I was in prayer, praying about Covid-19 and asking God to eradicate it, and while doing this, the words of this scripture found in Isaiah 1:19 resounded in my spirit, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” The Holy Spirit began to minister to me believers all over the world are praying this prayer, but for it to manifest, we must be willing and obedient to follow the instructions. For everyone these instructions are not spiritual, they are practical for we can’t be like people that pray and ask God to keep us healthy; yet, we go outside in a winter snowstorm improperly dressed
This week citizens in Utah met at the Utah County commission meeting to object to their children wearing a face mask when they return to school. In that small cramp meeting room, these citizens refused to distance themselves socially and the majority of them did not have on a mask. Unfortunately, in a couple of weeks, these citizens will probably realize Covid-19 is real if there is an outbreak of case among those that attended this meeting.
The news also shared the story of a former game show host who tweeted, “everyone is lying (CDC, media, and Democrats) about COVID-19.” On the next day following the tweet, he changed his tune because his son tested positive for the virus. Furthermore, this is not new because the news is repeatedly reporting cases of individuals who became sick with Covid-19 after attending a function where they were not socially distancing or wearing a mask.
In Luke 16:19 – 31, there is a story of a rich man and a beggar. The rich man ends up in a place of torment and the poor man in the bosom of Abraham. When the rich man realizes his fate as compared to the beggar, he requested Abraham to send a messenger to his relatives and warn them about ending in a similar position as him. Abraham gives him this response, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” This story reflects the hardness of man’s heart and their unwillingness to listen to wise counsel from multiple sources, which unfortunately ends with fatal consequences.
If people continue not to follow the guidelines established by the medical doctors and leading scientists and if they believe Covid-19 is part of fake news, the pandemic will remain. We cannot function like the people that lived during the times of the judges where everyone did what was right in their own eyes, for like them, we will suffer the consequences for our misguided actions. All we have to do is do our part and be willing and obedient to instructions, and then God can do His part, heal the land.
After the decree of King Cyrus and seventy years of captivity in Babylonia, the children of Israel, namely the tribe of Judah under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Ezra, returned to Palestine. The story of their return is penned in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, and it shares their struggles, neglect, oppositions, and their accomplishments. Additionally, they rebuilt the temple and their cities in Palestine.
Historians record from the closing of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament to Matthew the first book in the New Testament, approximately four hundred years passed. This time was known as the “Period of Silence,” for during this time, there were no words spoken or written by the prophets. Furthermore, historians wrote about the fate that befell Israel during this period and how they were bitterly persecuted and their religious practices hindered by the series of conquering rulers that took possession of Palestine. By the time of Jesus’ birth, the Roman Republic had taken control, and the Jews were required to pay yearly taxes to Rome, who gave them some political liberty to control local affairs and permitted them some religious freedom. Also, various Jewish parties: Zealots, Sadducees, Pharisees, Essences, Scribes, and Samaritan, all with their own beliefs, could be found operating in Palestine.
Despite their circumstances, the Jews remembered the Edenic promise of the seed of the woman and words of the Old Testament prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Micah, who talked about the coming Messiah, a conquering king who would redeem man and restore the earthly kingdom of Israel. The Jews were expecting someone prestigious to be their king, someone born of Davidic royalty, someone who was scholastically astute and not someone who came from a lowly background or someone who was placed in a manger at birth.
First came John the Baptist heralding, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and then came Jesus. Throughout His earthly ministry, His teaching, healings, and feeding the multitudes caused many Jews to want to make Jesus their king. At one point, they forcibly attempted to take Him and make Him king, but He withdrew from their midst.
Even His disciples whom He walked with for three years, whom He taught privately and gave insight into mysteries and parables, did not understand because after His resurrection and before His ascension, they asked him, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”
The outcome of Jesus’s time on earth was not what His fellow countrymen expected. Those of us living in the 21st century, and are privileged to read the Bible in its completion understand that He was not coming solely to redeem the Jews but the whole world. We understand the events that needed to occur before His earthly kingdom reign are manifesting now. Jesus was not what they expected; however, He is whom His bride with expectation longingly await and say, “Even so come, Lord Jesus.”
Last week I blogged on the failure of King Solomon to follow God’s instructions, and thus when Solomon was old, his seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines turned away his heart from the God that blessed Him toward other gods. In this blog, I am going to share more details on Solomon’s failure and delve into why this wise man failed. To accomplish this goal, I must first share some facts from a few scriptures.
Genesis 2: 22-24 shares God’s perspective on marriage, and it says, “A man should leave his father and his mother, cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.” Apparently, God’s mandate for marriage was two persons becoming one; He did not mean for multiple persons to become one.
In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God talks to Moses about the laws of kingship and He made these points:
- A king was not to multiply horses to himself.
- A king was not to have multiple wives.
- A king was to write and keep himself a copy of God’s law, read it all the days of his life, and turn not aside from them.
Unless I overlooked it, there is no recording of Solomon continually reading and adhering to the laws of God, which was the last thing that God told Moses a king was to do. Maybe if he had done so, he wouldn’t have died outside of the will and purpose of God.
Solomon’s father David had seven wives, plus concubines, and from these unions, Solomon had eighteen brothers and one sister. If he had additional siblings from his father’s concubines, it was not recorded. Furthermore, reading the life of David reveals he, with his multiple wives, had a dysfunctional family, and Solomon experienced sibling conflict because of it.
This family dysfunction was also a generational curse that was passed down from multiple generations before Solomon’s birth, for Solomon’s father and grandfather had several wives. Why didn’t wise Solonom learn from the mistakes of his fathers?
In Proverbs 6, 7, and 9, Solomon gave words of wisdom to his son concerning resisting the seduction of strange women. When I read those chapters, I wondered why Solomon did not heed his own advice for the lust of his flesh caused him to overindulge in promiscuity.
Unfortunately, Solomon’s failure is the same failure believers are experiencing today. In many areas of our lives, we fail to bring our flesh under subjection to the Word of God. Throughout the Bible, which is haphazardly read, the scriptures tell us that we are capable of overcoming, but we regrettably succumb to out flesh rather than our spirit.
I don’t know about you, but I am going to be wiser than Solomon. Solomon died at age sixty, I am a bit older than him, and I aim not to die being foolish. I practice learning from the good and bad experiences of others. So, learning from him, I am going to read, meditate, and follow the Word day and night, and I implore you to do the same.
Solomon, who became the third king in Israel, was the second son of Bathseba and the tenth son of King David. The Bible states in 2 Samuel 12:24 and 2 Chronicles 1:1 that God loved Solomon, was with him, and magnified him exceedingly. Additionally, the Bible states before David’s death he told Solomon, “I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself.”
In the early days of Solomon’s reign, God appeared to him in a dream and said to him, “Ask what I shall give thee.” Solomon’s response was to ask for an understanding heart to judge Israel and the ability to discern between good and bad. His request pleased God in such a meaningful way that God told him, “Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.”
In his lifetime, with the blessings and favor of God, Solomon obtained fame and adulation. The Bible recorded that all Israel heard of the judgments of Solomon, and they feared him for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him. Furthermore, people from other nations of all socio-economic backgrounds came to hear his wisdom. He was a poet and a prolific writer who penned 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs, some of which are found in the book of Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and Psalms. He built the first temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, a majestic palace for himself, and government buildings surrounded by gardens and roads. He accumulated thousands of horses and chariots, and his diplomatic skills allowed him to secure peace with his neighbors and build up Israel’s trade industry.
Unfortunately, Solomon loved women for the Bible states he had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. These wives and concubines were Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites, which God had instructed Israel not to marry. Solomon disobeyed God’s instruction which resulted in faulty behavior as seen in 1 Kings 11: 4-9, “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.” The consequence of his actions is seen in verses 9-11, “And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded. 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. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to thy son for David’s my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem sake which I have chosen.” What a sad end for the wisest man of his time who died at age sixty. He was wise, but not wise enough to be obedient to God, for he allowed the lust of his flesh to control a significant portion of his life.
Solomon’s life provides lessons for all of us to learn. First and foremost, be obedient to God’s instruction. Secondly, bring the flesh under subjection to the Word of God and, thirdly, don’t allow our actions to have a negative effect on our future generations. I believe these are vital points to adhere to for success in our Christian walk.
In my next blog, I am going to delve some more into problem areas in King Solomon’s life. So, I invite you to return to this website to learn more about Solomon’s errors. Prayerfully, these blogs will help you and me to please God and not our flesh.
Starting around the beginning of May 2020, I noticed my laptop on which I typed was moving extremely slowly. It was almost seven years old, and it had served me well. I was informed by a few people that my laptop was probably getting ready to die on me, and I took it to be serviced, and its death sentence was confirmed.
One morning after receiving the pending death notice, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to transfer everything that I needed off the laptop to a thumb drive. I am so glad that I did not procrastinate because after I made the transfer, the laptop started acting up. It would freeze up and not allow me to type or see material that I had on it. Thus, I made up in my mind to purchase a new laptop.
Initially, I wanted another Toshiba, but I found out that Toshiba was going out of business and was no longer making computers; therefore, I had to shop around for a new brand. After reading some consumer reports, I decided on a Hewlett Packard. Due to Covid-19 and being unable to go into stores, I ordered it directly from the company. It took several weeks to arrive, and it took me over a week to learn all of the features and set it up to my liking.
I said all of the above to explain why I had not been able to do my weekly blog, which I hope you were missing, but with the help of God, I am restarting.
While unable to post blogs, one thing I have been doing is taking advantage of the many free conferences and seminars being publicized on FB. I can honestly say that during this time, when we have been made to shelter-in many ministries have made their conferences free to the public. Besides on FB all through the day, prayer, teaching, and preaching are being done. The Word is no longer behind the four walls of our churches, but it is going into the homes of the masses throughout the day. Furthermore, I believe there is no reason for us to be discouraged because someone during the day has the Word to fit every situation, and I have been feasting.
In closing, if you have not availed yourself to Word in the many forms and platforms being offered, I strongly recommend you to do so. (There is no need to be hungry when you can eat at any time during the day.) And as usual, I solicit your prayers as I restart my blogging.
You think times are challenging now, listen to what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 24:21-22, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”
Sometime after the church is raptured the tribulation will take place as recorded in Revelation and many books of the minor prophets. There have been discussions on whether the next day after the rapture will be considered the first day of the tribulation or if it will begin after the Antichrist is revealed. I don’t know exactly when it will start or when it will end but this is what I do know, it is going to happen. In total, the tribulation is said to last seven years but I understand God’s timetable is different from man; therefore, I can only speculate on this timetable and not be specific.
From reading the scriptures in Revelation, I understand the tribulation is divided into two parts. The first part which lasts three and a half years is called the tribulation and the last three and a half years is known as the great tribulation. During this seven-year tribulation as I stated in previous blogs, there will be 21 judgments meted out on the earth and its inhabitants. After the fourth seal judgment, one-fourth of the earth’s population will be dead, and by the time the sixth trumpet judgment takes place another third of the population is dead which means half of the earth’s population will be dead even before the great tribulation starts (Revelation 6:8; 9:15-18).
Believers have not been raptured nor have the world entered the tribulation period but we are seeing a magnitude of death on the earth due to sickness, natural disasters, famine, pestilences, murder, and suicide. The world’s death toll is going to significantly increase and the sad but true fact is calamities are only going to intensify and get worse.
Many people are having difficulty adjusting to the Covid-19 quarantine. Many feel they are experiencing or will be experiencing PTSD when things begin to normalize. This right here is a piece of cake in comparison to the future as described in Revelation; hence, all of us need to plan for our eternal future.
I know most of us are tired of hearing bad news and we don’t want to hear of pending disasters, but as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I am compelled to share biblical truths with the world. It is my responsibility to say there is danger ahead; however, God has provided safety and a way of escape for all who will invite Him into their lives. The good news is you don’t have to faint, nor be afraid for God cares for you and He desires that you should be saved and not eternally perish.
On today if you are reading this blog, and you don’t have a relationship with God, right now, you can invite Him into your life. God has provided salvation for humanity through the death, burial, and resurrection of His son, Jesus. As the saying goes, “Don’t put off for tomorrow, what you can do today.” In fact, this will be the best and greatest decision that you have made in your life, and if you do it you will become part of God’s royal family and you won’t have to worry about tomorrow for you made the right decision.
Unlike the children of Israel in the land of Goshen who was protected from the plagues that happened in Egypt, there is coming a period which the bible calls tribulation where the whole world will be experiencing the twenty-one judgments of God. As the saying goes, “It will be raining on the just as well as the unjust” and no one will be exempt.
Presently we are experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic which started in China and over months has spread to 210 countries and territories around the world. This virus did not occur around the world in one day it took time to spread. Jesus forewarned believers before His death to expect these pestilences, and during the tribulation, the book of Revelation records plagues happening around the world on the same day due to God’s judgments.
Additionally, we are witnessing and hearing of believers dying from the Covid-19 pandemic, and this will also happen during the tribulation for individuals who will turn to God but He will allow them to suffer death (Revelation 6:7,11; 13:7).
Recently the news reported the giant Asian killer hornets were spotted in the northwest United States. These hornets are said to be about two inches in length with large stingers that transmit toxic venom to their victims. They are known to decimate honeybee colonies and cause serious results to humans that disturb or come near their hives. These hornets remind me of the fifth trumpet judgment on earth during the tribulation that will lose tormenting locust on those individuals that are not sealed of God.
Around the world and particularly in third world countries Christians and Jews are being killed for their religious stance. This is mirroring the martyrdom that will happen during the tribulation (Revelation 6:9-11).
In American, we are experiencing tornadoes and earthquakes in areas of the country that previously were void of these occurrences but now they have become the norm.
As calamities and end time events happen my spirit is being quickened. I understand that what is presently taking place is only a foretaste of future events, and this has signaled me to follow the words of Jesus in Luke 21:28, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” So, if you pass by me and see me looking upward you will know why or better still you will also be looking up so you won’t even notice me.
With all of the events that we are experiencing on earth, I share the sentiment of Apostle Paul who said for that which he was waiting in Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” This appearing will coincide with Jesus descending from heaven and the trump of God sounding as recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Furthermore, just reading about the splendor of heaven I can only imagine what the trumpets in heaven look like.
The sound of a trumpet which was accompanied with thunder, lightning and a thick cloud of smoke upon the quaking mount Sinai was first mentioned in the Exodus 19:13,16,19. It has been concluded that this trumpet was blown from heaven because God did not assign an individual on earth to blow a trumpet, and its’ sound was so loud and long it caused the Israelites in the camp to trembled.
Trumpets designed by God and made by man were recorded in Numbers 10. According to scripture at the beginning of Israel’s journey through the wilderness beside the making of the tabernacle and its holy items God told Moses to make two trumpets of silver to use for the calling of the assembly, for the journeying of the camps, for an alarm in case of an enemy attack, and the announcement of the feasts and new months. Only the priest was allowed to blow these trumpets and they were given instructions on the various sounds that were to be made on them. Thus, when the people heard the sounds of the trumpet they knew how to respond.
Throughout the Bible, you can read the events where the silver trumpets were employed for the above mention reasons. However, in Revelation John describes the use of trumpets to announce the second set of judgments upon the earth and its inhabitants but details of these trumpets were not given (Revelation 8 -11). I can only speculate that one of these trumpets or one similar to the one used in Exodus 19 will be utilized to announce the coming of Jesus in the clouds to assemble his body to Him, and I await the sound with great anticipation.
In closing this blog, my question to you is, have you made your calling and election sure, and are you ready to be caught up in the air to be with the Lord? If not, this is your opportunity to invite God into your life, don’t wait or hesitate. I want you to be in the number who hear the trumpet sound, I don’t want you to be left behind.
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