Tag Archives: faith

Lepers, Judge, & Pride

206 – Lepers, Judge, and Pride

Luke 17:11-19 18:1-14

As Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem, he went through a certain village. Ten men with leprosy walked toward him. They were required to maintain a space between themselves and other people. So they yelled to him from a distance. “Master, have mercy on us.”

Jesus turned to them and yelled back. “Go show yourselves to the priest.”

They looked at one another and decided to do as he said. Along the way, they suddenly realized they were all healed. 

One of the ten men was from Samaria. He immediately turned around and ran back to Jesus. He shouted praises to God as he went. He fell down in front of the Lord and thanked him.

Jesus looked around and said, “Weren’t all ten of you healed? Where are the other nine? You’re from Samaria, yet you’re the only one to come back and thank God.”

Then Jesus helped the man get up. “Go, your faith has healed you.”

Later, Jesus was teaching the crowd about the importance of never getting discouraged when they pray. He said, “There was a judge who didn’t fear God, and was totally unconcerned about people.

“In his town, there was a widow who kept going to him saying, ‘I want the court to give me justice against the man who wronged me.’ At first the judge refused to help her. Finally he said, ‘I don’t care what happens to this woman, but I’m going to help her anyway because I’m tired of her bothering me.’ ”

The Lord said, “You should go to God with that same determination. But you have an advantage over that widow. Her judge didn’t care for her, but you have the heavenly Father who loves you and wants to help you.”

Jesus told another story to a crowd when he noticed that some thought they were better than others. He said, “Two men went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, who was honored by everyone. The other was a tax collector, who everyone hated, thinking he was a traitor to the nation.

“The Pharisee stood in a prominent spot and prayed. ‘God, I’m glad I’m not like other people— like those who are greedy or dishonest—or like those who are unfaithful to their wives. I’m especially glad I’m not like that wretched tax collector over there. Lord, as you know, I fast twice a week and give you a tenth of everything I earn.’

“The tax collector stood off to the side, away from everyone. He didn’t even look up, but kept hitting his chest in shame. He said, ‘God, I know I’m a sinner. Please have pity on me.’

Jesus said, “Both men went home, but only one was justified before God. It was the tax collector, not the Pharisee. God will exalt those who humble themselves, but he will humble those who exalt themselves.”

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A Roman and a Funeral

190 – A Roman and a Funeral

Luke 7:1-17

IA Roman officer lived in Capernaum. He was a good man and did wonderful things for the people of Israel. One day his servant got sick and was about to die. He asked some of the Jewish leaders if they would go talk to Jesus on his behalf. He said, “Beg him to come heal my servant.”

They went to Jesus and said, “He is a good man and loves our nation. He has even built a synagogue for us.” Jesus agreed to go with them to the man’s house.

As they got near, the Roman officer sent friends to Jesus with this message. “Please, I’m not worthy to have you come into my house. I understand authority. When I say things, others have to obey. So I know if you said the word, my servant will be healed.”

Jesus was amazed and said, “I haven’t seen this kind of faith in all of Israel!” The friends of the man went back to his house, and found that the servant was healed.

Jesus took his disciples to another town, and a large crowd followed them. As they approached the gates, they saw a funeral procession. It was for a young man who was the only son of a woman who had also lost her husband.

Jesus saw her desperate situation and went to her. He said, “Don’t cry.”

He then walked over to the open coffin and put his hand on it. Immediately the pallbearers stopped. Jesus said, “Young man, listen to me. Get up!”

The man opened his eyes and then sat up. He looked around and asked what was happening. Jesus helped him down and took him to his mother.

The crowd was stunned, and then afraid. Finally, they started to praise God. The news of this went throughout all of Israel, and into the surrounding countries.

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A Furnace Filled with Fire

168 – A Furnace Filled with Fire

Daniel 3:1-30

Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue. It was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. He then gathered together all the officials of his kingdom. They came and stood before the statue.

One of the officials made a declaration. “When you hear the orchestra play, fall to the ground and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. If you don’t do this immediately, you’ll be thrown into a furnace filled with fire.” The orchestra started playing and the crowd fell to the ground in front of the gold statue. 

This occasion gave some of the officials an idea. They thought this was their chance to get rid of some of the Jews that were among them.

They said to the king, “Your command was clear. When the orchestra played, everyone was to drop to the ground and worship the statue. You said if anyone didn’t do it, they’d be thrown into a furnace filled with fire. There are three Jews who ignored you, and they’re in high positions in the kingdom. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They don’t serve your god, and they didn’t worship the gold statue.”

Nebuchadnezzar was furious. He sent for the three Jews and had them stand before him. “I’ve been told you don’t serve my god, and you didn’t worship the gold statue. I want to see if this is true. The orchestra will play, and when it does you’re to drop to the ground and worship the gold statue. If you don’t, you’ll be thrown into the furnace filled with fire. There’s no god that can rescue you from my power.”

The three men didn’t hesitate to answer the king. They said, “We would never argue with you, but please understand. Our God is able to rescue us from the furnace filled with fire. He can easily rescue us from your power, but if he doesn’t, let it be known, we still won’t worship the gold statue you’ve set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar became so mad his face was twisted with rage. He shouted to his guards, “Make the furnace seven times hotter! Tie up these men and throw them into it!”

The furnace was made hotter, and the three Jews were tied up and thrown into the fire. Since the furnace was so hot and the king wanted the execution to be done quickly, the flames killed the guards as they threw the men in.

Suddenly the king was shocked at what he saw. He got up and shouted, “Didn’t we throw three men into the fire?”

“Of course Your Majesty. We threw in three men.”

“But look! I see four men in there. The fire’s not hurting them, and they aren’t tied up. They’re freely walking around. And look! The fourth man is like a god.”

Nebuchadnezzar got closer to the furnace and yelled in. “Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, servants of the Most High God. Please, come out.”

The three men came out of the fire. Everyone gathered around and saw that the men and their clothes were totally unaffected by the fire. They didn’t even have the smell of smoke on them.

Nebuchadnezzar made a proclamation. “I give praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They chose to die rather than worship any god but their God. So he sent his angel to rescue them. No one is to say anything offensive about the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. If anyone does, that person will be torn to pieces and their house made into a garbage dump.”

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Find the real story in Daniel 3 #Christian #Christiancomedy #Biblestories #Jesus #God #Bible #Biblestudy

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@haileyjulia_

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Going to Egypt

164 – Going to Egypt

2 Kings 25:22-30 Jeremiah 40:1–44:30 52:31-34

Stories 159 – 164 happened during the life and ministry of Jeremiah, the prophet.

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, totally destroyed Jerusalem. He left a few people to care for the land, and made Gedaliah governor of Judah.

Rebel soldiers still lived in the hills of Judah. Gedaliah met with them and said, “The king of Babylon wants to have peace with you. So stop fighting. Look at what the people left behind when they went into exile. You can harvest their grapes and olives and summer fruit. Select a town and go live there. I’ll represent you with the Babylonians.” 

The soldiers followed this advice and lived in the land. Jews who lived in other countries came back and accepted Gedaliah as their governor. Altogether, they had a great harvest that year.

The king of Ammon hired ten Jews to kill Gedaliah. The people of Judah warned the governor about this plot. They said, “We have it good here. We don’t want these traitors to ruin it for the rest of us.” But Gedaliah didn’t believe them. He thought they were simply trying to get an advantage over their fellow countrymen.

Gedaliah invited the ten traitors to have a meal with him. During the meal, the men drew their swords and killed the governor. After throwing his body down a large well, they headed back to Ammon. The men of Judah chased after them. There was a battle, but most of the traitors got away.

The people of Judah knew what Nebuchadnezzar would do once he found out his governor had been killed. They made plans to escape to Egypt. They went to Jeremiah and said, “Ask the Lord what we should do. We promise we’ll do whatever he says.”

Ten days later, Jeremiah gave them a message from the Lord. “Don’t move to Egypt, but stay in Judah. I’ll be with you and protect you from the king of Babylon. If you stay, I’ll build you up and establish you here.

“I know you’re afraid, but listen to me. Your fears are waiting for you in Egypt. You won’t find war, hunger, and disease in Judah. No, they’re waiting for you in Egypt.”

The people yelled at Jeremiah, “You’re lying to us. The Lord didn’t tell you that. You want us to stay here so Babylon will kill us.”

The people left Judah and went to Egypt. They took the prophet and Baruch with them. Jeremiah finished his book in Egypt, and then he died.

Years later, a new king ruled Babylon. He brought King Jehoiachin out of prison and gave him his freedom. He was also given a living allowance and was invited to eat at the table of the king of Babylon. He lived in comfort for the rest of his life.

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Well of Mud

163 – Well of Mud

2 Chronicles 36:15-21 2 Kings 25:3-21 Jeremiah 32:1-33:26 38:1-40:6 52:1-34

Stories 159 – 164 happened during the life and ministry of Jeremiah, the prophet.

The Lord gave Jeremiah a message for the people. He said, “The choice is yours. You can have life or death. If you stay in Jerusalem, you’ll suffer hunger, disease, and death. If you surrender to the Babylonian army, you’ll live. I’ve given this city to them, and they’ll totally destroy it.”

When the officials of Judah heard this, they went to the king and said, “This man must die. He’s a traitor. He’s telling people to abandon us.” 

So Zedekiah allowed them to do what they wanted with Jeremiah. They put ropes around him and let him down into an empty well. It didn’t have water in it, but instead the bottom was nothing but mud. Soon the prophet had sunk down into the mud.

Another official ran to the king and said, “This is wrong! The prophet will die in that well. He has no food or water.”

The king gave permission for the man to pull Jeremiah out of the well. So he got 30 other men to help him. They threw old rags down the well and told the prophet to put these under his arms to protect him from the ropes. They then pulled him out of the well and took him back to the palace prison.

The Babylonians kept the city under siege for two and a half years. Finally they broke through the walls and took the city. When Zedekiah heard this, he got out of Jerusalem during the night and tried to escape.

The Babylonians chased after the king and soon caught him. They brought him back to Nebuchadnezzar. He took Zedekiah and made him watch as they killed his sons in front of him. They then gouged out his eyes, put him in chains, and led him away to Babylon.

The Babylonians totally destroyed the city so it could never again resist them. They destroyed the Temple, burned all the houses, and broke down the walls. The city was totally demolished. The Babylon army took the rest of the people away to Babylon, leaving only a few to tend the land.

Nebuchadnezzar heard about Jeremiah, so he told his captain, “Find this man, and make sure he isn’t hurt. He’s to be cared for and given whatever he wants.”

The captain went and found the prophet. He was in chains along with the others who were being sent into exile. The captain took the chains off Jeremiah and said, “You’re free to go. If you come to Babylon with us, we’ll take care of you and meet your needs for the rest of your life. But if you want, you can stay here in Judah. The choice is yours.”

Jeremiah said he would stay in Judah, so they allowed him and Baruch to go back to their homes. The Lord also protected the official that had helped the prophet get out of the well.

The Lord said to Jeremiah, “The day will come when I’ll raise up a righteous Branch from the line of David, and He’ll bring justice and righteousness to the land. He’ll be called, ‘The Lord our Righteousness.’ ”

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A Book is Found

157 – A Book is Found

II Kings 22:1-20 II Chronicles 34:1-32

Josiah was eight years old when he became king of Judah. He walked with the Lord from the day he became king until the day he died 31years later. He was the last great king before the people of Judah went into captivity.

When he was 26 years old, he hired men to restore the Temple. Money had been given for that purpose, so he gave it to the workmen and said, “You have proven yourselves to be men of integrity. Therefore you don’t have to keep an account of this money.” 

One day, the high priest found the Book of the Law, written by Moses. He sent it to the king, who had it read out loud. When Josiah heard what was written in the book, he ripped his clothes and said, “Surely the Lord’s anger is great against us! Our ancestors made a contract with God and then broke it over and over. His judgment on us must be close at hand. Go and find someone who can ask the Lord about this.”

The priest went to a certain section of the city to the home of Huldah, a woman prophet. They asked her about what was written in the book. She said, “I have a message from God to the man who sent you here. God says, ‘The people of this land have totally turned against me. They serve idols and false gods. I’m about to fulfill the judgment written in the book you found. Disaster will soon fall on this place and everyone who lives here. Nothing can turn away the judgment that is coming.’ ”

Huldah then said, “I have another message to the king of Judah. The Lord says, ‘When you heard the words of this book, your heart was sad and you ripped your clothes and cried. You have sought me with humility, and I heard you. Therefore, you will not see the disaster I’m bringing on this place. I will wait until you die and are buried.’ ”

The priest took these words back to Josiah. When he heard them, he gathered together all the elders of Jerusalem and Judah. They in turn went and got the rest of the people. Everyone went to the Temple, where they heard the king read the Law of Moses. They heard about the agreements their nation had with God.

Once the reading of the Law was done, Josiah stood in the place reserved for the king. In front of everyone, he made those same commitments to the Lord. He vowed that he would follow God’s commandments with all of his energies and power. All the people agreed to do the same.

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Fifteen Years

155 – Fifteen Years

II Kings 20:1-21 II Chronicles 32:24-33

King Hezekiah became extremely sick. The prophet Isaiah went to him and said, “God told me this sickness will kill you. So prepare to die.” He then turned and left the room.

Hezekiah cried out to God. “Oh Lord! I’ve walked with you and lived according to your commandments. Please spare my life.” He turned his head to the wall and cried bitterly.

Once again, God talked to Isaiah. “Go tell King Hezekiah I’ve heard his prayer and have seen his tears. Therefore I’ll add fifteen years to his life. I’ll also give him a sign so he’ll know that this promise is true. I’ll cause the shadow on the sundial to go backward ten degrees.”

Hezekiah watched the shadow on the sundial and saw it move back ten degrees. Immediately his sickness began to leave him until he totally recovered. He sang before the Lord and gave thanks.

After he recovered, a delegation came from Babylon with gifts. They gave him a letter from their king saying he was glad about Hezekiah’s recovery.

Hezekiah was pleased with this, and honored the delegation with a tour of his palace and government buildings. He took them to the treasury house and showed them all of the nation’s treasures—including gold, silver, spices, and precious oil.

After the men from Babylon left, the prophet Isaiah asked, “Who were those men and what did they say to you?”

The king said, “They’re from a far-off country, a place called Babylon.”

“What did you show them?”

“I showed them everything. I didn’t hide anything of value from them.”

The prophet said, “Listen to the words of the Lord. ‘A day will come when Babylon will invade Judah and take everything they’ve seen back to their country. Your descendants will become personal slaves to the king of Babylon.’ ”

Hezekiah bowed his head, and finally said, “This message from the Lord is good. None of this will happen in my lifetime. While I live, there will be peace and security.”

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Israel in Exile

152 – Israel in Exile

II Kings 17:1-41

Israel had been a separate kingdom from Judah for many years. Their first king set up two golden calves for worship. None of their kings destroyed the calves, and none of them followed the Lord. Some of the greatest prophets who ever lived were sent to Israel. Still, the people refused to turn to God.

So, after many warnings, God finally allowed them to be conquered. They were taken off the land and made to live in other cities.

It started with the king of Assyria attacking the kingdom of Israel and taking control of it. The people were required to pay heavy taxes. Suddenly the king of Egypt said he would help Israel get free of their bondage to Assyria. The people believed this and stopped paying the taxes.

The armies of Assyria invaded Israel, captured their king, and put him in prison. They then encircled Samaria and kept anyone from going in or out. This lasted for three years, until finally Samaria surrendered.

The Assyrians were cruel. They used the people of Israel as a warning to other nations not to rebel against their authority. Those who survived were taken off the land and sent into exile.

Other people were brought in to live on the land of Israel. They settled in the cities and called their new nation Samaria.

The new people knew nothing about the Lord, so they continued worshiping the idols they brought with them. God sent lions among them, and many people were killed.

An advisor to the king of Assyria said, “The Samaritans don’t know the God of the land. He sent lions to kill them because they don’t know how to worship him correctly.”

So the king said, “Select a few priests from the people of Israel and send them back to Samaria. Have them teach the people how to worship the God of the land.”

A few priests were selected and sent back. They taught the Samaritans about the Lord and how to worship him. The people started worshiping God, but they also kept their old idols. They mixed the two together. This continued for many years to come.

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Blind Soldiers

138 – Blind Soldiers

II Kings 6:8-23

The king of Syria invaded the land of Israel. He brought in his military leaders and told them his plans—where he was going to set up camp and how he was going to attack the Israelites. As soon as he spoke the words, Elisha went and told the king of Israel exactly what the Syrians were planning. The army of Israel made preparations and won the battle.

This happened several times until the king of Syria finally realized that the Israelites always knew exactly what he was planning. He said to his commanders, “Which one of you is a spy for Israel?” 

One of them said. “My lord, we’re all loyal to you. It’s Elisha, the prophet. He is the one telling his king about your plans. He knows what you say, even when you’re in your bedroom.”

“Where does this prophet live?”

“He lives in Dothan, my lord.”

So the king sent a large army with horses and chariots to Dothan. They arrived at night and surrounded the city.

Elisha’s servant got up early and stepped outside. Suddenly he saw this massive army. Running back inside, he yelled, “The Syrian army has surrounded the city. What are we going to do?”

Elisha was surprised. “Why are you afraid? Our army is much bigger than theirs.”

Then he prayed, “Lord, open this man’s eyes so he can see.” So the Lord opened his eyes. He looked out and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire. All of them were for Elisha.

At that point, the Syrians started moving in on the city. The prophet prayed, “Lord, please make all these men blind.” Suddenly the Lord struck them with blindness.

The prophet walked up to them and said, “Somehow you’ve gotten on the wrong road. You’re at the wrong city. I’ll guide you and take you to the right place.”

He then led them to Samaria, the capital of Israel. Once they were inside the gate, he prayed, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” The men looked around and realized they were in Samaria.

The king of Israel saw this and said to Elisha, “Should I kill them? ”

“No. You can’t kill these men. You didn’t capture them in battle. They’re your guests. Give them food and drink, and let them go back to their master.”

So the king prepared a great feast for his guests. When everyone had had enough to eat and drink, they went back to the king of Syria. It was a long time before Syria invaded Israel again.

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Gehazi

137 – Gehazi

II Kings 5:15-27

After Naaman was healed at the Jordan River, he and his men went back to the prophet’s house and stood before him. Naaman said, “Today I’ve learned, and now know, that there’s no god on earth except the God of Israel. Please accept my humble gift.”

Elisha said, “As sure as God lives, I won’t take a gift from you.” Naaman insisted, but the prophet still refused.

Then the commander said, “Please let me have as much dirt as two mules can carry. I’ll no longer worship any other god. Instead, I’ll kneel on this dirt from Israel and worship the Lord God.”

He then asked for something else. “When my king goes into the temple of his god, I’m required to go with him because I’m his commander. While I’m there, I have to kneel down in front of the idol. I ask that the Lord will forgive me for doing this.”

Elisha said, “Go home in peace, and don’t worry about that situation.”

Shortly after Naaman left, Gehazi started thinking. “My master let this Syrian off too easy. He should’ve paid something. I’ll go catch up with him and ask for a gift for myself.”

So Gehazi went after the Syrian commander. Soon, Naaman saw him coming and stopped his chariot. He got off and greeted the servant. “Is everything all right?”

Gehazi said, “Oh yes, everything is fine. My master just found out that he’s having two young guests staying with us tonight. They’re from the school of the prophets. He was wondering if you would like to help with the expenses – possibly 75 pounds of silver and a couple of sets of clothes.”

“Certainly! Here, I’ll give you 150 pounds of silver in two bags, as well as two sets of clothes.” The commander gave all of this to a couple of his men so they could carry it back for the servant.

Gehazi had the men take the silver and clothes to his own house. Once everything was put away, he sent the men away. He then went and stood next to his master.

Elisha said, Gehazi, where did you go?”

“I didn’t go anywhere.”

Elisha said, “Oh my dear friend. My spirit was there when Naaman stopped his chariot and stepped down to greet you. It wasn’t your place to accept money, clothes, olive trees, vineyards, animals, or slaves. Therefore, Naaman’s leprosy is now attaching itself to your skin.”

With that, Gehazi turned and left the house. He looked down at his arms, and they were already white with leprosy.

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