There is always hope for the wayward soul

SCRIPTURE:  2 Chronicles 33: 12-13  In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.  And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom.  Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.

OBSERVATION: Manasseh became king of Judah after his father Hezekiah passed on.  Although Hezekiah made a few mistakes, he did what was “right in the eyes of the LORD.”

Manasseh being king at the young age of 12 did what was “evil in the eyes of the LORD.”  He placed carved images in God’s temple, worshiped the stars in the sky, practiced sorcery, led an entire nation into sin..he even sacrificed his own sons by burning them alive in worship to foreign gods!  He provoked the LORD to anger and He brought judgment to Manasseh by allowing him to be captured by the commanders of Assyria and led out of the city with legs bound and a hook through his nose.  However he humbled himself “greatly” before the LORD and He restored him to Judah.

APPLICATION: The mercy and forgiveness of God is unfathomable!  This king had nearly destroyed not only the land, but the people of an entire nation.  He even killed his own sons.  Pretty much anything you could do to go against God, Manasseh was involved in.  But he was stripped bare.  Everything fell apart.  He lost it all in a moment.  At that point in my own mind I might even say to myself surely he deserves to die.  This is judgment by God and he’s going to pay for what he did.  There’s no hope for him.  Every said those words?  Too far gone..

Discipline: A Lense Through the Spirit

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews: 12: 11-12 11For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,

OBSERVATION:  The author of the book of Hebrews had just taken us through what many call the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews chapter 11 in which sites all the examples from the Old Testament of those who held by faith the promises of God.  They didn’t look to their inheritance as an earthly prize, but as a heavenly one yet to come.  They by faith pleased God through their obedience to Him all the while looking ahead to a “better country, that is, a heavenly one”, a city prepared for them in heaven.  All of their earthly trials and sufferings would not keep them from pursuing God’s calling and promises because they considered their home somewhere else.  Currently these believers (and us) that the author was addressing were experiencing many trials and sufferings.  He was encouraging them in the testimony of those who went before them and even more importantly that our Heavenly Father disciplines His children that they might be perfected by Him.  He was helping them to see their present sufferings through the lense of the Spirit.

APPLICATION:  Let’s be honest, our hands get droopy and our knees do often get weak in difficult times. 

Suffering: A VoiceBox unto His Glory

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 2:18 For in that He Himself had suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Character: Are you Qualified?

SCRIPTURE: Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

OBSERVATION:  In Paul’s letter to Titus, a faithful leader he left on the island of Crete in which sound doctrine and integrity were being challenged and perverted, he is exhorting Titus to properly seek out godly leaders to do the work of the ministry;   and at the same time telling him to hold fast to the things Paul had taught him that he might be able to exhort and convict those in the wrong.  Apparently the Jews were inter-mixing the knowledge of popular fables and bywords that were turning people from the faith as well as leading for their own selfish gain.  Their conduct and behavior not only caused others to sin, but it immediately disqualified them for the leadership they assumed in the lives of others.  In their state of willful disobedience they were unable to walk in the good works God had set before them.  Because of their lack of adherence to neccesary character of a follower of Christ, they had judged themselves unfit to lead.

APPLICATION:  Once again, character is crucial.  The truth that motivates our righteous behavior is key.  Basically the word is telling us that if our character isn’t aligned with the word of God and being obedient to Christ, we’re not qualified to lead or even do the work of the kingdom.  It’s a matter of the heart and it always has been with the Lord.  Why do we do what we do?  Just this morning I had cleaned up the house while my wife was asleep that I might bless her when she woke up.  Well she did and much to my disappointment I didn’t receive one word of recognition.  HOLY SPIRIT CHECK:  Was my motivation to bless my wife and honor God by honoring others over myself, or was my motive to be noticed and verbally esteemed by my wife.  So subtle, but because my heart was not in alignment with the heart of God in the situation, I disqualified myself from the blessing, from the reward, from real joy.  I learned a lesson this morning...

There is an Inheritance Waiting for you: Lead like a servant and serve like the Master

SCRIPTURE:  Psalm 80: 8-9  You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it.  You prepared room for it, and caused it to take deep root, And it filled the land.

OBSERVATION: Here the Chief Musician Asaph inspired by God has written a psalm of lament.  Meaning it’s a type of psalm that cries out to the Lord in distress, voices his distress, confesses his trust, list his reasons for God to intervene and petitions, and finally vows to praise God.  There are many psalms written in such a manner.  Very honest and real in their distress and confession, but most often remembering that God is able to save them. 

Egypt is often a metaphor for bondage, especially in terms of referring to our old self or our old nature before Christ.  In Psalm 80:9 God speaks of His people as a vine he brought out of Egypt (their literal captivity) cast out the nations and planted it (I’m fairly certain this is referring to their conquest of the promised land of Canaan after 40 years in the wilderness) and caused it to take deep root (They did indeed gain more and more territory once they entered in and pushed out the Gentiles) and it filled the land (they did just that!  They filled the land.)

APPLICATION:  The God of the Old Testament is the same God as in the New Testament.  There’s something for us to learn in the entire word of God.  We have only to look to II Timothy 3:16 to be assured of that.  We were all once lost in darkness, in sin, but God gave His Son to deliver us from that bondage and into the inheritance that He has for us in Christ.  We too were all once lost in Egypt.  And now, being agents of His kingdom, there is an inheritance…a prepared space for each and every one of us to take deep root in, and have God glorifying impact!  God never changes..the same yesterday, today and forever!  In Ephesians 2:10 God declares that He has prepared good works in advance that we should walk in them.  His call today is still the same as yesterday.  Be obedient and you will possess the land he has prepared for you!  And inversely as we see all throughout scripture; Behave disobediently and be conquered, punished and judged..that you might look up once again and be restored and remember your God.  The one foot in, one foot out approach (lukewarm faith) is also just as dangerous.  Half-hearted Christianity puts us in the same condition as the whining, back sliding Israelites that followed Moses out of Egypt…wandering in the wilderness until we wake up, repent, cry out!, and be lead into the promises God has for us.

Our relationship is personal, but our pursuit is not!

SCRIPTURE:  2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, preace with those who call on the Lord our of a pure heart.

Crisis at hand! What's your first response?

SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 13:14 And when Judah looked around, to their suprise the batte line was at both front and rear; and they cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded the trumpets.

Rehearse the Victories

SCRIPTURE: Joshua 17:16 But the children of Joseph said, “The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel.”

Sin isn't personal; Lead with integrity

SCRIPTURE: Leviticus 4:3 If the anointed priest sings, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering

On the road to recovery, don’t take the easy road, take God’s road

SCRIPTURE: Exodus 13:17 Then it came to pass, when Pharoah had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt