Prov 19-21; Ro 13

Good advice will never contradict the way of the Lord but must be seen in the context of Jesus, Saviour and Lord. Good advice cannot be taken in isolation or stand by itself apart from the Lord. The attractiveness of man-focused religions will not lead to an eternity with Christ but will rather cleverly deceive a man from the truth. Truth is not encapsulated in a religion but with the man Christ. When Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” he didn't realise that he was looking straight at the physical embodiment of truth. When we embrace Christ and make him central to our lives we embrace all wisdom and truth at once and are spared the cumbersome attention to the myriad pattern of law and regulation. We simply live for him.

Prov 16-18; Ro 12

There is a stark contrast between the life teachings of Solomon and Paul. The Proverbs are focused on the details of life and being sure to apply righteousness in all situations. Romans goes a lot further. It requires a whole of life as a sacrifice to the point where we don't do it for any other motives than to see God glorified. This is in strong contrast to the Proverbs where a wealthy life with a faithful heart is a sure sign of God's blessing. In Roman times and continuing to this present day, the faithful Christian is persecuted and hounded for his faith yet his reward in the Lord is immeasurable. By focusing our lives on an eternity with Christ it keeps us in perspective and able to live to please God. The riches we obtain are healings, encouragement, prophetic insight and knowing intimately the love and righteousness of God. All of these cannot be purchased.

Prov 13-15; Ro 11

When Israel became a nation on the 14th of May 1948 the biblical Christian rejoiced in the Lord. God was restoring Israel and giving us a clear indication that the final days are unfolding. Since that time, biblical scholars have been marking off Old and New Testament prophecies in an effort to point to the manifestation of the rapture of the Saints. These are the last days and we must determined to live every moment for Jesus. Keep our lamps burning, stand in the armour of Christ, be ready in a moment's warning to serve and respond to his call. When our number is complete he will gather us together and then his full attention will be focused on Israel.

Prov 10-12; Ro 10

The Proverbs give good advice on living righteously but it does not hold the keys to Salvation. It's not possible to achieve favour with God through our actions otherwise we would have to work for our salvation. Rather, God took the works and laid them on Jesus so now by trusting in him we will please God and consequently do the righteous works prescribed in Proverbs. In fact, it's not possible to truly live righteously without firstly coming to Christ. So even the worst sinner, the most wicked man, can find forgiveness in Christ and stand justified and redeemed before God for all eternity.

Prov 7-9; Ro 9

The character described as Wisdom in the Proverbs must be the Holy Spirit of the New Testament. Unfortunately today we awkwardly refer to the Holy Spirit as “it” and sometimes “he”. There has not been any discussion around “she”. Perhaps it's because the female form is idolized to such an extent that to apply this gender to the godhead would be seen as blasphemous. Certainly the true, honourable place of women today is displaced by political correctness in our society and women have become a competitor to men rather than a giver of life and a builder of families. Sexual satisfaction is designed by God to be contained in marriage. It's a powerful force that can reap destruction when let loose outside of God ordained relationships, ultimately leading to pain and death.

Prov 4-6; Ro 8

Solomon gives good advice when he talks about living a Godly life but it's based on the mind controlling the heart. Paul's explanation of the new Covenant is much better. With God's spirit in our hearts we are better able to subjugate our minds in living a life that's pleasing to God. Solomon did the best he could but it's an uphill battle when trying to live according to the law. Fortunately Christ did this for us so we don't have to. As long as we have the spirit of Christ living in our hearts we have no dispute with God. We are at peace with him.

Prov 1-3; Ro 7

If we replace the word “wisdom” in the Proverbs with the word “Jesus” we get an illustrious picture of Jesus' heart. Jesus is the perfect embodiment of wisdom. However the words of scripture come to nothing if they fall on deaf ears and are never applied. When we study the scriptures, consistently look for the heart of God, embrace it fully and live it out day by day. Sure, we will have our off days and be disappointed in our behaviour but Jesus will always welcome us back. Remember, God said, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6) and he also says, “... nothing can pluck you out of my hand” (John 10:28). As Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight”.

1 Ki 10-11; 2 Chron 9; Ro 6

Solomon’s unlimited wealth and wisdom did not prevent him from sinning before God and so bought judgement on himself and the nation. Sin has consequences (Romans 8:23) and if we remove ourselves from under the covering of God's grace this will also have eternal consequences. It is true that God will never give up on us but we must always be ready to humble ourselves in recognition of who he is and confess our faults and sins to him in order to restore our rightful place in the grace of God.

1 Ki 9; 2 Chron 8; Ps 136; Ro 5

We need to continually recognise the goodness of God in our everyday lives. Living with an attitude of thankfulness focuses our hearts and minds on his grace and love and gives us hope in Christ. Without hope we can become bitter and resentful and find the trials of life overwhelming. As the Psalmist says, “Give thanks to the lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” (Ps 136:1)

2 Chron 6-7; Ps 135; Ro 4

By putting our hope and trust in the one true God supersedes the law and by bringing our faith into the context of Christ formalises our relationship in God. God understands when we do good things for him because he understands the intentions of our heart. However we must also understand intentions of his heart and meet him in the Lord Jesus Christ. Many people may worship other forms of God sincerely with an open heart but ultimately all must come to an understanding that Jesus is the only way to truly know God. God can only make this happen through the drawing of his Holy Spirit. We, as his vessels, can witness to this and help lead others to Christ.

1 Ki 8; 2 Chron 5; Ps 99; Ro 3

In Old Testament times the act of worshipping God meant going to the temple because that's where his presence was. The importance of this in Jewish life cannot be underestimated. Now that Christ has paid the penalty for our sin the Temple of God now dwells in our hearts.The importance of this marvellous act of Grace must also not be underestimated. We are to worship him continually in an attitude of sacrifice and praise so that the world will see our deeds and give praise to God.

1 Ki 7; 2 Chron 4; Ps 98; Ro 2

Living righteously before God must involve an absence of judging others because when we judge, we take the place of God. There is a fine line between identifying sin in a person’s life and morally raising ourselves above that person. We are no better. We only live because Christ lives and our trust in him confirms that. We may disagree with a person’s lifestyle or choices in life but we can still refer to him as ‘friend.’ Jesus called Judas ‘friend’ as he was being betrayed in the garden. This will bring glory to God and bring freedom to our own lives.

1 Ki 6; 2 Chron 3; Ps 97; Ro 1

With the help of science we can see, with ever increasing magnification, the wonder of God's handiwork. The psalmist says “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”  (Psalm 139:14). When we study the incredible amount of information incorporated in our DNA we realise what an amazing God we have. Nothing we make can ever come close to emulating our creator God, and still we can call him father. Yet his best and most glorious acts was raising his son Jesus from the dead, and by proxy, all of us with him. Say what you like, there will be nothing to ever outdo or eclipse God in the area of redemption and salvation.

1Ki 4-5; 2Chron 2; Ps 19; 2 Th 3

We don’t know how much effort it to God to make the world and everything in it but we do know that it took Solomon a massive organisation of manpower and materials to build the Temple for the Lord. Something of beauty and wonder. To build the Lord’s work today takes a great organisation and effort. Lazy people should not be tolerated. Every person in our assemblies should work as one to bring praise to the Lord and not just be a passenger, carried along by others.

1Ki 3; 2Chron 1; Ps 78; 2Th 2

Now we are at the end of days it is easy to see great deception is taking hold, particularly in the area of so-called ‘sexual freedom’ and a complete abandonment of the biblical Christ. The deception becomes apparent to those who purpose to believe and live by the word of God. We are to cherish those who are like-minded and not to compromise with the world in order to escape the wrath to come.

1 Ki 2; 1 Chron 29; Ps 95; 2 Th 1

Now that Jesus has covered us and forgiven our sin, the requirements to live a holy life has increased. Not only our actions but our attitude of heart comes under the heavy scrutiny of God’s judgement. The unbelieving world refuses to acknowledge this and lacks the fear of God and so will account directly to him. Although Christians will avoid condemnation and eternal separation we will all stand before Christ and give an account to how we used the gift of life. We should all be ready to face that day.

1 Ki 1; 1Chron 28; Ps 91; 1Th 5

When we allow Christ to take centre stage in our lives we are not alone. Hebrews 3:5 tells us confidently that he will never leave us or forsake us. If we cannot trust God or his Word then who can we trust? By fully trusting in Christ we take the heat off our expectations to succeed and win. When we fully learn to trust in the Lord then we will see his guiding hand over our lives. The Jordan River did not part until the priests, who carried the Ark, stepped into the water. In the same way, we need to confront our fears and struggles by stepping into faith.

1 Chron 25-27; 1 Th 4

To the worldly mind the concept of a rapture is ridiculous and a preposterous myth of the Christian's faith. Yet I propose three good reasons why we should live our lives in expectation of such an event. Firstly, it is exclaimed by scripture in both the Old and New Testament. It is not something made up by the church. Secondly, it precedes the horrific time of judgement by God which is not merely a calamity but a time of judgement the world has previously not experienced. We do not come under this judgement because we already have been judged in Christ. Thirdly, by removing believers, the spiritual force of praying believers is taken out of the way which will allow Satan a time of relative freedom to do what he wants. We are told in scripture to be prepared, not like the foolish virgins who ran out of oil or the backslidden master of the house. We are not to know the day or the hour but to live our lives in a continued state of readiness.

1 Chron 22-24; 1 Th 3

Being thorough and paying attention to detail is an important aspect of serving the Lord. This is because we must leave a legacy for others to follow. It's not good for us to keep the Lord's blessing all to ourselves, others must be prepared and trained up to know how to enter into the service of the king. Faith is not exercised haphazardly but must be coordinated and planned like David did when he planned for the construction and service in the temple. When he went to be with the Lord he left his kingdom in great shape. No matter how small our lives are we must plan to do likewise.

2 Sam 24; 1 Chron 21; Ps 30; 1 Th 2

Satan works against God by deceiving us into sin and Satan is very determined to see us fall. Because we are responsible before God for our behaviour and actions we must account to him. We cannot blame others. Our only escape is to acknowledge the wrong and repent from it, claiming the forgiveness of Christ Jesus. God will not use an unclean heart. We must continually bathe ourselves in his blood covering word to keep our hearts right before him.

2 Sam 21-23; 1 Th 1

Like David, when things are not working in the Lord we need to seek him vigorously for an answer. Sometimes we have overlooked an attitude or behaviour which is prevented the freedom of his kingdom from materializing. When we fail to hear from the Lord we may have to consider getting the issues settled before God has free access to our lives. For example, is there any unforgiveness? Have you wrong anyone? Do you need to make restitution for something that was not yours to keep? Keeping your heart right before God is an extremely important part of Christian living.

2 Sam 19-20; Ps 55; Mt 28

Christianity is not the face of conservative men. It's full of incredible and amazing claims. By simply believing in the risen Christ we are accepted into his kingdom and go on to do the same miraculous works that he did but are exponentially multiplied as more believers are added. This confounds unbelievers who stay safely bound to their worldly notions that nothing changes and that a new life in Christ is illusionary. God help them.

2 Sam 18; Ps 56; Mt 27

It would seem to me that God allows evil men to have their way so that their actions are full evidence of their evil intentions. But he will not let them get away with their deeds forever. “The wages of sin is death” (Ro 6:23) the Bible tells us and when we are subjected to evil we must hold on to our faith and trust in God because it is only he who can deliver us. There is a day coming when God will deal with all of evil once and for all.

2 Sam 17; Ps 71; Mt 26

Peter, in all confidence, thought he knew himself but under the heavy gaze of Satan he crumbled to do the very thing he did not want to do. I am like Peter, we all are. We think we know our own capacity and strength and become overly confident in our own abilities. It’s only after we fall do we realise the folly of our actions. Cheer up! God uses these situations to keep us humble and reliant on him for he is much bigger than any sin.

1 Sam 15-16; Ps 32; Mt 25

When David opened his door to sin he allowed all sorts of consequences to follow. Even though God forgave him he did not escape the consequences of his actions. David knew that Absalom’s uprising was of the Lord. Jesus illuminated the same idea in the parables of the virgins, talents and helpers. God sees the heart of all of his people but we must stand the test of time or face the consequences of our tardiness.

2 Sam 13-14; Mt 24

The propensity for evil and weakness lies in the hearts of all mankind. We cannot pretend that our own kind and generous actions will remove this tendency. It is very easy to fall into deception and the fruit of this is a separation from God. The only way to guard against this is to live by the word of God. It must be embedded in our hearts and minds and it must be in acted on. The holy spirit uses the word of God to remind us and guide us when Satan tries to lure us away from the truth.

2 Sam 10; 1 Chron 20; Ps 20; Mt 22

Our lives lived in faith are preparation for us to attend the great wedding supper of the Lamb (Rev 17:9) Let us then proceed in faith towards this great event, fixing our eyes on him (Heb 3) and not be distracted by the cares and worries of this life.

2 Sam 8-9; 1 Chron 18-19; Mt 21

Two kings, David and Jesus, are hugely successful and are loved by the people. In their context they have won great battles and carry the blessing and anointing of the Lord. God expects us to serve him by faithfully serving those he anoints. We build his kingdom by recognising and serving those he places in leadership.

2 Sam 7; 1Chron 17: Ps 2; Mt 20

We all desire to be great and successful. Man likes power and mostly the way it is established is brutal and forceful. This is not the way with God. Those he makes powerful and successful he anoints and establishes their way. Often it can be confusing because it defies our way of looking at things. We forget that God sees a bigger picture and he looks at personal qualities differently to men. By humbling ourselves and serving each other will show God that we have the real attributes for leadership.

1Chron 16; Ps106; Mt 19

Putting God at the centre of our lives and loving him with all our heart, soul and strength should be seen as the minimum response we can make to God. The great characters of the Bible all lived their lives in complete submission to God and this should be a quality we all aspire to. In some ways it’s much easier today because Jesus covers us in the blood of his personal sacrifice. By walking with Jesus we stay in the light and his blood covers us from all sin. (1John 1:7)

1Chron 14-15; Ps 132; Mt 18

Our attitude in dealing with each other must mirror God’s grace in our own lives. The Importance of having a sense of innocence before God must not be underrated. Knowing how God sees the innocence of children helps us understand his justice and mercy. God is not motivated by political ambition, power or money so we must not get confused about God’s priorities.