One Year Bible, July 26

2 CHRONICLES 17:1 - 18:34                                                                                             
TEACHING PRIESTS:  These teaching priests brought revival wherever they went because the "fear of the Lord" fell on the surrounding nations and held their enemies at bay. Even the Philistines brought them gifts! Jehoshaphat sent the priests, the Levites and the "book of the law" throughout JUDAH.

A LYING SPIRIT: God sent a lying spirit on all Ahab's prophets in order to entice Ahab onto the battle field to be killed. Jehoshaphat the king of Judah was preserved in that battle.

RESPONSE: Sometimes our assignments from God don't make any sense - but God has a plan. When Jehoshaphat heard what the trustworthy prophet had to say, he must have been tempted to stay home instead of keeping his word to Ahab about joining him in his battle! But he kept his word, and God preserved him. The "fear of the Lord" was still with him.

ROMANS 9:22 - 10:13                                                                                                          

THREE JUSTIFICATIONS FOR GOD'S "CHOOSING":
(1) Salvation is not based on nationality, education, inheritance, or privilege, but on the grace of God to whom He will. He is the Almighty and "will have mercy on whom He will have mercy."

(2) When God's grace is extended to us, God precedes it with His promises. He never bases salvation on what man does.  It is not even based on our behavior, because Jacob was chosen before he was born.  He raises us up "to show His power in us."  So some are given mercy and some are hardened.  AND GOD IS NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO ANYONE, NOR DOES HE ANSWER TO ANYONE.  Redemption is NEVER based on human effort.

(3) God has purposes and objectives that we do not see. One of those objectives is not only to display His power and His wrath by allowing and permitting man to oppose him and to resist him, but also to display His amazing patience and longsuffering this way.  Therefore the bitter argument that God is not fair, doesn't hold water. 

WHICH KIND OF VESSEL AM I?  A "vessel of wrath" vs a "vessel of honor":  The way you can tell is by what you do with that BIG STONE in your path.  Did you stub your toe on Jesus, or did you throw yourself down on Him? Jesus is the test.

"THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF FAITH":  (Rom 9:30) Jesus' death on the cross as a means to righteousness by faith alone is "a stumbling block and rock of offense." The walk of faith causes self-righteous people to stub their toes (get offended).

HOW TO BE "SAVED": Chapter 9 showed God's responsibility. Chapter 10 shows man's responsibility.  You don't have to wait until you die to be lost!  If you are not saved, you are lost already.  Some are lost because they have all the information and reject it because the means of FAITH ALONE is a "stumbling block".   But even Moses taught that the salvation was by faith and grace.  Others are lost because of ignorance.  LAW is not the issue - Jesus is.  The Law tells us what is destroying and killing us.   It fences us in until our hearts is changed and the Law is fulfilled in us by faith.  A "religious spirit" goes about to establish their own righteousness because they have not submitted themselves to the "righteousness of God which is of faith."  The mouth is the expression of the outward man, the evidence of intellectual understanding of what has happened inside, expressed in words; the heart is the inner man, the spirit inside us understanding the basis on which God saves.  Therefore, if we confess with our mouth, it is based on what already took place in our hearts.  The acknowledgement that must take place is that Jesus is LORD, and He is risen and available. Scripture never tells us to "receive Jesus as Savior" - but to acknowledge Him as Sovereign LORD. Those who do will never be disappointed.

RESPONSE: When we quit waiting for LIFE to be "fair", and choose joy instead, our lives will turn around for the better.  Be grateful that LIFE is NOT "fair" - but full of mercy and grace from God.  It wasn't fair that Jesus took OUR sin on Himself, but He did.  It wasn't fair that they beat Jesus and pulled out His beard for US, but they did.  It wasn't fair for Jesus to sacrifice Himself for me, but He did!  I CHOOSE LIFE! AND JOY!

PSALM 20:1-9                                                                                                                  
When the heat is on, in the midst of a battle (usually in our thoughts and attitudes), Psalm 20 is our battle song: OUR DELIVERANCE DEPENDS ON PRAYER, NOT POWER. We trust in "the Name of the Lord our God."  God's Name is God's Presence and His impact on the circumstances.

PROVERBS 20:2-3                                                                                                          
In the OT, a "king" is the person in authority. He may be a fool or a righteous one, but his authority comes with his assignment, with God's permission.  So, don't provoke his anger on purpose.   People who make it a practice to intentionally provoke arguments are FOOLS.  Honorable people don't do that.

RESPONSE:  When we pray and call out on God, it is IMPOSSIBLE for NOTHING to happen. God always hears us and gives an answer. We can sing for joy because we are heard! Sometimes the victory is a quiet one, sometimes it is raucous and noticeable. But if we don't pray and put our trust in the God Who hears, we will suffer some defeats for sure.