If someone asks you about King Solomon, you would probably identify him as the wisest man to ever live. You might talk about his prayer to God, his extreme wealth, and his solving the dilemma of the two mothers claiming a son. Few people would identify the sins of this great king.

It is interesting to note that he made his first mistake before the Lord appeared to him in a dream. First Kings 3:1 tells us that he made an agreement with Pharoah, king of Egypt; and he took Pharaoh’s daughter as his wife. Marrying outside the people of Israel was condemned, but Solomon made a political move that would cost him in the end.

Still, Solomon loved the Lord, and he walked in the statutes of his father, David. He offered sacrifices and burnt incense in high places because there was no house of God.

When the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, Solomon begged for wisdom. Because he had not asked for wealth and prosperity, God gave him all the wisdom he asked for and more. Then the Lord said this: “And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statues and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days” (First Kings 3:14). God repeats this in chapter 9, reminding Solomon that he must walk in integrity of heart and to do all that God commanded him.

That seems simple enough. Obey God, and He will be with you. When we get to chapter 11, we see a different Solomon. Solomon loved many strange women. He took wives from the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines, and his wives turned his heart away from God.

He wanted his wives to be happy, and he put up temples for their gods, and he was not faithful to the Lord as his father David was. As you might guess, the Lord was angry with Solomon “because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice” (First Kings 11:9). His punishment was that he would take the kingdom away from him and give it to one of his servants (verse 11).

Lest you think marrying strange women was his only sin, Solomon committed others. He collected horses and gold, engaged a foreigner in a business transaction in building the temple, and apparently worshipped the gods of his wives. All of these acts were condemned.

Have you ever thought about the fact that, other than Rehoboam, none of Solomon’s children are mentioned in Scripture? With that many wives and concubines, he surely had more than one child. It is as though Solomon had nothing to show for his life.

Solomon was indeed a wise man. First Kings 4:32 tells us that he wrote 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. Though he did not write all of the proverbs, he wrote things that tell us Solomon knew what he should do. It is though the theme of the book is “Don’t be stupid.”

Though Solomon came from an environment of dedication to God, he let wealth, position, pride, and other worldly desires get in his way. No matter how good his father was, (and yes he made some mistakes), Solomon had to make his own choice—obey or disobey. Unfortunately, he chose disobedience to God over obeying all the statutes and commandments of the one who put him as king over God’s people.

The lesson for us is simple. Study the Word. Know what God wants us to do, and then do it. Don’t make the same mistakes Solomon made.

Sandra Oliver

A year ago, Jackson and Emmy (and their parents) came to Denver for the Bear Valley lectureship, and while they were here, we made a trip up to one of our happy places: the beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park. We drove along many of the park’s winding roads, admiring God’s breathtaking panoramic peaks and valleys. Herds of elk were spread out in Moraine Park, and huge bulls would occasionally lower their heads, shake their enormous antlers and, with a decidedly non-masculine high-pitched squeal, chase off any young whippersnapper who dared to flirt with any of their harem. Under our watchful eye, Jackson and Emmy, oblivious to danger, scampered over rocks and ran through the prickly grass, clambering to the tops of small boulders and throwing their arms wide as though they’d conquered Everest.

Later we made a trek around Sprague Lake, and their daddy set up his camera, hoping to capture images of resident moose. John and I followed the kids, loving their sense of adventure as they peered under rocks, inched their toes perilously close to the water’s edge, and packed their pockets full of forest treasure: tiny pine cones, pebbles, and snail shells. They jumped and ran (well, Emmy pranced) and tripped and stumbled and got tired of walking. They didn’t always want to stay on the paths…they wanted to struggle—by themselves—over every fallen tree and jagged stump, only occasionally looking up and reaching for our helping hands. Rather than going around them, they wanted to climb over big rocks and take the difficult route through the trees. They fell and cried and then got back up to do it all over again.

At one point, Jordan had walked out on a fallen log and Jackson wanted to follow him. His little feet kept slipping off and he was getting frustrated, until Jordan said, trying to help him balance, “Jackson, look at me, and you won’t fall off.” With those words, immediate tears came to my eyes. I thought—isn’t this ME? All of my running around and struggling to make things work out my way, on my terms…even the treasure I pack into my proverbial pockets is so earth-bound. So often I choose a zigzagging route when the Lord has already laid out the straight path for me. I stumble and fall and get tired and cry, so often resisting the mercy and the strong hand and the outstretched arm of the One who wants more than anything to provide me with all that I need. If I would simply keep my eyes—my life—focused on Him, I would not fall.

There are a lot of ways I’d love to be like Jackson and Emmy: they are quick to forgive, innocent, and genuine. They are guileless. They smile freely and make others smile and laugh in return. I love them with my whole heart, and I learn by watching them. But it’s not good for me to be childlike in this regard, resisting the Lord’s guidance and insisting on my own way. Their childish feet toddle and stumble in their little daily wanderings, and their eyes tend to be fixed on inconsequential things. But my mature feet are running a race of utmost importance, and my eyes must be fixed on the Lord, the “author and perfecter of faith,” (Heb. 12:2). I will run with endurance, looking at Him, and then I will never grow weary or fall.

Carla Moore

We’re currently studying the book of Acts in our Sunday morning Bible class. Chris Young is doing a great job teaching and he recently pointed out that there are multiple “growth reports” throughout the book. That sent me on a little quest to find them all, and just reading them one after the other was thrilling!

• Acts 2:41- “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”
• Acts 4:4- “But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.”
• Acts 5:14- “And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.”
• Acts 6:1- “Now is these days when the disciples were increasing in number…”
• Acts 6:7- “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”
• Acts 14:1- “Now in Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.”
• Acts 14:21-22- “When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith.”
• Acts 16:5- “So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.”
• Acts 17:3-4- “Explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you is the Christ.’ And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.”
• Acts 17:12- “Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.”
• Acts 17:34- “But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.”
• Acts 18:8- “Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.”

These growth reports are exciting (and I probably missed some), but what’s even more exciting is the fact that it’s all still going on!

People still care. Peter, Stephen, Paul…these men and others cared more about the gospel than they did about their own personal safety. They were courageous enough to tell others about Jesus. They prayed for boldness and then acted on it (Acts 4:1-3, 13,29). Still today there are men and women who love souls enough to share the Truth with them. I could name names and I know you could, too.

People are still receptive. Think of conversions like Paul and Crispus. They were both ‘all in’ with what they already believed and practiced, yet their hearts were open and they became disciples of Christ. Amazing! 2000 years later we are still hearing “growth reports” because people are still searching. I could share recent conversion stories that are surprising because of the person’s religious background or current occupation and I know you could, too.

The Word of God is still powerful. God chose His disciples to be the conduit for getting the saving message to the world. They were imperfect humans but that didn’t matter because they only had to “speak the word of God” (Acts 4:31). The power is in the Word and that’s why conversion and transformation take place (Heb. 4:12). There’s nothing like the aha moment when the Truth is shared with someone who hears or understands it for the first time. It’s amazing to watch the Word go to work on tender hearts. I could share stories and I know you could, too.

Rejoice in the growth reports!

The book of Acts appropriately closes with these words:

“Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”

(Acts 28:31)

By Kathy Pollard

This past weekend, John and I were in Katy, TX so he could present a seminar about counseling. He referenced something from Dr. Larry Crabb that really, really stepped on my toes. Speaking about our struggle with personal problems, Dr. Crabb said the “usual objective so passionately desired is fundamentally self-centered: ‘I want to be happy.’”

While there isn’t anything wrong with being happy, we won’t ever truly BE happy if simple happiness is our goal. But…if we “firmly and consciously, by an act of our will, reject the goal of becoming happy and adopt the goal of becoming MORE LIKE THE LORD” – that will lead to true happiness.

So, practically speaking: when we are trying to resolve a conflict, or deal with frustrating current events, or communicate with a difficult friend—how do we handle ourselves? With sarcasm? Pouting? By withholding love? Cynicism? All in the name of being happy? As our son used to say, “What kind of sense doesn’t that make?”

The next time we try to address any of our issues, what if we decided to be more like the Lord – with the heart of a servant, humbly thinking more of others than ourselves, loving unselfishly, and forgiving—sometimes without even being asked? (Read the letter to the Philippians, especially 2:1-9.) Most likely, the result will be much more satisfying, even though we are denying ourselves the “pleasure” of pouting. Like everything else in life, if we do things God’s way, it will lead to peace and joy, the very goal we began with.

My new mantra for the rest of 2024 and beyond is this: More Like the Lord. I hope you’ll join me.

Carla Moore

The story is told about a teenage boy who needed some hygiene instruction. His mom bought him some deodorant and gave him the typical “mother talk” about why he needed to start wearing it. The next morning, she found him standing in front of the bathroom mirror smearing deodorant all over his body. When she asked him what he was doing, this was his reply: “I am putting on enough so I don’t have to do this every day.”

While this story is funny to us, it is representative of the way some people feel about attending worship. They feel they get enough on Sunday morning to last them all week. We hear things like: “I come on Sunday morning. That’s all I need.” Some say, “The Bible doesn’t say we have to go to church three times a week.” Then there is the opposition to Bible Study, because that is not commanded; and besides, they would have to get up an hour earlier to get there.”

We hear things like that from our children. I have children say, “I couldn’t get my lesson because we were gone a lot this week.” “I had ball practice or ball games.” “I left my notebook at my grandparents’ house.” Occasionally I hear, “I just didn’t do it.” In other words, it just wasn’t important enough to do.

We need to look at the examples we have in the New Testament. When Pentecost was over, Luke tells us that the new Christians continued daily to study and worship God (Acts 2:48). They met at the temple, and they also went from house to house, eating together and praising God.

These people also cared for one another. They sold their possessions to share with those who had stayed in Jerusalem. They opened their homes to them. Their new-found faith was a priority. They wanted to learn.

Just as the boy’s deodorant needed to be used more than once, the studying of God’s Word needs to be read and studied more than once a week. Paul said, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (Second Timothy 2:15).

One of the reasons the people of Israel rejected God was because of a lack of studying God’s commands. The people were told to teach their children “diligently.” They were to talk to them constantly about the Lord’s commandments (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). The kings were told to copy the law. There is no indication they did. That’s why when Josiah heard the law read, he tore his clothes. It was news to him!

How are we going to learn what God wants us to do if we do not study His Word? We can’t unless we read it or have someone to teach us. We aren’t going to learn it sitting at the ball field, watching it online between eating breakfast and having our second cup of coffee.

The writer of Hebrews said, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works; not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:24-26).

The boy needed a daily application of deodorant to keep from smelling bad. We need a constant reminder of the teachings of Scripture and the meeting together of the saints to study and learn what God would have us to do.

Sandra Oliver

To paraphrase a quote I ran across recently, if you want a Bible church, then you must read the Bible, preach the Bible, and teach the Bible. It makes sense that the Lord’s church would emphasize His Word (John 12:48). The Bible really does underlay every area of the church, as God intended:

• Bible classes. How wonderful to come together a couple of times a week for the sole purpose of Bible study! All ages have opportunities to grow their knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18).
• Sermons. Every Sunday morning and Sunday night, the gospel is proclaimed in worship (Rom. 10:15). Bible-centered preaching exhorts and convicts (2 Tim. 4:2)!
• Devotionals. These happen all the time (before class on Wednesday night, during youth activities, etc.) and help us keep our minds on things above (Col. 3:1-2).
• Vacation Bible School, Bible camps, Bible Bowls, Lads to Leaders and more. I couldn’t begin to name all the annual events and programs that are for the sole purpose of growing the faith of our youth in fun, engaging ways.
• Church leadership, acts of worship, plan of salvation, discipleship…Every aspect of the organization of the church and life therein is based on the pattern and commands found in God’s Word (1 Cor. 3:11).

This habit of continually referring to the Bible trains us to discern between truth and error (1 Tim. 2:4). Following the pattern of the Word keeps Jesus (and not men) in His rightful role as Head of the church (Eph. 1:22-23). Emphasizing the Bible is good and right and essential.

Thank God for Bible-based churches!

“I am writing these things to you so that...you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”

(1 Tim. 3:14-15)

“Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise in salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

(2 Tim. 3:14-15)

By Kathy Pollard

To paraphrase a quote I ran across recently, if you want a Bible church, then you must read the Bible, preach the Bible, and teach the Bible. It makes sense that the Lord’s church would emphasize His Word (John 12:48). The Bible really does underlay every area of the church, as God intended:

• Bible classes. How wonderful to come together a couple of times a week for the sole purpose of Bible study! All ages have opportunities to grow their knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18).
• Sermons. Every Sunday morning and Sunday night, the gospel is proclaimed in worship (Rom. 10:15). Bible-centered preaching exhorts and convicts (2 Tim. 4:2)!
• Devotionals. These happen all the time (before class on Wednesday night, during youth activities, etc.) and help us keep our minds on things above (Col. 3:1-2).
• Vacation Bible School, Bible camps, Bible Bowls, Lads to Leaders and more. I couldn’t begin to name all the annual events and programs that are for the sole purpose of growing the faith of our youth in fun, engaging ways.
• Church leadership, acts of worship, plan of salvation, discipleship…Every aspect of the organization of the church and life therein is based on the pattern and commands found in God’s Word (1 Cor. 3:11).

This habit of continually referring to the Bible trains us to discern between truth and error (1 Tim. 2:4). Following the pattern of the Word keeps Jesus (and not men) in His rightful role as Head of the church (Eph. 1:22-23). Emphasizing the Bible is good and right and essential.

Thank God for Bible-based churches!

“I am writing these things to you so that...you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”

(1 Tim. 3:14-15)

“Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise in salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

(2 Tim. 3:14-15)

By Kathy Pollard

Have you ever been in a situation where you thought, “Wow, she’s so good at that! I wish I had that gift.” Then, if you’re like me, you go along your merry way and don’t think anything else about it. This happened to me recently with my daughter, Ana. We were having a rare, calm day at home, and as I sat in the living room I couldn’t help but notice what she was doing. Ana had a massive stack of blank cards beside her, along with pretty pens and her prized wax stamp kit. She meticulously wrote out individual cards for probably a dozen different people. Some of those people were struggling with illness, some were down or discouraged, some were individuals who had blessed or served our family that she was thanking, and some were special people in her life whom she wanted to know she was thinking about.

As I silently observed her, I was definitely thinking, “She’s so good at that! I wish I was as thoughtful and intentional about encouragement as she is!” Then it dawned on me: This is my child whom I have watched literally since the day she was born. I know her better than anyone else on the earth, and I know for a fact that this is not some miraculous gift she was fortunate enough to be born with. This is something that, years ago, Ana decided was important, and since that day she has cultivated being intentional about encouraging others through card-writing. Now, years later, it is something that she excels at and with which she truly makes the world a brighter place for so many people.

The implications of this revelation were mind-blowing for me. Wait a minute! I can intentionally foster and grow gifts and talents?! I can learn to do something that doesn’t come naturally or easy to me?! And I can even do it well?! For real?! And then came the forlorn sound of rushing air as all my excuses were ripped away.

This got me to thinking of all the times in Scripture that God took people way outside their comfort zones, outside their talents and strengths, to serve His purpose. Just to name a few:

• Moses leading the Israelites (Exodus 4)
• Jeremiah, who was young and not a talented speaker, preaching (Jeremiah 1:6)
• A bunch of jewelry makers and perfumers, including women, building a really ugly wall (Nehemiah 3:8, 12, 31, 4:3)
• Gideon performing mighty deeds (Judges 6-8)
• Ananias going to Saul (Acts 9)

And truly, when we look back on these historical accounts with a bird’s-eye view, the entire point is that it wasn’t about these individuals. It wasn’t about what areas they were naturally gifted in or what was comfortable for them. The point was always that God was glorified through their obedience.

In thinking about this, I was hit with another profound truth: Never once in Scripture did someone step out on faith and fail. Not. Once. Especially when we view failure/success through God’s lens and not our own. In my mind, if I have a Bible study with a lost soul and their heart isn’t pricked, I’ve failed. If I speak a hard truth and the individual won’t listen, I’ve failed. If I don’t teach a Bible class as well as someone else, I’ve failed. If I’m speaking and my words get jumbled or I lose my train of thought (not that this has ever happened), then I’ve failed.

But God’s plumb line is so very different from ours. His measure has always been obedience. His measure has always been giving Him our best and being willing to try. Look at what Moses and Jeremiah, who both struggled with speech, were able to accomplish. A bunch of jewelry makers, perfumers and girls were able to build a really terrible wall that nevertheless kept God’s people safe and terrified the people of the land. Gideon was able to overcome great personal doubt, protect God’s people and destroy God’s enemies by stepping out on faith. 2/3 of our New Testament was written, and the apostle Paul is by the Lord’s side right now, because Ananias did something that terrified him.

One of my husband’s favorite sayings is, “God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.” Ladies, we have been called! 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” It’s not about what comes naturally or easy to us. It’s about being willing to put out the effort to do the Lord’s will even when it isn’t natural for us. Even when it isn’t easy. Like I learned through the example of my precious daughter, it’s about saying, “This is important, and so I’m going to work at it. Intentionally, deliberately, I’m going to develop this skill because the Lord, the brethren, and the lost are worth it.”

One of my favorite passages is Acts 17:6: “And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also…’.” Think about that for a moment. “These men who have turned the world upside down.” They weren’t talking about Paul or Peter. They weren’t talking about any of the other apostles. They were talking about Jason, who is only mentioned here and in Romans 16:21, and other brothers whose names we don’t even have.

These weren’t famous orators or rabbis. They didn’t have a lot of letters behind their names. They were just normal people doing the best they could do to serve the God who had saved their souls. And what was the result? Even the enemies of the cross acknowledged that they were turning the entire world upside down.

So, ladies, let me encourage you: The next time you see someone doing something, serving in a particular way, being an encouragement, and you think, “Wow, that’s awesome! I would love to be able to do that!”—do it. Will it be awesome the first time out of the gate? Doubtful. But does God care about that? Not even a little bit. Will it automatically become a wonderful new habit because you’ve decided it’s a good thing to do? Nope. But just think for a moment, think what would happen if we all took one uncomfortable step at a time, one day at a time, one intentional effort at a time. It wouldn’t be long until the darkness of the world looked at the bright, shining light of the Lord’s church and said, “Oh no, these women who have turned the world upside down, they have come here also!” And that, my sisters, will be an awesome day. May God bless you as you serve Him.

Lacy Crowell