God had a plan, and over time that plan became very obvious. God used Joseph in ways that were so helpful to others and brought great glory to God.
4. May I say to you today, that if you are going through a trial, being mistreated, betrayed, lied about, forgotten by others, don't lose heart. You know why? Because God is with You. Here are a few verses to encourage you.
De 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Jos 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Jos 10:25 Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
5. In fact, look at these verses, and may it help you to remember that God is with you, and that nothing can separate you from His love.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Rom 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Some questions:
1. Isn't it easy to forget that Jesus told us in the world we will have trouble?
2. Isn't it just as easy to forget that God will use all that trouble for your good?
3. Have you by any chance forgotten the things mentioned above?
4. Would you allow the Lord to remind you and comfort you, that "God is with You"
A prayer:
Father, thank You for never leaving us nor forsaking us. This is what You have promised to us. And, Your promises are not lies, and You live up to Your promises. Not one of them is ever broken or forgotten. Thank You that You are with us now, and we are with you, and we will be with You forever, and ever. We love You Lord. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT KING DAVID'S DYING WORDS OF WISDOM"
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT KING DAVID'S DYING WORDS OF WISDOM"
1Kings 2:1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying:
1Kings 2:2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.
1Kings 2:3 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;
1Kings 2:4 that the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:
King David had reigned as King for 40 Years. He is called in Scripture a "man after God's own heart" He is also portrayed for us in Scripture as a man, a normal man, meaning, he made mistakes like any man. He had his share of sin. But, he also like any Godly man, repented and sought forgiveness, and found grace from God. He is a man who gained wisdom as many of us do, through the mistakes and sins of in our lives. Thus it's worth listening to his dying words of advice to his son Solomon who was about to assume the responsibilities of leadership over Israel as the new king.
1. David's last words were words of wisdom.
1Kings 2:1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying:
David was drawing near to death. David's last words are recorded for us here. They are indeed words of wisdom.
He charged his son Solomon. The word charged, or charge has the idea and meaning of to command, to appoint, to order, to ordain. David had made his share of mistakes, and he was hoping that through the wise counsel he was giving, that it might keep Solomon on the right track. Thus, He charged his son to take his advice.
2. David started by saying two things to Solomon.
1Kings 2:2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.
(1) Be strong. Or take courage. Courage is indeed something we can take, or receive from the Lord. It means to strengthen, prevail, be firm, be resolute.
Paul said the same thing in 1st Cor 16:13 Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. So, this is something we can be, it's a matter of making the choice to do so. It's a good bit of advice for sure.
(2) And prove yourself a man. Or "and be a man" I'm certain the idea here is be what you ought to be. Be the man who does what he is supposed to do. Live up to what God has made you to be. It's similar to take courage, and it's again something we choose to do. Be a man Solomon. You will need to be this in order to do what is before you.
3. Here are two more specifics of Godly wisdom, along with a promise.
1Kings 2:3 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;
(1) Keep the charge of the LORD your God. To walk in His ways. To keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgements and His testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses. In simple terms, obey what God has said. Do what God has said. Walk in the ways of the Lord. Look to the Word of God, and then by His grace do what He has told you to do. This obedience is exactly what Jesus did, and He is our example for walking with God.
Heb 5:8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
(2) That you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn. This is really the fruit of obedience to God.
And, it's that we prosper in what we do, and in the ways that we go. The word prosper means, to understand, to be prudent, to have insight, to comprehend, to have success.
This is the same thing that God told Joshua as he was assuming his role of leadership.
Joshua 1:7 “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
4. Finally, here's how this reads in the NLT 1 Kings 2:4 If you do this, then the LORD will keep the promise he made to me: ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’
Some questions:
1. Have you ever been given good advice that you did not take? And, what was the result?
2. Do you believe that God can give you all that you need to live for Him, and serve Him?
3. Isn't it a blessing that the ways of the Lord are given to us in His Word. It's like a roadmap for us.
4. And, isn't it a blessing that God has given us faith to believe Him.
5. Would you take a moment right now to think about how the Lord is speaking to you, and what He is directing you to do, and would you yield yourself to Him in that regard?
6. Finally, will You also by faith thank Him, that through His Word, and your obedience, that He is going to bless you in what He has called you to do?
A prayer:
Father, day by day, You give us daily bread. Not only for our bodies, but for our souls. Thank You for both of them. King David is in heaven today, we will meet him when we arrive there. Thank You for sharing his life story with us. From being a boy who slew a giant, to being a man who fell prey to temptation, and suffered the consequences of his sin. He finally repented and confessed his sin to God, and was forgiven and restored to his kingdom. He had other failures as well, and many, many victories. He was a man who had learned to trust in God, and found God to be faithful. Thank You Lord for giving us his story. May we learn from his wise words, and be wise men and women of God. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
1Kings 2:1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying:
1Kings 2:2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.
1Kings 2:3 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;
1Kings 2:4 that the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:
King David had reigned as King for 40 Years. He is called in Scripture a "man after God's own heart" He is also portrayed for us in Scripture as a man, a normal man, meaning, he made mistakes like any man. He had his share of sin. But, he also like any Godly man, repented and sought forgiveness, and found grace from God. He is a man who gained wisdom as many of us do, through the mistakes and sins of in our lives. Thus it's worth listening to his dying words of advice to his son Solomon who was about to assume the responsibilities of leadership over Israel as the new king.
1. David's last words were words of wisdom.
1Kings 2:1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying:
David was drawing near to death. David's last words are recorded for us here. They are indeed words of wisdom.
He charged his son Solomon. The word charged, or charge has the idea and meaning of to command, to appoint, to order, to ordain. David had made his share of mistakes, and he was hoping that through the wise counsel he was giving, that it might keep Solomon on the right track. Thus, He charged his son to take his advice.
2. David started by saying two things to Solomon.
1Kings 2:2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.
(1) Be strong. Or take courage. Courage is indeed something we can take, or receive from the Lord. It means to strengthen, prevail, be firm, be resolute.
Paul said the same thing in 1st Cor 16:13 Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. So, this is something we can be, it's a matter of making the choice to do so. It's a good bit of advice for sure.
(2) And prove yourself a man. Or "and be a man" I'm certain the idea here is be what you ought to be. Be the man who does what he is supposed to do. Live up to what God has made you to be. It's similar to take courage, and it's again something we choose to do. Be a man Solomon. You will need to be this in order to do what is before you.
3. Here are two more specifics of Godly wisdom, along with a promise.
1Kings 2:3 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;
(1) Keep the charge of the LORD your God. To walk in His ways. To keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgements and His testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses. In simple terms, obey what God has said. Do what God has said. Walk in the ways of the Lord. Look to the Word of God, and then by His grace do what He has told you to do. This obedience is exactly what Jesus did, and He is our example for walking with God.
Heb 5:8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
(2) That you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn. This is really the fruit of obedience to God.
And, it's that we prosper in what we do, and in the ways that we go. The word prosper means, to understand, to be prudent, to have insight, to comprehend, to have success.
This is the same thing that God told Joshua as he was assuming his role of leadership.
Joshua 1:7 “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
4. Finally, here's how this reads in the NLT 1 Kings 2:4 If you do this, then the LORD will keep the promise he made to me: ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’
Some questions:
1. Have you ever been given good advice that you did not take? And, what was the result?
2. Do you believe that God can give you all that you need to live for Him, and serve Him?
3. Isn't it a blessing that the ways of the Lord are given to us in His Word. It's like a roadmap for us.
4. And, isn't it a blessing that God has given us faith to believe Him.
5. Would you take a moment right now to think about how the Lord is speaking to you, and what He is directing you to do, and would you yield yourself to Him in that regard?
6. Finally, will You also by faith thank Him, that through His Word, and your obedience, that He is going to bless you in what He has called you to do?
A prayer:
Father, day by day, You give us daily bread. Not only for our bodies, but for our souls. Thank You for both of them. King David is in heaven today, we will meet him when we arrive there. Thank You for sharing his life story with us. From being a boy who slew a giant, to being a man who fell prey to temptation, and suffered the consequences of his sin. He finally repented and confessed his sin to God, and was forgiven and restored to his kingdom. He had other failures as well, and many, many victories. He was a man who had learned to trust in God, and found God to be faithful. Thank You Lord for giving us his story. May we learn from his wise words, and be wise men and women of God. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Friday, June 6, 2014
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE BLESSING OF PLEASANT WORDS"
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE BLESSING OF PLEASANT WORDS"
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:
As we know, Proverbs is God's book for living wisely in the day to day things of life. Here's proverb that talks about our speech, and the blessings that can be associated with it.
1. There is speech that is called pleasant.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
Pleasant words, or kind words. That's the idea. We can speak in a kind way to others. And, here below are two verses from the New Testament about our speech, and about speaking with kindness.
Eph 4:32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
2nd Tim 2:24 The Lord’s servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people.
Please notice, that these verses, are not an option for us, but rather God's instruction and command to us.
Isn't it a blessing to think that our Father, commands His children to speak with kindness to one another?
2. Pleasant speech is likened unto a honeycomb.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
Or, pleasant words, kind words are like honey. Here's a beautiful verse. Jeremiah 32:22 You gave the people of Israel this land that you had promised their ancestors long before--a land flowing with milk and honey.
God was saying to them, that the land He would give them was like a sweetness. And, in application to us today as believers, this speaks of living our lives under the control and direction of the Holy Spirit. God has a blessed or sweet life for us to live. And, our speech can reflect what is going on inside of our hearts in our walk with the Lord. Our speech can be a blessing to others.
3. Pleasant speech brings blessing to our souls and our bodies.
Proverbs 16:20 Kind words are like honey--sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. NLT
Please notice, that when we speak in a pleasant way, that two things happen. Our souls and our bodies are blessed. Isn't that interesting, that the way we speak has a lot to to do with how we feel, and in fact, it has a lot to do with the health of our bodies.
There is no one sweeter than God. And, when we walk with Him day by day, and allow Him to lead us, and take His Word into our hearts and obey it, we are transformed and become like honey. We can become a blessing to others and to ourselves.
Some questions:
1. Have you ever given much thought to how your speech affects you, and those around you?
2. How interesting that our speech can bring such a blessing into our lives, and the lives of others.
3. Jesus told us that our speech is connected to our hearts. In other words, what comes out of our mouths, is what is in our hearts.
4. Keeping our hearts pure before God will affect the way we speak.
5. How is your heart today? Do you need God's help in your heart?
6. Do You know that He loves You and wants to bless Your heart with more and more of Himself in Your life?
7. Will you take just a moment right now to ask Him to take full control of Your heart and life? He will do it.
A prayer:
Father, You are so good, and You want to bring Your goodness into our lives day by day. Thank You that we can get up each day and seek You, and find You, and experience Your blessings in our hearts. And, then wind up being a blessing not only to ourselves, but to others around us. Bless our hearts this day Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:
As we know, Proverbs is God's book for living wisely in the day to day things of life. Here's proverb that talks about our speech, and the blessings that can be associated with it.
1. There is speech that is called pleasant.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
Pleasant words, or kind words. That's the idea. We can speak in a kind way to others. And, here below are two verses from the New Testament about our speech, and about speaking with kindness.
Eph 4:32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
2nd Tim 2:24 The Lord’s servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people.
Please notice, that these verses, are not an option for us, but rather God's instruction and command to us.
Isn't it a blessing to think that our Father, commands His children to speak with kindness to one another?
2. Pleasant speech is likened unto a honeycomb.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
Or, pleasant words, kind words are like honey. Here's a beautiful verse. Jeremiah 32:22 You gave the people of Israel this land that you had promised their ancestors long before--a land flowing with milk and honey.
God was saying to them, that the land He would give them was like a sweetness. And, in application to us today as believers, this speaks of living our lives under the control and direction of the Holy Spirit. God has a blessed or sweet life for us to live. And, our speech can reflect what is going on inside of our hearts in our walk with the Lord. Our speech can be a blessing to others.
3. Pleasant speech brings blessing to our souls and our bodies.
Proverbs 16:20 Kind words are like honey--sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. NLT
Please notice, that when we speak in a pleasant way, that two things happen. Our souls and our bodies are blessed. Isn't that interesting, that the way we speak has a lot to to do with how we feel, and in fact, it has a lot to do with the health of our bodies.
There is no one sweeter than God. And, when we walk with Him day by day, and allow Him to lead us, and take His Word into our hearts and obey it, we are transformed and become like honey. We can become a blessing to others and to ourselves.
Some questions:
1. Have you ever given much thought to how your speech affects you, and those around you?
2. How interesting that our speech can bring such a blessing into our lives, and the lives of others.
3. Jesus told us that our speech is connected to our hearts. In other words, what comes out of our mouths, is what is in our hearts.
4. Keeping our hearts pure before God will affect the way we speak.
5. How is your heart today? Do you need God's help in your heart?
6. Do You know that He loves You and wants to bless Your heart with more and more of Himself in Your life?
7. Will you take just a moment right now to ask Him to take full control of Your heart and life? He will do it.
A prayer:
Father, You are so good, and You want to bring Your goodness into our lives day by day. Thank You that we can get up each day and seek You, and find You, and experience Your blessings in our hearts. And, then wind up being a blessing not only to ourselves, but to others around us. Bless our hearts this day Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
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