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Kids Bible Blog: God’s plan : Page P30
Seen or Unseen?
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Romans 12:1-8
TO CHEW ON: "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Romans 12:4,5
Think of all the parts of your body needed for you to do common things like seeing, hearing, smelling, walking, talking. Take smelling for example.To smell something you need your heart and lungs to be working and your blood to be pumping so you can breathe.
When the air enters your nose you need the smell sensors deep inside to pick up the smell molecules from the air.
Those sensors send the message down nerve pathways from your nose to your brain.
When the smell message gets to your brain , your brain has to figure out what you’re smelling.
Then you need more nerve pathways to send messages to your legs and arms, to tell them if you should run away because your house is on fire, or to come for dinner because you’re smelling food cooking.
It’s a good thing the hidden-away parts of our bodies, like our hearts and lungs, don’t get jealous of our public...
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Tags: serving Saul/Paul Romans God’s plan church
Secret Coronation
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 23:11-17
TO CHEW ON: "Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, 'Long live the king!' ” 2 Chronicles 23:11
Who is your favorite storybook wicked stepmother or evil queen? Did you know the Bible has an evil queen story?
Athaliah was the wife of King Jehoram. After Jehoram died, his son Ahaziah reigned, but for only one year. When the young king was murdered, evil Athaliah went to work. In a few brutal hours she killed all the king’s relatives. Then she crowned herself queen.
But someone escaped. Priest Jehoiada and his wife rescued Ahaziah's baby son Joash and hid him in the temple for six years.
When Prince Joash was seven years old, Jehoiada met with the army commanders. He told them to bring all the priests and Levites to Jerusalem. On a special day the priests, Levites and many people gathered outside the temple. Then Jehoiada and his sons brought out the seven-year-old prince. They put a crown on his head and everyone shouted “Long live the king!”
Queen Athaliah heard the noise. She...
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Scroll Mail
TODAY’S SPECIAL:Romans 1:1-17
TO CHEW ON: "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle.... To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints.” (Romans 1:1, 7)
Paul spent a lot of time traveling from place to place telling people about Jesus. After people decided to follow Jesus, they wanted to spend time with other Jesus-followers. So they started churches.
Sometimes the baby Christians in these churches needed more teaching. Sometimes they had questions or there were problems. Because Paul couldn’t be everywhere at once, he helped these new churches by writing them letters (also called epistles). The book of Romans is such a letter."Romans" by Johann C. Weigel, 1695
These letters are a little different than the letters we write. They usually have the writer’s name at the beginning.This letter was written by 1.______________. (Romans 1:1).The people to whom the letter is addressed is further down. This letter was addressed to 2. ________________ (Romans 1:7)
In his letters, Paul does more than chat about the weather and what’s new in his life. In Romans he explains that everyone needs to be saved (chapters 1 & 2) and worship God, even those people who worship other gods or...
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Scapegoat
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 53:2-8
TO CHEW ON: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6
It was the most important day of the year, the Day of Atonement. Everyone came to the holy gathering bathed and in clean clothes. Men, women, girls and boys had watched the High Priest make the offerings. Now it was time for the last event.
A hush came over the crowd as one of the priests led a goat to the High Priest. The High Priest laid his hands on the goat’s head. Then he confessed the peoples’ sins: “We have been selfish. We have been proud. We have not honored our parents. We have been jealous. We have lied. We have stolen...” On and and on he went. As he named the sins, his hands on the goat's head were a picture of laying all those sins on the goat. This goat was called a scapegoat.
When the priest was finally finished, he gave the goat to a servant. The servant took it to the desert and there released it to...
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Tags: sin salvation prophecy Judah Jesus Isaiah God’s plan atonement
Saul the Desperate
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 28:3-20
TO CHEW ON: "He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him . . . . Saul then said to his attendants, 'Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.'” 1 Samuel 28:6,7
The Philistines were threatening again and Saul was terrified. He wanted to talk to God and find out what to do. But Samuel had died, Saul had killed the priests, and no prophet came with any message. God was silent.
In desperation Saul asked his servants to find a medium. A medium was a person who could contact the spirits of dead people and get messages from them. But this power came from Satan and not God. God had commanded Saul to rid the land of all mediums and spiritists.
Still Saul’s men managed to find a medium. Saul disguised himself and went to her house. He persuaded her to try to bring up the spirit of Samuel so Saul could talk to him.
Soon the woman saw something coming out of the ground. And then Samuel’s voice filled the room, “Why have you disturbed me?...
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Tags: sin Saul occult God’s plan disobedience 1 Samuel
Samson Superman
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Judges 16:4-22
TO CHEW ON: "With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it. So he told her everything.” Judges 16:16,17
“I’m in love with a Philistine girl,” Samson announced to his dad one day. “Get her for me.”
Samson’s parents didn’t approve. “Can’t you find a good homegrown girl to marry?” they asked. But Samson insisted. And so began his up-and-down relationship with the Philistines.
The marriage soon went sour when Samson’s new wife tricked him. He left her. When he went back, he found that she was now married to someone else. That made him furious. He caught 300 foxes, tied their tails together, lit them on fire and released them to burn the Philistines’ fields of wheat, grapes and olives.
And so it went. Again and again Samson had dealings with the Philistines and got double-crossed. That made him angry and, with his strength from God, he got even. Once he killed 1000 men with only the bone of a donkey as a weapon.
Another time he escaped capture by breaking ropes he was tied with, then busting open the gates of the city by pulling them off their hinges. In this way...
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Tags: trickery temptation miracles Judges God’s plan God’s help drawing
Quick to Follow
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 19:19-21
TO CHEW ON: "Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah." 1 Kings 19:20
One of the jobs God gave Elijah was to find and call the person who would be the next prophet. We don’t know how Elijah knew which person to choose. God probably told him. Neither do we know much about the person he picked – Elisha – except that he was a farmer.
Elijah found Elisha in a field. He was plowing with oxen.
Elijah called him by going up to him and throwing his prophet cloak over Elisha’s shoulders. Our Bible doesn’t tell us if Elijah explained to Elisha what he meant by this. But Elisha knew exactly what Elijah was asking.
1. What did Elisha do? ( 1 Kings 19:20) ________
2. Did Elijah force Elisha to come with him? ________
"And Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah" 1 Kings 19:20 Artist's name – Diana Shimon
For some reason Elisha was ready to follow Elijah. Maybe in the days just before Elijah came, he had been feeling restless about being a farmer. Maybe he had been asking God to show him what he should do instead. Maybe he had heard of Elijah, and wanted...
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Tags: puzzle obedience Israel God’s plan Elisha Elijah 1 Kings
Questioning God
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Habakkuk 1:1-11
TO CHEW ON: "How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not save?" Habakkuk 1:2
Have you ever wondered whether it does any good to pray? That seems to be what the prophet Habakkuk was asking at the beginning of his short book.
Habakkuk was another prophet in Judah. He lived at the same time as Jeremiah did. Instead of God giving Habakkuk messages for the people, he talked to God for them.
He asked questions that people from all times and places have asked:- If You’re in control, God, why does evil win so often?- How can You ignore unfairness? Why do evil people get richer and more powerful?- Why do You use evil people to work Your will?
Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible © American Bible Society 1976, 1992
God answered Habakkuk’s questions. Sometimes his answers were surprising. When Habakkuk complained, in today’s reading, that it seemed like God was ignoring unfairness, God replied, “You haven’t seen anything yet!” Then he explained that soon He would use the cruel nation of Babylon even more.\
But God’s answers did finally satisfy Habakkuk. And...
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Tags: trust prophecy Judah Jeremiah Habakkuk God’s plan God’s character faith
Pride Before a Fall
TODAY’S SPECIAL:2 Chronicles 26:16-22
TO CHEW ON: "But after Uzziah became powerful his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense." 2 Chronicles 26:16
Back in Judah, years had gone by since King Joash’s reign had ended. Now sixteen-year-old Uzziah, Joash’s grandson, was king. Like his grandfather Joash, Uzziah was trained by a priest. Just like Joash he started out well. He strengthened the army, defeated his Philistine enemies, built cities, and gave lots of people good jobs on his farms and in his fields. Soon he was famous in the nations all around. Best of all, during this whole time he was careful to do what pleased God.
That is, until one day when his success went to his head. That day he decided there was nothing he couldn’t do. So he went into the temple, lit the incense in the portable burner called a censer, and was about to make a sacrifice on the altar when Azariah and a crowd of priests stopped him.
“What are you doing?” Azariah asked. “This isn’t right. Only priests are allowed to go into the temple...
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Tags: worship temple Judah God’s plan God’s holiness disobedience consequences 2 Chronicles
Power of Words
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 55:8-13
TO CHEW ON: "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,and do not return to it without watering the earthand making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10,11
Words are funny little things. As marks on paper or a screen they can make us laugh or cry, tell us good news or bad, prove little things like we’ve passed the test or big things like we’re the citizens of a certain country.
Spoken words have a lot of power too. I’m sure you’ve heard the playground rhyme: “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Do you believe it? I don’t! Because spoken words have the power to do a lot of things, including hurt us.
If we think human words have power, how much more God’s words. These are the thoughts and ideas...
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Tags: puzzle obedience Isaiah good news God’s word God’s plan
Payback
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 9:1-13
TO CHEW ON: "You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the Lord’s servants shed by Jezebel." 2 Kings 9:7
One day after Ahab had died and his son Joram was king, Elisha sent one of the prophets on a special errand. “Take a bottle of oil and go to Ramoth Gilead,” he said. “Find Captain Jehu and secretly anoint him king.”
When the prophet found Jehu at the army barracks he said, “I have a message for you.” They went into the house so they could talk privately. There the prophet poured oil on Jehu’s head and said, “I anoint you king over Israel. You are to destroy all the family of Ahab. This is because Ahab and Jezebel destroyed God’s servants the prophets.” When he was done, the prophet opened the door and ran....
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Paul’s First Mission Trip
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 13:1-5
TO CHEW ON: "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'” Acts 13:2.
While Herod was persecuting the believers in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Saul were teaching in Antioch. It was here that those who believed in Jesus were first called Christians.
One day during a prayer meeting in Antioch, God the Holy Spirit told the Antioch Christians to set apart Barnabas and Saul for a special job. They were to go on a mission trip. They would travel to places where no one knew about Jesus and tell about Him.
Paul begins his first missionary journey - Artist unknown
Have you ever been on a mission trip? If you have, you’ll know that preparing for such a trip is lots of work. You have to raise money for the plane or bus fare and for expenses along the way. If you’re going out of your country you need to get travel papers (like passports, visas and travel insurance). You may need shots to protect you against foreign diseases. You need foreign money. You need to prepare for what you’re going to...
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Tags: Saul/Paul Holy Spirit God’s plan Acts
Only a Child
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 1:1-10
TO CHEW ON: "But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord." Jeremiah 1:7,8
Do you have any idea what you’d like to do when you grow up? Have you ever thought that God may have a special job for your life?
God talked to Jeremiah when he was just a child. He told him what his job would be. He would be a (Jeremiah 1:5) 1. _____.
Jeremiah argued back. What two reasons did he give for why he couldn’t do what God asked (Jeremiah 1:6) 2. _____ 3. _____.
But God didn’t buy Jeremiah’s arguments. For He had chosen Jeremiah before he was born. Now God touched his mouth and said, “I have put my words in your mouth.”
Jeremiah’s words would be not only to his nation Judah, but to the nations all around. They would have much power – power to uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow, build and plant.
Have you ever asked God if He has a special job...
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Tags: true/false prophecy Judah Jeremiah God’s plan God’s omniscience
Not What He Asked For
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 3:1-10
TO CHEW ON: "When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money." Acts 3:3
The man who sat at the temple entrance to beg had always been crippled. As a boy he had never climbed trees, played tag or walked to a friend’s home to play. By now he was used to not being able to walk. He didn’t ask for much any more -- just a few coins to buy food and pay rent.
His life was hard and disappointing. He had few nice surprises. I’m sure he didn’t expect much to change. Probably after he asked Peter for money and heard his answer: “Silver and gold I do not have...” he was already feeling disappointed.
"St. Peter and St. John cure the lame man" - Nicolas Poussin 1655
But in the instant that Peter took the man’s hand and lifted him to his feet, God’s power came into his body. His feet and ankles became strong. He could walk for the first time -- and leap and skip and jump! God gave him, not what he asked for but something far, far better....
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Tags: prayer miracles God’s timing God’s plan God’s help Acts
Not Guilty
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Romans 3:19-28
TO CHEW ON: "But now God has shown us another way to heaven. It is not by 'being good enough' and trying to keep his laws.... Now God says he will accept us and declare us 'not guilty.' He will do this if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. We all can be saved by coming to Christ." Acts 3:21a,22a - Simplified Living Bible
Suppose you stood before God today and He asked you, “Why should I let you into heaven?” What would you say?
- I tried my hardest to be good.- I did more good things than bad things.- I doesn’t matter what I believed because I was sincere.- My heart is clean because the wrong things that I’ve done (sins), were paid for by Jesus when He died on the cross.
I hope your answer was the last one.
One of the things Paul explained to the Roman Christians was what Jesus’ death means to everyone who believes in Him.
Before Jesus came, God gave the Jewish people rules about how they were to relate to God and treat each other (the Ten Commandments). And He told them what to do if they broke those rules...
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Tags: Saul/Paul salvation Romans God’s word God’s plan consequences Acts
Never Too Young
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 23:12-22
TO CHEW ON: “Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, ‘Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.’” Acts 23:17
Have you ever thought you have to be grown up to be used by God? Perhaps Paul’s nephew felt that way. Then came the day he overheard a secret plan.
He heard forty Jewish men promising each other they wouldn’t eat or drink until they’d killed Paul. They would ask the Roman commander to bring Paul to a special place. They would hide along the road Paul would take. When Paul and the soldiers came by, they would pounce on Paul and kill him.
The boy went straight to Paul with news of this plot.
"Paul's nephew" - By Johann C. Weigel, 1695
Paul sent the boy to the commander, to tell him what he’d heard. As a result Paul was never sent to the meeting that day. Because his nephew did what he could, Paul’s life was saved.
Have you ever thought you were too young for God to use? You aren’t you know. God uses people of all ages. The main thing is be obedient and do the things He tells you....
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Tags: trickery Saul/Paul obedience God’s plan God’s help God’s care Acts
Lost but Found
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 9:15-20
TO CHEW ON: "Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 'About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel...'” 1 Samuel 9:15,16
When Samuel told the people to go home after they had asked for a king, he didn’t know who that king would be. But God did.
Some time after that some donkeys got lost. Their owner Kish, from tribe of Benjamin, sent his son Saul and a servant to look for them. They walked for miles and miles but they couldn't find the donkeys. Finally Saul was ready to give up. “We’d better go home,” he said, “or Dad will start worrying about us.”
“Let’s try just one more thing,” the servant suggested. “A prophet lives nearby. Let’s ask him if he knows where the donkeys are.”
Meanwhile Samuel, the prophet, had heard from God. God had told him, “Tomorrow I will send a man to you from the tribe of Benjamin. He will be the new king.”
The next day Samuel was walking outside his house when along came a tall, handsome stranger. “Do you know where the prophet’s...
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Tags: Saul Samuel prophecy God’s timing God’s plan God’s help 1 Samuel
Lost and Found
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Luke 15: 1-7
TO CHEW ON: "...Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep." Luke 15:6
When you lose a favorite toy, do you:- say, “Oh well, I still have lots of other toys,” then find something else to play with?- look for that toy for a while, then give up and play with something else?- look for your favorite toy until you find it?
"The Parable of the Lost Sheep" by Alfred Usher Soord
Jesus told a story of a shepherd with 100 sheep. One day one of his sheep got lost. He left the 99 sheep and looked for the lost one until he found it....
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Life’s Opposites
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
TO CHEW ON: "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11
From earliest times, thinking people have asked hard questions. Questions like:
- Why is this world and the universe here?- Why am I here?- Is this life all there is?
Ecclesiastes is a book that explores such things. Though the author of Ecclesiastes isn’t named, many people think Solomon wrote it when he was an old man. In Ecclesiastes the writer describes what he has seen in his life. Then he tells us lessons we can learn....
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Tags: wisdom Solomon problems God’s word God’s plan Ecclesiastes drawing
Led by a Star
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 2:1-15
TO CHEW ON: “’Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’” Matthew 2:2
Every night the wise men studied the stars. They wrote down when they rose and set. They gazed at their colors and brightness. They drew them and looked for shapes formed by their positions in the sky. Most of all they tried to figure out what the stars meant.
One day a new bright star came out. Such a star could mean only one thing: a new king had been born.
"Wise Men Follow a Star" by A. O. Stemler and Bess Bruce Cleaveland
The star seemed to be moving, so the wise men followed it. For weeks and months they rode, probably on camels, and always at night so they could see the star’s light. It led them west toward Judea. The star must be telling of a new Jewish king....
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Tags: trickery prophecy Matthew Jesus God’s plan God’s care dreams angels
Leaping, Bursting, Shouting Joy!
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 35:1-10
TO CHEW ON: "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer and the mute tongue shout forjoy." Isaiah 35:5,6
What things make you joyful - finishing homework, seeing an old friend, being greeted by your dog, getting help with a hard job?
Even the greatest joy we feel now will be small compared to the joy Isaiah talks about in today’s reading. It will be the joy people feel when God comes to reign on earth. All of creation – plants, animals and people will know joy at that time.
Why will there be so much joy? Because of who God is. He is a God who makes wrong things right. He is a God who heals – makes the weak strong, the sick well, the blind see, the dumb shout, the lame walk. His power over nature makes even deserts become gardens and wild animals tame as pets....
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Tags: prophecy Judah joy Isaiah God’s plan
Lazy
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Proverbs 24:30-34
TO CHEW ON: "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man." Proverbs 24:33,34
What does it mean to be lazy? Read what a dictionary says.
Below are some ways people might act. Which of these actions could you mark with an L to show the person might be lazy?
1. ___ Begins work on the assignment right away, even though it’s not due for a week.2. ___ Shoves things under the bed and in the closet when cleaning his room.3. ___ Spends all day in front of the TV.4. ___ Keeps her garden plot free of weeds.5. ___ Never folds or hangs up her clothes.6. ___ Does all his jobs as soon as he gets home from school.7. ___ Hides half of his papers in the park so he won’t have to deliver them....
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Tags: work research Proverbs God’s plan
King on a Donkey
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Zechariah 9:9-10
TO CHEW ON: "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious,lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" Zechariah 9:9,
Would you expect a king to ride on a lowly donkey? Kings would usually come riding into town on war horses or decorated camels wouldn’t they? Yet when Zechariah predicted the coming of the King of Zion (Jerusalem), he said it would be on a donkey.
Fast forward about five hundred years to the time of Jesus. One day Jesus sent two of His disciples to a village to borrow a donkey. Then He rode into Jerusalem on its back. As he went through the streets the people began cheering. They took off their coats and laid them in the donkey’s path, just as they would for a king. They waved palm branches and cheered, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21)...
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Tags: Zechariah prophecy Jesus God’s plan
Jehu’s Unfinished Job
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 10:18-29
TO CHEW ON: “So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit – the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.” 2 Kings 10:28,29
Jehu lost no time getting to work on job the prophet had given him. When Ahab’s son King Joram was recovering from a war injury in Jezreel, Jehu rode there in his chariot and did away with Joram. Next he had Queen Jezebel killed. Finally, he destroyed the worship of the idol Baal.
He did this by tricking all the Baal prophets. He told the people to call them together for a big, big sacrifice. “Ahab served Baal a little,” Jehu said. “I will serve him much. Any Baal prophet who doesn’t show up will be killed.”
When all the prophets had gathered in Baal’s temple, Jehu posted guards outside. “Don’t let anyone escape,” he said. Then he made the sacrifice. And right after that he gave the signal to the guards to destroy every Baal prophet in the temple.
After that was done, Jehu tore down the Baal altar and the temple. In this...
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Tags: promises obedience Israel idols God’s plan disobedience confession 2 Kings
It’s Not About You
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Esther 4:1-17
TO CHEW ON: "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this." Esther 4:14
Esther eyes opened wide as the servant delivered Mordecai’s message. Was he telling her to go to the king without an invitation? Didn’t he know that could get her killed?
It had all started when Esther’s servants had seen Mordecai dressed in sackcloth, covered in ashes and wailing as if someone had died. She had sent fresh clothes for him and asked what the problem was. Now the servant had returned with a copy of Haman’s new law and Mordecai’s request. He was asking her to go to the king and beg for the life of the Jews. And she would have to tell him no. Because what he was asking was impossible.
But her servant returned with Mordecai's reply: “Esther, you too are a Jew. Don’t think you’ll escape Haman’s law just because you’re in the palace. Who knows, it may be that you are queen now just so that...
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Tags: trust prayer obedience God’s plan Esther
He’s My Neighbor?
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Luke 10:29-37
TO CHEW ON: "...so he asked Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'” Luke 10:29
One day when Jesus was teaching in the province of Judea Mr. Scripture Expert came to Him with a question. He looked proud of himself as he asked, “What do I do to get eternal life?”
“What’s written in the law (Bible)?” Jesus asked.
“Love the Lord with all your heart ...and love your neighbor as yourself,” Mr. Expert replied.
“Do this and you’ll get that life,” Jesus told him.
“And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus answered that question by telling a story (today’s “Read”). In it bandits robbed and beat up a Jewish man. As he lay unconscious beside the road a priest came along. He saw the beat up traveler and crossed to the other side of the road. A Levite did the same thing. Then along came a Samaritan....
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Tags: parable Luke love Jesus God’s plan friendship
Good News!
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 7:1-9
TO CHEW ON: "Then they said to each other, 'What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.' ” 2 Kings 7:9
What do you do when you have good news?- Make very sure no one finds out.- Write about it only in your journal.- Email, phone, text-message and tell all your friends.
Chances are, you do the last. We all love good news – and love even more to share it with others so they can be happy with us.
Four lepers living outside Samaria didn’t have good news very often. Lately life was even worse than usual because they were starving. Their family members who usually brought them food were locked inside the gates of the city.
Standing guard outside the gates and surrounding the city walls was the army of Aram and King Ben Hadad. He wanted Samaria as his own. He was determined to stay as long as it took to capture the city. He was sure that when the Israeli people and their king...
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God’s Workman
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Timothy 2:1-7, 15
TO CHEW ON: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
Would it be possible to be a bank teller without knowing how to do math and use a computer? Could you be a gardener without knowing about plants. What about being a doctor without knowing about the human body, diseases, and medicines?To do a job well, you have to learn about your job or business.
Once someone is trained to do a job, they have to be willing to do the hard things in their job.
If a person is an athlete, she has to keep her body fit and play by the rules of the sport.If a person is a nurse, he has to be prepared to work with sick people, give needles, and sometimes work the night shift.Someone who is a teacher has to be willing to prepare lessons and mark homework....
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God’s Parties
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Leviticus 23:1-8
TO CHEW ON: "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.' ” Leviticus 23:2
What do you do on special days? Match the holiday with an activity that may happen then:
God also gave the Israelites special days to celebrate. They were called feasts. In some ways they were a lot like our holidays. The Israelites were to take the day off work and they often ate special food.
But these feasts were also different. Most of our celebrations are only a day or a weekend long. Some of the Israelites' feasts lasted a whole week or longer. And while our celebrations are often all about us – what gifts we’ll get, what we’ll eat, how much fun we’ll have – the Israelites’ holidays helped them focus on God....
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Tags: worship thankfulness rules Leviticus joy God’s plan giving atonement
God’s Errand Boy
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 3:1-21
TO CHEW ON: "The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!'Then Samuel said, 'Speak for your servant is listening.'” 1 Samuel 3:10
One night after everyone had gone to bed, Samuel heard Eli call him. Because Eli was very old and blind, Samuel helped him with many things and was used to coming when Eli called. Now Samuel jumped out of bed and ran to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “You called me.”
“No I didn’t,” answered Eli. “Go back to bed.”
"Eli and Samuel" Original oil painting © 2001 by Darlene Slavujac Thau
A few minutes later, Samuel thought he heard Eli call his name again, and again he jumped out of bed to see what Eli wanted. Again Eli sent him back to bed.
When this happened a third time, Eli thought of something. Maybe this was God wanting to speak to Samuel. So he said, “Go and lie down. If He calls you a third time say, ‘Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.’”
So Samuel went back bed. Sure enough, in a few minutes the voice came again, “Samuel! Samuel!”...
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Tags: tabernacle storytelling Samuel rebellion obedience judgment God’s presence God’s plan 1 Samuel
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