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Kids Bible Blog : Page P60
Trouble
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Nehemiah 4:1-15
TO CHEW ON: "After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, 'Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.' ” Nehemiah 4:14
The people eagerly set to work rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. Each family was responsible to fix the section closest to their home. Everyone helped.
Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible © American Bible Society 1976, 1992
But as the piles of rubbish became a strong, thick wall again, there were rumors of trouble. Rulers from the neighboring Samaria and Ammon didn’t want Jerusalem to be strong. They were angry about Nehemiah’s project and made fun of it....
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Tags: work trust testing research problems Nehemiah God’s help
Tricked!
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Joshua 9:1-21
TO CHEW ON: "The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord." Joshua 9:14
Have you ever been tricked? Maybe you were tricked for a good thing, like having someone throw a surprise party for you. Or maybe it was for a bad thing, like falling when someone pulled a chair away. The Israelites had a trick played on them the day some raggedy strangers rode into camp.
“Who are you and what do you want?” Joshua asked them.
“We’re people from a far country,” they told him. “We’ve heard about how God has helped you and we’re scared of you. We want to sign a peace treaty with you.”
“How do I know that you’re not from close by?” Joshua asked.
“Here’s proof,” the men said. They showed Joshua dry, moldy bread, cracked wineskins, torn faded clothes and worn out sandals. “These things were all new when we started on this trip,” they told Joshua. “We’ve been traveling so long the bread got moldy, the wineskins cracked and our clothes wore out.”
The Israelites eat the Gibeonites bread - Artist unknown
Joshua and the people tried the bread. It was very old. They examined the wineskins and the clothes. They...
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Travel Protection
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ezra 8:21-32
TO CHEW ON: "There by Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children and all our possessions." Ezra 8:21
Ezra hugged the king’s letter to himself. He could hardly believe it – permission to go back home! He opened the letter and read it again. Yes, there it was. Not only could he gather the people for the trip back to Jerusalem, but the king was also sending gold and silver to replace the temple furniture.
About sixty years had passed since the first exiles had returned to Jerusalem. King Xerxes and Esther were now dead and a new king, Artaxerxes, ruled in Babylon. Ezra, a man who had spent his whole life studying God’s laws, was the leader of the exiles.
Quickly Ezra spread the word that they could go home to Jerusalem. People packed their belongings and gathered at Ahava Canal from where they would set out. Soon the crowd had swelled to 1700 people. Everyone was eager to get going.
But Ezra was worried. The trip would be long. With all the gold and silver they were carrying, they...
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Tags: storytelling prayer God’s care Ezra
Trapped!
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 14:1-14
TO CHEW ON: "Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.' ” Exodus 14:13,14
After a few days of traveling in the desert, the Israelites’ excitement at being free started to wear thin. Even though they were no longer slaves, walking for miles every day under the hot sun wasn’t exactly easy either.
But one thing this crowd of about two million people didn’t need to worry about was getting lost. From the beginning God showed them the way. In the day He led them with a cloud. In the night that cloud lit up as if filled with fire. Whenever the cloud moved, the Israelites moved. When it stopped, they camped.
Israelites leaving Egypt - Artist unknown
In a few days they found themselves camped in a dead end, between rocks, desert and the sea. But God had led them here, so it must be okay.
Meanwhile back in Egypt, Pharaoh couldn’t believe he let the Israelites go. What was he thinking? Such a huge...
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Tags: trust promises problems obedience Moses faith Exodus Egypt courage
Toxic Tabernacle
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 2:12-26
TO CHEW ON: "Meanwhile the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord....And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people." 1 Samuel 2:21, 26
Do you think it’s possible to live as a Christian in a neighborhood where you have no friends who love Jesus? What about in a school where people tease you if they find out you read the Bible, or in a family where you’re the only one who trusts in God and prays?
You would expect for little Samuel, the tabernacle, where people came to worship God, would be the easiest place in the world to get to know God. But it wasn’t. Instead, it was a place full of rebellion, disobedience and sin.
The trouble was not with Eli, the old priest, but with his sons. They had no respect for God and pretty much did as they pleased. They demanded offering meat before it was ready and had sex with the servant girls who worked near the Tabernacle. Even after Eli scolded them, they didn’t change.
Meanwhile Samuel was growing up. Every year he got stronger and taller. Every year his parents...
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Tags: worship testing tabernacle sin Samuel rebellion peer pressure courage 1 Samuel
Town of Birth: Bethlehem
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Micah 5:1-5
TO CHEW ON: "But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be a ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5:2
Royally dressed strangers on camels were asking to see the king. “Bring them in!” Herod commanded. “What do you want?” he asked when they stood before him.
“Where is the king of the Jews? We have been following his star. It has led us this far and now we want to worship him.”
Herod called the priests and teachers. “Where is the king of Jews to be born?
“In Bethlehem,” they replied. And then they read these words from our reading today: "But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be a ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." They are words Micah had written 750 years earlier.
Micah’s prediction of where Jesus would be born came true. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. This fulfilled prophecy is another proof that the Bible is no ordinary book. Only God could know...
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Top Secret
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Esther 2:8-11
TO CHEW ON: "Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so." Esther 2:10
Why was that man looking at her, Esther wondered as she hurried home from the market. A few days later pounding at the door interrupted their meal. A servant of King Xerxes was there. “She has been chosen for the king,” he said to her cousin Mordecai.
Esther was a beautiful young Jewish girl whose grandparents had been taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. Because her parents had died when she was little, she had been raised by her kind cousin Mordecai.
Nebuchadnezzar was now dead and the Persian king Xerxes ruled from his palace in Susa. He had recently done away with his first wife Vashti. Now he was looking for a beautiful replacement to be his new queen....
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Too Scared to Eat!
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 27:27-44
TO CHEW ON: "Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” (Acts 27:34)
Have you ever been seriously scared or nervous? Perhaps it was the time your team had to play the championship game, or you had to perform a solo in a piano recital, or you were driving through a snowstorm and the car started sliding all over the road.
Our bodies respond to fear in a physical way. How does your body feel when you are nervous or afraid?
- You can’t eat.- You get sick to your stomach.- You feel shaky.- You get a headache.- Your hands get cold and clammy.- Your face gets red.- You bite your nails.
The 275 passengers with Paul had been in the storm for 14 days. They were terrified the whole time. Many of them hadn’t eaten anything and were growing weak....
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Tags: trust Saul/Paul research promises problems God’s help God’s care fear faith Acts
Too Beautiful for Words
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ezekiel 1:22-28
TO CHEW ON: " I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." Ezekiel 1:27,28
Have you ever seen something so amazing you had trouble describing it? That was probably what Ezekiel felt like when he saw a vision of God.
Like Daniel, Ezekiel was an exile in Babylon. One day, when he was beside the Kebar River in Babylon, he saw a strange sight in the sky. At first he thought the cloud with flashes of lightning coming from it meant a storm was on the way. But as it got closer, he saw creatures. They looked like people but had many faces and wings. Then he saw sparkling wheels that moved.
Finally he heard a voice. Looking up he saw a throne. On it was a man. But what a man! He was glowing and fiery. Around him was brilliant...
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Tags: worship visions God’s presence Ezekiel
Too Late?
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ecclesiastes 12:1-7
TO CHEW ON: "Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I find no pleasure in them.'” Ecclesiastes 12:1
How sad it is to be too late.- You come to dinner hungry and find the food has all been eaten.
- You come to the garden wanting to harvest a crop and find all the vegetables and fruits are over-ripe and rotting.
- You come to a concert and find you are just in time for the last song.
It’s just as sad to come too God late. In today’s reading, we find out when is the best time to come to God....
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Tags: Solomon salvation God’s plan Ecclesiastes death choices
Tomorrow’s News—Written Years Ago
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 11:1-9
TO CHEW ON: "The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 11:8,9
“And a Little Child Shall Lead Them” Original oil painting © 2007 by Darlene Slavujac
Would you let your baby sister play near the hole of a poisonous snake? Of course not! That would be almost certain death. Yet in this prophecy, Isaiah tells about a time when people and animals will get along without fear of each other. Match the creatures who will live together without fear (Isaiah 11:6-7)...
Read More about Tomorrow’s News—Written Years Ago »
Tomorrow’s News
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 1:1-11
TO CHEW ON: "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.... On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: 'Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches...'” Revelation 1: 1, 10-11
Where would you go to find out what will happen tomorrow? Today’s newspaper? The six o'clock news? The internet?
Of course we know none of these places will tell us. Only God knows what will happen tomorrow. So when God sent an angel to John (Jesus’ disciple) and told him to write down the things God would show him about the future, we need to pay attention. Most of the Bible book of Revelation is what John heard and saw in a vision about the future.
John on Island of Patmos - Artist unknown
Though Revelation isn’t as easy to understand as a newspaper, you’ll find lots of interesting things in it. It has disaster and intrigue, dragons and mysterious horsemen, heroes and villains. Best of all, you’ll find...
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Those Sparks Called Words
TODAY’S SPECIAL: James 3:1-12
TO CHEW ON: "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." James 3:5
Which of these could start a forest fire?- a cigarette butt- a spark from a campfire- a match
If you answered, “all of them,” you’re right! When the forest is dry, the tiniest spark starts a fire which can grow to destroy miles and miles of trees, hundreds of homes, businesses, power lines, animals, and even people.
James compares the words we say (with the help of the little red, wet, wiggly thing in our mouths called a tongue) to sparks that start a forest fire. But can our words really do that much damage?...
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Thorn
TODAY’S SPECIAL:2 Corinthians 12:7-10
TO CHEW ON: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9
Do you or someone you know have any of the following:
- crooked teeth - epilepsy - poor hearing- diabetes- poor eyesight
These are what Paul might have called a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). You know that a thorn poking into you won’t kill you. But it hurts just the same. When there's a thorn in your shoe and you're trying to walk it's annoying, always there, and not easy to ignore....
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Tags: Saul/Paul problems prayer grumbling God’s help 2 Corinthians
The War Inside Me
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Romans 7: 14-25
TO CHEW ON: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." Romans 7:15
What happens when someone says, “Close your eyes and don’t peek”? Do you have a big urge to open your eyes and DO exactly what you’ve been told NOT TO DO?
That seems to be what happens when you concentrate on the things God tells you not to do. You know that disobeying our parents, stealing, lying and being jealous are things God tells you not to do. But have you ever found that the more you concentrate on those ‘don’ts’ the more you find yourself doing them?
In his letter to the Romans, Paul talked about the way people tend to act and feel this way. It is what makes it more natural for us to disobey God than obey Him. Later we feel sorry that we did what God said we shouldn't.
How do we escape from this circle of knowing we shouldn’t do something but doing it anyway? Paul gives us the answer....
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The Sharing Church
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 4:32-36
TO CHEW ON: "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." Acts 4:32
It was only weeks after Jesus had returned to heaven. But the people who believed in Jesus lived with Holy Spirit power and amazing things happened. The Apostles - Peter, John and others - preached boldly. Signs and miracles happened everywhere. As a result thousands believed in Jesus.
These new followers of Jesus spent a lot of time together - meeting in the temple courts, praising God and boasting about what He had done. They even ate their meals together.
"The Apostles preaching" - Artist unknown
Another thing they did was share – everything they had. In fact, people were so generous, they sold their things and brought the money to the leaders to help pay for the needs of those who didn’t have enough. Not one of those early Christians needed to beg, use food stamps or go to the food bank....
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Tags: love generosity friendship Acts
The Majority Loses
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 14:13-16
TO CHEW ON: "Then the Lord said to me, 'The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.'” Jeremiah 14:14
Have you ever been outvoted by the majority? Perhaps you were working on a project and most people in your group didn't like your idea. Or you had a suggestion for a family outing, but everyone else wanted to do something different.
It’s not fun when no one agrees with you and you have to stand alone. Jeremiah found that out when he gave God’s messages to the people of Judah. “Unless you change your ways, God will send plague, war and famine,” he said.
But other prophets said the opposite: “Don’t worry about war or shortages of food. There will be lasting peace.”
Of course the people liked the message of the other prophets more than the Jeremiah’s message. The people thought he was annoying and simply ignored him.
Jeremiah talked to God about this. God told him, “I haven’t sent those other prophets. They aren’t saying my words. They’re telling lies. As a...
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Tags: prophecy peer pressure Judah Jeremiah God’s word God’s plan courage
The Last Chapter
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Deuteronomy 34:1-9
TO CHEW ON: "And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said." Deuteronomy 34:5
God had told Moses he would die soon. So Moses did some last things. He gave his last talk to the people. He chose a new leader, Joshua. Then one day God told him to climb Mount Nebo.
When he got to the top he was treated to an amazing view. Before him was the whole land of Canaan, the land that would soon be home to the Israelites. Though God didn’t allow him to lead the people into it, he gave Moses a last wish by showing him what beautiful Canaan was like.
Moses views the promised land - James Tissot
And then Moses died.
When the Israelites realized that he was never coming back, they cried. They spent 30 days (a whole month) thinking about him, missing him and crying for him. But then life had to go on – even though they were without him
Has someone close to you died? How did it happen? How did you feel?
Death is always a sad time for those of us who are left here without someone we loved. We miss the...
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Tags: Moses Deuteronomy death
The First Martyr
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 7:51-60
TO CHEW ON: "Then he fell on his knees and cried out, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' When he had said this, he fell asleep." Acts 7:60
Stephen was known for his wisdom. He was full of the Holy Spirit. He did many signs and miracles. But even such a special man had enemies.
Some important people argued with him about Jesus, and lost the argument. They decided to silence him. So they got people to tell lies about him. Then they arrested him and put him on trial. Stephen used his trial to talk about Jesus even more.
"Stephen before he is martyred" - Artist unknown
When he told the High Priest (his judge) and the crowd, they were enemies of God because they had killed Jesus, it was too much for them. In anger they dragged him outside the city and threw stones at him....
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Tags: testing persecution forgiveness courage Acts
The Fickle Crowd
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 14:8-20
TO CHEW ON: "Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead." Acts 14:19
Have you ever been to a sports game where the hometown team starts making mistakes? Very quickly a cheering crowd turns into a hissing, booing one.
Paul and Barnabas found this out. When they came to Lystra, Paul healed a man who had never walked.
"Paul heals the man at Lystra" - Caspar Luiken, 1672-1708
After seeing that, the people were in awe of Barnabas and Paul....
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Tags: Saul/Paul perseverance persecution lies Acts
The Fearful Otherness of God
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 19:16-25
TO CHEW ON: "On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain." Exodus 19:16,17
Who is the person you would most like to meet in the world?Suppose you knew you were going to meet this person. What are some things you would do to get ready?
The day Moses and the people got to Mount Sinai in the Sinai Desert, God called Moses to meet with Him on the mountain. There He told Moses He Himself would come down and meet the people in three days. But first they had to get ready. They must wash their clothes and put a fence around the bottom of the mountain.
If you met the person you most wanted to meet, what are some of the things you might see?
limousine, flowers, police guards, red carpet, cheering fans, bands, paradesI wonder what the Israelites expected to see when they knew they would meet God. Perhaps they thought He might look like...
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The End of the Story
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 20:7-15
TO CHEW ON: "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Revelation 20:10
When you read a book, do you ever skip to the end, to see how it turns out? Today’s reading is the place we’d go to see how the story of the Bible, the story of the fight between God and Satan, ends.
"The Fall" by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Published 1907
Throughout time Satan has tried every trick to win. He started out by lying to Eve and persuading her to disobey God - to sin. Through the centuries he has lied to, stolen from, scared and tricked people. When Jesus came, Satan and his demons worked hard to destroy Him. Jesus was killed. But God used Satan’s plan to backfire on him. For Jesus didn’t stay dead. He rose, won over death and now everyone who trusts in Jesus’ death as payment for their sins wins over death as well.
1. What is Satan’s end (Revelation 20:10)?...
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Tags: Satan Revelation John heaven God’s timing God’s plan God’s holiness
The End of Nineveh
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Nahum 1:1-11
TO CHEW ON: "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into darkness." Nahum 1:7-8
Remember Nineveh, the city where Jonah went to preach? Though the people turned to God after hearing Jonah’s warnings, they were soon back to their idol worshiping, cruel and warring ways. God gave the prophet Nahum a message about Nineveh.
Nahum explained that God was patient and good. But there would come a time when He would act.
God had used Assyria (the country of which Nineveh was the capital) to discipline the people of Israel and Judah. But that didn’t mean God wouldn’t make them pay the consequences of their idol worship and cruelty. Nahum prophesied that the city of Nineveh and the nation of Assyria would be completely destroyed. And this is exactly what happened.
Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible © American Bible Society 1976, 1992
Today, Nineveh is only a mound called Tell Kuyunjik which means ‘the mound of many sheep.’
God hasn’t changed in His fairness. He still watches individual people and whole...
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Tags: prophecy Nahum judgment God’s timing God’s plan consequences
The Beginning of Solomon’s End
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 11:26-40
TO CHEW ON: "Then he said to Jeroboam, 'Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God if Israel, says: "See I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hands and give you ten tribes." ’ ” 1 Kings 11:31
Solomon ruled for many years. Though God had told him that the kingdom would be taken away from his family because they worshiped idols, everything went on as usual. Perhaps Solomon thought God had forgotten what He had said and wouldn’t do it after all.
After Solomon built the temple and his palace, he built many other things. One of his best workmen was Jeroboam. When Solomon saw how well Jeroboam did his job, he made him a boss over many people.
One day when Jeroboam was on his way home, he met Ahijah the prophet. When Ahijah saw Jeroboam he did a strange thing. He took off his new cloak and tore it into twelve pieces. “Take ten of these pieces for yourself,” he said to Jeroboam. “God told me to tell you, ‘I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes. I’m doing this...
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The Worst
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Titus 3:3-8
TO CHEW ON: "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." Titus 3:4,5Who is the worst person you’ve ever heard of? What did they do that made them so bad?
We may think of some people, like mass murderers or violent thieves as beyond help. People may say things about them like, “Put them in jail and throw away the key. That’s the best they deserve.”
This may be true. But then, none of us deserve any better as far as God is concerned. For though you and I may not have done really big bad things, we have sinned. And the punishment for our sin is death. All the good things we could ever do are not enough to earn God’s pardon and to make us His friends....
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Tags: Titus Saul/Paul salvation love hope good news God’s plan forgiveness
The Way Back
TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 7:11-22
TO CHEW ON: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
After Solomon had finished the temple, he built a luxurious palace for himself. One night when both those projects were done, God appeared to him again.
“I heard your prayer and chose your temple,” He said. Then God gave Solomon some advice. “Keep my laws like David your father did. Worship only me. If you do this, kings will always come from your family.
“But if you turn away from me and start worshiping idols, bad things will happen.”
1. Pick out the three bad things God named in 2 Chronicles 7:20:
A. I will send Israel back to Egypt to be slaves.B. I will uproot Israel from my land.C. I will reject this temple.D. I will burn your palace.E. I will make this temple an object of ridicule....
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Tags: Solomon sin repent promises obedience dreams 2 Chronicles
The Unseen Soldier
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 17:8-15
TO CHEW ON: "So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning." Exodus 17:10,11
As the dust clouds on the horizon got bigger, word spread through the camp: “Someone is coming!” Soon the Israelites could make out galloping camels and on their backs, desert nomads. It was the Amalekites. Did they come in peace or war? Before the men could get organized, the raiders reached the camp and attacked.
The Bible doesn’t tell us if the Amalekites came to kill people or to steal the stuff. But we do know that soon after this attack, Moses told Joshua to pick some men and go after those quarrelsome Amalekites.
While the men fought, Moses stood on a hill above the battle, watching and raising his hands as a prayer for God’s help. Soon he noticed an interesting thing. As long as his arms were up, the Israelites were winning. But as soon as his arms got tired and he put them down, the Amalekites were winning.
"Moses on...
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The Money God
TODAY’S SPECIAL: I Timothy 6:6-10
TO CHEW ON: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." I Timothy 6:10a
How do you feel about money? Do you have any? How much? Do you earn money regularly? When you get it, what do you do with it? Spend it all? Save it all? Spend and save both?
It’s hard to imagine a world with no money in it. Getting money for a job we’ve done shows us our work is worthwhile. We use money to buy many things we need like food, clothes, a house, and a car. Money is not a bad thing.
But when we love money, when we feel we always need more and think being rich is the most important thing in the world, we are on a dangerous path. Very quickly money can become more important than God. It can become something we worship like a god.
PRAYER: Dear God, help me never to love money more than You. Help me to spend my money wisely and be content with what I have. Amen....
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Tags: worship Saul/Paul money consequences choices 1 Timothy
The Enemy
TODAY’S SPECIAL:2 Thessalonians 2:7-12
TO CHEW ON: And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8
The Bible is a story of a fight. The fight is between light and darkness, love and hate, obedience and rebellion, good and evil, God and Satan. This fight began in the Garden of Eden when Satan, in the form of a snake, tempted Eve. He persuaded her to listen to him and eat fruit from the tree God had plainly forbidden. Sin (any act that defies God and sides with Satan) came into the world.
"The Fall" by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1907
Through history, God has done many things to fight Satan. He chose the Jews, gave them His laws, and commanded them to make sacrifices for sins. Then He sent His son Jesus, born of a Jewish mother, who became the final sacrifice for sin. Now we have the Holy Spirit who helps us resist Satan’s temptations and live for God.
The final showdown between God and Satan is still to come (although because Jesus rose from the dead, we know Satan’s power is...
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Tags: Saul/Paul Satan salvation love God’s plan death consequences 2 Thessalonians
The Encourager
TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 11:19-26
TO CHEW ON: "Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch." Acts 11:25, 26a
- You studied hard but still didn’t do well on the test.- You’d like to join the badminton club but you don’t know any of the kids.- It’s youth night at church, but the friend with whom you usually go is out of town.
Q: What do you need in each of these situations?
A: An encourager, like Barnabas.
Barnabas was a well-known and respected leader in the early church. When Jesus’ followers were scattered because of persecution, he stayed at headquarters in Jerusalem. But then news came that everywhere Jesus’ followers had moved, people were believing in Jesus. The leaders sent Barnabas to check things out.
When he came to Antioch he saw God was blessing Jewish people and Greeks as well. He encouraged these new followers of Jesus.
Then he went to Tarsus to look for another new Christian named Saul. When he found Saul, he brought him to Antioch and put him to work, teaching the new believers.
Because of Barnabas’s encouragement the church in Antioch loved Gentile Christians and accepted Saul instead of being afraid...
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Tags: Saul/Paul hope discouragement courage Acts
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