TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 6:8-23
In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. - Psalm 22:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
What Christian father wouldn't want to help his children see the power and glory of God at work in their lives?

""O Lord, open his eyes so he may see"" (v. 17) is a prayer any believing father could make for his children. It's fitting that we are studying the familiar story of Elisha and the armies of God on Father's Day. It's easy for Christian fathers to feel surrounded and outgunned by forces seeking the destruction of their families. We hope this wonderful testimony to the protecting power of God will encourage every father in the Today family.

The prayer quoted above was the prayer Elisha offered on behalf of his spiritual son, his servant who was terrified when he saw the armies of the king of Aram surrounding Dothan. By now the evidence of God's power upon Elisha was beyond question.

Elisha had miraculously aided a widow of one of the prophets and had raised a child from the dead (2 Kings 4). And God had used Elisha to cure Naaman the Syrian of leprosy (2 Kings 5). So we shouldn't be surprised that God revealed to Elisha every movement of the Aramean army.

The infuriated king ordered the capture of the ""pesky"" prophet, but God had other plans for Elisha. His ministry on these occasions is a great example of the way God used the prophetic office to protect and direct His people in Old Testament times.

Elisha's faithful ministry takes on even more significance in light of the spiritual apostasy Israel exhibited at this time. Like a faithful father leading his family in God's ways despite the evil of the times, Elisha stood firmly for the Lord whatever the circumstance.

Because this man also had spiritual vision that most people in Israel lacked, he saw what few others saw. Therefore, he could assure his servant, ""Those who are with us are more than those who are with them"" (v. 16). What a great lesson for a mentor to teach those who are under his care!

Elisha was also a man of compassion, as evidenced by his kind treatment of the captured Aramean soldiers. Let's pray that God will give today's fathers a heart and spirit like Elisha's.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
At the beginning of his reign, Solomon prayed for wisdom to lead God's people and discernment to know right from wrong (1 Kings 3:9).

That's another great prayer for any Christian father. Dad, why not pray this for yourself today? Then, ask God to use you in helping your children see His power and glory in their lives. And if you're not a father, you certainly know one who needs your prayers on this special day for dads.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 7:1-20
He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. - Psalm 107:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
Author and Bible teacher Charles Swindoll says: ""The wonderful thing about God's schoolroom...is that we get to grade our own papers. You see, He doesn't test us so He can learn how well we're doing. He tests us so we can discover how well we're doing.""

In the days of the prophet Elisha, God put the northern kingdom of Israel through a test about as severe as it gets from a human standpoint. And in the outworking of this severe test, the people got to see how well they were, and were not, doing spiritually.

The test was precipitated when Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, laid siege to the capital city of Samaria (2 Kings 6:24). The siege brought on a famine that became so critical that mothers actually resorted to eating their own children (vv. 26-29).

King Joram, whom we met earlier, became so anguished and frustrated from the famine's effects that he threatened the life of Elisha (v. 31). What else would we expect from a son of Ahab and Jezebel?

This is the background to today's reading, when Elisha predicted the end of both the famine and the siege. As was typical in Elisha's ministry, the Lord's manner of ending the siege by Aram involved a miracle. He caused the Aramean army to hear footsteps, chariot wheels, and horses' hooves (2 Kings 7:6). The spooked invaders ran for their lives, leaving everything conveniently for the starving Israelites.

The miracle itself is straightforward, but we need to back up to see how well various people fared in this test. King Joram gets a failing grade, because he once again exhibited great impatience and annoyance with God (see 2 Kings 6:33). His answer was to surrender to the king of Aram and kill God's prophet.

The unnamed officer who attended Joram also got to grade his own paper, and he too flunked tragically. His lack of faith cost him his life.

Then there was Elisha, who aced the test. He rebuked Joram's faithlessness, even at the risk of his life, and faithfully delivered God's prophetic word. With a king like Joram, Israel desperately needed a prophet like Elisha.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It's doubtful whether our tests will ever get this severe, but the tendency to surrender-as Joram wanted to do-is still strong at times.

Maybe you're facing a test right now that has you almost ready to throw in the towel. Before you do that, remember that God's purpose in our testing is not to destroy us, but to mature us (see James 1:2-4). Ask for strength to bear your burden this week, and take time to praise God for His faithfulness even in the hard times.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 9:1-29
The Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. - Nahum 1:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
According to a news report this past spring, many residents in the eastern portion of the United States discovered to their dismay that the flood insurance they had purchased in 1994 should have been renewed.

It seems that in the wake of a 1994 flood, a number of people purchased flood insurance. But these were three-year plans, and many who bought the coverage originally did not renew it. But this spring, El Nino-driven storms brought severe flooding to the same region, and the people without insurance were left to deal with their losses.

None of us can predict when natural disaster will strike. But when it comes to the judgment of God on evil, there is no question as to whether it will come. The only issue is the timing.

The dynasty of Ahab and Jezebel learned this hard truth when God decided it was time to bring the evil rulers of Israel to justice. The final blow of this judgment fell on Ahab's younger son, Joram, who was on the throne of Israel when God instructed Elisha to anoint Jehu as the new king. Once the anointing was completed, things happened very quickly.

This is not a comfortable story to read. Jehu was raised up primarily to carry out God's judgment on the house of Ahab, and Jehu proved very effective in his bloody work. If you read 2 Kings 10, you will see that Jehu eliminated anyone and everyone related to Ahab.

Joram was in Jezreel recovering from wounds received in battle against the Arameans when Jehu rode out to take the throne. Not only did Joram die at Jehu's hand, but King Ahaziah of Judah died, too. He simply happened to be visiting Joram when the attack came-but it turns out that Ahaziah was also a member of Ahab's family. Joram was his uncle!

Did you notice the mention of a familiar name in this narrative of judgment? Jehu referred to the death of Naboth (2 Kings 9:25-26), the innocent Israelite Jezebel had murdered so that Ahab could have his vineyard (see the June 12 study).

Jehu also mentioned the ""idolatry and witchcraft"" (v. 22) with which Jezebel had polluted Israel. It was God's time for Jezebel and her offspring to pay the price for their sins.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It's a lot more comfortable to talk about God's mercy, grace, and forgiveness than about His fierce judgment of evil.

But any view of God that denies His justice is an unbalanced one. Today's study is a sober reminder to us as individual believers, and to our nation, that ""sin is a disgrace to any people"" (Prov. 14:34). Let's join together in prayer today that God will wake up our country and cause our people to seek Him in repentance and humility.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 9:30-37
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. - Hebrews 10:31
TODAY IN THE WORD
A quick check of a Bible concordance will reveal an interesting fact. The name of Jezebel does not appear in the biblical narrative from

1 Kings 21:25 all the way to 2 Kings 9:7, where her name was mentioned to Jehu in connection with God's judgment on the house of Ahab.

The incident in 1 Kings 21 was the murder of Naboth, instigated by Jezebel. In fact, Jehu's statement in 2 Kings 9:26 suggests that Ahab and Jezebel also had Naboth's sons put to death, since their blood was also part of the justice God was exacting on Ahab's dynasty.

The lack of any mention of Jezebel in these intervening chapters is interesting. It's likely she was still very much alive and almost certainly still up to her old tricks. It's almost as if Jezebel's cold-blooded conspiracy against Naboth was so repulsive to God that He had nothing more to say about her, other than pronouncing judgment on her.

Finally, the wicked queen of Israel came in for the fulfillment of this judgment. She knew that Jehu was not coming to her with any good intention. Jezebel's adornment was not to allure Jehu and make him change his mind, but probably a last defiant act to say, ""I'm going to die looking like a queen.""

Referring to Jehu as Zimri (v. 31) was another act of defiance and sarcasm on Jezebel's part. Zimri was the man who had wiped out the family of Baasha, another king of Israel whom God judged severely (1 Kings 16:11).

Zimri himself was then deposed by Omri (vv. 16-18), the father of Ahab and founder of this evil dynasty. Perhaps Jezebel was saying to Jehu that she hoped the same fate would befall him.

But it was too late for sarcasm and defiance. Jehu's call for someone to deal with Jezebel was answered by two or three eunuchs who threw her down to her death. This treacherous queen was done in by servants she probably thought she could trust.

The writer noted that all this happened in Jezreel on the very place that had been the vineyard of Naboth. God's judgment is not only exceedingly fine, but exceedingly appropriate.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God's justice is as perfect as His grace-for which we can be grateful. Here are three reasons to thank God for His justice:

1. In these days of mushy morality and slipshod standards, God's justice provides the only reliable standard of behavior we can follow; 2. It is only because God is just that we can look to the future with any hope that righteousness will be vindicated and evil punished; 3. God's unchanging standard of justice is one guarantee of His character. If God were faulty in dispensing judgment, perhaps He would be faulty in dispensing grace!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 13:10-21
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. - Psalm 116:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
We have all heard about extraordinary people who seem to do more even in death than others do in a lifetime. The prophet Elisha certainly fits into this category. He was extraordinary, to say the least, and his death did not end his influence. Imagine his dead bones causing another dead person to spring to life!

You have probably noticed that there is a lot that is unusual about the lives and ministries of God's great prophets. The final episode of Elisha's life involved his ministry to King Jehoash of Israel, the latest in the dreary line of kings who followed one another to the throne in the northern kingdom.

Like his predecessors, Jehoash also did evil in God's sight. The writer even linked him with Jeroboam, the ""father"" of Israelite idolatry. Were it not for the incident recorded about Elisha, Jehoash would have been just another footnote in the biblical record.

But when he learned that Elisha was near death, Jehoash manifested at least some reverence for God. He approached Elisha humbly, acknowledging that God was the true protector of Israel. This phrase, ""The chariots and horsemen of Israel!"" was the same thing Elisha said when Elijah departed (2 Kings 2:12). The symbolism of this saying expressed God's power.

Elisha responded to Jehoash with a demonstration of God's blessing upon Israel. Just like chariots and horsemen, the bow and arrow were symbols of power. By putting his hand on the bow with Jehoash, Elisha was demonstrating God's power over Israel's ancient enemy, Aram, whose armies were poised east of Samaria. The prophet declared that God would give Israel complete victory.

But Jehoash also needed to show his faith in the Lord. The king's minimal response to Elisha's instructions was an expression of minimal faith, and this angered Elisha. In the way Jehoash's faith was limited, so too his victories would be limited.

His fifty-plus-year ministry over, Elisha died. The unusual resurrection account, which must have been told abroad in Israel, was a final reminder to Jehoash of God's power and perhaps a final rebuke to his lack of faith.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Are you still using the daily prayer card we suggested back at the beginning of the month (see June 1)?

If so, you approached today's lesson with the prayer, ""Lord, show me what You want me to know, do, or say as a result of this lesson, and I will obey You."" One helpful application we can draw from this study is the reminder that God honors faith. He invited Jehoash to ""ring up"" as many victories as his faith would allow! What a challenge to our faith. Is there something you believe God wants you to do for His glory? Go for it!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 18:1-12
The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. - 2 Chronicles 16:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
Earlier this month we mentioned the U.S. Navy's longstanding Antarctic program known as ""Operation Deep Freeze"" (see June 7). The Navy officially closed Deep Freeze this past winter, lowering its flag at the operation's headquarters in Christchurch, New Zealand and bringing the 160-year project to an end.

When the time had come, God lowered the flag, as it were, over the palace in Samaria and brought the northern kingdom of Israel to an end. But this closure was much more than merely ceremonial. The kingdom of Israel temporarily disappeared from the map as God turned the reins of earthly power over to a cruel foreign nation called Assyria (vv. 9-12).

Even in this brief survey of the divided kingdom, it isn't hard to get the sense that God's patience with His people was being stretched to the limit. For more than 200 years, He had scanned Israel for someone whose heart was fully committed to Him. But the biblical record shows that on the whole, this search came up empty.

In fact, the record of Israel's kings is uniformly sorry. Twenty kings occupied the throne from 931-722 B.C., the period from the division of the monarchy to the Assyrian captivity. And every one of these kings, from Jeroboam to Hoshea, drew the same evaluation: they ""did evil in the eyes of the Lord"" (see 2 Kings 17:2 concerning Hoshea).

In sports terms, that's 0-for-twenty, a 200-year losing streak-and that's as bad as it gets!

Judah fared better and survived longer, until 587-586 B.C., because a good portion of Judah's kings were men like Hezekiah. He was so zealous for the Lord that the writer linked Hezekiah with his father David in doing what was right before God (2 Kings 18:3).

It must have been a sad and sobering day for Judah to see their brothers and sisters exiled and enslaved by the Assyrians. But Israel had tempted and tested God for generations. The epitaph hung over Samaria tells the story: ""This happened because [the Israelites] had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated His covenant"" (v. 12).

The marvel is not that God sent His people into exile. The marvel is His kindness, which gave them numerous chances to repent!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul's comment is appropriate here: ""Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God"" (Rom. 11:22).

This may be the best way we can wrap up today's lesson, by pondering these two attributes of God's character. All of us have tasted the Lord's kindness, far beyond what we deserve. Today's let's resolve once again that instead of inviting His stern discipline in our lives, we will be the kind of people God is looking for: people ""whose hearts are fully committed to Him.""

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 20:1-21
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. - Psalm 20:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the amazing things about God's dealings in the Kings and Chronicles is the way He raised up one great prophet after another to represent Himself in difficult, apostate times.

We have already encountered Elijah, usually considered the greatest of the non-writing prophets (meaning he left no written record behind). Then Elisha came on the scene, a worthy successor to Elijah and the man whose ministry was more miracle-laden than that of any other except Jesus Himself.

But God still had a word and a will to communicate to His people in the surviving kingdom of Judah. So He called another great prophet, ""Isaiah son of Amoz"" (2 Kings 19:2).

Isaiah is considered the greatest of the prophets who also wrote a book of Scripture. He began his ministry in very tough times, when Jerusalem was under a dire threat from Sennacherib, the king of Assyria (see 2 Kings 18:13).

Hezekiah paid Sennacherib tribute to avoid invasion (vv. 14-16), but the Assyrian king demanded that Judah surrender and be deported (18:31-32). The Assyrians were especially careful to belittle Hezekiah's dependence on God.

In the middle of this threat, Isaiah faithfully relayed God's word to Hezekiah. God ended the Assyrian threat (19:35-37), and Judah was spared.

In 2 Kings 20 we return to when Judah was under attack by the Assyrians. When Hezekiah became ill, God told him through Isaiah to put his affairs in order. Hezekiah pleaded for his life, and God graciously added fifteen years to the king's life while Jerusalem was being delivered from the Assyrians (v. 6).

Isaiah prescribed a poultice for the king's boil. Since Isaiah wasn't a physician, this act underscored God's miraculous healing of Hezekiah.

Unfortunately, the king allowed his pride to get the best of him when envoys from the king of Babylon came to call. The Babylonian king wanted to hear about Hezekiah's healing (see 2 Chron. 32:31), and to form an alliance against Assyria.

When Hezekiah proudly showed his pagan visitors his wealth, God pronounced judgment through Isaiah. Hezekiah's heart changed and he humbly accepted God's word. But the seeds were sown for Judah's later conquest by Babylon.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In one chapter Hezekiah went from humble, heartfelt prayers to self-sufficient pride, then back to humility.

Does the pattern sound familiar? We've all made that trip-more than once, most likely. Kings aren't the only people susceptible to pride when things are going well. Often, we also think we can do it ourselves. Today, let's pray that God will keep us from falling into the kind of pride that says, ""Thanks, Lord, for helping me. I can take it from here.""

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 22:1-23:3
The Lord's love is with those who fear him . . . with those who keep his covenant. - Psalm 103:17-18
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Cultural Revolution in China was a time of horror and bloodshed that began in the late 1960s. Communist party radicals, with the blessing of leader Mao Tse-tung, formed semi-military bands called Red Guards and attacked anyone considered not zealous enough in promoting the ""revolution."" Mass chaos ruled until Mao's death in 1976 brought the Cultural Revolution to an end. One million people had died at the hands of the fanatics.

A nation in moral and spiritual chaos is not an attractive sight. We have seen that fact demonstrated throughout this month in the sad course of the history of two nations-first of Israel, and now of Judah. We watched as the two kingdoms dissolved, and as the people were carried away into exile.

The reign of King Josiah gave Judah one last glimmer of glory before the southern kingdom followed Israel into exile. Josiah came to the throne following the assassination of his father, Amon. Josiah was only eight years old when he became king, but child rulers were not unheard of in the ancient world. Josiah was a remarkable and godly young man.

The chronicler reports that Josiah began to seek God when he was only sixteen and began his extensive religious reforms at the age of twenty (2 Chron. 34:3-7). He was the fourth and greatest of Judah's reforming kings, following Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah.

Josiah also evidenced his love for God by repairing the temple, which had been badly desecrated and neglected under Manasseh's reign. But even more shocking than the sad neglect of God's house was the sad neglect of God's Law.

The fact that the discovery of the Book of the Law caused such distress and consternation suggests that its contents had become virtually unknown to Josiah's generation. His personal response of humility, repentance, and tears before God stayed God's judgment on Judah. Josiah also led the nation in a new commitment to keep God's covenant.

But read verses 15-20 carefully and you'll see that Judah, like Israel, had gone too far. God's people had violated His Law, bringing upon themselves the curses written in the Law. Mercifully, Josiah would not live to see his people's captivity.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It was about ten years after Josiah began seeking God that he read the Law and responded with humility and repentance.

The connection between these two notations seems pretty obvious. Josiah had been cultivating a relationship with God for a decade, even without the Law of God in his hands to guide him. Imagine what God can do in our hearts today when we spend time with Him in His Word and in prayer. We hope you have enjoyed a consistent devotional life this month-and we urge you to continue meeting with the Lord faithfully each day.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 24:8-25:10
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. - Deuteronomy 30:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
It's doubtful if any historian could discover and count the number of nations that thought they were invincible in their day. Chances are that most of these long-vanished countries and kingdoms trusted in their military power to keep them safe, but others probably thought they were OK because of their special relationship to their God.

Israel and Judah seem to be in this latter category. The false prophets we read about earlier this month thought nothing of giving evil kings like Ahab a good word, supposedly from the Lord. One reason they did this is that they falsely assumed that God was obligated to bless anything His people did.

So Israel flouted God's Word and tried His patience. The people and their rulers evidently believed that a catastrophe such as conquest by a foreign power could never happen to them. It took the Assyrian captivity to shock God's people back to the reality that the nation which forgets God invites His judgment.

Today we see that Judah followed the same path as Israel, falling to Babylonia and being carried off in several stages. The deportation described in 2 Kings 24:10-17 occurred in 605 B.C. The king of Babylon, ""Nebuchadnezzar himself"" (v. 11) came to Jerusalem on this occasion.

Nebuchadnezzar took King Jehoiachin to Babylon and put his uncle on the throne, changing his name from Mattaniah to Zedekiah. This man began an eleven-year reign that would end in personal suffering and tragedy for him and destruction for the nation of Judah.

Zedekiah brought his woes on his own head by trying to throw off the yoke of Babylon. But beyond all the political intrigue, the writer of Kings leaves no doubt that the real issue was Judah's sin, which caused God to ""thrust them from His presence"" (24:20).

When the Babylonians came back to Jerusalem to depose Zedekiah, they burned down everything in the city worth burning. The great temple, which had stood for more than four hundred years, was gone-symbolic of the fact that a nation which ignores God cannot simply run to His house and claim His protection when the enemy is at the gate.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We don't need to belabor the point that the history of the divided kingdom reveals parallels with our own day.

Peter reminds us that judgment begins with ""the family of God"" (1 Pet. 4:17). As God's people, we need to make sure that we are in line with God's standards and purposes, and then we can be a force for national repentance and renewal. Let's pray today that God will ignite a revival in us that will have a convicting, purifying effect on our nation.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 11:37-13:9
Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. - Luke 11:52
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Pharisees are the favorite targets of many believers. They are the so-called bad guys of the Gospels. They rejected Jesus completely, putting their faith instead in their own righteousness and their religious rites. No one ever wants to be compared to a Pharisee, but the attributes that Jesus described in today's passage closely resemble a trait prevalent in some modern-day believers: superficial holiness.

Jesus accused the religious leaders (both the Pharisees and the scribes, also known as law experts) of using cosmetic cleanliness to hide inward spiritual filth, so much so that they were like hidden graves that made unsuspecting people unclean simply by being around them (11:44). They were proud of their positions within their own groups, and they were unsympathetic to the common man's struggle to live by the law (11:46). But most important, their good deeds didn't match their hearts. The Pharisees did everything out of a sense of pride, greed, and evil.

And it was after confronting the Pharisees that Jesus warned His disciples not to fall into their pattern of hypocrisy. By achieving such high positions in the service of the Lord, the disciples were at risk of taking pride in their own status. Remember, that was the very avenue through which Satan tried to tempt Jesus—to use His power and status for His personal gain.

Jesus went on to give an extended warning against allowing greed to distort a kingdom mentality. The illustration of God's provision for nature delivers two complementary conclusions. First, we don't need to worry about physical needs because God cares for us more than the well-fed sparrows. But a second point is also true: material possessions shouldn't be viewed as God's special blessing. His provision is common to all creation! God expects those with special knowledge, resources, and authority to use those blessings for the benefit of others, rather than revel in the wealth God allows them to have.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Jesus came to bring division in this world—that can be an extremely difficult reality to accept, especially if yours is a family divided. Spend time in prayer today asking for two things: that God would clean you from the inside out, giving you a heart for Him that produces good works; and that God would use you as a light to bring your unsaved family and friends to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19
Go and make disciples of all nations. - Matthew 28:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
When evangelist Dwight L. Moody preached a series of messages in a London church in 1874, the event transformed the life and ministry of a young pastor in the audience. F.B. Meyer was a godly leader who had shown great promise; but after Moody's visit, Meyer began a number of outreaches to the lost and needy in his area. Meyer also found time to write, and Christian libraries today still carry his life-changing devotional writings.

Moody's influence on F.B. Meyer is a great example of the ministry of making disciples--or mentoring, to use a word that is popular today. Although Moody's direct input into Meyer's life was relatively brief, it was profound and lasting.

It's not accidental that relationships like these produce spiritual fruit. That's the way God designed the body of Christ to work. Jesus set the pattern for making disciples when He chose twelve ordinary Israelites ""that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach"" (Mark 3:14).

These men were designated as apostles, a term that refers to someone sent with a special message. One Bible teacher defines the word apostle as ""delegate,"" and it seems to fit.

No one was ever called, commissioned, or delegated to deliver a more important message than the twelve apostles. Jesus kept them at His side during His ministry on earth, that they might learn to love and serve the way He did. Then He sent them out to proclaim the gospel of salvation and to help establish His church.

The apostles of Jesus have a lot to teach us, because they are a lot like us. We will get to know these intriguing men a little better this month as we see how Jesus trained them for service.

It's true that in some ways the apostles had a spiritual authority and power we don't possess. This month, we'll talk about the unique elements of their calling and ministry. But they were not ""super saints"" to be put on a pedestal. They were saints like us--and today's verse reminds us that we share in their commission to preach the gospel and to make disciples.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The great thing about discipleship is that it is not limited by time and space.

This means we can still learn valuable lessons from D.L. Moody, F.B. Meyer . . . Peter, James, John, and the other apostles of Jesus! How is your TQ, your ""teachability quotient,"" today? Ask God to give you an open heart this month. And why not plan to devote a few extra minutes of the long July days to studying God's Word with us?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Mark 6:6-13
Freely you have received, freely give.
- Matthew 10:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
The story of disciple-making we told yesterday has another chapter.

The impact that Dwight L. Moody had on British pastor and author F. B. Meyer was repeated in the next generation when a young Englishman heard Meyer speak on the ministry of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life.

Oswald Chambers yearned to be in active ministry, and God honored his commitment. He traveled to America and as far as Japan, speaking on the dynamic Christian life. Although Chambers died at the age of forty-three, his sermons and thoughts were compiled to form My Utmost for His Highest, one of the most influential devotional books in the English language.

Is there any doubt that, as it has been said, people are God's method? The ministry of discipleship is first and foremost a transfer from heart to heart and life to life. That doesn't necessarily mean the disciple and the disciple-maker must have personal contact, although that's what we normally think of when we hear the word disciple.

Jesus certainly used the principle of personal contact with His original disciples, the group of men who came to be called the Twelve. The Gospels say that Jesus hand-picked these men to be with Him and to preach the gospel. The choice came after a full night of prayer on Jesus' part (Luke 6:12-13).

Today's reading is a classic example of the apostles' ministry. Jesus sent them out armed with His message and with His power and authority over disease, demons, and the devil himself. They called the people to repentance and faith in Christ as Israel's Messiah, and relieved suffering as a testimony to the truth of their message.

According to Matthew 10:5-6, Jesus sent the disciples to ""the lost sheep of Israel,"" emphasizing His presentation to Israel as its Messiah and King. This aspect of the disciples' ministry was unique to that time when Jesus was on earth, but we also are called to share the gospel and to meet needs as they did.

The Twelve faithfully carried out this early preaching assignment. Through their ministry, Peter and his companions helped make the name of Jesus well known.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Making the name of Jesus well known is a pretty good one-sentence description of what a disciple does.

Each of us can tell others about Jesus. You don't have to be raised in a Christian home or have years of experience in the faith to be a witness. As we will see later this month, Andrew simply found Jesus and brought his brother Simon to meet the Messiah. Do you know someone who needs to know Jesus? Today, consider ways that you can introduce that person to our Savior.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Mark 8:34-38
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross and follow me. - Mark 8:34
TODAY IN THE WORD
Soon after World War II, a man in Germany wrote to a Bible distribution ministry in America to thank them for the Bible he had received. Before the war, his home had housed a library in which the Bible held a special place of honor. He confessed, however, that it was not taken off the shelf very often. When the man lost his library during the Allied bombing, the family Bible was lost as well. Now, he told his American friends, his library contained only one book: the Bible. And it was being read.

A lot of people treat discipleship the way that German man treated his Bible before the war. That is, they give only outward honor to the Lord. Being His disciple seems to be a noble idea. But for these people, Jesus' call to follow Him never gets off the ""shelf"" and into their lives.

There may be several reasons for this. Some people simply don't know what it means to follow Christ. Others may have counted the cost of discipleship and decided it was too high.

Jesus certainly urged His would-be disciples to count the cost of following Him (Luke 14:25-35). The cross Jesus spoke of represents death to self and to self-ambition.

The twelve men who became Jesus' disciples responded to His call, and they paid the price to follow Him. They realized that to exchange their souls for the ""whole world"" was a bad transaction.

This doesn't mean they followed Him perfectly every day. At times they were afraid, confused, or filled with doubt. They wavered and questioned Him because they had a lot of growing and learning to do, just as we have. After all, the word disciple means ""learner"" or ""student.""

But in the end, the disciples' commitment to Jesus was rock-solid. He was absolutely forthright and honest about the cost involved, as well as the benefits, and they answered the call. Let's imitate their example and be ready to follow Jesus, whatever it may cost.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Whatever your plans for this Fourth of July weekend, why not schedule some time for a ""mini-retreat"" with the Lord?

It doesn't need to be long or expensive. You don't even have to leave home. Even an hour set aside from a busy routine can provide a chance to get alone with the Lord and do a spiritual evaluation. Read today's text again and ask God to show you if there is a step of faith or obedience He wants you to take. As you count the cost of being His disciple, remind yourself of His promise: ""Whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.""

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 5:1-11
From now on you will catch men. - Luke 5:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
The great English hymnwriter Charles Wesley helped form the ""Holy Club"" at Oxford University during his college days. He was sincerely seeking peace with God; but in 1778, a failed mission trip to Georgia made Wesley realize that he was still a sinful person. On his return to England, he found the peace he sought and the salvation he needed.

Charles Wesley's heart was stirred on the voyage to Georgia when he met a man who, he said, ""knows nothing but Christ."" It was this encounter with a godly believer that helped Wesley see his own sinfulness and moved him toward salvation.

Simon the fisherman was by his own admission a sinful man too. His heart was moved toward God, not by meeting a godly person, but by an encounter with God in the flesh.

Before the events in Luke 5, Simon had met Jesus on at least one occasion (John 1:35-42, see tomorrow's study). At that time, Jesus had given this man the name Peter, but the call to discipleship did not come until the dramatic moment described in today's reading.

Notice how the Lord Jesus illustrated His mission to Peter and the other apostles even before calling them to leave their nets to follow Him. Jesus borrowed Peter's boat so He could speak to the people without being crowded. Peter was helping Jesus fish for people while he still considered himself a professional fisherman.

When the time was right, Jesus demonstrated His Lordship by the miracle catch of fish that left Peter and his partners astonished. It opened Peter's eyes in a way they had never been opened before, and he was quick to confess his sinfulness.

Then Jesus demonstrated His Lordship by establishing His claim on Peter's life. Actually, Luke does not record Jesus as saying, ""Follow Me,"" as do Matthew and Mark. But Peter knew what to do. His act of total abandonment was repeated by James, John, and, we can assume, Andrew too.

Their willingness to follow Jesus immediately tells us a lot about the Twelve, of whom Peter, James, and John became the most prominent. Peter himself felt bound by his sin. But he became a servant of Christ and found true freedom.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This is a day in which to celebrate the freedom God has graciously given us. He deserves our praise for this wonderful land.

But there's a freedom greater than political liberty. Jesus said, ""If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed"" (John 8:36). We hope you have found freedom from the penalty of sin through faith in Christ. If not, He will receive you, make you His child, and give you eternal life (John 1:12; Rom. 6:23). And if you know Christ, thank Him today for your freedom!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 1:35-51
The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ""We have found the Messiah."" - John 1:41
TODAY IN THE WORD
When the Kilauea Volcano erupted in Hawaii on January 3, 1983, scientists believed it would be a short-lived eruption, much like the two-day eruptions the year before. But this eruption was dramatically different. Kilauea not only kept erupting, but fifteen years later the lava is still flowing. It has devoured homes and other buildings and has created more than 570 acres of new coastland. And the eruption shows no signs of letting up.

The ministry of Jesus' twelve disciples began much like that first eruption of Kilauea. On the surface, it may not have seemed like much would result from it. As several Bible commentators have pointed out, not many leaders looking to form a worldwide movement would have chosen the men Jesus chose. But the selection of the Twelve began an ""eruption"" of ministry that is still going strong 2000 years later.

The disciples' ministry did begin pretty quietly. This familiar story relates how Andrew and John, fishing partners and disciples of John the Baptist, were introduced to Jesus. That these men were following John indicates they were spiritually sensitive, since John was preaching a powerful message of repentance and preparation for the coming of the Messiah.

Here, we get a good glimpse into the heart of Andrew. He was evidently far less dynamic and gifted than Peter, since Andrew all but fades from the Gospels after Peter comes on board. But Andrew was not jealous of his more talented brother, since he was the one initially responsible for bringing Simon Peter to Jesus.

The apostle Philip displayed the same kind of responsive heart when Jesus called him the next day (v. 43). He immediately thought of his friend Nathanael, still another Israelite with a pure heart. Nathanael's reaction indicated more honest skepticism than cynicism. He simply knew Nazareth's reputation as a wide place in the road.

This was the initial contact of these disciples with Jesus--a modest beginning that didn't seem to hold a whole lot of promise. But Jesus told Nath-anael he would see the angels at work among that small band of disciples, because God was in their midst.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Like a volcano that hasn't yet erupted, sometimes our spiritual lives can lie dormant.

How is it with you this summer? If you would like to see more happening in your walk with Christ than is currently the case, it's encouraging to remember that God is often more willing to empower and use us than we are willing to be used. Since it helps to write down our goals, why not record a spiritual goal you want God to accomplish in your life this summer? Put today's date beside it, keep it in a familiar place, and make it a regular prayer request.