One Year Bible, June 15

1 KINGS 14:1-15:24                                                                                                    
AHIJAH THE PROPHET: Lived in Shiloh, and was a genuine prophet of the Lord.  Jeroboam knew better than to go to his own prophets!   His wife disguised herself as a peasant so the prophet would tell her the truth (about the fate of her sick son) instead of just what she wanted to hear. Her son, ABIJAH would die, Israel will be shaken, rooted up, scattered beyond the Euphrates. The dogs and birds will eat your bodies.

NADAB: Son of Jeroboam. His contemporary in Judah was King Asa.   He reigned two years and was no better than his father.

MEANWHILE, IN THE LAND OF JUDAH: Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, turned out to be just as bad as Jeroboam. "Judah did THE evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins" (which were much worse than their fathers'). The king of Egypt fought against Jerusalem and captured all the gold and silver implements of the Temple and the palace. Rehoboam made substitute brass ones.

ABIJAM: Also called ABIJAH, whose contemporary in Israel was Jeroboam. He warred against Jeroboam, and for the sake of the House of DAVID, Israel was defeated.  Jeroboam never recovered and soon died. The man who trusted in his substitute heathen gods was struck down by the Lord (Jeroboam). The man who trusted in the true God (Abijah) became mighty.

KING ASA:  Years of spiritual renewal.  Asa "did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father."  He reigned 41 years, during 7 kings of Israel.   He did not even spare the Queen-Mother, when she put an idol in the high place.  He removed her from being queen and burned her worship house.  Alas! His good beginning didn't last and he died of "stinky feet". (2 Chron 16:7-14) (His walk stunk.)

RESPONSE:   The general gist is that there were more bad kings than good ones.   Maybe the power went to their heads.  When they didn't seek God first, their lives were corrupted by their surroundings.  Always keep God as your Treasure - where you make your priority investments. Let your motives always be to please God and to do His will.

ACTS 10:1-23                                                                                                                       

THE INCLUSION OF GENTILES: The real stink of racism is the tendency to think of other ethnic groups besides our own as unclean and common and corrupt.   God worked both ends: told Cornelius (a Gentile) to look for Peter, and told Peter to bring the Gospel to Gentiles.  Peter's vision came three times (v.16), and Cornelius sent a party of three to get Peter!  Later Peter reports that while he was preaching, the Holy Spirit "fell on them just like it did on us at the beginning!"

REPONSE:   Peter had to be hit on the head to break tradition.  When push came to shove, Peter had to put his faith in what had been revealed to him - put action to belief! Immediately! God had no sooner revealed it to Peter, than the men were knocking at the door!   Peter didn't have time to think about it, pray about it, ask the other disciples about it.  He had to act right now on what God had just shown him --- THREE TIMES!  Maybe having the same vision three times is what did it for Peter.  I know it would for me.  At least I would like to think so.

PSALM 133:1-3                                                                                                                      
FOURTEENTH STEP: Psalm 133: Dwelling with the brethren in unity.  Aaron was LAVISHLY ANOINTED.   You want to be anointed that way by the Holy Spirit?   GET IN LINE. That's right.   Get into your place in the Body and submit to authority.   ALL AUTHORITY FLOWS DOWN - just like the anointing oil.  All the way to the feet where the real ministry takes place.  The "Dew of Herman" DESCENDS too.

PROVERBS 17:7-8                                                                                                                
Some speech is just not appropriate: leaders who lie, and fools who talk too much. A gift, not to pervert justice, but to conciliate the angry, is okay. It ploughs through all kinds of hindrances.

RESPONSE:  People who are "Lone Rangers" in the Church scare me.  God LOVES unity. Romans pretty clearly teaches that people CANNOT fulfill their purpose WITHOUT the whole Body - the Church.  To be a Christian outside UNITY with the rest of us is a contradiction.