Fri.’s Devo - Resurrection Power

Read: 1 Kings 12:20-13:34; Acts 9:26-43; Psalm 132:1-18; Proverbs 17:6 The people of Israel learned that Jeroboam had returned from Egypt and they made him their king. Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem and mobilized his army of 18,000 men to restore the kingdom to himself. But God sent a prophet named Shemaiah to Rehoboam telling him not to fight against his own people, but to go home because this division was the Lord’s doing. Rehoboam had the know-it-all to return home. *** Jeroboam built up the city of Shechem which became his capital. He was afraid that his people would go to worship the Lord in Jerusalem and decide to stay and give their allegiance to Rehoboam and come back and kill him. So, he had two golden calves made and placed them in Dan and Bethel. He told the people that these were the gods who brought them out of Egypt. He also erected other pagan shrines and buildings and appointed common people to be the priests. He instituted a counterfeit festival to mimic the Feast of Tabernacles exactly one month after the real date. On that date, the fifteenth day of the 8th month he went to offer incense on a new altar he had built. *** At the festival, God sent his prophet from Judah to give a word to Jeroboam. As Jeroboam was walking up to the altar to burn his incense, the Prophet shouted about a future king named Josiah that would one day burn pagan priests and the bones of the evil priests who offered incense on this altar now. As a sign this would happen the altar would split and the ashes would be poured out on the ground. *** King Jeroboam heard the man and pointed at him shouting for his men to seize him. When he did, his arm froze and he couldn’t bring it down. The altar split at that moment and the ashes poured out on the ground. *** Jeroboam then cried out for the prophet to pray for him that he arm would be free. Shemaiah did and his arm was released. Jeroboam asked him to come home with him and he would feed him and give him a gift, but the prophet told him that God would not allow it. He was told to come and give the message then to leave a different way and not to eat until he was home. *** An old prophet heard of what had happened and pursued the prophet. When he caught up with him he deceived him by telling him he was a prophet and that an angel had appeared to him and told him to bring the prophet back to his house and feed him. He convinced the younger man to disobey the Lord and after they ate together, a lion attacked him and he was killed. The lying prophet went and and found his body. His donkey and the lion were still standing beside it because the lion had not eaten him. The prophet took his body and buried him in his own grave. He told his sons to bury him next to the prophet because he was a true prophet and what he had said would happen. *** Even after this great sign, Jeroboam didn’t turn from his evil ways to the Lord. He continued to let anyone become a priest of his pagan shrines. *** In Acts, Saul who was now Paul, went back to Jerusalem a changed man. He tried to meet with the church in Jerusalem but they were not convinced he wasn’t trying to trick them to persecute them. Barnabas brought Saul to the apostles and told them how he was saved in Damascus and how he had preached boldly about Jesus. The Greek-speaking Jews tried to murder him so the believers sent Paul toTarsus, his home town. With Saul, now a believer, the Christians grew stronger. *** Peter went to Lydda and healed a man who had been paralyzed for eight years. The whole population of Lydia and Sharon saw this and turned to the Lord. *** In Joppa, a much loved widow by the name of Tabitha died, they sent for Peter and took him up to where they had laid her body for burial. He told everyone to leave the room and laid his hand on her and told her to get up. She opened her eyes and sat up. Peter helped her up and presented her to her people alive. News spread fast and many believed on the Lord. Peter stayed in Joppa and lived with Simon, the tanner. *** Lord, may we walk in the resurrection power of Christ. May we lay hands on the sick and they recover and on the dead and they raise back to life. May we walk in the works of Jesus and see people turn back to You.