King James Bible Study: The Lord My God

King James Bible Study: The Lord My God
For: Wednesday April 27, 2011
Chapters: I Kings 14-15
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-april-27

Details of Today's Reading: Jeroboam's son Abijah is sick, Jeroboam sends his wife to consult Ahijah, the prophet, Abijah dies, Jeroboam's house destroyed, Rehoboam's evil reign in Judah, the reigns of Abijam, Asa, Nadab, and Baasha.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” - Matthew 22:36-38.

Ever wonder why the world is in such chaos today? It's because our leaders have stopped loving the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, thy soul, and thy mind. The key word is “thy” or “my”, “Love the Lord my God”. Believe it or not, all it takes is for the leader of a nation to stop loving the Lord my God and it will cause the entire nation to suffer. “They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.” - Jeremiah 25:5-7.

Nations all over the world are provoking God to anger by allowing strange gods to abide with them, strange gods made by their own hands. Israel has suffered tremendously over the years and still does suffer to this day. Their suffering can be traced all the way back to the time they were split into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. Both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms broke their vow to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind and not only did the kings suffer, but the entire nation as well. First we learn about Jeroboam, who was king of the Northern Kingdom, he led Israel to sin when he set up two idol worship centers with golden calves. After several attempts to get him to turn from his wicked ways God decided to get his attention through his family.

“At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people. And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child. And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age...And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings...But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:..Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.” - I Kings 14:1-4,6,9,12.

All Jeroboam had to do was repent to God, instead he disguised his wife as a peasant and sent her to Ahijah the prophet, in the Southern Kingdom, seeking assurance that their son would live. However, when she got there she would soon learn that the moment she stepped foot back into her city her son would die. Jeroboam's sin did not just cause him to suffer, but his son, and all of the Northern Kingdom. He was the example to follow, the one that was to show the people to live a godly life, instead he did the opposite and even introduced them to false gods, causing them to sin as well. As Christian's we too are to set the godly example, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” - I Timothy 4:12.

Now, in the Southern Kingdom, Rehoboam, Solomon's son also led the nation to sin, first of all he followed in his fathers footsteps by allowing strange gods to remain in the kingdom, but he even allowed abdominal acts to take place, which Solomon never allowed, making him and the nation to sin even more than his father.

“And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.” - I Kings 14:22-24.

God allowed a continual war to take place between the North and South and although He did afflict Judah he promised not to destroy them. God remembered the covenant He made with David and promised to never leave Judah in darkness for too long. “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.” - I Kings 15:4,5.

God promises to never leave nor forsake us, but do not think He will give protection to those living in sin, He will not destroy them, but He will turn His back to sin and allow whatever affliction brought on upon the sin to take place, but He is forgiving, ready, and willing to help all who repent. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” - II Peter 3:9.

Just as one leader can bring evil upon a nation a godly leader can bring blessings upon a nation. Asa, would be the first godly king in the Southern Kingdom since David. He not only got rid of the abominations, but the idols as well.

“And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father. And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.” - I Kings 15:11-13.

America is one of the youngest and smallest, countries around the world, but it one of the most powerful ones as well. Do you know why? Because it was built on the foundation of Christ. This once, “One Nation Under God” became prosperous because true Christians came to this country to worship God the way the Bible said, not what some false religion made up. They made a commitment to follow God with all their heart, soul, and mind and they prospered because of it. “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” - I Corinthians 3:10,11.

Just as Jerusalem fell, America is falling quickly. Why? Leader upon leader doing evil in the sight of the Lord and their provoking Him to anger. They corrupted the foundation of Christ, it is full of every thing that is an abomination to God, strange gods, false religion, idolatry, and sodomy (homosexuality), to name a few. The afflictions we are facing are the result of one leader that stopped loving the Lord my God. Only we, who are true Christian's have the power to turn a nation back to being one nation under God, regardless of what nation that is. The key, “Love the Lord my God” with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind. “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference:” - Jude 1:21,22.

Jesus Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through Asa's ridding the land of idols and sodomites. Christ cleansed the Temple “And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;” - John 2:15.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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