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Amos 4:4-13 (KJV) Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years: 5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. 6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 7 And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. 8 So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 11 I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. 13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

Please read those last two verses with me,

Amos 4:12-13 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. 13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

The writer of the Book of Amos was just a simple Shepherd who loved the Lord. He lived in Tekoa, a place about 12 miles southeast of Jerusalem about 800 years before our Lord Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. Amos spoke of his calling when he gave his testimony, saying:

Amos 7:15 (ESV) …. the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

1 In Our Message Today I Speak First To God’s Church, To God’s Collected Children, To The “Sheep Of His Pasture”. Are You “Prepared To Meet Your God?”. If you are a Child of God you should be ever prepared to meet your God. Each and every Child of God – saved by faith in Christ, born again as Revelation 1:5-6 says:

“Unto Him that LOVED US, and washed US from OUR sins in HIS OWN BLOOD,

and hath made us KINGS AND PRIESTS unto God and His Father ..”

Saved we become part of God’s Family. He is Father, we are His Children. He is Shepherd, we are His Sheep.

Psalm 100:3 (ESV) Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Psalm 95:6-7 (ESV) Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! 7For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Ezekiel 34:31 (NASB) “As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,” declares the Lord GOD.

John 10:14-16 (KJV)14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

God’s people are His Sheep, whether Israel in the Old Covenant or the Church in the New Covenant. He is our Shepherd. Are you prepared to meet YOUR God?

Are You Obediently Worshiping Him? God’s Israel was suppose to be worshiping God in Jerusalem, in that city of David, and at the Temple that Solomon built. But where were they?

Amos 4:4 (KJV) Come to Bethel, and TRANSGRESS; at Gilgal multiply TRANSGRESSION; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:

Israel was bringing their sacrifices every morning. They were tithing (though they were doing it not as God said, but halfheartedly, every three years. They were “bringing sacrifices” to God, but these were mixed with leaven. They were Israel. They were saved.

But they were not going to the Temple as God directed.

Their King Jeroboam set up a place to worship – CONVENIENCE CENTERS if you will. He built two golden calves and gave them to Israel, saying “It is too far to go to the Temple to worship. You can go to BETHEL. You can go to GILGAL. THESE be your gods, O Israel. Worship here.”

So Israel listened to the voice of fallen Man and disobeyed God. They changed their PLACE of worship because it suited them. They disobeyed God by hearing man rather than God, then obeyed outwardly but inwardly drifted from the Lord. They became like the Church of Laodicea in Revelation, and the change was gradual. Jesus told Laodicea:

Revelation 3:15-16   I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.   [16]   So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

God saved us with passion, and wants us to follow Him without equivocation. Our hearts are to be fully focused on Him. We are to be fervent in the love for Him Who saved us. The love that we have for God cannot just be tepid and passing, but all consuming like a fire. Our God is a consuming fire. We are to be consumed of Him!

Deuteronomy 6:5  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

for did He not love us this way when He died for us on Calvary?

Did He not bear the Nails? Did He not hang naked on yonder Tree? Did He not bear the Shame? Did He not bear the Sin? Did He not give everything for us, even being abandoned by God our Father – Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani – My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken Me? Was He not laid in an empty Tomb? Did He not rise again, forever to live among us?

Has He not said:

Matthew 18:20   For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Are you prepared to meet your God? Did you tune your own harp before coming to Church this morning or were you, as a dead coal, hoping to rub against a spark that might cause you to burn. Did you wake up and seek His Face in prayer? Did you read His Word before coming here today? Did you pray for your Sunday School and Training Union Teachers, for your Pastor, for the Deacons? Did you give as much diligence to your Heavenly Family as you do to your earthly Job? Did you get enough sleep so that you do not have to yawn through the service? A crying child who will not quit disrupts the Word, but so does a sleepy headed person who stayed up watching a rerun of Gilligan’s Island on television.

God told His people:

Amos 4:6-9 (KJV) And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 7 And also I have with holden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. 8 So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmer worm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

When there is famine among God’s Children it is God Who allows it.

Churches today are losing members and attendance because they have turned from the Word of God. They have become ENTERTAINMENT HOUSES rather than places where God is cherished. God stops the rain of Grace when His people will not hear. God brings tragedy so that we – like Sheep – will stop and return to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls.

Beloved Church, start your day in prayer. Seek Christ’s Face in the pages of His Book. As you go through your day speak to Your Shepherd frequently. The heart prepared to meet God will see God. The mind focused with singleness or purpose will walk with the Great I AM.

Amos 4:11 I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

God does not want to overthrow you. He wants to cherish you. He wants you to get in the boat with Him. Noah in the boat was safe, whereas those outside the boat were perishing with the world. The Apostles in the boat with Jesus saw Him ….

Mark 4:39 (KJV)…. rebuke[d] the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Illustrate The best place to be is IN THE BOAT with Jesus. Be prepared daily to meet your God. You prepare for the TEMPORAL, make your first preparation for the ETERNAL. We prepare for vacations, prepare for trips, prepare to go and see grandchildren and great grandchildren. Some have prepared for their funerals, buying insurance and burial insurance so that their loved ones will not unduly suffer at their departure. I know when we go on trips Sherry will prepare a month in advance. She takes everything with us. She packs the suitcases, packs sodas and water, packs snack foods. I used to mark a map (though now I use a GPS). I check the spare tire and make sure it has air in it, check the oil, the radiator, the transmission fluid. We pack a mattress so we can stop at a halfway point. I make sure I have my phone and my portable office (because I work on sermons for you, dear Church, even while on vacation). We go prepared to meet our grandchildren.

Are you prepared to meet your God?

2 I Speak Next To The Lost Among Us. Are You Prepared To Meet Your God? God said that He is the One Who ….

Amos 4:13 … maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

Illustrate Some who do not believe say “I don’t believe in God”. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe in God or not. Your belief or unbelief does not make nor dismantle God. God is. You can say

“I don’t believe in gravity”

but if you step off a cliff gravity will make a believer out of you. You can say

“I don’t believe in the First Law of Thermodynamics” (look it up)

but if you step in front of a moving 18 wheeler you will become a believer! God is. God is everywhere. The Psalmist said:

“Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to Heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there” (Psalm 139:7,8)

God spoke through the Prophet saying:

Jeremiah 23:24 “Can a man hide himself in hiding places, So I do not see him?” declares the LORD.”

It is God Who made us. It is God Who gave us life. The Scripture says:

Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 “Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.”

God made us. When we die, our bodies return to the dust, and our souls return to God Who gave it. Are you prepared to meet your God? The Lord Jesus said:

Luke 12:15-21 (KJV) …. Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Did you notice that God called the unprepared rich man “Thou Fool”. The Bible tells us that the word “Fool” is used for an Atheist, a person who “hath said in his heart ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1; Psalm 53:1). The rich man lived his life as if there were no God. He was prepared to prosper on earth, but not prepared to meet his God.

There are many who profess to know there is a God, to profess to know Christ as Lord and Savior, and yet by their lives they live as if they are Atheists. They “have said in their hearts ‘There is no God’”. Yet there is a God, and this Creator God made you to walk and talk with Him.

Illustrate There is an old story of a King who had a “Court Jester”. The Jester made him laugh, so much so that one day the King handed him a golden staff. He told his Jester “Take this, and keep it till you find a bigger fool than yourself.” A few years later the king became sick and was soon to die. His courtiers were called; his family and his servants also stood round his bedside. Someone called for the Jester, thinking that he would raise the King’s spirit before he died. When the Jester saw his King the King said “I am about to leave you. I am going on a very long journey, and I shall not return again to this place. Goodbye, dear Jester”. The Jester looked with sadness at his King and said, “Your Majesty, may I ask a question? When you have journeyed abroad visiting your people, staying with your nobles, or paying diplomatic visits to other courts, your heralds and servants have always gone before you, making preparations for you. May I ask what preparations your Majesty has made for this long journey that he is about to take?” The King replied “Alas! I have made no preparations.” With that the Jester handed the King his golden staff. “Dear friend, take this staff with you – for now I have found a bigger fool than myself.”

Are you prepared to meet your God?

He made you in His image and after His likeness (Genesis 1:26).

You are fearfully and wonderfully made to be one with God (Psalm 139:14).

You were designed to be the Sheep of His Pasture, Lovingly cared for.

Some say “I have prepared by the life I am living”. It is certain that those who belong to God will live with a generous and loving nature. When Jesus spoke of Heaven and Hell He said that those who were certainly destined to Hell were those who lived hateful and selfish lives. He said:

Matthew 25:41-46 (KJV) Then shall {God} say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Those who are “righteous” act “right” and are “on the right hand of God”. The “leftious” do not go to Heaven but to Hell. You might say “you just made up a word” and yes, I did – but many of you make up a God. The God of Heaven is RIGHTeous, and his people are RIGHTeous.

How does one become RIGHTeous?

We admit we are LEFTious and seek God’s righteousness by faith.

Romans 3:20-28 (KJV) Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

When you acknowledge yourself a sinner and commit your ways unto Christ – receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior – then God IMPUTES His righteousness to you. God covers your sin in the Blood of His Son.

Hebrews 9:12-14 … not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

God saves His Sheep so His Sheep can follow Him.

Illustrate A preacher was preaching about Judgment Day. He roared: “There will be wars, and famines and earthquakes! The sun shall be darkened, and the stars will fall from the sky! On that day will you be ready? On that day, what will you want?” A little boy sitting next to his mother thought about that question. Tugging on his mother’s sleeve he whispered, “On Judgment Day I want the teachers to call off school!”. A Judgment Day is coming for everyone – are you prepared to meet your God? If you are prepared then your works will be judged in righteousness for crowns or loss (see Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:10). If you are NOT prepared then you will stand before a Jesus Who does not know you and be judged at a Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-14).

Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.

Jesus Christ gave Himself for you! When I was in the military we often did “War Games” at an event called “Red Flag” at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. One time while checking in I overheard a man fussing because he could not get a room at one of the local hotels. He asked me “How did YOU get a room?” I said “because I called ahead and made a reservation”. You need to call ahead and make a reservation for Heaven. Do so today by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus. Whosoever calleth on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.

Oh that you would be saved!

Closing Illustration On December 26, 2004, the world watched in horror as the story of the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia unfolded. An earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean triggered a huge tidal wave as high as 100 feet tall that came crashing on shore across the region. The tsunami did damage as far as the east coast of Africa, 5000 miles away. Over a quarter million people died in the rampaging waters and devastation that followed. Entire island populations and coastal villages were wiped out – every man, woman, and child in some cases. According to the Associated Press, there was one notable exception to the loss of life. The Morgan sea gypsies are a small tribe of fishermen who spend much of the year on their boats fishing between India, Indonesia and Thailand. Each December, between fishing seasons, they live in small thatch huts on the beaches of Thailand. Last December, they were living directly in the path of certain disaster. Yet every single member of the tribe survived, while most of their neighbors disappeared in the rampaging waters. Why? The tribal chief explains, “For generations our fathers warned us that if the waters ever receded fast, they would quickly reappear in the same quantity in which they disappeared.” On December 26 when the sea suddenly drained away, many of their neighbors ran to the beach with baskets to pick up stranded fish. Not the Morgan sea gypsies. The chief ordered his tribe to run in the opposite direction, to the mountains and safety. When the tsunami hit, the entire tribe was spared.

I and every believer in Christ are Gypsies – Pilgrims on a journey to our Eternal Home. We have been given a message of warning and of promised blessing. Whosoever believes in the Son shall not perish but have everlasting life. Judgment is coming. Are you prepared to meet your God?

I pray that you are. May God touch your hearts with His Word.

I asked you all yesterday to commit to prayer. To start your day with prayer, and with reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word. This morning as I met with God in prayer I asked Him what message I should bring tonight. The Bible tells us that …

James 1:5-6 (NKJV) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith …

God wants us to ask – to not worry but to seek His Face. As I prayed and went to God’s Word the Lord led me to 2 Chronicles 20. So if you will, turn with me to 2 Chronicles 20, and we will begin by reading the first three verses of this text:

2 Chronicles 20:1-3 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. [2] Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. [3] And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

When I was a young boy I was taught the “Lord’s Prayer” by my mother and grandmother. In fact, when we went to Church we recited the “Lord’s Prayer” every Sunday. As a young and unsaved boy I didn’t understand the Lord’s Prayer, but a bored child sitting on a pew not far from Momma’s Pinch paid attention. In fact, I memorized the Lord’s Prayer out of boredom. I didn’t know the Lord then, but what I learned as a child has blessed me as an adult.

How many of you know the “Lord’s Prayer”? Jesus’ disciples often saw the Lord Jesus go off by Himself to pray. They heard Jesus pray. They heard the familiarity that Jesus had with the God Above. So one day the disciples came to Jesus and said “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). Jesus gave a model prayer to those who followed Him. If you know it say it with me …

Matthew 6:9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. [10] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Before I ever knew God as my Creator, my Savior, and my Lord I was taught to pray. I was taught to pray as a young child in Church and at home. We prayed over our meals. We prayed before going to bed. We prayed (at least I did) before hard things and during hard things. We prayed.

Yet sadly in America today we do not pray as we ought. We are technologically rich and spiritually impoverished. Medical technology can remove cancers and transplant organs. We get our answers from television and internet.

1 God Is Still On The Throne.

Tonight the Lord wants us to look at the life of a man who had no high tech, no television, no surgical centers nor space age medicine. This man was named Jehoshaphat.

Hebrew names often have meaning, and “Jehoshaphat” means “the LORD is the Judge”. Jehoshaphat’s daddy Asa was King of Judah for 41 years. When he passed away Jehoshaphat became King. The Bible tells us that Jehoshaphat …

2 Chronicles 20:32 …. walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD.

Jehoshaphat was not perfect. Our text tonight begins with these words:

2 Chronicles 20:1-3 It came to pass after this also …

What happened before 2 Chronicles 20? King Jehoshaphat of Judah married the King of Israel’s daughter Athaliah. This joined the two families together. One day King Ahab – Jehoshaphat’s Father-In-Law – came to Jehoshaphat and asked him to join with him in declaring war against the King of Syria at Ramothgilead. As soon as Ahab asked him this Jehoshaphat replied:

2 Chronicles 18:4 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.

“I want to know what God’s Word has to say about it”. God speaks to His people. He sends His written Word. He sends His Messengers, His Prophets, His Preachers, His Teachers. Jesus said:

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Oh how God loves His People, the Sheep of His Pasture. He says unto us:

Ezekiel 34:12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

God loves His people, and loves to deliver His people. Jehoshaphat knew that the best place to be is under the Voice of the Lord Who made us, the tender Voice of Him Who called us out of darkness. When God sent a Prophet to Jehoshaphat and Ahab that Prophet warned them not to attack Syria. The Prophet said:

2 Chronicles 18:16 …. I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.

God was not in it. He was not in the attack, and if Ahab went forward he would be killed in battle and Israel left without a King. Ahab did not believe the Word of God. He is like so many that I have preached to and counseled. They HEAR the Word but DISBELIEVE the word. Jesus said that we are to both HEAR and DO His Word. Ahab did not believe, and went to battle, and died. Jehoshaphat went with his father-in-law and almost died himself. The Bible says:

2 Chronicles 18:31 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

Ahab died, but God saved Jehoshaphat because Jehoshaphat relied on the Lord. He cried out, and the LORD – the Great I AM – helped him. Oh what a wonderful treat it is to be a Child of God, to know that – even if I foolishly err, I can cry out and God will hear and deliver!

Isaiah 12:2-6 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. [3] Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. [4] And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. [5] Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. [6] Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

Jehoshaphat loved the Lord! and the Lord loved Jehoshaphat! In 2 Chronicles 19 God rebuked Jehoshaphat for compromising and going with his father-in-law Ahab. And in chapter 19 Jehoshaphat sought the Lord with all his heart. Jehoshaphat set up rulers in his kingdom and

2 Chronicles 19:6-7 … said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. [7] Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

Honorable people were made leaders. When a leader – whether President, Politician, or Preacher is dishonorable the people will follow suit. Leaders were established who loved God and respected His Word.

2 Trouble Strikes Even The Godly, But God Is Still On The Throne. Everyone has trials in this life. Every person is either in a trial, heading toward a trial, or coming out of a trial. If you live and breath you will be tried. Jehoshaphat was serving the Lord, doing what he could. And then we read:

2 Chronicles 20:1 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

When it rains it pours is not only a motto for Morton Salt – it is a truth of life. The Children of Moab and the Children of Ammon were the children of Abraham’s Nephew Lot, children born of incest. They were kissing cousins to the Jews. Though family, they were often the enemies of Israel, and sought to destroy the people of God. The Moabites and Ammonites got together with other enemies of Judah probably because the King of Israel had just died. The Devil will look for a toehold where ever he can get it. When it was Judah and Israel united by marriage this evil confederacy did nothing. But now Judah looked ripe for the picking.

2 Chronicles 20:2 THEN there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.

Have you ever noticed when trouble comes the Devil will send his own “preachers” to make it a little worst? The Ammonites, Moabites, and others are coming THEN there came some that told Jehoshaphat “there comes a multitude against THEE”. Not against Judah. Against THEE. The doctor diagnoses cancer, and a friend says “I hope it’s not the rapid growth kind … I had a friend who died quickly from that!” You get a mole on your neck – had one there all my life. My barber said “You better get that looked at. I know someone who had one just like it – but now they’re dead!”. God save us from the well meaning discouragers. The Bible says:

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…”

What happened when Jehoshaphat heard these things? The Bible tells us that:

2 Chronicles 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared…

Fear is natural. If you are a human, then you have (if you are normal) been afraid. Fear protects us. One time when I was on mission in Belize someone found a tiny snake and started playing with it, poking it with a stick. The snake couldn’t have been 6 inches long. One of the natives in our barracks jumped up, ran over, and stomped the snake to death. He then told the foolish men playing with it that this is the “Banded Krait”, a highly venomous snake that can spring several body lengths forward if angered. God gave us the ability to fear to preserve us from harm. But fear must not control us. Jehoshaphat feared, but was not controlled by that fear. The Bible says:

2 Chronicles 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

Jehoshaphat feared, but he turned His eyes to the Lord. He “SET HIMSELF to seek the LORD”. He took himself in hand. What does the Bible tell us about fear? When afraid the Psalmist said:

Psalms 121:1-2 … I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. [2] My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

and our Lord Jesus said:

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Matthew 6:25-27 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

When confronted by the impossible do not listen to the discouragers but seek God’s Face in prayer. God is able to overcome anything that you might face. Jehoshaphat was in an impossible situation so he sought the Lord. In fact, he asked that others seek the Lord with him. He proclaimed a fast, because it was not just Jehoshaphat that was in trouble but the entire nation. When God’s people come together and pray then God will act on our behalf. We live in an age where “Prayer Meeting” is no more than putting another name on a list. We are to pray. We are to pray together. Jehoshaphat was not ashamed to pray. The Bible says:

2 Chronicles 20:5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

a Jehoshaphat STOOD Up. He was not ashamed. He went forward. He went to the altar. He took his burden to God.

b Jehoshaphat PRAYED. The Lord’s taught us to pray:

Our Father Who Art In Heaven, HALLOWED Be Thy Name

Jehoshaphat prayed:

2 Chronicles 20:6 …. O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done, On Earth As It Is In Heaven.

2 Chronicles 20:7-9 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? [8] And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, [9] If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Protect us, O God. Take our needs and satisfy them. God, we rely upon You. YOU and YOU ALONE are our God. God, the Ammonites and Moabites are coming to destroy us. We have acted honorably toward them, but they seek to destroy us.

2 Chronicles 20:12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

“Our eyes are upon Thee, O Lord God”. We are not looking around for better options. We are seeking YOU. We are relying upon YOU and YOUR WORD. I was pleasantly surprised to see that your Memory Verse for this month is Romans 12:2

“Be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God”

When God’s people turned from their own solutions and sought God’s design then the Lord answered. He brought through the Holy Spirit, saying to Jehoshaphat and Israel:

2 Chronicles 20:15-17 … Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. [16] To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. [17] Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

The God of the impossible will handle the impossible. Set yourselves. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. Trust God.

c Jehoshaphat Praised. So many people today say “I believe in God” or “I am a Christian” then leave Church and act just like they are Atheists. There is no such thing as an Atheist Christian or an Atheist Child of God. As soon as God answered their prayers Jehoshaphat and Judah gave the outward indication of faith.

2 Chronicles 20:18-19 Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. [19] And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

The outward evidence of faith is praise unto God. Judah and Jehoshaphat did not praise God only AFTER the victory was won. Judah and Jehoshaphat praised God BEFORE the victory. God’s people humbled themselves before the Lord. The Bible tells us …

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: [7] Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

They trusted God. They rose early the next morning to do what God told them to do. And Jehoshaphat told Judah:

2 Chronicles 20:20 … Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

And as they went to where the Ammonites and Moabites were the Bible tells us that Jehoshaphat

2 Chronicles 20:21-22 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. [22] And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

As God’s people praised and worshiped the Lord the Lord cause the Ammonites and the Moabites and the inhabitants of Mount Seir to fight among themselves. When Judah “came toward the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude” and found all of their enemies defeated.

And not only were their enemies defeated, the Bible says:

2 Chronicles 20:25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

Our God is an awesome God. Trust Him. Seek Him. Believe in Him.

2 Chronicles 20:26-30 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day. [27] Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies. [28] And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD. [29] And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel. [30] So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.

The Valley that should been a curse was “Berachah”, the “Valley of Blessing”. Why? Because they sought the Lord. Will you seek the Lord? Will you lay your burden down before Him? Will you put the mountain before you in His care and trust Him, worshiping Him?

Will you?

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Kings 15.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1&2 Samuel, 1 Kings

The two books 1 & 2 Kings focuses on the actions of the Kings of Judah and Israel. Under King Rehoboam Israel – God’s Holy People – had a terrible civil war that tore the nation into two parts. Ten Tribes or States in Israel separated and followed Jeroboam – a King not from the Tribe of Judah. Judah and her neighbor Benjamin stayed true to the Kingdom of David’s grandson Rehoboam. So what should have been one people – Israel – became from the moment of revolt two different peoples – referred to in the Holy Word as ISRAEL and JUDAH. Both Israel and Judah had Kings. Judah’s kings came from the line of King David, whereas Israel’s kings did not.

What should have been one people was two. What should have been a victorious, powerful, unified people was divided and weak. Why? Why would God’s people be a broken and not a victorious people?

Because they tolerated the High Places in their midst.

The Bible Books of 1 and 2 Kings chronicles the lives of the Kings of Israel and Judah. We read in:

1 Kings 15:9-14  And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.  [10]  And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.  [11]  And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.  [12]  And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.  [13]  And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.  [14]  But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

Here we see two kings mentioned. “In the twentieth year of Jeoboam”. This is the Jeroboam King of Israel, the same Jeroboam who led the revolt against Rehoboam. Jeroboam has an interesting history. He was from the Tribe of Ephraim, and traced his heritage back to Joseph’s son Ephraim. Joseph named his son Ephraim because he said:

God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering (Genesis 41:52)

1 When God Is The “High Place” Then He Takes Us To A High Place. Ephraim – and the tribe that came out of this son – was to stand for the blessings of God in the midst of suffering. Falsely imprisoned and sold into slavery by his own brothers Joseph kept his eyes on God. God was the High Place in Joseph’s life, and God blessed Joseph. Sold a slave, Joseph kept his focus on God. He rejected all other gods, and humbled himself. Joseph did as the Apostle bids we as believers do:

Romans 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  [2]  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

God is to be the High Place in each believer’s life. The Church looks on at an America going darker all the time and cries out “Why, O Lord, is the darkness so great”. God cries back to us. “Why am I not your High Place!”

When Joseph humbled himself and made God the High Place then God made Joseph a King on the earth. And Jeroboam – the descendant of Joseph –

how did Jeroboam get to be King of Israel?

Jeroboam did not start out as King. Jeroboam was the servant of King Solomon. He was the son of the widow Zeruah, a boy raised in a single parent family. He was a skilled worker, a man who loved God and who was industrious. He was a person who lived for God, and who exemplified the command of God:

Colossians 3:23-24 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

As with his forefather Joseph, Jeroboam worked to honor God. God was his High Place, so much so that King Solomon saw his works and put Jeroboam in charge of the household of Joseph (see 1 Kings 11:28). King Solomon watched and promoted Jeroboam. But Someone Else was watching Jeroboam.

That someone was God. We read:

1 Kings 11:29-35  And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:  [30]  And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:  [31]  And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:  [32]  (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)  [33]  Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.  [34]  Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:  [35]  But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.

God was watching Solomon, and saw that Solomon – wise king that he was – allowed the High Places to remain in Israel. Solomon had many wives and many concubines. His heart was not like his father David’s, and he compromised just as his son Rehoboam would compromise. So God told Jeroboam that He was going to “take the kingdom out of Solomon’s son’s hand and give ten tribes to you, Jeroboam”.

It is God Who blesses. King David knew that …

Psalm 75:7 … God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

The Prophet Daniel, exiled and imprisoned in Babylon knew that God …

Daniel 2:21 … changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

God is to be the High Place. God watches us. He watched Solomon. He watched Jeroboam. He watched Rehoboam. God watches. God watched from Heaven and repented that He made man. God saw Noah and commanded him to build an Ark. God watches. God sets up, and God tears down.

When Jeroboam led the ten tribes away from Judah it was because he made God his High Place. God told Jeroboam:

1 Kings 11:38 (ESV) And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.

God promised to bless Jeroboam if Jeroboam would make God first.

2 When God Is Not Our High Place We WILL Be Brought Low. God must be our High Place. It is in the very first Commandment that God said:

Exodus 20:3-6  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  [4]  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:  [5]  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;  [6]  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

God will not bless those who will not bless Him. There is a sort of nonsense that is running through the Church in America today that says “Once you’re saved, you can live any way that you want to live. God does not see your sins if you are a Christian. You are free to do as you will.” This is hogwash that is not supported by Scriptures.

God will not tolerate toleration toward sin.

The Bible says:

Romans 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; …

James 1:15 … sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Illustrate Sin is the magician – death the rabbit in the hat. Sin goes “TAH DAH” and death comes out in its bony hand!Sin and death always go hand in hand.

Rehoboam lost the Kingdom because he committed idolatry and put other gods in the place of God. He allowed the High Places. So God gave ten tribes to Jeroboam.

And then Jeroboam foolishly did the same thing.

Jeroboam did not obey the Lord. You would think that he would, having seen what happened to Rehoboam. But we have an odd way of examining our own sins with closed eyes while putting the sins of others under a microscope. Jeroboam had two golden calves made (1 Kings 12:25-33). The reason he did this is because the Temple was at Jerusalem, under the control of Rehoboam. He began to DOUBT GOD’S PROMISE. He thought:

IF the people return to Jerusalem to the Temple to worship,

THEN they may return to following Rehoboam,

THEN I will be killed.

Do you remember the time that Moses went up into Mount Sinai to receive the Law of God? While he was gone those 40 days the people demanded that Aaron make a Golden Calf. Aaron did so, the Elders of Israel said:

Exodus 32:4 (ESV) … These are your gods, O Israel, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt …

When Jeroboam allowed fear to paint the promise of God to be a lie, he turned from honoring God to making his own gods. Having these two Golden Calves made Jeroboam said almost to the word the same thing that the Elders of Israel said while Moses was in the Mount.

1 Kings 12:28 (NKJV) {Jeroboam said} “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”

Have you ever noticed the SIMILARITY of SIN? There is nothing new under the sun. The Bible says:

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Galatians 6:7 (KJV) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Rehoboam turned away from God. He made other things High Places, and God was not his High Place, and so God removed his Kingdom and gave it to righteous Jeroboam. Then Jeroboam took God from the High Place and put Golden Calves in HIS Place. The same Prophet that brought blessing to Jeroboam came back to him and said:

1 Kings 14:10-11 Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone. 11 Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the Lord hath spoken it.

When God is our High Place then we will be blessed. When He is magnified – glorified for all He has done for us – then He showers blessings upon us.

IF we make the created the Creator …

                   and trade the TEMPORARY for the Eternal …

                                love an IDOL instead of the Great I AM …

                                            and MAKE a Golden Calf rather than bow to Him Who made us

… THEN we rob ourselves of blessing and bring the curse of God into our households.

Jeroboam rules 22 years in Israel. He started well, but finished badly. God raised him up because he raised God up, but he failed to keep God in the High Place and so he himself went to the low place.

Does that apply to us today?

Absolutely!

The greatest example I can think of is the Church at Corinth. The Corinthians – though saved – turned from making God their High Place and began to magnify themselves rather than the Lord. They even took the Lord’s Table and made it not about Christ but about themselves. The Apostle told them:

1 Corinthians 11:29-32  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.  [30]  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.  [31]  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  [32]  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

We who have believed on Christ are His and His alone. The Lord is to occupy our High Place. The Lord is to be glorified in all that we say and do. Let all darkness be dispelled, and the Light of God our Savior shine on us.

For He is risen, and we are resurrected people.

He has given Himself for us, saving us from Egypt and the idols of it. Let us praise Him!

3 What Is The Life That God Blesses? The Life That Looks To God. To see a life that God blesses we need to look to the rest of our text, to the life of King Asa.

1 Kings 15:9  And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.

Asa was the third King of Judah, the grandson of Rehoboam, the fifth King of the House of David. What can we know of the life of Asa.

a He Had Bad Examples Growing Up, But Followed The Lord Rather Than His Family. He was the great grandson of Solomon, the grandson of Rehoboam. We learn from verse 10 that

his MOTHER’S name was Maachah

In verse 12 we read:

he removed all the idols that his FATHERS had made

and in verse 13:

also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.

His heart was focused on God His Savior and Lord. He did not justify idolatry nor sin because his family did it. God was his Father – his primary Father – and he sought to honor God regardless as to what others – even his family – might say or do. He even deposed hiw own mother as queen because of her idolatry. Jesus told us, His people, that:

Matthew 10:37-39 (NLT) If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Asa was a believer in God, a man who gave up his life for the Lord. The Bible says of Asa that:

1 Kings 15:11 … Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.  [12]  And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

Asa followed God. Asa took all active idolatry out of the land. And God blessed Asa. His reign was about twice as long as Jeroboam’s reign. God honored Asa, because Asa honored God. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan said:

“When our convictions are yielded to Him completely, He is able to give Himself to us in all His fullness. Until that is so, He cannot trust us. How true it is that we often miss the joy and strength of our Christianity because, by withholding ourselves from Christ, we make it impossible for Him to give Himself to us in all the fullness of His grace and truth.” ^{(Today in the Word, April, 1998, p. 23)}

b Asa Put God First, Whereas Jeroboam Put Himself First. God wanted to bless Jeroboam. God wanted to bless Asa. God wants to bless us. But we must give ourselves wholeheartedly to God. The High Places must go from our lives. Pride must go. The Apostle Paul said:

2 Corinthians 10:17-18 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

God must be first. God must be glorified. He must be lifted up. His Cross must be our focus. Jesus said “If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself” (John 12:32). Jesus Christ is our High Place. It is through Christ that we are raised up (Ephesians 2:6).

c “Asa DID that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father”. Asa had a relationship with God through His Word and Prayer. He did as his great-grandfather David did. David wrote:

Psalm 119:11 (KJV) Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

David studied and heeded the Word of God. Asa studied and heeded the Word of God. Where there are weak, fallen, lukewarm Laodicean Christians you will find that many of them never open their Bibles. David said:

Psalm 119:9 (KJV) Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word.

Psalm 119:105 (KJV) Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

We stumble in the darkness where God’s Word and His Presence are not. God’s Word is His Law. People today – and often shamefully Christians – say “well that was then and this is now”. The Bible, however, says “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). The Father says “I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6).

d Asa Sought God With All His Heart. King Asa Was Devoted To The King Of Kings And Lord Of Lords. We read:

1 Kings 15:14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

I do not know why the High Places were not removed. Asa destroyed all idolatry, but left the High Places. Perhaps it was because he wanted others to see the broken and burned idols in those places. But the latter part of the text tells us that “Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD ALL his days”. The broken High Places that he left were not sinful.

Asa’s heart was perfect PERFECT with the Lord ALL his days. The New American Standard says ….

… nevertheless the heart of Asa was WHOLLY DEVOTED TO THE LORD all his days.

And God blessed him and those around him. God will bless you if you make Him your High Place! May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Happy Mother’s Day!

I grew up in an environment that would be strange to many children today. My daddy worked and “brought home the bacon”. Mama worked too – she was in charge of the household and the three children in it. Many mothers today cannot stay at home with their children, but are forced by a poor economy to work outside the home. Though we were poor, daddy kept enough money coming in from his Upholstery Shop to where mama could stay at home. And mama ruled and taught the kids.

That alone is strange to many parents today. The truth is, many homes are ruled by the children, not by the parents. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. Evangelist Dwight L. Moody recounted the following event. He wrote:

“A mother told me up in Minnesota that she had a little child who took a book and threw it out a window. She told him to go and pick it up. The little boy said “I won’t”. She said “What?” He said again “I won’t”. She said “You must. Go and pick up that book.” … She took him out {and sat him before the book}. Dinner time came and he hadn’t picked up the book. She took him to dinner, and after it was over took him out again. They sat there until tea time. When tea time came she took him in and gave him supper, and then took him out and kept him there until bed time. The next morning she went out again and kept him until dinner time. He found he was in for a life job, so he picked the book up. She said she never had any trouble with the child afterwards.”

Moody ended the illustration with these words.

“Mothers, if you don’t make your {child} obey when he is young, he will break your heart.”

Children must be raised, not placated. As the twig is bent, so grows the tree. Thank God for mothers who raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord! I thank God for a godly mother and grandmother who taught me the Word of God and the Way of God.

There was a rule that Mama taught us children from the earliest days of our lives. That rule was called “The Golden Rule”. I don’t remember Mama telling me that the “Golden Rule” came from Jesus, but it does.

The Golden Rule is found in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Let’s read it together:

Matthew 7:12   Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

I cannot remember the last time I have ever heard a preacher preach on the Golden Rule. In fact, I myself have never preached on the Golden Rule. But my mama and grandma taught this rule to me. It is time that we examine this rule and get it down into our hearts. We need to start teaching this Rule to our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. The Golden Rule is the grand theme of the Scripture. C.H. Spurgeon said:

“While the golden rule is more admired than practiced by ordinary men, the Christian should always do unto others as he would that they should do unto him. He should be one whose word is his bond, and who, having once pledged his word, swears to his own hurt, but changes not. There ought to be an essential difference between the Christian and the best moralist, by reason of the higher standard which the gospel inculcates, and the Savior has exemplified. Certainly, the highest point to which the best unconverted man can go might well be looked upon as a level below which the converted man will never venture to descend.”

1 This Golden Rule Is A POSITIVE, A DOING Of LOVE. It Has Been IMITATED By Religions But Never Duplicated. Though the dictionaries and many theologians may define Christianity as “religion” I don’t believe this to be true. Christianity is a RELATIONSHIP with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

As Jesus was and as Jesus walked so we who love Him should be and walk.

When you compare Christ’s Golden Rule with the religions of the world you see an immediate difference. World religions state:

These are all called SILVER Rules rather than the Golden Rule because the Silver Rule forbids harm but does not demand a doing of good. The Golden Rule says “Whatever you want others to do to you, do to them”.

For instance, it would be a violation of the Silver Rule to rob someone or to murder or kidnap or otherwise harm a person. The Silver Rule says “do not do the bad thing”. The Golden Rule, on the other hand, states simply “Do the good thing”. Let me use an example I’ve heard before. The Silver Rule says “do not rob a person of their money, because you would not want that done to yourself”. But if you find a purse full of money in a parking lot the Silver Rule says nothing at all about this. This is where the often stated:

Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers

is found. The Silver Rule is a half rule. Wayne Jackson wrote in his article Gold, Silver, and Iron: Three Rules of Human Conduct:

“In 1964, there was a case that shook this country at its very foundation. Catherine Genovese was returning from a night job to her apartment in the respectable Kew Gardens area of New York City. As she approached her home in the early hours of that April morning, she was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant. He stabbed her repeatedly, fleeing the bloody scene as she screamed for help, only to return—when no one responded to her cries—stabbing her again and again, until she died. The subsequent police investigation revealed that thirty-eight residents of the neighborhood admitted that they witnessed at least a part of the attack. No one went to her aid; not a soul telephoned the police—until after she was dead!”

This was shocking in 1964 – and yet it is common place today. Those who live by the Silver Rule may do no actual harm or hurt to another … but neither do they act in a positive way to help others. People who live by the Silver Rule may be “good” people, but they are marked by their words and inactions:

It’s not my problem.

Let someone else do it.

What’s in it for me?

Jesus showed the difference between the Silver and Golden Rule in His parable of the Good Samaritan. One day a Lawyer came to Jesus and – as Lawyers often do – asked a Lawyer question. He asked:

Luke 10:25 …. Master, what shall I do to INHERIT eternal life?

How can I INHERIT eternal life. Now this is a good question. INHERIT. An INHERITANCE is something you receive on the basis of grace. You cannot work for an INHERITANCE.

When little Jasper was born into the Tilley Family he was born unable to feed, clothe and protect himself. He can barely hold his head up. But already he has more INHERITANCE in the Tilley Family than I do. I have been feeding and clothing myself for many years, but I have NO INHERITANCE in this family. But Jasper does. Why?

Because he was born into that family. Because his daddy and mommy are Tilleys. The Lawyer knew that Eternal Life is only that which is given to Children of God, that it is an INHERITANCE granted to those born into His Kingdom. The Lawyer asked a Legal Question – so Jesus responded with the Law …

Luke 10:26 … What is written in the law? how readest thou?

The Lawyer – familiar with the Law as all good Lawyers are – said:

Luke 10:27 … Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; AND thy neighbor as thyself.

Those who love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind are the Children of God. And Children of God “love their neighbors as themselves”. Jesus once more quoted the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule states:

Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Whatsoever you would that men should do to YOU, do to them. Love your neighbor as yourself is just a shortened form of the Golden Rule. Eternal Life is something that is INHERITED, received because you are born into the Family of God. But if you’re born into the Family of God you are to live by the Golden Rule of the Family, not by the Silver Rule of the world.

Jesus went on to illustrate with the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10:30-36 … A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.   [31]   And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.   [32]   And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.   [33]   But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,   [34]   And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.   [35]   And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.   [36]   Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?

In the parable an unknown man – we do not know if he is Jew or Gentile, whether rich or poor, whether “Red or Yellow, Black or White” (they are precious in His sight). This man was attacked by thieves, thieves who stripped him of his clothes and wounded him, leaving him half dead.

The thieves broke the Silver Rule.

When the Priest came by and saw him what did he do? He passed by on the other side.

The Priest DID NOT break the Silver Rule.

The Silver Rule says “do not do what would be hurtful to you to others”. The Priest had nothing to do with this man’s injuries. He just moved on. And then a Levite – a lesser Priest of Israel – came by and did the same thing.

The Levite or Lesser Priest DID NOT break the Silver Rule.

Listen Beloved – If you or I were beaten and left lying half dead on the side of the road I would want someone to help me. The Silver Rule says “Do nothing hurtful”. The Golden Rule says “Do SOMETHING HELPFUL”.

The Samaritan …                        … a man often hated and reviled because of his heritage

… a man despised by Jews and ridiculed by Gentiles

… a man from the other side of the tracks

The Samaritan had compassion on the wounded man. The word “compassion” according to Webster’s Dictionary means “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it”. The Greek is σπλαγχνίζομαι splagchnizomai (pronounced splangkh-nid’-zom-ahee) which means to feel sympathy or empathy toward another. The Samaritan had been beaten up and robbed in life, and rather than become bitter reached out to help others who were in the same situation …. to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is what a Child of God does.

2 The Golden Rule Is Not Only POSITIVE, But It Is ALL INCLUSIVE.

Matthew 7:12 Therefore ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

A woman was married to a very miserly man – he counted every penny and made her account for every dollar their entire married life. But one thing this man wanted above all else was a good funeral. He set aside $30,000 for his funeral, and made his wife sign a paper agreeing that she would spend every penny on his funeral when he died. One day he died, and the wife contacted the Church, the Funeral Home, and the Caterers. It was a good event, but not as lavish as many expected. The woman’s best friend asked her afterward “Did you really spend $30,000 on your late husband’s funeral?” She said “Absolutely! The casket was $4000, the Caterer and Flowers were $3000 and the Funeral Director’s fee was $3000.” Her friend said “But that’s only $10,000.” The wife replied, “I know, but I spent $20,000 on a Memorial Stone”. Her friend said, “$20,000 for a Memorial Stone! That’s a lot of money. How big is the stone?” The wife replied, “About 2 ½ Carats”.

I don’t think either the wife or her late great husband employed the Golden Rule!

In “all things whatsoever” that you would have someone do to you, do unto them. All things. All things. The Children of God are called to be Positive Additions in a negative world.

Jesus said:

Matthew 5:14 (KJV) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Light does not contribute to the darkness. Light shines, and chases away the darkness. Light and dark cannot coexist – one or the other will always rule. We who belong to God in Christ are Children of Light. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:16 (KJV) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

It brings glory to God when His Children shine in the midst of darkness, doing good for God’s sake and for His Name. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:43-45 (KJV)43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

We are most like God’s children and closest to His design when we are not controlled by evil, but by love. Light shines, and if the love of God has shined in your hearts then we are to do as Jesus said:

Luke 6:31-36 (KJV) And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Children of God – changed by the Presence of the Holy Spirit of God – are not those who are to say “What’s in it for me?” We who are Christ’s are to be light – to shine as Jesus shined – to glorify our God in doing the Love of God.

3 It Was Not The Iron Or Silver Rule That God Used In Saving Us, But The Golden Rule.

The IRON Rule Says
“Might Makes Right”.

The SILVER Rule Says
“Do Not Hurt Others In Ways You Wouldn’t Want To Be Hurt”.

The GOLDEN Rule Says
“Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You”.

If God had employed the IRON Rule on us, He would have crushed humanity at the very beginning of our rebellion. If God had employed the SILVER Rule of the worldling on us He would have watched as our foreparents fell into sin and did nothing whatsoever. Yet the Bible says:

Galatians 4:4-5 (KJV) But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

God could have left us in our sins. But God did not. God sent forth His Son to a rebellious and sinful people. God sent forth His Only Begotten Son to those who were dead in trespasses and in sins.

Romans 5:8-10 (KJV) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

We neither earned nor deserved the love of God, but God offered His love to us even now. Saved by a mercy that we do not deserve we who are God’s Children are called to love the unlovable, to do the good we want done to ourselves to those who will not do good to us. God loved us when we were (and are) unlovable … we are likewise to love Him. Dr. Paul Chappell writes:

“Charles Spurgeon was the most famous preacher in the world during his lifetime. But there were many other well-known preachers with large churches in London. One of them was pastored by a man named Joseph Parker. At one point, Spurgeon ran a large orphanage to take care of children who had no parents, and Parker made a remark about the awful lives those children faced. The remark was reported publicly as a criticism of the conditions inside Spurgeon’s orphanages.

A furious Spurgeon went to the pulpit and harshly criticized Parker. The sermon was, as were all of Spurgeon’s sermons, printed in the papers, and London eagerly awaited the following Sunday to see how Parker would respond. Rather than refuting what Spurgeon had said, Parker simply announced to the packed auditorium that they were going to take up a special offering for Spurgeon’s orphanages. The ushers had to empty the offering plates three times! Later that week Spurgeon arrived at Parker’s office and said, ‘Parker, you have practiced grace on me. You have given me not what I deserved, you have given me what I needed.’ “

God gave us what we needed in salvation – not what we DESERVED (for we all deserve hell) but what we NEEDED. We needed forgiveness. We needed mercy. We needed acceptance into the Family of God. We needed the purging of our sins. We needed a better goal than the finite pitiful goals of this world. We needed God.

God is the Gospel. God offers Himself to us in the Gospel. And if saved, we are to be like our Father.

I close with these timeless words of Scripture:

Romans 12:19-21 (KJV) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Galatians 4:4-6 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, [5] To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. [6] And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

There are many truths presented in our Bibles that I do not understand but nonetheless accept by faith. I understand that God is Sovereign – something the Bible clearly teaches – and also understand that man has free will. The same Bible that says “whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish” (John 3:16) is the Bible that says “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28). Man has free will, but God is still in control. I don’t understand how all this works together but it does, and by faith I receive His Word.

The Bible also teaches to “hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4) and “God is one” (Galatians 3:20). Yet the same Scripture presents God as a Trinity. In our text today we see that God sent forth His Son (vs 4). Who is this Son? He is the One of Whom John wrote:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, the same was in the beginning with God …. and the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us ..” (John 1:1-2, 14)

Jesus Christ is with God in the beginning – and was was sent of God to redeem us. And God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. God the Father sent His Son to redeem us. The Son sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. I do not understand how God can be One and yet be Three, but I do understand that without the Trinity working together there can be no salvation of the Christian. The Father planned our salvation. The Son secured our salvation. The Holy Spirit empowers our salvation.

When we who are Christ’s say that we are saved do we understand the depth of Love that saved us? The Apostle Peter – overwhelmed by the truth of the Trinity in our salvation – cried out:

1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, [5] Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Praise our Father for His abundant mercy. Praise our Jesus Who, dying for us, rose again. Praise the Holy Spirit – the Keeper of our salvation – Who indwells and guarantees our inheritance. The Triune God saves the fallen man. Man – made in God’s image – walked away from God, but the God Who is Three in One pursued us.

1 ONLY The Believer Is A Child Of God.

Galatians 4:6 …. And because ye are sons…

How does one become a Son of God? Sonship is something that a person receives all of grace.

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Salvation is a work that requires ALL OF GOD to secure it for us. It is necessarily a gift of Grace, “not of works lest anyone should boast”. We have absolutely nothing to boast of ourselves in our salvation.

It has been said that salvation is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. We are all saved because someone told us where to find the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ our Lord.

When Nicodemus came to Jesus by night he came as a well known Rabbi expecting to be honored by Jesus. Nicodemus told Jesus

John 3:2 … Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

Nicodemus said the same thing to Jesus that the world today says of Jesus. “Rabbi – Teacher – we know that you are a Teacher come from God”. Is Jesus a teacher? He is the Greatest Teacher that has ever lived. But He is much more than a Teacher. The world believes Jesus to be a teacher. But Jesus’ response to the world and to all is today what He said to Nicodemus yesterday …

John 3:3 …. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

You can call Jesus “Teacher” all you want. You can honor Him, quote Him, make pictures of Him and sing songs about Him. But unless you are born again you cannot see – much less enter – the Kingdom of God. There are two things that must happen to every person who expects to go to Heaven.

You must be BORN AGAIN or REGENERATED.
You must be ADOPTED.

Being Born Again brings the Christ believer into the Family of God. “Born Again” means that our nature is changed from that of worldling to that of the Divine. Being “Adopted” means that we are given the rights of His Children.

Now every person is in one sense the offspring of God. We are all born into this world because God gave us life. We are all made in His Image and after His Likeness. But being born physically does not give any human outside of Christ a special privilege with God. The Jews told Jesus:

John 8:39 … Abraham is our father.

but Jesus told them

If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

Being born of the line of Abraham or to parents who were faithful Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, or Campbelites does bring us into the Family of God. We are all born flawed, broken, tending toward sin. Recently my wife and I enjoyed a week vacation spoiling our grandchildren in Valdosta, Georgia (thank you, dear Church, for allowing us to do this). At the end of the week we were at my son’s Church called Crosspointe, planning to leave following the morning services. At the end of services we wanted to see our grandchildren so we could kiss them one last time. Little Asher came out of his Sunday School class and kissed us goodbye. But little Micah pitched a perfect fit. Though two years older than his brother he did not want to leave his classroom and his coloring project – not even to say goodbye to the grandparents who will not see him again for 6 months. He looked like he was kissing the executioner when he kissed me – albeit reluctantly. What would make my grandchild – that precious boy – act this way? If he were a child of Abraham he would do the works of Abraham. If he were a child of God he would realize that life is precious and things are not. If he were not just outwardly but INWARDLY of God then his hand would reflect his heart.

And so it is with all, no matter how precious to us. He, like all who are born the offspring of God, are nonetheless corrupt and chained to sin. You must be born again! You must have the regeneration, being …

John 1:13 ….. born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Sonship comes by promise, by faith in God’s Word, by surrender to His Savior. It does not come by roll or by vote, but by the operation of God in response to the heart’s cry for and to Jesus. The Law of God breaks our hearts making us realize that we are lost and undone.

Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

The Law convicts. The Law tells us that “our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) and that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:3). The Law brings us to our knees, so that on our knees we can see Christ our Savior, our Justifier. Once justified by faith we are adopted – adoption and justification go hand in hand. Blessed be the Triune God Who has promised:

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

We do not have the power to save ourselves, but God gives the power. When we believe The Father says “yes, I will receive him for My Son’s sake”. When we believe the Holy Spirit says “yes, I will go and indwell him for Jesus’ Christ’s sake”.

Faith is the key that unlocks the prison, changing the Criminal into the Child.

We serve Him not out of duty nor out of fear but out of love.

2 The Child Of God Is OPENLY A Child Of God.

Galatians 4:4-6 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, [5] To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. [6] And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

When God did His Work in Christ for us He was not secretive nor furtive. God sent His Son. The Angels went to the Shepherds at night, saying:

Luke 2:11 …For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Anna and Simeon waited in the Temple for the Promised Savior – and knew Him as soon as they saw Him. John the Baptist saw Christ coming and shouted for joy “Behold, the Lamb of God Who taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). As He rode into Jerusalem the children sang songs and the people cast palm leaves in front of Him. Tell them to be quiet, Jesus – they are disturbing in their praise! Jesus said:

Luke 19:40 …. I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Jesus was not quiet as He came on His mission. He did not fly under the radar, but loudly and often proclaimed Himself the Son of God. If you are born again then you are not ashamed of Him. If you are saved by Christ the Son then you are a son. God sees Christ in you, and the world should see Christ in you.

Galatians 3:27-29 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

You belong to Jesus. You are of the Redeemed, not of the world. You were not redeemed with silver or gold, but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot or blemish (1 Peter 1:18). You are redeemed from the Law because the Spirit is now your Law. You are redeemed from every curse and every limitation of man because of Christ. Peter before the Cross ran and hid from a young maiden, cursing God, hiding his pitiful faith. But after the Cross Peter stands boldly preaching on the Day of Pentecost. He has risen! We are His. We are sons because the Son died for us and rose again.

Hebrews 13:5-6 … He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. [6] So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

The world like the Pharisee says “be quiet of your faith. Tolerance means to be inclusive. All may go to Heaven. Say nothing – do not speak up”. But Christ has said “Go and tell. Tell them about me. Go into all the world, not as secret agents but as ambassadors.”

Romans 13:12-14 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. [13] Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. [14] But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.

The children of the King were always distinctively dressed. They did not wear the shabby clothing of the peasants, but wore royal garb. We are to be distinctively different, light in the midst of darkness. We complain of the world and of how dark it is … but are we being light or just going along to get along? We are …

Philippians 3:3 …. the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Our confidence is in God, our praise is in God. God is our Portion Like the Levite of the Old Testament who was given no land, the Levite was given God, for God is my portion. Praise be unto Him:

Lamentations 3:22-25 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [23] They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. [24] The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. [25] The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

King David said:

Psalms 16:5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

and the Father said to Abraham …

Genesis 15:1 … Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

When I entered High School I was timid and quit because I knew few people. All my life I was a quiet, timid person. Then one day I met the Lord. I now have the best Friend a person can have. He – the Triune God – has promised to be my Shield and my Reward – and He has promised you the same. He is our Portion. He is our Inheritance. Why should we fear the world that God has created. He is in control.

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; …. [23] And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

The world will not love you no more than it loved Christ. “If you were of the world, the world would love his own, but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:19). Too many Christians have compromised the Family in order to be pleasing to the world. This is a waste of time. The world will always hate the Child of God just as the darkness hates the light. Be the light anyway.

Live out loud for Jesus. When I was lost I lived out loud for Satan. Now that I am saved I will live out loud for the Savior.

3 The Child Of God Is FOREVER In The Presence Of God.

No parent would abandon his or her child, and God will never abandon us. The Scripture says:

Galatians 4:6 …. because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

When God sees genuine pitiful faith (and it is pitiful, for we are very weak) He sends forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts. Notice that the Spirit comes into the heart, not into the mind. I have known preachers and Churches that had great Bible knowledge and fantastic book learning but none of the Spirit of God. God sent the Spirit to indwell our hearts, our emotions, to control our passions. What was God’s charge to Laodicea?

Revelation 3:15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. [16] So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

The Holy Spirit came to Jesus as a descending Dove, and comes to our hearts as the Heavenly Dove. He brings with Him love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22-23). We are guided by His Spirit to KNOW His Word, and are empowered by His Spirit to DO His Word.

The Indwelling Spirit is always seen outwardly. Where God is in the midst of His people there is order, there is Family, there is Light. The Holy Spirit dwells eternally in the hearts of God’s Children. The Spirit comes chiefly to the affections, dwelling in our hearts, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness (Romans 10:8-10). The Bible says:

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

How you live outwardly is always determined by what or Who is in your hearts. If God is in your heart, if the Triune Being resides in you, the you know the right and the wrong. If not, you do not. Judas Iscariot looked like a great Christ follower, but He was not. He was AROUND Jesus but the Spirit of Christ was not in his heart. In time his evil showed forth, and in the end he hanged himself, and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out (Acts 1:18). The heart not indwelt by the Spirit will eventually do the most foolish of things. But where God is He sends forth the Spirt of His Son, crying ABBA, Father. We cry ABBA, Father (Romans 8:15) because God has made us so.

There are times in life when the trials of this world – like the waves of the sea – fall upon me. There are times when I seem to almost drown in my own tears. But I praise God for those times, for when hurt and aching my Triune God is closer to me then than ever on the mountaintop. The trial that drives you to your knees is a blessing if, in it’s midst, you kneel and say:

ABBA, Father

ABBA is an Aramaic or Jewish word which means “Daddy”. The word “Father” is the Greek Pater which means “Daddy”. Whether Jew or Gentile, whether bond or free, whether male or female, God is equally your Father and you His Child if you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. You are in God’s Keeping. You are in God’s Care.

And He is always there.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Amos 3:1-6 Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, [2] You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. [3] Can two walk together, except they be agreed? [4] Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? [5] Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? [6] Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

“Let’s go camping,” the Great Detective Sherlock Holmes says to his friend Dr. Watson one day. “Jolly good!” replies Watson. So the two pack up their gear, head into the woods, set up their tent and by nightfall, are sound asleep. Hours later, Dr. Watson is awakened by a nudge from his friend Sherlock. “Dr. Watson, Look up! What do you see?” Awakened from a deep sleep his friend was annoyed. “I see the sky, full of stars.” Sherlock Holmes said “What does that tell you?” Dr Watson thinks for a moment then replies, “Well, given the thousands of stars, it’s improbable that ours is the only planet capable of sustaining life. Therefore, other beings like ourselves are likely out there somewhere, looking back at us. Is that what it means?” Holmes looks at his over educated friend. “No, you ninny! It means someone has stolen our tent!”

When bad things happen our response should be to stop, to consider, then to go beyond ourselves and LOOK UP. To turn to – not against but to – the Creator and Lover of our souls. God loves His Children. He said of His children through the Prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 49:15-16 Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. 16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.

It is popular among young Millennial women today to get a tattoo of her child’s name and footprint on their bodies, usually on the tops of their own feet. God has engraved us on the palms of His hands and on the soles of His feet – not with ink and pens, but with nails.

The Father sent the Son to the Cross. The Son allowed Himself to be humiliated and harmed so that God could redeem us. We are all offered salvation because God stooped. He stooped from Heaven to earth. He came from a Throne to a Manger.

God gave Himself for you and for me. God wants us to walk with Him. But He must lead in this waltz. He must lead in the dance of life.

1 Walking Is A Beautiful Picture Of Salvation. God asks in verse 3:

Can Two Walk Together Except They Be Agreed?

A person is saved to walk with God. A people are saved to walk with God. Salvation is more than fire insurance for eternity … it is a way of life. Our passage starts …

Amos 3:1 Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt ….

“Egypt” is an Old Testament picture of the unbelieving world, and “Israel” a beautiful picture of God’s Family of Faith. Israel was both lost and enslaved in the midst of Egypt. Israel cried out to God – and God heard their cry. God raised up a man named Moses – a humble man – to preach the word of salvation to His people. Nine times God sent Moses to Pharaoh – the King of Egypt – the King of the World – to demand “let My people go so they can worship Me” (Exodus 9:1 et al). Nine times Pharaoh refused to release God’s people.

The fingers of the world will hold on to you, draw on you, try to enslave you if it can. The devil does not want to release the lost soul. When the preacher preaches “repent” the evil whispers “repent from what? You are not that bad. God will love you whether you follow Him or not. Stay the course. Walk with me. Follow me. It’s your life, and I will support your right to it.” Pharaoh hardened his heart against God but refused to let the people go.

But then God told His people to take a Lamb without spot or blemish. The Lamb was to be killed, and God said:

Exodus 12:13 (NKJV) Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Death would come to every household who refused to do as God said. Those who heard God and followed His instruction would be saved from death. But those who heard but did not do as He said would die. And those who refused to hear would die. Can two walk together except they be agreed?

• Some might say “Blood of the Lamb? Why can’t I use the Blood of the Bullock, or the Blood of the Goat? Why must it be the Blood of the Lamb? Because God said it was to be the Blood of the Lamb. “When I see THE Blood I will pass over you”. God was looking to see what Blood was shed. If it was not as He said there could be no agreement. Can two walk together except they be agreed?
  

• Some might say “I have a crippled lamb, a lamb that is blemished. Why can I not use that Lamb?” It might be a lamb, but is it THE Lamb OF GOD, the Lamb that God specified? God said in …

  Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year.

  “It SHALL BE”. Following God is not optional. Can two walk together except they be agreed? Pharaoh saw obedience to God as optional because he set himself on the throne of his life. If you wish to walk with God, if you wish to be saved, then you must heed His Word. His Word is a lamp unto my feet, a light into my path (Psalm 119:105).
  

• Yet some might say “I will sacrifice the Lamb without spot or blemish, but why must I do it at a specific time? Why must it be the evening of the 14^th? Why not tomorrow?” Again God says “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” The Scripture says:

  2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT) … At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Oh Precious Ones, how many have been eternally lost because they put off what God said to do today? So many have said “I will wait for another time”. But the wise person is like the Philippian Jailer who, reprieved from death, fell on bended knee before the Apostles and cried out:

Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

and when he was told “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31) he did not debate with neither God nor man. “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” God has set the standard. Kill the Lamb. Hide under the Blood. Believe on the Crucified and Risen Savior and YOU SHALL LIVE.

2 If We Want To Walk With God Then We Must Acknowledge That God’s Way Is Always The Right Way. We may not understand why God directs as He does, but God is always right. There is no higher Authority than God. There is no Supreme Court to appeal to – He is Supreme and Absolute. What He has said is true and stands forever. The world despises this!

In this Post Modern Super Tolerant Me First America no one wants to believe that there is a standard. When I was a young boy and ran a race, the one who crossed the finish line FIRST got the FIRST PLACE ribbon. The ones who crossed afterwards were recognized, but given no ribbon. Child Psychologists have determined from the time of Dr Spock that such things are damaging to the esteem of the child. So today the race is run, but all the children are given prizes. I watched my grandchild Micah playing on his Oriels team while we were on vacation. Children were allowed unlimited swings at the ball – three strikes were not out. When they were unsuccessful at hitting the thrown ball then it was placed on a stand where the child could strike at it repeatedly until it was hit. When the children ran the bases if the opposing team tagged them with the ball or got to the base before the runner did it was NOT an out. It was ignored. Some would say that they were young kids just learning the game …. but if there is no standard nor any penalty then it is not a game, it is just confusion.

God’s Way is not confusion.

1 Corinthians 14:33 Our God is not the Author of confusion, but of peace.

Daniel 9:8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

God asks seven questions in our text today. God always asks good questions. The questions God asks us are not designed to give HIM information, but to give US information –to teach us truths that will benefit us in life.

When God asked Adam “Where are you?” it was not because He wanted to know where Adam was (for God knows everything – even our thoughts). It was because He wanted ADAM to examine where he was and how he got from blessing to cursing.

Listen to me, Beloved. God wants to bless us. He wants to love us black and blue. But two cannot walk together except they be agreed. God illustrates the depth of this first question with three pairs of questions.

a The First Pair Of Questions Ask:

Amos 3:4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey?
will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

No lion “walks” with it’s prey. When a lion roars it is because it has caught and is about to eat it’s meal. That “Unhappy Meal” might walk INSIDE of the lion, but there is absolutely NO AGREEMENT between the two.

God’s Word to His people is not to be taken as the roar of the Lion …. but it is to be taken seriously. The Lion of Judah does not want to devour or make merchandise of His people. God loves His people.

Zephaniah 3:17 – The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

God looks down over His people and cherishes them. When I was a young father I would often hold my babies in my arms and sing over them, kissing them and getting their sugar. Oh how I loved them and love them still. I am way inferior to God! He loves us, not as an Unhappy Meal but as His Beloved. Ron Edmondson wrote:

“The God of the universe, the same God who paints a sunset, shapes a mountain and plans the waves at the beach, has chosen to love us, not because of who we are, but because of who He is. Our role in this is to BE-LOVED.”

We are all loved of God. But God’s people by faith in Christ are especially loved. God said:

Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

God loves us – but if we reject His leading and His love then we cannot expect to be blessed. The prey is not blessed when the Lion finds it. God does not wish to consume us … but if we are His He does not want us to be consumed of sin and Satan either!

b The Second Pair Of Questions Ask:

Amos 3:5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him?
shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?

The first pair of questions speaks of Lions and their Prey. The second set of questions speaks of Fowlers who trap birds for a living. A Fowler will put a snare on the earth and leave it there until he has caught the birds he wanted to keep. Some say that God is like a Fowler who snares man for profit, and lays snares to trap us. This is absolutely not true.

God’s commandments are not a snare – they are God’s Care.

Heading into many small towns are things called speed traps. Speed traps exist to capture and fine people. Speed have nothing to do with right or wrong … it is just a local government’s way of dishonestly but legally raising revenue. The speed limit will be posted 55 mph, but the speed trap will have an overgrown sign or a sign hidden in a blind curve with 35 mph on it – and a sheriff directly behind it. That is dishonest.

God has NEVER been dishonest with His people. The people He saves are people who are supposed to willingly walk with Him. “Can two walk together except they be agreed?”. God is very clear in His Word that His people are to …

Deuteronomy 5:33 (NIV) Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

There is no blessing to anyone who will not follow God.
God is not diminished if we do not follow Him … we are diminished.

When God led Israel out of Egypt they were to follow God both night and day. Following God they passed through the Red Sea as if on dry land. But when God’s people got to the Jordan and refused to follow His Word the Lord let them wander in the wilderness for forty years.

Malachi 2:2 (NIV) If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.

Saved and blessed to enter the Family of God every believer is to be a Christ Follower, a Doer of His Word. Jesus said:

1 John 5:3 …. this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

God’s Commandments are not a snare nor are they burdensome to His Children. (John 6:63) God said “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”. God’s Words are not a snare. They are the words of a loving Father to His cherished Children. We are called to a life of obedience if we belong to God.

c The Third Pair Of Questions Ask:

Amos 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

When 9-11 hit our nation people began to talk about God. Some people stated that 9-11 was a result of our unwillingness as a nation to repent and follow God. There was a very large debate in the media, and many among Christianity began to mock one another. Some said:

A God of Love would never allow such a thing to happen!

And others,

These attacks came because we as a nation have turned from God.

R Albert Mohler Jr, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky stated “There is no doubt that America has accommodated itself to so many sins that we should always fear God’s judgment and expect that in due time that judgment will come. But we ought to be very careful about pointing to any circumstance or any specific tragedy and say that this thing has happened because this is God’s direct punishment.”

What did God say in Amos? Did He point to the sinners of the nation and declare that they were the reason that judgment was coming? No, He told His people saved by Grace:

Amos 3:2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

Judgment was coming on the nation because God’s people – the ones of whom He said “you only have I known” – because His people were not being His people. God went on to ask the two questions:

Shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be afraid?

When I was stationed in Korea and heard the air raid sirens go off my heart beat faster. That air raid siren was blowing because the enemy were positioning themselves for an attack. What would happen? Would I be shot? Was I where I needed to be with the Lord. And WHY are the enemy positioning themselves? Hence the second question:

shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Shall trials and tribulations come to a Church, a Community, or a Country, and God had NOTHING to do with it? No Beloved – God is in control. The Lord declares:

Isaiah 45:7 (NIV) I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.

Proverbs 16:4 HCSB The LORD has prepared everything for His purpose— even the wicked for the day of disaster.

It is not God’s way to indiscriminately destroy people. I heard one preacher say “God in His love always wills what is best for us. In His wisdom He always knows what is best, and in His sovereignty He has the power to bring it about.” God is concerned less about our temporal and more about our eternity. This physical life that we now inhabit is but a tiny part of the life that each and every one of us has in store.

Are you prepared for eternity? Are you resting in the everlasting arms of God?

When tragedy happens the Bible tells us that God is the One Who either ALLOWED it or CREATED it. And all trials …. ALL of them, from 9-11 to the Holocaust and even to personal and private tragedy … all are under the purview of God. The Bible says:

Lamentations 3: 37-38 (NLT) Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?

Trials make us stop and think. The God of the Bible is the same God Who:

• Sent Israel to march around Jericho for 7 days, causing the walls of that city to fall and the inhabitants to die. Why seven days? I submit that it was to give the inhabitants time to REPENT and turn to the Creator of all.

• Had Noah preach for 120 years before flooding the entire earth, killing all but 8 souls. Why? Why 120 years? I submit that it was to give the inhabitants time to REPENT and turn to the Creator of all.

• Had Jonah, the reluctant prophet, go to Ninevah and preach “In forty days Ninevah will be destroyed!” Why 40 days? I submit that it was to give the inhabitants time to REPENT and turn to the Creator of all.

God told His people (Amos 3:11) “An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.” You shall lose your palaces – your prosperity. Why? Because those who claimed to be His people rejected His Word. God was giving them an opportunity to repent, to turn and walk with Him.

3 The Safest Place To Be Is In The Company Of God. “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” My responsibility as a Christ Follower is to follow My Lord one step at a time and one day at a time. He is God, and I am not. God controls everything! The Bible tells us that our God is the only Ruler, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15). God‘s Throne may be in the heavens, but He rules everything and everyone (Psalm 103:19). His Word sustains the universe (Nehemiah 9:6; Hebrews 1:3). God moves the nations about as checkers on a checkerboard (Isaiah 5:26; Amos 3:9-11; Habakkuk 1:12). The Psalmist reminds us that ….

Psalms 75:6-7 ^(KJV) For promotion [cometh] neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God [is] the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

God is in charge! Whatever situation I find myself in, I must trust not my riches nor my resources but God’s Ruling Word.

God allows nations to rise and fall. Arthur C. Custance wrote in his Doorway Papers – a series of books that relate Biblical truths to scientific fact –

“God dictates the rise and fall of nations; as Job put it (12:23): “He increaseth the nations and destroyeth them; He enlargeth the nations and straighteneth them again.” And so likewise in Psalm 47:6-8: “Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth on the throne of His holiness.” It is indeed a cause for praise!”

We who belong to the Lord live to glorify Him, to lift Him up. Walk with God. Read His Word daily. Immerse yourselves in His Presence, for here in His arms is where I am strongest!

I’m going to end with these words. Francis Chan in his book Forgotten God wrote:

“The fact is God is calling. The Spirit is beckoning. The real question is will you follow? Will you listen? {God} calls us to do something, a particular thing, and we have the choice to obey or not. … Did God lead you to where you are now?

…. how would you be missed if you left this place? What would change? Basically, what difference does your presence here make?

…. If everyone gave and served and prayed exactly like you, would the Church be healthy and empowered? Or would it be weak and listless?

…. {God’s} purposes are not random or arbitrary. If you are still alive on this planet, it’s because He has something for you to do. He has placed us on this earth for purposes that He orchestrated long before we were born (Ephesians 2:8-10). Do you believe you exist not for your own pleasure but to help people know the love of Jesus and top come fully alive in Him?

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Many years ago at our home in Georgia we decided to pave our driveway. As I was raising a family on an Airman’s salary we certainly weren’t rich. Because of that, we decided to do the paving ourselves. A friend of mine was in the plumbing business, and he allowed me to have all the sand and gravel I needed. We just needed the Portland cement.

Portland is heavy, and I loaded about 800 pounds of it in the back of my father-in-laws Toyota pickup. As I headed down the road I heard a worrisome sound. When you overload the springs on a pickup it may be fine while it’s sitting still. But once you start moving every bump in the road makes the springs bottom out, and the tires scrub on the inside of the fender well. I was in danger of not only damaging the truck, but I could have blown a tire and been stuck on the side of the road. I worried about that rub, rub all the way home – especially because it was my father-in-law’s truck – but by the grace of God I made it. Paving the driveway is another story!

Weighing down a Toyota pickup truck isn’t that hard to do. But can you imagine weighing down God? Let’s read responsively:

Amos 2:6-16 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; [7] That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name: [8] And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. [9] Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. [10] Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. [11] And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD. [12] But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not. [13] Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. [14] Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: [15] Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself. [16] And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.

Read with me again verse 13: Amos 2:13 ^(KJV) Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.

God is a Person, just as you and I are persons. He is a Person with a Capital “P”. He is the Creator, the Chief Person, the First Cause of everything. The Bible says of God that …

Psalms 24:1 ^(HCSB) The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the LORD …

Everything belongs to God, and everyone belongs to God. God says in Psalm 50:10

“Every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills”.

God is an IMMENSE Person. The Apostle Paul preached on Mars Hill …

Acts 17:24-26 ^(HCSB) The God who made the world and everything in it — He is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in shrines made by hands. 25 Neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. 26 From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. …

God is not just mighty, He is ALL Mighty. The Bible says:

The nations are but a speck of dust in the scales (Isaiah 40:15)
He holds all the oceans in the palm of His hand (Isaiah 40:12)
God never wearies, Nor is His understanding limited (Isaiah 40:28)
Yahweh is everlasting, the Creator (Isaiah 40:28)
The heavens are the works of God’s hands (Hebrews 1:10)
By His power are all things held together (Colossians 1:17)

God is IMMENSE. He is UNLIMITED. He is EVERYWHERE. God is ETERNAL. But God is a Person, and He can be hurt. When those whom He loves treats Him shabbily, He is hurt. God carries us, and loves to carry us in His arms – but not kicking and screaming.

This is why He said to His Old Testament people:

Amos 2:13 ^(KJV) Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. ……… What can press God down?

1 The THANKLESS Heart Of His Children Presses God Down.

A man always grumbled and complained over the food his wife placed before him at the dinner table. Then he would ask the blessing. One day his little girl asked, “Daddy, does God hear us when we pray?” He replied “Why, of course honey. He hears us every time we pray.” She thought about this a moment, then asked, “Daddy, does God hear what we say when we’re not praying?” He said “Why yes, sweetie, God hears every word.” Thewn this sweet child asked, “Then which does God believe – what we SAY or what we PRAY?”

God hears our every word. He has blessed us all. He blessed His Old Testament People, and God blesses us today.

Amos 2:9-10 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. [10] Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.

a If You Are God’s Child, You Have Been Blessed Of God. God Has Destroyed GIANTS For You. God Has Delivered You From Egypt – A Picture Of The Lost World. God Has Given Us All Better Than We Deserve! Oh how good God has been to me in my life!

The “Amorites” were vicious and ruthless soldiers, feared by everyone in the land. The name “Amorite” means “mountain people” – and these people were giants among men. God describes them by saying “their height is like the cedars”. You may not know this, but the cedars of Lebanon grow up to 130 feet tall, and have trunks that are up to 8 feet and 2 inches in diameter. They are massive! The Lord said also “the Amorites are strong as the oaks”. Oak trees have a root system that goes as deep as 15 feet into the ground.

How many times has God been with us as we faced impossible odds – and conquered those odds for us. God is good! God is GOOD!

Jesus said in Matthew 5:45 ^(HCSB) … your Father in heaven … causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

God doesn’t just bless His children, but He also blesses everyone.

• The man who blasphemes God’s Name is given another day of breath, though what he speaks is like the smell of a sewer.

• God made us all in His image and in His likeness (Genesis 1:27), and God has not only given us freedom of will, and calls us to walk with Him. If we think back over our lives we can all remember times when God blessed us richly. Some of us can remember some Amorites – mountain like enemies – that God intervened and saved us from.

God has blessed us richly. We do not need to live for riches – we need to live for our bountiful God.

Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV) Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the {unbelievers} seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED TO YOU.

b God Has Been Good To Us. Have We Been Good To Him? Treat your Heavenly Father the way you want to be treated. God said to His Israel:

Amos 2:8 And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

Though God blessed His Children they responded by following false gods and goddesses. This is a tendency that we all at times seem to drift toward. Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden was that he listened to the word of the serpent instead of the Word of God.

Adam And Eve lost Paradise because they rejected the Word of Him that loves us so.
Israel lost the Promised Land because they chose to love lesser gods than He.
We lose blessings when we do not make our Father first in all we do.

The solution to greed and worship of lesser things is to cling to the Lord Who loves you, knowing He will never leave you. The greatest thing of all is to know in your hearts that God is your Portion and as your Portion He walks with you. God is the Gospel!

Hebrews 13:5 ^(HCSB) … Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.

A young boy fell down a flight of stairs when he was a baby, shattering his back. When he was seventeen he was asked “How many years have you been in hospitals?” to which he replied “Thirteen”. The interviewer said “Is that fair? Aren’t you mad at God?” The boy replied “No, not at all. I could have died. God has all eternity to make it up to me”. God can and will bless the thankful heart. He tells His children by faith:

1 Corinthians 2:9 ^(NET) … Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him.

To those who love God He has a glorious land awaiting, something beyond our imagination. But just like the Promised Land, this land is reserved for those who love the Lord. God will not bless the bitter, thankless heart, for such hearts are ultimately self destructive.

2 The WANDERING Heart Of His Children Presses God Down.

Amos 2:4 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:

a Judah “despised the Law of the Lord and would not keep His commandments”. A Biblical Family always has ORDER. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

There is ONE Head of Israel and ONE Head of the Church, and that Head is Christ.

Christ demands that His people keep His commandments. He is the Head of the Household of Faith. He is the Possessor of the ALL. He knows best. Judah thought that since they stayed near the Temple and were faithful to attend Church as it were that God would bless them. God told Judah:

Isaiah 29:13-14 ^(HCSB) … Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honor Me with lip-service — yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship consists of man-made rules learned by rote — 14 therefore I will again confound these people with wonder after wonder. The wisdom of their wise men will vanish, and the understanding of the perceptive will be hidden.

Religion without a relationship with the God of Scripture isn’t right nor righteous. God is only honored when WE who are saved walk with Him, doing His Will.

Jesus said – John 14:15-18 If ye love me, keep my commandments. [16] And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. [18] I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

When we love God and do as He says God comes to us and guides us through this life. While Israel followed God He made Himself known in Pillar of Fire by night and Pillar of Cloud by day. When we heed His Word He speaks to our hearts!

b God Always Knows What Is Best For Us. When we turn from the command of God and make life about ourselves we hurt not only ourselves – but others as well. God said:

Amos 2:6-7 …. because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; [7] That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:

When God’s people become ME rather than HE oriented, we stop being light in the midst of darkness. It is God’s people who sold the righteous for silver.

It was JUDAS ISCARIOT – one of the Twelve Disciples of Christ Who started out desiring money rather than Christ. He progressed to open greed, and finally sold Jesus the Righteous for 30 pieces of silver. In the end he HUNG HIMSELF in a terrible manner. To walk away from God’s Living Word brings a terrible punishment!

The Bible warns us that:

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The unrepentant heart filled with sin is like lungs filled with water or arthritic hands trying to lift a tremendous weight. God wants us as His Children to be blessed in this life and in the life to come. To wander from Him is to wander into briars. To wander from His Word is to choose rocks over bread, starvation over fulness. Jesus has told us:

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

3 Though God Is Pressed As A Cart Loaded With Sheaves, He Does Not Break. He Bears The Load. He bore the load on the Cross. He bears the load because He loves us. Though Israel rebelled against God, God never turned His back on Israel. Though they:

Amos 2:12 ^(KJV) … gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.

twisted and tried to shut off the Word of God, God bore with them.

God is pressed, but never does He break. The Apostle asks us the question:

Romans 8:33-39 (NET) Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

WHO. WHO shall separate us from the love of God? NOT GOD, BUT US. We can refuse His salvation. We can walk from His arm of protection. When my children were young I would hold their hands or carry them in my arms as we crossed a busy road. They all at times struggled – sometimes kicking – to get away from me so they could do as they wished.

God loves you and longs to embrace you in His everlasting arms. Do not fight Him. Do not wrestle free of His loving protection.

He bears the burden of sin, calling all to walk with Him. None of us deserve the love of God – but He loves us and calls us to His side. The Bible says that God knows all things, and knows that not all people will accept the salvation that becomes ours when we receive Christ. Yet nonetheless God offers salvation and family relationship to all. Sin is a barrier that stands between us and God, a barrier we cannot overcome – but God did. The Scripture says:

Isaiah 53:4-6 ^(KJV) Surely {Christ} hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Jesus was weighed down with our sins, like a wagon loaded with sheaves.

The Bible says that He was stricken – beaten by man. He was smitten – beaten by God. He was afflicted – our sins were poured out on Him and judged. Yet He never broke! Jesus Christ bore our sins, and bears them still. We stand before God holy and blameless (2 Peter 3:14) because Jesus Christ took our blame. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Jesus Christ was shamed terribly on that Cross. He said:

Isaiah 50:6 ^(KJV) I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

The great preacher C.H. Spurgeon said “He hangs in extremity, for God has forsaken Him; His enemies persecute and take Him, for there is none to deliver Him. They mock His nakedness; the point at His agonies. They look and stare upon Him with ribald jests; they insult His griefs and make puns of His prayers. He is now indeed a worm and no man …” Our Lord Jesus was crushed, pushed down under the weight of our sins – but He did not break. He groaned as a cart would groan. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me” (Matthew 27:46). When He said “I thirst” (Psalm 69:21; John 19:28) they didn’t give Him cool water, but jammed a sponge filled with vinegar mixed with gall in His face. He still didn’t break. When our sins were paid for He said “It is finished” (John 19:30), perhaps the three most beautiful words in the English language.

It is finished, dark sins are done.
It is finished, the Son has won.
It is finished, I am set free.
It is finished, Christ died for me.
It is finished, He rose again.
It is finished, with Him I’ll win.
Walking with Christ We Always Win!

Pastor David

All that God Requires Is That We Receive The Son and We Shall Be Blessed. The power of life is in the Son of Life. Receive God. Receive Christ! Walk in His Word and by His Spirit. When we walk apart from God ….

Amos 2:14-15 ^(KJV) ….. the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: 15 Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and [he that is] swift of foot shall not deliver [himself]: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.

God is the Gospel! Receive Him. Walk in Him. Follow His Word. Do as He says and you will be blessed, for we are promised …

John 1:12 ^(KJV) But as many as received {Christ}, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name …

Receive Christ. Walk in Him, and you will be blessed!

May the Holy Spirit lift your hearts to God through His Word.

Genesis 4:1-10 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. [2] And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. [3] And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. [4] And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: [5] But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. [6] And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? [7] If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. [8] And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. [9] And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? [10] And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

In 1921 the Washburn Crosby Company – the predecessor to the food company General Mills – had a write-in contest to boost sales. Many of the women writing in were asking for baking tips. The Public Relations department decided this was a good opportunity to advertise their Gold Medal brand of flour. So they replied to the letter writers signing the name Betty Crocker. Who was Betty Crocker? She never existed. Betty Crocker was a made up person who gave baking tips to the customers. Three years later in 1924 the company purchased a radio station and introduced The Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air. As the show grew in popularity the Washburn Crosby Company would send scripts to other radio stations around the country. Each radio station hired their own local “Betty Crocker” to do the show, which gave “her” appeal to the local listeners. Imagine Betty Crocker speaking in your own accent … that boosted flour sales! In 1933 two men – John D Duff and Louis E. Dietrich – patented a method of making a dehydrated flour mixture or a cake mix. All you had to add was water and oil and the housewife could quickly make a cake. The Washburn Crosby Company purchased the right to the patent and began to produce Betty Crocker Cake Mixes. They were popular, but so were other cake mixes. How to make their cake mix more popular than the others? The United Kingdom website of Betty Crocker states “Research conducted by psychologist Ernest Dichter proved that being able to add an egg to a cake mix, rather than just using powdered egg, took away the guilt of convenient baking and affirmed the woman’s role as provider.”

Adding an egg to what was already a complete recipe made people feel better – and increased sales. The same thing has been done to the Gospel of God from the very beginning!

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden – causing the fall of all humanity – they tried to cover their sin with human works. The Bible tells us that “the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” (Genesis 3:6, 7 NKJV). Human works and efforts to cover our sins from the eyes of God were there at the very beginning. How did God respond?

When neither Adam nor Eve would repent (to “repent” means to acknowledge what you did was sinful) God cast them out of the Garden of Eden. But He did not do so until He showed them the righteous way of covering sin. The Bible says “Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21).

The innocent had to die, and blood had to be shed to cover sin.

1 Adam And Eve Had Two Children When They Left Paradise. Someone asked me one time if Adam and Eve would be in Heaven. At first I said “Of course – they are our fore-parents, the beginning of creation”. But let’s think about this for a minute.

a Being The Prototype Does Not Guarantee Salvation. Adam And Eve Never Repented When Confronted By God. They played the blame game, a game so popular in election years. It’s not MY fault, it’s SOMEBODY ELSE’S fault. I didn’t sin but “the woman YOU gave to me, God, she led me to sin” (Genesis 3:12).

Without repentance there can never be any salvation. God is holy, pure, and righteous. Man is by nature sinful. The Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Adam is indicative of the unrepentant heart, the heart that refuses to turn to God. Though God killed a Lamb without blemish to clothe both Adam and Eve there is no indication that either of our fore-parents expressed thankfulness for the action. Repentance is necessary for salvation! The Bible says that it is “repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18). We acknowledge our sin, not someone else’s. The Apostle Paul preached:

Acts 20:20-21… publicly, and from house to house, [21] Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

The very first sermon Jesus ever preached was:

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

and later told those who would hear:

Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Salvation is not to just believe on God, but to REPENT and BELIEVE. To believe without repentance leads to no more than a false conversion. The one who believes without repentance is like the seed sown on the rock, of whom Jesus said:

Luke 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and IN TIME OF TEMPTATION FALL AWAY.

Erik Raymond wrote in the April 2016 issue of Tabletalk Magazine (Ligonier Ministries):

“When you encounter suffering, do you have an unresolved answer to the question of why? Do you find yourself beginning to question God’s goodness? Or have you become somewhat bitter about what you are going through? The Christian, of all people, should know that suffering is part of the Christian life (see John 15:20; Philippians 1:29). Let’s not forget we follow a Savior Who was crucified. … God makes us more like Jesus through our suffering (Romans 5:3-5; Hebrews 5:7; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-9)”

There was no repentance in the lives of Adam and Eve – at least none that the Scripture speaks of. Without repentance there is no salvation. The Evidence Bible from Living Water Ministries notes:

“When Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, he commanded his hearers to repent “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Without repentance, there is no remission of sins; we are still under His wrath. Peter further said, “Repent . . . and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). We cannot be “converted” unless we repent. God Himself “commands all men everywhere [leaving no exceptions] to repent” (Acts 17:30). Peter said a similar thing at Pentecost: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you” (Acts 2:38). If repentance wasn’t necessary for salvation, why then did Jesus command that repentance be preached to all nations (Luke 24:47)?”

Without repentance AND faith in Christ there is no real salvation.

b Adam And Eve Never Changed After Leaving Eden. They continued living in worldliness. We know this by how they named their children. The Scripture says:

Genesis 4:1-2 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. [2] And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

The first child Eve had was named “Cain”, the Hebrew קַיִן qayin (pronounced kah’-yin). Qayin literally means “My Possession”. God allowed her to have a Child and she was PROUD of that Child. This is “My Possession”. God might have thrown us out of Eden, but look a what a beautiful, pretty Child I have! She said “I have gotten a MAN from the Lord”. I must be doing something right, because God gave me … yes ME …. a strapping baby boy, a MAN! Cain would be just like his daddy. He is a tiller of the soil. He follows in his daddy’s footsteps. Adam tilled the ground in Eden, Cain will till the ground outside of Eden. Oh, how proud they were of Cain.

You know, the things we take great pride in are often not the things that God admires. The Bible says:

1 John 2:15-16 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world.

When Israel wanted a King where did they look? They didn’t look UP where the Great God and father lives. They certainly didn’t look to a young boy watching sheep at night. Israel looked to Saul to be their King, of whom the Scripture says:

1 Samuel 9:2 …. Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

When Cain was born – oh what a fuss was made over him! My Possession was everything a child should be. He had his daddy’s eyes, his mother’s hair, and followed after and made his parents proud. Then there was the other child.

There was Abel. The name “Abel” is the Hebrew הֶבֶל hebel (pronounced heh’-bel). What does “Hebel” mean? “Nothing”. That is it’s meaning – “Nothing, Empty, Vain, Useless”. Hebel is the nobody child. He is not celebrated. He is the least, the lesser.

Several years ago there was a show called “Everybody loves Raymond”. Raymond was not the first born child, but he was the cherished child. Robert was the afterthought. In one episode the mother was showing off Raymond’s first birthday pictures when Robert pointed out his own pictures. The mother said something like “We really didn’t have a birthday party for you. I was making a cake that day and just rubbed some chocolate on your face so we could take a picture.”

That’s a picture of Abel. When he is born Eve says NOTHING special about him. When she names him she names him “Nothing”. Hebel. Useless. Abel was a big fat zero to his parents and to his brother. But praise God:

Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Abel was cherished by God. And Abel cherished God. He might not have taken his daddy’s business to himself, but he did follow in His Father’s Business. Abel was a Shepherd – a Keeper of Sheep. He loved the Lord, and knew what God required for salvation. Repentance means coming to God in full submission.

God tells those who love Him …

Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

God can take a Nothing and make Someone out of them – if they will come to Him in faith.

2 Adam And Eve’s Cherished Child Is A Picture Of Godless Man Made Religion.

Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

Cain was a tiller of the soil – a farmer. So when he came to God religiously he brought what was important to HIMSELF. He brought the works of his hands and presented these works as an offering unto God.

Genesis 4:4-5 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: [5] But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Abel was a shepherd. When he brought his offering to God – the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof – the Lord HAD RESPECT to Abel’s Offering. But the Lord REJECTED Cain’s offering. Why?

a Man Made Religion Is A Godless And Bloodless Religion. Before Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden God killed a lamb and – shedding the blood of the innocent – showed our foreparents that it is the blood of the innocent that covers sin. Now these animal sacrifices were but shadows that taught of what God would do one day in the Christ:

Hebrews 10:1-4 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. [2] For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. [3] But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. [4] For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

But in every animal sacrifice – every Lamb without spot or blemish that that was killed – there is a picture of the Coming Christ. A bloodless sacrifice cannot point to Christ. A bloodless sacrifice cannot say of Jesus:

John 1:29 “… Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

The bloodless offering to God cannot declare that …

1 Corinthians 5:7 …. even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

When Abel “brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof” he was imitating what God the Father did in the Garden of Eden. Cain’s offering had no basis in God’s revelation to man. God showed Adam and Eve that a blood sacrifice was necessary for an even temporary covering for sin. A bloodless atonement is totally foreign to God’s Word.

b When Man Made Religion Is Challenged It Does Not Repent But Instead Rages. When God refused Cain’s bloodless offering what happened?

Genesis 4:5 Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Cain was furious! How DARE God not accept his offering. After all, this was his life’s work. Surely MY works will be good enough to gain me acceptance with God. Every time you hear of atrocities committed in God’s name you can trace them backward to bloodless religion. Whether Crusades or Jihads, where the Blood of the Lamb is not there is the Blood of murder. That which does not look toward Christ moves toward Phariseeism. Jesus said of the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:34-35 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: [35] That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

God asked Cain to repent, to turn, to believe on the Blood of the Lamb. He told Cain:

Genesis 4:6-7 … Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? [7] If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Sin like a lion crouches at the door of every one who despises the Blood of Atonement. Cain rejected the WORD of God and rejected the WOO of God. Rather than REPENT he inwardly RAGED.

Genesis 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

And raging, this self righteous Pharisee killed the Child of God. Cain couldn’t kill God, so he killed the Child of God.

c Man Made Religion Is A Loveless Religion. After Cain kills his brother Abel we read:

Genesis 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

God spoke to Cain. God loves us. He continued to try and draw Cain to repentance. In the Psalms King David often asks “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” (Psalms 2:1). The Prophet Jeremiah asked God “Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?” (Jeremiah 12:1). We have all asked God this question. Why do evil people seem to get a pass, while the wicked keep doing wickedness? Why do rich people get richer stealing from the poor? There is one reason:

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God loves us and gave Himself for us. The follower of man made religion loves themselves – not God. Yet God continues to call, because ….

3 God Wants Cain To Have The Same Salvation That Abel Has. Abel suffered. He died in the field. But though he suffered, he rose to glory at the end of this life’s journey. The Scripture says that though Abel died at Cain’s hand, his Blood did not go unnoticed.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Do you realize that throughout his life there were
no words ever recorded that Abel spoke?

Cain spoke volumes. He murmured against God. He complained when God punished him – albeit lightly – for his sin. Cain should have died the death that he inflicted on his brother.

God told Noah:

Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Man is made in God’s image. That has never changed. Mankind is precious. We are not animals – we are God’s Offspring. Whoever sheds blood deserves death. But God held off the death of Cain for one reason.

He wanted us to hear Abel’s only sermon.

His sermon is what Christ requires of each of us. Jesus said:

Matthew 16:24-26 …. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [25] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. [26] For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

The Christian Way of life is to lay down your life for the Lord. Abel was the first Christ Follower in the Bible, and Cain the first Pharisee. Abel followed Christ even when Cain threatened his life. Abel kept his eyes on the Blood of the Lamb. His sacrifice was excellent, for it pointed to our most Excellent Savior. Abel was righteous – right with God – because he followed God even into suffering, and even unto death.

Blessed be the name of God forever. May we all who are blood bought follow Jesus not in an armchair nor on a pew but carrying His Cross no matter what the cost.
May God bless your hearts by His Word!

Matthew 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah: 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Words matter. Words always matter. It is the idle word that you will give account of in the day of Judgment.

Jesus always chose His Words carefully – and it makes sense that He would. He is the INCARNATE Word of God. When the Apostle John penned the first verse of the first letter he wrote, God led him to pen:

John 1:1-2  In the beginning was THE WORD, and THE WORD was with God, and THE WORD was God.  [2]  The same was in the beginning with God.

Who is the One called THE WORD? John went on to write:

John 1:14  And THE WORD was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jesus Christ is THE WORD of God. He is THE WORD made flesh, the Communication of God. Words matter, and THE WORD matters. What Jesus says matters above all else.

1 Jesus Can Only Heal The Willing. In our text today we read:

Matthew 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb

A man was brought to Jesus. Three things were diagnosed as being wrong with this man. He was possessed with a devil. Evil had hold of him. When evil gets hold of someone, they can’t hear or speak the things of God. Sin separates us from God.

Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Sin possesses us and covers us so that God cannot hear us.

Isaiah 59:2 ESV but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

The Thrice Holy God will not hear us if we cherish sin in any way or fashion. We – each and every one of us – must come to Christ. We must feel the healing touch of His nail scarred hands, and hear His Word. Someone who loved that person brought that person to Jesus. And Jesus – Jesus alone – blessed that Person so that

Matthew 12:22 … {Jesus} healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

The Word gave words to the one who was wordless! And the people praised God!

But the Pharisees did not.

Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

The Pharisees were blinder and dumber than the man who was brought to Jesus for healing. They had made up their minds. They had shut Jesus out. They didn’t like His Gospel message, so they turned Jesus off. People do this every day. They have preconceived ideas based on their preferred lifestyle. They lock it in place, and no matter what is said turn off any other hearing. The Pharisees didn’t want to hear Jesus, so they said something about Jesus that could not be proven. They slandered the Lord. “Jesus casts out demons by Beelzebub, the Prince of Demons”. They demonized Christ and His followers before the people – saying what could neither be proven nor was true.

They were pretty good politicians!

But Jesus did not attack back, but explained.

Matthew 12:25-28 Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

No Kingdom divided against itself can stand. Jesus is the exact opposite of Satan. Satan and his kingdom of darkness have one Word that they speak, whereas Christ and His Kingdom of light have a totally different Word. Jesus was casting out demons and sickness by the Word of God and the Spirit of God. He was not using demons to cast out demons. Darkness cannot cast out darkness.

Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Darkness supports darkness, light supports light. Godliness supports God, godlessness supports Satan. Jesus said:

Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

You are either WITH Jesus, or you are NOT. There is no fence sitting with Jesus, no Switzerland in this war between light and darkness. Satan’s Kingdom is a Kingdom of Darkness. Christ’s Kingdom is a Kingdom of Light, a Kingdom that cherishes the Word of God and magnifies the Will of God.

2 The Pharisees – Rejecting The Word Of Christ – Were Guilty Of The Unpardonable Sin. The Unpardonable Sin Is To Speak Against The Holy Spirit.

Matthew 12:31-32 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

The Unpardonable Sin is not a thing you DO, but a thing you SAY.

Jesus Christ is THE Word of God Who cast out demons by the Spirit of God. The Pharisees saw a clear work of God and rather than giving God the glory they gave the glory to Satan. They said that Christ was using demons to cast out demons. When a person’s heart is that hardened then it is too hard to be breached by the Gospel of salvation.

The Pharisees got into this predicament and committed this sin by continually speaking that which was not true to God’s Word. They kept saying the wrong thing and kept rejecting Jesus until they could no longer attempt to hear the Gospel of salvation. Their lips spoke poison that cursed them.

Matthew 12:33-35 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Just as a thermometer in the mouth determines if a person is sick or well, the words a person speaks shows whether that person is saved or lost. Words are the fruit of our lives. If we are saved by hearing the Word of Christ’s Gospel then our hearts are changed. And if our hearts are changed then our words will reflect that.

Jesus called the Pharisees “vipers” because their mouths were filled with poison. Like the serpent of Eden, the Pharisees spoke against the Word of God and against the Spirit of God. “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things”. The saved person is changed inwardly, and that change is both SEEN and HEARD outwardly.

3 We Must Listen To Jesus To Be Saved. We Must Follow The Risen Savior To Be Blessed. The only way to salvation is to listen to Jesus.

Matthew 12:36-37 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

By our words we shall be either justified or condemned. Words matter. What we say matters. What Jesus said matters.

At this point the Pharisees did what most people do when losing an argument – they changed the subject. “Well Jesus, show us a sign”. Jesus said:

Matthew 12:39-40 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah: 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jesus has given us all the sign we need in His death and resurrection. As Jonah was three DAYS and three NIGHT in the belly of the whale, so JESUS was three DAYS and three NIGHTS in the heart of the earth.. He died for our sins. He was buried for our sins. Three days and three nights later He rose from the grave.

He rose from the heart of the earth so He could redeem the hearts of His people!
Blessed be His Name forever.

Judges 8:22-27 (KJV) Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. 23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you. 24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks. 27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

The past few Sunday nights we have looked at what I like to call Heroes Of Our Faith. We have seen the lives of great Biblical people like Mary Magdalene, Noah, and Hagar. These are people like you and I, people who heard the call of God and who trusted Him, and because of that trust God used them to do amazing things. Tonight we’re going to look at someone named Gideon.

Our responsive reading began with:

Judges 8:22 (KJV) THEN the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also

Do you see that word “THEN”? The word tells us there was something that came before to cause the men of Israel to ask Gideon and his children to be their King. Who was Gideon?

1 When God Met Gideon He Certainly Wasn’t “King” Material. If you study the Bible you’ll find out that Gideon’s name literally means “He that bruises or breaks, a destroyer”. Though his parents named him this Gideon certainly didn’t live up to his name. Gideon – also known as Jerubbaal – is the son of Joash, an extremely poor family from the Abiezrite clan in the tribe of Manasseh. Gideon and his family lived hand to mouth in Ophrah, a town often hard hit by the enemies of Israel called the Midianites. The Bible tells us that when God sought out Gideon that he found him hiding:

Judges 6:11 (KJV) …. Gideon threshed wheat by the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites.

Gideon was not a brave man. He was pragmatic, practical, and broken. The Midianites had attacked his poverty stricken family so many times that Gideon had taken to threshing wheat where wine was supposed to be crushed. The Angel of God appeared to broken Gideon and said:

Judges 6:12 (KJV) … The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.

That’s an interesting title for Gideon, “Mighty Man of Valor”. Gideon was anything but a “Mighty Man of Valor”. Gideon was a broken man. But God uses the broken, the willing, those who will submit to His Will. The Bible says:

1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV) Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you…

The skilled Potter takes raw clay from the river bed and, crushing it, forms it into a lump. The Potter takes the clay and, spinning it on the wheel, forces it from useless mud into a work of beauty. The Potter then takes that formed object and fires it in the kiln, hardening that work until it is a lasting treasure. The trials of life that come often open our eyes to the reality of the Eternal Savior. The Bible tells us that:

James 4:6 (ESV) …. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

and our Lord Jesus declared ..

Matthew 23:12 (ESV) Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

When you’re down and broken then you are exactly in the right place for God to bless you. The Angel finds Gideon and encourages him. “I’ve been looking for you, Mighty Man of God”. As soon as he is addressed Gideon begins the blame game. You know what that is, don’t you? When Adam sinned against God in the Garden he said:

Genesis 3:12 (KJV)… THE WOMAN WHOM THOU GAVEST TO BE WITH ME, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

God, YOU made this mess! God, YOU’RE the Cause that I am in the quicksand of sin. The woman you gave me was imperfect. Gideon follows the same pattern that we have all often followed:

Judges 6:13 (KJV)13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

These Midianites are killing us! That YOUR fault, God. But wait a minute … is that really true? You see, when God led Israel into the land He told all the tribes to cast idolatry out of the land, to drive out all the idolaters. Rather than do this the tribes intermarried with the idolaters. The Tribe of Manasseh intermarried with Midianites …. and the Midianites turned on them.

When we fail to listen to God (Who, after all, knows best for us) then we bring misery on ourselves. The solution to our problems is not to blame God. The solution to our problems is to heed God, and obey His Word.

The Bible says:

Judges 6:14-16 (KJV)14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: HAVE NOT I SENT THEE? 15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. 16 And the LORD said unto him, SURELY I WILL BE WITH THEE, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

God told Gideon “GO in this THY MIGHT”. Gideon has no might. He is a broken man. But Gideon can do two things:

He can GO where God tells him, and
He can DO what God tells him.

That’s all God is asking Gideon to do. Get up and go knowing that God is with you. Get up and do knowing that God sent you. Make sure that the Captain of your salvation is with you and that you are heeding HIS Word.

A young Ensign was making his first trip on a Destroyer. Fully trained, the Captain assigned him the duty of maneuvering the Destroyer out of the harbor. He barked orders and the ship got out of the harbor in record time. One of the mates came to the young Ensign and said “You have a message from the Captain”. The message said “You’ve done an excellent job, but there is an unwritten rule you’ve overlooked. The next time you set sail, make sure the Captain is on board!”

Gideon was to GO and DO as God said. The Midianites cannot be defeated while you’re hiding in the wine press. You have to go with God to the Midianites doing what God said – then you can see things turn around.

2 Before Gideon Could Be Used By God He Had To Be Focused On The One True God.

A man bragged that he had cut off the tail of a man eating lion with his pocket knife. When he was asked “Why didn’t you cut off his head” he replied “Somebody had already done that”. If Gideon – and we ourselves – are going to defeat the darkness of evil which is all around us we must rely on the Lord our God.

a The Idols Must Be Toppled Before We Can Stand With God. God told Gideon:

Judges 6:25-26 (KJV) … And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him …. throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: 26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.

Gideon was afraid to do this by day, so he did it in the night (see verse 27). The next morning the townspeople saw that the altar of Baal was destroyed and demanded that Joash

Judges 6:30 (KJV) …. Bring out thy son {Gideon}, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

Gideon’s dad said in effect “Let Baal defend himself if he is really a god”. On that day Gideon was given the nickname Jerubbaal which means “let Baal talk it over with him”. The idols must be gone from our lives if we want God to bless us.

A wife walked into a local grocery store and saw her husband passionately kissing another woman. As she angrily came toward him he saw her out of the corner of his eye. He stopped and turning to his wife said “Honey, it’s not what you think. When I saw this woman and how beautiful she is she reminded me of you … and I just had to kiss her!” What response do you think he’ll get from that? It won’t be good! Likewise, our God is a jealous God. He says:

Exodus 34:14 NLT You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.

When God saves a person the first thing He demands is that the idols be gone. We are not to idolize anything – not even our familial relationships – above God.

Luke 14:26 CEV You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life.

The idols must go. God must be first! Always! Gideon tore down the idols in his life, and after the idols were gone and his heart was focused on loving God first – then and only then could he be used to bring a great change to his world.

b Before We Can Go We Must Be Sure Of Our God And His Word. Gideon was growing in faith, but he wanted to be sure before he went to battle that God was with him. So Gideon “placed a fleece” before God.

Judges 6:36-37 (KJV) And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, 37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.

This is not an act of faithlessness, but an act of faith. If God is going to use Gideon – pitiful and weak Gideon – then God can use this piece of wool. Think about that wool for a moment. It is a piece of skin off of a dead animal. If God can interact with something like this, then He can use Gideon.

God did exactly as Gideon asked. The dew was on the fleece only, and not on the ground. So Gideon asked God to reverse the process – to put dew on the ground but not on the fleece.

Judges 6:39 (KJV) … Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

You know what? God did it. God loves His children. And God loves to use the humble. He used humble Moses. He used humble Gideon. He will use a humble you. He will speak to you. Now that God has spoken to Gideon it is time for him to go meet the Midianites. Gideon’s army was initially 230,000. But God told Gideon:

Judges 7:2 (KJV) … the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

God does not need a LOT or a BUNCH to get the job done. Jesus started His Church with just 11 faithful men. On the day of Pentecost 120 faithful men and women prayed in the Upper Room until the Holy Spirit came. The Scripture says:

Zechariah 4:6 …. not by MIGHT nor by POWER but by MY SPIRIT saith the LORD.

Acts 17:25 KJV Neither is (God) worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things

God is the Giver of all things. He doesn’t need us. But He wants us. He wants to incorporate us into His plans. He blesses us by giving us an opportunity to serve Him and see how great He is!

God had Gideon reduce the number of fighters until the 230,000 became only 300. Then Gideon followed God’s plan. The Bible says:

Judges 7:16 (KJV) {Gideon} divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.

Three hundred men. Three hundred trumpets – and three hundred men knew how to play them. Let me ask you right now … how many of you can play a trumpet? That’s what I thought. But God is in control. Every man is able to do what God called them to do. And they had three hundred trumpets available. That boggles my mind. I don’t think I could find three hundred trumpets in all of Nashville and Franklin! The plan was very simple. Gideon said …

Judges 7:18 (KJV) When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

They were to blow their trumpets, and break the pitchers that was in their hands that had candles in them. They did just as God told them to do. And the Bible says:

Judges 7:22 (KJV) … the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

The enemy ran away!

3 We Must Be Careful Never To Depart From Glory To God. There is a lot more to the story of Gideon and how God used him to defeat the darkness. Sadly, time requires I move on to our focal text for tonight. God made Gideon. God blessed Gideon. God saved Israel using Gideon. As a result we read that:

Judges 8:22 (KJV) Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast DELIVERED us from the hand of Midian.

Do you see that word “DELIVERED”? That is the Hebrew יָשַׁע yasha` (pronounced yaw-shah’) which means “to save or be the salvation of”. The people of Israel are saying to Gideon

YOU are our Savior! Rule us, Oh Savior!

Now Gideon is wise not to fall into this trap. He said:

Judges 8:23 … I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

What a wonderful response. The LORD – the Eternal God – Yahweh – HE shall rule over you. I think it is wonderful that we honor the heroes of the faith, but as we honor them let us never forget that without the empowerment of God they would be nothing.

Do you remember when Gideon started with an army of 230,000 and the Lord made him reduce it to 300. Do you remember why God had Gideon do that? It was so that no Israelite would create an idol among themselves.

2 Corinthians 3:5 …. our sufficiency is from God

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Gideon was of the Tribe of Manasseh, not of Judah. God never set the kings to come from Manasseh, regardless as to what the “popular vote” was. So Gideon rejected the offer of being King.

I have heard powerful speakers like Adrian Rogers or Charles Stanley or Max Lucado referred to as “great men of God”. With all due respect, what is more true is that they are “men of a Great God”. As long as we keep that in mind of ourselves God can use us to do great things. When we forget that we mess ourselves up.

Gideon compromised. He said:

Judges 8:24 (KJV) …. I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

The Midianites were actually ISHMAELITES – descendants of Ishmael, Abraham’s child by Hagar. They were Arabs – cousins to the Israelites, and it was their custom to wear ear rings. When enemies were defeated it was the practice to take the possessions of the defeated dead. Gideon asked that each Israelite give him one ear ring from the spoils of war. At the end of the day they collected about 43 pounds of gold.

In today’s market this would be worth about $779,101.88

What was Gideon going to do with all this gold? He came from a poor town. He grew up in a poor household. What good could Gideon do with that much money? He made a gold Ephod. An Ephod is an outer garment – a ceremonial sleeveless coat worn by the High Priest of Israel. He had a 43 pound coat made.

Judges 8:27 (KJV) … Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

It wasn’t wrong to take the gold.

1 Timothy 5:18 ESV For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

It was wrong what Gideon did with the gold. When God gives us something, it is to be used for HIS GLORY.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NASB Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Colossians 3:17 NASB Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

I do not believe that Gideon meant to set up an idol, but he in effect did set up an idol. He put his name on the library, and his picture in the hospital corridor. God took a broken man and made him whole. God’s Grace lifted him up, and put him in charge of a 300 man army that overthrew the idols and idolatrous people who plagued Israel. At one time Gideon’s family kept a Temple to Baal. Now they kept a Temple to Gideon’s Ephod.

And people flocked to Ophrah not to worship the Lord Who delivered Israel, but to worship the golden ephod that Gideon made. If we are to be blessed of God and be the Light that he wants us to be we MUST reject all ephods, golden or otherwise. We must stand firm on God’s Word, loving Him and glorifying Him in all that we say and do. May God bless you with His Word!