KING JEHOSHAPHAT: THE RIGHTEOUS KING WHO DIDN’T SAY “NO” TO AHAB

On January 29, 2025 By nrfaughtLeave a comment

Jehoshaphat was the 4th king of Judah. Second Chronicles 17:3–6 gives this commendation: “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.” In addition, Jehoshaphat sent men throughout the kingdom to teach the people the Law of God (2 Chronicles 17:7–9). He removed the male cult prostitutes (1 Kings 22:46). Judah and Israel had been fighting constantly since the kingdom split, but he made peace with wicked king Ahab of Israel.

Nothing but good is said about him until 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18. Jehoshaphat goes to visit King Ahab in Samaria. He joined with wicked King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel to retake Ramoth-gilead from the Syrians. Ahab has replaced the 450 prophets of Baal that Elijah had killed in 1 Kings 18 with 400 more prophets of Baal. They tell Ahab what he wants to hear, that he will be victorious in the battle. Jehoshaphat demands that a true prophet give his prediction, and Micaiah predicts that Ahab will die in the battle. You would think that Jehoshaphat would break off this partnership with Ahab and head home to Jerusalem, but instead he still joins Ahab in the battle. Ahab is killed by a God-guided random arrow even though he disguised himself as a regular soldier instead of wearing the kingly garments.

2 Chronicles 19:1 Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. ²But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. ³Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.” To his credit, he apparently received that rebuke and continued to be a righteous king. The same prophet Hanani had rebuked Asa (Jehoshaphat’s father) but Asa imprisoned Hanani. Jehoshaphat then appointed Levites and priests as judges, warning them to give impartial judgements and not take bribes.

After the rebuke by Hanani, Judah was attacked by Moabites and Ammonites. Jehoshaphat led a long, humble prayer asking God for help, acknowledging that he was powerless without God’s help (2 Chronicles 20). The prophet Jahaziel told Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah, “Don’t be afraid for the battle is not yours but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15). Did you ever wonder where that song “The Battle Belongs to the Lord” came from? The Lord set an ambush for the attacking enemy. Apparently they ended up fighting among themselves and with the Edomites and were all killed. The army of Judah didn’t even have to fight. When they arrived, all they saw was dead bodies. They took great spoil for 3 days and then on the 4th day they celebrated and praised God with musical instruments and singers.

But we have to ask ourselves, “Why would a righteous king like Jehoshaphat even go visit Ahab? Why would he join with him in a battle that a true prophet of Yahweh warned against, one that he insisted on hearing his prediction?” This all goes back to 2 Chronicles 18:1 Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab.” This is referring to a marriage between Jehoram, Jehoshaphat’s son, to Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Jehoram succeeded Jehoshaphat as king and was an evil king, restoring pagan worship in Judah. Athaliah was the daugher of the wicked Queen Jezebel of Israel who fed 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah at her own dinner table, and desperately tried to kill Elijah. Jezebel was the main ungodly influence of her husband King Ahab. After marrying Jehoram and become Queen of Judah, Athaliah turned out to be “like mother, like daughter”. She restored and promoted Baal worship in Judah, and even built a pagan idol in the temple of God. Ahaziah (Athaliah and Jehoram’s son), succeeded Jehoram as king of Judah. Jehu was appointed by Elijah to kill Ahab, Joram (Ahab’s wicked son who succeeded him), all of Ahab’s descendants, Ahaziah, 42 of Ahaziah’s descendants, Baal’s worshippers and prophets (those 400 prophets of Baal who told Ahab he would be victorious in battle?), and Jezebel. After Athaliah’s son King Ahaziah was killed by Jehu, Athaliah killed all of the royal household of Ahaziah (yes, that would be her grandchildren) and made herself queen for 6 years. Only the baby Joash was spared through the efforts of his nurse Jehoshaba. He was hidden for 6 years in the temple until the priest Jehoiada had Athaliah killed and Joash made king at the age of 7.

Jehoshaphat’s father, King Asa, was a righteous man (for most of his reign until his pride caused him to imprison Hanani) and Jehoshaphat followed in his righteous footsteps. But Jehoram (Jehoshaphat’s son) did not follow in his father’s righteous footsteps. He chose to marry wicked Athaliah. Could Jehoshaphat not have stopped that marriage? That’s a tough question b/c many of us have not been able to stop our children from entering what we feel is a bad marriage. Samson’s parents were not able to stop Samson from marrying the Philistine woman which led to all kind of problems. But that marriage alliance was the beginning of Jehoshaphat’s problems. That no doubt led to a visit to Ahab in Samaria, which led to joining Ahab in a forbidden battle.

We don’t know what Jehoshaphat was thinking or what his motives were for joining Ahab. He had made peace with Ahab and there were no wars betwen Israel and Judah as had been in the past. Was he afriad that Ahab would turn on him and go to war with Judah if he refused to go to battle with him? Jehoshaphat was wealthy and that could hurt his cash flow, as war always does.

What we do know is that Jehoshaphat violated the principle in the rebuke by Hanani, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?” The same principle in 2 Corinthians 6:¹⁴Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness? ¹⁵Or what harmony does Christ have with Belial, or what does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶Or what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,“I will dwell among them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ¹⁷Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.”

God commands us to be the salt of the earth, preserving and adding godly flavor to a sinful world. To do that, we must be “in the world but not of the world”. Associating with the ungodly in this world is inevitable unless you live in a monastery. Paul wrote, 1 Corinthians 5:⁹I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people; ¹⁰I did not at all mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world.” At the same time, He warns us about making unnecessary friendships, partnerships, and associations with the ungodly. We must be careful about “why” we associate with the ungodly. We must ask, “Is this association or partnership, or. friendship something that God might use to His glory, or am I doing it for selfish reasons.

Apparently Jehoshaphat had a character flaw (don’t we all). For whatever reason or motive, he was afraid to say “no” to Ahab when asked to join him in battle. Or he selfishly saw some possible monetary reason for joining him. Do you (or I) have that same character flaw? Do you join the ungodly in drinking parties b/c you don’t want to be different? They say that the first semester in college is when many kids from Christian backgrounds and families first start drinking b/c they feel the pier pressure that “hey, that is the college experience, everyone does it”. It is hard for high school and college kids to say “no” when pressured by their peers to drink or do drugs. No one wants to be mocked b/c they are different, “better than thou” Bible thumpers.

But what about your business and friendship decisions? Do you get into business deals that make you money even though you know they might lead you to compromise your Christian values? Does hanging around with the ladies or guys in your friend group lead you to doing things that violate your conscience? Maybe doing that enhances your image or popularity?

BTW, you would think that Jehoshaphat would learn his lesson from the incident with Ahab, right? Wrong! 2 Chronicles 20:³⁵After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel (the son of Ahab and Jezebel), who acted wickedly. ³⁶He joined him in building ships to go to Tarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-geber. ³⁷Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.” He got into trouble by joining Ahab and was rebuked by God. But then he makes another partnership, joining Ahab’s wicked son Ahaziah in a shipping venture.

Perhaps this shows that Jehoshaphat’s character flaw was the love of money. In the words of Paul, 1 Timothy 6:⁹But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” As someone said, “it’s all about the money”. We are so driven by the desire to have nice things, to keep up with the Joneses (whoever that is), to wine and dine with our friends. Many of us fell into that “snare” and are plunged into ruin and destruction. Can you think of some Christian men and women who started drinking and partying, hanging out with the wrong crowd, and now they have left the faith? I can.

Let us pray for ourselves first of all. Then pray right now for those whom you think have left the faith b/c of their love of money. Pray for our college students and high school students who face enormous evil peer pressure. Don’t give up on those who fall. James 5:¹⁹My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, ²⁰let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

CONCIDENCES: CASTLE

On January 25, 2025 By nrfaughtLeave a comment

I am watching all the seasons of Castle on Amazon Prime. It’s one of those TV series, like Murdock’s Mysteries, where there is a constant romantic suggestion building between the male and female stars (Beckett and Castle). But the writers are brilliant. Castle is always coming up with crazy possibilities for solving crimes, but he always says “there is no such thing as ‘coincidence'” when looking at events in a crime. The events are always connected. The key to solving the crime is to find what the connection is.

That got me thinking about “coincidences” in life. A coincidence is a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection. I was waiting for service on my car. I was trying to get hot water out of the machine. I pressed all the right buttons, or so I thought, and I got cold water. This Mexican lady and her husband were seated nearby. She saw my dilemma and stepped over, pushed the same buttons (or so I thought) and bingo, hot water for my tea. She sat down at a nearby table. I thanked her and waited a moment to see if she seemed to want any kind of conversation. She initiated the conversation and we talked for 30 minutes. Her husband is a cook and doesn’t speak English well. She is from Mexico and has been in the U.S. for 21 years. She has 4 kids. We talked about my missionary experiences in Colombia, South America. They attend a Spanish speaking church nearby. I plan to visit that church tomorrow. Maybe my random meeting with that lady might have some purpose in God’s plans.

I don’t believe that every single event in life is necessarily a part of some predetermined plan of God. But I firmly believe that we can use every event or circumstance to do His will.” God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 2:4) Paul said “¹³for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13).

Mordecai told Esther to go ask the king to stop Haman’s plan to kill all the Jews. Esther sent word to Mordecai: Esther 4:¹¹“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.” ¹²And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. ¹³Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Saying “who knows” indicates to me that Mordecai did not have some direct revelation from God to tell Esther to go to the king. He is saying that she is in a special position as queen to perhaps save the Jews, and that maybe God put her there just for that situation. The whole choosing of a new queen and Esther, a Jew, becoming the new queen out of 128 provinces of beautiful women was part of God of God’s providence, but it still had a lot of moving parts to it. Parts that depended on the free will of people. Esther could choose to go into the king or not. The king could choose to kill her if she came to him, or not (he chose not to kill her). The king could chose to save the Jews once Esther told him about Haman’s plat, or not. But let’s be clear. Mordecai told Esther, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.” If God wants something done, He will find someone who will choose to be a part of God’s working.

So that’s my take on coincidences. We should view every event or circumstance in our lives as a possible part of God’s plan to save souls. We should try to figure out how God might be using us to do HIs will. It’s called “possibility thinking”. “Possibility thinking requires both imagining what is not there and creating paths to it, so that it can become a reality. Possibility Thinking is the willingness to see possibilities everywhere instead of limitations.”

KING ASA OF JUDAH: PRIDE GOETH BEFORE A FALL

On January 22, 2025 By nrfaughtLeave a comment

King Asa, the 3rd king of the southern kingdom of Judah, reigned for 41 years and was one of the more righteous kings of all 19 kings of Judah. But “pride goeth before a fall”, which means “People who are overconfident or too arrogant are likely to fail.” Humility might be the most important thing for sinners who are seeking a right relationship with God. James 4:6 Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” 1 Peter 5:5 All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Luke 14:11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Here is a great image of King Asa’s reforms in Judah.

2 Chronicles 14:² And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. Judah had decayed morally to the point that there were male shrine prostitutes, which Asa remove. He removed pagan altars. Judah had peace with no wars for most of his reign. He bullt walled cities. He had an army of 580,000 men of valor from the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin (which made up the southern kingdom after the kingdom split).

Even when Zerah the Ethiopian attacked Judah with one million men, Asa humbly prayed “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.” (2 Chronicles 14:11). Psalm 149:4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.” God gave Asa the victory b/c he was humble and trusted God in battle.

The prophet Azariah told Asa, ““Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you” (2 Chroniclles 14:2). After hearing those words, Asa immediately responded by tearing down pagan altars throughout Judah. He persuaded all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and even those from some of the northern kingdom tribes who had moved to Judah to get away from the idolatry in the northern kingdom, to enter a covenant to seek the Lord with all their heart and soul. Whoever broke the covenant would be put to death. He even removed Micaah, his own queen mother, from being queen b/c she built a detestable image for Asherah. “The heart of Asa was wholly true all his days” (2 Chronicles 15:17).

But things changed in the 35th year of his 41 year reign. The evil king Baasha of the northern kingdom built Ramah on the border between the two kingdoms in order to stop defectors from leaving the northern kingdom to go to Judah to live. There was war between Baasha and Asa. God would have given Asa victory over Baasha if he had just humbly trusted God like he did in the victory over Zerah. Instead, Asa bribed King Beh-hadad of Syria with gold and silver from the temple to attack Baasha and force Baasha to withdraw from fighting Judah. It worked! Apparently Asa was feeling pretty confident in his ability after that.

Hanani the prophet met Asa and told him ““Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. ⁸Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand.” (2 Chronicles 15:7-8) How did Asa handle this rebuke from the prophet? Did he humbly repent and ask forgiveness? 2 Chronicles 15:10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time.”

What happened that changed Asa from the humble man who sought God with all his heart to one who would in a rage put God’s prophet in stocks in prison and inflict cruelties upon some of the people? PRIDE. Proverbs 16: ¹⁸ Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” In the 39th year of his reign, he was afflicted with diseased feet, but instead of seeking the Lord for help, he only sought his physicians. He died without any record of his repenting of his pride.

It is hard to be humble in America when we have so many resources to rely on. Not all, but most o us Christians have money, medical insurance, retirement funds, prestige at work, and respect at work. But when we have a crisis, like health, money, job, marital, or family problems, who do we turn to first? God has given us doctors and there is nothing wrong in seeking help from doctors. But who do we turn to first in a medical crisis: physicians or The Great Physician. When there is a crisis at work or possibly losing my job, who do I turn to first? In a money crisis, who do I turn to first: a financial counselor or the word of God? In a marital crisis, who do I turn to first: a marital counselor or God? Who do I rely on to help me either solve a problem or cope with the problem? The one you turn to first in a crisis is the one you trust to be fully able to help you in the crisis.

God told Solomon after he built and dedicated the new temple: 2 Chronicles 7:¹⁴if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” I think that our country is at a critical point right now. We have been blessed with so many material wealth. “In 2023, the mean personal income in the United States was $63,510. The median household income was $80,610.” “According to the World Bank’s classification, the mean income in “third world” countries, categorized as low-income economies, is typically below $1,145 per capita per year, with lower middle-income countries ranging between $1,146 and $4,515 per capita”. “According to data from the World Bank, around 84% of the world’s population lives in “developing countries,” which is often considered synonymous with “third world countries,” meaning the majority of the global population resides in these regions.” Many complain about lack of money, but usually that is b/c of mismanaging money and debt from a high standard of living. The U.S. has more military might and capability than ever before. “The United States military is considered the most powerful in the world, with a large budget, advanced technologies, and a global presence. The US military’s strength is measured by its capability, capacity, and readiness to handle missions.” 70 % in our country say they believe in God, but according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, only 54% of US adults believe in “God as described in the Bible”. So only half of our people believe in Yahweh of the Bible. That other 16% would believe in the god of some of the world religions like Buddhism. Only 30 % attend church. I am not a big proponent of organized churches, but church attendance is still a good indicator of an active faith in God. Only 25% believe that homosexual relations is a morally wrong and a sin. 64% believe that homosexual relations are morally acceptable.

All those statistics sound to me like America is in need of moral reform. If the prophet Azariah was here today, I think he would tell us the same thing he told Asa, “The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you” . That means believing in the Bible as the verbally inspired error free word of God (the orginals were error free and the translations we have are trustworthy). If the Bible says that homosexuality or adultery or drunkenness in a sin, then it is a sin. That means relying on Yahweh as the only true God and Jesus Christ as the only Savior from our sins. That means relying on God for how we live, think, and do. That means humbling ourselves to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That means fellowshipping with other Christians in house churches or even orgainzied churches.

MAGA: “make America great again”. I’m all for that. But I prefer MAHA: “make America humble again.”

AT LEAST KING JOSIAH TRIED!

On January 21, 2025 By nrfaughtLeave a comment

King Josiah was the 16th king of the southern kingdom of Judah from 640-609 BC.

Josiah’s grandfather was perhaps the most evil of the 19 kings of Judah. His 55 year reign was mostly marked by terrible evil.

The Assyrians carried Manasseh to Babylon in hooks, bound with bronze fetters. In his suffering there, he humbled himself and repented of his evil way. We don’t know how, but God brought him back to Jerusalem. He then removed the idols, foreign gods, altars for sacrificing to those gods, etc. 2 Chronicles 33:18-19 mentions his prayer. There is a book in the Apocrypha called “The Prayer of Manasseh”, a short prayer that he supposedly prayed. We are not sure of the authenticity of that book, but 2 Chronicles 33:19 says that his prayer was recorded in the records of Hozai, so it is possible that “The Prayer of Manasseh” is really his prayer passed down throught Jewish history. As evil was Manasseh was, God forgave him and he died in a right relationship with God. God is such a merciful, forgiving God.

His father was the evil king Amon, the son of Manasseh. Amon began to reign when he was 22 and reigned for only 2 years. Most of his teen and young adult life would have been watching his father Manasseh do evil things. He would have also sseen Manasseh’s repentance and reforms, but that did not make an impact on Amon. How evil was Amon?

Josiah began to reign when he was 8 years old. Amon his father reigned for 2 years. That means that Josiah was 6 years old when his grandfather Manasseh died and 8 years old when his father Amon died. . His memories of his evil father Amon would not have been good as a 6 and 7 year old child. Fortunately his memories of his grandfather might have been mostly good as a 4 and 5 year old child since Manasseh would have been doing his reforms during those years of Josiah’s childhood.

Here is a great image detailing the age of Josiah when he began to reign at age 8 and did reforms. (Actually it should be 26 years old, the 18th year of his reign, when he repaired the temple.

During the repair of the temple when he was 26 that Hilkiah the priest found the “book of the Law” (i.e. the Pentateuch) and brought it to Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:14-21). The king tore his clothes and he himself read the book of the Law to all the elders, priests, Levites and people of Judah. He told Hlkiah to ask the prophetess Huldah what his (i.e. Josiah’s) fate would be in light of the curses that he read from the book of Deuteronomy, no doubt, as consequences for all the evil that Manasseh and Amon had done in Judah ( 2 Chronicles 34:22-30). Huldah told him that he would be spared seeing the punishment that God was going to inflict on Judah, but that the evil was so wide spread that Josiah’s reforms were “too little, too late” to save Judah from being carried off into Babylonian captivity. There were 3 deportations to Babylon that began almost immediately after Josiah died during the reign of the last 4 evil kings of Judah, and in 586 BC King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and took the last group of captives to Babylon, beginning the 70 years of exile in Babylon.

So why this lesson on King Josiah at this particular time? It is b/c of my concern for America. I know there is a lot of talk about “make Ameria great again”. You can buy a MAGA hat for $50. I do hope that we can balance the budget, trim the deficit, cut government spending, secure the border, reduce inflation, etc. But will America truly repent of the greed and sexual immorality that permeates our country? Will the churches who promote LGBQT go back and read the Bible condemnation of homosexuality and repent? Will our leaders truly turn to God for guidance on how to lead this country? America has typically bounced back from ungodly stretches of its history with “grass roots revivals” like the 1st and 2nd Great Awakenings, and the Jeremy Lanphier prayer revival (that spread across many cities with thousands praying every day at noon)? But those revivals were based on people believing that the Bible was the word of God. If the Bible said drunkenness was a sin, then to repent means to quit getting drunk. But today about 70% of Americans believe that same sex relationships are morally acceptable. If someone does that believe that homosexuality is a sin, then they won’t repent of that. Therefore a grass roots revival will be nearly impossible unless we do what Josiah did. We need to rediscover the Bible, open and study it, and let the Bible tell us what sin is, and then repent if we are guilty of sin. What will be the fate of America if we do not repent and restore the Judeo-Christian values that this country was built on? Only God knows the answer to that, but I am praying for a revival. American Christians have so many resources that can and are being used to drill wells overseas and print Bibles to spread the gospel. I don’t want to see that end.

In the mean time, we need to pray daily and earnestly for our country and our leaders. 1 Timothy 1:1 First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, ²for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. ³This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

THE INAUGURATION OF JESUS AS KING OF KINGS

On January 20, 2025 By nrfaughtLeave a comment

Most of us are watching the inauguration ceremony of Donad Trump as I write this article. I am amazed at the bureaucracy of the federal govenment, but also anxious to see what reforms Trump will initiate very soon once he is inaugurated. I am anxious to see if anyone will actually curb government spending and try to balance the budget (fat chance!). Boos and cheers at the ceremony as different ones walk in: sounds more like a sporting event. Oh well, enough of that. First time in 47years that it is indoors (due to the cold). I hope that it not a bad omen! All smiles as the most recent presidents are announced. A stirring rendition of “Glory, glory hallelujah, His truth is marching on”. I pray that God’s truth in morals will truly march on. Will we truly have one of those “grass roots revivals” that America experienced like the 1st and 2nd Great Awakenings and the Lampier Prayer revival? That remains to be scene. The smiles have rescended among some as Trump takes shots at the past administration. Very interesting that he claimed that he was saved by God from the assassination attempt on his life so that he can make America great again. Several standing ovations and applause. He just declared that the government would recognize two genders, male and female. Closing with a moving prayer by Pastor Sewell, quite appropriate on MLK day, reminiscent of a MLK speech.

I want to focus on a far more important inauguration, i.e. the inauguration of the king of kings, Jesus Christ. I read several articles that suggested different moments in the life of Jesus in which he was inaugurated. Was it at His baptism, Last Supper, or maybe His ascension?

We need to look at a couple of key passages in discussing this.

Daniel 7:¹³“I saw in the night visions,and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. ¹⁴And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Most say this refers to the ascension of Jesus into heaven, but there’s a passage in Luke that needs to be considered.

Luke 19:¹¹As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. ¹²He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. ¹³Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ ¹⁴But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ ¹⁵When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. ¹⁶The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ ¹⁷And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ ¹⁸And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ ¹⁹And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ ²⁰Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; ²¹for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ ²²He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? ²³Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ ²⁴And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ ²⁵And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ²⁶‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ²⁷But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

Several things to notice in this parable. Some supposed that “the kingdom was going to appear immediately”. The kingdom referred to in the kingdom promised in Daniel 2:44-45 that would be established in the days of the 4th kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, i.e. the Roman Empire. Both Jesus and John the Baptist had said “the kingdom is at hand”. The phrase “at hand” means “at hand” in the time frame of those Jesus is speaking to. Jesus made that even clearer in Mt 16:²⁷ “For, the Son of Man is about to come ( mello, which. always means “about to be or about to happen” in the NT) in the glory of his Father, with his messengers, and then he will reward each, according to his work. ²⁸Verily I say to you, there are certain of those standing here who shall not taste of death till they may see the Son of Man coming in his reign.” (YLT) Not only does Jesus say that the judgement and 2nd coming was “about to” happen, but He also says that some of those he was speaking to would still be alive to see Him coming (His 2nd coming) in his kingdom. That kingdom that was “at hand” would indeed be established in the first century, but it was not a physical kingdom like that of the Jewish kingdom in the OT. It was a spiritual kingdom, the church. Jesus had said, John 18:³⁶Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my officers had struggled that I might not be delivered up to Jews; but now my kingdom is not from hence.” (YLT) Jesus had said to Peter in Matthew 16:¹⁸And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Peter used the keys to open the door to enter that kingdom when he preached the first “gospel sermon” in Acts 2 and 3,000 were baptized for the remission of sins, becoming the first church, which is the spiritual body of Jesus of which he is the head. The kingdom of Jesus on earth in the NT was the church. Paul said, Colossians 1:¹³For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” The Colossian Christians were in that kingdom.

So that kingdom of Daniel 2:44,45 was to be established within the lifetime of those Jesus spoke to, but in Luke 19 some supposed it was to appear immediately (i.e. immediately after Jesus’ lifetime which ended in about 30 AD). The establishment of that kingdom, the church, would indeed begin soon in Acts 2, but would involve a transition period of 40 years, from 30 AD to 70 AD. The parable says that “the nobleman would go into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return”. It says that “having received the kingdom” (in the far country) that he would “return” (the 2nd coming) to “reign”. That tells us Jesus did not officially receive his reign over his kingdom until his 2nd coming (his “return” from the farcountry).

Doesn’t that sound just like our inauguration process? We elected a president back in November. There was a transition period until Jan 20 till the official inauguration. The president elect did not take over the powers of the president until Jan 20. Jesus ascended into heaven to receive his kingdom, so technically he became king at this ascension. But he would not officially begin to reign fully until 70 AD, just as in the parable of Luke 19. Jesus’ official inauguration as King of Kings began in 70 AD and continues today since his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

I close with Revelation 11: ¹⁵Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” ¹⁶And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷saying, “We give You thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.” This would be fulfilled after the events of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. God and His Christ would begin to reign in the everlasting church kingdom from then on and He is reigning today over His spiritual kingdom, the church, which is above all the kingdoms of the world.

Gabriel told Mary, Luke 1:³²He (her baby Jesus)will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; ³³and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Isaiah had predicted, Isaiah 9:For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.”

Peter preached Acts 2:²⁹“Brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰So because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. ³²It is this Jesus whom God raised up, a fact to which we are all witnesses. ³³Therefore, since He has been exalted at the right hand of God, and has received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you both see and hear. ³⁴For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, ³⁵Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’ Peter is saying that Jesus was raised and exalted at the right hand of God and had begun sitting on the throne of David. Not the physical throne of David as in the OT, but sitting on a spiritual throne of David (figurative fulfillement of 2 Samuel 7). He has been sitting on that throne since Acts 2 in 30 AD.

Zechariah adds another promise, Zechariah 6:¹³Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the majesty and sit and rule on His throne. So He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.”’ Jesus will be king and priest at the same time. That would nto be possible under the Law since Jesus was of the tribe of Judah but the high priest could only come from the tribe of Levi. I think all Christians agree that Jesus is our high priest today. That must be in heaven since the Hebrew writer said, Hebrews 8:⁴Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law”. A little deductive reasoning here: 1) Jesus is our high priest in heaven now, and He could not be high priest on earth. 2) He is our king at the same time that he is our high priest. 3) Therefore, he must be king in heaven and not of earth.

His kingdom must be a kingdom that was established in the first century. That could only be the spiritual kingdom, the church. This debunks all the theories that Jesus will return some day to establish a physical kingdom on earth and reign a thousand years in that kingdom. Most say that Jesus did plan to establish a physical kingdom in the first century, but that he delayed that b/c of his rejection by the Jews. Hebrews debunks the notion of a delayed kingdom (and 2nd coming): Hebrews 10:For yet in a very little while,
He who is coming will come, and will not delay. That was written in about 62 AD and predicts that Jesus would come in a “very little while” (the 2nd coming) and would not delay. That fits his 2nd coming in 70 AD.

Even if you don’t agree with some of this article, we can all agree that Jesus is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords. We can agree that the church is an important part of his kingdom, even if not all agree on the establishment of some future kingdom. Let us offer praise to the King of Kings.

One of my favorite songs is King of Kings by Hillsong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQl4izxPeNU

Listen to that song as you read the lyrics:

In the darkness we were waiting
Without hope, without light
‘Til from Heaven You came running
There was mercy in Your eyes
To fulfill the law and prophets
To a virgin came the word
From a throne of endless glory
To a cradle in the dirt

Praise the Father, praise the Son
Praise the Spirit, three in one
God of glory, Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings

To reveal the kingdom coming
And to reconcile the lost
To redeem the whole creation
You did not despise the cross
For even in your suffering
You saw to the other side
Knowing this was our salvation
Jesus for our sake you died

Praise the Father, praise the Son
Praise the Spirit, three in one
God of glory, Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings

And the morning that You rose
All of Heaven held its breath
‘Til that stone was moved for good
For the Lamb had conquered death
And the dead rose from their tombs
And the angels stood in awe
For the souls of all who’d come
To the Father are restored

And the church of Christ was born
Then the Spirit lit the flame
Now this gospel truth of old
Shall not kneel, shall not faint
By His blood and in His name
In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ
Who has resurrected me

Praise the Father, praise the Son
Praise the Spirit, three in one
God of glory, Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings

Praise forever to the King of Kings

Amen and Amen!

WE SAW THEE NOT

On January 19, 2025 By nrfaughtLeave a comment

I google youtube.com and get multiple videos on sports, politics, even the Bible and Christian songs. This morning the song “We saw thee not” popped up and I listened to it. You might want to listen to a youtube acapella version of the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d25PYT8v71I

1 We saw Thee not when Thou didst come
To this poor world of sin and death;
Nor yet beheld Thy cottage home,
In that despised Nazareth;

Refrain:
But we believe Thy footsteps trod
Its streets and plains, Thou Son of God:
But we believe Thy footsteps trod
Its streets and plains, Thou Son of God.

2 We saw Thee not when lifted high
Amid that wild and savage crew;
Nor heard we that imploring cry,
“Forgive, they know not what they do!”

Refrain:
But we believe the deed was done,
That shook the earth and veiled the sun;
But we believe the deed was done,
That shook the earth and veiled the sun;

3 We gazed not in the open tomb,
Where once Thy mangled body lay;
Nor saw Thee in that “upper room,”
Nor met Thee on the open way;

Refrain:
But we believe that angels said,
“Why seek the living with the dead?”
But we believe that angels said,
“Why seek the living with the dead?”

4 We walked not with the chosen few,
Who saw Thee from the earth ascend;
Who raised to heav’n their wond’ring view,
Then low to earth all prostrate bend;

Refrain:
But we believe that human eyes
Beheld that journey to the skies;
But we believe that human eyes
Beheld that journey to the skies.

Anne Richter wrote the hymn “We Saw Thee Not”. John Hampden Gurney modified the hymn and published it in Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship in 1851. The tune (Shaw) was composed by Knowles Shaw (1834-1878; see #75). It first appeared around 1877 in one of his Sunday school song collections and became popular after being included in James H. Fillmore’s The New Christian Hymn and Tune Book, Part III, in 1887. There was a 5th stanza added: Stanza 5 (not used by Shaw) says that we do not see Him now, yet we believe His word “And now that Thou dost reign on high, And thence Thy waiting people bless, No ray of glory from the sky Doth shine upon our wilderness. But we believe Thy faithful word, And trust in our redeeming Lord” (repeat).

What a great song! The life, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Do you remember what Jesus said to doubting Thomas? John 20:²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” ²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Thomas was able to put his fingers in the holes in Jesus’ hands and side. It took that for Thomas to believe. That is a great proof for the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection was not just believed by a group of people who were expecting a resurrection. It was believed by the apostles who did not expect Jesus to die, certainly not die and be raised. But it was also believed by Thomas who did not even show up when Jesus first appeared to the 10 apostles on the night of the day he was raised (John 20:19-25). John 20:²⁴Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” So he still didn’t believe even though the 10 told him they had seen the resurrected Jesus. He needed more proof. So this adds to the proof that the resurrection of Jesus really happened.

The same argument could be made of James, the Lord’s brother, who did not believe in Jesus when he was alive but became a believer after seeing Jesus raised. We don’t know when the resurrected Jesus appeared to James, but 1 Corinthians 15:⁷Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.” The same argument could be made of Saul who was killing Christians until the resurrected Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Nothing could have converted Saul (Paul) other than actually seeing the resurrected Jesus. He had everything in Judaism but gave it all up after seeing Jesus and spent the rest of his life witnessing the resurrection and suffering for Jesus, eventually being beheaded by Nero in 67 AD. So the resurrected Jesus was seen and believed by his skeptics.

But Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” That would be anyone who believed or believes in Jesus even though they did not actually see the resurrected Jesus. That would be us. That’s not saying that we are more blessed than those who actually saw the resurrected Jesus. It is just saying that we can be blessed with faith even though we did not see the resurrected Jesus.

An interesting question: Would you rather have lived back then and have been able to actually see the resurrected Jesus, or live today when you have to rely on the written testimony of those who did see the resurrected Jesus? It would be nice if Jesus would appear to any skeptic today and allow them to put their fingers in the holes, but he doesn’t. Why doesn’t he? A little speculation here. Satan told Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down (from the pinnacle of the temple) and the angels will catch you”. Jesus replied, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test”.

We use the law of gravity and the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2) in many equations and applications in physics. What if, every time we use that, someone says “would you prove to me that the acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s^2 ? That would be proving something that is a solid, irrefutable,proven law of physics. The same with the resurrection of Jesus. God gave us sufficient proof that Jesus was raised from the dead. We have the credible witness of the apostles. We have many post resurrection appearances of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15), even to 500 (many of whom Paul said were still alive when he wrote that so that skeptics could actually talk to some of them if they so wished). Luke told Theophilus that Jesus was raised from the dead and that he had confirmed that by talking to “eyewitnesses” (Luke 1:1-4). We have skeptics like Thomas, James, and Paul who were very reluctant to believe in Jesus until they actually saw the resurrected Jesus. We have the resurrection of Jesus being preached in the same city in which it allegedly occurred (Jerusalem) just 50 days after the resurrection, and yet no one said “you can’t prove that”. Imagine if I claimed that someone was riased from the dead in Maple Hll Cemetary 50 days ago right here in Huntsville, Al. That would be so easy to disprove if it did not actually happen. But thousands in Jerusalem became believers. Not all did, but there was sufficient evidence to convince thousands right there in Jerusalem where the resurrection happened. I doubt there would be one single believer of my claim that someone was raised 50 days ago in Maple Hill.

Could Jesus have appeared to even more after his resurrection? Sure. Would that have made the proof of his resurrection greater? I suppose. Could he make multiple appearances today to prove to skeptics that he was raised? Sure. Would that help people believe in Jesus? Mabye some. But do you remember what Jesus said to the rich man: Luke 16:²⁷And he (the rich man in torment) said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— ²⁸for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ ²⁹But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” Not everyone would believe if even if Jesus made appearances today. But the bottom line is that God gave us sufficient proof that Jesus was raised and He will not allow us to continually test him over and over to prove that again. A teacher will not stop his physics lesson every time someone asks him/her to prove that the acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s^2.

Peter felt that the proof for the resurrection of Jesu was sufficient. Acts 10:³⁹And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, ⁴¹not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” He did not feel that Jesus needed to appear to “all the people” to prove that He was raised.

Back to the song: We did not see him walk the earth, be crucified, be raised, and ascend to heaven. But we believe! We are the “blessed” who did not see the resurrected Jesus and put our fingers in the holes, and yet we believed. Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:12 “I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.”

Now would be a good time to listen to the song, “I know whom I have believed” acapella. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bRV3J4n8cc The song says “I know not” why God and Christ so graciously loved and saved us, how faith saved us, how the Spirit moves to convict men of sin and create faith, or what good or bad times we will face in the future. But one thing is sure: “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded, that He is able, to keep that which I’ve committed unto him against that day”. This is another of those great songs from the 1800’s (1883 AD to be exact). It is interesting that different endings to the refrain appear in different song books based on 2 Timothy 1:12. Some versions, similar to the KJV (for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”), read “He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him” and others read “He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me”. Was it what Paul entrusted or committed to God or was it what had been entrusted to Paul (i.e. the gospel). Let’s just say “both” and get the main point. “I know (without a doubt) whom (Jesus) I have believed”. To know Jesus is to know and believe the intellectual facts of his life, death, and resurrection and that he is our Savior. But it is also to have an intimate knowledge of Jesus like what you have with your mate b/c you made a commitment to him/her to spend your whole life with him/her. You committed your whole life and love to your mate, and your mate committed his/her whole life and love to you. Both is true.

So, begin your day today listening to “We saw Thee not” (and maybe “I know whom I have believed”).

PAUL’S LAST LETTER: 2 TIMOTHY (PT 2)

On January 17, 2025 By nrfaughtLeave a comment

7) 3:1-9 Avoid false teachers in the “last days” who slip into households and lead believers astray. They are like Pharoah’s magicians (Paul even names them even though they are not named in Exodus) who tried to lead Pharoah into not believing that Moses was giving him the word of God. Those “last days” would be the last days of the Jewish Age (from 30 AD to 70 AD when the temple was destroyed by the Romans), but Paul’s warning would apply to us today living in the Messianic Age (the “age to come”). Look at the list of sins given in these verses and you will see the same today. There are still plenty of false teaches who “slip into” the church and lead believers astray, starting up cults or splitting churches, preaching for money and interested in power and control.

8) 3:10-12 Follow my (Paul’s) teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, ¹¹persecutions, and sufferings.” Paul said, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” in 1 Corinthians 11:1. Would you recommend that someone you are mentoring follow your example in these matters? We are to follow Jesus’ example, but it sure helps to have some mentor in our lives to set the example for us. I’ve had mentors like that. When my wife and I first left Birmingham to attend a school of preaching for 2 years in West Monroe, La, we met Hugh and Dorothy Minor. They became mentors and examples to my wife and I all through the years during the school and after that as our paths crossed over the years. We had the privilege of working with them for many years here in Huntsville before they passed away. Hugh especially was my mentor with the way he handled church matters and problems. His wisdom, love, and patience was so obvious. I only wish we had spent more time with them. Unfortunately, that’s what we often say when a friend dies, so go spend more time with that person now.

9) 3:13-17 Continue in the scriptures that you were taught from childhood that are able to make you wise unto salvation in Jesus through faith. That would be OT scriptures that he would have been taught in childhood of course. But Paul then gives a great statement on all Scriptures: 3:¹⁶All Scripture (graphé: Scripture, writing) is inspired (theopneustos: God-breathed, inspired by God) by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.” From AI: “ In the New Testament, “graphé” primarily refers to the sacred writings of the Old Testament, regarded as divinely inspired and authoritative. It is used to denote the collection of books that constitute the Hebrew Bible, which were considered the Word of God by early Christians. The term underscores the belief in the divine origin and enduring authority of these texts.” A good definition of “inspiration” is found in 2 Peter 1:²⁰knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. ²¹For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Their original writings and teachings were infallible words of the Holy Spirit even though they were allowed to use their own vocabulary and thoughts. We don’t have the original OT or NT writings, but we have plenty of manuscripts and translations that are trustworthy. The battle today is about the inspiration of the Bible. From the gallup poll, 2022: “A record-low 20% of Americans now say the Bible is the literal word of God, down from 24% the last time the question was asked in 2017, and half of what it was at its high points in 1980 and 1984. Meanwhile, a new high of 29% say the Bible is a collection of “fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man.” Bottom line, if you believe fallible men wrote the Bible, then it is not the authoritative word of God binding on us today. The inspiration of the apostle Paul is questioned when he condemns homosexuality. Those who question that might still say they believe the Bible is the word of God, but they would “twist” his writings (2 Peter 3:16), saying that Paul’s writings are just his homophobic opinions not binding on us. So it is important that we correctly understand the claim of the inspiration of the Bible.

When Paul says “All Scripture” I think he is here including any of the NT inspired writings along with the OT scriptures. Peter calls Paul’s writings “Scripture” in 2 Peter 3:¹⁵And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, ¹⁶as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.” By 67 AD when Paul wrote 2 Timothy, there would have been several NT inspired writings like the gospels, Paul’s other letters, and the rest of the NT letters that were being circulated and copied by the churches.

10) 4:1-5 Do the work of an evangelist: preach the word at all times, patiently correcting, rebuking, and exhorting. Paul said that times would come when men would “not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, ⁴and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” BTW, Paul also said: 4:1 I do fully testify, then, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to (mello, always means “about to” in the NT) judge living and dead at his manifestation and his reign”. That imminent judgment was the motivation for being diligent in preaching the word, to get people ready for that judgement. The Bereans were the example of those who searched the OT scriptures to see if Paul’s teaching about the Messiah was true. Acts 17: ¹¹Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Paul told the Thessalonian believers: 1 Thessalonians 2:¹³For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.” Contrast that with those that Paul predicts would accumulate teachers who would simply tell them what they want to hear and not what the word of God says. We are faced with that today big time. The Bible is clear in condemning the LGBQT movement and teachings. But that movement still has hundreds of paid preachers who tell them what they want to hear, i.e. that homosexuality is not a sin, even though the word of God clearly condemns it.

11) 4:9-15 Come to me in Rome as soon as possible, before winter (4:21), bringing Mark, my overcoat, and books. We don’t know if Timothy made it to see Paul before he was beheaded in 67 AD. Only Luke is with Paul in this 2nd Roman imprisonment, others having deserted him or gone on to do evangelistic work (like Titus to Dalmatia).

12) 4:19-21 Greet Aquila and Priscilla and Onesiphorus. Aquila and Priscilla had made tents with Paul in Corinth before moving to Ephesus, and had a housechurch in Ephesus when Paul wrote 2 Timothy. Onesiphorus is only mentioned twice in the NT (here and 2 Timothy 1:16). He had served Paul during the 3 years Paul spent in Ephesus on his 3rd missionary journey. He had come to Paul in his 2nd Roman imprisonment and helped Paul. So Paul ends 2 Timothy with “tell everyone hello; give them my love.”

In closing, let’s notice Paul’s “mood and state of mind” during this 2nd imprisonment. He was fully expecting to die soon. 4:⁶For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” He is disappointed at those who forsook him and left him, no doubt fearing they would be imprisoned. 1:¹⁵You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.” 4: ¹⁰for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” 4:¹⁶At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.” But he is not “doom and gloom”. 1:¹²For this reason I also suffer these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to protect what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” 4:⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; ⁸in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 4:¹⁷But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Will you be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” when your death is imminent? Will you be fully confident that the Lord will reward you with eternal life in the heavenly kingdom? Paul is such a great example for us to follow. He said in Philippians 1 that he preferred to die even during his first imprisonment in Rome (Acts 27, 28) but that he thought that the Lord wanted him to live and preach longer, and he was indeed released. “For me to die is gain, but to live is Christ”, he said. But now in 2 Timothy, he is ready to go. After reading what all Paul suffered since becoming a believer in Jesus, you can see why he was ready to go. 2 Corinthians 12: in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. ²⁴Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. ²⁶I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; ²⁷I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. ²⁸Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. ²⁹Who is weak without my being weak? Who is ^[k]led into sin without my intense concern?” Paul was probably about 30 years old when he was converted (Acts 9) and about 60 years old when he died. Paul had 30 long, tough years as the apostle to the Gentiles! He sufferred much and often. He gave his life for Jesus, martyred in Rome by Nero.

I’m glad Paul wrote this last letter to Timothy before he died. There is so much in it for us today!

PAUL’S LAST LETTER: 2 TIMOTHY (PT 1)

On January 17, 2025 By nrfaughtLeave a comment

Acts 27,28: Paul is in a Roman prison when he wrote the “prison epistles” (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon). Actually, more like “house arrest” in his own quarters with a guard for 2 years. He had appealed to have his trial before Caesar and apparently was wating for that trial. We don’t have any follow up on that trial, but we think that he was released after the 2 years and made another missionary journey.

Here is a great map from thebiblejourney.org tracing of his last missonary journey after he was released.

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“Paul commissioned Titus to be the leader of the local church while in Crete (which Paul had visited only briefly before, en route to Rome – see Titus 1:5 & Acts 27:8-9). He visited Miletus (and left Trophimus there because he was ill – see 2 Timothy 4:20) and then left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (see 1 Timothy 1:3) (see 2 on Map 28). He may have visited Colossae (see Philemon 1:22) before he continued to Troas (where he left his coat with Carpus – see 2 Timothy 4:13) (see 3 on Map 28).

Paul then went on to Philippi in Macedonia (see 1 Timothy 1:3) where he wrote his First Letter to Timothy and his Letter to Titus between 63 and 66AD (see 4 on Map 28). He may have visited Ephesus again (see 1 Timothy 3:14 & 4:13) before travelling back via Corinth (see 2 Timothy 4:20) (see 5 on Map 28) and Nicopolis (see Titus 3:12) (see 6 on Map 28) to Rome (see 7 on Map 28) where he was imprisoned in the Mamertine Prison (see 2 Timothy 1:8,16-17 & 2:9). From Rome he wrote his Second Letter to Timothy shortly before he was beheaded (as he was a Roman citizen) in c.67AD during the intense persecution of Jews and Christians by Nero (see 2 Timothy 4:6).

Paul may also have visited Spain at some time between 63 and 67AD (see Romans 15:24 & 28) but we have no Biblical evidence of such a visit.”

I encourage you to take time right now to read 2 Timothy (12 minutes reading time). As you read it, think about the mood that Paul was in during his last months in prison in Rome before he was beheaded. It says a lot that he would write his last letter to Timothy, “my beloved child” (2 Timothy 1:2; 2:1), his “child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). If you knew your death was imminent and that you could write one last letter, who would you write it to? I would probably write it to my surviving family, but Paul had no surviving family that we know of. His family was his church family. His brothers and sisters were those who worked with him preaching the gospel to the Roman Empire. You can just feel the emotion as he thinks about his time with Timothy: 2 Timothy 1:³I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. ⁴As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. ⁵I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” He hoped that Timothy could come to him soon: 2 Timothy 4:⁹Do your best to come to me soon.” We don’t know if Timothy made it to see Paul before he died.

Paul had a lot of instructions for Timothy.

1) 1: 6 “Kindle afresh (anazópureó: To rekindle, to stir up, to fan into flame) his gift (i.e. his evangelistic miraculous gift, Ephesian 4:11). The ESV translates it “fan the flame”. That’s not to say that Timothy’s zeal had begun to waver. It is just a reminder to constantly keep that zeal blazing, just like you stoke a fire constantly to keep the fire bright and burning.

2) 1:8 Don’t be ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment. Some of Paul’s enemies might try to make Timothy be ashamed of Paul being in prison as a condemned criminal worthy of death. Especially Jewish unbelievers might say that Pauls’ death proved that he was just another misled false teacher of this false sect called Christianity. After all, his imprisonment was at the time that the Jewish rebels were rebelling against Rome, trying to convince all Jews that victory over Rome was imminent.

3) 2:1-7 Be strong, suffering hardship as a good soldier, a competitive athlete, and a hard working farmer. Those are 3 down to earth examples to show Timothy how to handle his suffering.

4) 2:2 Entrust the gospel to faithful men who would then be able to teach others. An evangelist must train others to carry on the work. This verse was our “mission statement” when we went to Trinidad to do 3 years of mission work. There were already hundreds of baptized believers in Trinidad due to evangelistic campaigns and several churches already established (we worked mainly with two of them in the south). We baptized several more and established 3 new congregations while there. But our main focus was identifying and training their leaders to carry on the work after we left. We had a “Saturday school” where we taught many of the church leaders the same Bible courses that we had studied in our 2 years in a school of preaching in West Monroe, La. Apparently that worked b/c those leaders carried on the work in the churches for the next 50 years without depending on U.S. money to pay preachers there! I recently talked to several of those leaders via WhatsApp. That was very encouraging to me. Those leaders also continued to train other men. A son of one of those leaders worked with some of the new congregations and did mission work over in Guyana, South America. Paul wanted Timothy to do the same training of leaders, and I’m sure that he did.

5) 2:14-19 Remind those faithful men (and all believers) to “accurately handle the word of truth”. Avoid disputes over words, worldly and empty chatter. Especially avoid heretical teachings like that of 2 men who were saying that the resurrection had already taken place. Paul had said that “there is about to be (mello, which always means “about to” in the NT) a resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous (Acts 24:15). That would be the resurrection of Daniel 12:2 which would occur at the end of the Jewish Age in 70 AD. The OT dead in hades would be raised to receive their final sentencing in 70 AD. Paul wrote 2 Timothy in 67 AD, so that resurrection had not taken place yet. We don’t know exactly what arguments were used by those 2 men to say the resurrection had already happened. It is interesting that Paul did not just say, “it is obvious that the resurrection has not happened yet b/c no one has seen bodies coming out of the tombs”. Apparently, the resurrection as Paul taught it was not a bodily resurrection as many teach or else Paul could have said that and used that argument against them. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul taught that the resurrection would be changing to immortal spiritual bodies, not physical bodies raised. He even told them in 15:⁵⁰I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” He told them that some of those he was writing to would still be alive at the resurrection that was “about to happen” (Acts 24:15). But dead or alive, the believers would be given immortal, spiritual bodies at that resurrection. Either Paul is a false prophet predicting this to happen in their lifetime or else it did happen, and it did. Yes, that means that I am saying that, based on Paul’s writing, the resurrection “has already happened” at 70 AD. You might say I am a heretic for teaching that just like those 2 men. But the difference is when those 2 men made that statement and when I am making that claim (which is today, long after 70 AD). Food for thought!

6) 2:22-26 Flee youthful lusts and purse righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Don’t be quarrelsome in trying to correct those teaching error. Many who try to “defend the faith” end up being very argumentative, thinking their opinion on doctrine is the only correct one. That leads to sectarianism. The church I was raised in taught a lot of truths but also became very argumentative about minor doctrines, condemning those who disagreed.

THE “NONES” (NOT THE “NUNS”): A BIG THANK YOU TO ACC IN AUBURN, AL.

On January 16, 2025 By nrfaughtLeave a comment

According to the new set of data, 28% of Americans classify themselves as “nones” (atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular”) when asked about their religion. So that is 3 out of every 10 Americans classify themselves as “nones” in religion. I always blame the millennials, but they are a big part of the “nones”.
According to pewforum.com, only 50 percent of Millennial ages 18-29 are certain they believe in God. Then there is Gen Z: Eighteen percent of Gen Z affirmatively identify as either atheist (9 percent) or agnostic (9 percent). In contrast, fewer than one in 10 (9 percent) baby boomers and 4 percent of the silent generation identifies as atheist or agnostic.”

Breaking the “nones” (which includes all Americans) down further:

Our survey (pewresearch.org) data shows:

Most “nones” believe in God or another higher power. But very few go to religious services regularly.
Most say religion does some harm, but many also think it does some good. They are not uniformly anti-religious.
Most “nones” reject the idea that science can explain everything. But they express more positive views of science than religiously affiliated Americans do.

So, according to pew, “most” still believe in God or a higher power, so that is good. Most likely they accept that higher power could be the god of many different world religions like Buddhism, Hindusim, Islam, etc., so they might not believe in Yahweh of the Bible as the one true God. They are not necessarily “anti-religous”, but they certainly have little interest in “going to church” and being a member of a certain religion. They might be more likely to not believe the Biblical account of creation. They might not believe that the Bible is the actual word of God, our authority for all matters today. They might reject the apostle Paul’s denouncing of homosexuality, saying that is just his homophobic opinion not binding of Christians today. So even the “nones” who stlll believe in God don’t necessarily believe that the Bible is the authoritative word of God for us today. Many feel that they can determine what sin is without going by the Bible, which is why so many are following the LGBQT movement, even among Christians.

One comment said that there is little evidence that the “none” will ever start going back to church attendees. That is probably true. But we can rejoice that many of the Gen Z (maybe not the “nones” among the Gen Z) are turning to God and a belief in the word of God. My granddaughter goes to Auburn (to my dismay, “Roll Tide), and she and many of her friends attend ACC (Auburn Community Church). I looked up their website to read their beliefs. ACC believes the bible is the “verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God–breathed.” ACC “believes God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe, the one true Holy God”. ACC “believes Jesus Christ is completely human but, at the same time, completely God. He is the only plan for bringing people who are far from God back into a right relationship with God. He lived a perfect life, so that He could be a substitution for us in satisfying God’s demands for perfection. He defeated death in His resurrection so that we could have life.” ACC “believes that the church, which is the body and bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born–again persons. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. We believe in the autonomy of the local churches, free of any external authority and control. We recognize believer’s baptism and the Lord’s supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church.” ACC ” believes that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.” They believe that people “will exist either eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation.” ACC “believes the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior, and effects regeneration.” ACC “believes marriage as a simple yet profound covenant: one man and one woman, committing to each other for a lifetime. It’s a unique, God-ordained covenant that grows and sustains, reflecting the deep, enduring love Christ has for his Church. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. In God’s wisdom, men and women are not simply interchangeable, but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways.”

I’m pretty sure they don’t mind me quoting from their statement of faith on their website! ACC is what we call a “fundamentalist” church. From AI: “A fundamentalist church is a church that adheres to the beliefs of Christian fundamentalism, a conservative Protestant movement that emphasizes the literal truth of the Bible. The Bible is literal and inerrant. They believe in the Virgin Birth, Resurrection, and Atonement of Jesus Christ. Christian fundamentalism began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a reaction to theological liberalism and cultural modernism . The movement was fueled by opposition to the teaching of evolution and biblical criticism. Fundamentalists are almost always described as upholding beliefs in biblical infallibility and biblical inerrancy, in keeping with traditional Christian doctrines concerning biblical interpretation, the role of Jesus in the Bible, and the role of the church in society.”

I am so thankful that ACC is helping ground Auburn students in their faith in Biblical truth. I probably would not agree with their beliefs on a lot of issues, but I totally agree with their statement of faith in the basics. So then I go to school where I teach and one of our teachers is struggling over her church going with the LGBQT split in the Methodist church. She feels betrayed by her church’s liberal views. Many others are caught in that same drama. I am thankful that the ACC pastor came to Auburn to establish this church 10 years ago. He would truly be like the apostle Paul who did not want to build on the foundation others had laid, but instead establish churches where needed. This is alarming: “Barna Research estimates that 70% of high school students who identify as Christian will lose their faith or have little to no faith after entering college. They also project that 80% of people raised in the church will be “disengaged” from their faith by age 29.” “When a young adult goes to college for the first time they are saying goodbye to friends, family and their faith. According to the Barna Group, roughly 70% of high school students who enter college as professing Christians, will leave with little to no faith.” That makes you really think about where to send your child to college. Maybe you should seriously look at conservative Christian colleges so that your child will be mentored by sincere Christian teachers and wll be taught that the Bible is the word of God. That doesn’t guarantee that they will not lose their faith even while attending a Christian college, but it surely increases the odds of them not losing their faith.

So, a big thank you and praise God for ACC! I am so thankful that my granddaughter has ACC to attend and be an active part of. It is the closest thing you can get to having a “Christian college culture” in a public college. It is taking that culture to a public college instead of isolating that culture in a private Christian college. No doubt ACC will convert and ground students who might never have become Christians and who certainly would never attend a Christian college.

IT ONLY LEAKS WHEN IT’S RAINING

On January 10, 2025 By nrfaughtLeave a comment

Ok, I got over my “You had a bad day” (see the article) and moving on. I found the two plumbing leaks: one around the base of a commode and the other in the copper pipe between the hot and cold taps on our whirlpool tub. Fortunately, they only leak when you use them. So I told my wife that the solution was “just never use that commode or take a bath in the master bedroom tub. Good, cheap solution, yes? It’s like a roof that leaks. It only leaks when it’s raining, so you don’t pay much attention to it until it is raining. So you don’t worry about fixing it until it’s raining, and you can’t fix it when it’s raining. So, when the rain quits, you forget about fixing it.

Is that the way you solve problems in life? You have a conflict with someone that only reignites when you get together at some family get together. So you suffer through that event, wishing you could reconcile with that person. But then you go home after the get together, and the conflict doesn’t show up again (it is still there though) until the next get together, and the same cycle repeats itself. You know that the conflict needs to be addressed, but you don’t have the courage or faith or wisdom to address it with the person. That’s no way to handle conflict resolution.

Can you think of similar problems that you put off trying to solve? I thought of James 1 when I wrote this. James 1:²Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

The Holy Spirit has given us the wisdom of God to handle any and all trials or problems. That doesn’t necessarily mean the removal of the trial or problem (though it might), but the wisdom to make it through the trial or problem and to find the good that God can bring from that trial or problem. Remember Romans 8:²⁸And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Paul said, Philippians 4:¹²I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” God did not remove Paul’s problems. He left him with his “thorn in the flesh”. 2 Corinthians 12: ⁷So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹But 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” He endured suffering and persecution as a Christian until his death which ended with him being beheaded. But God gave him the wisdom and strength to make it through all his trials, using them to the glory of God. So he was content with his trials and problems b/c they helped him trust in God’s power.

I am very impatient. I want a solution to problems immediately. I google a solution on my own and rush into trying to solve the problems on my own without consulting God and asking for wisdom (James 1:5). I remember problems David faced. Here is a great article by Maurice Bassali: https://tafj.org/2012/01/06/davids-nine-inquiries-of-the-lord/ He discusses the 9 times where it explicity says that David “inquired of the Lord” and asked the Lord what to do when faced with a danger during the 10 years in the wilderness that he fled from King Saul. For example, he “inquired of the Lord” if he (David) should take his men and resure the city of Keilah from the Philistine attack. The Lord told to go rescue them and that he would be successful. But after rescuing them, Saul found out that David was in the city of Keilah and Saul was coming to get the men of Keilah to surrender David so he could kill him. So David “inquired of” the Lord and asked him if the men of Keilah would be loyal to David and not surrender him to Saul or would they give him over to Saul. God told David that they would give him over to Saul, so David left Keilah and was spared. That’s just two of the 9 instances where David “inquired of the Lord” for how to handle problems. Don’t ask me how God gives us wisdom and answers to problems, but I believe he does. But we must ask, and we must ask in faith.

But at other times it seems as if David’s problems got worse when he did not “inquire of the Lord” for how to deal with them. 1 Chronicles 21 is one example. God was about to allow Satan to bring some punishment on Israel b/c of their sins. David did not inquire of the Lord on what to do. Instead, he panicked and told Joab to number the fighting men of Israel. Apparently David expected an enemy was about to come attack Israel as had happened many times in the past, and he wanted to know his military strength to ward off such an attack. Joab advised him against that, but did what David ordered. But then God punished David for trusting in his military strength and not inquiring of the Lord on how he should handle the crisis. God then gave him 3 choices for his punishment.

David got quite desperate at times and didn’t always inquire of the Lord when facing danger. One time he faked being mad in order to get the king of Philisia to not kill him but to allow him to live safely in Philistia. That led to David going out to kill many Canaanites and yet lying about that to the kind, telling the king that he had been killing Israelites. That let to the king wanting David to be his right hand man in attacking Israelites. I don’t know what David would have done if the Philistine commanders had not objected to David going with them to fight Israelites which caused the king to take David out of the attack. David did not inquire of the Lord in these situations and look what it led to.

So, my recommendation. Write down all the trials and problems that you are currently facing, short term and long term. Ask God for how to handle those. Be specific. Then do your research and see if you can find God’s wisdom on what to do. Trust that He will in some way give you a specific answer to each problem. Consult with others whom God might use to help you find solutions. Then act on God’s answers and trust him that He will work with you no matter what happens. He might not remove the trial or problem, but He will help you handle it and gain something good from it.

Nicky's Notes

Tag: faith

KING JEHOSHAPHAT: THE RIGHTEOUS KING WHO DIDN’T SAY “NO” TO AHAB

CONCIDENCES: CASTLE

KING ASA OF JUDAH: PRIDE GOETH BEFORE A FALL

AT LEAST KING JOSIAH TRIED!

THE INAUGURATION OF JESUS AS KING OF KINGS

WE SAW THEE NOT

PAUL’S LAST LETTER: 2 TIMOTHY (PT 2)

PAUL’S LAST LETTER: 2 TIMOTHY (PT 1)

THE “NONES” (NOT THE “NUNS”): A BIG THANK YOU TO ACC IN AUBURN, AL.

IT ONLY LEAKS WHEN IT’S RAINING