6/29/12

God's phone number


An old friend and classmate, Ed Healy, put this on facebook the other day and immediately I saw its importance.  "Call on me" came back to my memory, from a great preacher of the Gospel named Tony DiToro.  I remember a sermon of his from the second of these two verses below.  That is SOMETHING, because it was thirty+ years ago...

Jeremiah, Chapter 29
 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.  12 You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  13 You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. 

Jeremiah, Chapter 33
1 Moreover the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the guard, saying,  2 Thus says Yahweh who does it, Yahweh who forms it to establish it; Yahweh is his name:  3 Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don’t know.

God wants a close relationship with us.  You and I are important to HIM!!!  He desires that we should seek HIM with all our heart because HE loves US!!!  The Bible encourages us to "Pray without ceasing"; that is, to live in such a way that at any moment we could transition whatever we are doing into communication with God.  Tony did that and somehow I just know it was the reason he was such a powerful presenter of the Gospel.  He has been in heaven now for many years and has an even better connection to God than I do; I envy his position... someday I hope to join him.  How about you?


ps. Thank you Ed!!!!

June 29 1 Kings 4-6


June 29
1 Kings 4-6

1Ki 4:1 King Solomon was king over all Israel.
1Ki 4:2 These were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest;
1Ki 4:3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder;
1Ki 4:4 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
1Ki 4:5 and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, and the king's friend;
1Ki 4:6 and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to forced labor.
1Ki 4:7 Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month in the year.
1Ki 4:8 These are their names: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;
1Ki 4:9 Ben Deker, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan;
1Ki 4:10 Ben Hesed, in Arubboth (to him pertained Socoh, and all the land of Hepher);
1Ki 4:11 Ben Abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife);
1Ki 4:12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth Shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam;
1Ki 4:13 Ben Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; even to him pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars);
1Ki 4:14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;
1Ki 4:15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife);
1Ki 4:16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth;
1Ki 4:17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar;
1Ki 4:18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin;
1Ki 4:19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer who was in the land.
1Ki 4:20 Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry.
1Ki 4:21 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt: they brought tribute, and served Solomon all the days of his life.
1Ki 4:22 Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of meal,
1Ki 4:23 ten head of fat cattle, and twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fattened fowl.
1Ki 4:24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River: and he had peace on all sides around him.
1Ki 4:25 Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
1Ki 4:26 Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
1Ki 4:27 Those officers provided food for king Solomon, and for all who came to king Solomon's table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking.
1Ki 4:28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds brought they to the place where the officers were, every man according to his duty.
1Ki 4:29 God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and very great understanding, even as the sand that is on the seashore.
1Ki 4:30 Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
1Ki 4:31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations all around.
1Ki 4:32 He spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were one thousand five.
1Ki 4:33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fish.
1Ki 4:34 There came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
1Ki 5:1 Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David.
1Ki 5:2 Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
1Ki 5:3 You know how that David my father could not build a house for the name of Yahweh his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until Yahweh put them under the soles of his feet.
1Ki 5:4 But now Yahweh my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary, nor evil occurrence.
1Ki 5:5 Behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, as Yahweh spoke to David my father, saying, Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your room, he shall build the house for my name.
1Ki 5:6 Now therefore command you that they cut me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with your servants; and I will give you hire for your servants according to all that you shall say: for you know that there is not among us any who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.
1Ki 5:7 It happened, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be Yahweh this day, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.
1Ki 5:8 Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have heard the message which you have sent to me: I will do all your desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir.
1Ki 5:9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you shall appoint me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and you shall receive them; and you shall accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.
1Ki 5:10 So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire.
1Ki 5:11 Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.
1Ki 5:12 Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.
1Ki 5:13 King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.
1Ki 5:14 He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses; a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home; and Adoniram was over the men subject to forced labor.
1Ki 5:15 Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains;
1Ki 5:16 besides Solomon's chief officers who were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people who labored in the work.
1Ki 5:17 The king commanded, and they cut out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone.
1Ki 5:18 Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites did fashion them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.

1Ki 6:1 It happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Yahweh.
1Ki 6:2 The house which king Solomon built for Yahweh, its length was sixty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
1Ki 6:3 The porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was its length, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was its breadth before the house.
1Ki 6:4 For the house he made windows of fixed lattice work.
1Ki 6:5 Against the wall of the house he built stories all around, against the walls of the house all around, both of the temple and of the oracle; and he made side chambers all around.
1Ki 6:6 The nethermost story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the outside he made offsets in the wall of the house all around, that the beams should not have hold in the walls of the house.
1Ki 6:7 The house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
1Ki 6:8 The door for the middle side chambers was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle story, and out of the middle into the third.
1Ki 6:9 So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar.
1Ki 6:10 He built the stories against all the house, each five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.
1Ki 6:11 The word of Yahweh came to Solomon, saying,
1Ki 6:12 Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father.
1Ki 6:13 I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
1Ki 6:14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
1Ki 6:15 He built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of fir.
1Ki 6:16 He built twenty cubits on the hinder part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the walls of the ceiling: he built them for it within, for an oracle, even for the most holy place.
1Ki 6:17 The house, that is, the temple before the oracle, was forty cubits long.
1Ki 6:18 There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
1Ki 6:19 He prepared an oracle in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh.
1Ki 6:20 Within the oracle was a space of twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in its height; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar.
1Ki 6:21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he drew chains of gold across before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.
1Ki 6:22 The whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished: also the whole altar that belonged to the oracle he overlaid with gold.
1Ki 6:23 In the oracle he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.
1Ki 6:24 Five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing to the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
1Ki 6:25 The other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubim were of one measure and one form.
1Ki 6:26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.
1Ki 6:27 He set the cherubim within the inner house; and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
1Ki 6:28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold.
1Ki 6:29 He carved all the walls of the house around with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, inside and outside.
1Ki 6:30 The floor of the house he overlaid with gold, inside and outside.
1Ki 6:31 For the entrance of the oracle he made doors of olive wood: the lintel and door posts were a fifth part of the wall.
1Ki 6:32 So he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim, and on the palm trees.
1Ki 6:33 So also made he for the entrance of the temple door posts of olive wood, out of a fourth part of the wall;
1Ki 6:34 and two doors of fir wood: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.
1Ki 6:35 He carved thereon cherubim and palm trees and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted on the engraved work.
1Ki 6:36 He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone, and a course of cedar beams.
1Ki 6:37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of Yahweh laid, in the month Ziv.
1Ki 6:38 In the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all its parts, and according to all its fashion. So was he seven years in building it.

"THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS" Chapter Fourteen by Mark Copeland




                      "THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS"

                            Chapter Fourteen

OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER

1) To learn how strong and weak brethren should deal with one another

2) To see the importance of being true to our conscience

SUMMARY

In this chapter Paul discusses the relationship strong and weak
brethren are to have towards each other.  He admonishes the strong to 
be careful in their dealings with those whose faith and knowledge is 
weak, and for the weak not to judge those who are doing what God allows 
(1-4).  In such matters, each brother should be true to their 
conscience and do what they do as service rendered to the Lord (5-9).  
There is no place for condemning or despising one another in these 
matters, for Jesus will be the judge (10-12).  Of primary concern is 
not to put stumbling blocks in a brother's way (13).

The importance of being true to one's own conscience, and not 
encouraging the weak brother to violate his own, is the emphasis of the 
last half of the chapter.  Things harmless within themselves can 
destroy those whose consciences do not permit them, so those who 
understand the true nature of the kingdom of God will be willing to 
forego personal liberties to maintain peace and build up their weaker 
brethren (14-23).

OUTLINE

I. ADMONITIONS TO STRONG AND WEAK BRETHREN (1-13)

   A. HOW TO TREAT EACH OTHER (1-4)
      1. The strong are to receive and not despise the weak (1-3a)
      2. The weak are not to judge those God approves (3b-4)

   B. HOW TO BE TRUE TO THE LORD IN THESE MATTERS (5-9)
      1. Be fully convinced in your own mind (5)
      2. Do what you do as to the Lord (6-9)

   C. DO NOT JUDGE ONE ANOTHER (10-13)
      1. Christ is to be our judge (10-13a)
      2. Our concern should be not to put stumbling blocks in a
         brother's way (13b)

II. FURTHER ADMONITIONS TO STRONG BRETHREN (14-23)

   A. DO NOT DESTROY A BROTHER FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED (14-18)
      1. Food is harmless in itself, but we can misuse it to the
         destruction of those who are weak (14-16)
      2. The kingdom of God is more important than food and drink
         (17-18)

   B. PURSUE THINGS WHICH MAKE FOR PEACE (19-23)
      1. Build up your brother, don't destroy him over food (19-20)
      2. Be willing to forego your liberties for the sake of your 
         brother (21)
      3. Appreciate the importance of a clear conscience in your weak
         brother (22-23)

WORDS TO PONDER

judge - setting oneself up as accuser, judge, and sentencer; it does 
        not mean we cannot make decisions about the right or wrong of
        another's action (cf. Mt 7:1-6,15-20; Jn 7:24; 1Co 5:9-13)

stumbling block - that which causes another to fall; it does not have
                  to be something wrong within itself

offended - made to stumble; the word does not mean the way we commonly
           use it today, that is, to have one's feelings hurt or
           "offended"

REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER

1) List the main points of this chapter
   - Admonitions To Strong And Weak Brethren (1-13)
   - Further Admonitions To Strong Brethren (14-23)

2) How are strong and weak brethren to treat each other? (3)
   - The strong are not to despise the weak
   - The weak are not to judge the strong

3) What is important according to verse 5?
   - "Let each be fully convinced in his own mind"

4) In all matters, whom is it we should try to please? (6-8)
   - The Lord

5) Who will be the Judge in such matters? (10-12)
   - The Lord

6) What is important according to verse 13?
   - Not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's 
     way

7) What elements are crucial to the kingdom of God? (17)
   - Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit

8) How far should one be willing to go to avoid causing a brother to
   stumble? (21)
   - As far as giving up personal liberties in Christ

9) If we violate our conscience, what are we guilty of? (23)
   - Sin