Eye on Turkey – Part 8
Category Archives: Articles
Eye on Turkey – Part 7
Eye on Turkey – Part 7
Eye on Turkey – Part 6
Eye on Turkey – Part 6
Vegetable Pancakes: Carrot, Corn, and Zucchini
Vegetable Pancakes: Carrot, Corn, & Zucchini
We discovered this dish years ago and have not looked back. It is so popular that people are helping themselves to the pancakes fresh from the fry-pan before they even makes it to the dining table. A good way of getting your vegetables for the day!
3/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons plain yogurt
1/2 cup grated cheese
90 grams butter
3 eggs
90g butter, melted and cool
1 cup flour
2 carrots, peeled, grated
2 zucchini, grated
150 grams corn (thawed or canned)
1/4 cup continental parsley, chopped
2/3 cup parmesan cheese.
1. Stir milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter & eggs together in a large jug.
2. Place flour in a bowl with a well in the middle. Stir into the flour the milk mixture until it is barely combined.
3. After grating the zucchini, squeeze out excess liquid. Add it, plus the carrot, corn, parsley and parmesan cheese, to the flour/milk mixture. Stir until combined (don’t over stir). Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Lightly grease the frying pan. Heat until it is of medium temperature. Add to the hot pan 1/4 cup of batter. Spread mixture with the spatula. Cook until golden, using about 3 minutes on each side. Repeat until the batter is used up. Dry on paper towels.
5. Enjoy, topped with plain Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream.
Makes 12 pancakes.
DIVISION & DECLINE: WHY STUDY II KINGS
Now all theses things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come — I Corinthians 10:11 (NKJV)
It is not a happy story and there is plenty of heartbreak, yet the Book of II Kings is an important part of God’s Word. For in it, we learn the legacy and the lunacy of turning away from the LORD: division, decline, decadence, depravity, and dispersion. II Kings was written is for our benefit, so that we learn from the successes and failures of the people of God.
II Kings is the narrative of the Israelite nation divided into two competing kingdoms: Judah in the south and Israel in the north. Neither of them were faithful to the LORD and the result of such unfaithfulness is the challenge of invasion, conquest, and exile. Yet in the midst of the backsliding and inevitable judgment, there is the scarlet cord of redemption. Though Judah was chastened and exiled, by God’s grace, it returned from exile. Those who returned became known to the world as ‘Jews.’ We also get a front row seat to the stunning and spectacular prophetic ministries of Elijah and Elisha. When the night is darkest, the stars shine brightest.
II Kings begins with Ahaziah, son of Ahab, King of Israel, facing a rebellion from his vassal state of Moab and falling through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria. He sent his servants to inquire of Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, if he would recover from his injury. The angel of God sent Elijah the prophet to rebuke Ahaziah, asking rhetorically ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Because of this affront, Ahaziah would die from his injuries … and he did. His story was a mini-version of the faithlessness we find in the rest of the book.
From this point, II Kings switches from the kingdom of Judah, to the kingdom of Israel, then back. While there were some bright stars in Judah, like Hezekiah and Josiah, for the most part the kings of Judah and of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. The results were frighteningly predictable: eventual yet furious divine judgment. It is like being an eye-witness to a car crash in slow motion. At the end, in Chapter 25, Jehoiachin king of Judah is released from captivity and treated with respect. He represented in proxy the grace that would to extended to his nation under the Persians.
HEBREW NAME
Melechim Beth or II Kings,
AUTHOR
Either the prophet Jeremiah or someone who lived the same time as him.
PORTRAIT OF CHRIST
Christ resembles the ministry of Elisha: grace, hope, peace, and a double-portion of God’s spirit. Elisha did double the recorded miracles that Elijah did.
THEME OF II KINGS
Two backslidden kingdoms colliding towards captivity, with a hint of mercy at the end.
KEY VERSES
For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; 23Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day — II Kings 17:22-23 (KJV)
And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there — II Kings 23:27 (KJV)
SUMMARY
David’s kingdom was divided into Judah and Israel because his son king Solomon had turned from the LORD. His successors did not learn the lesson, either. Both kingdoms continue to backslide. Judah had only 8 good kings out of 20. Israel had no good kings out of 19.
In the face of this apostasy, God graciously sent his prophets to the divided kingdom. To Israel came the prophetic ministries of Elijah, Elisha, Amos and Hosea. To Judah cam Obadiah, Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk.
Yet despite their sterling ministries, and the noble efforts of Judean kings Hezekiah and Josiah, none of their efforts averted judgment on Israel or Judah. In 722 BC, the Assyrian Empire conquered the Northern Kingdom and deported the population to the far reaches of the realm. In their place heathen people were settled in Samaria, of which some evolved into the Samaritans of Jesus’ day. Judah was captured by Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. This led to the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon’s temple.
Mercifully, while some of the best and brightest of Judah were deported to Babylon (including Daniel and his three friends) some of the poorest of the people were left in the land. Unlike the Assyrians, the Babylonians did not transplant foreigners into Judah. Years later under Medo-Persian king Cyrus the Great, the Jews were allowed to return home and a minority did.
Even though Josiah’s reformation was not enough to appease God’s righteous wrath, thank God for the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and ent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins — I John 4:10 (cf Romans 3:25; I John 2:2). What Josiah was unable to do, Jesus does completely, saving us from the wrath to come (I Thessalonians 1:10).
DISTINCTIVES
While both kingdoms did evil, Israel was by far more unstable than Judah. It had heathen shrines with golden calves at Bethel and Dan, established by their first king Jeroboam. Not one of their kings had the courage and conviction to repudiate this reproach on the nation. Furthermore, it had 3 capitals: Shechem, Tirzah, and Samaria. It also had 9 dynasties, all but one created by killing the previous king.
Judah had only one capital: Jerusalem. One dynasty: David’s. One sanctuary: Solomon’s temple. And because of the promise to David of the everlasting dynasty, known as the Davidic Covenant (II Samuel 7; I Chronicles 17), God gave him an heir and Son in Jesus, and a stake in Jerusalem.
Despite the backsliding and well-deserved judgment, God continues to delight in mercy. Two incidents shine out:
1. Joash: Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, mother of the slain Judean king Ahaziah, usurps the throne in Judah. Her goal was destroy the royal seed of the House of David, which happened to be her own grandchildren. Yet grandson Joash escaped the murderous rampage of his grandmother. Under the guidance of the righteous priest Jehoiada, they managed to coronate Josh as king, age 7, and his barbarous grandmother was slain.
2. Hezekiah: The Assyrian army had rampaged through the Judean kingdom in 701 BC and was poised to devour Jerusalem as a python to the egg. This was 21 years after the same army conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and deported the inhabitants to Assyria. Hezekiah was king and the His only recourse was God. Thanks to his intercession and the prophetic guidance of Isaiah, God struck the Assyrian army and they withdrew. Jerusalem was saved. This was a fulfilment of God’s promise to David, that he would have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there – I Kings 11:36.
OUTLINE OF II KINGS
I. The Divided Kingdom (1:1-17:41)
A. Reign of Ahaziah in Israel 1:1-18
B. Reign of Jehoram in Israel (2:1-8:15)
During this period, Elijah is translated to heaven. Elisha does multiple miracles: giving the widow oil; predicting and raising up the Shumanmite’s son, healing the deadly pottage, multiplying of loaves, healing of Naaman the Syrian leper, causing the ax-head to float.
C. Reign of Jehoram in Judah (8:16-24)
D. Reign of Ahaziah in Judah (8:25-9:29)
Here is the battle against Syria. Jehu is anointed king and he executes fierce judgment against king Joram, his mother Jezebel and the house of Ahab.
E. Reign of Jehu in Israel (9:30-10:36)
F. Reign of Queen Athaliah in Judah (11:1-16)
G. Reign of Joash in Judah (11:17-12:21)
H. Reign of Jehoahaz in Israel (13:1-9)
I. Reign of Jehoash in Israel 13:10-15)
Elisha dies, a dead man whose corpse touches his bones is raised to life, Israel finally gains victory over Syria.
J. Reign of Amaziah in Judah (14:1-22)
K. Reign of Jeroboam II in Israel (14:23-29)
L. Reign of Azariah in Judah (15:1-7)
M. Reign of Zechariah in Israel (15:8-12)
N. Reign of Shallum in Israel (15:13-15)
O. Reign of Menahem in Israel (15:16-22)
P. Reign of Pekahiah in Israel (15:23-26)
Q. Reign of Pekah in Israel (15:27-31)
R. Reign of Jotham in Judah (15:32-38)
S. Reign of Ahaz in Judah (16:1-20)
T. Reign of Hoshea in Israel (17:1-41)
Samaria is captured, Northern Kingdom destroyed, population deported, and foreign transplants settle in their place.
II. Surviving Kingdom of Judah (18:1-25:30)
A. Reign of Hezekiah (18:1-20:21)
Assyria unsuccessfully invades Jerusalem, Hezekiah is healed, Babylonian captivity of Judah is predicted. Hezekiah builds his famous tunnel from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam – it is still a tourist site to this day.
B. Reign of Manasseh (21:1-18)
C. Reign of Amon (21:19-26)
D. Reign of Josiah (22:1-23:30)
Josiah is the last righteous king of Judah. He renews the covenant, repairs the temple, discovers the Book of the Law (Deuteronomy), repents for Judah, brings reforms, conducts a Passover.
E. Reign of Jehoahaz in Judah (23:31-34)
F. Reign of Jehoiakim (23:35-24:7)
G. Reign of Jehoiachin (24:8-16)
H. Reign of Zedekiah (24:17-25:21)
I. Governorship of Gedaliah (25:22-26)
J. Release of Jehoiachin in Babylon (25:27-30)
7 PILLARS TO UNDERSTANDING THE FUTURE: PILLAR 3 -We Have Power Over the Enemy
And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do— I Chronicles 12:32
One of the wisest and noblest goals you can have in life is to help yourself, your family, and others to become ‘future-ready.’ Teachers, financial planners, pastors, and parents all have a role to play in this.
The resources are out there but sadly many are simply not ready; indeed, they are in danger of ‘sleepwalking into the future.’ The risk of falling into the ditch becomes all the greater. With so many challenges in our world today, being ‘future-ready’ becomes a necessity, not a luxury, in order to survive and succeed in the days ahead.
So far, we have learned two pillars to understanding the future. Number One is to understand that Bible prophecy is the key. If there is anything to has been given by God to help us be future-ready, this it it. Bible prophecy is God’s early warning service. Number Two tells us to understand that we live in a spiritual world and the enemy, challenges, and solution are equally spiritual. Therefore, investing in your spiritual life becomes the highest priority of all.
The third pillar to understanding the future is this: We have power of the enemy. Yet, before we exercise such power, we need to know who the enemy is.
Many of us would like to think that we are nice people with no enemies at all. That may be the case, some of the time. Yet the truth is we all have an enemy: in fact, it is the same enemy. This enemy is powerful, vicious, menacing formidable, and deadly. The enemy continues to cause much damage throughout the world. Jesus describes this enemy in John 10:10: He steals, kills, and destroys. Who is this enemy? Revelation 12:9 calls him by four things: 1) The Great Dragon; 2) The Old Serpent; 3) Satan and; 4) Devil.
Ephesians 6:12 describes the nature of the opposition very well.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Two very important points need to be made here. Your real enemies are not people. People are made in the image of God and even the most despicable and vile among them are still people for whom Christ died to save. So quit treating people like an enemy, even if they seem to be and oppose the things you endorse.
Second, we have no choice but to engage in the real enemy – the spiritual one. Fortunately, thanks to the victory of Jesus Christ over Satan and demon powers, we can share in His victory, too. When you understand the power and victory Christ gives, you never need to be defeated and frightened again.
Tools in the Toolbox:
1. Mighty weapons: Just as military superpowers have the latest and most advanced weaponry, so the Church of Christ has been well-equipped to engage and defeat the forces of darkness. II Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us:
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
This passage is telling us that our spiritual weaponry is even more powerful than military hardware. Furthermore, we learn that it defeats the enemy ‘in the mind,’ ‘casting down imaginations’ and bringing ‘every thought to the obedience of Christ.’
A soldier was captured by enemy troops and kept as a prisoner of war for six years. Though he looked thin, anaemic and phlegmatic – a physical pushover – the soldier actually endured and survived captivity. The reason: he had a tough, sound mind. With the weapons God gives, we can also prevail For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind — II Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
You have been given spiritual weapons – therefore use them. However, what are they?
2. The whole armour of God: Ephesians is a remarkable epistle. It tells us of our rich, glorious, and heavenly inheritance in Christ. No rebukes, corrections, judgments, just celestial blessing. Then, at the very end of the epistle, almost like a postscript, the apostle Paul tells us to ‘put on the whole armour of God.’ At first, such advice seems out of place among the lofty principles espoused earlier. Yet, the ‘armour of God exhortation’ is logical and consistent: after all, since we are seated in heavenly places (2:6), remember that the spiritual activity is fuller and more concentration up there than it is down here.
Our spiritual weaponry includes (6:14-17):
1. Belt of truth around the waist;
2. Breastplate of righteousness over the chest;
3. Gospel of peace on the feet;
4. The shield of faith quenches the fiery darts of the wicked;
5. Helmet of salvation protects the mind;
6. Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (the only offensive weapon).
Christ’s two-fold exhortation to ‘watch’ and ‘pray’ (Matthew 26:41) is reiterated here in Ephesians 6:18. ‘Pray always’ with all kinds of prayers in the Spirit; and ‘watch’ with perseverance and supplication for all saints. Victory over the enemy entails watching and praying, especially ‘prayer in the Spirit’ (Jude 20).
3. Resist the devil: Like a weight trainer has to lift the heavy barbells in order to gain strength, so at some point we will have to face and defeat the enemy in order to stand strong. This may sound daunting but it is very simple: Christ defeated the enemy, so can you. Christ is with you always, so you have nothing to fear. The victory has been procured, therefore stand in it.
The Book of James is the ‘Proverbs of the New Testament,’ teaches us to be wise and also how to practically apply our faith. James gives us a simple blueprint for defeating Satan.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Note the simple progression:
A. Humility (4:6): God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. It will be by God’s grace you win the victory and it comes by humility. This Godly character quality does not mean you put yourself down; instead you merely acknowledge your need and desire for God. Proud people live independently from everything and everyone, including God. The humble do not.
B. Submit to God (4:7): When you submit to God, you are ‘in Him’ and He is ‘in you.’ Therefore, the upcoming conflict is a partnership with Almighty God, where He is the senior and you are the junior partner.
C. Resist the devil (4:7): Don’t fear, don’t negotiate, don’t submit – say ‘No’ and keep standing, no matter what. The most amazing thing happens. The big bad devil, rather than terrorise you with his evil, is instead ‘terrorised’ by your steadfastness. He doesn’t merely walk away; he flees!
Essentially, our victory over the evil one is procured through fervent prayer (Ephesians 6:18) and standing on God’s Word (6:17?).
Rather than being dispossessed and disenfranchised, ‘future-ready’ people are spiritually empowered and take control of their lives by exercising power of the (real) enemy. Put these Biblical principles into practice and you will no longer be on sinking sand but well established ‘on the rock’ (Matthew 7:24-25).
Five Anniversaries in 2017, Part 01
Did you know that the year 2017 has at least 6 major anniversaries? Two are Christian and the other four involve the Jews and Israel. What are they and what do they mean? Here we go …
500 Years Ago – The Protestant Reformation 31 October 1517
Yes, the Reformation will be half a millennium old as of 31 October 2017. The Reformation was when a group of reformers broke from the Pope, the Vatican, and Roman Catholicism. It cut across centuries of tradition and papal control in order to return the church to a more Biblical foundation.
The date October 31st was chosen as ‘Reformation Day’ because it was when Martin Luther (1483-1546) nailed his 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. It was a big gamble – his life was at stake – but Luther survived and succeeded.
Luther was not the only reformer. John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Knox also played a major role in the break from Rome. The reformers objected to the following Catholic doctrines:
1. Sale of indulgences: A payment of money made to the church in order to liberate a loved one stuck in purgatory, an unbiblical halfway house between heaven and hell.
2. Veneration of Mary and the saints: These all became objects of prayer, rather than in the Personhood and Name of Jesus;
3. Vicar of Christ: The pope became Christ’s literal representative on earth, something that was not sanctioned in Scripture;
4. Salvation: This could only be found in the church of Rome, not the gospel, and no where else;
5. Transubstantiation: The doctrine that the ‘bread’ and ‘cup’ in holy communion are literally the body and blood of Christ.
The Gutenberg printing press helped to distribute God’s Word and other Christian literature in the language of the people, waking them up to Rome’s failings and excesses. As a result of their efforts, Northern Europe became Protestant, the southern part remained Catholic, and the centre of the continent was the buffer zone and battle ground between the two groups. The Thirty Year’s War of 1618-1648 was the devastating result of this church schism.
Some of the key highlights of the Protestant Reformation was sola scriptura and sola fide, meaning that Scripture was recognised as the highest authority for Christian faith and practice. ‘Only faith’ is how we obtain salvation in Christ, not by religious works or the intervention of saintly people. ‘Preaching the Word’ became the centrepiece of the Protestant service. The Reformation led the way to later movements like the rise of evangelicalism and Pentecostalism.
120 Years Ago – The First Zionist Congress 29-31 August 1897
It’d is hard to exaggerate the importance of this convocation in the birth of modern Israel. It was convened by a man named Theodor Herzl, once a thoroughly assimilated European Jew. Herzl was shocked out of his complacency when he experienced first-hand bald-faced virulent anti-Semitism in republican France during the 1895 trial of Alfred Dreyfus. He realised that the Jewish people have a serious problem: they are always a minority wherever they live and subject to arbitrary and regular persecution by the Gentile majority. To Herzl, they only solution to the ‘Jewish Question’ was a Jewish state in Palestine., where they can be a majority, rule their own affairs, and defend themselves like any other nation. Herzl wrote a book in 1896 called The Jewish State, which summarised his philosophy, which became known to the world as Zionism.
There was much Jewish opposition to Zionism, so the congress had to move from Munich to the Municipal Casino in Basel, Switzerland. In a mere 3 days, the congress formed what eventually would be known as the World Zionist Organisation, adopted a national anthem called Hatikvah (‘The Hope,’ which today is Israel’s National Anthem), and wrote the Basel Declaration. The latter stated that the goal of Zionism was to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine and facilitate it through the support of farmers and tradesman.
Stunningly, Herzl wrote in his diary that at Basel, he founded the Jewish state. Within 5 to 50 years, the whole world would see it.
Next time, we will learn about the other 4 anniversaries. To be continued ….
GOD’S PEACE PROCESS – PART 04 Offended No More
GOD’S PEACE PROCESS – PART 04
Offended No More
Peace is so wonderful because it is so rare. Even in the relatively prosperous western world, many people live troubled, disturbed lives. Often, the problem is not conflict on the outside, but turmoil within.
The only solution is God’s peace process.
So far, we have learned the following steps to God’s peace process:
1. Pre-requisite to peace: Make a decision not allow your heart to be troubled or afraid, because Jesus is sending His peace to you (John 14:27).
2. Peace established: When you say ‘Yes’ to the gospel, you have reconciliation and peace with God (Romans 5:1);
3. Protective, prevailing peace: God’s peace is like the body guard that keeps your heart and mind safe in Christ (Philippians 4:6-7).
The good news is that there is even more to this peace process. Yet in order to appreciate the good news, we need to understand the bad news first.
Bad news:Often, people complain about being ‘hurt.’ The wounds go down very deep and can last a lifetime. The reality is that ‘hurt’ people are often offended people. And often offended people possess a spirit of un-forgiveness, which causes them to be hurt in the first place.
Proverbs 18:19 (KJV): A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
While some cultures, particularly in Asia, take offence with a flourish, it is a dangerous thing to do. It is even unhealthy physically, as well as emotionally and spiritually. When a person takes offence, it is as like building a ‘Berlin Wall’ around themselves. It becomes a self-imposed prison. As long as the offence is kept, the bondage remains, the hurt grows, and the spiritual life put on hold. You become bitter rather than better. God’s peace process is derailed as long as the person remains in a state of offence and un-forgiveness.
Another way to describe offence is ‘stumbling’ (Proverbs 4:19). To be offended is like walking on a pathway, only to stumble, fall down, bruise the knee or even break a leg. One has to choose whether to stay down, remain offended, and be a victim, or get up and be a victor.
Remember, this is a fallen world: bad things happen to good people and good things (temporarily) happen to bad people. Jesus says in Luke 17:1-2 (KJV):
Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
Being difficult, demanding, and offensive may give a person a temporary rush of energy, get people to fulfil their demands quickly, or even make them feel ‘powerful.’ Yet, that millstone is coming their way and the bottom of the sea gets closer and closer.
The best philosophy: Do not be offensive and do not take offence.
Here is another way to look at it is this: An offensive person is one with plenty of issues – that’s why they are offensive. And they want to spread the misery around. If you take offence, then their problem becomes yours, too. If you remain on God’s peace process, you will have a built in ‘teflon-factor’ that keeps the spirit of the offence from infecting your spirit.
Offences will happen – people can be rude, nasty, and vicious (e.g. the culture war). Yet there is a way to leverage off offensive behaviour so that it becomes the catalyst for promotion, rather than the trip-wire for demotion. So, to progress with God’s peace process, you have to deal with the spirit of offence.
GOOD NEWS: Two-Pronged Remedy Against Offence
1. Forgiveness: So how to we go from a state of hurt and un-forgiveness to a place of victory? First, we need to practice unilateral forgiveness. Even if the offender does not apologise or even recognise their error, it is important to ‘let go’ and ‘forgive.’ Forgiveness is Christianity 101! Ask for God’s grace to do this. Here is an incentive – Jesus says in Mark 11:25-26:
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Some may say: You don’t understand; I have been greatly wronged. No body who has lived long enough misses out on the insults, indignities, rejection, misunderstanding, and injustice of this fallen world. Many become bitter but a few become better. The reason is forgiveness or the lack thereof. If you make a decision to forgive – and you should – let the grace of God see you through. Remember, Jesus forgave His enemies while being nailed to the cross!
What forgiveness does is it releases you from the spirit of offence, demolishes the ‘Berlin Wall’ around your life, cuts the octopus tentacles that the offence wrapped around you, releases you from bondage and you are set free! You are now able to get on with your life.
2. The Word of God: The role of God’s Word in overcoming offence and proceeding with the peace process is indispensable. A wonderful promise is found in the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, which is primarily about the word of God.
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them — Psalm 119:165 (KJV)
Note that when you ‘love’ God’s law, meaning, the whole counsel of God, something amazing happens. It detoxes you from offence, causes you to grow spiritually, and bestows ‘great peace.’ How does this happen? Just as any child will properly grow when eating good food and drinking pure drink, so the child of God also grows when they have a regular intake of God’s Word. As they grow and mature, the things that once upset them.
If you want great peace, then ‘love God’s law:’
1. Read it;
2. Study it;
3. Meditate on it;
4. Do it!
Through forgiveness and God’s Word, you will no longer stranded in the wilderness. Instead, you will mount of with eagles wings and head towards the promised land.
Next time, we will learn about the fifth and final part of God’s peace process.
Power of Biblical Meekness Part 03
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace — Psalm 37:11 (KJV)
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it — Psalm 37:34 (KJV)
It has been the lofty goal of millennia: rule over the whole earth. Whether it is dictators of the past or globalists today, there is the idea that to have universal peace and prosperity, there has to be economic, political and spiritual union. These utopian notions are as old as time but they overlook the most important thing: unless the LORD builds the house, they labour in vain who build it (Psalm 127:1). Every attempt to conquer and rule the world has failed spectacularly because they overlook God Himself. Every attempt to build this ‘perfect world without God’ has resulted in tyranny, dictatorship, warfare, and worse.
So logically, if we are going to have a world of peace and prosperity, we need to partner with God. He is coming to this earth to establish a kingdom that will never be removed. Psalm 96:13 says that God is coming to judge the earth with righteousness and truth.
Every time the ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ is recited, we are asking for God’s kingdom to come and His will be done ‘on earth’ as it is in heaven. Yes, the kingdom is coming to earth because the King is coming!
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord — Psalm 27:14
MEEKNESS DESCRIBED
We have already learned in Parts 01 and 02 that they people who inherit the God’s earth are the ‘meek.’ These are people who focus on God, His grace, and His purposes, while forgoing personal rights, vindications, entitlement, and agendas. The meek have strong, quiet, graceful determination to plough through life in order to fulfil God’s will for their lives. They dive over distractions and overlook opposition. In this regard, they are greatly empowered by God. They are too preoccupied with the Kingdom of God to be drawn down by the undertow of this world. Such ‘meekness’ is actually spiritual empowerment, because as the meek individual decreases, Christ in them, the Hope of Glory, increases. Christ in them inherits the earth with them.
Do not say, ‘I will recompense evil;’ Wait on the LORD, and He will save you — Proverbs 20:22 (NKJV)
Psalm 37 reiterates the promise of the meek inheriting the earth, just as Jesus does in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:5). Yet this psalm gives us an important angle in both demonstrating meekness and gaining the inheritance. It is found in verse 9ff:
…but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
In that simple phrase, ‘wait upon the LORD,’ there is a powerful and practical key to meekness. In our ever-busy, materialistic, and often dysfunctional world, the last thing we have time to do is ‘wait on God.’ Our collective sense of immaturity, and the impatience that exemplifies it, makes ‘waiting’ all the more difficult. Yet, for the spiritual discerning and empowered, they know that ‘waiting on God’ is the key for breakthrough, miracles, and promotion. Indeed, those who ‘wait on God’ will not fail to get to the next level.
So what does it mean to ‘wait on God’ and how do we do it?
My soul, wait though only upon God; for my expectation is from him — Psalm 62:5 (KJV)
Perhaps the best way to describe it is an active seeking of God’s face in an attitude of humility and faith. The individual acknowledges that God is the One who knows and has everything they need. There is also a confident expectation that God will respond positively to the diligent seeking of the believer. Instead of looking to one’s own resources or to other people, the meek person who ‘waits’ looks to God … and God alone … for the answers.
HOW TO WAIT ON GOD
The ‘how to’s’ of waiting on God? There is ‘passive waiting,’ meaning that you have done everything you can and now it is up to God. So you patiently, gratefully, and expectantly look to and wait for the Almighty to do His work, at the time and place of His choosing. You diligently avoid impulsiveness, especially the notion: if nothing is happening, I’m going to make it happen! ‘Waiting on God’ helps you discern and implement the ‘God-Idea,’ rather than defaulting to the home-cooked, man-made ‘good idea.’ Only the God-ideas work.
Then there is ‘active waiting.’ This is both part of your regular devotional ‘quiet time’ (you do have regular ‘quiet time’ with God, don’t you? If not, blast a hole in your schedule and make some time. You will never be future-ready, let alone inherit the earth, without devotional ‘quiet time’).
Whether part of your regular devotions or a special time of seeking God, the key ingredients include:
1. Bible: Refer to it, quote from it, meditate on the promises of God that come your way, and meditate on it;
2. Prayer: Have a time of prayer, either as a block or interspersed with your Bible reading;
3. Praise and worship: This is the language of faith, so do so regularly and liberally;
4. Thanksgiving: Philippians 4:6 and I Thessalonians 5:18 makes it clear; this is God’s will for you;
5. Silence: On occasion, wait silently before God and allow Him to speak to you;
6. Fasting: If you are healthy, abstain from meals in order to have the time and consecutiveness to reach God. There is a simple reason people fast: they need to wait on God. Second reason: it works!
Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me —Micah 7:7
Keep waiting until you hear from God and get your marching orders.
Following these simple steps, consistently and fervently, is guaranteed to change your life.
So do you need direction? Provision? Breakthrough? Healing? Big answers to big prayers? Answers, full stop? Then look no further – the throne-room of grace is open to you (Hebrews 4:16?) to come and wait on the LORD. For as you do so, both as a regular practice and special emphasis, you will not fail to get to the next level. Now is the time!
I will praise the for ever, because thou has done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints — Psalm 52:9 (KJV)
KINGS OF ISRAEL: Why Study the Book of I Kings.
A young man, no more than 20 years old, finds himself thrust into a position of supreme leadership as king of Israel. Where does he even begin with such an awesome responsibility? Then God comes in a dream and invites him to ask for whatever he wants. He does not ask for riches, honour and/or acclaim for himself. Instead, the young monarch asks for one key thing for the sake of his nation: a wise and understanding heart so that he could capably rule the people. God was well pleased with the answer and said it was granted. In addition, there were bonuses of riches and reputation.
The king? Solomon, son of David, who became the wisest man who ever lived. It was he who wrote the timeless, priceless, and practical Book of Proverbs, plus Ecclesiastes. His story, and that of his successors, is told in the Bible book of I Kings. Like the other historical books of the Bible, we can learn from the successes and failures of the people of God and their leaders.
HEBREW NAME
I Kings begins with the words ‘Now king David …’ (1:1). The Hebrew is vehamelech David, from where we get the word melechim, or ‘kings.’
AUTHOR
Anonymous. Talmudic sources suggest that Jeremiah may have been the author.
PORTRAIT OF CHRIST
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here — (Mt 12:42)
Christ is the greater than Solomon.
THEME OF I KINGS
Double-minded monarch leads to a divided kingdom.
KEY VERSES
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: 5Then 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. — I Kings 9:4-5 (KJV)
Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. 12Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. 13Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen — I Kings 11:11-13 (KJV)
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin – I Kings 15:34 (KJV)
SUMMARY
I Kings starts off very well with the rise of Solomon, son of David, King of Israel. It was an apex of Israel’s history. His youthful request for wisdom paid phenomenal benefits for all.
Yet Solomon’s prosperity and success were his undoing. He loved many strange (foreign) women and his heart was not perfect before the Lord like his father David. So God chose to take 10 out of 12 tribes away from David’s dynasty and give it to Jeroboam, son of Nebat. Thus the united monarchy was now divided between the Southern Kingdom of Judah, under the House of David, and the Northern Kingdom of Israel, under Jeroboam. This latter kingdom was very unstable, with around 19 kings, 5 dynasties and three capital cities.
The spiritual decline became a free fall with Jeroboam, the very first king of the North. He established rival man-made religion by building shrines in Bethel and Dan and putting a golden calf to be worshipped in each. This is called ‘the sin of Jeroboam, son of Nebat,’ who caused Israel to sin. None of his regal successors had the moral and spiritual courage to break free from this sin, which estranged them from the Lord God and spawned the prophetic ministries of Elijah and Elisha.
Jeroboam’s sin became the undoing of the Northern Kingdom. It was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BC and its population taken into exile. Judah lasted an additional 136 years, in part because of its relative stability. It had 1 dynasty, David’s, and 1 capital, Jerusalem, and housed the true temple of God. Yet Judah succumbed to the Babylonians in 586 BC, then miraculously returned from exile under the Persians.
DISTINCTIVES
Here are some of the lessons we learn:
• Leadership is not evaluated by economic, political, or military success. The only criteria is whether the king did what was ‘right’ or ‘evil’ in the sight of the Lord God. Failure to follow God renders that leader’s legacy as ‘evil.’
• When the king stays in ‘covenant-faithfulness,’ then God’s blessing and protection is on the king and kingdom.
• If the king is unfaithful to God, he and the nation will be punished.
• Had Israel and Judah stayed faithful, there would have been no conquest and no exile by hostile empires. The cause of both was not the strength of the Assyrians or Babylonians, but the strength of their sin.
• A divided heart is what led to a divided kingdom. Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, is mentioned 22 times in both I & II Kings.
OUTLINE OF I KINGS
I. UNITED MONARCHY (1:1-11:43)
A. Solomon Ascends (1:1-2:46) Adonijah’s plot fails, death of David, execution of Adonijah, Joab, Shimei, while Abiathar the priest exiled.
B. Rule of Solomon (King 3:1-8:66): Asks for wisdom, judges the harlots, administers with 12 governors and 11 princes, builds and dedicates the temple.
C. Solomon Descends (9:1-11:43): Goes into overdraft & sells Israel’s cities, Queen of Sheba’s visit, intermarriage, chases idols, rebuked of God, and death.
II. DIVIDED MONARCHY (12:1-22:53)
D. Kingdom Divided (12:1-14:31): Rehoboam’s foolish response divides the kingdom; Jeroboam starts Northern Kingdom; his false shrines; prophetic warning, judgment on the king.
E. Reigns of Abijam & Asa in Judah(15:1-24)
F. Reigns of Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, and Omri in Israel (15:25-16:28)
G. Reign of Ahab in Israel (16:29-22:40): Ahab’s sin, Elijah the prophet introduced, sojourns in Zarephthah, contest with prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, flight from Jezebel, war with Syria, death of Naboth and Ahab.
H. Reign of Jehoshaphat in Judah(22:41-50)
I. Reign of Ahaziah in Israel (22:51-53)