June 19- Throw Downs

June 19, 2011

Scripture Readings:
I Kings 20:1-21:29; Acts 12:24-13:15;
Psalm 137:1-9; Proverbs 17:16

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. 
~Muhammad Ali

I Kings 20:1-21:29

Back in the day when Muhammad Ali was in his prime as a fighter, he was known for his verbal throw downs to his opponents.  Saying that he could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee was part of his bravado to psych out his opponent.  His trash talk would include rhymes and would either be broadcast on television or given to his opponents in person.  His unique fighting style and personal bravado made him a cultural icon.  Today, there are many throw downs given in our readings.

The first throw down is by King Ahab's enemy, King Ben-Hadad of Aram.  He sends a message to Ahab saying that your silver and gold are mine, as are your best wives and children.  Ahab does not retort and appears to give in to this demand to avoid a conflict.  Ben-Hadad ups the ante by saying he is going to take everything valuable from Ahab.  This is more than Ahab can agree to.

God sends a prophet to Ahab to let him know that the God of Israel is going to defeat his enemy in order to prove that He is the Lord and everyone will know it.  God does cause Ahab's army to defeat this enemy not only once, but twice on the battlefield.  Ben-hadad stops the trash talk after these defeats and begs for his life.  Ahab makes a treaty with him and sets him free! Needless to say, God is not pleased. He promises to kill Ahab in place of Ben-Hadad. Ahab is angry and sullen at this pronouncement.

Ahab continues to be angry and sullen when a man named Naboth will not sell him his vineyard.  Jezebel is disgusted with Ahab's weakness and plots and executes the murder of Naboth. She essentially gives a throw down to Ahab when she questions whether or not he is the king of Israel.  Naboth is stoned to death and Ahab and Jezebel take his vineyard.

Elijah comes back into the picture to pronounce God's judgment upon Ahab.  He declares that not one single male descendant of Ahab will survive.  This is God's throw down to Ahab. His family will be destroyed like Jeroboam's. His wife, Jezebel, will be eaten by dogs at the city wall and the members of his family who die will be eaten by dogs or vultures. Bam!

Ahab repents in sackcloth and mourning.  God decides to kill his descendants instead after Ahab's death. This change of heart comes about because of Ahab's repentant prayers. Can you believe God's mercy to this jerk?  Shocking.

What do we learn today?  God is willing to show Himself to evil Ahab.  He uses this evil king to show His power over the enemies of Israel. God is not stopped by rebellious people. We also learn that God is merciful.  He has infinite patience and long suffering kindness to His creation.  Ultimately, God is in control and the master of throw downs.

Acts 12:24-13:15

We are learning how God is spreading the good news about Jesus in the ancient world.  Today we see that the first official missionary journeys are prompted by the church in Antioch, Syria, as the leaders fast and pray worshiping God.  During the time of fasting and prayer, God, the Holy Spirit, tells them to dedicate Barnabas and Saul for a special work.  We see that this first missionary journey is God's idea. 

After having hands laid on them to commission them to represent the whole community at Antioch in their mission, Saul (now called Paul) and Barnabas set out. They go to the island of Cyprus.  Finally, in Paphos, they meet a Jewish sorcerer named Bar-Jesus.  This man tries to convince the governor not to believe the message of Christ. Paul blinds the man through a pronouncement from God and this miracle of judgment convinces the governor to follow Jesus.   This is a throw down from God on the influence of the Devil in this first missionary journey.

How has God thrown down the enemy/Satan in your life?  Can you recount God's strong arm defeating negative thoughts, healing the scars of abuse, or dissipating the discouragement of guilt caused by sin in your life?

Psalm 137:1-9

Here is an example of how to lament when things go wrong.

Proverbs 17:16

Don't waste funds trying to educate a fool in wisdom.  This is similar to don't cast your pearls before swine.

What did you notice today?  Please share.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

June 18- God Is In The Whisper

June 18, 2011

Scripture Readings:
I Kings 19:1-21; Acts 12:1-23;
Psalm 136:1-26; Proverbs 17:14-15

And after the fire was the sound of a gentle whisper.
 ~I Kings 19:12

I Kings 19:1-21

People who work around children know an important secret.  If you want to get the attention of a large group of loud rambuncious kids, the best way is to speak softly.  Yelling above a crowd is nearly impossible and will only cause you to lose your voice.  I had a teacher once who had mastered the technique of getting the attention of the class by speaking in a near whisper.  We would all be chattering away when she would get up from her desk and begin to address the class very softly.  Eventually, everyone was shushing everyone else to be quiet so that they could hear what Mrs. Collins was saying.  Brilliant. Today, our brilliant God speaks to the prophet Elijah in a soft voice.  God is in the whisper.

As the story begins, Ahab reports to Jezebel that Elijah has killed the 400 prophets of Baal.  This is personal to Jezebel.  Her father had appointed those priests.  Jezebel sends word that she intends to kill Elijah.  Elijah is headed out for another wilderness experience.  After having such a marvelous mountaintop experience in the "who is really God" contest and then having to personally kill all of those priests, Elijah is worn out.  He is sick and tired of the fight.  As he lays down in the desert under the shade of a broom tree, Elijah contemplates facing this trial and decides it would be better to die.  He tells God that he has had enough.

Elijah is a similar character to Moses in the Bible.  He is also a shadow and type of Christ.  Let me list the similarities:

• Elijah has arch enemies in Ahab and Jezebel who represent the world/Satan.  Moses had Pharaoh.  Jesus had Satan.
• Elijah is prepared for forty days and forty nights in a wilderness experience to confront evil.  Moses is on Mt. Sinai forty days and forty nights.  Jesus is in the wilderness forty days and forty nights.
• Elijah is ministered to by angels in the wilderness.  This is also true of Jesus.
• Elijah zealously serves God and is plagued by having to deal with the rebellious Israelites, who turn their backs on God.  Moses did this, as did Jesus.
• Elijah feels that he is totally alone in serving God.  Moses felt this after the golden calf incident.  Jesus felt this in the Garden of Gethsemane when his disciples deserted him.
• Elijah covers his face in the presence of God.  Moses hid his face in the presence of God.
• Elijah receives comfort from God in the form of getting others to help him in his ministry.  Moses received help from God in the form of having other men help him administer justice to the Israelites.  Jesus shared the responsibility of His earthly ministry with twelve disciples.

Please note that God allows Elijah to go through a wilderness experience for forty days and forty nights as a preparation for his soul.  Remember that the number forty in the Bible is used for preparation and renewal.  Elijah is prepared through trials. After his trial, Elijah tells God that he is the only person left in Israel who has not bowed a knee to Baal.  Rather than explaining right there to Elijah that he is wrong about this, God takes this opportunity, after the trial, to show Himself to Elijah.  Here are some interesting points.

• God is not in the windstorm/tornado.
• God is not in the earthquake.

• God is not in the fire.

God comes to Elijah in a gentle whisper. I love this! Do you realize that God is not in the dramatic problems that you face?  He is not the earthquake or the tornado or the fire.  He is in the gentle whisper that is the solution to your dramatic problems. Elijah wraps his face in a cloak for this intimate talk with the Creator of the Universe.  God whispers to Elijah that He is not alone.  There are 7000 others in Israel who have not bowed to Baal.  God is going to provide helpers in Elijah's ministry.  Right away, God appoints Elisha to be Elijah's assistant.

What are the lessons to you and me in this story?  Here are some I have thought of:

• God speaks softly and carries a big stick.  (hee hee.  I couldn't resist that.)
• There is always a remnant of believers on earth.  Even if you feel alone, you're not.
• God will meet us in our exhaustion and provide people to help us get through.
• We need other believers to help us on this earth.
• God intended for us to work together in order to do His will on earth.
• Don't try to be a loner in life.
• God is interested in the details of your life and mine.
• Sometimes God has to beat us down into submission so that we can hear His still, small voice.

How do these lessons apply to your life?  Are you too busy running around to hear God's whisper?  Do you have ears to hear?

Acts 12:1-23

Speaking of trials, this chapter begins with James, the brother of John, being martyred by King Agrippa. This is the first apostle to die for Jesus. Peter is arrested by Agrippa.  Agrippa intends to have Peter killed at Passover just like Jesus.  The Church, who God has supplied to Peter to help him in his ministry, is praying like crazy!

Peter is rescued from prison by an angel of the Lord. He is like Moses, Elijah and Jesus in that an angel comes and ministers during a trial.  Notice that the prayers of the saints prompted this rescue.  We are all part of a symbiotic relationship with each other and God, spiritually.  We are tied and dependent on one another for the Holy Spirit to do His work on earth. God set up the system this way in order to experience intimacy with His creation.

Meanwhile, Herod Agrippa is angered by Peter's miraculous rescue and with the conversion of certain areas like Tyre and Sidon that have been converted to worshiping Jesus. These cities depended on King Agrippa for their food source and so they capitulate and shout that King Agrippa has the voice of a god, not a man.  Because Agrippa accepts this type of adulation, God strikes him down with worms and he dies.

Agrippa is to the Apostle Peter what Ahab and Jezebel were to Elijah.  God rescues us from Satan.  That is the point of these stories.  God can defeat the enemy of our souls.

Do you rely on the prayers of others to help you when you are experiencing trials?  How has God rescued you?

Psalm 136:1-26

Yes. God's faithful love endures forever. Try to read this psalm to God as a prayer. Verse 24 says that He saved us from our enemies.  This directly applies to what we studied today.

Proverbs 17:14-15

Try not to start quarrels.  It can produce a flood of problems.

What did you notice today as you read?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

June 17- One Is A Majority With God

June 17, 2011

Scripture Readings:
I Kings 18:1-46; Acts 11:1-30;
Psalm 135:1-21; Proverbs 17:12-13

One is a majority with God. 
~Martin Luther

I Kings 18:1-46

In the 1500's, tremendous religious turmoil occurred within the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in the Protestant Reformation.  The key figure in this struggle was a man named Martin Luther.  Luther was a German priest and professor of theology who began to demand reformation within the Church to clean up the corruption and false teaching associated with indulgences paid by the general population. These indulgences were a fee paid to the Church in order to have one's sins forgiven. 

Martin Luther taught that salvation was a free gift of God's grace given to those who believed in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Martin Luther stood alone as he faced his accusers at the Diet of Worms in Worms, Germany.  Luther stood alone for truth. Luther was not completely alone, though, because Martin Luther was accompanied by God. In today's reading, we see Elijah, who appears to be in the minority, is actually in the majority against the prophets of Baal because Elijah is accompanied by God. As Martin Luther so correctly proclaimed, "One is a majority with God."

The drought has lasted for three years.  Elijah comes to Obadiah, who is in charge of Ahab's palace, and tells Obadiah to tell Ahab that he is coming to see Ahab.  The encounter between Obadiah and Elijah gives us an inkling into how impressive a man Elijah is.  His holiness and strength in the Lord are renowned.  When Ahab comes out to meet Elijah, he calls Elijah "Israel's troublemaker."  Elijah will have none of this bunk.  He tells it like it is and says that the trouble of the drought has come about because of Ahab's worship of Baal. Elijah commands Ahab to bring the people of Israel, the 450 prophets of Baal, and the 400 prophets of Asherah to Mt. Carmel. He intends to have a contest between the gods.

Note that Elijah is greatly out numbered here. But remember, one is a majority with God. Two bulls are provided for a sacrifice.  Elijah proposes that whoever's God burns up the bull by fire, once called upon, is the One True Living God.  The prophets of Baal place their bull on the altar.  All morning they begin to shout to Baal. There is no answer. Next, they dance wildly. Still no response. By noon, Elijah begins to taunt them. He claims that Baal could be asleep or perhaps going to the bathroom, or on a trip, or in deep thought. The prophets of Baal get more frantic and begin to cut themselves in hopes that their shed blood will arouse their idol god. No go.

Elijah calls the crowd to his altar.  He places 12 uncut stones as the altar to represent the twelve tribes of Israel.  Remember that uncut stones represent God doing the work, rather than man doing the work of salvation.  Elijah has them pour four large jars of water onto the offering and the wood.  Then he prays to God to prove that The Lord is the God of Israel and that Elijah is God's servant. Immediately, fire from heaven burns up the offering, wood, and all of the water in the trench. The prophets of Baal are seized by the people and killed by Elijah.

Rain finally comes to the land and as Ahab leaves in his chariot to the city of Jezreel, Elijah is empowered by God to run on foot and overtake Ahab's chariot.  Elijah is one serious dude.  He kills 450 men and possibly 850 men, if you count the prophets of Asherah.  He is a warrior for God.  Then, he is an athlete for God as he sprints to beat Ahab to Jezreel.  The power of God's Spirit is something to behold.

This is an incredible story of the power of God over Satan.  People can be deceived into following false gods. They can be zealous in their religious devotion to these gods, even to the point of self harm. But truth does not depend on our passion. Truth is truth, no matter how we feel about it.  This story shows us that the God of Israel is the One and Only God on earth.  He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth. He, alone, must be worshiped.

Do you worship the One True God through faith in Jesus Christ?  Have you ever had to stand alone in that belief?

Acts 11:1-30

Today, we see the same Holy Spirit that empowered Elijah at work in the early Church.  Peter gets a scolding when he arrives back in Jerusalem.  Word has gotten back to his Jewish believing friends that he has eaten and stayed with Gentiles.  Peter relays the miraculous events surrounding the in-filling of the Gentiles with the Holy Spirit.  Once God's will for the Gentiles is understood, there is rejoicing for the work of God on earth.

Luke, the author of the book of Acts, explains that the persecution of the saints that occurred at Stephen's death caused Jewish believers to flee to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch in Syria.  There, they spread the gospel of Jesus only to the Jews. Some believers from these areas went to Antioch and started preaching to Gentiles, also. A large number of Gentiles begin to believe in Jesus. The Church in Jerusalem decides to send Barnabas to Antioch to see whether or not this has God's favor. 

Barnabas is convinced that this is of the Lord and he teaches and ministers to the people in Syria.  At this time, Barnabas goes to Tarsus to get Saul to help him teach the people about Jesus and the Scriptures.  Remember that Saul is an extremely brilliant and well trained religious leader who is now converted to Jesus Christ. It is at Antioch that the believers are first called Christians.  We see that because of a prediction of famine, the Christians in Antioch send money to the church in Jerusalem to help those in need in the body of Christ.  These good works and unity are the fruit of the Holy Spirit impacting their lives as Jesus' body on earth.

We see that God's hand is working through persecution, visions, teaching, and trials. God uses all situations to reveal Himself and His power and mercy to His creation.

What are the evidences of the Holy Spirit in your life and in the life of the church you attend?  Who in the body of believers have you helped recently?  Does your local church gear any giving to help Christians in poverty?

Psalm 135:1-21

Vs. 15 says, "Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.  They cannot talk though they have mouths, or see though they have eyes! They cannot hear with their ears or smell with their noses. And those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them."

This reminds me of the prophets of Baal.

Proverbs 17:12-13

Don't mess with a fool and repay evil with evil.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

June 16- Quite a Pair

June 16, 2011

Scripture Readings:
I Kings 15:25-17:24; Acts 10;24-48;
Psalm 134:1-3; Proverbs 17:9-11

Let them eat cake! 
~Marie Antoinette

I Kings 15:25-17:24

In order to fuel the rebellion that became the French Revolution, rumor and gossip about the lives of Marie Antoinette and Louis XV riddled France.  The excesses of the monarchy were in harsh contrast to the poverty of the masses.  As America found her independence, France was ripe to follow.  Marie Antoinette and King Louis were eventually overthrown and have gone down in the annuals of history as an evil couple.  Today, we meet a much more ancient and much more evil couple- King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.

Before we discuss these two people, we have a series of bad kings who are ruling the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  Here is the list:

• Nadab
• Baasha
• Elah
• Zimri
• Omri (who built Samaria)
• Ahab

In our reading you may have noticed that falling from grace as a political leader during the times of the kings meant a bloody transition for both the leader and his unfortunate family.  The list stops today with King Ahab who goes down in history as one of the most evil kings ever.  His wife's name is Jezebel.  Her father was a king and a priest of Baal in Sidon.  We have seen in prior lessons that Baal is the agricultural god who was widely worshiped in this area at this time in history. 

Ahab sets up the infamous Asherah poles and builds an altar and temple to Baal.  The Bible says that Ahab did more to anger the Lord, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him.  We should note that prior to Ahab, Jeroboam was the gold standard for evil.  He is known as the father of massive idolatry in Israel.

It should not surprise us that when God allows great evil, He counters that evil with great righteousness.  This is why we are now introduced to one of the greatest prophets of all time- Elijah.  The first thing we see Elijah do is boldly go before this royal couple to announce that as surely as the God of Israel lives, there will be no rain in the region until Elijah says there will be rain.  Remember, these people are having immoral sex and sacrificing to the idol god Baal and the goddess Asherah in order to have rain and good crops.  Elijah is hitting them where it hurts.

We see Elijah go into the wilderness to have his "wilderness experience."  Great men of God have this in common.  Think of Moses, David, Joseph, Jesus, John the Baptist, and even, Paul.  Great women of faith in the Bible have wilderness trials like Sarah, Hannah, and Ruth. Elijah relies on God for water from a brook and bread from the ravens.  This is a picture of God's provision and God's ability to sustain us, spiritually and physically.  We must go to the wilderness to learn to completely rely on God in our lives.  Eventually, the brook dries up and Elijah is told to go to Sidon, where a widow will provide for him.  When approached, the widow gives Elijah a cup of water, but says that her flour barrel is practically empty.  She was coming to prepare the last meal for her son and herself and then, she is prepared to die of starvation.  Remember that widows in those days were victims of poverty due to no means of earning a living after the deaths of their husbands.

Elijah assures her that if she will cook the last portion of her provision, in faith, God will supply miraculously.  The woman has faith and obeys Elijah.  God miraculously provides. God repeats this provision for these three people for as long as they have need.  One day, the woman's son gets sick and dies.  The woman claims that Elijah has caused his death as punishment for her sins. Elijah prays to God asking why God has brought tragedy to this woman, who has been faithful to help him.  Elijah stretches out over the boy three times and cries for God to let him live.  The boy comes back to life and the woman proclaims that Elijah really is a man of God and that God does speak through him.

What can we learn from this story?  Here are some things I have thought:

• God trains those He loves through wilderness experiences.  Tough times make for tough people.
• God fills up empty vessels.  He used the empty brook, the empty flour barrel and the empty oil flask, the empty body of Elijah (who had learned to rely on God, rather than himself), and the empty body of the widow's son.
• God is our bread of life, eternal fountain of water, and our anointing oil.
• The symbols of water, bread and oil represent God.  Water is His Word (which is His essence, logic, mind, personality).  Bread is the Lord Jesus Christ (thru Jesus we are sustained and fed).  Oil is the Holy Spirit.
• God uses people to bless each other and provide for one another.  God combines the faith and willingness of the widow with His sovereign power to produce the miracle.  We are part of God's work on earth.  We must act and He must act to make His miraculous story unfold.

How has God provided for you?  This story hearkens back to the Israelites receiving manna in the desert.  It also foreshadows Jesus being fed by angels after fasting 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness.  It foreshadows Jesus' miracle of filling the empty water pots at his first wedding miracle in Cana.  God is telling a story with these pictures.  God fills people who have emptied there own pride and ability.  If you get out of the way, God can use you.  This requires humility.

Acts 10:24-48

We see Peter's humility as he entreats Cornelius to get up off of the floor and not worship him.  Peter states that he is just a man like Cornelius.  Peter confesses that he was hesitant to come because it is against Jewish law for an Israelite to come into a Gentile home.  God has taught Peter that he is not to think of any other person as impure.   Cornelius relates his vision to Peter.  Peter states,

"I see very clearly that God doesn't show partiality.  In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right." NLT

This is huge.  This is a revolutionary concept for the early Jewish converts to Christianity to understand.  Their role of bringing the Messiah to earth is complete.  It is now time for the Gentiles to be grafted into the body of believers.  God's purposes for history unfold as He sees fit.  Peter is a willing student of God.  He is humble as the Lord reveals His will on earth.  Peter is the key instrument in bringing the message to the people groups.  The rock (Peter) presents the Rock (gospel of Jesus Christ) to the earth.  The foundation for the Church is laid by Peter's testimony. 

Cornelius and his family listen to Peter's testimony about Jesus sacrificial death and resurrection and the Holy Spirit falls on this group of Gentiles.  After receiving the Holy Spirit, the group is publicly baptized in the name of Jesus.  Please note that they receive the Holy Spirit prior to baptism, not during their baptisms.

Have you been baptized after receiving the Holy Spirit and becoming a follower of Christ?  Baptism is a public testament to a spiritual reality.

Psalm 134:1-3

I can imagine the new converts to Christ in Cornelius' house reciting the words of this psalm.

Proverbs 17:9-11

"He who covers another person's faults/sins promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends."  Very true.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

June 15- Your Actions Have Not Gone Unnoticed By God

June 15, 2011

Scripture Readings:
I Kings 14:1-15:24; Acts 10:1-23;
Psalms 133:1-3; Proverbs 17:7-8

I intended to have gone to Africa in cognito.  But the fact that a white man, even an American, was about to enter Africa was soon know all over Zanzibar.  
~Henry Morton Stanley

I Kings 14:1-15:24

Many Hollywood stars try to go out in public in cognito in order to not be noticed.  I think of Michael Jackson and his scarves, hats, sunglasses and masks designed to hide his real appearance.  The hopes that he could go unrecognized were futile.  Today, Jeroboam's wife tries to go in cognito to a prophet of God named Ahijah to learn the fate of her ailing child.

As our story begins, this queen of the Northern Kingdom does not want to be recognized when she goes publicly to a man of God.  The rumor mills were probably in full force as the kingdom was aware that the king's good child was deathly ill.  Although the prophet Ahijah is old and practically blind, God tells him who has come to see him.  Even in our disguises, God sees us.  Ahijah has a message from the Lord for Jeroboam.  God declares that although he ripped the kingdom from David and gave it to Jeroboam, Jeroboam has done more evil than all who have lived before him.  Whoa!  That is a huge statement.

Jeroboam has really led Israel astray.  God pronounces that He will kill all of Jeroboam's sons and burn his dynasty like one burns garbage. His family will have disrespectful deaths that include being eaten by wild dogs and vultures. Jeroboam's one good son, who the queen has come to inquire about, will be the only son to die and be buried respectfully.  God prophesies about the Northern Kingdom's eventual captivity.  This occurs in the future.  Jeroboams sin and rebellion against God has not gone unnoticed.  God's judgment against this sin is just and inevitable.

Now, we look at what is going on in the Southern Kingdom.  Rehoboam is doing evil in the sight of the Lord.  He has built pagan shrines and set up Asherah poles, where people come to have sex and try to get the agricultural gods to provide rain and good crops.  It is also a good excuse to have immoral sex.  We see that the peace that Solomon experienced is over.  An Egyptian king comes and attacks Jerusalem and steals the riches in the Temple.

The next king in the Southern Kingdom is Abijam.  His mother was Absalom's daughter and her name is Maacah.  You should begin to notice that we are told the names of the king's mothers.  God is showing us the important and vital role that a mother plays in the spiritual life of her children.  It may not surprise you to know that this king's heart was not right with the Lord.  Bad King. This king fights against the Northern Kingdom constantly.  Jeroboam of the North will fight continually with the kings of the South during his reign.

After Abijam in the South comes Asa.  Asa is a good king of the Southern Kingdom.  He is the grandson of Maacah, who was Absalom's daughter.  He dethrones Maacah as the queen mother because she has set up an obscene Asherah pole.  He banishes the shrine prostitutes and cleans up the smut.  We would call him an anti-pornography, anti-idolatry king.  Good for him.  Although he cuts down many Asherah poles, not all of the pagan shrines are demolished.  Asa is faithful to God throughout his lifetime.  He fights with the Northern Kingdom and secures alliances with Damascus to attack Israel in the north. He may have had diabetes that contributed to his death, as the Bible describes him having seriously diseased feet when he died. 

The lives of these kings and their mothers do not go unnoticed by God.  Your actions and the events that represent your faith in God or lack thereof, do no go unnoticed by God.  Does this cause you to pause and think?  Is your life a life of faith?  What is God noticing about you?

Acts 10:1-23

God is working in the Church and is directing His will through His Holy Spirit.  Today, we meet a devout God worshiper named Cornelius.  He lives in Caesarea and is a Roman army officer.  He fears God, as does his whole family.  He gives money to charity and regularly prays to God.  One day in a vision, God comes to Cornelius and says that his prayers and gifts to the poor have not gone unnoticed by God. Once again, we have evidence that God is watching our lives. He tells Cornelius to send men down to Joppa to find a man named Simon Peter.

Meanwhile, Peter is praying on the roof of a house when he falls into a trance.  We are told that it is around noon and Peter is hungry as he waits for lunch to be prepared.  In his vision, Peter sees a large sheet come down from the sky containing animals, reptiles, and birds.  The Lord tells Peter to go kill and eat them.  Peter says that he would never eat things forbidden by Jewish law.  Doesn't this sound just like the type of conversations that Peter always had with Jesus?  Peter is constantly surprised by God. 

The Lord tells Peter to not consider something forbidden that God has not forbidden.  In other words, God is changing the commandment about clean and unclean foods.  The need to distinguish these foods is no longer necessary now that the Messiah has come to earth.  Remember that these dietary laws set the Israelites apart from Gentiles and protected them from parasitic illness in order to preserve them as a people group so that the Messiah could be born from them.  Now that the Messiah has been born, these dietary laws are no longer needed.  Peter is perplexed.  The messengers for Cornelius arrive and the Holy Spirit tells Peter to go with the men without hesitation.  The men are Peter's guests, although they are Gentiles, and the next day Peter and some other believers accompany these men to Caesarea.

Do you follow strict eating rules that you feel God has mandated?  How do you square your rules with this passage in Scripture?  Do you experience freedom in Christ?  Are you bound by man-made traditions?

Psalm 133:1-3

This psalm speaks of the blessings of harmony and unity of brothers.  Our readings today show Israel in disharmony apart from true faith in God.  The New Testament reading shows us God breaking down differences in order to create unity and harmony in His Church.  Remember that harmony is achieved by different notes being played at the same time to blend together.  That is what creates the best tune.  Diversity in unison.

Proverbs 17:7-8

A ruler who lies is a despicable thing.  Bribes really work, especially in a corrupt system.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

June 14- A House Divided

June 14, 2011

Scripture Readings:
I Kings 12:20-13:34; Acts 9:26-43;
Psalm 132:1-18; Proverbs 17:6

A house divided against itself cannot stand.
 ~Abraham Lincoln

I Kings 12:20-13:34

From 1861-1865, Americans fought the Civil War.  It was a result of decades of tension between the North and the South over economic issues, slavery, and governmental philosophy.  The President of the Union was Abraham Lincoln. The President of the Confederacy was Jefferson Davis.  After the loss of many lives and the blood of many martyrs was spilled, the Union won the war and the divided house was unified once more.  Today, we begin the period in Israel's history where they are a house divided.

The division of Israel is a direct result of Solomon's sin of idolatry.  Although this was all prophesied by God to the patriarchs, history must unfold and God's hand must be seen throughout the story of humanity.  Solomon had asked God for wisdom to govern wisely.  God had granted him that wisdom, but we see now that this wisdom was not spiritual wisdom.  When we get to the book of Ecclesiastes we will get insight into Solomon's tortured obsession with excess.  We will see that he had spiritual issues.  Who among us has not had issues?  Unfortunately, Solomon was in a very powerful position that affected many lives.  His sin resulted in the division of a nation. 

We are now in the time period of the Northern and Southern kingdoms of Israel.  I used to tell my kids that this was the "good king-bad king" part of Scripture.  This can be confusing as you read the Bible. Many unpronounceable names will be thrown out there. Keep this in mind, ALL of the Northern Kingdom kings are bad kings.  Of the twenty Southern Kingdom kings, only eight are good kings.  I guess I could have told my children that we were in the "Bad King" section of Scripture.

Rehoboam is Solomon's son.  He is the king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.  He has only two tribes following him.  They are the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.  One benefit that Rehoboam has is that he stays in the capital city of Jerusalem and has the Temple of Solomon for worship.

Jeroboam is the king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the other ten tribes follow him.  He makes his capital city in Shechem.  Fearing that his subjects will go to the Temple in Jerusalem to worship and then be tempted to follow Rehoboam, Jeroboam decides to cast two golden calves as idols to whom they could worship and sacrifice.  This is reminiscent of the golden calf set up by Aaron in the book of Exodus.  This is a no no.  The Northern Kingdom begins to worship these idols and burn incense at the high places.  This is a stench in God's nostrils.  Jeroboam also chooses priests to guide the people who are not from the tribe of Levi.  This is against God's Law.  He creates his own religious festivals that are not the ones that Moses commanded through God.  Here is another abomination to God.  Jeroboam is on a roll!

God uses a man of God to prophesy to Jeroboam that one day a good king named Josiah, from the dynasty of David, will tear down the altars of Jeroboam and burn the bones of the false priests on the altars before they are destroyed.  As a sign that this would occur in the future, God has the altar split apart and has the ashes of the sacrifices pour out onto the ground.  Good King Josiah will not be born for 300 more years. God just wants to confirm that He is in control of the story.  These events take place as part of God's will to reveal Himself to His creation.

Jeroboam attempts to kill this man of God, but the Lord paralyzes his hand as he reaches for the man.  After praying for the king, God restores Jeroboam's hand.  God uses other signs to reveal His power to Jeroboam, but Jeroboam never turns to God.  This will result in the destruction of the Northern Kingdom and the death of Jeroboam's family.

Do you think that the good and bad leaders of our nation can impact God's judgment upon our nation?  Do you feel there are consequences for national behaviors like abortion, drug use, materialism, and immorality?  What do you think this lesson in Scripture is telling us about the relationship of God to the nations?  What about your personal life?  Do you have any golden calves that you put ahead of God?  Do you rely on your money to save you in life?  Where do you put your trust?

Acts 9:26-43

Can you imagine trying to befriend a group of people you had spent time and effort to kill?  This is the predicament of Saul as he goes back to Jerusalem as a new creature in Christ.  Barnabas is key in acting as an ambassador for Saul to the apostles.  With bold preaching and lively debate, Saul gains friends in the community of believers and enemies in the community of unbelievers.  He is eventually sent out of Jerusalem for safety. 

The Church experiences a short time of peace as it grows in strength and numbers.  The believers are walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort that only the Holy Spirit can provide.

Peter exercises the miracle signs of the apostles.  These signs are designed to demonstrate the authority of the Holy Spirit as God on earth through the apostles.  The sign miracles of the apostles mirror the miracle signs of Jesus' ministry.  Peter converts the whole population of Lydda and Sharon by healing a paralyzed man.  He then brings a believing woman who has died name Tabitha (Dorcas) back to life.  She had been an excellent seamstress and had made clothing for many widows and those in need who were Christians.  At her funeral, the widows are wearing Tabitha's cloaks and clothing. Imagine the joy when they all realize that their favorite seamstress/designer is alive!  Notice that Dorcas has used her talents and gifts to benefit others in the body of believers.  She has focused her attention on what she is good at and benefitted the community by not becoming distracted and trying to do things for which she is not gifted.  This is a lesson to all of us. 

Lesson:  Use your unique gifts to glorify God.  Don't try to be someone else.  Who you are authentically is what glorifies your Creator.  God wants to use you just as you are, where you are.

Please note that Peter, the apostles, and Saul, the twelfth apostle who is eventually called Paul, all have the sign gifts.  As Scripture becomes complete and the letters of Paul and the book of Revelation by John are finished, these sign gifts disappear.  God can do miracles at any time, but these gifts were unique to the Apostles and were designed to authenticate the message of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.

Do you use your gifts like cooking, sewing, teaching sports, coaching, etc. to help others in the community of believers?  God sees your daily work and help of others as a special thing.  It is His purpose for you that you contribute to His Story.  You are important in the whole scheme of things.  Please do not forget this.

 To be yourself is to glorify God. 

Psalm 132:1-18

This is a song designed to have God remember His promises to David about the kingdom and Jerusalem.  What promises do you need to sing back to God today?

Proverbs 17:6

"Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged."  Wonder when I will be a grandma...

What did you see today?  Please share.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

June 13- Epic Fail On An Epic Scale

June 13, 2011

Scripture Readings:
I Kings 11:1-12:19; Acts 9:1-25;
Psalm 131:1-3; Proverbs 17:4-5

The man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she wants.  
~My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

I Kings 11:1-12:19

It is an age old story, a woman marries a man and turns his head in any direction she wants.  Remember Adam and Eve in the garden?  Have you ever heard of Wallis Simpson?  Wallis Simpson was an American socialite who married Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor.  There is a catch in this story.  Edward was the King of England/the British Empire when he met and fell in love with Wallis, who was married at the time. She became his mistress.  Edward's love for this woman eventually caused him to abdicate the throne of England and hand the empire over to his brother, George VI.  Today, Solomon does not abdicate his throne, but his many wives turn his head away from God and cause God to take action against Solomon's detestable behavior.

Our reading begins with this ominous explanation, "Now King Solomon loved many foreign women."  You might remember from our readings that the Israelites were forbidden from intermarrying with the pagan people who lived in the Promised Land.  Solomon did not marry just a few pagan women.  He married 700 of them and also slept with another 300 concubines.  The man collected women like some people collect baseball cards!  I am sorry to say that Solomon set up pagan worship centers for these women to the detestable gods of their home nations. Altars to Ashtoreth (fertility goddess), Chemosh, and Molech sprinkled the hills of the Promised Land. Solomon's wives would burn incense to at these shrines and make sacrifices to them.

It is almost unimaginable when you consider the wealth, prosperity, peace, and comfort that God had given Solomon that he would repay God with this sort of slap in the face. The Bible says that Solomon "loved" many foreign women.  May I submit to you that it should say, "Solomon had sex with many foreign women."  Sex brought the downfall of this man. He was not thinking straight. Whatever these women wanted they got. I cannot emphasize how despicable the worship of these pagan gods was.  It included fornication and child sacrifice. This is a low point for Solomon.  God is not mocked.  God takes action.

God proclaims that the kingdom will be torn away from Solomon's son. Because of King David, God's faithful servant, God is going to keep one of David's descendants on the throne, but only two tribes will follow David's descendant once this split in the nation of Israel occurs.  The other ten tribes will follow another king.

Solomon's actions set off a chain of events that will affect the nation of Israel's history from here on out.  His epic fail has consequences on an epic scale.

Do you have generational sin in your family that has affected the family later on? Do you have a weakness in your life that is similar to Solomon's collection of women? God's punishment of Solomon is not balanced by repentance on Solomon's part.  Do you have unrepentant sin that you need to acknowledge?

We learn that Jeroboam is the man to whom God chooses to give the kingdom of the ten tribes torn from Solomon. He will head the Northern Kingdom.  In verse 39 God declares, "I will punish the descendants of David because of Solomon's sin, though not forever."  Please note the phrase "though not forever."  God intends to use David's line to bless the world.  No person and no person's sin can thwart God's will. The Messiah will come through the line of David.

Solomon dies and his son, Rehoboam, becomes the king.  We see that Solomon's offspring adds pride to Solomon's sin of rebellion.  Through pride, Rehoboam rejects the advice of the elders to lighten the harsh labor of the people and lower their taxes.  He comes up with some beauties of pride including, "My father used whips on you, but I'll use scorpions!"  What a gem this guy is!

His obnoxious behavior leads to the split of the tribes.  Another epic fail...  It should be noted that God is behind all of these events.  This is His Story.  He is a good storyteller and there is never a dull moment.  The twists and turns will continue as we watch good kings and bad kings rule the twelve tribes of His chosen people.  Stay tuned.

Are you comfortable with God running the universe?  He oversees the good, the bad, and the ugly.  We are told that it is all for a good purpose.  Do you believe Him?

Acts 9:1-25

Here is another exciting part of God's story.  The young Church is being persecuted.  A Jewish religious leader named Saul is like a roaring lion devouring the saints.  His passion and zeal have no equal.  Saul gets permission to go to Damascus to round up more believers to execute.  On his journey, Saul is struck down on the road to Damascus and blinded by a bright light.  A voice calls out, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"  "Who are you, sir?" Saul replies.  The voice responds, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

We learn some very interesting things in this exchange:

• When a believer in Christ is persecuted, Jesus sees it as a persecution against himself.
• Saul is a man who knows his Scriptures, but he does not know God.
• Jesus is in control of Saul's destiny and has a plan for his life.

Next, God uses a believer in Damascus to minister to Saul.  His name is Ananias, and he is used to heal Saul's blindness, promote Saul's filling with the Holy Spirit, and accomplish Saul's baptism.  God has told Ananias that "Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.  And I will show him how much he must suffer for me." I find it interesting that Saul does not eat or drink for three days prior to Ananias coming to him.  During this time, I would imagine that Saul is praying to God and being prepared for the completion of his conversion.  Notice that God uses the number three.  God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit represent the Trinity and the symbolic fact that the God of the Trinity will be Saul's God in the future.  Not eating and drinking represent the famine of Saul's soul in the absence of the God of Israel, who is a three in one God.

God has chosen his twelfth disciple to replace Judas Iscariot and it is a roaring lion named Saul.  What a great story!!  With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Saul begins to preach, immediately.  He tells people that Jesus really is the Son of God.  His preaching is so powerful and persuasive that Saul very quickly becomes the target of assassination by the Jewish leaders.  The hunter has become the hunted.  Saul's suffering for God has begun.  The changes we see in Saul are a result of the Holy Spirit in his life.  One becomes a new creation.

How has the Holy Spirit transformed your life?  What differences can you see in your attitudes and perspectives?  Have you experienced any persecution or suffering because of the Holy Spirit in your life?

Do you know people who seem to know the Bible, but they don't know God personally? Are you one of those people? God is calling people to draw near to Him while He can be found.  Today, God can be found.

Psalm 131:1-3

This psalm speaks of the attitude of humility that does not assume that one can understand things that are too great for a mere human being to understand.  I like this saying, "Yes, like a small child is my soul within me."

Proverbs 17:4-5

"Those who mock the poor insult their Maker."  Good point.

What did you see today as you read?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011