TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Kings 25 & Psalms 101-102
Old Testament: 2 Kings 25- Besieged 

2 Kings 25:2
“So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.”

Imagine sitting on Mount Scopus, just a little northeast of Jerusalem, as the Babylonian forces surrounded the city. Before long, the walls were penetrated, and the city taken. First… Read More

 

Psalm 101- Window To Your Soul

Psalm 101:3
“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.”

One of the saddest experiences in life is to see a close friend fall away from the Lord. From the outside, the process often looks the same. A person, who once… Read More

Psalm 102- Prayer of the Broken

Psalms 102:17
“He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer.”

Sometimes the Psalms come with titles that give insight into the situation that stirred the author to write. In his case, we are not given the details of his life circumstances, but are told… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Kings 23-24 & Psalms 99-100
Old Testament: 2 Kings 23- Covenant

2 Kings 23:3
“Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant.”… Read

2 Kings 24- Survival 

2 Kings 24:3
“Surely at the commandment of the Lord this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done.”

The final chapters of 2 Kings tell the story of the death of a nation. After having a glorious beginning, and being miraculously sustained for a thousand years, the nation of Judah is defeated, the Temple destroyed, and the people taken as prisoners … Read More

Psalm 99- God Who Forgives

Psalms 99:8
“You answered them, O Lord our God;
You were to them God-Who-Forgives,
Though You took vengeance on their deeds.”

The Psalmist writes regarding the forgiveness of God and the fact that He will mete out vengeance on certain… Read More

Psalm 100- You Should Know Better

Psalm 100:3  
“Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “you should have known better?”  We use it when we view evidence so compelling… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Kings 21-22 & Psalms 97-98
Old Testament: 2 Kings 21- Pay Attention

2 Kings 21:1-2
“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.”

Manasseh, king of … Read More

2 Kings 22- You Know That’s Right

2 Kings 22:2
“And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.”

Josiah was the youngest king to reign over the nation … Read More

Psalm 97- Love And Hate

Psalm 97:10
“You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.”

I find it striking that the Psalmist declares that hate is a necessary… Read More

2 Kings 19:3
And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.”

This verse paints a vivid picture as the nation of Israel is compared to a child who lacks the necessary strength to grow. This image is that of a struggle that many Christians face. We have trusted Christ and as a result have been born of God but we lack the strength to let go of certain behaviors or to effectively serve the Lord. This often leads to discouragement and in some cases to greater failure. Over the years I have spoken with many people who shared that a failure in their walk with God has often led to greater failure. A person who looks once at something they shouldn’t will usually look several times before they find the strength to stop and a person who is afraid to step out and serve Christ will often miss many opportunities before they find strength. Just today I met a young man who staggered onto the church grounds. With his arm in a sling and a few exposed bruises,  he shared with me how his life is falling apart do to his drinking. He stated that he had received the Lord and that he loves Jesus but that he struggles to find the strength to let go of the things that keep pulling him down. Fortunately there is a remedy not just for this young man but for all of us. Those who have been born of a God can find the strength necessary to grow out of their struggles and into their relationship with Jesus. This strength is found in several places.

There is strength found in community. Each person must make an individual decision to follow Christ but no one has to follow alone. Like a coal in a fire we will find our greatest success when we are lumped together with others who want to live for Christ. The more effort we give to developing community with other believers the more strength we will have to grow. Find a good church, get plugged into a connect group and invest in some Christian relationships. Beyond doubt you will find that there is strength in numbers.

There is strength found in the Bible. The promises of God are so sure that no force in heaven or on earth is strong enough to break them. The Bible contains the ability to empower us. When we read it’s pages we find that the Words of the Bible act like spiritual food strengthening our inner man. The more we invest the promises of Scripture the greater our strength will become. When Daniel was weakened by his circumstances we read that he heard the word of God and was given the strength to rise to his feet. When Jeremiah felt the obstacles to serving Jesus were too great to overcome he decided he would no longer share the words of God with others, that is until the word of God burned within him like a fire. Taking the word in empowered him to give it out.

There is strength found in the Spirit of God. Jesus promised to give the Holy Spirit to any one who asks. He also said that the Spirit would give us power and that power would help us to live a life that would be a good example to others. The Bible is filled with example s of ordinary men who receive strength to do extraordinary things through the Spirit of God. Samson defeated enemies, Saul spoke for God, Peter engaged a hostile crowd and led thousands to Christ and the same power is available to the child of God today. It is worth noting that the Spirit provides strength for us when we choose to obey God. It was when the crippled man allowed Peter to pull him to his feet the Spirit of God gave strength to his legs to hold him and as Moses’ staff hit the waters of the Red Sea that they actually parted. We will find the same bing to be true today. When you choose to do what God asks the Spirit will always provide the power to do it.

There is strength in setting up a good defense. Ancient cities built walls to ensure the safety of the inhabitants. Even Jerusalem, the city of God had high walls erected around it for protection. When Nehemiah arrived and saw the walls broken down he demanded that the people do more than pray for protection but that they work hard to build solid defenses against attack. Strength will be found when we realize our weaknesses and take the time to erect safeguards in our lives that will make it more difficult to fail. A good filtering program for you computer or smart phone will do more for your spiritual health than simply trying to must up more will power against temptation. The higher your walls of protection the greater your strength will become. Solomon wrote; “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Here is strength in preparing in advance for the daily battles we face.

Those who have moved on from infancy in their walk with Jesus have not done so because they have a different constitution than the rest of us but because they have found strength greater than themselves. Maybe it is time to approach your walk with Jesus a little bit differently. Perhaps it is time to see it as a team effort and get plugged in with others who will help you grow.

Pastor Jim

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Psalm 96

Psalms 96:1
“Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.”

A few years ago while visiting a church, this particular verse was shared during the praise and worship. The worship leader drew application from the verse by encouraging everyone to sing whatever came to their mind at the moment. The result was a vast array of voices singing, speaking and in some cases shouting out different things about the character of God. While I do not doubt the sincerity of the worship team, or the congregation for that matter, I wonder if that is the best application for this verse. The psalmist, a song writer himself is actually encouraging us to author our own song to the Lord.

Songs are often written out of experience. A person endures a difficulty in life and puts a poem to music that reflects the way they felt or the things they learned. The same is true when we have happy, sad or lonely experiences. Rarely are songs ever written without a story behind them. As a result, perhaps the Psalmist is encouraging us to experience more of the Lord so we have more to sing about. If you haven’t taken a step of faith lately, perhaps now would be a good time. The end will be that you have written a new song about the faithfulness of the Lord.

Take some time to pray about what new ways the Lord a wants you to serve Him.

Pastor Jim

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Kings 17-18 & Psalms 93-94
Old Testament: 2 Kings 17- It’s A Secret

2 Kings 17:9
“Also the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.”

Webster’s dictionary defines secret as, “kept from view or hidden.”mIt goes on to speak of something as “being covert or… Read More
2 Kings 18- Against The Odds

2 Kings 18:33
“Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria?”

Assyria was on a campaign to conquer the world. Their armies were sent out to defeat any nation that showed the least resistance. Judah… Read More

Psalm 93- It Cannot Be Moved

Psalm 93:1
“The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.”

It seems to me, if one thing is certain in life, it is that things are constantly moving. We live on a moving … Read More

Psalms 94:1-3
“O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs— O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth! Rise up, O Judge of the earth; Render punishment to the proud. Lord, how long will the wicked, How long will the wicked triumph?”

There are certain Biblical topics that we love to avoid. While it is wonderful to share about the love, mercy and grace of God we are a bit more reluctant to speak regarding His holiness or the reality of divine judgment. The Bible however has much to say regarding God’s view of sin and the fact that the day is coming when He will exact vengeance on those who live in rebellion against Him.

It is not as though there are two irreconcilable sides of God’s personality. His mercy and His vengeance both stem from His great love. His love for all humanity and desire for the salvation of every man woman and child in the world cause Him to endure the mocking jeers of the rebel as well as allowing His children to suffer the weight of an increasingly ungodly world. When your heart breaks over the condition of the world think about how God is holding back His judgment so that sinners have time to hear ad respond to the message of the Gospel. But the day is coming when God will exact His vengeance on this fallen and rebellious planet. The cries of His people for justice are stored up in the throne room of heaven and will one day be poured out on the earth and the workers of iniquity will be punished for their rebellion against God and their mistreatment of His children.

No man has to face the judgment of God. We can all avoid it by trusting in the work of Christ on the cross. If we choose to reject Christ then we are choosing to face the vengeance of God without the covering of Christ. Imagine standing alone and unguarded in the face of a violent storm with nothing to provide you with covering or protection.

Pastor Jim

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Kings 15-16 & Psalms 91-92
Old Testament: 2 Kings 15- Still Here

2 Kings 15:4
“…the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.”

Over the years I have discovered something about myself, I am better at projects than I am at maintenance. My yard is a classic example. We worked hard to irrigate, lay sod, and plant trees, and our yard looked good for a little while. As time went on however, we discovered that neglect undid much of our labors, and before… Read More

Psalm 91- Falling

Psalm 91:7
“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.”

The Psalmist is speaking of the benefits derived from living in an intimate, abiding relationship with God. Jesus also spoke on the same subject when He refered to Himself as the vine and us as the branches. He made it clear, the only way to bear fruit in our life was by remaining… Read More

Psalm 92- Planted In The House

Psalms 92:13
“Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.”

It seems the devil and the Lord both understand the importance of the church. The Lord exhorts us regarding the need to be in fellowship, and the devil uses a wide array of tactics to keep us away. We have all heard phrases like,

“I am too busy.”

“No one was nice to me there.”… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Kings 13-14 & Psalms 89-90
Old Testament: 2 Kings 13- Crying Out

2 Kings 13:4-5
“So Jehoahaz pleaded with the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. Then the Lord gave Israel a deliverer, so that they escaped from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before.”… Read More

2 Kings 14- Secret Weapon

2 Kings 14:25
“He restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gath Hepher.”

The Northern tribes of Israel reached the zenith of their strength under king Jeroboam II. Here we are given insight… Read More

Psalm 90- Time Management

Psalm 90:10
“The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years.”

When we are young we think we will live forever; death, even aging, is for other people. As we age, we still cannot imagine a world of which we are not a part. Yet, the Psalmist is making clear, we have been designed by God with a shelf  life. In other words, one day we will expire. The bodies that we live in will no longer be able to sustain… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Kings 11-12 & Psalms 87-88
Old Testament: 2 Kings 11- Armed And Dangerous

2 Kings 11:12
“And he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the Testimony; they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, ‘Long live the king’”

There are times in life when we are required to do things that seem almost impossible. The odds are stacked against us… Read More

2 Kings 12- Giving

2 Kings 12:9
“Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the Lord; and the priests who kept the door put there all the money brought into the house of the Lord.”

Young king Jehoash began his reign by repairing the Temple of the Lord. In order…Read More

Psalm 87- Gates Of Zion

Psalms 87:2
“The Lord loves the gates of Zion, More than all the dwellings of Jacob.”

Jerusalem is without question a beautiful place. It sits atop mount Moriah and is surrounded by the mountains of Judah. Standing on the Temple Mount you can look out in every direction and see the beautiful hill… Read More

Psalm 88- Where Do You Turn?

Psalm 88:3
“For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave.”

This Psalm is entitled, “A Contemplation of Heman.” Heman was one of Israel’s worship leaders. As such, he was a man who was committed to the Lord, and to His service. Yet, he describes a time in his life when trials have mounted up against… Read More