One Year Bible, June 21

2 KINGS 1:1-2:25                                                                                                              
2 Kings covers 300 years from Jehoshaphat of Judah and Azariah of Israel....to...the Assyrian and Babylonian Captivities.  2 Kings ends with Nebuchadnezzar and the burning of the Temple.

MAIN THEME: Man is unable to successfully rule himself.  Man loses his consciousness of God by his idolatry, which is actually attempts at substitutes for God!   Rejecting the Word of the Lord will result in rejection by God, and then captivity.  Chap 1-17: Deterioration of the Northern Kingdom. Chap 18-25: Deterioration of the Southern Kingdom.

AHAZIAH:  Inherited his father, Ahab's, lack of regard for God's Word and is also confronted by ELIJAH.   Ahaziah fell through the latticework of his upper chamber in Samaria, enquired of "Baal-zebub" ("lord of the flies"), the Philistine god of Ekron.   Elijah prophesies his death and is sent for.

ELIJAH THE TISHBITE:  "A hairy man dressed in leather".   He called fire down from heaven in judgment.   Like Enoch, Elijah was translated, and did not die.

JEHORAM (not Jehoshaphat's son, but another son of AHAB). Ahaziah's brother, succeeded Ahaziah, who had no sons.

ELISHA:  The prophet of the "double portion of the anointing".  Elijah pronounced that to be "a hard thing".   IT COST HIM EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE.   Elisha was mentored by Elijah, tested by both Elijah and God, proven in the areas of faith, his affections, and character.   He learned early on that he must NEVER allow the pressures that come through other leaders to cause him to doubt the will of God (2:16).

"SALT":  The "salt" is a type of INTEGRITY, what gives Christianity credibility.   Elisha certainly was salty, and didn't allow children to cast aspersions on his credibility and reputation.

RESPONSE:   It is only when we are submitted to God's authority and rulership that we can succeed at ANYTHING.  There is NO SUCH THING AS "MY WAY".  There is only God's way or the Wrong way.

ACTS 13:42 - 14:7                                                                                                       
THIS COMPLETES THE 70TH YEAR OF DANIEL 9:  The last 7 years began with Jesus' ministry, and continued on for 3-1/2 years after His death to now with the turning to the Gentiles.   Paul's Scriptural proof is from Isaiah 49:6 where we learn that the Israelites were supposed to spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth - including to Gentiles.

JOY OR JEALOUSY:  Two reactions to the popularity of the Gospel among the Gentiles.  What is interesting is that there are no reported miracles or signs - just preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit.  The "jealous" "older brothers" of Luke 15, are cut off, are considered outside the grace of God, and have lost everything!  They no longer served the purpose to which they were called.

Which leads to another thing: The reason we were chosen by God.....was to benefit those who don't yet know Him.   We are only INCLUDED BY GRACE....God didn't OWE us anything!   We "freely give", because we have "freely received". (Matt 10:8)

A "THORN IN MY FLESH":  Speculation has it that it was these jealous unbelieving Jews that pursued Paul from town-to-town.

RESPONSE:   I used to think that I was saved so that I could go to heaven, and that's all!   I didn't know I had a purpose for being saved, or was supposed to change anything!   I WAS SO MISERABLE BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE!  I didn't care about anyone else, as long as I could get through life.  I looked forward to the rapture, when all those HEATHEN that hated me would be left here to burn!  YES!  My attitude was an ABOMINATION to the Lord!  He HATES religious pride - especially in a Believer.  I had forgotten that everything I have is from God. Anything I "achieve" is because of God's grace. Anything worth anything in my life is because of God.  And GOD'S grace is always FREE, UNEARNED, AVAILABLE, UNLIMITED, SUFFICIENT.

PSALM 139:1-24                                                                                                         
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 139 reveals that God knows all about us, and still never leaves us.   He even knows what we are going to say before we say it!  Psalm 139 reveals the God Who is Always There!   He is not distant, and He is intensely personal.   In fact, we can't hide from Him!   He is behind and in front of us, and all around us, and we cannot make any move He doesn't allow.  If I "make my bed in hell", He will accompany me in there!

"WONDERFULLY MADE": "God formed me in my mother's womb".  Actually, He wove me together in there. "In God's book" all my days were written before I was born!  HE SAW ME THEN!   Jesus, Himself, said: "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God." (Heb 10:7)

"SEARCH ME":   Examine intimately, looking for cares, distractions, anxieties, ways that will bring grief or pain. "Lead me in the way everlasting." The abundant, truthful, fulfilled life that comes from being in God's Presence.

PROVERBS 17:19-21                                                                                                          
Some people seem to get a kick out of playing "the devil's advocate" and debating everything. THAT'S A SIN and it invites strife - which divides.   A person whose heart and tongue twist things all the time cannot be successful the way the Bible describes successful. 

RESPONSE:   Somehow, in my youthful misery, I got it into my head that I was a mistake.   That I should not have been born, and therefore there was no purpose for my life.  Psalm 139 totally healed me from the shame of those lies.  I, too, am come to do the will of God.  God had a will, a place, a time, a purpose, a plan for me BEFORE I WAS CONCEIVED!