It's Too Late For Games

Recently, I went to a local store to pick up some cold medication, and as I was in the check-out line, there were two ladies ahead of me, I heard the cashier ask if they were playing a promotion of the store, the “Game of Life”? Each lady responded passively, no.

Finally, I was next and when the cashier scanned my medicine, it didn’t scan it. She then asked me if I knew the price, I responded with five or six dollars or something. She said that she would go get another box to scan to get the price, while I waited there was a lady holding several items which I told her she could place on the counter, which she did, responding with the words, “I came here to get this one item and I’ve got much more than I came for.”(The Game of Life in action, you always get more than you intended to get!) I said: “Looks like you’ll have time to get some more”, I told the lady as she was placing several items on the counter, because the cashier had scanned the second box of cold medicine and it didn’t scan either. But finally, she returns with the third box and it scans and I know the price, $6.99. So she added my total and then asked me the question, “Are you playing the Game of Life?” I then told her, “No, I played the Game of Life for 28 years but now I live the Life of Another, Jesus Christ!” We must die daily to our self that the Life of Christ might live through us!

Are you playing the Game of Life? Or Living the Life of Another?


The following scriptures are taken from the Message Bible.
1Ki 22:1 They enjoyed three years of peace--no fighting between Aram and Israel.
1Ki 22:2 In the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah had a meeting with the king of Israel.
1Ki 22:3 Israel's king remarked to his aides, "Do you realize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, and we're sitting around on our hands instead of taking it back from the king of Aram?"
1Ki 22:4 He turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "Will you join me in fighting for Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat said, "You bet. I'm with you all the way--my troops are your troops, my horses are your horses."
1Ki 22:5 He then continued, "But before you do anything, ask GOD for guidance."
1Ki 22:6 The king of Israel got the prophets together--all four hundred of them--and put the question to them: "Should I attack Ramoth Gilead? Or should I hold back?" "Go for it," they said. "GOD will hand it over to the king."
1Ki 22:7 But Jehoshaphat dragged his heels: "Is there still another prophet of GOD around here we can consult?"
1Ki 22:8 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, "As a matter of fact, there is still one such man. But I hate him. He never preaches anything good to me, only doom, doom, doom--Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king shouldn't talk about a prophet like that," said Jehoshaphat.
1Ki 22:9 So the king of Israel ordered one of his men, "On the double! Get Micaiah son of Imlah."
1Ki 22:10 Meanwhile, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat were seated on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, resplendent in front of the Samaria city gates. All the prophets were staging a prophecy-performance for their benefit.
1Ki 22:11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had even made a set of iron horns, and brandishing them called out, "GOD's word! With these horns you'll gore Aram until there's nothing left of him!"
1Ki 22:12 All the prophets chimed in, "Yes! Go for Ramoth Gilead! An easy victory! GOD's gift to the king!"
1Ki 22:13 The messenger who went to get Micaiah said, "The prophets have all said Yes to the king. Make it unanimous--vote Yes!"
1Ki 22:14 But Micaiah said, "As surely as GOD lives, what GOD says, I'll say."
1Ki 22:15 With Micaiah before him, the king asked him, "So Micaiah--do we attack Ramoth Gilead, or do we hold back?" "Go ahead," he said. "An easy victory. GOD's gift to the king."
1Ki 22:16 "Not so fast," said the king. "How many times have I made you promise under oath to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth?"
1Ki 22:17 "All right," said Micaiah, "since you insist. I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills, sheep with no shepherd. Then GOD spoke: 'These poor people have no one to tell them what to do. Let them go home and do the best they can for themselves.'"
1Ki 22:18 Then the king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, "See! What did I tell you? He never has a good word for me from GOD, only doom."
1Ki 22:19 Micaiah kept on: "I'm not done yet; listen to GOD's word: I saw GOD enthroned, and all the angel armies of heaven Standing at attention ranged on his right and his left.
1Ki 22:20 And GOD said, 'How can we seduce Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead?' Some said this, and some said that.
1Ki 22:21 Then a bold angel stepped out, stood before GOD, and said, 'I'll seduce him.' 'And how will you do it?' said GOD.
1Ki 22:22 'Easy,' said the angel, 'I'll get all the prophets to lie.' 'That should do it,' said GOD. 'On your way--seduce him!'
1Ki 22:23 "And that's what has happened. GOD filled the mouths of your puppet prophets with seductive lies. GOD has pronounced your doom."
1Ki 22:24 Just then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came up and punched Micaiah in the nose, saying, "Since when did the Spirit of GOD leave me and take up with you?"
1Ki 22:25 Micaiah said, "You'll know soon enough; you'll know it when you're frantically and futilely looking for a place to hide."
1Ki 22:26 The king of Israel had heard enough: "Get Micaiah out of here! Turn him over to Amon the city magistrate and to Joash the king's son
1Ki 22:27 with this message, 'King's orders: Lock him up in jail; keep him on bread and water until I'm back in one piece.'"
1Ki 22:28 Micaiah said, "If you ever get back in one piece, I'm no prophet of GOD." He added,"When it happens, O people, remember where you heard it!"
1Ki 22:29 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead.
1Ki 22:30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Wear my kingly robe; I'm going into battle disguised." So the king of Israel entered the battle in disguise.
1Ki 22:31 Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders (there were thirty-two of them): "Don't bother with anyone, whether small or great; go after the king of Israel and him only."
1Ki 22:32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat they said, "There he is! The king of Israel!" and took after him. Jehoshaphat yelled out,
1Ki 22:33 and the chariot commanders realized they had the wrong man--it wasn't the king of Israel after all. They let him go.
1Ki 22:34 Just then someone, without aiming, shot an arrow randomly into the crowd and hit the king of Israel in the chink of his armor. The king told his charioteer, "Turn back! Get me out of here--I'm wounded."
1Ki 22:35 All day the fighting continued, hot and heavy. Propped up in his chariot, the king watched from the sidelines. He died that evening. Blood from his wound pooled in the chariot.
1Ki 22:36 As the sun went down, shouts reverberated through the ranks, "Abandon camp! Head for home!
1Ki 22:37 The king is dead!" The king was brought to Samaria and there they buried him. (The Message Bible verses 1-37)


1Kings 22:38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake. (KJV)

If you look at the above passage of scripture taken from the Old Testament, Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. You can see a picture of three segments of the Church today!

1. Ahab’s crowd and all of his fleshly works.
2. Jehoshaphat’s crowd, carelessly joining Ahab’s crowd.
3. Micaiah represents a remnant that God will always have that will be faithful to their God, no matter the cost!

Micaiah’s remnant aren’t playing the “Game of Life!”

They are living the Life of Another!

“Which crowd do you belong to?”