For David's Sake

For David's Sake

I Kings 15:1, 3-4 NKJV

[1] In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. 

[3] And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. [4] Nevertheless for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem; 

Mark Batterson in January 2020 explored this theme in a brief devotion. " This is 117 years after David’s death! David is long gone, but God hasn’t forgotten the promise He made. God has a good memory. He doesn’t forget His people, and He doesn’t forget His promises. The only thing He forgets is the sin He forgives". A simple search of the phrase " for Davids sake " reveals God's restrain to destroy the Kings and people who had sinned because of a Name, David. The singer in Psalm 132 seeks for the sure mercies of God, then he is promised the continuance of the mercies for his generations. The phrase continues in Kings and Chronicles. John Gill explains this in the light of the New Testament that it is not in the " excellencies or merits, of David, literally understood"   but " for the sake of the covenant and promises made with him.."  and  " for the sake of the antitypical David, the Messiah, the son of David according to the flesh, and the servant of the Lord as Mediator; for whose sake, and in whose name, prayers and supplications are made and presented". So you're qualified for answers  and mercies because of what was accomplished in Christ Jesus. In the old covenant it was because of David, and in the new it is because of Christ. Batterson submits, " We’re the beneficiaries of prayers we know nothing about. God was working long before we arrived on the scene, and He’s using us to set up the next generation". Your prayers are not wasted. Oh God, may this generation experience, " for your sake ". Move heaven to stop and acknowledge that someone loved God- you. May heaven say, " for your sake and turn things around. Good morning.

Judah Copied Samaria

Judah Copied Samaria 

I Kings 14:21-22 NKJV

[21] And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king. He reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. [22] Now Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. 

If you've followed these vignettes for a while, you will understand why its difficult to understand that what was happening in the northern kingdom appear to be happening in the southern kingdom as well. There appears to be an agreement to do evil in the sight of God. Why do people copy others to do evil? In 1 Cor. 11:1,  Paul enjoins us  to copy others so long as they copy Christ. This is Christina Fox in 2018, "...we often become like the people we’re around. Even if we don’t know them personally, we’ll often model ourselves after people we admire. Whether we copy fashion choices after a Hollywood starlet or adopt a famous preacher’s teaching style or take on the beliefs and attitudes of our parents, we mimic and imitate others". The people of Israel may have been in two kingdoms, but they were the same people. They had a tendency to embrace other gods so long as as there was no strong leader to pressure them. In Phil.3:17, Paul told the people to imitate the people doing what is right. Who are you imitating? Who are your models? Read: 3 John 1:11; 1Peter 2:21. Imitate what is right and spiritual. Unfortunately, Judah copied Samaria, and came out with their fate. Don't do it. Good morning.

The Child Shall Die: Am Answer From God.

The Child Shall Die: An Answer From God 

I Kings 14:12-13 NKJV

[12] Arise therefore, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. [13] And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.

God doesn't play with His words. His word is Yeah and Amen. In todays vignette, God is taking out the only person with some goodnes out of Jeroboam s  lineage. And he is a young man. The Expositor's Bible Commentary quotes an extra Biblical source. "We are not told wherein the goodness consisted, but Rabbinic tradition guessed that in opposition to his father he discountenanced the calf-worship and encouraged and helped the people to continue their visits to Jerusalem". Sometimes God may allow the righteous to depart so His judgement may not be hindered. This was the only person in the lineage with proper burial. Its an irony that the same prophet who prophesied him to power, prophesied his end. Joel Ryan says of Jeroboam: " Like all kings and rulers, Jeroboam was established by God, used by God, and removed by God just as quickly. Despite their efforts, all rulers are subject to the authority of the King of Kings and will answer to Him for their leadership".  Don't let the child die in your time. You can have a proper successor. Serve God. Good morning.

Judgement Of Jeroboam

Judgement Of Jeroboam 

I Kings 14:1-2 NKJV

[1] At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. [2] And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please arise, and disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Indeed, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that I would be king over this people. 

There are some people who are interested in God only when things appear to work well for rhem. Jeroboam appear to have forgotten about the person who prophesied him into kingship. Today his son is sick and he suddenly remembers. Prophet Ahijah was now old and blind. Here is how ISBE summarises Jeroboam's rulership, " Jeroboam sacrificed the higher interests of religion to politics. This was the "sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin" (1 Kings 12:30; 16:26). He had realized his ambition, but had sacrificed the ideal that was set before him. He built  alternate altars to counter Jehovah. In craftiness, he sent his wife to enquire of the son's health. The pronoucements of Peophet Ahijah showed Jeroboam did worse than the son's of David. God's judgement came upon him. ISBE submits, " Jeroboam died, in the 22nd year of his reign, having "bequeathed to posterity the reputation of an apostate and a succession of endless revolutions." He was good in leading the revolution, but he failed in serving God who gave him a chance. How would God rate your commiments now that you appear to succeed. Don't be like the young rich ruler who came to Jesus in Mat.19. He left Jesus sad.  His wealth was more important, he thought. You're better than that. Good morning.

The Old Prophet Became A believer

The Old Prophet Became A Believer 

I Kings 13:29, 31-32 NKJV

[29] And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him. 

[31] So it was, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, “When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. [32] For the saying which he cried out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the shrines on the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, will surely come to pass.”

The word "believer" is a New Testament concept. We use it guardedly here, to explain what happened to the Old Prophet. Suddenly aftrr the death of the Man Of God, the Old Prophet believed in his prophecies. The old prophet perhaps was a backslider bu now he had reason to believe again. This is David Guzik: " Though he lied to him, led him into sin, and prophesied judgment against him, the prophet from Bethel still respected the man of God from Judah. Perhaps he understood that the word he spoke against Jeroboam required a courage he did not have; therefore he confirmed the word of the man of God against Jeroboam and the altar at Bethel". It is possible to be in church without being a believer. Here is how someone describes a New Testament believer. " In the New Testament, the word believer is used for a person who is convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and the author of our salvation. The Greek word usually translated “believer” or “believing” carries the idea of faithfulness and loyalty (John 20:27; Acts 16:1; 2 Corinthians 6:15). A believer is one who faithfully trusts in Jesus Christ." So what did the Old Prophet believe in? Christ was not born, nor died yet. The Old Prophet believed the words spoken by the Man Of God from Judah. The Old Prophet demonstrated that he received the truth prophesied. In the New Testament we receive the truth that Jesus Christ is the saviour and  the son of God sent to us, resulting in our transformation. In this discourse the Old Propet even instructed his children to bury him besides the Man Of God. He told them the words spoken will be fulfilled.  We could talk about the matter of divine justice and maybe make a case that the punishment was too harsh for the Man Of God. We could argue that God should have killed Jeroboam instead of even the Old Prophet who lied. We will discuss it further in heaven. For today, just believe the prophetic word that God does not play with any sin like disobedience. Be a believer. Good morning. 

Dead For Disobedience

Dead For Disobedience 

I Kings 13:23-24 NKJV

[23] So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. [24] When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. 

Paul attempts to explain to us why we are taught somethings in the old testament. "  Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come". Bill Stocham in a devotional submission of August,2020 points out somethings the people of Israel did: " committed sexual immorality, tempted Christ, and grumbled against God"( 1Cor.10:11 ).  Then God visited them with deadly consequences. Stocham emphasis  Paul's statement that these were written as object lessons to stop our repeating the same mistakes. Have that in mind as we examine this vignette today. By going back to eat in the place he was forbidden by God, this Man Of God diobeyed God. Disobedience attracts consequences.

Charles Stanley points out four ways we are likely going to disobey God. 1. Neglecting to obey God's command. 2. Actively pursuing what God forbids. 3. Doing what the Lord says in a wrong manner. 4. Insisting on our own agenda. Our disobedience will not only affect us, but it will affect others. The irony is that others will find it out eventually. Please don't die by disobedience. The dead of that Man Of God was enough. Good morning

when God fights For You.

When God Fights For You

I Kings 13:4-6 NKJV

[4] So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Arrest him!” Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself. [5] The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. [6] Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please entreat the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as before. 

One of the devil's strongest weapon is fear. The other is ignorance.  Fear is an intense paralysing emotion responding to threats, pain  or harm. If the devil can make you afraid, it will create what is spoken. The words spoken by Jeroboam was to have sent shivers to the Man of God, destabilize him and declare him personal non-grata. That's when God took over. Moses told the people of Israel when they were near the Red Sea, " The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

Exo.14.14. There are two parts to that verse. One is that " the Lord will fight for you". God fought for the Man Of God. He still does.  Check out Deut. 3:22;  Isa.42:13; Psa.44:3. The other is that you will hold your peace. Now that's moyt easy if you're as active as I am.The CEV says, " you wont have to do a thing". Really? GNB says that " all you have to do is to keep still". Did you feel like asking: keep still? In essence, don't panic. Believe in God. This is God's standard practice. Check out, Prov. 20:22 and Rom.12:19. God fought for the Man Of God. The tables turned. I may not understand what you are experiencing. God does. He has decided to step into your condition today and give you victory. Hold your peace and see the victory of the Lord. All you need to do is allow God! Good morning.

The Man Of God From Judah.

The Man Of God From Judah 

I Kings 13:1-3 NKJV

[1] And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. [2] Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ” [3] And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.”

There's a bit of argument as to who this man of God was. He is called a prohet by the Chaldee, Arabic and Syriac versions.  David Guzik explains that  the man was imported fom Judah because, " Apparently, there were no qualified messengers within the northern kingdom of Israel" This is a sad commentary on the spiritual state of Jeroboam’s kingdom". Then he adds a crucial lesson that this "anonymous man of God was used in an important way to demonstrate a lesson that one does not need to be famous to be significantly used by God". The man of God prophesied against the altar. This was a hard one. He wasn't going to receive an offering. He faced a possible execution. But Israel was one in the sight of God. God used the man to prophesy the restoration of the Kingdom. God declares before He acts. The king was to come from the house of David. That was bold. No wonder Jeroboam wanted him arrested, but God was on scene to confirm His words. That altar was split and Jeroboam had to pray for help. Carrying a prophetic word may cause you some trouble, but if the word came from God, He will defend His word. While you carry the word, be careful how you walk. The words came to pass. Good morning.

The Pragmatism Of Jeroboam

The Pragmatism Of Jeroboam 

I Kings 12:26-28 NKJV

[26] And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: [27] If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.” [28] Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” 

Jeroboam had become a Pragmatist. Pragmatism is described by Sandra Rosenthal and H.Thayer in Britannicca as a pattern of thinking based on " ...the principle that the usefulness, workability, and practicality of ideas, policies, and proposals are the criteria of their merit. It stresses the priority of action over doctrine, of experience over fixed principles". It takes God and His principles out of daily experience. Yet God had spoken in 1Kings 11:38 the conditions in which Jeroboam will have His  blessings.  God is the one who gave prophet Ahijah the initial prophecy in 1Kings 11:31. Now the fear of loosing the Northern kingdom because of worship in Jerusalem has forced him to act out of God. He replaced God with idols. This is John MacArthur on the subject. "... when pragmatism is used to make judgments about right and wrong, or when it becomes a guiding philosophy of life and ministry, it inevitably clashes with Scripture. Spiritual and biblical truth is not determined by testing what "works" and what doesn't". 1 Cor.1:22-23: 2:14. By now you're probably feeling this is heading into a catastrophe. Have you ever felt like screaming at a Bible character, " No, thats not right!" God's promise may appear to delay, dont become pragmatic. Stay on the word. We wiill find out more about this tomorrow. Good morning.

God is the Mastermind

God Is The Mastermind.

I Kings 12:21-22, 24 NKJV

[21] And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. [22] But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 

[24] ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord. 

A Mastermind is described in Britannica as " a person who plans and organizes something". Another word used for a Mastermind is Archtect.  An Architect is  a person who designs and guides a plan or undertaking. In Heb.11:10, God is described as an architect whose city Abraham waited for. In our read today, God stopped the civil war by the prophecy of Shemiah. God said, " ...this thing is of me". That's the Mastermind, the Architect who designs and executes events in His creation. God knows the end from the beginning. He plans things to fit His purpose. This looked like a scattering of the kingdom of Israel, but God was behind it. Thank God, Rehoboam listened to the counsel. Has God ever stopped you from an avowed responsibility? Thats because He knows the end. Why would God send His only begotten son to die on earth? He knew Jesus will become a bye word that will send terrors to the devil. Our prayers are an invitation to the Mastermind to accomplish His will on earth. His thoughts are not always our thoughts. His ways may be different from ours. Humility is accepting the will of God. The king  stayed from prosecuting the war. Thank you Lord for divine directions. Good morning.

 

When the Leader looses Legitimacy

When The Leader Looses Legitimacy 

I Kings 12:18, 20 NKJV

[18] Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem. 

[20] Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

In Political Science, " legitimacy is the right and acceptance of an authority, usually a governing law or a regime.". It comes from being recognized by the people as authority. Someone describes the chemistry of legitimacy in leadership  in the following words, " A legitimate leader is not in charge because of his rank, he is in charge because his people trust his ability to lead. When a leader is illegitimate, people follow him not because they want to, but because they fear the consequences of being insubordinate (like people obeying a dictator). The moment an illegitimate leader loses his leverage or power over his people, they immediately revolt". That describes what happened to Rehoboam. When he tried to send the Minister of finance to get taxes, they people stoned him to death. The revolution had begun. Destiny had arranged for Jeroboam to have come back and be in the center of Ahijah's prophesy. The people took and made him the king of the northern kingdom. Rehoboam had abused power by being arrogant and unfeeling for the plight of his people . A blog writer submits that, " Leaders who abuse power, however, lose favor in the eyes of those they lead.  Eventually, their abusive behavior leads to a diminished leader-member exchange that eventually erodes and power is lost". Our leaders need to learn from this. Christ demonstrates the height of a leaders sacrifice for his people. Christ died, but his influence lives on for today. Dont loose your legitimacy. Good morning.

 

The Consequence

The Consequence 

I Kings 12:15-16 NKJV

[15] So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. [16] Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: “What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now, see to your own house, O David!” So Israel departed to their tents. 

I read this in a company's training post. " Over every decision hovers a measure of uncertainty—for all decisions play out in an uncertain future. Making good choices depends on three elements: the quality of your definition of specific factors that must be satisfied, the quality of your evaluation of available alternatives and finally, the quality of your assessment of the risks associated with those alternatives. Yet too often decisions are made without assessment of the risks associated with a final choice." These statements appear to summarize the state of confusion Rehoboam entered into. Suddenly it became clear to him  that every action, every statement he made has consequences. Margaret J. Wheatley submits that " Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful". In this matter, Rehoboam failed. He lost control of the people. Jeroboam had his ground ready made for the  fulfillment of Ahija's prophecy. Be careful of taking emotional decisions. James Faust says it better, " In this life, we have to make many choices. Some are very important choices. Some are not. Many of our choices are between good and evil. The choices we make, however, determine to a large extent our happiness or our unhappiness, because we have to live with the consequences of our choices". Rehoboam lived with a broken nation. He regretted this decision for the rest of his life. You have a better opportunity. You have the help of the Holy Spirit. Take a decision that honours Christ. Remember, there's always a consequence. Good morning.

The Advice Of The Young men

The Advice Of The Young Men 

I Kings 12:10-11 NKJV

[10] Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! [11] And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’ ”

This vignette complements the one of yesterday. It demonstrates the difference between the thought processes of the young and the old. Isabella Sobejano in 2018 expressed this opinion: " Young and old people are two separate groups of people in society that differ in their behavior, their likes, dislikes and their nature. There are several different ways in which they differ, but together they complement one another". That difference may be noticed more in their thinking patterns. " The primary distinction between the two is that youth typically dwells in the future, while old people may live in the past. When talking to an older person, they may reflect on the past or on memories when they were younger".  Joel prophesied about this. " And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions."( Joel 2:28 ). So the young tend to live more in the visionary future than the older generation. The problem with that thinking is that it has not been tested. The king was young, so he  took the advice from his contemporaries.  Whose advice do you follow? The weight of every advice is known by the consequence of its actions. We will deal with the consequence in a later post. For today, let's  consider the quality of our decisions as it affects eternity and what God is doing with us today. Good morning.

The Loyalty Of Heart

Loyalty Of Heart 

‭I Kings 11:4 NKJV‬

[4] For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. 

In the late '90s, Dag Heward Mills rolled out series of teachings on Loyalty and Disloyalty. It took ministries in West Africa Ike storm. Suddenly most church ministries became aware that commitment has a corollary. That was loyalty. Richard Krejcir describes this loyalty as " ...remaining committed to those whom God has brought into our lives and has called us to serve, even in times of difficulty. It is developing allegiance and respect in one another, and not seeking to manipulate the other person". In our read today, it is a reference to King Solomon's heart being no longer committed and loyal to God. Have you ever read about a character in scripture that is about to err, and you feel Ike saying:"Don't do it"? That's how I felt reading today's verse. Why do some people tend to turn to other things at the heights of their success? Here is Krejcir again, " Being loyal exhibits our commitment to Christ by our commitment--with discernment--to people and righteous causes at all times (Proverbs 17:17; Ecclesiastes 8:2-4; John 15:13; Romans 13:1-5; Titus 3:1)". When we allow our corrupt nature to taint our desires, we can roll from the top to the bottom as it happened to Solomon. He has moved from building Gods temple to building shrines for other dieties.  ‭I Kings 11:5-6 " For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. ‭ Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David". Disloyalty meant God could not trust Solomon any longer. Have you seen people like this? Have you seen people who have derailed in their loyalty to God? Don't do it. God will abandon disloyal people. Our commitment to God must be rooted in the loyalty of Christ. Be like the Master. Good morning.

The Paradox Of Solomons Wisdom

The Paradox Of Solomon's Wisdom 

‭I Kings 11:1-2 NKJV‬

[1] But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— [2] from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 

Thomas Oppong says that "... most people know what to do in different situations — whether at work or in their personal lives — but don’t do those things often enough". This he describes as Action Paradox. A paradox is an aparently contradictory statement that maybe found to be true. It's a paradox of life that the wisest king is about to become the most foolish of all. The foolishness of Solomon is buried in the act that he loved many foreign women. In  most Old Testament, Israelites were not permitted to marry foregn women. The Talmud forbade it entirely, but Solomon married many. This is v.6 " Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David". That evil was marrying many foreign women.  His heart derailed from God.  He married seven hundred women and had another three hundred concubines, many from the nations God had prohibited the Israelites from marrying. He had a meteroric rise. Someone in Ligonier Ministries say, " Sadly, these meteoric rises and falls are not limited to the secular world. We have seen too many pastors and other Christian leaders build thriving, impactful ministries only to see adultery or another scandal take them out". Yet Solomon was wise. Its a paradox that we may know and not do. Will you let God lead you today? Good morning

Internal Relations with Sheba

International Relations With Sheba

‭I Kings 10:1, 3 NKJV‬

[1] Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. 

[3] So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her. 

Lawrence Goodman in 2021 wrote these words about the Queen of Sheba. " The Queen of Sheba is only mentioned twice in the Bible, in 1 Kings 10:1-12 and 2 Chronicles 9:1-13. What do we learn about her?

The story is that she hears reports of King Solomon's fame and comes to visit him with gold and precious jewels and more spices than had ever been seen in Israel". The Sheba story is popular among the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions. Her visit seems to have announced the birth of Solomon's international relations the rest of the world, and especially,Africa. The speciation is that she was Ethiopian. What is perhaps not written is the fact that there's a vestige of Jewish community in Ethiopia accredited to that visit. God will not just give you wisdom, He will link you with others of your kind. The fame of Solomon's wisdom spread even to Africa. God doesn't only give wisdom, God will give you international links and open doors. Solomon experienced it. You will not die uncelebrated. People will come for you. People will hear about what you have and they will look you. Doors are opened by God.  Today I pray for such open doors of opportunities across the land and oceans for you. Congratulations. Good morning.

When Leadership Sins

When Leadership Sins

‭I Kings 9:6-7 NKJV‬

[6] But if you or your sons at all turn from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, [7] then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 

Excuse me, i read that more than one time. If the leaders sin, I thought it should read, "  I will cut off their children from ruling". That was my head. Consequences do not have to be fair. Marshall Segal of desireGod thinks on similar lines when he said, " The temptations for leaders are as real as they are for the rest of us, but the consequences are more severe. When a leader falls, all are punished". Then he expliains by using a Pastor example , " Not punished for the pastor’s sin, but by his sin. It’s fair, then, to say they are punished because of his sin". Pause and think about it. Someone else gives the reason, " Leaders are meant to be an example and, therefore, above reproach. They lead by example and show others how to live a life wholly submitted to Christ." Leaders can not afford to play the sin. A leaders sin is community sin. Don't do it. Good morning.

The David Model

The David Model 

‭I Kings 9:4-5 NKJV‬

[4] Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, [5] then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’ 

J. M. Beach of 21st Century Literacy describes a model as being almost, " ... always an oversimplified map consisting of a few, primary variables that will be tracked, measured, and perhaps controlled for experimentation. A model is used to create various hypotheses, which can be used to test in a laboratory study, or which can be used for explanatory purposes in a case study". That contains a lot. King David was God's model. What that means is that he was a picture of what a king should be. Now pause. Its not as if David was perfect. No one else may be, but David made Gods expectations . We are Gods creations, we may  have some flaws, bit Gods wants sincerity in our relationship with Him. David knew how to repent.  He knew how to prostrate before God. God calls it the intergrity of his heart. Mirriam Webster describes intergrity as " firm adherence to a code ". David had that towards Gods demands. In the words of Beach, David was an oversimplified map for anyone to read. It also means that our lives are being measured and tracked to be an example. So God promised Solomon what He promised David. Lets leave Solomon. Christ met the father's expectations. What about you? Would your life measure up to what God expects of us?  That's the deal today in understanding the Davids model.  May God depend on your model. Good morning.