Just for Women by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Joshua 22 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Hebrews 5 – 8; Proverbs 19; Psalms 91 – 95
Scripture Memorization for March – 1 Corinthians 6:9 – 20
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 25
Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt – “Eight Ways to Help Those Who Grieve“
Read the “0319 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
A Study Of Women Of The Bible
Fickled Women
“Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (John 12:9-13)
“The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.” (John 12:17-18)
The fame of Jesus spread quickly. People of Jerusalem flocked to see Him, hear Him, and to be healed by Him. Jesus just raised Lazarus from the dead and the people were amazed and excited. Men, women and children lined the street and waited with great anticipation. Mothers gathered their children and pushed their way to the front of the crowd to get a better view of Jesus. There were palm leaves being cut down by the dozen to be placed in the road and for waving in the air. “Look here comes Jesus.” The crowd goes wild. Mothers and Fathers putting their young children on their shoulders so they could see better. Everyone shouting ‘Hosanna, Hosanna’! What excitment!
“When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.” (Matthew 27:19-24)
Wow! What happened? We went from winning the world series parade, to throwing rotten tomatoes at the players. This was the same crowed that was just screaming Hosanna. It seems that the people caved in to the pressure of the leaders. They wouldn’t stand for what was right. They all knew Barabbas was guilty of his crime, but no one would stand for truth. How could they change their excitment to anger so quickly? If there were more people then leaders, they could have out voiced them.
Athough there was no mention of a woman’s name or even the fact of any women were there at all, there is still a lesson we can learn from these passages.
You don’t have to look too deep to see that the time is near for the Lord’s return. Things will get rougher as we approach that day. We will have to take a stand for what we believe. We teach our children to be grateful that we live in a country where we can carry our Bibles, and go to church openly – HOSANNA! We can hand out gospel tracts to them too – HOSANNA! We can take our children to church where the preachers have liberty to preach aganist sin – HOSANNA! We can freely say “I am a follower of Jesus Christ” – HOSANNA! But very soon this freedom will be taken away, and we’re seeing this on a small scale already. Church doors will be locked and they will burn our Bibles – CRUCIFY HIM! We will be arrested for handing out gospel tracts – CRUCIFY HIM! Preachers will be thrown in jail or even put to death, for preaching against sin – CRUCIFY HIM. The pressure of the shouting voices of our leaders will try to shame us for being followers of Christ – CRUCIFY HIM.
When the pressure comes, what will you be shouting? Will you shout with the crowd, or will you shout for Truth? It’s up to you!
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just for Women – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Joshua 1 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 1 Thessalonians 1 – 5; Proverbs 12; Psalms 56 – 60
Scripture Memorization for March – 1 Corinthians 6:9 – 20
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – James 4:10
Read a great article by Dr. Steve Elwart – “The War on Guns“
Read the “0312 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
The Study of Women in the Bible
Revisiting Eve – Back To The Beginning
Back in 2008, I started on a new path of eating habits. I’ve been attending weekly meetings to help achieve my health and weight goals. My health coach started me off on a program to follow. I started to lose weight and as a result, I also felt better. When I followed the program, I did well, and when I fell off the wagon, well… With doing so well, I thought I could do it on my own, ‘Do what I wanted to do’. As a result of doing it ‘my way’, I found myself really off track. I was eating everything in sight, I put on a few pounds and I feel terrible. I thought, what am I going to do? I can’t keep going on like this. How can I get back on track? And then the Holy Spirit said, “Start at the beginning. Go back to the things you did when you first started”. I needed to get back into the right frame of mind. For that reason I wanted to revisit Eve. Go back to the beginning, with the simple message.
As we walk our Christians lives, we sometimes think ‘I can do it on my own’. We put God aside, for whatever reason, and wonder how we got into the mess and how are we going to get out of it. We need to go back to the beginning, the Foot of the Cross.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” – (Genesis 1:27-28)
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.” – (Genesis 3:1-20)
Eve. Her name is only mentioned four times in the Bible, but so many lessons can be learned by her life. She drank pure water and breathed the cleanest air. She had a perfect relationship with her husband. She lived in a beautiful garden and ate the best food. Every animal lived in harmony. No death, sickness or any other problems. God walked with them everyday, and there was nothing to distract her from learning God’s word. God supplied for ALL their needs. Both Adam and Eve knew how much God loved and took care of them. But did Eve really learn God’s word? Did she really understand what God had provided for her and her husband?
I think Eve was crushed when Cain killed Abel. She realized that she had brought a sinful man into the world. Her terrible deed in the garden became even more clear to her. Each person born would sin, not only by choice, but also because of an inner urging. Everyone would face an unending battle between good and evil, all because she couldn’t resist the devil’s woo.
As I stated at the first, we are starting at the beginning and we can learn many different lessons from Eve, so let me leave you with these basic thoughts:
1. Read your Bible everyday. We need to know what God says. It’s us walking with God as Adam and Eve did. We need to stay close to God. Just like the sheep who stray away from the shepherd are easy targets, so are we when we stray to far from God.
2. Memorize God’s word. The devil is always tempting us with his crafty ways. He twisted scripture not only with Eve, but also with Jesus when he was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:6). If he did with them, he will with us.
3. When tempted by Satan, go to God immediately. I believe if Eve would have called on God when Satan came by, God would have fought the battle for her.
4. Pray everyday. Besides our spouses, our children are the most important people in our lives. We should lay them on the altar before the Lord each day and try to be the best example we can be. Remember Cain, Eve’s first born. He had a rebellious spirit like mom and dad.
5. Attend all church services. Adam and Eve were with God everyday.
We say that God is not there like he was with them, but the Bible says in Matthew 18:20: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
In closing, I want to encourage you to strengthen your relationship with the Lord with these basic steps. Encourage others to do the same. There is no better blessing then to live for the Lord.
Thank You
I John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage –Numbers 30 – 31 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Romans 13 – 16; Proverbs 26; Psalms 131 – 135
Scripture Memorization for January – Proverbs 4
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 55:17
Read “Professional Backslappers” by Pastor Paul Chappell
A STUDY OF WOMEN IN THE BIBLE
Esther, A Woman Who Risked Her Life For Others.
“And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so. Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite; Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter. So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women. Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.” Esther 2:4-10)
Esther was a beautiful young Jewish woman, who was raised by her cousin. Being taught under the law of God, it’s hard to image the task her cousin Mordecai asked her to do. You see King Ahasuerus was displeased with his Queen and put her aside to seek out another. Mordecai told Esther to stand with many other women in the land in hopes that the King would chose her in place of Queen Vashti. Because Mordecai treated Esther as a daughter, she obeyed him.
In our mind we think, how could a young beautiful young woman of God, stand before a heathen married man, hoping to be picked to be his next wife? But God had a plan unknown to her. and He was guiding her life.
“Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all of them that looked upon her. So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.” (Esther 2:15-17)
King Ahasuerus knew nothing about Esther being a Jewish woman, because Mordecai told Esther to be silent in this matter. Later Mordecai refused to bow down to the King’s highest nobleman, Haman. Haman then plotted to rid himself of Mordecai and the Jewish people. Mordecai told Esther of this plan and instructed her to go to the King.
“And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.” (Esther 3:13)
She was now publicly identifying herself with her people. She realized she was powerless without God. Esther called her people to prayer and fasting. The law was that no one could approach the King unless they were asked and she had not been called for some time. But in spite of the law she said, “If I die, I die”. The young Esther was willing to risk her position, her life, and her future for her people.
The heroine, who had saved the Jews by risking her own life, is remembered and highly respected by the Jewish nation even today. She paved the way, unknown to her, for the coming of Christ.
God’s name is not mentioned in the book of Esther, but His hand on her life is apparent. And so it will be with us: When we face trials, we can also trust He is working out something positive on our behalf.
Though becoming a King’s concubine may not have seemed good, God watched over Esther. Even our most traumatic moments are also in God’s hands. When we trust Him, nothing can go terribly wrong.
Obedient Esther acted on God’s will, gave in to her cousin’s wise counsel, and was safe. Likewise, God protects us, especially when our faithfulness puts us in danger. Will you trust Him no matter what? Esther did.
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies, Thoughts from Esther by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just for Ladies
Today’s Passage – Numbers 11 – 13 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Acts 16 – 18; Proverbs 19; Psalms 96 – 100
Scripture Memorization for January – Proverbs 4
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19
Read “8 Ministry Lessons I’ve Learned” by Pastor Chappell
Corrie ten Boom
“And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2Cointhians 12:3-10)
This week I wanted to share the extraordinary life of Miss Corrie ten Boom.
A few weeks ago, my Preacher was watching a movie call The Hiding Place. I walked over to view the movie for a minute. I was so taken back at what I saw, I couldn’t watch it any longer. My Preacher was telling me about it and said it was a true story. I really want to view the movie, but I wasn’t sure if I could emotionally handle it. I finally watched it, and it had such an impact on me, that I really wanted to share what God gave me, from this woman’s life.
For those of you who never read the book or saw the movie, I will tell you a little about her life.
The ten Boom family were dedicated Christians who owned a clock shop during World War II. Miss Corrie and her family, Father, Mother and two sisters, lived above the shop. During 1943 and 1944, there were as many as 7 people illegally living in the ten Boom home, Jews and members of the Dutch underground, and Corrie became the “ringleader”. On February 28, 1944, the family was betrayed, and the Gestapo raided their home. They were arrested and taken to prison. Corrie was seperated from all her family members, and the Gestapo never found the 6 people they were hiding at the time. While being transported to another prison, she found her sister, where they served time at a concentration camp in Germany. Life in the camp was almost unbearable. They were poorly fed, beaten, raped, and had to work long and hard. Everything was taken from them except the dress and shoes they wore. No undergarments were allowed. Even with that kind of living conditions, Corrie and her sister found the strength to share the love of Jesus to their fellow prisoners. As a result of their faithfulness to God, many women became Christians in that terrible place.
After watching the movie, I asked myself if I could be that strong in the Lord. Miss Corrie put others first before her own safty. She knew if she and her family got caught hiding the Jews, that she and they would go to prison. Can I put others first? Can I care for the welfare of others? Could I give up personal safty for others? I’m not sure if I would give up my cup of Wawa coffee for someone. Miss Corrie gave up her feedom. She managed to get a hold of a small sized Bible by giving up some of her ration of bread. It took courge to smuggle it into the concertation camp, because if she got caught with it, she would have been beaten, BADLY! That Bible was everything to her. I have many Bibles in my home. I could only pray that I would have that much love for my Bible. The Word of God became very precious to her. There may come a day in my life time, that I may not be able to carry a Bible openly or even own one. Would my Bible be my prize possession? Would the words written in the Bible be more precious to me than anything? After working all day, Miss Corrie and her sister taught the other women prisoners about Jesus and sang hymns. When I get home after a long day of doing anything, I just want my coffee and pj’s, and my days are nothing compared to what those women went through. A fact that was not in the movie but written in the book was about when Miss Corrie was at a speaking engagement years after her release from the concentration camp. After speaking, a man walked up to her and stuck out his hand to shake hers. Miss Corrie recognized him as the Nazi guard who raped her sister, who later died in the camp. She said, when she saw him, she wanted to spit in his face, but when he reached out his hand he told her that he had excepted Jesus. She thought to herself, “If God can forgive him, who am I not to forgive him” and she stuck out her hand and shook his. Wow!! Could I find forgiveness like that? Could you?
There were other truths that I learned from this couragous woman, but I think I’ll stop here. The more I look into her life, the more I see how short I fall from my relationship with my Lord.
Not only did Miss Corrie see people come to know the Lord in the camp, but also influenced many afterwards. Her name will never be mentioned in the Bible, but her unbelievable life’s story is still impacting people today. It did mine. I started to type, “Oh that I could have a testimony like that” but then I deleted it. I’m not sure if I’m willing or have the strength to go through all that.
My prayer is that we take off our blinders and see what is important in this life. Take a stand, live for others and truth, share the gospel.
I hope this was a help and or blessing to you. I highly recommend you watch the video. It can be seen for free on youtube under, “The Hiding Place”. I believe the auto-book can also be found there.
Thank You
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1John 5:13)
Posted in Devotions, Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 24 – 25 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – John 17 – 18; Proverbs 12; Psalms 61 – 65
Scripture Memorization for January – Proverbs 4
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32
Read last year’s post on this date – “Let’s Get Real”, by Melissa Dilley
Read a great article by Pastor Chappell – “You Pick Five”
A Study of the Women of the Bible
Orpay, A Woman Who Made The Wrong Decision
“And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.” (Ruth 1:8)
“And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.” (Ruth 1:14-15)
Orpah will always be known as the woman who left her mother-in-law. But to Orpah, she thought she was making the right decision in a heartbreaking situation. At first Orpah followed Naomi with Ruth back to Israel. But when Naomi explained to them that there was no hope for them to remarry, Orpah decided to go back to her family in Moab. To Orpah it was the logical thing to do. She might of thought it would be easier to find someone to marry there. It just seemed to make more sense then going to Israel. It makes me wonder why Naomi told her daughter-in-laws to go back home. It was a heathen nation. Maybe because Naomi knew that they would only be able to live happy lives in Israel if they had the chance to choose their new country voluntarily. Maybe Naomi knew it wasn’t just a choice of a place to live, but a decision of being followers of God or not. What ever the case, we know that Ruth married and was mentioned in Christ genealogy. Orpah, was never heard of again. Orpah took the wrong road.
Sometimes the logical solution to a problem isn’t God’s solution. We may be asked to do something that just doesn’t make sense to us. When we start down the path that God asks us to go down, we start to feel doubt. Stepping out on faith is hard to do when we look at it from our view. But He is in control and is all knowing. We must trust Him. Orpah trusted in worldly security. Ruth trusted in God. Which road will you choose? It’s up to you.
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 8 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – John 3 – 4; Proverbs 5; Psalm 26 – 30
Scripture Memorization for January – Proverbs 4
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read “Ten Pillars for Spiritual Leaders” by Pastor Paul Chappell
A Study of Women in the Bible
Athaliah, A Wicked Mother and Grandmother
And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead: for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned. Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly. Wherefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab: for they were his counsellors after the death of his father to his destruction. (2Chronicles 22:1-4)
But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not. And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land. (2Chronicles 22:10-12)
Athaliah was the daughter of Israel’s wicked king Ahab. Instead of being a godly mother, the Bible tells us she encouraged her son Ahaziah, to do wrong. After becoming king of Judah, Ahaziah joined Joram, king of Israel, in a battle against Hazael, king of Aram. Jehu killed many of Ahaziah’s heirs and wiped out Judah’s king.
When Athaliah heard the news, she sought to kill off all her grandchildren so she could gain the throne. This power-hungry woman literally sacrificed her family on the altar of her own ambition. If she had been successful, the line of the Messiah would have been destroyed. So, God place a faithful woman, Jehosheba, by Ahaziah’s son Joash. For years the child remained in hiding at the temple while his grandmother ruled.
And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land. And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king’s son. (2Kings 11:1-4)
And he brought forth the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king. And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD. And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason. But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD. And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king’s house: and there was she slain. (2Kings 11:12-16)
And he sat on the throne of the kings. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king’s house. (2Kings 11:20)
Athaliah’s actions are shocking, or are they? Few women would sacrifice their child or grandchild to gain power. But with our fast paced lives causes us to sacrifice our time and attention with family. If our jobs always come first with long hours or travel, or when we need to place our child in the care of others, we’ve begun to make the same mistake as this wicked queen. We don’t have to serve a pagan god or want to rule a kingdom to get our priorities mixed up.
If we fail, we are not a wicked Athaliah, but we should get it right by confessing our wrong and find a way to make a change. It might be reorganizing our time, refusing a promotion, or working part-time. I know in today’s world, with needing two pay checks or being a single mom, many women must work. But let’s do whatever it takes, not to sacrifice our families to get ahead. In the end we won’t be ahead at all, we’ll lose it.
Thank You
I John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Exodus 28 – 29 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 13 – 14; Proverbs 29; Psalms 141 – 145
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51
A Study of Women in the Bible
Naaman’s Servant Girl
“Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.” (2Kings 5:1-3)
Today we will be talking about another nameless girl. She was a Jewish girl who was taken form her home and all that was familiar. She became a slave by the hands of Syrians, to the captain of the host, Naaman’s, wife. Although she was torn form her home, she was not torn away from her faith. She was in a heathen country, but still kept the teaching of Jehovah God and she knew exactly where to go for help. We also see she was not shy about telling her mistress, that her husband Naaman, needed to see a man of God. Remember these people did not worship the Lord God.
Although very little is written about this young girl, but I believe we can learn a few important facts from her. She was surrounded by unbelievers. When working outside the home, their are lost people all around us. We listen to their talk, their music and their stories. We see the way they dress, the places they go and the way they act. If we are not keeping our minds fully on the Lord, their ways will become our ways. It was not so with the servant girl. She kept her faith. She must have been a good servant and a good testimony, because Naaman listened and did what she suggested. She also was not ashamed about telling Naaman and his wife about God. (Would God my lord we with the prophet that si in Samaria….). Notice the word God is capitalized. We too must be a bold witness for the Lord. Who knows what can become of someone sharing the Gospel. In the case of the servant girl, Naaman turned to the Lord.
“And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.” (2King 5:15)
Are we witnesses in our everyday life? Or are our mouths closed by doubt and fear? Like the unimportant servant girl, we need to do God’s will wherever we are. Let’s not distracted by our place in life, our enemies or anything else. God uses the most amazing people to serve Him. Are you willing?
Thank You
I John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Exodus 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 15 – 16; Proverbs 22; Psalms 106 – 110
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Deuteronomy 32:4
Read last year’s special guest post – “I Don’t Wanna” by Melissa Dilley
The Study of Women in the Bible
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA
“And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.” (1Kings 10:1-11)
The Queen of Sheba, was a woman of great wealth, beauty and power. She heard about Solomon, the king of Israel, the man who appeared to be rich and full of wisdom. His fame was known throughout the East. The world consulted Solomon, to hear the wisdom God had put into his heart. The Queen knew in her heart she must go see the king to see if these things were true. So she got ready a caravan and started on her long trip. She had many questions that Solomon answered. Later they exchanged gifts and the Queen returned to her home.
My thoughts from this passage is that the Queen held a high position, and yet she was humble. Humble enough that she admitted openly that there was someone who had greater wisdom and she want to learn about it. Many times we too have areas where we are in charge of something. We know how everything should be. We are working towards that goal and have it down pat. But there are times when someone may come along with a better way to achieve that goal. The Queen ruled her kingdom and had it all under control. But she wanted to know if what she was hearing was true and learn how she could apply this wisdom so she could rule wiser.
As women, we grow up under the guide of our father. Later in life we marry and are in subjection to our husband. When with others ladies, we want control. If God gave you a task, and someone has a better suggestion, will you be humble enough to take her advice? But you say “I’m in charge of that”. The Queen was in charge of her kingdom, but learned from Solomon. Lets us follow the example of the Queen of Sheba, be humble, take advice, and learn from others.
Thank You
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Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Genesis 23 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 15 – 16; Proverbs 8; Psalms 36 – 40
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read a previous post from this passage – “The Bride of Christ”
Watch “Growth Points Video – Leading With An Attitude” by Pastor Chappell
Elisheba, The Wife Of The High Priest Aaron
“And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.” (Exodus 6:23)
Elisheba’s name is only mention this one time in the Bible and very little is known about her. We know she was married to Aaron the High Priest and they had four sons. Being in a leadership roll, all eyes were on them. Her life was focused on the Lord God, and her family. As a mother she took part in the rearing of her sons to set their feet on the right path, which pointed them towards God. But something happened.
“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire form the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” (Leviticus 10:1-2)
Instead of following God’s directions, they willingly disobeyed God, by their “strange fire” incense offering. God punished them by consuming them in fire. Some say Nadab and Abihu may have been drunk because God later warned Aaron and his sons not to drink before worship.
“And the LORD spake unto Aaron saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a stature for ever throughout your generations:” (Leviticus 10:8 – 9)
As Christian moms, we all strive to raise our children to do right and fear the LORD. We love our children very much. But not every mother has children who make her proud. Every child is different. One may go in the direction that they were taught, the other, completely opposite. There may even be a child who starts off well, but as they become adults they go in the wrong direction. This is why it’s so important to start very early in teaching them the way of the LORD. Praying with them, even before they know what prayer is. Going with them to church. Letting them see you follow the Lord and not just telling them what to do. Be the example they need. It’s also important to never stop praying for them, and never stop loving them even when they are going in the wrong direction. Don’t misunderstand, we should never agree to the sin, but love them as Jesus loves us.
As with Elisheba, God may also provide a Christian mother a blessing. Eleazar, Elisheba’s third son, kept the faith of his parents, and followed in the footsteps of his father. He became the head of the Levites and then he became the High Priest in Aaron’s place.
Don’t give up on your children. Remember, no one is perfect. Love your children no matter what. Teach them by example. When they fall, be there to pick them up. Never write them off. God always has a plan B.
“Train up a child in the way he (she)should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE – By Keith Green
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain to try at all
Building anything not according to His call
Unless the Lord wants it done, You Better not work another day
Building anything that will stand in His way
You love the Lord and it seems like He’s been leading, You’ve asked Him to bless all your plans
But are you so sure you’re NOT just doing what you want to, Building your house on the sand
Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain to try at all
Building anything not according to His call
Unless the Lord wants it done, You Better not work another day
Building anything that will stand in His way
Working so hard at the things that you believe in, No one can tear you away
But don’t you lose sight of the very ONE who calls you, You may be sorry some day
For wood, hay and stubble, will all burn in the fire
But to love the Lord with all your heart, should be your one DESIRE
Love the Lord!
Psalms 127:1 “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it…”
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Genesis 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mathew 1 – 2; Proverbs 1; Psalms 1 – 5)
Scripture Memoriztion for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51
Sapphira – A Woman Who Did Not Keep Her Promise To God!
“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” (Acts 5:1-11)
At the time of Sapphira, and her husband Ananias, the church was being persecuted. Many believers gave generously to support the church. But Sapphira and her husband had greedy hearts and desire money as they tried to look good in the churches eyes. So they vowed to sell their home and give the money to the church, as other did, but kept back some of the money for themselves. As a result of the couples disobedience, they both died and the church feared.
Today many of us are making “New Years Resolutions.” Some may be to stop smoking, lose weight, find a new job, stop drinking, to be more mindful of your money…. The list can go on and on. For others it maybe to be a better Christian. To start or increase your Bible reading, to pray everyday, to attend church regularly, to tithe, to serve more, to win souls….. All of these “Resolution” are good, but we must remember the example of Ananias and Sapphira. Keep our promise to God. Everyone will wake up today and read their Bible and pray. But will we still be doing it next week or next month? We may forget but God doesn’t. I’m not saying God will kill us, but we could suffer the consequences.
Let not just start the New Year off right, lets finish strong and keep our promises to God, to ourselves, and to each other.
HAVE A JOYFUL AND BLESSED NEW YEAR
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.