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Christian Education

This page contains the content of Christian Education post. It is one of the ways we use to extend the teaching ministry of the Church to our members, our friends and the world. It is a supplement to the teaching that goes on in classrooms, meetings, and other gatherings of the Church where Christian theology, doctrine, and instruction is taught. We are welcomed and encouraged to comment on any of the messages by clicking the “SS Preview” link you want to comment on, going to the bottom of the page and filling in and Submitting the Reply at the end of the message. Most of the post will have audio playback so you can listen to as well as read them. We hope you are blessed, enlighten and inspired through our Christian Education forums and invite you to join us at any of our meetings.

Mar '20

SS Preview March 29 2020

Posted on Mar 26, 2020 in Christian Education |

Mar '20

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Leading Justly” and is found in Malachi 2:1-9; 3:5-6.

For the last four Sundays we have been examining the message and ministry of some of the so-called “Minor Prophets”. Among them have been Amos, Habakkuk, and Micah. They all have these two things in common: the people to which they prophesied were corrupt in their relationship with God and they are pre-exilic prophets.

In this lesson we take a look at a similar message from another minor prophet but he is different from the others in that his message was to a nation who had returned from exile. It would seem like people would learn from their mistakes and not repeat them.

But after only 100 years from their return from captivity, Israel was returning to the ways that led them into captivity. Such behavior must have been disappointing and frustrating to God which I will not go into today. The text of the lesson addresses several issues with the behavior of the people and with the priest particularly.

Malachi begins this lesson with a warning to the priest from God to listen to Him and glorify Him or face cursing and humiliation upon themselves and their descendants. Then God reminds them of their heritage and covenant He made with their predecessors.

There was a group of priests before them that took their responsibility seriously and honored God with their service. He told them of the need of and importance of truth to enable people to turn from iniquity.

Malachi tells them that the people depend on them for guidance and they are leading the people astray. They have corrupted the covenant and solemn responsible of Levi and the priesthood to God and the people by their conduct. And because of all this, the people have lost respect for you and have departed from God’s word.

Finally, Malachi list a number of charges against with God will deal quickly against. The list includes adultery, lying and magic or spell casting. But also note that God has a serious problem with people who take advantage of others. The rest of the list address how people treat the most vulnerable in a society. One that just stood out for me was the way they were depriving the foreigners or immigrants or refugees of justice.

The bible tells us that all of us who are Christians now have the role of priest. 1 Peter 2:9 says that we are a royal priesthood called to proclaim the virtues of God. This is what Malachi was telling the priest of his day they were not doing. Many, if not most, Christians don’t think of themselves as priest and therefore don’t act like one in covenant with God offering spiritual sacrifices.

As a result, the people we are called to minister and witness too don’t have much respect for our calls to salvation and don’t fear and obey God. This is the same problem Malachi pointed out about the priest he preached to. When more of us begin to embrace our priesthood and begin to honor God with true spiritual sacrifices, we will begin to see a change in the hearts and minds of those we have been charged to call and serve.

Malachi warned of cursing and humiliation against those priests who didn’t honor God. That is a similar warning among others that Jesus uttered himself when He said that everyone who says to Him Lord, Lord will not enter the kingdom.

Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

Pastor Jordan

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Mar '20

SS Preview March 22 2020

Posted on Mar 19, 2020 in Christian Education |

Mar '20

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Corrupt Leaders” and is found in Micah 3:1-3, 9-12; 6:6-8.

Micah is one of the pre-exilic prophets who sounded the alarm for the spiritual and moral decadence which was and had overtaken the nation. Micah prophesied around the same time as Isaiah. Both prophets decried the injustice, greed and idolatry prevalent among those in leadership, ministry and places of privilege and position.

The prophet’s message, while for anyone guilty of the things the prophet was prophesying against, was directed at a select group of people. These people represented those who had the greatest influence over the culture. They set the underlining current of how people related to one another.

If they mistreated others, then those who they influenced would do the same. If they disrespected the judicial process, then other would do the same. If they were dishonest in their dealings, then others would be dishonest in their dealings. Even the prophets would say what the people wanted to hear.

Because of their heritage, the people placed unfounded confidence in their covenant relationship God. They counted on their covenant with God to protect them despite their iniquity and corruption. They didn’t believe God would ignore what they were doing, but they hoped to delay or put it off as long as possible. In fact, their hope was that God would forget or not do anything as a result of their doings.

But Micah would not give them that luxury. He called them out for their misdeeds and warned them of God’s judgement against them. Micah is known for one of the most important statements regarding man’s duty and requirement before God. He said that God desires mercy, justice and obedience above sacrifices and outward signs of piety and worship.

Two of these things are at the heart of the second great commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. It calls for us to do right by others and have compassion upon them. This is what was lacking in the society he prophesied against and especially among those in the privileged portion of his society. Much of what was going on in his time is also present in our society today.

Our society is increasingly becoming one of the haves and the have not. We have the means to see that people do not lack the necessities of life. Yet, governmental policies treat people as beggars, deny them the means and opportunities to get ahead and skew laws to favor those in power and hinder those who are not.

And just like those Micah preached to, today people ignore warnings of God judgement for their behavior and secretly harbor a believe and desire that there will be no consequence for their actions. Prosperity has a way of clouding and numbing any sensitivity to the voice of God.

When God judges a nation for their sin, those just will suffer along with the unjust. Therefore, we should do what we can to do what Micah did and warn people of God’s justice and tell them of His mercy and forgiveness. Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

Pastor Jordan

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Mar '20

SS Preview March 15 2020

Posted on Mar 13, 2020 in Christian Education |

Mar '20

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Consequences for Injustice” and is found in Habakkuk 2:6-14.

Last week we were introduced to the prophet Habakkuk who prophesied concerning God’s judgement against Judah and the Chaldeans used to carried out that judgement. In the text the prophet makes it clear that those who prosper by evil will have to answer for their evil even when their evil is used by God as an instrument in His divine will and plan.

Those who take by unrighteous means things from others are building up a debt they cannot pay back at the cost of their eternal souls. What goes around, comes around is another way of saying people will reap what they have sown.

Whatever is acquired by unrighteous means is like something covered in blood which cannot be hidden. It is a house of shame that cries out so everyone can see it as such. The comfort gained through such ill-gotten gain will not last.

All those who have profited so should beware because there shall be a day of reckoning. It is the Lord who shall hold all accountable for what they do. All of our works shall be tried in the fire of His judgement.

Unrighteous works will only be fuel for the fire of judgement. In the end, such works would have been all for nothing. Why, because they held no eternal or lasting value. The people on the earth will see the judgement of God which in turn will glorify His name.

The Chaldeans took what was not theirs. They destroyed that which others had built. They trampled over the rights and lives of other people. They behaved as if they did not have to answer to anyone for their actions.

They trusted in the things they fashioned and created to get and keep what they took. In many ways, people today are acting out the same mentality as the Chaldeans. They have put God out of their mind and doing whatever they want and taking whatever they can get their hands on. They have little or no regard for anyone besides themselves.

And just like the Chaldeans, all their effort is for nothing. Nothing they have belongs to them or will remain with them. They have expended all of this energy to no good end. For in the end, we all must answer to God for what we have done with His things and how we have treated and regarded others of our own kind.

The Chaldean empire didn’t last. The Persians came and did to them what they had done to others. God allows nations to rise and God allows nations to fall. God allows people to carry on and heap to themselves things they don’t own and can’t be paid for with money.

As believers, we must not never forget nor cease to live by the laws of the Lord because there is an eternal consequence for doing or not doing what we know to be lawful and right. Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

Pastor Jordan

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Mar '20

SS Preview March 8 2020

Posted on Mar 5, 2020 in Christian Education |

Mar '20

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “A Prayer For Justice” and is found in Habakkuk 1:1-4;12-14.

Not much is known about Habakkuk. His name is not mentioned anywhere else in the Old Testament. It is believed he is a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah because they both prophesied concerning the Chaldeans about 610 B.C. shortly before Nebuchadnezzar’s first invasion of Judea and the fall of Judah.

The oppression of the righteous Jews by the unrighteous Jews triggered the Divine manifestation of judgment against Judah. The Lord informs Habakkuk that He is about to send the Chaldeans to execute His judgment.

Habakkuk, while understanding God’s requirement for judgement finds it difficult to understand how a righteous God can use such wicked people to execute judgment upon a people more righteous than they.

He considers even the most wicked among the Jews better than the Chaldeans. But God assures him that the Chaldeans won’t go unpunished, but will be dealt with when He is ready for their wickedness.

While most prophets addressed themselves to their fellow-countrymen in an attempt to win them back to God and a righteous life, Habakkuk addresses himself to questioning the justice of God and makes his complaint to God, reminiscent of that of Job, for what he sees happening.

Like many pious people, he tries to understand why God allows evil to seems to prosper and the righteous suffer often at their hands. The answer God gives him remains an anchor for God’s people in all times.

Habakkuk has been called the prophet of faith. He possessed a strong, living faith in God; but he, like many other pious souls, was troubled and perplexed by the apparent inequalities of life. After presenting his perplexities to God he comes away with a faith stronger and more intense than ever.

He learns two very important things from this encounter with God. First, God is not just the God of Israel, but He is the God of all mankind. He raises nations and brings nations down and rules in the affairs of all human societies. Everything is working His divine purpose and will for humanity and His people.

The second thing that was revealed to him is that God’s people must trust Him and remain true in their faith toward Him no matter the circumstances. Habakkuk concluded and uttered the words the “the just shall live by faith” which the Apostle Paul later quoted in the New Testament.

The faithful have suffered through many injustices, cruelties and atrocities not the least of all was slavery, terrorism, segregation and many other oppressions of humans throughout history at the hands of other humans.

The lust of the flesh, the pride of life and the deceitfulness of riches has caused and is causing many including entire cultures to lose all faith in their Creator and plunge themselves into idolatry and ungodliness.

Despite what it seems, the true people of God, just as in Habakkuk’s day, throughout history, in our day and beyond, will wait on God and remain faithful to His word and His promises of eternal life and reward.

Pastor Jordan

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Feb '20

SS Preview March 1 2020

Posted on Feb 27, 2020 in Christian Education |

Feb '20

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Called to Accountability” and is found in Amos 5:18-24.

The prophet Amos was called to prophesy at a time when Israel was a divided nation between those tribes in the North and those in the South. After the reign of King David’s son Solomon, the kingdom divided. Ten tribes left and established their own government under a new king while the remaining two tribes remained loyal to David’s family.

Amos was from the tribe of Judah that was part of the Southern kingdom, but prophesied in the North. His message was one of accountability and coming judgement. The people in the North had abandoned true worship of the Lord. Those who were still practicing any worship at all were more or less going through the motions of worship.

The text of this lesson declares that God’s judgement would not be kind to those who were looking for it nor be what they were expecting. In fact, it would be quite the opposite. God declares their worship is not genuine and that He is not pleased with it and wants them to remove it from His presence.

The people were guilty of seeking their own pleasure at the expense of justice, mercy and righteousness. These three things are at the center of God’s command to love their neighbor as themselves. Instead, they only loved themselves and not only didn’t care about their neighbors, but would take advantage of and exploit their neighbors if they believed it would help them to get ahead.

We see much of this in our society today as people increasing have the attitude of every person for themselves. Greed, as it was in the time of Amos, is the dominate motivator for many people today. People are so busy and trying so hard to acquire and hold on to things, that they have abandon any true worship of God.

Lying and deception has become an acceptable way of conduct and truth has become whatever it needs to be to justify one’s own behavior and ambitions. Many who are in church today are not seeking and serving God in spirit and truth.

As a consequence of Israel’s behavior, God held them accountable by allowing the Assyrian empire to completely destroy their nation and exile them as prisoners and refugees to other places. The sad part is despite the warnings which they chose to ignore, they didn’t believe something like what happened would or could happen to them.

Similarly, here in the United States, with all of its wealth and military, political and economic power the people here are pursuing a similar agenda as was Israel and don’t believe anything like what happened to Israel is capable of happening here.

But without God, America’s assets are being propped up on a house of cards. And as anyone who knows can tell you, it doesn’t take much to bring a house of cards crashing down. Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

Pastor Jordan

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Feb '20

SS Preview February 23 2020

Posted on Feb 20, 2020 in Christian Education |

Feb '20

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Perseverance in Prayer” and is found in Luke 11:5-13. This lesson text continues the theme of prayer from last week’s lesson.

Prayer usually involves a request of God to act on a petition. Immediately after Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, He added an additional request that they should make. The request that is referred to is for the Holy Spirit. The role of the Holy Spirit in salvation is not the topic of this lesson.

Just how important is His role to salvation is reflective of the fact that Jesus makes a point for His followers to make a request of the Father for the Spirit. Additionally, Jesus wants His disciples to know that the Holy Spirit is a gift the Father wants to give to His children.

He dramatizes this my pointing out how people can act favorably to others when they are asked of others for things that they need even if it is not always convenient. Jesus makes the point that people are not naturally good, but evil. Yet, being evil, they still are capable of doing good things to and for one another.

He then asks us to reason how much more will God, who is not evil, do more than men who are evil, for those who love Him. Receiving the Holy Spirit is arguably the single most important gift God can give to mankind and we can receive. Yet, God will not force this gift upon us.

Furthermore, He knows when we are ready to receive such a gift. Jesus said we should request it. Like all petitions of prayer, we must wait on God to answer our prayers in the matter and time He chooses. God knows best what we need and desire. He knows how things will change and influence us.

We may petition God for this or that and think such and such will be the result if the petition is answered the way we want it to be answered. However, God is in a better position to know the results of granting a particular request than we are. Perseverance, consistently asking for the same thing, can demonstrate how much something means to us.

People sometimes go through stages when we think we want or need this or that. This is why if we really are serious about any request in prayer, God will know it and our perseverance will demonstrate it. Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

Pastor Jordan

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Feb '20

SS Preview February 16 2020

Posted on Feb 13, 2020 in Christian Education |

Feb '20

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “The Prayer of Jesus” and is found in Matthew 6:9-15. This lesson text, like last week, is part of what is commonly called Jesus’s “sermon on the mount”.

This week’s text is what many refer to as “the Lord’s Prayer”. As I mentioned last week, this prayer is better termed “the disciple’s prayer” or “the model prayer”. Jesus gave or taught his disciples and followers this prayer to help them with their prayer life.

Prayer is a focused mode of communication between the one praying and God. Christians should be in constant communication with God. The difference in prayer and other forms and modes of communications is that prayer takes on an urgency and intensified need of attention greater than most other forms of communication and interaction with God.

The disciple’s prayer has several distinct elements that will be briefly identified and explained here. We can begin with the address and voice of the prayer. Note that Jesus teaches us to address God as “Father”. This immediately establishes an intimate relationship unique to that of parent and offspring along with all the respect and honor a Creator is due by using the word “hallow”.

Hallow is similar in meaning to words like holy and sanctified, but goes even beyond those and has this additional sense of God name being forbidden to be touched or soil or defiled in any way or manner or use.

The whole prayer begins with the voice of many (our) and not just one (my) and maintains this voice throughout the prayer (us). This tells us that prayer should never be self-centered. But it should somehow involve others either directly or indirectly besides ourselves.

Our prayers should involve seeking the glory and will of God with your kingdom come and your will be done. Prayer can be seen in some respects as someone on a mission for another and requesting help or aid to complete that mission as we pray for daily needs.

The prayer then teaches us to remind ourselves that we are debtors to God. In the same manner we want God to forgive us our debts, we must forgive others their debts we hold against them. Debt doesn’t refer to money is this case, but to any apology owed for any wrong done to another.

Jesus teaches us to pray for God to spare us any unnecessary temptation which refers to any pain, suffering, trials or anything that may contribute to doubt or disobedience of God. During these times of temptation is when the enemy or “evil one” can be most effective in encouraging us to doubt or disobey God.

Jesus teaches us to pray that in such times we need and want God to deliver us from the evil one and the situation we find ourselves in. The prayer then concludes with a declaration of the majesty, authority and sovereignty of God.

So, this prayer is given and is designed for God’s children to guide their thoughts when they have anything urgent or intense they feel they need to communicate to God. It includes aspects of reverence, relationship, mission, dependency, mercy and endurance. Whenever we pray, we need to keep these things in focus.

The end of prayer should be for the greater good and benefit of others, ourselves included, and the kingdom of God. Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

Pastor Jordan

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Feb '20

SS Preview February 9 2020

Posted on Feb 6, 2020 in Christian Education |

Feb '20

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Piety That Honors God” and is found in Matthew 6:1-8. This lesson text is part of what is commonly called Jesus’s “sermon on the mount”.

Piety refers to acts or behaviors that are done out of a sense of worship and obedience. Some believe that the more pious a person is the more religious or holy that person is. The lesson text refers to two acts that may be considered acts of piety. They are almsgiving and prayer.

Alms and almsgiving are acts of kindness designed to help someone in need. The form alms take vary according to what a person is giving or doing for someone. Jesus does not criticize alms, but the motive for giving or providing the alms.

The reason some were giving was to be seen of men to be generous, caring and concerned for others. Jesus points out that this motive is selfish and corrupt and those who do so receive their reward from men and not from God. Instead, Jesus says to do almsgiving in secret and God who sees in secret will reward before men or in the open.

Likewise, prayer is also a pious act that should not be done before men to appear holy or religious. Neither the length of prayers or the eloquence of the words are what matter in prayer. Jesus says that prayer like almsgiving should be done in secret and again God will reward in public.

Then He goes on to give His follower the words to say when they pray. The words are called or referred to as “the Lord’s prayer”. But actually, it is better referred to or called “the disciple’s prayer” because it is the prayer Jesus gave to His disciples to pray.

These are some things concerning piety then that we should take away from this lesson. Pious acts are good when done for the right reason or motive. Pious acts should never be done so that the glory of the act reflects back on the one that is doing it in the sight of men. If so, there is no reward in heaven for doing so.

Moreover, pious acts should be done because they need to be done and not for reward or to indebt God for doing it some way. Pious acts do not make a person religious or holy. People perform pious acts because they are religious or holy.

Do not do anything in order to persuade or influence others in what they think about you as a person of faith. What can be done in secret should be done in secret and what must be done in public must be done to please and glorify God and never to glorify ourselves or others.

Pastor Jordan

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Jan '20

SS Preview February 2 2020

Posted on Jan 30, 2020 in Christian Education |

Jan '20

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Single-minded Obedience” and is found in Matthew 4:1-11.

This lesson begins immediately after the baptism of Jesus. At this baptism, God gave two signs of Jesus’s unique relationship to Him in saying that He was His Son and in the Holy Ghost descending upon Him in a bodily form and remaining upon Him.

Following these events, Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and while there He fasted for 40 days. At the end of these 40 days, the enemy, adversary, Devil or Satan (all names for the same person) attempted to entice Jesus to sin. There may have been other temptations the enemy tried, but three are recorded in scripture.

First, it is important to understand that thinking about sinning does not constitute sin. This is what temptation is: a thought of disobedience. Giving in to the temptation or following up on the thought to fulfill it, is when and where sin comes in. So let’s look at the three temptations of Christ.

After 40 days, Jesus was hungry and Satan suggested to Him to turn some stones into bread. What could possibly be sinful about that? Physical need can be one of the most powerful human motivators to do anything. Without food our physical bodies will die.

Turning the stones into bread would be Jesus’s attempt to save Himself from physical death. But instead of saving Himself He trusted that God would save Him and therefore declined the temptation to use any special gift or power to save Himself when God wanted Him to trust Him with His life. People trust in their own ability to save themselves instead of God.

In the second temptation, Jesus found Himself on a very high place and was challenged to jump down to prove God would save Him. What could possibly be a motivation or temptation to jump to one’s death? Why do people turn to suicide? People who succumb to suicide don’t want to kill themselves or die. Yet, they are tempted to believe that it will somehow be better than facing another moment of life.

Jesus may have thought of what awaits Him if He completes His mission and all the agony and suffering it would require. If that wasn’t enough, the enemy quoted a scripture which implied that if He jumped, God would save Him and not allow Him to die.

In the dare was the proposition that He could end any speculation that He is extra special to God and really God’s Son. If He somehow wasn’t God’s Son, God would let Him die and He could put an end to all this before it begins.

Jesus resisted this temptation by trusting God with His future without definitive proof or assurance of the success of His mission or His relationship to God. In moments of temptation, we can be tempted to doubt our relationship with God and the end of our calling to be faithful to Him.

The last and final temptation was the temptation for Jesus to abandon the will of God and embrace the will of the flesh. Jesus was offered everything this world has to offer if He would serve Satan or sin. Why would Jesus want the world’s riches? I would suspect for the same reason Satan had them to give.

There is something satisfying about sin. Doing what God wants is not always in line with and at times contrary to what an individual wants. It may and does require delaying immediate gratification for a future promise of something just as rewarding or better.

Jesus resisted this temptation by deciding to wait upon God for any and all rewards He would forfeit now by seeking gratification in pursuing the riches of the world. We too are face with this same temptation of seeking reward and gratification now in this world or waiting on the promise of God to makeup and surpass all we denied ourselves in order to obey and worship God.

Jesus demonstrates a singleness of heart and mind to obey God and trust our happiness and future with Him is the only way to overcome temptation. Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

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Jan '20

SS Preview January 26 2020

Posted on Jan 23, 2020 in Christian Education |

Jan '20

Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Solomon’s Blessing” and is found in 1 Kings 8:54-61.

While the previous lessons focused on the moving and the placing of the Ark of the Covenant inside the temple, on Solomon’s address to the congregation at the dedication, and on what Solomon prayed to the Lord at the dedication, this lesson describes what Solomon said as he concluded the dedication and dismissed the people.

First, I could not help but notice that In the previous lesson Solomon is said to have stretched forth his hands toward heaven as he began to pray. In today’s lesson we learn that Solomon also bowed himself down in that prayer.

This is so significant because the highest ranking and most honored person in Israel is kneeling before the Lord in a voluntary gesture of sincere submission, honor, reverence and servitude. The examples of leaders, whether godly and ungodly, has a great influence on the people they lead then as well as now.

A blessing can be something that is said or done that is designed to benefit someone in some way. The blessing that Solomon gives to Israel at this moment is knowledge and advice. He wants them to know that God promises go well beyond what He promised his father David as he recalls God’s promises He made to Israel through Moses.

God promised that one day He would give them peace from all their enemies and bring them into a land of plenty and bless them with all the blessings they need. And at that time and in that place, they shall choose the place from among the tribes where they will build a place where He will place His name to abide. In that place will sacrifices, offerings and tithes be brought and made.

Solomon lets them know that in the dedication of this temple God has fulfilled that promise He made to their fathers by Moses. Then Solomon affirms to Israel that God is with them as He was with their fathers and has been and will be attentive to their hearts and prayers. His advice to them is to obey God and walk in all He has commanded them for in doing so it will ensure God’s continued blessing toward them.

Finally, he says to them that God has chosen them to make Himself known to the rest of the world and that is another reason they must be the people He has called them to be. This was definitely a high point, if not the highest point, of Israel’s existence as a nation.

God had given them all the things He had promised. Not only from Moses and David, but as far back as Abraham. They were safe and secure in a fertile and prosperous land and had a new beautiful temple where God has placed His name.

But as we later learn, they failed, beginning with Solomon himself, to follow God with their whole heart and the kingdom continued to spiral downward until this temple was destroyed by their enemies and they were exiled from the land God had given them.

The same thing is happening in America as it continues to spiral toward ungodliness, distrust, fear and unconcern of and for fellow citizens and strangers. Self-centerness continues to dominate the thoughts and actions of its people and truth is trample upon by those in and who seek power.

We must work and pray that the hearts of people will change toward God or something worst than anything we can imagine is going to happen in the form of God’s judgement. Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with your class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview. So, until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.

Pastor Jordan

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