Old Men's Advise

Heed Good Aged Advise
We think we have all the answers and all the angles on how things are to be done until we speak to someone with age.  Then it's a matter of what's the best advice.  Rehoboam took over for his father Solomon as King and failed to head the advice of the old men instead he listened to the young guns who thought they had all the best ideas.  Didn't turn out so well for the man who's daddy was the wisest man that lived.
II Chronicles 10:8,18-19 But the king forsook the counsel which the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who were brought up with him and stood before him. Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the Israelites stoned him and he died. But King Rehoboam hastened to get up to his royal chariot to flee to Jerusalem. And Israel has rebelled against the house of David to this day.

Mr. President?

Who Should Be President?
This is the question on everyone's lips.  There is great debate stirring even over the debates.  The answer is very simple and found in of all places...the Bible. 
We need a man full of the wisdom of God.     
II Chronicles 9:5-6;22-23 She said to the king, The report which I heard in my own land of your acts and sayings and of your wisdom was true, But I did not believe their words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the fame that I heard of you. Happy are your wives and men, and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put into his mind.

All Eyes and Ears

God loves to hear you pray and see you pray.  He can't help but focus on you in your place of prayer.  For Solomon and the Israelites it was in the temple.              II Chronicles 7:15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place.  The God of the universe is all eyes and ears bending over intently and attentive to watch you and hear you in prayer anytime and anywhere.

Death Escapeable?

Death is something that the vast majority of humanity wants to escape yet in this life inevitable for all.  Yet there is coming a day when most will want to die but they cannot.  Revelation 9:6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
Therefore we should consider embracing the hope that sets us free from death.        I Corinthians 15:55-57 “Where , O death , is your victory? Where , O death , is your sting? ” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!"

The Glory of God

Oh that our worship and praise of the Lord, both private and coorporate, would be so sweet in His sight that we would sense His glory.  For those who criticize experience and feelings as emotionalism the Glory of God is nothing any human being can conjure up. And His glory is as wonderful today as in times of old.  For those who try to conjure up the Glory of God in song or some other method, it is nothing more than a flawed human effort.
II Chronicles 5:13-14 gives us a glorious glimpse into a moment when God did what only God can do and how His people were just simply honoring Him in their worship and praise.
"It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord ; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord , saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord ;  So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God."

Your Temple

When Solomon built the temple,        
(II Chronicles 3-7) he sparred no expense and it was gloriously, extravagantly and exquisitely adorned with gold.  The features of the temple and it's beauty would be a sight that tourist today would flock to see and it would be the talk of the travel channel. The estimated cost in today's economy is between 6 and 8 billion dollars.  The temple is where the Living God dwelt.  How well are you taking care of the temple in which God dwells today?  Remember your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit
(I Corinthians 6:19).  I wonder how people ewww and ahhh because they see the glory of the power of God in us?

Who Am I?

Who are we to do anything for God?  Solomon was preparing to accomplish the task of building the temple that God had ordained him to do and he became overwhelmed with this thought.
II Chronicles 2:5-6And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.  But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?
We are not adequate but God loves us so much He wants to use us for His glory.

Better Day Coming

Tears whether trickling down your check visibly or down the walls of your heart invisible to others indicates sorrow that can come from any number of sources.  Sorrow over hurtful words spoken, death, physical, material or spiritual crisis, a wayward child, relational disasters, family conflicts....and the list goes on.  One day all tears and sorrow and pain will be forevermore eradicated.  So whatever your going through today, there is a better day coming.
Revelation 7:17; 21:4 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

The One Ton Truck

God designed us like a one ton truck.  We are designed to carry today's load but the problem is we go back and pick up a ton from yesterday and then pick up a ton from tomorrow.  Now your going down the road of life in your one ton truck with 3 tons.  The result....you break down.
Matthew 6:34
So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

Ask For Anythng

If you could ask for anything honestly what would you ask for?  The winning numbers for the 1.5billion dollar lotto tickect?  Someone to come back from the dead? World peace? ....It would be in our best interest to take a lesson from Solomon.  I Chronicles 1:10 "Give me now wisdom and knowledge,"...
Wisdom-the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.
Knowledge-facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.
Wow how those two would alter our world if we conducted ourselves in the wisdom and knowledge of God.

Ownership Determines Authority

It might be your house or your car or some other material good but if the bank or someone else holds the mortgage they have authority because they hold the title.  God holds the title to all things and thus is the ultimate authority over everything that exists.  Therefore it would behoove humanity to honor Him accordingly.  Give Him today the glory due His name.             I Chronicles 29:1-13 Thine, O Lord , is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord , and thou art exalted as head above all.  Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.  Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

Selective Hearing

In the book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3(not exclusively here) God says on several occasions "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit says".  Or another way to approximate that is "Now think through what has been said".  In order to think through what has been said you have to have heard first.  The clutter and clamor of all that is going on all to often prevents us from hearing what the Spirit says.  How can we possibly be obedient or make necessary adjustments if we don't even hear what is said in the first place?  He is speaking, listen!

Night of the Living Dead

The Living Dead.  The 1968 horror film by George A. Romero and John A. Russo was not the original.  The original living dead was at the Sardis church as recorded in Rev. 3:1-2 "AND TO the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Sardis write: These are the words of Him Who has the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] and the seven stars: I know your record and what you are doing; you are supposed to be alive, but [in reality] you are dead. Rouse yourselves and keep awake, and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying; for I have not found a thing that you have done [any work of yours] meeting the requirements of My God or perfect in His sight." 
A warning to heed that our lives don't become another horror film in the sight of God.

Blessed

Obededom was a man who was blessed by God.  (See I Chron. 13:14; 26:4-5).  Not much else do we know about this man other than God blessed him.  Oh that God would bless us today!  Lord send your blessings and may my life be so pleasing that you would have every reason to bless me and thank you for the times that you have blessed me inspite of all my failures and shortcomings.

Follow Me

Follow me has taken on a meaning of its own in our social media culture.  "Follow Me"...seemingly very simplistic, yet incredibly profound were the words of Christ when He called His disciples.  As Oswald Chambers said so well in his devotional for today there was a lot that happened in Peters life between the first follow me and the second follow me.  When will we get past ourselves and what we think we can accomplish and fully rely on the Holy Spirit and follow Christ as we should?  
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." John 10:27

Jesus Is Coming...I Didn't Say The Sky Was Falling

There are many outside of Christianity that don't believe it and there are many inside Christianity who have given many a good reason not to believe it...BUT.. believe it or not, mock it if you will, even call me crazy...JESUS IS COMING!  Now before you jump off the deep end I didn't say when and I never will claim to remotely know that answer...BUT...JESUS IS COMING!
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Rev. 1:7-8. ARE YOU READY?

Look At Us Now

He took us from the most filthy, deplorable, disgusting conditions imaginable; loved us, washed us clean and made us royalty.
"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." Revelation 1:5-6