Saturday


BIBLE READING: 1 Kings 12-14
DISCUSSION                      
                1 Kings 13 tells us about the Prophet Who Lied and the Prophet Who Died… the Li-ar and the Li-on…   It’s an interesting story where the man of God goes to Jeroboam to tell him about his future and how it will come crushing down by a child named Josiah because of the evil he was doing.  In fact, upon telling Jeroboam this, his hand withers and the very sign that the man of God predicted … “Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.” (vs 3) … occurred.  For this reason, Jeroboam offered to him to come home with him and refresh himself, but the man of God tells him that the Lord commanded him not to “eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.” (vs 9).  And, this command he obeyed, until he met an old prophet from Bethel who told him that God said that he was to come home with him and eat bread.  So, the man of God followed him even though he was lying; this lead to his death.  It’s interesting that his punishment was being killed by a lion, but then upon his death, the lion and a donkey just stand by it.  The lion doesn’t tear the corpse apart, and it doesn’t kill the donkey either, but both are standing there.  In a sense, the lion was fulfilling the obedience to God that the man of God did not … by not eating.
                Hopefully, the moral of the story is not lost on us as Christians.  The man of God had a clear understanding of what God wanted him to do.  He was to deliver His message and not eat bread, not drink water, and not return by the same way.  If he had done those simple things, he would have lived.  In fact, he survives his first test with Jeroboam.  When Jeroboam, the evil king, wants to feed and refresh him, the man of God, with his defenses on high alert, says no and removes himself from the situation.  But, when the man-of-God’s defenses are lowered … with someone he trusts (a fellow priest) … he allows himself to disobey what God told him to do.  This is where it should “hit home” with us.  God gives us simple commands, and in the face of pure evil, it can be very easy to shun the devil and his handiwork, but when the devil comes at us as seemingly trustworthy, and something we can empathize with, we must have our defenses on high alert.  This is when we need it most!  It may be a false teacher, or a friend or family member trying to get us to do something dishonest.  Whatever it is, we must always remember that what God tells us through His word is more important than anything anyone else tells us.
Prayer Requests:_______________________________________________________________________


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Colors of Christmas: Green

  Discussion:                                    Evergreen plants, like holly and mistletoe have been used for thousands of years to decorate and brighten up buildings during the long dark winter. They also reminded people that spring would come and winter wouldn't last forever! The Romans would exchange evergreen branches during January as a sign of good luck. The ancient Egyptians used to bring palm branches into their houses during the mid-winter festivals. In many parts of Europe during the Middle Ages, “paradise plays” were performed, often on Christmas Eve. They told Bible stories to people who couldn't read. “The Paradise Tree” in the Garden of Eden in the play was normally a pine tree with red apples tied to it. Today, think about the newness of life we have because we are in Christ. The old man could represent the dark winter and the barren trees. Then think of the bright Christmas trees that are so easily seen! … Help brighten someone’s life this week! Inform
Read more

“Blow-out in Boston”

BIBLE READING: Luke 14 DISCUSSION                                                                                       Boston Globe's account in June 1990 of a most unusual wedding banquet… Accompanied by her fiancé, a woman went to the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston and ordered the meal. The two of them poured over the menu, made selections of china and silver, and pointed to pictures of the flower arrangements they liked. They both had expensive taste, and the bill came to $13,000. After leaving a check for half that amount as down payment, the couple went home to flip through books of wedding announcements. The day the announcements were supposed to hit the mailbox, the groom got cold feet. "I'm just not sure," he said. "It's a big commitment. Let's think about this a little longer." When his angry fiancé returned to the Hyatt to cancel the banquet, the manager could not have been more understanding. However, concerning the refund, she h
Read more

“Prepare for Happiness”

  DISCUSSION:                                    Just recently we have seen the devastation that can result from hurricanes, earthquakes, and fire. According to the show on National Geographic channel “Doomsday Preppers” there are a lot of people over the country stocking up on supplies in the hope of being able to survive (months) a natural disaster or power grid failure. Many agree with this philosophy. Who could argue that it is a smart idea to be prepared? As a provider we should take reasonable measures to have our family prepared for hard times both mentally and physically. In this life, Christians have something more precious to protect than material things. Preparing our souls for eternity is much more important. We have been promised a gift that nothing can compare to, a home not made with hands (2Corinthians 5:1). So even if disasters come our way, we can be sure God will take care of His children. As a Christian we have a peace of mind from our faith in God’s word and beli
Read more