One Year Bible, June 17

1 KINGS 18:1-46                                                                                                             
OBADIAH:   A palace overseer, who "feared the Lord greatly".   In fact, behind Ahab's back, he had hidden 100 prophets of the Lord and fed them.   He thought that announcing Elijah's whereabouts to Ahab, but not producing him, would be like signing his own death warrant!

ELIJAH:  "Tell the devil, 'I am here!'" He told Ahab to gather all his and Jezebel's prophets (450 + 400) at Mt. Carmel for a standoff. Elijah was a prophet "like unto Moses". (who had a standoff with Pharaoh's gods).  He appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus (Matt 17).   Elijah FIRST repaired the ALTAR (restored the relationship and order).  The three barrels of WATER speak of the three levels of faith.   Elijah outran a horse and chariot, and it was 16-18 miles!

BAAL-gods  (world-spirit of antichrist) are distant (the prophets had to yell),not personal (had to be appeased and begged), love blood (cutting), and human sacrifice.

JEHOVAH can change drought to "abundance of rain".  God BAPTIZED the altar with water, spirit and fire!

RESPONSE:   Elijah was pumped! That was a long run! I think I'd be excited and energized too!  I have been warned many times that the most dangerous time in the life of a Believer is right after a big victory.  We must cling harder than ever to God, because the devil will start hammering at our thoughts immediately. What the devil wants is for us to become independent again.  Then he can pick us off because we are vulnerable and unguarded.

ACTS 11:1-30                                                                                                                  
LET ME EXPLAIN...."  When Peter returned to Jerusalem, the Church Board met and demanded an explanation of what was going on with "outsiders".   It was like letting motorcycle gangs, "street" people, gangsters, prostitutes, ex-prison inmates, etc. into the church! (to them it was)   They had just gotten saved and filled with the Holy Spirit JUST LIKE THE WE WERE!  So Peter's answer was, "Who was I to withstand God?"

"FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS"... The Gentiles in the Church at Antioch were called "Christians" as a derogatory name.  But it caught on and we love it!   BARNABAS was sent to check it out . He "SAW the grace of God"....at work there.   And exhorted them that with "purpose of heart they would cling to the Lord." They had to make up their minds that no matter what came, they would stay faithful to the Lord and He would remain faithful to them.

PAUL, BACK IN TARSUS: Barnabas went to Tarsus to get Paul, brought him to Antioch and took him under his wing. When the prophets came down from Jerusalem to check out their meetings, they prophesied a famine, which is what prompted the trip to Jerusalem by Paul and Barnabas - to bring an offering to the disciples there.

RESPONSE:   Nowadays ANYONE can call themselves a "Christian"!   In some countries, it just means that I'm NOT a Muslim!   But, it's not a political party. It's not a social class. It's not even a religion.   In NT times you could be KILLED for it!  A "Christian" is considered someone who was fanatically in love with Jesus. Someone who talks about God all the time because He is the center of their lives. Someone who can be counted on to have integrity because their lives are changed. Someone who carries around the Presence of God in them.  Is that you?

PSALM 135:1-21                                                                                                             
Psalm 135-144 are SONGS of EXPERIENCE. Our first experience in God is that He is IN CHARGE.   He is above all gods and He does WHAT HE PLEASES both in heaven and in earth. He gives both life AND death.   The heathen idols, on the other hand, are man-made, deaf & dumb, blind, and can't breath....and their servants are just like them!  Let's translate that: what is a heathen idol? It is man-centered FLESH and ideologies. It is "political correctness". It is every substitute for God that man can come up with.  Make and trust a blind idol and you become blind. This is the first step to having the True God become unattractive and unreal. Your eyes grow dull.

PROVERBS 17:12-13                                                                                                             

A fierce she-bear can be tamed by experts, but a fool can be tamed by nothing short of God because a fool spurns correction and won't listen to wisdom. "A fool in his folly" is like a raging bear, angry, uninformed, out of control.  He is dangerous, and can be a threat to all who come across him.   A man who would reward evil for good is an INGRATE.   Unless God tells you different, avoid people like that.  You are wasting your time.

RESPONSE:   How do we bless God? Especially a God like our God, who already owns the universe.  We bless God when we find our joy in Him.  When we find all our satisfaction in Him.  When we count God to be the most important One in our lives.   When we are content and happy because we have God.  When we pursue God above all else because He is the only One Who can satisfy our hungers.  That blesses God.  Our ONLY motive in life should be to PLEASE or BLESS God with all we do and say.