Bible In One Year-Day 166 (Sunday, June 15, 2014

2Chronicles7-9. When Solomon took up the task to build the temple of God, he followed the following sequence;

a)     Laid the foundation as it was handed over to him by his father, David (2Chr3),

b)     Ensured the structures are put in place, chapter4 (reparation, repentance and restitution),

c)     Ensured the proper furnishing of the Temple, chapter5 (use the word of God to nourish your soul),

d)     praises, prayer and supplication, chapter6 (habitual praises and prayer in the new nature in Christ)

The result was unimaginable; fire fell.

2 Chronicles 7:1 “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.”

Our Christian life should follow that sequence as in the parenthesis above; justification, repentance, sanctification and disciplined life; this leads to a life full of the fragrance/ savour of His glory;

2 Corinthians 2:14 “Now thanks be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour(or fragrance) of his knowledge by us in every place.”

When we allow our lives to follow this sequence, we will not live a religious life but Christ Himself is built in us.

2 Corinthians 2:15 “For we are to God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:”

Prayer is just an aspect of fellowshipping with God and not the totality. There are things that hinder answers to prayers;

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

From this passage, pride of the heart tops the list and what God desires is humbleness of heart. A man could be proud and not know. He would rather think he is trying to ensure equity and justice; this is the work of the flesh. Only God could expose such demon. From pride other vices spring up which are also listed in the passage. Lack of prayer is next to pride and its root is in pride. For somebody to lead a congregation in powerful prayers does not mean that is the person’s private life. The next is not seeking the face of the Lord genuinely; rather, people seek miracles. Many stand in the place of prayer but their hearts are far away from where they stand. The Spirit of God revealed this to us by the mouth of Prophet Isaiah;

Isaiah 29:13 “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men (religious activities as taught by men):”

They receive prayer points but their hearts are far from whom they are praying to; rather they are thinking of how to use the testimony to satisfy the lust of the flesh. This is where Satan comes in to take advantage of such. He gives them the smell of breakthrough knowing that they will drift away from God when they have it. So many testimonies are not really from God. Any testimony that takes you far from God is not from God but satanic gimmick to divert the path of righteousness. But God’s testimony will take you closer to God. Jesus gave a clue to where our hearts should go;

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Our duty is to seek the face of God and His righteousness and God’s duty is to reward us in healing, deliverance and other splendors. Unfortunately, we seek the additions by all means. This is why most are always going back to square one.

The last thing mentioned is “turn from their wicked ways”. This simply means repent, make a U-turn from your own ways which are destructive. Such wicked ways are as stated in;

Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The result of Solomon’s prayers and dedication was announced all over the world. This attracted Queen of Sheba in chapter9.

2 Chronicles 9:3-4 “And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, … there was no more spirit in her.”

When she saw the Temple and Solomon’s wisdom, she ‘fainted’, i.e. amazed (2Chron9:4 “no more spirit in her”). We are able to get result only if we make our ways right and be in order as Solomon was;

2 Chronicles 8:16 “Now all the work of Solomon was prepared (or well-ordered) unto (from) the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfected.”

You are the temple of God; you must be constantly cleaned or refreshed by the WORD of God and perfected by the Spirit of God in you. To pray hard is not the same as to pray fervently (glowingly). One can pray very hard but without the required fire. Fervent prayer takes root in God’s word and carries the fire of faith; this is what moves mountains.

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is 2Chronicles10-12. Keep the fire burning and alive.

Bible In One Year-Day 165 (Saturday, June 14, 2014)

Commentary: 2Chronicles4-6. Solomon was committed to building the temple of the Lord. The foundation was laid in chapter3 and the structures put in place in chapter4. He furnished it with all the materials David his father had provided and dedicated in chapter5 (1-10). When all these were put in place, the priest completed their task in the Holy of holies; the Levites started their prophetic (i.e. spirit filled) praise. As we discussed earlier in 1Chron25, genuine praises that brings down the glory of God must be inspired by the Spirit of God; the Spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus, John16:13-15. The praises they offered here in chapter5 brought down the glory of God because it was inspired by the Spirit of God. Solomon only prayed after seeing the glory of God. This is the essence of praise and worship in the house of God. It is pathetic that many don’t know the essence and purpose of this aspect of fellowshipping with God. Ignorance of this is what makes them to get late to church. And when they get to church after praise and worship, they are in a hurry to live thinking that prayer has been said. It isn’t like that, beloved. Note that praise was offered and the glory filled the temple. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, when you praise God, His glory fills you and prepare you for other activities. The prayers that you pray after that carries faith because the Holy Spirit has filled you with His glory and power;

Romans 8:27 “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will ofGod.”

The Holy Spirit prepares the heart for the prayer of faith. Imagine the contents of the prayer of Solomon in;

2 Chronicles 6:29-30 “Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)”

This is the reason why some get the answers and miracles to their heart cry faster than some other ones even though they prayed the same prayer. We could gather together for prayer but we receive answers differently. Instead of the heart being filled with the testimony of Jesus (the spirit of prophecy which talks to our heart and builds our faith), it is filled with negative thoughts and other discouraging activities because it was not prepared.

Another lesson is that there is a glory that goes with praises and there is another that goes with other activities in a service. You never know which could break the yoke you have been crying to God for. And the devil who is very wicked knows how to make one miss it.

The manner of prayer is worth considering. Solomon started by quoting God’s promises. By doing this, the faithfulness of God was challenged. This is in line with what God says in His word;

Isaiah 45:11 “Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.” (also Psalm105:5).

Psalms 105:5 “Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;”

Take His promises and past works to Him and let Him know you trust in His faithfulness and not in your ability to pray or fast. The centurion let Jesus know that he trusted in His word and Jesus was challenged.

After this he started making his requests known. First, he used God’s promises (God’s word) as basis for his faith. If your faith is not based on the word of God, prayers withers easily and does not go beyond the ceiling, i.e. it is not efficient. It is the Spirit in the word that carries your prayer to the throne of grace where mercy releases answers. Second, his prayers were centered on righteousness of heart and not with a set mind (2Chron6:38-39). These two are the pillars of unabated and efficient prayers; faith and right mind, i.e. righteousness of heart.

Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Psalms 102:17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

To be destitute is to be naked before God, nothing hidden from him. Whenever you stand to pray, learn to be a destitute like the man in Luke18:10-14. God reads and listens to the voice of your heart and not your appearance. Praises prepares the heart to receive from God.

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is 2Chronicles7-9. Keep the fire burning and alive.

Bible In One Year-Day 164 (Friday, June 13, 2014)

Commentary: 2Chronicles1-3. To enjoy and understand this book, you must first read 1Chronicles29. Second Chronicles centers on Judah and the discussion focuses more on the kings that had their reigns after the order of David, i.e. zealous for God. Ironically, the book ignored the kingdom of Israel probably because of their false worship of strange gods. The first king to be discussed in this book was King Solomon;

2 Chronicles 1:1 “And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.”

The success of Solomon was as a result of the manner he sought the Lord. David excelled in praising the Lord exclusively, Solomon excelled in giving unreserved material offering to God. His offering opened heaven and a blank check was given to him to insert whatever he wanted. He cashed the check in wisdom; an unusual currency whose value cannot be matched with anything on earth.

Proverbs 3:13-18 “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.”

We need to understand that David had earlier on prayed wisdom into Solomon’s life, 1Chron22:12.

1 Chronicles 22:12 “Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.”

The role of a godly parent in the lives of the children is enormous. David’s life affected Solomon’s in an immeasurable way.

Let us look into God’s response to Solomon’s request;

2 Chronicles 1:11 “And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:”

To ask for riches, wealth, honor, life of the enemy and long life is unwise (or foolishness) if we have to go by what is written in the passage. But for Solomon to ask for wisdom is to ask for His Spirit. What happens when the Spirit of God rests upon someone?

Isaiah 11:2 “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom (prophetic ministry) and understanding (insight or grace to harmonize one part with another to reveal the truth), the spirit of counsel (i.e. spirit-filled speeches, John6:63) and might (i.e. power, Acts1:8), the spirit of knowledge (information, John16:13) and of the fear of the LORD (i.e. empty of ‘self’);” (parenthesis are mine). One cannot fear God without the Spirit of God and there is no genuine information or insight without the Spirit of God;

1 Corinthians 2:10 “But God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yes, the deep things of God.”

For Solomon to ask for wisdom is to ask for the Helper and the Comforter, i.e. the Holy Spirit. For us to ask for wisdom is to ask for Christ Jesus; Jesus Christ is in us as His Spirit;

1 Corinthians 1:24 “But to them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”

To judge God’s people is to ask for grace to do what God had called you for. Unfortunately, ministers of God measure prosperity by material possessions and how big the cathedral is. The building of God’s kingdom is the ruining of the kingdom of darkness. The greatest wealth anyone could ever have is the fullness of the Holy Spirit. When you have Him in full, many will come to you for the living water that quenches unsatisfied thirst. Solomon did not want to offend God by metering injustice to God’s people and this was why he asked for divine help.

The issue of responsibility in God’s vineyard is that if you are faithful in the little committed into your hand, God will increase it and this warrants increasing His grace upon your life.

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

That kingdom of God is the Holy Spirit;

Matthew 12:28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God,then the kingdom of God is come to you.”

Solomon, by requesting for those two things, was his way of seeking for the kingdom of God and its righteousness and the things he did not ask for were the additions or rewards. God will only fill the vessel of His grace.

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is 2Chronicles4-6. Keep the fire burning and alive.

1 Corinthians 2:7 “But we speak the wisdom of Godin a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world to our glory:”

Bible In One Year-Day 163 (Thursday, June 12, 2014)

Commentary: 1Chronicles26-29. David, a good administrator, organized the gatekeepers and the military divisions. He installed twelve military commanders to run monthly shift supervising the soldiers (chapter27). Invariably, everybody had something to do. The question now is “are you still idle in God’s vineyard?” There is no redundancy in the vineyard of God. One way or the other, God has something for you to do; you are a solution to a problem. David made sure that everything needed for the continuity of the kingdom and smooth transition was put in place. The work David did was great; it was a task given to him by God;

1 Chronicles 28:19 “All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.”

The manner king David organized the kingdom couldn’t have been achieved ordinarily without the hand of God upon him; it takes supernatural endowment to achieve things like that. I guess Solomon saw the great work his father did and he was afraid. David noticed Solomon’s fear and encouraged him by giving him a clue to invoking God’s faithfulness;

1 Chronicles 28:9 “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.”

Seeking God with a perfect heart and a willing mind are the most impressive thing a man could do for God. This includes our giving to the Lord; it should be with a willing and perfect heart and mind.

1 Chronicles 29:8-9 “And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the LORD, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.”

David prepared the heart of Solomon before handing over the plan of the kingdom to Solomon. Note that the plan was by the Spirit according to verse12;

1 Chronicles 28:12 “And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, …”

The choice of Solomon to succeed his father was of the Spirit (inspired mind by God) also as declared by David before all Israel, 1Chron29:1(whatever is of God must be of the spirit). The only task before Solomon was to build the temple to which David had made all materials available; man, money and materials. David rounded off his reign and handed over with the prayer of praise to God, intercession for the assembly and Solomon (please take time to read 1Chron29). David reigned 40 years before his death and Solomon took over as King afterwards. The state of the heart matters a lot if we need to walk with God.

John 4:23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is 2Chronicles1-3. Keep the fire burning and alive.

Bible In One Year-Day 162 (Wednesday, June 11, 2014)

Commentary: 1Chronicles23-25. David used the last of his days to put things in place for his son, Solomon. He was a good father, administrator and manager. He started by giving him advice and encouragement with prayers; 1Chronicles22.

From chapter23 through 26, David organized the officials to work for the Kingdom; Levites (Chapt23), Priests (Chapt24) and the musicians (Chapt25). The Levites (as mentioned herein), were descendants of Moses, and their duty was to assist the priestly lineage of Aaron;

1 Chronicles 23:27-28 “For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above:Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God;”

The age of recruitment, 20 years and above, was in accordance to God’s instruction to Moses in Num1:1-3. David, being a musician under the influence of the Holy Spirit, knew how to touch God’s heart. He knew the relevance of the Holy Spirit in praising God; without Him praises are only made in the flesh and the result usually is sinful. The Holy Spirit is the only one who could help us to praise God in the most acceptable manner. He conveys God’s message through music. David’s ministry in songs was in this pattern and that was how he was able to touch God’s heart. He said in 2Sam23:1 “The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.”

When the Holy Spirit speaks through a medium, that is called prophecy. David prophesied through music. His music brought deliverance to the captive and a relief to the insane.

He was a prayer warrior but he praised God more than he prayed. He has this to say about his routine praying thrice a day;

Psalms 55:17 “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.”

And he has this to say about praising God;

Psalms 119:164 “Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.”

Through music God’s word can be relayed to us. This was the assignment of the musicians; 1Chronicles1&3.

1 Chronicles 25:3 “Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD.”

To prophesy is to speak under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.”

Therefore, the musicians should be under the influence of the Holy Spirit to be able to bring the message of the Lord to the people through music. This is the testimony of Jesus;

Revelation 19:10 “… have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

God could only dwell in the praise that is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Psalms 22:3 “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”

Beloved, the best prayer warrior is that person who knows how to praise the Lord in praying. Warfare is never effective without praises. The psalmist has the experience (Psalm149);

Psalms 149:5-9 “Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand;To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.”

The one who prays is at the same ground level with the enemy but the one who praises is at a higher level over the enemy; just as Jesus walked on the waters. When you praise God, heavens join you because this is what is going on in the heavens of heavens; everything in the heavenly praises Him;

Psalms 148:1-4 “Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.”

Praising God multiplies the sorrows of the enemies and brings healing to the wounded heart. Praises usher heavenly bliss into the soul.

Psalms 147:3 “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”

All the creations have cause to praise Him according to Psalm148.

Psalms 145:10 “All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.”

You are the work of His hand; in tribulations, perils, favorable and unfavorable situations and comfort, PRAISE YE THE LORD. There is power in praising the Lord. the Psalmist encourages us to approach God with thanksgiving in our hearts and the seat of judgment (the court) with praise;

Psalms 100:4 “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is 1Chronicles26-29. Keep the fire burning and alive.