2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34 ~ Romans 9:25-10:13 ~ Psalm 20:1-9 ~ Proverbs 20:2-3

2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34 ~ Romans 9:25-10:13 ~ Psalm 20:1-9 ~ Proverbs 20:2-3
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Old Testament - Today in 2 Chronicles 18, King Ahab of Israel is not happy about the Arameans occupying Ramoth-gilead! Unfortunately for King Jehoshaphat of Judah, he entered into a political alliance with Ahab by having his son marry Ahab's daughter, Athaliah. This basically bound him into going into battle with Ahab - but even worse, as we'll read in the coming day's readings, Ahab's daughter Athaliah nearly kills all of the descendants of David in Judah.... more on this sad drama is coming up in chapter 22. A good location-profile of Ramoth-gilead is at this link. Ramoth-gilead was on a hilltop that could have looked something like this first image below. The 2nd image below is a map (look to the center-right):

King Jehoshaphat of Judah wisely suggests that they should consult God before going into battle against the Arameans. At which time King Ahab of Israel trots out his 400 yes-men "prophets" who say they should definitely go to war and that they will be victorious! I love Jehoshaphat's reaction to these 400 yes-men in verse 6 - "But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the LORD around, too? I would like to ask him the same question."" Ahab's reaction in verse 7 is quite telling... "There is still one prophet of the LORD, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but bad news for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah." This verse really stands out for me in a big way in our world today. I wonder if sometimes we - you and me - look for supposed "prophets" of the Lord that are yes-people to our particular likings - instead of looking for Truth. Meaning... and I'm just putting this out there, so bear with me. Do we sometimes maybe even decide to attend a particular church because it tells us basically what we want to hear? It keeps us in our comfortable place... we get yes-messages... When, instead, should we be okay with attending a church that will give us some challenging and convicting messages on occasion? Biblical messages mind you - which surely can be challenging to our modern ears at times. I heard somewhere once before that church should be a place that "comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable." I like that... Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying we need to be in super-strict churches per se. I just think we should really watch for churches that are giving a yes-message all the time to our particular likings verses churches that teach the Truth. I don't think church is the only area of where we might default to looking for yes-messages. I think this can happen in books we read, TV we watch, or even with friends or with work. Are we listening to 400 yes-people in our lives or are we okay with 1 Micaiah coming in and sharing a perceived "bad-news" message? (which may ultimately be very good news if we'll just listen to it... if Ahab had really listened to Micaiah's message in today's readings, think he still would have rushed out to battle?) Below is an image of Micaiah and the false prophets before Jehoshaphat and Ahab -

New Testament - In Romans chapter 10 verse 1 today, Paul reminded me of the modern-day ministry called Jews for Jesus: "Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is that the Jewish people might be saved." Paul was certainly a Jew for Jesus! How about you - are you a Gentile for Jesus? Or perhaps you are also a Jew for Jesus? Whoever you are - are you for Jesus?

Below is a wonderful image courtesy of heartlight.org of Romans chapter 10 verse 4 from today's readings:

Without a doubt, Romans chapter 10 verses 9 & 10 are the most important versessome of us will read this year and really take to heart: "For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. " Do you believe these verses to be true? Have you prayed these verses with your heart and your mouth to God? If not, will you today?

image courtesy of heartlight.org

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Israel's Failure is the Scripture's Fulfillment" is at this link and "The Only Road to Righteousness" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 20 is a prayer for a king as he goes out into battle - check out verses 1 through 5 again and you can imagine a group of people saying these words to the king. Maybe another way to read this Psalm, personally, is as a prayer for yourself as you go out into battle against a sin or a struggle in your life. And this verse 5 then is for you as you go into this battle: "May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers." Amen! Let the banners fly soon in your life!

Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 20 verse 3 is such great wisdom: "Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling." I once was a fool who insisted on quarreling with Tony back in about 3rd grade :) after either I beat him or he beat me in the 50 yard dash at Field Day. Tony kept trying to avoid the fight with me. But I kept on pressing it. And I got whupped! It was really a great learning experience for me. I have avoided fights ever since! Don't get me wrong. I don't think we are called to be submissive and let people walk all over us. I think we can confidently and strongly hold our ground on important issues - without fighting or quarrelling. How about you? Do you avoid fights? Do you realize this is a mark of honor? Or do you insist on quarrelling? Think this is a good idea...?

YouTube: Based on our readings today in Romans, I think this clip below from the Logan Show of Aaron Shust performing "My Savior My God" serves well. This is currently one of my favorite songs!

Do you know our savior God? Click here for your Savior!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week:"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

By Faith ~Daily Light

July 26
MORNING

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance.

He chose our heritage for us.--"He encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, the Lord alone guided him, no foreign god was with him."

"I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go."--"Who is a teacher like him?"

We walk by faith, not by sight.--Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.--Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.--"Arise and go, for this is no place to rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction."

Heb. 11:8; Ps. 47:4; Deut. 32:10-12; Isa. 48:17; Job 36:22; 2 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 13:14; 1 Pet. 2:11; Mic. 2:10

EVENING

Give thanks to his holy name!

"The heavens are not pure in his sight; how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water!"--"And the stars are not pure in his eyes; how much less man, . . . who is a worm!"

"Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness?"--"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts."

As he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."--Share his holiness.

God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.--Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, . . . without spot or blemish.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. . . . And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ps. 97:12; Job 15:15, 16; Job 25:5, 6; Ex. 15:11; Isa. 6:3; 1 Pet. 1:15, 16; Heb. 12:10; 1 Cor. 3:17; 2 Pet. 3:11, 14; Eph. 4:29, 30

Once More on God's Faithfulness and His Promises~Bob Hoekstra

Once More on God's Faithfulness and His Promises

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preservedblameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

This magnificent benedictory prayer closes with another proclamation of God's faithfulness, coupled with a strategic promise from the Lord."He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." What has our faithful God called us to, and what is He promising to do?

The Lord has called us to sanctification and blamelessness (that is, a life of increasing personal righteousness). "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel insanctification and honor" (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4). It is the will of God that His children grow in a sanctified life (that is, to be set apartincreasingly for the glory, honor, and use of God). The particular issue in view here is sexual purity: "that you should abstain from sexual immorality."

Another term for this godly goal is blamelessness. "May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." As we live unto the Lord day by day (awaiting His return), He wants us to develop in Christlikeness. He desires that there be less and less reason for people to point a finger of blame at us: "that you may become blameless and harmless, children of Godwithout fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).

How is this desire of the Lord to be accomplished? It is to be done by the work of our faithful God, who promises to do such. "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." What is the Lord's means in advancing this process? It is His word. Jesus revealed this in His prayer for us as He approached the cross. "Sanctify them by Your truth. Yourword is truth" (John 17:17). Our Lord wants to unleash the power of His word in our lives, changing the way we think and act. He wants to use His word to set us apart for Himself. The Apostle Paul wrote of this powerful spiritual process in referring to Jesus' intentions for His church: "that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing ofwater by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:26). Will we humbly and dependently cooperate with our Lord in this desire of His heart for us?

Lord God of holiness, I long to be set apart more and more for Your glory, honor, and use. I yearn for more godliness in my daily life. I humbly ask You to transform my heart and mind by the power of Your holy word. You are faithful! Please do it, Lord!

The just shall live by faith~Jon Courson

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
	Galatians 3:11
The words, ‘the just shall live by faith’ are first seen in Habakkuk 2:4, when, in response to his complaints concerning the prophesied Babylonian invasion, the Lord told Habakkuk to look to Him rather than at the circumstances. They are seen again in Romans 1:17 where Paul stresses justification; and in Hebrews 11 where the emphasis is on faith. Here in Galatians, the accent is on live. Want to be happy, fruitful, excited, and set free in your Christian life? The just shall live — really live — by faith. Martin Luther beat his body with whips, crawled for miles on his knees, fasted for weeks at a time in order to get close to God. But nothing worked. And then one day he read this verse — and he understood that the Christian experience is not ‘Do, do, do’ — it’s ‘DONE!’ Jesus did it all. Dear saints, get rid of the burden of trying to be spiritual. Get rid of the notion that since you had morning devotions ten times in a row, God owes you a blessing. It doesn’t work that way. You are justified by faith alone. ‘Then I don’t have to have morning devotions?’ you ask. No, you don’t. ‘I can sleep in?’ Yeah, you can. ‘I don’t have to pray, or study the Word?’ Nope. You don’t have to do any of those things. You get to. You get to check in with God morning-by-morning, moment-by-moment. You get to spend time late at night or before the sun rises seeking the face of the Lord. It’s not got to, it’s get to — and that makes all the difference in the world, for once you’re free from the ‘got to’s you invariably do more than you ever did before. James said, ‘Faith without works is dead’ (James 2:20) because true faith will always bring about lots of works. When you fell in love with your husband or wife, you didn’t have to be told to call her; you didn’t have to be reminded to hold his hand; you didn’t have to be urged to communicate. When you’re in love, you long to be in touch — and that’s what the Father wants from you and me. ‘Love Me,’ He says. And the more I realize that He loves me through His grace and mercy being poured out upon me, the more I have no choice but to love Him in return. So I do more under love than I ever would do under the Law. Think about that first letter your girlfriend wrote you, guys. As you stuck it in your pocket, did you say, ‘Boy, one of these days I really need to read this letter. I’ll set my alarm fifteen minutes earlier tonight and read it first thing in the morning’? And then as you rolled out of bed half an hour after the alarm went off, did you say, ‘I really want to read this letter, but I don’t have time now. Maybe tonight. No, Home Improvement is on. Can’t miss that. I’ll get to it tomorrow’? No! It doesn’t work that way. When you received that letter, you ripped it open, read it, analyzed it, parsed the verbs, researched it, read between the lines — you couldn’t put it down! The same thing happens when you understand grace and mercy. You say, ‘You bless me, Lord, when I don’t pray. You love me when I’m not lovable. You take care of me when I fail to walk with You. You’re faithful to me day after week after year. I want to find out more about You.’ That’s what it means for the just to live by faith

Harvest Crusade August 14-16~Greg Laurie

Forgiveness Forever~Mark Balmer

Forgiveness Forever

Posted:

Based on “The Urge to Purge” by Pastor Dave Folkerts; 7/18-19/09

Message #DF141, Daily Devotional #6 - “Forgiveness Forever”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. (Psalm 32:1) David was a man of great faith, but even he sinned. His faith led him to boldly conquer a giant with a mere slingshot and write 73 Psalms in worship of the Lord. David is even an ancestor of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Led down an unexpected path of temptation, he tried to keep his sin secret instead of confessing it and repenting right away. As a result, his sin continued to compound until it led him to murder a man of honor. He avoided the consequences of the law, but he did not avoid the consequence of trying to keep his sin secret from God, and the consequences were great. God allowed him to choose a sin filled path that David would travel alone. When he realized the consequences of his sin, David cried out to the Lord in despair and pleaded for mercy. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. (Psalm 51:8) It was in faith that David cried out to the Lord, for David knew the Lord. He knew God to be a God of mercy and that his heartfelt pleas for cleansing and restoration would be heard.

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "—and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah (Psalm 32:5) Sin is a threat, no matter how long we have had a relationship with Jesus. It weakens us and causes us great despair. Because God has shown us so much grace in our own lives, we may become proud or begin to think that the salvation we have received is somehow a shelter that will protect us from temptation, but Satan’s deception is strong. Our salvation does not eliminate the free will that God gave us. God wants us to choose Him, and He wants our resolve to be strong. He wants us to be willing to win the fight against temptation, which will strengthen our relationship with Him. Sometimes it is unexpected temptation that seizes us in a moment of weakness, as in David’s case. Sometimes it is past sins that we thought had been conquered, or at least forgotten. Sometimes it is past hurts that continue to haunt us and take our focus off our Lord. Sometimes we fail to forgive someone who hurt us badly, and we hold onto our anger in self-righteous indignation. In a moment of weakness, we can succumb to the fear that we were not entirely forgiven of our sins. Satan wants us to believe that our salvation hangs on a thread. Saved or unsaved, he wants us to believe that our sin is the exception that cannot be forgiven by Jesus’ blood. We must remember that God sent us a Savior because He knew we are unable to conquer sin ourselves. That means that when we accept Jesus as Savior all of our sins, past, present, and future, are forgiven.

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean…. (John 13:10). When Christ washed the feet of the disciples, he was teaching them that once cleansed with His blood, their salvation was eternal. From that time forward, repentance was enough to cleanse them of their sins. We do not all of a sudden become perfect because we made the decision to turn our lives over to Christ. If you believe you are now perfect, God will soon speak to you about pride. Living the Christian life means we strive to become more like Christ, but we will never be perfect. We all fall short of the Glory of God. We are all still subject to sin, but in spite of our best efforts we succumb to it from time to time. The Bible is full of stories about saints who fell short of God’s expectations at some point in their lives. Some turned away from God as a result, and their sin ended in death, while others repented, and God, in His infinite mercy, forgave them. Today, Christ’s’ blood has granted us forgiveness. Satan is always waiting for the weak one who strays away (1 Peter 5:8). However, we can make a choice to turn to the One who gave us our salvation. Trust in the Word of the Lord when you struggle, continue to pray, and trust that Christ’s blood was enough to free you from your sin.

Cultivating (Additional Reading): John 13:2-10; Romans 8:36-39