1 Kings Overview Part 3 - After Building Ideology, We Must Choose The Sacrifice Of Blood Daily Or We Will Fail

Do we have such a vision like what the song “Jesus is the Christ” says, where until our last living breadth, we will be able to use it for God’s purpose? This is not a blown-up vision that is empty, but it is through understanding that we are created for the purpose of God.

Our deacons - one day, you will be able to step up onto the role of world gospelization, and our sisters, as it have been always, you will be the strength of prayer behind those leading. Every day, I look at this vision and pray. Do you?

Faith

When the words in our minds can connect to the word of God, the Spirit will become alive. We may have been through a process of difficulties for the past year. We may also have upcoming process that is even worse than now such that we may turn to be more lukewarm. However, no matter what situations I am in, I choose the path of faith. I want to discover the absolute joy that cannot be changed. We always have 2 roads to choose. When we wake up, we can either choose to remain in sorrows, or to grab hold of the road of joy. God’s promise is always with us. Shan’t we pray and expect when we go to work and bring a heart to bless our fields? It works this way, that if we choose correctly in our small roles, God will promote us from that situation. Every one of us will stand on the pulpit and teach all people in future. Why shall small matters discourage us? Weaknesses are all around. Do not remain in chaotic and frustrated thoughts. Choose the right thing.

Prayer

Sometimes there are problems, such as weaknesses in our interpersonal relationships. But I will choose the path to pray. We are young and we have the nature of the young at heart. In our age, our immature thoughts and the feelings we have now may pull us back such that it is more difficult for us to be equipped. However, there is a secret to success. We must overcome our feelings, emotions and weaknesses. The secret is in having a “big vessel”. In our weaknesses, we can understand the sufferings of the whole world. In our failures, we can understand that our failures are going to be used for the kingdom. Sometimes, when I have weaknesses myself. However, when I see someone that needs to be ministered, I immediately forget about my weaknesses and help him. Some people work in their companies with a small view. But this is what they have chosen, not that they are left with no choice. Having a big vessel means that whatever the Lord has given us - the conditions and the career that God have planned for us are meant for gospelization of this age.

Some people asked, “are we really sure that we are called by God to this or that purpose? (e.g being a missionary, pastor, or leader)?” But what is “sure” and what is “not sure”? How do we know that our wives are what God has fixed? Is it because we have known each other so well and have kids? What happened if there are matters that lead to divorce one day? Will that mean that I have lost the grace or that I have disobeyed God’s calling? I become a pastor not to become a successful pastor, but I just become a pastor what God intends me to be. If God wants us to fail, or be in negative conditions, why can’t we just submit to God? What God wants is not a great beginning, but whether our current conditions can be used to get closer to God! Billy Graham has a wife who is the daughter of an evangelist. However, their daughter received depression and even tried to commit suicide. Their 5 sons went into drugs. However, years passed and their daughter graduated from university at the age of 40 years. And now with Billy Graham at the age of 90, all his 5 sons became fulltime ministers. At a ripe old age of 90, Billy Graham’s life has been proven to be used by God fully. Therefore, I now know, that the life of a person can only be judged after years of test.

Some people said that my life as a pastor must be very difficult to live because I need to shepherd in many difficult situations. However, it is really easy. I have this thought in my heart: the more difficult roads that will come to me are going to bless me more. I do not shepherd by my own expectations, otherwise, it is really going to be great suffering running ahead of the Lord. Whatever the Lord tells me to praise, to encourage, to shepherd, I just follow.

Abraham (father of faith) <Heb 1>

Set apart from the world -> build altar

Faith -> Prayer

Abraham loves to throw the world behind him when God tells him to because he will find more freedom and joy when he did that. For Lot, he did not feel the same way. Therefore, he did not let go of the world.

Some people cannot leave their nature. However, Israel must leave Exodus. This is a mystery.

Israel -> Leave Exodus

Those who are able and those who are unable to do Tabernacle -> Canaan is the narration of 1 Kings and 2 Kings.

1 Kings

The following is the summary of 1 Kings:

1. The success of King Solomon

2. The failure of King Solomon

3. The division of kingdom (Judah and Israel)

4. Ahab king of Israel vs Elijah/Elisha

2 Kings is about northern Israel becoming Samaritans and they were destroyed with no remembrance at the end. Judah, the true Israelites, were not destroyed, but exiled and yet preserved.

1. The success of King Solomon

1) Succeeded his father David as king

<Gen 5> Adam - Noah <Gen 11> Noah - Abraham

<Mt 1> Abraham - David - Jesus Christ (Life system)

* System of Born Again

* Identity must be born again.

For some believers, I see that they do not have the perspective of one who has been born again. Some people say “Hallelujah” when things go well, but puke and curse when things do not go well as planned. But the one with the “born again” perspective will know that the bad things have God’s plan. Even Sun Yat Sen thought that any problems that happened to their campaign for reformation were positively going to help them. We are most honoured and we have the identity as the child of God. How can such a person fall? Why shall we put poison in our minds? What God always say in the bible repeatedly is the system of “born again”. Some believers may have believed for a long time. However, if they do not have the “born again” system, a small quarrel will cause problems in relationships. If our lives are so big, why not just let the other party win? Some people are affected by a few words. Those who have the system of “born again”, “Since I am so blessed, why shall I be affected?” Do not be like a small child. “But I can’t.” Is this very hard to believe? This is why I say, “Grab hold of this life and do not let go!”

* Absolute

This is most absolute. This is the promise of God, that everything is yours. Nothing is going to let you fail because God is always there for you, and problems do not make an exception. Some people cannot differentiate between assurance and faith. Faith comes from the assurance of salvation. This is the start of our belief. This is the crux no matter what.

2) Sacrificed (Prayer) to ask for wisdom (perfect will)

In other words, Solomon prayed to ask for perfect will. Since we have received the law of life and the Spirit, we have received the Spirit of sonship.

<Ro 1-11> -> <Ro 12> -> How do we connect with Christians and non-christians, etc..

<Eph>

Since Jesus Christ has died and resurrected for you, how great is the expectation, power and inheritance in you! <Eph 1> Therefore, you must become wise man, loving time; do not be drunk with the world but be filled with the Holy Spirit, and you must know what is the will of God <Eph 4>. Then 7 fields are explained in the rest of the book of Ephesians. This is the perfect will to discover.

(1) Get salvation

(2) Sanctification

(3) Inheritance

-> This is the Ideology.

This is the most important. This will help and protect you. On the highway, this will enable you to be able to move fast and correctly. Some people say that they cannot pray because they do not know how to pray and they cannot hear God’s words. This applies also to a pastor.If he cannot hear God, he will not pray. Pastors are just human beings too. Therefore, the altar or the ideology must be set up. Before the ideology of salvation is set up, everything we have used in prayer or for the fellowship with God are just our own feelings towards God. Therefore without being rooted, our relationship with God is easily blown down. Those who have the ideology of sanctification set up, Satan’s deception will not continue to attack, and any seemingly negative things will turn around in their hearts and minds. If we have not known the ideology of inheritance that God has given us, how do we know that our prayers have been answered? For some people who have been lukewarm for a long time, I will not tell them to pray as they will probably only pray for 1 or 2 days. But absolutely, listening to CD will definitely cure. Theological books are not able to give this ideology. The ideology must be established so that prayer will continue.

3) Solomon’s temple, focal point of life

(1) My life <God’s word, Jesus Christ’s mystery, Holy Spirit’s guidance/filling>

(2) Blessed person +++ ...

4) The dedication of the temple (Living Sacrifice), sacrifice (Jesus Christ)

(1) Burnt offerings (Born again)

This is the burning of your whole life.

(2) Grain offering

This is the thanksgiving offering. Only those who have done burnt offering will do this. And thanksgiving cannot be done alone. Why? God does not like people to say, “Thank God!” or “Hallelujah” alone. Unless there is the reason of thanksgiving, saying these is using the Name of the Lord in vain. With “Burnt Offering”, “Grain Offering” is thanking God for regenerating us. With “Peace offering”, thanksgiving is because of being reconciled to God. With Sin offering, it is giving thanks for washing away sins.

(3) Peace Offerings

+

Sin offerings

Restitution offerings

=> acquire righteousness -> Ask for anything, acquiring all things

1Jn 3:21 if our hearts do not condemn us, ask and God will give you what you desire in your heart.

5) Natural result: evidence will come

We pray for the blessings of the heart, body, financial power, our spouse, children, etc. If we do not have life, the heart will not receive peace. If we do not love ourselves, we will not be able to love our wife and quarrels will come. If we have not received freedom, even if we have money in our pockets, we will be accused such that we will be unable to use them in peace. Man has system in him, and this system cannot be deceived.

I believe that big wealth will come upon this church and someone will rise up in wealth. But what is wealth? When our lives can love lives no matter what, it will surely come.

2. The failure of King Solomon

When I read till 1 Kings 10, Israel’s glory from the time of Abraham has been restored! However, from chapter 11, darkness fell on Israel immediately. There must be a reason.

1Kg. 11:1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter — Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.

It is easier to give all your heart to love one rather than love 2. It is not easy to love one, but Solomon had one thousand to care for! Solomon was really a playboy!

1Kg. 11:2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.

The reason is most important: turning hearts after other gods.

1Kg. 11:3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.

700 royals! This means behind them, the political strife must be great!

1Kg. 11:4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

1Kg. 11:5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.

Molech god is really detestable, as a living baby must be burnt before worship.

1Kg. 11:6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.

1Kg. 11:7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.

All the detestable gods are so that living babies must be sacrificed. And Solomon was evil to the extent that he even helped to build the high places for such detestable gods.

1Kg. 11:8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

1Kg. 11:9 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.

1Kg. 11:10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command.

1Kg. 11:11 So the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.

His subordinate is Jeroboam.

1Kg. 11:12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.

1Kg. 11:13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

From verse 14 onwards, we can see that God rose up adversaries such as Hadad.

For Solomon’s lifetime, sadly, his brain was used for pacifying the wives and concubines.

Solomon was not like David, who had heard prophet Nathan, and repented, “the wives and concubines do not really give me joy. I have sinned right to the core. Let me acquire the upright heart to be clean before You again”. In other words, in Solomon’s life, the important idea on “sacrifice” had been lost. Do not think why such a blessed person can fail. God is love and merciful. One thousand rebels but God will still be patient. If you can hear the discipline of God, do not remain in your accusations and failures. Elijah always come before Ahab and said, “dogs will eat you and your family”. However, a man with no bones like Ahab, who was always influenced by his wife, turned back because he thought that it was wise to listen to a prophet. Elijah replied, “Ok, since you have repented like this, dogs will not eat you now, but next time.” If Solomon had turned around, God will be merciful.

1) Loved foreign women: thoughts, interests, beliefs, worship idols

Women may be attractive and innocent. However, what they will bring about is dangerous, not their attractiveness. Handsome boys may be innocent too. And we have to be with people of the world like our colleagues. However, the danger is not in any place but in their thoughts, interests, beliefs, and worshipping idols. Such is the road of Solomon.

* Political Marriage: Compromise

Solomon must have political reasons to marry the concubines and wives. Pharaoh saw the glory of Israel, fought, won a city, and gave his daughter and the city to Solomon.

If we do not compromise, and are not be influenced by them, we must then be filled with the Holy Spirit. The church will surely be conservative and we will not go into the entertainment circle. Our wisdom and answers must be so great so that celebrities come to us with their problems. There is already a stronghold there and there is no need to go into it.

2) Worshipped idols

Solomon even built high places.

3) Jehovah became angry: Warnings

If there is strife in the church between brothers and sisters, I know that Satan is coming after me. If my heart becomes discouraged, we will not be able to comfort people. Rebuking will be unbalanced, and accusations will seep in. Why did Solomon receive such a great failure? Was it because his wives and concubines were too beautiful? But we must go to the core of the problem. What God is most concerned about, Solomon was not a bit concerned.

<Gen 3> - Jesus Christ 2^nd coming

Between this period, we must never forget * The State of Spiritual Realms

Very quickly, after Gen 3, Cain received the poison. Even from Abel -> Noah, the righteous line, Noah was the only one before the flood! Slowly, they compromised and loved the Gentiles. Therefore, the flood destroyed descendants of Cain and descendants of Abel, other than the family of Noah. Yet, very quickly, the Tower of Babel came. Therefore, God told Abraham to leave! God continually emphasized on “Born Again”! Israel in Egypt, no matter how big the numbers, must come out and offer blood sacrifice. This means that morning and night, they must die. Going to work, they must die. Do not think that a revival will be enough. If you return from camp, receiving praise from the senior pastor, but yet we do not continue to die, very easily Gen 3 will seep through. Red Sea: Set apart. Why does God continue to nag like this? It is because this is very important! At the Jordan River, again, they must be baptized and be circumcised even before the enemies! But God did not care, but emphasized that they must die or else they will lose. Israel did not lose to men, but to the spiritual realms.

Diagnose your own self. Is there any craving that you must acquire and do before the age of 35 (Cars, houses, etc)? Man will surely have such hopes. But every time such thoughts come, we counter them with, “why am I so weak?” and return to God. Satan deceives any time and through everything. He is very powerful. If we do not understand the blood sacrifice, we will not be able to overcome Satan. Do you really love God and the kingdom? If you see the state of the family, you will definitely cry. If they win lotteries, and have a life that is smooth, you will cry. We do not mean to curse them and that they will not meet with grave accidents or be bankrupt. But we hope so much that they will see the emptiness of life and know the eternal promises. If we do not have such a heart but let such cravings of the world remain in us, we will surely lose to Satan. There is definitely a reason for Solomon to experience such a great failure. Sometimes, our career has grown, and many people respect us, but we know that there is something amiss in our lives. If we hold on to the blood sacrifice, we will not walk the ways of Solomon. And when God rebukes by giving warning through prophets or people, we will repent and walk the ways of David.

The nature of man loves to go into the following:

* Humanism - Using the ways of the world to judge in church.

* Mysticism

* Legalism - always talking about rights and wrongs.

When we are angry, are we angry because God is angry? When we are joyful, is it because of the joy of God? Man cannot escape from humanism, mysticism and legalism unless they have the blood sacrifice.

We must go from flesh -> Spirit. We must go from our own motives and interests to God’s motives and concern. If not, we as small group leaders will inevitably transfer humanism, mysticism, and legalism to our sheep.

Meet God -> Prayer -> one breakthrough -> challenge...

If we have met God, we will definitely like to pray. If we have been living central to church life, we will definitely meet with some conflicts in the church. If we turn around and resolute to stay with the church even with the conflict still presiding, we will have acquired one breakthrough. There may be another challenge. “It is easy to submit to God, but who is this pastor?” If we can overcome this challenge, God will continue to raise us up. When pastor rebukes, there are 3 people who accept and repent. Yet there are 7 who hear and forget about the rebuke because they think that the church is not their home or their concern. Yet another week came and the rebuke came again. 3 of the 7 think that this is getting out of hand and grind their teeth. I am talking about the spiritual state. Do you understand? God does not want us to offer 100 “Ishmael”s but 1 “Isaac”.

There is someone who came to me one day and told me, “I am going to change this job, read such a degree, go to such places, and plan my life this way.” It seems that he has no consideration of God in his life. I cannot tell anything to him! But for some people, they will have consideration for the church, the timing of the worship service before they do anything. Is it not puzzling that such a blessed person will have no consideration of God one day? This tragic matter is because he has not set apart from the world from some time! He has walked the road of Solomon. Therefore, it is important to die every morning and night.

4) Many adversaries were arose

Therefore many problems came. We must know the importance of our roles as deacons. God can even use stones to testify Him. We must become the deacons of this age. It should be that one day may come, where a pastor meets up with one of our deacons, and the depth and vessel that the deacon has will amaze, shame and revive the weak pastor of this age.

Taken from Discipleship Training on 27^th April 2007, 1 Kings Overview Part 3.