THE ONE YEAR BIBLE CLUB

        I have been in this situation more than once! I have learned over the years be careful about coming all humble to your leader, asking him/her what you should do and then walk away and don't listen because you think the advice they gave you is crazy.  You walk away wondering, "why did I even ask, that's the last time....he's crazy if he thinks I'm going to do that". Obadiah runs into someone he really admires, Elijah! However, once his excitement wears off, Obadiah is wishing he had not run into Elijah! “What can I do for you, anything my leader” Elijah asks him to go get Ahab and tell Ahab he wants to meet with him.  Obadiah is outraged at the position Elijah is putting him in. "Why are you asking me to do this, you want me killed?".  And of course we know that Elijah wants Obadiah killed, right?  Well obviously "no", Obadiah is a good man and Elijah knows that, but sometimes it does seem like our leaders don't care about us, th...

     There's a number of interesting thoughts on this passage.  # 1, Elijah is suffering at his own hand, what I mean by that, is he is the one that pronounced there would be no rain, this has caused a drought, which has caused a famine which has not only left the people without food or drink, but ALSO HIM.  However, we see that God is supernaturally providing for him. God tells Elijah to go to Zarephath and there I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.  But if God has directed her then why does she seem somewhat unwilling? If God had told us this, we would have asked and then when we had received the response that Elijah received, [  12  “As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”  ] This is not the response we are expecti...

   Sometimes the people that have been giving the most, been given the most gracious opportunity, fail the worse. Handing over to someone something they have not worked or fought for is normally a recipe for failure. This is the problem with "well to do, good deed programs" that build houses for the poor any hand the houses over to these people for free, no investment, no sacrifice, no cost to them and most will run those houses into the ground, just like Jeroboam runs his Kingdom into the ground. Jeroboam receives one of the sternest rebukes that any King ever receives from God. Jeroboam was given one of the greatest opportunities of any man in the Bible. He is in no way in the lineage of David's family, but yet God, for some reason, when He decides to rip the Kingdom away from the House of David, chooses this man to hand it over to him. You would think that Jeroboam would have taken this opportunity and turned it into a long lasting Dynasty for his family, but he does t...

   "If only God did more", we may not speak those words, but we do think them. Well, we can't accuse God of not doing enough in this story.  First He sends a prophet, a man of God, to speak. Result? His words are rejected. (Words aren't enough, how about a miracle, some demonstration of God's power, that's what people need to see).  Okay, so next we get our demonstration of God's power.  Jeroboam stretches his hand out to the guards to have the man of God seized and his hand shrivels up! (People need to see that God is merciful, that's what people need, people see God as mean). Okay, well next we have Jeroboam crying out to God, to the man of God, please have mercy, please heal me.  So, the man of God prays to God and God immediately heals Jeroboam's hand. God has done everything in this situation that we would desire Him to do. He gives a powerful word, 3 great miracles, the altar is split (wow!), hand shrivels up, then God's merciful, He heal...

  I believe Tom Cruise, the actor, on his 3rd marriage [at the time] (and many women in-between) has uttered those words on Oprah. Celebrity status, wealth & good looks are a recipe for disaster. One survey & research suggested that most men "don't cheat" simply because they don't have the opportunity. They don't have striking good looks, don't have money & power, don't have much that is going to have women drawn to them, soliciting them or making sexual advances. So these men don't cheat, at least not physically, but they probably still often cheat, in their minds. Find me a man with good looks, power and wealth and I'll find you a man with some infidelity in his background. "Solomon loved many foreign women", are text tells us. I'm sure he did. Solomon had a Harem full of super models, it was unrestrained lust and sexual indulgence. He was a man who had no governor on his heart. He was able to get the most beautiful wome...

      People who want what we got, but don’t have what we got are a dangerous and crazy species. It’s a long standing issue in Christian circles and my guess is it will never go away until the Church is raptured. Until then, we will have to put up with heretics, Apostates, hypocrites and hirelings within the Church of Jesus Christ. Peter, you and I would deem this as completely ridiculous that someone would think he could buy what we have and what God is doing through our lives, but to them it is perfectly normal. This is what happens when people come into the Church but do not convert. There is only one approach with people like this and that is the approach that Peter takes, it is a direct, confrontational approach. We would never deal with a sincere church member like this, no matter how much they are struggling, this would not be the method, ie:  “repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive your evil thoughts, for we can see you are fu...