Read to prACTice

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************** Enduring prayer... I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 18   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  1  Now it happened after many days that the word of the  Lord  came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.” 42  ... Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees.   43  He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times...   III. Reflection *  Questions :  The Lord took the initiative to declare that, "I will send rain on the face of the earth" after Elijah met Ahab. Why did Elijah have to pray for it and pray for it so intently? IV. Application Dear Lord God: I thank You for showing me that You did pro...

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************** The last meal it was not because... I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 17   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  (as the drought deepened, the prophet Elijah came to a town called Zarephath. There he asked a widow for a little water in a jar and a piece of bread...) 12  But she said, “ As the  Lord  your God lives,  I have no  bread, only a handful of flour in the  bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering  a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and  die.” III. Reflection *  Questions :  What's the point of eating if a person knows that after the meal, he or she will die? IV. Application Dear Lord God, I thank you for showing me that the situation in Zarephath was very desperate and real. The meal on that day was intended to be the last meal for the widow and her son. But w...

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************** As bad as the father or father's fathers...  I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 16   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  (about the history of the kings of Israel...) 25  [king]  Omri did evil in the sight of the  Lord , and acted more wickedly than all who were before him...  30  [king]  Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the  Lord   more than all who were before him. III. Reflection *  Questions :  What was the mold of this royal family? IV. Application Dear Lord God: I thank You for showing me that improvement has direction, and when it goes in the wrong direction, we have a problem! I thank You for letting me know that less means more, as in less sinning for more blessing. I thank You, Lord Jesus, for taking me to this point to remind me of Your teaching that You are less than Your Father ( John 14:28 ) and...

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************** When repla yed? All paid! I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 15   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  (King Abijam committed all the sins of his father and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord... then he died...) 7  Now  the rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?... III. Reflection *  Questions :  What is the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? Is it the same Chronicles book in the Bible, or is it the history book of the nation of Israelites? IV. Application Dear Lord God: I thank You for showing me that there were other historical books of the nation of Israel that the Bible was referring to. I thank You for letting me see the human history aspect of Your Word, the Bible. I thank You, Lord Jesus, for taking me to this point to remind me that if humanity has a book to rec...

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************** From high exaltation to deep condemnation... I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 14   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  (from high exaltation of blessings to deep condemnation of calamity, Jeroboam led his family to a downfall...) 10  therefore behold, I am bringing calamity on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male person, both bond and free in Israel, and I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone.   11  Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs will eat. And he who dies in the field the birds of the heavens will eat; for the  Lord  has spoken it.”’ III. Reflection *  Questions :  What was the reason that caused such calamity to hit Jeroboam and his family? IV. Application Dear Lord God: I thank You for showing me that one of the reasons ...

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************* A yardstick for our time...   I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 13   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  (The prophet from Bethel wanted to get the prophet from Judah to turn around to go to his home and eat bread with him. The prophet from Judah said...) 16  ... “I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place.   17  For a command came to me by the word of the  Lord , ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’”   18  He said to him, “I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the  Lord , saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him.   III. Reflection *  Questions :  What should we do these days when almost everyo...

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************* The cost of wealth...   I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 12   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  (after the passing of king Solomon, the Israelites personally came to ask the new king, Rehoboam, for relief..." 4  “ Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” III. Reflection *  Questions :  King Solomon was well-known for his unique wisdom and wealth. Where did his wealth come from? IV. Application Dear Lord God: I thank You for reminding me that king Solomon's wealth may have come from many sources. One source was certain — the heavy taxation on his people. I thank You for showing me that wealth has its cost. And the cost in Solomon's case was the suffering of his people, God's people. I thank You, Lord Jesus, for taking me to this point to remind me that the c...

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************* Follow the Lord fully? I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 11   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  6  Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the  Lord , and did not follow the  Lord  fully, as David his father had done.   III. Reflection *  Questions :  Who were a few people who followed the Lord fully? And what were their rewards? IV. Application Dear Lord God, I thank You for showing me that Caleb was among the very few people in the Bible who followed You fully ( Joshua 14:14 ). Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest king, was singled out as one who did not follow the Lord fully. He did follow You, but not fully! I thank You, Lord Jesus, for taking me to this point to remind me that You expect me to love You fully ( Matthew 22:37 ). O Lord! Please help me today to be mindful of the fact that I am in the majority of those who do not follow You fu...

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************* Know more, Bless much... I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 10   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  (The queen of Sheba heard the famed wisdom of king Solomon, so she came to test him. When all was done, she admitted to the king about the report that she heard before coming...)  7 Nevertheless  I did not believe the  reports until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed  in  wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard. III. Reflection *  Questions :  How is it that an insufficient report does not make such a report incorrect? IV. Application Dear Lord God, I thank You for showing me that when her information was complete, Queen Sheba's admiration for the king was even greater. She became a one-satisfied heart that kept blessing others. I thank You, Lord Jesus, for taking me to this point to remind me that the liv...

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************* From Alpha to Omega... I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 9   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  (if Solomon and his descendants lived as David, their father, did with integrity and uprightness and obedience to Him, the Lord promised...) 5  then  I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever... III. Reflection *  Questions :  Does the promise reveal anything very special about God? IV. Application Dear Lord God: I thank You for reminding me that sometimes I did not pay too much attention to Your promise, particularly this promise You made to Solomon and his descendants in this Scripture--Your promise is valid forever. I thank You for letting me know that no one can make such a promise unless the promise-maker exists forever to honor it. I thank You, Lord Jesus, for taking me to this point to remind me that You are the Alpha and Omega ( Rev 22:13 ), the ...

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************* Follow father's ways to catch Father's rays... I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 8   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  (In blessing David and his descendants, the Lord God had promised...) 25 ... " You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way to walk before Me as you have walked."   III. Reflection *  Questions :  On whom was the pressure put to keep the throne of Israel in the household of David? IV. Application Dear Lord God: I thank You for letting me know that although the sons ought to be c areful in all they would do to walk before You, they would only have to do, however, as their father David did to keep enjoying the lasting throne. I thank You for letting me know that being the first car on the long train has the privileges and matching responsibilities. I thank You, Lord Jesus, for taking me to this point to rem...

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************* The Ever-Living Word every day...   I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 7   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  1  Now Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.   2  He built the house of the forest of Lebanon; its length was [150 feet] and its width [75 feet] and its height [45 feet], on four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams on the pillars...  10  The foundation was of costly stones, even large stones, stones of [15 feet] and stones of [12 feet].   11  And above were costly stones, stone cut according to measure, and cedar. III. Reflection *  Questions :  Today, if we want to visit Solomon's majestic royal palace, where can we go? IV. Application Dear Lord God: I thank You for letting me know that I don't have to travel anywhere to visit Solomon's majestic royal palace because it di...

To read this in Vietnamese, please click  here . ******************* In His house or in people's hearts...  I. Click here to READ   1 Kings 6   first . II. One thing the Bible teaches:  (Solomon intended to build a solemn, majestic, and costly temple for the Lord. Careful and detailed design has been planned...) 11  Now the word of the  Lord  came to Solomon saying,   12  “Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father.   13  I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.” III. Reflection *  Questions :  Is there anything very surprising in what the Lord said to Solomon? IV. Application Dear Lord God: I thank You for letting me know that while the temple being planned was intended to be sole...