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: 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.

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 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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Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 15

Jeroboam had been ruling for eighteen years when Abijam took the throne in Judah. Abijam and Jeroboam warred. Then, Abijam died after only being on the throne for two years, and his son Asa took his place.

Asa followed God. He cleansed the land of the sodomites (homosexuals) and took down all the idols of the land that his father put up. He even removed his mother Maachah from being queen because she built an idol in the grove. He tore down her idol and burnt it. He didn't remove the altars, but God found no fault in Asa all his life. Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, warred throughout his reign.

Baasha developed the city of Ramah and would not let Asa (or any from Judah) go out or come into the city. Asa sent all of the treasures of the House of God to Benhadad, the grandson of the King of Syria, who lived in Damascus, and said, "There has always been good relationship with me and you, and my father and yours, and I need you to break your treaty with the King of Israel so he will leave me alone." Benhadad did, and he attacked some of the cities in Israel. When Baasha found out why, he quit his work in Ramah and went to live in Tirzah. So Asa took all the materials Baasha was using to build in Ramah and used it to build Geba and Mizpah.

When Asa was old, he was diseased in his feet. (Maybe he had gout?) When he died, Jehoshophat ruled in his place.

Nadab, son of Jeroboam, ruled Israel two years after Asa took the throne. He did evil in the sight of God. Baasha had killed him, which is how he became king in Israel. He destroyed everyone that lived in the house of Jeroboam, as the prophet had predicted.

But Baasha also did as Jeroboam did and did not walk in the way of the Lord.

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God doesn't talk just to hear Himself speak. Asa's family inherited the throne because Asa walked in God's ways. But Jeroboam did not and was annhilated. Then Baasha turned around and did the same thing. Will Baasha be destroyed, too? We will have to read more to find out!

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