I KINGS

It is a beautiful, sunny day in Oregon on this fine Saturday morning!  Here are a few thoughts about I Kings: 1) SHOW THYSELF A MAN- I Kings 2:2,3 says: "I go the way of all the earth:  be thou strong therefore, and show 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 wand withersoever thou turnest thyself:"  In this passage, there are two things I want us to see: 1-Show thyself a man.  Being a man is about facing your fears and still walking forward.  It is not necessarily conquering all your fears, but at least doing battle with them.  It is about an attempt to succeed, even if you fail.  And 2- It is about keeping God's Word.  Being a man is not about just being macho, it is about being godly!  Any man can be an ungodly man, but it takes real strength of will, and yieldedness of spirit to be a godly man.  Decide today to be God's man. 2) HEART PULLED AWAY-In I Kings 11, we see that Solomon's heart is pulled away by women.  He had seven hundred wives, and three hundred concubines, and the Bible says: "his wives turned away his heart."  In 34 years of being a pastor, I can say that it is rarely that a family leaves a church because of the husband.  Usually the wife has something happen in her life that causes the husband to pull away from serving God.  God made woman to have a profound effect on man, but a godly woman is the need of man.  Solomon's wives pulled his heart from the LORD.  Because of this, God said in verse 11: "I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant."  His straying heart is what tore up the kingdom.  It is easy to blame his son, but it was he who caused the divide.  3) THE RAIN IS COMING!  I Kings 18:41 says:  "There is a sound of abundance of rain."  Ever see rain a far off and then see it coming towards you?  Ever hear the sound in the distance of the rain hitting the earth, trees, roof tops, asphalt, etc.?  "Mercy drops round us are falling, oh for the showers we plead."  I hear the sound of the rain!  It's coming!  I hear the sounds of God's blessings, I hear the sound of more souls being saved, I hear the sounds of a crowded auditorium, I hear the sounds of lives being changed..... they are all happening now as the mercy drops fall around us, but I hear..... the sound of the rain falling hard!!  I hope that is what you hear in your life and future. 4) IT COST HIM HIS LIFE- Naboth was killed by Ahab who wanted just to buy his field.  But Naboth said this in I Kings 21:3 "The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee."  I cannot give up what my father, who is now in heaven, and my mentors, like Dr. Hyles who is in heaven, have given me.  The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers away!  They gave me a King James Bible and I'm sticking with it.  They gave me a clear and focused love for the Church, and I'm sticking with it.  They gave me a passion for lost souls, and I'm sticking with it.  They gave me the tools of prayer and Bible reading, and I'm sticking with it.  They taught me to give my best to the LORD, not "come any which way you are".  (that is fine for sinners, but not for saints!)  And I'm sticking with it!  In this day, it may cost me to stick with the old fashion principles that shaped our nation and churches across this great land, but Naboth gave his life, can I do less than stand for the same inheritance my fathers have given me?  Here I stand!  Have a blessed day!  Pastor Mike Mutchler