One Year Bible, June 19

1 KINGS 20:1-21:29                                                                                                      
DEATH AND HELL: Ben-Hadad, a type of Satan, demanded the gold, silver, and the best of the women and children. AHAB agreed with him - of course, give Satan an inch and he'll take a mile - so Ben-Hadad came back for seconds. This time Ahab refused.   That's good, because as long as we agree with him, Satan will take all we have!

SLAUGHTER OF THE SYRIANS: The "unnamed prophet" prophesied Israel's victory. Ahab slaughtered the Syrians and their horses and chariots.   But, the Syrians will be back!  This time, they vastly outnumbered the Israelites, who appeared like two tiny flocks of goats, while the Syrians spread themselves out over the whole valley.   Another "unnamed prophet" promised victory again because the Syrians would not acknowledge the Lord God.  Israel slew 100,000 Syrian footmen in one day!   A wall fell on 27,000 Syrians, killing them, too.

SPARING BEN-HADAD:  Ahab spared Ben-Hadad, even though his act defied God.  Another "unnamed prophet" told a parable to show Ahab why he was going to give "Thy life for his life.."

POUTING AHAB:  He wanted Naboth's vineyard, but Naboth wouldn't sell.  So Jezebel had Naboth set up and killed, and gave the vineyard to her pouting husband (who wouldn't eat because he couldn't have his way).

ELIJAH: Ahab's enemy.  He prophesied that DOGS (unclean animals despised by Jews) would eat Jezebel and lick Ahab's blood.

AHAB REPENTS!  (not really) OUTWARDLY Ahab showed superficial repentance, not because he hated his sin, but because he fear the consequences!  But the Lord honored even this!

RESPONSE: God is both long-suffering, and merciful.  He also is REALLY unwilling to "give up" on anyone!  That makes me very appreciative.  I know He "went the distance" with me.  It took me a long time to really believe that God loves me.  And His mercy is unlimited.  God's Grace is always undeserved, free, available.   God continues to take my breath away!

ACTS 12:24-13:15                                                                                                               
BARNABAS & SAUL:  Note the name order. Barnabas is the seasoned believer, mentor to Saul.   SAUL was "separated” THREE TIMES:

At birth: (Gal 1:15-16)  "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen;"

At his conversion: (Rom 1:1)  "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,"

At Antioch: ( Acts 13:2), "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."

THE TURNINGPOINT: "Worship, Prayer, Fasting": Changed the course of history for all time!  The leadership were seeking the leading of the Lord - where do we go from here?  All three elements were necessary: worship, prayer, fasting.....here reported so that we would see the CONNECTION between worship, prayer and fasting....and ....the decisive leading of the Holy Spirit.  This led to a missions movement that took Christianity to the whole Roman Empire. And 13 of 29 books of the NT were the result of the ministry birthed in that meeting.

HOLY SPIRIT: He chose the men, and He chose the work.  He SENT the men.  He did not tell them to go to Cyprus, but it was a logical decision (Barnabas was from Cyprus, and so were the men who started the church in Antioch. They had connections there.)

"SAUL, ALSO CALLED PAUL":  Saul means "to demand". Paul means "restrained" or "little because of restraints".  Paul had become a "restrained one" who will not fight back or make demands.   He had a Jewish name, and took a Greek name because of his ministry, because of his change of nature, and maybe because of a new friendship with the governor of Cyprus (Sergius Paulus).

PAUL AND BARNABAS: The Name order changed when Paul became a man of authority and judgment.

RESPONSE:  Our PATTERN MAN was the "chief of sinners", persecuted the Church and Christians. God "separated him", chose him, called him, saved him, gave him his sight.  Jesus Himself TAUGHT him in the Arabian wilderness.  He was mentored by Barnabas, recognized as a minister by the Church leadership, ordained and sent out with his mentor.  In the midst of his ministry, God gave him apostolic authority and judgment.  It has probably been 13 years from the start to this point.  Not exactly an "overnight sensation".  And we have to remember that he was trained in the Scriptures by an expert, Gamaliel.  The REAL POINT I want to make here, is that Paul was DECIDEDLY ANTICHRISTIAN - and look what the Lord has done!

PSALM 137:1-9                                                                                                                  
MISSING GOD'S PURPOSE:  "By the waters of Babylon" - a Song of Captivity.   "We wept when we remembered Zion...."   When we miss God's purpose, and find ourselves in captivity to the enemy....this is our song as we remember "the good old days".   All that Babylon produces is to be destroyed.

PROVERBS 17:16                                                                                                                 
Why has a FOOL the means of obtaining wisdom, when he is so undeserving?  He has already set his heart on "stupid stuff"?

RESPONSE:   Thank God for friends who cared about me.  I found myself "by the waters of Babylon" once.  I wept and lay in bed depressed and afraid.  I didn't know how to get back to God - to "Zion" - where I felt God's Presence.   I "dashed to pieces" all that got produced in my condition - by shining the Light of Truth on it.  Praise God for a friend who came to me and helped me to REPENT.  She brought Truth - lots of it - and the Holy Spirit did the rest.