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Today is Sunday April 26, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of I Kings. Please read chapters 9-11 in your Bible or you can Click Here to read them.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20Kings%209-11&version=9

Today's Message: Spiritual Discernment
Spiritual discernment is the key to a successful life, but only comes from reading and studying the Word of God.

King Solomon was the most successful king of all time, he not only possessed great wisdom, he was wealthy and looked highly upon by the rest of the world. However, Solomon's gigantic enterprises may have impressed the world, but the underlying corrupting influences of his wealth, worldly policies, many pagan wives, and ignoring the Word of God destroyed the foundation of David's kingdom.

There were four principles that God required for all kings to observe. (1) They were to read and study God's Word every day. "And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel." (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). (2) They were not to multiply wives for themselves. "Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away:" (Deuteronomy 17:17a). (3) They were not to multiply riches for themselves. "neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold." (Deuteronomy 17:17b). (4) They were not to multiply themselves horses. "But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. " (Deuteronomy 17:16).

Solomon ignored and violated every one of these commands. First, he failed to read and study God's Word. There was no record of him even seeking guidance from prophets. God spoke to him a second time, " 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:" (I Kings 10:3-7). Solomon may have built the most sacred Temple in history, prayed the longest prayer in the Bible, and offered the most sacrifices in history, but these acts still did not hide his sins from God. We can not continue to live the same sinful life and expect God to keep bailing us out when we call on Him, sooner or later He will leave us fend for ourselves for a while until we truly repent.

Second, he multiplied his riches for himself. "Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold, Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country..................And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks." (I Kings 10:14-15,21-22). Third, he multiplied horses to himself, "And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem." (I Kings 10:26). Fourth, took 700 women as wives, all of them followers of strange gods. "But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart." (I Kings 11:1-3). Consequently, Solomon's compromise with the world and ignoring of the Word of God, deadened his spiritual discernment.

Solomon's kingdom crumbled because of his many sins. If any man could ever have been satisfied by getting all his heart's desires, that man would have been Solomon. However, his life illustrates the self-life having its full fling, but at the end concludes with emptiness. What happened to Solomon can happen to anyone who allows physical pleasure, riches, lust, or any other thing to crowd out their opportunities to give their best to Christ.

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
When I chose to follow You, You changed the direction of my life. I truly want to follow in Your steps because Your steps direct me in the paths of righteousness and blessing, rather than aimlessly wandering in the paths of wickedness and regret. Keep my heart faithful and my eyes fixed on the paths marked out for me on this earthly journey that will lead me to my heavenly home. In Jesus' Name.........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed night/day.
God Bless you,
Christina

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