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Posts Tagged ‘encouragement’

Sowing Seeds For The Kingdom

Posted in Mark 4, tagged , , , , , on June 28, 2009|

First of all, I just want to say again how grateful I am for all who came out to work and support our VBS this year. It is encouraging to me to see how many of you came.

It is also a blessing to me to see you working in ministry and using your gifts to work for the kingdom. That’s what its all about, right? I don’t want to mention names, but we have some really gifted, creative, dedicated, hard working people here. And it is a blessing to see you in action.

It is true that we had a lot of kids this year. Wow! Perhaps you too are experiencing a bit of ‘post-traumatic VBS stress disorder.’ At times it seemed pretty chaotic and I wondered if the kids were going to take over and we would have to run for cover. And perhaps we will have to address what our capacity is.

But whether we have more or less, what I would like to say today is: When we see the kids running all over, and you’re trying to keep track of them, and keep them quiet and focused to teach them – you can wonder – “Are they getting it?” And closely behind this question you might ask, “Is it worth the work – all the labor and the stress?”

So I want to encourage you this morning by affirming to you that – Yes, it is worth it!

Lets look at Mark 4:26-29, the parable of the growing seed.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

This parable teaches us some lessons about the kingdom of God and I want us to apply them to what we have just done in VBS, although they apply to all kinds of ministry.

1. Our role is to scatter seed – v. 26. That is, we are to share with others the good news of Jesus; to spread the message of salvation and new life through him.

  • We did this by teaching and singing Christian songs, telling Bible stories, learning Scripture verses.
  • We hopefully also did this by how we treated the kids – welcoming them, caring for them, loving them – so that they could see the love of Jesus in us.

We want them to come to know and trust in Jesus, as a foundation for a life of following Jesus.

This is what we are called to do – scatter seed. And this is what we did. So we can feel good about that.

2. We don’t know how to make the seed grow – vs. 27-28. As the parable says, the sower “sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself . . ..”  With agriculture, especially in that day, you don’t know how a seed comes to life and grows, you just know that if you pant it, it does.

In the same way, we plant seeds for the kingdom. But the growth of the seed is something that is beyond us. Especially in the realm of the things of the Spirit, it is beyond our understanding or power to force those seeds of the kingdom to grow.

It is like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:6, perhaps reflecting on our parable in Mark 4. He planted seeds, but “God gave the growth.” God is the one who works to  make the seeds of the kingdom come to life.

  • In one way this can be frustrating because we want people to get it; to make the seed grow; to make them receive it.
  • But it is also liberating to realize that it is in God’s hands. We don’t have to take on the weight of the world.

We are successful when we are faithful to plant seeds for the kingdom. The growth, the numbers – what the world would focus on as “success” – is in God’s hands.

We fulfill our role and then we leave it to God as he works in the person to receive the message and act on it.

3. We have to remember that there is a process involved in terms of the seed growing – vs. 28-29.  I’m not sure that this is the point of the parable, but there is a lot of emphasis on this. Jesus talks about:

  • first the blade
  • then the ear
  • then the full grain
  • then the ripe grain and the harvest

Paul certainly picks up this idea, once again, in I Corinthians 3:6. He says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” There is a process, with different stages. We can take two things from this:

  • First, we shouldn’t expect someone to get it all at once. We are a part – perhaps small or big – in what God is trying to do in each one of these kids’ lives.
  • And second, from I Corinthians, God uses different people at different stages to further the growth. There is a team work part to this in the broader body of Christ.

We have done some work here this past week, and later we or others will come along to do more work in their lives, watering, tending, pulling weeds – to stretch the metaphor.

4. There will be a time of harvest – v. 29. As this verse says, “But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Now, in this parable the same man both plants and harvests. But often in kingdom work one will plant, others will work with the growth, and still others will harvest. There are lots of people involved.

So often we plant seeds in faith not knowing what will come of it. We have to trust God to use our efforts; to bring about the growth. And we will see the full results of our labors on the final day.

We just never know the real effect of what we are doing when we sow seeds for the kingdom.

It might seem to us, from the point of view of what our eyes can see, that nothing is happening. But from the point of view of the eyes of the Spirit, God is doing and will do an amazing thing with our labors.

What I am saying is that our efforts in planting seeds have an eternal significance, in these kids lives – those who come to church all the time and those from the neighborhood.

Even the one who is misbehaving badly, who appears to be not listening, who is acting out in rebellion or disrespectful. We are planting seeds for the kingdom in their lives.

I have heard a number of adults from the neighborhood talk about how they attended our VBS, some many years ago. One woman, maybe 60 years old, came in this week and asked to use the phone. When she found out that Cedar Street was having VBS she wanted to call her daughter to have the grandkids come. Why? She had come here when she was a kid. She remembered it. And she wanted her grandkids to receive as well.

Another woman, who is now a local pastor, told me that she came to Cedar Street’s VBS. Here she is, now a pastor – bearing fruit for the kingdom in lots of ways. Now, of course, many people sowed into her life, and she had her own home church. But we had, at least, some small part in that; the privilege of sowing kingdom seeds.

Which ones of the kids that you worked with will be touched, will have their lives transformed, might become a pastor or in some other way do great things for the kingdom?

And you know, it isn’t just the quiet one who is well behaved that God reaches. It is often exactly that one that is hard to deal with whom God will use in amazing ways in the future.

So as we think of the kids we have just interacted with – those from our congregation, those from the neighborhood – know this: we have planted seeds for the kingdom. Be encouraged! We are a part, whether small or big – in what God is doing in their lives; in making a difference in their lives.

May God work in each of them to bring about the growth. And may God use us and others in the process still to come.

And I encourage you to keep praying for them in the weeks and months to come.

William Higgins

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A great deliverance: The invasion of Judah – 2 Chronicles 32:1-23

Posted in 2 Chronicles 32, tagged , , , , , on May 31, 2009|

We are continuing to look at Hezekiah. Today we look at a time of crisis in Hezekiah’s reign, when Judah was invaded, and how God delivered them.

The story

It’s told in three different places: 2 Chronicles 32:1-23, 2 Kings 18-19 and Isaiah 36-37. Obviously it’s an important story. Our version, from 2 Chronicles, is the shortest and the most to the point. We will stick to how it’s told here, with a reference here and there to 2 Kings. We begin with –

The invasion of Judea. 32:1 says – “After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself.” This actually happens about 14 years later (701 BC), as we learn from 2 Kings 18:13. Our text simply says, “After these things.” The time period is compressed in our version.

So Hezekiah did all these acts of faithfulness, his religious reforms, and then here comes an enemy ready to attack. And not just any enemy. Assyria was the super-power in Hezekiah’s day. No army could stand before it, and it controlled the whole region.

32:2 says, “ . . . Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem . . ..” The dire situation became clear to him. Sennacherib didn’t just want to raid Judah and then get some tribute money to go away. He was set on the destruction of Judah.

By way of context – it was his predecessors that had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and had resettled them in various countries, so that they faded into history. They were no more. And if Sennacherib succeeded, Judah would suffer the same fate. This was an all out assault on the existence of the people of God. So . . .

Hezekiah prepared Jerusalem for battle. First, he dealt with the city’s water. 32:2-4 say, “ . . . he planned with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that were outside the city; and they helped him. A great many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the land, saying, ‘Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?’”

Its not exactly clear what this refers to. The main spring near Jerusalem was the Gihon spring. We learn later, in 2 Chronicles 32:30, that Hezekiah dug a tunnel and rerouted the water from this spring into the city. Whether this is what is going on here or not isn’t clear. The point is that during siege warfare, when you can’t go outside your walls – water sources become an issue.

In his preparations he also focused on the walls. 32:5 says, “He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it, and outside it he built another wall and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David.”

Finally, he also prepared the army. 32:5-6 say, “He also made weapons and shields in abundance. And he set combat commanders over the people.” Next . . .

Hezekiah encouraged the people.

32:6-8 say, he “. . . gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.’”

Hezekiah is a real encourager. This comes out in several of the stories in 2 Chronicles. He is a realist, for sure. He’s telling them, ‘Yes, this is a big deal’ – the most powerful king in the world is here, with “all the horde that is with him;” his army.

But he is also a man of faith, and so he encourages them. The Assyrians only have the strength of the flesh. “There is more with us than with him.” He is looking at the reality of the spirit realm. He tells them that God is with us “to help us and to fight our battles.”

32:8 says, “And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” They received his words. But then comes

Sennacherib’s message:

  • He sought to instill fear – vs. 9; 11. During the siege, they said, “you will die by famine and thirst.” The more ‘earthy’ 2 Kings version says, they “will eat their own dung and . . . drink their own urine” – v. 27.
  • He slandered Hezekiah – v. 11-12; 15. He called him a deceiver. He said his religious reforms were an affront to God (tearing down altars), and he is now being punished. Sennacherib was seeking to get the people to turn on Hezekiah.
  • He proclaimed that God will not save them – v. 11, 13-15. This last verse says, “no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!” This is the constant theme of the messagers and a letter he sent later (v. 17). Yahweh, your God, cannot save. Don’t trust in him.

This is psychological warfare for sure. The messengers spoke in Hebrew so that all in the city could hear the words, to frighten and intimidate them – v. 18. Sennacherib is trying to get them to give up even before the fight – v. 18.

This is also blasphemy. As 32:19 says, “And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as they spoke of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of people’s hands.”

Hezekiah responded to all this with prayer. 32:20 says, “Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this and cried to heaven.” This is Isaiah from the book of Isaiah in the Bible. They both offer up prayers to the Lord.

And God answered in an amazing way; a truly awesome . .

Deliverance and vindication. 32:21 says, “And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria.” Now, there was other fighting going on in Judea. But in the fight over Jerusalem no Judean soldier even had to lift a hand. God did all the fighting. Indeed, it only took one angel. And according to 2 Kings – 185,000 died among the Assyrians.

32:21 says, “So he returned with shame of face to his own land.” The mightiest king in the world; the one who boasted and taunted, went away humbled.

32:21 says, “And when he came into the house of his god, some of his own sons struck him down there with the sword.” This is also time compressed (as we saw at the beginning of the story). This took place about 20 years later. But what a horrible fate. The one who would cut off the line of David, was himself cut off by his own sons.

32:22-23 end our story, “So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and he provided for them on every side. And many brought gifts to the Lord to Jerusalem and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward.”

Sennachrib’s message was, ‘Yahweh cannot save.’ And, indeed, not no other gods had saved their people. But Yahweh, the true God, “saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

God brought about a reversal: Hezekiah was weak and Sennacherib arrogant; but now Sennacherib is shamed and Hezekiah is empowered – “exalted in the sight of all nations.” But not only this, there is spiritual warfare going on here. The god of Sennacherib is humiliated, while the renown of Yahweh spread among the nations. He did what no other god could do!

Lessons on testing from this story

1. God allows us to be tested. And God allows this, even when we are faithful. As v. 1 says, “After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah . . ..” Hezekiah had done so much good, why such a hardship? We all ask this. And of course, we have to ask it now against the background of Jesus who had no sin, but was tested beyond what any of us will ever go through.

Testing does not necessarily mean that you have done wrong. God allows the faithful to be tested.

And we also learn that God allows us to go through hard testing. Here, their lives were on the line. And they had an arrogant tyrant boasting and taunting them and telling them to give up.

And we go through some really difficult times, which God allows. And Satan says to us, ‘be afraid, give up before the fight even begins, don’t trust in God, God won’t save you, despair.’

But we also learn – 2. What to do in a time of testing.

– Take practical steps to address the situation – vs. 2-6. That is, use common sense and godly wisdom. Hezekiah worked on the water, the wall and the army of the city. Don’t rely on these (Isaiah 22:9-11). But if there are things you can do, do them.

– Receive encouragement – v. 7. Hezekiah encouraged his people (which is a reminder to each of us to encourage others in their times of testing). And the people received it. They needed to be told to, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed.” And we all need to hear this at times.

– Remember the truth – v. 8. Our God is the true God. And as Hezekiah said, God is “with us . . . to help us and to fight our battles.” Satan will deceive us and lie to us. But we have to keep the truth before us. Our God is real and he will help us.

– Pray – v. 20. The turning point is when Hezekiah and Isaiah prayed. Why is this key? Because God can sustain us and deliver from any trial. And so we too need to cry out to God in prayer in our times of crisis.

3. God is our great Savior. Sennacherib arrogantly proclaimed that our God cannot save. But our God can save. It took only one angel. Do you know how many angels God has? Myriads upon myriads. They are innumerable (Hebrews 12:22).

God saved Hezekiah, he has continued to save his people, and he still saves us and will continue to save us. God doesn’t change.

So whatever situation you are in, if you truly turn to God in prayer, know this:

  • God will be with you – v. 8
  • God will help you – v. 8
  • And God will deliver you – v. 8; 21

William Higgins

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Cast your Burden on the Lord

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 10, 2009|

I want to share with you a short devotional this morning. It’s really an invitation to prayer, and we will have time of prayer afterwards. The title, comes from Psalm 55:22, as we will see. We can all become burdened by . . .

The troubles of life

In contrast to some teachers today, Scripture is very honest in talking about life. It is not all rosy, easy and comfortable. And so we shouldn’t expect this, or be surprised when life isn’t all painless. Scripture teaches us that we will experience lots of hardships.

Psalm 90:9-10 says, “Our years come to an end like a sigh. The days of our life are seventy years; or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble.”

From the New Testament, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:34 that “each day’s trouble is enough for that day.” He’s talking about taking one day at a time, but he is also saying that each day has trouble in it.

These scriptures are talking about troubles like:

  • health problems, the pains and weaknesses of our bodies
  • relationship difficulties
  • tragedies, including the death of loved ones
  • family difficulties, tensions and brokenness
  • and job stresses, which our current situation has made worse for some.

Any one or more of these can cause us to be burdened, weighed down, weary and weak.

But we are not only burdened with our own troubles, we also feel the weight of the burdens of other. And this is right and good, as Paul says in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”

Jesus taught us to love our neighbor as our self, which is what Paul means by “the law of Christ.” And a part of what this means is helping others, standing with them when they are overwhelmed by burdens to help lighten the load.

But as we “bear one another’s burdens,” we do feel the weight of need of those that we love and seek to help.

So, when we are burdened with our own needs and the needs of others, we need to remember that . . .

God loves us

 . . . with an incomprehensible love. We know this because God gave us his Son.

As Paul says in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

If he gave us his most precious Son, how much more will God give us of his love and care as we walk through life’s hardships? God loves us and will take care of us.

Another thing to remember when we are burdened is that . . .

God is able to help us

We sometimes become overwhelmed by our troubles. We feel weak and unable to do anything. And often we are. But God is not helpless.

Jeremiah 32:17 says, “Lord, it is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you!”

 Our God is the God who created the world! If God can create the heavens and the earth, how much more can God act in our situations to help us.

As our verse says, God has “great power” and “nothing is too difficult” for God. God is not overwhelmed. God is able to help us.

Finally, when we are burdened, we need to remember . .

God’s promises to us

Promises to help us in our hardships and difficult situations. These remind us that God is able and willing to help us and we need to keep them before us so that they sink into our hearts and mind. Here is one. 

Isaiah 43:1-3 says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you . . . For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

We had a baptism service last week – a picture of passing through the waters. But we continue to pass through the waters in our Christian lives. We go through deep waters, times of testing and trials. Times of chaos that can cause us to despair.

But this promise teaches us that God is with us in these baptisms of suffering. And so we will not be swept away. But God will bring us through the deep waters. 

This is a beautiful promise that God will bring us up on the other shore of the deep waters and give us new life, a new hope and a future.

————————–

And so this morning, as you think of your burdens, as you think of the burdens that you are carrying for others, as you feel weighed down and weary, I want to invite you to come forward to pray and offer up your burdens to the Lord.

As Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.” Pray to receive of God’s presence, love and help; for God’s sustaining mercy.

If you are not weighed down –  give thanks! But would you also pray for those that come forward? And would you pray for the list of needs in your bulletin as well as other needs in our church and in the world? Whether you come forward or whether you stay where you are, let us all now be in prayer. William Higgins

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What It Means To Call God, “Father”

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on April 19, 2009|

We’re talking about God today; who God is and what God is like. It’s a big topic and we are only delving into a part of it. 

God was seen as a Father in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 1:31; 8:5; Proverbs 3:12; Jeremiah 31:20; Jeremiah 3:19; Hosea 11:1; Isaiah 63:16; Psalm 103:13). But the prominence of “Father” as a, or perhaps the way of talking about God comes from the New Testament.

God as “Father” in the New Testament

The word “Father” is used 250 times in the New Testament as a reference to God. As one scholar calculates – 43% of all references to God in the New Testament call God “Father.” 

This emphasis on Father language comes from Jesus: 

  • For instance, Jesus uses “Father” 100 times in the Gospel of John as a reference to God.
  • And Jesus addressed God in prayer as “Father” every time he prayed, save one. This was in Mark 15:34 where on the cross he is quoting Psalm 22:1 and says, “My God, my God.” In every other recorded prayer that we have he uses “Father.” 

God as our Father

Now, Jesus’ Father language is certainly connected to the fact that he was God’s unique and beloved Son. And as God’s Son, Jesus called God, “Father.”

But even though he is in a class by himself with regard to being God’s Son, Jesus teaches that God can be our Father too!

When we become a Christian: 

  • we are born of God – John 1:12-13
  • we are children of God – Luke 11:11-13

According to Jesus, our relationship to God is like the relationship between a Father and a young child.

  • And so just as Jesus referred to God as Father, so we also can call God “Father.”
  • And just as Jesus prayed to God as Father, we also are taught to pray to God as “Father” in the Lord’s prayer. 

Now we have to be clear here . . .

God is not male! 

In a Harris poll from 2003, 37% of men and 46 % of women though that God was male. Of the different religious groups surveyed, 49% of Protestants thought that God was male.

  • But God has no gender. God is neither male nor female. It was in the pagan world that the gods had a gender, either male or female.
  • Scripturally, both male and female are created in the image of God, who is our Father – Genesis 1:27 
  • And there are also feminine metaphors for God in Scripture (Deuteronomy 32:18; Isaiah 42:14; 49:15; 66:13; Jeremiah 31:20; Matthew 23:37)

So, when we name God as “Father” – we are referring to a social role with specific attributes. One that is captured by this name and is centrally important to God’s identity. What is at focus is the social role, not the gender. 

The point is that God acts toward us as a loving father acts toward his family. 

So, I want us to look at the attributes of this “father” role, and specifically . . .

The characteristics of our heavenly Father

. . . so we can see what it means to call God, “Father.” We’ll glean this from Jesus’ teaching in the first three gospels:

1. As Father, God is One who is powerful. Just as a small child marvels at what a human father or parent can do, so much more so with our heavenly Father.

  • Jesus spoke of the Father as “Lord of heaven and earth” – Luke 10:21. The Father has all power.
  • And as Jesus said in prayer, “Father, all things are possible for you” – Mark 14:36. God’s power is only limited by his own character and purpose.

2. As Father, God is One who loves us. 

  • The prodigal son’s father presents to us a picture of God as our Father. The Father is characterized by patience, steadfast love and compassion for his wayward son. Luke 15: 20 says, “while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” 
  • God cares for even the weakest among us. In Matthew 18:14, speaking of new Christians, Jesus says, “It is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” 
  • Jesus teaches us that the Father loves even his enemies, caring for their needs – Matthew 5:45. So How much more does he love and care for his own children? 

3. As Father, God is One who is close to us, who is in relationship with us. 

  • Jesus said, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” – Matthew 6:8. 
  • And he said that the Father sees us in secret. For instance while we are praying in a closet – Matthew 6:6.
  • The Aramaic word “Abba,” which Jesus used for father [although too much has been made of it – it doesn’t mean “daddy”] means “dear father” – Mark 14:36. 

4. As Father, God is One who has authority over us to teach us how to live. Just as earthly parents teach their children about right and wrong.

  • Jesus teaches us that we are to do the will of our Father in heaven – Matthew 7:21.
  • And we pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” – Matthew 6:10. We pray this because God’s will, not our will, is all important. God is the one who is in charge and we submit to him.

5. As Father, God is One who forgives us when we fail.

  • As Jesus tells us, “Your Father is merciful” – Luke 6:33.
  • And we pray to our Father, “forgive us our sins” – Luke 11:4.

6. As Father, God is One who gives us gifts. 

  • Indeed, the Father gives us “good gifts” – Matthew 7:11.  Jesus said, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
  • These gifts include the Holy Spirit. As Luke 11:13 says it, “how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.” And these gifts include the coming kingdom. In Luke 12:32 Jesus said, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” This is our inheritance that God, our Father, gives to us.

7. As Father, God is One who provides for our material needs. 

  • Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” – Matthew 6:26
  • This is why we pray to our Father for “daily bread” – Matthew 6:11.

8. As Father, God is One who watches over and protects us. 

  • In the context of persecution, Jesus said about the Father’s watchful care, “Even the hairs of your head are all numbered”- Matthew 10:30. We know that he watches over our very lives.
  • With regard to protection, we pray to our Father, “lead us not into testing, but deliver us from the evil one.” – Matthew 6:13. Our Father protects us from situations of testing that we can’t handle; that would overwhelm us; that are too difficult for us.

Having looked at all this we have to say that . . .

Human fathers are imperfect

Jesus certainly knew this. In fact, speaking of earthly fathers Jesus says, “you who are evil” in Luke 11:13, in comparison with our heavenly Father.

And many of us have had bad experiences with earthly fathers who were authoritarian, critical, abusive, distant, or not present for one reason or another. Perhaps we never knew our father. (Jesus’ own earthly father apparently died when he was young). And even the best earthly father is lacking. And so to use the language of Father for God can be jarring. 

But what I want to say is, to use the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:48 . . . 

“Your heavenly Father is perfect” 

We come to understand what a true father is, not by looking at the imperfect copy of earthly fathers, and projecting that onto God. But by looking at the heavenly Father, the perfect original; the one who defines true fatherhood.

And so for many of us, we need to relearn what a true father is and find healing in this for the damage done by our earthly fathers. 

Our heavenly Father is all that we could have ever wanted and yearned for in our earthly fathers. And he exposes evil human fathers for what they are  – imposters; fakes. And then he invites us to own him as our true Father and to find healing in this.

And so let me end by simply saying to you . . .

  • Our heavenly Father is one who deserves to receive honor, just as the fifth commandment tells us to honor our earthly parents. But so much more so – for our Father in heaven’s power and character.
  • Our heavenly Father is one whom we want to be in relationship with. We want to experience his love and closeness and to find forgiveness when we fail.
  • Our heavenly Father is one who is worthy of our obedience and submission.
  • Our heavenly Father is one whom we want to emulate. As they say, like Father like child. We want to be merciful and loving to all, just as our Father is merciful and loves even his enemies. 
  • Our heavenly Father is one whom we can truly trust to give us good gifts, to provide for us, to watch over us and to protect us.

What a privilege it is to be a child of God! I urge you, if you don’t know God as your Father, seek God out, so that you can have such a perfect Father in your life. And if you know God as your Father, look to God in all these ways, and receive all the blessings of his Fatherly care in your life. Let him be a Father to you.

William Higgins

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What are you looking forward to?

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on March 1, 2009|

 Today we begin a series of teaching on Jesus’ second coming.

Now there are lots of debates about exactly how this will all unfold. For instance, what happens just before or after Jesus returns. And these discussions will continue on and people of good faith will disagree. That’s not our focus today.

Our focus is: What we have to look forward to when Jesus returns.

Scripture tells us that in our lives in this world we will have trials and tribulations. It will not always be easy.
We will suffer. We will experience disappointment, discouragement, even despair at times.

Yet as Christians we know and believe that there is hope for our future. Lets look at this . . .

1. Jesus will return

As bad as the world is around us; as much as it is broken and full of evil and seemingly beyond hope of repair – certainly with regard to what God’s will is for it – we know that there is one who is coming who will fix it.

Jesus said about himself, “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father . . .” – Matthew 16:27. He also said, “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory” – Mark 13:26.

 Paul said it this way, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

Jesus has not left us to ourselves. He will come. And he will come through on his promises to us.
 Here are several notes about his coming:

  • It will be a literal, bodily return – Acts 1:11. The angels said to the disciples, ‘Just as you saw him ascend into heaven (with his resurrection body), so will he return in the same way.’
  • Everyone will see him return – as Jesus said in Luke 17:24, “For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.” He is countering here the idea that his coming will be a spiritual or secret return that only a few will know about (Luke 17:23; also Matthew 24:23-26). He is saying there will be nothing hidden about it. No one will be able to miss it.
  • It will be glorious – Mark 13:26 & Matthew 16:27. As we saw from these verses, he will come “with great power and glory” and “with his angels in the glory of his Father . . ..” It will not be like the humble infant born in a manger, who lived in poverty and was unjustly killed. He will come with the splendor and majesty of the king that he is.

2. Jesus will rule over the earth

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you . . . the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne” – Matthew 19:28. This throne speaks to his rule as King over the earth.

It is at this time that our prayer – “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” will be truly and completely fulfilled.

Now a part of his rule has to do with judging. Jesus said, “the Son of Man is going to come . . . and then he will repay each person according to what he or she has done.” – Matthew 16:27.

This is when what Jesus said in Luke 14:11 will come true, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

  • Those who are on top now because of evildoing and oppression will be put down.
  • Those who are on the bottom now because of righteousness and commitment to Jesus will be raised up and blessed.

King Jesus will right all wrongs and bring true justice and peace to the world.

3. We will be resurrected

In Mark 13:27 Jesus says about himself, “And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.” The angels will “gather” us up, a common (harvesting) metaphor for the resurrection in the teaching of Jesus.

As Paul teaches in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:

  • Christians who have already died will be raised first, and then
  • Christians who are still alive at Jesus’ return will be given new resurrection bodies

Resurrection means that our earthly bodies will be transformed. Paul says that Jesus will “transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”- Philippians 3:21.

Our resurrection bodies will be like Jesus’ supernatural body and like the bodies that angels have. We will be able to appear and disappear. We can eat food, but we don’t have to.

Resurrection also, of course, means that we will be immortal. Paul said, “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” – 1 Corinthians 15:52-53.

We will experience the full reality of Jesus’ defeat of death. Our new bodies will live forever, without suffering. What a blessed change this will be!

4. There will be a huge celebration

This is called the Messianic banquet; an end time celebration for the faithful, with Jesus.

Jesus said of this, “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 8:11. He also talked about his disciples eating and drinking, “at my table in my kingdom” – Luke 22:30.

This is what he said at the last supper, “I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” – Matthew 26:29. Think of it. He is waiting in heaven to celebrate with us!

This is also pictured as a wedding banquet: For instance in the parable that Jesus tells in Matthew 22:1-14 and also in Revelation 19:9 which says, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the lamb.” It’s going to be an amazing party!

5. We who have been faithful will be rewarded

We will be “blessed.” This is the message of the beatitudes in Luke 6 & Matthew 5. As the word indicates, we will be happy, blissful and fully and truly contented. And with good reason!

  • The eternal kingdom will be ours. Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
  • We will see God. Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” We will be close to God and be able to be in God’s presence.
  • We will have joy with Jesus. Matthew 25:21 says, “Well done, good and faithful servant. . . . Enter into the joy of your master.”
  • We will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” [Now, although it is often thought that we will spend eternity in heaven, the reality is that God made us for this earth and it is our destiny to be here. It would be better to say that when Jesus returns – heaven will come down to earth. This is also pictured in another way in Revelation 21. We do not go up to be in the new Jerusalem. It comes down out of heaven, and it says that now God dwells with us, that is, on earth.]

So, all of these rewards will be ours. God will give us the earth, we will have joy with Jesus, we will see God, and possess the kingdom forever. We will indeed be blessed!

6. We who have been faithful will rule with Jesus over the earth

As we see in the parable of Luke 19:17 & 19, those who serve Jesus while he is gone with their various assignments, will receive various levels of rule, based on their service.

Paul says it plainly – “If we endure, we will also reign with him” – 2 Timothy 2:12.

In 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 he gets more specific about this rule. He asks the Corinthians – “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” That is, the people that have lived on the earth. And also he asks, “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?” These are beings that are beyond our understanding and yet we will be involved in judging them.

7. All things will be made new

What Jesus will do will extend even to the entirety of the cosmos – the heavens and the earth.

Jesus talks about “the new world,” when he comes in Matthew 19:28. Literally, it means the “regeneration.” Another translation renders it “the renewal of all things.”

Romans 8:21 talks about this and says, “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” In other words, it will be made new and glorious just like our bodies will be new and glorious.

John saw this prophetically in Revelation 21:1 – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away . . ..”

So the message today is, whatever your circumstances are, and this earthly life can be both difficult and cruel, as Christians we have something to look forward to.

To summarize Paul from I Corinthians 2:9 – what God has prepared for us who love him is:

  • beyond what any eye has seen
  • it is beyond what any ear has heard
  • it is beyond what the human heart can even imagine

That is what we have to look forward to. This is our hope.

And it is this that keeps our current struggles in perspective as we remember the bigger picture.  And this is what gives us the strength to move forward, faithfully following Jesus in the midst of our difficulties.

William Higgins

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Let Us Encourage One Another

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , on November 2, 2008|

 I don’t need to tell you that life can be hard. And even the strongest among us can become worn down by trials and tribulations, so that our faith is weak. Even if we are successful in being faithful to God in hard times, we can still become weary and fainthearted.

So we all need to be encouraged from time to time. And this is why Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, “And we urge you brothers and sisters . . . encourage the fainthearted . . ..” This is God’s word to us today. Let me say it in my own words – “I urge you brothers and sisters, encourage the fainthearted.”

No one is immune from the need for this; no one so spiritual that they are beyond it. Take for instance . . .

The example of David

He is a writer of Psalms and a man after God’s own heart. Yet he struggled mightily at times. Lets look at one instance of this:

  • David was anointed to be king of Israel by Samuel the prophet.
  • But David was unjustly hated by Saul, the current king. He drove David into the wilderness. He chased after him, trying to kill him.

In Psalm 13:1-2, in the context of his enemies (most likely Saul) David prays – “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemies be exalted over me?”

  • He felt impatient with his testing – “How long?”
  • He felt forgotten – “Will you forget me forever?”
  • He felt like God was far away – “How long will you hide your face from me?”
  • His heart was full of sorrow – “How long must I . . . have sorrow in my heart all the day?”

This is a man who needed some encouragement.

And these are exactly the kinds of things all of us feel at times when we get worn down by trials and hardships. And this is when we need encouragement. But what is it that we are supposed to be doing for each other?

What is encouragement? 

The word itself means, “support that inspires confidence to move forward.” It has to do with words and actions that support the person in their time of need, when they are weak, fainthearted – so that they will not give up but move forward.

But lets push a bit further by looking at three things that are closely connected to encouragement, that help fill out what  encouragement means.

1. Encouraging and strengthening are connected: Deuteronomy 3:28 says, “But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of the land that you shall see.’

Moses is about to die and the reigns are being handed over to Joshua. He needed to be strengthened to take on such a big task, and with the track record of the people for not being faithful.

Another example is from Acts 15:32 – “And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers and sisters with many words.”

This refers to the believers in Antioch, who had just gone through some conflict with various ones questioning if their faith was real. They were no doubt a bit shaken. After the matter was settled these prophets came down from Jerusalem, to strengthen them to move forward.

A final example is from 1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 – “And we sent Timothy . . . to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions.”

These new believers had begun to experience persecution for their faith, and Paul was driven away from them by it. They were, perhaps fearful. And so he sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage them to stay true.

What we learn from these examples is that when we encourage someone, we are giving them strength in their time of weakness; lending some or our strength to them.

2. Encouraging and building up are connected: The word for “build up” literally means to build a house. Figuratively it has to do with a person who needs to be built up. It looks at a person as a building that is broken down, that has been through a storm, that is falling apart and is in need of some repairs, which we seek to provide. 

Here’s a couple of verses that connect these two words:

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
  • 1 Corinthians 14:3 – “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement . . ..”
    (Prophesy is Spirit inspired speech; a word from God to a particular situation.) 

What we learn from the connection between these words is that when we encourage someone we are helping them to get put back together again. We are building them back up; repairing what is damaged.

3. Encouraging and stirring up are connected: This comes from Hebrews 10:24-25 – “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

The word “stir up” actually means to irritate someone. Here it means to incite someone to do good. So encouraging can involve pushing someone to move forward.

Just as the word encourage in a literalistic sense means to ‘put courage in someone.’ When we encourage someone, we are putting some fire in them to move forward. The kind of encouraging a football coach does at half-time when the team is down. And sometimes that’s what is needed.

Lets end with an example of encouragement, which is a model for us . . .

The example of Jonathan

This is in the context of what we saw of David’s life at the beginning. David was fleeing Saul. And Jonathan, Saul’s son, but also a friend of David, came to him.

1 Samuel 23:16-17 says, “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel . . ..”

  • He came to be with him in his time of need. Being with someone can be powerful in itself.
  • He also spoke words of encouragement. He said, God will fulfill his purpose for you, even though you are stuck out here in the wilderness.

In David’s weakness, Jonathan strengthened him, built him up and spurred him on. Jonathan gave him the support he needed that inspired  confidence in him to move forward.

And that is what God calls each of us to do with each other. Again, 1 Thessalonians 5:14 says, “And we urge you brothers and sisters . . . encourage the fainthearted . . ..” 

Be Jonathans, each of you! Encourage those in our midst who need it; those who find themselves in the place of David in Psalm 13:

  • Those who feel  impatient with God’s plan
  • Those who feel forgotten
  • Those who feel like God is far away
  • Those whose hearts are full of sorrow

Let us be aware of the needs of those around us and let us minister to them.

William Higgins

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The Lord is our Shepherd and Host – Psalm 23

Posted in Psalm 23, tagged , , , , on September 28, 2008|

Psalm 23 is the best known and loved Psalm of all. I want us to look at it this morning, so that we can be encouraged in our faith.

The following is the text broken down by how it is put together: (more…)

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God Doesn’t Sleep

Posted in Psalm 121, tagged , on July 27, 2008|

Let’s begin by reading Psalm 121:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”

Sleep is an odd thing really. Have you ever thought about it? I think about it from time to time. Why did God make us so that we need to sleep? I’m assuming that God could have made us differently, but he didn’t.

  • We spend 1/3 of our lives asleep
  • A person of 70 years has slept 204,400 hours

Yet without sleep, we get sick, mentally ill and we will even  die.

But my point today is that God doesn’t sleep. This comes from our Scripture reading – “He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” – Psalm 121:3-4

Now false gods may sleep . . . in that they don’t answer or respond to people. Remember the story of Elijah? He challenged the priests of Baal and they all gathered together to see which god would answer by sending fire to consume the offerings. And when the priests of Baal called out nothing happened. And so Elijah taunted them saying of Baal – “Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened” – 1 Kings 18:27.

The true God may seem to be asleep in that God doesn’t appear to hear us. As the Psalmist prays – “Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!” – Psalm 44:23. And there are times when we struggle with God in prayer and with God’s will and timing. And we ask, “Is God listening?!”

But, as our text tells us . . .

God Doesn’t Sleep!

  • God is always active and busy for our well being
  • God is awake and working, even while we sleep

So lets look at what this means: God is active for us even when we sleep

1. God watches over us as we sleep

When we sleep we are weak and vulnerable. So in Old Testament times you needed a watchman who stayed up during the night to look out for enemies and attack. Even if you lived in a walled city, there needed to be watchmen on the wall.

The night is also a time of evil. We know that “darkness” is used as an image of evil in Scripture. And we know that we are more susceptible to fear of the demonic at night.

The point of Psalm 121 in saying that God will not slumber is that God is watching over us to protects us. God is our watchman. Six times Psalm 121 says, in one way or another, that God will “keep us.” This means that:

  • God will oversee us as we sleep and are vulnerable
  • God will protect us from any evil of the darkness

Because of this we do not need to fear, but can have peace:
– Psalm 91:5 says, “You will not fear the terror of the night . . ..” Why? Because God is our refuge and fortress; our shelter, the Psalm tells us. It is like we are sleeping in God’s house.
– Our own Psalm 121:6 says, “The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.” The moon here is seen as a sinister or even demonic power. But God is our protector.

So we can sleep peacefully knowing that God is protecting us:

  • “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me” – Psalm 3:5. God kept him from danger.
  • “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” – Psalm 4:8.

2. God can minister to us in the night

We may be trying to rest, we might be asleep or half asleep, but God can do work in our lives.

Psalm 16:7 says, “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.” Job 35:10 says, God gives “songs in the night.” 

And there are many examples in the scriptures of how God speaks to us in dreams. Job 33:15-16 says, “In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, then God opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings.”

3. God provides for our needs as we sleep

Psalm 127:2 says, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” This last phrase can be translated differently. I prefer the alternative that shows up in some translations or the footnotes of others (NRSV) “he provides for his beloved during sleep.” This fits the context best.

The point of the verse is that we don’t need to wear ourselves out with our work. God is busy providing for our needs, even while we sleep.

And beyond our work – we can let go of our burdens and anxieties for tomorrow and next week and next month. We can let go and rest because God is busy working on all this even as we rest.

God is taking care of us 24/7 with no sleep, and no vacations. The point of all this is to say that God is always there for us!

Isn’t our God great in power that he needs no rest? And isn’t our God merciful to us, working on our behalf even as we sleep? Let us be thankful to the Lord. We serve a good and powerful God!

I would like us to end with a benediction based on Psalm 121:7-8: May the Lord keep you from all evil; May the Lord keep your life. May the Lord keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

William Higgins

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Facing An Impossible Situation: Jehoshaphat and the Battle of Beracah

Posted in 2 Chronicles 20, tagged , , , , on March 9, 2008|

Last week we looked at a low point in King Jehoshaphat’s life, his wrongful partnership with the evil king Ahab and how God rebuked him for this. Today we look the high point of Jehoshaphat’s rule – the battle of Beracah in 2 Chronicles 20.

An Impossible Situation

2 Chronicles 20:2 says,  “Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, ‘A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar’ (that is, Engedi).” The neighboring peoples of Moab, Ammon and a group of people called the Meunites who lived on the outskirts of Edom gathered at Engedi, inside the territory of Judah. They were a “great horde.” That is, they were a bigger army than what Jehoshaphat had,  by a good margin. And here they were, only 25 miles from Jerusalem! Jehoshaphat had been caught by surprise.

20:3 says, “Then Jehoshaphat was afraid.” This is an understandable and natural response. He knew their intention was to wipe them out from the Land God gave them, as he says in verse 11. So this was a serious threat and he was afraid.

But, what makes this story great is that he wasn’t overwhelmed by his fear. He wasn’t controlled by his fear. He took a different path. Which is why we are looking at this story.

Because, we also face impossible situations in our life circumstances. God calls us to do something and there is an insurmountable obstacle in our way. Or we are walking through life and we are overwhelmed by a problem that we can’t solve. So we want to look at this story of Jehoshaphat and take note of seven things we learn from this story, that can help us.

1. Seek God in prayer

Jehoshaphat “set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.” – (vs. 3-4). Jehoshaphat led in offering up prayer. By the way, this prayer (vs. 6-12) is one of the best prayers in all the Bible! Read it through sometime. We will look at parts of it below.

But the point is that he brought this problem to the Lord. He didn’t try to carry it himself.

And we need to bring our burdens to the Lord in prayer as well. When we feel overwhelmed and when it is too much for us to take – we need to go to the Lord.

2. Acknowledge your need

Jehoshaphat does this in his prayer – “For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us . . . We do not know what to do . . .” – (v. 12).  This is not a time to be puffed up! Jehoshaphat doesn’t come out and say – “Don’t worry, I can handle this.” He recognized that it was a time to be humble before the Lord. “Hey, we’re  weak and clueless, Lord. We’re in bad shape here.”

And we need to be humble too in our difficult situations. We need to acknowledge that we too are weak and that we too don’t know what to do – before the Lord and others.

3. Rely on God’s resources

Jehoshaphat, in his weakness, looked to God for strength and wisdom. In his prayer he said:

  • “In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you” – (20:6). We are weak by you are strong.
  • “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” – (20:12). We look to you because you do know what to do.

God has all the resources that we need, and we need to tap into these: When we are too weak to act – God can give us strength. When we don’t know what to do – God can give us wisdom. We need to rely on God’s resources.

4. Trust in God’s promises

Jehoshaphat recalls two specific promises from God in his prayer:

  1. God’s promise to give the land to Abraham’s descendents – Genesis 12:7. He says,  “Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?” – (v. 7). He refers to the promise in Genesis here.
  2. God’s promise to hear temple prayers – 2 Chronicles 6:28-30. Jehoshaphat practically quotes from Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the temple – “If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you— for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.” – (v. 9). Solomon asked that God would hear his people’s prayers, offered at the temple, and God affirmed that he would, when he sent fire down and filled the temple with his glory – (2 Chronicles 7:1).

And we need to trust in God’s promises too. We find these promises in his word. For instance:

  • Jesus promises – “I am with you always, to the end of the age” – Matthew 28:20.
  • We are promised that God will hear our prayers – “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7.
  • We are promised that he will give us strength when we are weak – “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9

5. Receive God’s direction

Verse 14 says, “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel . . . ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.’” The Lord spoke through him to give them some specific instructions – vs. 16-17:

  • Tomorrow go out
  • They will be by the ascent of Ziz . . . east of Jeruel
  • Wait for God who will fight for you

In the same way, we need to listen for God’s wisdom and direction. We do this by listening in prayer, by reading God’s word, and by receiving godly counsel from sisters and brothers in the Lord. In all of this we seek to be led by the Spirit.

6. Act in faith

When they got up to go out to battle the next day, Jehoshaphat said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed” – (v. 20).

Can you imagine this! Going against a vastly bigger foe. Going out, not even expecting to fight – and their lives were on the line. Jehoshaphat is saying – believe in God and what he has said, and act on this belief – even at great risk. If you do this God will bring about victory.

Sure enough. When they acted in faith, God gave them the victory. God turned the enemy on each other and they were wiped out. Judah did not even have to fight or lift a finger.

Well, we too need to act on our faith. We need to believe what God tells us and move forward based on his word, not what we see according to the flesh. As Paul says, “we walk by faith, not by sight” – 2 Corinthians 5:7. When we do this, God will give us victory in our impossible situations.

7. Give praise to God

They really give praise to God throughout this story – when God gave them direction through the prophet, and after they had won. And it is important to praise God when he answers our prayers. They even named the place of the battle “Beracah” – for their they blessed the Lord, as it says in v. 26.

But what is even more amazing is the role that praise played in bringing about the answer during the battle. Jehoshaphat “appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, [and] they went before the army, and [said], ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.’” – (v. 21). He sets the worship team in front of the army!

Then verse 22 says, “And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.” This is what brought the victory. It was when they began to praise God that the Lord acted on their behalf.

And we need to give praise to God even in the midst of our struggle. We need to praise God for his faithfulness to us and his promises to us; for his power and wisdom. And as we express in a bold way our faith in God and his steadfast love for us through praise – God is pleased to act on our behalf and give us the victory.

So these are seven things to do in an impossible situation. May we learn from this story and receive God’s victory in our lives. William Higgins

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God is looking for those whose hearts are true: The story of King Asa

Posted in 2 Chronicles 14, 2 Chronicles 15, 2 Chronicles 16, tagged , on January 6, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Asa the righteous

Lets begin by getting oriented. Asa was the great, great grandson of David, the third king of Judah, which he ruled for 41 years. His story is told in 1 Kings 15:9-24 and 2 Chronicles 14-16:14. We will be looking at this latter account.

2 Chronicles 14:2-4 says, “And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment.”

Here we learn here that Asa was righteous. Specifically, he opposed idolatry and he commanded keeping the Law of God. Even though this is fairly early in the history of Judah, they had already strayed from God for a long time. As we hear from a prophet later in our story – “For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law” – 2 Chronicles 15:3.

So Asa was a reformer, leading the people back to God. Because of his obedience, v. 6 tells us, God gave him peace. Verses 7-8 go on to say that Judah prospered, and Asa had a good and sizeable army. So things were going well for him. But, then came

A Time of Testing

Zera, the Ethiopian came up from the south against Judah with a million man army and 300 chariots. This was much larger than Asa’s army and more technologically advanced.

As Asa prepared for this, he prayed – “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you” – 2 Chronicles 14:11. This is a beautiful prayer of trust in God.

And God answered Asa’s prayer. God completely defeated the Ethiopian army, and they carried off much plunder.

Azariah’s Words

Just after this, the prophet Azariah spoke to all Judah and said, “The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you” – 2 Chronicles 15:2.  Asa aligned himself with the Lord, not with idols, and so in his trouble, when he relied upon the Lord, the Lord was with him.

Azariah goes on to encourage Asa in righteousness. “But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded” – 2 Chronicles 15:7. And Asa responds by becoming even more faithful to God. As we see in Chapter 15:

  • He removed more idols
  • He repaired the altar in front of the temple
  • He held a nationwide covenant renewal where all dedicated themselves to seek the Lord
  • He deposed his own grand/mother for idolatry. She was no longer queen mother.
  • He brought wealth into the temple
  • As 2 Chronicles 15:15 says, they “sought the Lord with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.”

So this is a really good story of someone relying on God and responding to God to do what is right, as well as leading others in this. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end here.

Another Test

Sometime after this another test came to King Asa. 2 Chronicles 16:1-3 describes this:

  • Baasha, King of Israel invaded Judah and was building a fort just north of Jerusalem to cut Asa off.
  • Asa bribed Ben-Hadad, king of Syria. He took wealth from the temple (and his own) to send to this pagan king.
  • Ben-Hadad then invaded northern Israel.
  • Baasha had to move his armies north to counter Ben-Hadad.
  • Asa dismantled Baasha’s fort in Judah.

Was this a stroke of genius?? Not really. In the first test Asa relied upon God. In the second test Asa turned to a pagan king for help. Before, we find Asa putting treasures into the Temple. Now, we find him taking these and giving them to Ben-Hadad.

The Words of Hanani

Another prophet, Hanani, confronts Asa: “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. . . . You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars” – 2 Chronicles 16:7-9.

This was a massive failure for King Asa. It may look good from the perspective of world politics, but it was a failure as a leader of God’s people. It was also a failure practically. He was seeking to be free of war through this, but ended up getting a promise of war for the rest of his reign.

Hanani confronts him with this and Asa is furious. Instead of repentance he puts Hanani in stocks in jail and is cruel to others.

The End

Finally, the story ends on a sour note.  “In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians” (perhaps more like magicians or witch doctors) – 2 Chronicles 16:12.

So his lack of reliance on the Lord continued till his death. Such a good beginning, such a bad end for King Asa.

Three Lessons

1. A warning: God wants to help us, but if we forsake him, he will forsake us. This comes from the words of Azariah. “The Lord is with you while you are with him . . . but if you forsake him, he will forsake you” – 2 Chronicles 15:2. Asa began right. He relied on the Lord and was delivered. But then he forsook the Lord. He relied on his own plans and wisdom, and the results were devastating.

If you forsake the Lord and rely on yourself, your wealth, your wisdom, your plans – anything other than the Lord . . . don’t expect God to step in and help you in your time of trouble. The warning is clear – if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

2. A promise: God eagerly seeks to help those whose heart is true. Hanani told Asa,– “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose hearts are fully committed to him” – 2 Chronicles 16:9 ESV/NIV.

This is  beautiful promise to us. God is looking all throughout the whole earth. For who? God is looking for those who are fully committed to him, who rely on him, who seek him, who are with him. Why is God doing this? To give them strong support in their difficult times just as God helped Asa in his first test.  This is a powerful promise and word of encouragement.

3. An invitation: Become fully committed to God. Perhaps you are struggling in your commitment to God. Receive this invitation – seek God; give yourself fully to God; rely on God.

As you hear this story of Asa, learn from it! Don’t be like Asa when his heart was not fully committed to God and he relied on himself and received the consequences. Be like Asa when he removed the idols. Remove your idols – whatever you rely on instead of God. Give yourself fully to God. Then when you seek him, you will find him. Then God will find you too, one whose heart is true. And God will strengthen you, establish you and give you peace.

William Higgins

 

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