Agape Devotions

  READ: 2 KINGS 15, 16 TEXT FOR REFLECTION 10 When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, he saw the altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a model of the altar, and its pattern, exact in all its details. 11 And Uriah the priest built the altar; in accordance with all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Uriah the priest made it, before King Ahaz arrived from Damascus. 12 And when the king came from Damascus, the king viewed the altar. Then the king drew near to the altar and went up on it 13 and burned his burnt offering and his grain offering and poured his drink offering and threw the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. 14 And the bronze altar that was before the Lord he removed from the front of the house, from the place between his altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of his altar. 15 And King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering...

Read; 2 Kings 13-14. No devotional today (Sunday).

Read: 2 Kings 11-12 Verses chosen for meditation 2 Kings 12:1 "In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places." Reflect As we read Kings, there are time we are saddened by the large number of human kings who did evil. There are times we are also surprised by the age which human kings are required to reign. In these two chapters of 2 Kings, we are given the account of how King Jehoash came to power. We are told that he started to lead the kingdom of Judah at the age of seven. This was almost the same time as Josiah when he reigned in Judah at the age of eight.  Even if Jehoash was considered to be a very clever child, it would still be very challeng...

READ: 2 Kings 9-10 REFLECT: Today’s story is not your average Sunday School story.  Since the Bible is nearly 2,000 pages long, there are many stories that rarely get read or taught in church.  The battles of Jehu are hard to understand without understanding the historical background of 2 Kings but tucked inside this story are a few life lessons for us.  So, let’s take a look together at 2 Kings chapters 9 – 10 and the rise and fall of King Jehu. In those days, there were very few good kings.  In 1 Kings 16:30, it says of the former King, named Ahab, that he had done more evil in the sight of the Lord than all those before him.  He was a murderer and an idolater and so we see in 2 Kings 9 that God used one of Elisha’s prophets to anoint Jehu as the next King of Israel and he is given an assignment — “ strike down the house of Ahab” . And the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel,  I anoint you king...

READ : 2 Kings 7-8 Verses chosen for meditation: 2 Kings 7:8-9 8 And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them. 9 Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king's household.” REFLECT In this chapter, the food shortage was so bad that people resorted to cannibalism of their own children and consuming dung. Inflation was off the charts, with necessities ridiculously priced (A portion of dove’s dung costs 5 shekels of silver!). In such a hopeless time, God’s promise of deliverance came, via Elisha: “Tomorrow”, things will be back to normal, with plenty of food at regular prices (2 Kings 7:...

  Read 2 Kings 5-6 Verses chosen for devotion: 9  So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house.  10  And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean."  11  But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, "Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.  12  Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage.  13  But his servants came near and said to him, "My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?"  14  So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, acco...

Read 2 Kings 3-4 Verses chosen for meditation: 2 Kings 3: 11, 12 ESV 11 And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?” Then one of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of  Elijah.” 12 And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. Reflect Who was Elisha? How was he regarded?  What can we learn from the alliance of the three kings, namely the kings of Israel, Judah and Edom?  What can we learn about God from the miracles? Relate Elisha was the successor of Elijah. Through signs and wonders, he was assured of the double portion of Elijah's spirit that he had asked for. His own response to the call had been immediate, leaving behind the comfort of family and home at the drop of a hat to follow Elijah, who when prompted by the Word of God put his cloak around Elisha ...

  READ 2 KINGS 1 - 2 SUMMARY OF TEXT FOR REFLECTION - 2 KINGS 1: 2-16 In 1 Kings 16:31, it was recorded that King Ahab of Israel not only allowed his people to build altars in Israel, he began to worship Baal. One day, after his son Ahaziah had ascended the throne, Ahaziah had a fall from an upper floor of his house. He was badly injured. Ahaziah called his men to enquire of Baal if he would recover. While the men were on their way to Baal, God called Elijah to intercept them with a rebuke for Ahaziah that because he had enquired of Baal instead of the God of Israel, he would not recover but would die. Upon hearing from Elijah, the men returned to Ahaziah to report to him what Elijah had said to them.  Ahaziah then sent an army of 50 soldiers to arrest Elijah. Elijah called fire from heaven upon them, and all 50 soldiers and their commander were consumed. Again Ahaziah sent another 50 soldiers to arrest Elijah, and once again all of them were consumed by fire. Then Ahaziah sen...

Catch up on your readings Day. No devotional today. Join us for worship today at Agape Methodist Church (Sermon will be based on 1 Kings 22)

Catch up on your readings day. No devotional.

READ : 1 Kings 22 REFLECT : Every person knows that God exists, but most people do nothing about it.  Yet, anyone who ignores the truth will be judged for their disobedience. In our devotion, from 1 Kings 22, we see how King Ahab ignored God’s clear word, and as a result, paid the ultimate consequence.  King Ahab realised that King Ben-hadad had not returned the captured cities to Israel, as he had promised. So, Ahab king of the North, asked Jehoshaphat, king of the South, to join with him to force Ben-hadad to return the cities (v. 2). Jehosaphat of Judah agreed, but said in verse 5, “first let’s find out what the LORD says.”  So the king of Israel in the North asked 400 prophets what they think, and they gave the green light (v. 6). But the king of Judah in the South complained that none of those prophets were of the Lord (v. 7). But Ahab said, “There is one more man who could consult the LORD for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His ...