Please follow this link to see today's BIBLE PASSAGE: http://www.bargainomics.com/apps/blog/
NOTE: There have been a few problems with the new website. By FRIDAY, MARCH 14, it will be updated with all the Bible passages that I have been unable to post over the past week.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Sunday, March 2, 2014
FINAL POST
WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, I WILL NO LONGER BE POSTING ON THIS BLOG. I HAVE A NEW WEBSITE www.Bargainomics.com IN PROCESS THAT WILL INCLUDE THIS Bible Study. WHEN YOU NO LONGER SEE THE BIBLE STUDY HERE, GO TO THE WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE Bible Study TAB. PLEASE VISIT DAILY TO SEE EACH DAY'S Bible Study. MY WEBSITE INCLUDES OTHER PAGES WITH BARGAINS AND MORE. BLESSINGS TO ALL OF YOU!
SUNDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Sennacherib and his men have insulted the Lord, saying “‘no god of any nation or kingdom has ever yet been able to rescue his people from me or my ancestors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power!’ These officers talked about the God of Jerusalem as though he were one of the pagan gods, made by human hands” (II Chronicles 32:15b, 19, NLT). And the Lord had heard enough.
Hezekiah, the prophet Isaiah, and certainly all the people had cried to God to rescue them and the Lord had heard and would answer. In Second Chronicles 32, we read a brief summary of how the Lord intervened on His people’s behalf, but in Second Kings 19, we get a much bigger picture, including a long message delivered by Isaiah to Hezekiah:
“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer about King Sennacherib of Assyria. And the Lord has spoken this word against him: ‘Whom have you been defying and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look with such haughty eyes? It was the Holy One of Israel!
But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble.
I know the way you have raged against Me. And because of your raging against Me and your arrogance, which I have heard for Myself, I will put My hook in your nose and My bit in your mouth. I will make you return by the same road on which you came.’
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘And this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: ‘His armies will not enter Jerusalem. They will not even shoot an arrow at it. They will not march outside its gates with their shields nor build banks of earth against its walls. The king will return to his own country by the same road on which he came. He will not enter this city, says the Lord. For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.’
That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.
One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria” (II Kings 19:20b-21a, 22, 25b, 27b-29a, 32-37).
“But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble.” Sennacherib had no power whatsoever except that which the Lord had allowed him.
“I know the way you have raged against Me.” The people of Judah didn’t lay a hand on Sennacherib. The Lord simply allowed Sennacherib’s own evil lifestyle to catch up with him so that his own sons murdered him as he knelt before a useless idol in worship.
Never seek revenge against your enemies; wait on the Lord. “If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord’s people have always been a waiting people.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
Hezekiah, the prophet Isaiah, and certainly all the people had cried to God to rescue them and the Lord had heard and would answer. In Second Chronicles 32, we read a brief summary of how the Lord intervened on His people’s behalf, but in Second Kings 19, we get a much bigger picture, including a long message delivered by Isaiah to Hezekiah:
“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer about King Sennacherib of Assyria. And the Lord has spoken this word against him: ‘Whom have you been defying and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look with such haughty eyes? It was the Holy One of Israel!
But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble.
I know the way you have raged against Me. And because of your raging against Me and your arrogance, which I have heard for Myself, I will put My hook in your nose and My bit in your mouth. I will make you return by the same road on which you came.’
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘And this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: ‘His armies will not enter Jerusalem. They will not even shoot an arrow at it. They will not march outside its gates with their shields nor build banks of earth against its walls. The king will return to his own country by the same road on which he came. He will not enter this city, says the Lord. For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.’
That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.
One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria” (II Kings 19:20b-21a, 22, 25b, 27b-29a, 32-37).
“But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble.” Sennacherib had no power whatsoever except that which the Lord had allowed him.
“I know the way you have raged against Me.” The people of Judah didn’t lay a hand on Sennacherib. The Lord simply allowed Sennacherib’s own evil lifestyle to catch up with him so that his own sons murdered him as he knelt before a useless idol in worship.
Never seek revenge against your enemies; wait on the Lord. “If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord’s people have always been a waiting people.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
Saturday, March 1, 2014
FINAL POST
WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, I WILL NO LONGER BE POSTING ON THIS BLOG. I HAVE A NEW WEBSITE www.Bargainomics.com IN PROCESS THAT WILL INCLUDE THIS Bible Study. WHEN YOU NO LONGER SEE THE BIBLE STUDY HERE, GO TO THE WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE Bible Study TAB. PLEASE VISIT DAILY TO SEE EACH DAY'S Bible Study. MY WEBSITE INCLUDES OTHER PAGES WITH BARGAINS AND MORE. BLESSINGS TO ALL OF YOU!
SATURDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Sennacherib and the army of Assyria marched into Judah and laid siege to town after town. Hezekiah knew Sennacherib was headed for Jerusalem, so he began preparing their defenses. Then “he appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate. Then Hezekiah encouraged them by saying: ‘Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!’” (II Chronicles 32:6-8a, NLT).
Meanwhile Sennacherib had sent this message: “What are you trusting in that makes you think you can survive my siege of Jerusalem? Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you! Don’t let him fool you like this! I say it again – no god of any nation or kingdom has ever yet been able to rescue his people from me or my ancestors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power!’
And Sennacherib’s officers further mocked the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah, heaping insult upon insult. The king also sent letters scorning the Lord, the God of Israel. He wrote, ‘Just as the gods of all the other nations failed to rescue their people from my power, so the God of Hezekiah will also fail.’ The Assyrian officials who brought the letters shouted this in Hebrew to the people gathered on the walls of the city, trying to terrify them so it would be easier to capture the city. These officers talked about the God of Jerusalem as though he were one of the pagan gods, made by human hands’” (II Chronicles 32:10b, 15-19).
“These officers talked about the God of Jerusalem as though he were one of the pagan gods, made by human hands” and thought they could get away with it! But Hezekiah knew exactly what to do.
“After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: ‘O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.
It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all – only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God’” (II Kings 19:14-19).
Look back at Hezekiah’s speech to the people: “We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” And that’s precisely what Jehovah did – He fought for Jerusalem.
Child of God, you have the entire army of heaven on your side. When the going gets tough, don’t panic; hit your knees. Call out to the Great and Mighty Lord God Almighty. “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us again. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us” (II Corinthians 1:10, NIV).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
Meanwhile Sennacherib had sent this message: “What are you trusting in that makes you think you can survive my siege of Jerusalem? Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you! Don’t let him fool you like this! I say it again – no god of any nation or kingdom has ever yet been able to rescue his people from me or my ancestors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power!’
And Sennacherib’s officers further mocked the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah, heaping insult upon insult. The king also sent letters scorning the Lord, the God of Israel. He wrote, ‘Just as the gods of all the other nations failed to rescue their people from my power, so the God of Hezekiah will also fail.’ The Assyrian officials who brought the letters shouted this in Hebrew to the people gathered on the walls of the city, trying to terrify them so it would be easier to capture the city. These officers talked about the God of Jerusalem as though he were one of the pagan gods, made by human hands’” (II Chronicles 32:10b, 15-19).
“These officers talked about the God of Jerusalem as though he were one of the pagan gods, made by human hands” and thought they could get away with it! But Hezekiah knew exactly what to do.
“After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: ‘O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.
It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all – only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God’” (II Kings 19:14-19).
Look back at Hezekiah’s speech to the people: “We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” And that’s precisely what Jehovah did – He fought for Jerusalem.
Child of God, you have the entire army of heaven on your side. When the going gets tough, don’t panic; hit your knees. Call out to the Great and Mighty Lord God Almighty. “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us again. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us” (II Corinthians 1:10, NIV).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
Friday, February 28, 2014
FRIDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
The people of Judah were on the mountaintop. They were living right; giving right; and everything was going great. Then along comes the valley.
“After Hezekiah had faithfully carried out this work, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified towns, giving orders for his army to break through their walls. When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib also intended to attack Jerusalem, he consulted with his officials and military advisers, and they decided to stop the flow of the springs outside the city. They organized a huge work crew to stop the flow of the springs, cutting off the brook that ran through the fields. For they said, ‘Why should the kings of Assyria come here and find plenty of water?’
Then Hezekiah worked hard at repairing all the broken sections of the wall, erecting towers, and constructing a second wall outside the first. He also reinforced the supporting terraces in the City of David and manufactured large numbers of weapons and shields. He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate. Then Hezekiah encouraged them by saying: ‘Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!’” (II Chronicles 32:1-8a, NLT).
Hezekiah and the people of Judah had been honoring the Lord in all they did, and yet look at what was happening. Sennacherib had no doubt heard how well things were going in Judah, so he intended to take over the country. Hezekiah had no intention of allowing that to happen.
Hezekiah’s response is two-fold: (1) He does everything possible to prepare their defenses; and (2) He relies on God to fight with them.
Hezekiah’s speech is a great one that bears repeating: “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!”
“There is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” Note the two prongs of Hezekiah’s statement: “to help us and to fight… for us.” Hezekiah didn’t expect to sit down and wait on the Lord to deliver them. The army of Judah would fight, but they’d do so knowing they had the army of God fighting alongside them.
So “Hezekiah’s words greatly encouraged the people” (II Chronicles 32:8b).
“While King Sennacherib of Assyria was still besieging the town of Lachish, he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah and all the people in the city: ‘This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you think you can survive my siege of Jerusalem?” (II Chronicles 32:10b).
Sennacherib’s carefully crafted message sought to divide the people. He wanted them to doubt the power of the One God they were trusting in and panic at the thought of all the other gods that could have been there for them had Hezekiah not torn down their pagan shrines and altars. Contrary to Sennacherib’s own plan, though, I believe it was the Lord who prompted him to write the question he sent to Jerusalem: “What are you trusting in that makes you think you can survive?”
All of us right now can name friends and family members going through horrific illnesses; marital problems; financial crises; troubles with their children; and more. And the enemy is taunting, asking, “What are you trusting in that makes you think you can survive?” It’s a really good question. Because unless it’s Jesus, you ain’t gonna make it. If it is Jesus, you are gonna make it; whether in this world or in the next, you are guaranteed the victory that Christ has already bought and paid for.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“After Hezekiah had faithfully carried out this work, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified towns, giving orders for his army to break through their walls. When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib also intended to attack Jerusalem, he consulted with his officials and military advisers, and they decided to stop the flow of the springs outside the city. They organized a huge work crew to stop the flow of the springs, cutting off the brook that ran through the fields. For they said, ‘Why should the kings of Assyria come here and find plenty of water?’
Then Hezekiah worked hard at repairing all the broken sections of the wall, erecting towers, and constructing a second wall outside the first. He also reinforced the supporting terraces in the City of David and manufactured large numbers of weapons and shields. He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate. Then Hezekiah encouraged them by saying: ‘Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!’” (II Chronicles 32:1-8a, NLT).
Hezekiah and the people of Judah had been honoring the Lord in all they did, and yet look at what was happening. Sennacherib had no doubt heard how well things were going in Judah, so he intended to take over the country. Hezekiah had no intention of allowing that to happen.
Hezekiah’s response is two-fold: (1) He does everything possible to prepare their defenses; and (2) He relies on God to fight with them.
Hezekiah’s speech is a great one that bears repeating: “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!”
“There is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” Note the two prongs of Hezekiah’s statement: “to help us and to fight… for us.” Hezekiah didn’t expect to sit down and wait on the Lord to deliver them. The army of Judah would fight, but they’d do so knowing they had the army of God fighting alongside them.
So “Hezekiah’s words greatly encouraged the people” (II Chronicles 32:8b).
“While King Sennacherib of Assyria was still besieging the town of Lachish, he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah and all the people in the city: ‘This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you think you can survive my siege of Jerusalem?” (II Chronicles 32:10b).
Sennacherib’s carefully crafted message sought to divide the people. He wanted them to doubt the power of the One God they were trusting in and panic at the thought of all the other gods that could have been there for them had Hezekiah not torn down their pagan shrines and altars. Contrary to Sennacherib’s own plan, though, I believe it was the Lord who prompted him to write the question he sent to Jerusalem: “What are you trusting in that makes you think you can survive?”
All of us right now can name friends and family members going through horrific illnesses; marital problems; financial crises; troubles with their children; and more. And the enemy is taunting, asking, “What are you trusting in that makes you think you can survive?” It’s a really good question. Because unless it’s Jesus, you ain’t gonna make it. If it is Jesus, you are gonna make it; whether in this world or in the next, you are guaranteed the victory that Christ has already bought and paid for.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$60 BARSKA 15-40x50mm SPOTTING SCOPE - $24.99.
$300 LEATHERWOOD 3-9x40 BLACK POWDER SCOPE - $79.99.
$658 U.S. MILITARY SURPLUS DUAL FUEL STOVE/HEATER - $219.99. Brand new, unused; accepts liquid fuels such as diesel, gasoline, even jet fuel. Also burns solid fuels such as wood or coal. $25 heavy item shipping charge.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
THURSDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Hezekiah reopened the Temple, rededicated it to the Lord, celebrated the Passover, and reinstituted the tithe. The priests and Levites were able to devote themselves to their assigned functions in and around the Temple and the generosity of the people was so great that Hezekiah had to order extra storerooms built onto the Temple. There was no one in need because the people gave faithfully, cheerfully, and for the right reason: to honor and obey Jehovah.
God certainly won’t bless a stingy giver, but neither will He bless a wrongly motivated one. Televangelists who own multiple multi-million-dollar homes and sport around in Rolls Royces are always quick to promise a blessing to the person who’ll send them a donation. News flash: if they’ve accumulated that much wealth, they don’t need any more contributions. Let them sell off some of their own stuff and use that money to finance their ministry – after all, their viewers are the ones who made all that possible to begin with.
Not only that, but if your motivation for giving is to receive more than you gave, you might as well flush that contribution straight down the toilet. God blesses those who give from the heart. And He knows the intent of every heart. If your giving is for the purpose of getting, then as James 4:3a says it, “you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong.” But if your giving is first and foremost to honor His Name, He will most assuredly bless it.
The rest of Second Chronicles 31 lists the names of those who took charge of all the tithes and offerings coming into the Temple. Some of these men “distributed the gifts among the families of priests in their towns by their divisions, dividing the gifts fairly among old and young alike” (II Chronicles 31:15).
Not all the priests lived in Jerusalem. Priests lived in towns throughout Judah, so it was important to have trustworthy men to see that these men were also given an allotment from the goods pouring into the Temple. Not only did the assigned men do their job responsibly, they did so with absolute impartiality “among the old and young alike.”
“In this way, King Hezekiah handled the distribution throughout all Judah, doing what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful” (II Chronicles 31:20-21).
Hezekiah was blessed because he did “what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God.” He consciously sought to “follow God’s laws and commands” and he “sought his God wholeheartedly.” That was the key to Hezekiah’s success.
The formula hasn’t changed and it sure wasn’t exclusively for Hezekiah. When any person chooses to live a life seeking to please God wholeheartedly, he, my friends, has aligned himself for blessings.
And just as we saw with the people of Judah, when God’s blessings were bestowed, the recipients didn’t hoard the excess; they simply had more to give away. The entire nation lived under God’s blessing because of the faithfulness of His people.
“God has given us two hands – one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing.” (Billy Graham)
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
God certainly won’t bless a stingy giver, but neither will He bless a wrongly motivated one. Televangelists who own multiple multi-million-dollar homes and sport around in Rolls Royces are always quick to promise a blessing to the person who’ll send them a donation. News flash: if they’ve accumulated that much wealth, they don’t need any more contributions. Let them sell off some of their own stuff and use that money to finance their ministry – after all, their viewers are the ones who made all that possible to begin with.
Not only that, but if your motivation for giving is to receive more than you gave, you might as well flush that contribution straight down the toilet. God blesses those who give from the heart. And He knows the intent of every heart. If your giving is for the purpose of getting, then as James 4:3a says it, “you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong.” But if your giving is first and foremost to honor His Name, He will most assuredly bless it.
The rest of Second Chronicles 31 lists the names of those who took charge of all the tithes and offerings coming into the Temple. Some of these men “distributed the gifts among the families of priests in their towns by their divisions, dividing the gifts fairly among old and young alike” (II Chronicles 31:15).
Not all the priests lived in Jerusalem. Priests lived in towns throughout Judah, so it was important to have trustworthy men to see that these men were also given an allotment from the goods pouring into the Temple. Not only did the assigned men do their job responsibly, they did so with absolute impartiality “among the old and young alike.”
“In this way, King Hezekiah handled the distribution throughout all Judah, doing what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful” (II Chronicles 31:20-21).
Hezekiah was blessed because he did “what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God.” He consciously sought to “follow God’s laws and commands” and he “sought his God wholeheartedly.” That was the key to Hezekiah’s success.
The formula hasn’t changed and it sure wasn’t exclusively for Hezekiah. When any person chooses to live a life seeking to please God wholeheartedly, he, my friends, has aligned himself for blessings.
And just as we saw with the people of Judah, when God’s blessings were bestowed, the recipients didn’t hoard the excess; they simply had more to give away. The entire nation lived under God’s blessing because of the faithfulness of His people.
“God has given us two hands – one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing.” (Billy Graham)
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$49.99 OVERSIZED LOW-PROFILE CREEPER - $19.99 w/coupon code.
$24.99 80-PC ROTARY TOOL KIT - $8.29 w/coupon code.
$119.99 2500LB. ELECTRIC ATV/UTILITY WINCH w/WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL - $59.99 w/coupon code.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
WEDNESDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
It’s easy to tell how committed a person is when it comes to just about anything. A wife who’s committed to her husband is going to love him, respect him, and be faithful to him. Likewise a husband who loves his wife. A person who’s committed to building a relationship will happily put in all the necessary time and effort. Hezekiah exemplified a deep commitment to the Lord, and the people of Judah responded by returning to faithful worship of Jehovah.
The people’s sincere devotion opened up “the floodgates of heaven” (Malachi 3:10b, NIV) and word undoubtedly spread about the joy and peace and abundance that the Lord was bestowing upon His faithful followers.
Giving of their material wealth and finances proved the sincerity of their commitment. “The people of Israel... brought in the tithes” (II Chronicles 31:5a, 6b). And the result? Azariah the high priest told Hezekiah, “Since the people began bringing their gifts to the Lord’s Temple, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare. The Lord has blessed His people, and all this is left over” (II Chronicles 31:10b). The heaps of goods Azariah showed Hezekiah were merely the leftovers of what hadn’t already been distributed!
Sadly, today’s average professing Christian’s giving is little or nothing. If churches were filled with committed, tithing believers, I can only begin to imagine the great things churches could accomplish for the glory of God.
Let’s say a church has 100 adult members, each of whom has an average annual income of only $30,000. The tithes coming into that church would be $300,000 each year, not to mention any other gifts the members wished to contribute.
Reality, though, paints a much gloomier picture. Only about five percent of adult church members tithe (according to a study by the Barna Group) while, according to another study, more than one out of four Protestant Christians gives nothing whatsoever. And that means, in all likelihood, the church mentioned above would be operating on more like $60,000 in annual contributions.
The church Jesus Christ gave His life for is operating at five to ten percent of its potential. No, everything isn’t about dollar figures, but as Jesus very succinctly summed it up, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Luke 12:34). And the fact is, most churchgoers aren’t remotely concerned with the survival of – let alone the expansion of – the Kingdom of God. If they cared, their pocketbooks would show it.
Hezekiah’s people were dead serious about honoring the Lord – so much so that “Hezekiah ordered that storerooms be prepared in the Temple of the Lord. When this was done, the people faithfully brought all the tithes and gifts to the Temple” (II Chronicles 31:11-12a).
The Temple had run out of places to put the people’s tithes and offerings and had to have storerooms added on. Apparently even with all that generosity, the people were holding back until the priests and Levites could figure out where to put everything because as soon as the storerooms were built, the people were at it again – giving, giving, giving.
Azariah told Hezekiah, “The Lord has blessed His people, and all this is left over.” Because “the people faithfully brought all the tithes and gifts to the Temple,” God blessed them with abundance. Like the widow at Zerephath whose flour and oil were miraculously replenished by the Lord, the faithful tither is provided for in ways he’s never even imagined.
Think about a farmer who’s down to his last cup of corn kernels. He can hold onto it or take it out and plant it. Hoarding it may give him enough to grind into a little bit of corn meal, but sowing it into the field will give him enough to eat and much left over to share with others. Not immediately, no; but in due time.
Give generously; then trust God to multiply not only what you’ve held onto but also that which you’ve sown, “that He may lift you up in due time” (I Peter 5:6b, NIV).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
The people’s sincere devotion opened up “the floodgates of heaven” (Malachi 3:10b, NIV) and word undoubtedly spread about the joy and peace and abundance that the Lord was bestowing upon His faithful followers.
Giving of their material wealth and finances proved the sincerity of their commitment. “The people of Israel... brought in the tithes” (II Chronicles 31:5a, 6b). And the result? Azariah the high priest told Hezekiah, “Since the people began bringing their gifts to the Lord’s Temple, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare. The Lord has blessed His people, and all this is left over” (II Chronicles 31:10b). The heaps of goods Azariah showed Hezekiah were merely the leftovers of what hadn’t already been distributed!
Sadly, today’s average professing Christian’s giving is little or nothing. If churches were filled with committed, tithing believers, I can only begin to imagine the great things churches could accomplish for the glory of God.
Let’s say a church has 100 adult members, each of whom has an average annual income of only $30,000. The tithes coming into that church would be $300,000 each year, not to mention any other gifts the members wished to contribute.
Reality, though, paints a much gloomier picture. Only about five percent of adult church members tithe (according to a study by the Barna Group) while, according to another study, more than one out of four Protestant Christians gives nothing whatsoever. And that means, in all likelihood, the church mentioned above would be operating on more like $60,000 in annual contributions.
The church Jesus Christ gave His life for is operating at five to ten percent of its potential. No, everything isn’t about dollar figures, but as Jesus very succinctly summed it up, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Luke 12:34). And the fact is, most churchgoers aren’t remotely concerned with the survival of – let alone the expansion of – the Kingdom of God. If they cared, their pocketbooks would show it.
Hezekiah’s people were dead serious about honoring the Lord – so much so that “Hezekiah ordered that storerooms be prepared in the Temple of the Lord. When this was done, the people faithfully brought all the tithes and gifts to the Temple” (II Chronicles 31:11-12a).
The Temple had run out of places to put the people’s tithes and offerings and had to have storerooms added on. Apparently even with all that generosity, the people were holding back until the priests and Levites could figure out where to put everything because as soon as the storerooms were built, the people were at it again – giving, giving, giving.
Azariah told Hezekiah, “The Lord has blessed His people, and all this is left over.” Because “the people faithfully brought all the tithes and gifts to the Temple,” God blessed them with abundance. Like the widow at Zerephath whose flour and oil were miraculously replenished by the Lord, the faithful tither is provided for in ways he’s never even imagined.
Think about a farmer who’s down to his last cup of corn kernels. He can hold onto it or take it out and plant it. Hoarding it may give him enough to grind into a little bit of corn meal, but sowing it into the field will give him enough to eat and much left over to share with others. Not immediately, no; but in due time.
Give generously; then trust God to multiply not only what you’ve held onto but also that which you’ve sown, “that He may lift you up in due time” (I Peter 5:6b, NIV).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$99.99 LUCAS ORIGINAL REALTREE XTRA CAMO BACKPACK - $39.99.
$400 ADOLFO VENICE LIGHTWEIGHT 5-PC LUGGAGE SET - $159.99; FREE SHIPPING.
$30 TOTES OUTDOORS HEATED CAMO TRAVEL MUG - $7.99. Plugs into car outlet.
$49.99 OLEG CASSINI 20" ROLLING DUFFEL BAG in GRAY CHEETAH PRINT - $19.99.
$140 AT&C ESCAPE 360 DEGREES 21" SPINNER LUGGAGE in GIRAFFE PRINT - $29.99.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
TUESDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Hezekiah’s faithfulness to God led the people of Judah to turn back to the Lord. And because of this, Judah experienced God’s blessings. Hezekiah “remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses. So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did” (II Kings 18:6a, 7a, NLT).
“When the festival ended, the Israelites who attended went to all the towns of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, and they smashed all the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and removed the pagan shrines and altars. After this, the Israelites returned to their own towns and homes.
Hezekiah then organized the priests and Levites into divisions to offer the burnt offerings and peace offerings, and to worship and give thanks and praise to the Lord at the gates of the Temple. The king also made a personal contribution of animals for the daily morning and evening burnt offerings, the weekly Sabbath festivals, the monthly new moon festivals, and the annual festivals as prescribed in the Law of the Lord. In addition, he required the people in Jerusalem to bring a portion of their goods to the priests and Levites, so they could devote themselves fully to the Law of the Lord” (II Chronicles 31:1-4).
“The king also made a personal contribution.” Even though Hezekiah generously provided from the royal coffers, he wanted to give from his private holdings, too, so he “made a personal contribution of animals” for every occasion “prescribed in the Law of the Lord.”
Hezekiah also “required the people in Jerusalem to bring a portion of their goods to the priests and Levites.” Why? So the priests and Levites “could devote themselves fully to the Law of the Lord.”
Ask any bi-vocational pastor how hard it is to prepare sermons, visit church members, and do the countless other tasks of a church leader while trying to hold down another job because the church won’t or can’t pay him enough to live on. Hezekiah didn’t want anything to divide the focus of the priests and Levites; he wanted them provided for so that their only job was serving in their assigned capacities in and around the Temple.
“When the people of Israel heard these requirements, they responded generously by bringing the first share of their grain, new wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a large quantity – a tithe of all they produced. The people who had moved to Judah from Israel, and the people of Judah themselves, brought in the tithes of their cattle, sheep, and goats and a tithe of the things that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them up in great heaps. They began piling them up in late spring, and the heaps continued to grow until early autumn. When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw these huge piles, they thanked the Lord and His people Israel!” (II Chronicles 31:5-8).
“When the people of Israel heard these requirements,” they whined? They complained? They begrudged? No, “they responded generously.” Note that this passage says “the people of Israel.” Not only did the people of Judah give generously, but so did “the people who had moved to Judah from Israel.” Everyone “brought in the tithes.”
Because everyone was obedient in their giving, the Temple was filled to overflowing. “‘Where did all this come from?’ Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites. And Azariah the high priest, from the family of Zadok, replied, ‘Since the people began bringing their gifts to the Lord’s Temple, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare. The Lord has blessed His people, and all this is left over’” (II Chronicles 31:9-10).
Obedience brought blessing. “God loves a person who gives cheerfully” (II Corinthians 9:7b).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“When the festival ended, the Israelites who attended went to all the towns of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, and they smashed all the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and removed the pagan shrines and altars. After this, the Israelites returned to their own towns and homes.
Hezekiah then organized the priests and Levites into divisions to offer the burnt offerings and peace offerings, and to worship and give thanks and praise to the Lord at the gates of the Temple. The king also made a personal contribution of animals for the daily morning and evening burnt offerings, the weekly Sabbath festivals, the monthly new moon festivals, and the annual festivals as prescribed in the Law of the Lord. In addition, he required the people in Jerusalem to bring a portion of their goods to the priests and Levites, so they could devote themselves fully to the Law of the Lord” (II Chronicles 31:1-4).
“The king also made a personal contribution.” Even though Hezekiah generously provided from the royal coffers, he wanted to give from his private holdings, too, so he “made a personal contribution of animals” for every occasion “prescribed in the Law of the Lord.”
Hezekiah also “required the people in Jerusalem to bring a portion of their goods to the priests and Levites.” Why? So the priests and Levites “could devote themselves fully to the Law of the Lord.”
Ask any bi-vocational pastor how hard it is to prepare sermons, visit church members, and do the countless other tasks of a church leader while trying to hold down another job because the church won’t or can’t pay him enough to live on. Hezekiah didn’t want anything to divide the focus of the priests and Levites; he wanted them provided for so that their only job was serving in their assigned capacities in and around the Temple.
“When the people of Israel heard these requirements, they responded generously by bringing the first share of their grain, new wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a large quantity – a tithe of all they produced. The people who had moved to Judah from Israel, and the people of Judah themselves, brought in the tithes of their cattle, sheep, and goats and a tithe of the things that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them up in great heaps. They began piling them up in late spring, and the heaps continued to grow until early autumn. When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw these huge piles, they thanked the Lord and His people Israel!” (II Chronicles 31:5-8).
“When the people of Israel heard these requirements,” they whined? They complained? They begrudged? No, “they responded generously.” Note that this passage says “the people of Israel.” Not only did the people of Judah give generously, but so did “the people who had moved to Judah from Israel.” Everyone “brought in the tithes.”
Because everyone was obedient in their giving, the Temple was filled to overflowing. “‘Where did all this come from?’ Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites. And Azariah the high priest, from the family of Zadok, replied, ‘Since the people began bringing their gifts to the Lord’s Temple, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare. The Lord has blessed His people, and all this is left over’” (II Chronicles 31:9-10).
Obedience brought blessing. “God loves a person who gives cheerfully” (II Corinthians 9:7b).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$28.50 BLACK GLITTER ANKLE-STRAP HEEL - $8.49; sizes 6-9.
$17.99 LADIES' LONG-SLEEVED STRIPED TOP - $6.99; in coral or navy stripes; sizes XS-XL.
$38.99 "FUR"-TRIMMED BOMBER JACKET - $15.49; color: chestnut; sizes S-XL.
$22.99 CROCHET TEXTURED HACCI TOP - $8.99; very lightweight long-sleeved; color: ivory; sizes S & M.
$7.99 NAIL ROCK MANICURE SET - $1.99; includes nail polish & metallic beads.
Monday, February 24, 2014
MONDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Hezekiah refused to “stand on ceremony” and, instead, trusted that the people who came to Passover “from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun” (II Chronicles 30:11a, NLT) should be included in the service. They may not have been through the exacting requirements of ritual purification, but their attitude in going against the vast majority who made fun of Hezekiah’s invitation showed an inner change. These people had truly “humbled themselves” (II Chronicles 30:11b) in coming to Jerusalem and were permitted to join in with the rest of the celebrants.
“So the people of Israel who were present in Jerusalem joyously celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. Each day the Levites and priests sang to the Lord, accompanied by loud instruments. Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites regarding the skill they displayed as they served the Lord. The celebration continued for seven days. Peace offerings were sacrificed, and the people gave thanks to the Lord, the God of their ancestors” (II Chronicles 30:21-22).
“Hezekiah encouraged all.” Hezekiah didn’t sit or stand with his hands hanging to his sides as the musicians sang and played for the glory of God. He let them know that he and all the people appreciated “the skill they displayed as they served the Lord.” He let them know that God was pleased with their efforts and their attitudes. How in need of encouragers are our churches, homes, schools, and workplaces!
“The entire assembly then decided to continue the festival another seven days, so they celebrated joyfully for another week. King Hezekiah gave the people 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats for offerings, and the officials donated 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats. Meanwhile, many more priests purified themselves” (II Chronicles 30:23-24).
“The entire assembly then decided to continue… another seven days.” Reminds of the little old ladies I've mentioned before. She sat in a restaurant booth next to my family after church one Sunday. One voiced what was clearly the opinion of their whole table: “I go to church from 11am till noon. If that preacher can’t say what he’s got to say in that length of time, I don’t need to hear it.” Imagine if her pastor had just announced a week-long extension of the service!
To the people of Hezekiah’s day, God dwelt in the Temple. To be in the Temple was to be in the presence of God and they were thrilled to be with Him and didn’t want this special time to end. “So they celebrated joyfully for another week.”
“The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, including the priests, the Levites, all who came from the land of Israel, the foreigners who came to the festival, and all those who lived in Judah. There was great joy in the city, for Jerusalem had not seen a celebration like this one since the days of Solomon, King David’s son. Then the priests and Levites stood and blessed the people, and God heard their prayer from His holy dwelling in heaven” (II Chronicles 30:25-27).
“God heard their prayer.” Oftentimes when a worship service is coming to a close, there’s a mass exodus of people who want to be first out of the parking lot and first into the eateries. Nobody in Jerusalem was in a hurry to go anywhere; they just wanted to be with Jehovah.
Don’t spend the last minutes of your church service figuring out where you’re going to eat or what you’re going to fix. Forget about the agenda ahead of you that week. Pray. Pray for the lost. Pray for the hurting. Pray for your spiritual eyes and ears to be open. Tell the Lord that nothing is more important to you than hearing His Message.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“So the people of Israel who were present in Jerusalem joyously celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. Each day the Levites and priests sang to the Lord, accompanied by loud instruments. Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites regarding the skill they displayed as they served the Lord. The celebration continued for seven days. Peace offerings were sacrificed, and the people gave thanks to the Lord, the God of their ancestors” (II Chronicles 30:21-22).
“Hezekiah encouraged all.” Hezekiah didn’t sit or stand with his hands hanging to his sides as the musicians sang and played for the glory of God. He let them know that he and all the people appreciated “the skill they displayed as they served the Lord.” He let them know that God was pleased with their efforts and their attitudes. How in need of encouragers are our churches, homes, schools, and workplaces!
“The entire assembly then decided to continue the festival another seven days, so they celebrated joyfully for another week. King Hezekiah gave the people 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats for offerings, and the officials donated 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats. Meanwhile, many more priests purified themselves” (II Chronicles 30:23-24).
“The entire assembly then decided to continue… another seven days.” Reminds of the little old ladies I've mentioned before. She sat in a restaurant booth next to my family after church one Sunday. One voiced what was clearly the opinion of their whole table: “I go to church from 11am till noon. If that preacher can’t say what he’s got to say in that length of time, I don’t need to hear it.” Imagine if her pastor had just announced a week-long extension of the service!
To the people of Hezekiah’s day, God dwelt in the Temple. To be in the Temple was to be in the presence of God and they were thrilled to be with Him and didn’t want this special time to end. “So they celebrated joyfully for another week.”
“The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, including the priests, the Levites, all who came from the land of Israel, the foreigners who came to the festival, and all those who lived in Judah. There was great joy in the city, for Jerusalem had not seen a celebration like this one since the days of Solomon, King David’s son. Then the priests and Levites stood and blessed the people, and God heard their prayer from His holy dwelling in heaven” (II Chronicles 30:25-27).
“God heard their prayer.” Oftentimes when a worship service is coming to a close, there’s a mass exodus of people who want to be first out of the parking lot and first into the eateries. Nobody in Jerusalem was in a hurry to go anywhere; they just wanted to be with Jehovah.
Don’t spend the last minutes of your church service figuring out where you’re going to eat or what you’re going to fix. Forget about the agenda ahead of you that week. Pray. Pray for the lost. Pray for the hurting. Pray for your spiritual eyes and ears to be open. Tell the Lord that nothing is more important to you than hearing His Message.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
I've found some fabulous bargains on www.1Sale.com; these deals are good TODAY ONLY:
$99.99 MAGELLAN 2045-LM GPS w/LIFETIME MAP UPDATES & MUCH MORE - $39.99 w/FREE SHIPPING.
16GB GOOGLE NEXUS 7" 2nd GENERATION FHD TABLET - $159.99 w/FREE SHIPPING.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
SUNDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Hezekiah sent an invitation to the people of Israel, inviting them to come and share in a time of repentance and celebrating the Passover. They responded by making fun of the messengers, which means they were also making fun of the message. They had no use for the things of God and thought it was hilarious that Hezekiah and Judah were so caught up in this old-time religion. Israel had found plenty of new gods to worship – and these gods went in for stuff that the old way condemned as “sinful.” No, let Judah have the Temple and the old God; Israel was having more fun with its idolatry.
Israel was getting slammed on every side. They were clearly headed down the road to disaster, and yet they preferred their false gods to the Real One. Reminds me of people I’ve known who get caught up in the drug scene. They’re broke; homeless; willing to do anything to get their hands on one more hit; and every time they wake up, they’re sick and miserable and needing to get that fix all over again. How fun is that! And yet they’re so entangled in that lifestyle that they refuse to see themselves for the messes they’ve become. Such was Israel.
But all of Israel hadn’t turned their backs on Hezekiah’s invitation: “Some people from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem” (II Chronicles 30:11).
Jesus taught a parable about a farmer scattering seeds. He scattered a lot of seeds, but all of them didn’t hit the same kind of ground. However, some, my brothers and sisters, “fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Matthew 13:8). Pray. And plant lots of seeds, because the more you plant, the more opportunities for seeds to hit places where they’ll begin to take root. And God will bless you for your faithfulness, just as He blessed Hezekiah.
“God’s hand was on the people in the land of Judah, giving them all one heart to obey the orders of the king and his officials, who were following the word of the Lord. So a huge crowd assembled at Jerusalem in midspring to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread.
Most of those who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not purified themselves. But King Hezekiah prayed for them” (II Chronicles 30:12-13, 17-18a).
You’ve heard the expression “stand on ceremony.” Hezekiah didn’t. Even though there was a prescribed way of cleansing in order to be purified for participating in religious ceremonies, Hezekiah believed that “those who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun” had displayed their repentant attitudes by coming to Jerusalem when most of the people of Israel had merely laughed at Judah’s messengers. Hezekiah wisely realized that “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7b).
So how did Hezekiah’s reception of these people work out? “They were allowed to eat the Passover meal anyway, even though this was contrary to the requirements of the Law. For Hezekiah said, ‘May the Lord, who is good, pardon those who decide to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors, even though they are not properly cleansed for the ceremony’” (II Chronicles 30:18b-20).
Not one person said, “That’s not the way we do it here.” Nary a one said, “If you’re going to let them participate, count me out.” The people were so focused on honoring the Lord that they didn’t waste time criticizing. Nobody wanted to spoil such a holy time with one negative word about anything.
And because of their right attitude, “the Lord listened to Hezekiah’s prayer and healed the people.” Attitude. It can make or break a church, a marriage, or a friendship.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
Israel was getting slammed on every side. They were clearly headed down the road to disaster, and yet they preferred their false gods to the Real One. Reminds me of people I’ve known who get caught up in the drug scene. They’re broke; homeless; willing to do anything to get their hands on one more hit; and every time they wake up, they’re sick and miserable and needing to get that fix all over again. How fun is that! And yet they’re so entangled in that lifestyle that they refuse to see themselves for the messes they’ve become. Such was Israel.
But all of Israel hadn’t turned their backs on Hezekiah’s invitation: “Some people from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem” (II Chronicles 30:11).
Jesus taught a parable about a farmer scattering seeds. He scattered a lot of seeds, but all of them didn’t hit the same kind of ground. However, some, my brothers and sisters, “fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Matthew 13:8). Pray. And plant lots of seeds, because the more you plant, the more opportunities for seeds to hit places where they’ll begin to take root. And God will bless you for your faithfulness, just as He blessed Hezekiah.
“God’s hand was on the people in the land of Judah, giving them all one heart to obey the orders of the king and his officials, who were following the word of the Lord. So a huge crowd assembled at Jerusalem in midspring to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread.
Most of those who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not purified themselves. But King Hezekiah prayed for them” (II Chronicles 30:12-13, 17-18a).
You’ve heard the expression “stand on ceremony.” Hezekiah didn’t. Even though there was a prescribed way of cleansing in order to be purified for participating in religious ceremonies, Hezekiah believed that “those who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun” had displayed their repentant attitudes by coming to Jerusalem when most of the people of Israel had merely laughed at Judah’s messengers. Hezekiah wisely realized that “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7b).
So how did Hezekiah’s reception of these people work out? “They were allowed to eat the Passover meal anyway, even though this was contrary to the requirements of the Law. For Hezekiah said, ‘May the Lord, who is good, pardon those who decide to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors, even though they are not properly cleansed for the ceremony’” (II Chronicles 30:18b-20).
Not one person said, “That’s not the way we do it here.” Nary a one said, “If you’re going to let them participate, count me out.” The people were so focused on honoring the Lord that they didn’t waste time criticizing. Nobody wanted to spoil such a holy time with one negative word about anything.
And because of their right attitude, “the Lord listened to Hezekiah’s prayer and healed the people.” Attitude. It can make or break a church, a marriage, or a friendship.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
Saturday, February 22, 2014
SATURDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Hezekiah cared deeply for the spiritual welfare of not only the people of Judah, but also Israel. He sent runners throughout Israel, inviting these fellow Israelites to join them in repentance and celebration of the Passover. How did these invitees respond?
“The runners went from town to town throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as the territory of Zebulun. But most of the people just laughed at the runners and made fun of them” (II Chronicles 30:10).
“Most of the people just laughed… and made fun of them.” Folks, being laughed at is a small price to pay for reaching out to others with the love of Jesus. Only in heaven will we learn the final outcome of the countless seeds we’ll plant throughout our lifetimes. While untold numbers Christians in other nations die daily for their faith, surely we can be courageous enough to risk a bit of embarrassment.
Sharing the Good News is so important that Jesus told a number of parables (teaching stories) relating to just that. In Matthew 25:14-30 we read the “Parable of the Three Servants.” In it, Jesus says a man preparing to leave on a long journey gives money to three of his servants and instructs them to use it wisely until he returns.
Two of the servants invest their master’s money so that they’ve doubled it by the time he returns. But one servant buries the money he’s been entrusted with and has not one bit extra to show for all the time he’s been given to invest it. Jesus concludes the parable with the master saying, “Throw this useless servant into outer darkness” (Matthew 25:30a).
Folks, every person who’s been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb has been entrusted with the precious Good News of Jesus and we’re to invest it by sharing it with others.
How many people have you shared the Good News with today? Yesterday? This week? This month? This year? We’re saved to share, not to shun the spreading of the Gospel. The servant who hid it away wasn’t even a believer; otherwise he wouldn’t have been cast “into outer darkness.”
Jesus didn’t beat around the bush when He said, “Everyone who denies Me here on earth, I will also deny before My Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:33). Nor did the apostle Paul who told us: “I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16a).
If you aren’t “ashamed of this Good News,” then you should be telling it. If you aren’t “ashamed of the Good News,” nobody should have to ask you whether or not you’re a Christian. They should know it by your walk, your talk, and your Christ-like love for others.
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples” (Jesus speaking, John 13:35).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“The runners went from town to town throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as the territory of Zebulun. But most of the people just laughed at the runners and made fun of them” (II Chronicles 30:10).
“Most of the people just laughed… and made fun of them.” Folks, being laughed at is a small price to pay for reaching out to others with the love of Jesus. Only in heaven will we learn the final outcome of the countless seeds we’ll plant throughout our lifetimes. While untold numbers Christians in other nations die daily for their faith, surely we can be courageous enough to risk a bit of embarrassment.
Sharing the Good News is so important that Jesus told a number of parables (teaching stories) relating to just that. In Matthew 25:14-30 we read the “Parable of the Three Servants.” In it, Jesus says a man preparing to leave on a long journey gives money to three of his servants and instructs them to use it wisely until he returns.
Two of the servants invest their master’s money so that they’ve doubled it by the time he returns. But one servant buries the money he’s been entrusted with and has not one bit extra to show for all the time he’s been given to invest it. Jesus concludes the parable with the master saying, “Throw this useless servant into outer darkness” (Matthew 25:30a).
Folks, every person who’s been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb has been entrusted with the precious Good News of Jesus and we’re to invest it by sharing it with others.
How many people have you shared the Good News with today? Yesterday? This week? This month? This year? We’re saved to share, not to shun the spreading of the Gospel. The servant who hid it away wasn’t even a believer; otherwise he wouldn’t have been cast “into outer darkness.”
Jesus didn’t beat around the bush when He said, “Everyone who denies Me here on earth, I will also deny before My Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:33). Nor did the apostle Paul who told us: “I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16a).
If you aren’t “ashamed of this Good News,” then you should be telling it. If you aren’t “ashamed of the Good News,” nobody should have to ask you whether or not you’re a Christian. They should know it by your walk, your talk, and your Christ-like love for others.
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples” (Jesus speaking, John 13:35).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$80 GUIDE GEAR LADIES' 3-PC PAJAMA SET - $17.99; includes pants, long-sleeved top & tank; in blue or pink; sizes S-XL.
$200-$225 ZERO NINE BLACK OPS ROAD RACE OR OFF-ROAD CARBON FIBER MOTORCYCLE HELMET - $89.99; sizes S-XL.
$380 BROWNING 14' DELUXE TRIPOD HUNTING/SHOOTING STAND - $129.99; non-glare matte powder coat.
$130 CASTLE CREEK STARBURST FULL/QUEEN CHENILLE COMFORTER SET - $49.99; includes 94x90 comforter/spread & shams.
Friday, February 21, 2014
FRIDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
The Temple and the people were rededicated to God: “The king and everyone with him bowed down in worship. Then Hezekiah declared, ‘Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, bring your sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings to the Temple of the Lord’” (II Chronicles 29:29, 31a, NLT).
“So the people brought their sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings, too. The people brought to the Lord 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 male lambs for burnt offerings. They also brought 600 cattle and 3,000 sheep and goats as sacred offerings.
But there were too few priests to prepare all the burnt offerings. So their relatives the Levites helped them until the work was finished and more priests had been purified, for the Levites had been more conscientious about purifying themselves than the priests had been. There was an abundance of burnt offerings, along with the usual liquid offerings, and a great deal of fat from the many peace offerings.
So the Temple of the Lord was restored to service. And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of what God had done for the people” (II Chronicles 29:31b-36a).
With the Temple and the people back in harmony with Jehovah, “King Hezekiah now sent word to all Israel and Judah, and he wrote letters of invitation to the people of Ephraim and Manasseh. He asked everyone to come to the Temple of the Lord at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the Lord, the God of Israel. The king, his officials, and all the community of Jerusalem decided to celebrate Passover a month later than usual. They were unable to celebrate it at the prescribed time because not enough priests could be purified by then, and the people had not yet assembled at Jerusalem” (II Chronicles 30:1-3).
You’ve heard the expression, “Better late than never.” Despite being unable to hold their Passover celebration at the appropriate time, Hezekiah wasn’t going to let Judah miss out. The Passover commemorated the Israelite’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. As the death angel passed through the land, only those houses with the blood of the sacrificed Passover lamb were spared the death of their first-born. Year after year this ceremony pointed God’s people to Jesus.
“This plan for keeping the Passover seemed right to the king and all the people. So they sent a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north, inviting everyone to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the Lord, the God of Israel. The people had not been celebrating it in great numbers as required in the Law.
At the king’s command, runners were sent throughout Israel and Judah. They carried letters that said: ‘O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He will return to the few of us who have survived the conquest of the Assyrian kings. Do not be like your ancestors and relatives who abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and became an object of derision, as you yourselves can see. Do not be stubborn, as they were, but submit yourselves to the Lord. Come to His Temple, which He has set apart as holy forever. Worship the Lord your God so that His fierce anger will turn away from you.
For if you return to the Lord, your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to Him, He will not continue to turn His face from you” (II Chronicles 30:4-9).
Despite their conflicts, Hezekiah still cared deeply for the spiritual welfare of all his fellow Israelites. He urged Israel to join with Judah in repentance and celebration of the Most High God. How would Israel respond?
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“So the people brought their sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings, too. The people brought to the Lord 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 male lambs for burnt offerings. They also brought 600 cattle and 3,000 sheep and goats as sacred offerings.
But there were too few priests to prepare all the burnt offerings. So their relatives the Levites helped them until the work was finished and more priests had been purified, for the Levites had been more conscientious about purifying themselves than the priests had been. There was an abundance of burnt offerings, along with the usual liquid offerings, and a great deal of fat from the many peace offerings.
So the Temple of the Lord was restored to service. And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of what God had done for the people” (II Chronicles 29:31b-36a).
With the Temple and the people back in harmony with Jehovah, “King Hezekiah now sent word to all Israel and Judah, and he wrote letters of invitation to the people of Ephraim and Manasseh. He asked everyone to come to the Temple of the Lord at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the Lord, the God of Israel. The king, his officials, and all the community of Jerusalem decided to celebrate Passover a month later than usual. They were unable to celebrate it at the prescribed time because not enough priests could be purified by then, and the people had not yet assembled at Jerusalem” (II Chronicles 30:1-3).
You’ve heard the expression, “Better late than never.” Despite being unable to hold their Passover celebration at the appropriate time, Hezekiah wasn’t going to let Judah miss out. The Passover commemorated the Israelite’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. As the death angel passed through the land, only those houses with the blood of the sacrificed Passover lamb were spared the death of their first-born. Year after year this ceremony pointed God’s people to Jesus.
“This plan for keeping the Passover seemed right to the king and all the people. So they sent a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north, inviting everyone to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the Lord, the God of Israel. The people had not been celebrating it in great numbers as required in the Law.
At the king’s command, runners were sent throughout Israel and Judah. They carried letters that said: ‘O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He will return to the few of us who have survived the conquest of the Assyrian kings. Do not be like your ancestors and relatives who abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and became an object of derision, as you yourselves can see. Do not be stubborn, as they were, but submit yourselves to the Lord. Come to His Temple, which He has set apart as holy forever. Worship the Lord your God so that His fierce anger will turn away from you.
For if you return to the Lord, your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to Him, He will not continue to turn His face from you” (II Chronicles 30:4-9).
Despite their conflicts, Hezekiah still cared deeply for the spiritual welfare of all his fellow Israelites. He urged Israel to join with Judah in repentance and celebration of the Most High God. How would Israel respond?
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$121 Z RUFFLED BABY DOLL TOP - $24.42; in white or lemon chiffon; sizes S, M & L.
$105 CHETTA B PRINT SUNDRESS - $19.95; 2 color choices; sizes 4-14.
$129 CASTLE CREEK "PHOENIX" SOUTHWESTERN LOOK FULL-SIZE BED-IN-A-BAG - $34.99; includes comforter, shams, bed skirt & sheet set.
$100 CARHARTT MEN'S MULTI-POCKET JACKET - $49.99; color: walnut; sizes S, M & 2XL.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
THURSDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Hezekiah reopened the Temple and sacrifices were once again being made. In his Christ-like compassion, Hezekiah insisted that the priests make the sin offering not only for Judah, but also for Israel.
“King Hezekiah then stationed the Levites at the Temple of the Lord with cymbals, lyres, and harps. He obeyed all the commands that the Lord had given to King David through Gad, the king’s seer, and the prophet Nathan. The Levites then took their positions around the Temple with the instruments of David, and the priests took their positions with the trumpets.
Then Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be placed on the altar. As the burnt offering was presented, songs of praise to the Lord were begun, accompanied by the trumpets and other instruments of David, the former king of Israel. The entire assembly worshiped the Lord as the singers sang and the trumpets blew, until all the burnt offerings were finished. Then the king and everyone with him bowed down in worship. King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the psalms written by David and by Asaph the seer. So they offered joyous praise and bowed down in worship.
Then Hezekiah declared, ‘Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, bring your sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings to the Temple of the Lord’” (II Chronicles 29:25-31a, NLT).
“Now that you have consecrated yourselves.” Hezekiah wanted everything done according to God’s teachings. No matter how eager the people were to bring in their sacrifices and offerings, the first thing they had to bring was themselves. This is a huge lesson for all of us. God doesn’t want our stuff – it’s all His anyway. He wants our hearts. He wants our minds. He wants our lives wholly devoted to Him. Then and only then are our gifts and offering acceptable worship.
Being prepared to worship was critical to God’s acceptance of the people’s worship. Let me just say that one more time: being prepared to worship was critical to God’s acceptance of the people’s worship.
God’s attitude toward our worship hasn’t changed. He still expects us to be prepared to worship. How’s that? Prayed up. ‘Fessed up. Focused. When’s the last time you truly examined yourself before waltzing in the church doors? Take a look at some New Testament passages regarding worship:
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God” (Jesus speaking, Matthew 5:23-24).
And that’s a two-way street, friends. If you have something against another person, you’re not ready to worship, either. Confess it and release it because Jesus said, “When you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (Mark 11:25). Can you afford to have your sins unforgiven? I sure can’t.
This Sunday, give yourself a spiritual checkup before you head for your place of worship. Confess anything that stands between you and a 100 percent commitment with Jesus. Then go expecting God to meet you. Gather joyfully with your brothers and sisters in Christ and celebrate the Savior.
“It is not enough for us to be where God is worshiped, if we do not ourselves worship Him, and that not with bodily exercise only, which profits little, but with the heart.” (Matthew Henry)
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“King Hezekiah then stationed the Levites at the Temple of the Lord with cymbals, lyres, and harps. He obeyed all the commands that the Lord had given to King David through Gad, the king’s seer, and the prophet Nathan. The Levites then took their positions around the Temple with the instruments of David, and the priests took their positions with the trumpets.
Then Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be placed on the altar. As the burnt offering was presented, songs of praise to the Lord were begun, accompanied by the trumpets and other instruments of David, the former king of Israel. The entire assembly worshiped the Lord as the singers sang and the trumpets blew, until all the burnt offerings were finished. Then the king and everyone with him bowed down in worship. King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the psalms written by David and by Asaph the seer. So they offered joyous praise and bowed down in worship.
Then Hezekiah declared, ‘Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, bring your sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings to the Temple of the Lord’” (II Chronicles 29:25-31a, NLT).
“Now that you have consecrated yourselves.” Hezekiah wanted everything done according to God’s teachings. No matter how eager the people were to bring in their sacrifices and offerings, the first thing they had to bring was themselves. This is a huge lesson for all of us. God doesn’t want our stuff – it’s all His anyway. He wants our hearts. He wants our minds. He wants our lives wholly devoted to Him. Then and only then are our gifts and offering acceptable worship.
Being prepared to worship was critical to God’s acceptance of the people’s worship. Let me just say that one more time: being prepared to worship was critical to God’s acceptance of the people’s worship.
God’s attitude toward our worship hasn’t changed. He still expects us to be prepared to worship. How’s that? Prayed up. ‘Fessed up. Focused. When’s the last time you truly examined yourself before waltzing in the church doors? Take a look at some New Testament passages regarding worship:
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God” (Jesus speaking, Matthew 5:23-24).
And that’s a two-way street, friends. If you have something against another person, you’re not ready to worship, either. Confess it and release it because Jesus said, “When you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (Mark 11:25). Can you afford to have your sins unforgiven? I sure can’t.
This Sunday, give yourself a spiritual checkup before you head for your place of worship. Confess anything that stands between you and a 100 percent commitment with Jesus. Then go expecting God to meet you. Gather joyfully with your brothers and sisters in Christ and celebrate the Savior.
“It is not enough for us to be where God is worshiped, if we do not ourselves worship Him, and that not with bodily exercise only, which profits little, but with the heart.” (Matthew Henry)
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$80 COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR MEN'S BUG SHIELD UPF-30 SHIRT - $24; 2 color choices; sizes S, XL & 2XL.
$699.99 NIKE GOLF MACHSPEED X MEN'S IRON SET - 8 IRONS 4-AW - $219.95; right-hand; U-flex.
$34 KUSTOM ENVY LADIES' BEJEWELED THONG SANDALS - $11.32; in white or black; sizes 5, 6 & 7.
$57 CALIDA LADIES' WOVEN COTTON CAPRI PAJAMA/LOUNGING PANTS - $5.95; 2 color choices; sizes XS-M; add a solid colored tee or tank & you've got a set!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
WEDNESDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Hezekiah’s greatest desire was to turn Judah’s people back to the Lord. As soon as he took over as king, he ordered the Temple repaired, cleansed, and reopened.
“The priests went into the sanctuary of the Temple of the Lord to cleanse it, and they took out to the Temple courtyard all the defiled things they found. They began the work in early spring, on the first day of the new year, and in eight days they had reached the entry room of the Lord’s Temple. Then they purified the Temple of the Lord itself, which took another eight days. So the entire task was completed in sixteen days” (II Chronicles 29:16a, 17).
Hezekiah’s strong faith in the power of God made him fearless against Judah’s enemies: “He revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute. He also conquered the Philistines as far distant as Gaza and its territory, from their smallest outpost to their largest walled city” (II Kings 18:7b-8).
The next verses contrast the successes of the God-following Hezekiah and the disastrous results of Hoshea’s idolatry: “During the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, which was the seventh year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked the city of Samaria and began a siege against it. Three years later, during the sixth year of King Hezekiah’s reign and the ninth year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel, Samaria fell. At that time the king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria… For they refused to listen to the Lord their God and obey Him. Instead, they violated His covenant” (II Kings 18:9-11a, 12a).
Back in Judah, though, Hezekiah was obeying God and restoring His blessings to the people. “The Levites went to King Hezekiah and gave him this report: ‘We have cleansed the entire Temple of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the Bread of the Presence with all its utensils. We have also recovered all the items discarded by King Ahaz when he was unfaithful and closed the Temple. They are now in front of the altar of the Lord, purified and ready for use.’
Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went to the Temple of the Lord. They brought seven bulls, seven rams, and seven male lambs as a burnt offering, together with seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the Temple, and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, to sacrifice the animals on the altar of the Lord.
So they killed the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Next they killed the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar. And finally, they did the same with the male lambs. The male goats for the sin offering were then brought before the king and the assembly of people, who laid their hands on them. The priests then killed the goats as a sin offering and sprinkled their blood on the altar to make atonement for the sins of all Israel. The king had specifically commanded that this burnt offering and sin offering should be made for all Israel” (II Chronicles 29:18-24).
“For all Israel.” Israel, Judah’s own brothers, had invaded Judah and treated the people appallingly – see Second Chronicles 28:5-15. Yet the compassionate heart of Hezekiah insisted that the “sin offering should be made for all Israel.” Hezekiah was in no way prideful of Judah’s prosperity at a time when Israel was falling apart. Instead, he prayed for the repentance and restoration of all God’s people.
Hezekiah looked at what was happening to Israel and at Judah’s track record with God and immediately realized, there but for the grace of God goes Judah. Hezekiah’s good heart, attuned to the Father, lived out the words of the Savior: “Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44a).
When’s the last time you prayed for an enemy?
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“The priests went into the sanctuary of the Temple of the Lord to cleanse it, and they took out to the Temple courtyard all the defiled things they found. They began the work in early spring, on the first day of the new year, and in eight days they had reached the entry room of the Lord’s Temple. Then they purified the Temple of the Lord itself, which took another eight days. So the entire task was completed in sixteen days” (II Chronicles 29:16a, 17).
Hezekiah’s strong faith in the power of God made him fearless against Judah’s enemies: “He revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute. He also conquered the Philistines as far distant as Gaza and its territory, from their smallest outpost to their largest walled city” (II Kings 18:7b-8).
The next verses contrast the successes of the God-following Hezekiah and the disastrous results of Hoshea’s idolatry: “During the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, which was the seventh year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked the city of Samaria and began a siege against it. Three years later, during the sixth year of King Hezekiah’s reign and the ninth year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel, Samaria fell. At that time the king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria… For they refused to listen to the Lord their God and obey Him. Instead, they violated His covenant” (II Kings 18:9-11a, 12a).
Back in Judah, though, Hezekiah was obeying God and restoring His blessings to the people. “The Levites went to King Hezekiah and gave him this report: ‘We have cleansed the entire Temple of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the Bread of the Presence with all its utensils. We have also recovered all the items discarded by King Ahaz when he was unfaithful and closed the Temple. They are now in front of the altar of the Lord, purified and ready for use.’
Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went to the Temple of the Lord. They brought seven bulls, seven rams, and seven male lambs as a burnt offering, together with seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the Temple, and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, to sacrifice the animals on the altar of the Lord.
So they killed the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Next they killed the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar. And finally, they did the same with the male lambs. The male goats for the sin offering were then brought before the king and the assembly of people, who laid their hands on them. The priests then killed the goats as a sin offering and sprinkled their blood on the altar to make atonement for the sins of all Israel. The king had specifically commanded that this burnt offering and sin offering should be made for all Israel” (II Chronicles 29:18-24).
“For all Israel.” Israel, Judah’s own brothers, had invaded Judah and treated the people appallingly – see Second Chronicles 28:5-15. Yet the compassionate heart of Hezekiah insisted that the “sin offering should be made for all Israel.” Hezekiah was in no way prideful of Judah’s prosperity at a time when Israel was falling apart. Instead, he prayed for the repentance and restoration of all God’s people.
Hezekiah looked at what was happening to Israel and at Judah’s track record with God and immediately realized, there but for the grace of God goes Judah. Hezekiah’s good heart, attuned to the Father, lived out the words of the Savior: “Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44a).
When’s the last time you prayed for an enemy?
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$235.95 THE NORTH FACE LARGE DUFFEL BAG - $129.95; 2 color choices.
$149.95 "JONQUILS" by RON RICHARDSON 18x24 LIMITED EDITION ART PRINT - $37.
$89.99 DECO BREEZE DEBBIE TAYLOR-KERMAN TABLETOP FAN - $29.
$110 MONTRAIL FAIRHAVEN LADIES' TRAIL/RUNNING SNEAKERS - $32.95; 3 color choices; sizes 5-12M.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
TUESDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
By ignoring the Lord’s commands, Ahaz brought all sorts of troubles on the land of Judah. They were raided by Edom, the Philistines, and even Israel. Why did all this happen? “The Lord was humbling Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, for he had encouraged his people to sin and had been utterly unfaithful to the Lord” (II Chronicles 28:19, NLT).
So what did Ahaz do – call on the Lord? Nope. He asked Assyria to come to their aid. However, “when King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria arrived, he attacked Ahaz instead of helping him” (II Chronicles 28:20). Ahaz’s response? He started offering sacrifices to Assyria’s gods. He closed “the doors of the Lord’s Temple so that no one could worship there, and he set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem. He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah” (II Chronicles 28:24b-25a).
When he died, “his son Hezekiah became the next king” (II Chronicles 28:27b) of a totally pagan nation. Would he continue his father’s practices?
“Hezekiah son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it.
Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses. So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did” (II Kings 18:1-2a, 3-4a, 5-7a).
Wow! What a breath of fresh air Hezekiah was! While Hoshea’s rebellion against God was insuring the downfall of Israel, Hezekiah was bringing God’s favor back to Judah. Thoroughly disgusted with the ways of his father, Hezekiah wasted no time cleaning up the kingdom.
“In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the Lord and repaired them. He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the courtyard east of the Temple. He said to them, ‘Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary. Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God.
That is why the Lord’s anger has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made them an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes. Because of this, our fathers have been killed in battle, and our sons and daughters and wives have been captured. But now I will make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence, to minister to Him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to Him” (II Chronicles 29:3-6a, 8-11).
Hezekiah wanted to honor the Lord. He made repairing, reopening, and cleansing the Temple top priority; then he called on the Temple leaders to purify themselves and get back to what God had called them to do: “lead the people in worship and present offerings to Him.”
Has Jesus Christ become a secondary interest in your life? If so, He’s been dethroned. “Do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence.”
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
So what did Ahaz do – call on the Lord? Nope. He asked Assyria to come to their aid. However, “when King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria arrived, he attacked Ahaz instead of helping him” (II Chronicles 28:20). Ahaz’s response? He started offering sacrifices to Assyria’s gods. He closed “the doors of the Lord’s Temple so that no one could worship there, and he set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem. He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah” (II Chronicles 28:24b-25a).
When he died, “his son Hezekiah became the next king” (II Chronicles 28:27b) of a totally pagan nation. Would he continue his father’s practices?
“Hezekiah son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it.
Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses. So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did” (II Kings 18:1-2a, 3-4a, 5-7a).
Wow! What a breath of fresh air Hezekiah was! While Hoshea’s rebellion against God was insuring the downfall of Israel, Hezekiah was bringing God’s favor back to Judah. Thoroughly disgusted with the ways of his father, Hezekiah wasted no time cleaning up the kingdom.
“In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the Lord and repaired them. He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the courtyard east of the Temple. He said to them, ‘Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary. Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God.
That is why the Lord’s anger has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made them an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes. Because of this, our fathers have been killed in battle, and our sons and daughters and wives have been captured. But now I will make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence, to minister to Him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to Him” (II Chronicles 29:3-6a, 8-11).
Hezekiah wanted to honor the Lord. He made repairing, reopening, and cleansing the Temple top priority; then he called on the Temple leaders to purify themselves and get back to what God had called them to do: “lead the people in worship and present offerings to Him.”
Has Jesus Christ become a secondary interest in your life? If so, He’s been dethroned. “Do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in His presence.”
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
And yet another day of www.Target.com deals:$39.99 MERONA NAVY TOTE/HANDBAG - $13.98.
$32.99 MOSSIMO GREEN SATCHEL HANDBAG - $11.24.
$29.99 MOSSIMO STAR PRINT BACKPACK - $10.48.
$26.99 MERONA WINE-COLORED CROSSBODY BAG - $9.44.
$19.99 CONVERSE ONE-STAR PEDRO CLUTCH - $6.98; raspberry.
Monday, February 17, 2014
MONDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Judah had been attacked on every side. The king of Aram had come in and carried off captives. The Israelite army had utterly humiliated them, and the result was that Ahaz repented of his evil ways and turned to God, right? Nope. He turned to Assyria, asking this powerful nation to protect them.
After all, “The armies of Edom had again invaded Judah and taken captives. And the Philistines had raided towns located in the foothills of Judah and in the Negev of Judah. They had already captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages” (II Chronicles 28:17-18).
Why was all this happening? “The Lord was humbling Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, for he had encouraged his people to sin and had been utterly unfaithful to the Lord” (II Chronicles 28:19).
At last Ahaz’s deliverer rode into Judah. Problem is, “when King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria arrived, he attacked Ahaz instead of helping him. Ahaz took valuable items from the Lord’s Temple, the royal palace, and from the homes of his officials and gave them to the king of Assyria as tribute. But this did not help him” (II Chronicles 28:20-21).
Oftentimes a raiding army could be bought off with tribute. Hoping to satisfy Tiglath-pileser, Ahaz cleaned out the coffers of Judah and handed it over. “But this did not help him.”
You’d think by now Ahaz would get the message, huh? But no, “Even during this time of trouble, King Ahaz continued to reject the Lord. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, for he said, ‘Since these gods helped the kings of Aram, they will help me, too, if I sacrifice to them.’ But instead, they led to his ruin and the ruin of all Judah.
The king took the various articles from the Temple of God and broke them into pieces. He shut the doors of the Lord’s Temple so that no one could worship there, and he set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem. He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah for offering sacrifices to other gods. In this way, he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors” (II Chronicles 28:22-25).
Good grief! Ahaz may as well have painted a big red bull’s-eye on top of Judah. If there was anything that could be done to infuriate the Lord even further, Ahaz did it. Not that the people themselves weren’t doing wrong, too, but as their leader, Ahaz had dug a huge pit by setting such a sinful example before them. Judah really couldn’t have sunk very much lower; when at last “Ahaz died, he was buried in Jerusalem but not in the royal cemetery of the kings of Judah. Then his son Hezekiah became the next king” (II Chronicles 28:27).
Had Hezekiah learned more from his father’s mistakes or from his example? We’ll learn the answer tomorrow.
“We are the Bibles the world is reading.” (Billy Graham)
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
After all, “The armies of Edom had again invaded Judah and taken captives. And the Philistines had raided towns located in the foothills of Judah and in the Negev of Judah. They had already captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages” (II Chronicles 28:17-18).
Why was all this happening? “The Lord was humbling Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, for he had encouraged his people to sin and had been utterly unfaithful to the Lord” (II Chronicles 28:19).
At last Ahaz’s deliverer rode into Judah. Problem is, “when King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria arrived, he attacked Ahaz instead of helping him. Ahaz took valuable items from the Lord’s Temple, the royal palace, and from the homes of his officials and gave them to the king of Assyria as tribute. But this did not help him” (II Chronicles 28:20-21).
Oftentimes a raiding army could be bought off with tribute. Hoping to satisfy Tiglath-pileser, Ahaz cleaned out the coffers of Judah and handed it over. “But this did not help him.”
You’d think by now Ahaz would get the message, huh? But no, “Even during this time of trouble, King Ahaz continued to reject the Lord. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, for he said, ‘Since these gods helped the kings of Aram, they will help me, too, if I sacrifice to them.’ But instead, they led to his ruin and the ruin of all Judah.
The king took the various articles from the Temple of God and broke them into pieces. He shut the doors of the Lord’s Temple so that no one could worship there, and he set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem. He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah for offering sacrifices to other gods. In this way, he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of his ancestors” (II Chronicles 28:22-25).
Good grief! Ahaz may as well have painted a big red bull’s-eye on top of Judah. If there was anything that could be done to infuriate the Lord even further, Ahaz did it. Not that the people themselves weren’t doing wrong, too, but as their leader, Ahaz had dug a huge pit by setting such a sinful example before them. Judah really couldn’t have sunk very much lower; when at last “Ahaz died, he was buried in Jerusalem but not in the royal cemetery of the kings of Judah. Then his son Hezekiah became the next king” (II Chronicles 28:27).
Had Hezekiah learned more from his father’s mistakes or from his example? We’ll learn the answer tomorrow.
“We are the Bibles the world is reading.” (Billy Graham)
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$279.99 THRESHOLD NOLAN BONDED LEATHER UPHOLSTERED WING BACK CHAIR - $139.98; 3 color choices.
$34.99 TREND LAB TALULA 50x62 WINDOW PANEL - $12.24.
$13.99 THRESHOLD GILDED FROST 70" ROUND TABLECLOTH - $5.59.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
SUNDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
The Lord used “the king of Aram” as in instrument of His wrath, allowing many of the people Judah to be taken away to Damascus. Fellow Israelites even swooped down on Judah and killed 120,000 of their soldiers. Why so many troubles? “Because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors” (II Chronicles 28:6b, NLT). Zicri, one of Israel’s warriors, killed Ahaz’s own son, Maaseiah.
“The armies of Israel captured 200,000 women and children from Judah and seized tremendous amounts of plunder, which they took back to Samaria. But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there in Samaria when the army of Israel returned home. He went out to meet them and said, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah and let you defeat them. But you have gone too far” (II Chronicles 28:8-9a).
The prophet Oded acknowledged that God had allowed Israel their victory over Judah, but it was one thing to give them a sound thrashing and quite another to treat them as absolute foreigners. Oded continued his message from the Lord: “All heaven is disturbed. And now you are planning to make slaves of these people from Judah and Jerusalem. What about your own sins against the Lord your God? Listen to me and return these prisoners you have taken, for they are your own relatives. Watch out, because now the Lord’s fierce anger has been turned against you!’” (II Chronicles 28:9c-11).
“What about your own sins against the Lord your God?” The Lord had used pagan kings as His instruments on more than one occasion. Using Israel as his wake-up call to Judah was in no way a sign that God was pleased with Israel – and He certainly didn’t condone the merciless slaughter Israel had inflicted. As Oded warned them, “now the Lord’s fierce anger has been turned against you!”
For a change, the Israelites listened. “Then some of the leaders of Israel – Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai – agreed with this and confronted the men returning from battle. ‘You must not bring the prisoners here!’ they declared. ‘We cannot afford to add to our sins and guilt. Our guilt is already great, and the Lord’s fierce anger is already turned against Israel” (II Chronicles 28:12-13).
“Our guilt is already great.” The Israelites knew they weren’t living according to God’s teaching. Yet they persisted. Still, they had enough sense to say, “We cannot afford to add to our sins and guilt.”
“So the warriors released the prisoners and handed over the plunder in the sight of the leaders and all the people. Then the four men just mentioned by name came forward and distributed clothes from the plunder to the prisoners who were naked. They provided clothing and sandals to wear, gave them enough food and drink, and dressed their wounds with olive oil. They put those who were weak on donkeys and took all the prisoners back to their own people in Jericho, the city of palms. Then they returned to Samaria” (II Chronicles 28:14-15).
Did losing his own son and seeing the humiliation of his nation lead Ahaz to repentance? No, it led him to seek the help of a notoriously untrustworthy pagan.
“At that time King Ahaz of Judah asked the king of Assyria for help” (II Chronicles 28:16).
Ahaz wasn’t going to get what he asked for, but something else entirely. If only he had learned to “seek the counsel of the Lord” (I Kings 22:5b and II Chronicles 18:4b, NIV).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“The armies of Israel captured 200,000 women and children from Judah and seized tremendous amounts of plunder, which they took back to Samaria. But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there in Samaria when the army of Israel returned home. He went out to meet them and said, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah and let you defeat them. But you have gone too far” (II Chronicles 28:8-9a).
The prophet Oded acknowledged that God had allowed Israel their victory over Judah, but it was one thing to give them a sound thrashing and quite another to treat them as absolute foreigners. Oded continued his message from the Lord: “All heaven is disturbed. And now you are planning to make slaves of these people from Judah and Jerusalem. What about your own sins against the Lord your God? Listen to me and return these prisoners you have taken, for they are your own relatives. Watch out, because now the Lord’s fierce anger has been turned against you!’” (II Chronicles 28:9c-11).
“What about your own sins against the Lord your God?” The Lord had used pagan kings as His instruments on more than one occasion. Using Israel as his wake-up call to Judah was in no way a sign that God was pleased with Israel – and He certainly didn’t condone the merciless slaughter Israel had inflicted. As Oded warned them, “now the Lord’s fierce anger has been turned against you!”
For a change, the Israelites listened. “Then some of the leaders of Israel – Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai – agreed with this and confronted the men returning from battle. ‘You must not bring the prisoners here!’ they declared. ‘We cannot afford to add to our sins and guilt. Our guilt is already great, and the Lord’s fierce anger is already turned against Israel” (II Chronicles 28:12-13).
“Our guilt is already great.” The Israelites knew they weren’t living according to God’s teaching. Yet they persisted. Still, they had enough sense to say, “We cannot afford to add to our sins and guilt.”
“So the warriors released the prisoners and handed over the plunder in the sight of the leaders and all the people. Then the four men just mentioned by name came forward and distributed clothes from the plunder to the prisoners who were naked. They provided clothing and sandals to wear, gave them enough food and drink, and dressed their wounds with olive oil. They put those who were weak on donkeys and took all the prisoners back to their own people in Jericho, the city of palms. Then they returned to Samaria” (II Chronicles 28:14-15).
Did losing his own son and seeing the humiliation of his nation lead Ahaz to repentance? No, it led him to seek the help of a notoriously untrustworthy pagan.
“At that time King Ahaz of Judah asked the king of Assyria for help” (II Chronicles 28:16).
Ahaz wasn’t going to get what he asked for, but something else entirely. If only he had learned to “seek the counsel of the Lord” (I Kings 22:5b and II Chronicles 18:4b, NIV).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
Saturday, February 15, 2014
SATURDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
“Hoshea son of Elah began to rule over Israel in the twelfth year of King Ahaz’s reign in Judah. In the ninth year of King Hoshea’s reign, Samaria fell, and the people of Israel were exiled to Assyria” (II Kings 17:1, 6a, NLT). Thousands of the Israelites have been taken out of Israel (now called Samaria after the name of its capital city) and people from many other conquered nations have been moved in, bringing with them their own false religions and practices.
We’d left Judah to cover Israel’s final king, Hoshea. Now let’s see what took place in Judah. After the death of Jotham, “his son Ahaz became the next king” (II Chronicles 27:9b). Ahaz was king of Judah when Pekah, Pekahiah, and Hoshea ruled Israel, and he was still over Judah when Israel was devastated by Assyria.
Ahaz’s track record was not a good one. “Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, as his ancestor David had done. Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel. He cast metal images for the worship of Baal. He offered sacrifices in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, even sacrificing his own sons in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree” (II Chronicles 28:1-4).
Even before the devastation of Israel, Judah received an enormous wake-up call through a series of tragedies:
“Because of all this, the Lord his God allowed the king of Aram to defeat Ahaz and to exile large numbers of his people to Damascus. The armies of the king of Israel also defeated Ahaz and inflicted many casualties on his army. In a single day Pekah son of Remaliah, Israel’s king, killed 120,000 of Judah’s troops, all of them experienced warriors, because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors. Then Zicri, a warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the king’s son; Azrikam, the king’s palace commander; and Elkanah, the king’s second-in-command. The armies of Israel captured 200,000 women and children from Judah and seized tremendous amounts of plunder, which they took back to Samaria” (II Chronicles 28:5-8).
The Lord used “the king of Aram” as in instrument of His wrath, allowing many of the people to be taken away “to Damascus.” If that weren’t bad enough, fellow Israelites swooped down on Judah and “killed 120,000 of Judah’s troops.” How was this possible? The Lord decreed it “because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors.”
One of Israel’s warriors, “Zicri… from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the king’s son,” along with two of Ahaz’s important officials. After soundly trouncing Judah’s army, the Israelites captured 200,000 women and children from Judah and seized tremendous amounts of plunder, which they took back to Samaria.
Israel and Judah may have been divided, but they were still the twelve tribes of Jacob (whom the Lord renamed Israel). How could they treat their own relatives so cruelly? Apparently they’d forgotten what God had taught them:
(1) “If anyone kidnaps a fellow Israelite and treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die” (Deuteronomy 24:7a). And (2) “Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart” Leviticus 19:17a, NIV); or as the NLT puts it: “Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives.”
Got relatives that are hard to love? Love ‘em in and through Jesus.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
We’d left Judah to cover Israel’s final king, Hoshea. Now let’s see what took place in Judah. After the death of Jotham, “his son Ahaz became the next king” (II Chronicles 27:9b). Ahaz was king of Judah when Pekah, Pekahiah, and Hoshea ruled Israel, and he was still over Judah when Israel was devastated by Assyria.
Ahaz’s track record was not a good one. “Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, as his ancestor David had done. Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel. He cast metal images for the worship of Baal. He offered sacrifices in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, even sacrificing his own sons in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree” (II Chronicles 28:1-4).
Even before the devastation of Israel, Judah received an enormous wake-up call through a series of tragedies:
“Because of all this, the Lord his God allowed the king of Aram to defeat Ahaz and to exile large numbers of his people to Damascus. The armies of the king of Israel also defeated Ahaz and inflicted many casualties on his army. In a single day Pekah son of Remaliah, Israel’s king, killed 120,000 of Judah’s troops, all of them experienced warriors, because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors. Then Zicri, a warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the king’s son; Azrikam, the king’s palace commander; and Elkanah, the king’s second-in-command. The armies of Israel captured 200,000 women and children from Judah and seized tremendous amounts of plunder, which they took back to Samaria” (II Chronicles 28:5-8).
The Lord used “the king of Aram” as in instrument of His wrath, allowing many of the people to be taken away “to Damascus.” If that weren’t bad enough, fellow Israelites swooped down on Judah and “killed 120,000 of Judah’s troops.” How was this possible? The Lord decreed it “because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors.”
One of Israel’s warriors, “Zicri… from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah, the king’s son,” along with two of Ahaz’s important officials. After soundly trouncing Judah’s army, the Israelites captured 200,000 women and children from Judah and seized tremendous amounts of plunder, which they took back to Samaria.
Israel and Judah may have been divided, but they were still the twelve tribes of Jacob (whom the Lord renamed Israel). How could they treat their own relatives so cruelly? Apparently they’d forgotten what God had taught them:
(1) “If anyone kidnaps a fellow Israelite and treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die” (Deuteronomy 24:7a). And (2) “Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart” Leviticus 19:17a, NIV); or as the NLT puts it: “Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives.”
Got relatives that are hard to love? Love ‘em in and through Jesus.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$39.99 ROOM ESSENTIALS EXTRA LONG TWIN COMFORTER SET - $13.98; black/gray; includes 1 comforter & 1 sham.
$34.99-$44.99 XHILARATION REVERSIBLE COMFORTER SET - $17.48-$22.48; in twin or full/queen; includes comforter & sham/s.
$99.99 FIELDCREST LUXURY BLUE MATELASSE QUEEN-SIZE COVERLET - $49.98; perfect easy care year-round bedding.
Friday, February 14, 2014
FRIDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
After Israel was conquered by Assyria and the people taken away into exile, what happened to the capital city of Samaria and the rest of the country? The account in Second Kings 17 gives us the answer:
“The king of Assyria transported groups of people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and resettled them in the towns of Samaria, replacing the people of Israel. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.
In town after town where they lived, they placed their idols at the pagan shrines that the people of Samaria had built. Those from Babylon worshiped idols of their god Succoth-benoth. Those from Cuthah worshiped their god Nergal. And those from Hamath worshiped Ashima. The Avvites worshiped their gods Nibhaz and Tartak. And the people from Sepharvaim even burned their own children as sacrifices to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.
These new residents worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests to offer sacrifices at their places of worship. And though they worshiped the Lord, they continued to follow their own gods according to the religious customs of the nations from which they came. And this is still going on today. They continue to follow their former practices instead of truly worshiping the Lord and obeying the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands He gave the descendants of Jacob, whose name He changed to Israel.
For the Lord had made a covenant with the descendants of Jacob and commanded them: ‘Do not worship any other gods or bow before them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them. But worship only the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to Him alone, and offer sacrifices only to Him. Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that He wrote for you. You must not worship other gods. Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods. You must worship only the Lord your God. He is the One who will rescue you from all your enemies.’
But the people would not listen and continued to follow their former practices. So while these new residents worshiped the Lord, they also worshiped their idols. And to this day their descendants do the same” (II Kings 17:24, 29b-40).
The name of the capital city became the name by which the whole region was known: Samaria. Inscriptions found among Assyrian ruins indicate that just over 27,000 people were taken into exile, most likely the priests and more prominent Israelites. Peoples from other conquered countries were brought into Samaria and from them the Israelites who were left behind learned even more forms of idolatry.
“These new residents worshiped the Lord, but they also…” Now there’s a familiar tune. The people of Israel had already been worshiping false gods in addition to the One True God. The newcomers were doing likewise, plus adding their own heathen idols to the mix.
But before we come down on them too hard, look around. Today we have a lot of “Jesus plus” religions. They include Him as a part of their belief system – as a prophet or even as a son of God, but not as God’s Only Son. Paul dealt with this himself, admonishing the Corinthians: “There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life” (I Corinthians 8:6b).
It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that any person experiences true life.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
“The king of Assyria transported groups of people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and resettled them in the towns of Samaria, replacing the people of Israel. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.
In town after town where they lived, they placed their idols at the pagan shrines that the people of Samaria had built. Those from Babylon worshiped idols of their god Succoth-benoth. Those from Cuthah worshiped their god Nergal. And those from Hamath worshiped Ashima. The Avvites worshiped their gods Nibhaz and Tartak. And the people from Sepharvaim even burned their own children as sacrifices to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.
These new residents worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests to offer sacrifices at their places of worship. And though they worshiped the Lord, they continued to follow their own gods according to the religious customs of the nations from which they came. And this is still going on today. They continue to follow their former practices instead of truly worshiping the Lord and obeying the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands He gave the descendants of Jacob, whose name He changed to Israel.
For the Lord had made a covenant with the descendants of Jacob and commanded them: ‘Do not worship any other gods or bow before them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them. But worship only the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to Him alone, and offer sacrifices only to Him. Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that He wrote for you. You must not worship other gods. Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods. You must worship only the Lord your God. He is the One who will rescue you from all your enemies.’
But the people would not listen and continued to follow their former practices. So while these new residents worshiped the Lord, they also worshiped their idols. And to this day their descendants do the same” (II Kings 17:24, 29b-40).
The name of the capital city became the name by which the whole region was known: Samaria. Inscriptions found among Assyrian ruins indicate that just over 27,000 people were taken into exile, most likely the priests and more prominent Israelites. Peoples from other conquered countries were brought into Samaria and from them the Israelites who were left behind learned even more forms of idolatry.
“These new residents worshiped the Lord, but they also…” Now there’s a familiar tune. The people of Israel had already been worshiping false gods in addition to the One True God. The newcomers were doing likewise, plus adding their own heathen idols to the mix.
But before we come down on them too hard, look around. Today we have a lot of “Jesus plus” religions. They include Him as a part of their belief system – as a prophet or even as a son of God, but not as God’s Only Son. Paul dealt with this himself, admonishing the Corinthians: “There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life” (I Corinthians 8:6b).
It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that any person experiences true life.
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$60 18K GOLD PLATED SKY BLUE TOPAZ & DIAMOND-ACCENTED CROSS PENDANT & STUD EARRINGS SET - $18.
$140 CHAPS FOIL SURPLICE EVENING GOWN - $42; sizes 2-16.
$34.99 PUCKERED SUEDE 18x18 DECORATIVE PILLOW - $13.99; 5 color choices.
$119.99 "TUSCANY PATHWAY" 40x20 CANVAS WALL ART by ROBERTO LOMBARDI - $47.99.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
THURSDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Samaria, the capital of Israel “fell, and the people of Israel were exiled to Assyria” (II Kings 17:6a, NLT). When God allowed the Israelites to be removed from the Promised Land, did He cast them aside as His chosen people? I’ll let Paul answer that question.
As the Good News of Jesus was being shared with the Gentiles (non-Jews), gossipmongers spread a different word: God has rejected the Hebrews. In Romans 11, Paul grabs the bull by the horns and addresses this issue head-on:
“I ask, then, has God rejected His own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. No, God has not rejected His own people, whom He chose from the very beginning.
Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But He wanted His own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.
Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people He loves because He chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Romans 11:1-2a, 11-12, 28).
Was God’s original plan to exclude everyone but the Jews from His salvation? Nope. Through the prophet Isaiah the Lord foretold the coming of the Messiah and His purpose: “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to Me. I will make You a Light to the Gentiles, and You will bring My salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). The whole world was and is the target of God’s Great Love.
So even though at this point in our study of the kings of Israel and Judah we see Israel completely destroyed as a nation, we also see the remnant of Judah remaining. And even though we see Israel cast away from the Promised Land into exile, the Lord has not and never will forsake His covenant people.
If you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are one of His covenant people.
“Legalism says God will love us if we change. The Gospel says God will change us because He loves us.” (Tullian Tchividjian)
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
As the Good News of Jesus was being shared with the Gentiles (non-Jews), gossipmongers spread a different word: God has rejected the Hebrews. In Romans 11, Paul grabs the bull by the horns and addresses this issue head-on:
“I ask, then, has God rejected His own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. No, God has not rejected His own people, whom He chose from the very beginning.
Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But He wanted His own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.
Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people He loves because He chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Romans 11:1-2a, 11-12, 28).
Was God’s original plan to exclude everyone but the Jews from His salvation? Nope. Through the prophet Isaiah the Lord foretold the coming of the Messiah and His purpose: “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to Me. I will make You a Light to the Gentiles, and You will bring My salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). The whole world was and is the target of God’s Great Love.
So even though at this point in our study of the kings of Israel and Judah we see Israel completely destroyed as a nation, we also see the remnant of Judah remaining. And even though we see Israel cast away from the Promised Land into exile, the Lord has not and never will forsake His covenant people.
If you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are one of His covenant people.
“Legalism says God will love us if we change. The Gospel says God will change us because He loves us.” (Tullian Tchividjian)
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$120 COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR URBAN TREK COLORBLOCK VEST - $36; 4 color choices; sizes S-XXL.
$70 CROFT & BARROW MEN'S CHARCOAL GRAY SNEAKER - $28; sizes 8-13M.
$20 APT. 9 LADIES' FLORAL WEDGE FLIP-FLOPS - $8; in rose gold or black; sizes S-XL.
$140 CHAPS BLACK SEQUINED LACE EVENING GOWN - $42; sizes 2-16; gorgeous!
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
WEDNESDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
Second Kings 17 goes into great detail as to the sins of the people of Israel and the patience and warnings of God the Father. Since the Israelites chose to ignore everything God sent their way, He eventually “swept them away from His presence” (II Kings 17:18b, NLT). Samaria, the capital of Israel “fell, and the people of Israel were exiled to Assyria” (II Kings 17:6a, NLT).
As part of yesterday’s study, I quoted Nahum 1:3b: "And He never lets the guilty go unpunished.” While the people of the Old Testament could never make enough sacrifices to expunge all their guilt, those of us living today have the astounding privilege of accepting the One Blood Sacrifice “who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29b).
Don’t miss this, folks: “God made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that God’s righteousness would be produced in us” (II Corinthians 5:21, ISV). Jesus Christ didn’t take on the sin of the world – He became sin: “God made the One who did not know sin to be sin.” Why? “For us.” And in His death, that sin was put to death. Its grip ended, but only “for those who will believe” (Jesus speaking, John 17:20b, NIV).
And that, my friends, is worth celebrating! We are no longer guilty! Jesus Himself said it this way: “I can guarantee this truth: Those who listen to what I say and believe in the One who sent Me will have eternal life. They won’t be judged because they have already passed from death to life” (John 5:24, God’s Word).
The proof of this new life, however, is not a “profession of faith” or a dip in the baptistery or your name on a church roll. John, the Beloved Disciple, said it was this: “If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life” (I John 3:14a, NLT).
Or as the apostle Paul worded it, “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (I Corinthians 13:1).
There was an explicit purpose in Christ’s redemptive work. Why did He become sin “for us?” “So that God’s righteousness would be produced in us.” And if “God’s righteousness” is “produced in us,” guess what? We’re like Him. We are reproductions of the original.
How much Christ-likeness do others see in you?
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
As part of yesterday’s study, I quoted Nahum 1:3b: "And He never lets the guilty go unpunished.” While the people of the Old Testament could never make enough sacrifices to expunge all their guilt, those of us living today have the astounding privilege of accepting the One Blood Sacrifice “who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29b).
Don’t miss this, folks: “God made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that God’s righteousness would be produced in us” (II Corinthians 5:21, ISV). Jesus Christ didn’t take on the sin of the world – He became sin: “God made the One who did not know sin to be sin.” Why? “For us.” And in His death, that sin was put to death. Its grip ended, but only “for those who will believe” (Jesus speaking, John 17:20b, NIV).
And that, my friends, is worth celebrating! We are no longer guilty! Jesus Himself said it this way: “I can guarantee this truth: Those who listen to what I say and believe in the One who sent Me will have eternal life. They won’t be judged because they have already passed from death to life” (John 5:24, God’s Word).
The proof of this new life, however, is not a “profession of faith” or a dip in the baptistery or your name on a church roll. John, the Beloved Disciple, said it was this: “If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life” (I John 3:14a, NLT).
Or as the apostle Paul worded it, “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (I Corinthians 13:1).
There was an explicit purpose in Christ’s redemptive work. Why did He become sin “for us?” “So that God’s righteousness would be produced in us.” And if “God’s righteousness” is “produced in us,” guess what? We’re like Him. We are reproductions of the original.
How much Christ-likeness do others see in you?
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
BARGAINS OF THE DAY
$79 REVERSE PAINTED GLASS JEWELRY BOX - $29.99.
$199 FLORENTINE CHESS SET - $79.99. Hand-carved wooden chess pieces.
$75 ANTIQUE REPRODUCTION RAILROAD STATION MASTER'S WATCH in GLASS DOME w/WOODEN BASE - $29.99.
$38 WIND WARRIOR HAT - $2.99; the ultimate in cold weather gear; sizes S/M & L/XL.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
TUESDAY'S BARGAINOMICS BIBLE PASSAGE
“Hoshea son of Elah began to rule over Israel in the twelfth year of King Ahaz’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria nine years. King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria. But Hoshea stopped paying the annual tribute… Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, and for three years he besieged the city of Samaria. Finally, in the ninth year of King Hoshea’s reign, Samaria fell, and the people of Israel were exiled to Assyria” (II Kings 17:1, 3-a, 5-6a, NLT).
The people were taken from their land and Israel dissolved as a nation. The reasons behind their removal from the Promised Land are important enough to be enumerated in detail:
“This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. They had followed the practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of them, as well as the practices the kings of Israel had introduced.
The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the Lord their God. They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest outpost to the largest walled city. They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles at the top of every hill and under every green tree. They offered sacrifices on all the hilltops, just like the nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of them. So the people of Israel had done many evil things, arousing the Lord’s anger. Yes, they worshiped idols, despite the Lord’s specific and repeated warnings.
Again and again the Lord had sent His prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: ‘Turn from all your evil ways. Obey My commands and decrees – the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through My servants the prophets.’
But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the Lord their God. They rejected His decrees and the covenant He had made with their ancestors, and they despised all His warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the Lord’s command not to imitate them.
They rejected all the commands of the Lord their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven. 1They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the Lord’s anger.
Because the Lord was very angry with Israel, He swept them away from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained in the land” (II Kings 17:7-18).
“The people of Israel had also secretly done many things.” Israel couldn’t hide their sin from God any more than we can today. There are no secret sins. Adultery. Pornography. Drugs. Perversion. God sees it all. “And He never lets the guilty go unpunished” (Nahum 1:3b).
“Again and again the Lord had sent His prophets.” The people of Israel ignored God’s prophets, but this generation has ignored His Son! He even left us His Holy Spirit! “What makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3a).
“The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” (Mark 1:15b).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
The people were taken from their land and Israel dissolved as a nation. The reasons behind their removal from the Promised Land are important enough to be enumerated in detail:
“This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. They had followed the practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of them, as well as the practices the kings of Israel had introduced.
The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the Lord their God. They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest outpost to the largest walled city. They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles at the top of every hill and under every green tree. They offered sacrifices on all the hilltops, just like the nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of them. So the people of Israel had done many evil things, arousing the Lord’s anger. Yes, they worshiped idols, despite the Lord’s specific and repeated warnings.
Again and again the Lord had sent His prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: ‘Turn from all your evil ways. Obey My commands and decrees – the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through My servants the prophets.’
But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the Lord their God. They rejected His decrees and the covenant He had made with their ancestors, and they despised all His warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the Lord’s command not to imitate them.
They rejected all the commands of the Lord their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven. 1They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the Lord’s anger.
Because the Lord was very angry with Israel, He swept them away from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained in the land” (II Kings 17:7-18).
“The people of Israel had also secretly done many things.” Israel couldn’t hide their sin from God any more than we can today. There are no secret sins. Adultery. Pornography. Drugs. Perversion. God sees it all. “And He never lets the guilty go unpunished” (Nahum 1:3b).
“Again and again the Lord had sent His prophets.” The people of Israel ignored God’s prophets, but this generation has ignored His Son! He even left us His Holy Spirit! “What makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3a).
“The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” (Mark 1:15b).
Copyright © 2013
Judy Woodward Bates
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)