Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was little more than a puppet king. His only strength was the support of his captain Abner. Now that Abner was dead, he was in trouble. Then two of his captains conspired against him and killed him while he slept (4:1-8). They took the news to David and David had them put […]
As we read our text this morning, see if you can identify the five ways Peter describes persecution. Read 1 Peter 4:12-19. Did you find all five? (v.12, 13, 14, 16, 19). In this section, God gives six commands to persecuted Christians. Those commands were to help persecuted Christians endure trials and to bring honour […]
After Saul’s death, David moved to Hebron and was anointed king over Judah only. Abner, Saul’s captain made Ishbosheth, Saul’s son king the rest of Israel. For seven years civil war kept David from being king over all Israel. During those years of conflict, though David was far from perfect, he displayed several qualities that […]
The website called “deathclock.com” estimates when a person may die based on statistics. Though I know that God is in control of life and death, seeing the statistical average lifespan for a person like myself made me stop and think about the time I have left on earth. Not only is life short, but the […]
Death is one of the saddest topics known to man because it is so final. There is no return to life once a person is dead. However, the Bible records several exceptions to this rule. At least nine were supernaturally resurrected. Elijah raised a boy. Elisha raised a boy. A man came to life when […]
If you ask children what they want to do when they grow up, most of the time they want to be something great. I have never heard a child say that he wants to be a servant. Self-esteem is strongly promoted today. Kids are taught to think they are great superstars. They long to wear […]
Jeremy Taylor was a 17th-century English cleric [preacher] who was severely persecuted for his faith. But though his house was plundered, his family left destitute, and his property confiscated, he continued to count the blessings he could not lose. He wrote: “They have not taken away my merry countenance, my cheerful spirit, and a good […]
In “The Encourager,” Charles Mylander writes, “Sunrise was dawning when Los Angeles motorcycle police officer Bob Vernon saw a red [ute] pickup truck speed through a stop sign. This guy must be late to work, he thought to himself. He turned on his emergency lights and radioed that he was in pursuit. The pickup pulled […]
Peter and the Christians to whom he was writing lived in a time of cruel persecution. Living for Christ was not easy. Many of those who identified with Jesus lost their possessions, their comforts, their freedom, and often their lives. In the previous section, God told us that if we suffer it should be for […]
Trust is an important part in any relationship. Faithfulness builds trust. Prudence builds trust. Communication builds trust. Loyalty builds trust. Experience builds trust. True change can heal broken trust. God is absolutely trustworthy in every way. He always does right. He is always faithful. He always knows what is best for every situation. Both the […]