00:00 Introduction and Banter

01:11 Navigating LGBTQ+ Pride Month as Christians

05:04 Conscience and Shopping Decisions

09:48 Biblical Insights: Second Chronicles and Solomon

14:28 Psalm 72: A Prayer for Righteous Leadership

18:14 Conclusion and Encouragement

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back to another episode

of the daily Bible podcast.

3

It is June.

4

Rod: Wow.

5

It's already June.

6

Yeah.

7

It's time.

8

It's your 40th birthdays on the horizon.

9

That's true.

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You know what I was thinking.

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I might have to go to one of the

local places to buy you a present,

12

going to buy you a, a skydiving.

13

Gift certificate.

14

Coupon code or whatever from.

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Maybe Groupon.

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Nope.

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I, you know what I'm thinking, I'm

going to go to one of the budget,

18

skydiving places and say, what's

the cheapest package you got?

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I want that one for my

beloved senior pastor.

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PJ: Did you know that you can take

gift certificates to Walmart and

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turn them into other gift cards?

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Can you, you can, uh,

any like from anywhere.

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Uh, I did it.

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So.

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I've done.

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I've done it before.

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Um, I went there.

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Lucille's gift cards.

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No, I won't be treated with, with

what, but I've done it before and

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you walk away with another gift card.

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Uh, I think of equal value.

32

I think they'll just, wow.

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And I don't know what they

do with the other ones.

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I imagine they use them.

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Yeah, they'd.

36

Um, good and redeemed somehow, but, okay.

37

Yeah.

38

It's possible to swap out any gift

cards you want and not, not anyone

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like, yeah, not anyone, but okay.

40

Yeah.

41

They were.

42

There were some that, that

sometimes I would do that with.

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Okay.

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Rod: Yeah.

45

But answer me this question.

46

So it's now June.

47

It is, everybody knows it.

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LGBTQ plus pride month.

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And.

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Yes.

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And the alphabet goes on.

52

Yes.

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Uh, Walmart recently put out an ad that

I saw where they were promoting some,

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um, I don't know what they call them.

55

I don't even know what

the appropriate term is.

56

Yeah.

57

But those people and they're highlighting

their work and their artistry and this and

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that and target, you know, got in trouble

last year because of the, uh, The swimwear

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stuff that they were promoting, that that

would hide certain elements of your body.

60

Yeah.

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So how are Christians supposed to navigate

this minefield of totally opposite of

62

what God asks us to do and to honor,

should we not shop at these places?

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Should we, should we purchase

and try to make an impact or.

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How do we navigate this minefield

without offending people?

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Yeah, if possible.

66

PJ: Yeah.

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Without offending people.

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I don't know.

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I don't know.

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I don't know that that

should even be our goal.

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Um, you scripture talks about not

sinning against your conscience.

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So let me say this.

73

Is it a sin for somebody who is

a follower of Jesus to go into

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target during the month of June,

we're going to Walmart during the

75

month of June into buy something.

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No, it's not a sin.

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And you may say, but they're there,

they're directly supporting this.

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And fair and that's true, but there are

plenty of other organizations that we

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can point to and say, these organizations

support all of these other things.

80

Like have you bought girl

scout cookies recently?

81

They should put them the

murder of the unborn.

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I bought six or seven packs, honestly.

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So the point being like, where

do you draw the line on that?

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And, and somebody else in fact,

molar has even made the point, Al

85

Mohler has even made the point.

86

You know, we don't even know if

you go shop at these other stores

87

that, that aren't public about it.

88

Okay.

89

Well, what about the people that

are producing the clothes that

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they're selling in those stores?

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Do you know what companies there that

that company is supporting because

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your, your money is indirectly growing.

93

Right.

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And there's there's degrees of

separation that we can argue for.

95

So it comes down to your conscience.

96

Um, if your conscience says, you know,

I don't want to go shop at Walmart.

97

I don't want to go shop it at target

because of what they're doing and the

98

standard they're making, then don't.

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Then don't.

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Um, and, and in that sense, if you did

that, when your conscience is convicting

101

you, that I think it's wrong for me to

go do this and you were to still do it.

102

Then the Bible says that that is grounds

where we're, we're crossing the line where

103

we're sending against our conscience.

104

Um, and so we need to be careful

not, not to do that, but we also

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need to have informed consciousness.

106

We need to make sure that that we're

making wise and right decisions.

107

Yeah, listen, this is a time

that, that the world is, is

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throwing this in our face.

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I mean, if you follow social media,

All the brands that you follow

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on social media, they're going

to have rainbow logos that are,

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that are going to pop up on there.

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Um, It's it's obscene the way

that they're, they're just

113

shoving it down our throats.

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Now, um, Mueller made the point in a,

an episode a couple of days ago that

115

we are now seeing generations of, of.

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Children raised up that are entering

their twenties, who have never

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known anything other than same sex

marriage legalization that crazy.

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Uh, and he talked about, well, what's

going to happen with transgenderism

119

and there may be a generation 20 years

from now that never knows anything

120

other than the normalcy of that.

121

So as, as Christians, I don't think

our goal is not to offend people.

122

I think our goal is, is to be

biblical and to follow the Lord.

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And to ask questions,

how do we navigate that?

124

How do we do that in this

society in this time?

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And I think the other question

to ask it honestly is like, Okay.

126

Well then when the calendar turns

from June 30th to July, Is it okay.

127

Then for me to go back and shop at

those places now, I mean, they're

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still supporting the same things

that they were supporting before.

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They're just not as boldly.

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Yeah.

131

It's not on the end cap anymore.

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So it's, it's a tough spot for us in.

133

I do think that we are going to

be marginalized more and more

134

and more by society at large for

holding to a biblical worldview.

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And we're going to have to make

decisions to say, yeah, you know what?

136

I'm not going to do that.

137

I'm not going to do this over here.

138

But I think we've got to be careful

not to paint with a broad brush to

139

say, if this person does, then they're

sending for doing, for doing that.

140

So

141

Rod: you bring up the idea of conscience.

142

If my conscience bothers

me, I shouldn't do it.

143

Uh, don't violate your conscience,

make sure it's a well-informed

144

conscience received and understood.

145

Oh, I suppose.

146

I'm really convicted

about this in my mind.

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It is as crystal clear as the windows

that I'm looking at right now that

148

I could see right through them.

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I know exactly what this is.

150

I know exactly what you should do.

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My, my good friend and my

community group leader.

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I know he shops at this place

and he supports them and he

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doesn't see the problem with this.

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Is there any problem with me

telling him what the problem is?

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I think

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PJ: in a way that is.

157

Is productive.

158

I think there's room for

conversations to say, Hey, I noticed.

159

You know, you're still

shopping at Walmart.

160

We'll use Walmart because

we have a beloved.

161

Uh, beloved individual in our church

that is connected to, to target.

162

Yeah.

163

So I noticed you, you showed up to

community group tonight with Walmart.

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You brought cookies from

there for dessert tonight.

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Are you, have you seen what's

what they've been promoting?

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Have you seen, what's been going on there?

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You know, in probably the, the time to do

that is not right in front of everybody

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else in the community group to be like,

dude, how could you walk in here with.

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But private selection brand.

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That's theirs.

171

But maybe it's, it's a conversation

that you have with them.

172

One-on-one maybe just afterwards, as

you guys are all enjoying the cookies

173

together, you're, you're sitting there

and, and it's, it's in a calm, demeanor.

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You're not amped up.

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You're not, you know, Raising your voice.

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You're not how dare you that you're

not indignant about this, but you're,

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you're having your conversation.

178

Um, and then it's, it's again, one

of those things where we have to

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say what's tier one, what's tier

two, what's tier three as believers.

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And if this is a tier one issue,

then we've got a major problem.

181

If this is a sin issue.

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And it's a black and white seen

issue that the Bible says is sin,

183

not something that's subjective.

184

Then we've got a Matthew 18 issue.

185

Uh, but this, if this is a disagreement

on something, as far as what we feel is

186

what we feel is morally right or wrong.

187

Uh, not what the Bible dictates

is morally right or wrong.

188

Should you shop at target?

189

Should you not shop at target shoe?

190

Shop at Walmart?

191

So from zone.

192

Then, then we can agree to

disagree in this and still maintain

193

unity as brothers and sisters in

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Rod: Christ.

195

So if I respond, I'll be

the community group leader.

196

And I say, you know what,

thank you so much for that.

197

But you know what.

198

It doesn't move the needle for me

in the same way it does for you.

199

I'm glad you're passionate about that.

200

God bless you in that.

201

Hopefully your dollar is

being spent elsewhere.

202

You know, it makes an impact.

203

But you know, this, this is

convenient for me and my family.

204

They, they give affordable prices.

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This makes sense for us right

now, but appreciate your input.

206

Um, anything wrong with that?

207

They both walk away, shaking

hands, maybe hugging.

208

Uh, Speak to the person who says, you know

what, my conscious isn't bothered by that.

209

Because I'm sure that the

other guy who is bothered.

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Uh, or gal.

211

Yeah.

212

How could you possibly, how

could you be okay with that?

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PJ: Yeah.

214

Rod: Are you even as mature

as I thought you were

215

PJ: right.

216

Right.

217

And so if that's a unit and

you're going this doesn't, this

218

doesn't move the needle for me.

219

It doesn't bother me.

220

Okay.

221

And again, we were not going to come

out and say, you're in sin for that.

222

Um, but I do think.

223

There's room for you to, to reevaluate

and to consider the, the things that have

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been brought to your attention and maybe.

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You feel like, well, I've

already considered it.

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Well, maybe it's it's worth going

back to it and considering it

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again and saying, okay, Maybe I

do need to make a decision here.

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Maybe this, this is, yeah.

229

Okay.

230

It is cheaper for me to, to

do this over here, but maybe

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part, this is part of the cost.

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Of, and it's a small cost relatively

speaking, but it's a, it is a cost.

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Maybe this is part of the cost

of what it looks like to follow

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Jesus in the Bible belt of America.

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Right now, this is one

of the areas of, of.

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Scare courts, persecution that we

are facing as, as believers that

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we're going to say, okay, you know

what, I'm going to buy more expensive

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groceries because I don't want to.

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I don't want to, I want to send a message.

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And it's not like my a hundred

dollar grocery bill or whatever.

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And I don't know who has a grocery

bill that small, but whatever.

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I bought a gallon of milk the other day.

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Yeah, exactly.

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It's not like that's going to bankrupt

this company, but Hey, if I joined

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with the church at large and we make

a stance, target felt it, they lost

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millions of dollars, which is why

I'm looking at Walmart right now.

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Go, what are you thinking?

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What are you thinking?

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Rod: Yup.

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PJ: Um,

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Rod: Yeah, so Marcia's on.

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And I think that's helpful.

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One of the things I wanted to bring

out was the fact that this is a

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sticky, difficult situation for

Christians to walk through and all

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things we should be charitable.

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You know what should assume the

best about one another and hope

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for the best and pray for the best.

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But there's going to be disagreements.

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I'm sure of it.

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We're going to, we're going to fall in

different lines as you know, pastor PG.

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Now we disagree every now and

then about one or two things

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occasionally on occasion.

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And when.

264

And part of that, we're trying to

model for you that, that it's okay.

265

That we disagree.

266

Uh, we disagree to weigh this

respectful and honors the other,

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and we think you should do the same.

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Um, even though this is a much more

volatile situation with a lot more

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inflammatory, inflammatory flatbed,

Terri, there's the word remarks

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we think you could still do this.

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God wants us to be United Philippians

chapter two, you know, complete my joy

272

by being at the same mind, having the

same love being in full accord and in

273

one mind, that's what God wants for us.

274

And the devil wants the opposite.

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So be aware of that guard, your hearts

guard yourselves, pray for one another.

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PJ: That's helpful.

277

Second Chronicles

chapter one and Psalm 72.

278

Second Chronicles chapter one,

we're dealing with a lot of what

279

we've kind of already covered.

280

Uh, there's not a lot of new ground here.

281

This is similar to what we

covered yesterday in our

282

reading in first Kings three.

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Uh, again, verses two through three,

there, Gideon was the place where

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God intended his people to come.

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Uh, prior to the building of

the temple and to worship and

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to bring their sacrifices.

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And so that's where, uh, that's

where you see Solomon go.

288

This is the place where.

289

Um, where David was initially

installed as, as king over Israel.

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So there's the significance historically

there as well, that, that Solomon

291

is going back to that place where

David was first made king to be made.

292

Officially king over the

people, the worship, the

293

sacrifices that are done there.

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Uh, again, just massive.

295

Uh, we've talked a lot about Abrahamic

covenant alerts in verse nine, and

296

we get a Davidic covenant alert here.

297

As it's alluded to again, a Lord,

God, let your word to David.

298

My father now be fulfilled for you

have made me king over the people as

299

numerous as the dust of the earth.

300

You get Abrahamic, covenant and Davidic

covenant right there in verse nine of,

301

uh, of second Chronicles, chapter one.

302

First 15.

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How about this?

304

What do you do with this?

305

He made silver and gold as

common in Jerusalem as stone.

306

And Cedar's principles as the sick.

307

Sycamore of Shefali.

308

That's amazing.

309

Silver and gold is as common as stone.

310

Do we take that

311

Rod: literally password?

312

What are your thoughts on that?

313

And I think part of what's being

displayed here and I don't know that it's

314

literal, but uh, I'll lay my cards out.

315

One of the things that you find

that's unique about the way

316

that Solomon approaches God is

that he is generous with God.

317

He just brings, you know,

all these sacrifices.

318

He lays it all down and that's

the opposite of what you'd expect.

319

I'm going to tell the rich kid,

you know, is like the rich kid.

320

You.

321

You know, he's gonna, he's gonna come

with a silver spoon in his mouth.

322

He's going to have his entourage

do this, the worshiping, but he,

323

he doesn't, he humbles himself.

324

And he offers a multiplicity

of sacrifices, which God

325

responds to very favorably.

326

And he says, because you came in this

way, you were humble, you were humble.

327

And you approached me rightly because

of that, I'm going to bless you.

328

And here he says, I need, I need wisdom.

329

He uses a different word than the hearing

heart that we talked about yesterday.

330

But he says he needs wisdom

and he needs understanding.

331

And so God says, because you asked for

that and not for the material gains.

332

Now I'm going to bless you

with both of those things.

333

And so here's what I see.

334

I see Solomon being generous

with God and his offerings.

335

And I see God saying,

Hey, thank you for that.

336

I received that.

337

I'm going to honor that.

338

And I'm going to show you generosity.

339

That's going to blow your socks off.

340

And that's where the gold and silver come

in, where God says, look, you, you tried

341

to bless me with all these sacrifices.

342

And then I received that and I'm

going to bless you now far more

343

richly and abundantly than you ever

thought you could possibly ask.

344

So when he says these things.

345

I think it speaks more to God's generosity

with Salomon than it speaks to the

346

actual golden silver being more common

than like a rock on your front line.

347

I think it's just saying God was

super generous with him and it was

348

because Solomon trusted himself to

God with humility with his honor with

349

everything and God responded properly.

350

PJ: Yeah.

351

Yup.

352

I would agree.

353

I would agree with that.

354

Verse 16.

355

Uh, note again, the amassing of the

horses they're against God's command,

356

Deuteronomy 17, 16 prohibited.

357

The king from amassing horses

for himself, which is interesting

358

in and of itself, right?

359

Because Deuteronomy, there

was no king in and the king

360

wasn't on the radar for Israel.

361

So you had Moses and God

through Moses laying out.

362

Prophetic laws.

363

Uh, having to do with the future Kings

that Israel would have at that point.

364

And now we're reading about

them and in this text first

365

chronic or second Chronicles,

366

Rod: well, it was always God's plan

for them to have a king, right.

367

That's where that's where the

Davidic king was going to come from.

368

Jesus.

369

The ultimate king.

370

So God's plan clearly was at some

point to give them a monarchy.

371

The question is when and how, and

Israel appears to have force his

372

hand by saying we demand a game.

373

We want to be like the

other nations, right?

374

And that's where I want

to say God was off track.

375

It was never that.

376

And God knows exactly what was

gonna happen, but I don't think

377

that was his perfect plan, although

it was his permissive plan.

378

He allowed them to prevail upon him.

379

And so he gave them the

king that they didn't.

380

The king that they wanted.

381

And also the king that

they deserved in soul.

382

Ultimately God would say,

okay, I'm going to take that.

383

I'm going to make him a king

that points to the ultimate king.

384

Jesus, the Christ.

385

PJ: Yeah, that's it, man.

386

That's good.

387

Uh, and you may think, okay,

well, we don't do that.

388

I think we do Jerry Bridges

book, respectable sins.

389

Oh yeah.

390

It talks about the

Cynefin patients, right.

391

And I think we see that here.

392

And how often are we thinking

about impatience in our life is

393

really a sin that is worthy of.

394

Oh, man.

395

I need to repent of my impatience and

seek forgiveness from the Lord for that.

396

Um, You know, impatience basically tells

God, my plan is better than your plan.

397

I know better.

398

My time is better do it now.

399

Right?

400

And sometimes God gives us that

sometimes God responds to our

401

impatience by saying, okay, fine.

402

Here you go.

403

Careful what you ask for, and

that's what he did with Israel.

404

So.

405

Psalm 72.

406

Anything

407

Rod: else in second

Chronicles, chapter one there.

408

Nope.

409

I'm excited about this.

410

We're going to get into the

Chronicles and Kings, and this

411

is what's going to get confusing.

412

Yeah, after rehabil and we're

going to go north kingdoms,

413

south kingdom and back and forth.

414

It's going to get crazy at the head guys.

415

So just hold on.

416

Be patient, be patient with

yourself, patient with us as we

417

try to help you navigate this.

418

I notice you're gonna be

gone for much of that part.

419

Thank you so much for letting me

deal with the north and south Kings.

420

No, not, not really part of it though.

421

Right?

422

A little bit, but a lot of it.

423

Yeah.

424

Okay.

425

But nevertheless, be ready.

426

It's coming, but we're going to

help navigate you through it.

427

PJ: Hey, you want to know a secret

though, if you ever read and he did

428

what was good or he did what was right.

429

Northern king.

430

Southern case.

431

Sorry.

432

Well, it's hold on.

433

Back that up.

434

Rod: Put that book.

435

Mormon what's going on here.

436

PJ: Southern king Southern CA

there were no Northern Kings that

437

are described as doing what was

right in the eyes of the Lord.

438

Heartbreaking.

439

So anytime you come across a

description that, Hey, this one

440

was good, it's a Southern king.

441

It's a, it's a descendant

of, of the, the true.

442

Davidic line,

443

Rod: which is why the Northern

kingdom Israel was more quickly.

444

Uh, ambushed and taken

then the Southern kingdom.

445

So you remember 7 22.

446

They were.

447

Uh, they were taken captive

and they were dispersed.

448

Anyway, we'll get to that soon enough.

449

PJ: Alright, Psalm 72, some 72 was

written, uh, either by Solomon or

450

someone else on Solomon's behalf

as a prayer that God would bless

451

the successors to David's throne.

452

Beginning with him,

beginning with Solomon.

453

Uh, there's elements here of anticipation,

as he looks forward to the ultimate reign

454

of the Messiah, the greatest of all of

the Davidic aunts or Davidic successors.

455

Verses one through four, you've got

a prayer that he would rule with.

456

True justice.

457

Uh, verses five through 11, a prayer

that his rule would be expansive that

458

his kingdom would expand in, in that

God would add to the territory there.

459

Uh, verses 12 through 14, a compassionate

character verses 15 through 17, a prayer

460

for a prosperous rule, and then verses 18

through 20 a prayer for a glorious rule.

461

And so this is a.

462

A prayer.

463

That's appropriate for the beginning

of the reign of the king, seeing.

464

Look, I want to rule with justice and

I want to see my kingdom expand and

465

I want to rule with a compassionate

character and I want to be.

466

Uh, ruler who has a prosperous rain.

467

And I also want to be a ruler.

468

Who, uh, who has a glorious rain and

rightly framed, these things are okay

469

to ask for if really what's behind the,

the ask is that God would be magnified,

470

that God would be glorified, that God

would be exalted through providing

471

all of these things to Solomon.

472

And that, that seems to be

the heart of the Psalm here.

473

Rod: Now verse 15 long, may he live

may Golda, Sheba be given to him.

474

Great.

475

This, this little phrase stood

out to me, may, may prayer be made

476

for him continually and blessing

and vote for him all the day.

477

I think anyone in a leadership

position intuitively knows that

478

they are insufficient to the cause.

479

They are, as the apostle said, who

is sufficient for these things?

480

That's what Paul said.

481

And the answer is no one's efficient.

482

Yeah, Solomon did a lot

of things that were great.

483

And among the greatest, I think it was his

acknowledgement that he was not enough.

484

Um, any leader in any leadership

position is never going to be enough.

485

Even the best leaders

that you have in offices.

486

If you get your candidate in the

office, he's not going to be enough.

487

He's not going to be Jesus.

488

He's not going to have the wisdom.

489

He's not going to have the chutzpah.

490

He's not going to have all that.

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He needs to be your leader, which

is why every leader is going

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to fail you in some measure.

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That said, I want to

encourage you with two things.

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Number one, please pray for your leaders.

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Oh, it includes your government leaders.

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I would include your, your, uh,

Upper echelons of leaders, but

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think about your spiritual leaders.

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Please think of that.

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Let's pray for us.

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We feel our neediness and we desperately

covet and desire your prayers.

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And I'm sure it will be a benefit to

you and to everyone else around you.

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If you continue to pray for us.

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But pray for the people that you

love, those who lead pray for them.

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They need that.

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And just know.

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Temper your expectations.

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Um, and make sure that you're

not putting your ultimate

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hope in man, but in the Lord.

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Uh, who governs the man?

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PJ: Yep.

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Well, that's another one in the books.

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Rod: Okay.

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PJ: Yeah, that was a Saturday's

edition of the daily Bible podcast.

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Keep, bring your Bibles tune in

tomorrow for Sunday Lord's day.

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The Lord's day.

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Yup.

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We'll see you then guys.

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See ya.

519

Bye.