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II Chronicles 16

King Baasha of Israel attacks Judah                  verse 1 

In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa

Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah

and built Ramah

      to the intent that he might

let none go out or come in to

Asa king of Judah 

King Asa asks Syria for help                               verse 2- 3


Then Asa brought out silver and gold

out of the treasures of the house of the LORD

and of the king’s house

and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria

that dwelt at Damascus

saying

There is a league between me and you

as there was between my father and your father

                        BEHOLD – I have sent the silver and gold

GO – break thy league with Baasha king of Israel

            that he may depart from me 

King Ben-hadad agrees to help Judah                verse 4- 6 

And Ben-hadad hearkened to king Asa

            and sent the captains of his armies

against the cities of Israel

            and they smote Ijon – Dan and Abel-maim

                        and all the store cities of Naphtali

And it came to pass – when Baasha heard it

that he left off building Ramah

and let his work cease

Then Asa the king took all Judah

and they carried away the stones of Ramah

                        and the timber thereof

wherewith Baasha was building

            and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah 

Prophet Hanani confronts King Asa                   verse 7- 9 

And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah

and said to him

Because you have relied on the king of Syria

and not relied on the LORD your God

THEREFORE is the host of the king of Syria escaped out

of your hand

Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge host

with very many chariots and horsemen?

YET – because you did rely on the LORD

HE delivered them into your hand

FOR the eyes of the LORD run to and fro

throughout the whole earth

to show HIMSELF strong in the behalf of them

whose heart is PERFECT toward HIM

Herein you had done foolishly

THEREFORE from henceforth you shall have wars 

King Asa put Hanani in jail                                 verse 10 

THEN Asa was wroth with the seer

and put him in a prison house

                        for he was in a rage with him

because of this thing

And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time 

Record of King Asa’s reign                                 verse 11- 14 

And BEHOLD the acts of Asa – first and last – lo

they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel

And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign

was diseased in his feet until his disease

was exceeding great

                  yet in his disease he sought not

to the LORD

                                          BUT to the physicians

And Asa slept with his fathers

and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign

and they buried him in his own sepulchers

                  which he had made for himself

in the city of David

and laid him in the bed which was filled with

      sweet odors and divers kinds of spices

                  prepared by the apothecaries’ art

and they made a very great burning for him 

COMMENTARY:           

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 3        There is a league between me and you, as there was between my father and your father: behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. (1285 “league” [bariyth] means covenant, confederacy, alliance, agreement, covenant, or a contractual arrangement between God and a person)

DEVOTION:  Do look for an easy way out of a problem. Here is a king that was looking for an easy way out of a problem he was having with the king of Israel. He thought it would be easier to go to a foreign king with money to make a treaty with and let him do the fighting for him.

It should have been a battle between two nations that knew the LORD instead of with a foreign nation. It should have been that he went to the LORD for help instead of other human beings.

The money in the house of the LORD was the LORD’S money not his to use to buy an army. Instead he should have gone into the Temple to pray and ask the LORD for help instead of looking other places for help.

Asa started out right as the king of Judah but at the end of his life he was not trusting in the LORD. The prophet reminded him of past victories he had with the LORD but that didn’t matter at this time.

We need to remember what the LORD has done for us in the past and then build on that thought for the present. We need to put our confidence in the LORD for our entire life. It should not be that as we get older we forget all the benefits the LORD has given us throughout our lifetime.

Making a treaty with the world is not what the LORD would desire of us as believers. Our dependence should always be on the LORD first and foremost.

Are you facing an enemy today that you need help defeating? Are you turning to the LORD for help or looking someplace else? The LORD wants us to look to HIM for guidance each day.  HE doesn’t want us manipulating people to our advantage. HE wants us to trust HIM to give us a solution HE would approve of in any given situation.

CHALLENGE:  Watch, who you pick to work with to win victories in your life. Some allies could really be enemies. 

 

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

 

: 7        And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him, Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD your God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of your hand. (8172 “relied” [sha‘an] means to support oneself, to lie supported, make comfortable, to put trust in with confidence, or to repose confidence)

DEVOTION:  The LORD wants those who are HIS children to put their confidence in HIM and not on others. This was a problem with Asa. He was putting his confidence on a pagan king instead of the LORD. He was looking for help from a source that was improper for the king of Judah to receive help from unless the LORD told him to.

This is the way that we are to handle our problems. We are to turn to the LORD for all the problems HE allows in our life. We are going to face many problems in our lifetime. If we are a genuine believer we should turn to the LORD regarding anything HE allows in our lives.

Here we have the ten tribes coming against the two tribes. So here we have Asa facing a battle he wasn’t sure he could win. He thought that if he found another army to help him the battle would be won. He was depending on humans. He was depending on those who were not followers of the LORD. He was looking in the wrong direction.

When we face a battle against even a fellow believer who should we turn to FIRST? The answer is always the LORD. We need to go to HIM in prayer and ask for direction.

We are to ask fellow believers to pray. Sometimes we can tell them what it is about but at other times we may not be able but we can tell them that we have an unspoken request.

The Bible is our guide. We can learn from others mistakes. We can ask the LORD to give us wisdom regarding what coarse to take.

CHALLENGE: Our confidence should always be in the LORD FIRST!!

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: 9        For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. (5528 “foolishly” [cakal] means to be silly, play the fool, or be in a state of having a lack of understanding)

DEVOTION:  How is your Christian life? Do you have spells of good service to the LORD and spells of trusting in yourself or others to get things done? Do we leave the LORD out of some of our major decisions? In the last chapter we found that King Asa’s heart was perfect in the sight of the LORD.

King Baasha of Israel came against Judah and Asa sent money to King Ben-hadad of Syria for help. He came to his aid and King Baasha backed off.

Asa had served the LORD faithfully many years but at the end of his life he looked to human help instead of trusting the LORD. A prophet came to tell him he was going in the wrong direction. He got so mad at the prophet that he put him in prison.

He also mistreated some of the people too at the same time. It must have been those who agreed with the prophet and the LORD. They wanted revival but the king wanted nothing to do with it. He was acting like someone who didn’t understand who the LORD was and what HE could do for the kingdom.

He had observed the LORD’S work early in his reign but then with the confidence those victories gave him, he turned to his own strength. How silly!!! He had turned off his understanding of the truth regarding the LORD and his battles.

The prophet confronted Asa who gave him a promise from the LORD that he was that he would experience wars for the rest of his reign. He also was diseased in his foot and instead of coming to the LORD he went only to doctors.

Does that mean that we shouldn’t go to doctors? NO!! When we look to humans or human knowledge for our main help in times of trouble we are acting like a person who is living in a state of having a lack of understanding of who God is. We need to look to the LORD for help first because HE is sovereign.

When we face our battles, do we look to the LORD first each day? When we face health issues, do we look to the LORD first? Our prayer life is our contact with the LORD. HE STILL ANSWERS PRAYER!!!

Consistency is very important in the Christian life. We do go through times when we seem to stray from the LORD but these should be few and far between.

CHALLENGE: Our daily walk has to be one that turns to the LORD all the time. Also, we need to turn others toward the LORD instead of to ourselves. Teaching others to have a consistent walk with the LORD is the best example we could set.

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DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 10      Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time. (7533 “oppressed” [ratsats] means mistreat, to crush in pieces, keep down by misuse of authority, crack open, or discourage)

DEVOTION:  Have you ever been mad at someone for telling you the truth about something? Here we find a king getting mad at a prophet who was telling him the truth. He not only was mad at the prophet but at those who supported his statement.

Hanani told the king the truth. He was not acting according to the ways he should have in this case. The king didn’t like his comments and put him in prison.

There were people who agreed with the message the LORD had sent. The king should have trusted in the LORD rather than in a foreign king that he could have defeated with the help of the LORD.

We find that the king was sick at the end of his life but would not go to the LORD for help but only to the physicians. He had lost his desire to seek the LORD first. He had lost his desire to have the people seek the LORD.

Those who thought it was good to seek the LORD were condemned at this time because it was not what the king favored as he was older. Could this be true of some people who started out well with the LORD but as they got older, they began to trust in other things and not the LORD.

We need to realize that if we confront some people regarding their spiritual life, they are going to react the same way as Asa did. He didn’t like what the prophet or seer told him and punished the seer for telling the truth.

Telling the truth about what is going on in the life of an individual who is unwilling to have any criticism can be dangerous. It was no fun to be placed in a prison for telling the truth.

If you stand up with someone who has told the truth you might want to realize that this could happen to you as well. The people around the prophet were suffering with him even though they are not in the same prison with him.

CHALLENGE: Taking a stand against someone in power can be dangerous but it needs to be done when the LORD tells you to do it.

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: 12      And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians (

DEVOTION:  When a believer is sick who should he go to and trust for his healing? Should he just go to the doctors or should he just go to the LORD? Is this the only choice that a believer has or could he go to the LORD and to the doctors? These are questions that need to be answered before we need to be healed.

The LORD wants us to depend on HIM at all times. HE wants to be the one we turn to first in any challenge that we face in our world. Sickness is a challenge that all of us face at one time or another.

So here is King Asa with a disease that is not going away. What does he decide to do? At the beginning of his reign, he sought the LORD for help. Now at the end of his reign he was only seeking the help of the physicians. Is this totally wrong?

No, he should have turned to the LORD first and asked HIM about using a physician. Sometimes the LORD will heal your sickness alone. Sometimes HE wants us to use a physician. However, HE never wants us to go to a physician alone.

Our prayer life should include asking the LORD for healing when we are sick. Our desire should be to serve HIM either with life or with death. Sickness is a test as to our relationship with the LORD. To mature in the LORD, we need to learn to trust HIM in sickness and in health. Sometimes sickness is used of the LORD to help us mature in the LORD. Sometimes sickness is used to help others grow in the LORD.

We show our true trust when we are sick. Do we pray for the LORD’S will in regard to our sickness when it comes? Is it always the LORD’S will for us to be healed? Remember that sickness is not always related to sin in our life. It is related to our growth in our relationship with the LORD. Do we seek first the LORD in every time of trial? CHALLENGE:  Sickness is just one of the trials we have to face in life.           

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group) 

          House of the LORD                                      verse 2

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible) 

Book of the kings of Judah and Israel        verse 11 

God the Father (First person of the Godhead) 

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)   verse 2, 7- 9, 12

House of the LORD                                      verse 2

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign)            verse 7

LORD thy God                                              verse 7

Eyes of the LORD                                         verse 9 

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)    

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation) 

Benhadad – king of Syria                             verse 2- 4, 7

            Broke league with king of Israel

            Smote Ijon, Dan, and Abel-maim

                        all the store cities of Naphtali

Ethiopians                                                      verse 8

Lubims                                                           verse 8 

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels) 

Relying on king of Syria                               verse 2- 4

Not relying on God                                       verse 7

Acting foolishly                                              verse 9

Anger                                                             verse 10

Putting prophet in prison                             verse 10

Oppressing people                                         verse 10

Sought not the LORD                                  verse 12 

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins) 

Relying on the LORD                                   verse 7, 8

Deliverance                                                    verse 8

Strength                                                         verse 9

Perfect heart                                                  verse 9 

Israel (Old Testament people of God) 

Asa – king of Judah                                      verse 1- 14

            Took silver and gold to pay

                        Ben-hadad king of Syria to

                        Break league with Baasha

            In past he had victory over a larger army

                        with the help of the LORD

            Relied on others was foolishness

            Got mad at Hanani and put him in

                        prison

            Oppressed some of the people at same time

            His acts written in book of kings of Judah

                        and Israel

            Diseased in his feet but sought not the LORD

                        but the physicians

            Died in 41 year of his reign 

Baasha – king of Israel                                 verse 1, 5, 6

            Built Ramah

            Found out the king of Syria

                        Was against him

Hanani the seer                                             verse 7- 10

            Came to Asa – king of Judah

            Told him that because he relied on

                        King of Syria and not relied

                        on the LORD – he lost a victory

                        over Syria

            Put in prison house for saying what the

                        LORD told him to say 

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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DONATIONS:

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QUOTES regarding passage

16:10 Asa became angry with Hanani, however, for rejecting his sovereignty and cast him into prison. Others who may have been supporters of the prophet were brutally oppressed. (Thompson, J. A. (1994). 1, 2 Chronicles (Vol. 9, p. 275). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

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Asa’s angry response led to the first known case of prophetic persecution and to oppression of his own people (v. 10). The precise form of Hanani’s punishment is unknown, though he was probably detained in some kind of jail (lit., ‘house of stocks’; cf. niv, prison; the word for ‘prison’ in 18:26 is different). (Selman, M. J. (1994). 2 Chronicles: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 11, p. 419). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)

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10 Asa’s reaction was to compound his sin by putting Hanani “in prison,” literally, “the house of stocks.” This is the OT’s first recorded royal persecution of a prophet, but many such instances were to follow (18:26; 24:21; Mark 6:17–18). One sin, moreover, leads to another; and he also “brutally oppressed some of the people.” (Payne, J. B. (1988). 1, 2 Chronicles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 491). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

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16:10–12 During Asa’s last 6 years, he uncharacteristically exhibited the ungodly behavior of: 1) anger at truth (v. 10); 2) oppression of God’s prophet and people (v. 10); and 3) seeking man not God (v. 12). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (2 Ch 16:10–12). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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16:7–10. Asa’s reliance on Ben-Hadad brought the rebuke of Hanani the seer (i.e., prophet) who chided the king for having forgotten that it was the Lord, not mere soldiers, who had given victory over the Cushites (14:12) and Libyans. As a result of this foolish action, Asa would experience war to the end of his days. This so angered Asa that he cast the prophet into prison and took out his frustrations on the people. (Merrill, E. H. (1985). 2 Chronicles. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 632). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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Ver. 10. Then Asa was wroth with the seer, &c.] For this faithful reproof of him, which was another instance of his sin and folly: and put him in a prisonhouse; in a very strait place, in which he could not turn himself, what we call little ease; some say it was the stocks, others a pillory he put him into: for he was in a rage with him because of this thing; his passion rose very high, and to which he gave way, and was his infirmity: and Asa oppressed some of the people the same time; by fines and imprisonments, such as perhaps expressed their disapprobation of his league with the king of Syria, and of his ill usage of the prophet. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 63). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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10. Alas! what an awful picture is this of Asa. Oh! how evident it is when men grow cool towards God that they grow impatient of reproof; and how unbounded is the rage of the human mind! Not only the preacher, but the hearers, if they look as though they countenanced the sermon, will come in for a portion in the angry man’s resentment. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: 1 Kings–Esther (Vol. 3, p. 486). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

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Ver. 10. Wroth with the seer. The most difficult province in friendship is letting a man see his faults and errors, which should, if possible, be so contrived that he may perceive our advice is given him not so much to please ourselves as for his own advantage. The reproaches therefore of a friend should always be strictly just and not too frequent [Bacon]. (Wolfendale, J. (1892). I & II Chronicles (pp. 228–229). New York; London; Toronto: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)

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FROM MY READING: 

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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The Indwelling Christ
“And they glorified God in me.” (Galatians 1:24)

 

One of the greatest doctrines of the Christian faith is the amazing truth that the Lord Jesus Christ indwells each believer through His Holy Spirit. “Christ liveth in me,” said the apostle Paul (Galatians 2:20), and, since that was true experientially as well as doctrinally, he could invite people to see Christ and hear Christ and follow Christ by seeing and hearing and following him. This might seem incredibly arrogant if it were not real. 

He could say, for example, that “it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me” (Galatians 1:15-16). And he could say, as in today’s verse, that those who heard him “glorified God in me.” He also commanded, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Philippians 4:9). 

The Lord could say to His disciples, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9), and no one thinks it inappropriate because He fully manifested the heavenly Father in word and deed. Similarly, Paul said that “the truth of Christ is in me” and referred to “Christ speaking in me” (2 Corinthians 11:10; 13:3), noting that Christ was “mighty in me toward the Gentiles” (Galatians 2:8). 

This was not boasting, for Paul acknowledged that “in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Romans 7:18). Still, he was bold to exhort, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). 

Now the same Spirit of Christ who dwelled in Paul also indwells all true Christians, for “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9). We should be able to say with Paul, in practice as well as theory, that “Christ liveth in me.” (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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Exodus 7  The plagues against Pharaoh and Egypt begin.
INSIGHT In this chapter, as the Lord speaks to Moses, we read the remarkable words, “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:1). To the world, God’s children often stand in the place of God. We are the only Bible they will read-all of Jesus they will see.It is vital that we represent the Lord accurately. Of course, no mortal man can do so in any complete sense, but in a representative sense we must. It does not mean we must be perfect, but it does mean we are to give those around us a glimpse of who Jesus really is.Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Commit yourself to Christlikeness and believe that the Lord will multiply your life as others see Him in you. (Quiet Walk)

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Franklin Graham: U.S. is One of ‘7 Worst Countries’ When It Comes to Abortion by Amanda Casanova

Christian leader Franklin Graham is calling on believers to pray for lawmakers and the country after the U.S. Senate failed to pass a 20-week abortion ban.

“This week the Senate was 9 votes short of saving a lot of lives. But the vote finished at 51 for – 46 against the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act that would have banned abortions after 20 weeks in the U.S.,” Graham wrote on Twitter, Breitbart reports.

“We remain among the worst 7 countries in the world with these 20-week abortions,” Graham added. “Pray for our lawmakers; and pray for our nation to turn to God.”

The pro-life legislation could not earn enough votes to overcome a pro-abortion Democratic filibuster.

According to the Washington Post fact checker, Graham is correct in that the United States is one of only seven countries in the world that allows elective abortions after 20 weeks.

“I cannot imagine the regret these 46 politicians will one day have when they stand before God, the Creator, and realize the opportunity they had to do good, to do right, but they voted NO to protecting lives,” he said. “They voted against human rights, the right to be born in the first place.

Polling shows that Americans show strong support for an abortion ban after 20 weeks, but just three Democrats in the Senate supported the bill. Two Republicans opposed it.

About 18.000 unborn babies are aborted every year in the U.S. after the 20-week mark.

Some scientists have argued that the unborn babies feel pain at 20 weeks. Abortion advocates have said those claims are untrue.

Sixteen states have already passed laws that protect unborn babies from abortions after 20 weeks. Those states include: Ohio, Texas, Nebraska, Idaho, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas. Publication date: February 1, 2018

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Not Rushing Prayer

               Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Alice Kaholusuna recounts a story of how the Hawaiian people would sit outside their temples for a lengthy amount of time preparing themselves before entering in. Even after entering, they would creep to the altar to offer their prayers. Afterward, they would sit outside again for a long time to “breathe life” into their prayers. When missionaries came to the island, the Hawaiians sometimes considered their prayers odd. The missionaries would stand up, utter a few sentences, call them “prayer,” say amen, and be done with it. The Hawaiians described these prayers as “without breath.”

Alice’s story speaks of how God’s people may not always take the opportunity to “be still, and know” (Psalm 46:10). Make no mistake—God hears our prayers, whether they’re quick or slow. But often the pace of our lives mimics the pace of our hearts, and we need to allow ample time for God to speak into not only our lives but the lives of those around us. How many life-giving moments have we missed by rushing, saying amen, and being done with it?

We’re often impatient with everything from slow people to the slow lane in traffic. Yet, I believe God in His kindness says, “Be still. Breathe in and out. Go slow, and remember that I am God, your refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” To do so is to know that God is God. To do so is to trust. To do so is to live.  By John Blasé

                        (Our Daily Bread)

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Quote: The devil wants you to pay attention to your feelings, Jesus wants you to pay attention to HIS truth

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GRACE IS WHEN: God gives us good things that we don’t deserve. Mercy is when He spares us from bad things we deserve. Blessing are when He is generous with both. Truly, we can never run out of reasons to thank Him. God is good all the time.   (Thanks Stan)

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WHAT HAPPENS IN REVIVAL? PART 3

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people.       Acts 2:46-47
The next thing I notice is that the church is filled with great joy and a sense of praise. Read again the terms used toward the end of Acts chapter 2. “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people.” Now that is how the Christian church is meant to be. Great joy, great praise to the Lord Jesus Christ and to God, glorying in this great salvation, in the new life they have received, and in this sense of heaven.
It is but the simple pattern of what has been repeated so frequently when God has poured out His Spirit upon the church. I never tire of quoting something I remember reading in the journals of George Whitefield. He was preaching on one occasion in Cheltenham, England, and he said, “Suddenly the Lord came down amongst us.” Do we know anything about that? Do we believe in that sort of thing or that it is possible? Now George Whitefield, even at his worst, was probably the greatest preacher this country [England] has ever known. But there were variations, even in his ministry. On this occasion he was surprised himself. There he was, preaching and having a very good service, when suddenly he knew that the Lord had come down among them. That is the wonderful thing, and it resulted in great joy, praise, and thanksgiving. When the church is in a state of revival you do not have to exhort people to praise—you cannot stop them, they are so filled with God.
A Thought to Ponder: When the church is in a state of revival you do not have to exhort people to praise—you cannot stop them.

                           (From Revival, pp. 205-206., by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones):

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Behavior Checklist
“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:14-15)
The Holy Spirit makes sure that we do not take lightly the obligation to live godly lives. This “list” contains both warnings and promises.
Everything is to be done without “murmurings” and “disputings.” Both words are very interesting synonyms of heart attitudes that produce ungodly behavior. The Greek word translated “murmur” is goggusmos, and it is almost an onomatopoeia (sounds like what it actually is)—a secret debate, muttering to oneself. The “dispute” (Greek dialogismos) suggests a logical debate with oneself.
We are commanded to excise that kind of behavior from ourselves so that we may well be blameless and harmless as the “sons of God,” living “without rebuke.” These words are powerful in their description of God’s expectations for us.
The blameless condition is first an eternal promise that comes with salvation: “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). That condition “works out” in this life as a faultless reputation that is harmless. Paul uses the term this way: “I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil” (Romans 16:19)

Finally, if we eliminate “murmuring and disputings” from our inner thoughts and actively seek to be “blameless and harmless” with our external behavior, we will be “without rebuke” in the middle of this sadly sinful world. “Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14).

                 (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)

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                          The Secret of Contentment

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. Philippians 4:12

When Joni Eareckson Tada returned home after suffering a swimming accident that left her a quadriplegic, her life was vastly different. Now doorways were too narrow for her wheelchair and sinks were too high. Someone had to feed her, until she decided to relearn how to feed herself. Lifting the special spoon to her mouth from her arm splint the first time, she felt humiliated as she smeared applesauce on her clothes. But she pressed on. As she says, “My secret was learning to lean on Jesus and say, ‘Oh God, help me with this!’ ” Today she manages a spoon very well.

Joni says her confinement made her look at another captive—the apostle Paul, who was imprisoned in a Roman jail—and his letter to the Philippians. Joni strives for what Paul achieved: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11). Note that Paul had to learn to be at peace; he wasn’t naturally peaceful. How did he find contentment? Through trusting in Christ: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (v. 13).

We all face different challenges throughout our days; and we all can look to Jesus moment by moment for help, strength, and peace. He will help us to hold back from snapping at our loved ones; He will give us the courage to do the next hard thing. Look to Him and find contentment.

                         (By Amy Boucher Pye, Our Daily Bread)

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