The End and the Beginning

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 35-36, Psalms 80

The Old Testament ends with a significant plot twist. For those who may not be aware, 2 Chronicles is the last book of the Hebrew Bible. In the traditional Jewish ordering of the books, it comes last because it summarizes so much of what has gone before. So as we come to the end of our Old Testament journey this year, we run across an important reflection. Listen to how God summarizes what has happened to Israel and why…

“All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the Lord’s temple that he had consecrated in Jerusalem. But the Lord, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of his messengers, sending them time and time again, for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers, despising his words, and scoffing at his prophets, until the Lord’s wrath was so stirred up against his people that there was no remedy. So he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their fit young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He had no pity on young men or young women, elderly or aged; he handed them all over to him. He took everything to Babylon — all the articles of God’s temple, large and small, the treasures of the Lord’s temple, and the treasures of the king and his officials. Then the Chaldeans burned God’s temple. They tore down Jerusalem’s wall, burned all its palaces, and destroyed all its valuable articles. He deported those who escaped from the sword to Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the rise of the Persian kingdom. This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Jeremiah, and the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation until seventy years were fulfilled.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭36‬:‭14‬-‭21‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

God is patient with us but He will not be mocked forever. God perseveres with His saints but He will not tolerate sin. Time and time again, God sent His messengers to call His people to repentance only to have them mistreated, rejected, despised, even beaten and killed at times. As the sin of the nation increased, God’s righteous anger increased as well. God had set Israel apart to be a light to the nations. This was their mission. This is why they existed. But like Adam and Eve before them, they rejected God’s plan for their lives and went their own way. They created their own gods and set up idols just like the nations around them. They defiled the Temple and corrupted their worship. As a result, God issues a decree of judgment. It is swift and terrible. He sends the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple and carry the people off into exile. Essentially, He reclaims the Promised Land for Himself. He gives it rest for seventy years. He sanctifies it and sets it apart for His own use until He was ready to bring His people back home.

It’s a devastating indictment. One we would do well to heed ourselves today. Especially the church in the West which is so corrupted by sin and abuse and a lust for political power and social relevance. The church in the West does not do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Instead, we reject God’s law. We refuse to walk in God’s love. We worship according to our own preferences and expect God to help us achieve our plans for our lives. We do not submit to Him in humility. We do not sacrifice for Him. We do not seek to advance His Kingdom on the earth. I know I am speaking in generalities and I know there are clear exceptions but, by and large, all the data bears these conclusions out. We are foolish to think we will escape God’s judgment. He will not be mocked. He will not tolerate sin. He will eventually act to bring about His righteousness among His chosen people.

Thankfully, judgment doesn’t have the last word in the Old Testament. There is a postscript to the story. A note of hope to sustain God’s people in the midst of their despair and heartbreak. “In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord roused the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and also to put it in writing: This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The Lord, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build him a temple at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord his God be with him.”(2 Chronicles‬ ‭36‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭CSB‬)

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 1-2, Psalms 81

Knowing the Lord

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 32-34, Psalms 79

One of the most consistent themes throughout Scripture is God’s desire to make Himself known. He will not stop until knowledge of God fills the earth like the waters fill the sea. God will never rest until every person on earth from every tribe, tongue, and nation are given the opportunity to know Him and trust Him. This is God’s great desire, for all to come to know the truth about who He is and His great love for all He has made. We see this on display in a myriad of ways in the Old Testament. God speaks to certain individuals like Abraham and Sarah. God confronts other individuals like the kings of Israel and Judah. God challenges individuals like Pharaoh and the other leaders of the pagan nations of the earth. But the refrain is always the same. God wants to be known. God wants the world to see Him for who He is and has revealed Himself to be. God wants the nations to find their true purpose in worshipping Him alone.

Today we see this mapped out in the conflict between Sennacherib and Hezekiah. Sennacherib was the king of the greatest empire of the time. His armies had rolled through nation after nation, meeting little if any resistance. He saw himself as divinely appointed by his gods to rule over the earth. He even taunts Hezekiah and the people of Israel, claiming God stood no chance against him. “His servants said more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. He also wrote letters to mock the Lord, the God of Israel, saying against him: Just like the national gods of the lands that did not rescue their people from my power, so Hezekiah’s God will not rescue his people from my power. Then they called out loudly in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem, who were on the wall, to frighten and discourage them in order that he might capture the city. They spoke against the God of Jerusalem like they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth, which were made by human hands.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭32‬:‭16‬-‭19‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Sennacherib was a bold and arrogant and foolish king who believed the God of Israel was just another pagan idol. But God will not be mocked and He made Himself known as He destroys the armies of the Assyrians and sets in motion a chain of events that eventually leads to Sennacherib’s death. Hezekiah, on the other hand, is lifted up by God and exalted among the nations. Many turn to the Lord in fear after witnessing the great miracle of salvation and God’s name became known among the people’s of the earth. The same dynamics are in play in the repentance of Manasseh and the reforms of Josiah. Over and over again, God making Himself known.

God is still making Himself known today. God is still on the move in our world today. It can be tough to see at times. The news comes at us fast and hard and relentlessly. It’s almost universally tragic and deceitful and bad. Humanity seems to be locked in a death spiral from which there is no escape. We simply cannot outrun our own foolishness. Our own pride and arrogance. Our own idolatry and sinfulness. Everything we do is corrupted by the pursuit of power, love for money, and a lust for personal, selfish gratification. Only God can turn this around. Only God can change the human heart. Only God can give us a new perspective. Pray for the Lord to give you His eyes to see and His heart to understand and His passion to make Himself known.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 35-36, Psalms 80

Seek the Heart of God

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 28-31, Psalms 78

Hezekiah was a remarkable man. The polar opposite of his father. Where his father was unfaithful, Hezekiah was faithful. Where his father was morally compromised, Hezekiah was pure. Where his father was evil, Hezekiah was good. One wonders where Hezekiah learned such faithfulness. What made him turn from his father’s ways? Who taught him the ways of the Lord? How did he know to cleanse the Temple, reinstitute the Levites, and celebrate the Passover? These things had been absent for decades. The Temple had been desecrated. The priests and Levites forgotten. And yet somehow Hezekiah’s heart was not only stirred to seek the Lord in this pagan environment but God provided faithful teachers along the way to instruct and guide him. They remain nameless. Their identities known only to God. But what an impact they make through this great man!

Hezekiah is a great example of what can happen when key leaders seek the heart of God. God doesn’t need our wealth. He doesn’t need our power. He doesn’t need our influence or position or authority. He simply needs our hearts. If we seek to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; His promise is He will use us to make Kingdom-sized impact on those around us. I love how Hezekiah himself describes it. “Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, in order that his fierce anger may turn away from us.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭10‬ ‭CSB) He dedicated his life to the destruction of idolatry. He tore down the pagan shrines that dotted the hillsides. He cleansed the Temple. He restored true worship. He sent messengers throughout the length and breadth of the nation to invite people to celebrate the Passover meal. And even though the people had forgotten how to cleanse themselves in preparation, Hezekiah interceded on their behalf, calling on God to honor the intent of their hearts. The impact of this time of celebration was so profound, the people asked to stay an additional seven days to keep worshipping! “The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day after day with loud instruments. Then Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites who performed skillfully before the Lord. They ate at the appointed festival for seven days, sacrificing fellowship offerings and giving thanks to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. The whole congregation decided to observe seven more days, so they observed seven days with joy…” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭30‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Once the feast was compete, the people - inspired by the worship of the True and Living God and Hezekiah’s example - returned to their homes to continue to purge the nation of its idolatry. “When all this was completed, all Israel who had attended went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, to the last one. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own possession.” (‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭31‬:‭1‬ ‭CSB‬‬‬) This is nothing short of revival!

I know a lot of Christians who pray for revival. They pray regularly for a fresh movement of God’s Spirit through their lives, churches, communities, and their nation. If that describes you...and I hope it does...I want to encourage you to follow Hezekiah’s example. Don’t wait! Don’t delay! Simply begin to seek God’s face right where you are! If you are a mother or father, seek God’s heart for your home and children. If you are a student or employee, seek God’s heart for your school or place of work. If you are a business, community, or church leader, seek God’s heart for the people you serve. If you are a national leader, seek God’s heart for your country. The secret to Hezekiah’s success had very little to do with his authority as king. It had everything to do with his heart for God. “Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the Lord his God. He was diligent in every deed that he began in the service of God’s temple, in the instruction and the commands, in order to seek his God, and he prospered.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭31‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭CSB‬‬‬)

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 32-34, Psalms 79

Mentoring

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 25-27, Psalms 77

Everyone needs a mentor. An older, wiser person in their life who has walked with Jesus faithfully and who can share from a deep well of spiritual wisdom. I’ve been blessed to have several mentors over the course of my life. Don Bachman and Berk Sterling were two men who took me under their wing when I was a new Christian. They taught me how to have a devotional time with Jesus. They taught me how to be a godly husband and father. They taught me the value of serving the Lord with open hands. Jim Kay, Cleophus LaRue, and Sam Atchison were next up for me. I met them in seminary and while I was serving at New Jersey State Prison. They taught me how to be a godly pastor, preach the Word of God, minister effectively and professionally, and most of all, to trust the power of the gospel to change lives. Steve Hayner became a mentor to me while I was pursuing my doctorate. He poured his heart into me and taught me the value of relationships. He was one of the most humble men I have ever met and he cultivated friendships across the political, social, global, and theological spectrum. Something I’ve tried hard to duplicate in my own life. Currently, I am blessed not only to still be meeting with Don Bachman but also men like Randy MacFarland and David Schultz who continue to encourage and challenge me. I am where I am today because of these men. I am who I am today because of these men. There is nothing better for your walk with Jesus than having a godly mentor in your life.

I thought about the power of mentoring when I ran across these words in our reading today, “He sought God throughout the lifetime of Zechariah, the teacher of the fear of God. During the time that he sought the Lord, God gave him success.” (‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭26‬:‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬) By all accounts, Uzziah was a godly king. He ruled for over fifty years in Jerusalem. He expanded the borders. He built wealth and power. The nation enjoyed a period of great blessing under his leadership. But Uzziah didn’t do this on his own. He wasn’t born this way. He didn’t stumble onto it by himself. He had a mentor. A priest named Zechariah who was well-known in Judah for his faithfulness to God. Zechariah feared the Lord and taught others to do the same, including the young king. While Uzziah was under his influence, the nation prospered and Uzziah sought the Lord and walked in the ways of his father Amaziah and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. However, one gets the sense that after Zechariah dies (an implicit assumption from the text since Azariah was priest when Uzziah went into the Temple), Uzziah loses his way. He becomes proud and arrogant, believing himself to be worthy enough to offer sacrifices before the Lord. The result is decline and eventual disease and death.

I have known many over the course of my life who started well. They gave their lives to Christ and followed him faithfully under the wise counsel of older, wiser saints. However, I have seen some of those same people fall away as relationships shifted and they no longer had the benefit of a spiritual mentor. That’s why I’m so passionate about mentoring. It’s why I mentor several younger men in my congregation. It’s why I make myself available to younger, less experienced pastors in our denomination and around the world. We all need someone to guide us in the Christian life. If you don’t have one, let me encourage you to find a mentor today.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 28-31, Psalms 78

The Power of Singing

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 18-20, Psalms 75

Yesterday, we wrapped up our training conference in northern Uganda. As is our custom, we held a commissioning service to send out our church planters. We prayed for them. We encouraged them with Scripture. We heard testimonies. But the part that always gets me is the singing. These men and women are headed into some of the most difficult to reach places on earth. They will face food insecurity and potential starvation. They will lack access to clean drinking water. They will sleep in the bush. They will leave their families for days at a time. They will be attacked along the way. Persecuted for their faith. Some might be imprisoned. We even had one brother martyred for his faith in the past year. And still they sing. Still they go forth with praises on their lips. It’s awe-inspiring.

It reminds me so much of what we read in today’s passage. King Jehoshaphat is so confident in his victory over his enemies that he sends a choir out to lead his army. “Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of his holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing: Give thanks to the Lord, for his faithful love endures forever.”(2 Chronicles‬ ‭20‬:‭21‬ ‭CSB‬‬) This is par for the course for Jehoshaphat. He’s a faithful king. A godly king. One who places his trust in the Lord. So when he hears news that the nations around him have banded together and brought a mighty army against him, he doesn’t panic. He declares a fast. He calls on the people to pray. They cry out to the Lord and He delivers them from their enemies. All that is left for them to do is sing. Sing of His goodness. Sing of His faithfulness. Sing of His steadfast love forever.

Over the years, I’ve had a lot of people ask me why Christians sing and my answer is always the same. We sing because we know the Lord has delivered us. We sing because the Lord has saved us. When the mighty powers of sin and death and devil came against us, we sing because God has protected us and scattered our enemies. In fact, when Christians in the churches I’ve led start arguing over the singing, it’s a sure sign we’ve lost sight of all God has done for us. When we fuss and fight or withhold our singing out of spite, we are making a mockery of the Lord’s salvation and He is not pleased. God has performed a miraculous work for us. How can we not help singing? How can we not join our voices together and sing of the goodness of God? How can we not praise the Lord for all His benefits? The next time you have the opportunity to sing, sing with all your heart. Sing with all our soul. Sing at the top of your lungs. Sing for joy. Sing for love. Sing for God.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 21-24, Psalms 76 (No devotionals on Sundays)

Trust in God

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 13-17, Psalms 74

It’s one thing to say you trust in God. It’s another to actually place your trust in God. It’s only when we are put to the test that we find out whether our trust in God is real or not. This week, I have spent hours interviewing church planters from all over northern Uganda. They face seemingly insurmountable obstacles like food insecurity, lack of access to clean drinking water, little to no formal education, high unemployment, no medical care, violence and suffering on a daily basis. The list is endless and overwhelming. One would think the trauma from these experiences would cripple them forever. Drive them to depression and despair and suicidal ideation. That’s what it does for much of the population here. What makes our church planters different? They trust in God. They believe He is with them. And this gives them strength and hope and joy in the midst of their sufferings. Furthermore, this trust translates into action. It actually leads them to success. They are planting churches. They are planting gardens. They are educating their children. They are working to overcome all of the obstacles that stand in their way. Life is slowly, incrementally getting better. And as it gets better for them, they share it with those around them. As a result, many are coming to faith in Jesus Christ, learning to trust Him, and making their lives better as well. It’s incredible!

The life of King Asa shows us the difference between trusting God and trusting Self. Asa begins well. When faced with overwhelming odds in battle, he cries out to the Lord. “Lord, there is no one besides you to help the mighty and those without strength. Help us, Lord our God, for we depend on you, and in your name we have come against this large army. Lord, you are our God. Do not let a mere mortal hinder you.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭14‬:‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬) He knows he cannot hope to win against the might of Israel or the might of Cush on his own. He trusts in the Lord for His strength. Not only that but he brought revival to the land of Judah. He tore down the false idols and renewed the worship of God. As a result, God granted him decades of peace. Decades of prosperity. But towards the end of his reign, another threat appeared on the horizon. Israel once again sought to invade. And this time, instead of turning to the Lord, Asa trusted in his own strength, his own wisdom, his own political connections and the result was disaster. Wars broke out all around him. He contracted a wasting disease. His prosperous and peaceful rule came to an end.

Do you trust the Lord? Not just on Sundays. Not just in an occasional worship service that fits into your busy schedule. Not just when times are tough. Not just in emergencies. Not just when it’s convenient. Not just when God’s will for your life happens to match your own. Do you trust the Lord with your life? Do you trust the Lord with your family? Do you trust the Lord with your work? Do you trust the Lord with the decisions you make on a daily basis? Do you live a life of whole-hearted devotion to Him? How would you know? There are signs. When you find yourself hungering and thirsting for holiness and righteousness. When you find yourself easily convicted of sin. When you find yourself longing to be in worship with God’s people. When you find yourself prioritizing devotional time with the Lord each and every day. When you find yourself serving others rather than yourself. All of these are signs you are trusting God. Of course, the signs you are trusting yourself are just as obvious. Every day we are faced with a choice. Will we trust God or will we trust Self? Trusting God leads to a life of joy and peace and fulfillment while trusting Self leads to a life of fear and anxiety and insecurity and discontentment. Which will you choose today?

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 18–20, Psalms 75

The Power of Kindness

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 9-12, Psalms 73

Kindness seems in short supply these days. In fact, kindness no longer seems to be a virtue in some circles. It is despised. It is rejected in favor of anger or hate or sacrificed in pursuit of power. Kindness is now equated with weakness. Those who are kind are perceived to be soft. Compromising. Even cowardly. I wish I could say this was a secular problem but sadly, it’s become a spiritual one as well. Despite the fact that kindness is an attribute of God, far too many Christians have exchanged kindness for crassness. Gentleness for brute force. Humility for pride. It’s hard to watch and it reminds me of Rehoboam’s tragic response to his people.

The people were weary after laboring so hard under the reign of Solomon. They naturally sought relief when Rehoboam ascended to the throne. They came before him and asked him to set a different course. Lighten the load. Make the burden easier to bear. They didn’t do this to avoid work. They weren’t engaged in any kind of rebellion. They simply were asking for a bit of grace. Rehoboam sought out the wisdom of his counselors. His older, wiser counselors told him, “If you will be kind to this people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭10‬:‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬) They had seen the demands Solomon had placed on them for decades and knew the people were at their breaking point. All Rehoboam had to do was show a little kindness. Speak words of understanding. Offer mercy and grace and help in their time of need. Had he done that, he would have won over the people forever and kept his kingdom together. Unfortunately, Rehoboam listened to his peers. He followed the advice of his younger, more foolish and entitled counselors who told him to increase his hold on the people. Tighten his grip. Brook no challenge to his authority. The result was division and outright rebellion from which the nation never recovered.

I find the same dynamics to be true in our world today. The more use power and control and authority to get our way, the more bitterness and anger and frustration we create. The more we turn to force, the more it backfires on us. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When we reject kindness and gentleness and humility for spite and force and pride, we can expect there to be a backlash every single time. People will mirror the behavior they see in us. It could be our spouse. It could be our kids. It could be our friends. It could be our enemies. It happens in homes and communities and schools and churches and businesses and nations all over the earth. The result is always division. Always dissension. Always conflict. Perhaps that’s why the Apostle Paul is quick to remind the Roman Christians that it is God’s kindness that leads to repentance. He is quick to remind them of the gentleness and humility of Christ in the face of our own hatred and anger and violent rebellion. Kindness leads to repentance. Gentleness turns away wrath. Humility seeks to serve rather than be served. This is the way of Jesus.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 13-17, Psalms 74

Every Square Inch of Creation

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 5-8, Psalms 72

Abraham Kuyper, the famous Dutch theologian and politician, once said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” That quote rings in my mind as I preach in northern Uganda this morning. This is an area recovering from the trauma of a twenty-year reign of terror under the notorious warlord and witch doctor, Joseph Kony. From the 1980’s until the early 2000’s, he kidnapped children, forced them torture and kill and even eat their parents, and turned them into mindless slaves and soldiers. For years, the government tried to capture him and bring him to justice. The United States even sent their special forces after him. He would evade capture over and over again. The local population believes it was due to his connection to demonic spirits. Once his power was broken - a miraculous story in itself - the region began the long process of recovery. The people here are marked by their suffering physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. They have endured unspeakable horrors and yet God, through the Holy Spirit, is bringing healing. He is reclaiming lives that the devil tried to “kill, steal, and destroy.” He is reclaiming territory that the devil tried to curse. He is breaking the power of evil in this part of the world and it is incredible to witness.

Over and over again, through the Bible, God declares His great desire to dwell with His people. He dwelt with them at the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden. He journeyed with them through the wilderness in the Tabernacle. His presence filled the Temple Solomon built. He came in the Person of Jesus Christ to walk among us. He will eventually return in all His glory to dwell forever here on earth with those He made in His image. This is God’s great plan for all of creation. Until that great day comes, God promises to dwell with His people through the Holy Spirit. He indwells the church. The local gathering of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation on the earth. As God comes to be with His people, we are sanctified and made holy. The very ground we occupy is reclaimed for God’s purposes. The power of evil and sin and death is driven out and new life begins to emerge. The sick are healed. The enslaved are set free. The broken are mended. The grieving are comforted. The lost are found. The poor are provided for. These are all signs of God’s presence breaking into the world. It happens in places like Parker, CO and Kitgum, Uganda. It happens in beautiful church buildings and under mango trees. It happens in major metropolitan cities and remote villages. It happens all over the world and the incredible news is we get to part of it!

Take some time and re-read Solomon’s prayer today from 2 Chronicles 6. Let yourself feel his emotions as he marvels at all God has done for him and for Israel. Reflect on all God has done for you and your family and your church family. Think about the blessings He has bestowed on you. The many ways He has provided and protected you. The incredible things He has done for you. Rejoice in how much He loves you. God is for you, friends, not against you! God is with you, friends, not distant from you! God knows your every need, your every desire, your every hope, your every fear, your every success, your every failure, your every joy, your every heartbreak and He is faithful. Faithful and good to love you and draw near to you if you will draw near to Him. This is why God’s Presence filled the Tabernacle in the wilderness. It’s why God’s Presence filled the Temple in Jerusalem. This is why God’s Presence fills the heart of every believer. There is not one square inch in the whole domain of human existence nor one individual person made in God’s own image over which Christ does not declare, “You are mine!” He will never cede any territory to the devil. Never cede a single soul to His great enemy. He will never relent until the powers of sin and death and evil and the devil are destroyed once and for all.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 9-12, Psalms 73

Godly Courage

Readings for today: 1 Kings 15:25-34, 1 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 17

Humanity is broken. Though originally created in God’s own image to bring beauty and goodness to the world; we lost our way. Exiled from the Garden because of sin, we find ourselves wandering in the shadowlands of our own making. We grope our way through the darkness, struggling to make any kind of progress. We are at the mercy of something twisted deep inside us that causes us to choose sin over and over again. We just can’t seem to help ourselves. Proverbs 26:11 describes it viscerally, “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” We see this pattern repeated throughout Scriptures. From Genesis to Revelation, God reaches out to humanity. Raises up men and women after His own heart. Noah. Abraham and Sarah. Moses. Joshua. Deborah. Hannah. Samuel. David. But with each passing generation, things seemingly go from bad to worse. Spiritual entropy on display. The faithfulness of those who’ve gone before us is lost as our lust for power and control and self-gratification takes over. Jeroboam abandoned the ways of God and sets his kingdom on disastrous course. After he dies, chaos sets in. Constant conflict. Assassinations. Betrayal. Rebellion. And throughout we read this refrain, “He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord...”

What keeps us from experiencing a similar fate? Courageous faith. I love how the Bible describes King Jehoshaphat. 2 Chronicles 17:6, “His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord.” What does this mean? Jehoshaphat removed all the idols and shrines that kept getting built on the hills throughout Judah. He loved God and followed His commandments. He sent out his officials to the farthest reaches of his kingdom to bring God’s Word to the people. Doesn’t that sound like the Great Commission? Rather than wait for the people to come to him, come to the Temple, come to Jerusalem to learn about the ways of God; Jehoshaphat he sends out evangelists to them! Incredible! And what does God do in return? He honors Jehoshaphat. He entrusts him with wealth and riches. He gives Jehoshaphat power and authority. His kingdom experiences a season of peace as the fear of the Lord falls on everyone around them. 

Is your heart courageous in the ways of the Lord? Do you seek God daily for wisdom and guidance and strength? Do you love His Word? Hunger and thirst for time with Him? Do you love to worship? To gather with God’s people to bring God praise? Do you seek to serve Him in all you do? Is your work an offering? Is your home a temple? Do you share the good news of the gospel with those around you who do not know the Lord? Do you pray for revival in our nation? Do you want to see God move powerfully in our town?

Now more than ever, we need men and women of faith whose hearts are courageous in the ways of the Lord! It’s literally the only answer and the only hope we have! I’ve seen it in action. I’ve seen what happens when men and women dedicate their lives to God. They plant churches. They risk pain and suffering and persecution and death for the sake of the gospel. They give up all they have for the glory of Christ. If I’ve learned anything from my African brothers and sisters it is this...nothing can stop a man or woman whose heart is courageous in the ways of the Lord! Thousands of new churches. Hundreds of thousands of new believers. Entire communities and regions being transformed. There’s simply nothing like it on earth!

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 17-19

A Daily Choice

Readings for today: 1 Kings 15:1-24, 2 Chronicles 13-16

Every day we wake up facing the same choice. Will we place our trust in God or will we trust in human strength and wisdom? Will we believe God when He says He will be with us or will we set up contingency plans just in case He doesn’t come through? Will we walk by faith or will we give into fear?

The accounts of the kings of Israel and Judah set these choices in stark terms. Abijah trusts God for his victory over Jeroboam and his much smaller army routs the larger army of Israel. Asa clears the land of pagan shrines and prostitutes, deposes his grandmother for committing blasphemy, and defeats a massive Ethiopian army many times the size of his own. However, each of these men had their issues as well. Abijah was not whole-hearted in his devotion to the Lord. Asa end his reign by cutting deals with the pagan nations around him rather than continuing to place his faith in God. Both of these kings faced choices every day just like we face choices every day and the impact of their choices rippled out to those they loved and served.

We are not kings nor do we live in ancient Israel but the challenge for us remains the same. Will we trust God when we face challenges? Some of which may seem insurmountable? I think about the challenge of aging. As we get older and our bodies fail or our minds wander, will we trust God and embrace the aging process with grace or will we do all we can to hold onto our fading youth? I think about the challenge of suffering. Maybe it’s a chronic illness or mental health condition. Will we engage God in prayer for healing even as we seek the help of the professionals He provides or will we allow our condition to make us bitter and frustrated and angry? I think about the challenge of doing hard things. This seems to be especially difficult for many of our young people these days. Will we trust God for the strength to overcome the obstacles life often puts before us or will we simply give up? I think about the fight against injustice in our world. So many assume we are powerless before the forces arrayed against us. The “powers and principalities” are too deeply entrenched for us to root out. Will we trust God and speak up for those who have no voice? Perhaps most importantly, I think about the people in our lives whom we love who are lost and wandering spiritually. Will we trust God and share the gospel with them patiently and persistently and prayerfully with the hope that one day they will turn and place their faith in Christ?

Every day we are faced with these and/or similar decisions. Every day the impact of the decisions we make ripples out on those we love and serve. Every day we get to choose whether we will trust God or trust ourselves. Will you place your life, your resources, your future in His hands?

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 15:25-34, 1 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 17

Praying for Revival

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 4-7, Psalms 134, 136

“If my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭14 ‭MSG‬‬)

What will it take to win our nation to Christ? I’ve spent countless hours praying over and pondering this question. I’ve traveled the world and asked this same question of believers in different countries, some far more hostile to the gospel than my own. I’ve watched different Christians in different places use different methods as they sought to win their nation for Jesus. Some use politics. Some use social protest. Some seek to leverage wealth and power. Some seek to build a platform and become an influencer.

The most effective method by far happens to be the most ancient. The most biblical. Plant churches. Evangelize the lost. Serve the world with humility, sacrificial love, and an abundance of grace. The time I spent in Ethiopia recently only reinforced this truth for me. As we meet with indigenous denominational leader after indigenous denominational leader, we hear the same thing. They each love their nation. They have a passion to see their people come to Christ. They are united in their efforts to reach the lost. So what are they doing? They are praying fervently. They are sending church planters to some of the hardest to reach areas of their country. Regions where warfare has recently raged. Regions where there is famine and potential starvation. Regions where there is tribal unrest. No hardship is too great. No suffering too much to endure. They ”count everything as loss when compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ” and they are winning a nation to Him as a result.

Imagine what could happen if the US church would rediscover a similar passion? Imagine what could happen if believers in the US developed a passion for evangelism? Committed their time and resources and energies to planting churches in neighborhoods where there is no gospel presence? Imagine if we could put aside our denominational and secondary theological differences? Humbly repent of our sin? Imagine if instead of seeking to dominate, we instead sought to serve? After all, it is God’s steadfast love - “hesed” in the original Hebrew - that leads to repentance and revival.

Do you pray for revival? Revival in God’s Church? Revival in our nation? Revival in your own heart? For years now, this verse from 2 Chronicles has been lifted up as the model prayer for revival. So how do we put it into practice? We humble ourselves. Before the Lord. Before each other. Before the world. We are broken people. We are sinful people. We have no right to claim any moral high ground. We ask God to continue His sanctifying work in us. We beg the Holy Spirit to give us eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts to understand the mind of Christ. We seek God’s face. We stop believing the world revolves around us. We stop treating God like some on-call, cosmic concierge whose only purpose for existence is to meet our emotional needs. We stop treating worship like a consumer product and instead give God the worship He deserves in the way He demands. And finally, we turn from our wicked ways. We come clean. We confess. We repent. We make ourselves vulnerable and transparent before God, before each other, and before the world. Most importantly, we do these things authentically with no other agenda than to come clean before our Heavenly Father.  

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 146-150

God’s Temple

Readings for today: 1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chronicles 2-3

Today’s reading ties together several threads in Old Testament history. Here are a couple of the key texts…

“So Solomon broke ground, launched construction of the house of God in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, the place where God had appeared to his father David. The precise site, the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, had been designated by David.”(2 Chronicles‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“Four hundred and eighty years after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s rule over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, Solomon started building The Temple of God.”(1 Kings‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“The word of God came to Solomon saying, “About this Temple you are building—what’s important is that you live the way I’ve set out for you and do what I tell you, following my instructions carefully and obediently. Then I’ll complete in you the promise I made to David your father. I’ll personally take up my residence among the Israelites—I won’t desert my people Israel.” (1 Kings‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Mount Moriah is the modern-day Temple Mount. It’s the place where Solomon built his Temple. It’s also the place where the 2nd Temple was built by Zerubbabel which is the same Temple King Herod expanded and remodeled during his reign. But that’s not the only place Mt. Moriah is mentioned in Scripture. Moriah is also the region where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac and it was on one of the mountains in that region that Abraham built his altar. Those of you who remember the story from Genesis 22, probably recall it was the angel of the Lord who appeared to stay Abraham’s hand. Mt. Moriah is also the place where King David saw the angel of the Lord relent from his destruction of Jerusalem at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 1 Chron. 21:16 tells us, “David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven...” This is really what temples were all about in the ancient world. They were the places where heaven and earth came together. A “thin space” if you will where the veil of this world peels back as God intervenes to meet us in a powerful way.

The timing of the Temple is important as well. 480 years have passed since Israel first set out on their Exodus journey. Whether the number is literal or symbolic, there was theological significance attached to it because the Temple represented in a very real way the fulfillment of all God’s promises. He had delivered His people from slavery. He had given them the Promised Land. He had conquered their enemies and now they were at peace with their neighbors. Everything God said He would do, He did and the building of the Temple served as a monument to God’s great faithfulness.

Finally, the Temple represented the fulfillment of the covenant of God. It was the completion of the promise God made to David, Solomon’s father, and it represented the eternal nature of the relationship God desired to have with His people. If Solomon - and by extension Solomon’s people - will walk in faithful obedience before the Lord, God would be with them. He would live with them and dwell with them. He would bless them and protect them. He would guide them and give them a hope and a future.

So what’s our takeaway? How is a passage like this relevant for our daily lives? Well, first and foremost, I think it’s important for us to recognize sacred space. Particular places or particular times and seasons where God showed up in a powerful way. Bending the heavens to come to earth to perform a miracle or do a mighty work on our behalf. Such spaces will hold a special place in our hearts as well they should. Second, we need to recognize the importance of God’s timing. He may not work as quickly as we would like or on the timeline we’d prefer but He is always faithful to His promises. Our job is walk in faith. Walk in obedience. Surrender our lives into His hands. Finally, and most importantly, we need to remember that we are now temples of the Living God. We are walking, talking “Mt. Moriah’s” due to the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. God has touched down in our lives. He has done something in our hearts. And we need to praise Him continually for the miracle of spiritual rebirth.  

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 7-8, Psalm 11