GOD’S MESSAGE AND MESSENGERS OPPOSED Therefore the LORD was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?”  But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.” 17 —II Chronicles 25:15-16             There are those in government who do not want to listen to the counsel of God’s…

LIVE A WORTHY LIFE And the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the anger of the Philistines and of the Arabians who are near the Ethiopians.  And they came up against Judah and invaded it and carried away all the possessions they found that belonged to the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest son.  And after all this the LORD struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease.  In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire…

HE RAISES AND PUTS DOWN For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. —Psalm 75:6-6             It is God who puts down one and lifts another up.  He is the one who executes judgment.  Men may think they move themselves into positions of authority, but it is actually God who has put them in those places of power for His purposes.  Just as easily as He puts them into power He can take them out.             Let us not fret when the wicked are in control.  They really…

FOCUS ON HIM! But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.  For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked…  But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end…  Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. —Psalm 73:2, 16-17, 25             Brother and sister have you ever gotten discourage, or maybe you are discouraged right now, over those who do not know the Lord but their lives seem to be…

HIS VERY NAME IS GREAT! Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house, hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name. —II Chronicles 6:32-33 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the…

AWESOME But who is able to build a house for Him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain Him? —II Chronicles 2:6 My mouth will declare Your righteousness and Your salvation all day long, though I cannot know their full measure. —Psalm 71:15             Look into the furthest depths of the universe.  Has man been able to?  We do see for quite some distance and then man “estimates” how large it may be.  But this isn’t the final size any more than man could only see 10,000 stars without magnification in days gone by.  One thing we do know… the universe is gigantic and much bigger than we…

ALL WE HAVE COMES FROM OUR LORD For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. —I Chronicles 29:14 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? —I Corinthians 4:7 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.  Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. —I Corinthians 4:1-2             What are the things that God has entrusted you…

PRAISE HIM! Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them. —Psalm 69:34             Praise our Lord God Almighty! He is the One who created the heavens and earth (Genesis 1). He is the One who said, “Let there be light” and there was light. He is the One who separated the light from the darkness. He is the One who called the light day and the darkness night. He is the One who created the expanse and called it sky. He is the One who separated the waters from the land He is the One who called the land earth and the waters seas.…

NONE LIKE HIM! Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!  For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be held in awe above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. —I Chronicles 16:23-26 There is none like you, O LORD, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. —I Chronicles17:20 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us,…

DO WHAT YOU SAID YOU WOULD DO! I will perform my vows to you, that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. —Psalm 66:13-14 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. —Ecclesiastes 5:4             How many stories have we heard of people being in very difficult circumstances and they call out to God?  They say. “Oh God, please help me through this and I will serve you for the rest of my life!”  Then, graciously and mercifully, God does bring them through their difficult situation, but then they do not carry…