God has chosen you and me not simply to be religious, but to be disciples. We are to follow Jesus faithfully, grow in the knowledge and love of Him, and share with others the powerful things He has done so that they become disciples too!

Our study opens with a look at Civil War between Rehoboam and Judah vs. Jeroboam and Israel (931-910 BC).

1 Kings 12:1 We read that Rehoboam went to Shechem, "for all Israel had gone there to make him king." Shechem was an historic site for the nation from about 500 years early when Levitical priests recited the blessings and the curses from Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Shechem is the city near these two mountains.

In verses 3 and 4 we read that Jeroboam challenges Rehoboam. Reheboam goes to 2 advisory boards. One was the elders that had served under his father, Solomon. They gave him wise direction. 1 Kings 12:7 - they said that if you serve the people and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants. (Wise advise - to be a servant leader. It is also a prophetic view of who Jesus would be - Jesus is our Servant King - our suffering servant) The second group of advisors was Rehoboam's young friends. 1 Kings 12:13-14 says they tell him to be tougher with the people. Reheboam decided to take the advise of his young friends, but when he tells the people he will be even tougher on them than his father was, the result is that the Israelites - the entire northern part of the kingdom rebels against Reheboam and he had to escape to Jerusalem.

Will there be civil war or will there be an uneasy peace? We read in 1 Kings 12:21 that when Rehoboam arrives in Jerusalem, he gathers Judah together and the tribe of Benjamin to go to war against Jeroboam and the rest of Israel so that he can regain the entire kingdom of his father Solomon.

But then God intercedes giving a word to Shemaiah a man of God: 1 Kings 12:23-24 "Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to all Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 'This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.'" So they obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered."

Reheboam listens to the words from the prophet Shemaiah and there is an uneasy peace established between the splintered nation. However, we read in verses 26-27 that Jeroboam's response to the peace was fear that his people - the northern part of the kingdom - would again give their allegiance to Reheboam King of Judah, Solomon's son.

So Jeroboam has two golden calves made - one is put in the northern part of his kingdom and the other calf is placed in the southern part of Israel and he tells the people that it's too much to go up to Jerusalem to worship, so here instead are your gods. And the people did worship these golden calves and it says in 1 Kings 12:29-30 that it became a sin. And the nation begins to turn away from God. Jeroboam led them astray and did not do as God had requested of him when he was given the prophetic word of his kingship over Israel.

Pastor shares the archeological discovery of the Altar of Dan where one of the golden calves had been set up. A sad testimony to how the nation was led astray and away from God.

We learn the importance of following God and listening to His voice.

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Lord and God? A great moral teacher? A very good man? What claims did Jesus actually make about His identity?

Faith is essential ... but in what do place our faith? The scriptures make it clear that we are to place our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Savior of all the nations, and the Hope of all the earth!

When Jesus says to His disciples, "Receive the Holy Spirit," it is not a "one-and-done" activity. He desires us all to live continually in the Spirit!

Genesis 1:1 - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Let's look at the words "God" and "created." in this verse in Hebrew the word used for God is a plural noun and created is a singular verb.

What day did God create the world? It says God created everything in 6 days and He rested on the 7th day, the Sabbath, and that is Saturday. Which means the first day of creation was on Sunday. What was the day of the week that God began a new creation? That was on the day Jesus arose from the grave. The Bible tells us this was on the first day of the week, on a Sunday.

Jesus' closest friend, John, begins his gospel this way: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." Psalm 33:6 "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth."

In Genesis 1 we read over and over, "And God said…" God brought everything into being through His Word and the Bible describes Jesus as that Word, the Living Word. John 1:3 tells us "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. Hard to comprehend, but true.

John goes on in verse 14, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." Let's look at these words from that verse, "made his dwelling" in Hebrew it is one word. Tabernacles. Jesus, the Word became flesh and tabernacles among us. Not simply in the spirit, but in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:15-17 "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

The only way we can be held together in this fallen world is in Jesus Christ, the Savior of us all. The only way to face the future and the difficulties of life in a fallen world is through the power of His Son who has redeemed us and through His Holy Spirit who strengthens, guides and directs us.

Our God is an awesome God!

Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.

View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class

For more check out the series, "What's the Answer" https://www.awakeusnow.com/whats-the-answer

Join us Sundays
https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

From Genesis to Revelation, God's plan remains the same - to reach all nations and bring people back to Him. How close are we to seeing that happen? Why is belief in Jesus growing at such an astounding pace in much of the world, but not in Europe and North America?