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He did evil in the sight of the LORD

8/29/2018

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And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon. Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead. And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite: Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.
(1 Kings 15:25-30)
     Baasha rises up against the son of Jeroboam and takes the kingdom of Israel from the house of Jeroboam, slaying all of Jeroboam’s family just as the Lord had said unto Jeroboam because of his sin against the Lord. Jeroboam’s son reigned a short time while Asa reigned in Judah after Jeroboam died before Baasha usurped the throne during a campaign against the Philistines and reigned over Israel in Tirzah. All of it was at the hand of God because of the sin of Jeroboam as prophesied by Ahijah of Shiloh who gave the message to Jeroboam's wife.
 
     And so continues the reigns of kings in Israel and Judah, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Israel’s kings were bad to ugly, with no dynasty or family serving for very long and some ending quite horribly like Jeroboam’s son and family at the hands of Baasha. Judah’s kings, all descendants of David according to the promise God had made, were good to bad, with a couple that were ugly, and so they mostly fared better. There was also constant war between Israel and Judah, both because of the rivalry between the north and the south, and because of the acts of the bad and ugly kings to overthrow the other nation and expand their own territory. Just as Jeroboam had fought with Rehoboam, so Baasha fought with Asa. God had orchestrated some of the events because of Jeroboam’s sin, but also allowed other events to occur because of His judgment upon Israel.
 
     The legacy and history that we leave when we depart from a mission or ministry should be one that glorifies God and not one of dishonor. If we are in Christ by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, we are His servants and we ought to be doing all at His command and leaving a testimony when others praise us and not our own lips of our faithfulness unto God, our faith in God, and fellowship with God and with His church. We are not to run the ministry or mission which God has given unto us as our own or under our own authority but follow our God and His Commands to reach the lost, teach the nations, and preach the Word that His people may grow and those who do not yet know Him may be saved and brought into a right relationship with our Creator, Redeemer, and King through repentance and faith.
 
     For while we are here, God has commanded those of us who are His saints and know Him to go out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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According to the Word of the LORD

8/28/2018

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Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. Moreover the LORD shall raise Him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now. For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and He shall root up Israel out of this good land, which He gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger. And He shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin. (1 Kings 14:12-16)
     Jeroboam’s son falls ill with a grave illness and Jeroboam sends his wife disguised as a common woman to a prophet to inquire of the LORD. God gives the prophet a message for Jeroboam’s wife concerning the child, that it will die, and it will be the only descendant and relative of Jeroboam to be laid in a grave, because of Jeroboam’s sin against the LORD. God will raise up others to rule Israel until He finally dissolves the northern nation of Israel and the kingdom is no more, but Jeroboam’s family will not inherit the throne.
 
     God is serious about idolatry and passes judgment upon Jeroboam and Israel. Jeroboam’s sin against the LORD in idolatry and leading Israel away from the Commandments of the LORD has led to God removing his descendants from being king and no one from his family will die a natural death or be buried in a grave at the Word of the LORD. This prophet, though blind with age, gets a vision and a message for Jeroboam and his wife of the end of their line and the result of their sin upon their family and the nation of Israel. Only Jeroboam’s son is mourned by the people and buried in a grave. Eventually even Israel itself will be rooted up and scattered just as Jeroboam’s lineage and family.
 
     Sin in the life of a Christian is not something to be trifled with, explained away, or ignored. The Word of God is clear that sin, even the sin which does so easily beset us, must be dealt with and repented of before God. Those who have surrendered to Him on His terms and been born again by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work are to live holy lives obedient unto our Lord and God, not to gain or keep that which He has given unto us, but because of His holiness and righteousness which is imputed unto those who are His. Trivializing the effect and cost of sin or ignoring our tendency to sin occasionally will lead to more sin, until God may have to take the drastic step to remove us, just as He did with Jeroboam’s family and legacy. The people of God are to glorify God in all things, and that means dealing with sin as God would have us to do, in honest reflection, earnest repentance, and heartfelt confession to our God of that which He has reproved and corrected in us. Our mission to reach the lost with the Word, teach the nations all of the Word, and consistently preach His Word is hampered when our sin becomes our god and we must deal with our sin and forsake it. Our relationship is secure, if we are truly in Christ, but our sin too often gets in the way, and just as we did when we were saved, we must trust the God who forgives sin and repent of our sin that we may honor Him with our holy and Christlike lives and lift Him up before others that they too might be saved.
 
     While we are here, God has commanded those of us who are His saints and know Him to go out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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The man of God besought the LORD

8/27/2018

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And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the Word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the Word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, 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. (1 Kings 13:1-5)
     God sent a man unto Jeroboam to remind him that the worship of other gods, which are no gods, is still prohibited by God, even with the divided kingdom. Jeroboam was not sent north and given the kingdom of Israel to set up idol worship and all of what Jeroboam set up would be torn down and come to naught. When Jeroboam reached out against the prophet his had was dried up and the altar was destroyed. Jeroboam pleaded with the prophet to restore his hand and the LORD made him whole again. The prophet left and had his own troubles following the Word of the LORD on the way home.
 
     The prophet spoke unto the unhearing and unresponsive altar, showing Jeroboam that he was just as stubborn and prideful as if he were a piece of furniture. The altar of Jeroboam would be cast down, the ashes of the animals spilled out, and a descendant of David born 300 years later would finish its destruction. All that the LORD said would come to pass, and the immediate toppling of the altar was the sign that the eventual and final destruction as prophesied would occur just as God had said. Jeroboam’s anger against the man of God led him to reach out against the prophet and his hand was dried up. Jeroboam pleaded with the prophet to restore him and God relented and made his hand well again. The prophet, though a man of God and having heard the Word of the LORD was distracted and disobedient himself as he made his way home. The result was his own destruction at the hand of the LORD.
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     When God speaks to us, those of who are His by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, we are to listen and obey. God’s timing is always perfect, and He will accomplish that which He has purposed, in ministry, missions, and in discipleship as He works in us of His good pleasure to do His will. His Word does not go out void, and we are to take that Word to this lost and dying world that those who do not yet know God may repent and receive Him and His free gift of Salvation. The Commandments of the LORD are not suggestions or requests, but commands and instructions from our Lord and King to reach the lost, teach the nations, and preach His Word. The work we do for Him is not to gain or keep that which God has given unto us, but because of our love for our God and for others who are as we once were. Because we have been delivered from sin and set free, not to sin more, but to live in Christ holy and obedient lives, we serve in love those within and without, until He is done with us. We do all for the glory of God as we listen to the voice of our Master, keeping His Word and doing His will for as long as we are here.
 
     Until He take us Home to be with Him, God has commanded those of us who are His saints and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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The cause was from the LORD

8/24/2018

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And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But the Word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from Me. They hearkened therefore to the Word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the Word of the LORD. (1 Kings 12:20-24)
     Because of Solomon’s departure from the Commandments of the LORD, God orchestrated events so that the kingdom would be divided unto Israel in the north and Judah in the south. When ten of the tribes asked for a reprieve, Solomon’s son, Rehoboam listened to the advice of his immature counselors and threatened a heavier burden of labor and taxes than Solomon had put upon them. God used Rehoboam’s attitude towards the people of Israel and the bad advice from his counselors to turn the hearts of these tribes against Rehoboam. Jeroboam returned from exile in Egypt and was made king of the ten tribes of Israel. God prevented a costly and deadly war between Judah and Israel because the separation was of His doing through a message from one of His prophets.
 
     God was doing a work in Israel. Solomon had strayed but so had the people of Israel and they were no longer following the Word of the Lord. Jeroboam may have set up the calves, but the idol worship was already going on in the nation. God was beginning His judgment upon the nation for its departure from His Commandments and Statutes. Because of His promise to David God did not completely overthrow Israel but divided the kingdoms and allowed the northern tribes to split off and form Israel under Jeroboam and all the ungodly kings which would follow. Solomon’s lineage would remain over Judah, and though better than the kings in the north, many of them did not follow the LORD in obedience either. Thus, begins the lineage of the kings of Israel and Judah as divided kingdoms.
 
     Though split churches and divided ministries are never a good thing in the short term, even as we see the division of the nation here, God may be doing a work of judgment, or He will allow such a division to occur and then purge those who need chastising from the new work in order to multiply the work of His church. Our plans and programs should always be done for the glory of God and when we forget that and begin to work to accomplish our purposes instead of God’s, He will begin to correct His people. Those who are born again by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary are supposed to be working for His Kingdom, but even we get distracted and sidetracked occasionally and God must redirect and refocus His people in His work from time to time. Our purpose of reaching the lost with the Gospel, teaching the nations all things whatsoever He has commanded, and preaching His Word at all times and in all places is to be done at His direction and under His control. His will and ways will be done, even in the splits and divisions which occur, and He will be glorified in all things. It is better to do it His way first, but it will be done, if not perfectly because of our disobedience, then acceptably or even good, through His correction of His people and His redirection of His Church while we are here.
 
     Until God is done with us, He has sent those of us who are His saints and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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He kept not that which the LORD commanded

8/23/2018

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And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept My Covenant and My Statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David My servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen. (1 Kings 11:9-13)
     Solomon’s heart was not wholly committed to obeying the Law of the LORD but worshiped other gods, which are no gods at all. God told Solomon that He would divide the kingdom after Solomon died into two kingdoms, the larger in the north unto one of Solomon’s servants, and the smaller kingdom of Judah and Benjamin would remain in the house of David. Because of God’s promise to David and because of the temple in Jerusalem, the city of God, God did not take all of the kingdom from David’s seed.
 
     Because of his many wives and concubines, Solomon strayed from God’s Commandments and was disobedient in worship and in his heart toward the LORD. His lust and desire to please so many who brought their ungodly culture with them unto Solomon led to his downfall in following the LORD God. He set up opportunities for their false worship and allowed it to occur and eventually practiced it himself. God judged his disobedience with the loss of the kingdom, though for David’s sake God did not take it from him during his reign but upon his death. God set things in motion, after warning Solomon on two occasions, for Jeroboam to take ten tribes from Solomon’s son and split Israel into the divided kingdoms of Israel in the north and Judah in the south.
 
     Regardless of whether it is our pride, or outright rebellion, or misled by those who are not of God, if we are not discerning and diligent in our walk with God, we can be distracted from what God is telling us, and our ministry may be destroyed or taken from us. The missions and ministry which we do for God is not our little kingdom, but part of what God is doing for His Kingdom and His glory. If we begin to think of anything as ours or are lured away from depending solely on God for that which He has entrusted into our stewardship, we will end up just as Solomon. The ministry which God has placed in our care may be taken from us and given to another. Those who are His people by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary are called to serve God, not to gain or keep that which we have been given, but because of the love which God has shed abroad in our hearts. Those in Christ are commissioned and commanded to reach the lost with the Gospel, teach all nations all things whatsoever He has commanded, and to preach the Word in all places and in all situations until He is done with us. If we continue to sin, our attempts to hold on to that which we think we deserve, or begin to worship other things which are not God, it will lead us astray from obedience and continued faithful service. God may take that which He has entrusted unto us and give it unto others. Unlike Solomon, may we focus on God and remain faithful to all that He has called us to do for Him.
 
     For while we are here, God has sent those of us who are His saints and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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Concerning the Name of the LORD

8/22/2018

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And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made He thee king, to do judgment and justice. (1 Kings 10:4-9)
     The queen of the lands to the south of Israel had heard of the wisdom of Solomon and came to see for herself. Once she understood in person all that Solomon was, what he had done, and all that the LORD had given him, she lost the will to argue and extolled Solomon for all that God had done. She blessed the LORD for all His benefits which He had given to Solomon and to Israel.
 
     The queen of Sheba had not even heard half of what the LORD had done for Solomon and all his deeds and accomplishments through God's blessing. Her attempt to spy out the stories attributed to Solomon and the kingdom of Israel showed her that Solomon was even wiser than she had heard and now she understood and blessed God for His gifts upon Solomon and Israel. Her visit had more than confirmed that God had given unto Solomon much more than she had realized and she could not disagree with her own investigation of the source of Solomon’s wisdom and riches. She had come to inquire about Solomon and in the end praised the LORD for all His goodness unto the children of Israel.
 
     When others inquire into the lives and ministry of those who are in Christ by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, they should not see what we have done on our own but that which the LORD has done in us. They may not understand it or believe it, but if they truly see what God is doing in us and in the ministries He has brought us to do for Him, they will acknowledge the wisdom and power of God. All that we do should glorify God and not ourselves and point whosoever will unto the LORD and His love and grace. Our ministry, missions, and discipleship should reflect the mercy and power of God as we go out and reach the lost, teach the nations, and preach His Word, even as He is changing us from glory to glory and making us more like Himself. He empowers His people that we may do His work and equips His children that we may accomplish His will on this earth. When we lift Him up, the One greater than Solomon will draw all men unto Himself. We are to honor the King who is our Creator and Redeemer, who is the source of all power, wisdom, and love, and has commanded and commissioned us as His people to serve Him.
 
 
     While we are here, God has sent those of us who are His saints and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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I will put My Name there forever and Mine heart shall be there perpetually

8/21/2018

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And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before Me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put My Name there for ever; and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually. And if thou wilt walk before Me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep My Statutes and My Judgments: Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. But if ye shall at all turn from following Me, ye or your children, and will not keep My Commandments and My Statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for My Name, will I cast out of My sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil. (1 Kings 9:3-9)
     The LORD came unto Solomon following the dedication of the temple and Solomon’s prayer unto God. He reminded him of all His promises and the Israelites responsibility to walk in the ways of the LORD and keep His Commandments. God also reiterated unto Solomon that if the people strayed from God’s Word and His Statutes unto Israel, including Solomon, that Israel would be cut off from before the LORD and the temple would no longer be a meeting place for God and His people but a proverb against them because of the judgment of God. God promised to bless those who kept His Word by faith and that judgment would come to the nation that forgot God.
 
     God promised blessing upon Solomon and the people of Israel if they would obey in faith, not because their works would save them, but because of their trust in the LORD God and all His benefits unto His people. He also warned them that judgment would come upon the people and nation that turned away in disobedience from Him and His Commandments. The LORD’S exhortation and warning promised blessing to the faithful and judgment to those who disobeyed God. Even the temple, which God had hallowed by His presence during the dedication, would not stand as a testimony of the grace of God and the faith of His people, but would become a monument and memory of the judgment of God and the disobedience of the people of Israel.
 
     Christians, those who have put their faith and trust in God and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, in repentance and surrender on His terms, are now the temple of the living God. God has hallowed us unto Himself, not by our works or because any of us are worthy in any way to receive His grace, but because of His great love for His creation, redeemed out of the bondage of sin. God desires that all return unto Him for His salvation and receive His grace through faith and that His people remain faithful to the calling with which they are called. Chastisement and calamity may arise from our disobedience, and certainly sin has brought evil and destruction to this broken world, but God is gracious and long-suffering. God’s people are to glorify the God who has redeemed them out of the bondage of sin by going out to this lost and dying world and reaching the lost with the Gospel, teaching the nations whatsoever He has commanded, and preaching His Word at all times and in all places. Our faithful obedience, not to gain or keep the salvation which God has given by grace, but because of our love for our Creator, Redeemer, and King, leads us to walk in His ways and do all that He has commanded and commissioned us to do until He is done with us.
 
     Until that day, God has sent those of us who are His saints and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God

8/20/2018

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And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven: And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like Thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with Thy servants that walk before Thee with all their heart: Who hast kept with Thy servant David my father that Thou promisedst him: Thou spakest also with Thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with Thine hand, as it is this day. Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with Thy servant David my father that Thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as thou hast walked before Me. And now, O God of Israel, let Thy Word, I pray Thee, be verified, which Thou spakest unto Thy servant David my father. (1 Kings 8:22-26)
     Solomon dedicated the temple with the bringing in of the ark and his prayer of blessing and praise to the Lord of Heaven. Solomon began with a reminder of all of God’s promises concerning the temple and the throne of David. He continued with supplications and reminders to the people of Israel that they were to remain faithful unto the LORD and keep all His Statutes and Judgments. Solomon ended his prayer of blessing and dedication by once again praising the LORD who forgives sin, restores the repentant, and keeps His promises unto His people.
 
     Solomon praised God, the King of creation, who does not dwell in houses made with hands, but dwells with His people, for all His goodness. He encouraged the people to be obedient and to return to the God of Heaven when they sinned, for there is no man that sinneth not, and be forgiven. Solomon blessed the LORD who promised David a kingdom and an heritage on the throne of Israel and blessed the people who were God’s people. He reminded the people of the source of their strength and their comfort when times were difficult. He blessed God for His mercy and grace and extolled His greatness and justice unto the people. Solomon encouraged the people and worshiped the LORD God who had called and redeemed Israel unto Himself.
 
     Whether in praise of God’s blessing upon us, or in worship of who He is, we are to extol our God for all His gifts and grace. We lift up our God in word and in deed before the people, that they may know that there is a God in Heaven. We worship in Spirit and in Truth our Lord who gave Himself for us that we might have life and have it more abundantly because of our faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary. God’s people are His dwelling place and we are His workmanship, becoming more like Him even as we go and tell of all His wondrous works to the children of men. His gift of grace through faith is for all who will believe and repent. The God of Heaven who filled the temple in Solomon’s day became a man and humbled Himself in obedience unto death, even the death on that cross, and offers life to whosoever will receive it. We praise our Lord and God, Creator, Redeemer, and King, for His great Salvation even as we go and reach the lost, teach the nations, and preach His Word, and to Him alone be the glory and honor for all that He is and continues to do through His people.
 
     For while we are here, God has sent those of us who are His saints and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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All the vessels for the house of the LORD

8/10/2018

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And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out. And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was, And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold, And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple. So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD. (1 Kings 7:47-51)
     Solomon finished the temple then built his own house and others, all the while providing for the outfitting and furnishing of the temple. The list of furnishings and items for the temple is exhaustive but all were dedicated, many by Solomon’s father, David, unto the house of the LORD. From the foundation to the items necessary to perform the work of the LORD great care was taken in the building and fashioning of the temple and its furnishings that the LORD would be glorified in those things which were used for His house. Hiram continued his work for Solomon in preparing all the furnishings and many of the vessels for the house of the LORD.
 
     The furnishings of the house of the LORD were not in of themselves items to be worshiped, though great care was taken to fashion them for the work of the LORD, but they were there to assist the priests and God’s people in their worship of God. He did not need a house, but He met the Israelites, through their mediator, the high priest, at the temple as they brought their sacrifices and the atoning sacrifice unto the LORD. Solomon finished the temple first and then took care of his own house and others that he had built, even as the temple was being outfitted. His focus was on the house of the LORD and his own house took longer, not because it was more grandiose or elaborate, but because Solomon put the LORD first.
 
     God’s people today ought not to put our focus on the things and materials we use to accomplish the ministries, missions, and discipleship which the LORD has enabled, encouraged, equipped, and edified us to do, nor should we forget that it is God’s people who are the church of God and not the building where we meet. That is not to say that we do not provide our best and take care of that which God has given us, for we are to be good stewards of the things of God, but we must not be distracted by attention to the temporal and forget what is most important and that is the eternal matters. We have the message of hope to take to this dying world, of forgiveness and reconciliation with our Creator God through repentance and faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary. We have the responsibility to reach the lost with the Good News of Salvation, teach all nations whatsoever He has commanded, and preach His Word at all times and in all places and if our attention to material items gets in the way, we out to refocus and adjust to the plans and ways of God and not our own. It’s not about our comfort, or our program, or anything we think is ours, but about the glory of God and the growth of His Kingdom until He is done with us.
 
     For while we are here, God has sent those of us who are His saints and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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The house which king Solomon built for the LORD

8/9/2018

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And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.
And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in My Statutes, and execute My Judgments, and keep all My Commandments to walk in them; then will I perform My Word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif: And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it. (1 Kings 6:1, 11-14, 37-38)
     Four years into his peaceful reign, after gathering the materials he would need from Hiram of Tyre, Solomon and the Israelites began the temple and completed it seven years later. 480 years after they left Egypt under Moses they began a permanent house of worship unto the LORD who had delivered them from bondage and redeemed Israel unto Himself. God called for His people to walk in His ways and to obey His Word that they might be blessed in the promises of God.
 
     A simple reckoning of the house which Solomon built unto the LORD who though He does not need a house built with hands, agreed to David’s request and then gave the responsibility to Solomon to build the temple of God. The tabernacle had been adequate for their worship and meeting with God since it was built in the wilderness. From Moses, through Joshua, the Judges, and the kings before Solomon, and now to Solomon, God who does not live in houses nor does He need any place to dwell, met with His people in that which He had directed. Now Solomon built a permanent structure with the nation at peace, because Israel was no longer a wandering nation at war with those around the nation, but a settled people at rest in the promised land which God had given unto Abraham. If they would obey His Word, His Statutes and Judgments, and do that which He commanded, He would dwell with Israel and they would be blessed by God.
 
     We who are in Christ by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary are now the temple of God, built without hands, and lively stones in the house which God is building. Reconciliation with the Living God who created us has given His people rest and made us His people and His servants, to build His Kingdom, not with the materials or the weapons of this world but with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Empowered, equipped, and enabled by the Holy Spirit to do the work of God, we go where He sends us and accomplish His ministry, missions, and discipleship of His people until all have heard as we continue to reach the lost, teach all nations, and preach His Word in this world. We are His temple, His dwelling place as the people of God, holy and dedicated unto Him. We are His body and bride, His workmanship to do that which He commands and all for His glory, Our God, who created us after His image, who redeemed us from the bondage of sin, and now indwells within us to guide and direct those who hear His voice into being the priests and ministers of God, until He returns to establish a permanent earthly Kingdom.
 
     Until that day, God has sent those of us who are His saints and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.

     God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.


In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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