Becoming A Christian

Posted by Christina Scovone on Saturday, April 30, 2011

King James Bible Study: Becoming A Christian
For: Saturday April 30, 2011
Chapters: I Kings 21-22
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-april-30

Details of Today's Reading: Ahab begs Naboth for his vineyard, Naboth refuses Ahab, Jezebel has Naboth killed, Elijah tells Ahab about the judgments against him and Jezebel, Jehoshaphat makes a league with Ahab, Micaiah predicts the death of Ahab, Ahab dies, the reigns of Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” - John 15:18-20.

It's not easy becoming a Christian, you learn rather quickly who your real friends are by the way they react to your new found faith. As you grow in the Lord it gets even harder to remain a Christian, not only are you hated by the devil you are hated by family, friends, and even people you never knew. However, there is truly no better life than the Christian life. Just think, whether you know Christ or not you still have to deal with cruelty, hate, hardships, temptation, just to name a few, but at least with Christ it makes is a lot easier to overcome every bit of it. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” - James 1:12.

Elijah never backed down in his faith, no matter what task God gave him he remained faithful to God and did what He asked him to do. Oh, he got discouraged at times, even ran for his life a couple of times, but he never lost his faith in the Almighty God. By now, he was hated not only by Jezebel, but Ahab as well, but God had another task for him to do that would involve meeting Ahab face to face. Ahab was one of the most detestable, vile kings of the Old Testament, at the center of all this was his wife, Jezebel, he may have been the king, but she was the one in control. All Ahab had to do was cry to Jezebel and he got everything he wanted.

“And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?” - I Kings 21:1-5.

The wicked Jezebel had Naboth man killed so that Ahab could get that property. One time in her life she uses God's name and it is to lie to the people to get them to stone an innocent man. Wicked people may claim that they do not believe in God, but they will sure use His name to get what they want. The devil is the biggest liar there is to use God's name to his advantage, taking multitudes of people down to hell with him, but one day he and every person who has used God's name in a wicked way have the same fate. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” - Revelation 20:10.

Now when God saw Ahab walking through Naboth's vineyard He sent Elijah to give him a message that would not only effect him, but his wife as well.

“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD...And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.” - I Kings 21:18-20,23.

Ahab looked to Elijah as an enemy, someone out to get him, what he failed to realize was that Elijah was not against him, but for him, God was trying to get him to repent. Those who are living in sin get very offensive when confronted about their sin, especially by those who are living for God. While we are not to judge the sinner, for we all are sinners, we are to make the right judgment upon the sinner. “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” - James 5:19,20.

Elijah's prophecy would soon unfold, God gave Ahab a miraculous victory over the Syrian king Benhadad at Aphek (I Kings 20:28-30). Although he made no covenant with God, he did make a covenant with Benhadad in which Benhadad was to return a portion of land to Ahab for sparing his life. However, three years passed and it was still under Syrian control. Ahab invited Jehoshaphat, now king of Judah, to join him in a war to regain the land promised to him. Elijah's prophecy was reconfirmed when the prophet Micaiah, who was put in jail by Jezebel, warned him that he would die in the battle. Ignoring the warning, Ahab disguised himself and went into battle.

“And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded...So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.” - I Kings 20:34,37,38.

Elijah and Micaiah were hated by their own people because they would not go against God nor lie to keep peace. Lies do nothing, but create more problems, you see where it got Ahab and eventually all the evil that Jezebel thought she got away with would come back to destroy herself as well. While it may seem easier to compromise with the world, all it does is make a godly person sin against God. Those who are truly a friend will respect our faith and not try to get us to go against what we believe, but they themselves will too want to know how they can enjoy the Christian life. “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” - II Timothy 2:24-26.

Jesus Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through Micaiah, who would say only what God instructed him to say. Jesus faithfully told others only what God told Him to say, “Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” - John 8:28.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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