Solomon | Did Jesus have a Facebook Page?

September 25, 2013
by Naphtali 6 Comments

Burning Bushes: The Game of Hide and Seek

Moses knew what a burning bush looked like but he wasn’t prepared for one that didn’t burn up while on fire.

The story lays claim to a great mystery of Biblical proportion even non-Christians have heard about.

While we know God used the bush to get his attention, there is more to the story.

40 years had passed since Moses was kicked out of Egypt but what had changed?

Pharaoh? Had the slaves been set free? Had his people forgotten him?

Who knew, but the change was Moses.

Far from the elite life of Egyptian royalty, he had been in the school of hard knocks for 4 decades.

He went from privilege to poverty; from Egyptian born to his true roots as a Hebrew and from arrogant pride to obscure humility.

So what does this have to do with modern society?

Everything.

If you read the papers, surf the net, or turn on the news it is easy to get depressed quickly. The world is falling apart before our eyes; innocents are being attacked and killed in the name of Allah and America is floating in a sea of moral decay.

Much is being spread of destruction, financial collapse, wars and rumors of wars so where is God?

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

I don’t know about you, but I worship a big God.

He is greater than any catastrophic event.

He has armies of angels he has let loose from the heavens with the armor of giants and last I heard he has more money than Solomon….

He can be anywhere all the time and has eyes in the back of his head.

God sees all and knows all.

People of God, he wants us to do as Moses did; stop and look at this site. The secular world sees only secular pictures only it is what they don’t see that counts.

Moses maybe took a “double-take?” I would have. If for no other reason except out of curiosity.

He laid his eyes upon the supernatural; his feet on Holy Ground.

Maybe God gave him glimpses of his future; his calling to be the “Deliverer.”

Maybe God revealed his love for the Jewish people and allowed Moses to soak in it himself.

Maybe God’s glory was so profound, Moses experienced what no other man would ever encounter.

The saying, “things often get worse before they get better” rings a bell right now.

The enemy is well aware his time is short and he is making good use of it. What he isn’t aware of are the “burning bushes” God has planted around the world.

If the enemy has beefed up his assaults on mankind what do you think God is doing?

Planting potatoes? No!

God is playing hide and seek.

Isaiah 54: 17 “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.”

Sending in his forces. Revving up his armies of angels. Transporting military with more back-up power than all of the devil’s demons combined.

God is planting seeds of his warriors Moses, David and Jeremiah to line his people with courage, strength and peace of mind.

He is bringing in his wisdom, knowledge and understanding through the likes of Solomon.

And…..has anyone heard that Joseph has returned to Egypt?

I have. He is already there in a prison in a repeat performance of Joseph, the son of Jacob.

God has said it is too late for the Middle East to win now. He has set his people in place to fulfill his word.

Israel is forever.

God is beating the devil to his latest punch.

Psalm 122:6 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May those who love you be secure.”

December 17, 2012
by Naphtali 4 Comments

And the Nation stood still….

There is a sense of community that has been born that wasn’t around last Thursday.

The nation stopped in its tracks all of a sudden Friday.

Sitting in church yesterday, you could feel it.

“Quiet” swept the room as the Pastor revealed the front page of a newspaper that read, “WHY?”

He set the stage with the verses from Psalm 72:1-7

Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.

May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
may he crush the oppressor.
May he endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish

Fairness in Jesus is not the same as the world’s view. Based on “righteousness” or doing that which is good, results in good. Jesus performed many miracles due to his righteousness. What does that say?

When “unrighteousness” is prevalent, evil will prevail.

It matters who you follow. It matters who is in charge and what they represent.

If a leader has abolished the truth, so will his people leaving doors open for the battle to rage on.

King Solomon wrote these words with God almighty as his leader.

Our Pastor gave 3 specifics regarding these verses:

1: God will give justice to the afflicted.

2. God saves the children; all of us who follow Jesus are his children. We are all needy.

3. God will crush the oppressors. No tyranny has reigned forever. Evil only lasts for a season.

True justice is found only in Jesus. The cross redeems all wrong, hurt, pain or loss. No evil can remain because of what Christ did on the cross.

In a court of law, fairness/or justice is used according to evidence that is weighed. The balance of impartiality is tried.

The reason evil occurs is we are in the middle of battle. Good and evil are fighting against each other; and for those of us who know Jesus, we know how it all ends.

God knows what it is like to lose a child. The choice as it was, remained with Jesus as he determined to walk up that hill and be the sacrificial lamb for us all. And he had no sin. He was righteousness in human form.

The non-believers will never understand the existence of God because it is based solely on the cross.

Questions will rise and fall as time passes. As believers we don’t need to know everything because no matter what the evil, justice was served at the resurrection. When Christ died, it was finished; every possible wrong doing was redeemed.

As the world stood still absorbing what could not be absorbed, Jesus was hanging on the cross again for 26 people who were unjustly taken in the middle of a tempestuous conflict.

Therein lies the answers, the grace and mercy God extends to everyone.

Jesus gave his life for us, and that is what makes it fair.

http://churchgraphics.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/fear-not/

If you would like to hear Pastor Clay Smith of Alice Drive Baptist Church’s sermon in its entirety, please log on to www.adbc.org.

http://jpfinn7.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/connecticut-town-mourns-as-police-look-for-answers/

http://ubebetternotbitter.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/asking-god-why-is-out-of-character/

http://scottknowlton.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/the-steadfast-love-of-god/

http://vineoflife.net/2012/12/16/newtown-massacre-was-18th-mass-murder-event-in-2012-whats-going-wrong-and-is-there-hope-notes-from-my-fox-interview/

November 14, 2012
by Naphtali 4 Comments

“Everything is Meaningless” or is it?

I kinda like this guy, Solomon. Can you imagine having him as your next door neighbor?

Reading the Book of Ecclesiastes is almost comical. Now don’t be thinkin I am being cynical or “bashing the word.” Read it yourself.

This guy does everything. He is the King of busy. Solomon built houses, gardens, parks. He bought slaves, livestock and treasures of gold and silver. (Ecclesiastes 2)

Wisdom got the best of him to explore, feast and play judge.

Can you imagine having to work for this guy? Fulfilling his daily need for self-preservation to discover the “meaning of life” must have fallen prey on his staff.

He labored, indulged in pleasures and folly and held captive his 1^st place as the smartest guy on the block. Or the world. Yet, he proclaimed it was all futile.

He debated good versus evil, decided there was a “time for everything” and due to oppression concluded the dead were better off than the living. (Ecc. 4: 2)

Labor and toil were meant for reward but achievement invited envy. (Ecc. 2:10 & 4:2)

Dreaming and words have no substance; the rich only want more riches. (Ecc. 5:10)

Nothing is new, all has been done before. A good reputation trumps treasures and be careful what you hear or you may find another cursing you. (Ecc.7:1, 7:21)

Wisdom or evil we all have the same destiny (Ecc.9) but the dead are ignorant with no reward and are forgotten.

No one knows the future or what occurs after he is gone. (Ecc.10:14) Only our Maker knows the path of the wind. (Ecc.11:5)

I am not sure if Solomon was a “King after God’s own heart” or simply so full of knowledge and curiosity he got bored. His inquisitiveness was his own worst enemy. His analytical eye kept him on the road to conquer his lack of satisfaction for solving everything under the sun.

Why this? Why that? invoked a scrutinizing streak within his soul to search, hunt and breathe that which was all God. Only he wasn’t God so he would forever be left disappointed that it all amounted to “chasing after the wind.”

In the end he was left with 700 wives and 300 concubines who led him astray. Any man who would willingly support that many women in one place no matter how much money he was blessed with ain’t keeping his brain in mint condition. Let’s just conclude he played too much without a helmet.

1 Kings 11:3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.

Solomon was known as a “Teacher” of wisdom, pleasure, work, power, religion and all things earthly. Or at least that is how he began Ecclesiastes, but not how he closed the book.

His quest to find meaning and purpose was almost driven by madness to outwit himself or God but he was human. His humanness eventually took over his common sense leading him into sin. In other words, he took his eyes off of God.

Yet, illicit behaviors and idols of gold presented him with no pleasure, nor did work or the graces of all the judgments and information bestowed upon his privileged existence.

Emptiness and desolation prevailed until he had exhausted every nook and cranny set forth on God’s green earth.

The idea of “self” as sufficient was only folly for life is not worth living without God.

Solomon, the man who had it all, found everything really was meaningless, chasing after the wind without the one who created him.

And therein lies the air we breathe….the sustenance of all things possible….the way, the truth and the life.

http://samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/god-manifest-in-the-flesh/

http://terry1954.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/quotes-29/

November 8, 2012
by Naphtali 33 Comments

Reflections of Solomon: An Archaic King

Ecclesiastes 10: 2, 3 “The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. Even as fools walk along the road, they lack sense and show everyone how stupid they are.”

Those words were written by the wisest man that ever lived. How did he know how closely they reflect the United States today?

My heart and prayers go out to everyone who voted for the President and for those who didn’t vote at all.

You have succeeded in making sure abortions will continue: gay marriages are acceptable and when Iran and Israel go to war, you will sit back and do nothing.

You have given free rein to a puppet man, national healthcare as a mandate, and taxes, yes, taxes will go up. Senator Reid made that great announcement yesterday.

You have decided that borrowing money is fine as long as you don’t have to pay it back. Why should you have to? You deserve it.

You have voted to enjoy the fruits of your education by going into major debt from thousands of dollars of student loans. Compliments of “Sallie Mae” promised by President Obama in October 2011.

You have allowed this government in 2012 to use our taxes for abortions and 1.2 million for a study of the World of Warcraft game. The National Science Foundation was given government money to see if rattlesnakes would accept “Robosquirrel; a robotic version of his prey.

NASA receives money to determine what foods are best to eat on Mars. For 1 million dollars a year you can enjoy the “Mars Menu.”

$300,000.00 this year was given to the Dept. of Agriculture to promote caviar; as people starve to death.

You have voted to reduce our military especially since you don’t believe in war; that makes it credible. Never mind all the jobs lost, benefits gone and the fact we can’t defend ourselves. You have designated the “Land of the Free” as open season for those who hate us; for those like Ahmadinejad who stood on this soil declaring Americans “infidels” that will be annihilated.

You have voted to ensure your salvation is as the President spoke, “a collective basis; not individual.”

You have stripped religious freedom from almost everything the Declaration of Independence says cannot be done. Instead you have chosen “political correctness” from your liberal agenda as the words we all must live by. Heaven forbid anyone would be offended.

You have voted to remove the constitution as the basic Christian foundation of this country in favor of a government that pursues demands on its citizens, like forcing people to buy healthcare unless you are in a Union. Who is going to pay insurance for those who have no money?

What about class warfare? The President believes we all should pay our “fair share” which is not Biblical.

You have voted to continue dolling out our hard earned money for welfare even though many who are “taking” it don’t qualify; they just don’t want to work. Why should they? They deserve to live off of someone else who is working. And in this process, the people who really need and qualify for welfare/food stamps are lost in the translation of those who are ripping the system off.

You have chosen a President and administration that openly refuses to support the best ally America has ever had. You have chosen an extremist relationship over Israel by denying support for the land and people God claims as his own.

You have voted “revenge” as the President announced instead of “love of country.”

You have voted to place your faith in a government that is broke, immoral and dishonest. You have taken the fiber of our nation and ripped it apart by accepting division over unity.

You have taken that which is “Sacred” ground and shoved it in the face of God by making every effort possible to kick him out of our existence.

I hope you are happy. You have won what you deserve.

I am not sure what you think you have won, but soon you will find out.

No matter what, we all reap what we sow; good or bad.

Watch out for the birds. You have placed America in the “Bakers Baskets.”

http://larrywho.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/john-paul-jackson-updates-perfect-storm-prophecies-part-2/

http://samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/what-is-christianity/

http://media4lifeministries.com/2012/10/28/ticked-off-about-libya-and-lies/

October 24, 2012
by Naphtali 9 Comments

Ignorant?

A recent article about Fox News read:

“I mean you have to do that because you have to please the Fox News listeners in order to win the Republican primaries, which means you’re getting, you’re working with people who are ignorant.”

Who is she calling ignorant?

She must be speaking about someone else. I am not ignorant. I am a college graduate; just don’t ask me to do any Math.

Neither are the folks at Fox News. Has she read the bio’s about the women who work at Fox News? Surely not because she would find none are ignorant. In fact they are quite educated, well grounded, and talented. Oh, and BTW many are confessing Christians.

I can help her with this. Go to Google; enter in “Fox News Channel Biographies” and you will find a list of their broadcasters and an in-depth perspective on their accomplishments.

I have been trying to figure out why liberals think Christians/conservatives are ignorant.

Are we lacking in education?

Are we a little slow getting on the elevators?

Do we exhibit ignorance in our behavior?

Christians don’t have to be educated to be a Christian.

The man slowly walking on the elevator has a knee problem. See his cane?

A Christian isn’t perfect, so our behavior at times might be considered questionable.

Jesus was the most intelligent human that ever walked; did he go to school? College?

What about his protégé Solomon? He asked God for wisdom.

The definition of ignorance: a lack of learning, knowledge or information.

My thinking is people who don’t really believe in Jesus don’t want to think he was smart. Giving him that much credit would change everything. And Heaven forbid that would happen.

Matthew 13:53-56”When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked.“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”

Maybe it’s me; if Jesus is so intelligent; outwitting the hypocrites, the bigots and imposters why do so many disregard him?

Proverbs 15:32 “He who ignores discipline despises himself.”