The Worshipper Is Wise

1 Kings 4:29-31

When young Solomon sought God for wisdom, he did not request riches and fame for himself. He felt that as king of a great nation, he needed wisdom to govern; understanding to relate to people and their needs; and largeness of heart to show the compassion befitting a man of God. God granted him all of these things, and the riches and fame to boot.

When the author of 1 Kings relates to us the wisdom of King Solomon, he tells us that Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the children of the east country, of which the wise men would come at the birth of Christ, bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh. He was even wiser than all of those in Egypt, who were world renowned for their intellect in all things, including architecture and science.

More telling than his comparison to the wise men of the east or to the intellectual giants of Egypt is the author’s comparison of Solomon to the characters in verse 31 of chapter 29. It tells us that he was “wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about”.

Who are these wise men that are named by the Holy Spirit? What made them so wise? Notice their occupations: Ethan the Ezrahite was the author of Psalm 89, which spoke of the arrival of the Holy One; Heman was the author of Psalm 88, “O Lord God of my salvation”, and the choir director under King David; Mahol is the father of three of these men named, and his name means “dancer” in the Hebrew. Two of these men are song writers, one of them a choir director and a third one, a dancer. Solomon’s wisdom is being compared to worshippers! God viewed those who wrote of His greatness and glory and danced before Him as the wisest men in the world before Solomon.

When the believer worships the Lord, they do it, “in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23). Jesus takes the worship away from an object and a formula and makes it personal, coming from the heart of man. No worship is proper worship that does not have at its core, the truth, which is Jesus. He is the truth, so to lift up Him and His finished work is to worship in truth, and that is to worship in wisdom.

God viewed the wisest people in the world as those who sang and danced of His goodness. You and I as believers can worship Him for His goodness every moment of every day, in our hearts. True wisdom is found in true worship. Do you have a pressing need today? Worship Him, and watch wisdom flow in your heart of understanding.

Be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove today. Remove an unholy fear of God and replace it, like Jesus did in the wilderness, with worship. “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:8). Go in grace and favor!

From Bethlehem to Hebron

2 Samuel 2:1

A Chinese proverb says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. We never go anywhere if we do not begin. David’s journey from a shepherd’s hillside to the palace of a king is one of the more storied tales in the history of the world. Chosen last among his brothers, anointed to be king at about age 15, he comes from obscurity to place his name among the greatest warriors and kings of all time. How he got from point A to point B is an interesting tale, and one that each one of us must live in our own way.

From his humble beginnings in Bethlehem to his coronation as king in the city of Hebron, David encounters many obstacles and receives many blessings. Three key figures influence and shape David, making him the man that he will turn out to be: Goliath, Saul and Jonathan.

All of us will encounter a Goliath from time to time. These big, obnoxious attacks of the enemy are meant to ensnare and to scare. David doesn’t overcome because he has great talent; remember he has never killed a man before. His strength comes when he claims covenant, calling Goliath “uncircumcised”. By appealing to circumcision, David is placing the outcome of the battle in the capable hands of God, who is bound to covenant to defend those who have faith. Guess what, it is the same today; God is bound by the covenant that He made with Jesus at Calvary to honor your faith. Don’t fear Goliath’s; they are made to create kings!

Saul is typical of the religious opposition that you will receive. While Jesus brings peace on earth between God and man, He certainly does not promise the same peace between men (Luke 12:51-53). When you walk in the goodness and grace of God’s love and acceptance, many people will try and pull you back into some form of works righteousness. They will oppose you and block you and in some cases they will slander your name and give false accusation. Nothing is more slanderously reported against than the gospel of grace (Romans 3:8).

Thank God for a Jonathan! We all have them; people who encourage and inspire us. These are the friends that we make covenant with; sharing our hopes and dreams, lending constant support to, as they do to us. Most importantly, Jonathan is our Jesus. It is for Christ’s sake that we are forgiven, and it is for Jonathan’s sake that David shows kindness to Mephibosheth (Ephesians 4:32; 2 Samuel 9:1). Jesus is the one figure that not only influences our life, but He makes our life what it is (John 10:10).

You are on a journey today, not having apprehended, but a lot farther along than you were when you started. Face your cast of characters with confidence and faith. Let the Goliath’s meet up with your mediator, Jesus Christ; they are no match for Him. Let your Saul’s fall by the wayside, as you rise above their chasings and their words, careful to never attack them in return (1 Samuel 18:11; 24:6). Finally, let your heavenly Jonathan, Jesus Christ the righteous provide all of your comfort and goodness.

May His face shine upon you today. You’re His child, and He cares for you.

The Spirit of Anti-Christ in the Last Time

1 Samuel 2:12-17

The high priest of Israel at the time of this text was a man named Eli. He had two sons that were priests as well, but who had no relationship with the Lord. Nothing is more dangerous than people in leadership that “know not the Lord” (verse 12).

According to chapter one, their names are Hophni and Phinehas. Hophni means “fighter”, while Phinehas means “mouth of brass”. Both boys use their position as priest to their gain, meeting the people at the altar and taking their sacrifices away from them before they can offer them to the Lord. The priests were allowed to have whatever was left over from a sacrifice for their own consumption, but to take it raw, before it could be offered, kept the offerer from receiving absolution from their sins. This form of raw or sodden meat was off limits, but the two brothers didn’t seem to care.

When Israel came out of Egypt, God told them to eat the lamb of the Passover, “roast with fire, not sodden”. They were to eat it cooked, not raw. The reason for this is that the lamb was a type of Christ, who must be consumed as a crucified Savior. Only the finished work of Jesus, not the life of Jesus, will change lives. Many are asking what Jesus would do or say, but the greatest question should be, “What DID Jesus do at the cross?”

These two priests represent the spirit of anti-Christ in this final hour. John said that in the last time there are “many anti-Christ’s” (1 John 2:18). We often view the Anti-Christ as the one who comes during the Tribulation, but the Bible never refers to him by that title. Rather, in this final hour the anti-Christ that John is speaking of will take away the power and authority of the real Christ. Unfortunately, we are seeing less and less of the crucified Christ with His loveliness and cleansing power. It is not because Jesus is less powerful, but because our combative spirit and mouth of brass has thrown law and works at the comers to the altar for so long, that the people have begun to despise the entire process (1 Samuel 2:17).

In your walk today, recognize that the cross of Christ is a finished work, with no assistance needed from you. Do not give that grace to yourself only, but be ready to share it with everyone that you come in contact with. If you have been hearing the “fighter” and the “mouth of brass”, then salvation has become less about resting in His finished work, and more about doing something to please God. Relax in His presence today, with the only laboring that you do, being the labor to enter into rest (Hebrews 4:11).

Open the gift of righteousness which Jesus paid for, so that you could have abundant life. May His grace and peace follow you today!

(Need more information on today’s topic? Contact the ministry and ask for Pastor Paul’s sermon, “The Spirit of Anti-Christ in the Last Time” on CD. It is our gift to you! God bless.)

Handfuls of Purpose

Ruth 2:15, 16

It would do every Christian a world of good to take a closer look at the life of Ruth the Moabitess. She married a Hebrew man, while that man and his family were living in her idol-worshipping nation of Moab. When the man and his father and his brother dies, Ruth goes back to the land of Israel with her mother-in-law Naomi, where she catches the eye of a wealthy bachelor named Boaz. The Jewish law of kinsman redemption states that the closest living relative of her husband receives all of his inheritance, and along with that inheritance comes Ruth, with whom that man would have to rear a child. The nearest living relative wants no part of this, so it just so happens that the next of kin after him is the wealthy Boaz. This is a Hollywood story waiting to happen!

When Ruth came into Bethlehem, she wanted to work to prove her worth to her mother-in-law, so she requests permission to go into the fields to glean ears of corn. The reapers harvested the crops, but the gleaners went in afterwards and took what was left over. This was God’s welfare system of sorts, and Ruth was ready to take whatever she could get. Her heart was one of such openness and faith, as she already had a comprehension as to how the God of Israel worked. Look at her statement regarding which field she would work in:

“Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace.” (Ruth 2:2)

Ruth the Moabitess was looking for grace, and it was grace that she found. When Boaz notices her in his fields, he orders his reapers to accidently miss the bag that they are filling with harvest, from time to time. He wants handfuls of the crop to hit the ground so that Ruth will have more to glean.

Your heavenly Father does not deal with you on the basis of your name or your background. You may have a past that is worse than the idol-worshipping Moabites, but when you go to Him, your heavenly Boaz, looking for His grace, He will always drop handfuls on purpose so that you will have an abundance of His goodness.

Remember Rahab the harlot from Jericho? She became a key member of the genealogical family tree of Jesus. Her offspring is the handsome and wealthy Boaz, who will marry young Ruth. Ruth, though unworthy of such honor, will become the great-grandmother of a boy named David. You never know where God’s handfuls of purpose are going to lead you.

Go in the grace of God, knowing that everywhere you turn today; Jesus has dropped a handful of purpose just for you.

Sweetness Out of the Strong

Judges 14:5-14

Samson is one of my favorite Old Testament characters because if there is ever a living example of the wonders of covenant and grace it is found in this man. Covenant must be kept by God, and grace is His free gift, completely undeserved. Samson is a living, breathing example of both of these things as his life was sealed by the covenant that God had made with his parents (“Don’t cut his hair and I will use him to deliver Israel”), and Samson received all good while earning none of it.

When I heard the story of Samson as a child I always saw him as a hulk of a man, with bulging biceps and muscles on top of muscles, but as I began to understand God’s grace and favor I began to view him quite differently. I don’t believe that Samson was very big at all. In fact, I am quite sure that Samson looked rather puny. If he were a massive man, all of his exploits could be attributed to his own personal strength and size, but we see that his enemies spent much time trying to ascertain how he did what he did. His strength was God given as a token of grace and covenant.

Samson and his parents were journeying to Timnath to take a wife for Samson from among the Philistines, the sworn enemies of Israel. His parents were very disapproving of his choice in taking a Philistine for his wife, but Samson did it to gain advantage over the enemy. On the road to Timnath, while temporarily separated from his parents, Samson was confronted by a lion. He killed the beast with his bare hands and did not tell his parents about the incident.

Some days later Samson journeyed back to Timnath to meet the woman again, this time turning aside to see the carcass of the lion that he had killed. Bees were swarming all about the body of the lion and there was honey in its body. Samson reached in and took some of the honey and ate it and then gave some to his parents, not telling them where it came from. Being Jews, they would not have eaten anything that came from the carcass of a lion. By law, Samson was not supposed to eat from the lion either, but as we have seen, Samson was operating under covenant.

Honey was a sign of all things sweet and good in the Lord. It is the food that God mentioned would flow in the Promised Land when He spoke from the burning bush to Moses (Exodus 3:8). It was also the food that Jonathan ate when he had won a great battle over the Philistines, breaking his father’s order to fast (1 Samuel 14:27); and it was the choice food of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:4).

The lion is a symbol of strength and royalty, but can also be a sign of the aggressor. Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, but we also see Satan as our adversary, “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). It is a lion that attacks the flocks of the shepherd David, and he grabs it by the beard and kills it. In the case of Samson, it is symbolic of another attack against God’s people.

Out of the belly of the aggressor came the sweetness of God’s grace. In the midst of great attack was a wonderful blessing. The story of the lion and Samson is a type of the enemy coming in like a flood to roar and frighten, only to have God bring a mighty miracle out of the midst of it, so that the believer can find nourishment.

Are you facing a lion today? Remember, all things work together for our good, for we are His Covenant children!

From a Harlot to a Grandma!

Joshua 2:1-24

The story of the conquest of Jericho would be incomplete without the salvation of Rahab the harlot. She lived on the town wall, strategically located to bring success in her line of work! It also provided a great stopping point for the spies that were sent in to access the strength of Jericho. We know how the story ends, with Rahab hanging a scarlet thread out of her window, and the army of Israel sparing her and her family. What we don’t think about often enough is that this woman was saved long before the thread came out the window.

Hebrews chapter 11 lists Rahab in the New Testament’s Hall of Fame of faith: “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace” (Hebrews 11:31). Did you notice when she “perished not”? It was not when she obediently put the scarlet line in the window, but rather when she received the spies with peace. Her placement of the scarlet line was to save her physical life, and it was a testimony to all who would see that she had placed her faith in the army of God.

Rahab displayed her faith before the spies had even laid down on her roof, to hide from their pursuers: “I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you…as soon as we heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath” (Joshua 2:9, 12).

What a profession of faith she had. Her actions afterward were the sign of an inward change (James 2:25). It was her initial faith that brought the spies to stop in her house, as they could have stopped anywhere, but the Holy Spirit had found a household of faith. Notice how our Father’s provision covers everyone. The spies found safe shelter and the harlot found a new life and a new hope.

After her rescue from Jericho, we do not know what she does from day-to-day within the camp of the Israelites, but she obviously adopts their ways and becomes a part of their society, because we do see her again, this time as one of only 4 women listed in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). She becomes the matriarchal head of the line that produces Boaz, king David and eventually, the Lord Jesus.

Whatever your lot in life, remember that every moment is another chance to change it all. You may have ruined many things and burned many bridges, but God is not looking for scarlet lines of obedience, just open hearts of faith. Don’t get me wrong, the obedience will come, but let us walk in the faith of Jesus Christ first, and all of us can change from who we are and become known by who we become.

Go in His peace and prosperity, with the abundant favor and blessings of God upon you in Jesus’ name.

Jesus: The Power to Get Wealth

Deuteronomy 8:17, 18

Let it be known that there is no such thing as a “prosperity gospel”. That term is tossed about by saint and sinner alike, to describe the message that God gives wealth. In truth, there is also no “health gospel” or “faith gospel”; there is only the “gospel of Jesus Christ”, for gospel means “good news” and He is the only true Good News!

With that said, there is an undeniable and beautiful part of God’s goodness that is called “the power to get wealth”. In Paul’s great description of the gospel of grace, he says that the gospel is the “power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). The Greek word used for “salvation” includes all deliverance, preservation, safety and wholeness. When you enter into a relationship with God, it is no more by your own power, but by the power of Jesus Christ who has saved you. This salvation brings wholeness into every area of your life.

Within the context of our scripture God is not emphasizing the wealth, but rather the fact that all wealth and prosperity that they have will not have come by their own achievement but by His goodness. They will see their herds and flocks multiply, and their silver and gold as well (verse 13), but it will be God that does all of the providing.

For the blood-bought, covenant child of God, the blessings of heaven are just as inevitable, while the warning remains the same: you and I have the full assurance of heavens blessings, but none of them will come as a result of our own righteousness or consecration. As a son, you have all rights to the shoe, the ring and the best robe that your Father has to offer (see Luke 15 for the story of the Prodigal). It is always Him that gives the increase and then gets the glory, not because He is a glory hog, but it is so that all of your blessings will reaffirm covenant, “that he may establish his covenant” (verse 18).

Christ’s work at Calvary has entered all of us into a better covenant, with a whole new set of better promises. Jesus has taken the wrath of the Father against sin and thus we have righteousness imputed to us. We can now walk freely in His abundant grace and provision, knowing that He has given us all things freely and has done so through the finished work of Christ. Every blessing that God grants your way is His way of reminding you of His covenant of grace.

Give honor to God’s grace for every little thing that goes your way today. Even if you have a habit of thinking that these little things are coincidental; break that habit and see your loving Father behind all good things (James 1:17). As you praise Him for His abundant grace you can expect to see even more; for grace is most abundant when it is freely received (Romans 5:17).

How Do You See Yourself?

Numbers 13:26-33

The twelve spies that reported back to Moses regarding the land of Canaan gave a mixed report. All twelve were awed by the fruits of the land (verse 23) and by the milk and honey (verse 27), but ten of the spies felt that the inhabitants of the land were far too strong, and the walls, much too fortified for Israel to take it.

Based upon what they could see, their fears were certainly justified. Inhabiting the land were giants, and their size and strength intimidated the spies into changing the way they viewed their own selves. With giants in their sights, they saw themselves as “grasshoppers” and this attitude caused the giants to view them that way as well (verse 33).

You may view yourself as hopeless and helpless in the face of the giants of life. If that be the case, then you should know that your enemy will exploit this area of your thinking and keep you from hope, strength, and goodness and will perpetuate defeat on a daily basis. The reason for this is that in those moments, we have taken our eyes off of the provision of Christ and put them on our own ability to do the right thing. What Jesus did at the cross was for us! This work was a finished work and His great love for us has made us “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37). We are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10), and we have been made “the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). If this is who we are in Christ, then why would we view ourselves as anything less?

The ten spies that doubted spoke their own fate into existence, “Would God we had died in this wilderness!” and so they do (Numbers 14:2). How sad that they had forgotten of God’s remarkable power to deliver in the face of overwhelming odds. We are often not much different; forgetting where we came from when Jesus saved us to where we are now. Though life gets rough, we should be careful about speaking our defeat when our victory was paid for at such a high cost.

Caleb and Joshua view the giants of the land as “bread for us” (14:9), having learned that God was able to deliver the largest of foes into the hands of Israel. We are either bread for our enemy or they are bread for us. Each believer must decide and then live accordingly.

Make your own decision today, to face the often overwhelming cares of this life in light of the finished work of the cross. You can both dwell on the size of the giants and begin to fear, or think of the size of the grapes and begin to rejoice! Be the grasshopper that can’t win or the warrior that cannot lose, and not due to your strength, but because of your Savior. This world can be “bread for us” (Numbers 14:9)

The Blood of Bulls and Goats

Leviticus 1:3-5

A priest in Israel had many important duties during the course of a day while working in the tabernacle. One of the most significant tasks was the pouring of the sacrificial blood onto the brazen altar, which sat near the door of the tabernacle. The blood was a foreshadowing of the blood of Christ, which would be shed at Calvary for the removal of our sin debt. The door is Christ, the only way to get to the Father (John 10:7).

The role of the one who had sinned was quite simple, but very important as well. If you sinned, you were to take a male from among your cattle and offer it of your own free will as a sacrifice. The priest inspected it to make sure that it was spotless and without blemish and then you laid your hand on its head as a type of the transference of your sin onto the body of this animal. Only then did you kill it, for it was now a sacrificial animal, bearing your sins in its body.

Notice that the priest did not inspect the sinner, but rather the sacrifice. The man was the one who had done wrong, not the animal, yet it was the animal that went through the full inspection to see if it qualified as a sacrifice. It was not that God did not recognize sin in the man, but the whole point of the sacrificial system was that God could be appeased while His prized creation could live. God thoroughly inspected His Son’s life and found Him to be spotless (2 Corinthians 5:21) which qualified Him to bear in Himself the sin of the entire human race; past, present and future. When the man symbolically transferred his sins onto the animal, it could then die. When Jesus bore our sins at the cross, He was ready to cry “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Not until Jesus cried “It is finished”, could He die! In that moment, He had fully made the payment for our sins, “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). When you accept Him, you are accepting the one who did what bulls and goats could never do (Hebrews 10:4), for they could only cover up sin. These animals brought God no pleasure (10:6) while He was constantly pleased with His beloved Son (Luke 3:22).

The death of Jesus on the cross satisfied the wrath of God and now you can face this day with a clean conscience (Hebrews 9:14), knowing that you need not bring an animal into Him, for He has taken care of this once and for all. There is no longer a need for bulls and goats for we have our redeemer!

Be at peace today in the knowledge that since God has thoroughly inspected Jesus, He is not thoroughly inspecting you. When He sees into your life, He sees the finished work of His Son and that satisfies God. Fear not, this won’t lead you to a life of sin and shame. You are born-again, and your heart and desires have changed accordingly. You have been made righteous because your Lamb was made to be sin.

Any Old Bush Will Do

Exodus 3:1-4

Everyone has feelings of inadequacy once in a while, regardless of what one might do, or how well that they do it. These feelings, if not harnessed, can cause you to sit on your talents, instead of using them for God.

When God chose to speak to Moses on the backside of the desert to equip him to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt, He spoke to him from a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. As a veteran of many nights sleeping under the stars, Moses had no doubt seen many brush fires, but this one caught his eye as there was no smoke accompanying the flame. Smoke denotes consumption, and this bush burned with fire, “and was not consumed” (verse 2).

God could have used anything to get Moses’ attention, but He chose an ordinary old bush to place His fire in. There is nothing special or unusual about His selection, but His touch on that selection turns it into a legendary story. You may see nothing special about you or your talents, but God is not looking for the spectacular, only the willing!

Paul wrote, “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27). I can think of few things more foolish than speaking from a burning bush, or few things weaker than a desert shrub, but God uses them so that, “no flesh should glory in his presence” (1:29).

Let your life be a bush used by God. Where the world burns us up and discards us when the fire isn’t as bright or as beautiful, the Master just keeps burning through us with His righteousness and true holiness. If you burn with the flames of condemnation and guilt then you burn up and you harm those who come to your light. However, when you light up your world with His love and kindness, it causes men to turn aside to see and believe, just as Moses did.

I fear that so many in the world have stopped turning to see the church, for they have been duped before by the same old wildfires of the past: fire and flash that lead to religious exhaustion. When God burns the bush, He gets the glory, because your fruit speaks continually of Him.

“You are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14, 16)

Don’t wait for perfect knowledge or powerful revelation to go and light your world. Be a beacon of hope in a darkened society for someone who is looking for God’s love. Any old bush will do, for it is God that works in you (Philippians 2:13). You simply work out of you what He has worked in you and shine on!