June 14th One Year Bible Readings
Mike - OYB
1 Kings 12:20-13:34 + Acts 9:26-43 + Psalm 132:1-18 + Proverbs 17:6
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Old Testament - Well, Jeroboam didn't last very long before worshipping other gods! Keep in mind Jeroboam's name as we continue to read through the book of Kings - you will continue to hear about "Jeroboam's sin" and "the sin Jeroboam caused Israel to commit" many times in our upcoming readings - even long after he is dead. Not a legacy one would want to leave behind... Here is an image of Jeroboam leading the Israelites into the sin of worshiping a golden calf:
Interesting story about the man of God from Judah prophesying against the altar at Bethel. The man of God delivers his prophecy and then shuns Jeroboam's invite to go to his palace for food and a gift. The man of God appears very strong. And then later... he lets down his guard. And he falls prey to the lie of the old prophet. Now why on earth the old prophet decided to pursue the man of God and tell this lie is beyond me. If anyone has insights on this, please post up in the Comments below. I think the lesson here for us today is this - we cannot let down our guard when it comes to spiritual matters. I think sometimes we think we can - but we simply cannot! If we do let down our guard, then we often stumble. And thanks to God's grace we can recover from that stumble. But, there is always the dangerous risk that our stumble could be very severe, as it certainly was for the man of God in today's readings...
New Testament - Wow. Something about Acts chapter 9 verse 31 really stood out to me as we read about the early church today: "The believers were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit." Read this verse again. Whaddya think? The believers of the early church were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. I don't know about you, but I want to walk like that! I love that dichotomy - that balance - of walking in fear and comfort. No - don't get me wrong - I'm not talking about a fraidy-cat type of fear. But I am talking about a healthy / respectful fear - I mean, just look at the image above again of the lion and the man of God. I don't mean to bag on the man of God by any means, but I think it is safe to say that he was walking in the "fear of the Lord" when he shunned Jeroboam's invite, but then he may have not been walking in the "fear of the Lord" when accepted the old prophet's lie. And, like the old prophet in today's Kings readings, do you think that people will lie to you and me today? Will the Enemy, the Destroyer, seek to lie to us? If so, do you think there is value in walking in the "fear of the Lord" today? While - at the same time walking in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. There is something about the wisdom of this verse in Acts today that I really really like. This may be one of those verses to really meditate upon. I think there is so much value in this verse for our lives... Today - are you walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit?
Great readings today about Peter healing and raising the dead in Jesus' name! Verse 40 is amazing: "But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, "Get up, Tabitha." And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up!" Below is a fresco of this scene (though Peter is not kneeling and everyone had not left the room... still some great art! :) from the year 1424 by the Italian Renaissance painter Masaccio, which is in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy:
Psalms - Psalm 132 is a fantastic psalm of the King David era! It is thought that this Psalm may have been written for the dedication of the temple or it may have been used in a coronation ceremony. Verses 4 & 5 stood out to me today as demonstrating David's dedication to God - "I will not let my eyes sleep nor close my eyelids in slumber until I find a place to build a house for the LORD, a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel." What in your life is keeping you awake at night? Is it something of God's will? Or perhaps something worldly (not of God's will)? Will you pursue God's will in your life, and leave worldly things behind you? Will you pursue building "a sanctuary for God" in your life above all else?
Proverbs - Proverbs 17 verse 6 is an amazing Proverb today: "Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children." The obvious slam-dunk commentary is the grandchildren portion - and I've got an image below for you on that one. But I really want to camp out on "parents are the pride of their children." This is beautiful! You'd think it would go the other way around - and certainly it works the other way around nicely: Kids are the pride of their parents. But parents being the pride of their children - this is great! (and very reminiscent of the Commandment to honor your father and mother) And something each of us should really meditate upon and remember as our parents get older. They are going to need us to care for them. And they should be our pride! And now... back to the cute grandchildren photo to close us out today :) -
Worship Video: Today's readings in Acts reminds me of the Jason Gray song "More Like Falling in Love:"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA9IfB7coKg
Have you Fallen in Love with God? Click here to fall in love!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "The believers were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit." Acts 9:31 NLT1
Prayer Point: Pray that you are walking in the fear of the Lord today. Pray that you are walking with the comfort of the Holy Spirit today. Pray that forevermore you will walk in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless,
Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
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I Kings 12:20-13:34
What is it about cows that Israel loved so much? Jeroboam had already been given a Word from God that came to pass, God would give him ten tribes of Israel. God told him why the kingdom was being taken from Solomon and he gave him conditional promises. If Jeroboam did what God commanded him to do and walk in God’s ways, the Kingdom of Israel would be he “sure house.”
Despite all that assurance, Jeroboam wasted no time in doubting God. He figured that God was able to give him a kingdom, but God wasn’t able to keep it so fear drove him to create two cow idols to give the people something other than God to worship. He essentially was afraid of his own people. He was afraid that they would not submit to his leadership.
What has God placed in our hands, things we know that we did not get because we are so good, yet turned and doubted that the God who gave us such wonderful things, didn’t have the strength to keep it? . The idols we make are things we can control and maybe that is why we make them.
I’ll try to deal with 1 Kings 13 from a perspective of a repetitive phrase, “The word of the Lord,” as per the New International Translation (I believe in the NLT the phrase used is, “The Lord’s command,” but it is easier to count phrases in the NLT in this instance). The phrase, “”The word of the Lord,” is stated eleven times in the span of thirty-four verses.
I am operating out of a belief that when you see a pattern or phrase cited over and over again in a short span one needs to take serious heed. I believe one of the things seen in this verse if the cost of disobedience, disobeying a clear “Word of the Lord.” The prophet got a Word from God and followed it up until he met another prophet, an old prophet, who validated a lie by prefacing the deceit with these words, “"I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD …” (Verse 18). This prophet was deceived by a man of God. Then after the prophet was killed the old prophet began speaking truth or what he had heard from God.
The lion standing next to the dead prophet and the live donkey without dining on neither one nor the donkey being afraid of the lion shows us that this was not some tragic accident or event, this was judgment.
When we are given a direct Word from God we are not to let anyone distract us from our assignment, even if it is a “Man of God” who has been “On the Lord’s Highway for a Long Time.” It is God who confirms His Word to us and if someone else comes with a change in plans declaring God has spoken to him or her, if you don’t receive a Word from God yourself that confirms this change of plans, It Ain’t God! The same way God came to the prophet to give him his assignment is the same way he will come to change it. Now there can be a problem if we aren’t listening to Him; however, if we are not in a mode to listen to God I don’t think He would give an assignment that was as dangerous and important as this prophet had if we were are confused about what God’s voice sounds like. However Jesus did say, “My sheep listen to my voice.”(John 10:27) But we all know that listening is one thing and doing is another.
The verses were the phrase the Word of the Lord appears:
1) One
2) Two
3) Five
4) Nine
5) Seventeen
6) Eighteen
7) Twenty
8) Twenty-One A
9) Twenty-One B
10) Twenty-Six
11) Thirty-Two
Acts 9:26-43
I wonder if Barnarbas’ relationship with Saul, at this point, is a model for us to use when we are newly converted. I know the text does not say Barnabas disciple-ed Paul, but he at least had enough courage to come along side Paul as he built up relationships with believers in Jerusalem. Trust is something that must be developed over time through experience. Scripture states that we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). I can’t really know or trust that the Lord is my Shepherd until I’m between a Rock and a Hard Place and He leads me out. So if a stranger or someone who use to be a violent zealot against Christians shows up and says I’ve changed, I think some time needs to pass so that their Christian fruit can be seen and tested.
Psalm 132:1-18
I love the last line of this Psalm,
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but he will be a glorious king."
This reminds me that no matter what adversity I find myself going through that adversity doesn’t determine my final outcome. My victory lies not in me but in the “glorious king” I serve, Jesus.
Proverbs 17:6
Not only do I see this verse as Mike sees it, honoring our parents, but I see it as a mandate to parents and grandparents to live a life that children and grandchildren will be proud to point too.
Grace and peace,
Ramona