Treasure God's Word

744 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ki 2:2-4, "I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3 "And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; 4 "that the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,' He said, 'you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.' (1 Kings 2:2-4) David is on his death bed and reminds Solomon of his awesome responsibilities as the next King of Israel. This is not just David handing down the reigns of government, this is God charging Solomon to rule well. Would that all rulers who profess faith in Jesus take heed to what is being said here. After all, has not God appointed all who rule? Ro 13:1b says, “there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” If then, they are appointed by God, then they are expected to rule in accordance with His standards. Rulers are charged to live personal lives aligned with the Word of God (to walk in His ways,) They are to “keep” His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses,” The word “keep” here means to put a hedge around something because you value it. So leaders are to treasure God's Word and in particular the Ten Commandments. In ruling in this manner, true prosperity comes to a nation, “that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;” I sincerely believe that this code guided our founding fathers and is the main reason that the United States has enjoyed prosperity for over 200 years! They didn't hide the Ten Commandments they displayed them! They didn't ban God from the public sphere, rather they extolled Him and gave Him the glory for all things! Father, forgive us, for we have not kept Your charge. Grant us the gift of repentance, that we may turn back to You, treasuring You and Your Word in our personal and national lives.

How to Slow Down the Decaying Process

743 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ki 2:1,2a, “Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 2 "I go the way of all the earth; (1 Kings 2:1,2a) “I go the way of all the earth.” Death. It happens to all of us. There is no escaping it because it is the way of the earth. Unless the Lord returns, our lot is the same as David, the same as Abraham before him, and the same as Adam. We shall all return to dust through the process of decay. Ge 3:19 says, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." This is the price of sin. Death and decay! We have all inherited it from Adam: Ro 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned,” but not only man, all of creation has inherited it as well: Ro 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. By the way, sin doesn't wait until death to bring decay, it starts in this life as well. There is a striking story making the rounds on Facebook concerning a young woman named Victoria Berna. There is a before and after picture of Victoria. The before picture was taken 1o years ago and it was a police mugshot of a young woman ravaged by her lifestyle of sin. The after picture was of a very pretty, young lady who has been clean for seven years. Same woman, but the “after woman” had come to faith and Jesus had cleaned her up inside and out! You can see the change right before your eyes. Her eyes in the mugshot darkened, full of anger, despair, hopelessness, and the after shot, the dark circles are gone and her eyes radiate joy and peace. Now I know you should not believe everything you see on Facebook, but even if Victoria Berna is fictitious, the changes wrought in the countenance of a person who has left a sinful lifestyle to follow Christ are undeniable. You know people just like her and if you were honest, you cannot deny the change. Something is different! Something is better, and that something is a person who is now filled with Jesus. And Jesus is the one who has defeated, sin, death, and decay. This “change” is available to all, who put their trust in Jesus. If you don't believe my words, at least consider the proof of a changed life!

No Unforgivable Sin!

742 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ki 1:51 And it was told Solomon, saying, "Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; for look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'" 52 Then Solomon said, "If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die." 53 So King Solomon sent them to bring him down from the altar. And he came and fell down before King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, "Go to your house." Let's talk about this idea of taking hold of the horns of the altar. The altar of God in the Old Testament, and the cross of Christ in the New Testament are places of refuge. They are places to flee to and latch onto and receive mercy from God. With 58 million abortions being performed in America since 1973, we can be sure that many struggle with guilt, many are in need of God's mercy and grace. Maybe someone who is reading this right now. If you are struggling with guilt over past sins, listen carefully to what I am about to say, and listen all the way to the end! In Ex 21:14, God has stern words for those who are guilty of the act of pre-meditated ending of another person's life. "But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.” That sounds hopeless, but it's not, because in our reading today, Solomon introduces mercy to the equation when he says, "If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die." In other words, if his repentance is real, not one hair shall fall to the earth!” Understand what is being said here. Pre-meditated murder is a sin, but it is not unforgivable for the one who comes to the cross (the horns of the altar) with godly sorrow over their sin! (Just ask David as it concerned his murder of Uriah) And this is how we prove ourselves worthy. We cling to the worthiness of Christ alone! Having proved yourself worthy by faith in Christ, and confessing your sin, (abortion or whatever else it may be) and receiving God's forgiveness through Christ, you are now free to hear the words of Solomon that he spoke to Adonijah: “and Solomon said to him, "Go to your house." What did he mean by that? He meant, “go back to your life! Live as a free and forgiven person. ! It is as Jesus said to the woman caught in the act of adultery. “I do not condemn you, go and sin no more! Thank You Father for mercy granted to us through the cross!

The Fear of God

741 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ki 1:49-51, “So all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid, and arose, and each one went his way. 50 Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 And it was told Solomon, saying, "Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; for look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'" (1 King 1: 49-51) Whenever you read the Bible, be sure to say a prayer asking the Holy Spirit for understanding as you read. And as you read, one of the things you should be looking for is words that are repeated. In this portion of Scripture the word “afraid,” shows up three times!he guests, (those who were in cahoots with Adonijah were afraid. And Adonijah was deathly afraid. Matthew Henry had this to say about this portion of scripture: “ He (Adonijah) had despised Solomon as not worthy to be his guest (1Ki 1:10), but now he dreads him as his judge:” Let that sink in for awhile. Those who oppose Christ and His kingdom, those who snub Christ away in this lifetime will shortly be made to tremble before Him on Judgment Day! Have you been snubbing Jesus? Do you not fear what that will mean to you on Judgment Day! Let me tell you what I am afraid of. I am afraid that far too often, only the “Mr Nice Guy Jesus” is preached and taught in the church today. When that truth is OVER-EMPHASIZED, people have a tendency to mistake that goodness for a “get out of jail free card,” and there is no trembling because, “after all, what loving God would send any person to hell?” Adonijah and his followers were afraid because they knew that the King had the power to put them to death, and we need to have that same kind of respect. Some people surely need to hear the sweet gospel, but some also need to have the very hell scared out of them. How did Jesus put it? Lu 12:5 "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! Father, thank You for Your love, but let us not forget that You are also a just God!

Who Are You Betting On?

740 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ki 1:41-48, “Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said, "Why is the city in such a noisy uproar?" 42 While he was still speaking, there came Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest. And Adonijah said to him, "Come in, for you are a prominent man, and bring good news." 43 Then Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, "No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 "The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king's mule. 45 "So Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon; and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard. 46 "Also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. 47 "And moreover the king's servants have gone to bless our lord King David, saying, 'May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.' Then the king bowed himself on the bed. 48 "Also the king said thus, 'Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!'" (1 Kings 1:41-48) Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Adonijah and his retinue are just finishing their self-coronation meal, when they hear all the noise going on in the city. Come to find out, this was not a good thing for them. Solomon has been proclaimed king and is seated on the throne. The deal is done. Adonijah's victory is short-lived. This whole scenario is a picture of what is shown in the Book of Revelation as it concerns the Last Days. You can read about it in Re 11:8-19. But the jist of the matter is, the devil and all his followers, (and if you are not a follower of Jesus, you are a follower of the devil for it is as Jesus said in Lu 11:23 "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”) are all celebrating the demise of the two witnesses, the silencing of the church, but the celebration is short-lived as the seventh angel blows the trumpet (isn't that what Joab heard) and it is game over. The true King Jesus returns, His church is raptured, and the time of the dead has come that they should be judged (Rev 11:18) It's going to happen folks. Jesus will return, and the Bible is full of warnings about that day, including this picture painted for us in 1 Kings of the rebellion and defeat of Adonijah. Who are you betting on Adonijah or Solomon? The devil or Jesus? Your ETERNITY is at stake!

Was That An Earthquake I Just Heard Or Did All the Graves Open Up?

739 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ki 1:35b-40, “and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah." 36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, "Amen! May the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. 37 "As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David." 38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David's mule, and took him to Gihon. 39 Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, "Long live King Solomon!" 40 And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound. (1 Kings 1:35b-40) It is a great procession. Solomon is anointed as King, a trumpet sounds, and with shouts of acclamation, “Long live King Solomon,” he enters the city triumphantly. There is such a joyful noise that the earth seemed to split with the sound! This should immediately turn our thoughts to that Day when King Jesus will return It will be the earthquake to end all earthquakes! Re 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. This earthquake is all part of the returning procession of King Jesus and all the departed saints! 1Th 4:16-18 says, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. The trumpet will sound! The entourage of Jesus and the souls of all the saints who have passed before us will descend from heaven. The bodies of these saints being released from the graves and glorified with their souls as the earth “seems to split with the sound!” Oh what a day that will be! Comfort yourself with these sure words of the final Day that were foreshadowed by Solomon's grand entrance into his reign of glory!

Long Live King Jesus

738 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ki 1:32-35, “And King David said, "Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada." So they came before the king. 33 The king also said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon. 34 "There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, 'Long live King Solomon!' 35 "Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah." (1 Kings 1:32-35) David won the kingdom for Israel. He, often like Jesus, had no place to lay his head, and like Jesus defeated all his enemies. Solomon, then reaped those benefits and reigned over a kingdom of glory, riches, and splendor. In this regard, David foreshadowed Jesus in His first advent and Solomon foreshadows Jesus in His second coming. This account of Solomon's ascension to the throne is amazingly similar to that day when Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Solomon would ride the king's mule to Gihon, which is area in which Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The word “Gihon” means “to gush forth,” and should cause us to consider that Jesus is the living water gushing forth into the world. He said in Joh 7:37, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” This was quite an entourage as those loyal to David accompanied Solomon with shouts of “Long live King Solomon,” and of course as Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey the people gave Him the welcome of a king shouting loud “hosanna’s”. Don't ignore these foreshadowings in Scripture. They were written as sketches for us to look at, and to kindle hope in us before the final picture is completed. May it strengthen your faith today, that even as Jesus entered Jerusalem as a king, He will one day re-enter our world as the King of kings and Lord of lords, and His forever, glorious reign will begin. A reign that will overflow with blessings for His servants, that will make Solomon look like a pauper. These blessings are reserved only for those who have put their faith in Jesus. Only those who from the heart say, “Long live King Jesus!”