by chrisaiken | Jun 30, 2015 | Devotions
“…’If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty [men].’ Then fire came down and consumed him and his fifty.” 2 Kings 1:10, NASB.
I recently read an article…an editorial of sorts where the writer noted that an influential leader in the West called for people to evolve in their religion to accept certain conduct that the Bible specifically enumerates as sinful. This leader believes that the issue of dignity and happiness of people trumps the holiness of God as God reveals it in His Word.
Now before we cast stones at this misinformed and error-ridden statement by the leader…let’s agree that this attitude is pervasive in our culture. In many ways, people ACT as if God’s revelation is their servant, not their master. They see the Bible as a tool to get what they want rather than a pattern to conform their lives to. They see the preacher/pastor/minister as a resource for them to find encouragement from on their self-directed journey…and if he doesn’t stroke them just right…there is a replacement down the street.
This chapter is a reminder. The king does not demand that the man of God come at his bidding. The king is to beg for God’s favor and attention. (Don’t read too far into it as I am certainly not suggesting that the king/Commissioner/Mayor/Governor ought to “beg” for a pastor to make a house call. My statement relates to the attitude toward God).
102 men died before the king got the message. You don’t demand that God conform to your whims. You seek the Lord and His will…demanding of yourself that you conform your life to God’s desires…whatever they may be.
Ahaziah died. God’s judgment was carried out because he was a wicked man who disdained God. He saw the God of Israel as no different from the god of Ekron. But friends…his judgment was not authoritative. The God of Heaven will not be boxed in and defined by our desires. He is God. He is triumphant. He is Powerful, Righteous, and Just. He demands and deserves worship and any response other than broken humility before Him is dangerously devaluing. See Him as great and hear His gracious calling to come and see…taste and see that the Lord is good!
Shalom, CA.
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by chrisaiken | Jun 29, 2015 | Devotions
“The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘There is one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil’.” “Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, ‘Behold now, the words fo the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word be like one of them, and speak favorably.’ But Micaiah said, ‘As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I shall speak.’ “ 1 Kings 22:8; 13-14, NASB.
Sometimes the words of the prophet (or preacher/pastor in our modern context) are not favorable to us. They disagree with parts of our hearts and often they are in conflict with our actions. At such time we are faced with a choice. We can yield to the authoritative message of God’s Word…or we can go find a “prophet” (or 400 in this case) to tell us something more in line with what we want to hear.
The Apostle Paul said this would occur with increasing frequency as time progressed toward the End Times. People would look for someone with a message pleasing to their ears…more so that someone with a message that prompted their change so that they might be pleasing to God.
Two quick statement/observations:
First, if you know what you want to do and are unwilling to change…why inquire of the Lord or anyone else for that matter. You are your own god. You are sovereign in your own heart and you alone are due the honor and glory of your choice…even though it is fleeting and will one day be crushed under the weight of God’s glory!
Second, if you are a prophet/preacher/pastor…choose the convictions of Micaiah. You have nothing to say of value apart from that which God instructs you to speak. If you might compromise to please the ears of people or to mask your own sinful insolence toward God…go be a politician or a salesman. Forget the ministry of the Living God! You cannot please Him and affirm His people at all times. You are of no use to God and are actually performing the labors of God’s enemy! But you might say, “I need the job!” NO! You need the Living God and He has covenanted with you to be your Provider and Sustainer. Trust Him and tell the truth. You too will stand before Him and give an account…only with stricter judgment (James 3:1).
Shalom, CA.
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by chrisaiken | Jun 28, 2015 | Devotions
“…Because the Arameans have said, ‘The Lord is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys,’ therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” 1 Kings 20:28, NASB.
Sometimes people ask me, “What is God up to?” They fail to understand the motivation of God’s action or inaction in a particular circumstance. This is not a new question. Peter addressed it to the church by telling them that God is not slow or slack in bringing judgment against evil…but is patient, so as to give opportunity for repentance.
Elijah, just a couple of chapters back sat under a juniper tree and declared that God should kill him because there were no other believers in God. He was perplexed that after such a great victory, Jezebel would seem to be so powerful in her threats.
The fact is, God operates with great mystery and we cannot manipulate Him or cause Him to act contrary to His own desire. There is an overarching theme though to God’s actions: He always acts in a manner that gives Him ultimate glory.
In this text the Arameans declared that their recent defeat at the hands of the much smaller force of Israel was due to the fact that Israel’s God is powerful on the mountains. He has super powers there. This is common in their idolatry. They had gods that were over the harvest, over childbearing, over war, etc. They painted the God of Israel in the same light and assumed that since He was powerful on the mountains, He must be a God fo the mountains; therefore, He would be powerless to help Ahab on the plains.
Before they spoke though, God had already told Ahab when they would attack next. Why is God helping Ahab? Isn’t he a wicked king married to a wicked woman who incited him toward idolatry and led much of the nation of Israel to embrace idolatry too? YES! So why did God help Ahab?
The question creates the difficulty in determining the answer. God’s aid benefitted Ahab but Ahab was not the motivation for God’s actions. God’s glory was His motivation. God desired to demonstrate His power before the Arameans and all of Israel so He used this engagement to do so.
This prompted me today in regard to our own country. I have read hundreds of statements about how we need God to bless America again. NEWS FLASH: America is not in Scripture. We are not the seat of morality nor are we the key players in Armageddon. We are a nation that experienced great blessings at one time…when we seemed to honor God as a religious people. We don’t NEED God to bless us again in our condition. We need to return to seeking the glory of God’s Name. As God always seeks His own honor, our doing so puts us on the right side of the equation again and we will experience God’s blessings…not because we are adorable, but because God is faithful to Himself and His own Namesake. He is God. He is God of the mountains and the plains…of heaven and earth…of America and Afghanistan and China and Monaco and Australia and Ireland and… He is GOD! Honor Him and you will find favor in His eyes. Resist Him and you will despise His greatness and be an obstacle to His glory…thus eliminationg yourself from the glorious redemptive purpose of Holy God!
Shalom, CA
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by chrisaiken | Jun 25, 2015 | Devotions
The angel said to Elijah, “…Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 1 Kings 19:7, NASB.
This is perhaps one of the most significant chapters of Scripture in my personal journey. I often return here as I wrestle with the conviction of God’s calling and the cost of obedience in my own life.
Elijah has just seen God move powerfully on Mt. Carmel. He has done a supernatural feat and must be on a spiritual high! Then Jezebel threatens him. He certainly believes the threat because he is afraid and flees to Beersheba. As Elijah lays down to die, he is ministered to by the Lord and it is only the provision of God that sustained him over the next 40 days to Mt. Horeb.
God chose to speak to Elijah there, but not until a couple of reflecting questions were posed. Every minister needs to hear and answer these questions from time to time. God chose to speak softly…not in the way He spoke at Mt. Carmel with fire from heaven. He spoke personally, privately, and prominently to His prophet…as He reminded him that his mission was not up until God said it was. Elijah was strengthened and returned to Damascus and played out the last chapter of his earthly life’s story.
What is significant to see today…is that God’s provision is sufficient. Apart from Him and IT…we cannot finish the course before us. We will fail. The journey is too great. But with God, we are amply supplied…even if we do not know it in the moment.
When you find yourself at the end of your rope, remember who holds the rope and take courage. Look for the provision of God. Consume it. Rest in it. Be restored to your mission. Finish your course.
Shalom, CA
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by chrisaiken | Jun 21, 2015 | Devotions
“When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is this you, you troubler of Israel?’ He said, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals.’ ” 1 Kings 18:17-18, NASB.
After 3 years of drought and all that goes with it for a nation and its leaders, Elijah comes out of hiding (at the Lord’s direction) and comes to Ahab. This evil king immediately assigns blame for all that Israel has incurred on the prophet who pronounced judgment. It is Elijah’s fault! He stopped up the rain!
Elijah though turns the focus back to its rightful cause…the sins of Ahab and his fathers are responsible for the troubles in the land. It is the forsaking of God and God’s covenant that is the cause of such tragic circumstance that Israel is experiencing.
Much the same way, this conversation plays out in our nation today. The “narrow-minded religious types” have stirred up trouble with their preaching on righteousness! It must be their fault. Really? Is it not the sins of excess? Of the murder of innocent babies in the womb? Of the forsaking of God and the pursuit of God? Is it not the sins of omission in not pursuing justice for all? These sins are real and prevalent in the eyes of God! He is watching the actions of His people and noting their sins of commission and omission!
The preacher who declares God’s displeasure with homosexuality, murder, lying, covetousness, idolatry, and so on…is not responsible for the consequences of sin; rather, he should be seen as the watchman who cries from the guard tower a message of warning…”Turn back to God even now before you know His wrath!”
Could it be that this is not only true of a nation…but also applies in a personal way in your life? Is it possible that the suffering you are experiencing is not due to someone else but is a direct result of your own sins?
If so, what is the cure? Only one cure for sin and it is aWHO…not a WHAT! Run to Jesus! Repent of your sin. Seek His forgiveness and redemption. Rest in His unfailing promises. He alone is good and He alone can restore you to abundant life!
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by chrisaiken | Jun 18, 2015 | Devotions
“God away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.” 1 Kings 17:3-4, NASB.
Even the most devout and pious among us struggle with faith from time to time. We know God says He will meet our needs as a loving Father…we know God will never leave us nor forsake us…we know that God has plans for us to prosper us and not to do us harm. All of these things are a matter of faith in the revealed Word of God, yet knowing them is different from having faith in them.
Faith is intentional action based on knowledge. We “know” our car will crank so we sit down and buckle up before we ever turn the ignition switch. That’s faith. We know the stove works so we put a pan or pot on it, turn it on and go about gathering our dinner ingredients even before the pan is hot. That’s faith.
So, knowledge without action is merely knowledge. It is not faith. What Elijah exhibits here is faith. God said…Elijah did…God provided…Elijah benefited. Simple as that.
So what of the times when we say we know and we believe (have faith) and yet we don’t see provision? This is a looming question in many minds so I want to point out a key element that we’d do well not to miss: God provided for Elijah AFTER Elijah obeyed the Word of the Lord. [NOTE: I am not speaking of God’s common grace provision or how He provided a Word to Elijah…but I am specifically speaking of God’s promise of food and water.]
God said to Elijah…Go to the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan, hide there…I will feed you. None of these commands are ambiguous. None are negotiable. None are too difficult to obey even if they might seem crazy in the mind of the hearer. Simply stated…”Obey My Word…and I will care for you.”
I think at times…we miss the mark on “Obey” and then wonder why God doesn’t care for us. He said____ and we ignored or rebelled while trying to cash in the marker on the promise. Is God a man that He should be manipulated by our actions? NO! He knows what we are doing and is not mocked. What we sow (rebellion and self-sufficiency) is what we reap.
I think at times, when asked about things of God…my response is sometimes passed over simply because it sounds too simple or straightforward. Here is the counsel fo God’s Word…If you want to know the protection of God and want to experience His daily provision in your life…simply Go where He says, when He says, and do what He says.
Could you imagine the 12-year-old boy coming to his mother at 8PM after a long day of video games? He declares that he is hungry and charges that his mother has neglected him. She reminds him that dinner is at 6…that she prepared a meal, set the table, fixed his plate and called him to dinner. He neglected to come and therefore he was hungry. Our complaints against God are often similar and God’s response is also much the same.
Shalom, CA.
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“…’If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty [men].’ Then fire came down and consumed him and his fifty.” 2 Kings 1:10, NASB.
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