THE PROMISES OF GOD

1 Chronicles 15:16-16:6

1 Chronicles 14:1-15:15

1 Chronicles 12:8-13:14

1 Chronicles 11:20-12:7
Here, we read of ‘the mighty men of the armies’(26), ‘the mighty men who helped him in war’(1). What are we to learn from this list of names? We must look on from here to 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 where we learn some vitally important lessons regarding spiritual warfare. We learn what our war is not and what our weapons are not: ‘we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly’. We learn where our strength comes from and what it is to be used for: ‘the weapons of our warfare... have divine power to destroy strongholds’. We learn about the goal of our warfare: ‘We... take every thought captive to obey Christ’, pressing on toward an ‘obedience’ which ‘is complete’. Make this your prayer, “Lord, help me to be ‘valiant..., a doer of good deeds’(22).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

1 Chronicles 10:1-11:19
Saul’s life can be summed up in one word - ‘unfaithfulness’: ‘he was unfaithful to the Lord’. This is a warning: Don`t become like Saul who ‘did not keep the command of the Lord... and did not seek guidance from the Lord’(10:13-14). David was quite different from Saul. He became king ‘according to the Word of the Lord’. He grew in strength because ‘the Lord of hosts was with him’(11:3,9). David was helped greatly by his ‘mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel’(11:10). These things were ‘written for our instruction’ (Romans 15:4). Praise God for what He has done in the past - ‘Blessed be the Lord for ever!’(Psalm 89:52). Pray for more of His blessing in the future - ‘O that some one would give me to drink from the well of Bethlehem’(11:17; Revelation 22:17; John 7:37-39).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

1 Chronicles 9:1-44
In verse 13, we read of ‘very able men for the work of the service of the house of God’. Some have been called by God to preach His Gospel and teach His Word. All of us have been called to serve the Lord. It may not be preaching and teaching. It will be something you can do for Him. In this chapter, we read of some who were ‘chosen to be gatekeepers’, some who were ‘assigned to take care of the furnishings and all the other articles of the sanctuary...’, some who were ‘entrusted with the responsibility for baking...’and others who were ‘singers’or ‘musicians’ (22, 29, 31,33). There’s something for everybody: ‘There`s a work for Jesus ready at your hand, `Tis a task the Master just for you has planned. Haste to do His bidding, yield Him service true; There`s a work for Jesus none but you can do’(Redemption Hymnal, 570).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

1 Chronicles 8:1-40
How sad it is to find the name of Baal, the god worshipped by the Canaanites, appearing in this list of those who professed to be the people of God! The name ‘Esh-Baal’(33) means ‘man of Baal’or ‘man of shame’. It is a ‘shameful thing’ that those who are called to be the people of God should lose sight of their high calling and become servants of Baal. The name ‘Merib-Baal’(34) highlights the sadness of those who lose their way in life. Originally meaning ‘opponent of Baal’, this name came to mean ‘loved by Baal’or ‘my lord is Baal’. God’s Word warns us against the danger of becoming a ‘double-minded man’(James 1:8). Trying to live with one eye on the Lord and the other eye on the world is a sure recipe for disaster. Satan will be be quick to welcome us if we take our eyes off Jesus. ‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus’(Hebrews 12:2).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

1 Chronicles 6:61-7:40
Is there no end of names? - The more names we read, the more we wonder at the amazing scope of God’s love: ‘God so loved the world...’(John 3:16). We read of ‘the cities of refuge’(67-70). We take refuge in the Lord. He is ‘our Refuge and Strength, a very present help in trouble’(Psalm 46:1). We have Christ as our Saviour: ‘Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need’(Hebrews 4:16). When ‘evil’ threatens to overwhelm us (23), we must come to God with this confidence: ‘the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin’. We must ask God to strengthen our faith in Christ: ‘This is the victory that overcomes the world. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?’(1 John 1:7; 4:4-5).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

1 Chronicles 6:1-60
The names tell a story - the story of what God is doing among His people. They speak of the faithfulness of God. He loves every one of these people. He loves every one of us. We forget the names. God doesn’t. Everyone is important to Him. We rejoice in ‘the great love of God’. We rejoice in Christ ‘who came to this earth to redeem every one’. In the many names, forgotten by us yet remembered by God, we hear the message, ‘God is love’. Among the many names, we read of those who ‘ministered with song’. We read of ‘the service of song in the house of the Lord’. God is calling us to worship Him: ‘Sing aloud, loud, loud! Sing aloud, loud, loud! God is good! God is truth! God is beauty! Praise Him!’(31-32; Church Hymnary, 415-416).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

1 Chronicles 4:24-5:26
God wants to lead us in the way of victory (5:22). We dare not take His victory for granted if we are not willing to walk in the pathway of discipleship. As well as the promise of victory, there is also the warning against disobedience. If we are disobedient, we will be defeated (5:25-26). God doesn’t want us to be disobedient and defeated. He wants us to be obedient and victorious. With the promise of victory - ‘From victory to victory His army He shall lead’- comes the call to discipleship - ‘Stand up! Stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the Cross!’(Church Hymnary, 481). God is calling us to be faithful. He is warning us - ‘Do not love the world...If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him’. The Lord`s way is better than the world’s way - ‘Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind’(1 John 2:15; Romans 12:2).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

1 Chronicles 3:1-4:23
God answers prayer - ‘Jabez called upon the God of Israel, “Oh that You would bless me...”. And God granted his request’(4:10). Behind the name, ‘Israel’, there are many other names, many faces, many people, many prayers rising up to the God of Israel, many believers calling upon the Name of the Lord, looking to Him for His blessing. The story of ‘Israel’ is a story of ‘disobedience’ and ‘mercy’(Romans 11:25-32). This is the story of our life. We have been disobedient to God. He has been merciful to us. How are we to receive the blessing of God? Pray to God for His mercy: ‘Have mercy on me, O God, a sinner’(Luke 18:13). Come to Him with this earnest prayer: ‘Oh that You would bless me...’. How much does the blessing of God matter to you? How much do you really want to be blessed by the Lord? Make it the most important thing: ‘Oh that You would bless me...’.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

1 Chronicles 2:1-55
More names - lots of them! It’s great to have a name! You have a name. You’re not just a nameless person of unknown identity. It’s even greater to have the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, given to us for our salvation. In His Name, we have God`s promise of salvation - ‘every one who calls upon the Name of the Lord will be saved’(Romans 10:13). God calls us to have faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. God does not speak to us of salvation without calling us to have faith in Christ. He does not say, ‘Everyone will be saved’. That’s what we might like to hear, but it’s not what God has said. This is what His Word says to us, ‘every one who calls upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.' Call upon the Name of the Lord. Let Him fulfil His promise: ‘The Name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe’(Proverbs 18:10).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

1 Chronicles 1:1-54
What are we to make of this long list of names? - A waste of space? Are we wasting our time looking for God’s Word here? No! God has a very important message for us! Do you ever feel insignificant - just one among so many? Here`s God’s Word for you - You are important. A lot of people are named here - God considered every single one of them important enough to be included in this list! Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? To every believer, Jesus says, ‘Rejoice’- ‘Your name is written in heaven’(Luke 10:20). ‘Rejoice’- Your name is included in ‘the Lamb`s book of life’(Revelation 21:27). Jesus calls us ‘by name’, He gives us His Name - ‘the Name above every name’, the Name of our salvation. ‘Believing in His Name’, we become ‘sons of the living God’(John 10:3; 20:31; Philippians 2:9; Acts 4:12; Romans 9:26).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 35:1-36:13
Cities of refuge were provided for those who had killed someone accidentally. This is a good illustration of fleeing to Christ for refuge. He is our ‘strong tower’. We ‘run’ to Him and we are ‘safe’(Hebrews 6:18; Proverbs 18:10). God gave Israel a ‘land’. They were not to ‘defile the land’(34). God has given us a Saviour. We are not to dishonour Him. Christ is our ‘inheritance’. Our full enjoyment of Him is still to come (36:2-4, 7-9,12; Ephesians 1:18; Colossians 3:24; 1 Peter 1:4). How can we enjoy our Saviour more fully ? - ‘These are the commandments...’ (36:13). The names change. The places change. The principle remains the same: Obedience to God. We have been redeemed by God. Let us live in obedience to Him. There is nothing more important than this - if we really want to enjoy His blessing
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 33:50-34:29
‘Drive out all the inhabitants of the land’(52): We must drive out the enemy (Satan) if we are to enter more fully into our salvation in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:3-14). Idolatry is to be banished (52). It has no place among God’s people. God wants us to ‘possess the land’(53) - a fuller enjoyment of Him. Idolatry is settling for ‘second best’- letting something or someone else become more important to you than the Lord. Don’t let it happen! The setting of the boundaries of the land of Canaan (34:1-29) is a reminder that there are boundaries in the Christian life, boundaries set by God Himself, the boundaries of Holy Scripture. When we move beyond the boundaries of God’s holy Word, we move outside the sphere of God’s blessing. Live in the will of God - within the boundaries set by His Word.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 33:1-49
In the history of Israel - Set free by the power of God, failure to learn, wandering, the promised land - , there is a picture of the Christian life - conversion and growth to spiritual maturity by way of learning from our mistakes. We are not to remain in the past. That would be nostalgia. It is, however, a good thing for us to remember, with gratitude, all the way the Lord has led us. This will increase our appreciation of the goodness of God. It will deepen our sense of indebtedness to Him. Israel’s redemption was a mighty work of God. Our salvation is a mighty work of God. Think back over your life - ‘stage by stage’(2) - and thank God for all that He has done. ‘These are the stages of’ what the Lord has done (1): You may see the Lord in places where you hadn’t noticed Him before!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 32:1-42
Some look for an easy life. They know that there will be conflict on the other side of the Jordan. They opt out - ‘do not take us across the Jordan’(5). They think they’ve travelled far enough. God says, ‘Let us go on to maturity’(Hebrews 6:1). ‘My happiness’- This is what concerns the self-centred person. Spiritual maturity is not about happiness. It’s about holiness. We find happiness when we aim at holiness. What is holiness? - ‘It’s the life apart from the world’s excess. It’s the Lord’s command, not the Lord’s request. It’s the only life that the Lord can bless’. Pretend to be more holy than you really are, and ‘be sure your sin will find you out’(23). A small minority - Caleb and Joshua - ‘wholly followed the Lord’(12): Better a minority with God than a majority without Him.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 31:21-54
If we are to be ‘soldiers of Christ’, we need to be ‘purified’, made ‘clean’. There is purification by ‘fire’ and ‘water’. Purification may be painful, but we have the promise of God’s protective presence. He says, ‘I will be with you’. He assures us, ‘the waters... shall not overwhelm you... and the flame shall not shall not consume you’(22-24; Isaiah 43:2). From the Old Testament wars, we learn important spiritual principles: Enter the war, Destroy the sins, Possess the land. This is what we must do throughout life. Looking beyond Israel’s triumphs to Christ’s victory over Satan (Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8), we thank God for His victory and we claim this victory by faith (1 Corinthians 15:57; 1 John 5:4-5). The battle may be ‘fierce’. The ‘victory is secure’(Church Hymnary, 479). Praise God!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 30:1-31:20
Vows (30:1-16): Be careful what you say - You may live to regret it (Ecclesiastes 5:2, 4-6; Matthew 12:36-37; James 3:6-11). Learn from Balaam. Full of good intentions about speaking God’s Word (22:18; 23:12), he hoped to ‘die the death of the righteous’(23:10). He did not live up to his good intentions. He sinned and he led others into sin (31:16). He ended up being slain among God’s enemies (31:8). Why were the Midianites destroyed (31:7-8)? They opposed the Lord, exerting an evil influence on His people. We must take care that we do not cause God’s people ‘to act treacherously against’ Him (31:16). Sin needs to be removed if we are to press on to a greater enjoyment of God’s blessing. ‘Put to death what is earthly in you... put off the old nature... put on the new nature’(Colossians 3:5-11). This is what we must do.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 29:1-40
Between the feast of weeks (Pentecost) and the feast of trumpets (28:26-29:6), there was the harvest. Pentecost- the outpouring of the Holy Spirit - has ushered in the time of Harvest- the saved are being gathered in as men and women are being won for Christ. During this time of harvest, we ‘blow the trumpets’ of worship, rejoicing in the Lord (1), and ‘alarm’, calling on men and women to pay attention to the Word of the Lord (Joel 2:1). By blowing the trumpets for God, we prepare the way for the final trumpet, ‘the trumpet of God’(1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). We must get ready, and we must encourage others to get ready, for Christ’s Return. Atonement (7-11), Tabernacles (12-40): Christ has ‘tabernacled’ among us (John 1:14). He has made ‘atonement’ for us (Romans 5:11). Share the Good News!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 28:1-31
The sacrifices, offered to God, were to be ‘a pleasing odour’to Him (2,6,8,13,24,27). These sacrifices are no longer required. A greater Sacrifice has been offered and accepted. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, has offered Himself as a Sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:23-26). This Sacrifice is ‘a pleasing odour’ to God. It is ‘good news’ for us. This is ‘good news’- the Gospel of our salvation: ‘Christ died for our sins’(1 Corinthians 15:3). How do we know that Christ’s Sacrifice is ‘a pleasing odour’ to God? - God ‘raised’ Him from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:4). The ‘feast of weeks’(Pentecost) turns our thoughts towards the Holy Spirit (26-31; Acts 2:1-4). It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that the ‘good news’ of Christ becomes real in our lives. He brings us to Christ and leads us on with Him (Acts 2:37-47).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 27:1-23
The daughters of Zelophehad were concerned about the continuation of the father’s name (1-11). Our first concern must be the glory of God, our Heavenly Father. We are to honour our parents, loving them deeply. We must not allow such love to compete with our love for Christ. He must come first. We are called to a life of single-minded devotion to Jesus Christ. Joshua is chosen to succeed Moses as the leader of God’s people (12-23). Soon, Moses would be gone. The Lord was preparing His people for the future. God had His man - Joshua - waiting to continue the work which Moses had begun. For each place and time, God has His ‘Joshua’. The work of God will go on. His work requires more than a ‘Joshua’. What part will you play in God’s ongoing work? Will you take up the challenge?
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 26:23-65
There is real sadness in the final words of this chapter: ‘There was not left a man of them, except Caleb and Joshua’(65). There is also a sense of expectation. So many had died in the wilderness. This was now a new generation. We’re living in changing times. God is equipping His people for new challenges. We must not stand still. We dare not say, ‘It’s never been done that way before’! A new generation has to be won for Christ. Will we rise to the challenge? Or, will we ‘die in the wilderness (65)? Taking possession of ‘the promised land’ would not be easy. Making advances for Christ will not be easy. We must lay aside those things which need to ‘die in the wilderness’. We must take hold of all that God has given to us - if there is to be ‘Good News for the next generation’!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

THE PROMISES OF GOD

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Our Meditation On God’s Word Is To Be Accompanied By Obedience To His Word.

Let's Live Our Lives ‘According To The Word Of The Lord.’

Be ‘A Doer Of God’s Word’ - Obedient To God And Blessed By God.

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Take Every Thought Captive To Obey Christ.

Praise God For What He Has Done In The Past. Pray For More Of His Blessing In The Future.

A River Of Creativity

There`s A Work For Jesus None But You Can Do.

‘Let Us Fix Our Eyes On Jesus.’

The Lord Is ‘Our Refuge And Strength, A Very Present Help In Trouble.’

God Loves Every One Of Us.

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The Lord`s Way Is Better Than The World’s Way.

How How Much Do You Really Want To Be Blessed By The Lord?

Every One Who Calls Upon The Name Of The Lord Will Be Saved.

‘Rejoice’ - ‘Your Name Is Written In Heaven.’

We Have Been Redeemed By God. Let Us Live In Obedience To Him.

Live In The Will Of God - Within The Boundaries Set By His Word.

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Think Back Over Your Life, And Thank God For All That He Has Done.

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We Find Happiness When We Aim At Holiness.

The Battle May Be ‘Fierce.’ The ‘Victory Is Secure.’

Sin Needs To Be Removed If We Are To Press On To A Greater Enjoyment Of God’s Blessing.

Get Ready For Christ’s Return.

'Christ Died For Our Sins.' God 'Raised' Him From The Dead.

Single-Minded Devotion To Jesus Christ.

A New Generation Has To Be Won For Christ. Will We Rise To The Challenge?