The Eight Year Old Who Changed a Nation....

 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem....

    In my eighth year,  my daily life was filled with play. School was the most serious thing I experienced, and in third grade even that was still pretty much fun. My world was small. I was allowed to play in my own yard and could ride my bike a distance of one block in my own neighborhood. Serious events occurring in the world didn't concern me.

   For Josiah, life was much the same as mine. Then, one night as he was sleeping, the servants in his house killed his dad, King Amon. Josiah went to bed a child and dreamed childish dreams, but awoke as a king. Kings are powerful. As an eight year old king, if he had ordered someone killed, their execution would have been carried out without hesitation.

   Josiah's father and grandfather had both been Kings of Judah, but they had abandoned God and His instructions for carrying out the responsibilities of kingship. In fact, no king of Judah had properly worshipped God for centuries. The Temple still stood on the Temple Mount, but it was in bad repair. As King Josiah matured, he noticed the sad state of the temple building and ordered it repaired. He hired stonemasons and carpenters. He sought only physical repair. As a third generation backslider, he had no thought of spiritual renovation. Then an odd thing happened. The workmen found a book (a scroll) in the temple and brought it to him. (vs 8) Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it.... and a few verses later --  Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.

   Few books existed in Josiah's kingdom. Most had been read to him repeatedly, and had stimulated and informed his intellect. But this was the first time the young King had ever heard the Word of God, and when he heard it, it stimulated his heart and spirit, and he responded -- When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. King Josiah recognized himself as a sinner in the eyes of God, and immediately responded. --   12 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor [fn] the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant saying,   13 "Go, inquire of the Lord for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the Lord that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us." Having encountered the Word for the first time, the King couldn't wait to share it. -- (Chapter 23)   2 The king went up to the house of the Lord and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord. 

   King Josiah inherited his father's position and power but declined his father's spiritual waywardness. For centuries Judah's kings before him had considered themselves among the highest and most powerful men on earth. Upon hearing God's Word, Josiah submitted himself to it and led a nation back into right standing with God -- 3 The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered [fn] into the covenant.  

   The transformational power of the bible is only released when it is heard. Have you heard it? Do you listen to it daily? Have you submitted to its authority in your life? Have you told others about it? Has anyone you know experienced spiritual transformation because you have shared the Word of God with them? Don't tell me you aren't qualified to share the bible. God used Judah's youngest king to instigate Judah's greatest revival but simply exposing them to scripture.


   In the book, Move: What 1,000 Churches Reveal About Spiritual Growth, researchers found that lack of exposure to scripture and eventual submission to its authority is an absolute impediment to spiritual growth and that those who fail to submit to scripture wither and fade away from faith. And the opposite is also true. Those who submit to God's Word are enabled to grow to the highest level of faith.


   Where do you find yourself in this equation? If you are stalled or failing with withering faith, turn your heart to the Lord through the simplest of methods -- read the bible daily. It changed Josiah's heart, then all of Judah. It can change yours too.




Copyright 2014 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com

Regret Behind You....

 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear......So he came and took away His body.  Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came..... (John 19:38-39 NKJV)

 

     Nicodemus had a night time encounter with Jesus as depicted in John 3. Joseph of Arimathea had apparently become a secret follower of Jesus. This unlikely pair never was able to fully muster their spiritual courage and allow themselves to reveal the fullness of their faith until after Jesus died. Joseph petitioned Pilate for the right to bury the body of the Lord, and Nicodemous, a fellow Jew Joseph would have known from their service in the Sanhedrin at the Temple, brought burial accoutrements.

 

     As they performed the tender but morbid act of preparing Jesus' body for burial and placing it in the tomb, I wonder what they felt in their hearts. I don't think I am stretching the

biblically unmentioned very far to assume they had some regrets. Perhaps they regretted not boldly defending Jesus against the unfounded accusations of the Sanhedrin where they held sway. Maybe they regretted not be submitting to sitting under His teaching at the Temple, or perhaps they regretted time spent sitting quietly while their friends condemned Jesus as a heretic instead of confessing their growing thoughts of faith.

     Like the wealthy Joseph and scholarly Nicodemus, many of us have painful regrets of how we have failed to serve Jesus in our own lives. I'm sure these men weren't even aware in their grief that they were also fulfilling more of Isaiah's Messianic prophesy found in chapter 53 and verse 9a -- His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death.... Thoughts of what might of been, the If only I'd of the many times Jesus had been so close to them but they had ignored Him must have filtered through their minds.

 

     The grave Joseph gave Jesus was an expensive gift. It was the custom then that bodies be placed in tombs to decompose. Once all that remained was the skeletal structure, the bones were placed in an ossuary box marked with the person's name, and then left in the tomb. This tomb had been carved from solid stone and was an expensive gift -- especially for one that would only be used for its intended purpose for three days!

 

     Morbid reflection about time lost that could have better been used to serve the Lord is normal for us to experience as Christians, but it should quickly conclude as the fruit of faith replaces regret. For Joseph and Nicodemus, their grief blinded them to seeing that the cross that had brought such sorrow was very close to what they thought was a final burial spot, but was really the birthplace of resurrection. Isaiah saw that too a thousand years before it happened -- "Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth.(Isaiah 54:4,5)

 

     J.A. Motyer wrote of this verse-- Shame . . . disgrace . . . humiliated represent three synonymous Hebrew verbs sharing the fundamental idea of disappointed hopes, the embarrassment of expecting - even publicly announcing - one thing and then reaping another. Joseph and Nicodemus were expecting one thing, burial and decay and got another, resurrection and glory.

 

     Do you mourn the life that might have been if your submission to God had come sooner, or been greater? Break free from the bindings of morbid reflection. End the funeral of your past life and embrace the power of resurrection. Bury the past, God has promised He no longer remembers it. No crop is harvested until it is ripe. God has gathered each of us at exactly the right time. Jesus' concern about the yesterdays of our lives is buried in the Grace of His forgiveness. After that, He is a God of today and tomorrow. We have to trust him for both.The remaining question for us is simple --

 

     What can we do today to serve Him in a way that leaves no accumulating regrets?

 

     Paul expressed it this way in Romans 12:1 -- I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

  

    

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com

 

It Takes Faith to Stop Hammering at the Rubble

"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, 'Says the Lord of hosts. 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' " (Zechariah 4:6-7 NKJV)

   

   For many Christians, our personal foundation was built on human wisdom before we knew the Lord and studied His Word. As Americans our foundation stones often include self reliance, personal achievement, the value of accumulation, and freedom to accomplish whatever we want. Even for those raised in the church and steeped in the Word these secular notions and cultural influences have drifted quietly and corruptively into our hearts.

 

   In the biblical account reflected in the verses above, Zerubbabel faced the challenge of rebuilding the temple. In fact, the term the Lord spoke through His prophet Zechariah, "O Great Mountain" probably referred to the mountain of rubble that existed after the temple's destruction. Zerubbabel was what would today be called a community organizer. He had limited ability, resources and power to accomplish the daunting task before him, and he was hindered (as we often are) by self doubt and discouragement.

 

   The work of God often requires resources that exceed our abilities. When we reach the intersection of  the enormity of the task we face and the limitation of our abilities and feel our helplessness, we are faced with many options. We often choose to push on against insurmountable odds in our own power, producing frustration and exhaustion. In the work and way of the world we are taught to fight through these crossroads with sheer self will. But God's message is not one of human dominance, but rather utter dependence on Him. Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, 'Says the Lord of hosts...

 

   It is culturally counter intuitive to follow God's plan -- In order to win, you need to surrender -- but we can only win Kingdom victories when our hearts are fully reliant on the King. Great relief awaits us when we surrender the outcomes of our difficulties to the mighty hand of God, even in the face of critics and those who mock the Lord and His work.  Charles Spurgeon, an early mega church preacher, saw this clearly --

 

“O churches! take heed lest ye trust in yourselves; take heed lest ye say, ‘We are a respectable body,’ ‘We are a mighty number,’ ‘We are a potent people;’ take heed lest ye begin to glory in your own strength; for when that is done, ‘Ichabod’ shall be written on your walls and your glory shall depart from you. Remember, that he who was with us when we were but few, must be with us now we are many, or else we must fail; and he who strengthened us when we were but as ‘little in Israel,’ must be with us, now that we are like ‘the thousands of Manasseh,’ or else it is all over with us and our day is past.” (Spurgeon)

 

   Or consider David Guzik 's commentary on the  conclusion of this passage --  He shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”--

   This is God's assurance to Zerubbabel that not only will the work be finished, but Zerubbabel - he - shall finish it, setting the capstone and declaring that it was all a work of grace. When the work is done through human might or power we can take credit for it, but when the work is done by the continual supply of the Spirit, then it is all to the glory of God’s grace.(Guzik)

 

  Zerubbabel faced a literal mountain of rubble. We often face piles of relationship rubble, financial rubble, or the rubble that remains after sin is departed. Often we decide -- this is my mess, I have to clean it up. The Lord's plan is far simpler. Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit....

 

   So I'm thinking..... what rubble rocks am I am hammering by my own strength while the Lord looks on, thinking, My Spirit could move that entire mountain for you, Steve, if you'd only trust Me enough to let Me.

   It takes faith to stop hammering, and faith releases the awesome power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  
 

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be quoted in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com

 

 

Now Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had crossed the Jordan. Then he said to the king, “Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember what wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should take it to heart. For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.” (2 Samuel 18-20)

 

   I met an alter ego of myself today, a shadow and type for my flesh. His name is Shemei.

 

   In second Samuel we find an interesting story about King David that occurred at a point in his life where he was getting older and a little less fierce. His Son, Absolam, decided to depose and kill David, and take the throne that would have otherwise come to him in the normal line of ascension rather than wait. He managed to drive King David from Jerusalem and even from Israel. As David left Jerusalem, the servant Shimei helped deceive the King and bitterly cursed him. 

 

   Months later, after David's army had fought those loyal to Absolam and defeated them (including killing Absolam), David and his mighty fighting men congregated on the bank of the Jordan, ready to wade across into Israel. David delayed his crossing until those forces who had supported Absolam's rebellion came to him to resubmit themselves to King David's authority. But Shemei the deceiver didn't hide in the crowd. He came forward first, prostrated himself before David and asked for mercy, Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember what wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should take it to heart...

 

    David's military leaders urged him to put Shemei to death, but David forgave him. Is such mercy really possible? Shemei knew he had committed a great sin and he showed great repentence, accompanied by acknowledgement that David had the authority to impute whatever punishment he deemed appropriate. Shemei's repentance was straight forward and unambiguous. He didn't attempt to justify what he had done, and he revealed his understanding of the gravity of the situation by hurrying to the front of the crowd to fess up as quickly as possible.

 

   I intend to never sin again, but know I will. Sometimes I feel like the boy pictured above, a dunce to sin, making a promise to "be good" that I know Ill never keep. I am a broken man living in a broken world. When I find myself again a sinner against King Jesus, I hurry to his feet, prostrate my heart before him, and request His mercy in the form of forgiveness by Grace. Therefore, here I am....The great preacher Charles Spurgeon put it like this -- “Perhaps you have been like Shimei, who cursed king David, and you are afraid that Jesus will never forgive you. But David forgave Shimei, and Jesus is ready to forgive you. He delighteth in mercy. I do believe that the harps of heaven never give to Christ such happiness as he has when he forgives the ungodly, and saith, ‘Thy sins are forgiven; go in peace.’ “

 

   If [1] we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to [2] cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

 

   I hate that I fall to sin, but I do not have to fear it. Jesus has conquered sin's greatest consequence, death. Death, oh death, where is your sting?  As Spurgeon said, He delighteth in mercy. My sin always has prideful roots that seed renewed rebellion against King Jesus, and my repentance always travels on the wings of renewed submission to Him. My Shemei moments exalt themselves against the throne that will eventually quash them by Grace. Thank you merciful Lord Jesus. My hope is in you, Therefore, here I am.....Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me.

 

  

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be quoted in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

   I've been reading an interesting book entitled, Move: What 1000 Churches Reveal About Spiritual Growth. This book is a project of Pastor Bill Hybels' church designed to determine what conditions and activities foster spiritual growth at all levels of Christian maturity. The project began with a massive survey of attendees at 1,000 churches. Quickly, common denominators for spiritual growth were revealed. I'm going to focus today on three. They  will not surprise you.

 

   The first two walk hand in glove as foundational personal spiritual disciplines, without which spiritual growth is stifled -- reading the Word daily and personal daily prayer time. Across the "spiritual continuum", from infant Christians to seasoned Christians these two were found to be absolutely necessary for spiritual growth to prosper. For those of you who recognize these as personal weaknesses, I'll suggest a simple path for you to walk to restart your spiritual growth and get off the plateau where you are stranded.

 

   First, read the Word. This is so simple and takes only a slight investment of time to produce enormous results. Read a passage of scripture each day. My wife and I read two chapters a day when we are reading a narrative (a portion of the bible which tells a story), and one chapter if we are reading theological explanations (like the book of Romans). Each

day we individually read, then at some point when we are together, we briefly discuss what we have read. Maybe once a week when the discussion goes deep we'll refer to a modern bible commentator like David Guzik to get more clarity. We also usually look up the meanings of names and names of places mentioned to further illuminate the scripture.  All of this involves ten minutes of reading and ten minutes of discussion -- not a burdensome amount of time. It's so simple. Pick a book that interests you and begin to read a little each day. Find a spiritual mentor you can consult when you have a question. In one year, you'll be amazed at the scriptural ground you have covered and spiritual growth you've found. The bible is written so that ordinary people can understand it, but only if they read it. 

 

   Second, daily personal prayer. Genuine Christianity is based on a personal relationship with Jesus. That relationship can never reach the level of intimacy that the Lord desires without daily prayer, a practice that my friend Pastor M.K. Babu rightly calls "sitting with the Lord". Find a quiet place and pray each day. Pray in your normal voice, as if you were taking with a friend (you are). Confess your sins, praise Him, and talk about your concerns. Ask Him to help you understand the scripture you are reading. Tell Him you love Him, and thank Him for saving you. Quickly, this will become your favorite time of the day.

 

   Finally, Move identifies one absolute roadblock to spiritual growth -- failure to recognize and submit to the authority of scripture. If you don't admit that the bible is God's Word and submit to its authority to govern your life, your Christian walk will stifle and die. This presents a simple choice. Do I believe the bible or not? I pray you choose to believe it.

 

   Move has so much more than these things to offer, and I suggest you read it (but not in place of reading the bible). What I have mentioned are simple, but life changing things. Begin today. You'll be blessed.

 

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole of in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.bogspot.com

Reaching for Reconciliation (With a Knife in Your Hand)...

   Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve [fn] himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave. The men of David said to him, "Behold, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, 'Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to [fn] you.'" Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly. (1 Samuel 24:2-4 NKJV)

 

     After months of relentless pursuit by King Saul who intended to find and kill him, David finally had a chance to return the favor. His men encouraged him to kill King Saul, but David, described by the bible as a man after God's own heart, simply cut the corner from Saul's robe, then revealed himself to Saul and reached for reconciliation. This remarkable event required remarkable faith. David trusted God more than he feared Saul.

 

   Reconciliation with those in our lives with whom we live in brokenness requires simple faith. Christians are called by the bible to reach for reconciliation when relational brokenness invades our lives. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NKJV)

 

   But what about when you are completely innocence of causing the brokenness? What about when the person is being a real jerk about it? What if I am certain that my efforts at reconciliation will be rejected? What if they deserve what they are getting? Yada, yada, yada. There are a thousand self justifications to resist reconciliation, but a command by the Lord to pursue it -- he has committed to us the message of reconciliation....

 

   Peace and resentment can't occupy the same heart. They are biblically incompatible concepts. One comes from the dark forces and seeks to poison our hearts, they other from the Lord. Reconciliation is the anti-venom for a poisoned heart. Christ won't send us to reconciliation alone. He accompanies us. He empowers the necessary forgiveness, and seeds in us a contrite and humble spirit. Experience may have taught us that we've always held a grudge, but the Word reminds us -- the old has gone, the new has come!

 

   As we mature in Christ - that is, as there is less of us in us and more of Him in us - resentments will fade and reconciliation will become our norm. Conflict will be marked in our lives by its rarity and brevity. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.

 

   Is there someone in your life with whom you need to reconcile? Just as the Lord pursued reconciliation through Christ with you, pursue reconciliation through Christ with them. Pray first, the reach for reconciliation today. David reached for reconciliation with a knife in his hand, but decided to use that knife only to cut himself free from fear and resentment.



Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworswednesday.blogspot.com

Religion Demands Authority From God, But Never Gets It...

...on one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him and they spoke, saying to Him, "Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?" (Luke 19:47) 

    On the day described above, religion confronted God, unpleased with His methods. These verses reveal the threat that is perceived when the Gospel is declared in the presence of those who refuse to declare it. I said is perceived and not just was perceived, although both are accurate. Even today, those who have not received God’s Grace through the Gospel often resent those who have. 

     I wonder what the daily Sanhedrin meetings at the Temple were like in the days of Jesus time on earth. He quietly entered the Temple, selecting a place under Solomon’s Colonnade, the roofed “porch” that extended around the perimeter of the Temple mount, and taught. It seems likely that spies were appointed to monitor all Jesus taught, seeking flaws. Looking back we see the absolute folly of trying to find the Author of the Scriptures in conflict with Himself, and imagining themselves more capable of understanding what we now know was His Word, than He. His opponents were used to looking back in Scripture, and agreed that a Messiah would someday come, but were unable to recognize Him when He arrived. 

 

   Then as now, if you don’t believe in a Messiah, the Gospel is nonsense. Then as now, if you have not been transformed by the power of the Gospel, you’ll find your spirit uncomfortably pricked every time you hear it or are near it, and although you may mention it in passing, if you have not experienced Gospel transformation you cannot be a valid Gospel witness.  

   In today’s verses, the Sanhedrin decided to open a debate with Jesus based on the issue of authority. They were men of authority who instead of operating always under God had co-opted His authority as if their own, presenting a sort of – this is our house and we’re in charge here attitude. In their pride of leadership, they mistakenly confronted God in His own house.  

   When God extends His authority to us for some purpose for ministry in His kingdom, we must receive it as servant leaders or we’ll likely end up as religious tyrants. Jesus promised that His sheep know His voice. Over the centuries ministry leaders who have begun to operate as the Temple leadership did are able to deceive their flock for a while, but eventually the flock recognizes the fraudulence of a voice which mimics but isn’t genuinely led by their shepherd, and they depart, seeking an authentic Shepherd. 

 

   We don’t need to spend a lot of time evaluating false spiritual leaders. If they mimic but don’t sincerely imitate the Lord, our ears will discern their spiritual lip-syncing. However, we do need to apply the spiritual disciplines of prayer, discernment, bible study, fellowship, etc, to make certain our message remains authentic, fully authorized by God. We need to seek Him with daily spiritual vigilance, especially if God has placed us as teachers of the Word in any way. It is an unfathomable privilege to be permitted to care for and teach God’s children. Paul told us -- and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.   (1 Timothy 1:5-7)  

  

   Be wary of unauthorized biographies of Christ expressed by false prophets. Are there some easily discernable signs of Christian authenticity? I think so.  Authentic Christians speak easily and without shame of the sin burden the Lord has lifted from them, and you won’t be around them long without hearing the detailed testimony of their salvation. They wear a mantle of love, forgiving easily, and have eyes that seek Kingdom purpose and opportunity. It is impossible to compliment them. They always deflect glory toward God.  

  Christ's authority only accompanies Christian authenticity. Religion can claim God's authority, but it will never possess it. Once, religion even tried to kill God to get His authority. It briefly looked like they may have gotten their way. But on the third day.... 

 

 

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries Inc. May be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com