1 Kings 22:8 (KJV) The Prophet Everyone Hated

1 Kings 22:8 (KJV)

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

The way things turned out, I would much rather have listened to Micaiah than to all the other prophets. Ahab may have hated him, but Micaiah did not hate Ahab. Micaiah’s message from the Lord was always intended to help both the king and the people of God.

A message that is negative—a warning, a call to repentance, and, if there is no repentance, judgment—is not hate speech. It is honest, compassionate, and godly.

The hate always comes from the other side of the fence. I imagine Ahab believed that Micaiah hated him because Ahab himself hated Micaiah. I am convinced the same is true in our day. Those of the world—those who claim they do not believe in God and those who live in rebellion against what the Word of God says—only imagine that the Christian message is hate speech because they harbor such hatred toward those who preach it.

I am thankful for the Micaiahs in our world. They are few in number, mistreated by the world, disrespected by the religious elite, and hated by those they love the most. Yet they remain true to the Lord and hold back the tide of evil for the good of those who will prayerfully turn to Christ.

#TruthOverPopularity #FaithfulProphet #WarningIsLove #StandOnGodsWord #MicaiahsStillSpeak

The Prophet Everyone Hated: Why Truth Still Offends Today

Have you ever been convicted by a message you didn’t want to hear?

Drop a comment below and tell me—was it rejection or repentance that followed? Let’s have an honest conversation about truth, conviction, and courage in our day.

If this study from 1 Kings 22 helped you think more clearly about biblical warning and faithful preaching, I invite you to explore more Bible teaching, books, and resources at marvinmckenzie.org.

Truth still speaks. The question is—are we listening?

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 7000 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. 

1 Kings 22:8 (KJV) The Prophet Everyone Hated

1 Kings 21:2 (KJV) A Divided Kingdom Then…

1 Kings 21:2 (KJV)

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.

The northern kingdom had rebelled against the royal family God had called. They had rejected the worship of God in His Temple and through His priests. They had raised up a system of kings that was fickle and wicked. It is no wonder, then, that Ahab had no reverence for family heritage or respect for those who remained committed to the principles God had given in the Mosaic Law.

Ahab’s concern was convenience. He was willing to buy the vineyard or give Naboth a better one. But he wanted to turn it into a vegetable garden—a seasonal property. Naboth’s vineyard represented generations of his family’s sweat and labor. It was more than property, more than income; it was his life. Ahab saw nothing more than dirt.

In our culture today, many would be more inclined to agree with Ahab than with Naboth. We put little value on heritage, family, or property. People buy and sell houses as if they were disposable. I believe this mindset has contributed to shallow wealth, the breakdown of the family, the decline of morality, and economic instability. Worse still, it has led to little thought about God’s will.

We live in a divided kingdom much like Israel and Judah in that day. The majority reject God. Even among believers, there is often only a shallow affirmation of His will. Those who long to live close to God are labeled hateful and, like Naboth, expendable.

In the end, it will be the Ahabs and Jezebels who are judged. I believe they know it. And I believe that is why they are so determined to attack the righteous.

#BiblicalHeritage #NabothsVineyard #ConvenienceVsConviction #GodsLawMatters #WhenKingsForgetGod

A Divided Kingdom Then… A Divided Culture Now

What do you think—was Naboth stubborn, or was he standing where God placed him?

Drop a comment below and tell me: Are we thinking more like Ahab or more like Naboth in our culture today? I’d genuinely like to hear your perspective.

If this message stirred you, strengthened you, or challenged you, visit marvinmckenzie.org for more Bible teaching, books, and resources designed to help you think clearly, stand firmly, and live faithfully in a divided world.

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 7000 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. 

1 Kings 21:2 (KJV) A Divided Kingdom Then… 

1 Kings 17:24 (KJV) What Truly Proves God’s Word Is True?

1 Kings 17:24 (KJV)

And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.

Elijah shows up on the biblical scene unexpectedly—and with surprising authority. Once his pronouncement of judgment is made, God sends him away, both for protection and for provision. God cares for His servants, sometimes in unexpected ways.

But the brook dries up, and the ravens stop feeding him. God then sends Elijah to a widow woman—a most unlikely source of provision. Yet by having her care for the preacher, God also cares for her and her son. The Bible does not give us an exact number of days. It simply says that they ate many days, and that God promised the barrel would not fail until the LORD sent rain again. I believe Him.

In the midst of all this, the widow’s son grows sick—so sick that he stops breathing. The Bible never explicitly says he died, but if he did not, he was certainly on the verge. Both the mother and Elijah said the boy had been slain. Scripture then says that his soul returned to him—language that plainly describes one who had died and lived again.

Elijah took the boy from her bosom, brought him to his chamber, and began to pray, stretching himself upon the child before the LORD. After a while, the boy’s soul returned, and Elijah brought him back alive to his mother.

Now we come to the point of this Daily Visit with God. It is at this moment that the widow declares, “By this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.”

The miracle of the food did not convince her. It was the resurrection of her son.

I see here a parallel—crude, perhaps, but real—to New Testament truth. Jesus performed many miracles during His earthly ministry, and so did His apostles. But miracles themselves are not the saving or convincing power of the gospel. The saving message is the resurrection of the Son of God.

We err when we focus on the miracles—the feedings, the healings, the casting out of devils. The one thing that proves the message of the Bible is the resurrection.

Jesus is alive.
Too many witnesses saw Him to deny it.

Believe Him. He is the only Saviour of the souls of men.

#ManOfGod #WordOfTheLord #GodsTruth #PowerOfResurrection #BelieveHim

What Truly Proves God’s Word Is True? The Answer Lies in Resurrection

Did this lesson help you see why the resurrection is the proof of God’s truth?
Share your thoughts in the comments below—what does “By this I know…” mean to you today?

For more Bible-centered teaching, daily devotionals, and resources grounded in the truth of God’s Word, visit marvinmckenzie.org and join me for a daily visit with God.

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 7000 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. 

1 Kings 17:24 (KJV) What Truly Proves God’s Word Is True?

1 Kings 14:5 (KJV) Did God Really Say That?

1 Kings 14:5 (KJV)

And the LORD said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he is sick: thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman.

Thus and thus…

Jeroboam knew why his son was sick. He had already heard from God, knew what God expected of him, and had been rebuked by a man of God. Now he sends his wife to “secretly” find out whether God would heal his son or take his life.

Though Jeroboam’s wife attempted to conceal her identity from the prophet, no one hides anything from God. Before she ever arrived, God had already spoken to Ahijah.

The message God had for her was heavy. The details of that message are recorded as Ahijah delivered them to Jeroboam’s wife, but they are summarized in our text simply as “thus and thus.” We are left to trust that the prophet faithfully told her exactly what God had told him—because all we are told is that God said, “thus and thus.”

Unbelievers have spent thousands of years developing arguments against God and His Word. Not much has changed. Their arguments haven’t really improved, but one question remains common: “How can you be sure that’s what God actually said?”

How can we be sure the Bible contains exactly what God said—that the writers didn’t change or add to it, that copyists didn’t corrupt it, or that so-called holy men didn’t simply make it all up?

The fact is, at some point everything comes down to faith.

God’s Word says:

2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV)
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

And again:

2 Peter 1:21 (KJV)
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.

Either God said what He said—or there is no God at all. Either way, we are going to hold our position by faith. The Bible gives ample reason to believe it is true, that God is, and that there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

#ThusAndThus #NothingHiddenFromGod #GodSpokeFirst #FaithInGodsWord #ScriptureIsTrue

Did God Really Say That? The Answer Hidden in ‘Thus and Thus’

If this lesson stirred a question, challenged an assumption, or strengthened your confidence in God’s Word, join the conversation below. I’d like to hear your thoughts—leave a comment and let others know where you stand on trusting what God has said.

For more Bible teaching, study resources, and encouragement grounded in Scripture, visit 👉 marvinmckenzie.org. You’ll find lessons, videos, and books designed to help you think clearly, believe confidently, and stay anchored in the truth of God’s Word.

👉 Comment below
👉 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 7000 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. 

1 Kings 14:5 (KJV) Did God Really Say That?

 

1 Kings 12:24 (KJV) Force or Faith?

1 Kings 12:24 (KJV)

Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.

Rehoboam’s first response to the rebellion of Israel was to assemble his army and fight. He intended to force them to follow him.

• It was not something his father ever had to do.
• It was not something his grandfather David would have considered doing.

God’s character had not changed.
Really, Israel hadn’t changed either—they were always threatening to divide.

But Solomon had not been faithful to the Lord. God did not change His promise, but He did correct the sin, just as He said He would.

The application for us is simple: the promise of eternal life is unconditional, but that promise does not come with a license to sin. God will chastise sin—often in ways we would never have expected and certainly would not have chosen.

So God’s instructions to Rehoboam were clear: “Ye shall not…fight against your brethren.”

There were subsequent wars between Judah and Israel, and some were justified and necessary. There is a time in all our lives when we must stand for truth. Jude puts it this way: “earnestly contend for the faith.” But that contention must never be for vindication, vengeance, or vindictiveness.

I am glad to report that Rehoboam listened to the preacher and returned home. It could not have been an easy choice.

But almost immediately, Jeroboam showed his true colors and set a pattern that would eventually lead to the demise of the Northern Kingdom.

• We can trust God.
• We must trust God.

#TrustGodsWord #ObedienceOverConflict #GodsChasteningGrace #ContendWithoutCarnality #ReturnAndTrust

Force or Faith? Perhaps Our Hardest Decision

What do you think—was Rehoboam’s decision an act of weakness, or an act of faith?
Leave a comment and share where you see this lesson apply in today’s conflicts, both personal and spiritual.

If this study helped you think more clearly about trusting God’s Word over your instincts, you’ll find more Bible teaching, articles, and resources at marvinmckenzie.org. Join the conversation and keep growing in discernment and faith.

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 7000 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. 

1 Kings 12:24 (KJV) Force or Faith?