Written by: John Sernaque
Call to Worship
1 Kings 11: 4
11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, [that] his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as [was] the heart of David his father.
A Candlestick Removed—Did Solomon know God when he was doing according to the ways of idolaters?—No; he had forgotten the rich experience of his youth and the prayers he had made in the temple. [Revelation 2:4, 5 quoted.] {2BC 1032.5}
The candlestick was removed out of its place when Solomon forgot God. He lost the light of God, he lost the wisdom of God, he confounded idolatry with religion (The Review and Herald, March 29, 1892). {2BC 1032.6}
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Revelation 2:5. Once saved, always saved is a dangerous man made idea to live by. God will not save you in your sin, rather from your sin. Solomon was a man of God, but when he turned to idolatry because of all his foreign wives, his candlestick was removed. It was not until he repented did God once again hear his prayers. To be saved, God calls all to repentance. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Revelation 2:11.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
We come to the foot of Your throne in thanksgiving and prayer. We come to You as sinners, and are sorry that we have sinned against You. We repent of our sins and do the first works. We pray that in Your goodness, compassion, and mercy that You forgive us of all our sins, the known and the unknown, and that You cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We pray that we never lose Your Spirit and Your Light and the wisdom You bestow upon us with Your Word. We pray that we are worthy of having our names written in Your book of life, to not see the second death. Praise be and glory in Your name, Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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