Be Careful Who You Follow

Scripture

Judges 18:30 (NKJV)

Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

A False Religion Can Never Replace True Worship

Judges 18 continues the spiritual decline that began in the previous chapter. The tribe of Dan had not fully taken possession of the inheritance God had given them, so instead of trusting the Lord, they sought an easier path. Rather than depending on God's promises, they relied on human wisdom and military strength to secure a new territory.

As the men of Dan traveled, they came to Micah's house, where they found the Levite serving as a priest over Micah's private shrine. Instead of rejecting the idols and false worship, they stole Micah's carved images, household idols, ephod, and priest, believing these things would bring God's blessing wherever they went.

The Levite willingly abandoned Micah because serving an entire tribe seemed like a greater opportunity than serving one family. His decision was motivated by personal advancement rather than faithfulness to God.

After conquering the peaceful city of Laish, the tribe of Dan established idol worship there and appointed the Levite and his descendants as priests. What began as one family's compromise became the official religion of an entire tribe.

This chapter demonstrates how compromise spreads. One person's disobedience influenced a family, then a priest, and eventually an entire tribe. When God's truth is abandoned, false worship quickly takes its place.

Believers today face similar dangers. Culture continually offers substitutes for true worship—success, possessions, popularity, pleasure, and personal opinions. Yet anything that replaces complete devotion to God becomes an idol.

God calls His people to remain faithful to His Word, even when compromise appears easier or more successful. True worship is not determined by convenience or popularity but by obedience to the Lord.

Reflection Questions

1. Is there anything in my life competing for the place that belongs only to God?

2. Am I making decisions based on God's Word or on what seems easiest or most beneficial?

3. What kind of spiritual influence am I leaving on my family and those around me?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, keep my heart devoted to You alone. Protect me from compromise and from anything that would become an idol in my life. Help me to seek Your will instead of the easiest path. May my life point others toward faithful worship and obedience to Your Word. Give me discernment to recognize false teaching and courage to remain faithful to Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 25)

1. These also are
proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:

2. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

3. As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.

4. Take away the dross from silver,
And it will go to the silversmith
for jewelry.

5. Take away the wicked from before the king,
And his throne will be established in righteousness.

6. Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of the great;

7. For it is better that he say to you,
“Come up here,”
Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.

8. Do not go hastily to court;
For what will you do in the end,
When your neighbor has put you to shame?

9. Debate your case with your neighbor,
And do not disclose the secret to another;

10. Lest he who hears it expose your shame,
And your reputation be ruined.

11. A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
In settings of silver.

12. Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold
Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.

13. Like the cold of snow in time of harvest
Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

14. Whoever falsely boasts of giving
Is like clouds and wind without rain.

15. By long forbearance a ruler is persuaded,
And a gentle tongue breaks a bone.

16. Have you found honey?
Eat only as much as you need,
Lest you be filled with it and vomit.

17. Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house,
Lest he become weary of you and hate you.

18. A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.

19. Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble
Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.

20. Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather,
And like vinegar on soda,
Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

21. If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

22. For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the LORD will reward you.

23. The north wind brings forth rain,
And a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.

24. It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

25. As cold water to a weary soul,
So is good news from a far country.

26. A righteous man
who falters before the wicked
Is like a murky spring and a polluted well.

27. It is not good to eat much honey;
So to seek one’s own glory is not glory.

28. Whoever has no rule over his own spirit
Is like a city broken down, without walls.

And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 ɴᴋᴊᴠ

Brethren, we all want this; for to walk steadily with God we need both this fellowship and this hope. I do not believe a Christian can have his heart scripturally right, unless he is looking for God’s Son from heaven; for there could be no such thing as attempting to set the world right if its sin in rejecting Christ were fully seen. Moreover, there never will be a correct judgment formed of the character of the world until that crowning sin be apprehended by the soul. To a Christian who is looking and waiting for Christ to come from heaven, Christ Himself is unspeakably more the object before the soul. It is not that I shall get to heaven and be happy, but that the Lord Himself is coming from heaven for me, and for all the Church. It is this that gives its character to the joy of the saint; so Christ Himself says, “I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” Where I find My delight, there shall you find yours also, I with you, and you with Me—forever with the Lord.

You may think to find good or produce good in man, but you will never find waiting for Christ in man. In the world, the first Adam may be cultivated, but it is the first Adam still; the last Adam will never be found there, being rejected by the world. And it is the looking for this rejected Lord that stamps the whole character and walk of the saints.

J. N. Darby


I’m waiting for Thee, Lord,
Thy beauty to see, Lord;I’m waiting for Thee, for Thy coming again.Thou’rt gone over there, Lord,
A place to prepare, Lord;Thy home I shall share at Thy coming again.


Miss H. K. Burlingham


https://gbv-online.org/calendar/773/date/2026-08-25

Lifeline Today
Tuesday August 25
The Silent Force of Confidence
For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15 (NKJV)

Confidence is not something you have; it is something you build that makes you open to a fresh flow of ideas and accommodating for inspirations. It is nothing more than a belief in yourself. A feeling of certainty that you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to do. It means you accept and trust yourself and have a sense of control over your life.

Building confidence is not about knowing it all but about trusting that no matter what happens in any situation, you will be able to handle it and learn from the outcome. Therefore, learning is the beginning to building a confident lifestyle. And learning has to do with a commitment to growth through self-improvement. Good to know that no life is remembered for what was started, rather, for what was finished. This is your day.

Wisdom Fountain: “Confidence is the silent force that turns doubt into direction and fear into fuel.”
Prayer: Holy God, fill my heart with Your strength. Grant me the courage to step out of my comfort zone, knowing that You go before me and will never leave me. Let my confidence not come from my own strength, but from knowing that You are with me, holding me up, and working through me. Give me a quiet peace and the boldness to step forward always in Jesus' name.

The Importance of NOT Knowing Yahwah

Exodus 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

• One of the greatest hinderances of knowing Yahwah is knowing Yahwah!
• Most believers will tell you that they know Yahwah
o Job 36:26 Behold, YHWH is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
• Most religious people will tell you the same thing. Why? Because they think they know Yahwah and so they think they don’t have to know him anymore! (They already know all there is to know)
o Ps 145:3 Great is YHWH, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
o Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of YHWH! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
• The first title used for Yahwah in the Scriptures is Elohim (God in the KJV version)
• This is a mystery word be because it is both singular and plural
• Singular because Yahwah is one Elohim
• Plural because there is always more to Yahwah
o Always more to Him
o Always more of Him to know
• Do you want to know why we will be in Heaven for eternity? Because that’s how long it will take for us to know Yahwah!
• Make your aim to Know Yahwah more then you ever have before!
o Phil 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
o Ps 42:1-2 To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O YHWH.My soul thirsteth for YHWH, for the living Elohim: when shall I come and appear before YHWH?
o Mark 10:14-15 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of YHWH. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of YHWH as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
• Seek Him, learn of Him
o Isa 55:6 Seek ye YHWH while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
• Go deeper and farther for the one who truly knows Yahwah is the one who knows they don’t even know the half of Him!
o Job 5:8-11 I would seek unto YHWH, and unto YHWH would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number: Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields: To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.
• Press on today into the joy and wonder of those who can say “That I might know Him”, that is Yahwah!
o Eph 3:8-9 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Messiah; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in YHWH, who created all things by YHWHMessiah:

Note





The Stick You Write With



When we read the bible,what do we think about? Do we think about the writer being inspired by the Spirit of God? Do we look to the setting it was written in, the culture of the times, etc? Do we look at the style of writing as some scholars teach us to do?

These and more are often taught as the way to read the bible. In more modern education we are taught to think critically and what is being said and written. In other words what can we infer or deduce from the text we are reading?

Questions such as these, more often than not lead to an overly complicated mess of confusion that is sometimes hard to navigate. Complicating the simple way the people of the day actually thought. What is more is that the New Testament was written in Koine ( common Greek).

This Greek as written in the NT is often studied by scholars, pastors and laymen alike, searching for a clearer picture of what the biblical writers were intending. And in this way, we may more accurately discern the truth that God, through His servants, is trying to convey to us, 2,000 years later. Mind you in a culture that is very far removed from the culture it was written in.

In short a lot has happened in 2,000 years, and some ideas just don’t translate well. To make up for this, scholars have tried hard to come up with different and new translations, paraphrases etc, that are everything from absolute trash, to literal word for word hard to read versions of the bible.

Many popular bible translations we read are something of a dynamic equivalent, that’s thought for thought. Others are word for word. And still others are a paraphrase giving the general sense of what is being spoken of. Yet, for all this we seem to lose a little or a lot depending, when we try to bring this all into a culture, language and thought process that is far removed from the original.

So we dig, scholars and laymen alike, dig. We dig into the language it is written in. We find meanings to words, and their roots. Sometimes we look at the society and culture around them and it brings out even more. Yet for all that, it seems we still come up short and we wonder why.

In my own life, the more I dug into some limited Greek studies, the more I saw it was not really going too far, so I stopped looking. I would only look up what I was curious about or led to. If I am honest at times, I would remember my pastor who told me of his friend who was a biblical Greek scholar, who said it really doesn’t do you that much good to know Greek. As I studied I could see that, but why. Aren’t we taught to look into the language? Isn’t that the example that is set by many, if not most pastors and writers of biblical material? Look into the Greek to find the meaning of the words used in the NT, so we can understand a bit better? But its really not helping that much so what am I missing?

What I found was not intentional. I was not looking for it. At all.

I found where Jesus wrote about being the bread of life In John 6:35:

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

In our minds we wonder what that means so we dig. And that is just what I did. I wanted to find out what that meant, exactly. My research led me to the cultural life of the Jewish people. And I found out that they, without a long explanation, knew that Jesus was saying, without bread, you die, you have no life.

That may seem obvious and overly simplistic, yet for a people who lived in the desert, to not have bread and water, was a fact of certain death. Biblically the principle stems back to the time in the wilderness when God supplied bread for them in the form of mana. Again, this may seem obvious, but it’s not something most in western culture know very much about.

We don’t know starvation as a possibility as well as they did then, we don’t know the waterless tracts of land they made their home in for thousands of years. They knew intimately the slow agonizing death by starvation and thirst, in a land where water is a commodity. Unlike us who just go to the faucet or by another water bottle at the nearest grocery store. These things were their reality, unlike ours.

Finding this set me on a journey of sorts to looking into their culture more. As I did I began seeing things that we don’t often talk about. Then one day I realized that almost every NT writer with the exception of Luke was born Jewish. That meant that they came from a Jewish background, culture, traditions and language.

Then I began to wonder how come we are looking at the NT from a western outlook, through the Greek language, when we should possibly be looking at it from a more Hebraic outlook? Why weren’t we looking at what they were saying through the culture, history etc of the person who was speaking it? They knew the language and ideas of the OT far better than we do.

So, again I began digging. What I found was that as a general rule, the Jewish people of that day, had gained some complexity of thought because of outside influences, such as the Babylonian captivity, the Roman occupation etc, they still retained much of their original simplicity and straightforward thinking. In fact, without going too deep in this, most Jewish men at the time had at least some knowledge of the OT scriptures and how they were written and the thoughts behind them. This is due to the fact that they would teach the fathers trade to the children and were required to teach them the word of God as well.

For them, things were relatively simple. Their culture and thought process, at least so far as these things are concerned, was simple compared to the Romans, or Greeks where we in the west get much of our way of thinking.

To see the difference when we describe something, such as a pencil, we say its long, often yellow, with lead or graphite inside, it has an eraser on one end and the other is sharpened to a point so you can write with it. In ancient Hebrew, it’s literally a stick you write with, that is the description.

To us, who habitually over complicate everything, even a bowl of Cheerios, this seems way too simplistic. Truthfully one may be right with that assessment. But that does not negate the fact that they understood things far different than we do.

Now, I am doing more digging. Looking into the Hebrew language and looking at the NT from somewhat of a different angle. What happened is the truth we all see, written within the pages, started taking on a deeper meaning. Instead of looking at the Word through the lens of our culture or even the Greek, I began to see things that way I think the biblical writers were seeing them, and thus seeing the intent of God through them. Regardless of how it was written.

When we look at the bible in this way it seems to take on new life. It doesn’t change the meaning, but deepens it, brings a fuller, more clear revelation, and application to our lives and ministries.




I write my own writing, I do not use AI to write. All my writing is my own and can be scanned for AI content as well as plagiarism.

Stay faithful and finish the race God has set before you.

Share this with someone who needs encouragement to keep going and finish well.

#2Timothy47 #KeepTheFaith #FinishTheRace #FightTheGoodFight #PersevereInFaith #WalkByFaith #FaithInChrist #ChristianLiving #StayFaithful #Lordsbook

Matthew 21:1-17

Now Jesus has determined to enter the final phase of his earthly ministry, elsewhere in Luke in the King James vernacular He “set His face toward Jerusalem”. It is here that in Matthew's own style to point to Jesus as the prophecied Messiah using the verse from Zechariah while describing Jesus's actions.

Zechariah 9:9
[9] Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Zechariah is writing a list of things to come while addressing the situation with the rebuilding of the walls and temple to replace the first destroyed Solomons temple. Don't forget that the first hearers and readers of Zechariah had no king.

Both the northern and southern kingdoms have been destroyed and there is no king in either. So when Zechariah says a King is coming, there is no doubt Zechariah anticipated this King to be the Messiah. The Jews understood this, so when Jesus rode that donkey into Jerusalem they clearly understood this to be the receiving of the Messiah.

Now here's the part where my ADHD brain begins asking, was there some supernatural knowledge that this colts owner was privy to regarding this or did he just faithfully accept, “The Lord has need of this” as a valid reason?
We will never know for sure but it is fun to think about.

The actions of the crowd are those of a city welcoming a king after a great victory or anointing. The laying out of cloaks, palm leaves and more were to not allow this arriving king to soil the feet of even the animal he's riding in on.

The children are calling out, “Hosanna” which means “God save us”. Let's make this clear, there was NO confusion about Jesus's claim here. The Jewish Leaders were well aware of the Messianic claim here. So when He dismounts in Jerusalem and begins what is considered the second cleansing of the temple there is no debate, Jesus is claiming to be the Messiah in no uncertain terms.

So when the leaders approach Him with the question, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus quotes Psalm 8:2 in response.

Psalm 8:2
[2] From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have established strength Because of Your enemies, To do away with the enemy and the revengeful.

In the Hebrew, the word used means strength from the root word for stronghold. Here, Jesus is quoting the Septuagint or Greek version where the word ‘praise’ is used. It's this praise that acts as a source of strength against God's enemies.

Yes, Jesus is calling the Jewish leaders the enemies of God. And without even attempting a debate with them, Jesus turns his attention to healings amidst the destruction.

Some Jews believed He was there to act as King and they were ready and willing to go to war against Rome to have a king back. They were willing to die for this new king. But He didn't take a throne they could see, didn't receive a crown of a king and simply continued preaching. And this event took place roughly a week prior to the cross.

So the calls took a week to devolve from Hosanna to “Crucify Him” because the Kingdom Jesus ushered in was the Kingdom of Heaven, not Israel. How many times in our lives do we go from thanking and praising Him to neglecting Him, because the answer to our praise and prayers isn't the answer we expected? It doesn't take much to turn someone from God. A week? God, please give us the strength to continue in faith.



[1] When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, [2] saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with it. Untie them and bring them to Me. [3] And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them on immediately.” [4] Now this took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled: [5] “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold your King is coming to you, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” [6] The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, [7] and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their cloaks on them; and He sat on the cloaks. [8] Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. [9] Now the crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!” [10] When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” [11] And the crowds were saying, “This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.” [12] And Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. [13] And He *said to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.” [14] And those who were blind and those who limped came to Him in the temple area, and He healed them. [15] But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant, [16] and they said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus *said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” [17] And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:32 NLT

____

Though storms may rage around us, Jesus is still present—He is our calm within the storm.

____

All of us would be wiser if we would resolve never to put people down, except on our prayer lists.

D. A. Carson

____

Dear Jesus, I trust You as You fight for me.

____

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

1 Timothy 6:12 NLT