Isaiah 37

1 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.

² And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

³ And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

⁴ It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which theLord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.

⁵ So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

⁶ And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

⁷ Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

⁸ So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

⁹ And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

¹⁰ Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

¹¹ Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?

¹² Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?

¹³ Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

¹⁴ And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.

¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying,

¹⁶ O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.

¹⁷ Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open thine eyes, O Lord, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.

¹⁸ Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,

¹⁹ And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

²⁰ Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only.

²¹ Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria:

²² This is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

²³ Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.

²⁴ By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel.

²⁵ I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.

²⁶ Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.

²⁷ Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

²⁸ But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.

²⁹ Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

³⁰ And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.

³¹ And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:

³² For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.

³³ Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it.

³⁴ By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord.

³⁵ For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

³⁶ Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

³⁷ So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

³⁸ And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

Biblical Tests of a Prophet Part 2

Read part one of this document here: http://wildvoices.blogspot.com/2013/02/biblical-tests-of-prophet-part-1.html

Test Number Seven: 2 Peter 1:20

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."

A true prophet does not give his own interpretation of scripture. Every prophecy he or she proclaims will agree with already established truth. If they receive new light, it must agree with the old light God has already given.

Test Number Eight: 2 Peter 1:21

"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

So, a true prophet prophesies in the name of the Lord, not in his own name. A true prophet will manifest the fruits of that same spirit because he or she speaks through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. All glory and honor will be acclaimed to God who is the source of the Prophecy, God and God alone, will determine when a prophecy should be given and why, He God is the initiator and source of the prophecy not the prophet..

Test Number Nine: 1 Corinthians 14:3

"But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort."

In other words, a true prophet gives direction to God's true church. Ehesians tells us there is only One Lord, One Faith and One Baptism, meaning there is only one true Church Officially recognised by God, Prophets will be raise to Edify, Exhort and Comfort God's one and only true Chuhrch, whichever it is period.  And a true prophet's messages will cover all of these three areas: Edification, which means to rebuke sin and wrong doing, to instruct morally; Exhortation -- this means to strongly advise; and Comfort -- to soothe in distress or sorrow, to console. When was the last time your favourite prophet rebuked sin and pointed people to live right?? All of these three things will be exemplified by a true prophet.

Test Number Ten: Isaiah 8:19-20

"And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

God gives a clear distinction between false prophets and true prophets here -- between the works of hellish darkness, and the works of heavenly light.

How could it be any plainer? God says, "To the law," what's the law? It is the ten commandment law of God, " . . . and to the testimony . . ." What's the testimony? The "testimony" is the rest of scripture. " . . . If they speak not according to this word [the 10 commandments and the Bible], it is because they have no light in them." Friend, that's not what I say, it's what God says. That means a true messenger of God will keep all of God's ten commandments. Its Peter who wrote and said "All Scripture is inspired and important for doctrine" Well, did you know that when Peter wrote those inspired word, only the old testament part of the Bible was reffered to as Scripture? So, for any prophet to speak according to this word they must uplift both the Old and New Testament Potions of the Bible without making each part less significant in their ministry and this is where all the named prophets all fall short.
What is Special about the Ten Commandments that God could take time to include it a s a point of testing true and false prophets?? Look at it this way, if you lived in a Nation ruled by a King, and on a particular Day the King asked that everyone assemble as He will be giving an instruction. The day comes and everyone sits down and the King appears to give a list of Instruction spoken directly by him. Do you think the day the King thinks the list of instructions he gave were not necccesary any more, he will just keep quite about it without asking for a simular assembly? I dont think so, actually I dont think the King can personnally announce the instructions only to change his mind years down the line.. Did you know that the Ten Commandments were not first written by God, But He Spoke them out in Person. I will be preaching a Sermon titled "When God Addressed a press briefing" Malachi 3:10 tell us God never changes, and Isaiah says, God Knows the future before it comes. It is very unlogical for God to stand on the Mount and Speakk out the Commandments while knowing one day He will have to make them void. Read Exodus 19 and 20 and review how sacred the event was. Any Prophet who does not accept this simple Bibilcal fact fails to satisfy this test and is definately not of God.
Ill be presenting a detailed study on this blog covering first the legitimacy of the Law of God, why it can never be changed. Be sure to check that one out.
The next two more tests will prove beyond resonable doubt, that most of the so called men of God busy giving prophecies on behalf on God, arfe actually not called or known by God, they have just stolen a job description from Christianity but are all messengers of the enemy of our Souls, Satan himself.
Please bookmark this blog and share it with your friends world over. Be blessed as you wait for part 3.

 

 

Biblical Tests of a Prophet Part 1

We live at a time when humanity wants to know what tommorow holds. Many people, Ministers, Musicians, Movie Stars, booth Christians and pagans,even world Presidents would never think about making a big decision without consulting their horoscope, or astrologist, peering into a crystal ball, consulting wicth doctors or delving into some other type of spiritual prophecy true or false though they may be. Of course not forgeting footballers.

We have lost lives because sick people were told to stop taking medication after being prayed for, only to die when they could have lived longer...

 We have lived to see many prophets in the Christian arena the likes of TB Joshua, Angel, O. Chris Ben Hin and in  Zambia our own Joe Imakando, you can name them, with their lots of showy miracles and prophecies most of which we have lived to witness come to pass. Some of these prophets have become household names to a level where am being informed by a Friend that some have gone to the extent of selling their vehicles inorder to raise money to travel and meet these men of God.(which God, is the purpose of this document) Many have acclaimed these to be pure magic while others have called them satanic deceptions, with some crediting them to the infamous Nigerian 419 tricks.  But just what does the Bible have to say about all this?.

 

Well, to be quite honest, the Bible is very clear about the source of all these types of things. In Revelation 16 verse 14 it warns, "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world..."  Matthew 24:24 tells us "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

Whats sad to note is the number of suposedly Christians being dupped by these the deceptions Christ warned to take place. We need to be very careful not to be deceived by Satan's deceptions, because those who are taken in by them will be destroyed along with these "works of darkness." Look at God's warning in Isaiah 47:13 and 14: "Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels, Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it."

In this document lets examine the prophetic aspect of all these issues. Do all the men who claim to be prophets, truly prophets. We have witnessed prophecies about just any thing with TB Joshua taking the lead with his famous football prophecies. You may have obsefrved and witnessed more than I can put down here, but just how Do I know if Joshua and many like him are sent by God, how do you know??

Well this is something to do with God and only God can tell us how to tell.. Some have said, @Well they preach Jesus Christ, they feed the poor and do all these miracles and prophecies, they must be from God right?" Well, wrong, look at it this way, the highest note we have in Zambia is a Kr 100 and avery normal person reading this knows that too well, what would you do if someone gave you a single KR 400??? Would you need a Banker to tell you you are being cheated? Of course not, you will know straight on that its a fake note because we do not have Kr 400. So if someone wants to cheat you with fake money, the highest note they will make will be a Kr100 and if you are not vigilant you will be deceived.

Same applies to Christian deception, if Satan raised a prophect preaching in the name of Satan, we would not need Bible Scholars to come and tell us its deception, so to hide the counterfeit,  he raises his false prophets in the name of Jesus and unless we are Bible students, we will be decived and get lost in the end. 

Mathew 7:21-23 "many will say to me... Lord Lord, didnt we prophcy in your name and in your named cast out demons?".. and I will say unto them, deaprt from me ye that work iniquity.

You see Friends, not all these Prophets we see and hear are sent by God, nor are they known or recognised by God. But then yes God knows who are His, how can we as humans know who are God's prophets that we may follow their foot steps. Just how can we differenciate between the genuine and false prophets of our days??

The Bible give many Characterists we can use to filter the self acclaimed men of God. Look at Paul's admonition in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21; "Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." In other words,  God is simply saying, "Don't reject all prophecy, just test them, and try them, and make sure they are from Me. And when you find a genuine prophet, hold fast, and don't let them go." This is a matter of life and death because if we are deceived by a false prophet, we are going to follow that false prophet to perdition and if we reject the true prophet of God, we are rejecting the manifestation of God's Holy Spirit, and that's the unpardonable sin. That is why God's people in the last days must be wide awake, studying, and praying Christians who "test the spirits." 

I compile here 12 Tests every true Prophet must pass before declared "sent of God", if any prophet fails to satisfy a single test of these, you are most assured they are not from God and if they are not from God they are from Satan and if they are from Satan, following them means death everlasting.

All of these I copy the wording from http://www.seventh-day.org/index.htm...with a few of my personal commentry.

     

 

Test Number One: Deuteronomy 18:21-22:

"And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him."

In other words, if a prediction a prophet makes does not come to pass, he is a false prophet. That's pretty straightforward, isn't it? Not some predictions, but every prediction must come just as prophesied. This one just blows all these other guys out of the water! No excuses!

Some may say, "But what about Jonah? He prophesied that Nineveh would be destroyed. He was God's prophet, but it never happened. What about that?"

Yes, friend, God told Jonah that if Nineveh didn't repent, He would destroy it, but they heeded Jonah's word and they repented, so God didn't destroy it.

If a person is God's prophet, that prophecy comes to pass according to the conditions given, period!

 

Test Number Two: Numbers 12:6

"And he said, hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream."

According to the Bible, a true prophet of God receives his communications from God by two distinct methods: dreams and visions. That's what the Bible says and no further comment should really be necessary.

 

Test Number Three: Numbers 24:4 and 16

"He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open...He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:"

Therefore, test number three of these divine manifestations that God gives to identify a true prophet while in vision, is that their eyes remain open.

     While in vision, the prophet becomes oblivious to their sorounding, while their eyes are wide open without blinking, you could literary throw a punchh close to their eyes but they will never blink or close their eyes, I bet you have never seen this one before!

 

Test Number Four: Daniel 10:17

"For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me."

Another test of a true prophet is that they have no breath while in vision. In other words, they don't breathe. According to scripture, this is one of the miracles God performs to identify a genuine prophet. While in vision, they don't breathe. This I have never seen too, but I have read of an instance of an old time prophetess who displayed this. During some of her visions, people would hold a mirror in front of her mouth to see if there was any condensation on it. Why, one man even came up and put his hand over her nose and mouth to see if she was breathing. In one instance, there was a spiritualist physician in Parkville, Maryland, who bragged about her and said "She just hypnotizes herself. If she ever 'went into vision' when I was around, I'd snap her out of it. She wouldn't pull that kind of stuff around me." You know, God vindicated His servant, because she went into vision one day when this man was in the room. Now was his chance to "snap her out" of her "mesmerized" state. So he went up to her and began doing the things he believed would bring her out of her hypnotized state. Suddenly, he turned and ran for the door. Just as he got out the side door, the deacon grabbed him by the arm and said, "Where are you going, doctor?" He turned around and in a terified voice said, "My God! She doesn't breathe!" So a true prophet does not breath while in Vision.

 

Test Number Five: Daniel 10:18

"Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me."

Before a vision, a prophet may be very weak in physical strength. But when taken in vision, a true prophet will suddenly receive supernatural strength.  This means though a prophet might be weak as a physical man, while in vision, physical men can not lift or restrain the prophet in any way ass he receives super natural strength.

 

Test Number Six: Jeremiah 28:9

"The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him."

     This Sounds more like the opposite of our renown prophet TB Joshua and many like him who specialize in announcing doom's days. Though the prophet is not always going to prophesy good news, they never major in pprophesying bad news without a remedy. When the Old Bible prophets gave a prophesy concerning doom, they also gave either an explanation why God has allowed it to come to pass, or a way to avoid the destruction, any prophecy short of this is not from God.

 

You should be able by now brothers to realize, just how much these so called prophets have taken many for a ride. This is not an attack of any individual Ministry, but a check to all the existing Ministries and an eye opener to would be Victims of this high level of fraud.. Pleae leave your comments, objectitions additions, and or testimonies below.. Be sure to read Part 2 of this Document. here: http://wildvoices.blogspot.com/2013/02/biblical-tests-of-prophet-part-2.html

    

 

Revived by His Word Today's Reading

2 Samuel 17
17:1 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: 
 17:2 And I will come upon him while he [is] weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that [are] with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only: 
 17:3 And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace. 
 17:4 And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. 
 17:5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith. 
 17:6 And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do [after] his saying? if not; speak thou. 
 17:7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given [is] not good at this time. 
 17:8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they [be] mighty men, and they [be] chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father [is] a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. 
 17:9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some [other] place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom. 
 17:10 And he also [that is] valiant, whose heart [is] as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father [is] a mighty man, and [they] which [be] with him [are] valiant men. 
 17:11 Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that [is] by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person. 
 17:12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that [are] with him there shall not be left so much as one. 
 17:13 Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there. 
 17:14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite [is] better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom. 
 17:15 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled. 
 17:16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that [are] with him. 
 17:17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David. 
 17:18 Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down. 
 17:19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known. 
 17:20 And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where [is] Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find [them], they returned to Jerusalem. 
 17:21 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you. 
 17:22 Then David arose, and all the people that [were] with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan. 
 17:23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled [his] ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father. 
 17:24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. 
 17:25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa [was] a man's son, whose name [was] Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother. 
 17:26 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead. 
 17:27 And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, 
 17:28 Brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched [corn], and beans, and lentiles, and parched [pulse], 
 17:29 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that [were] with him, to eat: for they said, The people [is] hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.

How To Have Hard Conversations With Young Adults

By Brian Owen (Editor, Ev. Walusiku)

If you're in ministry (especially ministry to 18-25 year olds) then you understand one of the hardest and most necessary things can be having hard conversations with young adults.

Let me define hard conversation: "Addressing a subject with an individual that will potentially cause anxiety, conflict, or pain."

Steps to think through:

1. Understand that Jesus was confrontational.

Jesus didn't steer away from hard conversations with people. He addressed them head on. Be encouraged. Are they easy? No. Necessary? Yes.

2. Encourage Young adults.

That may sound funny here, but you must develop a habit of encouraging people in the good times. When you are offering encouragement to those around you it makes the hard conversations so much easier.

Hand write letters to youths thanking them for their service. Text students randomly to let them know you are thinking about them and praying for them that day. Stop someone in the hall if you saw them do something well.

The only time some of our youths hear from us is when we are telling them they are doing something wrong. This should not be true. This is a valuable habit (encouraging) to develop.

3. Be patient.

I will not recruit a co workers who doesn't have patience. They would never survive with college-age people. This age stage is very transitional; in more ways than one. They will make mistakes and then make them again. This is normal (not to minimize the problem, but it happens).

4 Don't wait too long.

If you are like me you will sometimes hope the problem will go away without dealing with it. This isn't loving people. It is more destructive to see a problem and not address it than to address it head on.

"Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." -Proverbs 27:6

5. Compliment Sandwich

Step One: Encourage them in what they are doing right. You can usually find something.

Step Two: Offer some advice on how to change or improve.

Step Three: Conclude by encouraging them to continue to work hard and help them understand we all have moments when we need direction.

What else works for you, post in the comments 

Revived by His Word, Today's Reading

2 Samuel 16
And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.
² And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
³ And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
⁴ Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
⁵ And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.
⁶ And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
⁷ And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
⁸ The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.
⁹ Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
¹⁰ And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?
¹¹ And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him.
¹² It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day.
¹³ And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.
¹⁴ And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.
¹⁵ And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
¹⁶ And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king.
¹⁷ And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?
¹⁸ And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.
¹⁹ And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.
²⁰ Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
²¹ And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
²² So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
²³ And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

The Abomination of Desolation (part 1)

Mathew 24:3(When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains. . . . For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matthew 24: 15, 16, 21). What is this prophecy all about, and does it really affect Christians in today's world? One of the most interesting prophecies in the Bible concerns the abomination of desolation. The element that makes this prophecy especially intriguing is that Jesus identifies it as a specific sign that the end is near.
It was in answer to the disciples' question, "When shall these things be and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" that Jesus spoke of the abomination of desolation. He said, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (Whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains... for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be"  (Matthew 24:3,15-21).
Christians of many persuasions recognize this text as a definite and peculiar sign concerning the last days. Yet even though the majority of them can agree that the abomination of desolation is an important sign, they can't seem to agree on its specific nature. Even preachers are thrown into a pool of confusion looking for something that no one is very sure about.
It is a perfect example of the blind leading the blind. Of course, some believe they know the identity of the abomination of desolation. Some teach that this prophecy was fulfilled when Antiochus Epiphanes interrupted the temple sacrifices between 168 and 165 B.C. The abomination they point to is the pig Antiochus had offered on the altar in the temple complex. Others believe the abomination of desolation refers to a future time when an atheistic antichrist will overthrow the temple in Jerusalem and use it as his throne. Then there are those who believe the abomination of desolation is the Roman standards which
were worshipped in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. at the time of its destruction by Titus.

Just what exactly is the abomination of desolation? Is it any one of these alternatives? Is it all of them at the same time? Or could it be possible that not any of these interpretations are correct? The answer to these questions is vitally important.
Jesus clearly implies that our very lives could be at stake over this matter. Jesus tells us that our study of the abomination of desolation should focus on the book of Daniel (Matthew 24:15). When one makes a careful study of this book he discovers that the abomination of desolation can be divided into three parts. These parts are: the abomination of desolation in Daniel's day (involving the first temple); the abomination of desolation in Jesus' day (involving the second temple); and finally the abomination of desolation in the time of the end (involving the whole Christian church).
The issues that come into play in the abomination of desolation as treated in the book of Daniel remain consistent in each of its three phases. Therefore they are types, or examples, of each other.