Born to Win Podcast - with Ronald L. Dart

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Born to Win's Daily Radio Broadcast and Weekly Sermon. A production of Christian Educational Ministries.

  1. 5 THG 12

    Are You Angry?

    Are you angry? Are you mad at what is going on in government? If you are a Republican, you are probably mad at the Democrats. If you are a Democrat, you are mad at the Republicans. If you are an independent, you get to take your pick. But even here, we are forgetting something really important. Remember something Abraham Lincoln said to a generation of Americans: It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. That last line rings down through time. And it serves to remind us that if we need someone to blame, someone to be angry toward, we really ought to look in the mirror. Blame congress, blame the president, if you must, for they were asleep at the switch. But we really ought to blame ourselves for putting them there. Isaiah, oh-so-long ago, in a situation very much like where we are today wrote: All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. Isaiah 56:9 12 KJV

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  2. 4 THG 12

    The Book of Kings #19

    Evil has lasting consequences. Not only was King Ahab corrupt, so were his children, who learned in their mother how to get the things they wanted. The corruption of his sons seemed inevitable, and the results of that corruption as inevitable as tomorrow’s sunrise. Of course, repentance was just as open to his sons as it had been to Ahab. It was just that none of them availed himself of it. Old sins do not go away of themselves. Trust me, they will be back. And they came back for Ahab’s family in the person of one Jehu, who became king of Israel and was commissioned of God to take care of some unfinished business with the family of Ahab and Jezebel. In 2 Kings, chapter 9, Joram (alongside King Ahaziah of Judah) joined battle with Jehu, and Joram was killed. Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take him up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and you rode together after Ahab his father, the Lord laid this burden upon him; Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, says the Lord; and I will repay you in this plot, says the Lord. Now therefore take and cast him into the plot of ground, according to the word of the Lord. 2 Kings 9:25–26 KJ2000

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  3. 3 THG 12

    The Book of Kings #18

    All through this period of Kings, there is pattern that develops. The people would fall away, go after idols, and suffer all the results of that. In Judah, though, they would occasionally be led back to God by a reforming king—and God’s holy days would often be the reason for the reform. They showed the way back to God and out of idolatry. But in the House of Israel, from the time of Jeroboam, those holy days were gone. In a way, the people could no longer find the thread that pointed the way back to God. They were cut off. So in all their 250-year history, there was never a revival. There was never a good king that brought them back to God. They had lost the way and just couldn’t get it back. And now comes on the scene a very violent king of the House of Israel. And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead: And when you come there, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and take him to an inner chamber; Then take the flask of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus says the Lord, I have anointed you king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not. 2 Kings 9:1–3 KJ2000This running away is highly symbolic, as an era of great violence is about to begin.

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  4. 2 THG 12

    The Book of Kings #17

    The days of the prophet Elisha seem to have been somewhat unique in the history of Israel. Prophecy was vital in those days, but most of it was delivered orally. We don’t encounter much in the way of writing prophets until somewhat later. One Jewish writer, though, had this to say about a much later time in the history of the Jewish people that sheds a little light on this fact: At the same time, the prophets and the schools of prophecy, or sons of the prophets, as they are called in the Bible, were apparently centers of study and speculation in these spheres. The prophecy died out in the era of the great assembly, and this institution was faced with the additional task of handing down the spiritual heritage of the prophets to a younger generation. This comes in a discussion of the oral law and how it was handed down to later generations. Jewish scholars worked hard at this, and finally put together a written form of the oral law, called the Mishnah, and later, the Talmud. So the sons of the prophets is a term understood to be a school of the prophets—an interesting idea, since we generally assume that a prophet speaks under inspiration. So why a school? I can think of two issues. First, prophecy does not necessarily and always refer to a vision like those of Ezekiel or Isaiah. It merely means to speak under inspiration—to preach. Second, a prophet needs some basis upon which to judge whether he is being inspired of God or another spirit. In the New Testament, we are warned always to try the spirits. But by what standard? How do we go about doing that?

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  5. 1 THG 12

    The Book of Kings #16

    I’m still amazed at how many would-be prophets want to take on the mantle of Elijah. I think I mentioned that I have met three or four Elijahs in my time. What’s funny is that and I don’t recall anyone claiming to be a successor of Elisha, who had double the power of Elijah. That man is astonishing. But there is a reason for that. The reason is that Elijah was carried away and no one knew about his demise. Elijah was taken away and his death not recorded because he would serve as the archetype of prophets and because God intended to bring him back—not the man himself, but his spirit and power. And there is another curious aside: the idea of two men, overlapping but with one succeeding the other is repeated in the Bible. John the Baptist, according to Jesus, came in the spirit of Elijah, and then John the Baptist was followed by Jesus. And apparently this pattern will occur yet again. There is this scripture that always has people looking for Elijah: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Malachi 4:5–6 KJ2000And sure enough, there are pretenders here and there who claim to be that one. But so far, I haven’t heard a soul claim he is Elisha reincarnated. There is a curious thing about Elisha, in that no need seems to have been too small for his attention. Take, for example, this story in 2 Kings, chapter 4.

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  6. 28 THG 11

    Leadership Found

    In all of the Bible, who is the greatest example of leadership (apart from Jesus, of course)? Without a doubt, it’s David. When you speak of David in a Biblical context, the name needs no modifier. You don’t have to call him King David for a Bible reader to know exactly who you are talking about. His name occurs more than 1,000 times in the Old Testament alone. A curious fact: No one else in the Bible was ever named David. This is, I think, very unusual given the very human proclivity for naming kids after famous people. Yet, with David, it didn’t happen. It is almost as though God intended for David to be, and always be, one of a kind. Names in Hebrew mean something, and until recently, I had never looked at the meaning of David’s name, nor had I ever thought much about the characteristics of this man that made him such a great leader. He is easily the most influential and dominant figure in the Old Testament. He was the youngest of eight sons. His brothers thought he was arrogant. The key story of his life is familiar, but I want to extract from the story the elements of leadership in David that emerge from it. We’ll begin in 1 Samuel, chapter 17.

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  7. 26 THG 11

    The Book of Kings #15

    One of the most dramatic moments in all the stories of the Bible is that moment when Elijah and Elisha have crossed over the river Jordan, and a great whirlwind comes down from heaven, and a chariot of fire drawn by horses of fire carries Elijah away. It was really something to see, I suppose. It was the moment when power was transferred from Elijah to Elisha, and Elisha received a double portion of the spirit of Elijah—along with his mantle. But there’s a puzzle here, and it isn’t so much that change of power. Later on, Elisha will fall sick and die of his sickness. Why was Elijah taken away so dramatically? Why didn’t he just follow his course; why didn’t he go to bed one day and die like Elisha did? What’s with this chariot and horses of fire? The assumption is that Elijah was taken up into heaven, but no one at the time thought so. The school of the prophets sent men everywhere looking for his body—wherever the tornado that took him away might have dropped him. And there’s no real reason from the Bible to think that he went to heaven. There is, however, one more consideration. Jehoram became regent of Judah at about the same time as Elijah’s departure. Then, some time later, Jehoram gets a letter from Elijah. Strange thing. You’ll find this story in 2 Chronicles, chapter 21. Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotries, and led Judah astray. And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says the Lord God of David your father, Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, But have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot, like the harlotries of the house of Ahab, and also have slain your brothers of your father’s house, who were better than yourself: Behold, with a great plague will the Lord strike your people, and your children, and your wives, and all your goods: And you shall have great sickness by disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out because of the sickness day by day. 2 Chronicles 21:11–14 KJ2000

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  8. 25 THG 11

    The Book of Kings #14

    It has been 62 years since the death of Solomon. For 62 years there have been two Israels: the House of Israel, now with a capital in Samaria; the House of Judah, capital in Jerusalem. You can cast your mind back 62 years from today and get a feeling for the passage of time even if you weren’t alive then. There are many old people who still remember King Solomon. And with the reign of King Ahab in Samaria, we can see how quickly a nation can go to ruin under bad leadership—how quickly they can go down the drain. And they were never, in all their history, able to find their way back. As the book of 2nd Kings opens, the scene changes from the wretchedness of King Ahab to the reign of Jehoshaphat in Jerusalem. It is more than a little confusing, simply reading straight through these books, because they are not in strict chronological order—instead interleaving events of the two kingdoms. At the end of 1 Kings, the editors dispose of King Ahab: So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. And someone washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armor; according unto the word of the Lord which he spoke. Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place. 1 Kings 22:37–40 KJ2000And just as his father, Ahaziah will have a memorable encounter with that great prophet, Elijah.

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Born to Win's Daily Radio Broadcast and Weekly Sermon. A production of Christian Educational Ministries.

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