Podcasts about Amaziah

Complementary New Testament Passage:Luke 23:44-49 Sermon Outline: Locusts and Fire: God Relents from Destruction The Plumb Line: The People will be divided Summer Fruit: The Judge who will not forget sin Family Discussion Questions: What visions did Amos see? What happened when Amos saw the locusts and fire and then he prayed? What is a plumb line used for? Some people will be saved and others will not. How many people are guilty? How does a person become forgiven? How will a forgiven person live? When God forgives a Christian, does He just ignore their sin? What does this passage teach us about how prayer fits with Gods unchangeable will? What does this difference between Amaziah and Amos teach us about what repentance looks like? What are reasons used in our day to silence preachers and those who would share Gods Word? What in this text points to the cross of Christ? How does that explain how the Lord will not forget our sins and yet that our sins will be forgotten? How should the coming famine of Gods Word call us to urgency? What should the different illustrations of judgement shape our emotions?

Sometimes when I'm in a store and it's time to pay up, I'll say to the cashier, "Listen, I want to show you something from a museum." And I pull out some cash. I say, "Do you accept cash?" You should see the look! I get this bewildered kind of look, and they're like, "Well, of course we accept cash." Well, it may be the first cash they've gotten in several transactions though. It's probably a given that they see more 'plastic' money than 'paper' money these days. I think many of us got credit cards in order to make it more convenient to buy items. Instead of being more convenient, credit cards have caused us to buy a lot of things that we can't afford. Somehow when you're shopping with a credit card you... well, you kind of lose touch with reality. I mean, there's no real sense of what you've spent. It feels like you haven't spent anything until the bill comes. And, therefore, these credit cards that were supposed to make life easier somewhat, account for massive debts and financialbondage in a lot of people's lives. That credit card was supposed to give us financial freedom. Instead, it's enslaved a whole lot of people. Well, credit cards, like a lot of things in life, can turn out to be an answer that only creates bigger problems. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Answers That Aren't Answers." Our word for today from the Word of God: 2 Chronicles 25. I'll begin reading at verse 7. It's an incident from the life of the King of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. His name is Amaziah. Maybe you remember that the kingdom at one point was divided into two parts; Israel was the Northern Kingdom, Judah the Southern Kingdom. Amaziah was the King of Judah, and he had a major enemy coming against him. So he's hired 100,000 fighting men from Israel. Here's what it says, "Amaziah called the people of Judah together and he mustered those 20 years old or more and found there were 300,000 men ready for military service able to handle the spear and shield. He also hired 100,000 fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents of silver." Well, that sounds like a good answer doesn't it if you're under military pressure? But it says, "A man of God came to him and said, 'Oh, King, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel. Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow.'" There's a pretty powerful principle in that story. Amaziah has spent his money on what he thinks is an answer. He's depending on it, but it did not have the blessing of God. The battle's going to be lost if you don't have the blessing of God on it. See, it isn't your effort that matters. It isn't the size of the answer that you have. If you are employing a solution that God can't bless, you can't win. Now, right now maybe you have a need for love and you are letting an unbeliever fill it. It won't work! God says, "Don't be unequally yoked." See, there are things God can't bless. He can't bless you if your way of doing it is to disobey your parents. Or if it means playing with the truth, flirting with immorality, or running ahead of God's timing. Oh, you may see what looks like an answer. It might make social sense, it might make financial sense, business sense, emotional sense, but if it will cost you the blessing of God, you can't afford it. It's too expensive. In verse 9 it says the Lord can give you much more than that. Don't waste your time, don't waste your life on an answer that isn't an answer, because it misses the blessing of Almighty God.

2 Kings 14 has a lot to say: Amaziah becomes the new king of Judah Amaziah becomes prideful and starts worshipping Edomite gods after a successful battle  Israel completely plasters Judah in battle Amaziah dies the same way that his father did Jeroboam becomes the next king of Israel The #1 lesson we learn from the kings   Click all the links for more cool stuff: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries  Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries  Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com  Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-6493869  Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk  Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop  YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle    Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee  https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40   This ministry is only made possible due to your generous support https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries

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II Kings 14-151. Amaziah's Pride – II Kings 14:1-222. Jeroboam's Deliverance – II Kings 14:23-293. Azariah's Legacy – II Kings 15:1-7, 32-384. The Fall of Five Kings – II Kings 15:8-31Teaching by Pastor Christian Slye at The Garden Fellowship on 4.23.25.More teachings and information online at thegardenfellowship.com.

Friday Bible Study (3/14/25) // 2 Kings 14: 23-29 & Chapter 15 // 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 14: 23-29 (ESV) Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. 27 But the Lord had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his might, how he fought, and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.Azariah Reigns in Judah15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And the Lord touched the king, so that he was a leper[a] to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house.[b] And Jotham the king's son was over the household, governing 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 And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place.Zechariah Reigns in Israel8 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 what was 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, which he made Israel to sin. 10 Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place. 11 Now the rest of the deeds of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 12 (This was the promise of the Lord that he gave to Jehu, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it came to pass.)Pekahiah Reigns in IsraelPekah Reigns in IsraelJotham Reigns in Judah#2Kings | #BibleStudy | #DanielBatarseh | #mbchicago | #mbcchicago | #Bible | #livechurch | #churchlive | #chicagochurch | #chicagochurches | #versebyverse | #church | #chicago | #sermon | #bibleexplained | #bibleproject | #bibleverse #versebyverse #oldtestament

Friday Bible Study (3/7/25) // 2 Kings 14:1-22 // 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 PayPal: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but... 2 Kings 14:1-22 (ESV) Amaziah Reigns in Judah 1 In the second year of Joash the son of Joahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done. 4 But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And as soon as the royal power was firmly in his hand, he struck down his servants who had struck down the king his father. 6 But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. But each one shall die for his own sin.”7 He struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and took Sela by storm, and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this day.8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash[a] the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.” 9 And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, “A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,' and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 10 You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?”11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 13 And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits,[b] from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 14 And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria.15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.Footnotes2 Kings 14:8 Jehoash is an alternate spelling of Joash (son of Jehoahaz) as in 13:9, 12–14; also verses 9, 11–162 Kings 14: 13 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters#2Kings | #BibleStudy | #DanielBatarseh | #mbchicago | #mbcchicago | #Bible | #livechurch | #churchlive | #chicagochurch | #chicagochurches | #versebyverse | #church | #chicago | #sermon | #bibleexplained | #bibleproject | #bibleverse #versebyverse #oldtestament

Friday Bible Study (2/28/25) // 2 Kings 13 // Visit our website: https://mbchicago.orgFollow us to remain connected: Facebook: / mbc.chicago Instagram: / mbc.chicago TikTok: / mbc.chicago Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & othersTo support this ministry, you can donate via: Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Website: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch PayPal: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but...2 Kings 13 (ESV)Jehoahaz Reigns in Israel13 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them. 3 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael. 4 Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. 5 (Therefore the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly. 6 Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked[a] in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.) 7 For there was not left to Jehoahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9 So Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Joash his son reigned in his place.Jehoash Reigns in Israel10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash[b] the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. 11 He also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them. 12 Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, and the might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 So Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.The Death of Elisha14 Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” 18 And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”20 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

Friday Bible Study (2/21/25) // 2 Kings 12 // Visit our website: https://mbchicago.orgTo support this ministry, you can donate via: Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Website: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch PayPal: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but...2 Kings 12 (ESV)1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash[a] began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places.Jehoash Repairs the Temple4 Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things that is brought into the house of the Lord, the money for which each man is assessed—the money from the assessment of persons—and the money that a man's heart prompts him to bring into the house of the Lord, 5 let the priests take, each from his donor, and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered.” 6 But by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, the priests had made no repairs on the house. 7 Therefore King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, “Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore take no more money from your donors, but hand it over for the repair of the house.” 8 So the priests agreed that they should take no more money from the people, and that they should not repair the house.9 Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord. And the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. 10 And whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king's secretary and the high priest came up and they bagged and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord. 11 Then they would give the money that was weighed out into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the Lord. And they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord, 12 and to the masons and the stonecutters, as well as to buy timber and quarried stone for making repairs on the house of the Lord, and for any outlay for the repairs of the house. 13 But there were not made for the house of the Lord basins of silver, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, or any vessels of gold, or of silver, from the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, 14 for that was given to the workmen who were repairing the house of the Lord with it. 15 And they did not ask for an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to pay out to the workmen, for they dealt honestly. 16 The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord; it belonged to the priests.17 At that time Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath and took it. But when Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem, 18 Jehoash king of Judah took all the sacred gifts that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah his fathers, the kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own sacred gifts, and all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent these to Hazael king of Syria. Then Hazael went away from Jerusalem.The Death of Joash19 Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 His servants arose and made a conspiracy and struck down Joash in the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla. 21 It was Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, who struck him down, so that he died. And they buried him with his fathers .., and Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

église AB Lausanne ; KJV 2 Kings (4 Kings) 15 In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign. Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done; Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places. And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land. And 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? So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead. In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. ...

église AB Lausanne ; KJV 2 Kings (4 Kings) 14 In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah. He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did. Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places. And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father. But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin. He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day. Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? ...

Sermon Summary: Breaking Free from the Chains of the Past (Genesis 36) This sermon by Andy explores the story of Esau and his descendants, the Edomites, as found in Genesis 36. It highlights how Esau's poor choices, particularly selling his birthright and missing out on his father's blessing, had lasting negative consequences for his entire lineage. The Edomites, born into a nation marked by these initial failings, faced ongoing struggles, including conflict with the Israelites and eventual decline. This serves as a powerful illustration of how societal and cultural factors can significantly impact individual lives and destinies. Andy argues that, just as the Edomites were bound by the actions of their ancestor, individuals today can be similarly constrained by the circumstances of their birth, upbringing, and the prevailing culture around them. These influences can manifest in various forms: Cultural Norms: The values, beliefs, and behaviors of the wider society can shape our worldview, limiting our potential and influencing our choices. Family Dynamics: Family history, relationships, and past traumas can have a profound impact on our emotional, social, and spiritual development. Peer Groups: The influence of friends and social circles can reinforce negative behaviors, limit aspirations, and hinder personal growth. These influences can lead to feelings of limitation, hopelessness, and a sense of being trapped by circumstances beyond our control. We may feel like we are "stuck" in a particular role or identity, unable to break free from the patterns of the past. However, the sermon emphasizes that this is not an inevitable fate. Just as the Israelites were chosen by God and blessed despite their surrounding nations, individuals can experience true freedom and transformation through faith in Jesus Christ. Key Biblical concepts emphasized in the sermon include: Redemption: Jesus Christ came to redeem us from the "law" - not just religious law, but also the "law" of our circumstances, our past, and the limitations imposed by our surroundings. Adoption: Through faith in Christ, we are adopted into God's family, becoming heirs to His promises and receiving the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us. Freedom: Jesus has set us free from the bondage of sin, fear, and the limitations of our past. We are no longer slaves to our circumstances. The sermon then outlines practical steps for experiencing this freedom: Surrender to Jesus: This is an ongoing process, requiring continual submission of our will, desires, and circumstances to God's plan. Proactively Believe God's Word: Regularly engage with Scripture, allowing it to transform our thinking and guide our actions. This involves making conscious choices to align our lives with God's Word, even when our feelings may contradict it. Seek Support and Accountability: Connect with other believers, sharing our struggles and celebrating our victories. Support from fellow Christians is crucial for overcoming challenges and maintaining our freedom. By embracing these principles, individuals can break free from the chains of their past, experience true transformation, and live a life of purpose and freedom in Christ. Bible References: Genesis 36 Genesis 25 Genesis 27 Genesis 33 Numbers 20 Deuteronomy 23 Numbers 24 1 Samuel 14 1 Samuel 21 1 Kings 11 2 Chronicles 20 2 Kings 8 2 Kings 14 2 Chronicles 28 Psalm 137 Ezekiel 25 Galatians 4:4-6 2 Corinthians 5:17 2 Timothy 1:7 This summary provides a concise overview of the sermon's key themes and messages. It is important to note that this is a summary and may not capture all the nuances and details of the original message. Disclaimer: This summary is based on the provided transcript and may not perfectly reflect the speaker's intended message or the nuances of his delivery. Transcript So if you've read it and you still come this morning I'm impressed so I was gonna do Genesis 37 originally and I had it all lined up we're gonna start the story of Joseph we were gonna sing the songs but nobody knows the songs honestly okay we're gonna had it already and then it snowed on that first Sunday in January and so the talks got moved on and here we are in Genesis 36 instead there we are this is like this is like you know when Paul wrote Timothy and he said the whole of Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking correcting and training in righteousness he clearly hadn't read this chapter so I will have a word with him about that when we get there but if you've got a Bible we're not going to turn to the chapter and read it because that would just be the end of it but I'm going to see if this will work first of all before I get going brilliant okay great so so what we've got with Genesis 36 and I'm going to try and tie it into some of the things we've heard this morning is this is the last word about Esau in the whole book of Genesis okay so we don't hear about him anymore after this and after this chapter there's a shift and the focus turns completely to Jacob and his family and obviously particularly the story of Joseph and how the whole Israelites end up in Egypt and and that whole thing is coming down the road towards us now over the next few weeks yeah so we're looking forward to that but the stuff but we think my Esau the story we've had so far in Genesis 25 if you can remember way back when it must have been October November time when Jacob and Esau were born God spoke to their mum Rebecca and said that the older will serve the younger and Esau was born first so he's going to end up serving Jacob and then at the end of that same chapter we reach the point where Esau sells his birthright for a meal right and that was a big thing in that culture okay because he was the firstborn he should get this birthright he should get the blessing from his dad to carry on through his children and he just threw it all away for a simple meal and then as we get to chapter 27 we get the story of how Jacob gets the blessing from his dad Isaac that should have gone to Esau and all of that and the fallout of all of that as Jacob has to flee away for his life because he's worried his brother's going to kill him etc etc and then we get to chapter 33 which was probably about end of November I think and there's this cagey meeting between Jacob and Esau where they kind of make up but Jacob is still acting as the deceiving guy and they kind of make up and and then and then I said but now what we begin to see here in chapter 36 is the implications of Esau's actions start to be worked out and the word that God spoke to Rebecca when she was pregnant with him starts to have an effect on Esau and his descendants and in the same way that we read so clearly about the blessing of God coming to Abraham and then to Isaac and then to Jacob and down through the nation of Israel we start to see the kind of non blessing if you want to call it that to Esau start to have an effect on him and his children and grandchildren and this nation of Edom as they are called so Esau the offspring of Esau is the nation of Edom and this whole tribe together are impacted by what Esau had done way back in Genesis 25 so just so that you if you can read this that'd be great so I can just about read that it's not bad so so this is Genesis 36 this is all you need to know so so it literally is a family tree and a few other bits and pieces so first of all I'm just going to point out so Esau there he's got three wives through which his children come so his first wife was called Ada and she was the daughter of Elon not that Elon okay who knew it was in the Bible right you heard it here first anyway his second wife his second one I'm sorry and through Ada they have one son called Eliphaz we're not told who Eliphaz married but he had five children he also had a concubine named Timna and they had a son called Amalek and if you know anything else about your Old Testament history the Amalekites they were one of the enemies of Israel as you read through the stories his second wife had the most wonderful name of Oh Holy Bama at least that's how I pronounce it sounds great she was the daughter of Anna and this is the only verse I will read from the from the chapter verse 24 the sons of Zibeon were Ea and Anna this is the Anna who discovered the hot springs in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys of his father Zibeon like as if you thought there was another Anna so I don't know what prompted Moses to write that little bit about our friend Anna here but anyway Anna he had one daughter Oh Holy Bama who became Esau's second wife good name isn't it and then his third wife was called Basemath which kind of sounds like she was the founder of modern mathematics but but gosh I'm going to be in so much trouble from our evangelical conservators after this but she was the daughter of Ishmael so that kind of makes her Esau's cousin right because Ishmael and Isaac were brothers Esau was Isaac's son so so so Basemath was Esau's cousin and they have one son Raoul and we're not told who he married but he had four children and then there's a bit in the middle of the chapter that I haven't put in here which is about the people in the land where Esau settled and they're called Horites H O R I T E Zibeon and Anna were Horites so they're from the land and they all got merged into this kingdom of Edom and this tribe of Edom that we're reading about here good isn't it so and then the end of the chapter we get told here's the kings of Edom and they had kings way before Israel Moses specifically calls that out and again if you know anything about your Old Testament you'll know that all the nations around Israel had kings and Israel didn't because God had a separate special thing for them but in the end they grumbled and said that we want kings like everybody else and so they had kings and that was not a good ending but but here we read that Edom the kingdom of Edom they had kings way before Israel did and there's a list of names of said kings so what can we learn about this well I think the first thing that this strikes me is you know here is a nation that is living outside of the blessing of God as a consequence of Eastwell's actions what else do we know about the Edomites well actually as you whiz through the page of the Old Testament you've discovered some other things I mean numbers 20 we read about the Israelites on the exodus through the wilderness they come to the land of Edom and the Edomites say no you can't come through here so so there's immediately there's this tension between the two nations in Deuteronomy 23 we read that Israel is forbidden to hate Edom interesting in Numbers 24 we read about Balaam remember him he's the guy who has the donkey that speaks back to him so he has a prophecy about the downfall of Edom and its ultimate demise yeah speaking donkeys are in the Bible just in case you didn't know not just in Shrek so sorry in 1 Samuel 14 we read about Saul fighting the Edomites in 1 Samuel 21 we read about David conquering Edom in 1 Kings 11 we read about the complete conquest of the land of Edom in 2 Chronicles 20 we read about the Edomites rising up and doing a raid into Judah in 2 Kings 8 we read about Edom rebelling against Judah but they could not squash them in 2 Kings 14 we read about Amaziah who was a king of Judah invading Edom and massacring them and in 2 Chronicles 28 we read again about Edom invading Judah so they're at war throughout the time and all of this stemming from one man's decision bad decision down through the ages and then we get to Psalm 137 you know a great Psalm that says you know about the people of God in Babylon when they are carried off in captivity how can we sing the Lord's song in a strange land and in that one verse in verse 7 we read that Edom rejoices at Judah's fall and then we get to the prophets and through the prophets as several prophecies about the end of the nation of Edom for example in Ezekiel 25 we read about their ultimate demise and then they're heard of no more that's it and all of this stemming from Esau's actions the repercussions of one man rippling down through all his descendants you kind of think about these people that are mentioned here and they're children after them and the people if you're born into that nation now you can't control where you're born can you no matter what else science is able to do today you can't determine who your parents are what nation you're born into what culture you're born into what tribe you're born into anything about that at all you cannot affect any of that ever and yet these people are born into the nation of Edom and inherit the lot of being an Edomite you can imagine them crying out it's not fair this is our lot because of our parents actions you know we blame them I didn't ask for this and yet these are the cards I've been down here is a culture and a society built on the actions of its founder and unable to shake that off they are a nation defined by spurning the blessing of God and now there are odds with Israel and ultimately they become someone who just disappears from history not one of these descendants not one of these kings could break out of those characteristics of their culture it's like you know those guardrails when you go bowling that I would use because I'm no good at bowling that you put up there to stop the ball going down in the gully you know it's like there are guardrails for this nation of Edom but this is what this is their lot you know they can't break out of that they can't become the people of God they can't become people who walk in the blessing of God again this is their lot in life the blessing the so-called blessing that Edom the Esau did receive from Jacob comes to pass the mistakes the folly of what he did has huge repercussions and implications down the line until they're written out of the story and the nation of Edom evaporates away and all that time the descendants of Jacob are center stage all that time God's chosen people and inheritance are the ones taking the limelight simply because of this one man's actions it's so often the case that the culture or society in which we are born or brought up in or moved to live amongst become a culture and society that shapes us and molds us and defines who we are we can be nice and spiritual and say that oh yeah but no I'm a child of God so I'm now different and we'll come to that because I is so important but the reality is also that whatever culture tribe place you were born up into family you were born into has a massive effect on what you are who you are as a person what your likes and dislikes are what what hinders you what is good about you but also what stops you moving on in God because he's got something better in place so you kind of wonder okay so was this chapter got to say to us and I think well actually you know hang on actually this impact of culture and society is true for us today on our lives the decisions and actions taken by other people affect our lives let's be honest that so much of who we are is defined by the culture and society we are born in and brought up in and that can be like a national culture that can be you know Western UK secular 21st century culture that can be an African culture that could be an East European culture that can be whatever culture you've come from it shapes and molds and and and frames a way of life for us that that is that sets the path that we're on so often it can be a subculture so when I was a teenager I can still remember I was big into heavy metal confessions I knew you were Howard thank you you know and that was a subculture I guess what it defined what clothes you wore I had all the denim with all the badges of bands on the back it defined what music you listen to it defined what music you didn't like even if you did you know and all of the subcultures do that don't they and there's a myriad subcultures out there today that we are quite potentially a part of or our thing and define and shape of some molders it can be a peer group a group of friends you know as a parent you those days you send your children off to school and they go there for seven hours and then they come back and they've learned some new words but you didn't teach them yeah because they've got a peer group right that shapes them and affects them and molds them and or it can be our family our families that we are born and brought up into shape us and molds and affect us actions taken by others way outside our influence of control can lead to us being not where we want it to be and more importantly not in a place that God has called us to be and God has for us because of the good things he's had for us that we've been singing about earlier you know the Edomites would simply say but you know what this is just who we are this is our lot in life this is all that we are able to do we're not the people of God in fact we're at war with them quite often our lives have become dominated by circumstances beyond our control and influence and here we are stuck and they could say you know we'll never become the people of God you know we for us today we could say the same thing we'll never become dot dot dot I'll never be free of dot dot dot I'll never be free of an addiction I'll never be free of poverty I'll never be free of being in a place where I've got hope of what I can do in the future I'll never be free enough to have a job but actually I get value about often can contribute to I'll never be free of money worries I'll never be free from the impact of domestic violence I'll never be free from the fact that people have controlled me and manipulated me and it goes on and on on the list goes on you can add your own things in there and we can feel like that because of the impact of that culture around us that we have been a part of and just like the Edomites we can say it's not even my fault you know it's it's this group you've been with but I didn't ask to be born here I didn't ask for that but this is where I am and we can feel stuck like that it's this it's this group of friends it's this society it's this neighborhood it's this family it's even and it does happen it's this church it's these friends it's these circumstances these are the cars I've been dealt with and this is my lot in life and this is who I am and the place you are now in is not where you wanted to be or where you thought you would be and the huge overwhelming senses I've got a settle for this because that was their lot in life right they couldn't change so the deal is right if all we had is the Old Testament then that would be the end of the story and that would be a true picture like it was for the Edomites but the good news is we have the New Testament but the good news is that God took the initiative to bring about a change and sent his own son Jesus but he died on a cross for the sins of the world but three days later all the evidence shows that he rose from the dead but as we're going to see in a minute that starts to have an impact on whatever culture subculture group family whatever has affected us and creates a hope and an opportunity for change to come and that we don't have to settle for it anymore Paul put it this way when he wrote to the church in Galatians he says this but when the set time had fully come God got the initiative sent his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under the law what that language is saying is to redeem those under the law whatever culture whatever group whatever impact you've had by the life you've lived up to the point you encounter Jesus God has sent his son to rescue you from that and bring you into a different place the Edomites didn't get that we have that today in Jesus but in order that we might receive adoption to sonship this language is so strong and powerful right because what this is saying is no matter what forces or people or attitudes or whatever have gripped you I've taken hold of you in the past Jesus coming in person has enabled you to be adopted into sonship or daughtership in a new kingdom in a new culture in a new society one that God is over all and because you are his sons and daughters God sent the spirit of his son into our hearts who calls out Abba Father so guess what so you're no longer a slave we no longer have to be a slave to those things that control manipulate cajole us and restrict us and instead we are now a child of God and because we are a child of God we are now an heir of all the things that God promises now that's fantastic news all right but this is for me this is classic verse that as as Christians we often read this and know it in our heads right we could even quote it without having to look it up perhaps but the huge challenge is how on earth do you apply this to your life but it's nice to read a verse like that it's great to read a verse like that it's like yeah yeah yeah fantastic but actually how do you apply this what is the teeth of this verse into our lives so let me try and answer that question by giving an example when I find me paper let me give it so as a teenager and as a young man in my early 20s I was I was incredibly insecure right I'm only marginally insecure now but but in those days I was incredibly insecure as a young man and that was all shaped by you know my how I grew up the peer group family and all those life things that were around me at the time and I would hate walking into a room full of people and I just avoid it whenever I possibly could I remember one time when I was going out we went to church in Walkley and it was that day in spring when the clocks changed and they go forward an hour and of course we didn't we forgot because we were students so we didn't know that sort of stuff and so we turned up to church and it's already an hour into the service and I thought I'm not going in just don't want to go in but then somebody inadvertently came out for us and but that was the type of thing that I was you know I had that level of insecurity I would sit at the back of the room I would keep my head down when someone at the front asked the questions anybody got a question I wouldn't put my hand up but you know I would avoid all of that and you know and the insecurity was such that I made demands on other people I needed to know that you liked me and if you liked me yesterday there's a big chance you might not like me today so I need to know today that you liked me and all of that was that you know it was a nightmare for us when we were going out but all of that nightmare now anyway but all of that was going on alright because I was just dreadfully insecure but over time right as I read so I'd become a Christian right and guess what that hadn't changed that's the point I'm making that hadn't changed but but over time as I read and thought about the scriptures as I thought about the scriptures that talk about Christ has set us free that I am a new creation so for example I would yes so therefore I'd read scriptures like this therefore if anyone is in Christ the new creation has come the old is gone the new is here and that verse and I'd read that and I think well hang on because I really believe Jesus has died and he's alive today so if that if that's true then all bets are off anything can happen right death isn't the end there's something else right so I'd read a verse like this and I think well actually if this is true then this means I don't have to live the way I used to live this means I don't have to act in that way but this problem is that I do right and so I read verses I don't have to live as an insecure young man anymore I can do something about it I can change that the old has gone the new is here or I'd read another verse you know it's for freedom that Christ has set us free we've been singing about how God sets us free this morning but I wonder how many of us actually have allowed the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to change us consistently over time and make us free and that is one of the big things it's something that requires over time we often want the instant thing and particularly about charismatic Christianity we want the instant thing we want it to be a hundred-yard dash for God to change us but for a lot of us it's a marathon and that requires a different approach and a different way of tackling things so I'd have to come back and read this verse time and again so instead of feeling insecure every day or as well as feeling insecure every day I would read this verse every day and actually hang on a minute Christ has set me free for freedom and then the second half of this verse says what it says stand firm then that's got a bit of teeth about it this is not just about the woo woo woo yeah Christ has set me free this is about well let's do something serious that doesn't involve emotion but is a choice that is black and white and means it's gonna have a long-lasting effect in my life okay I I never thought like this 40 years ago this is my summary of thinking it all about right and and so so I would allow the verses to make a change in the way I thought about things and then make a decision to act differently so yeah I'd still get to a room full of people think oh I feel really insecure but then I think hang on a minute am I going to trust this verse or not am I going to act on this verse or not and make a difference and so I'd really and I'd be faced with the choice either this is who I am I'm insecure Andy and that's who God made me that's a good little phrase that the devil likes to use right and this is who and this is who I am and I'd park these verses therefore or I'm going to make the choice to believe the Word of God irrespective of how I feel irrespective of what my feelings are saying irrespective of what my emotions are saying and the church in this generation in the UK and in the West needs to wake up to the truth of this because there is so much emphasis on the emotional me and the feelings me and the felt me that we've elevated that above the priority of Scripture and God's Word and we need to redress that in our own lives and make our feelings and our emotions subservient again to the truth of the Word of God and get a hold of that so so we and that's a battle right but we need to do that so I'd read these verses regularly and then I'd act on them like I'm saying and I'd ignore the feelings right this didn't happen overnight this happened over a long time maybe years we're talking right and that's what I'm trying to go back and read the Word of God again let it change us again we'd slip up I walk into a room if you can't do anything here I'm going to avoid this again and let's start again but we do that we start again because the promise of God is that he has for freedom he set us free so I don't have to be constrained by an insecure approach to the world then there's a terrible verse that Paul wrote to Timothy but really affected me God hasn't given you a spirit of timidity but a power of love and the sound mind we need a lot more sound minds I'm love that's true am I going to believe that verse and act on it or am I just going to park it and just say yeah that's an intellectual thing in my city Matthew's testimony this morning was brilliant because that's exactly what he described about the anxiety of sharing and yet choosing still to go through with it and make a decision about that and all of us we have to do that that's what we are called to do the other key thing that helped at that time is having people around me in the church to support and encourage me with that process we are not meant to battle through these things alone whatever God is calling you or I to be free from we're not meant to battle through that alone and again that's a big issue because we like we don't want to tell people about it and we want to remain you know I don't want you to know about this it's awkward it's uncomfortable but God has put us in a different culture in a different society he calls it the church so that men and women can encourage us and stir us on I remember going to see a couple of guys in the church and they one of them said to me Andy it's time to put away the microscope I like the microscope I'm looking at the my new TI of detail I like worrying about all these things I like being insecure of the insecurities that generate and they put it away you know and I needed to hear that at that time and you can tell how significant it was because it's remained with me ever since right but we need men and women around us to walk this with us to encourage us that we may be free of these things as well and so but these things I've cycled back round cycled back round to the Word of God cycled back round to people are praying with me and encouraging me about it keep going keep going and that's what God calls us to do and this is the place where we begin to become free from the impact of the cultures that have affected us and to set us free you see that's me okay that's an example from my life your challenges may be different and I know right across this room there are some things that are far more sinister and far more evil than the things I've just described that have affected your lives but I am confident that the path to freedom remains the same number one we need to surrender our lives to Jesus if you have never done that I want to give you the opportunity today at the end of the service there is a chance to come and kneel at the cross there and say Jesus I need you in my life there's a shed load of stuff about you I don't understand but I do understand that you bring hope you bring rescue you you bring you save me from myself and I need that and so so we and we have to make that decision once first once and for all right and we choose that decisions about choosing they're no longer to do what I want to do but I'm gonna seek what Jesus wants to do figure that out and do that in my life instead but it's not just a one-off thing surrender to Jesus isn't just a one-off thing it needs to happen throughout our lives in what I've just described I had to continually surrender to Jesus my thought process I had to surrender to Jesus the fact I'm not going to trust my feelings I had to give it up to him we have to surrender to Jesus the question why me why is this happened to me why did that person do that to me why did that happen we have to surrender up to Jesus just for most of us will never get answers so what's the point in carrying with carrying on with him so we have to surrender to you the second thing is we have to what I've called proactively believe the Word of God which is really what I've been trying to describe we have to read it read God's Word time and again and again and again and again you know it's just like I've used this analogy before it's like when you visit a farmhouse if you visited a farmhouse on holiday for years that farmer has driven his tractor up and down the drive to that farmhouse who's got these massive great ruts in that drive that the tractor fits in nicely and he just drives up and down you rock up on holiday in your little town car and you're bouncing around all like this so beginning to think differently and let the Word of God change you means you have to spend a lot of time driving your little car up and down the tracks of your mind for the Word of God to start to have an impact and start to change the way that we think about things in the way we act on things in the way that we do things it's not like that it takes time and effort and perseverance then we need to start proactively believing the word means we need to start making choices based on what the Word of God says irrespective of our feelings because that is saying the Word of God is more important than what I feel or what my emotional state is and we need to do that and thirdly proactively believing the word means I refuse to be defined by my circumstances whatever they have been I refuse to be defined by labels and instead I want to be defined by God's Word and again this is an important thing I observe over the last 30 30 years or so the number of labels that are now available that we can attach to ourselves and call I am this I have that fit in your own acronym there's lots of acronyms around these days and whilst those things are good in terms of diagnosis of stuff and they can be helpful the moment we say that is me we need to let the Spirit of God break that and maybe even for you this morning that's an issue and I want to encourage you at the end when we ask the people to come for prayer come for prayer you are not that label you are not God never intended for you to be that person that is defined by that acronym or whatever it is you are a son or daughter of God that he has adopted into a new family and made you an heir of the promises that he has so that's proactively believing thirdly and finally we need to ask the help of others to stand with you that is the role of the church we're there to encourage one another love one another bear with one another pray one another support one another we're not meant to do this alone because asking for help breaks something of the hold this thing has on your life and we need it for our encouragement and our accountability for the duration so the issue that the Edomite story gives me and I hope gives us a little bit is yes I can be defined by whatever culture and circumstances have affected me in my life the issue is can this really change who we still live like the Edomites stuck with what we have this is who we are and shaped by what has happened to us or is there another way my contention this morning that I'm making this morning is that Jesus Christ the Son of God died and rose again and that changes everything so let's not be men and women that restrict the bits that he can change and let's walk into the good things that he has for us and that freedom may not be easy but in Jesus it is absolutely possible amen amen

Monday, January 20, 2025

Friday, January 17, 2025

Thursday, January 16, 2025

Azariah succeeds Amaziah as king and makes immediate improvements

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally explore 2 Kings 14:1-22 and 2 Chronicles 25, diving into the life and reign of King Amaziah of Judah. They discuss Amaziah's initial obedience to God, his partial devotion, and the consequences of misplaced confidence. Reflecting on the examples we follow, they highlight the importance of wholehearted faith, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, and giving glory to God for victories in life. The episode unpacks key lessons from Amaziah's prideful missteps, including his ill-fated challenge to Israel and his downfall following idolatry. Through these scriptures, Curtis and Sally remind us to examine our own hearts, follow Christ's example, and align our goals with God's glory. Join the conversation as they reflect on the ultimate prize of serving the Lord and living out a testimony that points others to Him.

And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. - 2 Kings 15:3

Scripture Reference: 2 Chron. 25:1-28 Sermon from Pastor Jim Stultz on Nov. 3, 2024

Pastor Marshall Ochs | November 3, 2024In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from 2 Kings 13-14. These chapters cover Israel's pattern of sin, judgment, and deliverance, under King Jehoahaz, whose cries for help were met with God's compassion despite ongoing disobedience. The life of Joash and Amaziah reveal a continued lack of true repentance and reliance on God, leading to further rebellion and the impending threat of exile. The theme of these chapters warns against complacency and emphasizes the importance of sincere devotion to God, urging readers to choose a relationship with Yahweh over the consequences of sin and spiritual apathy.

Amos 7Locusts, Fire and a Plumb Line (v 1-9)Amos and Amaziah (v 10-17)**********Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.  Used with permission.BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God's Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.Support the show

Amos tells Amaziah, high priest of the pagan god at Bethel, “I'm not the son of a prophet.” What does that mean? Let's find out together as we read Amos 6-9.

The prophet receives visions of judgment—locusts, fire, and a plumb line—each symbolizing God's impending punishment on Israel. While Amos intercedes and God relents twice, the plumb line vision marks the point of no return. When Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, tries to silence Amos, he boldly declares God's judgment on Israel and Amaziah's household, affirming his divine calling and the inevitability of Israel's downfall due to their persistent sin.  The Rev. Dan Eddy, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Beloit, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Amos 6.  Amos, a simple shepherd and fig tree farmer from Tekoa, was called by God to deliver a powerful message to Israel—a nation steeped in corruption, injustice, and complacency. Unlike the professional prophets of his time, Amos was an outsider, chosen to proclaim a divine warning against the moral decay and social inequalities that plagued the northern kingdom. Through vivid imagery and uncompromising language, Amos called out the wealthy elite for their exploitation of the poor, condemned the nation's empty religious practices, and foretold the impending judgment that would come if they did not repent.  

Leaders may begin well. The LORD has given them vision for the organization they have been tasked with leading. But, in time they begin to drink the koolaid of power and self-sufficiency. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kelly-dehnert/support

In our last episode, we considered the life of King Joash, the baby heir to the throne who was rescued and brought to kingship by Jehoiada the priest. Joash abandoned the Lord's temple, and was later assassinated. The next four kings continue this lineage. Amaziah begins well, but surprisingly turns to worship the idols of those he has defeated, and soon thereafter becomes overconfident. Amaziah's son, Uzziah, also begins well, but he, too, becomes overconfident, and acts unfaithfully by offering incense in the Lord's temple, a role that is reserved only for priests. Next, Jotham's reign is pretty quiet, as he did not waver in obeying the Lord. Finally, King Ahaz sells out to other countries and other gods and is invaded by Tiglath-Pileser.2 Chronicles 25 - 1:11 . 2 Chronicles 26 - 8:18 . 2 Chronicles 27 – 13:30 . 2 Chronicles 28 - 15:56 . Isaiah 8 - 22:04 .  :::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

In our last episode, we considered the life of King Joash, the baby heir to the throne who was rescued from a maniacal monarch, raised in the temple, and brought to kingship by Jehoiada the priest. Joash began by rebuilding the Lord's temple, then he abandons both the Lord's temple and the Lord. The Lord therefore abandons him and he is later assassinated. Amaziah begins well, but surprisingly turns to worship the idols of those he has defeated, and soon thereafter becomes overconfident, challenging Israel to war. In our reading from 2 Kings we'll encounter a few Israelite kings who ruled Israel during Amaziah's reign, including Jehoash who plunders Jerusalem after being provoked by Amaziah.2 Chronicles 25 - 1:07 . 2 Kings 14 - 8:35 . Psalm 120 - 14:42 . Psalm 121 - 15:29 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — King Amaziah first listened to God, and because he obeyed the Lord, he prospered. But later in his reign he stopped listening to God, and he lost God's blessings. Amaziah's life is a lesson for us to listen to the Lord as we go about our lives, so that we might enjoy his blessings.  Text: 2 Chronicles 25

In this Bible Story, we learn about the rule of Amaziah. He defeats a great threat, but grows arrogant and pompous. The Lord humbles Amaziah in the battle against Israel, and dies in exile. This story is inspired by 2 Chronicles 25 & 2 Kings 14:1-22. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 25:18 from the King James Version.Episode 145: The people of God needed a strong, courageous, godly King, and Uzziah provided that hope for the people. The young man was sixteen when he sat on the throne, and he sought God for wisdom just like Solomon did. He leaned on this wisdom of his elders and held the word of the prophet close. He sought God, fought battles against the Philistines, and gained the respect of the nations around him. However, as the stories about him grew, so did his ego. And in his arrogance, he walked into the temple of God without a priest and began to burn incense, as if he were a priest, beginning his downfall.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.

In this Bible Story, we meet the prophet Jonah, who refuses to obey God's calling because of his prejudice against Nineveh. However, God uses Jonah's life as a lesson. A lesson in caring about the lost. A lesson about humility and responding to the voice of God. A lesson on what truly matters. This story is inspired by Jonah 3-4. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Jonah 4:11 from the King James Version.Episode 144: Returning to the Kings of Judah we find the story of Amaziah, the son of Joash. His father was assassinated by his servants yet Amaziah did not hold their children responsible for his father's death, only them. One day in preparation for a battle with Sier, Amaziah hired one hundred thousand soldiers from Israel to fight with him. But a man of God came to Amaziah telling him to send the men home. However, those men of Israel were wicked and burned the cities of Judah in repayment for being sent home. Amaziah forsook God because of this and would hear no more words from God.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.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.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.

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost The Collect: O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Old Testament: Amos 7:7-15 7This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; 9the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” 10Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. 11For thus Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.'” 12And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; 13but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.” 14Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees,15and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.' Psalm: Psalm 85:8-13 8 I will listen to what the Lord God is saying, *        for he is speaking peace to his faithful people        and to those who turn their hearts to him. 9 Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him, *        that his glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth have met together; *        righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 11 Truth shall spring up from the earth, *        and righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12 The Lord will indeed grant prosperity, *        and our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness shall go before him, *        and peace shall be a pathway for his feet. Epistle: Ephesians 1:3-14 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory. Gospel: Mark 6:14-29 14King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” 15But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her. 18For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” 19And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. 21But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. 22When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” 23And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” 24She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

The Greatest Sin We All Commit A Sermon by Pastor Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor of Victory Church in Providence, RI.     II Chronicles 26:1-25, 15-16 NKJV 1 Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers. 3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5 He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. ...  15 And he made devices in Jerusalem, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. So his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong. The Penalty for Uzziah's Pride 16 But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.     For more information about Victory Church visit our website, www.victorychurchri.com or our Facebook page   

Monday, 15 July 2024   Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. Matthew 1:8   “And Asa begot Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah” (CG).   The previous verse finished with the words, “And Abijah begot Asa.” The ongoing genealogy continues with, “And Asa begot Jehoshaphat.”   The record of Jehoshaphat is first found in 1 Kings 15:24. However, the narrative at that time switches to the line of the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat is not mentioned again until 1 Kings 22. The summary of his life is found there saying –   “Jehoshaphat the son of Asa had become king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43 And he walked in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.” 1 Kings 22:41-43   The name Jehoshaphat means Yah has Judged or Yah Judges. He was a good king of Judah. Matthew next records, “and Jehoshaphat begot Joram.”   This king is called both Jehoram (2 Kings 8:16) and Joram (2 Kings 8:23). Of him, it says –   “He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.” 2 Kings 8:17, 18   As such his record defines him as a bad king. His name means Yah is High or Yah is Exalted. With him out of the way, Matthew next skips three generations of kings: Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah. He also omits the reign of Athaliah, the wicked queen who usurped the throne upon the death of Ahaziah, her son. Athaliah was the daughter of Omri, King of Israel. He was a bad king.   Joash (aka Jehoash) was a good king during the time of his instruction under Jehoiada the priest. Eventually he was killed and Amaziah, his son, reigned. Amaziah was an ok king, “yet not like his father David” (2 Kings 14:3). Eventually, a conspiracy was formed against him and he was killed. That is when his son Azaiah (aka Uzziah) replaced him. This is where Matthew's genealogy continues. As it says, “and Joram begot Uzziah.”   He is first noted in 2 Kings 14:21. Azariah means Yah Has Helped. Uzziah means something like Strength of Yah or Yah is My Strength. Azariah (Uzziah) was considered a good king over Israel, but he became prideful, attempted to offer incense to the Lord in the temple (a duty that belongs to the priest alone), and he was struck with leprosy till the day he died. He lived in an isolated house apart from the people and he was cut off from the house of the Lord.   Life application: There are various suggestions as to why Matthew skips generations in his genealogy. One is that the three generations were omitted to keep the record of generations totaling fourteen to maintain the pattern set forth in Matthew 1:17. This is obvious, but it does not explain why he chose that pattern or why he chose these three to be omitted.   There is the suggestion that the three omitted kings were descended from Jezebel and that this is then explained by the words of the second commandment –   “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:5, 6   That is reasonable, but it may not be the case as well. The word “begot” does not necessarily mean from one generation to the next. Jesus was begotten of all of the people named in His genealogy, being a product of each of them. Therefore, it is not necessary to include all the names.   Despite the difficulties in this genealogy, especially when compared to that of Luke's found in Luke 3, there is no known ancient dispute against them by detractors of the Christian faith. They were considered reasonable and reliable from the very beginning. And more, there are possible explanations for all of the complexities found in them. Referring to the innumerable written commentaries available on them will provide reassurances that these records are acceptable as valid representations of the genealogy of Jesus Christ.   Lord God, Your word is big, it is often complicated, and it has mysteries that take careful consideration. And yet, for those who are willing to put in the effort of searching, comparing, and contemplating what is recorded in it, there are always answers that can be found to even the most difficult issues. Thank You for Your word which challenges us to seek You out more and more, no matter how much we already know. Amen.  

Reading IAm 7:12-15Amaziah, priest of Bethel, said to Amos,“Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah! There earn your bread by prophesying,but never again prophesy in Bethel;for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple.” Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet,nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me,Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”Reading IIEph 1:3-14Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,who has blessed us in Christwith every spiritual blessing in the heavens,as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,in accord with the favor of his will,for the praise of the glory of his gracethat he granted us in the beloved.In him we have redemption by his blood,the forgiveness of transgressions,in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to usthe mystery of his will in accord with his favorthat he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times,to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.In him we were also chosen,destined in accord with the purpose of the Onewho accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,we who first hoped in Christ. In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,were sealed with the promised holy Spirit,which is the first installment of our inheritancetoward redemption as God's possession, to the praise of his glory.GospelMk 6:7-13Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by twoand gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journeybut a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandalsbut not a second tunic. He said to them,“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,leave there and shake the dust off your feetin testimony against them.” So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons,and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

2 Kings – Judgement upon Ahab's House, Jehu Destroys Baal Worshipers, Jehoahaz Succeeds Jehu, Athaliah Queen of Judah, Joash Reigns over Judah, The Temple to be Repaired, Amaziah in Judah  James – Things to Avoid

Passage: 7 He showed me this: The Lord was standing there by a vertical wall with a plumb line in his hand. 8 The Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos? ” I replied, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will no longer spare them: 9 Isaac's high places will be deserted, and Israel's sanctuaries will be in ruins; I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword.” 10 Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you right here in the house of Israel. The land cannot endure all his words, 11 for Amos has said this: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go into exile from its homeland.' ” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. Earn your living and give your prophecies there, 13 but don't ever prophesy at Bethel again, for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple.” 14 So Amos answered Amaziah, “I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.' ” -- Amos 7:7-15 (CSB) Song: Prophesy Your Promise (https://open.spotify.com/track/4X0WNlQtcoGOf4mWlUIeD7?si=a05beca429a94a25) by Bryan and Katie Torwalt and Mack Brock Lyrics: I found You in the middle of my mess You had been there all along Open arms and open heart You called me in You didn't hesitate at all And the lies I once believed They crumble With the weight of Your truth And the fear that gripped my heart Is arrested So that I can see You When I only see in part I will prophesy Your promise I believe You God 'Cause You finish what You start I will trust You in the process I believe You (God) You set a table in the middle of my war You knew the outcome of it all When what I faced looked like it would never end You said watch the giants fall Fear can go to hell Shame can go there too I know whose I am (God) I belong to You I belong Prayer: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come; your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Fr. Mike breaks down the moment Elijah is taken up to heaven, and the miracle Elisha performs at the spring. In 2 Chronicles, we also read about how king Amaziah suddenly turned his heart away from God by worshipping idols. Today's readings are 2 Kings 2, 2 Chronicles 25, and Psalm 70. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Therefore Yahweh was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?” But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.” - 2 Chronicles 25:15-16   But that same night the word of Yahweh came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh: Would you build me a house to dwell in?” - 2 Samuel 7:4-5   This Episode's Links and Timestamps: 00:24 – Scripture Reading 07:03 – Thoughts on the Reading 28:35 - What does the Bible say about humility? – GotQuestions.org 57:13 – Is Correcting Others Necessarily A Sign of Pride? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/garrett-ashley-mullet/message

Who among us has never wrestled with pride? It is a battle common to all of us, and each of us can succumb, as seen in the lives of kings Amaziah and Uzziah. Constant vigilance is required for the Christian if we are to keep pride at bay, remaining humble before the Lord. Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/preach-the-word/id1449859151?mt=2 […]

This is second to last week in Amos as we look at one of the crescendos of the book. In this section there is a "showdown" between Amos, the prophet of God, and Amaziah, the priest of Bethel. Amaziah rejects Amos' message and, without realizing it, in rejecting this message is also rejecting God! Although we'd like to think of ourselves as Amos in this story, we too can take everything that we've studied in this series and completely reject it, either actively or passively. How do we allow the Words of God to truly change us, and what might God be calling us to do, as we conclude the series, to respond to His Words to us?

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________SexagesimaO Lord, how manifold are your works! in wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.Psalm 104:25 (BCP) ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. O Gracious Light Phos hilaronO gracious Light, pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven, O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the vesper light, we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices, O Son of God, O Giver of life,and to be glorified through all the worlds. Psalm 6 Domine, ne in furore1Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger; *do not punish me in your wrath.2Have pity on me, Lord, for I am weak; *heal me, Lord, for my bones are racked.3My spirit shakes with terror; *how long, O Lord, how long?4Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; *save me for your mercy's sake.5For in death no one remembers you; *and who will give you thanks in the grave?6I grow weary because of my groaning; *every night I drench my bedand flood my couch with tears.7My eyes are wasted with grief *and worn away because of all my enemies.8Depart from me, all evildoers, *for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.9The Lord has heard my supplication; *the Lord accepts my prayer.10All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear; *they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame. Psalm 26 Judica me, Domine1Give judgment for me, O Lord,for I have lived with integrity; *I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.2Test me, O Lord, and try me; *examine my heart and my mind.3For your love is before my eyes; *I have walked faithfully with you.4I have not sat with the worthless, *nor do I consort with the deceitful.5I have hated the company of evildoers; *I will not sit down with the wicked.6I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, *that I may go in procession round your altar,7Singing aloud a song of thanksgiving *and recounting all your wonderful deeds.8Lord, I love the house in which you dwell *and the place where your glory abides.9Do not sweep me away with sinners, *nor my life with those who thirst for blood,10Whose hands are full of evil plots, *and their right hand full of bribes.11As for me, I will live with integrity; *redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me.12My foot stands on level ground; *in the full assembly I will bless the Lord. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsAmos 7:10-17 English Standard VersionThen Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said,“‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,    and Israel must go into exile    away from his land.'”And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.' Now therefore hear the word of the Lord.“You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,    and do not preach against the house of Isaac.'Therefore thus says the Lord:“‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city,    and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword,    and your land shall be divided up with a measuring line;you yourself shall die in an unclean land,    and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.'”Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. The Song of Mary - MagnificatMy soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; * for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant From this day all generations will call me blessed: * the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him * in every generation.He has shown the strength of his arm, * he has scattered the proud in their conceit.He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, * and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, * for he has remembered his promise of mercy, The promise he made to our fathers, * to Abraham and his children for ever.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as It was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Galatians 5:1-12 English Standard VersionFor freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. The Song of Simeon - Nunc dimittisLord, you now have set your servant free * to go in peace as you have promised; For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, * whom you have prepared for all the world to see: A Light to enlighten the nations, * and the glory of your people Israel.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The SuffragesThat this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful, We entreat you, O Lord.That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses, We entreat you, O Lord.That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may depart this life in your faith and fear, and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ, We entreat you, O Lord.That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit in the communion of all your saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ, We entreat you, O Lord.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. Sexagesima (Anglican Prayer Book)LORD God, you who see that we do not put our trust in anything that we do: Mercifully grant that by your power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our LORD. Amen.A Collect for PeaceMost holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.A Collect for Aid against PerilsBe our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.For MissionKeep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionMay the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. - Romans 15:13

Old Testament: Amos 6–9 Amos 6–9 (Listen) Woe to Those at Ease in Zion 6   “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,    and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria,  the notable men of the first of the nations,    to whom the house of Israel comes!2   Pass over to Calneh, and see,    and from there go to Hamath the great;    then go down to Gath of the Philistines.  Are you better than these kingdoms?    Or is their territory greater than your territory,3   O you who put far away the day of disaster    and bring near the seat of violence? 4   “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory    and stretch themselves out on their couches,  and eat lambs from the flock    and calves from the midst of the stall,5   who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp    and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,6   who drink wine in bowls    and anoint themselves with the finest oils,    but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!7   Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile,    and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.” 8 The Lord GOD has sworn by himself, declares the LORD, the God of hosts:   “I abhor the pride of Jacob    and hate his strongholds,    and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.” 9 And if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. 10 And when one's relative, the one who anoints him for burial, shall take him up to bring the bones out of the house, and shall say to him who is in the innermost parts of the house, “Is there still anyone with you?” he shall say, “No”; and he shall say, “Silence! We must not mention the name of the LORD.” 11   For behold, the LORD commands,    and the great house shall be struck down into fragments,    and the little house into bits.12   Do horses run on rocks?    Does one plow there1 with oxen?  But you have turned justice into poison    and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood2—13   you who rejoice in Lo-debar,3    who say, “Have we not by our own strength    captured Karnaim4 for ourselves?”14   “For behold, I will raise up against you a nation,    O house of Israel,” declares the LORD, the God of hosts;  “and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath    to the Brook of the Arabah.” Warning Visions 7 This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings. 2 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,   “O Lord GOD, please forgive!    How can Jacob stand?    He is so small!”3   The LORD relented concerning this:    “It shall not be,” said the LORD. 4 This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, the Lord GOD was calling for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. 5 Then I said,   “O Lord GOD, please cease!    How can Jacob stand?    He is so small!”6   The LORD relented concerning this:    “This also shall not be,” said the Lord GOD. 7 This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,   “Behold, I am setting a plumb line    in the midst of my people Israel;    I will never again pass by them;9   the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,    and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,    and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” Amos Accused 10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said,   “‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,    and Israel must go into exile    away from his land.'” 12 And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.” 14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was5 no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.' 16 Now therefore hear the word of the LORD.   “You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,    and do not preach against the house of Isaac.' 17 Therefore thus says the LORD:   “‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city,    and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword,    and your land shall be divided up with a measuring line;  you yourself shall die in an unclean land,    and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.'” The Coming Day of Bitter Mourning 8 This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, a basket of summer fruit. 2 And he said, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the LORD said to me,   “The end6 has come upon my people Israel;    I will never again pass by them.3   The songs of the temple7 shall become wailings8 in that day,”      declares the Lord GOD.  “So many dead bodies!”  “They are thrown everywhere!”  “Silence!” 4   Hear this, you who trample on the needy    and bring the poor of the land to an end,5   saying, “When will the new moon be over,    that we may sell grain?  And the Sabbath,    that we may offer wheat for sale,  that we may make the ephah small and the shekel9 great    and deal deceitfully with false balances,6   that we may buy the poor for silver    and the needy for a pair of sandals    and sell the chaff of the wheat?” 7   The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob:  “Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.8   Shall not the land tremble on this account,    and everyone mourn who dwells in it,  and all of it rise like the Nile,    and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt?” 9   “And on that day,” declares the Lord GOD,    “I will make the sun go down at noon    and darken the earth in broad daylight.10   I will turn your feasts into mourning    and all your songs into lamentation;  I will bring sackcloth on every waist    and baldness on every head;  I will make it like the mourning for an only son    and the end of it like a bitter day. 11   “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD,    “when I will send a famine on the land—  not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,    but of hearing the words of the LORD.12   They shall wander from sea to sea,    and from north to east;  they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD,    but they shall not find it. 13   “In that day the lovely virgins and the young men    shall faint for thirst.14   Those who swear by the Guilt of Samaria,    and say, ‘As your god lives, O Dan,'  and, ‘As the Way of Beersheba lives,'    they shall fall, and never rise again.” The Destruction of Israel 9 I saw the Lord standing beside10 the altar, and he said:   “Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake,    and shatter them on the heads of all the people;11  and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword;    not one of them shall flee away;    not one of them shall escape. 2   “If they dig into Sheol,    from there shall my hand take them;  if they climb up to heaven,    from there I will bring them down.3   If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,    from there I will search them out and take them;  and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea,    there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them.4   And if they go into captivity before their enemies,    there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them;  and I will fix my eyes upon them    for evil and not for good.” 5   The Lord GOD of hosts,  he who touches the earth and it melts,    and all who dwell in it mourn,  and all of it rises like the Nile,    and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt;6   who builds his upper chambers in the heavens    and founds his vault upon the earth;  who calls for the waters of the sea    and pours them out upon the surface of the earth—  the LORD is his name. 7   “Are you not like the Cushites to me,    O people of Israel?” declares the LORD.  “Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt,    and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Syrians from Kir?8   Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom,    and I will destroy it from the surface of the ground,    except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,”      declares the LORD. 9   “For behold, I will command,    and shake the house of Israel among all the nations  as one shakes with a sieve,    but no pebble shall fall to the earth.10   All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword,    who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.' The Restoration of Israel 11   “In that day I will raise up    the booth of David that is fallen  and repair its breaches,    and raise up its ruins    and rebuild it as in the days of old,12   that they may possess the remnant of Edom    and all the nations who are called by my name,”12    declares the LORD who does this. 13   “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD,    “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper    and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed;  the mountains shall drip sweet wine,    and all the hills shall flow with it.14   I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,    and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;  they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,    and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.15   I will plant them on their land,    and they shall never again be uprooted    out of the land that I have given them,”      says the LORD your God. Footnotes [1] 6:12 Or the sea [2] 6:12 Or into bitter fruit [3] 6:13 Lo-debar means nothing [4] 6:13 Karnaim means horns (a symbol of strength) [5] 7:14 Or am; twice in this verse [6] 8:2 The Hebrew words for end and summer fruit sound alike [7] 8:3 Or palace [8] 8:3 Or The singing women of the palace shall wail [9] 8:5 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters; a shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [10] 9:1 Or on [11] 9:1 Hebrew all of them [12] 9:12 Hebrew; Septuagint (compare Acts 15:17) that the remnant of mankind and all the nations who are called by my name may seek the Lord (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 141 Psalm 141 (Listen) Give Ear to My Voice A Psalm of David. 141   O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me!    Give ear to my voice when I call to you!2   Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,    and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! 3   Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;    keep watch over the door of my lips!4   Do not let my heart incline to any evil,    to busy myself with wicked deeds  in company with men who work iniquity,    and let me not eat of their delicacies! 5   Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;    let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;    let my head not refuse it.  Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.6   When their judges are thrown over the cliff,1    then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.7   As when one plows and breaks up the earth,    so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.2 8   But my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord;    in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!39   Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me    and from the snares of evildoers!10   Let the wicked fall into their own nets,    while I pass by safely. Footnotes [1] 141:6 Or When their judges fall into the hands of the Rock [2] 141:7 The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 6, 7 is uncertain [3] 141:8 Hebrew

In this Bible Story, we learn about the rule of Amaziah. He defeats a great threat, but grows arrogant and pompous. The Lord humbles Amaziah in the battle against Israel, and dies in exile. This story is inspired by 2 Chronicles 25 & 2 Kings 14:1-22. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 25:18 from the King James Version.Episode 145: The people of God needed a strong, courageous, godly King, and Uzziah provided that hope for the people. The young man was sixteen when he sat on the throne, and he sought God for wisdom just like Solomon did. He leaned on this wisdom of his elders and held the word of the prophet close. He sought God, fought battles against the Philistines, and gained the respect of the nations around him. However, as the stories about him grew, so did his ego. And in his arrogance, he walked into the temple of God without a priest and began to burn incense, as if he were a priest, beginning his downfall.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.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.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.

In this Bible Story, we meet the prophet Jonah, who refuses to obey God's calling because of his prejudice against Nineveh. However, God uses Jonah's life as a lesson. A lesson in caring about the lost. A lesson about humility and responding to the voice of God. A lesson on what truly matters. This story is inspired by Jonah 3-4. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Jonah 4:11 from the King James Version.Episode 144: Returning to the Kings of Judah we find the story of Amaziah, the son of Joash. His father was assassinated by his servants yet Amaziah did not hold their children responsible for his father's death, only them. One day in preparation for a battle with Sier, Amaziah hired one hundred thousand soldiers from Israel to fight with him. But a man of God came to Amaziah telling him to send the men home. However, those men of Israel were wicked and burned the cities of Judah in repayment for being sent home. Amaziah forsook God because of this and would hear no more words from God.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.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.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.

In this Bible Story, we learn about David returning the Ark of the Covenant home to the people of Israel. However the revelry was quickly replaced by fear as Uzzah was struck down when he touched the ark. When the ark finally returned to Israel, David leaped for joy and danced among the people. He took off his kingly robes, which angers his wife. However David would not be embarrassed to show his love for God. This story is inspired by 2 Samuel 6 & 1 Chronicles 13, 15-17. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Samuel 6:16 from the King James Version.Episode 99: With the battles of the Philistines now won, David sought to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Judah. Uzzah and Ahio carried the Ark on an ox-driven cart. But as they were on their way, the cart hit a bump and the Ark almost fell. Uzzah instinctively reached out to catch it, but this was not for him to do and so he died. David, furious and confused, kept the Ark at the home of Obed-Edom for three months. Then David sought again to move the Ark to Jerusalem, this time seeking God and offering sacrifices as he went. As the Ark entered the gates, all of Israel celebrated with loud shouts and dancing! All except Michal.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.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.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.

Fr. Mike breaks down the moment Elijah is taken up to heaven, and the miracle Elisha performs at the spring. In 2 Chronicles, we also read about how king Amaziah suddenly turned his heart away from God by worshipping idols. Today's readings are 2 Kings 2, 2 Chronicles 25, and Psalm 70. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.