Psalm 45:6:
6Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
The word "throne" is the Hebrew word "kicceh", which means: a throne, a seat of honor, a royal dignity, an authority, a power. The words forever and ever both mean continual, unending existence. A scepter is a mark of authority. The mark of authority for THIS kingdom is RIGHTEOUSNESS! That is uprightness, or right standing with God! There is no doubt whatsoever that this verse is referring to the King of kings and the Lord of lords - Jesus of Nazareth! You might be interested to know, in light of some of the things that appear to be happening in our world at this time, that there is a Scripture verse carved in stone that rises above the place where Muslims pray at the great mosque in Damascus. It dates back to the time that this was a Christian church dedicated to John the Baptist. A mosque was built on the ruins of the church, but the carving remains and reads:
"Thy kingdom, O Christ, is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations."
No matter how hard the world and devil try to obliterate the Name of Jesus from the Earth, they will NEVER succeed! HIS throne and HIS kingdom are FOREVER! AMEN! I am SO blessed to be a part of HIS kingdom!
2 Timothy 3:1:
1BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].
The description of the things that will be happening during these perilous times is found in verses 2-5:
2For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane. 3[They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good. 4[They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God. 5For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].
That we are living in these exact times is very painfully obvious! Verse 5 says that some of these claim to be believers, but deny, reject and are strangers to the power that is supposed to accompany the Gospel! Remember that to know the power, you MUST get to know Jesus! (Philippians 3:10). Then to continue to grow up as a believer in Jesus and a member of the family of God, we must understand verses 16-17 and make use of the Word of God!
16Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), 17So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Every verse in the Bible can be used by the Holy Spirit, our Teacher, to teach and train us so that we can grow up in the things of God. Get to know Jesus AND the power that you are supposed to be walking in as a born again believer. Then you will be "well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work!" AMEN!
In 2 Chronicles 27-28 we see a contrast of two kings. One who "did right in the sight of the Lord", King Jotham, and another who "did not do right in the sight of the Lord", King Ahaz. We can see the results of their choices! Jotham's results are found in 2 Chronicles 27:6:
6So Jotham grew mighty, for he ordered his ways in the sight of the Lord his God.
The results for Ahaz are found in 2 Chronicles 28:20-23:
20So Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came to him and distressed him without strengthening him. 21For Ahaz took [treasure] from the house of the Lord and out of the house of the king and from the princes and gave it as tribute to the king of Assyria, but it did not help Ahaz. 22In the time of his distress he became still more unfaithful to the Lord--this same King Ahaz. 23For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which had defeated him, for he said, Since the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.
It PAYS to do things God's way and it costs, big time, to do things your own way IF you way is contrary to God's way! Find out how God wants things done and then do it His way and be blessed beyond measure! AMEN!
Shalom in Him!
