Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

Bad reps are hard to overcome!  New to the community, Randy and I began to get to know the people in the neighborhood that surrounded the church he was called to lead as pastor.  We had spent a few weeks getting the know the people inside the walls of the church before going outside the church.  It was interesting what many of those we met related to us.  When you want to know how to reach the needs of the community; it is quickest to just ask them!  However, the most often heard statement made was; “Oh yeah, I know that church, I used to go there but…” Then they would relate what the church did that disappointed them and hurt them deeply.  (Sigh)

From the outside this church had everything going for it—beautiful worship center, more than enough parking, well cared for, with a great location!  It was a “church on a hill” that you could not miss!  But on the inside the people gossiped wildly, demanded their own ways, worshiped tradition more than God Himself!  They did “good things” to look good to each other and to the community. They confused holiness with previous traditions of being a busy church, handed down by their parents. They insisted in doing things in the same way even though it was not successful in outreach.  They wanted a preacher who would merely be their chaplain who maintained the status quo. 

It was a rough assignment for us.  The reputation the church had created was hard to overcome.  The evil within had to be rooted out and seen as evil.  We sought God’s will and plan continually for this place at that time.  As the prophets of God before us, we never gave up but did grow weary until God said to move on. 

But nothing is impossible with God! If only His people, called by His Name, come and humble themselves before Him and ask what HE wants for His church who are commanded by Him to go and tell—not sit and stew.  We are commanded to teach disciples, baptizing them in His Name for His glory as their witness of a changed life—not gossip about who is not good enough to enter the doors of His church!  This was years ago, in a time long ago, but I relate this past experience so that we may all take stock and evaluate our hearts often.

The kings of Isreal were many and could not hold their positions for long. Their reputation according to God’s Word; “they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” God commanded His people through Moses; “You will have no other idols before Me.”  (Exodus 20)  Israel’s kings set that commandment aside along with many others to build shrines to accommodate their desires to do evil.  How our Enemy must love that…(sigh)

Before we read and judge, we recall that we are not always perfect as believers who love God back. But we are perfectly forgiven. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” However, “God showed us his love in this way; while we were yet sinners Christ died for our sins.” God’s kindness, love, mercy, and grace lead us to repentance of our sins!  (Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8, Romans 2:4)

We cannot be and do what God wants as His best for us without His help.  God knows exactly who we needed—a part of Him living in us!  We are given the gift of God’s Holy Spirit to help us with each step of our journey with Him.  God requires us to “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him” according to Micah, the prophet. But how?

Jesus teaches us how to walk with God.  He is the Word made flesh to show us how!  Jesus commands us to seek God first, be still before Him, turn all of our attention to Him, seek His will, ask for His wisdom, then listen intently to Him before doing anything of significance in His Name! 

I don’t know about you, but I pray that at the end of my life, Jesus will say, “she had her Father’s eyes.”   (A song of my past by Amy Grant that still touches my heart of hearts today.)  We avoid, at all costs, being known as a people of God “who did evil in the eyes of the Lord” and worse yet, caused others to sin, too! Yikes! 

1 Kings 16

Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani concerning Baasha: ² “I lifted you up from the dust and appointed you ruler over my people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to arouse my anger by their sins. ³ So I am about to wipe out Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. ⁴ Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and birds will feed on those who die in the country.”

⁵ As for the other events of Baasha’s reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ⁶ Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son succeeded him as king.

⁷ Moreover, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger by the things he did, becoming like the house of Jeroboam—and also because he destroyed it.

Elah King of Israel

⁸ In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.

⁹ Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the palace administrator at Tirzah. ¹⁰ Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.

¹¹ As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha’s whole family. He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend. ¹² So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu— ¹³ because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.

¹⁴ As for the other events of Elah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Zimri King of Israel

¹⁵ In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town. ¹⁶ When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp. ¹⁷ Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. ¹⁸ When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, ¹⁹ because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

²⁰ As for the other events of Zimri’s reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Omri King of Israel

²¹ Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri. ²² But Omri’s followers proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.

²³ In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. ²⁴ He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.

²⁵ But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him. ²⁶ He followed completely the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.

²⁷ As for the other events of Omri’s reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ²⁸ Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.

Ahab Becomes King of Israel

²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. ³⁰ Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. ³¹ He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. ³² He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. ³³ Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.

³⁴ In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The author of 1 Kings recounted the lives of seven evil kings. Only one king, Asa, did what was right in God’s eyes. God blessed him with long life.  King Asa undoubtedly faced opposition as he tore down his nation’s idols. He made unpopular decisions but continued to do what was right.  While Israel is playing “king of the hill” with many kings coming and going; King Asa of Judah is quietly but boldly leading, “doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.” Even though there is less land area to manage, King Asa makes treaties to maintain peace over Judah. Do we see the difference God makes in lives?

Max Lucado writes;

As long as you are stationary, no one will complain. Dogs don’t bark at parked cars. But as soon as you accelerate—once you step out of drunkenness into sobriety, dishonesty into integrity, or lethargy into compassion—expect the yapping to begin. Expect to be criticized. Expect to be mocked. Expect to be persecuted.

So how can we prepare ourselves? Simple. Imitate the disciples. Linger long and often in the presence of Christ. Meditate on his grace. Ponder his love. Memorize his words. Gaze into his face. Talk to him. Courage comes as we live with Jesus.

Are you willing to stand up for your faith? Think about the people and circumstances that might challenge your standards of humor, entertainment, or activities, and plan how you can respond.—Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible

Lord, I’m yours and I’m listening. In Jesus Name, Amen

Twelve men went to spy out Canaan,
(Ten were bad, two were good)
What do you think they saw in Canaan?
(Ten were bad, two were good)
Some saw giants, big and tall!
Some saw grapes in clusters fall,
Some saw God was in it all.
(Ten were bad, two were good).

Moses sent twelve spies, one from each of Israel’s tribes, to explore the land of Canaan, a mission described in the book of Numbers 13. The spies were given the mission to assess the Promised Land’s fruitfulness and the strength of its inhabitants, but while they confirmed the land flowed with milk and honey, like God had promised, the majority brought back a negative report, focusing on the giants and fortified cities, leading to a 40-year period of wandering in the wilderness for the Israelites. The wandering was a result of their lack of trust in God who led them all that He had promised to them. 

God’s people are still wandering, relying on their own strength, to live life.  Idols they can see have taken the place of living in God’s Holy Presence. Instead of people like Moses who led them in the past, God’s people demanded kings to rule over them “like other nations.”  God gave them what they asked for and allowed them to live with the consequences of their decisions.  Throughout the history of Israel some kings “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” and “some were aligned with evil—doing all things detestable and dishonoring to God. God’s people followed whoever was in charge at the time—a kind of “king of the hill” situation.  Whoever survived the climb to the top of the heap of humanity ruled until they were pushed off the top. But God was still evolving His Plan.  When it seems like God is not watching; He is. God is preparing the world for a King greater David, greater than anyone they could possibly imagine! God’s prophets will give real clues for His coming. But in the meantime, God’s people who wanted kings are now living with the consequences of getting what they asked.

I Kings 15

Abijah King of Judah

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah, ² and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.

³ He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. ⁴ Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. ⁵ For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

⁶ There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam throughout Abijah’s lifetime. ⁷ As for the other events of Abijah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. ⁸ And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king.

Asa King of Judah

⁹ In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, ¹⁰ and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.

¹¹ Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done. ¹² He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. ¹³ He even deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. ¹⁴ Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. ¹⁵ He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

¹⁶ There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. ¹⁷ Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

¹⁸ Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. ¹⁹ “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

²⁰ Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. ²¹ When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. ²² Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.

²³ As for all the other events of Asa’s reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. ²⁴ Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king.

Nadab King of Israel

²⁵ Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. ²⁶ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his father and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit.

²⁷ Baasha son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. ²⁸ Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king.

²⁹ As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family. He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. ³⁰ This happened because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel.

³¹ As for the other events of Nadab’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ³² There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

Baasha King of Israel

³³ In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. ³⁴ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We can learn much about God between the lines of these recorded generational kings and kingdoms.  The main lesson we learn is that through it all, not matter the circumstances; God is still watching over His people with great love, care, and concern.  There will be times when God must discipline who He loves so they may rise from their fall to see God for who He really is.

God is also preparing all nations for the coming of His Son, Jesus, Promised Messiah, who would reconcile whoever believed in Him to God. Complete forgiveness will be provided by His Son, who died on a cruel cross. Yes, Jesus, Promised Messiah, willingly laid down His life for ours—may we never forget! Sins are removed by the spilling of His blood once and for all. THEN on the third day—Jesus defeated death and left the borrowed grave to appear fully alive and well to many of his disciples and other followers who would report all that they had seen.  Hope—our Living Hope! 

We believe because those who saw with their own eyes believed and obeyed the commandment of Jesus to go and teach others! (Matthew 28:20)

But, in the meantime, kings come and go. There are reasons we must learn from what God does in and through them.  Look for the kings who seek, trust, and obey God—their lives and the lives of the people they rule see the Light that guides them to truth. 

The northern kingdom of Israel had nine dynasties in about 250 years, while the southern kingdom faithfully maintained the Davidic dynasty for 350 years—and that was the dynasty from which the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David, would come (See Matthew 1:1). With all of its faults, the kingdom of Judah was identified with the true and living God, practiced authorized worship in the temple, and had kings in the line of David.

With whom do we identify?

Who do we long to be with, think about most, and idolize in our daily lives?

“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” Daniel 2:44 Daniel, prophet of God, spoke while in captivity for living a devoted life with God.

“Then the end will come, when he (Jesus) hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” 1 Corinthians 15:24

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. —Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

In the beginning, middle, and end—God wins!

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
There’s just something about that Name.
Master, Savior, Jesus,
Like the fragrance after the rain.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Let all heaven and earth proclaim,
Kings and kingdoms will pass away,
But there’s something about that Name.”

(Bill and Gloria Gaither, Composers)

Lord,

Thank you for bringing our lives into your stories of past kings. Some followed you; some did not. It is the same today because of your freedom to choose.  I choose you. I love you because you first loved me.  I offer my life to you again today. Lead me, teach me, show me all you that you want for my life.  My identity is in you.  I am nothing much without you.  You are Life to me!  You are my everything!  Give me wisdom to seek you first, love you back as I love others like you love us.  May I grow in your love as we grow in our relationship.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Quarrels within a family over trivial matters lead to sins of division that can tear the family apart if there is no intervention to bring peace. Satan, our real enemy, (not each other), tempts us to demand our own way which leads to division.  When we fall for this temptation to turn our hearts from following the example of Christ who put others’ interests ahead of His own, it affects everyone.

“A house divided cannot stand” means division can happen to family or to any group or entity suffering from internal conflict, disagreements, with lack of unity with purpose among its members and will eventually fail or fall apart. While the phrase was famously used by Abraham Lincoln to describe the sectional divisions over slavery in the United States, its origin is from the Bible. Appearing in the synoptic gospels, we read Jesus telling the Pharisees and other religious leaders what this means for God’s people.  In Matthew 12:25 Jesus teaches; “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand”. Jesus is responding to the Pharisees who accused him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul.  Read all of Matthew 12 for context to get the full picture of Jesus’ explanation to his accusers who declare Jesus is of the devil.  Jesus uses the analogy to show that if Satan’s kingdom were divided, it couldn’t stand, thus disproving their accusation.

“But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” –Jesus, Matthew 12:25-28

The kingdom of Israel is divided between two kings: Jeroboam, (Israel) and Rehoboam, (Judah).  This division will be costly to God’s people from top to bottom, inside out, and outside in.

1 Kings 14

Ahijah’s Prophecy Against Jeroboam

At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, ² and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people. ³ Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.” ⁴ So Jeroboam’s wife did what he said and went to Ahijah’s house in Shiloh.

Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age. ⁵ But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.”

⁶ So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. ⁷ Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. ⁸ I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. ⁹ You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.

¹⁰ “‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. ¹¹ Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’

¹² “As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. ¹³ All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.

¹⁴ “The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. Even now this is beginning to happen. ¹⁵ And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they aroused the Lord’s anger by making Asherah poles. ¹⁶ And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”

¹⁷ Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. ¹⁸ They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah.

¹⁹ The other events of Jeroboam’s reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. ²⁰ He reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his ancestors. And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.

Rehoboam King of Judah

²¹ Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.

²² Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done. ²³ They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. ²⁴ There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

²⁵ In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. ²⁶ He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. ²⁷ So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. ²⁸ Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.

²⁹ As for the other events of Rehoboam’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ³⁰ There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. ³¹ And Rehoboam rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. And Abijah his son succeeded him as king.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God knows our hearts from the inside out.  God created us, “in the image of God, he created us.” (Genesis 2) Jeroboam sent his wife to Shiloh to find a priest to prophecy the fate of his son who was ill. Covering herself so she would not be recognized was foolish and fruitless. We wonder why the king told his wife, who probably would have preferred to stay with her son, to do this?  But then, if we are honest, we also carry our sins with coverings hoping God will not notice.  We may fool those around us for a while; but God sees our hearts and wants to bring us back to him.  God loves us.  How faithful and longsuffering is our God who for centuries dealt with His people who tried to cover up, rationalize, while resisting to repent of their sins!  But we are them, too. 

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 After centuries of looking over world, seeking those whose hearts were fully committed to God but finding more and more selfishness which made hearts evil; God, at just the right time, sent His Son to bring unity to His divided house of all humans.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

A house of unity are members with a shared goal.  Jesus is our goal.  Becoming more and more like Jesus is our goal.  Jesus brings us together as part of Himself. As members of His family we discover that the closer we come to Jesus; the closer we relate lovingly to each other! Jesus reconciles us to God.  God is our Father in heaven; we are His children.  As children we are joint heirs with Jesus, His Son. Yes, Jesus changes everything!  We are the Body of Christ, called church, (not a building but a people of purpose), and Jesus is the Head of the Body.  Paul explains unity in Christ;

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” Colossians 1:15-23

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27

CHRIST IS US provides what we need to have unity with God and each other! Unity lies with Christ, our eternal hope and current purpose for living.  God’s Holy Spirit who guide us to all that is truth; leads us to unity with God and each other.

Behaviors that divide versus actions that lead to unity in Christ are provided by Paul in His letters to The Body of Christ. Ephesians 4 is a great teacher of what it means to grow and mature in unity with Jesus and His Body.  Philippians 2 reminds us that Christ laid aside his glory, putting others’ interests ahead of His own, to save us.

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:22-32

“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Ephesians 4:16 He is Jesus!

Want to be more like Jesus?

“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? ² Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:1-11

We don’t read in Scripture that Jeroboam sought God’s will, prayed for spiritual discernment, or asked the Lord to make him a godly man. Like many of us today, the only time Jeroboam wanted help from God’s servant was when he was in trouble.

“There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.” The House remained divided; however, God’s covenant remained intact.  (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28–30). God does not give up on His people. They will suffer because of their turning from Him, not listening to Him, trusting, or obeying Him, but His love never changes for them—His love becomes greater still and will be demonstrated in the life of His Son, Jesus—the Promise and Fulfillment.

Lord,

There are so many thoughts given to us this morning to meditate on all day long. Lead  us to truth, your purpose and will, with your agenda for us today. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear”. Paul advising Timothy a young pastor, 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

This warning to Timothy from Paul, a seasoned servant of God, speaks against appealing to people’s desires for messages that align with their own lifestyles and preferences rather than with sound doctrine and truth. The phrase “itching ears” refers to people who seek out advisors and teachers who offer feel good, pleasant lies and myths instead of uncomfortable truth. Listening to fools ultimately leads to turning away from God’s word to follow their own lusts for power and position. 

Two leaders are in competition for power and control. One is the son of Solomon and the other is an enemy of Solomon’s house and of God.  Both seek advice.  They both listen to the advice of people who will tell them what they want to hear.  How will this be played out? How will this work out for them? Read on…

1 Kings 12

Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam

Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. ² When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. ³ So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: ⁴ “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

⁵ Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.

⁷ They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”

⁸ But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. ⁹ He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

¹⁰ The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. ¹¹ My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

¹² Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” ¹³ The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, ¹⁴ he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” ¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

¹⁶ When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king:

“What share do we have in David,
    what part in Jesse’s son?
To your tents, Israel!
    Look after your own house, David!”

So the Israelites went home. ¹⁷ But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.

¹⁸ King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

²⁰ When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.

²¹ When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.

²² But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: ²³ “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to all Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, ²⁴ ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.

Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan

²⁵ Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.

²⁶ Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. ²⁷ If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”

²⁸ After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” ²⁹ One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. ³⁰ And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.

³¹ Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. ³² He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. ³³ On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22

Seeking advice from many counselors is a prudent practice highlighted in the Book of Proverbs, which asserts that a multitude of counselors provides safety and leads to successful plans. The principle encourages gathering diverse perspectives from wise, experienced, and honest individuals to make well-informed decisions, avoid failure, and secure a better outcome for personal, family, or leadership matters.

The Shepherd King David who “followed after the heart of God” sought the Lord for what to do and when to do it. King David believed, trusted, and obeyed God before defeating all the giants in his life.  His descendants, however, lost this desire to seek God first which led to rebellions and wars resulting in a turning away from God. Israel’s leaders turned to advisors who would tell them what their itching ears wanted to hear as they grabbed for more power and higher positions in Israel.  As predicted by God, the son of Solomon, Rehoboam, would only have one tribe in Judah to carry on the line of David due to the sins of his father.  It is this line of descendants from which our Savior, King Jesus, was born.

Jesus teaches, Seek God first—always and in all circumstances— “and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33. Jesus instructs believers who follow Him to make the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness their highest priority in life. It means entrusting your life to God, prioritizing a relationship with Him, while fully believing He will provide for your needs as you live according to His will. 

These behaviors involve trust, prayer, obedience, and aligning your actions and desires with God’s.  We cannot effectively do life alone—we need God’s power at work within us to live for Him. God provides the same power that resurrected Jesus from death to life to come and live within all believers.  His Holy Spirit directs our path to all that is pleasing to God and is for our good.  When we seek God—we are seeking Truth.  God who knows our hearts’ desires to know the Truth.  God sent His Son, Jesus as the Way, Truth, and Life with Him.  It is Jesus who saved our souls and reconciled us to God!  It is God who is faithful to love and forgive and offer a new life and walk with Him.  God always does more than we seek, dream, or imagine!

“…O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”—Jesus, Matthew 6:30-34 (Gentiles are anyone who is not a Jew or believer in God.

Seek the advice and counsel of God’s Holy Spirit first.  Then be affirmed by God’s Holy Spirit in others who will affirm what God is saying to us—not what we want to hear—but what God wants us to hear, trust, and obey— “for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” 

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”—Jesus, Matthew 18:19-20  Agreement comes by seeking God first, individually or as a group, asking for His Holy Spirit to lead us to all that is God’s will and His best for us which is Truth—the greatest advice of all!

Lord,

We quickly see how life goes dark as soon as we stop asking for your help and guidance in all the details of our lives of which you delight.  Thank you for never tiring of our requests for your will with advice of how to accomplish your plan. Thank you for cleansing our hearts and renewing our minds so we are more open to your wisdom! I trust you above all.  You are Life and Light!  Why go to anyone else but you?  I love you, Lord with all that is in me.

In Jesus Name, Amen