There are many different types of distractions that could keep us from the Kingdom of God, if we are not careful. We need to be aware of what is truly important and what we need to keep our focus on if we want to be counted worthy.
Michael Link
Are We Ready for 2016?
As 2015 comes to a close, we look back at how much destruction, pain and misery have taken place. From natural disasters to terrorism, this world we are living in is getting more and more destructive, and we know that we are getting closer and closer to Christ’s Return. We find ourselves becoming much more aware of what is going on and how these events are aligning with what the Bible is prophesying. Based on the numerous requests for literature and questions we are receiving about what has been going on this past year and what the future holds, it is starting to become more evident that some people are “waking up” to the truth and what we have been preaching about for several years, in light of biblical prophecy. Our messages and programs are drawing increasing attention and it begs the question, “How much longer do we really have left?”
We are living in a godless society and the accessibility to weapons and violent activities of terrorists are unstoppable; that is, until Christ returns to put an END to all this violence. That is the only way. There will be no peace until He returns. Man’s futile efforts to bring about peace through his wars is IMPOSSIBLE. God is the One Who does the fighting for us (Exodus 14:14; Hosea 1:7). He is the One Who makes wars cease (Psalm 46:9; Isaiah 9:6-7). And God will destroy all the weapons here on earth (Hosea 2:18; Isaiah 2:4; Ezekiel 39:9).
The times we are living in will get worse. By comparison, we haven’t seen anything yet. The events we have already witnessed this past year will occur with more and more frequency and with powerful devastation. The Bible tells us that when this happens, we KNOW that the time of Christ’s Return is near (Luke 21:25-28). As mentioned, some are beginning to realize that what the Bible has been stating since the beginning is in fact true, especially as the events prophesied are taking shape (compare Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 6:12-17).
What about us in the Church? What have we experienced this year? We have all endured trials but we, as a whole, have certainly stayed strong. We have come together to pray for one another, to pray for the success of the Church and to continue steadfast with doing the Work by preaching the true gospel of God’s Kingdom to the nations. What we are doing now is related to the potential for ALL mankind in the future. Some will listen and respond now. The hurt, the pain, the sorrow and death which this nation and the entire world have experienced this year will unfortunately continue to happen next year, and will continue until Christ returns. We know this! We know what to expect. Should we be surprised? It’s exactly what the Bible tells us; exactly what is prophesied; exactly what we are trying to convey to the world—to warn everyone and to simply point out what is to come. Those of us who understand the Bible and know what it says, know how to escape all these things – by doing His Will, keeping His Law, and watching.
1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that no trial that comes upon us will be too difficult to bear and that God will show us the way of escape. God has the confidence that we will overcome and there should be no reason then for us to doubt Him. By putting it all in God’s hands, we can be assured that He will take care of us. We need to remember this as we continue on, as we move forward and look forward to a time when there will be “no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). In the meantime, we need to continue with doing the Work, while staying vigilant and preparing for what 2016 will bring.
How Much Wealth Did Solomon Possess?
In 1 Kings 3:5, God appears to Solomon in a dream and asks him what he wishes to receive from God. In verse 9, Solomon answers and asks for an “understanding heart” so he may judge the people of Israel righteously and that he “may discern between good and evil.” Solomon didn’t ask for riches and a long life or the death of his enemies, and this pleased God (verse 10-11). In verse 12, God granted him what he wished for and gave him wisdom, more than any man has ever had or will ever have (excluding of course Jesus Christ, Who, even as a human being, was much wiser than Solomon). But God also GAVE him what he did not ask for. We read in the next verse that Solomon received riches and honor, so that there wouldn’t be any king like him in all his days. Even though Solomon was the son of David and did inherit riches from him, God was the one who granted him more riches than any man in his time. God also granted him a long life but only IF he kept His commandments, just as his father David did (verse 14).
How then did Solomon become the wealthiest king alive? He received wealth and riches through the gifts that he received, through trading and business dealings, tribute money that was paid to him and heavy taxation: “Hiram, the king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress and gold, as much as he desired” (1 Kings 9:11).
“King Solomon also built a fleet of ships… in the land of Edom. Then Hiram sent his servants with the fleet, seamen who knew the sea, to work with the servants of Solomon. And they went to Ophir, and acquired FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY TALENTS OF GOLD from there, and brought it to King Solomon” (1 Kings 9:26-28). Through his trade dealings with Hiram, in addition to gold and silver, Solomon also received ivory, apes and monkeys every three years (1 Kings 10:22).
He received gifts from the queen of Sheba who came to Jerusalem to test his knowledge. She was so impressed by his wisdom and understanding which he had received from God, that she gave him “ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TALENTS OF GOLD, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such an abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. Also, the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought great quantities of almug wood and precious stones from Ophir… There never again came such almug wood, nor has the like been seen to this day” (1 Kings 10:10-12). Solomon was also very generous in return as he gave the queen of Sheba all she desired, and he also gave Hiram cities for his gifts, even though Hiram did not like the cities (1 Kings 10:13; 9:11-14).
Solomon’s great wealth is expounded upon in 1 Kings 10:14-15: “The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SIX TALENTS of gold, besides that from the traveling merchants, from the income of traders, from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country.” With the gold he received, he made shields, a great throne of ivory covered in gold with twelve lions made of gold; all his drinking vessels were made of gold, including all the vessels of Lebanon which were pure gold (1 Kings 10:16-21). King Solomon “surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom” (verse 23). Because of his great fame and wisdom, people from all over the world went to see him, bearing presents, such as “articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year. And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen…” (verses 25-26). He also had horses and chariots imported from Egypt and Keveh (verses 28-29).
He received goods which were paid by kingdoms or countries in acknowledgment of his superiority in a form of tribute money. “They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life” (1 Kings 4:21). The following verses expound on the amount of daily food he received (verse 22-23). He also received money from heavy taxation on the people. In 1 Kings 12:4 the people complained to Rehoboam, after he adopted the throne of his father Solomon and travelled to Shechem where many of the northern-most tribes of Israel gathered to make him king: “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us…”
According to John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible, Solomon “[l]aid heavy taxes upon them, for the finishing of his buildings, for the maintenance of his household, for keeping such a large number of horses and chariots, and for the salaries of his officers, and for the support of his magnificent court; though they had very little reason to complain, since this was for the honour and grandeur of their nation, and they enjoyed their liberty, and lived in peace, plenty, and safety all his days; and such an abundance of riches was brought unto them by him that silver was as the stones of the street; though perhaps the taxes might be increased in the latter part of his life, for the support of his vast number of wives, and of their idolatrous worship, and for the defence of himself and kingdom against the attempts of Hadad and Rezon; but, as most interpreters observe, what they find most reason to complain of, they take no notice of, even the idolatry he had set up among them.” The people wanted Rehoboam to “lighten” Solomon’s “heavy yoke which he put on” them, including to ease them of their taxes or lessen them (1 Kings 12:4).
Solomon was very rich and even though the Bible doesn’t say exactly just how much gold he owned, it does give us an idea as to how much he possessed, in addition to the silver, bronze, precious gems, garments, spices, livestock, etc. We are told in 1 Kings 10:14 that he received 666 talents of gold a year, which was around 25 tons. In ancient times, talents were a measure of weight and money. A talent weighs around 34.3 kilograms (75 U.S. pounds), which is equal to 1,094 troy ounces (1 pound = 14.58 troy ounces). As of December 2015, the price of gold is worth $1,075 a troy ounce, so a talent of gold in today’s value is worth $1,176,050. Solomon received 666 talents of gold EACH YEAR. The value he received each year was around $785 million in today’s value. This does not include all the additional gifts and monies he received. His net worth was astounding.
Since he ruled Israel for forty years (1 Kings 11:42), and since he brought in close to a billion dollars of gold each year, his assets were in the billions of dollars, in addition to his inheritance from his father, King David; the gold and silver he received from kings, governors and merchants; heavy taxes paid by the Israelites; tribute money from countries and kingdoms; gold, silver, ivory, various animals and foreign slaves, which he received every three years due to his business partnership with Hiram, King of Tyre; and other additional gifts of gold, spices, precious stones, garments, armor, horses, mules, etc., which he received each year. This made Solomon the richest king of his time, and one of the richest individuals, or even perhaps the richest human being who has ever lived.
What we need to understand is that this was God’s doing. He made Solomon the wisest human who ever lived and as a bonus, He gave him wealth and fortune. But Solomon had a weakness which made him turn from God so that he did “evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD” (1 Kings 11:6), but “his heart… turned away from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice” (1 Kings 11:9), and he “did not keep what the LORD had commanded” (verse 10). And so, God told Solomon that after his death, He would tear the kingdom away from him in the days of his son Rehoboam (verse 11-12) and leave him only with one tribe “for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen” (verse 13).
Solomon speaks about his life and his experiences in the book of Ecclesiastes. He pointed out that without God, man is lost, no matter how many precious physical gifts and riches he might have. God inspired him to write down for us the timeless “conclusion of the whole matter”: “Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all” or “the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Solomon’s riches and his human wisdom did not prevent him from sinning, but it appears that he repented deeply at the end of his life. God gave him His wisdom and inspired him to write and pass on to us, for our education, learning and benefit, additional writings in the Bible, including a psalm, the book of Proverbs and the Song of Solomon.
Lead Writer: Michael Link
God’s Unlimited Power
There is no limit to what God can do. The Bible is full of examples for our admonition to show us just how powerful He is. If we understand that, then there should be no reason to underestimate Him.
The Power of God
Do we comprehend the simplest things we utilize in our daily lives, wondering perhaps to ourselves how these necessary tools are so vital in our lives, such as electricity and the advancements in technology? Can we also comprehend the power of God? Can we receive His power?
Obey and Live
“…You shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 22:31). God clearly revealed to us what we are to do and He gave us specific laws to keep. He points out that He is serious about His laws and why they are to be obeyed, and why we need to heed His Word. He made it very clear from the beginning that His rules were established and that there would be severe consequences if we broke them. Furthermore, in Matthew 5:17, Christ also assured us that He did not come to destroy the law but rather to fulfill it. He took it even a step further in verse 19, stating that we are not only to obey the law, but we are to teach it also.
God states many times that we are not only to remember His commandments and keep them in mind, but also to perform and do them (Leviticus 19:37; 22:31; Numbers 15:40).
In this lifetime and the society we are faced with, rules by man have changed and are changing more and more, and abominations in God’s eyes are now acceptable in man’s eyes. Severe penalties in Old Testament times were carried out for breaking His laws such as adultery, homosexuality and even cursing one’s parents in Leviticus 20:8-10, 13. The penalty for violating the Sabbath, which God commands for us to keep holy and observe still to this day, was death (Numbers 15:32-36). Imagine if these penalties were carried out today.
If Christ didn’t come to destroy the law but to fulfill it, then what we read about in the New Testament would apply for us today and in the future. The same abominations are mentioned in Galatians 5:17-21 and Revelation 21:7-8. The penalty for committing such acts is (spiritual) death.
For those of us who are converted and baptized Church members, we have a much bigger responsibility to fulfill. We have given our lives into God’s hands, and we are to commit ourselves to Him in everything we do. We will continue to sin, as we are not perfect, but we will repent and continue to do as God commands so that we will live, not just physically, but also spiritually. The things that we have put to death at our conversion are the very things that the world still revels in today (compare Colossians 3:5-9). We need to be aware and “…not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
The question we need to ask ourselves is the same question asked in Luke 10:25, “… what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Christ’s answer is to keep His commandments! The law is very much alive, and God expects us to keep it and do as He says. Even though we will continue to go through trials and will be tested on the very things that we struggle with the most, if we remain faithful and strong, recognize our weaknesses, learn from them and do our best to refrain from sinning, God will continue to be with us. If we do these things, we will not die, but rather, as it says in verse 28: “… do this and you will live!”
Moving On
Transitioning from the joyous time we experienced at the Feast of Tabernacles, right back into our routine lives, can be challenging. Keeping our focus strong is key and we need to make sure that we don’t become lazy in our efforts but rather, we should remain diligent.
Are You Ready?
Are we physically and spiritually prepared for the Fall Holy Days as this time pictures what the future will be like when Christ returns to establish His Kingdom here on this earth. We need to be ready with patience as we are being trained now, through the understanding that God has given us, so we can reach perfection.
Compose Ourselves with Self-Control
When we lack self-control, negative consequences are often times the result. Have we been victimized and/or reciprocated in kind by being too quick to respond; quick to raise the fist; seeking revenge; quick to anger; losing control of our emotions; giving in to sin; not thinking before we act; acting on assumption rather than reality; falsely accused when put on the spot for our mistakes or even our beliefs; and questioned by the things that we do?
Taking control of our actions in the way we respond requires composure, which is the state of feeling or being calm and in control of oneself. We are supposed to be peacemakers, having self-control (Matthew 5:9). We can’t let ourselves fall apart, but need to stay intact when we are faced with adversity.
How did Christ react when He was constantly put on the spot and tested to see how He would respond? Notice some of the things which He said in a given situation:
“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone… first” (John 8:7). “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). And after He was mocked, beaten and crucified, His response was to forgive, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).
We are to imitate Christ. When He was accused many times, He showed tremendous self-control, and in all the pressures with which He was faced and the demands of the ministry, He managed to maintain His composure to do the Will of His Father. Are we not supposed to do the same? We have the gift of the Holy Spirit within us to help us, and it is through God’s power and grace in our lives that we are able to respond to pressures with the same composure and self-control that Jesus showed in similar situations. As Christ walked through the storms of life, keeping His composure, we are to do the same. This is what God expects of us—that we are to conduct ourselves both inwardly and outwardly with the same character and grace that Jesus showed when He was on this earth. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” He shares His compassion with us, because He has experienced the same trials and temptations that we go through.
How do we show our self-control? “… let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20). Prayer helps us in this regard and is a valuable tool that we should never be without and that can most certainly help us in any given situation. Prayer can be applied at any time; at any moment; in any environment; whenever we need help for even the quickest and simplest things, like when we are put on the spot and need to give a quick response. So instead of seeking to respond in a way which is typically our initial reaction, if we are not careful, let us try another approach—that of self-control and composure.
Discipline
Discipline requires motivation, hard work, and keeping your eye on the goal. For us to be good teachers and leaders, we need to be taught and led first ourselves through discipline. This is our training process and as we continue to learn, through the examples in the Bible and the instructions from God by living His way of life, we will eventually achieve perfection.