ARCC Sermons

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June 29th

The Bible reading today is in 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18.

I will focus on the faithful prophet Micaiah. The setting...

The Syrians held a Levitical city east of the Jordan River named Ramoth Gilead. Ahab, king of the ten tribes, wanted to retake the city for his kingdom. Ahab invited the godly Jehoshaphat, King of Judah and Benjamin, to assist in the battle for Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat allied himself and his kingdom with Ahab by marrying one of Ahab’s daughters, perhaps the most glaring sin of disobedience to God that we read concerning Jehoshaphat.

Jehoshaphat requested that Ahab inquire of the Lord concerning the battle. So Ahab called upon 400 prophets in Israel to give him counsel. They all said, “Go up, engage the Syrians and God will give you the victory.”

Jehoshaphat asked if there was any other prophet nearby that they could ask to enquire of the Lord about the battle. Ahab said, “Yes, but I hate him. He never prophesies good for me only evil.” But Ahab called for him anyway.

“Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.” And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭18:8, 12-13‬ ‭

We just read what made Micaiah a faithful prophet...” what my God says, that I will speak.”

That was the prophet’s conviction. That is...that’s what he believed and that’s what he would do “no matter what!”

“And Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master.’”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭18:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God, through the faithful prophet, was telling Ahab that this battle would not end well, especially for him and the ten tribes. God said, “...your army will be scattered on the mountains like sheep “without a shepherd”.

Ahab would die that day. And Micaiah told it like it was, even to a king who was known for killing prophets. I can't read these words without thinking of the most faithful prophet who ever walked the earth. Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son of Man. Prophesying, predicting his own life and death and resurrection, which was eye-witnessed by thousands at the time. And testified to by thousands who gave their lives as martyrs for Christ and his message of the gospel in the days of the early church.

The faithful prophet, Jesus, told his first disciples that he only spoke what he heard the Father speak no matter what!

Thank you, Jesus, prophet priest and king The only one who could save us from our sins. Praise your name!

Have a great day

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June 28th

The Bible reading is in 1 Kings 20,21.

Yesterday we read about the prophet Elijah going toe to toe with the wicked Ahab and his even more wicked wife Jezebel. He even went altar to altar against the 400 prophets of Baal and 450 prophets of Ashera on Mt Carmel.

For half a day Israel watched the prophets and priests of Baal cry, holler, and cut themselves trying to get their gods to act upon their altar. Nothing happened. Then it was Elijah’s turn. Or should I say Jesus’ turn?

Elijah spoke to the multitude on the mountain. “How long will you halt between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him. If Baal be God, follow him.”

Reminds me of the apostle Paul saying, “Follow me as I follow Christ...” Then Elijah prayed...”O Lord, show Israel today that You are God and that I am Your servant.”

Fire from heaven fell upon the altar, consuming the sacrifice, the rocks, and the trench full of water. The people fell on their faces saying, “The Lord, He is God.” The hand of the Lord was upon Elijah.

Then something happened. The joy and exaltation of the Lord were Elijah’s strength on Carmel. But days later, the brave Elijah was running for his life. From faith to fear. From standing against 850 opponents one day to running from the evil threat of the wicked queen the next.

What happened next? We read about Elijah hiding out in a cave in the wilderness. All the way to Mt Horeb. Depressed and scared and feeling all alone.

Do we roast Elijah there? Not me, I've gone from hero to zero too many times. What’s important to me is what happened during Elijah’s “dark night” of his soul. “There” God met him. Not in a strong wind, not in an earthquake, not in the fire, but in a still small voice.

And more times than not, that is where Jesus meets me. A quiet place, in silence, listening, and then that’s when God tells me that I'm not alone and that He is not through with me yet...” just like he said to the old prophet yrs ago.”

Next, Elijah’s nemesis, King Ahab and Jezebel, show up in today’s reading. Bullies and murderers of God-fearing Israelites. And then we read how God gives them a victory over an even bigger bully, the king of Syria.

Why in the world would God show His grace upon a nation that had turned it’s back on the God that had blessed them so? God’s people all across America today are asking the same question? What is holding back the judgment of God upon the idolatrous nation that we have become?

My belief? “The grace and mercy of God”.

Oh Lord, there are still so many of our loved ones who are not yet believing You, Jesus. We want you to come in one prayer, in another, we thank You for holding off your judgment awhile longer for the sake of the salvation of millions more!

Love you, friends. Have a great day!

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June 27th

The Bible reading today is in 1 Kings 17,18,19...looking into the godly life of the prophet Elijah.

To me, these chapters make up some of the most encouraging revelation in the Bible. So it starts with the sacrificial giving of a faithful woman. Don't miss this.

God spoke to Elijah saying..."Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you." So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink." And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." And she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die."

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭17:9-12‬ ‭

It had not rained in Israel for three years. People were literally dying of starvation and the lack of water to drink...the draught was that bad.

A godly woman of Zarephath was watching her son die from that dreadfully hard season. Dried up rivers and dead crops in the fields left to rot. Yes, this single mother was in terrible straits. We might ask God, “Why did You choose to use this poor woman to minister to Your prophet? Why not someone who had more to offer?”

And I believe that God would answer me this way: “Jim, I wanted to do something glorious through this precious woman. I wanted to do something good for this faithful mother. I've trusted her with little, and she trusted Me. Now I'm going to give her much.”

Elijah said, “give me a portion first”...then go and make some for you and your son with the rest. And she did. letting the preacher know exactly what he was asking her to do.

Then the prophet told her what God was going to do. “Your jar of flour will not be spent. And your jug of oil will remain full till the day that God brings rain upon the land.”

What did Jesus tell his first disciples? “Give and it shall be given unto you...pressed down, shaken together, and running over, shall be put into your lap.” Gospel of Luke.

And so it was with that faithful mother. Others would have refused God’s command using her suffering son as her excuse. But not this woman, she obeyed her Lord and trusted God to take care of her and her son. Amen and Amen.

Thank you, dear widow, of Zarephath, your faith, has inspired my own once again.

And thank You Jesus, for being the faithful Son. Who died and rose again to save my soul, both for now and forever. Praise Your Name!

Have a great day.

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June 26th

The bible reading for today is in 1 Kings 15:25-16:34 and 2 Chronicles 17.

Asa, the great-grandson of Solomon, was king over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the days of the divided kingdom. He ruled 41 years and was known for being used of God in bringing spiritual revival to Judah.

Asa’s father, Abijam, had a divided heart toward God. He trusted God sometimes and trusted himself most of the time. Because he refused to eliminate the high places of worship of foreign gods, he laid a spiritual stumbling block before the people he was to lead. He died. Then Asa his son took the throne of Judah.

“The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, 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.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭15:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This is how Asa began his leadership in Judah, seeking the Lord about everything. I am reminded of other verses concerning seeking the Lord...

Deut. 4:29 “You will find Him if you will seek Him with all of your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13 “And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all of your heart.”

The idea is that when God’s treasured ones draw near to Him, He draws near and reveals Himself to us. Seeking the Lord, seeking His will, and His ways in life, is good and worthy of our following such an example.

One day an Ethiopian army of a million soldiers marched upon Asa and his army of 500,000 men defending Jerusalem. It looked bad for Asa, .but he believed God’s promise to provide and God brought victory in a big way. Then toward the end of his reign in Judah, Baasha, king of Israel’s ten tribes, attacked Jerusalem and laid siege to the city.

Asa’s faith in God’s promises faded. And he sent a golden request to Syria for an alliance for military aid. Syria gave the immediate advantage to Asa and Israel’s army retreated. But at the same time, Syrian soldiers took over store cities in Judah and Israel, stealing grain and gold and military equipment.

Then the Judean prophet Hanani delivered a powerful message to Asa...“At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, "Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭16:7-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭16:9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wow, what a promise for all who believe the Lord...for all whose hearts are completely His.

Have a great day.

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June 25th

The bible reading today is in 1 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 13,14,15,16.

Two kings in Judah and two kings of Israel...the rebellious ten tribes. The podcast today will focus on Abijam, who followed Rehoboam, his father, as King of the states of Judah and Benjamin for three years.

“Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. 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.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭15:1, 3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Abijam’s heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his great grandfather David. We know that David fell to temptation and sinning during his reign as King of the twelve tribes of Israel. His sinning included adultery and murder.

Question: “With those sins on David’s record, how could he be described as a man whose heart was wholly true to God?

Brokenness...brokenness over his sinning. David repented and forsook his sin. The Spirit of God upon him would not let him get away with a thing. I am reminded of the words of Jesus...”If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Jesus was describing a disciple’s heart, not his scorecard. Perfection? No! But committed, even unto death, to follow their Savior God!

The reading today shows, “at best”, that Abijam’s heart was divided, lukewarm toward God. No wonder. “Abijam walked in all the sins of his father”. That would include the sin of refusing to tear down the altars built for the worship of foreign gods. The sin of turning a blind eye to the unrepentant sin of God’s people and simply allowing it to continue without Godly confrontation. And the sin of arrogance that abandoned the counsel of the old men. No wonder his reign did not last but 3 years.

I was also intrigued by something God did on behalf of Abijam. “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.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭13:15‬ ‭

Jereboam, king of the 10 tribes of Israel, listened to the preaching of Abijam, but instead of submitting to the word of God, Jereboam attacked Judah. Do you think Jereboam refused to take Abijam’s message seriously because of the seeming hypocrisy of the messenger? Preaching truth but not consistently living it? Maybe we will find that out in heaven one day.

800,000 to 400,000. That was the advantage that Jereboam had on Abijam. Abijam cried out to the Lord, and God won a victory for Judah that day.

Glory to God. Perhaps this was God blessing the “unworthy” for the sake of His name and the promise He gave to a man after God’s own heart.

Have a good day.

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June 24th

2 Chronicles 12,13,14 is our bible reading today.

For the first five years of Rehoboam’s reign, he followed the words of God given to him by his father Solomon. He assembled 180,000 choice warriors for Judah’s and Benjamin’s defense against Jereboam and the 10 tribes of the divided kingdom. He built and fortified 15 cities, including Bethlehem. He supplied them as fortresses ready for war...with mighty men and commanders to lead them. He made space for all of the Levitical priests that Jereboam evicted from the 10 tribes. That would imply that Rehoboam provided them with common lands to build upon and live upon.

From a distance, it would seem that Solomon’s son was ruling well. But a closer look would reveal the opposite. The high places for the worship of foreign gods that his father built were still intact still competing for the hearts of the sons and daughters of promise. Rehoboam should have torn them down. Instead, he turned away from God.

“When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was “strong”, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and so all Israel with him.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The same thing happens to us. When we are weak and in need of help, we turn to God in faith and worship. But when we are strong, when everything is going our way, we abandon the words of God and trust in ourselves instead. And so it was with Judah’s king and God’s people.

God judged the king and His people by giving them over to the marauding Egyptian King, Shishak. Rehoboam was broken. He humbled himself before the Lord and led his counsel back to the Lord too. They each confessed that the Lord He is righteous and we are not.

God showed mercy and saved Judah from total destruction. But God did allow the Egyptians to ransack Jerusalem, the King’s palace, and the Temple. Did you hear it? God responded to the broken humility of Rehoboam and the other leaders.

But...apparently, God knew that the depth of humility needed for growth in righteousness would include the loss of all that the new king had acquired. Father, You still give grace to the humble...even the grace of loss...which is Your presence in the void.

Have a good day

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June 23rd

The bible reading today is in 1 Kings 12,13,14.

The story of a man of God, a preacher of Judah. His bravery and his fall catch my attention.

Why? “Because” I am a preacher too. A preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ for fifty years. Because my son is a preacher. Because my brother in law is a preacher. And because many young men over my years of ministry have received the call of God to preach the Gospel.

The bible has been my sword of the Spirit. It has also been my food for faith’s nourishment and my drink for soul refreshment. I am taught the mind and heart of God by it. I am warned and corrected by it. I am thoroughly furnished unto good works by it. And my heart is strangely warmed by it.

However, my heart was chilled by it this morning. The preacher of Judah was given an assignment by God. A hard one, a life-threatening one. And he accepted it with bravery. I only wish that his story could have ended in honor the way it began.

Why was it a hard assignment? Because God called him to go to the wicked king of the ten tribes, Jereboam. The preacher was to deliver a confrontational message. Prophesying God’s judgment upon Jereboam and his house. A message about God tearing his kingdom from him and his sons. A message about dogs and birds eating his and his family’s flesh. Yes, I would call that a hard assignment.

But the preacher went and delivered God’s message boldly. May all of God’s preachers be so brave to accept God’s mission for them. No matter how hard, for the sake of the gospel, the building up of Christ’s church, and the salvation of people around the world.

I can't help but remember another preacher in the Bible Jonah. God gave him a dangerous assignment and Jonah refused. He ran from it thousands of miles from it. God had to use a “near drowning” and a “whale” to bring that man of God around. I am grateful for the grace of God displayed on Jonah’s life. God’s arm is never to short to reach his people and turn them around.

Back to today’s reading...So what happened to the courageous preacher after he spoke God’s message to the evil king? He didn't finish his mission and wound up being attacked by a lion and killed.

So what chilled my heart...well, that’s the rest of the story.

Have a great day

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June 22nd

The bible reading today is in Proverbs chapters 30,31. The final two records/chapters attributed to the Biblical texts known as the Proverbs were written by two “other” wise men of Solomon’s day, Agur and Lemmuel. Neither man is mentioned elsewhere in the Bible.

Agur seems to have been a public teacher and Lemmuel a pagan king converted to Yahweh, the God of Israel. Both indicate that their message was not of human wisdom but of God.

I like what Agur said about God and His word..

“Every word of God proves true, and he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭30:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Amen and Amen!

More of the text...

“Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭30:2-3‬ ‭

I wonder when Agur learned that” God gives grace to the humble?” In this text, there is no personal boasting of knowledge and understanding. Instead, Agur confesses his own intellectual and spiritual challenges. He indicates that human philosophy failed him and that his sole confidence now was in God’s revelation.

More of the text. I entitle it The One to trust, the One to follow, the One to worship.

“Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Man or God? God...listen to Him.

Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Man or God? God...submit to Him.

Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Man or God? God...believe Him.

Who has established all the ends of the earth? Man or God? God...worship Him.

What is his name? Yahweh, Elohim, Jehovah! And what is his son's name? Jesus...God the Son!

Surely you know!” Or translated:

(“I want you to know and experience Him!”)

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭30:4‬ ‭

Next, Agur’s prayer request to God proves the blessing of God’s wisdom upon him. Prov 30:7,8.

“Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; and give me neither poverty nor riches;”

This reminds me of David’s prayer request in Psalms 27:4 “One thing” have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”

‭‭

“One thing”...” that I may do life, every day, in the recognizable presence of the Lord.”

“Let us pray that. Thanks, David...Thanks, Lord!”

And as Solomon prayed for a life of wisdom, Agur, a wise teacher in Israel, prayed for a life of “integrity”.

And let us pray that as well...

“Help me, to tell the truth always. Help me to be content with what God supplies. Thank you, Jesus...Amen Let it be!

Have a great day...