A Still Small Voice

1 Kings 19:1-18[i]

Elijah was a man of God.  In 1 Kings 17, he announces a famine.  God is trying to get the attention of Israel.  Israel has been consistently unfaithful by worshipping idols and participating in religious practices that God never sanctioned.  In 1 Kings 18, Elijah takes on the king and the prophets of Baal in front of the whole nation of Israel.  He boldly challenges them to a contest to see who is the true God.

                                                                                        

The Lord God answers Elijah’s simple prayer with fire from heaven, demonstrating that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the true God.  In response, the people proclaim that the Lord is God, and Elijah boldly takes charge and has the people of Israel slay all the prophets of Baal.

Elijah has won.  The people have acknowledged that the Lord is God.  (1 Kings 18:39)  Therefore, Elijah prays for rain, and God sends rain.  Elijah warned Ahab of the coming rain, and outran Ahab's chariot to Ahab's hometown.

Surely, this is the beginning of reform, a return to the God of Israel.

However, this is not to be.  1 Kings 19:1 tells us that when Ahab got home he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal.

Ahab had a habit of getting Jezebel to do his dirty work.  Therefore, this is what he does.  1 Kings 21:25 tells us, “There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD.”  (NIV)[ii]  His heart was not moved by the demonstration of God’s power.  Consequently, he goes home and tells Jezebel his troubles.  How that bad old “troubler of Israel” killed all his prophets of Baal.  Jezebel then sends a message to Elijah.  “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.” (1 Kings 19:2)  She was not king.  She could not have done this without the king’s support.  However, Ahab was afraid of the people.  The people had followed Elijah in slaying the prophets of Baal.  The people had proclaimed, “The Lord is God!”  Ahab insulated himself from the consequences of taking action by getting Jezebel to do it for him.

However, Jezebel was not stupid.  She sent a message.  If she had sent soldiers or someone to kill Elijah, they would most likely have been stopped.  After all, Elijah had just killed 450 people.

1 Kings 19:3 tells us, “Elijah was afraid and fled for his life.”  Up to this point in the life of Elijah, he acted on the word of the Lord.  In this case, he responds in fear.  He took his eyes off the Lord his God.  This reminds me of Peter, when he saw Jesus walking on the water.  He said to Jesus, “Master, if it is truly you, command me to come to you on the water.”  Jesus said, “Come.”  Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water until he took his eyes off Jesus, saw the storm and noticed the wind and the waves.  Then, he sank and had to be rescued by Jesus.  We see this same response in Elijah.  He took his eyes off the Lord his God and ran.

How often do we do the same thing?  Do we wait patiently for the Lord, or do we panic and run?

                              

Circumstances look threatening.  In response, we take action before taking our concerns to the Lord and seeking His will. 

Elijah panics.  He went to Beersheba.  He ran 120 miles south.  He is in Judah, which should be a safe place.  However, he does not stop there.  He leaves his servant and continues alone into the wilderness.  He finally reaches the end of physical endurance, lies down under a tree and prays to die.  In this, we get a glimpse into his frame of mind.  He says, “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”  (1 Kings 19:4)  He is thinking about his ancestors.  We also know that he goes to Mt. Sinai, the Mountain of God where Moses received the Law. 

When Elijah gets to Mt. Sinai and the Lord asks Him, “What are you doing here?” we see more of Elijah’s frame of mind.  He says, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty.  But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets.  I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”  (1 Kings 19:15)

Elijah remembered the great demonstration of power at Mt. Sinai and the powerful leadership of Moses and felt sorry for himself.  He had expected an entirely different result from his ministry at Mt. Herman.  He ministered with a passion to see his people return to the Lord his God.  He is angry with God.  His statement that he is the only one left is an accusation pointing at God.  He went back to the place where it had all started, Mt. Sinai.  That is where the covenant that had been broken was established.

Have you ever been disappointed with God?

Have you ever worked hard, served the Lord and then met with what you perceived as failure?  I have.

“God, I worked hard for you.  I was faithful, and look what is happening now!” 

At this point, Elijah is nowhere near where he should be.  Twice, God asks him, “What are you doing here?”

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you have no business being?  I have.  Do not worry.  Many people have.  Abraham found himself in Egypt, where he had no business being.  Jonah found himself in the belly of a big fish.  David found himself in Philistia.  Peter found himself running away, weeping after having denied Jesus.  Disappointment and frustration with God seems to be a part of the life of the one who would follow God.  It is not the fact that God is good that upsets us.  It is the fact that His ways are not our ways.  Elijah wanted a revival.  Jonah wanted Nineveh judged.  David wanted safety from Saul.  Peter wanted the Kingdom of God.  All wanted good things, but the desired results did not happen when and how the man of God wanted.

These men got mad at God, threw a fit and went their own way.  How did God respond?

He sustained them.  He fed Elijah heavenly food.  He kept Jonah from drowning and provided transportation back to dry land.  He provided a home and protection for David.  He protected Abraham and made him rich.  He chose Peter to lead his Apostles and the Church in Jerusalem.

How does God respond to you when you get angry, frustrated, disappointed and lack faith?  He sustains you.  He provides you with heavenly food.  He carries you through the storm to dry land.  He provides safety and shelter.  He gives you blessings you do not deserve.  Hebrews 12:5-6 make it clear that God disciplines His children.  This is important.  He treats us as His children, because that is exactly what we are.  We are His children.  John 1:12 tells us:

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

God used a famine, and fire from heaven to speak to Ahab.

Ahab was not God’s child.  He made himself God’s enemy

God used plagues, death and destruction to speak to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh was not God’s child.  He made himself God’s enemy.

God uses earthquakes, plagues and disease to get the attention of those who set themselves against Him.  In the book of Revelation, God says He will use earthquakes, plagues and disease to speak to those who set themselves against Him.  However, this is not how God speaks to His children.

To Adam, He said, “Where are you?”  To Elijah, He said, “What are you doing here?”

God reminded Elijah that He could smash rocks with wind, shake the earth and bring fire from heaven.  What happened in Israel was not up to Elijah.  God gave Him an assignment.  “Go back the way you came.”  Elijah was to anoint Hazael king of Aram.  Hazael would be the wind that would smash the rocks of Israel.  Elijah was to anoint Jehu as king of Israel.  Jehu would be the earthquake that would shake the foundations of Israel, removing the family of Ahab from the face of the earth.  Elijah was to anoint Elisha as his own successor.  Elisha would be the fire that purified the nation.

However, the wind, earthquake and fire were not for Elijah.  God does not speak to His children that way.  God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice.  The Hebrew is literally “a sound of gentle stillness.”  God tells us, “Be still and know that I am God!”  (Psalm 46:10)  God speaks to His children with impressions, through His word and through thoughts.  Psalm 16:7 tells us that even at night our hearts instruct us.  This, along with examples in scripture, leads me to believe that He speaks to us even in our dreams. 

Jesus has saved us from the wrath of God.  As His children, we do not live in fear.  We live in the glorious triumph of the grace of God.  The warning of wrath and judgment are for a world that sets itself up in opposition to God.  For us, His children, we need to listen and in the stillness hear the sweet sound of His still small voice.  When God needs to shout to get someone’s attention, then there is a serious need for repentance and contrition.

God speaks to His children.  Are we listening?

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

What Does It Take?

King David and then his son Solomon led Israel to be a great and powerful nation.  Under their leadership, Israel grew to be one of the most powerful nations in that region.

However, Solomon was unfaithful and worshipped idols.  Therefore, God judged Solomon, took 10 of Israel’s tribes and gave them to another dynasty.  Israel became two nations.  The 10 tribes became what is known as the northern kingdom or Israel.  The tribe left to David’s line became what is known as the southern kingdom, or Judah. 

The map of Israel now looked like this:

[i]

When God took the northern kingdom away from Solomon’s son, He gave it to a man name Jeroboam.  Here is what God told Jeroboam:

‘I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you!  ³²But I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.  ³³For Solomon has abandoned me and worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Molech, the god of the Ammonites.  He has not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in my sight.  He has not obeyed my decrees and regulations as David his father did.  (1 Kings 11: 31-33[ii])

God explained that He was leaving one tribe for David’s line because of His promise to David.  However, He went on to say to Jeroboam:

³⁸If you listen to what I tell you and follow my ways and do whatever I consider to be right, and if you obey my decrees and commands, as my servant David did, then I will always be with you.  I will establish an enduring dynasty for you as I did for David, and I will give Israel to you.  (1 Kings 11:38)

In a few short months after God had spoken to him, Jeroboam found himself king over the northern kingdom.  However, he did not trust God.  He thought to himself:

“Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David.  ²⁷When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the LORD, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah.  They will kill me and make him their king instead.”  (1 Kings 12:26-27)

His solution was to set up idols at the north and south ends of his kingdom so that his people would not go to Jerusalem, the heart of the southern kingdom, to worship.  He also set up shrines to some of the gods that Solomon had worshipped.

In response, God told Jeroboam that his family would be completely destroyed.  His lineage would be completely wiped out.  God also said, “[ I ] will abandon Israel because Jeroboam sinned and made Israel sin along with him.”  (1 King 14:16)

When Jeroboam died his son, Nadab became king.  Nadab was king two years and then Baasha assassinated Nadab, made himself king and slaughtered all the descendants of Jeroboam.

Baasha was worse than Jeroboam, but he passed the Kingdom down to his son Elah.  Elah was king for two years and then Zimri wiped out his descendants and even his relatives.

Zimri was king for 7 days, but the army was out of town.  So, the army chose their commander Omri as king.  Omri ruled Israel for 12 years.  This is what 1 Kings 16:25 says of Omri:

But Omri did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him.

So the kings of the northern kingdom have been: Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri and Omri.  (As a side note, there was a Tibni who fought a civil war with Omri for control of the nation.)  The most notable thing about each of these kings is that each one was worse than his predecessor in ignoring the word of the Lord and in turning the people away from God by promoting idol worship.

The Lord sent prophets, warnings and judgments but these kings ignored them.

Omri had a son name Ahab who succeeded him as king.  And, just when we thought it could not get any worse . . .

Ahab married a woman named Jezebel.  He built a temple for a god named Baal in his capital city.  He set up an Asherah pole.  In fact, the Bible says, “He did more to provoke the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him.”  (1 Kings 16:33)  (1 Kings 21:25 says, “No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the LORD’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel.”)

Up to this point, the kings of the nation were judged.  The nation was still prosperous and powerful.  It was still one of the major powers in the region.  Ahab was a powerful, rich king.

God was not getting through to these kings of Israel, so He raised up a prophet, a man of God, by the name of Elijah.  God sent Elijah to Ahab with a message.  He said, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”  (1 Kings 17:1)

3 1/2 years later, we find Ahab searching the whole land trying to find enough grass to save at least some of his horses and mules.  (1 Kings 18:5)  It is at this point that the Elijah sets up a meeting with the King. 

A little background is in order.  Elijah has been in hiding during the past three years.  Ahab has been searching everywhere for Elijah.  He had searched the surrounding nations and everywhere inside the borders of Israel.  It was not safe to worship the Lord God in Israel.  We are told that Jezebel had tried to kill all the Lord's prophets but one of the king's servants named Obadiah had hidden 100 of them in two caves.

When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?” 

(1 Kings 18:17)

Listen to Elijah's response.

¹⁸“I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied.  “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the LORD and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.  (1 Kings 18:18)

Is it not interesting that Ahab blamed Elijah for the famine?

How is it that he can ascribe godlike powers to Elijah?  Is this not obviously the hand of God?  Can a man control the weather?  What will it take to get Ahab's attention?

When God sent plagues on Egypt, he targeted specific Egyptian gods.  Each plague challenged or corresponded with a particular Egyptian God.  The drought that God sent on Israel also targeted the Baal and the Ashtoreth that Ahab worshiped.  However, Ahab did not recognize the hand of God but found a scapegoat in God's messenger and blamed it on Elijah.

Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal that were in the employ of King Ahab's house to a contest.  1 Kings 18:20 -21 tell us:

²⁰So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel.  ²¹Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions?  If the LORD is God, follow him!  But if Baal is God, then follow him!”  But the people were completely silent.

Elijah built an altar.  The prophets of Baal built an altar.  They each put wood on top of the altar and then put a bull on top of the wood.  The challenge was that they were both to call on their god and the God that answered by fire would be understood to be the true God.  Elijah let the prophets of Baal go first.

All morning, the prophets of Baal called on him, but there was no response.  Then from noon until about six o'clock in the evening, Elijah heckled them.  Listen to what he said.

“You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god!  Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself.  Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!”  (1 Kings 18:27)

There was never any answer from Baal.  Baal was the storm god.  This challenge was perfectly suited for him because he should have been able to answer by lightning and set the wood on fire that was underneath the bull on the altar.

When it was Elijah's turn, he first soaked everything with water.  Then he offered up a simple prayer, and fire came from heaven and consumed the bull, the wood, the stones and the water.  Here is how 1 Kings 18:38-39 describe what happened:

³⁸Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust.  It even licked up all the water in the trench!  ³⁹And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The LORD—he is God!  Yes, the LORD is God!”

Israel had been straying from God for many years, and the Lord spoke to them repeatedly through prophets.  Even when famine came, announced beforehand by a man of God, Ahab would not listen.  It took fire from heaven to get the people's attention.

We know that soon there is a time coming that the Scriptures call the tribulation.  First, there will be a mass disappearing of Christians, but the world will explain it away.  Then there will be earthquakes.  Earthquakes challenge our confidence in the earth and our ability to tame it, and our claim that matter is eternal.  There will be war, plagues and diseases all with the purpose of demonstrating the futility of our modern idols of economics, political power and science.  Science in this setting means our confidence in ourselves and our ability to master all challenges.

Let me ask you a question.  Are not these idols at the core of what troubles our world today?  Has not God shaken our economic foundations to get our attention?  Are earthquakes not becoming more common than ever before?  Are new and strange diseases not a cause for concern?  What will it take for God to get our attention?  God still speaks.  Are we listening?

I know for me personally sometimes God has to use drastic measures to get my attention. 

Is there a drought in your life today?  Has something shaken the very foundations of your life and your world?

Our world assumes that because we are prosperous or well or at peace that we must be all right with God.  However, Ahab was prosperous, healthy and had the strongest military in the neighborhood, but he could not have been farther from God.

I would like to echo the message of Elijah, the message of John the Baptist, and the message of Jesus Christ.  "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand."  God speaks.  Are we willing to listen?

Let me close with some words from Jesus.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  (Matthew 6:33)

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[i] http://growingkidsingrace.blogspot.com/2013/01/kings-divided-kingdom_13.html

[ii] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

The Heart of Worship

Psalm 100[i]

Songs shape and reflect culture.

Songs reflect culture by capturing the mood, the thoughts and values of the day.  Songs shape culture by influencing the mood, the thoughts and values of the day.

We as Christians have our own songs and culture. 

God has provided us with a unique songbook.  We know it as the book of Psalms.  It is included in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament because it has a unique ability to shape our hearts and transform our lives.  These songs can capture our mood, thoughts and values on any given day.  They also have the ability to influence our mood thoughts and values.

Today we are going to look at just one of these Psalms, Psalm 100.

Psalm 100 is a song of thanksgiving and praise.  Over the millennia, it has been a favorite of God's people as an expression of our worship.  This Psalm calls us to praise the Lord.  This call to worship includes two things.  It includes delighting ourselves in the Lord, and it includes entering into his presence with thanksgiving.

Psalm 100 opens with, “Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!  Worship the Lord with gladness.  Come before him, singing with joy.”

This is both an exhortation and a prophecy.

It is a prophecy because a day is coming when the whole earth will worship God.  Romans 14:11 says, "'As surely as I live,' says the LORD, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.'"  The implication here is that in the end, when God judges the hearts and motives of all people, everyone will acknowledge that the Lord is God.

However, we are blessed to be able to do this now.  We can willingly, from the heart, acknowledge that the Lord is God.  This Psalm commands or exhorts us to do just this.  At this point, God is not saying, “Do this or else!”  He is saying do this because it is the source of joy and rejoicing.

Taken from this Psalm, worship can be a shout or song.  We do not have to feel joyful to begin singing the praises of our God.  Worship can be the source of our joy.  The Psalms are full of the praises of the Lord.  These praises give us joy and strength.  Psalm 28:7 says, “The LORD is my strength and shield.  I trust him with all my heart.  He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.  I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.”

This joy and this thanksgiving start with acknowledging that the Lord is God.  Psalm 100:3 says:

Acknowledge that the LORD is God!  He made us, and we are his.  We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 

Acknowledging that the Lord is God is exactly what the world does not want to do.  Humanity has dreamed up the theory of evolution so that there is no need to acknowledge God.  Romans chapter 1 verses 18 -19 tell us:

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.  They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.

The principle thing that keeps them from acknowledging God is self.  We know that all that the world offers is summed up in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life.  (1 John 2:15-16)  Philippians 3:19 says of these people, “They are headed for destruction.  Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.”

Although the things this world has to offer are very attractive, they lead to destruction.  This is more obvious with the destruction that comes with the unrestrained pursuit of appetites.  Alcoholism, drug abuse, sexually related social problems and diseases cost our world more economically, emotionally and in terms of lost human life than any of us can imagine.

If we talk just in terms of alcohol consumption, the United States Centers for Disease Control estimates that in 2006 excessive drinking cost the United States $223.5 billion, or about a $1.90 per drink.[ii]  Mind you, this is talking only about the United States, not the problem worldwide, and it is talking about only one problem.

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, there are about 2.5 million alcohol-related deaths annually worldwide.[iii]  To give you an idea of how huge this problem is, this amounts to 4.5 out of every 100 deaths worldwide.[iv]  Again, this is only one problem and it is only the loss of human lives, and does not include the economic impact.

The book of Ecclesiastes explores the emptiness of pursuing all that the world has to offer.  However, not only is there misery and destruction in this life, there are eternal consequences as well.  Jesus asked a question we all need to face.  “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”  (Mark 8:36)

We see in our culture, on our televisions, in our schools, and on our streets the promotion of the unrestrained exercise of our appetites.  Correspondingly, all around us, we see the consequences of destruction that comes as a result.  The answer, the solution is right here before us today.  It starts with acknowledging God.  It starts with finding our joy, our satisfaction, our fulfillment in the God who created us.  We are his people the sheep of his pasture.  Until we humbly acknowledge this, all other pursuits will only lead to destruction.

This call to worship that we find in Psalm 100 resonates with the hearts of God's people because we know that this is our very life.  However, the Psalm does not end here; there is a second part to this call to worship.  The first part of this call to worship was to delight ourselves in God.  The second part is to enter into his presence with thanksgiving.

Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise.  Give thanks to him and praise his name.”

Before we talk about thanksgiving, let us consider that this is an invitation to enter into the presence of God.

Psalm 24:3-4 asks a question.  It says, “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?  And who shall stand in his holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.”

Although not one of us fits this description perfectly, we are each and every one invited to come into the presence of the Lord.  This is made possible through what Jesus Christ did on the cross.  Romans 3:21-22 says:

“But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.  We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.  And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”

Psalm 100 invites us all into the presence of God, and we are instructed to come with thanksgiving.  These instructions come with an explanation. 

There are those among us who like to ask why.  In this case, we are given the why.  Why should we come with thanksgiving?  Psalm 100:5 says, “For the LORD is good.  His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” 

Our thanksgiving is in response to God’s goodness.

This is describing God’s character.  Goodness is one of God’s attributes.  It is something that is true about God. 

God is infinite.  He has no limits and no boundaries.  When we say He is Holy or loving, His holiness and love know no limits or bounds.  They are measureless and perfect.  The same is true of God’s goodness.  Everything He does is good, perfect and pure. 

It is important for us to understand this because the world asks us questions.  Why does God allow evil?  If He could stop a crime from happening, why would He not?  In the face of such questions, we assume the answer still rests in the goodness of God.  God is good and He does not do anything that is not good. 

Psalm 37:7-9 says:

Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.  Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.  Stop being angry!  Turn from your rage!  Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm.  For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.

While we are instructed to wait patiently for the Lord and trust in His goodness, in Psalm 100, the Psalmist points out two truths about God’s goodness.  First, “His unfailing love continues forever.”  Second, “His faithfulness continues to each generation.”

The phrase, “His unfailing love,” is speaking of God’s kindness or mercy.  It is because of the Lord’s mercy that we are not consumed.  (Lamentations 3:22)  All we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  (Isaiah 53:6)  This mercy is part of what we mean when we say that God is good.  It is great cause for thanksgiving and praise.

God has not and will not let one evil act go unpunished.  His justice is absolute.  However, for the one who accepts Jesus, He tells us that He has laid our iniquities on Him.  Jesus accepted our punishment for us.  This is God’s goodness at work.

As if this is not enough cause for thanksgiving, the truth of God’s mercy is coupled with the truth of His faithfulness.  Psalm 100 says, “His faithfulness continues to each generation.”

The word translated “faithfulness” here, is translated, “steadfastness,” “firm,” “truth,” and “stability” in other places.  It refers to the fact that God never changes.  His promises never fail.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  (Hebrews 13:8)

The same God that parted the Red Sea before the children of Israel is watching over you today.  The same God that was with David when he faced Goliath is with you today.  The same God that raised Jesus from the dead is a God that we worship today.

Psalm 100 calls upon us to praise the Lord.  We do this by acknowledging him, and we do this by thanking him. 

The Psalms are a great source of songs to praise, thank and worship the Lord.  These songs will influence our thoughts, our mood and our ideas about God.  This is exactly what Romans 12:2 is talking about when it tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Don't let this culture, this evil day, squeeze you into its mold.  Rather, let God transform you by the renewing of your mind and heart.  Start with the Psalms.  Read them.  Find one that expresses your heart to God and use it as your own prayer before him.  Soon you will find the blessing of entering into his Gates with thanksgiving in your heart and into his courts with praise.

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] www.cdc.gov/features/alcoholconsumption/

[iii] https://www.ncadd.org/blogs/in-the-news/2-5-million-alcohol-related-deaths-worldwide-annually

[iv] Worldwide annual death statistics taken from:  www.ecology.com/birth-death-rates/

Be Encouraged (Guest post by Shawn Ammons)

In Matthew 16:13-24 we see Jesus finishing up a three stop equipping tour. He had been to Tyre/Sidon, the Decapolis, and now Ceasarea Philippi. The following are three encouraging points from this passage.

Encouragement One

Jesus makes a promise with an authority like no other... "I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH."

When Jesus makes a promise, he keeps it. When he speaks, whatever he says happens. Jesus uses ordinary people like you and me to be disciple-makers. Jesus uses us to build his church.

Nothing can stop Jesus from building his church. No spears, bullets, fighter jets, bombs, terrorists, other religions. Nothing, not even the gates of hell can overcome Jesus building his church. In Matthew 28:18 Jesus said that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Be encouraged by this and refuse to believe the lies of our enemy.

Encouragement Two

Jesus had and still has an unwavering commitment to build the church for all people in all places around the world.

We see this as Jesus completes this training tour. We also see this in Matt. 28 where Jesus shares this command, “Make disciples of ALL nations." Be encouraged to follow Jesus personally and include those on the natural path of your life.

Encouragement Three

Jesus chose a backwards strategy to win the nations, tribes, and tongues by dying himself and by asking his followers to deny themselves and take up their cross to follow him.

If any one desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  - Matt.16:24

If you desire something bad enough you will deny yourself comforts and pleasures in order to pursue it, even if it requires daily sacrifice over a long period of time.

Be encouraged, as you deny self and daily take up your cross. Disciples will be made around the world. Nothing can stop Jesus from building his church. And, he will use people like you and me do it.

This article was inspired from a missions conference message by John Piper. It has been adapted for leadership training and wanted to share it with you as well.

The Fruit of Folly

The story of the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon is famous.  It has been fictionalized and made into something it was not. 

However, it illustrates the fame of Solomon’s wisdom.  The Queen of Sheba was probably from the Arabian Peninsula.  She likely came from modern-day Yemen, which is approximately 1400 miles from Jerusalem.  Traveling with a large train of camels as 1 Kings 10 tells us she did, the trip would have taken at least 70 days each way.  This is a long time for a monarch to be away from her kingdom.  However, having heard of Solomon’s wisdom, the Queen of Sheba made the trip in order to test Solomon with hard questions.

It is instructive to hear what she had to say.  Here is what she said:

“Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true!  I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes.  In fact, I had not heard the half of it!  Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told.  How happy your people must be!  What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom!  Praise the LORD your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel.  Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.”  (1Kings 10:6-9) [i]

In spite of all his great wisdom and knowledge, Solomon’s life ended on a very sad note.

This is what the Lord said to Solomon:

“Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants.  But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive.  I will take the kingdom away from your son.  And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city.”  (1 Kings 11:11-13)

Because of what Solomon had done, the Lord took the kingdom away from him.  It was only because of David that his name was not wiped off the face of the earth.  1 Kings 11:6 tells us that Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.  Solomon did not just behave badly, he did evil.  It is one thing to say he exercised poor judgment, but it is entirely different to say he did evil.

We can learn much from Solomon’s bad example.  We can learn the mistake to avoid and the way to avoid that mistake.

1 Kings 11:1 says, “Now King Solomon loved many foreign women.  Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites.” 

In 1 Kings 3:1, we saw that King Solomon started his reign by marrying the daughter of Pharaoh.  This would have been a marriage sealing a treaty.  1 Kings 11:3 tells us Solomon had 700 wives of royal birth.  Since these wives were of royal birth, we can assume they were treaty marriages.  However, these were not just treaty marriages to Solomon, Solomon loved these women.  This is the fact that 1 Kings 11:1 is stressing. Verse 2 repeats the fact that Solomon loved these women.

There are two points that come into play here.

The first point is political expediency.  Because of his great wisdom and understanding, Solomon was able to build political alliances and power through marriage.  Therefore, we understand he had a strong desire or need to build his kingdom.  This desire was a motivation for his many marriages.

The second point is physical desire.  Wisdom did not turn off Solomon’s physical appetites.  However, it did make him better able to acquire what he wanted.  It is obvious from his great number of wives, money and horses that he was very good at acquiring.

The New Testament speaks of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life.  1 John 2:16 lists these as all that the world offers.  Solomon took the world up on all it offered, and his wisdom helped him.  Solomon had more of what the world offers than any person before him, nor has any person matched him since that time.

1 Kings 11:2 says, “The LORD had clearly instructed the people of Israel, ‘You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.’  Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway.” 

This verse states the clarity with which the Lord had given His instruction.  In addition the Lord gave these instructions more than once.  Deuteronomy 17:16-17 is a case in point when it says:

The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the LORD has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’  The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the LORD.  And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.

Solomon did all three of the things prohibited here.  He acquired horses, wives and money.  Not only that, but the first thing he did was to go back to Egypt, make a treaty and marry Pharaoh’s daughter.  He might just as well have spit on a copy of Deuteronomy 17.

As for the issue of taking many wives, the Lord gives a reason for the prohibition.  He says, “They will turn his heart away from the LORD.”  This is exactly what happened to Solomon.  It says in 1 Kings 11:4, “They turned his heart to worship other gods.”  Having great wisdom was no protection from the consequences of sin. 

Solomon built temples, high places and altars for these gods, and he bowed and worshipped before them.  Let’s consider two of these gods that Solomon bowed and worshipped before, Ashtoreth and Molech.

Ashtoreth was a female goddess of war and fertility.  She was worshipped as Ishtar, Aphrodite and Venus.  Her worship was physical and involved both male and female shrine prostitutes and was lascivious in the extreme.

Molech was the protecting father of the Ammonites, and was one of the most, if not the most, detestable of false gods.  The worship of Molech is most notable for child sacrifices where infants were put alive into a blazing furnace.  Scripture calls this “causing children to pass through the fire.”  (Deuteronomy 12:31, 2 Kings 21:6)

Not only were these foolish, lifeless idols, the worship of these idols involved evil practices beyond belief.

How could the wisest man who ever lived be so foolish?

Simple, he disregarded the word of the Lord.  This is the mistake to avoid.  

Some verses call it despising the word of the Lord.  (2 Samuel 12:9, Isaiah 30:12, Jeremiah 23:17)  Solomon showed complete contempt for Deuteronomy 17 and the clear instructions written there.

Even though the Lord clearly warned Solomon, 1 Kings 11:2 says that Solomon insisted on loving these women.  1 Kings 11:10 says, “He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the LORD’s command.”

This is the definition of folly.  The wisest man who ever lived is also one of the biggest fools that ever lived.  However, before we get too self-righteous, remember that Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  (ESV)[ii]  How are we to escape such folly?

It is simple.  God gave instruction for the king and this is what He said: 

“When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.  He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives.  That way he will learn to fear the LORD his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.  This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens.  It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way.  And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.  (Deuteronomy 17:18-20)

How often does the Lord say, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires?”  (Psalm 37:4)  How clearly does God warn us, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you”  (1 John 2:15)?

God gave instructions to the kings of Israel to read God’s word every day.  He gave the same sort of directions to Joshua when He placed Him over Israel as leader.  He said, “Study this Book of Instruction continually.  Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it.  Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”  (Joshua 1:8)

The Book of Psalms starts out by telling us that the truly happy person meditates on the Word of God both day and night.

Clearly, the way to avoid the mistake that Solomon made is to delight ourselves in God and in His word.

The fruit of Solomon’s life was horrible.  His life resulted in a divided kingdom, civil war and ultimately the destruction of the nation.  He introduced practices that destroyed the nation.  This is the fruit of folly.

When we disregard God’s word, we are guaranteed such fruit.

What are some commands that you and I callously disregard?

Do we love our work more than our wives or families?  Do we love our money more than God?  Do we love our appetites more than our wives or husbands?

This is between you and God. 

God appeared to Solomon twice and made it clear to Solomon what He required.

You can ask God to make Himself clear in your life.  Pray with the Psalmist:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 139:23-24

There is hope.  1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

Let the fruit of folly in Solomon’s life serve to remind us of our need for a Savior and to drive us to seek God daily in His Word.  No one has ever done this on their own.  There is not one person who does right and never sins.  This is why God gave His only Son to save us.  We must start by asking Jesus to be our Savior and give us a new heart that will delight in God and His word.  This is what it means to be born again.  The heart you and I were born with can never submit to God.  This is why Jesus said, “You must be born again.”

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.