Praying for the Nations (2 Chronicles 4-6 / John 10)

Solomon marches on with the massive work that the temple of the Lord inscales (2 Chronicles 4). Bringing the ark of the covenant to the new temple was a big deal (5:6). The priest's threw a party and invited a band making sure God would get all of the glory (5:11-13). God, evidently, was pleased because he filled the temple with a cloud of glory (5:13-14). 2 Chronicles 6:6 returns us to the importance of the person of David and the city of Jerusalem (Re-read blog entry "Good Food" from May 19). God always keeps his promises (6:10)! Solomon was a prayer-warrior (6:14-42) and his prayer contains many helpful hints on how to pray. We should always remember our nation in our prayers but we should also pray for the nations as well (6:32-33). This type of prayer is at the heart of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). http://Operationworld.24-7prayer.com/ is a great guide to use when praying for the nations.

In John 10:24-42, Jesus speaks much of "miracles" (v. 25, 32, 38). "A miracle is an uncommon act of God. It is where God gets the attention, to help us believe more in Him by doing something that brings us to awe and brings us to worship ... so that we would believe" (David Nasser, "Why Jesus", p. 36). When we take time to look in-depth at Jesus's mircles, they really are extraordinary accomplishments. We can do nothing but walk away saying that was the Son of God!

Wisdom & Care (2 Chronicles 1 / John 10)

More than anything, Solomon desired "wisdom and knowledge" for his administration (2 Chronicles 1:10). We could all use more wisdom in our lives as we work, play, and do all things for the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:33). God did more than grant Solomon's request (1:11-12). Solomon began immediatly on the work he had been charged by his father David to do (2:1). And Solomon realized his humble place in the grand scheme of things (2:6). Even others recognized Solomon's wisdom (2:12). Take time today to ask God for wisdom in your life circumstances.

We have all been like sheep gone astray (I Peter 2:25). Thankfully, the Good Shepherd watches over his own. The Shepherd of our soul (I Peter 2:25) will do whatever it takes to keep us in His hands (John 10:11). Take time to thank God for the care that He expresses to us daily.

The Final Word (1 Chronicles 28-29 / John 9)

David gives his son Solomon some good advice (I Chronicles 28:9-10, 20) before departing (I Chronicles 29:28). David challenges the assembly (29:5) and then prays before them (29:10-13). And the assembly responds in humble adoration (29:20). The assembly is noted by David for their rich generosity (29:14). More importantly, God responds by giving Solomon great splendor (29:25) and by allowing David to see his son become the next king of Israel (29:28). If we could compare this account to congregational life within a church setting, we would say this congregation was blessed and on fire for God. There is probably some great parallels between this church and the church of Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7). If God were to judge our churches, would He be pleased?

The Pharisees could not give it up (John 9:24). For the "second time," they called the blind man to account and he did not give them a different answer. The blind man told the Pharisees what they did not want to hear (9:25) and then tried to make them look foolish (9:27). The Pharisees ultimately made the blind man depart (9:34), however Jesus got the last word (9:41).

The Light (1 Chronicles 25-27 / John 9)

I Chronicles 25-27 is full of "capable" men who perform duties, be it ministering, worshipping, or prophesying. Other "capable" men in this passage are found to be gatekeepers, officials, or in the military. Some men are placed over others in army rank as Israel's army was divided into squadrons (27:1-15). Even 27:5 speaks of Benaiah "who was a mighty man and over the Thirty (I Chronicles 11:10-47)." The makeup of churches today begs the question, "where are the men?" Granted, there are many men in and out of the church who are incapable, but the more important phenomenon is first finding out where all the men went to. I am convinced for many men, the answers range from fishing to hunting to golfing to working or watching tv. We need a return to I Chronicles 25-27 in our local church houses where capable men are found in abundance.

The real light that shines in John 9 is the confession that the blind man's parents do not make because of their fear of man (9:27). "Jesus is the Christ" - this is the light that brings sight to the blind. Yes, the man's physical sight had been restored, but it was through this miracle that the man first saw the Light (9:5).

A Father's Love (1 Chronicles 22 / John 8)

David wanted his son to build God's house but even more than this, he wanted his son to gain wisdom (I Chronicles 22:11-12). David knew that this type of "godly wisdom" (2 Corinthians 7:10) would bring his son true success (I Chronicles 22:13). David also supplied his son with the materials and resources needed to build God's house (22:14-16) as well as peaceful working conditions (22:18). In the end, Solomon was one of the wisest men to walk the face of the earth and he did complete God's house. However, we often forget the great sacrifice his father had to endure. To take this idea a step further, let us compare this idea to our relationship with our Heavenly Father. What "great pain" (22:14) the Father must have went through to give His Son up for us and to prepare a place for us one day to join Him.

In John 8, Jesus gets into a spat with some Jews who think he is demon-possessed. He really upsets the Jews when He tells them that He was present before Abraham was ever born (John 8:58-59). It is important that we always accept the deity of Christ. Anything else is approaching blasphemy.

Inquiry (1 Chronicles 13-15 / John 7)

Uzziah did not carry the ark of the covenant in the "prescribed way" because the Levites did not "inquire" of the Lord (I Chronicles 13:9; 15:13). How many times do we as churches and people do things out of tradition instead of consistently inquiring of the Lord? Just because we had a program last year at church does not necessarily mean we need to have the same program this year. It is important that through prayer, we stay in touch with the Master's will. David did just this in I Chronicles 14:14. The verse says he inquired of the Lord "again." God had already given David success against the Philistines after his first inquiry. However, David did not presume upon God. He inquired again and found out that God would do things differently this time but would still give him success (14:15-16). God will go out "before us" (14:15). We just need to stay in tune with Him so we know how to react to the changes that He often demands.

Jesus makes an appearence at the Feast at the perfect time (7:14). It seems as if the crowd was split 50-50 on what to think about Jesus (7:12). That is about the time that Jesus steps up to the platform to teach. It is as if Jesus told himself, "that is enough talking, I will tell you who I am." Do we presume to talk whenever we want or do we wait for the time that is best? In telling others about Jesus, I believe there is a best timing for us in most circumstances.

Robin Hood (1 Chronicles 10-12 / John 6)

I Chronicles 10-12 matches up well with the new movie, Robin Hood (which is worth seeing). Notice, however, why King Saul died (10:13-14). It was not because he was not a good fighter. David had the respect of the men, even when Saul was still King (11:1-2). David starts his campaign by taking over Jerusalem (11:4-9). Remember the importance of the person David and the city Jerusalem from yesterday's passage. Chapters 11-12 close by noting the massive scale of David's army. As believers of Christ, we are all in the ministry and part of God's army. Are not you glad that you do not have to fight alone?

Jesus said he was the bread of life (John 6:48) and that people should eat of his bread (6:51). But some of the Pharisees thought he was demanding cannibalism (6:52). Jesus knew which disciples would betray him before they ever acted their betrayal out (6:64, 70). But only in His omniscience did He choose the 12 because He knew His Father had a redemption plan that needed to be worked out.

Good Food (1 Chronicles 8-9 / John 6)

If you are honest with yourself, you would have to ask the question, "Why would God have me read these first nine chapters in Chronicles?" All you have read thus far in I Chronicles is nine chapters full of names. I will break down chapters 8 and 9 simply by saying that we can deduct from these chapters that the city Jerusalem and the person David are in God's full plan for salvation instead of the city of Gibeon and the person Saul. Do you realize God has plans for your life and the city you live in? God is still in the business of bringing salvation to the nations!

Jesus's main concern was never food. He was always more concerned with spiritual food. Doing the work of the Father was Christ's primary concern (John 4:34). Do we place food above our Lord? Food is just an item that we eat so we can serve our God in more effective means (John 6:25-44).

A Fresh Encounter! (1 Chronicles 4-6 / John 6)

Many of you are familiar with the famous book, The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkerson. Bruce based his book of I Chronicles 4:9-10. I agree with Bruce in that there are some important truths that we can glean from this prayer. However, I do not particularly encourage people (as Bruce does) to pray "the prayer of Jabez" every day. It is important that our prayers to God do not become stale and routine. This prayer should never become to us a chant or a magic spell. Prayer should be a fresh encounter with our God as we commune with Him and vice versa on a minute by minute basis. I Chronicles 6:31-32 mentions the importance of music in our active worship of God. Have you taken time lately to thank your music minister and your choir for all the work that they do around the church and the community?

In John 6:15, the people are ready to make Jesus King, however, Jesus withdraws away from the crowd. Many of us seek positions of honor, yet Jesus often ran away from them. Christ knew who He was and what his ultimate mission on earth was. Can you be content to serve God and win others to Christ in your workplace despite the position or function that you serve in?

The Focal Point (1 Chronicles 1-3 / John 5)

I Chronicles 1-3 does not make for good bedtime reading. However, this historical narrative is important in understanding the scope of Scripture. In these three chapters, we find the lineage of David. Both 1 and 2 Chronicles teach that it is through David's line that salvation will come to the nations. Of course we know that salvation comes through Christ alone and it is the Christ who is prophesied in Chronicles to come through David's family line. When we think about David, we often think of his stories with Goliath, as a sheperd boy, as a king, or as a warrior. However, what we should focus on is that in biblical history and theology, Christ overshadows David. Thus, even when we analyze David's life and character, our main attention should be drawn to God's bigger picture and the fact that David was simply an instrument God used to ultimately bring salvation to mankind.

In John 5:39, we see that Scripture is first and foremost about Christ. Many people think they understand Scripture and that by their understanding they will be saved. What Jesus says in this verse, however, is that many people who read the Scriptures do not truly understand its meaning. Christ is the focal point in both the Old and the New Testaments. It is Christ who overshadows Scripture itself because it is the Scriptures that "testify" about who He is.

History Lesson 101 (2 Kings 17-18 / John 3)

In 2 Kings 17, we see a nation (Israel) and its leaders in peril because they had chosen to turn their back on the Lord. The Israelites learned that there were consequences to their actions. This passage brings to mind the state of our own nation. We, likewise, are consumed with idol-worship whereas once our nation was founded upon God-honoring principles. This passage should serve as a history lesson for us. In contrast, 2 Kings 18 describes the life of a godly king (v. 1-8). Hezekiah is what I would term an idol-hater. He despised anything that got in the way of his relationship with the Lord (v. 4). What, if anything, is holding you back in your relationship with the Lord?

In John 3:26, some of John's disciples question John about the validity of Jesus baptizing men. These men were used to following John and were perhaps jealous about another man baptizing others. Perhaps these men viewed baptism as a competition of sorts. I am sure John surprised his men with his Christ-centered answer (v. 27-36). When people question us about various items, do we surprise them with a Christ-centered answer?

Leaving a Legacy (2 Kings 15-16 / John 3)

2 Kings 15-16 contains many kings who served Israel and Judah. Each king is characterized to have been serving God either with most of his heart or none of his heart. For instance, King Azariah in 1:3 is said to have done that which was right in the Lord's eyes, however v. 4 says that he did not remove all of the high places (this would have displeased the Lord). Thus King Azariah was a man who served God with most of his heart. Other kings are said to have done evil or that which was not right in the Lord's eyes (15:9, 16:2, etc.). So, we will, like all these kings, leave a legacy behind. When it is all said and done, will people say or more importantly will God say that we served Him with all of our heart?

In John 3, we find a curious man by the name of Nicodemus who does not understand Jesus's teaching (John 3:10). Jesus point blank explains to him the way of salvation (3:16-18). We have many people around us who are starving for truth. Are we taking time out of our busy schedules to explain the "good news?"

Cost & Spent (2 Kings 10-12 / John 1)

In I Kings 10, we find a man who serves God with most of his heart (10: 31). Just imagine what could have been if Jehu had decided to follow God whole-heartedly. God expects the same kind of whole-hearted devotion out of us (Mark 12:30). In 11:12, a seven year old named Joash is made king over Judah. Children can do great things for God, if we will only give them the chance. Children still need instruction (12:2), however the sky is the limit for their potential. In 12:15, we find the principle of honesty at work. The world would be a more simple place if we could return to this principle. There are still a few fruit and vegetable stands out in remote country towns that still operate on the honor system.

In John 1:39, two of Jesus's disciples "spent" the day with Jesus. Part of the "cost" of following Christ is the time we give up to do other things so that we can spend that same amount of time with Him. Jesus told his disciples that they would fast when He left them (Matthew 9:15; Mark 2:20), and part of that fasting includes the time that we give him. When was the last time you "spent" the day with Jesus?

Greater Works than Jesus? (2 Kings 1-2 / Luke 24)

It is clear that God's hand of power was with Elijah (2 Kings 1). I cannot imagine what it must have felt like for Elijah's predecessor, Elisha, to have received a "double portion" of his master's spirit (2 Kings 2:9). Or maybe I can. Although we do not walk around today calling fire from heaven down on people (1:12) or dividing rivers so that we can walk through them (2:8), our Master, Jesus, has left His Spirit with those that choose to follow Him (John 14:16). And likewise, our Master has promised that we will do greater works than He (John 14:12). How can we do greater works than Jesus? Because the sum is greater than its parts. Jesus working through his change agents in this world (that's us) will eventually bring people of every tribe and nation to His throne room (Revelation 7:9). These are the greater works!

It is interesting to note that it was women who first visited Jesus's tomb on resurrection morning (Luke 24:1, 10). Jesus always had a special ministry to women during his lifetime and was often found in Scripture treating them with respect and honor. This is in dark contrast to how other religions treat women, particularly the religion of Islam.