June 20

1 Kings 22:1-53, Acts 13:16-41, Psalm 138:1-8, Proverbs 17:17-18



Pray: Just go along with the others. That’s what Micaiah, the Lord’s prophet was told to do. He responds, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.” Do you have competing voices and agendas in your life? It happens like this: don’t honor her, she doesn’t honor you; don’t tell them all that’s wrong with the car you’re trading in; everybody does this, so it’s okay, etc. Then, there’s what the Lord says to us. Ask the Lord to help you listen to His voice and not others’ voices. Ask the Lord to help you speak His words and not your words.

Read: I’ve met Christians who only read the New Testament. They have lots of “reasons” (I would call them excuses, and poor ones at that) for their selective reading. To be fair, one can be a Christian and not read the Old Testament, but much like the children’s area at a water park, there may be a pool, but it’s certainly not very deep. In Acts 13, Paul stands and speaks to the crowd. He begins not with Jesus, but Egypt. In a very concise way, Paul starts with the slavery of God’s people and then ends by saying, “We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in Him is made right in God’s sight – something the law of Moses could never do.” In order for people to fully understand the significance of Jesus, Paul felt they needed to hear the history of God’s redemptive work. Perhaps Paul was onto something.

Edify: Would you rather listen to 400 liars or 1 truth-teller? That’s where King Ahab found himself in 1 Kings 22. All 400 of the prophets were telling him to go to war. Then, there’s another person. Ahab says, “There is one more man who could consult the Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me!” One man attempted to speak truth to Ahab, but Ahab wouldn’t listen. He listened instead, to the 400 liars. It cost him his life. Truth may be difficult to hear sometimes, but isn’t it always better than lies?

Practice: The average car payment in America is $503/month. The average credit card debt is $16,061. We make poor (pun intended!) financial decisions. Most people have messed something up in their finances at some point. There shouldn’t be shame in one bad decision. I cosigned a loan for someone once. Our Proverbs reading says, “It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt...” Ouch! I wish I had read that prior. It was a terrible idea. Bad financial decisions bleed over into every area of life. You may feel absolutely stuck, financially. Take note of the other Proverbs reading: “...a brother is born to help in time of need.” Christ Church has trained financial coaches who can help you. We have classes that can teach you. We have people who care about you. Do you need to be bold enough to ask for help? Don’t stay in your bad decision.

June 19

1 Kings 20:1-21:29, Acts 12:24-13:15, Psalm 137:1-9, Proverbs 17:16



Pray: Beware of Jezebels! They show up in your life pretending to be helpful. They seem to have your best interests in mind. Then, before long, they pretend, lie, scheme, steal, and sometimes do much worse. They’ll even try to bring you along for the sinful, evil trip they’ve plotted out. Pray to the Lord and ask Him for discernment and wisdom to identify them and deal with them appropriately. Beware of Jezebels!

Read: In the New Testament reading from Acts 12 and 13, we find a growing Church. More characteristics are present in a growing Church, but we find two in our reading today. We find a focus on the “word of God” (Acts 12:24) and a following of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:4). There were no programs in place for specific age groups. There was not a great music ministry (with neither a pipe organ accompanying a choir nor a cool band wearing skinny jeans!). The word of God was spreading, people were becoming believers, and believers were doing what the Holy Spirit was leading them to do. Christianity, perhaps, is not as complicated as we make it out to be.

Edify: Humility doesn’t come easily. That’s especially true today when you and I can have practically whatever we want almost instantly, or at worst, with a couple clicks and 2-day free shipping. King Ahab tells us, “A warrior putting on his sword for battle should not boast like a warrior who has already won” (1 Kings 20:11). Humility wasn’t abundant in Biblical times, either, at least among leaders. Ben-hadad was boasting before the battle, but not for long. He loses the fight and is forced into humility. Let’s choose a different path. I don’t like being forced into anything. Choose humility and see what God can do with a person who doesn’t yet know everything and is willing to be teachable.

Practice: Ahab was a child. Yes, he was a king, but if actions and attitude define a man (or a woman), then Ahab was a child. He was pouting because he didn’t get his way. It happened twice (1 Kings 20:43 & 21:4): once because he was confronted with his disobedience and another because he simply couldn’t get what he wanted. Only a child would pout like this and even refuse to eat dinner...apparently so would a king. Inside all of us there is a little child. We want our own way. We can be prideful and selfish at times. What childish tendencies do you have? Do you pout, get angry and yell, throw items, spend without budgeting, tell others how to live without working on your own life, etc.? Don’t be an Ahab: stop acting like a child.

June 18

1 Kings 19:1-21, Acts 12:1-23, Psalm 136:1-26, Proverbs 17:14-15



Pray: Today, let’s give thanks to God for all the miracles, both big and small, He has done in our lives. Thank You for waking us up this morning, for the sun and the moon and the stars. We give thanks to You, God, because Your faithful love endures forever.

Read: The psalmist implores us to give thanks. As we give thanks for all those who have had an influence in our lives, we are reminded that we are to give thanks for all things. God’s love is demonstrated in and through the blessings that we are given.

Edify: Sometimes, it is difficult to tell someone that we care for and appreciate thanks. I recently embarked on a new personal challenge to do this very thing. I committed to writing 3 thank you notes per week to people that have influence in my life and who give of themselves for my family and for our church. This has proven to be far more difficult than I ever imagined, but it has also proven to be far more satisfying than I have ever imagined. I am quick to say thank you to those who serve, but I often wonder if my thank you has lost its power so I decided to do something that seems to be becoming a lost art. In the world of emails, text messages, and snapchats, I have decided to hand write my thank you notes. Does it mean any more to the recipient? Not sure… but it certainly has blessed me.

Practice: Who do you need to thank for their impact in your life? It may be a dad… it may be a mom that has played that role. It may be a teacher, or a friend… whoever it is, take the time to share a heart felt “Thank You”.

June 17

1 Kings 18:1-46, Acts 11:1-30, Psalm 135:1-21, Proverbs 17:12-13 



Pray: Pray that God would reveal Himself in a mighty way to you today. Pray for the faith of Elijah and be willing to trust that God will show up in some of the most uncertain of circumstances.

Read: Our Old Testament reading is one on my favorite Bible stories. The contest on Mount Carmel is one of those scenes from the Bible that reads like an action movie. On one side we have the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah and on the other side we have Elijah. The scene is set and the prophets begin to call on the name of their god awaiting a mighty demonstration of their god’s power. And…. nothing. Elijah steps forward and doesn’t just begin to call on the name of the one true God, but makes the seemingly impossible more impossible with the addition of water to the wood. Then he calls on God and God shows up in a mighty way and makes it obvious that He is the real deal!

Edify: When I traveled to the Holy Land in February 2017, I was honored to be able to lead our group in a devotion on the very spot where it is believed that this contest took place. I stood on this place and imagined all of the people standing around watching and waiting. Waiting for something to happen. I imagined the scene when the fire from the Lord came down from Heaven and burned everything up. I imagined the crowd standing there in utter amazement and the faces of the prophets of Baal and Asherah standing their in utter horror as they realized their time was up. Elijah’s faith that God would reveal Himself was so great that he wanted to make sure that there was no doubt that it was anyone other than God at work. Sometimes we have to be like Elijah, willing to risk it all for the sake of the Kingdom and for the name of God. 

Practice: Where do you need to take a risk for God? Do you need to step out of your comfort zone and begin a ministry? Do you need to trust God with your finances? Do you need to start volunteering somewhere? Where and when will you place your faith and trust in God so that He can show up in a mighty way?

June 16

1 Kings 15:25-17:24, Acts 10:24-48, Psalm 134:1-3, Proverbs 17:9-11



Pray: Pray for those who are marginalized in our society. Lift those who find themselves being on the outside looking in and are trying to find their place in our world. Pray that they would find community within the walls of the church and their place in the kingdom of God.

Read: The story of Cornelius and Peter is a powerful one that demonstrates that we are all cut from the same cloth and should treat each other as such. Even though it was against the law for a Jewish man to enter the house of a Gentile or even associate with him, this did not stop Peter and Cornelius from their interactions. Peter makes a profound statement that we need to hear today, when he says, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right”. As followers of Christ, we are not to see race or nationality or even religious affiliation to stop us from seeing the Imago Dei (the image of God) that is present in each of us. While we may not all agree on every aspect of theological rhetoric, we are to see that we are made in the image of God and should therefore have respect for one another.

Edify: The interaction with Paul and Cornelius is one that we can learn from today. Even though they came from different backgrounds, there was a mutual respect for one another. It was their belief in the one, true God that brought them together in Christ’s name and which made them willing to overlook the current understanding of Jews and Gentiles not sharing common space much less have a meaningful relationship. May we be the same… let’s not allow our differences to be a divide that cannot be overcome. Rather, let us come together in the name of Christ for the sake of unity and the common good.

Practice: It is very easy to allow petty differences to divide us. I challenge you to reach out to someone that we don’t see eye to eye with and, setting differences aside, get to know the person. 

June 15

1 Kings 14:1-15:24, Acts 10:1-23, Psalm 133:1-3, Proverbs 17:7-8 



Pray: Pray today for peace and discernment in our chaotic world. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you today how you can be an instrument of peace and tranquility when there seems to be none.

 

Read: The psalmist writes about the wonder and beauty when people live together in peace and harmony. These words here ring true, harmony is precious and something that should be sought after and cherished.  

 

Edify: When I was growing up, my twin brother and I would constantly be at one another’s throats. We didn’t dislike one another; we simply liked getting on the other's nerves. It would drive my parents crazy and every once in a while we would find ourselves in the midst of some form of an altercation… verbal or physical… usually verbal because we were both big boys. It was not until we were no longer in the same home every night that we realized how much we appreciated each other. I wonder what life would have been like for both of our parents and us… if we had learned this lesson earlier in our teen years. It is within this harmony that the psalmist tells us that the Lord pours out His blessings. 

 

Practice: Where is there chaos that you need to wrestle with so that you can enjoy the blessings of harmony? Sometimes the best thing that we can do is to face it head on and deal with it. Seek today to minimize your chaos and maximize your harmony.

June 14

1 Kings 12:20-13:34, Acts 9:26-43, Psalm 132:1-18, Proverbs 17:6

Pray: Pray for our children specifically today. Pray for safety during the summer and in travel. Pray for them to make good decisions even when no one is watching. Pray for them to claim God as their Lord and Savior. Pray for the women and men that they will grow up to be and pray for the men and women that they will marry… that they will be loved second only to God.

Read: The proverb today says that “grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children”. The first part has become almost cliche in our culture. There is very little that a grandparent loves more than their grandchildren. However, the latter half of Proverbs 17:6 is often overlooked. Parents are the pride of their children. As parents we are proud of our children, but I would also say that our children want to be proud of their parents. The reciprocal relationship of parent and child is often missed or it is replaced by a one-sided parent-centric relationship between the parent and child. 

Edify: As a parent, it is critical for us to have a solid relationship with our children… one that is based on trust and mutual respect. However, it is not the role of the parent to be their best friend. Our culture has skewed the parent-child relationship into one where they are best friends rather than parent and child. As a parent it is our responsibility to “bring them up in the way of the Lord”. It is our place to tell them no and to speak truth into their lives so that they don’t blow them up. The role of parent is difficult and it is often painful but it is also one of the most rewarding roles that one can play. Even if you don’t have children of your own, you influence those around you so don’t take your role lightly. Every person around a child helps to mold him or her into the adult that they will be.

Practice: Prayerfully consider serving in children's or student ministry.  If you would like to invest in the next generation of world changers by serving in one of these areas, contact the Christ Church office for more information.