Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Tuesday April 28, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of I Kings. Please read Chapters 14-15 in your Bible, or Click Here to read them online.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20Kings%2014-15&version=9

Today's Message: Ignoring God's Word
Adding words to the Word of God is as wrong as eliminating words from the Word of God. We can not ignore God's truth, the Bible is the only inspired Guide from God that gives that truth.

Jeroboam led the Israelites to sin when he set up worship centers for his kingdom at Bethel in the south and at Dan in the north. He forsook his God-given opportunities for what he thought were political advantages. The withered hand, the rent altar, and the message of rebuke from the young prophet of Judah were some of the many warnings that God gave this self-serving king, who in spite of them continued to reject God.

Because of his continued rejection, his oldest son, Abijah became seriously ill. Fearing the worse, he disguised his wife as a peasant and sent her to Ahijah the prophet, seeking assurance that their son would live. "At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people. And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child." (I Kings 14:1-3). Surely in his heart Jeroboam realized that the false priests he had hired could not provide comfort or receive any message from the One True God, but it was also obvious that his golden calf gods could not help him.

This cleaver well planned attempt to deceive the prophet did not go so well, God told Ahijah, who was blind, that she was on her way. "And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings. Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes; But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:............Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die." (14:6-9,12). No matter how much God loves us He will not allow us to continue to live in sin without consequences, sadly it is our loved ones that suffer the most.

Jeroboam made one major mistake that caused so much pain for him. his family, and the entire northern kingdom, he compromised God's Word for his own satisfaction. This caused him as well as the rest of the kingdom to live in sin. Jeroboam is an example to all of us that sin never has the same influence upon us, but rather always gets progressively worse. The sin nature of our flesh is never satisfied and is always looking to something bigger and better to make us feel better. In order to overcome our sin nature we must know all of God's Word and the only way to know it is by reading the Bible.

We need to be aware of any person whose conversation, conduct, or activities promote other books as equal to the only God-inspired Guide to Life. Satan is the instigator of deception and lies and will use any person or thing to get us to fall away from the truth and into sin. There are many good Christian books, but the Bible is the only inspired Guide from our Creator. Ignoring any portion of the Word of God or adding to God's Word is as wrong as taking away from it. "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Revelation 22:18-19).

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
I pray for a discerning spirit to help me recognize truth from falsehood. Help me to know when others are lying and help me also to recognize the lies I tell myself. You always speak the truth and You declare that which is right from that which is wrong. When the world describes a lifestyle or belief system to be good and You declare it to be evil, help me to stand firm upon Your holy truths as I faithfully read them in the Scriptures. Give me bold conviction to stand firm for truth even when it seems as though no one stands with me. In Jesus' Name.............Amen.

Have a wonderful night/day.
God Bless,
Christina

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