1 Chronicles 14. David’s victories over the Philistines

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1 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him an house. 2 And David perceived that the LORD had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high, because of his people Israel. 3 And David took more wives at Jerusalem: and David begat more sons and daughters. 4 Now these are the names of his children which he had in Jerusalem; Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, 5 And Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpalet, 6 And Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia, 7 And Elishama, and Beeliada, and Eliphalet.

8 And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it, and went…

Ophel (City of David), Jerusalem, Israel. The Kidron Valley and Mount of Olives are in the background. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 Chronicles 15. Getting ready to move the covenant box. David brings the Ark to Jerusalem

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1 And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. 2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever. 3 And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it. 4 And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites: 5 Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren…

English: A young girl kisses a baby on the cheek. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Intimate Communication In Marriage. Husbands love your wife. Wives love your husband

By  Jimmy Evans – MarriageToday

Marriage Builder Weekly

Presented by MarriageToday with Jimmy & Karen

Remember those magic days of new romance when you and your spouse first began dating? The ways you hugged and cuddled, the pet names you used, the sweet nothings you whispered, the way you held hands and gazed into each other’s eyes.

Those little acts of affection helped draw your hearts together because they communicated value and closeness. You used them to let each other know how much you cared. They were little signposts pointing to your loyalty.

When marriages begin to struggle, these intimate moments are often the first things to go. If a couple stops showing affection, it might be because they…

1 Chronicles 16. A song of praise. David’s song of thanksgiving

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1 So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God. 2 And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. 4 And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORDGod of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and…

1 Chronicles 17. God’s promise to David

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1 Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains. 2 Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee. 3 And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4 Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in: 5 For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. 6 Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake…

King David in Prayer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 Chronicles 18. David’s military victories. David extends his kingdom

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1 Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines. 2 And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts. 3 And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates. 4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots. 5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. 6 Then David put garrisons in Syriadamascus; and…

1 Chronicles 19. David defeats Ammon and the Syrians

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1 Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead. 2 And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. 3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land? 4 Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst…

1 Chronicles 20. The Philistine giants slain. David capture Rabbah

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1 And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it. 2 And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David’s head: and he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city. 3 And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities…

Is America Intolerant of Christianity?  A Prayer Letter From Franklin Graham

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

Christians must never compromise their allegiance to the Savior, no matter what others may think.

“We need God’s Word and His laws now more than ever.”

— Franklin Graham

Recently I was at a White House meeting with Vice President Joe Biden and had the opportunity to remind him that our main problem in America is that we have taken God out of our society and out of our government. We need God’s Word and His laws now more than ever.

Disobedience to God’s Word and His laws has wreaked havoc across the political, economic, and spiritual landscape of our country. There is scandal after scandal, and yet our nation’s leaders seem even more belligerent toward Christians.

If we hold up God’s standards, we are accused…

English: The Jews Return to Jerusalem in the Time of Cyrus; as in Ezra 1:1-11; illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ezra’s prayer of confession. Ezra learns of intermarriage with non-Jews (KJV). Ezra 9.

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1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

English: Flag of Israel with the Mediterranean sea in the background, in Rishon LeZion. עברית: דגל ישראל בראשון לציון (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The plan for ending mixed marriages. Pagan marriages annulled (KJV). Ezra 10.

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1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore. 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. 3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of…

Humble yourself in the sight of The Lord Your God and He will lift you up!

Sacrifices of joy.

And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore, will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. Psalm 27:6

Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up!

David said, “I get in the presence of God and I offer Him sacrifices of joy.” What would that look like? In other translations it says, “Sacrifices of shouting.” Can you imagine David getting in the presence of God?

I remember one time as I was leaving my place of prayer, the Holy Ghost said, “Are you not going to dance? The Father likes it when you dance.” So here I am trying to…

English: Jesus and Nicodemus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you go after God, He will meet you.  If you get serious with God, He will get serious with you.

Going after Jesus. Going after God.

The Pharisees therefore said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.”

John 12:19, NASB

Some may look at Nicodemus as a cowardly sneak, afraid to be seen with Jesus. Though there may have been an element of fear, his goal was to spend quality time with the Lord. We must break away and make time to be with Jesus. No schedule is more important. If you go after God, He will meet you.  If you get serious with God, He will get serious with you.

Like Nicodemus, if you make time for Jesus, Jesus will make time…

English: King David, second king of Israel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

David takes a census. David builds an Altar (KJV). 1 Chronicles 21.

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1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. 2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. 3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? 4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 5 And Joab gave the sum…

David prepares to build the Temple (KJV). 1 Chronicles 22.

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1 Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. 2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God. 3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight; 4 Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David. 5 And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will

English: Consecration of Aaron and His Sons, illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Divisions and duties of the Levites (KJV). 1 Chronicles 23.

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1 So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel. 2 And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites. 3 Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand. 4 Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges: 5 Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith. 6 And David divided them into courses…

The work assigned to the Priest (KJV). 1 Chronicles 24.

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1 Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office. 3 And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service. 4 And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers. 5 Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the…

The Temple Musicians (KJV). 1 Chronicles 25.

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1 Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was: 2 Of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king. 3 Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD. 4 Of Heman: the sons of Heman; Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamtiezer…

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

The Choice

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.  Joshua 24:15

Joshua had just led God’s chosen people on a conquest of the Promised Land. They fought incredible battles and had unbelievable success with the help of God. So now the battles moved to securing what God had already given them.

That experience could describe the lives of many Christ-followers. The initial fight for their soul has already been won by God. But the battle turns to securing the abundant life that Christ promised. It is tempting to feel safe and secure in what…

The New Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:2-4

I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of thing has passed away.

I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of ready for that old order stuff to go away. The end of tears, death, mourning, crying and pain sounds pretty good to me! No wonder the early Christians would say, “Marantha. Come Lord Jesus!”…