Solomon’s Secrets to Success

Solomon, the son of King David and Queen Bathsheba, was the richest, wisest, most successful person who ever lived. He had a talent for songwriting and natural history. He composed 1,005 songs and wrote over 3,000 proverbs. He built the temple of God, the finest building in the world of that day. Solomon wrote three books of the Bible; Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. His writings have much to say about successful living.

The Secret of Thoughts and Words

Solomon’s first secret to success is, “The Secret of Thoughts and Words”. Solomon gave us tremendous insights into the power of thoughts and words to control our lives and help us live successfully. If you want to achieve the things in life you know you are capable of achieving, the place to begin is with your thoughts and words. Two of the most powerful secrets about the impact of thoughts and words are found in Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

 Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. 

Solomon observed that thoughts and words have three very powerful effects:

1.     Thoughts and Words Affect Your Looks 

   A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit (Pr. 15:13). 

 The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit (Proverbs 15:4).

2.     Thoughts and Words Affect Your Feelings 

All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast (Proverbs 15:15). 

An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up (Proverbs 12:25).

3.     Thoughts and Words Affect Your Health

 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22). Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18).  

If thoughts and words can have such beneficial effects, why don’t we just think and speak in the way that will make us look good, feel good and have good health? The problem is our thoughts are inherently evil. The solution is to learn to think and speak the word of God. The Word of God contains the thoughts of God. When we think of ourselves in the way the word portrays us and speak of ourselves in the same way we will experience the transforming power of the Word. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) 

Invitation: Romans 10:9-11 (NKJV)
⁹ If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
¹¹ For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

Have you confessed Jesus as your personal Savior? If not now is the right time right where you are. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and invite Him into your heart. Then go to a bible believing, Jesus preaching church and be baptized to show you are sincere about your decision for Christ. Then you too will be successful in this life as you live for Jesus. You will have joy unspeakable and full of glory. Begin to speak God’s word over your situations in life and see yourself as God does. jesus came to give us life more abundant. (John 10:10b

The Most Important Question

Intro: There is one question that each of us must answer before Jesus Christ. That question comes from the last line of a song written in 1926 by B.B. McKinney, and it says this. "The question comes to me, as I think of Calvary, is my Master satisfied with me?" I pray you will seriously consider this question as you hear this message today.

I. We are to be doers of the word. (James 1:22a)

 a. We are to let our light shine before men so they can see our good works.

 b. Shining our light and doing good works brings glory to your Father in Heaven. (Matt.5:16)

Jesus called His disciples then and today to live out their faith.

The practice of our faith should support our profession of faith. The way we live as believers can attract people and draw them closer to God or we can distract people by our actions and keep them away from God.

II. We are not to be hearers of the word only. (James1:22b)

 a. Hearing God’s word only and not doing is deceiving one’s self.

There are many who sit under the Word of God week after week, and they learn and know as much of the Word as anyone. They think that their listening and learning makes them acceptable to God, that it makes them safe and secure. When they slip into sin, they feel that they can ask God for forgiveness and that He will forgive them. They just feel that God would never reject them.

b. The person who only hears the Word soon forgets what he has heard. James 1:23-24 (NKJV) ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. It is just forgotten, and it never becomes a part of the person's life, and it never changes him.We hear the Word and are convicted of some defect, some shortcoming, and some failure that we need to clean up. But as soon as we walk out from under the Word, we are distracted by the world and its affairs and we soon forget to do what the Word of God told us to do.

III. The doer of God’s word will be blessed. James 1:25 (NKJV)  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.           a. The person who hears and does the Word of God is blessed. Note that the Word of God is called the perfect law of liberty. This means that the Word of God will set a person free from the bondages of sin and death. The Word of God will free a person from all the temptations of this life and give him the full and victorious life for which his soul longs—an abundant life that will continue on and on eternally with God.

A person who does and lives the Word of God will find that he is freed from all that enslaves his soul upon earth. He will discover love, joy, and peace—a soul that soars with a sense of... freedom and liberty, purpose and meaning, security and safety, victory over temptation, joy and assurance. The Word of God is the law of liberty, the law that sets a man free to know and fellowship with God forever and ever.

We must continue to live just like the word of God says. If we do, then we shall be blessed, made abundantly and eternally joyous. If we do not then we will miss God’s blessings and then face judgment for our lack of good works that He saved us to do! Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Invitation: Is Jesus satisfied with the way you are living? Each of us must answer that question now and make necessary changes or face Jesus at His judgment seat and face the consequences of our actions. Are you 100% sure you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord? If not now is the time to make sure! Your eternal destiny depends on it!

Way of Revival, Blessing, and Prosperity

Psalm 1　

INTRO: I want to ask each of you to pray for a revival in this nation. We are still reaching people for the Lord in America, but not at the pace we once did. This is why I have asked you to pray. It is God's will that we have revival. Jesus is coming soon and we need to be ready. Here are some things we can we do to help God bring a revival to our nation.
I. DO NOT WALK IN THE COUNSEL OF THE UNGODLY (V:1)
 A. Ungodly-not accepting God or a particular religious doctrine. Do not live in the way of people that have a worldly view of everything, leaving God out. Movies, commercials, teaching as evolution and abortion, illicit sex. Proverbs 4:14-16 (NKJV) ¹⁴ Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil. ¹⁵ Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on.
¹⁶ For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.
 We are to go to the word of God for our counsel. Accepting any other advises such as (gov.news) will lead you astray and will not bring revival, blessing or prosperity. Any advise that does not line up with God’s word can be considered ungodly no matter who or where it comes from because it is not of Him. We must go to the bible for all our needs.

II. DO NOT STAND IN THE WAY OF SINNERS.(V:1)
　 A. Sinner-One that sins or does wrong; a transgressor. Don’t agree with them. We all know when someone is doing wrong. We are not to go there, be a part of that or do that. We are not to take the same path as the sinner. This applies to Christians as well as non-Christians. To stray from the way and word of God is the path of failure, woe and misery. All Other ways lead to death and hell. Psalms 26:4-5 (NKJV) ⁴ I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites. ⁵ I have hated the assembly of evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked.
III. DO NOT SIT IN THE SEAT OF THE SCORNFUL (V:1)
　 A. Scornful-to speak of or treat with contempt.   Psalms 73:8-9 (NKJV) ⁸ They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily.
⁹ They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth.
 Notice the progression! Walking, standing, sitting. Moving from walking to sitting. One wrong step downward leads to another. A scorner himself does nothing, but runs down everybody else and every other thing that is being done. We are not delight in worldly ways, they won’t bring revival, and they lead to sin and death. So lets look at what God would have us do and some things that will help God bring revival to each of our hearts and our church.

IV. DO DELIGHT IN THE WORD OF GOD (V:2)
  a. Delight- take pleasure- We are to take great pleasure in the word of God.
Psalms 119:24-25 (NKJV) ²⁴ Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors. 25 My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word. v:28 My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word. Psalms 119:50 (NKJV) ⁵⁰ This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.
Make the word of God the joy of your life. If we do delight AND MEDITATE　in the word of God there will be revival and there are some other tremendous benefits. It is not enough to just to read God’s word, but we must meditate on it. In other words try to figure out what it is saying to me. Everything we do in our lives and in this church body should be based on God’s word and not on our good ideas. How many times do we go by our feelings and our desires rather than the word of God?

V. THE BENEFITS
　1. WE WILL BE BLESSED. (V:1)　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Blessed-means blissfully, happy or contented. Bringing happiness and thankfulness. Bringing the favor of God. Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Delighting in God’s word brings His blessings. 
 2.　WE WILL BE STRONG IN EVERY SITUATION (V:3)
Like a tree planted by a river. Rooted and grounded in the word of God. The word of God will bring you success over every situation, problem, worry, doubt and fear. Not wandering here and there not knowing what to do or which way to turn. Will have a never-failing supply of nourishment and refreshment.
 
3. WE WILL BE PRODUCTIVE(V:3)
Will display the　fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5:22-23　love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
And his words and actions will always timely and appropriate. Leaf will not wither. We will not be subject to extreme ups and downs. One day hot, next day cold to spiritual things. Steady no matter what comes or goes.

 4. WE WILL BE PROPEROUS IN ALL THINGS (V:3)Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. The promise is that whatsoever we do will prosper and we will have great success in all we do.
The reason, of course, is that we is living in fellowship with the Lord, knowing His will and all　our life is therefore guided by the Holy Spirit. The only way to be efficient and successful in the Christian life is to be led by the Spirit of God as we read God's word.

CONCLUSION: This is the way of Revival, blessing and prosperity! This is the will of God for all His people. We can be revived! We can be renewed in our passion and zeal for the things of God. We can do all things through the Lord Jesus Christ. All things are possible with God.

INVITATION: There again is a warning if we fail to do these things. We will not stand up under God’s judgment nor will we be in the congregation of the righteous. Will you be able to stand up under God’s judgment of your life and will you be able to stand in the congregation of the righteous? You won’t unless you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Ask Jesus right now to forgive your sins against God and invite Him into your heart to take charge of your life. Go to church and be baptized to show you are sincere about being saved!
 






 



 


 


 

　

"WHAT MOTHERS DESERVE"

INTRODUCTION

1. Mother’s Day, is a national holiday in the USA, on the second Sunday in May Honoring mothers. Is Frequently celebrated by... Flowers, cards, presents, given to mothers, People attending church with their mothers

More importantly, what do our mothers deserve from us, not just on Mother’s Day, but every day?

I. HISTORY OF MOTHER’S DAY

A. IT’S ORIGIN...

1. In 1907, Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia started the campaign to honor mothers,

two years after her own mother died

2. In 1910, West Virginia became the first state to recognize Mother’s Day

3. A year later, nearly every state officially marked the day

4. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed Mother’s Day a national holiday for the second Sunday of May [Today, many mothers are happy to receive flowers, cards, gifts, etc.

But mothers certainly deserve more than that, especially from a biblical perspective...]

II. WHAT MOTHERS DESERVE

A. OBEDIENCE...

1. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this right.” Colossians 3:20 (NKJV) Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. 2. As Solomon counseled his son in: - Pr 1:8 “...do not forsake the law of your mother”

3. Even Jesus obeyed His mother as He was growing up - Luke 2:51 (NKJV) Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.

4. Of course, this pertains mostly during the period of child raising, but certainly thru life to a certain extent.

-- Do we give our mothers the OBEDIENCE they deserve?

B. RESPECT...

1. “Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” -Ephesians 6:2 (NKJV)  "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: of long life.

2. Solomon warned of grave consequences for those who cursed their parents -Proverbs 20:20 (NKJV)  Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness. 

3. A Chinese proverb says, “Respect for one’s parents is the highest duty of civil life”

4. Common decency demands that we respect our parents, especially mothers

-- Do we give our mothers the RESPECT they deserve?

C. AFFECTION...

1. Elisha demonstrated the affection properly due parents -1 Kings 19:20 (NKJV)  And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother,

and then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?"

2. And why not, when they gave us so much affection as children?

3. Such affection can be given in words (“I love you, Mom!”), hugs, gifts, etc.

-- Do we give our mothers the AFFECTION they deserve?

D. WISDOM...

1. “...a foolish son is the grief of his mother.” -Proverbs 10:1

”bitterness to her who bore him.” Pr 17:25

2. Jesus increased in wisdom as He grew from childhood to adulthood- Luke 2:52 (NKJV)
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

3. Mothers worry enough for their children, we should not give them unnecessary grief

4. Much wisdom can come from the advice mothers themselves give us

-- Do we give our mothers the WISDOM they deserve?

E. RIGHTEOUSNESS...

1. The righteous bring joy and gladness to their parents –Proverbs 23:24-25 (NKJV)
²⁴ The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him. ²⁵ Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice.

2. More important than any other achievement, is that of righteous character

3. Nothing makes a mother prouder than to have a good (righteous) son or daughter

4. Today, true righteousness comes through faithfully following Jesus - cf. Romans 3:21-22 (NKJV)
²¹ But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.

-- Do we give our mothers the RIGHTEOUSNESS they deserve?

F. CARE...

1. Parents, especially widowed mothers, deserve our care - 1 Timothy 5:8 (NKJV)
⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:16 (NKJV) If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.

2. Indeed, children are to be their parents’ “social security”

3. They deserve the best care we can afford to give them

-- Do we give our mothers the CARE they deserve?

CONCLUSION

We may choose to give our mothers flowers, cards, gifts on Mother’s Day

But every day they rightly deserve our…a. Obedience b. Respect c. Affection

d. Wisdom e. Righteousness f. Care

Are we practicing true godliness and pure religion by giving our mothers what they deserve…?

Invitation: There is not a mother alive or dead that would not want their child to be saved from hell. So how about you? Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior? If not, now is the time not only for your mother’s sake, but for your own! Ask Jesus to forgive your sins against God and invite Him to take charge of your life. He will give you a home in Heaven when this life is over!

I SHALL NOT WANT

Here are some promises of God for those who are His children, born again by the Holy Spirit of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Through Jesus' death on the cross, He paid for our sins and made us children of God.

I shall not want for health, for "With His stripes we are healed."
(Is. 53:3), and Jesus "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sickness." (Mat.8:17).

I shall not want for prosperity, for "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19).

I shall not want for security, for "God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (II Timothy 1:7).

I shall not want for faith, for "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." (Romans 12:3).

I shall not want for peace, for "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee."
(Isaiah 26:3).

I shall not want for victory, because "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." (Romans 8:37).

I shall not want for victory over sin because, "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." (Rom.8:2).

I shall not want for victory over confusion because, "God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." (! Corinthians 14:33).

I shall not want for companionship because Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20).

I shall not want for contentment, "For I have learned in whatsoever
state (or circumstance) I am therewith to be content."
(Philippians 4:11).

I shall not want for victory over the cares of this life, for I am casting all my care upon Him who cares for me. (I Peter 5:7).

I shall not want for victory in prayer, for if we ask anything in Jesus' name we shall have it. (John 14:14).

I shall not want for strength, for "The Lord is the strength of my life." (Psalms 27:1).

I shall not want for power, for "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." (Acts 1:8)

I shall not want as to be an overcomer because Jesus said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33).

I shall not want for victory over persecution, for "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).

I shall not want for righteousness because, "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (1 Corinthians 5:21).

I shall not want for victory over condemnation, for "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1).

Where do you stand? Do you have needs thaty only God can supply? All mankind has needs no one but God can supply. However you must have asked Jesus to forgive you and save you from the penalty of your sins against God. Only when you become God's child through faith in Jesus Christ will God the Father be obligated to take care of all your wants and needs. Only as God's born again child can you claim His promises. Ask Jesus to forgive you now and ask Him to save you from the penalty and power of sin, then you shall not want for these things.