An American Missionary

“In no way, shape, or form does anyone in this room believe that Islam or the teaching of Islam has anything to do with what you've seen on that screen. That is abhorrent, it's terrible, and it does not represent the religion in any way, shape, or form or any of its teachings.” Six years ago those were the words of Jim Kenney, mayor of Philadelphia, just moments after the announcement that Edward Archer confessed to shooting a cop in the name of Islam. A shooting captured on video. Thank you Mayor Kenney for demonstrating the depth of delusion in our politically correct culture. 
 
Mayor Kenney’s way of thinking (?) guarantees more such shootings because it proves to the Muslim world that we don’t understand Islam. Islam is a culture of death that has sought to sweep the world in a wave of dominance, destruction and death since the days of its murderous pedophile founder, Mohammed. It is a pagan cult on the level of the Baal worship that plagued Israel during the days of Elijah and Elisha. And, because much of today’s so-called Christianity is little more than watered down paganism (read http://focusmagazine.org/good-or-christian.php), many insist on imposing their personal obligations to be charitable on the nation as a whole, without thinking of the harm it may cause others. See today’s post on my personal FB page about individual obligations. Deliberately exposing one’s neighbor to a murderous cult is not “Christian charity”. Helping others regardless of their background is a Christian duty (Galatians 6:10). Just find a way to do it that doesn’t get your neighbor killed. 
 
When Jehoram, (not to be confused with his brother-in-law of the same name who was king of Israel), became king of Judah he didn’t wait long to show the pagan influence of his Baal worshipping wife Athaliah. The daughter of Ahab and Jezebel was a true believer, just like Mr. Archer in Philadelphia. When Jehoram was secure in Jerusalem he murdered all his brothers and any leaders who might oppose him (2 Chronicles 21:4), which is what the world has been seeing for 1400 years with Islam. 
 
Murder, regardless of the reason, is abhorrent, but so is protecting and supporting a murderous belief system. However, remember this – as Christians we must love all people, regardless of their faith background or chosen lifestyle, or whether they are few or many. That means our approach to everyone must be polite and kind, driven by love for souls. But that does not mean we can ignore reality or refuse to speak the truth, even if it gets us in trouble. That’s not abhorrent, that’s what love does.

“In no way, shape, or form does anyone in this room believe that Islam or the teaching of Islam has anything to do with what you've seen on that screen. That is abhorrent, it's terrible, and it does not represent the religion in any way, shape, or form or any of its teachings.” Six years ago those were the words of Jim Kenney, mayor of Philadelphia, just moments after the announcement that Edward Archer confessed to shooting a cop in the name of Islam. A shooting captured on video. Thank you Mayor Kenney for demonstrating the depth of delusion in our politically correct culture.

Mayor Kenney’s way of thinking (?) guarantees more such shootings because it proves to the Muslim world that we don’t understand Islam. Islam is a culture of death that has sought to sweep the world in a wave of dominance, destruction and death since the days of its murderous pedophile founder, Mohammed. It is a pagan cult on the level of the Baal worship that plagued Israel during the days of Elijah and Elish

Things That Are Abhorrent 2 Chronicles 21:4

When Vladimir Putin’s lengthy (July, 2021) article “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians“, intended as a justification for the war that is now under way, was found to include references to divisions in the Orthodox Church, modern prophets (?) seized on them to declare the end times are here. As usual they are wrong, or at least don’t know what they’re talking about. Thousands of end times prophets (?) have come with great fanfare and then quietly disappeared when time proved them wrong. 
 
Since Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary is currently studying 2 Kings 7 when a real prophet, Elisha, made a real prophecy that required a divine miracle to be fulfilled within twenty four hours today’s Throwback Thursday edition reaches back to June, 1978 for an article discussing the exposure of a modern day prophet (?) as a false prophet. 
 
"1975 In Prophecy" by Robert F. Turner, PLAIN TALK Magazine. 
 
In 1956, when Herbert W. Armstrong wrote the above, 1975 was 20 years in the future, not 3 years past. We can claim no credit for seeing the utter foolishness of such "predictions." But a review of his booklet should convince us that Herbert knew (and knows) no more about the future than any other man who studies social and scientific trade journals. It is sad to note that gullible people still swallow such "prophecies" from Garner Ted, the Watchtower Witnesses, and others of this type. 
 
Herbert wrote, "Prophecies that were closed and sealed tight, now stand REVEALED. This mystifying, neglected third of the Bible now becomes plain.... The keys that locked the future have been found" (p. 1),"have been given to us by GOD" (p.12). "If you do not yet understand that the 'thee' of whom God through Ezekiel is here speaking, is our democratic nations as set forth and plainly PROVED in our free booklet (sent upon request) 'United States and British Commonwealth in Prophecy,'-- then just remember that we are GUILTY these things ARE GOING TO HAPPEN TO US, UNLESS WE HEED AND REPENT!" "I HAVE TO WARN YOU!! You can read what God says to me in Ezekiel 33:1-6" "pp. 12, 20). Herb is no shrinking violet. 
 
On page 3 he says, "We are entering the very CRISIS at the CLOSE of the allotted 6000-year period..." Then, using a long-range forecast from a U.S. weatherman, he says, "this drought will be even more devastating than he foresees, and that it will strike sooner than 1975 —probably between 1965 and 1972! This will be the very beginning, as Jesus said, of the Great Tribulation!" (p.10) "Once we are weakened by starvation, disease, and the resulting calamitous economic depression, the Ten Nation European Colossus will suddenly STRIKE with hydrogen bombs that shall DESTROY OUR CITIES and our centers of industrial and military production! The very next words of Jesus' prophecy (Matt. 24:9; 21-22) are, 'Then' — not five years or a generation later, but 'THEN shall they deliver you up to be afflicted...etc." (p.20) 
 
"Yes, millions of lukewarm inactive Christians will suffer MARTYRDOM — and that before the anticipated push button leisure year of 1975 dawns upon us! You'll read of this martyrdom — the Great Tribulation — in Matt. 24:9-10, etc." (p.20) (And he uses "martyr" very looselyhere, rt.) 
 
"This fanatical, unheard-of, Satan inspired fiendish Tribulation and martyrdom will continue three and a half years. But then it shall be suddenly CUT SHORT — by the divine, supernatural INTERVENTION OF GOD!" (p.22) 
 
Well, that's it folks. We have now gone through the Great Tribulation, our nation wrecked by hydrogen bombs, and millions slain. In June of 1978 (or thereabouts, not to be a stickler) GOD has come, and rebellious mankind has been "forced into the WAYS and the LAWS of God" (p.28). It is all over, as all can plainly see-- if you have the eyes of Herb Armstrong. 
 
Or, is it possible that Herb is not the prophet he thought he was??? 
 
Well here we are nearly 50 years later and the same dire predictions are being made by the same kinds of false prophets. Don’t listen to them. They don’t know if the end is near or not. Now that doesn’t mean the end is not near. Unlike Elisha (2 Kings 7:18-20), I don’t know when God will come. Here’s what I do know – today’s false prophets don’t know if this is the end of time any more than I do! God knows when His longsuffering will end and the world will be destroyed. So stop watching for signs and worrying about something you and I can’t control. Instead look in your heart and worry about where you will spend eternity when your end time comes. You can do something about that.

When Vladimir Putin’s lengthy (July, 2021) article “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians“, intended as a justification for the war that is now under way, was found to include references to divisions in the Orthodox Church, modern prophets (?) seized on them to declare the end times are here. As usual they are wrong, or at least don’t know what they’re talking about. Thousands of end times prophets (?) have come with great fanfare and then quietly disappeared when time proved them wrong.

Since Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary is currently studying 2 Kings 7 when a real prophet, Elisha, made a real prophecy that required a divine miracle to be fulfilled within twenty four hours today’s Throwback Thursday edition reaches back to June, 1978 for an article discussing the exposure of a modern day prophet (?) as a false prophet.

"1975 In Prophecy" by Robert F. Turner, PLAIN TALK Magazine.

In 1956, when Herbert W. Armstrong wrote the above, 1975 was 20 ye

A Real Prophet Knows The End 2 Kings 7:18-20

Will Smith, now famous for “the slap heard around the world” was first famous as “The Fresh Prince” of “Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince” hip-hop duo, then as the TV star of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”. But between “the slap” and “The Fresh Prince” he reached international stardom in film. One of his better roles was as the homeless salesman, Chris Gardner, in “The Pursuit of Happyness”. It’s an inspiring story of an extremely intelligent and inventive man who continued pursuing his dream despite constant setbacks, including eviction and living on the street. At one point he spent the last of his cash for a new shirt for what he thought was his last day of work. But, just when he thought it was all over, everything changed as he was hired full time. 
 
In the days of Elisha and the Syrian siege of Samaria there’s an interesting account of four men who, along with the city of Samaria, thought all hope was gone. They too were homeless, but had it worse than Mr. Gardner since they had leprosy. Because of their leprosy they were the ultimate misfits, excluded from all of society they were stuck outside the city gate. Not allowed inside the city and untouched by the Syrians they were truly hopeless. Thinking they would die of starvation whether they tried to enter the city or stayed outside they made a bolder gesture than buying a new shirt for the last day of work. Instead they decided to walk down to the invader’s camp saying: “If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die.” (2 Kings 7:3-4). 
 
Their self-surrender turned them into heroes because they found the camp empty of people. God had sent the sound of an attack that sent the Syrian army running (2 Kings 7:5-7). And they left without packing so the camp was filled with food supplies. At first the four men were shocked and helped themselves to food, but, feeling guilty, they notified the king so the city could share in the bounty (2 Kings 7:8-10). When the news got out the people rushed the camp to end the starvation brought by the siege (2 Kings 7:16). 
 
Few here in America live through such financial extremes, though many more than we may think, but we all hit bottom spiritually. At some point we will be stuck outside the camp, covered with the leprosy of sin, condemned to die as outcasts from God. Sadly some will never recognize it, and many who realize where they are will never admit it to themselves or God. What about you? Are you stuck outside the gate starving to death spiritually because of sin? If you realize it you have another option. You can give up and surrender to Jesus and receive life eternal. You can be saved or you can remain a dying sinner. The choice is yours. Please come to Him for salvation.

Will Smith, now famous for “the slap heard around the world” was first famous as “The Fresh Prince” of “Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince” hip-hop duo, then as the TV star of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”. But between “the slap” and “The Fresh Prince” he reached international stardom in film. One of his better roles was as the homeless salesman, Chris Gardner, in “The Pursuit of Happyness”. It’s an inspiring story of an extremely intelligent and inventive man who continued pursuing his dream despite constant setbacks, including eviction and living on the street. At one point he spent the last of his cash for a new shirt for what he thought was his last day of work. But, just when he thought it was all over, everything changed as he was hired full time.

In the days of Elisha and the Syrian siege of Samaria there’s an interesting account of four men who, along with the city of Samaria, thought all hope was gone. They too were homeless, but had it worse than Mr. Gardner since they had lepr

Surrendering Pride In Order To Survive 2 Kings 7:3-4

If you owned Chipotle stock six years ago I would have advised you to “Sell! Now!” At the time the once seemingly unstoppable food train looked like it was derailing: coming off the track, out of control and crushing everything in its way. On August 7, 2015 the stock hit a peak of $749. Two years later it was below $300 and no one knew when it would hit bottom. Except it had hit bottom and was beginning a steady climb back up and now sits at $1,593. So, even if you bought during the peak in August 2015, and held on, you can still make a hefty profit. Perhaps that explains why Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary is not an investment advisory post and I’m not an investment advisor. 
 
Instead this is a Bible study post and the only reason we’re talking about Chipotle is because we’re looking at the life of Elisha and have come to 2 Kings 6 and desperate situation involving food problems and prices in Samaria. Previously we talked about the food shortage when Samaria was besieged by Syria, which drove food prices through the roof (sort of like Chipotle stock) and leading to the horror of cannibalism (similar to, though far worse than Chipotle’s food poisoning problems). When the king came to confront Elisha the answer was advance notice of a sudden drop in food prices that would happen the next day (2 Kings 7:1). Anyone who was hoarding food at top price needed to sell – fast. 
 
Chipotle’s executives were shell shocked and took a while to wrap their heads around the company’s precipitous fall. The king’s advisor couldn’t either and asserted that it couldn’t happen even if God “should make windows in heaven”. Sort of like my thinking Chipotle couldn’t rebound. However, Elisha affirmed the advisor would see it, but wouldn’t benefit from the sudden abundance (2 Kings 7:2). The next day the siege ended suddenly with the Syrian army’s food supply left abandoned outside the wall and the king’s advisor trampled to death by the mob rushing to get it (2 Kings 7:16-20). 
 
The moral of the story is simple: put your trust in God and listen to what He says and then do it. Invest your life in Him because He’s the only investment that pays eternal dividends. Oh, and come here for Biblical instruction – not stock tips.

If you owned Chipotle stock six years ago I would have advised you to “Sell! Now!” At the time the once seemingly unstoppable food train looked like it was derailing: coming off the track, out of control and crushing everything in its way. On August 7, 2015 the stock hit a peak of $749. Two years later it was below $300 and no one knew when it would hit bottom. Except it had hit bottom and was beginning a steady climb back up and now sits at $1,593. So, even if you bought during the peak in August 2015, and held on, you can still make a hefty profit. Perhaps that explains why Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary is not an investment advisory post and I’m not an investment advisor.

Instead this is a Bible study post and the only reason we’re talking about Chipotle is because we’re looking at the life of Elisha and have come to 2 Kings 6 and desperate situation involving food problems and prices in Samaria. Previously we talked about the food shortage when Samaria was 

Invest In God 2 Kings 7:1

Despite its big star (Chris Hemsworth) “In the Heart of the Sea”, a movie about the events that were the inspiration for Melville’s “Moby Dick”, didn’t do very well at the box-office. Probably because it included scenes of sailors stranded out on an endless stretch of ocean resorting to cannibalism to survive. (It was perversely ironic that they avoided the closest land because they thought the inhabitants were cannibals.) Regardless, it’s simply not something many want to see, even in the relatively safe confines of a movie theater. 
 
One of the many sad events in the OT took place in the days of Elisha when the Syrian king attempted to capture Samaria, Israel’s capital city. The siege lasted so long that the residents were paying ransoms for delicious delicacies like donkey’s heads and bird poop. Yes, bird poop. But the worst scene of all was when the king was walking on the wall and a woman approached to lodge a complaint and ask for him to act as judge between her and another woman. When granted permission to speak she explained how another woman had backed out of the deal to share food. She had boiled, and they had eaten her son, but the other woman hid her son when it was time to eat him (2 Kings 6:24-29). 
 
The king of Israel was rightfully horror stricken at the story and angry. But he blamed the wrong person. Instead of admitting that his sin and the sin of his father and mother (Ahab and Jezebel) had brought wrath on the nation he decided it was Elisha’s fault. And by extension that meant it was God’s fault. Since he couldn’t touch God he decided that Elisha was going to die (2 Kings 6:30-31). Like his father and mother who had mocked and threatened Elisha’s mentor, Elijah, he thought that silencing God’s messenger would change the message. 
 
Don’t for a moment think we’re any better today. Try telling people they’re living in sin, or that they may be wrong in their understanding and their wrath will descend upon you. The truth isn’t what most people want to hear, especially when it involves being told we must change how we live our own life. In some ways cannibalism isn’t much worse than the nastiness some will pour out on the poor soul bold enough to tell them what they need to hear. Refuse to be silenced by people who don’t want to hear the truth, but speak with gentleness and love. And don’t try to silence those who tell you the truth. Listen with honesty and a willingness to change. Your soul may depend on it.

Despite its big star (Chris Hemsworth) “In the Heart of the Sea”, a movie about the events that were the inspiration for Melville’s “Moby Dick”, didn’t do very well at the box-office. Probably because it included scenes of sailors stranded out on an endless stretch of ocean resorting to cannibalism to survive. (It was perversely ironic that they avoided the closest land because they thought the inhabitants were cannibals.) Regardless, it’s simply not something many want to see, even in the relatively safe confines of a movie theater.

One of the many sad events in the OT took place in the days of Elisha when the Syrian king attempted to capture Samaria, Israel’s capital city. The siege lasted so long that the residents were paying ransoms for delicious delicacies like donkey’s heads and bird poop. Yes, bird poop. But the worst scene of all was when the king was walking on the wall and a woman approached to lodge a complaint and ask for him to act as judge between her and another woman.

Don’t Shoot The Messenger 2 Kings 6:24-31

“You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs.” 
 
This saying supposedly originated in France and has been attributed to a loyalist fighting against the French Revolution as justification for the deaths caused by his efforts. Since then it has frequently been used as justification for attacks on others which leads to a lot of death and destruction – people who had their lives taken away or were left alive but broken. Whether the war was justified or not it’s a despicable statement in every case, because people aren’t eggs to be broken and cast aside. 
 
Today’s war in Ukraine begs the question; what omelet does Putin think he’s making and does he care about the people he’s breaking? Once the war concludes there will be a lot of questions about atrocities committed and punishment that should be administered. Those are geo-political issues for others to discuss and only time will tell how that will unfold. Regardless there is no justification for the death and destruction. 
 
But today’s Throwback Thursday edition of Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary is about the Christian’s response in the aftermath. One possible example of how we should react is found in 2 Kings 6:18-23 when Elisha asked God to strike the surrounding Syrian army blind and then led them into Samaria as captives for Israel’s king. The king asked Elisha if he should kill them and Elisha said no. Instead he had them fed and released. A hard pill to swallow, but necessary none-the less. Good people don’t kill captives. 
 
Another example is from PLAIN TALK Magazine, February 1980. 
Futile Figuring by Dan Shipley 
 
"Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven." (Matt. 18:21, 22) 
 
There are times when it is best to forget the arithmetic. One such time, as Jesus implies here, is when it involves extending forgiveness. Since God will not forgive the unforgiving (Matt. 6:14, 15), any limitations imposed on man's showing mercy would also limit his receiving it. The parable introduced by Peter's question makes this very point. Like the unmerciful servant, every Christian has received infinitely more than he could ever pay out in the coin of forgiveness. Why, then, this business of score keeping? Why taint mercy with a spirit of reluctance? Where mercy is needed, counting is criminal. The important thing is not "how many", but to forgive from a truly merciful heart (Matt. 18:35). 
 
Oh, but Dan, don’t you know what they did? That’s just too much to ask. No, it’s not. It’s what Jesus does for us so how can we withhold it from others. The omelet maker’s not an egg either. Forgiveness isn’t easy, nor is it optional.

“You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs.”

This saying supposedly originated in France and has been attributed to a loyalist fighting against the French Revolution as justification for the deaths caused by his efforts. Since then it has frequently been used as justification for attacks on others which leads to a lot of death and destruction – people who had their lives taken away or were left alive but broken. Whether the war was justified or not it’s a despicable statement in every case, because people aren’t eggs to be broken and cast aside.

Today’s war in Ukraine begs the question; what omelet does Putin think he’s making and does he care about the people he’s breaking? Once the war concludes there will be a lot of questions about atrocities committed and punishment that should be administered. Those are geo-political issues for others to discuss and only time will tell how that will unfold. Regardless there is no justification for the death and destruction.

But today’s Th

People Are Not Eggs! 2 Kings 6:18-23

What is your Weltanschauung? You have one even if you don’t know what the word means. It’s a rich German word, one that sinks in your brain and rolls around on the tongue and is fun to repeat, that literally means world view when translated into English. It refers to how we see the world, though the concept is more complex. It is defined as: “a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint”. It’s the framework that shapes how we see this world. It varies from person to person, and may be very complex or quite simple, but we all have one. 
 
For those folk whose worldview is purely physical and naturalistic life is lived “under the sun” (Ecclesiastes) and is focused on the here and now. It’s a “what’s in it for me” mindset that oddly enough is expressed in many religious bodies (even so called Christian groups) as well as in the atheistic culture that dominates the American academic, entertainment and political circles. Like the children of Ahab they worship themselves and this world is their Baal. Both the gospel of social justice and the gospel of health, wealth, and prosperity are part of that “under the sun” world view. 
 
The “above the sun” world view is in constant conflict with the naturalistic because the latter hates the former (John 15:18) and every attempt to compromise ends up stuck “under the sun” (John 15:19). Trusting God in the face of the seemingly overwhelming power of this world can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Jehoshaphat, who ruled Judah during the days when Ahab and his sons ruled in Israel, showed us how. Ahab and his boys were thoroughly under the sun men. In sharp contrast Jehoshaphat approached life with an “above the sun” worldview. 
 
When a vast coalition of armies formed to attack Judah he went to God for help instead of calling on his ally Ahab. He went to the temple with all the people and called on God with these words: 
 
“O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You” (2 Chronicles 20:6). 
 
Then, after listing God’s previous accomplishments, he placed their situation before God and concluded with: 
 
“O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” (2 Chronicles 20:12). 
 
Jehoshaphat’s view rose above this world to the God of heaven, and that God came to save them. So, what’s your world view? Is it stuck here beneath the fading sun or lifted up to the eternal Son, who came to save you?

What is your Weltanschauung? You have one even if you don’t know what the word means. It’s a rich German word, one that sinks in your brain and rolls around on the tongue and is fun to repeat, that literally means world view when translated into English. It refers to how we see the world, though the concept is more complex. It is defined as: “a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint”. It’s the framework that shapes how we see this world. It varies from person to person, and may be very complex or quite simple, but we all have one.

For those folk whose worldview is purely physical and naturalistic life is lived “under the sun” (Ecclesiastes) and is focused on the here and now. It’s a “what’s in it for me” mindset that oddly enough is expressed in many religious bodies (even so called Christian groups) as well as in the atheistic culture that dominates the American academic, entertainment and political circles. Like the children of Ah

Jehoshaphat’s “Above The Sun” World View  2 Chronicles 20:1-13

Desperate times call for desperate measures and desperate measures lead to defining moments. 
 
 
 
If you’re a Millennial what would you consider the defining moment of your generation? For “The Greatest generation” it would have to be the bombing of Pearl Harbor. A desperate measure for Japan became a defining moment for America and the world. For the Baby Boomer generation it’s probably the assassination of JFK. A desperate measure for Oswald (keep the conspiracies for another page) led to a defining moment for America. For the Millennial generation it would have to be 9/11 and the attacks by Islamic terrorists. A desperate measure for Muslim activists became a defining moment for America and the world. Sadly, defining moments seem to be horrific events as our human nature apparently needs them to get our attention and lead to great change. 
 
 
We’ve been looking at the days of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah as they continued their slow decline into destruction. During the days of Ahab and Jehoshaphat they were at peace with one another, allies even. Jehoshaphat was leading his army alongside Ahab in the battle against Syria when Ahab was killed. Shortly after that he went with Ahab’s son, Jehoram, to battle against Moab. The battle was going well for Judah and Israel until the very end when they had the king of Moab trapped in his capital city. 
 
 
At the very end of the account in 2 Kings 3 the king of Moab was so desperate to save his kingdom that he did something so horrific that it immediately ended the battle and sent Israel home in great distress. Despite having seen all the carnage and death of war the army was unprepared to witness the horror of a man slaughtering and offering his own son in sacrifice to an idol. When Moab’s king did that on the wall in front of the invading army it upset them so much that they turned away and went home (verses 26-27). Desperate times led to a desperate measure and became a defining moment. 
 
 
2000 years ago Jesus died on the cross as the defining moment in the history of the world. Desiring a relationship with humanity, Deity was willing to take the most desperate measure of self-sacrifice to make it possible. Nothing else compares to that defining moment. However, it means nothing to you or me unless we join Him in that self-sacrifice by taking up our cross. And, just as the cross is eternally fresh for eternal deity, every day for us is a defining moment. Great change can only be achieved by you and me picking up His cross every day. Are you desperate enough to take that desperate measure?

Desperate times call for desperate measures and desperate measures lead to defining moments.



If you’re a Millennial what would you consider the defining moment of your generation? For “The Greatest generation” it would have to be the bombing of Pearl Harbor. A desperate measure for Japan became a defining moment for America and the world. For the Baby Boomer generation it’s probably the assassination of JFK. A desperate measure for Oswald (keep the conspiracies for another page) led to a defining moment for America. For the Millennial generation it would have to be 9/11 and the attacks by Islamic terrorists. A desperate measure for Muslim activists became a defining moment for America and the world.   Sadly, defining moments seem to be horrific events as our human nature apparently needs them to get our attention and lead to great change.


We’ve been looking at the days of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah as they continued their slow decline into destruction. During the day

Israel And Judah Faced A Defining Moment 2 Kings 3:26-27

Modern News Media and the Death of Culture 
 
On my personal FB page today I referenced a book I read several decades ago called Modern Art and the Death of a Culture by H. R. Rookmaaker. In it Mr. Rookmaaker traced the philosophical shifts of Western culture as expressed in the arts. As he insightfully noted 52 years ago Western culture is dying, and today it is close to death as expressed in society’s self-absorbed focus. One form of art that illustrates it well is modern news media. They have become artists painting with words and video a vivid picture of our dead culture. One in which truth no longer matters, facts are ignored, and nihilistic self-destruction is enthusiastically embraced. Finding the truth is like opening up the septic tank to find a ring that got dropped down the sink. It’s in there somewhere but do I really want to dig through all of that? 
 
A current example is the war drums being beaten by the news media seemingly determined to draw us into war against Russia. Beyond the fact that Russia invaded Ukraine and that war is awful, deadly, and destructive I’m not sure what to believe. Finding the truth is a daunting task. Is the ring worth searching through the sewer for the truth? May I suggest that for Christians it really isn’t? Rather than getting caught up in the fear and hysteria of the moment, especially the end of the world talk by believers in premillennialism, Christians should focus on trusting God and pleading for His mercy. Lift up all involved before God and ask for a swift and merciful end to the madness. Plea for peace and safety for the innocent civilians. Pray for the leaders’ hearts to be softened into surrendering to Him. But do not pick sides and press our leaders to form alliances that will expand the conflict, which will only increase the death and destruction. 
 
As we continue looking at the divided kingdom period of Judah and Israel here on Morning Minutes in the Bible, we’re winding down our look at King Jehoshaphat. Yesterday we noted his mistake of making an alliance with Ahaziah, the thoroughly pagan king of Israel. None of his alliances with Ahab and Ahaziah ended well, even though God intervened to protect Judah every time. He especially had to step in to protect the nation when the alliance led to massive death among Jehoshaphat’s family after his death. 
 
Setting those errors aside, Jehoshaphat was basically a good king. One demonstration of that goodness was his reaction to the first rebuke by God. Instead of sulking like Ahab, Jehoshaphat went to work to shift the culture of his day by turning people to God. He set up a system of judges throughout Judah to ensure the safety and security of the people by teaching God’s word. The single defining principle was a fear of God rather than man no matter who was offended (2 Chronicles 19:5-11). Verse 9 includes this instruction, “Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and wholeheartedly.” 
 
Christians need to take this instruction to heart. Are we listening? We must shift the thinking in our own heart toward God and the things of eternity. We must stand firm against today’s evil culture and not seek to save it by aligning ourselves with politicians and political parties on any side of the aisle. Remember, we are citizens of God’s kingdom and must promote His rule. It won’t save the culture, but it will save people. Oh, and turn off the news media, they’ll just rot your brain.

Modern News Media and the Death of Culture

On my personal FB page today I referenced a book I read several decades ago called Modern Art and the Death of a Culture by H. R. Rookmaaker. In it Mr. Rookmaaker traced the philosophical shifts of Western culture as expressed in the arts. As he insightfully noted 52 years ago Western culture is dying, and today it is close to death as expressed in society’s self-absorbed focus. One form of art that illustrates it well is modern news media. They have become artists painting with words and video a vivid picture of our dead culture. One in which truth no longer matters, facts are ignored, and nihilistic self-destruction is enthusiastically embraced. Finding the truth is like opening up the septic tank to find a ring that got dropped down the sink. It’s in there somewhere but do I really want to dig through all of that?

A current example is the war drums being beaten by the news media seemingly determined to draw us into war against Russia. Bey

How Jehoshaphat Saved Judah’s Culture 2 Chronicles 19:5-11

“In the Heart of the Sea”, a book written in 2000, and a movie starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor in the Avengers) made in 2015, tells the tale of the survivors of the wreck of the Essex. It tells the story of a real event involving a whaling ship that was attacked and sunk by an enraged whale in 1819, and became the inspiration for Melville’s “Moby Dick”, After it was sunk the survivors were stranded at sea for 90 days and resorted to cannibalism to survive. Why Thor couldn’t smash some puny whale doesn’t make any sense. 
 
Today’s Morning Minutes in the Bible returns to the good king Jehoshaphat and one of his few mistakes that resulted in God’s direct judgment. Specifically in the destruction of ships he built in an alliance with Ahab’s son, Ahaziah. 2 Chronicles 20:35-37 tells how Jehoshaphat “acted wickedly” by forging the alliance and how God’s prophet, Eliezer, rebuked him for the alliance, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.” The passage ends with “So the ships were broken and could not go to Tarshish.” 
 
In today’s world many would take the whale’s side and argue that the whalers got what they deserved. In their judgment the whalers were evil and the whale executed justice for their sins. Yet many of those same people would argue that God was harsh in His judgment of Jehoshaphat. How bad could an alliance with Israel’s king be, they ask. (We’ll soon find out just how bad it could be, but that’s for later) Some even go so far as to argue that God had no right to judge Jehoshaphat, or even that it was immoral for Him to act that way. And never see the glaring inconsistency. For all who would judge God for judging Jehoshaphat please explain how you have the right to judge God for judging man? Think about the absurdity and irrationality of condemning whalers for killing whales, while condemning God for condemning wicked men. 
 
What this tells us is everyone knows there is a standard of right and wrong, even those who loudly deny it. The act of denying any standard requires belief in a standard. So forgive me but I must reject you and your opinion as the standard of right and wrong. But don’t worry, I must reject myself as the standard as well since I’m no better than you in that regard. Instead, let’s recognize God as the standard by which everyone is judged; Jehoshaphat, you, and me. And because of our sin we all deserve condemnation. We all deserve the destruction of every ship we build in alliance with defiant sinners. So, rather than sailing with sinners, which only ends with us stranded at sea, turn to Jesus who will rescue us from the destruction we deserve.

“In the Heart of the Sea”, a book written in 2000, and a movie starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor in the Avengers) made in 2015, tells the tale of the survivors of the wreck of the Essex. It tells the story of a real event involving a whaling ship that was attacked and sunk by an enraged whale in 1819, and became the inspiration for Melville’s “Moby Dick”,  After it was sunk the survivors were stranded at sea for 90 days and resorted to cannibalism to survive. Why Thor couldn’t smash some puny whale doesn’t make any sense.

Today’s Morning Minutes in the Bible returns to the good king Jehoshaphat and one of his few mistakes that resulted in God’s direct judgment. Specifically in the destruction of ships he built in an alliance with Ahab’s son, Ahaziah. 2 Chronicles 20:35-37 tells how Jehoshaphat “acted wickedly” by forging the alliance and how God’s prophet, Eliezer, rebuked him for the alliance, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.” Th

Judgment On Jehoshaphat’s Wicked Alliance 2 Chronicles 20:35-37

Successful mentoring and onboarding new employees are difficult processes for several reasons. Mentoring requires a dedication to pouring one’s spirit, (ideas and ideals) into another person. Since we’re all unicorns in a sense (unique individuals) no one can be a clone and receive another’s spirit without filtering it through his/her own unique spirit. Sometimes the mentor is just too busy, distracted, or downright disinterested to embrace the hard work of mentoring another person. The same can be said of the mentee. Employee onboarding struggles when there is no specific person (or group depending on the size of the company) dedicated to the process of training new employees. Small company employees are usually so swamped they barely find time to point out the important things like how to make coffee and run the copy machine. In the end everyone scratches their heads wondering why the mentee/employee didn’t succeed. 
 
Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary has been looking at the days of Elijah and Elisha in 1 & 2 Kings and we’ve come to the transition from Elijah to Elisha in 2 Kings 2:9-25. The key to Elijah’s success in the succession plan was giving Elisha a double portion of his spirit (vv9-10), especially considering it was power of the Holy Spirit. We don’t have Elisha’s miraculous power today, but we do have the Holy Spirit revealed word of God. And so today on Throwback Thursday let’s look back to the secret to mentoring/onboarding a new Christian. From PLAIN TALK Magazine, October 1974. 
 
Succession In The Seed 
Robert F. Turner 
 
The central idea of restoration is faith in the word of God as the seed of the kingdom (Lu. 8:11). When others were vainly trying to establish an unbroken line of succession of Popes, Bishops, Churches, or Evangelists; restoration preachers were saying, Succession is in the seed. 
 
If a Jay bird carried an acorn into a field and dropped it, the resultant growth would be an oak tree, not a Jay-bird tree. The seed determines the plant, not the sower. That was one of bro. N. B. Hardeman’s favorite illustrations. Or another: if a New Testament were cast from a ship, and drifted to the shores of some far off island; it could be translated, studied, obeyed — and would result in N. T. Christians who, working together, would form a N. T. church. Of course the idea is that divine authority is resident in Christ; and is expressed in His word, set forth by inspired apostles and prophets in the N.T. 
 
The antithesis of this is that Christ relinquished his authority (by delegating power of attorney to the apostles and their successors) who then act and speak as though they were Christ. (A variation of this is the claim of continued inspired revelation.) These men of authority must administer baptism, the Lords Supper, etc.; and these things have no validity or benefit except by their, or their successors hands. 
 
Succession in the seed was readily accepted by restoration pioneers, pleading the all-sufficiency of the Word and struggling against tradition to establish N. T. churches; but as we have grown more numerous, and have established our own traditions, some seem to think maybe there is a sort of authority resident in the great middle-section of the church, or big-name preachers, elders, etc. 
 
We have been told that an evangelist cannot go-preach except he be sent by some church; that to question the elders’ judgment is to reject the will of God; that the Lords Supper is not valid except it be sanctioned or set by the church; and that baptism is not valid unless administered by a sound preacher, or at least a true saint. I think such conclusions come from people who have not thought through to the logical end of their arguments. Is succession really in the seed, or have we just invented this to satisfy early needs? 
 
I believe it would be a mistake (as respects influence, discipline of sinners, etc.) to ask a known backslider and reprobate to serve at the Lords table — but I do not believe this would invalidate the memorial to those who partook of it properly. I would seriously question the propriety of asking a man (or woman) off the Street to baptize a candidate; although I believe the validity of baptism is not dependent upon the character of the one who performs the act. Surely we need not abandon sound Bible principles in order to act with restraint and decorum. 
 
Deity has not abdicated the throne for any man or group of men; the Word will completely furnish us unto all good works; and succession is, indeed, in the seed and unrestricted. 
 
Robert’s right on target. To say we are not made Christians, faithful followers of Jesus, by virtue of becoming a member of the “right” church doesn’t negate the importance of the church. But it does elevate the source of successful succession – the Holy Spirit inspired word of God. Plant the seed and let God give the increase.

Successful mentoring and onboarding new employees are difficult processes for several reasons. Mentoring requires a dedication to pouring one’s spirit, (ideas and ideals) into another person. Since we’re all unicorns in a sense (unique individuals) no one can be a clone and receive another’s spirit without filtering it through his/her own unique spirit. Sometimes the mentor is just too busy, distracted, or downright disinterested to embrace the hard work of mentoring another person. The same can be said of the mentee. Employee onboarding struggles when there is no specific person (or group depending on the size of the company) dedicated to the process of training new employees. Small company employees are usually so swamped they barely find time to point out the important things like how to make coffee and run the copy machine. In the end everyone scratches their heads wondering why the mentee/employee didn’t succeed.

Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary has been loo

A Successful Succession Plan: Elijah and Elisha 2 Kings 2:9-25

“They say there's a heaven for those who will wait 
Some say it's better but I say it ain't 
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints 
The sinners are much more fun... 
You know that only the good die young” 
 
At least that’s what Billy Joel thought according to his 1977 hit song, ‘Only the Good Die Young”. 
 
These past few weeks our Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary have focused on the house of Omri in Israel (the Northern Kingdom) as God’s champion, Elijah, battled Omri’s evil son Ahab. We saw the triumph of emotionalism over reason as Ahab reacted childishly every time he was rebuked. We also saw God’s inevitable triumph over evil, as demonstrated by the deaths of Ahab and Ahaziah because of their rebellion against God. It wasn’t a life time of laughter and sinners die young too. 
 
While Omri’s sinful sons brought misery and death to Israel a completely different story was unfolding in the south under Jehoshaphat. A good king, he was instrumental in stabilizing Judah in contrast to what was going on up north. As a result he lived and reigned a long time. But even this Godward facing king stumbled a couple of times. Twice he was rebuked was for forming an alliance with Israel. Once with Ahab in the battle against Syria when Ahab died (2 Chronicles 19:1-4) and when God destroyed ships he made in conjunction with Ahab’s son, Ahaziah (2 Chronicles 20:35-37). 
 
God’s warning to Jehoshaphat after his alliance with Ahab is powerful and timeless. “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord and so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord?” (2 Chronicles 19:2). Throughout the history of God’s people, whether in the OT kingdom days or now in the NT kingdom of Christ days, there have always been people who think that compromise and alliances with evil will subdue the evil. We mistakenly believe that if we just laugh with the sinners, instead of crying with the saints, the sinners will realize how cool we are and want to join with us. It never works! Those who approve social drinking make this mistake. The same goes for aligning ourselves with those who are pious but remain in religious error. Rather than considering repentance for themselves, the sinners rejoice in our compromise. Will we hear the Lords’ warning and take it to heart, or keep repeating the mistake?

“They say there's a heaven for those who will wait
Some say it's better but I say it ain't
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun...
You know that only the good die young”

At least that’s what Billy Joel thought according to his 1977 hit song, ‘Only the Good Die Young”. 

These past few weeks our Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary have focused on the house of Omri in Israel (the Northern Kingdom) as God’s champion, Elijah, battled Omri’s evil son Ahab. We saw the triumph of emotionalism over reason as Ahab reacted childishly every time he was rebuked. We also saw God’s inevitable triumph over evil, as demonstrated by the deaths of Ahab and Ahaziah because of their rebellion against God. It wasn’t a life time of laughter and sinners die young too.

While Omri’s sinful sons brought misery and death to Israel a completely different story was unfolding in the south under Jehoshaphat. A good king, he was instrumental in 

Jehoshaphat’s Mistake - Laughing With Sinners 2 Chronicles 19:2

Will You Be My Friend?, starring Little Nutbrown Hare, is the recent follow up to the sweet children’s book Guess How Much I Love You. It tells the story of finding friendship outside the confines of family, which is an incredibly important step in every child’s life. 
 
It’s also important for adults. In fact it is a basic need for every human being. Even Jesus needed friends, which is why Peter, James, and John became his closest friends, though He called all eleven apostles His friends in the last hours before His betrayal. They were friends because He was able to share with them the most intimate details of His life (John 15:15). 
 
Even a stalwart of faith like the prophet Elijah, who labored most of his life alone, needed a friend to lean on during the waning days of his continued battle against the idolatrous kings and people of Israel. Several Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary ago we noted Elijah’s faltering faith after winning the great victory over Baal and Ahab on Mount Carmel. Sustained by God in his flight to Mount Horeb he received renewed strength and purpose with the promise of a friend to lean on (1 Kings 19:9-18). 
 
In this case God specified the friend as a man named Elisha and told Elijah where to find him. Not only would this man join with Elijah as his friend and helper, he would eventually take up Elijah’s mantle (quite literally) as God’s prophet to Israel. In his typical fashion, Elijah promptly obeyed God and went straight to Elisha’s home and called him to come along to the work. Which Elisha promptly did, though not before throwing a good bye party for his family and friends (1 Kings 19:19-21). 
 
Since the fact that we need friends is undeniable, there are only two questions for us today. What kinds of friends do we choose? And, what kind of friend am I? Do we choose friends who build us up or tear us down? Spiritually that is! If our friends disparage our faith and drag us down into the world then we need new friends. That doesn’t mean distance ourselves from unbelievers, but our closest associates should be people who encourage us to greater faithfulness, and those are people who have faith too. Perhaps even more important than who we choose as friends, is our decision to be a friend who encourages others to greater faithfulness. We may not be Elijah or Elisha, but, like Elijah, we need friends like Elisha, and that can best start by being a friend like Elisha.

Will You Be My Friend?, starring Little Nutbrown Hare, is the recent follow up to the sweet children’s book Guess How Much I Love You. It tells the story of finding friendship outside the confines of family, which is an incredibly important step in every child’s life. 

It’s also important for adults. In fact it is a basic need for every human being. Even Jesus needed friends, which is why Peter, James, and John became his closest friends, though He called all eleven apostles His friends in the last hours before His betrayal. They were friends because He was able to share with them the most intimate details of His life (John 15:15).

Even a stalwart of faith like the prophet Elijah, who labored most of his life alone, needed a friend to lean on during the waning days of his continued battle against the idolatrous kings and people of Israel. Several Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary ago we noted Elijah’s faltering faith after winning the great victory over Baal and 

A Friend Like Elisha 1 Kings 19:19-21

“You just wait until your father gets home!” How many heard that growing up and shivered in dread because dad was the disciplinarian? Yet how many today wish they would hear that because dad never comes home? Despite living by the mantra of “in between the lines there’s a lot of obscurity” we still get stuck in false dilemmas and jump between extremes: fathers are described as too harsh or too soft, when the reality is usually somewhere in between. Fathers who love their children struggle to get the balance right, and all fail from time to time. But at least they come home. 
 
The Baby Boom generation’s effort to deconstruct the traditional family (one mom and one dad) continues its path of destruction, even as current scientific research and reality tell us it is essential for optimal child nurturing. Much of societal degeneration is due to fathers not being around to help shape their children, which harmed their children, who then imposed their misshapen views of reality on the rest of society. It’s a vicious cycle, and society perpetuates it even while recognizing it is the path to failure. 
 
Yesterday we noted how dads shape our view of God, as seen in Psalm 18, wherein David revealed a healthy view of God that must’ve been influenced by his father, Jesse. Today’s Sunday’s Struggles edition of Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary is about developing a balanced approach as a father and learning how from David’s description of God in Psalm 18:24-27. God approaches each person according to their character and need. He recompenses the righteous with righteousness, the kind with kindness, the blameless with blamelessness, the pure with purity, and the crooked with contradiction. He lifts the afflicted and takes down the abusive. 
 
Notice then the impact having that kind of Father had on David in verses 28-45. God provides light in darkness, courage to take on the enemy, strength to overcome in battle, feet that don’t slip, complete victory over the enemy, and elevation over the nations. But let’s not miss one key statement hidden in verse 35, “Your gentleness makes me great.” That statement gives me chills. 
 
Fathers, we must remember we are our children’s first idea of God. If we love our children, if we want them to be great, we will struggle with all our might to be a father like God. Of course we can’t be better than Him, we won’t even be as good, but we can try. And it starts by going home.

“You just wait until your father gets home!” How many heard that growing up and shivered in dread because dad was the disciplinarian? Yet how many today wish they would hear that because dad never comes home? Despite living by the mantra of “in between the lines there’s a lot of obscurity” we still get stuck in false dilemmas and jump between extremes: fathers are described as too harsh or too soft, when the reality is usually somewhere in between. Fathers who love their children struggle to get the balance right, and all fail from time to time. But at least they come home.

The Baby Boom generation’s effort to deconstruct the traditional family (one mom and one dad) continues its path of destruction, even as current scientific research and reality tell us it is essential for optimal child nurturing. Much of societal degeneration is due to fathers not being around to help shape their children, which harmed their children, who then imposed their misshapen views of reality on the rest of

Making Children Great Psalm 18:24-45

“I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.” Sigmund Freud 
 
In a 2019 Psychology Today article called Why Our Fathers Are Our Heroes, Scott Allison quoted Freud in support of the second of the two main reasons fathers are heroes to their children. His first reason is fathers “are given credit for being great teachers and mentors.” The second reason is they “are great providers and protectors.” While not always true, the majority of homes (particularly the happy ones) are led by those kinds of fathers. 
 
While the Bible doesn’t tell us a lot about King David’s father Jesse, there are some hints of his influence on David. One is in how he cared for his large family even into his old age (1 Samuel 17:12-19). Another is in the lengths David went to protect him while running from Saul (1 Samuel 22:1-3). There's also a huge hint in how God described David as “a man after His own heart” when declaring his appointment as ruler instead of Saul (1 Samuel 13:14). 
 
But the biggest hint of all is in David’s view of God. For most of us our first concepts of God (good or bad) are based on how we related to our fathers as children. Multiple modern studies have explored the correlation and are worthy of our study, but for now let’s listen to how David relates to God as today’s Saturdays in the Psalms edition of Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary continues to draw from Psalm 18. 
 
Previously we noted how David considered God his rock and refuge, which is why he called out in distress when fleeing from Saul (Psalm 18:1-6). When David cried out to God for protection, through faith he saw how the earth shook, and the mountains trembled at His anger (v7) and how God breathed smoke and fire (v8). He saw God ride the winds and dark clouds (vs10-11), heard His thundering voice (v13), watched His arrows scatter the enemy (v14), saw He lay open the world in rebuke (v15), and finally, experienced being delivered from the enemy, and brought to safety (vv16-18). And most important of all, notice the reason, because David knew this about God: “He delighted in me” (v19). 
 
Most dads delight in their children and want what’s best for them, including safety from anyone who would harm them. They would go to just about any lengths to rescue their beloved children. Hopefully, that describes your dad. But even if it doesn’t, it does describe your God! He is waiting to save you. Will you turn to Him for divine rescue in the obedience of faith?

“I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.” Sigmund Freud

In a 2019 Psychology Today article called Why Our Fathers Are Our Heroes, Scott Allison quoted Freud in support of the second of the two main reasons fathers are heroes to their children. His first reason is fathers “are given credit for being great teachers and mentors.” The second reason is they “are great providers and protectors.” While not always true, the majority of homes (particularly the happy ones) are led by those kinds of fathers.

While the Bible doesn’t tell us a lot about King David’s father Jesse, there are some hints of his influence on David. One is in how he cared for his large family even into his old age (1 Samuel 17:12-19). Another is in the lengths David went to protect him while running from Saul (1 Samuel 22:1-3). There's also a huge hint in how God described David as “a man after His own heart” when declaring his appointment as ruler instead of Saul (1 Sam

David’s View Of God   Psalm 18:7-19

“Out of the frying pan and into the fire” is an old saying about things going from bad to worse. Think about how often in life we get ourselves into a difficult situation and every attempt to get out of it lands us in something more difficult. Sometimes the initial problem was not our own doing, but more often than not it was our own fault. “Seinfeld”, the old TV show with Jerry Seinfeld was essentially nothing but a long series of silly people doing silly things and lying about it, which constantly got them into more trouble. 
 
In the controlled environment of a TV show the situations may be embarrassing, but in the end are just make believe to make people laugh. In real life the situations may be embarrassing but because they’re real, can and often do lead to terrible, even deadly, results. Most of the time the worse situations could be avoided if we would confess our sin, and simply beg for forgiveness with a willingness to accept our punishment. But no; we lie, deceive, and conceal our sin in a dangerously futile attempt to avoid embarrassment. Worst of all we refuse to go to God in humble repentance. Do we really believe He won’t find out? 
 
Yesterday’s Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary noted how Ahab died in battle because he refused to submit to God in humble repentance (1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18). As a result the nation of Israel lost its king, the battle, and any hope for the future of Ahab’s family. Sadly, in a case of like father like son, Ahaziah, Ahab’s son, became king and refused to turn to God as well. In his case he took a bad fall, and was severely injured. But instead of turning to Elijah and seeking God’s help, Ahaziah sent a messenger to the headquarters of the Baal worshippers to find out if he was going to recover. Considering he knew how his dad died as revealed by God it would have made sense for him to go to God. But he didn’t, so God had Elijah meet the messengers and give a short answer – “No! You’re going to die” (2 Kings 1:1-4). 
 
Why didn’t he send to Elijah to seek God’s word, or perhaps even healing? The answer is simple – Pride. He didn’t want to confess sin and humble himself before God. Now, before we get all judgy on Ahaziah let’s all look in a mirror and ask ourselves: “Are we any different?” Is there no sin in our life that we refuse to repent and ask God to forgive? Do we live as if we can keep our defiant refusal to obey God’s will hidden from Him? Or do we believe and live as if our defiant refusal to submit to God in obedient faith is actually faith and justified by God’s grace? If we confuse bowing to Baal with obedience to God, we’ll end up in the fire.

“Out of the frying pan and into the fire” is an old saying about things going from bad to worse. Think about how often in life we get ourselves into a difficult situation and every attempt to get out of it lands us in something more difficult. Sometimes the initial problem was not our own doing, but more often than not it was our own fault. “Seinfeld”, the old TV show with Jerry Seinfeld was essentially nothing but a long series of silly people doing silly things and lying about it, which constantly got them into more trouble.

In the controlled environment of a TV show the situations may be embarrassing, but in the end are just make believe to make people laugh. In real life the situations may be embarrassing but because they’re real, can and often do lead to terrible, even deadly, results. Most of the time the worse situations could be avoided if we would confess our sin, and simply beg for forgiveness with a willingness to accept our punishment. But no; we lie, deceive, and conceal 

Ahaziah’s Leap Into The Fire 2 Kings 1:1-4

“And it's too late, baby now, it's too late, 
Though we really did try to make it. 
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide, 
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no” 
 
Carole King’s 1971 song ‘It’s Too Late” hit number one on the charts partially because of the sheer beauty of her voice, but also partially due to the haunting lyrics. It tells the story of a once promising relationship that had died a quiet death, and could not be brought back to life. Many in the decade of the 1970s gave it political meaning as a symbol for the death of their hope for positive political and social change with the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King. 
 
On a far grander scale the song is a symbolic anthem for the relationship of God to His people when they turn their backs on Him and bring judgment on themselves. Particularly haunting is the story of Ahab who, as king of Israel, had so many opportunities to honor God, but constantly turned away to his own desires. Time after time God sent prophets to call him to obedience, but every time his response was anger and resentment at God. Well, almost every time. 
 
First was Elijah and the drought when Ahab called Elijah the “troubler of Israel” (1 Kings 17 & 18). Then God rescued Israel from a huge army, but Ahab refused to obey God in judgment on the Syrian King. When rebuked by an unnamed prophet he went home “sullen and vexed” (1 Kings 20:43). Later, after he had taken Naboth’s vineyard through Jezebel’s despicable plot, he was confronted by Elijah and accused of murder. For the first time it seems he actually showed a morsel of remorse so God relented on the judgment on his family, for a little while. It was still coming, but not until after Ahab’s death (1 Kings 21:20-29). Despite that little bit of repentance it was too late for Ahab. He just couldn’t fake a deep, heart felt, interest in serving God, and went to battle against Syria in open defiance of God’s warning. He tried to hide, but eventually died (1 Kings 22:34-40; 2 Chronicles 18:28-34). 
 
It’s not too late for you no matter where you are in life, even if you’ve lived in defiance of God’s will. Whether steeped in a life of sin, or stewing on a pseudo-Christian pew, Christ calls out to you. And it’s only too late if you choose to remain defiant. He is calling. Will you come?

“And it's too late, baby now, it's too late,
Though we really did try to make it.
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide,
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no”

Carole King’s 1971 song ‘It’s Too Late” hit number one on the charts partially because of the sheer beauty of her voice, but also partially due to the haunting lyrics. It tells the story of a once promising relationship that had died a quiet death, and could not be brought back to life. Many in the decade of the 1970s gave it political meaning as a symbol for the death of their hope for positive political and social change with the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King.

On a far grander scale the song is a symbolic anthem for the relationship of God to His people when they turn their backs on Him and bring judgment on themselves. Particularly haunting is the story of Ahab who, as king of Israel, had so many opportunities to honor God, but constantly turned away to his own desires. Time after time G

Too Late To Turn Back 1 Kings 22:37-40, 2 Chronicles 18:28-34

“He died with his boots on.” Most people believe the phrase originated in the American Cowboy days to indicate someone who died on his feet, usually in a gun battle. However, the phrase actually is older than that. Supposedly the Duke of Wellington, leader of the army that defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, had servants put his boots on as he was dying in 1852 to symbolize his readiness to serve to the end. Other earlier usages touch on the violent aspect as it was used of people who were hanged. And, in a slightly different form, it was used by Shakespeare in Macbeth to refer to dying “in harness”, which at the time referred to a soldier’s armor. But of course the idea preceded Shakespeare by at least 2500 years with an event recorded in 853 BC when Ahab was king of Israel. 
 
Previously we noted how Ahab listened to the false prophets (yes men) who said he would win the battle against Syria despite hearing God’s prophet reveal how Israel was going to lose and Ahab was going to die. Ahab had enough sense to believe the prophet was from God, but not enough to obey (people are no different today). Instead of calling off the battle, he thought he could get around God’s word by going into battle dressed as a common soldier (1 Kings 22:29-30; 2 Chronicles 18:28-29). 
 
Of course it failed to save him because, just like in the rest of his life, he did what he wanted in defiance of God’s will, but could not defeat God. During the battle Ahab was struck by a random arrow and died. However, to his credit he died with his boots on because he braced himself up in his chariot and kept leading his army until the end of the day (1 Kings 22:34-36; 2 Chronicles 18:33-34). Despite his strong will Ahab still died and Israel lost the battle. 
 
In the same way there are two ways we can die with our boots on: fighting for God or against God. One way leads to victory over sin and entrance into eternity with God. The other leads to failure and defeat and an eternity alone, separated from God. Every day provides an opportunity to choose: defiance or submission; obedience or disobedience. By the way, make sure you don’t choose disobedience and redefine it as faithful obedience. Many will try, but, like Ahab, all will fail. The choice is yours. Which will it be?

“He died with his boots on.” Most people believe the phrase originated in the American Cowboy days to indicate someone who died on his feet, usually in a gun battle. However, the phrase actually is older than that. Supposedly the Duke of Wellington, leader of the army that defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, had servants put his boots on as he was dying in 1852 to symbolize his readiness to serve to the end. Other earlier usages touch on the violent aspect as it was used of people who were hanged. And, in a slightly different form, it was used by Shakespeare in Macbeth to refer to dying “in harness”, which at the time referred to a soldier’s armor. But of course the idea preceded Shakespeare by at least 2500 years with an event recorded in 853 BC when Ahab was king of Israel. 

Previously we noted how Ahab listened to the false prophets (yes men) who said he would win the battle against Syria despite hearing God’s prophet reveal how Israel was going to lose and Ahab was going to die. Ahab h

Ahab Died With His Boots On – 1 Kings 22:29-36; 2 Chronicles 18:28-34

“If we could just get him baptized” is an expression of Americanized bubble Christianity. Living in a culture that considers itself Christian because of its religious roots, and vestiges of old faith systems that linger today, leads to a misidentification. People who live ungodly lives in open rebellion against God call themselves Christian. People who are very religious do as well, despite their defiant refusal to be baptized according to God’s will expressed in the Bible. Both call themselves Christian, but neither has submitted to Christ. 
 
Even those who believe in the necessity of baptism can fail to recognize that baptism is the response of broken, contrite heart, not the threshold crossing event of an already really good person who “doesn’t need to change all that much.” 
 
Yesterday we introduced Psalm 18 and David’s reliance on God for everything. Today’s Sunday’s Struggles edition of Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary returns to Psalm 18 to see why David was so dependent on God. 
 
Just remember, David was a bold servant of God, who had already been anointed as the next king, who had killed the defiant pagan Goliath, and led men in battle to kill many more pagan Philistines. He was not a fearful or frail man. Yet when Saul sought to kill him, David tucked tail and ran because he refused to fight his king. He was a really good person and strong warrior, but none of that mattered in his conflict with Saul. Defeating Saul required something he could not do on his own, so he threw himself down before the Lord for salvation and praised God for divine rescue. 
 
Psalm 18:4-6 describes his situation this way: 
“The cords of death encompassed me, 
And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me. 
The cords of Sheol surrounded me; 
The snares of death confronted me. 
In my distress I called upon the LORD, 
And cried to my God for help; 
He heard my voice out of His temple, 
And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.” 
 
In the same sense the unbaptized person, no matter how “good”, is trapped by death (Satan), and will only be rescued when terrified and distressed enough to cry out to God for divine rescue. Just like having religious ancestors or being a faithful member of a religious group does not make one a Christian, “just getting him baptized” doesn’t make one a Christian either. Only a broken and contrite heart that falls before God in a desperate plea for rescue can be saved in baptism. Which one describes you?

“If we could just get him baptized” is an expression of Americanized bubble Christianity. Living in a culture that considers itself Christian because of its religious roots, and vestiges of old faith systems that linger today, leads to a misidentification. People who live ungodly lives in open rebellion against God call themselves Christian. People who are very religious do as well, despite their defiant refusal to be baptized according to God’s will expressed in the Bible. Both call themselves Christian, but neither has submitted to Christ.

Even those who believe in the necessity of baptism can fail to recognize that baptism is the response of broken, contrite heart, not the threshold crossing event of an already really good person who “doesn’t need to change all that much.”

Yesterday we introduced Psalm 18 and David’s reliance on God for everything. Today’s Sunday’s Struggles edition of Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary returns to Psalm 18 to see why David was 

Desperate For Divine Rescue Psalm 18:4-6

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2” was the concluding movie of a series based on a popular set of books about a post-apocalypse dystopian America. While coming across as an inspiring story of standing up against tyranny the movie didn’t hide how a lot of people die in order to end President Snow’s brutality. Yes, Snow’s reign was brutal and his casual cruelty warped the whole nation into a twisted perverted society. And, though the movie won’t show it, there would be long years of massive struggle to overcome the aftereffects, just as happened in post-communist Russia. Which begs the question, was the rebellion worth the deaths it caused? 
 
Comparing fictional events to real ones is tricky because the fictional typically has a storybook ending while real life events have real life impact that often ends messy and leaves everyone unsatisfied. People get hurt and die for real instead of on paper in a book or script. As we watch the upheaval in countries across the world, even recently here in America, we see it unfolding before our very eyes and there’s nothing glamorous about it. In comparison when the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, symbolized by the tearing down of the Berlin wall, it was a velvet revolution. Yes, Soviet Russia left a massive trail of dead bodies, and remains a threat today, but in the 1980’s it fell without a battle because the information age opened the world to the oppressed. 
 
Jehoshaphat became king of Judah a mere 100 years after the death of King David. He came to the throne after a period of oppression by his father Asa. Jehoshaphat was more like their ancestor David and took the lead in a velvet revolution of his own that was marked by three significant events. First he sought God and followed His commandments (2 Chronicles 17:4). Second he was proud of serving God and proved it by removing the idols that were polluting Judah (2 Chronicles 17:6). Third he sent out teachers with “the book of the law of God” to make sure the people were informed (2 Chronicles 17:7-9). 
 
Notice the progression. His velvet revolution started with an internal transformation through an understanding of God and His word, that prompted a commitment to serving God that then reached outward to share God’s will with others. At the core is the consumption and distribution of information about God’s will. 
 
Fast forward 2900 years to our world. If Christians want to save America, or save the world for that matter, we must quit thinking in political and social terms. Salvation is revolutionary, but does not come through guns or butter. It can only arrive through the truth of God’s word proclaimed by transformed people. You and I must consume God’s word and be consumed by it. It’s a velvet revolution that begins in your heart and mine. That revolution will transform us into His people who won’t be stopped from sharing His message with others. Wanna’ join the revolution and stand up against the cruelest tyrant of all, Satan? Let me know if I can help you in the transformation process.

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2” was the concluding movie of a series based on a popular set of books about a post-apocalypse dystopian America. While coming across as an inspiring story of standing up against tyranny the movie didn’t hide how a lot of people die in order to end President Snow’s brutality. Yes, Snow’s reign was brutal and his casual cruelty warped the whole nation into a twisted perverted society. And, though the movie won’t show it, there would be long years of massive struggle to overcome the aftereffects, just as happened in post-communist Russia. Which begs the question, was the rebellion worth the deaths it caused?

Comparing fictional events to real ones is tricky because the fictional typically has a storybook ending while real life events have real life impact that often ends messy and leaves everyone unsatisfied. People get hurt and die for real instead of on paper in a book or script. As we watch the upheaval in countries across the world, even recently 

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