Be Ye Mindful - Day 30

I Chronicles 10:1 - I Chronicles 23:32

          The Bible tells us why Saul died.

"So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;

And enquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse." I Chr. 10:13-14

           David became king and God blessed him.

"So David waxed greater and greater: for the Lord of hosts was with him." I Chr. 11:9

          Even when things are going good we need to keep doing the right things.

"Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;" I Chr. 16:15

          No one is above sin. I will never be perfect until I get to heaven. As I live my life I need to stay close to God and be gracious to others.



A World We Never Touch

Ever since I heard this song it has touched me and has spoken of how I have felt in my heart God would have me treat other people, Christian or not.

 

First Verse

He walked along the shores of Galilee

From clay He formed the healing balm

That caused the blind to see

When stones of wrath lay heavy in their hands

He knelt to write His mercy in the sand

Jesus came to set the captives free

Showed us by the way He lived

The way we need to be

Oh love is more than words could ever say

We must touch them with compassion

To help them find their way

Chorus

How can we reach a world we never touch?

How can we show them Christ

If we never show them love?

Just to say we care will never be enough

How can we reach a world we never touch?

Second Verse

Could we be so busy being saved

Trying to impress a world that's long since lost its way

We pride ourselves in being set apart

Yet we don't have time to touch a broken heart

Even if we found the time to care

Would we take the risk involved in always being there

Oh we hold the very thing they need so much

Sometimes the Word of life can pass

Through just a simple touch

Bridge

We hide behind these walls

And the security of friends

While beyond the stained glass windows

The world is lost in sin

How can we reach a world we never touch?

How can we show them Christ

If we never show them love?

Just to say we care will never be enough

How can we reach a world we never touch?

Mark Carouthers, Steve Richardson and Tim Pedigo – copyright 1996

Bondage - Day 29

I Chronicles 1:1 - I Chronicles 9:44

          All these kings, men, and women spoken of in the first 8 chapters of I Chronicles gets reduced to one verse.

"So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression." I Chronicles 9:1

          The good was not good enough. The bad was evil in the sight of the Lord. It all lead to them being carried away into bondage.

          All our good is not good enough. Our bad can never be taken care of by our own hand,

          It all points to our need for a Saviour or we will be in eternal bondage.



It's Never OK...

It’s Never OK…To Get Hit

 

          I was reading an article about Hope Solo’s new book "Solo: A Memoir of Hope". In a section of her book she tells of her time on “Dancing with the Stars” (DWTS) when she was partnered with Maks Chmerkovskiy. Things were getting frustrating during one of their rehearsals together and while the cameras were rolling, Hope states that Maks hit her. Hard. It made her ears ring. The article goes on to say that no one ever said anything to the producers and that Hope looked and acted like everything was ok on and off the camera. The show maybe trying to say that Hope is making this up by stating that she looked fine and that she and Maks looked fine together. There were no signs that she was slapped.


          I find Hope’s description of the event interesting. She just doesn’t leave it with, he slapped me. She goes on to say, that he slapped her hard. Like being slapped, unless it is hard is acceptable. Then she described the slap as causing her ears to ring. Again, she is insinuating that just getting slapped is not bad enough.


          It is never ok to get hit. Ever. A person never deserves it. When you have a disagreement with another person and they are using force to get you to agree with them, that is the wrong way to act. Whether they are using threats with their words, body language or actions, it is wrong. You are not a punching bag. A slap is wrong. A slight push is wrong. A threatening glare is wrong. Yelling is wrong. When someone is trying to control your behavior because it is not agreeing with their opinion, it is wrong.


          Whether it was a hard slap or not; whether the slap caused her ears to ring or not; Maks should not have have laid a hand on her in a violent way. Period.

Difference - Day 28

II Kings 15:27 - II Kings 25:30

          Israel is doing their own thing again. God removes them out of his sight.

"Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only."

II Kings 17:18

          So many bad things are happening to the men so they will turn towards God but nothing works. The men turn to the King of Assyria for help.

"Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land." II Kings 17:26

          The King gets a priest to teach the men to fear the Lord.

"Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord." II Kings 17:28

          They learn to fear the Lord but they still worship others gods.

"So they feared the Lord, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places." II Kings 17:32

^"They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence." II Kings 17:33

"So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day." II Kings 17:41

         

          As Christians, is this what we are doing in our lives? Are we going to church on Sunday, learning about God and then going about our own business the rest of the week. But, hey, we know about godly things! Do we know how to act but are choosing not to do it?

          How will the world know about God unless we live a different life? We are in this world but we should not be acting like this world. We need to show them there is a difference between a Christian and a non-Christian.



Strange Things are Happening - Day 27

II Kings 4:38 - II Kings 15:26

          There are some strange things going on in this section of reading.

          Leprosy healed in the Jordan River.

"Then went he down, and Axe dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."

II Kings 5:14

           An axe head floats.

"And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim." II Kings 6:6

         Invisible horses and chariots of fire. 

"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." II Kings 6:17

         Mothers eating their children. 

"And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow." II Kings 6:28

         70 heads in baskets. 

"And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel." II Kings 10:7

         Elijah's bones revived a man from the dead.



"And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet." II Kings 13:21



          We may think this world is getting worse but after this section of reading I may not be to sure of that any more. 

Purpose - Day 26

I Kings 16:21 - II Kings 4:37

          Elijah the Prophet. The way I imagine him is strong, no nonsense, and authoritative. When he prays in front of 400 plus prophets of Baal, he meant business.

"And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again."

I Kings 18:36-37

          I bet the prophets and on lookers just snickered at Elijah. Their hearts were not going to turn towards the Lord. What was Elijah thinking?

          But when that fire came down from heaven after just one small prayer, yep, they turned towards God.

"And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God." I Kings 18:39

          God used Elijah in mighty ways, however, God still wanted Elijah to know what his purpose was in life.

"And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?"  I Kings 19:13 

           I want God to use me. I may not know specifically what God is doing in my life but I need to have a purpose and a plan to keep me focused. What is your purpose?