“So Solomon finished building the Temple of the Lord, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had done before at Gibeon. The Lord said to him, ‘I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy – this place you have built where My Name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to My heart.
As for you, if you will follow Me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all My commands, decrees, and regulations, then I will establish the throne of your dynasty over Israel forever. For I made this promise to your father, David: ‘One of your descendants will always sit on the throne of Israel.’
But if you or your descendants abandon Me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot Israel from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor My Name. I will make Israel an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and will shake their heads in amazement. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’
And the answer will be, ‘Because His people abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why the Lord has brought all these disasters on them’” (I Kings 9:1-9, NLT).
Solomon had been king over Israel for 24 years by the time “the Temple of the Lord” and “the royal palace” were completed. He had settled into his role as leader of Israel and, at this point, had achieved the greatest undertaking of his lifetime. And this was the time the Lord chose to appear “to Solomon a second time.” Why?
Solomon had reached the pinnacle of his glory days. His life had been focused on completing these projects. Now he’d have time on his hands and the Lord knew that Solomon needed to be very careful about where he next placed his focus.
Thus the “ifs” we see here: (1) “If you will follow Me with integrity and godliness…” (2) “If you or your descendants abandon Me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you;” and (3) “If you serve and worship other gods…”
First we see the blessing “if.” God would bless Solomon IF he remained faithful. Next, we see the cursing “ifs.” Should Solomon or his own descendants or the people of Israel or their descendants fail to remain faithful to God, nothing would go well for them. God’s blessings were conditional on His people’s obedience. They still are.
Jesus Himself warned: “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33b). He also said: “But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33c).
To be centered in the will of Jesus Christ is to live with His strength to overcome temptation and walk in obedience to His teaching. To be centered in the will of Jesus Christ is to have His strength to endure the “trials and sorrows” we all must face from time to time. Being centered in the will of Christ also means missing out on unnecessary difficulties that come to those who choose to disobey God’s teaching.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
BARGAINS OF THE DAY!
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Monday, December 9, 2013
MONDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
As Solomon prayed and worshiped the Lord, he knelt and lifted his hands as signs of complete adoration and surrender. When he had finished his prayer, “He stood and in a loud voice blessed the entire congregation of Israel:
‘Praise the Lord who has given rest to His people Israel, just as He promised. Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises He gave through His servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our ancestors; may He never leave us or abandon us. May He give us the desire to do His will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that He gave our ancestors.
And may these words that I have prayed in the presence of the Lord be before Him constantly, day and night, so that the Lord our God may give justice to me and to His people Israel, according to each day’s needs. Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other. And may you be completely faithful to the Lord our God. May you always obey His decrees and commands, just as you are doing today.’
Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices to the Lord. And so the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the Temple of the Lord” (I Kings 8:55-62, 63b).
“Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises He gave…” Solomon and the people of Israel had much to celebrate. God had been faithful to them. In spite of their grumbling and wrongdoing, He had kept His promises, including bringing them out of slavery and into His glorious freedom.
But these Old Testament believers had to continually offer blood “sacrifices to the Lord” in order to receive His forgiveness over and over and over. Whereas we, as New Testament believers, “have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10b, NIV). The One Perfect Blood Sacrifice was able to pay man’s sin-debt for all time, and those who put their trust in Him are forever covered by His one act as the Sacrificial Lamb of God. How much more do we have to celebrate!
In return for Christ’s goodness, “May He give us the desire to do His will in everything.” While there are no perfect Christians, having “the desire to do His will in everything” is assuredly a huge indicator of a life transformed by surrender to Jesus.
“Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other.” I’ve quoted this before, but it bears repeating: Gandhi once said, “Were it not for Christians, I might have been one.” Be careful not to give God a bad reputation.
As the old saying goes, you’re the only Jesus some may ever see. That’d be a good sentence to post on your bathroom mirror and your car’s dashboard. Start your day reading it and letting its truth sink into you. Be the example of Jesus that leads others to say, “Because of Christians, I want to be one.”
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
‘Praise the Lord who has given rest to His people Israel, just as He promised. Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises He gave through His servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our ancestors; may He never leave us or abandon us. May He give us the desire to do His will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that He gave our ancestors.
And may these words that I have prayed in the presence of the Lord be before Him constantly, day and night, so that the Lord our God may give justice to me and to His people Israel, according to each day’s needs. Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other. And may you be completely faithful to the Lord our God. May you always obey His decrees and commands, just as you are doing today.’
Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices to the Lord. And so the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the Temple of the Lord” (I Kings 8:55-62, 63b).
“Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises He gave…” Solomon and the people of Israel had much to celebrate. God had been faithful to them. In spite of their grumbling and wrongdoing, He had kept His promises, including bringing them out of slavery and into His glorious freedom.
But these Old Testament believers had to continually offer blood “sacrifices to the Lord” in order to receive His forgiveness over and over and over. Whereas we, as New Testament believers, “have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10b, NIV). The One Perfect Blood Sacrifice was able to pay man’s sin-debt for all time, and those who put their trust in Him are forever covered by His one act as the Sacrificial Lamb of God. How much more do we have to celebrate!
In return for Christ’s goodness, “May He give us the desire to do His will in everything.” While there are no perfect Christians, having “the desire to do His will in everything” is assuredly a huge indicator of a life transformed by surrender to Jesus.
“Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other.” I’ve quoted this before, but it bears repeating: Gandhi once said, “Were it not for Christians, I might have been one.” Be careful not to give God a bad reputation.
As the old saying goes, you’re the only Jesus some may ever see. That’d be a good sentence to post on your bathroom mirror and your car’s dashboard. Start your day reading it and letting its truth sink into you. Be the example of Jesus that leads others to say, “Because of Christians, I want to be one.”
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY!
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Sunday, December 8, 2013
SUNDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
“When Solomon finished making these prayers and petitions to the Lord, he stood up in front of the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands raised toward heaven” (I Kings 8:54, NLT).
“Kneeling with his hands raised toward heaven.” The God-appointed leader of Israel was on his knees “with his hands raised toward heaven” as he voiced the prayer of dedication for the Temple. Today, however, few leaders or other believers are spending much time on their knees, individually or corporately. And yet the Bible repeatedly says: “Humble yourself” – Proverbs 6:3, Daniel 10:12, Second Chronicles 34:27 and First Kings 12:7 are only a few examples.
What does the Bible say specifically about kneeling? Psalm 95:6: “Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker…” Ephesians 3:14b: “I fall to my knees and pray to the Father…” Matthew 17:14b: “A man came and knelt before Jesus…” Acts 20:36b: “he (Paul) knelt and prayed with them.”
Quoting Isaiah 45:23, we read in Romans 14:11: “For the Scriptures say, ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, every knee will bend to Me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.’” And Philippians 2:10 tells us “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth…”
While some people are physically unable to kneel and others refuse to kneel, the Bible plainly teaches us that, one day, believers and unbelievers alike will bow before the Lord Jesus. So willing and able believers, why not kneel before Him now?
Kneeling was (and is) a sign of complete humility and surrender. A person who knelt before a king was at that king’s mercy. He could be rewarded or beheaded – the king had absolute power and authority.
As far as earthly power went, Solomon was that power and authority. But he knelt to honor the One far more important than any earthly figure, the True Power and Authority over Israel, the Lord God Almighty. Humility may be out of fashion with the world today, but it’s still a critical factor when it comes to honoring our Father.
Not only was Solomon kneeling before the Lord, he was also down on his knees in front of the people. His willingness to humble himself in honor of the Lord showed the other worshipers that no one, including their own earthly king, was more important than God. If the king knelt in worship, who were they not to do likewise?
And another thing: what else was Solomon doing as he knelt? He had “his hands raised toward heaven.” What was the significance of this? Let’s say a security guard notices an unlocked door in an office building and sees an unauthorized person riffling through the papers on one of the desks. The officer will likely draw his weapon. And the person’s response will be what? To put his hands up. Why? As a sign of surrender. Which is exactly what we’re doing when we raise our hands in worship – we’re surrendering our all to the One who saved us.
The enemy has done a fine job of convincing us: “You’re just drawing attention to yourself” when a person kneels or raises his hands during worship. News flash: he lied to Eve and he hasn’t changed one bit since then.
If you’re worrying about what people think of your worship, you’re not worshiping. When you worship, you focus on Jesus, and then no one or nothing else matters.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“Kneeling with his hands raised toward heaven.” The God-appointed leader of Israel was on his knees “with his hands raised toward heaven” as he voiced the prayer of dedication for the Temple. Today, however, few leaders or other believers are spending much time on their knees, individually or corporately. And yet the Bible repeatedly says: “Humble yourself” – Proverbs 6:3, Daniel 10:12, Second Chronicles 34:27 and First Kings 12:7 are only a few examples.
What does the Bible say specifically about kneeling? Psalm 95:6: “Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker…” Ephesians 3:14b: “I fall to my knees and pray to the Father…” Matthew 17:14b: “A man came and knelt before Jesus…” Acts 20:36b: “he (Paul) knelt and prayed with them.”
Quoting Isaiah 45:23, we read in Romans 14:11: “For the Scriptures say, ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, every knee will bend to Me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.’” And Philippians 2:10 tells us “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth…”
While some people are physically unable to kneel and others refuse to kneel, the Bible plainly teaches us that, one day, believers and unbelievers alike will bow before the Lord Jesus. So willing and able believers, why not kneel before Him now?
Kneeling was (and is) a sign of complete humility and surrender. A person who knelt before a king was at that king’s mercy. He could be rewarded or beheaded – the king had absolute power and authority.
As far as earthly power went, Solomon was that power and authority. But he knelt to honor the One far more important than any earthly figure, the True Power and Authority over Israel, the Lord God Almighty. Humility may be out of fashion with the world today, but it’s still a critical factor when it comes to honoring our Father.
Not only was Solomon kneeling before the Lord, he was also down on his knees in front of the people. His willingness to humble himself in honor of the Lord showed the other worshipers that no one, including their own earthly king, was more important than God. If the king knelt in worship, who were they not to do likewise?
And another thing: what else was Solomon doing as he knelt? He had “his hands raised toward heaven.” What was the significance of this? Let’s say a security guard notices an unlocked door in an office building and sees an unauthorized person riffling through the papers on one of the desks. The officer will likely draw his weapon. And the person’s response will be what? To put his hands up. Why? As a sign of surrender. Which is exactly what we’re doing when we raise our hands in worship – we’re surrendering our all to the One who saved us.
The enemy has done a fine job of convincing us: “You’re just drawing attention to yourself” when a person kneels or raises his hands during worship. News flash: he lied to Eve and he hasn’t changed one bit since then.
If you’re worrying about what people think of your worship, you’re not worshiping. When you worship, you focus on Jesus, and then no one or nothing else matters.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
Saturday, December 7, 2013
BARGAINS OF THE DAY!
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SATURDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
These are the concluding words of Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the Temple:
“If Your people go out where You send them to fight their enemies, and if they pray to the Lord by turning toward this city You have chosen and toward this Temple I have built to honor Your Name, then hear their prayers from heaven and uphold their cause.
If they sin against You – and who has never sinned? – You might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to their land far away or near. But in that land of exile, they might turn to You in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’ If they turn to You with their whole heart and soul in the land of their enemies and pray toward the land You gave to their ancestors – toward this city You have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor Your Name – then hear their prayers and their petition from heaven where You live, and uphold their cause. Forgive Your people who have sinned against You. Forgive all the offenses they have committed against You. Make their captors merciful to them, for they are Your people – Your special possession – whom You brought out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt.
May Your eyes be open to my requests and to the requests of Your people Israel. May You hear and answer them whenever they cry out to You. For when You brought our ancestors out of Egypt, O Sovereign Lord, You told Your servant Moses that You had set Israel apart from all the nations of the earth to be Your own special possession” (I Kings 8:44-53, NLT).
There are four “ifs” in this final portion of Solomon’s prayer: (1) “If your people go out where You send them to fight…” (2) “If they pray to the Lord…” (3) “If they sin against You…” And (4) “If they turn to You with their whole heart and soul…”
What do we see in these four “ifs?” Choices. Look at the first “if.” It concerned God’s people going out to battle. Where? “Where You send them.” Not wherever they chose to go, but where God sent them. Likewise with us. Ephesians 6:11 wouldn’t warn us to “Put on all of God’s armor” unless we needed it. God Himself as our Commander-in-Chief sends us out to battle the enemy. It’s up to each of us whether or not we’re obedient to that call.
Secondly, Solomon said, “If they pray to the Lord…, then hear their prayers and uphold their cause.” IF God’s people are going where He sends them doing what He sent them to do, then He will indeed “uphold their cause.” Or, as the ISV words it, He will “fight for their cause.” When we’re focused on God, we’re seeking His will and doing battle to expand His Kingdom.
Thirdly, Solomon says, “If they sin against You – and who has never sinned?” He knew that man’s nature was and is sinful. We’re going to mess up. We’re going to do wrong. But a born-again believer is miserable whenever he does. Thankfully, we New Testament believers “have an Advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (I John 2:1b, NIV), who indwells us in the form of His Holy Spirit. He convicts us of our sin and intercedes on our behalves whenever we ask for forgiveness.
And Solomon’s fourth “if” in this section is: “If they turn to You with their whole heart and soul… and pray… then hear their prayers and their petition from heaven where You live, and uphold their cause. Forgive Your people who have sinned against You. Forgive all the offenses they have committed against You.”
“With their whole heart and soul…” As we looked at a couple of days ago, there is no such thing as halfway repenting. If we want God’s best, we must give our best; and that means living each day ‘fessed up and in complete obedience to God’s leading.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“If Your people go out where You send them to fight their enemies, and if they pray to the Lord by turning toward this city You have chosen and toward this Temple I have built to honor Your Name, then hear their prayers from heaven and uphold their cause.
If they sin against You – and who has never sinned? – You might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to their land far away or near. But in that land of exile, they might turn to You in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’ If they turn to You with their whole heart and soul in the land of their enemies and pray toward the land You gave to their ancestors – toward this city You have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor Your Name – then hear their prayers and their petition from heaven where You live, and uphold their cause. Forgive Your people who have sinned against You. Forgive all the offenses they have committed against You. Make their captors merciful to them, for they are Your people – Your special possession – whom You brought out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt.
May Your eyes be open to my requests and to the requests of Your people Israel. May You hear and answer them whenever they cry out to You. For when You brought our ancestors out of Egypt, O Sovereign Lord, You told Your servant Moses that You had set Israel apart from all the nations of the earth to be Your own special possession” (I Kings 8:44-53, NLT).
There are four “ifs” in this final portion of Solomon’s prayer: (1) “If your people go out where You send them to fight…” (2) “If they pray to the Lord…” (3) “If they sin against You…” And (4) “If they turn to You with their whole heart and soul…”
What do we see in these four “ifs?” Choices. Look at the first “if.” It concerned God’s people going out to battle. Where? “Where You send them.” Not wherever they chose to go, but where God sent them. Likewise with us. Ephesians 6:11 wouldn’t warn us to “Put on all of God’s armor” unless we needed it. God Himself as our Commander-in-Chief sends us out to battle the enemy. It’s up to each of us whether or not we’re obedient to that call.
Secondly, Solomon said, “If they pray to the Lord…, then hear their prayers and uphold their cause.” IF God’s people are going where He sends them doing what He sent them to do, then He will indeed “uphold their cause.” Or, as the ISV words it, He will “fight for their cause.” When we’re focused on God, we’re seeking His will and doing battle to expand His Kingdom.
Thirdly, Solomon says, “If they sin against You – and who has never sinned?” He knew that man’s nature was and is sinful. We’re going to mess up. We’re going to do wrong. But a born-again believer is miserable whenever he does. Thankfully, we New Testament believers “have an Advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (I John 2:1b, NIV), who indwells us in the form of His Holy Spirit. He convicts us of our sin and intercedes on our behalves whenever we ask for forgiveness.
And Solomon’s fourth “if” in this section is: “If they turn to You with their whole heart and soul… and pray… then hear their prayers and their petition from heaven where You live, and uphold their cause. Forgive Your people who have sinned against You. Forgive all the offenses they have committed against You.”
“With their whole heart and soul…” As we looked at a couple of days ago, there is no such thing as halfway repenting. If we want God’s best, we must give our best; and that means living each day ‘fessed up and in complete obedience to God’s leading.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
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