Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 111, Jonah 2-4
Jonah cared more about the death of a plant that was giving him shade than he cared about the lost souls of the Ninevites. 🥹
Friends, every man, woman, and child has been created by God after the image of God. They deserve our love and care. They are not objects to be used or abused or disregarded. May we be as gracious and merciful and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness as our good God!
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Jonah had No Pity for the People of Nineveh. Do We? – FormerAtheist58
Beloved, Let Us Love One Another – FormerAtheist58
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 110, Jonah 1
Who was Jonah thinking about when he refused to go to Nineveh?
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
Jonah 1:1-3 ESV
Who were the sailors thinking about when they didn’t want to throw Jonah into the sea?
Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous.
He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.”
Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the LORD, “O LORD, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.”
Jonah 1:11-14 ESV
Who was Jesus thinking about when He left heaven and came to earth and suffered to the point of death on a cross.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:4-8 ESV
Thinking of Others More Highly than Yourself – FormerAtheist58
Bless the Lord O my Soul (Psalm 103) – Sovereign Grace Music
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But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.
2 Kings 10:28-29 ESV
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who brings conviction of sin and Your Living Word that pierces our hearts like a skilled surgeon removing a cancerous tumor. Thank You for the body of Christ, for those iron sharpening iron relationships that are so essential in this dark world. Grant us wisdom to know when to admonish the idle and when to encourage the fainthearted. May we help the weak and restore with gentleness the repentant, remembering our own need for help and restoration. In the Name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, we pray. Amen.
Beware of Hating Other’s Sins while Overlooking Your Own – 2 Kings 10 – FormerAtheist58
Matthew West – Good (Lyric Video)
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When I was an atheist, it sometimes felt like Christians WANTED me to “get what I deserved.” That was not Elisha’s reaction.
And the man of God [Elisha] wept. And Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the people of Israel. You will set on fire their fortresses, and you will kill their young men with the sword and dash in pieces their little ones and rip open their pregnant women.”
2 Kings 8:11b-12 ESV
Seeing Elisha weep over the destruction coming to the people of Israel reminded of Ezekiel 33:11, “As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”
Heavenly Father, Give us a love for the lost. May our hearts break for them. May our love for our neighbor drive us onto our knees and out of our front doors. May we not rejoice in the death of the wicked, but desire earnestly for them to repent and be saved. May we remember that it is only by Your grace that any of us can be saved. Thank You for Your mercy and love. In the Name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, we pray. Amen.
Elisha Wept. Do We? – 2 Kings 8-9 – FormerAtheist58
Jesus is Coming Back Soon – Forrest Frank & Josiah Queen
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If your town was starving and you happened upon an abandoned warehouse with enough food to feed everyone for a year, would you keep that good news to yourself, or would you invite others to feast with you?
When four starving lepers discovered an abandoned city full of food and riches, they began taking everything for themselves. “Then they said to one another, ‘We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king’s household.’” (2 Kings 7:9 ESV)
Friends, I’m afraid all too many of us are hiding a Costco-size stash of bread inside our hearts and homes, too selfish, too busy, or too lazy to share. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35 ESV) Do you believe that? Don’t keep it to yourself. SHARE THIS GOOD NEWS! God wants you to tell others where to find this bread.
Quit Hiding the Good News – 2 Kings 6-7 – FormerAtheist58
Dusty Bibles – Josiah Queen
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This story of Naaman and Elisha and Gehazi is a warning for me to remember that I’m just a poor beggar telling other beggars where to find bread. This story, like all Scripture has been “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16) May we all remember Paul’s warning in 1 Timothy 6:10, “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
The Love of Money is the Root of All Kinds of Evils – 2 Kings 5 – FormerAtheist58
Worthy of It All – The Worship Initiative, Shane & Shane
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In 2 Kings chapters 3-4, we read about one miracle after another. God sends water into the desert. God fills vessel upon vessel with oil. God conceives a child in a barren woman’s womb. God brings a boy back from the dead. God makes pure a poisonous stew. God feeds a multitude with 20 loaves of bread and a sack of grain.
This is a light thing in the sight of the LORD.
2 Kings 3:18a ESV
Yet, to the Lord, all of these things are light. None of these incredible events are hard for Him. God isn’t exhausted after doing them. He doesn’t struggle or labor night after night to achieve these mighty feats. What is a few jars of oil or one little baby to a God who can speak the entire universe into existence by the sheer power of His voice?
In light of this truth, we need to remember that there is nothing too big for Him, but also there is nothing is too small for Him.
Out of work and need a job? No problem.
In a hurry and need a parking spot? Got it.
Struggling with discipling and disciplining your children? He can help.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible for Him. And nothing, absolutely nothing, is too little for His care.
As a mom of four adult children, I can tell you first-hand, how much I love it when my children ask for my advice and my help, no matter how big (or how small) it is. Likewise, our perfect Heavenly Father loves His children to seek His help in all areas of our lives.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6 ESV
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7 NLT
Heavenly Father, thank You for always being there for us. We know that nothing is impossible for You. We believe that You are able to do all things. Help us to trust You and turn to You moment by moment and day after day. Whether the thing to us looks too big or too small, may we entrust it into Your watchful, loving care. In the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior we pray. Amen.
I Cast All My Cares Upon You / Jesus Loves Me
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In 2 Kings 2, Elisha remained rock solid in his commitment to Elijah, doggedly insisting, “No, I won’t stay behind. I’m going with you!” But shortly thereafter, Elisha failed to persevere when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho urged him persistently “till he was ashamed.” And that resulted in three days of fruitless searching for Elijah.
For as strong-willed as I am, I, too, can be swayed by peer pressure and make excuses that it’s “no big deal” to just go along with what others want. Reading today’s passage encouraged me to stand firm in my convictions, to ‘let my yes be yes and my no be no.’
Likewise, I want to accept a “no” the first time, rather than pestering and pestering like those sons of the propets had done. I want to have a humble, teachable heart that listens to those in authority that their yes can be yes and their no can be no.
Heavenly Father, please give me a gentle, teachable heart. Send me wise counselors to help me accurately understand and apply Your Word. May I listen carefully to learned men, to humbly trust them and not insist to “see for myself.” Likewise make me steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord my labor is notin vain, as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:58. Please, Lord, give me Your perfect wisdom in making decisions and the necessary strength to remain firm when others argue. Help me to cling to what is right and not be swayed by the opinions of others. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Run to the Father – Cody Carnes
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In a perfect world, there would be no division. Everyone would live at peace; there would be peace with nature, peace with man, and peace with God. And that is how God created the world. Everything God had created had a purpose, and everything fulfilled its purpose. There was perfect unity between Adam and Eve. They were one flesh, both naked and unashamed. Yet, that crafty deceiver crept in and planted a seed of doubt in the woman’s mind, whispering to her that God was not good and that she would be happier if she disobeyed Him. Sin entered in, and that perfect peace came to an end. There was no longer unity between men, between men and nature, or even between men and God Himself.
A chasm had been formed that could only be crossed on the bridge of the blood of Christ.
Reading about the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, I was reminded of Christ’s words recorded in Luke 11:17, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.” Again and again, the Lord intervened to remove an evil king and establish a new one, but again and again sin prevailed and both Israel and Judah remained divided within and without. The horizontal relationship between men, as well as the vertical relationship with God, has been severed, and no human being, no matter how hard they try, can restore it.
As members of the human race, we long for peace. We long for peace within our families, and we long for peace between nations. We search high and low for that feeling of “shalom” in our hearts, but it is nowhere to be found.
It is only logical that there will be division in our earthly families and our earthly nations because our families and nations are made up of members of opposite teams. Like Cubs fans and Cardinals fans, we’re rooting for the opposite team to win. Truly, no one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). When you score a point for Satan’s team, you’re working against the Lord, and when you score for the Lord, you’re working against the evil one. I was reminded of Christ’s words in Luke 12:52-53 ESV — “For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” As much as I want there to be peace, I realize that is only possible when we’re playing on the same team and aiming at the same goal.
Heavenly Father, You are perfect. You dwell in perfect unity. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Three in one. I pray that Your body here on earth may be one, even as You are one, so that the world may know that You, Father, sent Jesus Christ to save us and that You loved us even as You loved Him. (John 17:22-23) I pray that Your whole body will be joined and held together by every joint working properly, that the body may grow and build itself up in love (Ephesians 4:16). I pray that every member of Your body will be bound together in perfect harmony as we love one another with the love that You first had for us (Colossians 3:14; 1 John 4:19) I pray that those who have a counterfeit faith will come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil so that they will hear on the last day, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” rather than, “I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness“ (2 Timothy 2:26; Matthew 25:21-23; Matthew 7:23). For Your glory and our good I pray in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.
Teach What is Good 
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