Welcome to this week's edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am glad to be with you today, and I hope that this day finds you all doing well.
I talked to my uncle on the phone this afternoon. He is suffering from severe arthritis in the back. Would you all please pray that my uncle Richard will feel better shortly. Also in your prayers, thank the Lord that my friend's wife had a good job interview this morning.
I am thankful to the Lord for my job at the research company. I also want to thank the Lord that I picked up a couple of new writing clients this week. I am still looking for more work, so I would ask you to continue to pray about this. I might discuss some more of my thoughts on all of this tomorrow.
Last week, we examined the life of Solomon. Solomon had so much going for him, but he let it all slip away and turned away from the True and Living God to worship idols.
In today's message, I want to focus on another king who started out well, but in the end, he had great difficulties.
Uzziah became the king of Judah when he was just 16 years old. He would rule over Judah for more than 50 years. The Bible says that Uzziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 26:5 states, "And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper."
Uzziah was a strong king and successful military leader. With the Lord's help, Uzziah won victories over the Philistines and the Arabians. The Ammonites were also subject to him. Uzziah believed in military preparedness, and he took several steps to strengthen the nation's defenses and to provide for the armed forces.
The Bible also records that Uzziah was very interested in husbandry. He had a large number of cattle and built several wells to meet his flocks needs. He also hired many vine dressers to care for his many plants.
So far, so good. Uzziah seems to have been a really great leader and a devoted follower of God. However, like what happens with so many people, pride got the better of Uzziah. 2 Chronicles 26:16 states, "But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense."
When Uzziah went into the temple to burn incense, Azariah the priest stopped him. He told the king that only Levites were allowed to minister in the temple.
Uzziah became very anger at this news. He took an incense censor in his hand, and as soon as he did it, the Lord smote Uzziah with leprosy. Uzziah was thrown out of the temple. He also could no longer act as king. Uzziah's son Jotham served as co-regent until he became king in his own right upon his father's death. Uzziah was not even allowed to be buried with the other kings because he was a leper.
So, what was so terrible about what Uzziah did. First of all, there had to be more to it than the king trying to act as a priest. During the Maccabean period, several of the Hasmonean kings acted as High Priest. They, however, were members of the tribe of Levi. Only the tribe of Levi was designated by God to serve in the temple. Part of Uzziah's sin was that as a member of the tribe of Judah, Uzziah was trying to go against the commands of God. In other words, Uzziah thought that he was so important that God's commandments didn't apply to him.
Also, I think that it is possible that Uzziah was beginning to fall into the trap that so many rulers in that time fell into. They became so puffed up with their own importance that the felt as if they were gods themselves.
What can we as 21st century followers of Jesus learn from all of this. We need to learn the danger of pride and arrogance. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:3 that no one should think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
What we all need to remember is that everything that we have has been given to us by the grace of the Lord. Every good and perfect gift comes from above says the book of James. We are nothing in and of ourselves. All of our strength and ability comes from the hand of God Almighty.
Just because we find ourselves in a favorable circumstance in life, that is no reason to look down on others or to make the claim that we got to where we are in life as the result of our own effort. We should not think that we are better than someone else because we have more money, a higher position or are more successful according to the standards of this sinful world.
There is an old saying that states, "There but for the grace of God go I." Without God's grace upon my life, I know that I would be nowhere. God has graciously allowed me to have a job, food, good parents and my friend Toby. Everything good I have ever had has come from the Lord Jesus.
The Bible clearly gives us the way to avoid being proud. It presents us with the example of the Lord Jesus Himself. Philippians 2:1-11 tells us that we should follow the example of humility given by Jesus. Jesus was God. However, He took upon Himself human flesh at the Incarnation. He suffered and died on a cross bearing the sins of humanity. He did not have to do this. He humbled Himself and did it.
Jesus is our example. If we look to Him, we will know how to have a humble heart of service, and we will not be lifted up with pride as Uzziah was.
There is another lesson we can learn from Uzziah. It is that we should respect the power, majesty and holiness of God. It is interesting to note that Isaiah the great prophet saw the throne room of Heaven in the same year that Uzziah died of leprosy. Isaiah 6:1 states, "In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple." This chapter goes on to detail the majesty of God. When Isaiah saw the Lord he said, "Woe is me, for I am undone."
The majesty and power of an earthly king was nothing compared with the glory of the Lord revealed to the prophet Isaiah.
We must always remember that God is holy, and He will not share His glory with another. We are mere humans. It is incumbent upon us to obey the Lord and not become so prideful that we think that we know more than God does.
The Lord is more majestic than any world leader. The leaders and the powerful and the rich people of this world think that they are important and superior. They try to exercise their power over others through physical and economic exploitation. They are nothing in the sight of God.
One day, all of those who think they are powerful and important will bow before the mighty hand of God. When the Lord Jesus returns, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. I am looking forward to that day with great expectation.
Next week, I will post a verse on Monday and a review on Wednesday. The Weekend Sermon next week will have a Christmas theme. May God bless you. Amen.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Book Recommendation
I am sorry that I was not able to post the review yesterday. I had to take my car into the mechanic, and I was running very late. I am here today, so here goes.
The book that I would like to recommend today is entitled "War Dogs" written by Rebecca Frankel. Frankel writes a weekly blog entitled "War Dog of the Week" for Foreign Policy Online. In this new book, Ms. Frankel provides readers with a wealth of information about the history of war dogs in the United States military. Much of the book deals with how dogs are currently being used in Iraq and Afghanistan to detect IEDs and other types of explosives. By using dogs in these areas of conflict, countless lives have been saved.
One of the most interesting topics in the book is about whether or not dogs have the capacity to love. Surprisingly, many of the handlers told Ms. Frankel that they didn't believe that their dogs loved them. They described the relationship more as a partnership. The reader will see, however, the handler's actions with their dogs, and vice versa, demonstrates a loving relationship.
I found this book to be very well-written and interesting as are the writer's weekly columns for Foreign Policy.
The book that I would like to recommend today is entitled "War Dogs" written by Rebecca Frankel. Frankel writes a weekly blog entitled "War Dog of the Week" for Foreign Policy Online. In this new book, Ms. Frankel provides readers with a wealth of information about the history of war dogs in the United States military. Much of the book deals with how dogs are currently being used in Iraq and Afghanistan to detect IEDs and other types of explosives. By using dogs in these areas of conflict, countless lives have been saved.
One of the most interesting topics in the book is about whether or not dogs have the capacity to love. Surprisingly, many of the handlers told Ms. Frankel that they didn't believe that their dogs loved them. They described the relationship more as a partnership. The reader will see, however, the handler's actions with their dogs, and vice versa, demonstrates a loving relationship.
I found this book to be very well-written and interesting as are the writer's weekly columns for Foreign Policy.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Verse For the Week
Mark 3:35 -- "For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother."
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Thoughts On A Sunday Afternoon
I heard an excellent message on the radio this morning that I would like to recommend. Charles Stanley had a sermon about the importance of believing in the virgin birth of Jesus. You can listen to it on his In Touch website if you wish.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Weekend Sermon -- Solomon
I am here posting another edition of the Weekend Sermon. I thank the Lord Jesus for this opportunity to share His word each week. It is my hope and prayer that each of you has had a wonderful week.
My new job has been going well. I give thanks to the Lord for His provision in this area of my life. I also want to thank the Lord that I have been getting quite a few writing jobs recently.
In your prayers this week, please continue to pray about the Ebola situation in Africa. Also, pray that the Syrian refugee crisis will be resolved. I heard on NPR this week that the aid agencies are having great difficulty providing food for all of the people who need help. Pray for the Philippines as well. I heard on the news this morning that that nation may be hit by a large storm. I know that there are some people from the Philippines who read the blog. I am praying for your safety. Pray for peace is Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.
For the last several weeks, we have been in a series of messages about some of the kings of Israel and Judah. Last week, we studied the life of Jehoshaphat. He was one of the better kings. He really tried to do his best for his people, and he tried to serve the Lord. He wasn't perfect, but no one is perfect expect Jesus Himself.
Today, we turn our attention to a king that I just don't understand at all. Here is a man who had everything in the world going for him. He was highly favored by God, but he ended his life in a mess. The king we will study today is Solomon.
Let me state right away that some of the things I will say about Solomon will be controversial. Many theologians will disagree with my negative assessment of him. I will strive to provide Scriptural support for my arguments.
Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba. If you recall, David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then conspired to have Bathsheba's husband killed. David and Bathsheba's first child did not live very long. Solomon was their second child. When David died, Solomon became king after a short dispute with one of his brothers as to who was the rightful king.
Solomon started off very well. Shortly after assuming the throne, God appeared to Solomon in a dream as recorded in I Kings chapter 3. God asked Solomon what he would desire from the Lord. Instead of asking for wealth and power, Solomon asked for wisdom in order to rule justly and wisely. Solomon's wisdom is evident in the book of Kings and the book of Proverbs which he penned the majority of.
David had wanted to build a temple for the Lord while he was king. However, since David had been in so many wars and conflicts, God did not let him build the temple. The duty to build a temple for the Lord was given to Solomon. Several chapters in I Kings are devoted to a description of the temple and its construction. After the temple was completed, Solomon brought the Ark of the Covenant into the temple and prayed the prayer of dedication.
After the prayer, God once again appeared to Solomon. In I Kings 9, God said that He would honor and bless Solomon and his descendants as long as Solomon walked in the ways of God and did not turn to false gods.
In spite of the fact that God appeared to him twice, and in spite of all of the blessings that God bestowed upon him, Solomon turned on God. This is what I just don't understand about the man.
At some point in his life, Solomon became very pessimistic. This is clearly evident from the book of Ecclesiastes. Some scholars do not believe that Solomon wrote this book, but I believe that it is highly likely.
Many Evangelical scholars have a different take on Ecclesiastes than I do. We can get into that in another message. For now just let me say that I believe that much of Ecclesiastes expresses a view that is not in keeping with what we will see revealed by Jesus. Remember, Jesus is the interpretive framework of Scripture. Jesus is the Word. Jesus did not express an attitude about life as does Solomon in Ecclesiastes.
The Bible tells us in I Kings 11 what happened to Solomon. Contrary to what God had commanded, Solomon married many women from the surrounding nations. The Bible records that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. I Kings 11 beginning with verse 4 states, "For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burned incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him to him twice."
So, what was the end of Solomon. God said that the majority of the kingdom would be taken from him. This happened when Jeroboam led a rebellion against Solomon's son. The ten northern tribes followed Jeroboam with only two tribes following Rehoboam.
Now for the controversy. Was Solomon lost? Did he forfeit his salvation because he turned from the Lord? Many Evangelical scholars will say no. I am going to say that I cannot judge a person's salvation. I will say this. Jesus was very clear in His teaching that if someone turns away from following the truth, that person is lost. You cannot serve God and mammon, Jesus said. You cannot serve God and idols. Many Evangelicals believe in a doctrine of absolute eternal security. I have stated in the past that I believe that Scripture teaches that apostasy is possible. While I do not believe as some Arminian scholars believe that you can sin your salvation away, I do believe that you can make a conscience decision to stop following Jesus. This is reflected by Peter's teaching in 2 Peter 2:17-22.
Solomon also is a great example of another teaching of Jesus. Jesus stated that if someone does not hate father, mother, family and even their own life they are not worthy of Him. Solomon cared more about pleasing his many wives than he cared about following God.
I really have a hard time understanding Solomon. He had God reveal Himself twice to him. God gave him wisdom, wealth, peace and power. And Solomon didn't care. He turned on God anyway. I just don't get it.
So, what can we learn from all of this. What I learn is that we must remain diligent in our walk with the Lord. If someone who had all of this can fall away, any of us are vulnerable. The only way that I know to stay on the straight and narrow path of following Jesus is to daily commit to following Him. To me, being a Christian is a daily acknowledgment that I will this day follow the Lord. It is a daily commitment.
Staying faithful to the Lord requires a daily commitment to obedience to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Staying faithful also requires staying in communion with Jesus. We do this through prayer, meditation and through focusing on the teachings of our Lord. It requires great diligence as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to remain on course as we keep our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith.
I also learn from Solomon that I cannot place anything or anyone above my relationship with Jesus Christ. Solomon placed his wives above his relationship with the Lord God. Scripture tells us the consequences. Anything on anyone that we place above Jesus is our idol. Jesus demands our total allegiance. He demands to be first. We may suffer great loss, and we may have to sacrifice much in order to faithful to Jesus. Jesus demands and deserves no less.
You may be in a situation similar to Solomon. You may find yourself drifting away from a right relationship with the Lord. That can be changed today. Confess your sin, and ask Jesus to forgive you. Then, commit yourself to following the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Next week, I will post the verse of Monday and a review on Wednesday. I will post the sermon on Saturday. May God bless you. Amen.
My new job has been going well. I give thanks to the Lord for His provision in this area of my life. I also want to thank the Lord that I have been getting quite a few writing jobs recently.
In your prayers this week, please continue to pray about the Ebola situation in Africa. Also, pray that the Syrian refugee crisis will be resolved. I heard on NPR this week that the aid agencies are having great difficulty providing food for all of the people who need help. Pray for the Philippines as well. I heard on the news this morning that that nation may be hit by a large storm. I know that there are some people from the Philippines who read the blog. I am praying for your safety. Pray for peace is Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.
For the last several weeks, we have been in a series of messages about some of the kings of Israel and Judah. Last week, we studied the life of Jehoshaphat. He was one of the better kings. He really tried to do his best for his people, and he tried to serve the Lord. He wasn't perfect, but no one is perfect expect Jesus Himself.
Today, we turn our attention to a king that I just don't understand at all. Here is a man who had everything in the world going for him. He was highly favored by God, but he ended his life in a mess. The king we will study today is Solomon.
Let me state right away that some of the things I will say about Solomon will be controversial. Many theologians will disagree with my negative assessment of him. I will strive to provide Scriptural support for my arguments.
Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba. If you recall, David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then conspired to have Bathsheba's husband killed. David and Bathsheba's first child did not live very long. Solomon was their second child. When David died, Solomon became king after a short dispute with one of his brothers as to who was the rightful king.
Solomon started off very well. Shortly after assuming the throne, God appeared to Solomon in a dream as recorded in I Kings chapter 3. God asked Solomon what he would desire from the Lord. Instead of asking for wealth and power, Solomon asked for wisdom in order to rule justly and wisely. Solomon's wisdom is evident in the book of Kings and the book of Proverbs which he penned the majority of.
David had wanted to build a temple for the Lord while he was king. However, since David had been in so many wars and conflicts, God did not let him build the temple. The duty to build a temple for the Lord was given to Solomon. Several chapters in I Kings are devoted to a description of the temple and its construction. After the temple was completed, Solomon brought the Ark of the Covenant into the temple and prayed the prayer of dedication.
After the prayer, God once again appeared to Solomon. In I Kings 9, God said that He would honor and bless Solomon and his descendants as long as Solomon walked in the ways of God and did not turn to false gods.
In spite of the fact that God appeared to him twice, and in spite of all of the blessings that God bestowed upon him, Solomon turned on God. This is what I just don't understand about the man.
At some point in his life, Solomon became very pessimistic. This is clearly evident from the book of Ecclesiastes. Some scholars do not believe that Solomon wrote this book, but I believe that it is highly likely.
Many Evangelical scholars have a different take on Ecclesiastes than I do. We can get into that in another message. For now just let me say that I believe that much of Ecclesiastes expresses a view that is not in keeping with what we will see revealed by Jesus. Remember, Jesus is the interpretive framework of Scripture. Jesus is the Word. Jesus did not express an attitude about life as does Solomon in Ecclesiastes.
The Bible tells us in I Kings 11 what happened to Solomon. Contrary to what God had commanded, Solomon married many women from the surrounding nations. The Bible records that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. I Kings 11 beginning with verse 4 states, "For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burned incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him to him twice."
So, what was the end of Solomon. God said that the majority of the kingdom would be taken from him. This happened when Jeroboam led a rebellion against Solomon's son. The ten northern tribes followed Jeroboam with only two tribes following Rehoboam.
Now for the controversy. Was Solomon lost? Did he forfeit his salvation because he turned from the Lord? Many Evangelical scholars will say no. I am going to say that I cannot judge a person's salvation. I will say this. Jesus was very clear in His teaching that if someone turns away from following the truth, that person is lost. You cannot serve God and mammon, Jesus said. You cannot serve God and idols. Many Evangelicals believe in a doctrine of absolute eternal security. I have stated in the past that I believe that Scripture teaches that apostasy is possible. While I do not believe as some Arminian scholars believe that you can sin your salvation away, I do believe that you can make a conscience decision to stop following Jesus. This is reflected by Peter's teaching in 2 Peter 2:17-22.
Solomon also is a great example of another teaching of Jesus. Jesus stated that if someone does not hate father, mother, family and even their own life they are not worthy of Him. Solomon cared more about pleasing his many wives than he cared about following God.
I really have a hard time understanding Solomon. He had God reveal Himself twice to him. God gave him wisdom, wealth, peace and power. And Solomon didn't care. He turned on God anyway. I just don't get it.
So, what can we learn from all of this. What I learn is that we must remain diligent in our walk with the Lord. If someone who had all of this can fall away, any of us are vulnerable. The only way that I know to stay on the straight and narrow path of following Jesus is to daily commit to following Him. To me, being a Christian is a daily acknowledgment that I will this day follow the Lord. It is a daily commitment.
Staying faithful to the Lord requires a daily commitment to obedience to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Staying faithful also requires staying in communion with Jesus. We do this through prayer, meditation and through focusing on the teachings of our Lord. It requires great diligence as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to remain on course as we keep our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith.
I also learn from Solomon that I cannot place anything or anyone above my relationship with Jesus Christ. Solomon placed his wives above his relationship with the Lord God. Scripture tells us the consequences. Anything on anyone that we place above Jesus is our idol. Jesus demands our total allegiance. He demands to be first. We may suffer great loss, and we may have to sacrifice much in order to faithful to Jesus. Jesus demands and deserves no less.
You may be in a situation similar to Solomon. You may find yourself drifting away from a right relationship with the Lord. That can be changed today. Confess your sin, and ask Jesus to forgive you. Then, commit yourself to following the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Next week, I will post the verse of Monday and a review on Wednesday. I will post the sermon on Saturday. May God bless you. Amen.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Upcoming Reviews
I am currently in the process of reading several good books about dogs and some religious books as well. In the upcoming weeks, look for reviews of "War Dogs" by Rebecca Frankel, "Bespotted" a book about dalmatians, and an interesting devotional Bible on the market.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Verses For the Week
Mark 9:35 -- "And He sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all."
Luke 4:40 -- "Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them."
Luke 7:22 -- " Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached."
Luke 4:40 -- "Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them."
Luke 7:22 -- " Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached."
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