Wise man or fool ( 1 Kings 11 ]

                  Where did  it all go wrong, he had everything, literally
                  money ,power, divinely gifted by God, and a godly father.
                  Yet he brought more pain in the country he ruled, than
                   King Saul. Yes Saul was a failure ,by his disobedience,
                  David who followed him , the man after Gods heart, was
                  on the whole a good king, though he was far from perfect.
                  His successor was Solomon , the man who had everything,
                  in spite of  all those advantages , he brought judgement
                  on the nation he ruled.

                                                A prayer.
                 Dear  God we read in your word that everyone who has been
                 given much, much will be demanded, help us to not fail you,
                 like Solomon did in Jesus name. Amen.
              

Failure ( 1 Kings 9 v 6 - 9 )

                         In 1 Kings 9 , we read how God appeared unto Solomon
                         and spoke to him. He said , ''If you walk before Me in
                         integrity of heart, and uprightness , as David your father
                         did, and do all I command and observe your decrees and
                         laws. I will establish your  royal throne over Israel'' Sad
                         to say he failed and suffered the consequence, and sad to
                         say he failed miserably. The question is are we living in
                         disobedience?, we shut the door to blessing when  we
                         fail to keep our part of  the bargain.

                                             To obey is better than sacrifice.
                                                  ( 1 Samuel  15 v 22 )

Follow me. ( Matthew 16 v 24 - 25 )

                          I travelled down a lonely road,
                          and no one seemed to care.
                          The burden on my  weary back,
                          had bowed me to despair.
                          I oft complained to Jesus,
                          how folks were treating me.
                          And then I heard Him say so tenderly;
                          My feet were also  weary upon the Calvary road.
                          The cross became so heavy I fell beneath the load;
                           Be faithful weary pilgrim, the morning I can see,
                           Just lift your cross and follow close to Me.

                           I  work so hard for Jesus,
                           I often boast and say,
                           I've sacrificed a lot of things
                           To walk the narrow way,
                            I gave up fame and fortune,
                            I'm worth a lot to Thee,
                            And then I hear Him gently say to Me;
                            I left the throne of glory, and counted it but loss,
                            My hands were nailed in anger, Upon a cruel cross,
                            But now we'll make the journey ,with your hand
                            safe in Mine,
                            So lift your cross and follow close to Me.

                            O  Jesus if I die upon ,A foreign field
                            some day,
                            Twould be no more than love demands,
                             No less could I repay,
                             No greater love hath mortal man,
                             Than for a friend to die.
                             These are the words He gently spoke to me;
                             If  just a cup of water I place within your hand,
                             Then just a cup of water, is all that I demand,
                              But if by death to living ,they can Thy glory see,
                              I'll take my cross and follow close to Thee.

                                           ( words by Ira F. Stanphill. )
                          

Even I was praying ( John 4 v 1 - 26 )

                        In  Ecclesiastes 3 v 11, we read,'' He  ( God ) has planted
                      eternity in the human heart''. What do think this means,
                        well animals do not consider eternity, and  humanity
                        may not appear to give it much consideration. Yet man is
                        driven for meaning, for fulfilment, desire, in so many things.
                        Sin and Satan do their best, to lead man into so many
                         seemingly legitimate ,and awful things, to fulfil the hearts
                        desire. I read the following on the net, of a passenger on an
                         airplane, one the engines went on fire, fortionately the plane
                         landed safely. The passenger said later,'' I am an atheist, but
                         even I was praying''.

                                             The unbeliever says God is nowhere,
                                              the believer says God is everywhere.

                      

Will the circle be unbroken ?. ( John 14 v 1 - 6 )

                   A Sunday school teacher once asked the children she
                   was teaching, imagine you are heaven, and imagine you
                   could send a post card to  a best friend, on earth, what would
                   you write on it?. A little girl put her hand up, and she said
                   she would write,' wish you where here'.

                                   The most precious words in the
                                   Bible, are,'' I will dwell in the
                                   house of the Lord for ever.
                                           ( Psalm 23 v 6 )

A mystery ( John 1 v 1/ v 14 )

                Solomon  built a temple ,it would signify the presence
                God . It was important but not all important.................
                Solomon prayed,'' But will God really dwell on earth? The
                heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How
                much less this temple I have built''. ( 1 Kings 8 v 27 ) Where
                is God ,the answer is Heaven ( Matthew 6 v 9 ) John W. Olley
                writes , ''We have difficulties with language to describe God
                 as  both 'hear with us' ( immanent ) and yet far beyond us
                 (  transcendent ),as he further writes    ''God cannot be
                 constrained by a building''. The mystery of Christ coming into
                 this world is that He was God. How can one fully explain
                 this mystery? ,the reality is we cannot . The scripture clearly
                 leaves us in no doubt as to  His divinity, and so we believe.

Because it is true ( John 14 v 6 )

                          A  man who was an unbeliever attended church
                          the minister spoke to him, from time to time.One
                          morning at the communion service he noticed the
                          man taking communion. The minister asked him why
                          he  had taken communion, the man replied, because 
                          it is true.
                                                   Luke 1 v 1-4.
                                                1 Corinthians 15 v 1 - 8.