“And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign and carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the Lord had foretold. He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war. And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.”‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭24:11-17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/2ki.24.11-17.esv
All,
This stands out because the writer says, “And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it”. Is any nation indestructible? Israel was the premier nation just 500 years earlier. Most of the Kings in charge disobeyed God by continuing to worship other gods along with God. God says to put Him first. It’s been said that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. Please pray that we and our friends worship the true God and do not fall to temptation to put anything above Him. Please pray for the CLC Prayer and Fundraising breakfast on Nov. 28th. 

“And the king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem.”‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭23:21-23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/2ki.23.21-23.esv
All,
This stands out because the writer says, “For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah”. Josiah was the first in a long line Kings who not only found the Book of the Law, but also obeyed it. By this time though, all of Israel(Judah and Israel) were about to be taken over by foreign Kings because of their disobedience to God. Israel stopped seeking God as their provider and continued to seek other gods to their detriment. Please pray that we and our friends are careful to worship only God and not be tempted to put anything else before Him. Please pray for the CLC Prayer and Fundraising breakfast on Nov. 28th. 

“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.
And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.””

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭22:1-2, 8, 11-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/2ki.22.1-2,8,11-13.esv
All,
This stands out because Josiah says, “For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” This particular book is believed to be Deuteronomy. I’ve read a statistic from Barna that 95% of Christians have not read the whole Bible. How can we have a relationship with God or help others have a relationship if we do not know what’s in the Bible? Please pray that we and our friends spend time in the Word daily. Please pray for the CLC Prayer and Fundraising breakfast. 

“Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.””‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭19:14-19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/2ki.19.14-19.esv
All,
This stands out because the writer says, “for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.” When people depend on “false gods” to protect them, it doesn’t end well. However, it’s so tempting to rely on the false gods of money, stature, etc. Please pray that we and our friends depend on the Lord our God and seek Him daily. Please pray for Mike S. as his dad died suddenly yesterday. 

“Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey.”‭‭Numbers‬ ‭27:15-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/num.27.15-20.esv
All,
This stands out because the Lord says, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit”. My buddy, Sam, pointed this verse out to me weeks ago and now it’s part of today’s reading. Jesus tells us later that He must leave so the Holy Spirit will be in our hearts. We can chose to live by the Spirit today or we can chose to live by the flesh. Please pray that we and our friends chose to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Please pray for the CLC Prayer and Fundraising breakfast on Nov. 28th. 

“Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah”‭‭Psalms‬ ‭143:1-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/psa.143.1-6.esv
All,
This stands out because David says, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands”. All of us go through these dry times. I like this because whether we are in a dry time or a fulfilling time, we need to seek God’s promises. Satan loves for us to stay in the world of shame and despair as long as possible. He also likes for us to forget God during times of plenty. Please pray that we seek God during both times and stay about His purpose. Please pray for the CLC Prayer and Fundraising breakfast on Nov. 28th. 

“While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.””‭‭Numbers‬ ‭25:1-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/num.25.1-5.esv
All,
This stands out because Moses says, “These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.” God was very specific as to how the Israelites were to treat all the other tribes. He knew Israel would worship other gods in an attempt to be in control just as our society does now. Does your worldview see God as one of the ways to help you or as Lord over your life? Please pray that we and our friends see everything in light of how God sees it. Please pray for the CLC Prayer and Fundraising breakfast on Nov. 28th with Richard Simmons. 

“From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.”‭‭Numbers‬ ‭21:4-9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/num.21.4-9.esv
All,
This stands out because the people said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?” I am the quickest to complain when small things do not go my way. Big things are out of my control, but I think small things should just work out like traffic or my dog not having a accident to take care of in the morning when you don’t have any spare time. Small or big, there is always something for which I can be grateful in the mist of the small stuff and I don’t think God likes a complaining spirit. Please pray that we and our friends find something in which we are grateful during the down moments. Please pray for the CLC Prayer and Fundraising breakfast on Nov. 28th. 

“”Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.””‭‭Numbers‬ ‭20:8-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/num.20.8-12.esv
All,
This stands out because the text says, “Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly”. Did God ask Moses to hit the rock twice or to “tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water”? Moses was punished severely for this seemingly small act of disobedience? Has God put something on your heart that you want to do in your way instead of His way? Please pray that we and our friends obey God in the way He convicts us. Please pray for the CLC Prayer and Fundraising breakfast on November 28th. 

“And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” He answered, “What peace can there be, so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?” Then Joram reined about and fled, saying to Ahaziah, “Treachery, O Ahaziah!” And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and shot Joram between the shoulders, so that the arrow pierced his heart, and he sank in his chariot.”‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭9:22-24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/2ki.9.22-24.esv
All,
This stands out because Jehu says, “What peace can there be, so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?” We live in a fallen world and can be affected by the evil that is here. However, we have a God that has a eternal plan for us where there is no evil. He wants to give us peace while in this world. He also wants us to go to Him for that peace and not something from the world. Please pray that we and our friends look to God for our rest. Please pray for the victims of Las Vegas and their families.