Welcome to this week's edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am glad that you are able to join me for this week's message.
I want to thank the Lord for helping me and providing for me this week. As I left my former job and started my new job this week, I was worried that the check from the old job might not come. I prayed and asked the Lord to let the money come through, and the Lord answered my prayer. I also want to thank the Lord Jesus for healing my foot that hurt so bad and for helping me at my new job this week.
As you are in prayer this week, please pray that I will be able to pass the test I must take this week at my new job. Also pray that the Lord Jesus will strengthen me to do His will.
I would ask that we all be in prayer this week about the terrorism situation in Europe. Let us pray for an end to terrorism, and let us pray that all of the potential terrorists will be found out and brought to justice. Let us also pray for peace in the world. Pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine and Libya.
I would also ask for prayer for those in the Philippines who are facing the bad storm.
For the past several weeks, we have been is a series of messages on the kings of Israel and Judah. Today is the final message in the series. I have one more king that I want to give a sermon about, but I will hold that message in reserve for a later date.
Today, we will focus our attention on the reign of king Hezekiah. You can read about the reign of Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 29 - 32 and in the book of 2 Kings.
Hezekiah is a good example of someone who had a bad upbringing, but he did well in spite of his early training. Hezekiah's father Ahaz was one of the most wicked kings mentioned in the Bible. Ahaz and the prophet Isaiah had some memorable encounters.
Hezekiah began his reign in a great manner. He started by reversing what his father Ahaz had done. Hezekiah did not follow the false gods of his father. Instead, Hezekiah returned to the True and Living God and restored the worship of the True and Living God to Judah. Hezekiah destroyed the groves, temples and idols dedicated to the false gods of his father.
One of Hezekiah's greatest reforms was the reinstitution of the Passover Feast. Before Hezekiah, the people had not celebrated Passover as directed by God . Under Hezekiah's reign, this was put right.
Hezekiah was a strong king. He was able to defeat the Philistines, but Judah faced a powerful enemy in Assyria. The Assyrians had conquered the norther kingdom of Israel, and now they had their sights set on Jerusalem. The Assyrians besieged the city, and it seemed as if all was lost. But, God had something else in mind.
Hezekiah called out to the Lord in prayer to deliver the nation from the Assyrians. Hezekiah also asked Isaiah for a word from Lord. Isaiah told the king that Judah would be delivered from the hands of the Assyrians, and that is exactly what happened.
By the way, Hezekiah is mentioned outside of the Bible. Archeologists have found mention of him in ancient Assyrian records.
All seemed to be going well for Hezekiah until he became sick unto death. When Isaiah told Hezekiah of the king's impending death, the king wept and cried out to God for deliverance. The Lord heard Hezekiah's prayer, and the king's life was extended for several years.
Instead of becoming more humble, Hezekiah became prideful in his later years. He boasted of his strength, and he made a big point of showing off his wealth to the ambassador's of Babylon. Isaiah told Hezekiah that this would bode poorly for Hezekiah's descendants as the Babylonians would invade Judah seeking its wealth in the years to come.
Hezekiah's heart was set on the things of God, and he eventually repented of his pridefullness and turned fully to God. Hezekiah's reign was one of the best times in the history of the nation of Judah. His entire reign was devoted to God. Hezekiah and Josiah would be the two most righteous kings in the history of Judah.
So, what can we as twenty-first century Christians learn from Hezekiah. There are three things that I want to focus on from Hezekiah's life. First of all, when Hezekiah was faced with a difficult problem, he turned to the Lord in prayer. This is what we as Christians should do. No matter what we are facing in life whether it be big or small, we should bring it to the Lord in prayer. I Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all of our cares upon the Lord because He cares for us.
In my life, I know that without being able to go to Jesus in prayer, I would not be able to make it through the difficult times in life. When I faced the hard times with taking care of parents, I needed to go to the Lord for help. Through all of the financial and health difficulties I've faced, it is the presence of the Lord and prayer times with Jesus that have allowed me to make it through.
I like to tell Jesus everything that I am going through whether it be good or bad. I like to talk to Him and just have a conversation. It is good to talk to the one who loves you more than you can comprehend.
Whatever issue you are facing in life, take it to the Lord in prayer. Ask the Lord to deliver you and help you. Ask the Lord to make you aware of His presence in the hard times in life when you need Him the most.
The second thing I see in the life of Hezekiah is the need for humility. Hezekiah was a good king, but he had a problem with thinking more highly of himself than he should have. Ultimately, this would contribute to getting his ancestors into trouble.
No matter how much God has blessed us, we must be humble remembering that everything that we have has been given to us by the hand of the Almighty God. We have received everything by His grace.
Our ultimate example of humility is Jesus. He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death. He left the throne of Heaven and was born as a baby in a manager. Jesus gave us several teachings on humility. He taught us to seek the lowest place. He taught us to serve rather than to be served. As in all things, we must look to Jesus. If we follow Him, we too will know how to have a humble heart.
Finally, Hezekiah teaches a lesson about facing death. Now, what I am going to say is going to be controversial to some people, and some are going to think that what I am about to discuss is strange. Nonetheless, I am going to talk about what I believe. Hezekiah, like many Christians I know, became very saddened and distressed at the prospect of death. This is something that I have never really understood. Those who know in Whom they have believed should not seek death, but they should not fear death either.
If we are in Christ, we know, or should know, that we will go to be with Him in the place that He has prepared for us when we die. If we really believe what we say we believe, we should not fear death.
I am not even sure that we should not welcome the fact that we are soon to be with the Lord if we hear of our soon demise. For me, I can think of nothing better than to go to be with the Lord Jesus. I wish that He would take me to be with Him right now. All of the pain of this life would be over. I would be forever in the presence of the Lord Jesus whom I love. Also, I would see my family again. To me, this is a joyful thing and not a thing to dread. Of course, no one wants to go through a lot of pain and suffering.
The Apostle Paul had some thoughts about this as well. In the book of Philippians, Paul said that he was torn between two things. He knew that if he stayed on this earth that he would have fruitful labor for the Lord. However, he recognized that it would be much better to go and be with Christ. This is how I feel. As long as I am here on earth, I want to try to serve the Lord to the best of my ability, but if I got news tomorrow that I only had a few weeks to live, I wouldn't be upset about it.
These are just my thoughts on this. You may see things differently. To me, I just want to be with Jesus. If I were in Hezekiah's shoes, I don't think I would have wanted those fifteen more years.
With that said, I want to tell you that if you haven't accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, then death is something to be feared. The Bible says that it is appointed unto man once to die, and then after this the judgment. Those who die in Christ will be with Jesus for all eternity. Those who die outside of Christ will be separated from Him and face the judgment of God for all eternity.
If you haven't turned to Jesus in repentance and faith and asked Him to be the Lord of your life. I hope that you will do so today.
Israel and Judah didn't have very good rulers as a general rule. As we have seen, Israel had no righteous kings. Judah had good kings in Asa, Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Josiah, and Hezekiah. They had some fair kings and some horrible kings as well. None of the kings was anything compared to the King of Kings the Lord Jesus who will one day establish His perfect reign that will have no end.
Next week, I want to bring another message in our series on the miracles of Jesus. I have a couple of more messages in this series. On Monday, I will post a verse. I want to post a review on Wednesday, and the Weekend Sermon will appear on Saturday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
An Interesting Book
I just finished reading an interesting book written by Philip Yancey. This book is entitled "The Question That Never Goes Away". In this book, Yancey deals with the question of why terrible and evil things happen in the world. Yancey discusses the Newtown tragedy, the Indian Ocean tsunami and other events and questions why God would allow such things to occur. He tries in the book to find the meaning in suffering. While I might not agree with all that the author concludes in the book, it is an interesting read that I recommend nonetheless.
I would also heartily recommend other books written by Philip Yancey including "What's So Amazing About Grace", "The Jesus I Never Knew", "The Bible Jesus Read" and "Soul Survivor".
Next week, I hope to give a review of really good animal book I am currently reading.
I would also heartily recommend other books written by Philip Yancey including "What's So Amazing About Grace", "The Jesus I Never Knew", "The Bible Jesus Read" and "Soul Survivor".
Next week, I hope to give a review of really good animal book I am currently reading.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Thirty Years Ago Today
Thirty years ago today, was a day that changed my life. That was the day that I met my great friend Toby. That was the day Jesus gave me a friend forever.
I can remember that day like it was yesterday. It was very icy and snowy outside, and we had a hard time pulling into the driveway of the house where Toby lived at the time.
The moment that I saw him, I knew I was going to bring him home. January 13, 1985 marked the beginning of a great 12 years. They were the best 12 years of my life.
Toby has been gone from this earth for many years now. But there is not a day that goes by when I don't think about him.
Toby and my folks are now in Heaven with Jesus. I look forward to being reunited with my family again. That will be a glorious day.
Thank you Lord for January 13, 1985 and for bringing Toby and me together.
I can remember that day like it was yesterday. It was very icy and snowy outside, and we had a hard time pulling into the driveway of the house where Toby lived at the time.
The moment that I saw him, I knew I was going to bring him home. January 13, 1985 marked the beginning of a great 12 years. They were the best 12 years of my life.
Toby has been gone from this earth for many years now. But there is not a day that goes by when I don't think about him.
Toby and my folks are now in Heaven with Jesus. I look forward to being reunited with my family again. That will be a glorious day.
Thank you Lord for January 13, 1985 and for bringing Toby and me together.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Thoughts On A Sunday Afternoon
I have a couple of things to say this afternoon. Just a few thoughts. I find these Sunday afternoons a good chance to get things off of my mind.
I heard a sermon this morning that expressed a common view that continues to upset me. It concerns the interpretation of the Scripture passage in Romans that speaks about God working out all things for our good. The minister told the story of how terrible sickness and tragedy happened to someone. Apparently, God had put all this on to the woman to make her more like Jesus as she went through all of this suffering.
This kind of preaching upsets me greatly. First of all, read the passage in Romans 8 in context. Second, Jesus was compassionate and told us that we serve a loving Heavenly Father.
The passage in Romans 8 is about the ultimate glorification that awaits the believer in Heaven. As verse 29 states, God foreknew us, and predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. Verse 30 goes on to say that those whom God foreknew He predestined, called, justified and glorified. This is an expression of the fact that all who are in Jesus will ultimately be with Him and receive a glorified body like unto His glorified body. We will ultimately be like Jesus.
We live in a fallen world that is filled with sin. Horrible things happen to people. This does not mean that God caused sickness and tragedy to befall people. God may bring good out of it, but I do not believe that He causes it.
My mother suffered with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and the effects of a stroke for six years. In the end, she didn't even know who she was. If someone says that God brought this on my mother to work some kind of good in her life, well, then they believe in a very cruel God and not the God revealed in Jesus.
Now, my mother has had all things ultimately work together for her good because she was in Jesus. She is in the presence of Jesus right now, and she is not suffering in any way shape or form. I wish people would stop using this verse in Romans to put the blame on God, so to speak, for the horrible things that happen in life. Most of the time there is no purpose in tragedy and sickness. It just happens, because that is the way the world is right now. Some day, when Jesus returns, it won't be that way anymore. While we face the sufferings and heartaches of life, Jesus is with us and helps us to make it through to the ultimate victory that awaits those who follow in His footsteps.
OK. I got that sorted. Now, this must have been the Sunday for my pet peeves in sermons, because I heard another one. This one was about giving unto Caesar what is Caesar's and giving to God what is God's. I do not understand where in this statement that ministers come up with the interpretation that Jesus is saying that we have a duty to God and government. Some call this the two kingdoms doctrine. I think that this statement is easily interpreted.
The coin Jesus was given had an image of Caesar on it. Jesus said to give back to Caesar what had his image on it. We should give to God what has His image on it. Since we are made in the image of God, that means that we owe everything that we have to God, and we should give ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him. There is no place in the Bible that Jesus says that we have an allegiance to the state. Our ultimate allegiance is to Jesus alone. We can be good citizens, but only in so far as it does not conflict with our allegiance to Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus is Lord. Caesar, the President, nor any other earthly ruler is Lord. Period. It is not God and country. It is God. Period.
I've got that off my mind. Tomorrow is the new job. I miss my old job that the union took away from me. I guess the past is past, and I have to move on. My goal is a larger ministry, and I want to use this new job as a means to that end. However, I still want to sell the house and most of my stuff. If I can get enough to pay off everything and have enough to start a church or ministry, that is what I will do.
I've been working to get the house in shape. It's coming along slowly, but progress is being made. Please pray that the Lord Jesus will help me to get things sold, and that the new job will go well tomorrow. The weather is still supposed to be bad. Pray it won't be.
As I close today, I just want to thank all of you who have read the blog over these last four years. I have had tremendous fun doing this. I love getting to spread the message of Jesus every week. Lord willing, I hope to keep going for the weeks and months and years to come.
P.S. Tuesday will mark the 30th anniversary of when I brought Toby home to live with me. I can't believe it's been that long ago. It just seems like yesterday. I want to say thank you to Jesus for bringing the two of us together. I have always said, and I will continue to say, that Toby was the friend Jesus gave me. Thank you Jesus.
I heard a sermon this morning that expressed a common view that continues to upset me. It concerns the interpretation of the Scripture passage in Romans that speaks about God working out all things for our good. The minister told the story of how terrible sickness and tragedy happened to someone. Apparently, God had put all this on to the woman to make her more like Jesus as she went through all of this suffering.
This kind of preaching upsets me greatly. First of all, read the passage in Romans 8 in context. Second, Jesus was compassionate and told us that we serve a loving Heavenly Father.
The passage in Romans 8 is about the ultimate glorification that awaits the believer in Heaven. As verse 29 states, God foreknew us, and predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. Verse 30 goes on to say that those whom God foreknew He predestined, called, justified and glorified. This is an expression of the fact that all who are in Jesus will ultimately be with Him and receive a glorified body like unto His glorified body. We will ultimately be like Jesus.
We live in a fallen world that is filled with sin. Horrible things happen to people. This does not mean that God caused sickness and tragedy to befall people. God may bring good out of it, but I do not believe that He causes it.
My mother suffered with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and the effects of a stroke for six years. In the end, she didn't even know who she was. If someone says that God brought this on my mother to work some kind of good in her life, well, then they believe in a very cruel God and not the God revealed in Jesus.
Now, my mother has had all things ultimately work together for her good because she was in Jesus. She is in the presence of Jesus right now, and she is not suffering in any way shape or form. I wish people would stop using this verse in Romans to put the blame on God, so to speak, for the horrible things that happen in life. Most of the time there is no purpose in tragedy and sickness. It just happens, because that is the way the world is right now. Some day, when Jesus returns, it won't be that way anymore. While we face the sufferings and heartaches of life, Jesus is with us and helps us to make it through to the ultimate victory that awaits those who follow in His footsteps.
OK. I got that sorted. Now, this must have been the Sunday for my pet peeves in sermons, because I heard another one. This one was about giving unto Caesar what is Caesar's and giving to God what is God's. I do not understand where in this statement that ministers come up with the interpretation that Jesus is saying that we have a duty to God and government. Some call this the two kingdoms doctrine. I think that this statement is easily interpreted.
The coin Jesus was given had an image of Caesar on it. Jesus said to give back to Caesar what had his image on it. We should give to God what has His image on it. Since we are made in the image of God, that means that we owe everything that we have to God, and we should give ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him. There is no place in the Bible that Jesus says that we have an allegiance to the state. Our ultimate allegiance is to Jesus alone. We can be good citizens, but only in so far as it does not conflict with our allegiance to Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus is Lord. Caesar, the President, nor any other earthly ruler is Lord. Period. It is not God and country. It is God. Period.
I've got that off my mind. Tomorrow is the new job. I miss my old job that the union took away from me. I guess the past is past, and I have to move on. My goal is a larger ministry, and I want to use this new job as a means to that end. However, I still want to sell the house and most of my stuff. If I can get enough to pay off everything and have enough to start a church or ministry, that is what I will do.
I've been working to get the house in shape. It's coming along slowly, but progress is being made. Please pray that the Lord Jesus will help me to get things sold, and that the new job will go well tomorrow. The weather is still supposed to be bad. Pray it won't be.
As I close today, I just want to thank all of you who have read the blog over these last four years. I have had tremendous fun doing this. I love getting to spread the message of Jesus every week. Lord willing, I hope to keep going for the weeks and months and years to come.
P.S. Tuesday will mark the 30th anniversary of when I brought Toby home to live with me. I can't believe it's been that long ago. It just seems like yesterday. I want to say thank you to Jesus for bringing the two of us together. I have always said, and I will continue to say, that Toby was the friend Jesus gave me. Thank you Jesus.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- Josiah and Jehoiakim
It is good to be with you all again for another edition of the Weekend Sermon. I hope and pray that everyone who reads the blog is doing well.
This has been a week of transition for me. As most of you who read this blog know, I am starting a new job with a good salary and benefits on Monday. I am very thankful to the Lord for this opportunity. My ultimate goal is to get my debts paid off and get a larger ministry going. This week, I ended the part-time job that the Lord had provided for me while I searched for a really good job. I will miss the friends I made at this job. All in all, it was a nice place to work. I pray that the new place is nice too.
Please pray that the weather won't be bad so that I can get to work in good order on Monday. They are calling for freezing drizzle on Sunday night. Please pray that I can make it alright on my first day.
On a more important note, please be in prayer for the people in France who were the victims of the terrible terrorist attack this week. Pray that all of the perpetrators of this attack will be brought to justice. Also, pray that this vicious terrorism will end in France and around the world.
This week, let us also pray for peace in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan. Pray for those who are sick with Ebola, and for the end of this epidemic.
For the past few weeks, we have been in a study of the kings of Judah and Israel. We have this week and one next week to go in this series. After this, I am leaning towards a series on I Peter or the parables of Jesus. I may devote a few more sermons to the miracles of Jesus before these two series. I am not sure of the will of the Lord on this matter yet.
Today, we will focus our attention on the reigns of Josiah and his son Jehoiakim. These two men could not have been more different from each other. Josiah was only eight years old when he became king of Judah. He would reign over the land for a total of thirty-one years.
Eighteen years into Josiah's reign, the priests in the Temple discovered the book of the law in the Temple and brought it too the king. Many Bible scholars believe that this was the book of Deuteronomy.
When the king heard the words from the book of the law, he rent his clothes in distress and repentance. Josiah knew that he and his people had not done right. 2 Kings 22:13 records it this way, "Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all of Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us."
The king's servants consulted with Huldah the prophetess as to what to do. At the words of Huldah, Josiah began a great series of religious reforms in the kingdom. Josiah ordered the destruction of the altars to Baal and to the other foreign gods. He tore down the sacred groves and the shrines to the Sun. 2 Kings 23:13-14 records the following, " And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians... he brake in pieces the images , and cut down the groves and filled their places with the bones of men."
In addition to this, Josiah held the greatest observance of the Passover since the time of the judges. In my opinion, Josiah was probably the most righteous king to rule over Judah. Josiah's reign would end when he was killed in a battle with the Egyptians.
At this point, Josiah's son Jehoiakim would assume the throne after the brief reign of his brother. Jehoiakim was a vicious and wicked king. He and the great prophet Jeremiah would have several encounters.
Jeremiah 36 records one of these encounters between Jeremiah and Jehoiakim. God instructed Jeremiah to write down on a scroll the words the Lord had spoken to Jeremiah concerning the judgment coming on Judah. Jeremiah did this, and gave it to Jehoiakim as instructed. When Jehoiakim heard the word of the Lord, he did not heed the word as his father Josiah had done. Jehoiakim actually took the scroll that contained the word of the Lord and burned it. This king would persecute the prophet Jeremiah, and he would eventually kill the the prophet Urijah.
Jehoiakim met an untimely death. He was one of the worst kings mentioned in the Bible.
So, what are we to learn from these two men. I believe that the most important lesson we can learn is from the reactions of these two men when they were presented with the word of the Lord. Josiah repented and turned to God. Jehoiakim remained in his sin and despised the word of the Lord.
This is the same reaction that people have to Scripture today. It may not be as dramatic as in the case of Jehoiakim, but it is similar nonetheless.
When the Scripture is preached or read, it will not return unto the Lord void. People will either heed the word of the Lord, or they will reject it. This occurs on a daily basis. All over this world today, there are people who hear the word, repent, turn from sin and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. On the other hand, people will hear the word of the Lord today, and they will reject it. They will not turn their lives over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Sadly, Christians also are guilty of sometimes despising the word of the Lord. We often read the teachings and the commands of Jesus, and yet we will not do what Jesus commands. Jesus said, "Why do you call me Lord, yet you do not do what I say?"
Jesus has commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and even to love our enemies. Are we doing this? Jesus has commanded us to lay up treasures in heaven and not treasures on earth. Is that how we are leading our lives?
As the followers of Jesus, we should emulate what Josiah did. We should hear the word, and then act on what we have heard. As it says in James, we must be doers of the word and not hearers only.
I hope that all of you who read this blog will be students of the Bible. Read the word, especially the words of Jesus, and act on what the Bible says. Repent of sin, and then do what is right.
Next week, we will conclude our series on kings. I will post a verse and a review next week. The Weekend Sermon will appear on Saturday, Lord willing. May God bless you. Amen.
This has been a week of transition for me. As most of you who read this blog know, I am starting a new job with a good salary and benefits on Monday. I am very thankful to the Lord for this opportunity. My ultimate goal is to get my debts paid off and get a larger ministry going. This week, I ended the part-time job that the Lord had provided for me while I searched for a really good job. I will miss the friends I made at this job. All in all, it was a nice place to work. I pray that the new place is nice too.
Please pray that the weather won't be bad so that I can get to work in good order on Monday. They are calling for freezing drizzle on Sunday night. Please pray that I can make it alright on my first day.
On a more important note, please be in prayer for the people in France who were the victims of the terrible terrorist attack this week. Pray that all of the perpetrators of this attack will be brought to justice. Also, pray that this vicious terrorism will end in France and around the world.
This week, let us also pray for peace in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan. Pray for those who are sick with Ebola, and for the end of this epidemic.
For the past few weeks, we have been in a study of the kings of Judah and Israel. We have this week and one next week to go in this series. After this, I am leaning towards a series on I Peter or the parables of Jesus. I may devote a few more sermons to the miracles of Jesus before these two series. I am not sure of the will of the Lord on this matter yet.
Today, we will focus our attention on the reigns of Josiah and his son Jehoiakim. These two men could not have been more different from each other. Josiah was only eight years old when he became king of Judah. He would reign over the land for a total of thirty-one years.
Eighteen years into Josiah's reign, the priests in the Temple discovered the book of the law in the Temple and brought it too the king. Many Bible scholars believe that this was the book of Deuteronomy.
When the king heard the words from the book of the law, he rent his clothes in distress and repentance. Josiah knew that he and his people had not done right. 2 Kings 22:13 records it this way, "Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all of Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us."
The king's servants consulted with Huldah the prophetess as to what to do. At the words of Huldah, Josiah began a great series of religious reforms in the kingdom. Josiah ordered the destruction of the altars to Baal and to the other foreign gods. He tore down the sacred groves and the shrines to the Sun. 2 Kings 23:13-14 records the following, " And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians... he brake in pieces the images , and cut down the groves and filled their places with the bones of men."
In addition to this, Josiah held the greatest observance of the Passover since the time of the judges. In my opinion, Josiah was probably the most righteous king to rule over Judah. Josiah's reign would end when he was killed in a battle with the Egyptians.
At this point, Josiah's son Jehoiakim would assume the throne after the brief reign of his brother. Jehoiakim was a vicious and wicked king. He and the great prophet Jeremiah would have several encounters.
Jeremiah 36 records one of these encounters between Jeremiah and Jehoiakim. God instructed Jeremiah to write down on a scroll the words the Lord had spoken to Jeremiah concerning the judgment coming on Judah. Jeremiah did this, and gave it to Jehoiakim as instructed. When Jehoiakim heard the word of the Lord, he did not heed the word as his father Josiah had done. Jehoiakim actually took the scroll that contained the word of the Lord and burned it. This king would persecute the prophet Jeremiah, and he would eventually kill the the prophet Urijah.
Jehoiakim met an untimely death. He was one of the worst kings mentioned in the Bible.
So, what are we to learn from these two men. I believe that the most important lesson we can learn is from the reactions of these two men when they were presented with the word of the Lord. Josiah repented and turned to God. Jehoiakim remained in his sin and despised the word of the Lord.
This is the same reaction that people have to Scripture today. It may not be as dramatic as in the case of Jehoiakim, but it is similar nonetheless.
When the Scripture is preached or read, it will not return unto the Lord void. People will either heed the word of the Lord, or they will reject it. This occurs on a daily basis. All over this world today, there are people who hear the word, repent, turn from sin and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. On the other hand, people will hear the word of the Lord today, and they will reject it. They will not turn their lives over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Sadly, Christians also are guilty of sometimes despising the word of the Lord. We often read the teachings and the commands of Jesus, and yet we will not do what Jesus commands. Jesus said, "Why do you call me Lord, yet you do not do what I say?"
Jesus has commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and even to love our enemies. Are we doing this? Jesus has commanded us to lay up treasures in heaven and not treasures on earth. Is that how we are leading our lives?
As the followers of Jesus, we should emulate what Josiah did. We should hear the word, and then act on what we have heard. As it says in James, we must be doers of the word and not hearers only.
I hope that all of you who read this blog will be students of the Bible. Read the word, especially the words of Jesus, and act on what the Bible says. Repent of sin, and then do what is right.
Next week, we will conclude our series on kings. I will post a verse and a review next week. The Weekend Sermon will appear on Saturday, Lord willing. May God bless you. Amen.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Best Dog and Cat Book of 2014
Each year, I review and recommend several animal books. At the end of the year, I like to choose the best dog and cat book from the previous year. Here I my picks for best dog book and best cat book of 2014.
The best dog book that I reviewed this year was "An Unexpected Grace" written by Kristin von Kreisler. I have reviewed other books written by this author, and I have enjoyed them all. "An Unexpected Grace" is a fiction work that tells how a dog changes a woman's life for the better.
My choice for best cat book is "The World According to Bob" by James Bowen. James and Bob just keep going strong. This book is the sequel to James' first book "A Streetcat Named Bob". Both books have become international bestsellers. James was a recovering heroin addict when he rescued Bob from the streets. But, who rescued who? I think they rescued each other. James has written another book about Bob that has already been published over in the UK. It is scheduled for release in the U.S. sometime in 2015.
I've already been reading some good books to review in 2015. I look forward to reading and sharing with you the good dog, cat, animal and religious books that I read throughout the year as well as the occasional video.
The best dog book that I reviewed this year was "An Unexpected Grace" written by Kristin von Kreisler. I have reviewed other books written by this author, and I have enjoyed them all. "An Unexpected Grace" is a fiction work that tells how a dog changes a woman's life for the better.
My choice for best cat book is "The World According to Bob" by James Bowen. James and Bob just keep going strong. This book is the sequel to James' first book "A Streetcat Named Bob". Both books have become international bestsellers. James was a recovering heroin addict when he rescued Bob from the streets. But, who rescued who? I think they rescued each other. James has written another book about Bob that has already been published over in the UK. It is scheduled for release in the U.S. sometime in 2015.
I've already been reading some good books to review in 2015. I look forward to reading and sharing with you the good dog, cat, animal and religious books that I read throughout the year as well as the occasional video.
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