Gizmo

This morning's events left me saddened all day, and deep in thought with survivor's guilt. My pet squirrel, Gizmo, died this morning, not due to negligence, or lack of trying, or lack of love, but due to ignorance, pure and simple. I just didn't know how to properly care for an unweaned baby squirrel.

While he was alive, he filled a void in my heart that needed to be needed. He came to depend on me and to see me as the loving nurturer I wanted to be. He would show his love by not wanting me out of his sight, and by trying to be as close to me as possible, even when I was holding him.

Now that he's gone, all day, I wondered, what's the point? Why would God put him in my life to take him away? What reason did He have for that? But, I know. I learned from Gizmo things that I didn't know before I met him. I learned what I did wrong. I learned much of what I did for him too late for him, but the next time a baby squirrel needs me, I'll be better prepared to care for him.

Gizmo, you did not die in vain. Because you lived, the next squirrel that comes into my life will have an even better fighting chance than you had. And, you had one. Because of you, the next squirrel may survive. I thank you for being a part of my life the brief time you were.

What to do now? What we are supposed to do when we fall down. Get back up, dust off my knees and try again. That's what God wants. That's what I intend to do. Otherwise, I let my Gizmo and my God down.

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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 9

Elisha called one of the other prophets under him, and he said, "Take this box of oil to Ramoth-Gilead, and annoint Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, as king. Then run away as fast as you can."

So, he did as he was told. When he got there, the Captains of the host of Jehoshaphat's army were sitting outside. He said, "Captain, I have to do something for you."

Jehu said, "For who?"

The prophet said, "For you." He took him into the house and he told him, "God says, 'I have annointed you as king over my people. You shall rid Israel of the House of Ahab and avenge the blood of the prophets that were killed at the hand of Jezebel; and you will leave none of them, and Jezebel will be eaten by the dogs and no one will bury her." Then he ran.

When Jehu came out of the house, the other Captains said, "What was that all about? That man was crazy! What did he say to you?"

Jehu just shrugged and said, "Like you said, he's crazy." Then he told him what the prophet said. They all stood up and put on their garments and blew the trumpet and announced him King over Israel. And Jehu began to conspire against Joram.

Joram had gone to heal his wounds from the Syrians in Jezreel. So Jehu went to see him. Ahaziah, the king of Judah was also there to see Joram. A watchman saw Jehu coming in his chariot driving furiously and told Joram, who sent out a messenger asking, "Do you come in peace?"

Jehu told him, "What do you know about peace?" and kept driving. So they sent another, who got the same answer.

So Joram and Ahaziah went out to meet Jehu on the way and Joram said, "Do you come in peace, Jehu?" And Jehu answered and said, "As long as your mother continues to reak havoc on Israel, there is no peace!" Joram turned and fled away, yelling for Ahaziah to run. "It is treachery, Ahaziah!" he yelled. Jehu grabbed a bow and shot him between the shoulders.

Jehu told them to cast Joram in the field of Naboth. Then as Ahaziah was running away, they shot him, too. He went to Megiddo, where he died.

Jezebel heard of what happened and she painted her face. When Jehu got to Jezreel, she asked, "Did you have peace in your heart when you came to Joram?" as she leaned out of an upstair window. Jehu yelled to the servants in the house, "Who is on my side? Anybody?" Three Eunuchs came out and he said, "Throw her down!" So they went upstairs and threw Jezebel out the window. Then he ran over her with his horse and went into the house to eat.

When he had done eating, he told them, "You know, she was a king's daughter and we ought to bury her properly. Go get her." So they went out to get her, but the dogs had eaten all but her skull, the palms of her hands and her feet.

Jehu knew that it was the Lord, for he had been told by the prophet this would happen.

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When God annoints you to do something, it is what you should consistently work toward until it is finished. If you do, all that God promises for you will happen.


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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 8

After Samaria was restored, Elisha told the woman, who's son he had brought back to life, to travel away from Israel because a famine was about to occur.

In the meanwhile, the king had spoken to Gehazi, who told the king about all he had witnessed that Elisha had done.

After seven years of living in the land of the Philistines, the woman came back, and she went before the king to petition that he give her her land and her home back. Gehazi informed the king that this was the woman he had spoke to him about.

The king asked her to tell her side of the story, and she did. So, he restored her property to her.

Elisha went to Damascus. The king of Syria was sick, and when he was told of Elisha's arrival, he sent a messenger to enquire as to whether or not he would recover.

So Hazael, the messenger, went to Elisha and asked. Elisha told him, "Yes," but he began to cry, trying to keep his composure, but failing to do so.

When Hazael asked, "What's wrong?" Elisha told him, "I see what you are going to do to Israel. You will slay all the men, all the children and all the women who are with-child brutally."

"Am I a dog that I would do such a thing?" Hazael protested. Elisha insisted that he would be king.

When Hazael returned to the king, the king asked, "Will I recover?" Hazael told him, "Yes." The next day, he took a cloth, dipped it in water, and put it over the king's face, smothering him to death. Hazael became king.

After Joram was king over Israel for five years, Jehoram became king of Judah. Jehoram was married to Joram's sister, and he reigned for eight years, doing evil in the site of the Lord, who would not destroy Judah for David's sake. God had promised that Israel would always have a light.

While Joram reigned, Edom and Libnah revolted. Joram defeated Edom in battle, and Ahaziah ruled in his stead. Ahaziah was Joram's son-in-law. Before Joram died, he was wounded in battle, so he went to Jezreel to recuperate, and Ahaziah went to see him.

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Shakespeare, one of the most notorius playwrites history has to give us, once wrote, "Oh what a wicked web we weave, when at first we practice to deceive!" One sin leads to another. It causes others to stumble and sin. Soon everyone is corrupt and the whole land is covered in sin. Sin is hard to purge. The stains are thick and heavy, and Israel is in despair in 2 Kings 8 because of it.

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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 7

Then Elisha told the king, "This time tomorrow, food will be sold cheap here in Samaria."

Then, a close friend and servant of the king said, mocking, "Yeah, right, just like there are windows in heaven."

Elisha turned to him and said, "Oh, it will happen, but you won't be around to enjoy it when it does."

There were four leprous men at the gate of the city. They were irritable and hungry and said to each other, "What is the point in us just sitting here? Even if we went into the city we'd starve. If we go out to the Syrians who have us surrounded, they may kill us. Either way, we'll die. It's worth taking a chance." So the next morning, they went into the Syrian camp, but there was no one there.

The night before, God had made a great noise that sounded like armies approaching, and the Syrians thought that Israel had contacted their allies somehow and that the allies were coming to save them, so the Syrians took off running, leaving everything behind.

The lepers went in one tent and ate, then took all the valuables they could find and hid them, then went into another tent and did the same. Then, they stopped and thought about what they were doing.

"Anything could happen to us out here. We need to go tell the king." So, they went to the gate of Samaria and called to the porter, and told him what they had found. The porter sent a messenger to the king.

The King found it hard to believe. He said, "They are probably hiding out in the fields, waiting for us to come out so they can get in and take over the city."

One of the king's servants then said, "But, isn't it worth checking out?"

So the king sent two chariots out to check things out. He also sent his friend that had mocked Elisha to guard the city gates. When they came back with a good report, the people were so ecstatic about getting out and spoiling the tents of the Syrians for food and valuables that they trampled the guard to death.

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When you are surrounded by enemies, you may have to endure hard times and go through some nasty things; but, with patience, you will see that God will take care of the problem. It is times like these when you need to have the most faith; for if you doubt, you may see the light at the end of the tunnel but never reach it.

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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 6

The prophets Elisha worked with did not like where they were living, so they told Elisha that they'd like to go and live in Jordan, where there was easier access to the place. Elisha told them to go ahead. They asked Elisha to come with them and he agreed.

When they got there, they had to construct their new homes. One man had borrowed an iron ax and was chopping when it flew off the handle and landed in the Jordan river. He was very dismayed because it wasn't his ax. Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water, and the iron ax-head floated so the man could retrieve it.

The king of Syria warred with Israel. He told his men where he'd be staying. Elisha, in Israel, told his king where not to go in order to stay safe. The Syrian king accused his men of playing the spy, until one of his servants told him about Elisha. He wanted to know where Elisha was, and the servant told him, "Dothan". So, the king of Syria surrounded Dothan.

Elisha's servant began to panic, "What are we gonna do?"

Elisha told him, "Don't worry about it. There are more of us than there are of him." Then he prayed that the servant would see, and he opened his eyes and saw that the whole mountain around Elisha was packed with men on horses and chariots of fire everywhere.

Elisha prayed that God would strike the Syrians with blindness, and He did. Elisha then led them to Samaria, to the King of Israel, where they were given their sight back. The king of Israel wanted to kill the men, but Elisha talked him out of it by saying, "You don't kill prisoners of war!" So, the king fed them and sent them to their masters, and the Syrians left Israel alone after that until Benhadad besieged Samaria.

During the siege, there was famine. It was so bad that the price of food skyrocketed. One day the king of Israel passed by a wall and a lady cried out in despair, telling the king, "I had a son, and my neighbor had a son. We agreed that I would kill and eat my son one day, and that they would do so the next. It is her turn, but she has hidden her son!" The king was very distraught at the state of Israel because of this, and he wore sackcloth and mourned.

He was also angry. He sent someone to fetch Elisha, who locked himself in his quarters. The king cried out, "Why should I serve a God who allows this!"

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The king did not understand that Israel was paying for their sins. God told Israel that if they refuse to follow His laws, this would happen over time. God does not give punishment without warning first!

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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 5

Naaman was captain of Syria's army. He was very good at his job, and a very valient soldier, who had earned a lot of notoriety. But, he had leprosy.

Naaman had a wife, too. His wife had a servant who was an Israelite. One day, the servant/handmaid said, "If Naaman were in Israel, he could see a man of God who would get rid of his leprosy."

Well, someone overheard her tell Naaman's wife that, and went and told Naaman. So Naamen went to Israel with a translater and went to see the King of Israel. When the King of Israel got the letter from his servant, telling him why he was there, the King rent his clothes and angrily said, "Yeah, right. Like I can heal leprosy! He is trying to start a war with me!"

Elisha heard what was going on, and told the king to send Naaman to him. So, Naaman went to see Elisha. Elisha then told Naaman to go and wash himself seven times in the Jordan river and the leprosy would be healed. This made Naaman mad. "I could have washed in any of the rivers at home! Why is he telling me to do this? This is stupid!" And he started to travel home.

But, Naaman's servant stopped him and said, "If he asked you to do something harder, would you do it? All you gotta do is do what he says. It's worth a try!" So, Naaman calmed himself down and went and did it, and was healed.

Naaman was so happy he offered to pay Elisha with silver or cattle. Elisha refused, saying he would not take credit for what God had done. So, Naaman started toward home, still happy.

Gehaza, Elisha's servant, thought to himself, "If Elisha doesn't want the money, I do." So, he caught up with Naaman, and told him, "Over there are two prophets that are just coming. Elisha said maybe you should give the money to them. Give it to me, and I'll make sure they get it." Naaman did, happily.

When Gehaza got back, Elisha asked, "Where have you been?"

"No where," was Gehaza's answer. But Elisha said, "Gehaza, I know what you did and it was WRONG. And, because it was wrong, you and your family will be cursed and you will carry the leprosy that Naaman lost."

So, Gehaza became a leper.

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You might think you are being sneaky about sinning, but you should never forget that God sees everything. Whatever you try to hide, God will bring out in the open, and you will have to suffer the consequences.

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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 4

A woman who was the wife of the sons of the prophets came to Elisha and told him, "My husband is a good man who fears the Lord, and you know it! But, we are so broke, that the creditors are wanting to take my sons as bondservants to pay the debts!"

Elisha then told her, "What do you expect me to do about it? Do you have anything in your possessions?"

"The only thing I have is a pot of cooking oil."

Elisha told her to go and borrow some bowls and dishes from all of her neighbors. She did. Then he told her to fill the bowls with the oil. She did. As she poured the oil from her dish, it filled all the bowls she had borrowed until there were no more bowls to be filled.

Elisha told her to go and sell the oil and pay her debts.

When Elisha would travel through Shunem, a great woman would stop him and pressure him to eat dinner with her. So, this day he went to eat with her. She told her husband that she understood Elisha to be a man of God, and since he passed by so often, they should offer him a room of his own to rest in when he comes. So he went to his room at her house. As he lay there, he had his servant, Gehazi translate for him as he spoke to her.

"What shall I do to repay you for your kindness, ma'am?" She said she had no child and her husband was old, so Elisha told her, in due time next year she would have a son.

"Don't tease me!" she said. But, she conceieved and had a son.

The boy grew and one day he went out with his father to the reapers as they reaped the harvest and he suddenly fell down. His father went to him and he was complaining about the pain in his head. So his father sent him to his mother, where she held him on her lap until about noon, when he died.

She got up, laid the boy on Elisha's bed, and told a servant to grab an ass and saddle it. Her husband asked what she was doing and she said she was going to see the man of God. He said, "You can't do that, there is no special occasion for you to see him!" She just patted his cheek and said, "He will see me." She told the servant to drive fast and not slow down unless she told him to.

She met up with Elisha at Mt Carmel. He sent Gehazi back with her, with his staff. He told Gehazi to lay his staff on the child's face. Gehazi did as he was told, but nothing happened. He went back and told Elisha, "The child is, indeed, dead."

Elisha then went to the woman's home himself. He prayed, stretching himself over the child. The child awoke, sneezed seven times, and then he was okay. Elisha told the woman to take her child and she came and got him.

Then Elisha went to Gilgal to the sons of the prophets during some sort of plague. He told them to cook up some soup. One of the guys went out to gather stuff to put in the soup and got some stuff from a wild vine. When it came time to eat, the men complained that the soup would kill them if they ate it, so Elisha told them to pour some meal in it, and after that it was alright to eat.

A man from Baalshalisha came to give his firstfruit offering to Elisha. It was twenty loaves of barley bread and corn. Elisha told him to give it to the hundred men who were with him to eat. The man said, "This won't be enough!" Elisha said, "God said it will, and there will be left-overs." So he did, and there was.

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When you believe in God, the Great I AM, your motto should be "I CAN". There was nothing impossible for Elisha because he believed in God and served Him diligently.

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The Republic

This nation was not intended to be a Democracy. We are NOT a democracy. We are a REPUBLIC. When the guy asked Ben Franklin, "What have you done for us today," as he left the statehouse after signing the Declaration, Ben said,"We have given you a REPUBLIC, IF you can keep it."

The difference between a Democracy and a Republic is one is ruled by majority, or mob rule (Democracy) and the other is ruled by law (Republic). So get it through your thick skulls that if you don't like the way things are done, you can elect people to change the laws! Let them know that is what you want! If you don't pick up your lazy pen and write your congressmen, they are going to assume you like the way things are going!

I don't pledge allegience to the flag of the Democracy of the United States. I am tired of spreading our DEMOCRACY to other countries!

If you, like many others, are dishearted by your choices in the upcoming election, then make a statement with your vote. Vote, but don't vote for either of them. Write someone in. If you choose to vote for "the lesser of two evils" you are still voting for EVIL.

Show Washington that you are tired of "politics as usual." We want action taken, not money spent. We want jobs, not welfare that costs us more of our tax dollars. We want our soldiers home, not overseas fighting in a war that should have ended the day it was started.

WE THE PEOPLE run this country, but if WE THE PEOPLE give it to someone else to run, they will, and it will be ruined. It pretty much already has.

So, WE THE PEOPLE, are you gonna just sit there and complain, or are you going to stand up with your Freedoms, while you still have them, and do something to change the way things are?

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September Prayer Requests

I'm in here with 7 broken ribs, had a mishap at work, send me some of them good ol' prayers — at Christus St Micheals. -- Ricky E. Hill

Everyone keep James in your prayers.... he has been having alot of problems with migraines these past few months, been to the hospital several times for them.... also he has to make an appointment with an orthopedic specialist for his back, due to him having alot of pain in his back, side and legs along with numbness in his legs. They think it has to do with his previous back surgery. We are really worried about it as he was told if he was not careful he could paralyze himself.... so we are really concerned.... prayers are much appreciated! Thank you!!! -- Kerri Beth Martin Fedd

plz remember my mom today as she has cataract surgery...I also have an uncle in TX that is recuping from a recent motorcycle wreck...thank you and thank the good Lord above:) -- Melissa McRae Hughes

Please pray for Mary, the email list/group owner for Hope4America as she gets knee surgery today.

Normally I wouldn't ask this but after two days of Urgent care and ER visits I'm needing some prayer... Apparently I am having an allergic reaction to penicillin and it's excruciating and hasn't gotten much better. I'm fighting not having to go back to the ER tonight & im covered head to toe in hives ... please pray I have some relief soon... I worked today and Im not sure how... Tomorrows another day.. Hopefully a better day ...--Crista Glover Ponder

After thowing up most of the last 2 days i will be calling in sick & trying to see me dr i have not had alot of sleep these last 2 days & need something for the nausea. hope he has time to see me today. please pray he can do something to make me better soon! thanks :) hope yall have a great day -- Carla Campbell Kirkham

Please pray for my finances as I try to keep my head above the debt ocean water. -- Shonda Ponder

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 3

When Jehoshaphat had been king of Judah for eighteen years, Jehoram became king of Israel. He didn't make God happy, but he wasn't as bad as Ahab had been. He did take down all the statues of Baal, but he followed in the ways of Jeroboam.

Mesha was king of Moab. Moab was under Israel's control, so Mesha provided Israel with lots of sheep. After Ahab died, Moab rebelled.

King Jehoram took a census of Israel, then he sent messengers to Jehoshaphat and asked him if he would help him get the Moabites back under control. Jehoshaphat agreed and asked where he would like to meet. Jehoram said, "Edom."

Edom joined forces with Israel and Judah in the quest to get Moab back. So, all three kings and their men started travelling. After seven days, there was no water for the men or animals. It had not rained. Jehoram claimed that God must want all three of the kings together so Moab can defeat them and take all their territories. Jehoshaphat said, "Really? Let's ask Him. Is there a prophet anywhere close by?"

One of Jehoram's servants said, "There is Elisha. He was Elijah's apprentice." So Jehoram sent for Elisha.

When Elisha got there, he said, "Why me? What is wrong with all your other god's prophets?"

Jehoram told Elisha what was going on, and Elisha said, "I swear. If it weren't for the respect I have for Jehoshaphat, I wouldn't even be here. Bring me some music so I can think." They did.

When Elisha felt the Spirit of the Lord, he told them, "Dig some ditches. God is not going to send rain, but he will make sure your people and animals are watered. Furthermore, God is going to deliver Moab into your hands. When He does, you are to destroy every city there. You are to stopped all the wells, cut down all the good trees, and put stones in the land to make it useless.

The next morning, the ditches were filled with water. The Moabites heard the kings were coming, so they readied themselves for battle. They went to the border and camped. When they got up, the water that God had given the kings reflected red, like blood. The Moabites thought that maybe the kings were dead, so they ventured into the kings' camps. When they got to the camps, the Israelites suddenly got up and started fighting them, startling them so badly that they retreated, killing each other on the way.

They did all they were told to do, except in Kir-haraseth, where they left the stones for the sling-shooters who destroyed the land for them.

The king of Moab went after the king of Edom with seven-hundred men when he saw he could not defeat Israel, but to no avail. He was so desperate that he offered his son that would have inherited Moab as a sacrifice to his god on the wall. Israel was so indignant over this that they turned and went home.

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One Godly man in a group that is ungodly can be influential in how God blesses or curses an event. When God is on your side, you can't lose. So, when you feel like you are alone in your beliefs, and you wonder if prayer is the answer, take heart. God is still with you. God will bring you through any situation in any environment, surrounded by any type of people. Pray: for God IS listening.


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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 2

Elijah and Elisha went to Gilgal. Elijah told Elisha to stay there, because he had to go to Bethel, but Elisha refused. When they got there, other prophets were there and they came to Elisha and said, "Do you know that God is going to take Elijah today?" Elisha said, "Yes, I know. Be quiet."

Then Elijah told Elisha to stay in Bethel because God had sent him to Jericho. Elisha refused. The prophets of Jericho met Elisha and told him, "Do you know that God is going to take Elijah today?" Elisha said, "Yes, I know. Be quiet."

Then Elijah told Elisha to stay in Jericho because God had sent him to Jordan. Again, Elisha refused. When they got to the Jordan river, fifty prophets were watching as Elisha wrapped up his mantle and hit the waters of the river with it, and it divided and they crossed over on dry ground.

Elijah asked his friend, Elisha, "Is there anything I can do for you before God takes me?" And, Elisha answered, "I want a double portion of the spirit that you have." Elijah said, "That is a hard thing to give. But, if you see me taken up by God, then you shall have what you have asked for."

Then, as they walked and talked a little further, a chariot of fire with horses of fire came down and took Elijah up in a whirlwind. Elijah's mantle fell as he went up, so Elisha went and got it, and he hit the waters of the Jordan saying, "Is the God of Elijah here?" The waters parted and he went over.

The fifty prophets that had seen them walk over the Jordan came and met Elisha and said, "Let us go to look for Elijah. Maybe the Lord put him down somewhere else." But, Elisha said, "That isn't necessary," but they kept insisting, so Elisha told them to go ahead and look. They searched for three days but did not find Elijah. Then, they came back to Elisha, who said, "I told you it wouldn't be necessary. He is gone!"

The men of the city came to Elisha and said, "This is a good city, but the water is so bad even the plants can't drink it." So Elisha had them bring him a cruse of salt. He threw the salt into the water and said, "The Lord has healed these waters," and it was.

On his way back to Bethel, forty children came out taunting him about his bald head. Elisha cursed them in the name of God and two female bears came out and tore all the children to pieces.

He left there and went to Mt. Carmel, then he went to Samaria.

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If you follow a mentor who is god-fearing, and you learn from them, when they leave this world, you can be blessed with as much, if not more, knowledge and spirit as they have. This is due to the experience that you have, coupled with the experiences you learn from them.

The prophets knew that Elijah had been taken, they knew he was going to be, but they refused to believe it until they saw for themselves. This wasn't a bad thing, because it served to build the testimony Elisha had. For instance, if you get cancer, and you pray for healing, and you know without a shadow of a doubt that God has healed you, it is still good to get the doctor's to check you over so you can testify to them how God has healed you.

When God leaves you to take over someone else's job, it is always best to do it well as well, if not better than your predecessor.

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Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 1

After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled. Ahaziah got sick and sent people to ask his god, Baal-zebub if he would get well.

Elijah, who was sent by God, stopped the men on their way. He said, "Your king is going to die because he chooses to ask Baal when there is already a God he can ask."

They went back to Ahaziah, who wanted to know why they had returned. They told him what Elijah had said, but not knowing him, said he was a "man of God." Ahaziah wanted to know what he looked like, and they described him as being rough and hairy.

So Ahaziah sent fifty men and their officer to find him and bring him back. They found Elijah sitting on a hill, and said, "Hey you! Man of God! The king wants you to come down, now!"

Elijah said, "If, as you say, I am a man of God, then may fire come down and burn all of you up!" and it did. Ahaziah sent fifty more men and their captain who met the same fate. Then he sent fifty more and their captain. When they found Elijah, the captain said,

"You have already killed two groups of men. Please spare my life and come down!"

So, Elijah went back with them. He told Ahaziah the same thing he told the men that were going to see Baal-zebub, and Ahaziah died.

Jehoram reigned in his place because Ahaziah had no son.

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Until the soldiers were willing to acknowledge that God had such power, and treat Elijah with respect because of God, God did not tell Elijah to go with them. The third group came in respect, so God told Elijah to go with them.

If you do not give God respect, He will take it.

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Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 22

Three years later, Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, went to visit King Ahab of Israel. Ahab had been complaining about the fact that Syria still had control of Ramath in Gilead, and he didn't feel like it was the Syrian's to control. He asked Jehoshaphat to ally himself with Israel in taking Ramoth back. Jehoshaphat agreed, but he said, "We need to inquire with God to make sure this is the right thing to do."

So Ahab gathered together about 400 prophets, and told them the situation, and asked for their advice. Jehoshaphat, still doubtful asked, "Is this all you have for prophets?"

Ahab answered him with, "Well, there is one more. Micaiah the prophet; but, he always has bad things to say about me."

"Say it isn't true!" Jehoshaphat proclaimed (I'm sure he was rolling his eyes and grinning) "Surely not." So, Ahab had one of his officers go get Micaiah.

Both kings sat at the entrance gate of Samaria, listening to the prophets prophesy about how they would defeat the Syrians, as they waited for Micaiah. Zedekiah was one of those prophets.

Micaiah came, and said, "I am not going to tell you anything other than what God tells me."

Ahab said, "Yeah, yeah. What's new?"

So, Micaiah told him, "If you go, you are going to die."

Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "See. I told you so."

Furthermore, Micaiah told him that the Lord had sent a lying spirit to all these prophets before him.

Zedekiah slapped Micaiah on the face and said, "And what kind of spirit did he send with you?"

Micaiah held his composure and said, "You'll see, when you are hiding in fear."

So Ahab told his men to carry Micaiah to his son Joash, who was governor of Ammon, and have him locked up until he returned. Micaiah shot back, "The Lord has not said anything about you coming back!"

Ahab and Jehoshaphat went to Ramoth, where Ahab decided he would disguise himself, while Jehoshaphat did not. The king of Syria told his men to only fight with Ahab, and kill him and no one else if they could help it.

When the Syrians saw Jehoshaphat from a distance, dressed like a king, they thought it was Ahab until they got close to him. Then they turned away. There were small battles as they searched for Ahab, and someone hit Ahab with an arrow between the shoulders. Ahab immediately took the safety of hiding in one of his chariots. Later that evening, he died, having bled to death.

They took him to Samaria and buried him there, and washed his chariot in a local pool of water. The dogs licked up the excess blood around the pool, bringing to pass the prophesy of Elijah. Ahab's son, Ahaziah, took his place.

Jehoshaphat walked in the ways of the Lord, even though he didn't take down the high places where some of the people of Judah still worshipped other gods. He built ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they broke down before they could get there, and he wouldn't let Ahaziah's men go with them. He died in Jerusalem and his son, Jehoram, ruled in his place.

Ahaziah served Baal, and this angered God.

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What God says is going to come to pass. Just because you don't like what is being said to you doesn't make it any less the truth. And, any warning given to you should be heeded, whether you agree with them or not. There is only one God in control, and He expects total loyalty.

Why I Hate Politics...

Believe it or not, I hate politics. In my opinion, politics is just another word for compromise. Politicians will compromise anything for a vote.

I mean look, we have men who lose elections as Democrats, then deciding, "Maybe I'd won if I were a Republican." It doesn't matter whether they are Democrat or Republican if their point of view sucks.

I watch the presidential campaign with disgust. They take one line from any speech their opponent makes and twist it to suit their own purpose, which is, of course, to win. Is it no wonder that We The People don't trust our own government anymore?

Then, when they get in office, they are so busy fighting the opposite party that they forget the promises they made and who they are as a person, and they completely forget about what We The People want.

A lady told me today that if I vote for anyone other than Mitt Romney or Barack Obama, then I am wasting my vote. I told her that to vote for Mitt Romney or Barack Obama would be a wasted vote. I added that no vote for what you truly believe is a waste.

When did we get so immature as a nation? We have one of the oldest Constitutions on the planet. When did we start voting for who gets more points knocking out their opponent instead of the things that we truly believe to be important? Are we going through a national senility?

How can we expect our children to grow up and act like adults when they see the people that are supposed to be our leaders acting so childish?

I think it is time that we, somehow, find a way to break off a switch from the tree of liberty and teach those guys a lesson in politics. We the People need to take control of our country and stop letting the babies run the household. If We The People don't do this soon, we may not have anything to take control of.

Creativity

I just got this post on my Facebook feed that said this:

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.

I never quite thought of it like that; but, it is true. Every day brings new challenges, and in order to learn new things and become greater than we are, we have to be willing to take risks.

If we take risks, we might fail; but, then we'd have experience on our side when we decide to take another one. Each new experience makes us better as a person.

God wants us to be creative. He gave us the ability to create anything with the tools that He gave us to work with. Nothing is created without God, because God is the creator of the world in which we live, and all the natural things of it; but, in order for us to create anything of value, we must be willing to take risks.

We must be willing to look back and say, "I've made a mistake" when we take those risks that turn out to be bad for us. We must be willing to be okay with the possibility that we will be wrong again before we can move forward.

It is the same when it comes to salvation. We must first be willing to admit that we are sinners. We are wrong. We have made mistakes. Then, we must be willing to go forward with the possibility of making more mistakes, before we can achieve perfection.

God wants us to be perfect, but He knows and understands that we are not. There was only one perfect man, and God sent him to us so that we would understand that it is okay to make mistakes, as long as we are trying to be better.

The fear of being wrong can be summed up in one word: Pride. Pridefulness is the opposite of humbleness. God wants us to be humble, not proud. If we are humbled, then He can shape us and mold us into what HE wants us to be. Pride would never allow us to change, to grow, to be any different, or any better.

To sum it all up, it is okay to be creative. It is okay to use the wrong color, or hit your thumb with the hammer, or have a wreck, or fall down, or trip, or burn the cake. At least you tried. That is all God asks of any of us.

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 21

Naboth had a vineyard in Jezreel, by Ahab's palace. Because of the location, Ahab offered to buy it from him for more than it was worth; but, Naboth would not sell it because it was an inheritance. Ahab became depressed about it and wouldn't eat.

Jezebel, his wife wanted to know what was wrong and Ahab told her. She did the wifely thing and babied him, then said, "Don't you worry. I'll make sure you get that land."

Jezebel then forged letters to the elders of Israel, demanding Naboth's life, citing blasphemy as the reason. So, they stoned and killed Naboth.

Jezebel went and told her husband, "You can have the land now, Naboth is dead."

So Ahab went to secure the land, meeting Elijah on the way. Elijah chastised him, "Shame on you for killing another man to get his property."

"How did you know?"

"You can't hide anything from God. And, because you did this, you and your children and your wife will die and be eaten by the dogs...unless you die outside the city, then you'll be eaten by the birds."

This depressed Ahab again. He went and dressed in humble clothes and quietly went about his business.

God told Elijah, "Because he is acting sorrowful, I will not do what I said in his lifetime. I'll wait, so he doesn't have to see his children destroyed."

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You may not think so, but the sins you commit effect your family for generations. You cannot escape God's judgment, but you can delay it with your repentance. This is why it is important to teach your children to follow God. If they follow God with their whole hearts, they will not have to pay for your sins.

You may be saying, "That is unfair. Why should they pay for my sins anyway?"

The reality is, today, we are still paying for the sins of Adam and Eve. We have already been judged guilty. That is why Jesus came, so that we can have a clean slate, and so that we don't have to pay for any sins, except the ones we commit if we don't repent.

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Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 20

Benhadad, king of Syria, prepared for war and besieged Samaria. Then he sent messengers to Ahab of Israel and said, "Everything is mine. I want your wives, your children, your servants and your cattle." Ahab sent what he requested. Then Benhadad sent messengers saying, "Tomorrow, at this time, I will come and get everything else of value to you."

Ahab called a meeting with the elders of Israel, who said, "Don't listen to him." So Ahab sent messengers back to Benhadad saying, "You have got all you are going to get from me."

Benhadad was angered and said, "My forces are bigger than yours. You don't really want to fight, do you?"

Ahab then said, "Don't boast too proudly."

Benhadad and his men were in the bars, drinking. When he got this message, he said, "Okay, he wants a fight, we'll give him one. Get your men ready!"

A prophet came to Ahab and said, "God said that you will win this fight so all will know He is God!"

Ahab said, "Yeah. Right. And, who is going to lead the battles?"

"The princes of the tribes of Israel." The prophet answered.

"And, who, pray tell, is going to lead them?"

"You are."

Ahab gathered his army together while Benhadad and his men were still getting drunk in the bars. Then he sent them to Benhadad. Benhadad heard that some young men were coming from Samaria, and ordered his men to take them alive. This gave the princes the opportunity to kill Benhadad's men. The Syrians fled and Benhadad escaped.

The prophet came back and told Ahab, "Mark my word, they will be back by next year so get prepared."

In the meanwhile, the Syrians claimed that the reason they were defeated was because the Israel God was God of the hills and not God of the plains, and had they fought in the plains, they would have defeated Israel. So Benhadad regrouped and drafted more men to replace the ones who were killed, and went to the plains of the city of Aphek to fight against Israel. There were so many Syrians that Israel looked like two little flocks of goats in the midst of them.

Then a man of God came to Ahab and said, "God wants to show these Syrians that He is the God of the plains as well as the God of the hills. You will defeat them today."

They camped for seven days, then they fought. Israel killed a hundred thousand Syrians in one day, and the twenty-seven thousand that were left fled into the city and were killed when a wall fell on them. Benhadad was still alive because he fled into the middle of the city.

His servants told him that Israelite kings were known for their good heart and mercy, and if he was apologetic and humbled, Ahab might let him live. So they went to talk to Ahab for him. Ahab said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother..."

They played on this and said, "Yes. You shouldn't kill your brother."

So, Ahab invited Benhadad to join him in his chariot to talk. Benhadad agreed to give Ahab back all the land that his father took from Ahab's father, so Ahab let him go.

A prophet went up to his neighbor and said, "Hit me!" When the man refused, the prophet said, "You will be killed by a lion because you didn't obey God." A lion killed him. Then he went to another man and said, "Hit me!" So the man hit him.

Then the prophet disguised himself to look like a man who had just come from battle and waited for Ahab to come by. When Ahab came by, the prophet said, "I was in the middle of the battle when an enemy POW was brought to me. I was told that if he got away, it would either be my life or a talent of silver. I was busy fighting and not paying attention and he got away."

Ahab said, "Then you have to pay."

The prophet undisguised himself and said, "God has said the same of you. You had Benhadad and you should have destroyed him, but you let him go. God wanted him destroyed. Now you will pay."

Ahab was not happy as he returned to Samaria.

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When God gives you the means to accomplish a goal, and you leave business unfinished, it will destroy you. He gives you friends, talents, abilities, and opens doors that will put you where you can best serve His purpose. If you refuse to use all that He has given you to the best of your ability, He will make you pay for what He has given you.

Don't let your dreams go to waste. Show Him you can be trusted with all He has given you. He wants the glory.

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Praise be to God!

I live to wake up praising Him. I praise Him because He made me. I praise him because He lives. I praise Him because He gives life and He gives hope and He gives love and He gives...period!

This morning, I got to wake up and praise Him because I am in a new home, that has more and costs less than where I came from. I still need a few pieces of furniture, but I praise Him because I know He will provide. He always does.

Then I got to praise Him because right there, on my facebook feed was a picture of Haley Jane and her baby, Jackson. I praised Him because He heals. He gives life. He makes the dead come alive. He answers prayers.

I praise Him because I have the opportunity to do something great for Him. I have the opportunity to influence others for Him. I praise Him, again, because He provides.

I praise Him because I live. I live to praise Him. He made me so I can, and if I don't, I am not happy. He makes me happy.

I praise Him simply because He is my God, and I am His child!

I live to praise Him.

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Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 19

Ahab went and told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, and how he had killed all of the prophets of Baal. This angered Jezebel, who swore to kill Elijah by the next day. So, Elijah ran to Beer-sheba and left his servant there, then he ran another day into the wilderness.

Tired and depressed, Elijah came to a juniper tree and sat down under it and began to pray that God would just go ahead and take him. He wanted to die. He fell asleep. Then, an Angel of the Lord woke him up and said, "Get up. Eat." When he looked, there was a cake baked for him on the campfire, and some water for him to drink in a flask.

So, he ate; and, he drank. Then, he fell asleep again.

The Angel woke him again, telling him, "Eat, drink. You have a long journey ahead of you. You need your strength."
After the second meal, Elijah had enough strength to travel 40 days and 40 nights to Mt. Horeb (the same mountain Moses saw the burning bush). He found a cave and set up camp there. God came to Elijah and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Elijah said, "I did all I did for you, and I am the only one left. Everyone wants to kill me."

God told him to go and stand on the mountain, so he did.

As he stood there, a great wind came. It was so strong it broke rocks. But, Elijah didn't see God in the wind. Then there was an earthquake. Elijah didn't see God in the earthquake. Then, there was fire. God wasn't in the fire, either. Then, it got quiet.

Elijah heard a small, still voice that said, "Why are you here, Elijah?"

Elijah repeated the same answer he gave before.

God told him, "Go back. On your way, stop in Damascus and annoint Hazael to be king of Syria. Then, annoint Jehu to be king of Israel. Then, annoint Elisha to take your place. There are still seven-thousand people in Israel who have not bowed down to Baal. The rest, Hazael will slay, and whoever he misses, Jehu will slay, and who he misses, Elisha will get."

Elijah, true to his nature, did as he was told. He found Elisha plowing with twelve oxen. He placed his mantle on Elisha and walked away. Elisha called after him, "Wait! Let me say goodbye to my family and I will come with you!"

Elijah waved him off with, "I haven't done anything for you to want to follow me."

Elisha cooked the oxen in a going away party with his family, then he caught up with Elijah and gave him support.

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God knows what you are going through. He already has plans in motion to make the world a better place for His children; but, sometimes, God wants to hear what His children are going through in their words, out of their hearts.

Notice that Elijah didn't get angry with God for putting him in this predicament. He simply stated the obvious: "I did this for you. Now, look where I am."

God had Elijah stand on the mountain and watch all these natural phenomenom take place. These were all out of Elijah's control. God wasn't in the wind -- just like He wasn't in Hurricane Katrina. He wasn't in the earthquake -- just like He wasn't in the earthquake that hit Haiti. He wasn't in the fire, either -- just like He isn't in the fires in Colorado, California, or West Texas.

Instead, God waited until it got quiet to say, "Hey, I'm right here. I haven't left. I wasn't in the wind, the earthquake or the fire, or anything else you may have witnessed before, because I was right here with you the whole time."

The storms of our lives sometimes seem overbearing. We run, we hide, we fight, we cry, and sometimes we laugh because that's all we can do. But, when it's quiet, and we are alone, with only God to talk to, we realize how blessed we are that throughout it all, we are still standing, shaky knees and all, because God is right here with us.

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Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 18

After three years, God told Elijah to go back to Ahab, "And I will send rain." So, Elijah went.

Obadiah was the governor of Ahab's household. He had much respect for God--so much so, that when Jezebel cut off all the prophets, and was having them put to death, he hid a hundred of God's prophets in caves, feeding them.

Ahab sent Obadiah to search the land for grass to feed the animals. While Obadiah was searching, he met Elijah. When he saw Elijah, he fell on his face and said, "Elijah!...is that you?"

Elijah said, "Yes. Go tell Ahab I want to see him."

"There is no way I am going to tell Ahab you are here! After you last seen him, he sent everyone in search of you. We had to swear by the kingdom that we hadn't seen you when we couldn't find you. If we said we saw you and you weren't there when he got here, he will kill me."

Elijah promised he would see Ahab that day, so Obadiah went to tell Ahab, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, "Are you the one causing all this trouble in Israel?"
to which Elijah replied, "I have caused no trouble. You are the one causing all the trouble by not following God. Now, I want a meeting with all of Israel at Mt. Carmel. Make sure you bring all 450 prophets of Baal, including the prophets of the grove.

So Ahab did as Elijah wanted. When they got there, Elijah stood before them and said, "How long will you ride the fence? If the Lord is your God then serve Him and only Him; but if Baal is your god, then serve him." No one spoke a word. So Elijah continued, "I am the only prophet of God left. There are 450 of Baal's prophets here. Let's see which God is the true God. Go get a young bull. Build an altar. Put wood on it, then let the true god light the fire to burn the sacrifice. I will pray to my God. You pray to yours. I will let Baal's prophets go first."

The people agreed.

Baal's prophets prayed, chanted, danced, yelled, leaped and made a big thing of it, but there god never brought fire for the altar. They kept trying. Finally, around noon, Elijah began making fun of them:

"Yell louder!" he said. "After all, he IS a god, is he not? Maybe he's busy talking to someone else. Maybe he's chasing someone. Maybe he can't hear you because he is on a trip somewhere? Hey! Maybe...maybe he's ASLEEP and you need to yell louder to wake him up!"

They kept trying until time for the evening sacrifice. Then it was Elijah's turn.

He called all the people to come near him. Then, he repaired the altar that was broken by Baal's prophets in their frenzy to get their god to answer. Then, he dug a trench around the altar and told the people to pour water all over the altar, the wood, the sacrifice and fill the trench so that it was all soaked wet.

Then Elijah prayed: "Dear Lord, let these people know that you are the only true God and that what I have said is truth!"

Fire came down and devoured the sacrifice, the altar, the wood and all the water around it.

The people of Israel bowed down, saying, "The Lord is God, the ONLY God!"

They took all the prophets of Baal and killed them. Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Eat, drink; rain is going to come now!"

Elijah went to the top of Mt. Carmel and sat with his head between his knees and told his servant, "Go, look toward the sea for rain." The servant went, and came back, saying, "I don't see anything." Elijah told him to go and come back seven times. On the seventh time, the servant came back and said, "I see a cloud!"

Elijah said, "Hurry, go tell Ahab to get his chariot and run to safety! It's going to storm!" Ahab ran to Jezreel with Elijah leading the way.

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There is only one God. When He makes Himself known, He leaves no doubt as to who He is or what He is about. When He gives, He gives abundantly. When He provides, He provides enough--but He refuses to bless those who do not serve His purpose. He does not let His children down, but He does not claim those who do not follow Him as His own.

What gods are you following? Who do you serve. I take Joshua's lead: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"

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