Buns

Hot Cross Buns

11:58 AM


Hot Cross Buns 

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
2 cups warm whole milk (110° to 115°)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup raisins
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons water

ICING:
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 to 6 teaspoons whole milk

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter, sugar, salt, spices, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in currants, raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).Turn onto a floured surface; knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide and shape into 30 balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°.Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on top of each bun. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and water; brush over tops. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool slightly. For icing, in a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Pipe a cross on top of each bun. Serve warm. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

2 Chronicles

Scripture Saturday ~ Humble Ourselves

12:00 AM

Saturday, March 31, 2018


Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

This coming week's memory verse is 2 Chronicles 7:14...

 "Then if my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land." (NLT)

Happy Easter!  Have a blessed and precious day and week everyone!

2 Kings

Obedience Under Pressure {2 Kings 18:1-21:26}

11:00 PM




"He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it." 2 Kings 18:4

It is tremendously sad how most of the things, the things which have been created for a good purpose end up being used for evil. It's sad how most of the times the creation gets the praise and the worship rather than the Creator.
Here is a very clear example of this.

The bronze snake on vs.4 had been made to cure the Israelites of the bite of venomous snakes (Numbers 21:4-9). It was a symbol of God's presence and power and it had proved His mercy and forgiveness. But now, sadly, had become an object of worship rather than a reminder of whom to worship.

As soon as Hezekiah became king, he got rid of the things that kept his people from walking in obedience to God.

This should make us reflect on the things that keep us from obeying God. It may be something that seems very important to us, but we must remember it's far more important obeying God.

Today I pray that our eyes be open to recognize anything that is hindering our obedience to Him. One thing we can rest assured, is that God will reward our obedience just as He did with Hezekiah.

A little more to learn from Hezekiah:


"Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses (2 Kings 18:5,6)

  • Had a personal, growing relationship with God.
  • Developed a powerful prayer life
  • Noted as the patron of several chapters in the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 25:1)


Fixer Upper


2 Kings 18:13-15 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “ I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me .” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace.

So the King of Assyria attacked the cities of Judah and captured them. Only Jerusalem remained free from his hand. In the passage above we read of Hezekiah’s first response when he found himself under pressure… as most of us would do, he freaked out!

There is no doubt that he was a godly man, but what we see in his initial response is something very common to all of us. That is, when faced with trouble we immediately try and work out how we can get ourselves out of it through our own initiative! And as we see here, it usually doesn’t even involve God. It is a natural, fallen creation response; not that of someone spiritual. Hezekiah thought he could buy himself out of this pickle and was even willing give the gold and silver from the Lord’s temple to do it! It didn’t work… it never does.

Laying it all before His Throne




2 Kings 19:14-19 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD . And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,  you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has  sent to insult the living God. “It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men’s hands. Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God .”

Hezekiah took the enemies letter and spread it out before the Lord in the temple… It’s a simple act of faith that shows that Hezekiah’s problems soon became God’s problems! And his prayer became so very simple. In fact, the note in my Ryrie Study Bible calls it a ‘childlike prayer’. 

  • Hezekiah doesn’t ask for deliverance for his, or even Israel’s sake. He doesn’t claim that he has been insulted or wronged. 
  • He doesn’t remind God of any righteousness of his own. 
  • He simply places the entire situation firmly in God’s lap! 


This prayer comes from a man who truly knew God. It is the living God that is being insulted Hezekiah says, and if there is to be any deliverance it is so that God may again be glorified. It is so that the nations may see that the God of Israel is the true God.

And God was pleased to answer such a prayer. How could He not? If you read further in 2 Kings 19 you will see that the Lord sent word through Isaiah His prophet that He would deliver them, and deliver them He did!

As the iWorship Bible reads (pg.511)

"We all face threads of many kinds. Desperate situations, people offering deals and compromises problems that redefine the word hopeless. What do we do first? Seek Human counsel? Construct a chart of pros and cons? Read the latest self-help book? Instead, spread it out before the Lord. With complete honesty, a bow-before-the-Almighty, pleading prayer must be our first response.

As you encounter difficulties or trials during the day, remember Hezekiah, and 'spread it out before the Lord'"

Have a lovely Easter Weekend!

Angie

2 Kings

The High Places (2 Kings 14-17)

12:11 AM



This is a sad few chapters to read.  The kings of Judah and Israel come and go and descendants rise to take their place.  Some of these kings are described as “doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord”.  Others are described as “ doing what is right in the sight of the Lord.” But, even the ones who acknowledge God still fail their people by not wholly following the Lord. Amazion was one of the kings of Judah described as “ doing what was right” However, the Bible clarifies “BUT....not like David did.”  The mistake he made was to still allow other gods to be worshipped. “But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.” (14:4) in Chapter 15, Azariah is another king who “ did what was right in the sight of the Lord”.  However, he too did not wholly commit to God.  The Bible tells us “NEVERTHELESS, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.” (15:4)

Menaham was a king of Israel who became more focused on pleasing the King of Assyria and looking to him for help rather than God. “Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold on the royal power. Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels of silver from every man, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land.” (15:19-20)

Ahaz, the king of Judah, however, was far more rebellious. “Ahaz also took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king’s house and sent a present to the king of Assyria.” (16:8)  He was also brazen enough to have an alter built like the one he saw in Damascus and made changes to the temple that were not authorized by God. And why did he do this. “ because of the king of Assyria” (16:8) 

God is loving, patient and forgiving but finally, God has enough. He watches his people embrace evil including sacrificing their own children to pagan gods “Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them.” (17:13-15) 

As the people of Israel continue in their stubborn defiance, God removes his protection and blessings. He allows the king of Assyria to conquer his people and exile them to foreign lands.

God loves us and is patient with us.  He gives us His Word to guide us.  He gives us his Son to redeem us and He gives us His Spirit to teach and comfort us.  We too get to make the choice.  Will we “ do what is evil in the sight of the Lord” or will we “ do what is right”.  Will we compromise and commit to the Lord but reserve portions of our devotion to serving other “gods” and pleasing the world? Always check your heart.  Know if you are offering God total devotion or halfhearted devotion. Have you cleared away the “ high places” that compete with your devotion? Ask him to empower you to be committed and to grow your faith. 

2Kings

"Don't Quit!" {2 Kings 11-13}

7:30 PM



One of my heroes of the faith, Elisha, has grown old. He was called into the ministry sixty years prior to this time and had served faithfully for twenty years prior the reign of King Jehu of Israel. During the forty-five years that Jehu reigned Elisha had been benched. Can you imagine being called into the ministry, only to find yourself sitting on the sidelines for most of your life? Yet, Elisha preformed more "recorded" miracles than any other prophet in the Old Testament!

Here in chapter 13, (13:14-19) we see Elisha is ill and it's been reported that he is near death, so King Joash goes down to his house to seek his counsel one last time. Joash "wept over his face," i.e., bent over the old prophet as he lay dying and mourned his departure: "My father! My father!" he cried, "The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" (2 Kings 13:14).

By this time, Israel had been reduced to a mere fifty horsemen and ten chariots. They were powerless against the Syrian army, which was now backed by Assyria. Joash was well aware of Elisha's reputation and his ability to summon up the hosts of God. With the death of Elisha, Joash believes that the horsemen and chariots of God would also depart and he would be left alone.

Elisha instructs the king to, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” (13:15-17) Shooting an arrow in the direction of an enemy was an ancient way of declaring war. This was Elisha's way of encouraging Joash to take action, to vigorously prosecute the war against Syria.

By placing his hands on the young king's hand's he assured him that strength of the shot came from the Lord, just as an adult might put his hands over a child's hands and pull a bow too powerful for him to draw and aim the shot for greatest effect.

BUT, it's Elisha last message to Joash that is so important to each of us as well: Elisha said to the king, "Take the (remaining) arrows," and the king took the the arrows from his quiver. Elisha then told him to "Strike the ground (shoot an arrow into the ground)" which he did-"three times and then he stopped."
Elisha was indignant (the word is frequently used in the Old Testament of the holy indignation of God). "You should have struck the ground five or six times (shot all the arrows)," he fumed, "Then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times."
And that’s exactly what happened! Though Joash won three battles he lost the war. Aram continued to intimidate Israel until Israel finally made peace with them, entering into a treaty that eventually led to an assault on their own brothers in Judah (2 Kings 15:37ff).

In essence, Elisha was saying, “Don’t quit! Don’t give up while you still possess the weapons for war!”

You and I will probably never be called to go off to do battle with another nation, but I'm certain that each of us are battling our own personal enemy everyday! Peter referred to them as, “the passions of the flesh at war with your soul" (1 Pet. 2:11). It might be an uncontrolled temper, depression, anxiety, an alcohol, drug, or food addiction. Others may battles matters of the heart like, greed, malice, bitterness, unforgiveness, self-centeredness and pride. And if we’re going to win there are several steps we need to take!

Our first step is, to not only know our enemy, but to declare war against him. We must grow determine to never make peace with “the flesh”. To do so is to give in. There can be no neutrality in the Christian life. We will either master sin or we will be mastered by it!

Our second step is to remind ourselves that God's hands are also on our hands. He is a "hands-on" God. God’s Word tells us:
 “I [Jesus] have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

 “To Him Who, by the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].” Eph 3:20 
It is not through our strength that we'll gain the victory, but His power within each of us! To give up would be like Joash who failed to use all he was given and suffered because of it!

I have always been an American history buff. I’m especially fascinated by the wars our country has faced and the men and women who made a difference. One such man is General Ulyssus S. Grant. From all I’ve read, General Grant should have been the last general to win the Civil War. History books portray him as a very insecure man and a “drunkard”, who had not experienced many successes before the Civil War broke out, yet this account speaks volumes:
“After one horrible defeat in battle, in which thousands of his men died because a tactical error General Ulyssus S. Grant had made, the general was seen going into his tent and crying uncontrollably for hours. He had made the error and was solely responsible for the loss of all those men,” not to mention all the family members now impacted. I couldn’t imagine having to live with such knowledge, yet “the next day his men saw him emerge with the determined look of a general, mount his horse and continue on with the campaign.” (Just imagine for a moment how our country would be today if he had quit.)

C.S. Lewis once wrote, "No amount of falls can really undo us, if we keep picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course, be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home…. The only fatal thing is to lose one's temper and give up."

Patrick Henry is credited with having convinced the Virginia convention to pass a resolution sending troops for the Revolutionary War by his speech which included the famous phase, “Give me liberty or give me death!”. Among those present at the time were future Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

These men are heroes today because they refused to give up! Obedience actually means never giving up, even through repeated failure, because we know this is what God has asked us to do. "It's required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2). Not successful... faithful!

Simply put, our focus shouldn't be on us, but the One who is working within us, “to accomplish His good purpose”! AND remember: God is faithful, for He will never give up on us!

Lisa Thayer

Half-Way Obedience {2 Kings 8:16 - 10:36}

12:30 AM

Tuesday, March 27, 2018




Imagine only washing half of your kitchen floor.  Or only cooking dinner half-way.  Or applying only half of your make-up.  That’s what we see here in 2 Kings 8:16 – 10:36.

It’s remarkable to me that Jehu gets anointed at all.  God knows Jehu’s natural inclination.  This was a time when people did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.  But isn’t that what is occurring in our lifetime?  Abortion.  Sexual sin.  Corruption in the government and in the business world.

I have had to ask myself lately what am I doing wrong?  I have been battling a few little battles and I just can’t seem to see the end.  And the more I pray, the more I’ve come to realize that it’s truly a heart condition.  I am in a place of waiting and it’s painful to wait so long.  I seem to be desperate for the Lord’s answer – an ache in my soul, just waiting to be fulfilled.

As I prepared this post, I could recognize myself – totally devoted – no.  No, I still have my tendencies to not destroy everything that keeps me separated from God.  It was only the forbidden fruit that began the sin of the world.  But it spread to lying and selfishness and disobedience and murder.

Sin is not just something that affects just one person at a time. The sins of one person can influence other people.  Jeroboam’s sin caused the northern kingdom to continue to sin against God and it grew until Ahab introduced Baal worship to the nation.  Our sins can influence the people around us. 

Sin isn’t just like some disease that we have to rid ourselves of it; it is something that is inherent to our nature.  We are not sinners because we sin.  We sin because we are sinners.  We are sinners first and that can be a bitter pill for some of us to swallow.  We don’t even mean to sin, but we do.  It’s like second nature.

When God flooded the earth, he knew that that was not the solution to sin.  He wanted to show us that our solution would not work.  The same is here with Jehu.  We might think that wiping out the source of Baal worship would solve all the problems, but it doesn’t.  Just read the headlines these days.  ISIS.  Police/Citizen shootings.  School shootings.  Our hearts may want retribution, but that is not the answer.  None of these solve the problem of sin.  The solution to sin requires an even more drastic measure than killing everybody.  The solution requires killing God.

Jesus came to save us from ourselves!  He came to suffer and die on the cross for our sins, even though He was the only person to ever be sinless.  He was fully man and fully God, and the only one able to take away our sins.  His sacrifice on the cross enables us to nail our sins to that very same cross once and for all.  He took our shame.  He took our pain.  He separated Himself from the Father so that He would become sin, the sin of us all.  The Lord poured out His complete wrath of Jesus.  The innocent was broken.  His blood flowed on the ground.  His death caused the earth to quake and the skies to break.  He endured death in order to break death.  Death could not keep its hold on Jesus and He returned just 3 days later.  Jesus had broken sin and death, and the problem of sin now had a solution.

So I ask you, do you find your sole delight in the Lord?  Are you praising God in each and every moment?  Or do you cling to those questions?  Are you clinging to your solutions?  I found myself back in 1 Samuel 2 this morning – “Then Hannah prayed and said: ‘My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high.  My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in Your deliverance.

2 Kings

Eyes Of Faith {2 Kings 1:1-8:15}

12:00 AM



I was trying a new recipe and had to run to the store to pick up a couple of ingredients I was lacking. After searching through the spices and not finding the elusive white pepper I needed, I asked a young girl stocking shelves for help. Right away she pointed it out and wouldn’t you know, the pepper was right in front of me. It had been staring at me the whole time but I didn’t see it. Sometimes that’s how it is in our spiritual lives. We look at things through our eyes instead of God’s and miss what is staring right at us. That’s what happened to the servant of Elisha. He was surrounded by the Lord’s mighty warriors yet couldn’t see them.

When the king of Aram found out that the prophet Elisha was informing the Israelite army of his every move, he sent a great army of his own to surround the city of Dothan where Elisha and his servant were staying.  Filled with despair the servant asked Elisha, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” Elisha answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (vs. 6:15-16) Can you imagine what went through the mind of that terrified servant? He must have thought his master was crazy. The two of them certainly didn’t outnumber the great many soldiers they faced. But in fact Elisha wasn’t crazy. He was looking through eyes of faith and saw what God saw. And so he prayed to the Lord that his servant too would see as he did. “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (v. 17) 

How many times are we like the servant of Elisha? Often when we look at the troubles facing us, our first response is worry and despair. We fail to see past our problems to what God sees. And what He sees is victory that comes only from trusting in Him. From trusting in His power, protection, and provision. He will always provide the resources we need to get through any challenge. “Sometimes God's resources will enable us to emerge on top. Or He will enable us to survive the onslaught. And sometimes God will simply give us strength to maintain a Christlike spirit in the midst of abuse and ill-treatment at the hands of others.”(Dennis Bratcher) Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened, and we too need to pray for open eyes of faith. Faith allows us to rest in the knowledge that even if we can’t see them, we are surrounded by a mountain full of horses and chariots of fire.

Whose eyes are you looking through? Are they the eyes of a fearful servant, or the eyes of an all powerful God? Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians was this, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” (Eph. 1:18)  Paul wanted them, and us, to see things as God does. To have Godly vision. To have unwavering belief that God loves us and is always fighting for us. Psalm 34:7 promises, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.”  We know that God always fulfills His promises, so the next time you feel like crying “Alas!”, remember that those who are with us are greater than those who are with them!

“O Lord, open my eyes that I may see forces that You have assembled on the hillsides of my life. I trust in your strength and provision.”...iworship Bible


1 Kings

Soul Searching Sunday ~ Our Security

12:00 AM

Sunday, March 25, 2018



Week Twelve

Welcome!  We pray that you have all had a precious time worshipping the Lord this morning!  Below you will find some thought provoking questions that will provide you a starting point to your journal writing to complete this week.  We hope that you will find this time soul satisfying!

Our reading this week was 2 Samuel 20 - 1 Kings 22.

 1. What degree of control over your life do you need to have to feel secure? What parts of your life (for example, your house, job, family) do you desperately guard so that no one can take them away? Find your security in your "shield" and "high tower."

 "He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold, my high tower, my savior, the one who saves me from violence." (2 Samuel 22:3)

 2. How is your conduct influenced by the company you keep? Do you act one way around believers but become a different  person around those who are not? Write a letter to God asking Him to make you a model of Godly living.

 "Although the pagan shrines were not completely removed, Asa remained faithful to the LORD throughout his life. He brought into the Temple of the LORD the silver and gold and the utensils that he and his father had dedicated." (1Kings 15:14-15)

 3. How do you receive the warnings in the Bible against sin? Or are you comfortable with the way things are, confident that everything will work out in the end? Don't wait for a grave report - urgently seek after God. When He speaks, listen!

 "When Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothing, dressed in sackcloth, and fasted. He even slept in sackcloth and went about in deep mourning." (1 Kings 21:27)

Banana Bread

Triple Chocolate Banana Bread

10:15 AM


Triple Chocolate Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
4 small bananas , mashed (approx. 1 1/3 cups)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Chocolate Glaze
1/4 cup half & half
2 tablespoons brown sugar , packed
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & flour a 9×5 loaf pan. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl. Set aside. Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Stir in eggs and bananas. Add banana mixture and chocolate chips to flour mixture. Stir just until combined. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.To make the glaze, heat half & half and brown sugar over medium heat until brown sugar has dissolved and tiny bubbles start to form on the edges. Stir in vanilla and butter until melted and turn off heat. Add chocolate chips and do not stir, let sit 2-3 minutes. Whisk chocolate chips until smooth. Cool completely and drizzle over bread.

2 Kings

Scripture Saturday ~ God's Army

12:00 AM

Saturday, March 24, 2018


Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

This coming week's memory verse is 2 Kings 6:16...

 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” (NLT)

 Have a blessed and precious day and week everyone!

1 Kings

Keeping the Faith {1 Kings 12-16}

10:00 PM





Today I will focus on the reign of King Asa of Judah (1 Kings 15:9-24). In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king over Judah. He was the great-grandson of Solomon. He took the throne after his father's brief reign and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom. He removed that which was evil from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

“11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did his father (forefather) David. “
But there was something he did not do:  “14 But the high places [of idol worship] were not removed. Nevertheless, Asa’s heart was entirely devoted to the Lord all his days. 15 He brought the things which his father had dedicated and the things which he had dedicated into the house of the Lord—silver, gold, and utensils and accessories.”

I mean, why not vanish once and for all these high places?  I like what the iWorship Bible mentions regarding this: “… that given the backdrop of a fallen world, you can’t expect perfection. You have to give in to what you don’t’ fully endorse in order to hold on to what really matters.”  “King Asa understood that. “  “All the same,  he wasn’t successful in getting rid of all the garbage that had accumulated in the Temple. Certain pagan practices and shrines remained in spite of his influence!”
That is also true in our lives, isn’t it? We are still a work in process!  We are not alone as we continue in our walk through this fallen world (Matt 28:20, 1 Sam 12:22)! But we must not give in or compromise!  How do we react under pressure? Is our conduct influenced by the company we keep?
As we continue reading we find that king Asa, made a poor decision as he felt threatened by Baasha the king of Israel: Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the treasuries of the king's house, and used this treasure to buy the favor of Ben-Hadad of Syria, so that he would withdraw support from Israel.




“Asa was cordially devoted to the service of God, his sins not arising from presumption. But his league with Benhadad arose from unbelief. Even true believers find it hard, in times of urgent danger, to trust in the Lord with all their heart. Unbelief makes way for carnal policy, and thus for one sin after another. Unbelief has often led Christians to call in the help of the Lord’s enemies in their contests with their brethren; and some who once shone brightly, have thus been covered with a dark cloud towards the end of their days.” (M.Henry)

Jesus tells us that we will have troubles in this world, but in order to resist we must stand firm on our faith! He has promised that we have victory through our faith because He has overcome the world (John 16:33)!
Paul understood this and so he wrote: “18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, so that [inspired and aided] by them you may fight the good fight [in contending with false teachers], 19 keeping your faith [leaning completely on God with absolute trust and confidence in His guidance] and having a good conscience; for some [people] have rejected [their moral compass] and have made a shipwreck of their faith.” (1 Tim. 1:19)

Peter also encourages us: “7 casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. 8 Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.] 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be].” (1 Peter 5:7-10)

Remember we are a work in process and when you are facing hard and uncertain times, we can be encouraged to press on knowing that you are an overcomer!

Blessings,
Mari

1 Kings

Solomon’s Wisdom and Folly (1 Kings 9-11)

2:27 AM




How rich was King Solomon in today’s standards?  Very!  I found him listed as number 1 for top 10 richest people in history.  His estimated net worth, not including tributary pay from the kings of Arabia or from business and trade was over 2 Trillion dollars.  Every year he received 25 tons of gold.  The Bible tells us he had 1400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen. He had a fleet of ships that brought exotic goods. His throne was ivory overlaid with gold and all of his drinking vessels were gold. 

Solomon was also famous and sought after for his wisdom. The Bible tells us about the Queen of Sheba who traveled undoubtedly a very long journey to personally meet with Solomon and ask him tough questions.  She was impressed with his wise and insightful answers but she was also very impressed with Solomon’s reverent acknowledgement of God. She told Solomon “Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness.””(10:9)

God certainly bestowed great favor upon Solomon.  God made this promise to him: “And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel (9:4-5). Many would say Solomon had it made.  As long as he honored God as first in his life, he continued to have God’s help and God’s favor.  

Sadly, however, Solomon did not heed the rest of God’s conditions. “But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.” 1 Kings (9:6-7)

Even though Solomon had such an abundance of fame and fortune, he still had a restless heart.  His weakness was in seeking after women , particularly women who did not share his faith in God. “For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.” (11:4) 

As we look at the life of perhaps the wisest and richest man in the world we can certainly learn from his wisdom and his folly.  As long as Solomon put God first, his endeavors prospered and God honored his promises to him. Solomon’s conduct and devotion also proved a testimony to others.  When Solomon stopped putting God first, he suffered the consequences.  We too must reap what we sew.  Our hearts must remain aware of the source of any wisdom or blessing we enjoy. 

Hebrews 11:6 
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

1 Kings

Two Pillars of Prayer {1 Kings 5-8}

8:00 PM




Today’s chapters read like a construction progress report. Not too exciting at first glance, especially since the author seems to be writing to those who would know much of the significance to all he’s added here, but once you do just a bit of investigative work things begin to pop and the excitement begins to build!

One aspect found in chapter six and seven tells us that this is more than just a building project. It’s actually the beginning of a whole new era in Israel’s history. Israel had spent 430 years in Egyptian bondage (before God redeemed them), and since, Israel has spent 480 years of wandering (so to speak) before God gives them the gift of rest. For some reason God has decided Israel’s wandering days are over, and allows Solomon to build Him a Temple. It’s as if God would not rest until He had given His people rest. Pretty cool, huh? But there’s one more thing I discovered in chapter 7 that may just fire up your prayer life,

“He (Solomon) set up the pillars at the portico of the sanctuary: He set up the right pillar and named it Jachin; then he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz. The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. Then the work of the pillars was completed.” 1 Kings 7:21–22

It’s important to note that these two pillars are not described as supporting any structure or roof. They were a free-standing testimony to all who entered the Temple, and Solomon actually gave each pillar a name. Did that peek your interest while reading? It did mine! Why would Solomon erect two pillars that serve no purpose in supporting the structure and name them?

It’s also important to note that the portico was the entrance of the Temple, therefore the men of Israel would pass by these pillars as they entered the Temple, but the true significance is found in the names Solomon gave them and not so much in their placement.

One, Solomon named Jachin which means, “He will establish.” It may also be construed as a prayer, “May He establish.”. The second was, Boaz which means “In Him is strength” or “By the Lord, the King is mighty.”

Here we have “He will establish” and “In Him is strength” serving as majestic (standing some 35 feet in the air) statements in front of the Temple for all to see while passing by..
·         The first highlights the promise of the Lord, the second the power of the Lord.
·         The first recalls what the Lord said; the second reminds us that He is able to do all He has said.
·         Jachin stood to point to the original anchor of God’s Word; Boaz stood to point to His ongoing power to bring His Word to pass.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have these two reminders before us always as we meet with God each day? I was reminded of what Paul had said about Abraham in Romans 4:20-21, “He (Abraham) did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise, but was strengthened in His faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what he promised He was also able to perform.” (emphasis mine)


In essence, you could say, Jachin highlight’s God’s grace, while Boaz points to our responsibility highlighted in Psalm 105:4, “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually.”
 
If you approached God always between these two pillars of thought, how much more powerful would your prayers be?

happiness 1 Kings 3:5

Happiness = Wisdom {1 Kings 1:1 - 4:34}

12:30 AM


Imagine if you heard God ask you, “What do you want?  Ask, and I will give it to you!” (1 Kings 3:5b).  What would you ask for? 

Image result for wisdom

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I would be writing about wisdom today.  You see, I could probably find in my journals 100’s of times that I’ve asked for wisdom and what happens when you gain wisdom?  Happiness.  Yep, you gain happiness.  Just listen to Proverbs 8:32-36.  Here wisdom is speaking and she says, “And so, my children, listen to me, for happy are all who follow my ways.  Listen to my counsel and be wise.  Don’t ignore it.”  Do yourself a favor and GET WISDOM!  Proverbs 16:16 says, “How much better to get wisdom than gold, and understanding than silver!”

What do you chase after day after day?  Last week I wrote about accumulating stuff and sharing what we acquire.  But why aren’t we chasing after eternal happiness?!  We spend a lifetime chasing after happiness and if we do not have the wisdom to seek God in it, then we will find it in whatever substitutes the world has to offer.  “Terrorists may find it in shooting presidents and popes.  Executives may find it in climbing the corporate ladder.  Athletes in breaking world records.  Scholars in publishing books.  Gamblers may find it in Reno.  Musicians in selling millions in records.  The sources where people seek happiness apart from God are countless:  drink, drugs, sex, suntans, televisions, tubing, eating, talking, walking, etc., etc.  But the happiness that these things bring is not true and lasting.  It is not ultimate and eternal.  It is not the joy for which we were made.  And, therefore, it leaves us unsatisfied, frustrated, incomplete, knowing that there must be something more.  But that ultimate and eternal happiness that we crave is only found in wisdom.”  John Piper

What are the characteristics of a person who has wisdom?  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding.”  Proverbs 9:10.  It is fearing to run away from Him.  It means fearing to seek refuge and joy and hope from anywhere other than from God.  It means fearing that to stop trusting and depending on God and look to anything else to meet our needs. 

A wise person is characterized by humility.  “When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom.”  Proverbs 11:2.  A proud person does not fear the Lord.  But a person who fears the Lord is humble, because she depends on God for everything.  Humility is the foundation for other aspects of godly wisdom because humility is teachable and open to change.   Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon a rock.”  Matthew 7:24.   So hearing and doing God’s Word would be a good definition of godly wisdom.  

If you are seeking happiness then God’s Word is a divine prescription for how to finally be cured of all unhappiness. 

But what happens when you are in a situation that God’s Word just does not speak directly to your dilemma?  1 Kings 3:16-28 is like a soap opera to me and makes me smile at how this all works out for Solomon.  There was no biblical command to tell Solomon what to do when these two prostitutes claim the same baby.  Wisdom must go beyond knowing and doing God’s Word.  Wisdom must include a sensitive and mature judgment of how the fear of the Lord should work itself out in all the circumstances not specifically dealt with in the Bible.  It’s like what Paul calls in Romans 12:2, a “renewing of the mind”, and in Colossians 1:9 when Paul says, “So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you.  We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what He wants to do in your lives, and we ask Him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom.”   It’s so tough when there is no clear word from God, but when we saturate our minds and hearts with God’s Word that we gain spiritual wisdom to guide us in all situations.

How?  How do we get wisdom?

  1. Desire wisdom.  Proverbs 4:8 says, “Prize her highly and she will exalt you; she will honor you for your embrace.”  Proverbs 2:4 says, “Seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasure.” 
  2. Since wisdom is found in the Word of God, we must apply ourselves in study and meditation to know the Word and do it.  “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”  Psalm 19:7
  3. Pray.  Solomon asked God for wisdom (1 Kings 3:11).  James probably says it best, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.”  James 1:5.  If wisdom leads to true and lasting happiness and we are not born with it, it’s a gift from God and if we are to “get wisdom”, we must pray.
  4. Think about our death.  Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”   Talk about purging our priorities! 
  5. Come to Jesus!  “The queen of the south will also rise up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, because she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon.  And now someone greater than Solomon is here – and you refuse to listen to Him.”  Matthew 12:42.  “But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God.”  1 Corinthians 1:24  “In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  Colossians 2:3



To know and love and follow Jesus is to own the treasure of ultimate and eternal happiness.  So listen to the command, “Get Wisdom”.