Podcasts about Ahab

We continue in our timeline of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah today. Remember that King Ahab has died, but at this point Elijah is still alive. Ahab's son Ahaziah is now on the throne, but he won't outlive the Lord's prophecy against Ahab which says that his family line would come to an end in the next generation. King Jehoshaphat continues to reign in Judah and partner with the kings of Israel, pointing each king to consult the Lord through his prophets. And speaking of the prophets, in today's episode Elijah passes his mantle to Elisha who receives a double portion of Elijah's spirit.2 Kings 1 - 1:13 . 2 Kings 2 - 5:45 . 2 Kings 3 - 12:21 . 2 Kings 4 - 18:26 . Psalm 98 - 27:28 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

As Jehu continues to kill the descendants of Ahab, he shows zeal for the task that the LORD has assigned, but his zeal also leads him to act in evil and underhanded ways that go beyond what the LORD has assigned. Jehu shrewdly brings an end to the priests and worshipers of Baal in the northern kingdom, but as he reigns in Israel, he never turns from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Because Jehu does accomplish some positive things in Israel, the LORD grants the family of Jehu to reign for four generations.  Rev. William Terjesen, pastor at Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer in Peekskill, NY, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 2 Kings 10:1-36.  To learn more about Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, visit www.ourredeemerlcms.org. "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

In this Bible Story, Elijah puts the God of the universe on display against the false Gods of Baal. 450 prophets of Baal and King Ahab gathered to challenge Elijah and the One True God. In front of the whole nation, God sent fire and rain down from the skies to prove his power and might. The blighted and unfertile land finally received rain. This story is inspired by 1 Kings 18. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 1 Kings 18:39 from the King James Version.Episode 123: For three years the famine in Israel continued and King Ahab was desperate to find Elijah. One day, when his servant Obediah was out searching for water, Elijah appeared to him. Elijah tells him to send for the king and challenges king Ahab to bring all of his “prophets” of Baal and Asherah for a showdown on Mount Carmel.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elisha continues to complete the ministry of Elijah by causing Jehu to be anointed as the next king of Israel. Jehu initially shows some humility as he begins to come into power in the land of Israel, and even bears some resemblance to David and other good kings in David's line. Jehu begins to fulfill the LORD's Word against the house of Ahab by killing Joram the king of Israel, Ahaziah the king of Judah, and Jezebel the widow of Ahab.  Rev. Phillip Fischaber, pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Walnut, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 2 Kings 9:1-37.  To learn more about Holy Trinity, visit www.htlcwalnut.org. "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Friday Bible Study (6/13/25) // 2 Kings 21 // Visit our website: https://mbchicago.org Follow us to remain connected: Facebook:   / mbc.chicago   Instagram:   / mbc.chicago   TikTok:   / mbc.chicago   Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & others To support this ministry, you can donate via: Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Website: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch DAF Donations: https://every.org/mbc.chicago PayPal: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but... 2 Kings 21 (ESV)Manasseh Reigns in Judah21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 And he burned his son as an offering[a] and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 8 And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them.” 9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.Manasseh's Idolatry Denounced10 And the Lord said by his servants the prophets, 11 “Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations and has done things more evil than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, 12 therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster[b] that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria, and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, 15 because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.”16 Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.17 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did, and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 18 And Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son reigned in his place.Footnotesa. 2 Kings 21:6 Hebrew made his son pass through the fireb. 2 Kings 21:12 Or evil#mbchicago #2kings #BibleStudy #DanielBatarseh #mbchicago #mbcchicago #Bible #livechurch #churchlive #chicagochurch #chicagochurches #versebyverse #church #chicago #sermon #bibleexplained #bibleproject #bibleverse #bookbybook #oldtestament #explained

Elisha cared for the Shunammite woman after he raised her son from the dead by warning her to sojourn elsewhere during a famine. When she returned, the king of Israel showed that he was not entirely faithless by returning her family land. Elisha began to fulfill the ministry of Elijah by telling Hazael that he would be king in Syria, and God brought that word to fulfillment. In those days, the line of David intermarried with the line of Ahab, leading to trouble in the kingdom of Judah.  Rev. James Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ottumwa, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 2 Kings 8:1-29.  To learn more about Trinity, visit www.trinitylutheranottumwa.com. "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

In our last episode, Ahab struck a deal with Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram instead of destroying him, but because the Lord had set him apart for destruction, an unnamed prophet pronounces judgment on Ahab. Some time passes, and Ahab sets his sights on a field that belongs to another man. After he refuses to sell it, Ahab pouts in his room until Jezebel hatches a scheme to murder him and take his land. Elijah appears to prophecy his demise, and remarkably, Ahab responds with humility. Later, the prophet Micaiah shares a vision of the Lord's throne room where God permits a lying spirit to bring about Ahab's demise. 1 Kings 21 – 1:07 . 1 Kings 22 – 7:42 . Psalm 95 – 18:41 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

After experiencing the power and authority of the God of Israel on top of Mount Carmel, where fire fell from heaven to consume Elijah's sacrifice, the prophet runs to Jezreel ahead of King Ahab. Upon hearing Jezebel's threats to execute him, Elijah then flees in despair to a distant mountaintop. Later, King Ahab of Israel goes to battle with Ben-Hadad of Aram. The Lord sends an unnamed prophet to alert Ahab that the Lord will win the battle for Israel so that Ahab will know that He alone is God over the whole earth. Then, when Ahab disobeys the Lord's command and spares Ben-Hadad instead of destroying him, the Lord sends another unnamed prophet to pronounce judgment.1 Kings 19 – 1:09 . 1 Kings 20 – 6:35 . Psalm 94 – 18:23 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Ahab was haunted by his own greed. Ahab was haunted by his own disobedience of God. Ahab was haunted by his own guilt and shame. In a way, Ahab was haunted by Elijah... because Ahab couldn't seem to get away from Elijah. Elijah was a reminder of the drought. Elijah was a reminder of the showdown on Mt Carmel. Elijah was a reminder of the power of God. This episode reminds us that whatever we sow, that we will also reap . It is also a reminder that since we cannot cover up our sin, we should confess it and forsake it.

1 Kings 21Naboth's Vineyard21 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”3 But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.”4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?”6 He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.'”7 Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him. 9 In those letters she wrote:“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”11 So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 13 Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth's vineyard.

Catalyst Church of Carrollton 6/8/25 - ”The Power of Perspective” Going Back to Sunday School “Then Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go now and have some food to eat. Go quickly, because there is the sound of heavy rain that is coming.' So Ahab went away to eat and to drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. He bent low down towards the ground. He put his face between his knees. Elijah said to his servant, ‘Go up and look towards the sea.' So his servant did that. He said to Elijah, ‘There is nothing to see there.' Elijah told his servant seven times, ‘Go back and look again.' The seventh time, the servant said, ‘I can see a small cloud above the sea that is coming this way. It is only as big as a man's hand.' So Elijah said, ‘Go and tell Ahab, “Prepare your chariot now! Go back down quickly before the rain stops you.” ' As Elijah said this, the sky became very dark with black clouds. The wind started to blow and there was a heavy storm of rain. King Ahab rode away towards Jezreel. Then the Lord gave Elijah special power. Elijah tied his robe into his belt and he ran all the way to Jezreel. Ahab followed him.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭41‬-‭46‬ ‭EASY‬‬ Desperate people live desperate lives, make desperate decisions, and stay in desperate circumstances because they have desperate perspectives.

AHAB OBVIOUSLY didn't wear the pants in his family. This week, we discuss the episode of Naboth's vineyard. Ahab pouted because Naboth refused to sell it to the king. Jezebel solved that problem by writing an order using Ahab's royal seal—an early example of the autopen?—falsely accusing Naboth of cursing God and Ahab (an early example of lawfare!). For this sin, Elijah was told by God to let Ahab know that his days were numbered and that his dynasty would end with his son. 1 Kings 22 gives us an example of the divine council in action: “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; 20 and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.' 22 And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?' And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.' (1 Kings 22:19–22, ESV) It goes without saying that God knew how this would play out. And He certainly didn't need the help of this unnamed spirit to carry out His will. God created the divine council for the same reason He created you and us: He desires family. NOTE: We will be at the Mysteries of the BibleVerse conference in Indianapolis next weekend. If you are in the area, please consider joining us, Carl Gallups, Micah Van Huss, and others for a gathering based on things your Sunday School teacher didn't talk about. Registration at MarginalMysteries.com. And there will be a live stream! Register for streaming video at faithnettv.lightcast.com. Here's the link to the excellent brace Derek wears to correct drop foot. Sharon's niece, Sarah Sachleben, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. Our new book The Gates of Hell is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! Derek's new book Destination: Earth, co-authored with Donna Howell and Allie Anderson, is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! If you are looking for a text of the Book of 1 Enoch to follow our monthly study, you can try these sources: Parallel translations by R. H. Charles (1917) and Richard Laurence (1821)Modern English translation by George W. E. Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (link to book at Amazon)Book of 1 Enoch - Standard English Version by Dr. Jay Winter (link opens free PDF) Book of 1 Enoch - R. H. Charles translation (link opens free PDF) The SkyWatchTV store has a special offer on Dr. Michael Heiser's two-volume set A Companion to the Book of Enoch. Get both books, the R. H. Charles translation of 1 Enoch, and a DVD interview with Mike and Steven Bancarz for a donation of $35 plus shipping and handling. Link: https://bit.ly/heiser-enoch Follow us!• X: @gilberthouse_tv | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert• Telegram: t.me/gilberthouse | t.me/sharonsroom | t.me/viewfromthebunker• YouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelation• Facebook.com/GilbertHouseFellowship JOIN US AND SPECIAL GUEST CARL TEICHRIB IN ISRAEL! Our next tour of Israel is October 19–30, 2025 with an optional three-day extension to Jordan. For more information and to reserve your place, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel. Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! We truly appreciate your support. If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at www.gilberthouse.org/app/. Video on demand of our best teachings! Stream presentations and teachings based on our research at our new video on demand site! Gilbert House T-shirts and mugs! New to our store is a line of GHTV and Redwing Saga merch! Check it out at GilbertHouse.org/store! Think better, feel better! Our partners at Simply Clean Foods offer freeze-dried, 100% GMO-free food and delicious, vacuum-packed fair trade coffee from Honduras. Find out more at GilbertHouse.org/store. Our favorite Bible study tools! Check the links in the right-hand column at www.GilbertHouse.org.

En el programa de hoy, Fernando Villegas dedica su reflexión dominical a la novela Moby Dick de Herman Melville, considerándola una de las obras más extraordinarias de la literatura universal. Comenta la vida del autor, su incomprensión en vida y el carácter monumental de la obra, que mezcla narrativa, filosofía, religión, teatro y descripciones técnicas de la caza de ballenas. Villegas explora el simbolismo de la ballena blanca y la obsesión del capitán Ahab, relacionándolos con la soberbia humana y las consecuencias de perseguir fines absolutos. También aborda las interpretaciones críticas de la obra, su influencia en otros autores como Borges, y la dificultad de adaptarla exitosamente al cine. Hacia el final, recomienda el libro Los reemplazantes de Renato Garín como una mirada lúcida y crítica a la generación política que hoy ocupa el poder en Chile. Para acceder al programa sin interrupción de comerciales, suscríbete a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/elvillegas Segundo paso: Temas principales y sus minutos 00:00:00 - Herman Melville y su vida 00:05:00 - Obsesión del capitán Ahab 00:12:00 - Significados de la ballena blanca 00:17:00 - Influencia de Moby Dick 00:18:30 - Recomendación: Los reemplazantes de Garín

AHAB OBVIOUSLY didn't wear the pants in his family. This week, we discuss the episode of Naboth's vineyard. Ahab pouted because Naboth refused to sell it to the king. Jezebel solved that problem by writing an order using Ahab's royal seal—an early example of the autopen?—falsely accusing Naboth of cursing God and Ahab (an early example of lawfare!). For this sin, Elijah was told by God to let Ahab know that his days were numbered and that his dynasty would end with his son. 1 Kings 22 gives us an example of the divine council in action: “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; 20 and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.' 22 And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?' And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.' (1 Kings 22:19–22, ESV) It goes without saying that God knew how this would play out. And He certainly didn't need the help of this unnamed spirit to carry out His will. God created the divine council for the same reason He created you and us: He desires family.NOTE: We will be at the Mysteries of the BibleVerse conference in Indianapolis next weekend. If you are in the area, please consider joining us, Carl Gallups, Micah Van Huss, and others for a gathering based on things your Sunday School teacher didn't talk about. Registration at MarginalMysteries.com.And there will be a live stream! Register for streaming video at faithnettv.lightcast.com.

Jehoshaphat was a faithful king in the land of Judah. In contrast to the kings of Israel with whom he allied, Jehoshaphat rightly repented when confronted by the word of the LORD's prophets. Meanwhile in the land of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Ahab only continued in the sins of Jeroboam, Ahab, and Jezebel. When Ahaziah fell and became sick, he chose to consult the idol of Ekron instead of the only true God. The LORD gave Elijah the word of judgment to speak to Ahaziah, who attempted to send his soldiers to bring Elijah by force. Only the captain who came in humility before the LORD's prophet had his life spared, and the LORD brought death upon unfaithful Ahaziah, just as Elijah had spoken.  Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church and School in Roswell, NM, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Kings 22:41-2 Kings 1:18.  To learn more about Immanuel Lutheran, visit www.immanuelroswell.org. "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Welcome to Day 2646 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “Believing the Bible”– Supernatural Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2646 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2646 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we begin a new focus on the 1st of 16 segments of our Theology Thursday lessons. I will read through the book Supernatural, written by Hebrew Bible scholar, professor, and mentor, the late Dr. Michael S Heiser. Supernatural is a condensed version of his comprehensive book ‘The Unseen Realm.' If these readings pique your interest, I would recommend that you read ‘The Unseen Realm.' Today, we will read through chapter one, ‘Believing the Bible.' Do you really believe what the Bible says? To some, that may seem like an odd question to ask in a book likely to be read mostly by Christians. But I don't think it's so odd. The Bible has some pretty strange things in it—things that are hard to believe, especially in the modern world. I'm not talking about the big stuff, such as whether Jesus was God come to earth, who then died on the cross and rose from the dead. I'm not even thinking of miracle stories like the exodus, when God rescued Israel from Egypt by making a way for them through the Red Sea. Most Christians would say they believe those things. After all, if you don't believe in God and Jesus, or that they could do miraculous things, what's the point of saying you're a Christian? I'm talking about the little-known supernatural stuff you run into occasionally when reading the Bible, but rarely hear about in church. Here's an example. In 1 Kings 22, there's a story about a wicked king of Israel, Ahab. He wants to join forces with the king of Judah to attack an enemy at a place called Ramoth-gilead. Judah's king wants a glimpse into the future—he wants to know what's going to happen if they attack. So the two kings ask Ahab's prophets and get thumbs up all around. But those prophets are just telling Ahab what he wants to hear, and both kings know it. So they decide to ask God's prophet, a fellow named Micaiah. What he says isn't good news for Ahab: Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; and the Lord said, “Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?” And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, “I will entice him.” And the Lord said to him, “By what means?” And he said, “I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” And he said, “You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.” Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you. (1 Kings 22:19–23) Did you catch what the Bible's asking you to believe? That God meets with a group of spirit beings to decide what happens on earth? Is that for real? Here's another example, courtesy of Jude: And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day....

Ahab of Israel allies with Jehoshaphat of Judah in an effort to take Ramoth-gilead back from Syria. When Jehoshaphat asks to consult a prophet first, Ahab reluctantly sends for Micaiah, who never gives Ahab good news. Micaiah initially ridicules Ahab by pretending to agree with the false doctrine of the court prophets. When pressed, however, Micaiah faithfully tells Ahab that his death is coming soon, for the LORD is even working through the false prophets. Micaiah willingly goes to prison for his faithful preaching, and Ahab dies in battle against the Syrians, just as Micaiah had foretold.  Rev. Shawn Linnell, pastor at King of Glory Lutheran Church in Williamsburg, VA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Kings 22:1-40.  To learn more about King of Glory, visit www.kogva.org. "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

When Ahab desires to purchase the vineyard of Naboth to convert it into a vegetable garden, Naboth faithfully refuses to sell the inheritance God has given to his family. Ahab's pity party is rebuked by his wicked queen, Jezebel, who takes matters into her own hands. Although outwardly she puts together what seems to be a legal scenario, her ungodly scheming and covetousness costs Naboth his life. The LORD sees the sins of Jezebel and Ahab and sends Elijah to prophesy their family's destruction. Ahab rightly mourns, and the word of the LORD graciously responds that the destruction of Ahab's family will be delayed until the days of Ahab's son.  Rev. Tim Storck, pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Chesterfield, MI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Kings 21:1-29.  To learn more about Good Shepherd, visit www.facebook.com/GoodShepChesterfield. "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

When Ben-Hadad of Syria makes more and more demands of Ahab, Ahab takes the advice of his people and refuses to acquiesce anymore. As the battle is about to begin, the LORD sends a prophet to Ahab in order to grant even this unfaithful king a victory over Syria. When the Syrians interpret this loss according to their false religion, the LORD brings honor to His name by giving Israel yet another victory. Ahab, however, receives the grace of God in vain and makes a treaty with Ben-Hadad. In response, the LORD sends a prophet to Ahab to tell him that his life is forfeit for his disobedience.  Rev. Matt Wietfeldt, Assistant Vice President of Admissions and Director of the Christ Academy Program at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Kings 20:1-43.  "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!In 1 Kings 20, an unnamed prophet tells King Ahab that he, the prophet, had been required to guard a captive from the battle, but that he was busy here and there and the prisoner wound up escaping. Ahab saw that as a dereliction of duty, which of course made the prophet's point. Ahab's duty had been to defeat Israel's enemies, not make alliances with them. Scott and I use this story to discuss how the busyness of life causes us to neglect important matters to our own destruction. Check out Scott's work at www.biblegrad.comListen to Scott's podcast, Love Better, at https://lovebetter.buzzsprout.com/Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.

As we have touched on many things that the devil can't do and hope this has been a blessing to you, my listener. I also hope that you pursue the Word of God even further and get deeper and more understanding of the scriptures than what I've shared with you. As the devil can't Make You lie, steal, he can't make you cheat, he can't make you lust after someone's wife, he can't make you commit adultery, he can't make you steal away from Jesus by breaking the Sabbath, he can't even make you desire or covet something that belongs to someone else. In essence he can't make you sin. All he can do is standby and observe your fleshy habits and he used those habits to find your weakness; one of his main avenues he uses to cause you to fall. That's how he enters in, that's how he controls you, that how he lead us into sin, and that's where he gets his power sin! Because once he gets in your mind...It's then he can cause you to be his murderer and adulterer, his liar, his thief, his hater etc.That's how he got Eve to commit the first sin by her lusting after what God had forbidden. Now it wouldn't be fair for me to stop right here and not go into the things that God can't do or will not do. So, stay tuned, you see in all my life I have believed this and maybe someone will prove me wrong one day. I have seen & believe that there is a standing order between Good and evil God & Satan. God will not force you to do good nor will the devil force you to do evil, man must choose to do it. Now there are some exceptions case in point remember Saul & Ahab. Saul inquired of a witch, God asked, who can we get to go down to cause Ahab to go to battle, we know what happened? Both had a lying spirit one like Samuel told Saul his fate and the spirit who came to God and said I'll go who fool Ahab to go to battle. Now check this out even though the lying spirits was subject to God, Saul nor Ahab didn't have to obey them! they made a choice. You get where I'm going with this Saul in: (1Samuel 28:7-25) Read it. Ahab: (1Kings 22:19-23) read it. Stay tuned.Contact: heavensprayerlink.com, we love to pray with you, God bless you.

IT SEEMS odd to us, looking back across more than 2,800 years of history, that Elijah would run from Jezebel right after seeing what God had done on Mount Carmel. Well, it's easy to criticize. It's likely none of us would have done better in Elijah's place. We discuss how he was ministered to by the Angel of the Lord, the preincarnate Christ, while on the way to Horeb (Mount Sinai), and how God revealed Himself to Elijah in a way that was less than spectacular—especially after sending winds that tore the mountain, an earthquake, and fire. In the same way, we often expect God to show Himself to us in earth-shattering ways and miss the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. But while it's easy to criticize Elijah, we have to point out that Ahab, who likewise saw the miracle on Mount Carmel and miraculous victories over the Aramean armies of Syria still failed to follow the Lord's command—a mistake that ultimately meant the end of his kingdom. Sharon's niece, Sarah Sachleben, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. Our new book The Gates of Hell is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! Derek's new book Destination: Earth, co-authored with Donna Howell and Allie Anderson, is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! If you are looking for a text of the Book of 1 Enoch to follow our monthly study, you can try these sources: Parallel translations by R. H. Charles (1917) and Richard Laurence (1821)Modern English translation by George W. E. Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (link to book at Amazon) Book of 1 Enoch - Standard English Version by Dr. Jay Winter (link opens free PDF)Book of 1 Enoch - R. H. Charles translation (link opens free PDF) The SkyWatchTV store has a special offer on Dr. Michael Heiser's two-volume set A Companion to the Book of Enoch. Get both books, the R. H. Charles translation of 1 Enoch, and a DVD interview with Mike and Steven Bancarz for a donation of $35 plus shipping and handling. Link: https://bit.ly/heiser-enoch Follow us!• X: @gilberthouse_tv | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert• Telegram: t.me/gilberthouse | t.me/sharonsroom | t.me/viewfromthebunker• YouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelation• Facebook.com/GilbertHouseFellowship JOIN US AND SPECIAL GUEST CARL TEICHRIB IN ISRAEL! Our next tour of Israel is October 19–30, 2025 with an optional three-day extension to Jordan. For more information and to reserve your place, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel. Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! We truly appreciate your support. If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at www.gilberthouse.org/app/. Video on demand of our best teachings! Stream presentations and teachings based on our research at our new video on demand site! Gilbert House T-shirts and mugs! New to our store is a line of GHTV and Redwing Saga merch! Check it out at GilbertHouse.org/store! Think better, feel better! Our partners at Simply Clean Foods offer freeze-dried, 100% GMO-free food and delicious, vacuum-packed fair trade coffee from Honduras. Find out more at GilbertHouse.org/store. Our favorite Bible study tools! Check the links in the right-hand column at www.GilbertHouse.org.

April 26, 2025 - Equipped 2025 - Day 3 - 9:00AM Session   Richard leads a bible study Isaiah 3, 13, 53 and other passages which point as what an effective shepherd would look like. From a foundation of believes to actions, Richard explains and provides examples of shepherds.   2 Kings 15-21 - Azariah Reigns in Judah 15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done, 4 except that the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 5 Then the Lord struck the king, so that he was a leper until the day of his death; so he dwelt in an isolated house. And Jotham the king's son was over the royal house, judging the people of the land. 6 Now the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 7 So Azariah rested with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jotham his son reigned in his place. Zechariah Reigns in Israel 8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. 9 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 10 Then Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and struck and killed him in front of the people; and he reigned in his place. 11 Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 12 This was the word of the Lord which He spoke to Jehu, saying, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it was. Shallum Reigns in Israel 13 Shallum the son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria. 14 For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, came to Samaria, and struck Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and killed him; and he reigned in his place. 15 Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and the conspiracy which he led, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 16 Then from Tirzah, Menahem attacked Tiphsah, all who were there, and its territory. Because they did not surrender, therefore he attacked it. All the women there who were with child he ripped open. Menahem Reigns in Israel 17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi became king over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria. 18 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 19 Pul king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his control. 20 And Menahem exacted the money from Israel, from all the very wealthy, from each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and did not stay there in the land. 21 Now the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 22 So Menahem rested with his fathers. Then Pekahiah his son reigned in his place. Pekahiah Reigns in Israel 23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. 24 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 25 Then Pekah the son of Remaliah, an officer of his, conspired against him and killed him in Samaria, in the citadel of the king's house, along with Argob and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of Gilead. He killed him and reigned in his place. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Pekah Reigns in Israel 27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years. 28 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea the son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and struck and killed him; so he reigned in his place in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 31 Now the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Jotham Reigns in Judah 32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 34 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 35 However the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. He built the Upper Gate of the house of the Lord. 36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 37 In those days the Lord began to send Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. 38 So Jotham rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. Then Ahaz his son reigned in his place. Ahaz Reigns in Judah 16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his father David had done. 3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel; indeed he made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel. 4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. 5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to make war; and they besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him. 6 At that time Rezin king of Syria captured Elath for Syria, and drove the men of Judah from Elath. Then the Edomites went to Elath, and dwell there to this day. 7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me.” 8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king's house, and sent it as a present to the king of Assyria. 9 So the king of Assyria heeded him; for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin. 10 Now King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the design of the altar and its pattern, according to all its workmanship. 11 Then Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus. So Urijah the priest made it before King Ahaz came back from Damascus. 12 And when the king came back from Damascus, the king saw the altar; and the king approached the altar and made offerings on it. 13 So he burned his burnt offering and his grain offering; and he poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. 14 He also brought the bronze altar which was before the Lord, from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the house of the Lord—and put it on the north side of the new altar. 15 Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “On the great new altar burn the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king's burnt sacrifice, and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their grain offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. And the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.” 16 Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that King Ahaz commanded. 17 And King Ahaz cut off the panels of the carts, and removed the lavers from them; and he took down the Sea from the bronze oxen that were under it, and put it on a pavement of stones. 18 Also he removed the Sabbath pavilion which they had built in the temple, and he removed the king's outer entrance from the house of the Lord, on account of the king of Assyria. 19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 20 So Ahaz rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Hezekiah his son reigned in his place. Hoshea Reigns in Israel 17 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his vassal, and paid him tribute money. 4 And the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison. Israel Carried Captive to Assyria 5 Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 7 For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods, 8 and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. 9 Also the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city. 10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. 11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the Lord had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger, 12 for they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13 Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.” 14 Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them. 16 So they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17 And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone. 19 Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. 20 And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight. 21 For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord, and made them commit a great sin. 22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them, 23 until the Lord removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day. Assyria Resettles Samaria 24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. 25 And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.” 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Send there one of the priests whom you brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the rituals of the God of the land.” 28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord. 29 However every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. 30 The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 So they feared the Lord, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. 33 They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away. 34 To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the Lord had commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel, 35 with whom the Lord had made a covenant and charged them, saying: “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; 36 but the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. 37 And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. 38 And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. 39 But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” 40 However they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals. 41 So these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children's children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day. Hezekiah Reigns in Judah 18 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. 6 For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. 7 The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 He subdued the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city. 9 Now it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. 10 And at the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away captive to Assyria, and put them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant and all that Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded; and they would neither hear nor do them. 13 And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 14 Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay.” And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. Sennacherib Boasts Against the Lord 17 Then the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh from Lachish, with a great army against Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they went and stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool, which was on the highway to the Fuller's Field. 18 And when they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them. 19 Then the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: “What confidence is this in which you trust? 20 You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? 21 Now look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,' is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem'?” ' 23 Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses—if you are able on your part to put riders on them! 24 How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 25 Have I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.' ” 26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 27 But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste with you?” 28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you from his hand; 30 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” ' 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make peace with me by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern; 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves and honey, that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” 33 Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim and Hena and Ivah? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?' ” 36 But the people held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, “Do not answer him.” 37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh. Isaiah Assures Deliverance 19 And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. 2 Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.' ” 5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6 And Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” ' ” Sennacherib's Threat and Hezekiah's Prayer 8 Then the Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish. 9 And the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Look, he has come out to make war with you.” So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 11 Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?' ” 14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: “O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. 17 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. 19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.” The Word of the Lord Concerning Sennacherib 20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard.' 21 This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him: ‘The virgin, the daughter of Zion, Has despised you, laughed you to scorn; The daughter of Jerusalem Has shaken her head behind your back! 22 ‘Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice, And lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel. 23 By your messengers you have reproached the Lord, And said: “By the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, To the limits of Lebanon; I will cut down its tall cedars And its choice cypress trees; I will enter the extremity of its borders, To its fruitful forest. 24 I have dug and drunk strange water, And with the soles of my feet I have dried up All the brooks of defense.” 25 ‘Did you not hear long ago How I made it, From ancient times that I formed it? Now I have brought it to pass, That you should be For crushing fortified cities into heaps of ruins. 26 Therefore their inhabitants had little power; They were dismayed and confounded; They were as the grass of the field And the green herb, As the grass on the housetops And grain blighted before it is grown. 27 ‘But I know your dwelling place, Your going out and your coming in, And your rage against Me. 28 Because your rage against Me and your tumult Have come up to My ears, Therefore I will put My hook in your nose And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back By the way which you came. 29 ‘This shall be a sign to you: ‘You shall eat this year such as grows of itself, And in the second year what springs from the same; Also in the third year sow and reap, Plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. 30 And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah Shall again take root downward, And bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, And those who escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.' 32 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shield, Nor build a siege mound against it. 33 By the way that he came, By the same shall he return; And he shall not come into this city,' Says the Lord. 34 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David's sake.' ” Sennacherib's Defeat and Death 35 And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. 37 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place. Hezekiah's Life Extended 20 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.' ” 2 Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying, 3 “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 5 “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. 6 And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.” ' ” 7 Then Isaiah said, “Take a lump of figs.” So they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. 8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What is the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord the third day?” 9 Then Isaiah said, “This is the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing which He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees?” 10 And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; no, but let the shadow go backward ten degrees.” 11 So Isaiah the prophet cried out to the Lord, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz. The Babylonian Envoys 12 At that time Berodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13 And Hezekiah was attentive to them, and showed them all the house of his treasures—the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory—all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. 14 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?” So Hezekiah said, “They came from a far country, from Babylon.” 15 And he said, “What have they seen in your house?” So Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.” 16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: 17 ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the Lord. 18 ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.' ” 19 So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good!” For he said, “Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days?” Death of Hezekiah 20 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah—all his might, and how he made a pool and a tunnel and brought water into the city—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 21 So Hezekiah rested with his fathers. Then Manasseh his son reigned in his place. Manasseh Reigns in Judah 21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a wooden image, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 He also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My name.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 7 He even set a carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the Lord had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; 8 and I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers—only if they are careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.” 9 But they paid no attention, and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel. 10 And the Lord spoke by His servants the prophets, saying, 11 “Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations (he has acted more wickedly than all the Amorites who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols), 12 therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. 13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies, 15 because they have done evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.' ” 16 Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin by which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord. 17 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh—all that he did, and the sin that he committed—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 18 So Manasseh rested with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza. Then his son Amon reigned in his place. Amon's Reign and Death 19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. 21 So he walked in all the ways that his father had walked; and he served the idols that his father had served, and worshiped them. 22 He forsook the Lord God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord. 23 Then the servants of Amon conspired against him, and killed the king in his own house. 24 But the people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon. Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place. 25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 26 And he was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. Then Josiah his son reigned in his place.       Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYpEm7AL4fU   Duration 40:15

IT SEEMS odd to us, looking back across more than 2,800 years of history, that Elijah would run from Jezebel right after seeing what God had done on Mount Carmel. Well, it's easy to criticize. It's likely none of us would have done better in Elijah's place. We discuss how he was ministered to by the Angel of the Lord, the preincarnate Christ, while on the way to Horeb (Mount Sinai), and how God revealed Himself to Elijah in a way that was less than spectacular—especially after sending winds that tore the mountain, an earthquake, and fire. In the same way, we often expect God to show Himself to us in earth-shattering ways and miss the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. But while it's easy to criticize Elijah, we have to point out that Ahab, who likewise saw the miracle on Mount Carmel andmiraculous victories over the Aramean armies of Syria still failed to follow the Lord's command—a mistake that ultimately meant the end of his kingdom. 

In a world full of noise and chaos, whose voice are we really listening to?In 1 Kings 22, Ahab surrounds himself with prophets who only tell him what he wants to hear. But there's one voice he tries to avoid—Micaiah, the true prophet of the Lord. Why? Because Micaiah speaks the hard truth, even when it's unpopular or dangerous.This week, Jai challenges us to be like Micaiah: to listen to God's word, even when it confronts us, and to speak His truth, even when it costs us.Ahab ignored the word of the Lord—and he died exactly as Elijah prophesied. We cannot outrun or outlast God's truth. His word never fails.So we ask:Whose voice are you listening to?Are you willing to speak the truth, no matter the cost?Do you believe God's word still stands today?The truth may not be trendy, but it is eternal. Will you stand with it?

By the time the LORD sends Elijah back to Israel, the famine has grown so severe that King Ahab himself has to go and look for grass to graze his animals. This provides the opportunity for faithful Obadiah, the man in charge of the king's household, to be alone and meet Elijah. Obadiah initially thinks that announcing Elijah's return to Ahab will prove deadly if the Spirit takes Elijah away suddenly again. In his lament, Obadiah gives faithful voice to his prayer before the LORD. Elijah promises that he will be present to meet Ahab, and so it happens. Although Ahab attempts to label Elijah as the troubler of Israel, Ahab's idolatry is the real source of Israel's trouble. Elijah prepares to bring the LORD's solution by setting up a contest with the false prophets who are being supported by the royal house. Rev. Ned Moerbe, pastor at Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Kings 18:1-19.  To learn more about Memorial Lutheran, visit www.mlchouston.org. "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

We all interact with controlling people and sometimes the controlling person we most interact with is in the mirror. So… how do we fight the sin of control? How do we trust God to take it? Let's learn a few lessons from Ahab and Jezebel on what NOT to do in week 3 of Chasing Carrots.

Omri, the commander of Israel's army, came out on top when the dust settled after Zimri's death. Although Omri established Samaria and brought Israel to greater political prominence during his reign, the writer of 1 Kings judges Omri as an unfaithful king whose wickedness before the LORD is the worst so far. Omri didn't remain on that pedestal for long, as his son Ahab was more wicked still, influenced by his pagan wife Jezebel. Nonetheless, the LORD remained faithful to Israel in those days and sent Elijah as one of His greatest prophets. Elijah's ministry began by predicting a drought as judgment against Israel's wickedness, even as the LORD provided for Elijah during that time of no rain.  Rev. Stephen Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vinton, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Kings 16:21-17:7.  To learn more about Trinity Lutheran, visit trinitylcmsvinton.org. "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Either Dan Bongino and Kash Patel are corrupt liars or they are lying because they have been made to fear. There is no option where they are telling the truth and we all know it. So what then?Introduction* Opening Remarks (00:00:00 - 00:02:21)* The hosts, self-described as the "two kings of the Rube Empire," introduce the episode with a fiery tone, labeling themselves right-wing extremists, supernaturalists, and Christian bigots.* The Philosopher King holds 51% of the power, while the Iron King is the "people's champ" and hosts the show with unfiltered energy due to Dusty's absence.* The hosts emphasize their Christian faith, with the Iron King declaring his love for Jesus Christ and urging listeners to follow Him.* Tone is set for a candid, no-holds-barred discussion, promising to "give it straight with no chaser."Main Topics Discussed* Criticism of Dan Bongino and Kash Patel (00:00:01 - 00:22:10)* Context: The hosts express frustration with conservative figures Dan Bongino and Kash Patel for statements made on a Sunday talk show (possibly CBS) regarding Jeffrey Epstein's death and the Butler County shooter.* Epstein's Death (00:10:43 - 00:17:18)* Bongino and Patel claimed Epstein killed himself, which the hosts vehemently reject, citing well-known inconsistencies:* Epstein was in a suicide-proof cell with paper sheets.* Cameras malfunctioned, and guards fell asleep, later being exonerated.* Three neck bones were broken, unusual for a suicide.* A cell phone was found in his possession, and his cellmate allegedly tried to kill him.* The hosts mock the "trust the files" narrative, referencing Steven Crowder's breakdown of the impossibility of Epstein's suicide.* They argue this reflects either coercion or complicity, highlighting the power of the "deep state."* Butler County Shooter (00:21:50 - 00:24:36)* Bongino and Patel dismissed conspiracy theories about the shooter, Matthew Thomas Crooks, claiming he acted alone.* The hosts counter with suspicious details:* Crooks' house was wiped clean, and his parents were heavily lawyered up.* His parents were psychologists, potentially linked to CIA-like manipulation.* A call to FBI headquarters was traced to his phone.* Security failures included an understaffed Secret Service, a sloped roof left unguarded, and CNN's rare coverage of the Trump rally that day.* They suggest an orchestrated assassination attempt meant to spark civil unrest, foiled by divine intervention.* Key Takeaway: The hosts view these statements as evidence of a controlled narrative, undermining trust in conservative leaders and exposing the impotence of political figures against systemic corruption.* Distrust in the System and Political Figures (00:18:51 - 00:29:00)* The hosts argue that the presidency and government are powerless against a "deep state" pulling the strings, using an Avenged Sevenfold music video as a metaphor for unseen powers controlling politicians.* They criticize the blind loyalty to figures like Trump, emphasizing that no politician can save America—only Christ can.* The hosts reject the "lesser of two evils" voting argument and lament the lack of principled leaders like Patrick Henry.* They cite Thomas Massie as a rare principled politician who achieves little due to systemic resistance, reinforcing their view that the government is not for the people.* Critique of Political Labels and Conservatism (00:07:35 - 00:09:30)* Referencing Joel Webbin's podcast, the hosts argue there are no true conservatives in government, only "liberals and liberals."* They identify as Christian nationalists, prioritizing biblical principles like truthfulness over political allegiance.* They express frustration with Republicans who attack principled critics rather than addressing systemic lies.* Societal Decline and Spiritual Perspective (00:04:19 - 00:05:55)* The hosts compare America's state to a self-implosion, likening it to biblical Judah facing internal collapse rather than external invasion.* They draw parallels to Elijah's time under Ahab and Jezebel, positioning themselves as voices crying out in the wilderness against a corrupt system.* The Minor Prophets provide "copium" for dealing with a seemingly lost cause, reinforcing their belief that only Christ, not human government, offers salvation.* Positive Developments and White Pills (00:15:21 - 00:19:00, 01:04:50 - 01:05:46)* Policy Wins: The hosts praise RFK Jr. for removing food dyes and challenging the ineffective HHS, as well as Trump for passing no tax on tips, though they push for broader tax reform like eliminating income tax.* Cultural Shifts: They highlight the rise in homeschooling and Christian schools as signs of a growing resistance to secular propaganda, attributing this to divine providence.* Incremental Change: While acknowledging small victories, they urge listeners not to settle, criticizing Republicans who celebrate minimal progress without pushing further.* Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson's Spiritual Awakening (01:13:31 - 01:20:02)* The hosts cite Joe Rogan attending a Protestant church and Tucker Carlson reading the Bible as evidence of a cultural shift toward Christianity.* Rogan, once dismissive of Christians, now sees the need for Jesus, influenced by guests like Wes Huff and Dave Smith.* Carlson's journey from atheism to faith further illustrates God's movement in influential figures.* This "mustard seed" growth of faith in prominent voices gives hope that God is working despite systemic corruption.* Call to Action for Christians (01:07:49 - 01:13:02)* The hosts reject withdrawing from society or violent rebellion, instead advocating for a long-term strategy of faithful Christian living:* Raise families to love Jesus, build strong churches, and spread faith organically.* Example: A friend running for mayor of Orlando, driven by faith, exemplifies local impact.* They emphasize that faith in Christ, not the system, will restore society, likening it to the kingdom of God growing like a mustard seed.* Evangelistic Appeal (01:20:06 - 01:25:56)* The hosts directly address non-believers, arguing that the world's evil reflects human sinfulness, which only Christ can redeem.* They challenge the notion of morality without God, asserting that evil (e.g., Epstein's actions) is only recognizable because of God's standard.* They call listeners to submit to Jesus, the only perfect founder of faith, for personal and societal transformation.Key Themes* Distrust in Institutions: The hosts view the government, FBI, and mainstream media as irredeemably corrupt, controlled by unseen forces.* Christian Faith as the Solution: They repeatedly affirm that only Jesus Christ, not political figures or systems, can save individuals and society.* Critique of Blind Loyalty: They challenge the idolization of politicians like Trump, urging listeners to prioritize principles over personalities.* Hope in Divine Providence: Despite systemic failures, the hosts see God moving through cultural shifts (e.g., Rogan, Carlson) and grassroots efforts (e.g., homeschooling).* Long-Term Faithfulness: They advocate for incremental, faith-driven change through strong families and churches, rejecting quick fixes or violence.Notable Quotes* On Epstein's Death: “You want me to believe that Jeffrey Epstein killed himself? Because just trust me, bro, I read the files.” (00:13:51)* On the System: “Trump's not in control of the country right now, guys. Sorry. He's not.” (00:19:00)* On Faith: “Faith belongs in only one place. That's Jesus Christ.” (01:12:03)* On Hope: “God will not be mocked. God is taking the number one and two voices in podcasting and turning them to Jesus.” (01:17:04)* On Evangelism: “What are you waiting for? What else do you need to see in 2025 at this point?” (01:20:27)Cultural References* Alex Jones: Quoted for his blunt style: “Don't crap and piss on me and tell me it's raining.” (00:03:18)* Avenged Sevenfold: Music video “The Stage” used to illustrate hidden powers controlling politicians. (00:19:14)* Lord of the Rings: The ring's destruction symbolizes the system's eventual collapse through its own corruption. (01:06:42)* The Matrix: Boomers are likened to those plugged into the Matrix, needing to wake up to reality. (01:00:23)* Narnia: “Aslan's on the move” as a metaphor for God's active work. (01:07:38)* Ghostbusters: “Cats and dogs living together” humorously describes the chaotic cultural shift. (01:20:02)Verse of the Day* Matthew 25:31-32: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne and all nations will be gathered before Him. He will separate them one from another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”* Context: Emphasizes Jesus' ultimate authority and judgment, reinforcing the hosts' focus on His sovereignty.Closing Prayer (01:27:54 - 01:28:47)* The Iron King prays for listeners to seek righteousness, rely on Jesus, and raise families to love Him.* Prays for safety for Dusty in Chicago and the hosts' travels, asking for God's blessing on the “Rube Nation.”Call to Action* Visit kingsplaining.com or kingsplaining.substack.com for more content.* Like, share, subscribe, and comment to support the podcast.* Buy merchandise to help grow the show.* Spread the word fearlessly: “Be not afraid. Be of good cheer. Take heart.” (01:29:24)Final Notes* The episode is a passionate, unfiltered critique of political and cultural failures, balanced with a hopeful call to Christian faithfulness.* The hosts' raw style, humor, and biblical worldview aim to awaken listeners to systemic corruption while pointing to Jesus as the ultimate hope. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingsplaining.substack.com/subscribe

Send us a textCan God restore what's been broken? In this powerful episode of That Supernatural Talk, Keenan and Kalie Kalt share their raw and real testimony of how Jesus not only brought them together — but completely saved and transformed their marriage.

She had arrived. Racing out the door of his home, Ashton almost tripped over himself, making sure he didn't keep her waiting. And there she was, getting out of the black, sleek BMW sports car her parents had gifted her for graduation. Sleek and beautiful, just like her. She was everything anyone could wish for. She looked like a model straight out of a magazine, and she was here for him! The slight movement of her lips indicated she was happy he'd come out to greet her. "Jayla, so glad you could make it. Come in and meet my friends." Ashton grinned, taking her slim, smooth manicured hand in his. "It's not going to be a church thing, right?" Jayla's tense voice asked as she slightly pulled back on his hand. "No, no," Ashton hastened to assure her. "It's just a party with some people I go to church with, but no church stuff." Ashton promised. The slight movement of her lips showed he had answered correctly. Ashton smiled and pulled her along.                                 ____________________________________________________ Join us as we dive into the story of Jayla and Ashton, the modern Jezebel and Ahab. They are your age and go to the exclusive Page High Academy, where all the Bible Characters (if they were teens today) attend.  ALSO We did a mic roam and asked girls your age 3 questions: • Would you be willing to leave the church to keep a guy?  • Would you date a non-believer? Why? Why not? • What things in your life pull you away from God?  What did they say?  Tune in to find out.                                     ___________________________________   Visit our website Shop our books - The Royal Palace Artist of the Month: We The Kingdom Artist on Spotify music Keep in the loop by signing to our GIGI Notes HERE DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE  Hosts: Esther & Steph Mix & effects: Stephanie Giselle Purple Planet Music https://www.purple-planet.com/ email us: writegigi5@gmail.com Write by post GIGI Teen Radio PO BOX 6505 Upper Mt Gravatt QLD 4122 music credit: Purple planet music All music played on the podcast radio is covered under the APRA AMCOS Online Mini Licence.            

Sometimes you have to hear the advice that you don't want, but that you need. Don't let pride get in the way of what God has planned.

How does the energy of Jezebel feel to you? Is she spicy, sexual, ritualistic… And could you see yourself showing up with your ancient beliefs in the God, Baal and the Goddess Asherah at the doorstep of a monotheistic culture? And then converting them to your ways? Was the world open to sex magic, blood magic and the teachings of a High Priestess? Jezebel was a teenage Phoenician Princess who married Ahab, the King of Israel as the story in the Bible is told. Jezebel was also a Priestess of Asherah and showed up with hundreds of priests of Baal, priests of the grove, and a polytheistic religion. A political alliance could not have survived the difference between their spiritual beliefs, Yahwism and Baalism. As most powerful women in the Bible, she was vilified, condemned, and murdered by a powerful prophet. Jezebel is now a cautionary tale to not be promiscuous, powerful and in your own integral energy. If you are loving this podcast and you feel really motivated or compelled to share, please donate to this podcast: Donate here Do you want to connect with April? Readings with April: starwindssage@gmail.com Connect with the Goddesses: https://www.goddesswitchwomb.com  Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/goddesswitchwomb/  Follow us on TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@goddesswitchwomb  

Brother Gowens' 5/4/25 message was based on 1 Kings 20:28. The Syrian army believed that if they could lure the Israelites into the valley, they would prevail in battle. But God would not allow such a defamatory claim to be perpetuated. Although Ahab was a wicked King, God, motivated by a supreme concern for His own glory, determined to give Ahab and his army the victory. The narrative teaches the important lesson that God is not limited by any circumstance. 

The Bible consistently teaches that seeking advice is a mark of wisdom. But in a world full of noise and conflicting voices, not all advice is helpful—or even trustworthy. So how can we discern good counsel from bad? How do we go about finding wise, godly advice in the midst of the chaos? In this episode, Pastor Chris Kipp teaches from 1 Kings 22, guiding us through the story of two kings in desperate need of godly counsel. As he unpacks the pitfalls and dangers they faced, Chris challenges us to embrace the simple—yet often difficult—pursuit of seeking wise, godly counsel. #walkgrowlive #alloflifealltheearth #gospel #jesus #advise #godlycounsel #wisdom Renaissance Church - Richmond, Texas https://ren-church.org

"And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it." 1 Kings 21:1-16

Pastor Jim unpacks the story of Naboth and King Ahab in 1 Kings 21–22, highlighting the spiritual battle between righteousness and corruption. Naboth stands firm on God's promises, refusing to trade away his inheritance—even at the cost of his life. Ahab's abuse of power and Jezebel's manipulation lead to judgment, but not before exposing how the schemes of the enemy mirror our own modern temptations. Jim points us to Jesus, the better Naboth, who stood firm in obedience, was falsely accused, and secured victory through the cross and resurrection.

THE NORTHERN KINGDOM of Israel changed hands twice in a week. And more often than not, succession in Israel involved a sword. Baasha became king through a coup against Nadab, son of Jeroboam. After a twenty-four year reign, Baasha died and his son Elah ascended to the throne. However, after two years, Elah was assassinated by Zimri, a commander of chariots, who lasted all of seven days before Omri, commander of the army, was declared king by his troops. After a battle at the capital city of Tirzah, Zimri barricaded himself inside the citadel and set it on fire. Omri reigned over Israel for twelve years. The second half of his reign was in his new capital, Samaria, named for Shemer, the owner of the hill Omri purchased on which the city was built. After Omri's death, his son Ahab came to power, and he was remembered by the chronicler as evil—“more than all who were before him.” Which, given the nature of the kings from Jeroboam to Omri, is saying a lot. We also discuss the brief mention of the reconstruction of Jericho in 1 Kings 16:34, which involved foundation sacrifices. This was common among the Amorites who, even though they'd been pushed out of Canaan by Joshua 500 years earlier, still influenced the Israelites in pagan practices condemned by God. We even see this at the end of the life of Asa, remembered as a mainly good king. However, 2 Chronicles 16:12 notes that Asa, seeking relief from a series disease in his feet, “did not seek the LORD, but sought help from physicians.” The Hebrew word translated “physicians” is rephaim. Now, did Asa trust doctors over God, or did he turn to the Rephaim? Veneration of the Rephaim (spirits of the Nephilim) is known from Canaanite texts, and it's possible that Asa, like the kings of Israel, had been drawn into religious practices of the Amorites. Sharon's niece, Sarah Sachleben, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. Our new book The Gates of Hell is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! Derek's new book Destination: Earth, co-authored with Donna Howell and Allie Anderson, is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! If you are looking for a text of the Book of 1 Enoch to follow our monthly study, you can try these sources: Parallel translations by R. H. Charles (1917) and Richard Laurence (1821) Modern English translation by George W. E. Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (link to book at Amazon)Book of 1 Enoch - Standard English Version by Dr. Jay Winter (link opens free PDF)Book of 1 Enoch - R. H. Charles translation (link opens free PDF) The SkyWatchTV store has a special offer on Dr. Michael Heiser's two-volume set A Companion to the Book of Enoch. Get both books, the R. H. Charles translation of 1 Enoch, and a DVD interview with Mike and Steven Bancarz for a donation of $35 plus shipping and handling. Link: https://bit.ly/heiser-enoch Follow us! • X: @gilberthouse_tv | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert• Telegram: t.me/gilberthouse | t.me/sharonsroom | t.me/viewfromthebunker• YouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelation• Facebook.com/GilbertHouseFellowship JOIN US AND SPECIAL GUEST CARL TEICHRIB IN ISRAEL! Our next tour of Israel is October 19–30, 2025 with an optional three-day extension to Jordan. For more information and to reserve your place, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel. Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! We truly appreciate your support. If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at www.gilberthouse.org/app/. Video on demand of our best teachings! Stream presentations and teachings based on our research at our new video on demand site! Gilbert House T-shirts and mugs! New to our store is a line of GHTV and Redwing Saga merch! Check it out at GilbertHouse.org/store! Think better, feel better! Our partners at Simply Clean Foods offer freeze-dried, 100% GMO-free food and delicious, vacuum-packed fair trade coffee from Honduras. Find out more at GilbertHouse.org/store. Our favorite Bible study tools! Check the links in the right-hand column at www.GilbertHouse.org.

King Ahab faces Ben Hadad's overwhelming threat, but God intervenes with a miraculous provision. This ancient story reveals how God preserves His people and repeatedly invites us to truly know Him through His powerful Word, not just acknowledge Him. Listen now and be inspired to embrace complete obedience to God's Word. Because victory comes not from our strength, but from recognizing Him as the one true LORD.

Pastor Jim explores the surprising grace God extends to King Ahab in 1 Kings 20, despite Ahab's corruption and idolatry. Through prophetic warnings, unlikely military victories, and divine patience, God continues to pursue Ahab, offering opportunities for repentance. Jim emphasizes that God still uses the small and unexpected—junior officers, obscure prophets, even our own mustard seed faith—to accomplish His purposes. The message points to Jesus as the true King who defeats sin and death, calls us to repentance, and invites us into a kingdom that belongs to the Father.

THE NORTHERN KINGDOM of Israel changed hands twice in a week. And more often than not, succession in Israel involved a sword. Baasha became king through a coup against Nadab, son of Jeroboam. After a twenty-four year reign, Baasha died and his son Elah ascended to the throne. However, after two years, Elah was assassinated by Zimri, a commander of chariots, who lasted all of seven days before Omri, commander of the army, was declared king by his troops. After a battle at the capital city of Tirzah, Zimri barricaded himself inside the citadel and set it on fire. Omri reigned over Israel for twelve years. The second half of his reign was in his new capital, Samaria, named for Shemer, the owner of the hill Omri purchased on which the city was built. After Omri's death, his son Ahab came to power, and he was remembered by the chronicler as evil—“more than all who were before him.” Which, given the nature of the kings from Jeroboam to Omri, is saying a lot. We also discuss the brief mention of the reconstruction of Jericho in 1 Kings 16:34, which involved foundation sacrifices. This was common among the Amorites who, even though they'd been pushed out of Canaan by Joshua 500 years earlier, still influenced the Israelites in pagan practices condemned by God. We even see this at the end of the life of Asa, remembered as a mainly good king. However, 2 Chronicles 16:12 notes that Asa, seeking relief from a series disease in his feet, “did not seek the LORD, but sought help from physicians.” The Hebrew word translated “physicians” is rephaim. Now, did Asa trust doctors over God, or did he turn to the Rephaim? Veneration of the Rephaim (spirits of the Nephilim) is known from Canaanite texts, and it's possible that Asa, like the kings of Israel, had been drawn into religious practices of the Amorites.

 “What are you planning?” He stretched his neck, trying to decipher from where he sat what she was writing. She did not reply.  He did not ask again; instead, he rubbed his beard, deep in thought. Jezebel folded the scroll, placed his seal over it, and rang the gong. Elana watched in fascination as a soldier entered from the side door and bowed. Jezebel stretched her arm with the scroll. “Take this to the elders and nobles who live in Naboth's city, and tell them I command they do as this says.” The man took the scroll, bowed, and left the room. Jezebel rubbed her hands together. A satisfied look registered on her face, her amber eyes slanted and malicious. Ahab reached for her hand and pulled her with force onto his lap. “What did you write?” She placed her hand around his neck and leaned her embellished head onto his. “I have proclaimed a day of fasting and have requested they seat Naboth in a prominent place amongst the people so—” “Prominent?”  She placed her index finger on his lips. “Shh. Once he is seated, two vagabonds will accuse him in front of everyone that he has cursed both God and the king.” An ominous smile crept over her red lips. “The town will be horrified to know Naboth has turned against you, and they will stone him to death—when that happens, you are to take possession of your vineyard!” Ahab stared at his wife with his mouth agape. He blinked a few times......                                 ____________________________________________________ This week we are looking at the story of evil queen Jezebel and King Ahab. You can find their story in your Bibles in 1st and 2nd Kings. Tune in to listen to this episode - and don't forget to share with your friends.                                      ___________________________________   Read story on the blog Visit our website Shop our books - The Royal Palace Artist of the Month: We The Kingdom Artist on Spotify music Keep in the loop by signing to our GIGI Notes HERE DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE  Hosts: Esther & Steph Mix & effects: Stephanie Giselle Purple Planet Music https://www.purple-planet.com/ email us: writegigi5@gmail.com Write by post GIGI Teen Radio PO BOX 6505 Upper Mt Gravatt QLD 4122 music credit: Purple planet music All music played on the podcast radio is covered under the APRA AMCOS Online Mini Licence.

05/04/2025 - Sunday Morning Message at Pinheads Family Entertainment Center in Fishers, IN

In the aftermath of any tragedy, we face this reality: Evil is real and rampant. There is no place on this planet that is evil-free. As one author wrote, "I will never understand those who can read the headlines every day and then assert that people are basically good ... Evil is woven into the fabric of humanity." Throughout our study of Elijah, we've seen him facing or fleeing evil, but always returning to fight it, because that's what it means to live the God life. And it's not to be confused with the good life. While the good life might avoid evil, ignore it, or let others deal with it, those living the God life don't have that option.   Now, as we near the close of Elijah's story, we find him confronting Ahaziah, the son of Ahab and Jezebel. Though Elijah might have hoped for retirement after the deaths of Ahab and Jezebel, evil continued through their son. And one central truth emerges: When you look up to God, you'll stand out from the crowd and often be told to stand down. But when you stand with God, He gives you the power to stand tall and strong in Him. 

Text: 2 Kings 9:5-7, 21-27, 30, 33-37; 10:10, 11, 31

Elijah’s story reminds us that God’s provision often shows up in the most unexpected places—and through the most unlikely people. Whether it’s ravens delivering meals or a desperate widow offering her last meal, the message is the same: God is faithful, even when the method doesn’t make sense. ✨ Key Takeaways

In this week's episode of Cultural Catalysts, Kris Vallotton sits down with Ahab, a successful Chick-fil-A franchise owner, for a powerful conversation about faith, business, and divine purpose. Ahab shares his remarkable journey from a radical salvation experience that led him from pre-med studies to Bible college, through seasons of spiritual growth and challenge. With refreshing honesty, he recounts how God orchestrated his meeting with his wife through a supernatural encounter and guided his path into business ownership. Discover how Ahab transformed his restaurant into a ministry field by creating a culture where nearly half of his staff have remained loyal for three years or more—unheard of in fast food. He reveals his innovative approach to employee development. Join us as Ahab demonstrates how following God's voice in every business decision has created opportunities to share Christ's love with those who might never enter a church building. Get Ahab's Book Connect With Ahab: https://www.championsleaders.com/ Connect with Kris Vallotton: Website: https://www.krisvallotton.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kvministries/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kvministries/ X: https://x.com/kvministries Additional Resources by Kris Vallotton: https://shop.bethel.com/collections/kris-vallotton About Kris Vallotton: Kris Vallotton is the Senior Associate Leader of Bethel Church, Redding, and is the Co-Founder of Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM) and Spiritual Intelligence Institute. He is also the Founder and President of Moral Revolution and a sought-after international conference speaker. Kris and his wife, Kathy, have trained, developed, and pastored prophetic teams and supernatural schools all over the world.

Should we ever listen to a fortune teller or false prophet? Today we'll study 2nd Chronicles 18 and see that Ahab found out the hard way, that the answer is always "No!" Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

A relatively unknown prophet marches up to Ahab, the king of Israel, and drops a bombshell of a prophecy. The prophet is Elijah. He was ready to hear God's Word and obey God's Word. He prayed for God to do what God said He would do.In this study we will discover practical truths about reality of God, the authority of God's Word, the activity of a difference-maker, and the critical need to be prepared for eternity. I am excited to welcome you to this episode of Wisdom from Above.