Ezekiel 7

Psalm 87

Nehemiah 7

2 Kings 3

Numbers 12

3 John

A bit from my study Bible about 3 John:
"Itinerant teachers sent out by John were rejected in one of the churches in the province of Asia by a dictatorial leader, Diotrephes, who even excommunicated members who showed hospitality to John's messengers. John wrote this letter to commend Gaius for supporting the teachers and , indirectly, to warn Diotrephes. "

This is a frightening prospect...the rejection of teachers who are speaking the truth. It is incentive to know the Bible and the heart of God as shown in His word so that we can discern false teachers from those who speak the truth. We are so fortunate to have the word in our own language and available to us without fear of prosecution for having possession of it.

Haggai 1

Ezekiel 6

Psalm 86

Nehemiah 6

2 Kings 2

Numbers 11

2 John 1

Zephaniah 3

Ezekiel 5

Psalm 85

Nehemiah 5

2 Kings 1

Oh woe to the house of Israel! Once again the generational sin is passed down as an inheritance to the son, in this case Ahaziah. Of course, change can be made and sin is not a mandatory inheritance...we can choose to take or walk away from it and into the arms of God. And God will walk along a with us as we strive to sort out what is good and what is bad.

Can't help but think of the wives of all those poor soldiers. No mercy to those who follow the commands of a sinner. Shudder.

Intro to 2nd Kings

The tone for the book is set in the first two verses. "AFter Ahab died, Moab broke away from Israel's rule. Ahaziah fell down through the wooden bars in his upstairs room in Samaria and was badly hurt. He sent messengers and told them, "Go, ask Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, if I will recover from my injuries.

In those inaugural words you find death (Ahab died), rebellion (Moab broke away), calamity (Ahaziah fell) and superstition (go ask the god of Ekron).

What a beginning. It doesn't get any better. 2nd Kings is not a book for teh faint of heart. But it is a book for the serious desciple. Its message is embossed at the top of every page: "THE WAY OF TRANSGRESSORS IS HARD."

Remember what Paul said about the wages of sin being death? This book proves his point. 25 chapters of people reaping the harvest of sin. Story after story of people learning firsthand the eternal truth: THE CONSEQUENCE OF PERSISTENT SIN IS PAIN. Pain, not just in your life but in the lives of those you love." Max Lucado

This is so sad. When I look at the consequences of sin in our lives it just grieves me so. God showed me some time ago that the reason that he hates sin is because it destroys, not because he just demands right living from us and we fail and he is mad. But because He hates to see us squandering His blessings and ending up sitting amongst the slops like the (pre)prodigal son. My heart is heavy as I ponder this this morning.

Numbers 10

1 John 3

Zephaniah 2

I found the exhortation to repent gave me a lot to chew on .

(v1-3, bits and pieces) "Gather together....seek the Lord all you humble...who do what he commands...Seek righteousness, seek humility...perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's anger. "

It is interesting that he is addressing these words to those who are humble, who already do what he commands. Zephaniah is telling them to keep seeking. It is so good to not wonder that perhaps we will or will not be saved. We will. God has promised that if we know his son as Lord and Savior then we will be saved and God can be trusted. But it is good to keep seeking his will, to hear him speak into our lives, to know his guidance. Seek him, seek him every moment.

Ezekiel 4

Psalm 84

Nehemiah 4

1 Kings 22

Numbers 9

1 John 2

Zephaniah 1

Ezekiel 3

Psalm 83