Self-Appointed Leaders!

Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never rebuked him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.) Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah. Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon. Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? I Kings 1:5-11 NIV

Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?” Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.The king then took an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!” King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.” I Kings 1:27-35 NIV

Looking upon where we are today, I can hear the same question being asked of God by those who know Him and are in strong relationship with Him, "Is this Your doing God?" And while I cannot speak for anyone else, in my spirit I hear God's response, "No!"

But we have to understand what happens when people use all manner of deception and manipulation to accomplish what they want and the best way to understand how God is consistent in what He does is to look at what happened with Adonijah! And for that, we'd have to keep reading, but I'll sum it up. Adonijah died at the hands of King Solomon after making an insulting request--through Solomon's mother.

Instead of acting like a man, Adonijah acted like a child, making the request of Solomon's mother instead of going to Solomon directly. The request--give me the virgin that had been assigned to King David (his father)--covetousness and desire to make a mockery of David's last days by taking what was his.

Perhaps, the greatest lesson we can learn from the history recorded in the Old Testament is that when we rebel against God--thinking we know more than He does--in order to make our own name great--we are doomed to suffer the consequences.  God is not mocked. He sees all that is done by those who do not reverence Him, but make a mockery of all He has planned. In the end, we reap the consequences of our actions when we fail to heed the warnings.

The only great name anyone should reverence is Jesus and when we denounce Him and disavow all He is by our actions, we place ourselves in a position to be judged and all the world shall hear the noise when the end has come upon those who appoint themselves as leaders--and those who supported the nonsense.

Look at what some Americans have done--in the name of patriotism, but in actuality because of hatred and bigotry! Elected a president with no qualifications and certainly no approval from God. And then he mocks the entire democracy, by appointing the most despicable people in positions of authority and more who are even less qualified than he is to head vital departments of our nation. The noise in the streets--the cry of outrage for people know only disaster awaits. And the noise we hear and have heard is nothing to compared to the noise we will hear--from those who supported the unqualified person to lead to this nation.

Not my will, but Yours--to do as You direct in all things--to sound the alarm when You speak it to me and let others know--You are yet watching over all that occurs in the earth and You have the final Word.

Recognizing The Foolish!

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips. The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception. Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright. The wise fear the LORD and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure. A quick-tempered person does foolish things, and the one who devises evil schemes is hated. Proverbs 14:6-9, 16, 17 NIV

What is a mocker? A person who makes fun of others--appearances, values, and beliefs. They attempt to humiliate at every turn, thinking themselves to be superior to others.

One example of a mocker is the atheist who makes fun of other Believers. They say things like: our praying to an invisible God may as well as be praying to a spaghetti monster. Another example of a mocker is someone who makes fun of another person's disabilities by exaggerating facial expressions, voice tones, or movements. And then these mockers think--they are wise in their own sight.

The "wise in their own sight" are often looked upon as being foolish because they never listen to others when people attempt to admonish them because of their attitudes or behavior. We see this every day--those who think they know something when they don't.

I  (and many others) am extremely offended by the latest attempts of Donald Trump to "reach out to African Americans" on a number of levels. First of all, he's not reaching out to a group of people when none of them are in his immediate presence. Secondly, if he wants to "reach" people, he might want to start off with more factual information about who they are rather than statistics that are easily debunked. Using a broad stroke of overgeneralization to describe any group of people is insensitive and negates the accomplishments or achievements of others within that group. What he said was racist and derogatory. Not all Black Americans are living in poverty; not all Black Americas are ignorant or stupid (the underlying meaning of his saying, "your schools are no good"), and most of the young people--the teens (his 58%) are high school students who are concentrating on avenues that will earn them scholarships for college.

His entire speech about reaching out to African Americans was mocking.  "What do you have to lose taking a chance on Trump?" Considering the ethnic persuasion of the audience he was addressing at his rally, he wasn't talking to Black Americans. His campaign manager, Kellyann states, "all his rallies are open to the public and African Americans can attend." This is particularly interesting when a man--with brown skin--of Native American heritage was removed from one of his rallies.

Reiterating his approach, "What the hell do you have to lose?" We lose the hell altogether that a Trump presidency represents and keep reaching for heaven--knowing there are no racists there. In recent news--a white man--claiming to belong to racist group--admitted to stabbing a black man when saw the man kissing a white woman. Not that their relationship was any of his business, but he took upon himself to try to kill a man simply because of his skin color. That's what the foolish evoke in others--that's what Trump ideology is creating in a society in which many of us had hoped was behind us. So, no--we don't want Trump's brand of anything and that will ring loud and clear on November 8th.

And this is how we recognize the foolish--when they do really stupid things--in a public forum and think they are believable. Love trumps hate and mockery!

The Wisdom of The Wise!

The lips of the wise broadcast knowledge,

but not so the heart of fools. Proverbs 15: 7

A mocker doesn’t love one who corrects him;

he will not consult the wise. Proverbs 15:12

He who is wise listens,

He who is foolish, scorns and mocks.

He who receives correction earns respect,

He who mocks correction earns disdain.

He who seeks The Lord first is encouraged,

He who ignores The Lord is dismayed.

Those who praise God in the beauty of Holiness,

Are filled with hope and never despair.

Those who know--God--not just about Him,

Are blessed to be His children.

Is it wisdom or fate to speak what God says,

To obey when God speaks, and receive what God has?

The wisdom of the wise keeps flowing freely

While the ignorance of fools keeps them enslaved.

Are you wise or foolish, blessed or cursed?

Wickedness and Strange Weather!

Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright. Proverbs 14:9 NIV
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. Proverbs 14:11 NIV
There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12 NIV
The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs. Proverbs 14:14 NIV
The wise fear the LORD and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure. Proverbs 14:16 NIV
Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin; whoever builds a high gate invites destruction. Proverbs 17:19 NIV

No matter how many times or how many ways we see in God's Word the warnings about sin, some still tend to ignore the consequences.

In fact, our society has become mockers of sin because they do not believe that sin has consequences simply because they don't believe God. The truth is about to overtake us and many will see what sin achieves.

God is not blind, deaf or forgetful. He does not change His Word or His intent for mankind simply to appease the whim of men's thinking. Everything He called sin, is still sin and no matter what men and women do--sin in God's sight is still sin.

The problem is people tend to mistake lust for love and think God is fooled. God is love and He knows better than any of us what love does and what love does not do. Love is not lust and lust is not love.

Love only wants the best for all involved yet lust only wants to satisfy a feeling for the moment.

Love steers people onto the path of doing the right thing at all times.

Lust steers emotion and physical need along the path of satisfaction at any cost.

The bottom line that many may not want to acknowledge is that in the end, God has the last word and when we refuse to accept correction and get back on the path of righteousness, He removes His hand of protection and we get what we get.

The unusual weather is simply a sign of God's displeasure with our behavior and greed. When making money is more important than preserving resources, we have problems as we see with the effects of global warming.

The disregard for the safety for the vulnerable is about to explode and the courts will be filled with lawsuits, but lives will be changed forever because of a few who chose not to see the danger of not thinking or seeking the wisdom of God.

Whenever we choose to ignore God and do what we want to do, subscribing to that old adage, "If it feels good, do it," we open the door to the evil that is constantly lurking on the other side.

How do we avoid the consequences of sin? That's easy. We seek God and obey His Word and promote His goodness to others. It's not rocket science; it is simply living by faith in His Word.

The Devil--Cloaked With Deceptive Devices!

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 2 Corinthians 4:1-5 NIV

Disclaimer--I am a devout Believer in Jesus Christ and claim no denominational ties or affiliations, I am ordained by God and man to teach God's Truth, no matter what the circumstances or who it may expose. I'm not particularly impressed with any politician because I know they all lie, but when it comes to mocking a practice that is pivotal to our faith, I tend to get a bit incensed.


Your thoughts are welcomed!

I am unable to attach the link I wanted to reference, but please check on YouTube and search for "Donald Trump Meets With Religious leaders." Here it is https://youtu.be/Uk4c2uoOF3o

Please note that this video posted in September 2015. Much has been revealed about the man, by himself, since then.

I'm praying even the more for God to pour out His Wisdom upon all flesh, that blinders will be removed and ears unstopped so they will receive Truth.

Called For a Purpose!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28 NIV).

I have probably used this verse of scripture in a previous post, but I'm moving in another direction--hopefully--from the one used.

When God "calls us" into His service, we are called to fulfill His purposes--not our own.  And when we acknowledge that call, enter into His service to fulfill His purposes, everything we do--works for our good. Now, the opposite of what was just stated is also true. If He did not call us or we do not fulfill His purposes, then nothing we do works out well. We can say we love God from daybreak until sunset, pray without ceasing, and if we never venture forth to do what He has called us to do, we are wasting our time.

Some people are called into service for God by other people--their mothers, their fathers, their pastors, or even their own greed to be seen or to pimp a pulpit. First of all, a call to serve God by Him--does not mean a person should be standing in a pulpit preaching the Gospel--especially when they are not equipped to do so. "Who God calls, He qualifies and equips to get the job done." When I see foolishness reign in a church, I question the call of God on the life of the leadership because I see no evidence of God being involved. How do I know God is not involved?

Through Holy Spirit, God anoints and appoints those He desires to use. Holy Spirit leads and guides us into doing all things according to The Word of God, not our feelings or current trends or popular belief. When the leadership cannot read the Word, has no clue as to what The Word means, and has never attempted "to study to show themselves approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed," then I know God is not involved. God is true to His Word and it is man (or woman) that makes a mockery of God's callings by trying to be something they were never intended to be!

Will those who counterfeit God's calling have a measure of success? Usually, they do--a manufactured success that once exposed, falls apart as quickly as it was contrived. How quick is quick? God determines time and with Him--one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day--but it will come and all will see who contrived their calling.

We can fool people--sometimes, but we can never fool God. Little by little, things begin to be exposed--mismanagement of money, abuse of position and authority, scandal of all types and magnitudes, prophe-lying prophets who can't predict the next rain, let alone what God is going to do for someone. If they really knew what God was going to do, they would run and hide out of fear of being exposed and experiencing God's wrath. Church dwellings become more like the night-clubs and the praise-dancers are more pole dancers without the pole--the seductive moves are the same as being on the pole. The elder women in the churches don't bother to teach the younger women anything because the younger women don't want to learn anything. The young women act like they are on the street in a club more than they act like they are in a church. When people can be heard cussing, found in hidden niches of the building making out and doing all manner of evil--in the church--I know God is not involved. Where the Spirit of the Lord is--we would be too afraid to do such things.

God's callings and gifts are without repentance--He does not take them back even when we abuse or misuse them, but we open the door for Satan to reign when we do. God's purpose in calling us into service for Him is for Him to be glorified and for us to be blessed so we are a blessing to others.

Know your calling and God's purpose for using you and do all to His glory. Magnify the Lord in all you do so no shame is ever felt and watch God work out all things for your good!

Father, in the name of Jesus, if we have not acknowledged our calling from You or understand Your purpose in calling us--reveal it to us and give us wisdom in all things so we will glorify You.

No Need To Fear!

"Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life" (Isaiah 43:4 NIV).

The promise of God spoken through Isaiah--those who have been redeemed (purchased by the blood of Jesus) have no need to fear anything that appears to be devastating on the earth. God will save us in the midst of the turmoil and chaos. He will gather our children to a safe place where they will not be harmed.

When we learn to receive the Word of God into our hearts as a word spoken directly to us--we know we do not need to fear the events unfolding in the society in which we live. All things that are coming to the forefront were foretold in the past so we would have hope and have no need to be fearful. What God has accomplished in the past, He will continue to do now and in the future. If we teach our children to have reverence for The Lord and obey His Word, we have no need to fear for their futures. If we encourage all we know to come and partake of the Living Water--we get them into a secure place where they will not be harmed.

God is saying right now--though it appears that many have forsaken Him, He has yet numbered those who truly love Him and He calls us "precious in His sight" and because He loves us--He will protect us from the insolence and stupidity that seems to reign in our land.

"Call on The Lord" with a heart to hear and respond to Him and see if He will not save. For He has said, "who ever calls upon His name shall be saved." But those who call upon Him, in mockery and insincerity will have to deal the consequences and they have every reason to fear the calamities that will come upon them.

Because of our obedience to Him, God is willing to exchange nations for us. In other words, He will remove us from those who are doomed in order for us to be saved.

O God--help us to see You in all Your glory and praise You for being such an awesome God that You are not willing for any to perish, but for all to have safe passage into Your kingdom. Help us to magnify who You are by our conduct before others so they too shall receive the benefits of Your love. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen!