Fri.’s Devo - God’s Faithful Servants

Read: 2 Kings 1:1-2:25; Acts 13:42-14:7; Psalm 139:1-24; Proverbs 17:19-21 King Ahab had died and his son, Ahaziah was ruling. The land of Moab rebelled against Israel. Ahaziah hurt himself seriously when he fell through the latticework of his palace and sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub to ask if he would recover. *** An angel told Elijah to go and confront the messengers and ask why they were going to ask some foreign god. Was there no God in Israel? Then he told them to go back and tell the king that he would not recover, but die. *** When they told King Ahaziah what Elijah said he figured out who had said it and sent 50 men with a captain to arrest Elijah. They found him on top of a hill and commanded him to come down. Elijah sent fire from heaven and it destroyed them. Ahaziah sent another captain with 50 men and the same thing happened. The third time the king sent a captain with 50 men, the captain didn’t command Elijah to come down. He humbled him self on his knees and begged for mercy and favor. Elijah went with him to see Ahaziah. *** Elijah told the king that because he asked advice from Baal-zebub instead of God, he would never leave the bed he was lying on. He did die and didn’t have a son to succeed him, so his brother, Joram took his place as king. *** God was about to take Elijah to heaven and Elijah and Elisha knew it. Elijah told Elisha to stay at Gilgal; he was going to Bethel. Elisha refused to let him go alone, so they both went to Bethel. A group of prophets met Elisha and asked him if he knew God was going to take Elijah that day. He told them he knew. *** Elijah tried to get Elisha to stay there while he went to the Jordan but he refused to stay and followed him. There he met other prophets who told Elisha that Elijah was leaving that day. *** When Elijah got to the Jordan he folded his cloak and struck the water with it and the river divided and the two of them walked across on dry ground. *** Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted from him and he said he wanted to have a double portion of his spirit. Elijah said that if he saw him depart, he would get it. *** As they continued walking, a chariot of fire came between the two men and it took Elijah up in a whirlwind and Elisha saw it. Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak and returned to the Jordan and struck it just as Elisha had done and cried out, “Where is the Lord the God of Elijah?” The river divided and he walked over on dry ground. A group of prophets watched from afar and saw that Elisha now had the spirit of Elijah. *** Some from this group of prophets begged Elisha to let them go and search for Elijah’s body. He finally gave in to them and let them go search but they found nothing just as Elisha had told them. *** Later one of the leaders of the town of Jericho came to Elisha and told him the water in their town was making the women and the ground unproductive. He put some salt into the water supply and it became pure. This was a picture of what Elisha’t ministry would do. It would purify the land. Elisha left Jericho and went to Bethel. Along the way a group of boys began moving him. Elisha cursed them in the name of the Lord and two bears came out of the woods and killed tow of them. Elisha then went to Mount Carmel before he returned to Samaria. This was another picture of what Elisha’s ministry would do. It would put the fear and respect of the prophet back in the land. *** In Acts, Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue and the people begged them to come back the next week and teach them more. The following week, almost the whole town came to hear them preach. The Jew became very jealous of the crowds they were getting and argued with what they were preaching. Paul and Barnabas told them that it was necessary that they preach first to the Jews, but since they had rejected their preaching, they would offer their services to the Gentiles. They would offer them salvation. The Gentiles were glad to hear this but the Jews stirred up the influential women and leaders of the city and incited a mob and ran Paul and Barnabas out of town. They shook the dust off their feet and went to the town of Iconium. *** The same thing happened there. They preached their message but were stoned and fled to Lycaonia and began preaching the Good News. *** Lord, may we have the tenacity that Paul and Barnabas had to fulfill their mission. May we not look as opposition as a reason to quit, but a reason to continue spreading the Good News.

Thurs.’s Devo - You Can’t Trick God

Read: 1 Kings 22:1-53; Acts 13:16-41; Psalm 138:1-8; Proverbs 17:17-18 Israel and Aram experienced three years of peace. During that third year, King Jehoshaphat went to visit King Ahab in Israel. King Jehoshaphat reminded Ahab that the town of Ramoth-gilead had been taken by Aram and nothing had been done about it. Ahab suggested they join together and go get it back. *** Jehoshaphat wanted to ask the Lord first. Ahab went and got about 400 prophets of Baal to ask them. They said they should go and they would have victory. Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of God they could ask. Ahab told him he knew of one, but he never prophesied good for him. Jehoshaphat rebuked him for talking like that and asked to see him. *** They brought Micaiah to Ahab. Ahab and told him what all of the other prophets had said and warned him to agree with them. Micaiah told him to go fight because surely he would be victorious. The king caught his sarcasm and told him to speak the truth. Then Micaiah told him he had seen a vision and all Israel was scattered on the mountain and their leader was killed. *** Ahab looked at Jehoshaphat said, “didn’t I tell you he wouldn’t have anything good to say?” Then Micaiah told him the rest. He had seen the Lord and his army trying to decide what could convince Ahab to go to war with the army of Aram and one of them said that he could do it by lying through his prophets. God said that would work. *** One of the lying prophets named Zedikiah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him in the face and asked him when did the Spirit of the Lord leave him to speak through Micaiah. Micaiah answered that he would find out when he was looking for a room to hide in. *** Ahab ordered Micaiah arrested and sent back to Amon and put in prison and fed nothing but bread and water till he came home safely. Micaiah said that if he returned home safely that would mean he hadn’t spoken the truth from God. *** The kings led their armies against Aram to recover Ramoth-gilead. Ahab decided to disguise himself like a common soldier. The army of Aram had been given the command to find the king of Israel and kill him alone. *** During the battle some of the soldiers of Aram chased King Jehoshaphat thinking he was King Ahab but when he cried out, they realized he wasn’t Ahab and stopped chasing him. One of their soldiers shot a random arrow at the army of Israel and it hit Ahab between the joints of his armor and he was fatally wounded. *** They battle continued while he bled out on the very land that Naboth had died on. The dogs licked his blood, just as Elijah had said would happen. Ahab died and his son, Ahaziah became king during Jehoshaphat’s seventeenth year of reigning in Judah. Ahaziah only reigned for two years and did evil in God’s sight. He served Baal and invoked God’s anger. *** Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah 35 years and was a good king who pleased the Lord even though he didn’t remove all the pagan shrines where the people offered sacrifices and burned incense. He made peace with the king of Israel. *** Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships that never left the harbor. When he died, his son, Jehoram became king. *** In Acts, Paul had been asked to speak at the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia. He began with the conception of their nation with Abraham and went through Moses and Samuel, the judge and on to the kings. He explained how Jesus was the ancestor of David and the fulfillment of God’s promise. John the Baptist had been sent to prepare the people for his coming. Now, this salvation was being offered to all. Jesus had not been received or recognized as the one the prophets had spoken about, but was condemned to die even though there was no legal reason to execute him. When Jesus was placed in his tomb, God resurrected him and he appeared to many of his followers and they were his witnesses. *** Now, Paul was there to offer forgiveness for their sins through Jesus. Everyone who believes in him could be made right in God’s sight. Habakuk had said, “Look, you mockers, be amazed and die! For I am doing something in your own day., something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.” *** Lord, it is true your promises stand true and never die. You always do what you say you will do.

Wed.’s Devo - God’s Deliverance

Read: 1 Kings 20:1-21:29; Acts 12:24-13:15; Psalm 137:1-9; Proverbs 17:16 Benhadad and thirty-two allied kings agreed to attack Samaria. Ben-hadad sent messengers to Ahab and told him that he wanted all his silver, gold, his wives, and the best of his children. Ahab agreed to give him all of that. Then Ben-hadad said they also wanted to come and go through all the homes of his officials and take whatever they found of value. *** Ahab asked the elders how he should respond. They told him not to agree to his last demand. (Of course they did. This would personally affect them.) *** Ben-hadad didn’t like his response and tried to intimidate him with his threats. Ahab didn’t fall for it. *** God sent a prophet to King Ahab and told him that God was going to turn them all over to him. When Ahab asked him how God was going to do it, he told him he would do it through his provincial commanders. They should attack first. *** The kings of the army of the Arameans were all in their tents getting drunk when Israel attacked. Ahab’s provincial commanders led the attack and the entire Arabian army panicked and fled. King Ben-hadad and a few of his charioteers escaped but the others were killed. *** God sent the prophet back to Ahab to tell him that they would return in the Spring and he needed to be ready. *** Ben-hadad’s army did return in the Spring but this time they attacked in the plains instead of the hills. The prophet came back and told Ahab that God was both the god of the hills and the plains. They would attack in the plains this time. *** During the attack, Israel killed over 127,000 of their enemies. Ben-hadad hid out in a the town of Aphek in a secret room. His officers told him they had heard that the kings of Israel were merciful, so they put on burlap and robes and went to Ahab and begged for their lives. Ahab was hood-winked and extended mercy to Benhadad. He made a treaty with him and set him free. ‘ *** God sent another prophet to Ahab to rebuke him for setting free the man he had doomed for destruction. It would come back to haunt him and cost him his life and the lives of his people. *** Ahab decided he wanted the land next to his palace to plant a vegetable garden. The land belonged to Naboth and he and his family had planted vineyards on that land for generations. Ahab offered to pay Naboth for the land but Naboth didn’t want to sell his family’s inheritance. *** When Jezebel noticed Ahab was acting crabby, she asked him what the reason was. He told her he was upset that Naboth wouldn’t sell him his land. She was incensed that he was so soft. She told him she would get the land for him. *** She had Naboth accused of blaspheming God and the king and paid men to lie in court. They did and Naboth was found guilty, taken out and stoned. His land then went to the government. Jezebel went to Ahab and told him to go and get his land. One his way, God sent Elijah to meet him. The prophet asked him if it was enough he had killed Naboth, but now was he going to steal from him also? Because he had done this the dogs would lick his blood at the very place they licked the blood of Naboth. *** Ahab recognized Elijah. Elijah told him God would bring disaster on him and destroy every one of his male descendants, slave and free - just like he did to Jeroboam’s descendants because they both led Israel into sin. *** When Ahab heard his fate, he dressed in burlap and mourned and humbled himself. God sent another message to Ahab saying that since he repented as he did, this would not happen in his lifetime. *** In Acts, Saul and Barnabas returned to Antioch from Jerusalem, taking John Mark with them. During a prayer meeting, God told the elders to send Saul and Barnabas out to minister. They went down to the islands of Cyprus. They traveled from town to town preaching and doing miracles. At Paphos they met a Jewish sorcerer named Bar-Jesus. He had gotten in tight with the governor, Sergius Paphos. The governor asked Saul and Barnabus to visit him to hear the word of God, but the sorcerer urged the governor not to listen to them. *** Saul cursed Bar-Jesus with temporary blindness for trying to blind the governor with his lies. When the governor saw this happen, he listened to their teaching and became a believer. *** Paul/Saul and Barnabus went to the next port, but John Mark returned home to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and were asked if they had any word of encouragement to give the people. Tomorrow we will read their response. *** Lord, there is a time for mercy and a time for judgment. May we discern your times. May we have mercy on who you want us to have mercy on and let you judge those you want to judge. When we feel like there is no way out, may we remember You are very creative in rescuing your people. You are our deliverer!

Tues.’s Devo - God’s Deliverance

Read: 1 Kings 19:1-21; Acts 12:1-23; Psalm 136:1-26; Proverbs 17:14-15 Ahab returned home and told Jezebel all that happened on Mt. Carmel and how Elijah killed all her prophets. She was so upset she put a curse on herself if she didn’t kill Elijah by that time the next day. When Elijah found out what she said, he fled for his life. *** He went to Beersheba and left his servant there then went alone into the wilderness. He had a big pity party under a broom tree and prayed to die. An angel touched him and told him to stand up an eat. There was a cake baked on the fire and a jar of water so he ate and drank. The angel came back a second time and told him the same thing. He ate and drank again. The angel told him the journey ahead was long and he would need the strength the food and drink gave him. Sure enough, it took 40 days and nights to get to Horeb, the mountain of God. Mt. Horeb is Mt. Sinai where Moses was given the law. *** When he got there, the Lord came to him and asked him what he was doing there. Elijah told him he had been zealous for his name, but the people had torn down his altars and killed his prophet and he was the only one left. *** The Lord told him to go out and stand and the Lord passed by. A great wind storm tore into the mountain knocking rocks into pieces. Then there was an earthquake and then a fire but God didn’t speak out of any of them. Elijah heard a still small voice and went out of the cave to hear it better. The Lord asked him again what he was doing there. He told him the same answer. *** God told him to return and on his way to Damascus, he was to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as king over Israel and Elisha as prophet to take his place. Whoever escaped the sword of Hazael, would be killed by Jehu and whoever escaped the sword of Jehu, Elisha would kill. And… God had reserved 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed to Baal. *** Instead of doing what God said to do in His order, Elijah went straight to find Elisha to take his place. He never did the first two things. Elisha ended up finishing them in his ministry. *** Elijah found Elisha plowing with 12 yoke of oxen. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah. He begged him to let him go and tell his father and mother he was leaving and then he would follow him. He killed his oxen using the wood from their yokes as firewood. He fed the people with the meat from the oxen and followed Elijah. *** In Acts, the Roman government became involved in persecuting the Christians. King Herod Agrippa had James killed with the sword and when he saw how popular this made him with the Jews he also arrested Peter during the Passover celebration. He put him in prison with 16 guards assigned to watch him. *** The church prayed earnestly for Peter and the night before Peter’s trial, a bright light appeared in Peter’s cell. An angel woke him up and told him to get up and the chains fell off his wrists. The angel told him to get dressed and follow him. Peter followed the angel past all the guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened before him and then the angel left. *** Peter realized it wasn’t a dream and went to the home of Mary where the believers were gathered to pray. Rhoda answered Peter’s knock and was so excited she ran back and told the believers that Peter was at the door where she had left him. They didn’t believe her, but Peter continued to knock. When the finally opened the door they were so happy to see him and were amazed at his story. Then Peter went to another place to hide. *** The next morning, chaos arose at the prison when they couldn’t find Peter. The guards were interrogated and sentenced to die. Herod left Judea and went to Caesarea. *** The people of Tyre and Sidon had made Herod angry. They sent delegates to make peace with him since they depended upon him for food. He was convinced to meet with them. When the time of the meeting came, Herod put on his royal robes and sat on his royal throne and gave a speech. The people shouted that he was the voice of a god, not a man. *** Because Herod accepted their worship, he was instantly struck with sickness and died of worms. Yuck! *** Lord, you know how to protect those you need safety and deliver those in chains. You cannot be defeated! May we not despair but stand in faith, eat your Word and drink your Spirit. You give us supernatural strength to fulfill all the plans you have for us.

Mon.’s Devo- Let God Arise, and his Enemies Be Scattered 6-17-24

Read: 1 Kings 18:1-46; Acts 11:1-30; Psalm 135:1-21; Proverbs 17:12-13 In the third year of the drought, the Lord told Elijah to go and tell Ahab that he would soon send rain. *** The famine had become so severe that Ahab sent for Obadiah to help him fine enough grass in the land to save his horses. Obadiah was his palace administrator who feared the Lord. He also revered God’s prophets and had hidden 100 of them in caves when Jezebel tried to kill them. Ahab sent Obadiah one way and he went the other in search for grass. *** Elijah met Obadiah and told him he wanted to meet with Ahab. Obadiah was afraid to tell Ahab because he didn’t think Elijah would show up, then Obadiah would be killed. Elijah promised he would show, so Obadiah went to get Ahab. *** Ahab came to meet with Elijah and addressed him as the “troublemaker.” Ahab told him that all this was because of him and his idol worship. He was the troublemaker. He told him to bring the 450 Baal prophets and the 400 prophets of Asherah to Mt. Carmel along with the people. *** When they all arrived at Mt. Carmel, Ahab spoke to the people. He asked them how long were they going to waver between God and Baal. They had to choose one of them, they couldn’t have them both. Then he told the Baal prophets to prepare an altar and sacrifice a bull. He would do the same for the other bull. The god who answered in fire would be the true god. *** Elijah told the false prophets to go first. They prepared their altar and sacrificed their bull and hooped and hollered till noon. Nothing happened. Elijah mocked them asking if their god was asleep or going to the bathroom or daydreaming. They shouted louder, cut themselves and still no reply. When the time of the evening sacrifice was nearing, Elijah took over. *** Elijah prepared his altar with twelve stones - one for each tribe of Israel. Then he dug a trench around his altar. He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces and laid them on the wood. Then he asked for 4 large jars of precious water to be poured over the offering and the wood. He had them do this three times till the water filled the trench. *** Elijah walked up to the altar and prayed that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would prove today that He was the God of Israel and that Elijah was his servant. *** Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the dust. It licked up all the water in the trench. When the people saw this, the fell on their faces and cried out to the Lord. *** Elijah commanded that they seize all the prophets of Ball and took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them. He told Ahab to get something to eat and drink because a mighty rainstorm was coming. While Ahab was eating, Elijah went on top of Mt. Carmel and bowed to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. *** He sent his servant to go look toward the sea. He sent him seven times and the last time he came back saying he saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea. Elijah told him to run tell Ahab to get home quickly. The sky turned black with clouds and a rainstorm hit. God gave Elijah supernatural strength and he outran Ahab’s chariot, all the way back to Jezebel. *** In Acts, Peter returned to Jerusalem and they were not happy that he had stayed in the home of a Gentile and ate with them. Peter told them about the vision he had and how the Holy Spirit fell on the whole household of Cornelius. When they heard his testimony, they stopped objecting and praised the Lord. They saw that God was reaching out to save the Gentiles too. *** The Jews that had been scattered because of persecution went to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria and began preaching to the Jews about Jesus. Others came and preached to the Gentiles there. Many of the Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. When the church at Jerusalem heard this they sent Barnabas to Antioch to encourage the believers. Many more came to the Lord. *** Barnabas left to go to Tarsus to find Saul. They brought him back to Antioch where they both stayed for a year teaching to the large crowds of people. While they were there the prophet, Agabus came and prophesied about a great famine that was about to come upon the entire Roman world. The believers in Antioch sent relief to their brothers and sisters in Judea and Jerusalem. *** Lord, we declare you are our God. May we live to see the prophets of Baal crushed and destroyed. Let Your truth reign.

Sun.’s Devo - God’s Supply

Read: 1 Kings 15:25-17:24; Acts 10:24-48; Psalm 134:1-3; Proverbs 17:9-11 When Jeroboam died, his son, Nadab ruled and he continued in the sins of his father. Baasha from the tribe of Issachar assassinated him while they were besieging the Philistine town of Gibbethon and became the king. He slaughtered all the royal family just as the prophet Ahihah had said would happen to Jeroboam’s descendants. *** There was constant war between king Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel. Baasha ruled from the town of Tirza and continued in the sins of Jeroboam. The prophet Jehu brought King Baasha a word from the Lord rebuking him for following the ways of Jeroboam who he had cursed. The curse of Jeroboam would fall on him and his family. When Baasha died, his son Elah became king. He was assassinated by the commmander of his chariots, Zimri. Zimri had all of Baasha’s family killed just as Jehu prophesied. ***Zimri’s rule only lasted 7 days because when the army found out Zimri had killed the king, they chose Omri, their commander to be king. Omri led the entire army of Israel to attack Tirzah where Zimri was ruling. When Zimri realized he was doomed, he fled to the citadel of the palace and burning it down with himself inside. *** Israel was divided. Half of the people wanted to make Tibni their king and the other half wanted to make Omri their king. Omri’s side defeated Tibia’s and Omri became king. He ruled 12 years and bought the hill of Samaria and built a city on it. He was more evil than Jeroboam and led Israel to worship worthless idols. *** When Omri died, his son, Ahab became king. He reigned in Samaria 22 years and was the most evil king Israel had had up till then. He married Jezebel who worshiped Baal. Ahab built a temple for Baal and set up an Asherah pole and provoked God’s anger. *** During this time Hiel, a man from Bethel, rebuilt Jericho. He lost his oldest son when the foundations were laid and his youngest son when the gates were set up just as Joshua had said would happen. *** Elijah told King Ahab that there would be no dew or rain until he gave the word. Then God told Elijah to hide at the Kerith Brook and it would supply his water. The ravens would bring him bread and meat every morning and evening. *** When the brook dried up, God told Elijah to go to the village of Zarephath and a widow would feed him. When he met her, she said she had enough flour and oil to make one last meal for her and her son and then they would die. Elijah told her to first make some for him and then the rest for them and they would never run out of flour or oil until the drought was over. She did what he said and God did what he said he would do. *** Elijah stayed with her and her son. One day the son became very sick and died. She bought the son to Elijah and he took the child’s body up the stairs to the room where he was staying. He laid his body on his own bed then cried out to the Lord for his life. He stretched his body over the child three times and prayed. God heard his prayer and the body came back to life. *** In Acts, Peter and Cornelius met and exchanged stories. Peter told Cornelius what he knew about Jesus and what the scriptures said about him. He told them about his resurrection and how he had appeared to them after he died on the cross. Jesus had ordered them to preach everywhere and testify that Jesus was the one God had sent and that all the prophets had talked about. *** As Peter preached to Cornelius and his household, the Holy Spirit fell upon them and they began to speak in tongues. Peter was amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit was being poured out on the Gentiles, too. He baptized them in the name of Jesus Christ and stayed with them for several days. *** Lord, may we learn from today’s scripture that we give first to You and your servants and then you supply all our needs. May we be willing to give of what we have to those in need.

Sat.’s Devo - The Cost of Disobedience and the Rewards of Obedience

Read: 1 Kings 14:1-15:24; Acts 10:1-23; Psalm 133:1-3; Proverbs17:7-8 Jeroboam’s son became very sick so Jeroboam told his wife to disguise herself and go visit the prophet, Ahijah who had told him he would be the next king. He gave her gifts to give him and ask him if their son would recover. *** God warned Ahijah, who was now blind, that Jeroboam’s wife was coming incognito. He exposed her as soon as she walked in the room. He told her what God had told him to say. God had taken the kingdom from David’s descendants and given it to Jeroboam and He was not pleased with how Jeroboam had run the nation. He had done more wicked than any of the kings before him and had made God furious with his golden calves. Since he had turned from God, God would destroy every male descendant, slave or free anywhere in Israel and burn up his royal dynasty like trash is burned. No one except his dying son would get a proper burial. He would die when she entered the city. *** God would then raise up a king over Israel who would destroy Jeroboam’s family and drive them out of Israel because they had angered Him with the Asherah poles and their idolatry. *** Jeroboam’s wife returned home and her son died as soon as she walked through the door of her home. He was buried and all Israel mourned for him. Jeroboam reigned in Israel 22 years and his son, Nadab, became king in his place. *** In Judah, Rehoboam was king at the age of 41 and reigned 17 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Naamah. *** During Rehoboam’s reign, the people of Judah also provoked God’s anger with their idolatry. They worship at Asherah poles and in pagan shrines. In his fifth year, the king of Egypt, Shishak attacked Jerusalem. He stole everything from the Temple treasury and even gold shields Solomon had made. Rehoboam replaced them with bronze shields. His guards used them to guard the king when he went to the Temple to worship. When Rehoboam died, his son, Abijam became the next king. *** Abijam only ruled three years and worshiped the same false gods his father had worshiped. For David’s sake, God allowed his descendants to reign. While Abijam ruled, there was constant war with Israel. When he died, his son, Asa became king of Judah. Jeroboam was in his 20th year of ruling Israel. *** Asa obeyed the Lord and banished the male and female shrine prostitutes from the land. He got rid of all the idols and deposed his grandmother, Maacah from her position of queen mother because she made an obscene Asherah pole. Asa had it cut down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. Asa’s heart remained faithful to the Lord throughout his life. He had constant war with Israel. *** King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and began fortifying Ramah which was the gateway from Israel to Judah. He wanted to prevent the people from entering or leaving Judah. *** Asa retaliated by sending gold and silver to Ben-hadad, the king of Aram. He asked him to break his treaty with Israel and to form a treaty instead with Judah. He did and attacked some of Israel’s towns. When Baasha of Israel heard of what was happening, he gave up his building project in Ramah. Asa took all his building materials and used them to fortify Geba and Mizpah in Benjamin. *** When Asa was old, he became diseased in his feet and died. His son, Jehoshaphat became king of Judah. *** In Acts, God wanted to bring salvation to a god-fearing Italian family. The head of the family was a captain of the Italian Regiment. God gave him a vision of an angel who told him to send some men to Joppa and ask for a man named Simon Peter who would be staying with Simon the tanner. *** Then God sent his angel to Peter to get rid of his prejudice. While Peter was waiting for his lunch, he went on the roof to pray and went into a trance. He saw the sky open up and a screen come down with a projection of all kinds of animals on it that were unclean according to the law. A voice told him to kill them and eat them. He protested that they were unclean. The voice told him not to call something unclean that God has made clean. The same vision happened three times. Then the screen was taken away. *** While Peter was contemplating what it might mean, the men from Cornelius showed up looking for Peter. The Holy Spirit told him that three men had come looking for him and he was to go with them without hesitation. *** They told Peter that an angel had told Cornelius to bring him to his house so he could hear his message. He put them up for the night and went with them the next morning. *** Lord, so much was happening in Acts because you were bringing about a total change in the heart and minds of your people. You are doing the same thing now in our land. You are bringing about a change in everything we once viewed as government and church. May we make the shift into the new plan of yours. May we let go of the old and embrace the new.