Week 15 God's Messengers

I am excited about the lesson this week because on Sunday my friend and former student, Jared Mills will be preaching it!  Yes, its a bit of a reprieve for me AND for the church!  You don't have to listen to me... but don't get too comfortable... "I'll be baaack!"

Jared is one of my favorite former students.  Not only was he an excellent Bible student, deserving of the top Bible award his Senior year at Riverside Christian Academy, but he continued his zeal for the Word in his studies at Freed-Hardeman where he is a Senior Bible major.  He and his fiancee, Katie, are to be married on July 4th and are quite busy planning on a wedding these days.  To know Jared is to love him!  And you will know him, too, when you see him.  He is the grandson of our Dan & Priscilla Mills and has a slew (sp?) of family at Washington Street.  He is excited about bringing us a lesson from "The Story" and will be focusing on the prophetic ministries of Elijah and Elisha from chapter 15.

It's a difficult time for God's people.  The nation has been splintered in two: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.  Over the course of 208 years the combined kingdoms had something like 38 different kings and only five of them were of any count.  Many of them were bad and most of them were really bad!  No doubt they probably deserved to be wiped off of the planet by God, but He had promised many years before that He wouldn't do that again.  God is patient with them, but continues to warn them that the path they are on will lead them to destruction.  He does not wait idly by, however, and sends them one prophet after another.  My favorite is Elijah who gets into something of a spitting match against the pagan gods of Assyria.  They are no match for God!

This week as you read through chapter 15, "God's Messengers" pay close attention to the warnings the prophets gave Israel... warnings that went unheeded.  What warnings does the Word give us today about the way WE are heading?