2 Chronicles 16:2-4 (KJV) The Art of the Deal

2 Chronicles 16:2-4 (KJV)

Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

I want to call this “The Art of the Deal,” a phrase made famous by our current president, for whom, by the way, I am quite thankful. I certainly do not agree with everything he has done or is doing, but I surely appreciate him more than the ultra-liberal Democrats or even many of the “compromising conservative” alternatives.

Asa negotiated an interesting deal with Syria. At the time, Syria had a league with Israel. But when Israel began construction at Ramah, Asa brought out treasures from both his own house and the house of the Lord. He reminded the Syrians that they had formerly had a deal with Judah through his father, and he was able to persuade them not only to withdraw from their agreement with Israel, but also to begin war against them.

Asa then took the construction materials Israel had abandoned and used them to build fortresses of his own.

But then Asa was rebuked by the prophet for trusting in the Syrians rather than in the Lord.

I cannot imagine many people in our day even conceiving that negotiating a positive deal with a foreign nation could be anything less than the blessing of God.

Not long ago, the governor of Montana proclaimed a day of prayer, asking the Lord to bring rain to the state and end the drought. Boy, did he get hammered for that. He was accused of everything from promoting climate change denial to being lazy for leaving such a desperate problem “up to God.”

It is noteworthy that Asa did not respond well to the prophet. People have never been naturally inclined to lean on the Lord. But have we come so far in our world today that we no longer even publicly attempt to call on God—and now even rebuke leaders who do?

#TheArtOfTheDeal #TrustGodNotMan #AsaAndSyria #LeaningOnTheLord #WhenSuccessIsNotApproval

The Art of the Deal: Replacing Prayer with Politics?

What do you think? Did Asa act wisely—or did he cross the line from godly leadership into worldly dependence? I’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts in the comments.

For more Bible studies, articles, videos, and teaching resources, visit marvinmckenzie.org and join me as we study God’s Word together.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
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Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

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2 Chronicles 16:2-4 (KJV) The Art of the Deal

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxwOPApLmwRidfnyr4KDF5-T6GCm4HoLe0?si=DPm4SmbnbAnJlirm

Revelation 4:9 (KJV) You Are Not an Island

Revelation 4:9 (KJV)

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

I’ve written before concerning this passage, “To attempt too detailed an interpretation of, for instance, the four beasts of Revelation 4, is a recipe for doctrinal disaster. They are some form of angelic beings. That’s all we know.”

My purpose in this visit is to focus on the response to these beasts giving glory, honour, and thanks to Him that sat on the throne.

The Bible says “when.” The beasts did something, and what they did was followed by the actions of others as well.

“And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,”

Revelation 4:10-11 (KJV)
The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

The actions of the four and twenty elders follow the worship of the beasts. Worship is seen flowing from one act of praise to another.

Who and what follows your actions?

You do understand, don’t you, that you are not an island unto yourself? Others watch and respond according to your actions. Sometimes it is as simple as driving defensively so as not to strike you. Sometimes it is a mood or attitude you have projected onto another.

Most important of all is their response to your relationship with Almighty God. Does your relationship with Him draw people closer to Him or further from Him?

#WhoFollowsYourLead #WorshipThatInfluences #GloryToTheThrone #RevelationTruth #LiveForHisGlory

You Are Not an Island: Your Relationship with God Affects Others

Who is following your walk with God? Your worship, attitude, and daily choices influence more people than you may realize. I’d love to hear from you—has someone’s faith ever drawn you closer to God, or has your walk helped encourage someone else? Leave a comment below.

For more Bible teaching, encouragement, and resources, visit marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Revelation 4:9 (KJV) You Are Not an Island

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxZPEOBg5PA4_EL3BSr8ACrlFjrDVaTqP2?si=AoazmDtsiutSm89X

Revelation 3:9 (KJV) They Say They Are Jews, and Are Not

Revelation 3:9 (KJV)

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

I know there is nothing new under the sun, so things I see in my day have all been seen in some form in days gone by. There have been revivals, and there have been times of repentance and turning to God throughout Christian history. As well, there has been the rise of false doctrines and great turning away from God. There have also been errors and misrepresentations concerning the Jews throughout the two millennia of Christianity.

But all of this ebbs and flows like the sea.

In the past twenty years, I have witnessed a rise of unusual sentiments among some Christians concerning Jews. First, there was a strange fascination among otherwise solid believers with Messianic Judaism. I knew people who were faithful serving members of Baptist churches who were also attending a Messianic synagogue on Saturday. There were also some folks I knew informally who professed Christianity but practiced a Messianic form of it, including Jewish ceremonies such as the Feast of Tabernacles.

Then came what I would call a different wave—an unusual form of antisemitism. The New Independent Baptist Fellowship (which, in my opinion, is not related to historically Independent Baptists except as a rebellion against them) teaches that the Jews of today are not truly Jews, but that Christians are the true Jews. Some question, if not outright deny, that the Holocaust happened. In some cases, they even claim to have more Jewish DNA than current Jews.

Then, of course, there is Christian nationalism, which in some circles seems to make antisemitism one of its most aggressive postures.

So here is my thought today—and it is only a thought. I am not presenting this as a settled interpretation, but as something I have considered.

• What if the phrase, “the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie,” could reflect a broader warning against religious systems or groups that falsely claim spiritual identity while rejecting biblical truth?
• What if groups that attempt to merge Christianity into Jewish ceremonial identity, or groups that claim Christians have replaced the Jews, reflect the kind of spiritual confusion Christ warned about?

If that is the case, then Jesus has promised to those in His true churches: “behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.”

They will not be worshipping the members of the churches, but they will worship alongside them before Christ.

When everything is said and done, and believers are gathered in heaven, false identity, spiritual pride, and doctrinal confusion will be exposed for what they are.

And those who are genuinely saved will join together in worship of the true and living Christ.

#Revelation39 #BiblicalDiscernment #TruthOverTradition #StandForTruth #FaithfulToChrist

They Say They Are Jews, and Are Not: Who Are the “Synagogue of Satan”

What are your thoughts on Revelation 3:9 and the danger of false spiritual identity? Do you believe this passage still speaks to religious confusion in our day? I’d love to hear your perspective—leave a comment below and join the conversation. 

For more Bible teaching, studies, and encouragement, visit marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Revelation 3:9 (KJV) They Say They Are Jews, and Are Not

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkx33PzPzQJ2o47ziipOOTEO0A0QArCSoxt?si=QunVKmJNlrxZI1ET

Revelation 2:4 (KJV) When Faith Becomes Routine

Revelation 2:4 (KJV)

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

There are things in the Bible that are subject to interpretation, and concerning those things, we must not speak too dogmatically. I remember many years ago hearing a good friend, peer, and contemporary in the ministry preach that this “first love” is soul winning.

I would not question that winning souls to Jesus Christ was an almost natural outcome of faith among the original believers. Throughout the New Testament, we see this compulsion that once they had met the Saviour, they told others.

But:

• They did not have organized soul-winning days.
• They did not have soul-winning competitions.
• They did not have soul-winning classes or conferences.

One would be hard-pressed to find in the New Testament where Christians are specifically commanded to do it. The Bible focuses much on spiritual growth, love for Christ, and growing in love for our fellow believers.

The Bible seems much more interested in our endeavoring to keep unity within the local church than in our attempting to win people to Christ.

I believe this first love is that affection we had for the Lord, the things of the Lord, and the people of the Lord when we first came to Christ. Experience has demonstrated to me that, as time passes and we witness the realities of day-to-day faith—that this is not a perfect world, and Christians are not perfect either—our love for these things can become somewhat jaded.

• We see the same people regularly and know their faults.
• We hear our preacher weekly, and sometimes go through a few of them.
• We serve in our church, and sometimes grow tired of doing it.

I think our first love is that early affection for the things of God.

I notice that the Lord says He has “somewhat against thee.” I do not want to make light of that. It was serious enough for the Lord to name it. But there is more.

Let us strive to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind—and let this keep us from drifting into lesser sins.

#Revelation2 #FirstLove #LoveTheLord #WalkWithGod #FaithThatStays

When Faith Becomes Routine: Christ’s Warning About First Love

Have you ever found yourself still serving, still attending church, yet sensing that your love for Christ is not what it once was? I’d love to hear your thoughts—what do you believe “first love” means in Revelation 2:4, and have you ever seen this drift in your own walk with God? Leave a comment below. 

And if you enjoy practical Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, I invite you to visit marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Revelation 2:4 (KJV) When Faith Becomes Routine

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkx5XEcBEF8yleGZyQBcbmUys9qhuIAZWMZ?si=dRcIHpFAEkOKMdiH