Influencing Tomorrows

  June 5, 2023
  Daily Reading – 2 Kings 14-15 / John 12:1-22

 GOD’S WORD:

2 Kings 15:28 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Most of us go through life just doing, saying, and living life as it comes. Our thoughts range from what we have enjoyed in the past and would like to do again, to what is for dinner. Generally, we do not think too far into the future. If we do, it is about retirement, insurance for loved ones to live on, burial plots, and possibly a few relics we may leave to our children and grandchildren. Our thoughts seldom stretch too far past the next generation. However, have you considered that what you say, do, and how you live your life, may influence tomorrows for many hundreds of years?

        Throughout 1 & 2 Kings there is a familiar line we find in today’s verse. 2 Kings 15:28 says, “And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.” The sins of Jeroboam made Israel to sin for a long time. Way back in 1 Kings 12 we read how he feared that the people might return to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord. If they did, they might also return to the King of Judah, and then kill Him. So selfishly, he built two calves and created a new history of how these calves were the god’s who saved Israel in the past. He set evil men up as priests for the new religion, created feast days, and made Israel worship these calves. Here in 2 Kings 15, we find Israel and their Kings still following his made-up religion. You see, what we do today may influence many tomorrows.

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Many times, I have said people are watching us. What we do, good or bad, leaves a mark and a memory on the lives of those around us. If we are going to create lifetime memories, we should be leading people closer to the God, who can help them. 

What memories will you leave behind?

 

  That Word Is Scruples

 June 3 & 4, 2023
 June 3 – Daily Reading – 2 Kings 11-13 / John 11:38-57
 June 4 – NO READING

 GOD’S WORD:

2 Kings 12:14-15 But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD. Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Scruples? What in the world are Scruples? Some will say, I know, Scruples was a card game where players were faced with a dilemma and had to try to give an answer that would be the ethical thing to do. They would be kind of right. Some may say it was a 1980’s mini-series on TV. They too would be correct. However, just what are Scruples? The first definition of the word Scruples given by dictionary.com is “a moral or ethical consideration or standard that acts as a restraining force or inhibits certain actions.” In other words, it is a person with a conscious toward what is right. We do not hear that word used to often anymore. I wonder why?

        In our text today it says, “…they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen:” In other words they did not even have to count the money they handed over to the workers. No ledgers, no bookkeeping. The workers were given the money with no question as to what it would be spent on, or how much they would spend. Why was the business of the temple handled in such a careless fashion, you might ask? That is answered in the last line of today’s verse; “…for they dealt faithfully.” They could be trusted. These were moral upright men of God. They served with a conscience. They had SCRUPLES! A moral consideration for God and His work that kept them from doing wrong. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Oh, that the world today would see Christians in this light again. Moral, Upright, Faithful, People of character, and believers who live by the standard of God’s Word. Men and women with SCRUPLES!

Call it what you will, do people see you as
Faithful, Upright, Scrupulous?

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

          In each of the devotions this week, and every week, we see the hand of God at work. That is Who We Seek. We saw Him in the devotion:

   ● That’s What He Said
  ● That’s What He Sought
  ● That’s When It Stopped
  ● That’s What He Saw
  ● That Was Their Sin
  ● That Word Is Scruples 

      In preparation for your Sunday worship of your Lord and Saviour, pray today that He will meet you where you need Him most because, That is Who We Seek.

       Enjoy today with your church and hear what God has prepared in the heart of His man for you this week.

   See you tomorrow.  

 SUNDAYS:

       Today we suggest you read and study whatever the Lord has laid on your Pastors heart. Whatever scripture he uses for today’s messages were given to him by God for your specific needs.

That is Who We Seek

 

 That Was Their Sin

  June 2, 2023
  Daily Reading – 2 Kings 9-10 / John 11:1-37

 GOD’S WORD:

2 Kings 10:29 Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Happy New Year! OK, this is a weird day of the year to be shouting Happy New Year, but today’s text sort of reminds me of that time of year. It is often around the new year where we find people making resolutions. Quit eating so much, start exercising more, be a better mom, dad, brother, or sister, and the list goes on and on. Many, if not most of these resolutions fail. There are many reasons, (or excuses,) for the failures, but generally people return to their old ways sooner or later. Minor changes may stick and be somewhat beneficial. However, no lasting lifetime changes are ever recognized. That is what we see happening in 2 Kings 10.

        Jehu has completely eradicated Baal worship from the land of Israel. He slew all who worshiped Baal, destroyed the idols of Baal, tore down the temples of Baal, and 2 Kings 10:28 says, “Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.” Before we begin the celebration of this victory over sin, we need to see what Jehu did next. He did not return to worship God, instead, Jehu leads Israel back into what he knew from Jeroboam, which was calve worship. In 2 Kings 10:31 it says, “But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.” This begins the end of Israel’s occupation of the land. Replacing one sin with another sin is not progress. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Making a New Year Resolution is man helping man. However, if we want real life changes that will last, we need to include a power greater than ourselves. A real New Life Resolution includes God.

It is not New Years, but will you resolve today to include God into your life more?

 

 That Is What He Saw

  June 1, 2023
  Daily Reading – 2 Kings 6-8 / John 10:22-42

 GOD’S WORD:

2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Sometimes it just feels as if the cares and obligations of life are almost too much. Like the old saying goes, “There is too much month at the end of the money.” At times it feels as if there is too much everything at the end of anything. It is the reason some people give for taking their own life, because they cannot find a way to endure even one more day of the pressure. People turn to alcohol and drugs trying to escape the reality of life. So why does this happen? Many times, these people don’t know Christ as Saviour and they feel hopeless. For Christians, they have taken their eyes off their heavenly help and are looking too hard at earthly problems. We must keep in mind, if we are a child of the King, our King is King of everything, and King forever. Nothing is beyond His domain or His power. NOTHING!

        In 2 Kings 6:17 Elisha says, “…LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” Sounds like a miracle that the servant saw God’s protection. What I find amazing is that Elisha had already seen the hand of the Lord’s protection in 2 Kings 6:16 when he said to the servant “…Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” In the Spiritual Mind’s eye of Elisha, God was always there. He always is.. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Life can be taxing at times. Most often, if we step back, we will find we caused most of it. However, the promise of God to the child of God is still true. Heb. 13:5 “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” For Elisha, that is what he saw.

What do you see?

 

 That Is When It Stopped

  SORRY TO SEND OUT TWO.
  FIRST ONE HAD THE WRONG READING FOR TODAY.
  GOD BLESS AND HAVE A GREAT DAY  
 

  May 31, 2023
  Daily Reading – 2 Kings 4-5 / John 10:1-21

 GOD’S WORD:

2 Kings 4:6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        I have heard several good men preach out of 2 Kings 4:1-7. Some have likened the oil to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Others say the oil represents God’s grace being poured out, and as long as there is an open vessel to fill, God’s grace continues to pour. One man viewed the closed door behind which the miracle took place as showing that God’s blessings are for the faithful in God’s family. Many have said the number of vessels borrowed show the measure of her faith. Surmising if she had collected more vessels, the oil would have continued to flow. It very well may have. However, what I see in this passage is that when the vessels collected were full, it stopped. Not a drop more, not a drop less than what she needed.

        When looking at the story again, we see that what she asked for was her debt to be paid to rescue her sons from serving out the debt as bondsmen. That was all she wanted. Yet God gave her more than her heart desired. 2 Kings 4:7 says, “Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.” This says God supplied enough oil to pay the debt and free her sons as she asked. Also, He supplied enough for the family to live on after that. Any more oil may have made them prideful, any less may have put them back in debt very soon. The oil stopped when God said it was enough. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        What more could she ask for? God met the immediate need she had and blessed far beyond. To want more pots and more oil was unnecessary. God knows what we need, and often blesses us with more.

Could some of our desires be wants, and not needs?