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Bible Readings for Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 – The Week of The 2nd Sunday After Pentecost *Click on each bible passage to expand the text. Psalm 119:161-168 161. Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words.

162. I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.

163. I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law.

164. Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous ordinances.

165. Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.

166. I hope for your salvation, O LORD, and I fulfill your commandments.

167. My soul keeps your decrees; I love them exceedingly.

168. I keep your precepts and decrees, for all my ways are before you. 1 Kings 21:17-29 17. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:

18. Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria; he is now in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession.

19. You shall say to him, “Thus says the LORD: Have you killed, and also taken possession?” You shall say to him, “Thus says the LORD: In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, dogs will also lick up your blood.”

20. Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you. Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD,

21. I will bring disaster on you; I will consume you, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel;

22. and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.

23. Also concerning Jezebel the LORD said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the bounds of Jezreel.’

24. Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat; and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the air shall eat.”

25. (Indeed, there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD, urged on by his wife Jezebel.

26. He acted most abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD drove out before the Israelites.)

27. When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth over his bare flesh; he fasted, lay in the sackcloth, and went about dejectedly.

28. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite:

29. “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster on his house.” 1 John 4:1-6 1. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

3. and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world.

4. Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

5. They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them.

6. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

I keep your precepts and decrees, for all my ways are before you. – Psalm 119:168

Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you. Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD, – 1 Kings 21:20

They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. – 1 John 4:5

They Are From The World. We Are From God.

1 John 4 5. They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them.

6. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

They don’t listen to us.

We say, “Love your enemies.”

They say, “We won’t be weak.”

We say, “God loves all.”

They say, “God loves the few.”

We say, “Sacrifice for others…”

They say, “… other Christians.”

We say, “Charity is key. Unmerited grace for the less fortunate.”

They say, “Liberal entitlements.”

We say, “Blessed are the poor.”

They say, “God rewards the righteous with prosperity.”

We say, “It’s about this life, stupid.”

They say, “It’s about the afterlife, stupid.”

We say, “Jesus is the way to life now. Salvation is done.”

They say, “Jesus is the way to the life eternal. Salvation is still up for grabs.”

We say, “Jesus is God.”

They say, “Jesus is God.”

We say, “Jesus is the Word.”

They say, “Jesus is the Word.”

Are we both “from God”?

No.

None of us are “from God“. We are all “from the world”.

Just look at the world today. We all worship our idols of our own achievements. We all trust in the word of men more than the Word of God. We kill our fellow children of God, in the name of God.

We are killing the very earth we live on, beholden only to ourselves. Beholden to the God of Oil, the life-blood of Mammon.

Screw the future generations! What future? The Rapture is coming!

Screw God! Nah, we’ll just make God in our image. Bloodthirsty and greedy.

Think you’re different? Think you’re not like this? Think you’re not “from the world”?

From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.(1 Jn 4:6)