Podcast appearances and mentions of king jeroboam

First Kings 13 set the tone for the spiritual condition of the northern nation called Israel under the reign of King Jeroboam. Some time back we studied about a man of God coming to Jeroboam and pronouncing judgment for his sins. Jeroboam attempted to have the man of God arrested, only to have his arm […] The post REWIND: Get Behind Me, Lord (1 Kings 14:1-20) appeared first on Biblical Truths from West Palm Beach church of Christ.

Minor Prophets - Amos Today we are looking at the book of Amos! Amos was a prophet during the time of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel. His prophecy came somewhere roundabout the year 760 BC, give or take a few decades! At this time Israel and Judah were enjoying an unusual spell of prosperity and political stability. This was especially the case in Israel, where the land was very fertile and abundant crops were growing. The threat from the kingdom of Assyria seemed to have lessened, at least for the time being, so life was pretty good.  Amos' words speak to us today. Come and listen to find out more of how these ancient words speak to you! Click or tap here to download as a mp3 file    

The Gospel of Jeroboam and the Cult of Easy Christianity In his new book, Ron Kronz exposes how modern believers may be following a faith more like King Jeroboam's than Christ's—convenient, comfortable, and dangerously counterfeit.

Pastor Jim explores the story of King Jeroboam's disobedience in 1 Kings 13, highlighting the dangers of self-made religion driven by fear and control. He examines how convenience and self-righteousness distort faith, contrasting them with true obedience to God's word. Through the story of the two prophets, Jim challenges all to reject consumer-based religion, align their lives with Jesus as the final authority, and walk in faith-driven obedience.

Host: Emily Hatfield  |  Released Wednesday, March 5, 2025 This episode of Wifey Wednesdays continues in the life of King Jeroboam, the first king of the northern tribe of Israel after the great divide. Unfortunately, Jeroboam continues down the path of following his own desires instead of following God, and this episode explores the message […]

Host: Emily Hatfield  |  Released Wednesday, March 5, 2025 This episode of Wifey Wednesdays continues in the life of King Jeroboam, the first king of the northern tribe of Israel after the great divide. Unfortunately, Jeroboam continues down the path of following his own desires instead of following God, and this episode explores the message […]

Title: THE PERIL OF COMPROMISE: LESSONS FROM KING JEROBOAM | சமரசத்தின் ஆபத்து : யெரொபெயாம் அரசனிடமிருந்து பாடங்கள்Event: Sunday Service SermonSpeaker: Rev. Dr. Jim Reuben ElliotDate: February 16, 2025Watch the Sermon as a video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/jy4C1Fx9Vg4?si=YTMbo-UtIQ5l3-zaFOLLOW US!https://linktr.ee/agapebangaloreFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/agapebangalore Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agapebangaloreYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AgapeBangaloreYouTube TV: https://www.youtube.com/@AgapeBangaloreTVTwitter: https://twitter.com/abcabfindia Website: https://agapebangalore.orgVISIT US!Location: Agape Bible Church BangaloreGoogle Map: https://goo.gl/maps/fvEzXTwigMbRRTxz5CONTACT US!Email: abcabfindia@gmail.comWhatsApp & Telegram: +91-9900167714 & +91-9901613901#AgapeBangalore #WordofGod #JimReubenElliot

Amos 7:7-9 New Living Translation   A Vision of a Plumb Line 7 Then he showed me another vision. I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight. 8 And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I answered, “A plumb line.” And the Lord replied, “I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins. 9 The pagan shrines of your ancestors[a] will be ruined, and the temples of Israel will be destroyed; I will bring the dynasty of King Jeroboam to a sudden end.”

Send us a text here!336: The story of Jonah is about more than just a man and a giant fish. Join Pastor Plek, Pastor Mo, Bri Mota, and Cody Sparks as they explore this compelling narrative. The discussion kicks off with Jonah's unique role as a prophet during the time of King Jeroboam, and how his interactions with other prophets like Hosea and Amos set the stage for his reluctant mission to Nineveh. These dialogues uncover rich themes of divine compassion and justice, shedding light on Jonah's enigmatic resistance and what it reveals about human nature.Got questions? Text us at 737-231-0605!Like, share, and subscribe! We love seeing and responding to your reviews and comments.Support the show: https://wbcc.churchcenter.com/givingSupport the show

église AB Lausanne ; KJV 1 Kings (3 Kings) 15 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem: Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah. And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. ...

[00:30] King Jeroboam (55 minutes) Because the Democrats stole the 2020 election, Donald Trump is now set to be the most powerful Republican president in the modern era with the support of the Supreme Court, the Senate and possibly the House of Representatives. Trump's victory this week was so swift and decisive that even the left has been forced to grudgingly accept the result. This year's election vote counts also make Joe Biden's absurd 81 million vote victory in 2020 look even more improbable. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has been exposing the big lie and predicting that Trump would return to the presidency for the last four years.

Children of Abraham Galatians 3:1-14 by William Klock Have you ever heard of Charles Blondin?  He was a French acrobat, daredevil, and tight-rope walker in the middle of the Nineteenth Century.  He is most famous for crossing the Niagara Gorge, just above the falls, walking a tight-rope in 1859.  He was the first person to do so.  And it drew a crowd, so he did it again and again and again.  But to keep the crowds coming back he had to keep finding new and more impressive ways to walk the tight-rope across the gorge.  He crossed walking backwards.  He crossed while blindfolded.  He crossed pushing a loaded wheelbarrow.  He crossed while walking the tight-rope on stilts.  He once carried a chair with him, balanced the chair on a single leg on the rope, then stood on the chair.  Another time he stopped mid-rope, cooked himself an omelet (Yes, I'm also struggling to figure out how he did that), ate the omelet, and then continued to the other side.  But, I think, his most impressive feat was crossing Niagara Gorge on a tight-rope while carrying his manager.  I mean, in terms of physical challenges, that was probably one of the easier things Blondin did.  The impressive bit is that his manager trusted him enough to be part of the stunt. So picture Charles Blondin on a tight-rope, crossing Niagara Gorge with his manager—his name was Harry Colcord—on his back.  But then imagine, Harry, halfway across, telling Blondin to stop and put him down.  “This has been nice, and I know you told me not to look down, but I did.  And the water is churning away way down there as it gets ready to go over the falls and, well, I think I'd feel better if I got off your back and got myself across the tight-rope alone.”  Imagine what Blondin would have said to him.  “You witless fool!” Well, that's what Paul writes to the churches in Galatia, having heard that they're talking about getting circumcised.  Look at Galatians 3:1-5. You witless Galatians!  Who as bewitched you?  Messiah Jesus was portrayed on the cross before your very eyes!  There's just one thing I want to know from you.  Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of torah, or by hearing and believing?  You are so witless!  You began with the Spirit, and now you're ending with the flesh?  Did you really suffer so much for nothing—if indeed it is going to be for nothing?  The one who gives you the Spirit and performs powerful deeds among you—does he do this through your performance of torah, or through hearing and believing?   So chapter 2 ended with Paul writing about the faithful son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  He's reminded them of the cross and now Paul launches into his main argument with that violent image of the cross at the forefront.  “Messiah Jesus was portrayed on the cross before your very eyes!”  It's hard to say exactly what Paul means by that.  When he was there, did he give them a graphic description of Jesus' crucifixion?  Maybe.  But everyone in the Roman world knew about crucifixion.  I think it's safe to say that pretty much everyone had seen a crucifixion at some point.  They knew how awful it was.  Whatever it means that the cross was displayed to them, Paul's point is that the Galatians knew all about Jesus and the cross and they should have understood how it had changed everything.  They should have understood how it turned everything Jews thought about their identity and everything about the rule of torah upside-down.  Jesus' death changed everything.  Paul had taught them that.  When he'd left them, they understood all of this—or so he thought.  But now—they're talking about getting circumcised.  He's utterly flabbergasted.  How could this be, so he practically shouts at them, “You witless Galatians!”  I thought I knew you, but now this?  Has someone cast a stupid spell on you?  Jesus and the Spirit got them halfway across the tightrope, but now they're looking down at the long drop and the churning waters and thinking that maybe they should play it safe and go the rest of the way with torah instead.  And Paul's point: Torah never would have got you this far.  Don't be stupid.  Let Jesus and the Spirit take you all the way. He's got one question for them, but it spills out as six.  Who has bewitched you?  Did you receive the Spirit through the torah or through hearing and believing the gospel?  Again, are you really this dumb?  Having begun in the Spirit, are you going to end in the flesh?  Have you suffered so much for nothing?  And, did God give you his Spirit and has he done powerful things amongst you because you obeyed torah or because you heard and believed?  It all boils down to one question.  Paul asks them to consider everything that's happened to them since he first visited them and proclaimed the good news about Jesus the Messiah.  He asks them: “Did all that happen because you were keeping the Jewish law?”  Of course, the answer is a resounding “No!”  Everything that had happened to them had happened through the power of the gospel and the giving of the Spirit as they listened and believed. And when Paul says that, he makes sure to put all the stress on the gospel and on the Spirit and none on them.  The gospel was proclaimed, they believed—and then they discovered that it was actually all along the Spirit already at work amongst them.  That's the point here.  Their lives had been transformed by the Spirit and the Spirit was doing amazing things in their churches, not because of anything they had done—and certainly not because they'd decided to start living according to the Jewish law.  Up til now, they hadn't even considered doing that.  So, no, none of this had happened because of their works.  Just the opposite, their works were actually the work of God's Spirit in them—a gift they'd received, a new life into which they'd been plunged when they believed the good news and were baptised in the Messiah.  Their new life had begun with the Spirit.  So why, O why, Paul wants to know, are they now turning back to the flesh? Now, we should pause here and ask what Paul means when he writes about Spirit and flesh.  The Spirit is God's Spirit, but for Paul it sort of becomes a shorthand for new life and new creation.  The Spirit is the down payment on the resurrection life of the new world that God has promised.  The life of the Spirit is a preview of what life will one day be like when God finally sets his creation (and us!) fully to rights.  The Spirit is a preview in the sense that we now have a taste of that life, but the Spirit, through his work in us, also gives the world a preview of what God's new world will be like.  Think about that.  The Church is—or it should be—a preview of the age to come, of God's new creation.  On the other hand, the “flesh” for Paul is shorthand for the corruption, decay, and death of the old age—it's shorthand for life without the redeeming work of Jesus and the renewing work of the Spirit.  But, too, Paul also writes about the Jewish people “according to the flesh”—Abraham's biological descendants marked out with the sign of circumcision in their flesh.  To be clear, though, when Paul talks about flesh and Spirit, he is absolutely not using these works in the sense of the Greek philosophers—whose ideas persist today—who thought the physical word or the physical body (the flesh) was some bad thing and that the spirit was some good, non-material essence—the real us—that needs to be set free.  For Paul, we can think of “flesh” as representing the old age dominated by sin and death and “Spirit” as representing the life of god's new creation. So obviously the Spirit is important.  The Spirit shows that the promises made to Abraham have finally come true through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  The Spirit is the evidence of the gospel doing its work.  This is why, for example, the Pentecostal and Charismatic idea that separated the gift of the Spirit from belief in the gospel is such a problem.  (If Paul had been alive in the early Twentieth Century he would, I expect, have written an equally sternly worded epistle to them.)  The Spirit is not an add-on to life in Jesus—as if you can believe in Jesus now and receive the Spirit at some later time—or even not at all.  To believe the gospel is to trust in Jesus the Messiah, not just for the forgiveness of sins—as if that's all there is to gospel.  To believe in the gospel is to become part of God's promised new creation, to be plunged into the Spirit so that the very life of God himself makes us new.  To be in the Messiah is to have the Spirit in you.  You cannot separate the two.  Anything less than that is, as Paul would put it, “flesh” and, Brothers and Sisters, the gospel which begins with the Spirit ends in the Spirit.  It will never leave us stuck in the flesh.  The Lord does not deliver you from bondage in Egypt only to leave you stuck in Egypt.  He leads you through the Red Sea and into the promised land. So, to sum up so far: We live the life of the Spirit not because of anything we've done, but because we have heard and believed the good news about Jesus, crucified and risen.  Even then, the fact that we have “heard” it, is because the Spirit was already at work in us.  Now, lets move on to verse 6.  Paul writes: It's like Abraham.  “He believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.”  So you know that it's people of faith who are children of Abraham.   Remember what I talked about last week.  Why was Abraham so important to Paul?  Because the story of redemption begins with him.  He's the model for all of God's people thereafter.  The Lord spoke into a world completely lost in the darkness of paganism and he called Abraham: “Go to the land I will show you and I will give you a family and an inheritance.”  It was a crazy promise made by a strange God, but Abraham believed—he trusted—and the Lord established a covenant with him and with his children.  Through them, the Lord would, one day, drive away the darkness and set the world to rights.  I said last week, that's what “righteousness” is about for Paul.  It's about membership in this covenant family of God.  For the Jews in Paul's day the human race was divided into two groups: the Jews were the “righteous”, the “sinners” were everyone else.  It began with Abraham—long before there was ever a torah or, for that matter, even before circumcision.  The Lord established a covenant with Abraham because of faith and—here's the key point for Paul here that stands like a mountain over this whole passage—it is this faith, this trust in the Lord that marks out Abraham's family.  It's the faith people, not the circumcision people who will inherit God's promises.  Imagine Paul pointing his finger at the Galatians—most of whom were gentiles—as he says this.  He's saying, “This means you.”  They—gentile believers renewd by God's Spirit— they were the sign that God's promises to Abraham were finally coming true.  He goes on in verse 8: The scriptures foresaw that God would justify the nations by faith, so it announced the gospel to Abraham in advance, when it declared that ‘the nations will be blessed in you.'  So you see, the people of faith are blessed along with faithful Abraham.   God's promises were a lot bigger than Abraham.  Again, God began a project with Abraham, through which he intended to bring the whole world—the nations—out of the darkness of sin and death.  And Paul could point to these gentile believers in Galatia and say, “See!  You are living proof of the faithfulness of the God of Israel.  In you, the blessing promised to Abraham has begun to reach the nations.  Brothers and Sisters, the same goes for us.  Some of my ancestors were Jews, but most of them were pagans who worshipped oak trees.  They heard the good news about Jesus, the Spirit got hold of them, they believed, and the Spirit led them out of the darkness and made them sons and daughters of Abraham and inheritors of his promise.  You and I are proof that God is faithful to do what he promised. And that's Paul's next point.  It's God who is faithful.  The promises weren't fulfilled because Abraham's family was faithful.  Some of them were, but on the whole, Israel failed miserably.  Look at verses 10-12: Because, you see, those who belong to the “works-of-the-law” camp are under a curse.  For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not stick fast by everything written in the book of the law, to perform it.”  But because nobody is justified before God in the law, it's clear that “the righteous shall live by faith.”  The law, however, is not by faith; rather “the one who does them shall live by them.”   We know that the “faith people” are justified—that means they're the ones counted as “righteous”, as God's people—because those who put their stock in doing the Jewish law, well, they're under a curse.  Paul quotes Deuteronomy 27:26, “Cursed is everyone who does not stick fast by everything written in the book of the law, to perform it.”  Now, Paul's point isn't that it's impossible to keep the law, so don't bother trying.  What he's saying is that if—like the agitators in Galatia or the people from James in Antioch—if you decide to go down the road of circumcision, well, that's just the first step.  There are 612 other commandments you'll have to follow and not even the agitators, not even these “circumcision people” were doing all of that.  Torah is all or nothing. Here's where Paul is going with this.  He's telling the story again.  I think we miss that because we've been trained to think in terms of abstract doctrinal propositions, but for Paul it was all about the story of God and his people.  It began with Abraham and the family that the Lord miraculously gave him to carry forward his promises to the nations, but along the way the story shows that Abraham's family was infected with the same sin problem as the rest of the human race—the very same problem God's promises were meant to heal. This is the lens through which the Jews of Paul's day saw themselves.  The Essenes at Qumran—the people responsible for the Dead Sea Scrolls—they're a great example of this.  They saw that Israel was broken and fallen, disloyal and incapable of carrying forward the Lord's promises.  They believed that the Lord was, secretly through them, launching his new covenant to set everything right.  Their scroll on torah (4QMMT) sums it all up.  First there was a time of blessing under David and Solomon, but King Jeroboam sinned and his successors down the line through Zedekiah kept sinning and that brought the curse of Deuteronomy 27 on the nation.  Deuteronomy—Moses reiteration of the law before the Israelites crossed into the promised land, it promised blessing if the people trusted the Lord and a curse if they were unfaithful.  So the Lord did what he promised.  He caused them to be carried way into exile and, even though the people had returned from exile to the promised land, the curse continued—for another five hundred years.  Being ruled over by godless gentiles like the Romans was the proof.  What Israel needed was a new covenant.  Now, the Qumran community was unique in thinking that they were the people of that new covenant, but most other Jews would have agreed with the basic outline of the story.  The angry Pharisees who wrote the Palms of Solomon and the Maccabean martyrs would have agreed.  Ezra and Nehemiah and Daniel said the same thing: God's people, even after some of them had returned to Jerusalem, they were still sinful, still in “exile”, still “slaves in our own land”.  The promises of Deuteronomy 30, the promises that would come true if Israel were faithful, they had never happened.  Isaiah's promises of everything set to rights was only a dream.  Deuteronomy warned of that if Israel was unfaithful she would fall under a curse and Paul and his fellow Jews saw that curse happening in their own day.  Oppression by the pagan Romans was the current iteration in a long line back to Babylon. So Paul sums up the problem in verse 11 when he says that nobody is justified before God in the law, so “the righteous shall live by faith”.  He's quoting Habakkuk there.  But that was the big question for Paul and his fellow Jews.  There were these big promises.  Habakkuk said the righteous shall live by faith, but how were they supposed to get there?  No matter what Israel did, no matter how many reform movements came along, Israel was stuck in unfaithfulness and living under the curse.  Buckling down, like the Pharisees, and doing the law even harder wasn't working.  That's why Paul quotes Leviticus 18:5: “You shall therefore keep my statues and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord”.  There's a promise there, but pretty much everyone by Paul's day had lost hope.  Yes, if we keep the Lord's statues we will live, but no matter what we do and no matter how hard we try, we fail.  So Paul throws up his hands in despair and, I think, most other thoughtful Jews of his day would have thought the same way.  What more can we do? But as discouraging as this story might seem, if you really believed that all of Israel's woes were the curse promised in Deuteronomy 27, there was hope that one day, somehow the blessing of Deuteronomy 30 would happen—including God's renewal of his people by his Spirit.  And so, while his fellow Jews felt the weight of Leviticus 18:5, Paul saw the beginnings of hope there.  This was the Lord's promise and the Lord is faithful.  Paul saw it pointing to a new covenant and a new way of keeping the law—one that would finally work.  This—this new thing—is what Paul saw had happened—was happening—through Jesus the Messiah.  He goes on in verses 13 and 14: The Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the law, by becoming a curse on our behalf, as it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”  This was so that the blessing of Abraham could flow through to the nations in Messiah Jesus—and so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit, through faith. Paul saying, “It seemed hopeless, but look what God has done!  The curse that Deuteronomy promised has been borne by the Messiah.  Jesus can do that, because—remember—the king represents his people.  That's why I stressed last week that it's not just the promise to Abraham that's important, but that we also remember how David, the King, was incorporated into the promise as well.  So Jesus the Messiah, the King came to the place where the pagans, agents of the curse, were oppressing his people and he took the curse on himself.  And he didn't do it in some abstract way.  It was obvious.  It was unmistakable.  The cross was the great symbol of Roman oppression and brutality.  Jesus literally took Israel's curse on himself when he died on the cross. Israel, through her unfaithfulness, had become like a logjam in the river of God's blessing, so Jesus the King became, himself, a literal son of Abraham and bore Israel's curse himself, thereby becoming the conduit for God to pour out his Spirit.  He cleared the logjam.  This is what Paul means in verse 14 when he writes that the blessing of Abraham could flow through to the nations in Messiah Jesus”.  That's the first result of Jesus' death on the cross.  The second thing he did was to renew God's covenant.  This is what the prophets had promised.  The Lord wasn't just going to let Israel rot away as a logjam in the river or even bypass Israel.  Through Jesus, God poured out his Spirit on Israel, giving them a new way to keep his law, so that they could, again and as he intended, be the river carrying his blessings to the nations.  That's why Paul says we, meaning he and his fellow Jews who believed the good news about Jesus, we “might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”.  God has dealt with the logjam created by the law and the unfaithfulness of Israel and he's done so through Jesus' death and through the pouring out of his Spirit.  And now Paul and his fellow Jewish missionaries are like the river, freed of the logjam, rushing out to carry the light and life of God to the nations.  For Paul, the mission to the gentiles and the fact that in Jesus, the gentile and Jewish believers were worshiping and eating and gathering around the Lord's Table together as one family, this was proof that God is faithful to do what he has promised. That's as far as we'll go today with Chapter 3.  These verses have a reputation for being notoriously difficult, but a lot of that is because for a very long time we've tried to read what Paul says here as abstract doctrinal propositions, when what Paul is really doing is telling the story of God and his people.  Paul does it that way in part because it puts the faithfulness of God to his promises front and centre and gives us reason to believe him and to trust him, but Paul also puts this all in terms of this great story of redemption, because it shows us our place in the story.  When we look at this in terms of the story, what stands out in the middle of it is that we are, by faith in the Messiah, members of Abraham's promised family.  By faith in Jesus the Messiah, not by circumcision or torah or anything else.  By faith in Jesus the Messiah.  Getting that right was the solution to the problems in Galatia.  Think about that.  When we think about Christian identity, how often do we think of in terms of being sons and daughters of Abraham?  This was a really, really big deal for Paul.  And as much as we sang the song about Father Abrahamwhen we were kids in Sunday School—I am one of them, and so are you—this theme is almost entirely ignored down through the history of the church.  We even have a whole school of recent evangelical theology committed to the idea that only ethnic Jews are children of Abraham.  But this truth, that we are children of Abraham and heirs of God's promises to him, it's absolutely essential to Paul.  So much so, that for him the gospel stands or falls on this truth.  It means that we're part of the story and it means that as God pours his Spirit into us and makes us his temple, we see his faithfulness to his promises. Think on that as you come to the Lord's Table this morning.  We eat the bread and drink the wine as one family in fulfilment of the promises that the Lord made so long ago to Abraham.  We are brothers and sisters, because Jesus has, by his grace, grafted us into this family.  The simple fact that we are here together and that God has poured his Spirit into us, is proof of his faithfulness.  So eat the bread and drink the wine, look around at your brothers and sisters, remember our place in this story, and have faith, believe, trust.  We live in difficult days and like, Charles Blondin's manager, sitting on his shoulders and looking down at the long drop and the churning waters, we might be tempted to get down and walk the tightrope ourselves.  Brothers and Sisters, keep the faith, keep trusting in the God who has proved himself faithful.  Jesus and the Spirit have brought us this far and Jesus and the Spirit will see us through to the end. Let's pray: Gracious Father, who keep us steadfast in faith, we pray.  We are fickle, but you have proved yourself faithful.  Remind us always of the great story into which you have grafted us so that we live in your faithfulness, redeemed by your Son and renewed by your Spirit.  Give us grace to trust and obey you and to be your river of gospel life flowing to the nations.  Through Jesus we pray.  Amen.

In 1 Kings 15, we read about the actions of Nadab and Baasha, two kings of Israel who followed the sinful example of King Jeroboam. From this passage, we find three directive for our daily walk with the Lord. Join us as Jason Boggs unpacks this passage in our series, God is In Control.  

Daily Dose of Hope October 7, 2024 Day 2 of Week 28   Scripture:  1 Kings 13-14; 2 Chronicles 12; Psalm 47; Titus 2   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.  As we prepare for Hurricane Milton, please be on the lookout for messages from the church.  We want to ensure that everyone is prepared and everyone is cared for after the storm as well.  And definitely, pray that God will calm this storm!   Let's get into our Scripture for this morning, beginning with 1 Kings 13.  King Jeroboam has instituted his own cult in the Northern kingdom.  A prophet visits him to warn him of the consequences of his disobedience.  What are the consequences?  Well, a new king, Josiah, will rise up who will clean up the pagan altars, kill the pagan priests, and punish Jeroboam.  As a sign of the authenticity of the prophet's message, he says that the altar by which Jeroboam was standing would split in two.  Jeroboam isn't thrilled with this message, of course, and attempts to get the man seized but God intervenes.  Jeroboam's hand is paralyzed and then, just as the man prophesied, the altar splits and the ashes pour out.  Yes, the message is all true; there is no doubt it will come to pass.   This is a bit of an odd chapter. Be sure to read through it all. The man of God who visited Jeroboam ends up with an untimely death because of disobedience himself.  You see, no matter who you are, there are always consequences to sin.  Always.  We live on the other side of the cross and while we can repent and receive forgiveness, we still often must face the consequences of our own bad choices: debt, divorce, job loss, relationship issues, and damage to the Kingdom.  Think of an example of when your sin caused consequences you deeply regretted.  How did the situation play out?  Was there healing and restoration OR are you continuing to deal with the pain of sin?  Whatever the situation, submit it to God today.   In chapter 14, it becomes clear that Jeroboam will face the consequences of his sin.  His son will die, and the entire house of Jeroboam will be obliterated.  While Jeroboam ruled in the Northern Kingdom, Rehoboam reigned in the Southern Kingdom, Judah.  Things aren't going well there either.  They also worshiped other gods, set up altars in the high places, had shrines with male prostitutes, and did things absolutely detestable in the eyes of the one true God.  We see God lifting his hand of protection and allowing the king of Egypt to successfully attack Jerusalem and carry off treasures from the temple.  Things are going really bad in the north and the south.    What has happened to God's people?  How did they get to this place?  I think sometimes we can ask ourselves the same questions.    The 2 Chronicles chapter goes into further detail about the attack from the Egyptian king.  It could have been worse, but in the end Rehoboam did show some humility before the Lord and God spared his life.  But the covenant was broken and we are beginning to see serious cracks in the foundation of both Israel and Judah.   Our New Testament passage is Titus 2.  In this chapter, Paul gives very specific instructions to young and old as to how to behave and conduct themselves as followers of Christ.  As opposed to the false teachers in chapter one, Paul wants Titus to teach sound doctrine, which includes that behavior should be consistent with belief; there are certain virtues that Christians should live up to.  Doing otherwise damages their witness in the community.  Titus himself, as the leader, must also be an example of living a blameless, virtuous life.   Today's chapter speaks to why the Christian lives ethically and blamelessly.  There should be a direct link between theology and ethics.  If we truly believe that God has been revealed and salvation has come, that those who believe are freed and cleansed from sin because of the blood of Christ, and that receiving Christ makes us new creations, THEN we should act accordingly.  We are no longer slaves to the mess of the world.  We have the ability to change, to act differently, to behave in a way that demonstrates the Spirit within us.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

There are 14 billion trees in the State of Michigan, most of them quite ordinary by most standards. Yet the state hosts a “Big Tree Hunt,” an annual contest to identify those trees that are oldest and biggest, trees that can be honored as a living landmark. The contest elevates ordinary trees to another level: inside any forest could be an award-winner, just waiting to be noticed. Unlike most people, God always notices the ordinary. He cares about the “what” and “whom” that others overlook. God sent a common man named Amos to Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam. Amos exhorted his people to turn from evil and seek justice but was ostracized and told to be quiet. “Get out, you seer!” they said with scorn. “Go back to the land of Judah . . . and do your prophesying there” (Amos 7:12). Amos responded, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’ ” (vv. 14-15). God knew and noticed Amos when he was just a common shepherd, tending to flocks and trees. Hundreds of years later, Jesus noticed and called out the ordinary Nathanael (John 1:48) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:5) near their trees. No matter how obscure we feel, He sees us, loves us, and uses us for His purposes.

As we study the actions of King Jeroboam in 1 Kings, we see why we are so prone to idolatry in our own lives and what the consequences of idolatry will ultimately be. Join us as Pastor Phil Moser unpacks this topic in our new series, "God Is In Control."

In 1 Kings 12, King Jeroboam sets up his bootleg religion at his satellite campus. It's blasphemous. And then, in 1 Kings 13, a liar gets a prophet mauled by a lion. It's bloody.Alex Duke, Jim Hamilton, and Sam Emadi discuss. 

Thank you for connecting with us! We are so excited that you took the time to be here with us wherever you are in the world. This week is week #6 of our series Check Mate, a look into a king that is notated as the WORST king of all. A man that was killed by our own worst enemy and isolator, we're talking about the stubbornness of King Jeroboam. Need to vent? Advice? Or someone to pray for you? Text us at 833-270-5456, we have team members standing by for you! Follow us at the links below: Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  / southpointtv  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  / southpointtv  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   / @southpointtv  

Have you ever wondered how you got where you are? As simple as it sounds, you got where you are because you made a series of decisions that took you there. While our choices seem insignificant in the moment, over time we discover they are often a pathway to something bigger that isn't always better. King Jeroboam learned this lesson the hard way with disastrous consequences. What if we could learn from his life to embrace the bright future God desires for us?

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.

Sunday, 14 July 2024   Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. Matthew 1:7   “And Solomon begot Rehoboam, and Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa” (CG).   The previous verse finished with the words, “And David, the king, begot Solomon from the of Uriah.” Now, Jesus' genealogy continues with, “And Solomon begot Rehoboam.”   The record of this son is first found in 1 Kings 11 –   “Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? 42 And the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43 Then Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.” 1 Kings 11:41-43   However, a more detailed note is found in 1 Kings 14 –   “And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king. He reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother's name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. 22 Now Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. 23 For they also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. 24 And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.” 1 Kings 14:21-24   Solomon married an Ammonitess. Well, Solomon married a lot of women, seven hundred, in fact. He also had three hundred concubines. But the son who reigned in his place was born of an Ammonitess. Like the Moabites from whom Ruth descended, the Ammonites descended from the incestuous union between Lot and his daughters –   “Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.” Genesis 19:36-38   This then explains why the story of Lot and his daughters is included in Scripture. He and both of his daughters are ancestors of the Messiah. Rehoboam means something like The People Are Enlarged. Ammon means A People. Rehoboam was not a good king as far as the biblical record stands. It was during his reign that the kingdom was divided between Israel to the north and Judah to the south. Next, Matthew records “and Rehoboam begot Abijah.”   Abijah (also recorded as Abijam) is first recorded in 1 Kings 14:31. Immediately after that, it next records –   “In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom. 3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.” 1 Kings 15:1-3   Thus, Abijah is also remembered as a bad king. Abijah means Yah is My Father. Abijam means Father of the Sea/West/Future. The Hebrew word yam carries each of these connotations. Next, Matthew records, “and Abijah begot Asa.”   Asa is first recorded in 1 Kings 15 –   “So Abijam rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son reigned in his place. 9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king over Judah. 10 And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom. 11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did his father David. 12 And he banished the perverted persons from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 Also he removed Maachah his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. And Asa cut down her obscene image and burned it by the Brook Kidron. 14 But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless Asa's heart was loyal to the Lord all his days.” 1 Kings 15:8-14   Asa is remembered as a good king. His heart was rightly directed to the Lord. Asa means something like Physician or Healer.   Life application: In the Bible, the state of the land of Israel is constantly shown to be directed by the state of the king. When the king is recorded as a good guy, the state of Israel is also recorded as being acceptable before the Lord. When the king is a total loser, the state of Israel is one of apostasy from the Lord, wickedness, and perversion.   As can be seen in the history of Christian nations, the same is true. When the people are led by a moral person, morality improves. When the people are led by a conservative person, conservative values tend to flourish. When the people are led by a church-attending believer, the people tend to go to churches.   On the other hand, when a pervert or greedy person assumes control, the people's attitude will follow suit. And more, the same is true in churches. When a pastor assumes the leadership and he starts to move away from the Bible, the church will do so as well. Some will leave for other churches, or there may be a move to eject the pastor. However, if he stays, the church will inevitably begin to decline.   We need to be careful and cautious when voting for or selecting our leaders, be it in the government or the church. When our decision turns out to be a bad one, things can only go downhill from there.   As citizens and as followers of Christ, we need to be attentive to how we make our choices. We cannot be found guiltless when we knowingly allow ungodly people to be our choice as a leader. Sometimes in government, the choice may be a difficult one, but we must eventually decide. When we do, it should be in line with the candidate who is most closely aligned with biblical values.   In churches, we are under no compulsion to act until a proper leader comes forth. It is never acceptable to accommodate simply to fill a position. The chosen leader must be a man of God who holds closely to Scripture, or no person should be chosen.   Lord God, help guide us in our selection of leaders in all positions we have the ability to vote for. Whether it is a local school board, the president of the nation, or a new pastor for our church, please help us to choose wisely, selecting only those who are the most qualified according to Your standards. May it be so, to Your glory. Amen.  

SHOW NOTES:   In Podcast Episode 279, “Nothing Slips God's Mind,“ Kim discusses the fact that nothing slips the mind of our omniscient God. In today's lesson, we see the Lord following through on His promise to Jeroboam and his family. Although this promise would have been considered a “negative” promise to Jeroboam and his family, the promise would have been viewed as “positive” for anyone concerned about the ridding of godlessness.   Our focal passage for this episode is 1 Kings 15:25-31 with verses 29-30 as the focal verses:   29 He immediately slaughtered all the descendants of King Jeroboam, so that not one of the royal family was left, just as the Lord had promised concerning Jeroboam by the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh. 30 This was done because Jeroboam had provoked the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by the sins he had committed and the sins he had led Israel to commit. WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT FEATURE:   Search God's Word to find a promise you can claim today, trusting your promise-keeping God.   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   14 “In addition, the Lord will raise up a king over Israel who will destroy the family of Jeroboam. This will happen today, even now! 15 Then the Lord will shake Israel like a reed whipped about in a stream. He will uproot the people of Israel from this good land that he gave their ancestors and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, for they have angered the Lord with the Asherah poles they have set up for worship. 16 He will abandon Israel because Jeroboam sinned and made Israel sin along with him.” (1 Kings 14:14-16) 8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. (Ps. 32:8) “How to Claim a Promise” by Dr. Charles Stanley TWITTER - https://twitter.com/EOinLovingJesus INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com. National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Zencastr and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack was created in GarageBand by Kim Smith. The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/

This past week in our Bible study we looked at the First lesson from Amos and the Gospel lesson from Mark. It took some processing to find some good news in these passages. The people of Israel were not listening to God, not measuring up and they were going into exile. Then we hear what happened to John the Baptist after he had been arrested. He was beheaded. Would it have been better for me to have chosen other lessons? People are headed into exile and beheading is pretty gruesome. The other interesting thing in our Gospel lesson is that Jesus doesn't say a word. Mark is finishing a story that he started in his first chapter. We don't always like to hear these stories. Many of you may choose not to read or watch stories like this. Unfortunately, it is reality. How many times do we read about the Israelites going into exile? As human beings we have continued this cycle of connecting with God in Jesus Christ and then human nature takes over and God's definition of mercy and justice begins to fade. From my point of view, I am seeing this continue in our country today. God's mercy and justice is not about the I, but the “we”. The ten commandments are about living in relationship with God and each other. It doesn't mean that individuals are not important, but it does mean that living in community is about making sure our neighbor is taken care of. God's mercy and justice is not about power and control, but about love and respect for all people. In our welcoming statement we specifically name age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, marital status, neurodivergent status, faith background, political leanings, or mental, intellectual or physical ability and these are still places where people are discriminated against in churches, families, workplaces and in the community. I believe God's definition of mercy and justice is for all people regardless of anything in these areas of our lives. There are leaders, companies, foundations and courts who seem to have different ideas than we might on God's understanding of mercy and justice for all people regardless. The fact that we have a welcoming statement that states that we are always working on overcoming these prejudices in our congregation, what are we called to do about it outside our doors? When the voices are becoming stronger to take us backwards, we need to be asking ourselves, what is our voice saying? We have these words in our welcoming statement, what is our action and voice saying to support these claims? Now after reading these lesson today from Amos and Mark, we can easily think that it is easier to stay quiet. We can easily think that it is easier not to rock the boat. Now I don't think by speaking out we would literally be beheaded, but figuratively this could happen. Meridian Pride day is coming up on August 10. There are already negative comments on the township website regarding this. We are having an ecumenical worship service at 11:00 am that day at the pavilion across from the farmer's market. The service will include a lament about LGBTQIA+ people feeling like “other” in churches today. At our planning meeting on Thursday, we decided to request a police presence, just in case. I believe God is setting a plumb line, as we heard about in Amos this morning, in the midst of the turmoil in our country today.  How does Faith Lutheran Church measure up against the plumb line? Amos, shepherd from the southern kingdom, the non-professional prophet has been called by God to the northern kingdom to prophesy. Prophets did not always have good news for the people, they usually were pointing out how God was not happy. In this case Amos was even talking to a different kingdom about how they did not measure up to what God expected. God used the plumb line to point this out. The priest of Bethel, Amaziah, was offended as he was basically being told that he wasn't doing his job. Of course, he ran to King Jeroboam saying that Amos was plotting to get rid of him and he's doing it as an insider. Amaziah told Jeroboam that Amos' words would destroy the country. Amos was telling the people that Jeroboam would be killed, and the people would go into exile. Amos' only come back was that God told him to say these words. As you can imagine, most prophets were not well liked. Not one of the prophets that we read out about in the bible ever became rich or really seemed to have much to live on. It doesn't mean that they starved, but were never popular. God said that this was the last straw for the Israelites, but the good news is that even though they went into exile and eventually came out, God never left them. I don't believe God has ever said that God didn't love the children God created. There are always times that God is not happy with them. Amos stepped out courageously believing that he was doing what God called him to do. God chose Amos a common ordinary shepherd to give this message to the Israel people. Just as God chose John the Baptist. Here was a guy who lived out in the wilderness and in today's world would not fit in very well with church people. God called him to preach repentance and even baptize Jesus. The church leaders didn't like him as in a sense he was saying that they were not getting God's message across to the people. In today's Gospel lesson we see what happened to this prophet John. He was beheaded. How many of us are signing up to be a prophet? Not all of us are called to do what Amos and John were called to do, but in some respect we are called to be God's prophets. Pastors are in a precarious situation as we are called to minister to all people in our congregations even though not everyone may agree on things. What I like to do is ask the questions. I cannot answer them for any of you. So where does this leave us? First of all, the good news is that God was with the Isarel people, God was with Amos, God was with John the Baptist and his followers. God is with each one of us even when some are called to speak the hard words. Since we have stated that we welcome all people, the only way that all can feel welcome is that we stand up to the injustices against all. By having this welcoming statement, we are called to do our best to live up to God's definition of mercy and justice for all. Too often today, it becomes easier to define for ourselves what God's definition of mercy and justice for all people are, depending on what makes us comfortable. As people of God, as followers of Jesus, sometimes we are called to share what we understand God's definition of God's mercy and justice for all is. We will not always be well received. I believe in the coming months, Faith may be called to be speaking the truth as we understand it. Through this time of transition, we are still called to speak God's word of truth and love. Sometimes it may sound different than other churches and groups. We have stated in our welcoming statement what we believe God's kingdom looks like. This means that we are called to speak for those who are experiencing injustices, for those who are not being heard. Even though this may not be easy, God walks with us, and God's spirit will give us the words to be the prophets that we are called to be. Let us pray: God of mercy and injustice, Just as you called Amos and John the Baptist to speak the hard words, sometimes you call us to do it also. It is not something most of us would sign up for. We thank you that even when you call us to do the tough work for you, that you walk beside us and your Spirit will give us the words. We stand ready while holding your hand to be the prophets that you call us to be. Amen

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.

In this Bible Story, we learn about the downward spiral of Judah and Israel. Their kings, Rehoboam and Jeroboam, lead their people into an era of idol-worship, war, and cynicism. The past glory of David and Solomon seems like a distant memory, and the people of Israel grow accustomed to sin and shame. This story is inspired by 1 Kings 14, 15:33-34 & 2 Chronicles 12. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 12:6 from the King James Version.Episode 120: King Jeroboam's son Abijah was sick, and as he sat at the boy's bedside, he called for his wife to disguise herself and seek out the prophet Ahijah. When she arrived, his message for her was not one of hope but of judgment and of recompense for her husband's sins. And as she rode home in heartbreak, her son Abijah died.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 watch the fragile kingdom of Jeroboam descend into idolatry and pride. Jeroboam erects altars of golden calves and establishes pagan priests. The Lord sends a man from Judah to rebuke him, but his disobedience does not cease. This story is inspired by 1 Kings 12:25-13:8 & 13:33-34. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 1 Kings 12:28 from the King James Version.Episode 118: Jeroboam, Israel's new king, built a new capital in Shechem to separate themselves from Judah. However, because the temple of God was in Judah, people would still travel from his kingdom to worship in Judah. Jeroboam feared this would lead to the loss of his kingdom and his life. So he, like Aaron so many years before, made two golden calves and introduced them as Israel's new gods. Slowly Jeroboam added more and more idols into Israel's public worship. God would not stand for the corruption of His people and sent a prophet to let him know what would become of his idolatrous altar.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.

SHOW NOTES:   In Podcast Episode 271, “Only When the Bottom Drops Out,“ Kim discusses the difference between seeking the Lord wholeheartedly regularly versus only trying to approach Him when the bottom drops out. King Jeroboam only nodded in God's direction, because he wanted information or possibly God to heal his son, but he did not want God or a relationship with Him. Sadly, the majority of people fall more into the “only when the bottom drops out” category than they do in the seeking Him wholeheartedly minority.   Our focal passage for this episode is 1 Kings 14:1-20 with verses 1-3 as the focal verses:   “At that time Jeroboam's son Abijah became very sick. So Jeroboam told his wife, “Disguise yourself so that no one will recognize you as my wife. Then go to the prophet Ahijah at Shiloh—the man who told me I would become king. Take him a gift of ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and ask him what will happen to the boy.”” WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT FEATURE:   Honestly assess your heart — Do you seek the Lord regularly or only when the bottom drops out?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   “Unsung Hero” Movie  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. (Jeremiah 29:13) TWITTER - https://twitter.com/EOinLovingJesus INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com. National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Zencastr and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack was created in GarageBand by Kim Smith. The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/

Lesson 24 – Ist Kings 14 1 ST KINGS Week 24, chapter 14 We folded our tents and went home last week after reading about King Jeroboam of Israel utterly abandoning Yehoveh God of Israel by means of creating and worshipping golden calf gods and telling his subjects that “these are your gods who brought […] The post Lesson 24 – Ist Kings 14 appeared first on Torah Class.

   I don’t need to remind you that this is an election year in America. Last year the world was amazed as we watched the death of Queen Elizabeth and installation of Charles as King in England. Come with me again back to ancient Israel and let’s see how they handled leadership transitions and what we can learn from it today. In recent days in “Walking with Jesus” we’ve watched the united Kingdom of Israel, under the reigns of King David and then King Solomon, divide into two rival kingdoms. “Judah” was the name of the “southern kingdom” with its capital Jerusalem and “Israel” was the name of the “northern kingdom” with its capital Samaria. This division occurred at the death of King Solomon, when his son King Rehoboam assumed the throne of “Judah“; and his rival, King Jeroboam set up his throne over “Israel” in Samaria.  (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Today’s Scripture: 2 Chronicles 13. Choose below to read or listen.​​Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

​Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Israel's King Jeroboam was richly blessed by God, who appointed him king over ten tribes of Israel. How did Jeroboam respond to God's blessings? In fear of losing them, he turned his back on God! Jeroboam's story reminds us to appreciate all that God has done for us and, by remembering his goodness to us, trust him enough to put our faith in him and obey him, even when it's hard. Texts: 1 Kings 12:25 to 13:6, 14:1-20

SHOW NOTES:   In Podcast Episode 269, “Where Can the Lord Find a Faithful Servant?“ Kim discusses the story of the faithful “man of God” who was called from Judah to confront the evil acts of King Jeroboam of Israel. What courage it took for this faithful servant to face off with Jeroboam in the midst of one of the two centers of pagan worship?   Our focal passage for this episode is 1 Kings 13:1-10 with verse 1 as the focal verse:   At the Lord's command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, arriving there just as Jeroboam was approaching the altar to burn incense. WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT FEATURE:   Prayerfully consider this question. “Can the Lord find a faithful servant in me?”   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   13 But all the priests and Levites living among the northern tribes of Israel sided with Rehoboam. 14 The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and moved to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons would not allow them to serve the Lord as priests. 15 Jeroboam appointed his own priests to serve at the pagan shrines, where they worshiped the goat and calf idols he had made. 16 From all the tribes of Israel, those who sincerely wanted to worship the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem, where they could offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 17 This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon, for during those years they faithfully followed in the footsteps of David and Solomon. 2 Chronicles 11:13-17 2Ki 23:15-20 TWITTER - https://twitter.com/EOinLovingJesus INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III.   "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com. National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Zencastr and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack was created in GarageBand by Kim Smith. The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/

SHOW NOTES:   In Podcast Episode 268, “With What or Whom Are You Most Careful?“ Kim discusses the danger of prioritizing anything or anyone beyond your relationship with the Lord. In today's text, we see King Jeroboam attempting to be careful. However, instead of being careful to obey the Lord's decrees and commands and trusting the Lord's promise, he is trying to keep the Israelites in the Northern Territory so that he can remain in control.   Our focal passage for this episode is 1 Kings 12:25-33 with verses 26-27 as the focal verse:   26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David. 27 When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the Lord, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead.” WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT FEATURE:   How would you answer this question? “With what or whom are you most careful?”   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   37 And I will place you on the throne of Israel, and you will rule over all that your heart desires. 38 If you listen to what I tell you and follow my ways and do whatever I consider to be right, and if you obey my decrees and commands, as my servant David did, then I will always be with you. I will establish an enduring dynasty for you as I did for David, and I will give Israel to you. (1 Kings 11:37-38) TWITTER - https://twitter.com/EOinLovingJesus INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus   I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III. "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com. National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Zencastr and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack was created in GarageBand by Kim Smith. The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/

Friday Bible Study (4/5/24) // 1 Kings 15 // Visit our website: https://mbchicago.orgFollow 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...#1kings | #BibleStudy | #DanielBatarseh | #mbchicago | #mbcchicago | #Bible | #livechurch | #churchlive | #chicagochurch | #chicagochurches | #versebyverse | #church | #chicago | #sermon1 Kings 15 (ESV) Abijam Reigns in Judah 15 Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 3 And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father. 4 Nevertheless, for David's sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem, 5 because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. 6 Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. 7 The rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. Asa Reigns in Judah 9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah, 10 and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done. 12 He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. 14 But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days. 15 And he brought into the house of the Lord the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. 16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, 19 “Let there be a covenant[a] between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 20 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and

Discussion of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. King Jeroboam was a significant figure in ancient Israel, known for establishing idol worship to prevent his subjects from traveling to Jerusalem, fearing their loyalty would shift to the house of David. He set up two golden calves for worship, one in Bethel and the other in Dan, leading the people away from God. Despite initial success, his reign was marked by divine disapproval, with prophets predicting his downfall due to disobedience to God's commands.

With family: 2 Chronicles 13; Revelation 3 2 Chronicles 13 (Listen) Abijah Reigns in Judah 13 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah1 the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors. 4 Then Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim that is in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! 5 Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord, 7 and certain worthless scoundrels2 gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute3 and could not withstand them. 8 “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. 9 Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination4 with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods. 10 But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the LORD who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service. 11 They offer to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken him. 12 Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.” 13 Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops5 were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. And they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. 17 Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men. 18 Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers. 19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron6 with its villages. 20 Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah. And the LORD struck him down, and he died. 21 But Abijah grew mighty. And he took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo. Footnotes [1] 13:2 Spelled Maacah in 1 Kings 15:2 [2] 13:7 Hebrew worthless men, sons of Belial [3] 13:7 Hebrew soft of heart [4] 13:9 Hebrew to fill his hand [5] 13:13 Hebrew they [6] 13:19 Or Ephrain (ESV) Revelation 3 (Listen) To the Church in Sardis 3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' To the Church in Philadelphia 7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. 8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' To the Church in Laodicea 14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'” (ESV) In private: Haggai 1; John 2 Haggai 1 (Listen) The Command to Rebuild the Temple 1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” 3 Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. 7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.” The People Obey the Lord 12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD's message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.” 14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. (ESV) John 2 (Listen) The Wedding at Cana 2 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.1 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers2 and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days. Jesus Cleanses the Temple 13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,3 and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. Jesus Knows What Is in Man 23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. Footnotes [1] 2:6 Greek two or three measures (metrētas); a metrētēs was about 10 gallons or 35 liters [2] 2:12 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters [3] 2:20 Or This temple was built forty-six years ago (ESV)

In this episode of the podcast, Jeremy Griffin dives deep into the biblical book of 1 Kings, specifically chapter 13. The episode begins with Jeremy's neighbor, Ed, who had been reading through the Bible in a year and had a question about this particular chapter. Jeremy, unsure of the answer, takes this as an opportunity to explore the chapter and provide some context. Jeremy starts by reading the entire chapter from the New Living Translation, which tells the story of a man of God who is sent by God to Bethel to prophesy against the altar. He delivers a powerful message to King Jeroboam, predicting that a future king named Josiah will sacrifice pagan priests on that very altar. To validate his prophecy, the altar splits apart, solidifying the man of God's authority. However, the king tries to have the man arrested, but his hand becomes paralyzed. It is only when the man of God prays that the king's hand is healed. The king then extends an invitation for the man to eat with him, but the man refuses, obeying God's command to not eat or drink there and to return home through a different route. Things take a twist when an old prophet lies to the man of God, claiming that an angel told him to bring the man home to eat and drink. Trusting the respected elder prophet, the man of God eats at his home. Sadly, God then reveals to the man that he will die for disobeying His command. As foretold, on his journey back home, the man is killed by a lion. Jeremy draws a key lesson from this story, focusing on the concept of having one's "word from God deferred." He highlights how the man of God initially understood and followed God's direction, but ultimately, he allowed the words of an elder prophet to plant seeds of doubt, leading to disobedience. Jeremy discusses how often people who feel called by God encounter conflicting advice from more spiritually respected individuals. He emphasizes the importance of each person hearing from God directly and not letting their word from God be deferred or canceled out by others. Disobeying God's clear commands can have severe consequences. In conclusion, Jeremy encourages listeners to prioritize listening to God themselves over others, even if the advice seems wise or comes from a respected source. By relying on the counsel of others, we may unintentionally stray from God's direction and face negative outcomes. It is crucial for each individual to take responsibility for hearing from God directly to ensure they are on the right path. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reduxchurch/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reduxchurch/support

Join Julia Jeffress Sadler as she takes us on an incredible adventure in Episode 91. Explore the story of Jeroboam, who made golden calves for people to worship and appointed anyone as priests. Learn about a brave man of God who spoke out against Jeroboam's altar, standing up for what was right and challenging the wrong practices. Sign up to receive Kids Bible in a Year devotionals in your inbox every weekday: https://www.kidsbibleinayear.com/  Get ready to experience the Bible designed specifically for children with the official KidsBibleinaYear.com podcast, led by Julia Jeffress Sadler. This captivating audio series presents the age-old wisdom of the Bible in an engaging format that will captivate your kids. Each episode Julia translates biblical teachings into real-life applications, making Bible comprehension a breeze for young minds.  And if you want more Christian resources and content, you can download the Pray.com app. Pray.com is the digital destination for faith, offering over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime Bible stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible. For more resources on how to live a successful Christian life, visit Julia Jeffress Sadler's website at https://ptv.org/julia/. This episode is sponsored by Little Passports. Visit LittlePassports.com/blessed and use promo code BLESSED to receive 20% off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tickets to Holy Ghost Stories Live: The Christmas Show in Nashville on Dec 5A prophet from the south visits King Jeroboam with a grim forecast. But Jeroboam isn't the only one in danger. Text: 1 Kings 13:1-34; 1 Kings 23:13-18Players:  Yahweh Jeroboam  The man of God from Judah The old prophet in Bethel What's Spooky:  A disemboweled corpse A shriveling hand A fatal lion attack Credits: Research, Writing, Narration, Sound Editing: Justin GerhardtManuscript Editing: JL GerhardtIntro Music: "Winds of Change," Four TreesOutro Music: "Fine-Toothed Chrome," Sam BarshLinks:—Tickets to Holy Ghost Stories Live: The Christmas Show in Nashville on Dec 5—Sign up for The Latest, an email Justin sends twice a month with behind-the-scenes info about each episode, interesting things from around the internet, and a look at his family's global wanderings.—Become a Patron of Holy Ghost Stories (it's tax-deductible!) and great stuff like bonus episodes, remixed scenes, full scripts, discussion guides, and—above all—the joy of partnering with Justin to tell good stories.—Get your copy of Bonfire: A Guide to Encountering God in the Exodus—Offical Merch: Purchase HGS t-shirts, mugs, and more here—Find out about Holy Ghost Stories or contact Justin Gerhardt at holyghoststories.org

In this Bible Story, we learn about the downward spiral of Judah and Israel. Their kings, Rehoboam and Jeroboam, lead their people into an era of idol-worship, war, and cynicism. The past glory of David and Solomon seems like a distant memory, and the people of Israel grow accustomed to sin and shame. This story is inspired by 1 Kings 14, 15:33-34 & 2 Chronicles 12. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 12:6 from the King James Version.Episode 120: King Jeroboam's son Abijah was sick, and as he sat at the boy's bedside, he called for his wife to disguise herself and seek out the prophet Ahijah. When she arrived, his message for her was not one of hope but of judgment and of recompense for her husband's sins. And as she rode home in heartbreak, her son Abijah died.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 watch the fragile kingdom of Jeroboam descend into idolatry and pride. Jeroboam erects altars of golden calves and establishes pagan priests. The Lord sends a man from Judah to rebuke him, but his disobedience does not cease. This story is inspired by 1 Kings 12:25-13:8 & 13:33-34. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 1 Kings 12:28 from the King James Version.Episode 118: Jeroboam, Israel's new king, built a new capital in Shechem to separate themselves from Judah. However, because the temple of God was in Judah, people would still travel from his kingdom to worship in Judah. Jeroboam feared this would lead to the loss of his kingdom and his life. So he, like Aaron so many years before, made two golden calves and introduced them as Israel's new gods. Slowly Jeroboam added more and more idols into Israel's public worship. God would not stand for the corruption of His people and sent a prophet to let him know what would become of his idolatrous altar.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.

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 82 Psalm 82 (Listen) Rescue the Weak and Needy A Psalm of Asaph. 82   God has taken his place in the divine council;    in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:2   “How long will you judge unjustly    and show partiality to the wicked? Selah3   Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;    maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.4   Rescue the weak and the needy;    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” 5   They have neither knowledge nor understanding,    they walk about in darkness;    all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6   I said, “You are gods,    sons of the Most High, all of you;7   nevertheless, like men you shall die,    and fall like any prince.”1 8   Arise, O God, judge the earth;    for you shall inherit all the nations! Footnotes [1] 82:7 Or fall as one man, O princes (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 1 Kings 14:21–15:24 1 Kings 14:21–15:24 (Listen) Rehoboam Reigns in Judah 21 Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. 22 And Judah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins that they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. 23 For they also built for themselves high places and pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 24 and there were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations that the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. 25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. 26 He took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house. He took away everything. He also took away all the shields of gold that Solomon had made, 27 and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house. 28 And as often as the king went into the house of the LORD, the guard carried them and brought them back to the guardroom. 29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. And Abijam his son reigned in his place. Abijam Reigns in Judah 15 Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 3 And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. 4 Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem, 5 because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. 6 Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. 7 The rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. Asa Reigns in Judah 9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah, 10 and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his father had done. 12 He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. 14 But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the LORD all his days. 15 And he brought into the house of the LORD the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. 16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, 19 “Let there be a covenant1 between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 20 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. 23 Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24 And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place. Footnotes [1] 15:19 Or treaty; twice in this verse (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Ezekiel 45 Ezekiel 45 (Listen) The Holy District 45 “When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set apart for the LORD a portion of the land as a holy district, 25,000 cubits1 long and 20,0002 cubits broad. It shall be holy throughout its whole extent. 2 Of this a square plot of 500 by 500 cubits shall be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits for an open space around it. 3 And from this measured district you shall measure off a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 broad, in which shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4 It shall be the holy portion of the land. It shall be for the priests, who minister in the sanctuary and approach the LORD to minister to him, and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 Another section, 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits broad, shall be for the Levites who minister at the temple, as their possession for cities to live in.3 6 “Alongside the portion set apart as the holy district you shall assign for the property of the city an area 5,000 cubits broad and 25,000 cubits long. It shall belong to the whole house of Israel. The Portion for the Prince 7 “And to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city, alongside the holy district and the property of the city, on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern boundary 8 of the land. It is to be his property in Israel. And my princes shall no more oppress my people, but they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes. 9 “Thus says the Lord GOD: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Cease your evictions of my people, declares the Lord GOD. 10 “You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath.4 11 The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, the bath containing one tenth of a homer,5 and the ephah one tenth of a homer; the homer shall be the standard measure. 12 The shekel shall be twenty gerahs;6 twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina.7 13 “This is the offering that you shall make: one sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat, and one sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley, 14 and as the fixed portion of oil, measured in baths, one tenth of a bath from each cor8 (the cor, like the homer, contains ten baths).9 15 And one sheep from every flock of two hundred, from the watering places of Israel for grain offering, burnt offering, and peace offerings, to make atonement for them, declares the Lord GOD. 16 All the people of the land shall be obliged to give this offering to the prince in Israel. 17 It shall be the prince's duty to furnish the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the new moons, and the Sabbaths, all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement on behalf of the house of Israel. 18 “Thus says the Lord GOD: In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a bull from the herd without blemish, and purify the sanctuary. 19 The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and the posts of the gate of the inner court. 20 You shall do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who has sinned through error or ignorance; so you shall make atonement for the temple. 21 “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall celebrate the Feast of the Passover, and for seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land a young bull for a sin offering. 23 And on the seven days of the festival he shall provide as a burnt offering to the LORD seven young bulls and seven rams without blemish, on each of the seven days; and a male goat daily for a sin offering. 24 And he shall provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull, an ephah for each ram, and a hin10 of oil to each ephah. 25 In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month and for the seven days of the feast, he shall make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, and grain offerings, and for the oil. Footnotes [1] 45:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 45:1 Septuagint; Hebrew 10,000 [3] 45:5 Septuagint; Hebrew as their possession, twenty chambers [4] 45:10 An ephah was about 3/5 of a bushel or 22 liters; a bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters [5] 45:11 A homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters [6] 45:12 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a gerah was about 1/50 ounce or 0.6 gram [7] 45:12 A mina was about 1 1/4 pounds or 0.6 kilogram [8] 45:14 A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters [9] 45:14 See Vulgate; Hebrew (ten baths are a homer, for ten baths are a homer) [10] 45:24 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: Romans 14 Romans 14 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,   “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,    and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 (ESV)

In this Bible Story, Ruth gets remarried to Boaz. They have a child named Obed, who would be the grandfather of one of Israel's greatest kings, David. This story is inspired by Ruth 3-4. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Ruth 4:6 from the King James Version.Episode 74: Boaz was a kind man, treating his servants, and Ruth, with generosity and blessing. Naomi shares with Ruth that Boaz is in fact, a kinsman redeemer. By telling her what to say and do, she asks if Boaz will marry her and redeem their family. Boaz, excited at the opportunity, settles the matter of redeeming her at the city gate, and eventually the two become one. From this union, the line of David comes, and ultimately, the Messiah.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.

Pastor Skip examines the life and folly of King Jeroboam, who tragically followed his own heart, not God's. 

on Connect with Skip Heitzig, Pastor Skip examines the life and folly of King Jeroboam, who tragically followed his own heart, not God's. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/104/29

With family: 1 Kings 15; Colossians 2 1 Kings 15 (Listen) Abijam Reigns in Judah 15 Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 3 And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. 4 Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem, 5 because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. 6 Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. 7 The rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. Asa Reigns in Judah 9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah, 10 and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his father had done. 12 He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. 14 But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the LORD all his days. 15 And he brought into the house of the LORD the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. 16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, 19 “Let there be a covenant1 between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 20 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. 23 Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24 And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place. Nadab Reigns in Israel 25 Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. 27 Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. 28 So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place. 29 And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel. 31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. Baasha Reigns in Israel 33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. 34 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. Footnotes [1] 15:19 Or treaty; twice in this verse (ESV) Colossians 2 (Listen) 2 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. Alive in Christ 6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits1 of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities2 and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.3 Let No One Disqualify You 16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions,4 puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Footnotes [1] 2:8 Or elementary principles; also verse 20 [2] 2:15 Probably demonic rulers and authorities [3] 2:15 Or in it (that is, the cross) [4] 2:18 Or about the things he has seen (ESV) In private: Psalms 99–101; Ezekiel 45 Psalms 99–101 (Listen) The Lord Our God Is Holy 99   The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!    He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!2   The LORD is great in Zion;    he is exalted over all the peoples.3   Let them praise your great and awesome name!    Holy is he!4   The King in his might loves justice.1    You have established equity;  you have executed justice    and righteousness in Jacob.5   Exalt the LORD our God;    worship at his footstool!    Holy is he! 6   Moses and Aaron were among his priests,    Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.    They called to the LORD, and he answered them.7   In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;    they kept his testimonies    and the statute that he gave them. 8   O LORD our God, you answered them;    you were a forgiving God to them,    but an avenger of their wrongdoings.9   Exalt the LORD our God,    and worship at his holy mountain;    for the LORD our God is holy! His Steadfast Love Endures Forever A Psalm for giving thanks. 100   Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!2     Serve the LORD with gladness!    Come into his presence with singing! 3   Know that the LORD, he is God!    It is he who made us, and we are his;2    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4   Enter his gates with thanksgiving,    and his courts with praise!    Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5   For the LORD is good;    his steadfast love endures forever,    and his faithfulness to all generations. I Will Walk with Integrity A Psalm of David. 101   I will sing of steadfast love and justice;    to you, O LORD, I will make music.2   I will ponder the way that is blameless.    Oh when will you come to me?  I will walk with integrity of heart    within my house;3   I will not set before my eyes    anything that is worthless.  I hate the work of those who fall away;    it shall not cling to me.4   A perverse heart shall be far from me;    I will know nothing of evil. 5   Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly    I will destroy.  Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart    I will not endure. 6   I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,    that they may dwell with me;  he who walks in the way that is blameless    shall minister to me. 7   No one who practices deceit    shall dwell in my house;  no one who utters lies    shall continue before my eyes. 8   Morning by morning I will destroy    all the wicked in the land,  cutting off all the evildoers    from the city of the LORD. Footnotes [1] 99:4 Or The might of the King loves justice [2] 100:3 Or and not we ourselves (ESV) Ezekiel 45 (Listen) The Holy District 45 “When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set apart for the LORD a portion of the land as a holy district, 25,000 cubits1 long and 20,0002 cubits broad. It shall be holy throughout its whole extent. 2 Of this a square plot of 500 by 500 cubits shall be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits for an open space around it. 3 And from this measured district you shall measure off a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 broad, in which shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4 It shall be the holy portion of the land. It shall be for the priests, who minister in the sanctuary and approach the LORD to minister to him, and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 Another section, 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits broad, shall be for the Levites who minister at the temple, as their possession for cities to live in.3 6 “Alongside the portion set apart as the holy district you shall assign for the property of the city an area 5,000 cubits broad and 25,000 cubits long. It shall belong to the whole house of Israel. The Portion for the Prince 7 “And to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city, alongside the holy district and the property of the city, on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern boundary 8 of the land. It is to be his property in Israel. And my princes shall no more oppress my people, but they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes. 9 “Thus says the Lord GOD: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Cease your evictions of my people, declares the Lord GOD. 10 “You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath.4 11 The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, the bath containing one tenth of a homer,5 and the ephah one tenth of a homer; the homer shall be the standard measure. 12 The shekel shall be twenty gerahs;6 twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina.7 13 “This is the offering that you shall make: one sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat, and one sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley, 14 and as the fixed portion of oil, measured in baths, one tenth of a bath from each cor8 (the cor, like the homer, contains ten baths).9 15 And one sheep from every flock of two hundred, from the watering places of Israel for grain offering, burnt offering, and peace offerings, to make atonement for them, declares the Lord GOD. 16 All the people of the land shall be obliged to give this offering to the prince in Israel. 17 It shall be the prince's duty to furnish the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the new moons, and the Sabbaths, all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement on behalf of the house of Israel. 18 “Thus says the Lord GOD: In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a bull from the herd without blemish, and purify the sanctuary. 19 The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and the posts of the gate of the inner court. 20 You shall do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who has sinned through error or ignorance; so you shall make atonement for the temple. 21 “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall celebrate the Feast of the Passover, and for seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land a young bull for a sin offering. 23 And on the seven days of the festival he shall provide as a burnt offering to the LORD seven young bulls and seven rams without blemish, on each of the seven days; and a male goat daily for a sin offering. 24 And he shall provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull, an ephah for each ram, and a hin10 of oil to each ephah. 25 In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month and for the seven days of the feast, he shall make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, and grain offerings, and for the oil. Footnotes [1] 45:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 45:1 Septuagint; Hebrew 10,000 [3] 45:5 Septuagint; Hebrew as their possession, twenty chambers [4] 45:10 An ephah was about 3/5 of a bushel or 22 liters; a bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters [5] 45:11 A homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters [6] 45:12 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a gerah was about 1/50 ounce or 0.6 gram [7] 45:12 A mina was about 1 1/4 pounds or 0.6 kilogram [8] 45:14 A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters [9] 45:14 See Vulgate; Hebrew (ten baths are a homer, for ten baths are a homer) [10] 45:24 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters (ESV)

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 13–15 2 Chronicles 13–15 (Listen) Abijah Reigns in Judah 13 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah1 the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors. 4 Then Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim that is in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! 5 Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord, 7 and certain worthless scoundrels2 gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute3 and could not withstand them. 8 “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. 9 Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination4 with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods. 10 But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the LORD who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service. 11 They offer to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken him. 12 Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.” 13 Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops5 were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. And they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. 17 Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men. 18 Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers. 19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron6 with its villages. 20 Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah. And the LORD struck him down, and he died. 21 But Abijah grew mighty. And he took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo. 7 Asa Reigns in Judah 14 Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years. 2 8 And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. 3 He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim 4 and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment. 5 He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him. 6 He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the LORD gave him peace. 7 And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8 And Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin that carried shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor. 9 Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. 10 And Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 And Asa cried to the LORD his God, “O LORD, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.” 12 So the LORD defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13 Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken before the LORD and his army. The men of Judah9 carried away very much spoil. 14 And they attacked all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the LORD was upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. 15 And they struck down the tents of those who had livestock and carried away sheep in abundance and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. Asa's Religious Reforms 15 The Spirit of God came10 upon Azariah the son of Oded, 2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, 4 but when in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 5 In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress. 7 But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” 8 As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the LORD.11 9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. 10 They were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 They sacrificed to the LORD on that day from the spoil that they had brought 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep. 12 And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul, 13 but that whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman. 14 They swore an oath to the LORD with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around. 16 Even Maacah, his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17 But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true all his days. 18 And he brought into the house of God the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. 19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa. Footnotes [1] 13:2 Spelled Maacah in 1 Kings 15:2 [2] 13:7 Hebrew worthless men, sons of Belial [3] 13:7 Hebrew soft of heart [4] 13:9 Hebrew to fill his hand [5] 13:13 Hebrew they [6] 13:19 Or Ephrain [7] 13:22 Ch 13:23 in Hebrew [8] 14:2 Ch 14:1 in Hebrew [9] 14:13 Hebrew They [10] 15:1 Or was [11] 15:8 Hebrew the vestibule of the Lord (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 20 Psalm 20 (Listen) Trust in the Name of the Lord Our God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 20   May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!    May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!2   May he send you help from the sanctuary    and give you support from Zion!3   May he remember all your offerings    and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah 4   May he grant you your heart's desire    and fulfill all your plans!5   May we shout for joy over your salvation,    and in the name of our God set up our banners!  May the LORD fulfill all your petitions! 6   Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;    he will answer him from his holy heaven    with the saving might of his right hand.7   Some trust in chariots and some in horses,    but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.8   They collapse and fall,    but we rise and stand upright. 9   O LORD, save the king!    May he answer us when we call. (ESV) New Testament: Matthew 25 Matthew 25 (Listen) The Parable of the Ten Virgins 25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps1 and went to meet the bridegroom.2 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.' 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. The Parable of the Talents 14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants3 and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents,4 to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.' 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.5 You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.' 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.' 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' The Final Judgment 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,6 you did it to me.' 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Footnotes [1] 25:1 Or torches [2] 25:1 Some manuscripts add and the bride [3] 25:14 Or bondservants; also verse 19 [4] 25:15 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years' wages for a laborer [5] 25:21 Or bondservant; also verses 23, 26, 30 [6] 25:40 Or brothers and sisters (ESV)

1 Kings 13:1-10, 33-34 & Numbers 8:16-19 Today we hear King Jeroboam's hand suddenly become paralyzed but then miraculously healed when the man of God prays for it. This still does not change Jeroboam's heart and he continues to do evil. We take note that even though Jeroboam still seems like the bad guy, the man of God prayed for him. The kids are reminded to think about someone they know who is far from God and to pray for that person this week. Please join me in helping with the hunger crisis in Somalia. For just $12, you can help feed a family for an entire month! Click the link to do so: https://worldconcern.org/kbs To connect with me or search the episodes by scripture or topic simply click here: https://www.kbspodcast.com

1 Kings 12: 25-32 & Exodus 32:1-4 If you've missed the previous Solomon episodes, please go back and listen or you may be confused as to how we got where we are in today's story. It is listed as Solomon part I. Today, we hear King Jeroboam set up 2 golden calves as idols for the people in his kingdom. We define what idols are and also prompt the kids to talk with their families about: 1. Ways to grow your love for God 2. Discuss the shows you watch and see if you notice characters idolizing things. 3. Talk about what it looks like to like something versus loving something. God is a loving father & it's His pleasure to give us good things & see us enjoy them but there's a difference b/n enjoying something and loving it more than God.  Please join me in helping with the hunger crisis in Somalia. For just $12, you can help feed a family for an entire month! Click the link to do so: https://worldconcern.org/kbs To connect with me, click here: https://www.kbspodcast.com

In this Bible Story, we learn about the downward spiral of Judah and Israel. Their kings, Rehoboam and Jeroboam, lead their people into an era of idol-worship, war, and cynicism. The past glory of David and Solomon seems like a distant memory, and the people of Israel grow accustomed to sin and shame. This story is inspired by 1 Kings 14, 15:33-34 & 2 Chronicles 12. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 12:6 from the King James Version.Episode 120: King Jeroboam's son Abijah was sick, and as he sat at the boy's bedside, he called for his wife to disguise herself and seek out the prophet Ahijah. When she arrived, his message for her was not one of hope but of judgment and of recompense for her husband's sins. And as she rode home in heartbreak, her son Abijah died.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 watch the fragile kingdom of Jeroboam descend into idolatry and pride. Jeroboam erects altars of golden calves and establishes pagan priests. The Lord sends a man from Judah to rebuke him, but his disobedience does not cease. This story is inspired by 1 Kings 12:25-13:8 & 13:33-34. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 1 Kings 12:28 from the King James Version.Episode 118: Jeroboam, Israel's new king, built a new capital in Shechem to separate themselves from Judah. However, because the temple of God was in Judah, people would still travel from his kingdom to worship in Judah. Jeroboam feared this would lead to the loss of his kingdom and his life. So he, like Aaron so many years before, made two golden calves and introduced them as Israel's new gods. Slowly Jeroboam added more and more idols into Israel's public worship. God would not stand for the corruption of His people and sent a prophet to let him know what would become of his idolatrous altar.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.