02-01-2010 2 Kings 7; Psalm 71:1-6; Luke 9:57-62 Then said, Listen to the word of the LORD; thus says

the LORD, 'Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.' The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could this thing be? Then he [Elisha] said, Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it. 2 Kings 7:1-2 To go from utter famine to abundance, from the danger of sure destruction by the enemy to complete freedom even without lifting a finger, are so drastic of changes, no wonder the kings officer could not believe it. And he paid with his life for his unbelief, for doubting Gods ability to bring about what He had promised. Those who know God know that He deliberately calls us to be His children on whom He poured His love and for whom He sacrificed His own blood. How terrible of a sin would that be then, if we would doubt His love and care for us, if we would doubt that He has both the intention and the power to perform whatever is the best for us. 02-02-2010 2 Kings 8; Psalm 71:1-6; Luke 10:1-16 The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me. Luke 10:16 God has placed people among us to be His representatives on earth and gave them special honor and power to enable them in their work. We are to esteem them, instead of following self-appointed leaders of independent groups. 02-03-2010 2 Kings 9; Psalm 71:1-6; Luke 10:17-24 1. The seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name. And He said to them, I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven. Luke 10:17-20 God came to us in human flesh for our salvation and to set up His kingdom. He had accomplished this when He uttered on the cross, It is finished, giving Satan and his demons an unexpected and terrible blow to (Col. 2:15). Now, Satan and his serpents and scorpions can only affect Gods people as God permits them for the purpose of His glory and our good. Under these controlled circumstances God guarantees the outcome (Matt. 16:18), assures us of His presence with us (Matt. 28:20), and encourages us that the burdens will never be heavier than what we can carry (1 Cor. 10:13).

2. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Luke 10:22 Faith in the true God is always His gift, as only the Son can open our eyes to see. 02-04-2010 2 Kings 10; Psalm 71:1-6; Luke 10:25-37 Jehu said, Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the LORD has done what He spoke through His servant Elijah. So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his acquaintances and his priests, until he left him without a survivorBut Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel sin. 2 Kings 10:10-11, 31 Jehu was priding himself in how faithfully he kept Gods word. But he obeyed only the part that agreed with his own interest. Just like the priest and the Levite in Jesus story of the good Samaritan meticulously kept Gods laws, but failed to show compassion on a despised person in need. We are to obey all Gods words according to His Holy Spirits guidance, that is, obey the whole Scripture with the emphasis of loving God and loving those God placed into our lives. 02-05-2010 2 Kings 11; Psalm 71:1-6; Luke 10:38-42 But the Lord answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Luke 10:38-19 Many of us tend to be so busy with the transient things of life, which really do not matter on the long run, and exhaust ourselves with these, so we dont have enough time or energy left for the really important things (like relationships and matters affecting our earthly and eternal future). 02-06-2010 2 Kings 12; Psalm 71:1-6; Luke 11:1-13 So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Luke 11:9, 11, 13 The Lord promised here the granting of ones request. Out of contexts, this promise often misused to mean getting whatever we request. But the Lord is plainly talking about granting His Holy Spirit, that is, granting salvation for the asking (which is His Holy Spirits work), and

getting the fruit of His Spirit we lack without Him: love for others, joy of life, peace of mind, kindness and gentleness, self-control in our conducts. He does encourage us to ask if we lack any of these, and to ask with persistence and with the certainty that He will grant our request. 02-07-2010 2 Kings 13; Psalm 138; Luke 11:14-28 Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. He did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin, but he walked in them. 2 Kings 13:10-11 What was this terrible sin of Jeroboam (the first king of the northern 10 tribes of Israel) that all the kings following him imitated and shared, and which eventually resulted in their total destruction by the Assyrians? They lived, planned, battled, entertained, married, etc. without considering God being in the picture, without seeking His guidance, asking for His protection, contributing their successes to Him, and thanking Him for the blessings in their lives. What importance do we give God in our lives? 02-08-2010 2 Kings 14; Psalm 138; Luke 11:29-32 The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. Luke 11:31 We often feel safe in our ways as we compare ourselves to our peers. But on the Day of Judgment, even that will not provide us security as all people ever lived on earth will be our peers, and much more will be expected of us who live with the knowledge of the Savior. But we wont just be measured against one-another, but against Gods perfect standard, to which not one person can measure up to. Thats why God, in His love for us, provided the Savior. If we refuse Him, we will have no excuse. But His calling is still going today. In Him we have eternal life and the care of the Heavenly Father. 02-09-2010 2 Kings 15; Psalm 138; Luke 11:33-36 1. He [Azariah] did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had doneThe LORD struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house, while Jotham the king's son was over the household 2 Kings 15:3, 5 A godly king amongst the many evil ones, and God struck him with leprosy, condemning him to lifelong isolation. This certainly would be a gross injustice, if life were limited to the few decades of earthly life. But when we will see the whole life, including eternity, it will be clear that no injustice had been done to Azariah, or any one else. God is just, and therefore we can be certain that no works in Christ are in vain, that is, no good works will be unrewarded, even though it may seem so during this earthly life.

2. The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. Luke 11:34 If Christ lives in a person, it will show on ones facial expression. Many superstitions deal with evil effects through ones gaze, but it is clear that in the presence of a light source, it is the light that will make darkness disappear and not the other way around. If one reflects the light of Christ, the evil retracts. Our job is to give Christ room in our heart and give Him way in our thoughts and conduct. 02-10-2010 2 Kings 16; Psalm 138; Luke 11:37-54 1. Now King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar which was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the pattern of the altar and its model, according to all its workmanshipThen King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the [various] offeringsbecause of the king of Assyria. 2 Kings 16:10-18 King Ahaz wanting to please the Assyrian king had made an altar after the pattern of the Assyrians altar. He used this strange altar for worship instead of the one patterned after Gods instruction. Are we prone to the same temptation to use worldly patterns in our worship in order to make it more pleasing to the world or to us? 2. For this reason also the wisdom of God said, I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation Luke 11:49-50 Why would God charge present day people for the sins committed against His messengers in the far past? Isnt it unfair? Present day people should listen and learn from past godly people. Do we know the history of the world and the history of the church enough to learn their lessons? Ignorance is not a valid excuse. 02-11-2010 2 Kings 17; Psalm 138; Luke 12:1-12 I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Luke 12:4-5 Now this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and they had feared other gods. 2 Kings 17:7

God forbids His people to fear anyone or anything else, but Him. He does that for our benefit, because He alone has power over all things, so if we trust in anything or anyone else, we necessarily will end up with disappointment, hurt, and broken hopes. 02-12-2010 2 Kings 18; Psalm 138; Luke 12:13-21 Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions. Luke 12:15 Greed is such an insidious, common, and often hidden sin that God especially warns us against it, both to notice its presence and to fight against it influencing our decisions. 02-13-2010 2 Kings 19; Psalm 138; Luke 12:22-34 1. I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these thingsFor all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to youSell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. Luke 12:22, 30-31, 33 Worry, anxiety, and treasure are closely connected. If we treasure something and there is the danger of losing it, it will cause anxiety and fear. If we treasure things that are temporary and uncertain, like our job, our possessions, our children or spouse, 2. Then Hezekiah took the letter [with the grave threats of the enemy] from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth 2 Kings 19:14-15 Before Hezekiah even mentioned the enemys threats or asked for Gods help, he described at length the greatness of God. Of course, God did not need to hear that, but Hezekiah needed it to strengthen his faith, and we need to state it when we go before Him in our need. 02-14-2010 2 Kings 20; Psalm 1; Luke 12:35-40 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. Luke 12:37 When a woman knows the birth of her child is pending, she prepares everything for the arrival, even while she diligently goes about her daily chores of caring for the rest of her household. Likewise, our high priority should be to have our spiritual affairs in order at all times, even while we faithfully go about our earthly affairs.

02-15-2010 2 Kings 21; Psalm 1; Luke 12:41-48 And that slave who knew his masters will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. Luke 12:47-48 God does not judge us on the basis of our mere visible actions. He measures these actions against the abilities and opportunities He gave us, and according to the attitude of our hearts. 02-16-2010 2 Kings 22; Psalm 1; Luke 12:49-53 Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. Luke 12:51-52 Nothing unites stronger than the love of the Lord, and nothing turns others against us stronger than their spiritually differing belief. Christians often fiercely hated both as a group and as an individual, for their faith. We should not be surprised by it, and we should not shy away from it, but take our stand with the Savior as He took His stand, all the way to dying on the cross, for us. 02-17-2010 2 Kings 23; Psalm 1; Luke 12:54-59 And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, 'It will be a hot day,' and it turns out that way. You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time? And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right? Luke 12:55-57 God considers us hypocrites if we can judge the trends and outcomes of earthly things but we ignore the evaluation of spiritual matters, which we likewise could and should judge, but rather close our eyes to. For example, we should know what the results will be if we neglect a sin, if we tolerate false teaching, if we disobey Gods clear commands, etc. It is a dangerous hypocrisy to go on as if nothing happened, to act like there were no consequences. 02-18-2010 2 Kings 24; Psalm 1; Luke 13:1-5 Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:4-5 At least two points are clear from this statement of the Lord. First, earthly events are not necessarily a reflection on the spiritual standing of those involved. We must not rush to assume

that their fortune or misfortune is the reward or punishment of their deeds. That judgment will come later. Second, the eventual judgment is certain. If we do not repent and ask the Savior to wash us clean, we exclude ourselves from eternal life. 02-19-2010 2 Kings 25; Psalm 1; Luke 13:6-9 And he [the owner] said to the vineyard-keeper, Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground? And he answered and said to him, Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down. Luke 13:7-9 God created a new life in us in Jesus Christ so we could and would do the works He planned for us to do (Eph. 2:10). God did not send His Son to the humble state of man and to die on the cross so we would have a care-free life now and forever. Jesus saved us in order to live in us. This new, changed life, new way of thinking, new priorities and new desires reflect His Holy Spirits fruit in us; these are the manifestations of us being saved, of Christ ruling in us. Without these works, faith is dead, a mere appearance. Thats why James said, a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone (James 2:24). 02-20-2010 Esther 1; Psalm 1; Luke 13:10-17 But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day. But the Lord answered him and said, You hypocrites Luke 13:14-15a Jesus did not follow the Law as the Jewish leaders considered it to be followed. They got angry, because they did not recognize and accept Jesus for whom He was, the very maker of the Law, and the judge on all matters of the Law. We must have Christs Spirit in us in order to avoid hypocrisy, to avoid the Law ruling over us, instead of the Law-giver Lord. Only by His Spirit we can avoid harsh and un-loving judgment of others, and unkind behavior in the name of being right. 02-21-2010 Esther 2; Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Luke 13:18-21 1. To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened. Luke 13:20-21 Gods Kingdom extends to all hearts where the Lord Jesus rules as king. Those, who yield to His rule, will affect all those they come into contact with. 2. Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had done when under his care. Esther 2:20

The beautiful story of Esther was possible because of her beautiful, humbly obedient attitude. Our usefulness, too, largely depends on how willing we are to obey what our Lord says. 02-22-2010 Esther 3; Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Luke 13:22-30 Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Luke 13:24 God alone can make one able to enter His Kingdom. He does that by changing ones heart, by making that person able and willing to go through that narrow door, that is, by making him able and wanting to give Christ first place in his life, hearing and understanding and obeying Gods word, striving to conquer the temptations of Satan, of the world, of ones own nature. We ought to both strive and pray for Gods grace in order to succeed. 02-23-2010 Esther 4; Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Luke 13:31-35 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your fathers house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this? Esther 4:14 1. God will accomplish His plans with or without us. It is His kindness that we can partner with Him in His works. 2. God may give us many gifts, including earthly success, wealth, prestige, fame. But we must be ever mindful that all that belongs to God, and we are only stewards over them, and must use them as the Master and His kingdom benefit most from them. 02-24-2010 Esther 5; Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Luke 14:1-6 Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the number of his sons, and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him above the princes and servants of the king Haman also said, Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the kings gate. Esther 5:11, 13 Here is a man who, like Esther, had received great gifts of wealth, fame, and success. Esther was willing to subject all her gifts to her nations service, but Haman subjected all he had to satisfy his personal desire for revenge. This contrast poses the question to us: what do we use our gifts for? To satisfy our own selfish desires or to advance the cause God had placed onto our hearts? 02-25-2010 Esther 6; Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Luke 14:7-11 Then the king said to Haman, Take quickly the robes and the horse as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the kings gate; do not fall short in anything of all that you have said. Esther 6:10

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 14:11 Haman devised a plan to bestow on someone great honor, because he thought he would be that person. But then, instead of getting this great honor himself he had to give it to the person he hated the most. So the general rule of God was fulfilled on him, too. Humility is one of the characteristics God values the most. 02-26-2010 Esther 7; Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Luke 14:12-14 So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king's anger subsided. Esther 7:10 Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb. Psalm 37:1-2 But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Luke 14:13-14 God encourages us in all three readings today to lift our eyes up and see beyond the mere earthly, to see the part of reality we cannot see with the eyes of flesh. He wants us to see that all good works surely will be rewarded, and all evil will be repaid as well. We should not lose courage in doing good, and should not fret over the seeming ease of evildoers. God does have all powers, and He will judge rightly. 02-27-2010 Esther 8; Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; Luke 14:15-24 A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, 'I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.' Another one said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.' Another one said, 'I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.' Luke 14:16-20 God calls us to Himself. Do we gladly come, or find excuses why we cannot spend time with Him or why other activities keep us away? 02-28-2010 Esther 9 and 10; Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15; Luke 14:25-27 If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:26-27 1. Compared to the love of the Lord, all earthly loves must be so much less that the translators chose to use the word hate here. It is the Lord alone we should, and must, adore. Do we adore Him? Do we adore anything or anyone else? 2. Carrying ones own cross at the time of the writing of the New Testament meant that solders made one carry his cross onto which they nailed him outside the city, so he died. The dead person is no longer under any earthly temptations, considerations, or obligations. We can only be the Lords disciples if all earthly ties lose their hold on us, so He alone will be the ruler over our lives. This does not mean the giving up of earthly activities, but rather, the priorities will change. In fact, as a result of Him ruling, we will do our work more faithfully, we will love those we should love more earnestly and self-sacrificially, we will delight in Gods gifts more whole-heartedly, etc.