December 29

2 Chronicles 34 Manasseh set into motion the straw that broke the camel’s back. Although he later repented, the nation did not repent. His son, Amon, reaped the bitter rewards of Manasseh’s early life. Amon was evil also. He became king at the age of 22. He was so evil that he was assassinated after only 2 years of reigning. So Amon’s son, Josiah, became king as an 8-year-old. That means that he was born when Amon was probably around 16 years of age. It is possible that Josiah was 6 when Manasseh died. As an 8-year-old, Josiah began to do what was right in the sight of the LORD. Where did he learn that? The text does not say. Maybe Manasseh saw how he had ruined Amon. Maybe Manasseh communicated that to Josiah. Maybe Josiah saw the evil in his own dad and knew of the change in his grandfather. Maybe Josiah realized that he needed a different path than the path which his father took. Maybe his mother taught him. At any rate, Josiah never had a copy of the Scriptures until he was 26-years-old. So how did he know how to do what was right in the sight of the LORD? We are told that it was in the eighth year of his reign that he began to seek the God of his father David. He was 16 years old. Amon was 16 when Josiah was born. Do you suppose that knowledge triggered something in himself to drive Him to seek the LORD? Do you suppose on his 16th birthday that his mother reminded him that Amon was 16 when Josiah was born? He had 10 years to go before he would get his own copy of the Law of Moses. How did he know to do what was right? When he was 20, he began to purge the country of false gods and images. When he was 26 he ordered the repair and remodeling of the temple of the LORD. During the remodeling process, the priests found the Law of Moses and sent it to Josiah. The king had the Law read. Having heard it, he repented and sent to inquire of the prophetess to find out what should be done. Maybe that is how he knew what was right and how to seek the Lord. Maybe not. At any rate, now he had heard the Law. Now there was not excuse. I cannot help but think that this is a marvelous example of how God is so gracious that He will move heaven and earth to bring a knowledge of Himself to someone who truly wants to know Him. The truth is that we really do not seek after Him as we ought to seek after Him, but for that rare person who does seek Him, He brings them to Himself, eventually bringing them His written word. Manasseh brought the final judgment upon the nation. Josiah temporarily stayed the hand of judgment because he sought the LORD. Furthermore, the LORD said to him, “Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.” Wow what mercy! Lord indeed you have extended such mercy toward me. Even when I did not seek you, you gave me Your word! You do not give me what I deserve, rather You give me Yourself! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * Proverbs 29 Verse 7 says, “The righteous considers the cause of the poor, But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.” Why would an outgrowth of righteousness be to consider the cause of the poor, and why would failing to understand such knowledge be an outgrowth of wickedness? Certainly righteousness finds its root in the very character of God. Does that mean that it is part of the character of God to consider the cause of the poor? Jesus himself said that we would always have the poor with us. Does this mean that as God considers the poor, He thinks that it is a good thing that poverty never ends? Obviously from all the Scriptural teaching about poverty, that cannot be true of God. What is the meaning of poverty? What is the source of poverty? What does a righteous God want to do about poverty as He considers it? Poverty is more than just a lack of financial resources. I recently co-facilitated a Getting Ahead Circle for a small group of people in poverty. The main thrust of the investigation of the circle is that poverty is a lack of resources in one of many different areas, not just financial. One can lack resources in many areas, financial, social, educational, familial, mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, etc. Usually, one in financial poverty is experiencing a lack of resources in many areas. The lack of financial resources is a multifaceted problem. Just throwing money at it will not alleviate the problem. It will give temporary relief but not long term relief. So when God contemplates our poverty, what does He consider? Apparently, His primary concern is our spiritual poverty. When Jesus came, His primary thrust was not to reshape economic systems, although that has been a by-product in times past of His reshaping cultures. His primary thrust was to restore man to his rightful position. His primary thrust is to give us the revelation that He alone can restore us to that position, and that position is true riches. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john * Revelation 20 History is the study of the rise and fall of political regimes, machines, families and dynasties. Rarely does a nation last more than 400 years. A dynasty almost never lasts more than 500 years. A ruler never lives more than 100 years much less reign during that complete time. Fidel Castro was one of our longest ruling modern rulers having completed 49 years of rule in 2008. Yet our Lamb will reign for over 1,000 years! He will do so because He is the resurrection and the life. His rule will be completely just and equitable. His rule will be peaceful. There will be no corruption in His government. There will be no poverty in His Kingdom. Only those who have taken part in the first resurrection will be able to rule with Him in that Kingdom. At the end of the 1,000 years he will allow Satan to be released for one more chance to try to deceive the nations. Satan will be able to gain some kind of following that will be able to lay siege to the beloved city. The Lord’s rule is so perfect that there will not even be a war. Fire will descend from heaven and consume all those who oppose Him. Then the Lord will judge all those who have died without having trusted Him. His rule is perfect. His administration is perfect. His warfare is perfect. His justice is perfect. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor John