1 KINGS 22:1-53
JEHOSHAPHAT (King of Judah) and AHAB (King of Israel) joined forces to fight SYRIA. AHAB had a company of prophets who told him what he wanted to hear. He "hated" Micaiah, a true prophet who told the truth. GOD caused the lying prophets to tell Ahab to fight, so that God could orchestrate Ahab's death in battle! Ahab dressed Jehoshaphat like a king, and himself like a common soldier. But they didn't fool GOD! Ahab was killed and his blood was licked up by DOGS.
JEHOSHAPHAT, King of Judah: Did what was "right in the eyes of the Lord", but left the high places intact. He rid the land of the "sodomites". JEHORAM, his son ruled when Jehoshaphat died.
AHAZIAH, son of AHAB: New king of Israel. Just like his father.
RESPONSE: The likelihood that our children will repeat our sins, seems quite high. All the more reason to live godly in the home.
ACTS 13:16-41
PAUL'S FIRST RECORDED SERMON: This sermon was so good that almost the whole city came the next Sabbath to hear the Word of God! The whole introduction was HISTORY - but not like man tells it. This history centers on God and what God did! How all that God has done was in order to draw people to Himself, and culminated in this day. HAMMER BLOW: "Preached to you FORGIVENESS of sins....and every one that believes is FREED from everything from which you could not be freed by the Law of Moses."
"JUSTIFIED": A word Paul made famous. This is the first recorded occasion he used it. It does not mean the same thing as "forgiveness". Justification means to have your sins forgiven in such a way that God's honor and integrity are preserved by it. By laying our guilt on Jesus, God's Son, at the Cross, we can go free without God's holiness being defiled. The price has been paid. The result of "justification" is ACCEPTANCE. When you accept the death of Jesus on our behalf, you are "justified", and God's acceptance is poured out toward you. You are INCLUDED because of Jesus' death on your behalf! No wonder Paul ended his sermon with a WARNING: Don't despise this free gift and then perish!
RESPONSE: Paul's interpretation of the Scriptures is valuable because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit. I wonder how he would re-write our own history books so that we could see how God was working in history. How He decided battle outcomes. How He protected Believers, or allowed them to be martyred or sacrificed. Why He timed revivals like He did (they often preceded wars - so that the men who died went to heaven.) When we really KNOW that God is truly in charge, that He directs history, that He actually chooses rulers and kings and deposes others, that outcomes are in His hands - WE WILL PRAY MORE. Remember: whatever is on your plate, God put it there. And imagine what Paul's declaration of FORGIVENESS and FREEDOM sounded like to those who heard it for the first time!
PSALM 138:1-8
If you are pursuing God with your whole heart, and if your motive is to please God, then Psalm 138-145 describe you and your mission.Psalm 138 reveals that we praise God with our WHOLE HEART. We are no longer double minded or ambivalent about our loyalties. God's goodness and greatness are not questioned, but delighted in. In fact, God makes me bold because He is so great. He can be trusted bo FINISH those things concerning me because He will never forsake me.
PROVERBS 17:17-18
A true friend loves at all times; but it is in adversity especially that he becomes like a brother.
You've got to be stupid to co-sign a loan for a friend. You will lose either your money or your friend.
RESPONSE: God will fulfill His purpose for me. As long as I don't rebel, and instead, I continue to seek God's face, God's Word, God's pleasure - I am useable. Obeying God is a PLEASURE. Feeling God's pleasure is the best feeling in the world! I am not God's ROBOT. I choose to obey God, and I choose to delight myself in Him because He is worthy of NO LESS.
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