2 Kings

Still Here 

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2 Kings 15:4
“…the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.”

Over the years I have discovered something about myself, I am better at projects than I am at maintenance. My yard is a classic example. We worked hard to irrigate, lay sod, and plant trees, and our yard looked good for a little while. As time went on however, we discovered that neglect undid much of our labors, and before long, things looked rather unkept. It seems like Azariah had a similar problem; while he desired to live pleasing to the Lord and made great strides, he still neglected certain areas that needed his attention. One area in particular, was the “high places”, where altars were built to false gods. These shrines were destructive to the nation because they served as an open door to lead the people away from the true and living God. The only way to properly deal with the high places was to aggressively attack the problem. Azariah needed to mount an offensive and destroy the altars.

I wonder, if we were to honestly and carefully examine our lives, what “high places” might we find? What questionable attitudes or behaviors are you still clinging to? Perhaps it is time to do what King Azariah failed to do, remove those things from your life, before they become the reason for your fall.

Pastor Jim

 

Secret Weapon 

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2 Kings 14:25
“He restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gath Hepher.”

The Northern tribes of Israel reached the zenith of their strength under king Jeroboam II. Here we are given insight into the secret behind their success:

“. . . according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah. . .”

Most of us are familiar with the story of Jonah. He was the reluctant prophet who went through great difficulty because of his refusal to obey God. When he finally surrendered to the Lord, he delivered God’s message, and the inhabitants of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, were saved.

When we put the pieces together, we find the nation of Israel was experiencing peace and growth because the Word of God had impacted the Assyrians, who were their mortal enemies. The true force that had the greatest impact upon the nation was not their military, but preaching of the Word of God.

There is little doubt today, in anyone’s mind, that the nations of the world are facing great difficulty. Economic crisis is the norm in many western countries, the rising threat of civil unrest runs rampant in the Middle East, the fear of terrorist activity is the plight of all nations. What we fail to see, the greatest weapon in any battle is the Word of God. What our nation needs, more than anything else, are individuals who will commit themselves to Christ, and live according to the teaching of His Word. Individuals who will share the love of Christ with their neighbors and friends.

Don’t hold back. Take time today to pray for opportunity to let someone know about the hope of heaven found in relationship with Jesus.

Pastor Jim
 

 

Crying Out 

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2 Kings 13:4-5
“So Jehoahaz pleaded with the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. Then the Lord gave Israel a deliverer, so that they escaped from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before.”

Even a casual reading of Scripture should reveal a pattern; when things get dark, God will raise up a deliverer. We see this when Israel was enslaved in Egypt and God raised up Moses, when they were oppressed by the Midianites and God called Gideon, and here, when Israel was harassed by Syria. A few things are worth noting.  First, God responded to the cry of the king. Jehoahaz was not the godliest of men, but he knew enough to cry out to the Lord when things got difficult. We find that God responded to his pleading and sent a deliverer.

As we look at the darkening conditions in our world, we must follow suit and faithfully cry out for God to intervene. The work of God is closely connected with the prayers of His people. Second, God raises up an unnamed deliverer. With the nation on the verge of destruction, God calls upon an unknown. What makes a great deliverer is not natural ability, clout, or even position. Instead, God will use those who respond to His call. Names like Joshua, David, Daniel and Paul are known to us because they are men who responded to the call of God, trusted in the Word of God, and faithfully performed the work of God.

We are often looking for famous, powerful, or wealthy people to come on the scene and make a difference, while God is in the business of using the unnamed to accomplish His purposes.  Every time we turn on the news we are reminded that our world is getting darker. The world’s moral compass has been damaged, and people are doing what is right in their own eyes. Perhaps more than ever, we need people who will cry out to the Lord and make themselves available to the call of God.

Pastor Jim

Giving 

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2 Kings 12:9
“Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the Lord; and the priests who kept the door put there all the money brought into the house of the Lord.”

Young king Jehoash began his reign by repairing the Temple of the Lord. In order to fund the work, he had a large box built with a hole in the top, where people could place their offerings. He instructed the people to give as they “purpose in their hearts.” This freedom allowed each person to go home, sit with his spouse and pray, regarding what portion of their income should be given to the work of the Lord. Once decided, they would simply drop the funds into the box, without any fan fair or recognition. When the money was received, it was set apart for the work of the Lord. This is a very clear illustration of New Testament giving. Paul instructs us that we should give “as we purpose in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 9:7), and Jesus said, “we should not let our left hand know what our right doing” (Matthew 6:3). The New Testament model for giving is one that allows for “freedom.” Each one of us is free to give as we see fit. However, we must guard against misusing this freedom, by failing to take the time to sit before the Lord and determine what part of our income should be given to the work of God. There are at least two common mistakes we make that negatively influence our decision to give.

First, we think, what we have to give, is so inconsequential that it will not make a difference. This is the same thinking that keeps some from serving the Lord. Keep in mind, it was the widow’s mites that received Christ’s praise, not the golden coins of the rich (Luke 21:1-4).Giving is more about you expressing love for Christ, and trusting in His provision, than it is about the dollar amount of the gift.
Second, we often fail to give because we don’t think we can make ends meet with less than we have. We look at the bills, the kids, the desire for a family vacation, and we wonder how we could ever give any portion to the Lord on a regular basis. I think it is important to keep two things in mind. First, we are exhorted to store up treasures in heaven. When we put aside an earthly gift for the work of the Lord, we are storing up a heavenly treasure. Second, God is in the business of doing more with less. I have been amazed at the ways God has blessed me and my family, as we have served Him over the years.

He is Faithful to meet all your needs.

Pastor Jim

 

Armed And Dangerous 

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2 Kings 11:12
“And he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the Testimony; they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, ‘Long live the king'”

There are times in life when we are required to do things that seem almost impossible. The odds are stacked against us and it looks as though we will never be able to do what is required. That is certainly the case when Joash was crowned as king of Judah. His grandmother killed all other heirs to the throne, and his life was spared only because a priest hid him away in the temple for six years. Now, at the ripe old age of seven, the crown was placed on his head and his reign began. The nation of Judah was in complete disarray: the throne had been stolen by an evil woman who surrounded herself with ungodly men, the people were given over to the worship of Baal, the enemies of Judah were threatening to attack, and the Temple was in need of repair. How in the world could a seven year old king and a handful of priests make a difference with so much stacked against them?

“And he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the Testimony…”

On the day of his coronation, Joash was not armed with sword, spear or javelin, but with the testimonies of God. Long before this, Moses had written that the kings of Israel were to be given a copy of the Word of God, and read it every day. A grasp on the Scriptures is more valuable to a leader than natural resources or highly trained armed forces. The Word of God was designed to give guidance to rulers, so they can effectively lead the nation in righteousness. Solomon wrote,

Proverbs 14:34
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Joash’s success as a leader did not result from his own wisdom, strength, or ingenuity. He did not succeed because he had brilliant plans to bring about change in the nation. Joash was a good leader because he looked to the Word of God for guidance. His successes came from his obedience to God, and his failures were directly related to the times when he ignored the Scriptures.

We are living in challenging times in our nation. Isaiah’s statement that people would call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20)  is an apt description of our world today. It seems as though our moral compass is broken and people are going insane. We are in need of leaders armed with the Scriptures, and willing to stand for what is right in the eyes of God. While we should be praying for those in authority over us, we also want to keep in mind that God might want to use someone who has not yet come on the scene. Time will only tell how the Lord might use us if we give ourselves totally to Him, and devote ourselves to His Word.

Pastor Jim

 

Part Way 

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2 Kings 10:31
“But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart; for he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin.”

When Jehu became king of Israel, he went on a rampage against those who had been loyal to Ahab, and his ungodly ways. At first glance, he seemed to be purging the nation to get the people ready to follow and serve the Lord. However, as time went on, it became clear that Jehu was only willing to go part way with the Lord. He removed some things, but failed to replace them with good. Today, it is not difficult to find people who approach their relationship with God just like Jehu did. They are those who are willing to go part way with the Lord, making a few changes, but are not willing to surrender all.

Jesus spoke of those whose life is like seed planted in a field filled with weeds. The seed germinates, the plant grows, and fruit even begins to appear, but because of the weeds, the plant is ultimately choked out, and the fruit dies (Matthew 13:22). The simple application is, when we allow things to remain in our life that should be removed, those things will choke out our ability to grow in Christ and bear the fruit of the Spirit.

The Psalmist wrote, the Bible is like a light and a lamp. When we open it and begin to read, it will shine a light on our life and reveal things that need to be removed, and changes that need to be made. The question we want to ask ourselves is, “What is the light revealing in my life?” If we are willing to let it shine, and make the proper applications, we will find ourselves growing in Christ, and bearing the kind of fruit that leads to pleasing God, and living a blessed life.

Pastor Jim

 

Introspective 

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2 Kings 9:6
“Then he arose and went into the house. And he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel.'”

Many men have been called and anointed by God for service. Unfortunately, too many follow the example of Jehu. He spent the beginning of his calling ridding Israel of those who had turned the nation against the Lord. One by one, his sword was a vehicle of judgment against the wicked leaders who went before him. Joram the king of Israel, Jezebel the queen mother, and Ahaziah king of Judah, were all slain for their wickedness, and crimes against the nation. After showing great zeal for righteousness in others, Jehu failed to show the same zeal for his own commitment to the Lord. After successfully using the sword against others, he allowed sin to run rampant in his own life. We read of him,

2 Kings 10:29 “However Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin, that is, from the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan.”

One of the great dangers of Christian ministry is to become tolerant of your own sin, while focusing on helping to remove the sins of others. The devil is good at what he does, and what he does is deceive. He will spend great energies to get us to take the spotlight off ourselves, and only use it on others. The value of being in the Word of God daily, is that God will use it to probe into our lives and keep us on track.

Be careful to let God remove planks from your life, as He equips you to remove splinters from others (Matthew 7:3-4).

Pastor Jim

 

Quick Fix

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2 Kings 8:18
“And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.”

Sometimes, the reason a person fails to walk with the Lord is quite simple. In the case of Jehoram, king of Judah, it was anything but complicated; he got involved with an ungodly woman, who turned his heart from the Lord.

What would we find if we took a few minutes to examine you? Would we be able to discover anything that is keeping you from walking with Jesus? Would we find that past hurt has created a bitterness of which you refuse to let go? Or perhaps a compromise has led to a sin thats grip is so tight, you feel incapable of ever breaking away? Maybe it is as simple as it was for Jehoram, and you are involved in a wrong relationship, or at least in doing relationships wrong? What ever the case, the way to get things right,is to do an honest self evaluation, and make the proper adjustments.

The other day I was driving, and suddenly the car began to shake so ferociously, I was barely able to steer, and unable to continue driving. When I pulled over, I found the cause of what was keeping me from moving forward, was a simple flat tire. It was hot, it took some work, and I got dirty. However, after a relatively short period of time, the problem was addressed, fixed, and I was moving forward to my desired destination. Whatever is keeping you from moving forward has to be addressed and repaired if you are going to find yourself pressing toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

4 Leprous Men

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2 Kings 7:3
“…four leprous men…”

The city of Samaria was under siege. The Syrian army with all it’s forces, had surrounded the city, and was starving out the people. The difficult times had caused the people to behave in deplorable ways. Sins so repulsive they are difficult to mention, ran rampant throughout the city. Within this scene, we read of four men living on the outskirts of the city. These men were lepers who were no longer living, as much as they were waiting to die. In this condition, they looked at one another and determined, starving to death was a worse way to die than being a Syrian POW. As a result, they decide to leave Samaria and surrender to the Syrian army.

When they arrived at the Syrian camp, they were shocked by what they found. Instead of being greeted by angry soldiers, they found the entire camp was deserted. The soldiers had fled, but all their supplies were left behind. As they moved from tent to tent, the lepers soon found food, already prepared, set on the table for the officers. After filling their pockets with gold and silver, and eating and drinking their fill, these four lepers began to feel a sense of responsibility to their friends and families in Samaria. They realized, they owed it to Israel to share the good news of their find.

Upon arriving in Samaria with a message of hope and deliverance, they were immediately met with skepticism. No one believed that just outside the walls of the city where people were starving to death, could be a camp full of food and riches. Skepticism, unbelief, and the fact that the message was being delivered by four lepers, caused the people to almost miss out on the only hope they had of survival. Fortunately, a few men were willing to take a chance. On the word of the lepers, they made their way to the camp to find everything about the lepers’ testimony was, in fact, true. Returning to the camp they declared the message that saved a nation.

It is not difficult to see the parallels between their story and our calling. We were once men and women afflicted by sin, and under a curse of death. By coming to Christ, we have been blessed with abundant life. After tasting of the goodness of the Lord, we realize we have a responsibility to declare the hope of heaven to the world around us. As we begin to share, we find many respond with skepticism and unbelief. As time continues, we will find some are willing to check it out for themselves. Some of these who come to Christ, may be gifted to lead multitudes into the hope of heaven.

Paul realized, he was in debt to all men because Christ had saved him. Take time today to invite someone to come with you to church and hear the glorious message of salvation through Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

Church Life

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2 Kings 5:3
“Then she said to her mistress, ‘If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.’”

Namaan was a Syrian general and a man of prominence within that nation. He was a courageous, well-spoken individual, who seemed to be both well liked and morally sound, by the standard of the day. With all Namaan had going for him, he was struck with a blow that would undo the strongest of men. A quick visit to his local doctor had revealed he had contracted the deadly and painful disease of leprosy. No doubt, he gathered with his family and closest friends to share the news. That meeting would have been filled with weeping and despair. No amount of money, power, or position could undo the deadly effects of this disease. He was destined for a long, painful struggle that would definitely end badly.

It is in this setting we are introduced to an unnamed young woman. When she heard of Naaman’s condition, her heart leaped; for she knew there was a solution. Not just for this problem, but for every problem. Her solution was to go see the prophet. Something about the ministry of Elisha had convinced her that a man whose life was devastated, could be restored by simply showing up. Her counsel was simple, “if only my master were with the prophet…”

What was it about the ministry of Elisha that caused her to believe the prophet could resolve Naaman’s problem? I believe it was the double portion of the Spirit of God that was upon Elisha. A ministry governed by the Spirit of God is a ministry that will transform even the most devastated lives. What we need in our churches, more than anything else, is a greater portion of the Spirit of God.
We meet people everyday whose lives have been turned upside down by illness, death, divorce, and much more. Would to God they would see the solution is found in coming to Christ. Pray for your church, pray that it would be a place where people would encounter Christ, and their lives would be repaired. If you have a friend who is in pain, get them to a church where they can hear of the wonderful workings of Christ, and become another in the long line of individuals that have been healed, transformed, and saved by the powerful work of God.

Pray for Calvary Chapel and pray for me.

Pastor Jim