(Part 1)
“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. Now what do you say?”
John 8:1-5
The Pharisees had once again skillfully manipulated the situation in an attempt to trap Jesus. They waited eagerly to hear what Jesus would say. Would he reject the Law of Moses and give them a basis for accusing him? Would he agree that she must be stoned and position himself with the other religious leaders of his day? What would he have to say in the face of this woman’s blatant sinfulness?
As he stooped down to write on the ground they kept pressing him for an answer, questioning him, and prodding him to take a position. And although they were wanting to “know” for all the wrong reasons, there stood among them a woman who, too, was anxiously waiting to hear what Jesus had to say! This woman was a sinner. These were not fabricated charges. She had been caught in the act of adultery. She had willfully and knowingly transgressed God’s Law. She was well aware that if she was ever caught, it meant she would be stoned to death. She makes no defense for her actions. The Pharisees seized the opportunity and dragged the woman before Jesus for judgment.
All of this played out in the Temple Courts where just a few hundred feet away was the Holy of Holies. At one time, the Holy of Holies had housed the Ark of the Covenant. Inside the Ark was the very Law of Moses to which the Pharisees had made reference. It was here that the High Priest would enter ,once a year, to make atonement for the people. The blood was applied to the lid of the Ark, known as the Mercy Seat. It is the place where God promised to meet them:
“There, above the mercy seat between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.”
Exodus 25:22
The mercy seat depicts for us how mercy and grace overshadow the Law. Judgment and death were the penalty for sin, but mercy could be found through grace and faith in the blood. God established the mercy seat as the place He would meet and commune with His people. It was the place where sins were atoned and redemption imparted. God desires to meet us in a place of mercy where He can extend His grace toward us.
Here in the Temple Courts Jesus straightened up and said:
“If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
John 8:7
He did not minimize the severity of her sin. Nor did He trivialize the weightiness of the Law. Rather, He chose that His first encounter with this woman be at the mercy seat rather than the judgment seat. God never brings people to judgment without first extending His hand of mercy.
Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Remaining In Christ
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the Word I have spoken to you. Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
John 15:1-4
It’s important to notice that it is the “branch” that must bear fruit. Never do you read where the gardener “cuts” or “prunes” the vine to make the branches bear fruit. The vine has already demonstrated and proven to the gardener it’s ability to give life. So any lack of fruit bearing is not on the vine side. So what must a branch do to enjoy a fruitful life?
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be me disciples.”
John 15:7-8
God’s Word is life blood to the branch, just as blood coursing through my veins is life to my body. My arm is like a limb. It is attached to the trunk of my body. The blood passes from my heart, located in the trunk, to my arm ensuring life to the limb. If you cut off blood circulation to my arm, eventually my arm will wither. Cut yourself off from God’s Word and eventually you will wither. God’s Word cleans us and keeps us pruned. Hebrews 4:12 describes God’s Word like this”
“For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
We will wither like an arm with no blood flow, if we do not allow God’s Word to ebb through every corner of our lives. However, remaining in Christ is more than just remaining in His Word. It is also remaining in His love!
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”
John 15:9
Jesus is very specific about what that entails. He tells us in verse 10 that: “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s command and remain in His love.”
Just as my arm needs life-giving blood flowing to it to make it viable, my arm must also be exercised! If you fail to use your arm, even with proper blood flow, your arm can still wither and become unusable. Remember fruit is the outward testimony of a life connected with Jesus. This outward evidence in manifest in our obedience to God’s Word. As we live out the Word, that is flowing through us, we demonstrate our love for God. By exercising God’s Word in our lives, we reveal ourselves to be friends of God.
“You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
John 15:14-16
God recognizes the fruit that is born out of the vine. As the master gardener, He can identify what fruit is being born out of a life connected to Jesus and what fruit is being born out of a connection to something else. Matthew 7:17-20 declares:
“Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit . Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”
God’s desire for us is to bear good fruit. Fruit that will last. You can live a fruitful life if you remain in His Word and remain in His love.
Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
John 15:1-4
It’s important to notice that it is the “branch” that must bear fruit. Never do you read where the gardener “cuts” or “prunes” the vine to make the branches bear fruit. The vine has already demonstrated and proven to the gardener it’s ability to give life. So any lack of fruit bearing is not on the vine side. So what must a branch do to enjoy a fruitful life?
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be me disciples.”
John 15:7-8
God’s Word is life blood to the branch, just as blood coursing through my veins is life to my body. My arm is like a limb. It is attached to the trunk of my body. The blood passes from my heart, located in the trunk, to my arm ensuring life to the limb. If you cut off blood circulation to my arm, eventually my arm will wither. Cut yourself off from God’s Word and eventually you will wither. God’s Word cleans us and keeps us pruned. Hebrews 4:12 describes God’s Word like this”
“For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
We will wither like an arm with no blood flow, if we do not allow God’s Word to ebb through every corner of our lives. However, remaining in Christ is more than just remaining in His Word. It is also remaining in His love!
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”
John 15:9
Jesus is very specific about what that entails. He tells us in verse 10 that: “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s command and remain in His love.”
Just as my arm needs life-giving blood flowing to it to make it viable, my arm must also be exercised! If you fail to use your arm, even with proper blood flow, your arm can still wither and become unusable. Remember fruit is the outward testimony of a life connected with Jesus. This outward evidence in manifest in our obedience to God’s Word. As we live out the Word, that is flowing through us, we demonstrate our love for God. By exercising God’s Word in our lives, we reveal ourselves to be friends of God.
“You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
John 15:14-16
God recognizes the fruit that is born out of the vine. As the master gardener, He can identify what fruit is being born out of a life connected to Jesus and what fruit is being born out of a connection to something else. Matthew 7:17-20 declares:
“Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit . Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”
God’s desire for us is to bear good fruit. Fruit that will last. You can live a fruitful life if you remain in His Word and remain in His love.
Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
Thursday, September 23, 2010
He Set Eternity in Our Hearts
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11
There are some preachers, when they speak, who are so convincing that in one moment you can feel the breath of heaven and in the next moment feel the flames of hell. There are some authors who can write so vividly that you can almost see the streets of gold that pave the heavens and subsequently hear the “troubled screams” of those confined to the deepest parts of hell. There are some singers whose voices and lyrics can move us to experience tremendous joy at the prospect of seeing Jesus face to face and then bring us to tears as we consider being separated from God for all eternity.
But even with the amazing gifts and talents that God has given us to use to communicate eternal life to those around us, I have found that “death” is far greater at causing men to stop and consider eternal life than any preacher, author or singer. Death has an uncanny way of getting people’s attention. Even those who have managed to steer clear of church, religion and the Bible can’t seem to escape the message that death brings to the table.
God has set eternity in our hearts! We have been hard-wired by God to look beyond the grave. The writer of Hebrews describes it this way:
“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
Hebrews 11:13-16
It is because we have been hard-wired by God for eternity that so many people believe in life after death. Life beyond the grave is universal among cultures and religions. As Christians we may not believe in a paradise with 70 virgins, a happy hunting ground, or reincarnation, but each of these differing cultures and religions has embraced the fact that there is more beyond the veil of death. Which according to scripture is a good thing:
“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man, to living should take this to heart.”
Ecclesiastes 7:2
Consider these words of wisdom for a moment. How often do we consider eternity when we are “splashing around at the water park with our family”, or “enjoying a night out with friends”. However, how often is eternity considered when we are seated in the house of mourning. Death stirs us to consider our eternity!
I can’t tell you how often, at or after a funeral, I will hear someone ask… “Do you think they are in heaven?” Sometimes it is out of a genuine concern for the soul of the loved one who passed, but most often it is asked out of the uncertainty of their own hearts. It is a good thing to be troubled by death, to have “eternity” stirred up in our hearts. However, we do not have to live uncertain or leave our loved one languishing over our eternal destination. Jesus said:
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my Word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, he has crossed over from death to life.”
John 5:24
If death is troubling you, maybe God is trying to stir up the “eternity”, that has been set in your heart, so that you can make a decision for Christ that will give you the eternal peace that your soul is longing to receive.
Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
Ecclesiastes 3:11
There are some preachers, when they speak, who are so convincing that in one moment you can feel the breath of heaven and in the next moment feel the flames of hell. There are some authors who can write so vividly that you can almost see the streets of gold that pave the heavens and subsequently hear the “troubled screams” of those confined to the deepest parts of hell. There are some singers whose voices and lyrics can move us to experience tremendous joy at the prospect of seeing Jesus face to face and then bring us to tears as we consider being separated from God for all eternity.
But even with the amazing gifts and talents that God has given us to use to communicate eternal life to those around us, I have found that “death” is far greater at causing men to stop and consider eternal life than any preacher, author or singer. Death has an uncanny way of getting people’s attention. Even those who have managed to steer clear of church, religion and the Bible can’t seem to escape the message that death brings to the table.
God has set eternity in our hearts! We have been hard-wired by God to look beyond the grave. The writer of Hebrews describes it this way:
“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
Hebrews 11:13-16
It is because we have been hard-wired by God for eternity that so many people believe in life after death. Life beyond the grave is universal among cultures and religions. As Christians we may not believe in a paradise with 70 virgins, a happy hunting ground, or reincarnation, but each of these differing cultures and religions has embraced the fact that there is more beyond the veil of death. Which according to scripture is a good thing:
“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man, to living should take this to heart.”
Ecclesiastes 7:2
Consider these words of wisdom for a moment. How often do we consider eternity when we are “splashing around at the water park with our family”, or “enjoying a night out with friends”. However, how often is eternity considered when we are seated in the house of mourning. Death stirs us to consider our eternity!
I can’t tell you how often, at or after a funeral, I will hear someone ask… “Do you think they are in heaven?” Sometimes it is out of a genuine concern for the soul of the loved one who passed, but most often it is asked out of the uncertainty of their own hearts. It is a good thing to be troubled by death, to have “eternity” stirred up in our hearts. However, we do not have to live uncertain or leave our loved one languishing over our eternal destination. Jesus said:
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my Word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, he has crossed over from death to life.”
John 5:24
If death is troubling you, maybe God is trying to stir up the “eternity”, that has been set in your heart, so that you can make a decision for Christ that will give you the eternal peace that your soul is longing to receive.
Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
Thursday, September 16, 2010
“Silencing the Voice of Intimidation”
(part 4)
“Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.”
2 Kings 19:14
As Hezekiah heard the voice of intimidation, once again, he had a choice to make. He could try, yet again, to bargain with his enemies; he could put on sackcloth and ashes and mourn in the streets with all the people; or he could come boldly to the throne of God and make his petition known. Hezekiah with the letter from the messengers in hand made his way to the temple of the Lord. He took the letter and opened it before the Lord:
“And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: ‘O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.”
2 Kings 19:15-16
Hezekiah took the words sent to him by his enemies and laid them before God. He recounted before the Lord everything that Sennacherib had said to him:
“It is true, O Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste to these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men’s hands.”
2 Kings 19:17-18
Hezekiah then prayed with confidence for God to deliver them so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that “You alone, O Lord, are God.” God is not moved by intimidation! He was not moved by Sennacherib’s threats, the size of his nation, or the strength of his army. God was moved by the faith of Hezekiah…who finally chose to listen to the Word of the Lord rather than the voice of intimidation:
“Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria.”
Isaiah prophesied the downfall of the Assyrian army and King Sennacherib! That night the angel of the Lord put to death 185,000 in the Assyrian camp. Sennacherib broke camp and withdrew to Nineveh where he was cut down with the sword by his own sons in the temple of his god Nisroch.
So what is intimidating you? What is drawing you away from your confidence in God? What is causing you and those around you “on the wall” to fear? What does the enemy keep re-visiting in your life that is creating a stumbling block for you?
Take a moment to write it down on a piece of paper. Then find a place of prayer and spread it out before the Lord and pray with confidence:
“O Lord, my God, maker of heaven and earth. You are God over all the Kingdoms of the earth. Give ear, O Lord, and hear, open your eyes, O Lord, and see; listen to the words that “my enemy” has sent to insult the Living God! It is true, that (what is intimidating me) has created a stumbling block for me in the past and laid waste to a lot of my dreams. I’ve trusted in my own strength and the ability of others, but it amounted to little. So, I turn to You! Lord, deliver me from the hand of my enemy so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that “You alone, O Lord, are God!”
The Word of the Lord will silence the voice of intimidation!
Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
“Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.”
2 Kings 19:14
As Hezekiah heard the voice of intimidation, once again, he had a choice to make. He could try, yet again, to bargain with his enemies; he could put on sackcloth and ashes and mourn in the streets with all the people; or he could come boldly to the throne of God and make his petition known. Hezekiah with the letter from the messengers in hand made his way to the temple of the Lord. He took the letter and opened it before the Lord:
“And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: ‘O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.”
2 Kings 19:15-16
Hezekiah took the words sent to him by his enemies and laid them before God. He recounted before the Lord everything that Sennacherib had said to him:
“It is true, O Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste to these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men’s hands.”
2 Kings 19:17-18
Hezekiah then prayed with confidence for God to deliver them so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that “You alone, O Lord, are God.” God is not moved by intimidation! He was not moved by Sennacherib’s threats, the size of his nation, or the strength of his army. God was moved by the faith of Hezekiah…who finally chose to listen to the Word of the Lord rather than the voice of intimidation:
“Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria.”
Isaiah prophesied the downfall of the Assyrian army and King Sennacherib! That night the angel of the Lord put to death 185,000 in the Assyrian camp. Sennacherib broke camp and withdrew to Nineveh where he was cut down with the sword by his own sons in the temple of his god Nisroch.
So what is intimidating you? What is drawing you away from your confidence in God? What is causing you and those around you “on the wall” to fear? What does the enemy keep re-visiting in your life that is creating a stumbling block for you?
Take a moment to write it down on a piece of paper. Then find a place of prayer and spread it out before the Lord and pray with confidence:
“O Lord, my God, maker of heaven and earth. You are God over all the Kingdoms of the earth. Give ear, O Lord, and hear, open your eyes, O Lord, and see; listen to the words that “my enemy” has sent to insult the Living God! It is true, that (what is intimidating me) has created a stumbling block for me in the past and laid waste to a lot of my dreams. I’ve trusted in my own strength and the ability of others, but it amounted to little. So, I turn to You! Lord, deliver me from the hand of my enemy so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that “You alone, O Lord, are God!”
The Word of the Lord will silence the voice of intimidation!
Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
Thursday, September 9, 2010
"Silencing the Voice of Intimidation"
(part 3)
“When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and went into the temple of the Lord. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.”
2 Kings 19:1-3
How did a man, whose name was associated with a strong trust in God, arrive at the end of himself with no strength and no options? In sackcloth and ashes, Hezekiah’s officials approached the Prophet Isaiah asking him to pray for a remnant to survive the coming onslaught by the Assyrian army. They had resigned themselves to the idea that they were going to be devastated, but the Word of the Lord came through the Prophet Isaiah:
“Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, “This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard- those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! I am going to put such a spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.”
2 Kings 19: 6-7
Isaiah directed Hezekiah to stop hearkening to the words of the King of Assyria’s “underlings”. He had received their threats as “reality” and fear had swept over him and all his officials. Isaiah redirected him to consider the Word of the Lord who promised to cut down the King of Assyria with the sword. Hezekiah was further infused with confidence upon hearing that the King of Egypt was marching out to attack the armies of Assyria. However, intimidation is not stymied by an infusion of confidence!
“Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite King of Egypt, was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria. Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered?”
2 Kings 19:9-11
Immediately, the field commander struck back with another wave of intimidation and fear attempting to undermine Hezekiah’s new found confidence by re-visiting past successes:
“Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my forefathers deliver them: the gods of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sephavaim or of Hena or Ivvah?”
2 Kings 19:12-13
Hezekiah had first hand knowledge of the Assyrians victories. He had seen close up the Assyrian army sweep in and take Samaria and the northern cities of Judah. He had bargained with “intimidation” in the past, and now it was back to collect!
“When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and went into the temple of the Lord. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.”
2 Kings 19:1-3
How did a man, whose name was associated with a strong trust in God, arrive at the end of himself with no strength and no options? In sackcloth and ashes, Hezekiah’s officials approached the Prophet Isaiah asking him to pray for a remnant to survive the coming onslaught by the Assyrian army. They had resigned themselves to the idea that they were going to be devastated, but the Word of the Lord came through the Prophet Isaiah:
“Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, “This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard- those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! I am going to put such a spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.”
2 Kings 19: 6-7
Isaiah directed Hezekiah to stop hearkening to the words of the King of Assyria’s “underlings”. He had received their threats as “reality” and fear had swept over him and all his officials. Isaiah redirected him to consider the Word of the Lord who promised to cut down the King of Assyria with the sword. Hezekiah was further infused with confidence upon hearing that the King of Egypt was marching out to attack the armies of Assyria. However, intimidation is not stymied by an infusion of confidence!
“Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite King of Egypt, was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria. Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered?”
2 Kings 19:9-11
Immediately, the field commander struck back with another wave of intimidation and fear attempting to undermine Hezekiah’s new found confidence by re-visiting past successes:
“Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my forefathers deliver them: the gods of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sephavaim or of Hena or Ivvah?”
2 Kings 19:12-13
Hezekiah had first hand knowledge of the Assyrians victories. He had seen close up the Assyrian army sweep in and take Samaria and the northern cities of Judah. He had bargained with “intimidation” in the past, and now it was back to collect!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Silencing the Voice of Intimidation (Part 1)
“Silencing the Voice of Intimidation”
(part 1)
“Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him, he was successful in whatever he undertook.”
2 Kings 18:5-7
What a testimony! How many of you would love to have words, like these, penned in the pages of history about your faith in God? Hezekiah was a man who trusted God, was persistent in his faith, and very successful. However, there was a time in his life where his confidence in God was undermined by the voice of his enemy!
In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign as King of Judah, the King of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
“So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.”
2 Kings 18:14
However, this did not stop the King of Assyria from advancing on Jerusalem. The King of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer, and his field commander with a large army from Lachish to address King Hezekiah. They stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool on the road to the Washerman’s field and called for King Hezekiah to come out. This was a strategic decision. Assyria now controlled the water that was flowing into the city, which meant they could easily lay siege to Jerusalem. So Hezekiah’s officials were forced to go out and meet the commanders of the Assyrian army. Their mission was one of “intimidation”. When Hezekiah’s officials came to the Upper Pool the Assyrian field commander stepped up:
“The field command said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have strategy and military strength- but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me: Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man’s hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. And if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”- isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem?”
2 Kings 18:19-22
In a nutshell, the field commander was asking: “On what are you basing your confidence?” Are you depending on your own strength? Are you depending on the strength of others? Are you depending on the ‘Lord Your God’? The ultimate purpose of intimidation is to undermine our confidence in God! It’s goal is to move us away from God causing us to seek safety, provision, and protection from another source.
Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
(part 1)
“Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him, he was successful in whatever he undertook.”
2 Kings 18:5-7
What a testimony! How many of you would love to have words, like these, penned in the pages of history about your faith in God? Hezekiah was a man who trusted God, was persistent in his faith, and very successful. However, there was a time in his life where his confidence in God was undermined by the voice of his enemy!
In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign as King of Judah, the King of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
“So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.”
2 Kings 18:14
However, this did not stop the King of Assyria from advancing on Jerusalem. The King of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer, and his field commander with a large army from Lachish to address King Hezekiah. They stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool on the road to the Washerman’s field and called for King Hezekiah to come out. This was a strategic decision. Assyria now controlled the water that was flowing into the city, which meant they could easily lay siege to Jerusalem. So Hezekiah’s officials were forced to go out and meet the commanders of the Assyrian army. Their mission was one of “intimidation”. When Hezekiah’s officials came to the Upper Pool the Assyrian field commander stepped up:
“The field command said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have strategy and military strength- but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me: Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man’s hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. And if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”- isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem?”
2 Kings 18:19-22
In a nutshell, the field commander was asking: “On what are you basing your confidence?” Are you depending on your own strength? Are you depending on the strength of others? Are you depending on the ‘Lord Your God’? The ultimate purpose of intimidation is to undermine our confidence in God! It’s goal is to move us away from God causing us to seek safety, provision, and protection from another source.
Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
"Stand Firm in Your Faith"
“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”
Isaiah 7:9b
I was gripped during my devotion, earlier this week, by this verse found in the book of Isaiah. In the passage leading up to this verse, Judah had come under attack by Rezin- King of Aram and then again by Pekah- King of Israel. Both armies tried and failed to penetrate the walls of Jerusalem and destroy the City of David. Ahaz, son of Jotham, was King of Judah at that time and managed to keep the imposing armies at bay.
Then word came to the king that Aram & Ephraim (Israel) planned to join forces and try again to overpower them:
“Now the House of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.”
Isaiah 7:1-2
Have you ever been shaken? Like Judah, we can usually face opposition and trials, with a measure of confidence, if they come at us “one” at a time. However, when “more” than one comes at us at once we often become gripped with fear. Ahaz faced his opposition successfully when they came at him separately, but now they were coming at him at the same time. Trouble always seem to comes in pairs. We never really face one problem at a time, but usually we get bombarded from many different directions.
In the midst of this, God spoke to Isaiah and told him to go to the king and give him this message:
“Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm, and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood.”
Isaiah 7:4a
Judah’s enemies wanted to invade them, tear the city apart and divide it among themselves, but God had the final word:
“Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “It will not take place, it will not happen.”
Isaiah 7:7
God promised Judah that within sixty-five years Aram and Ephraim would be too shattered to be a people. He told them to stand firm in their faith and trust Him! If they did not stand firm in their faith, they would not stand at all! He told Ahaz to ask Him for a sign that would signify His faithfulness. Ahaz refused to ask, so the Lord gave Him a sign:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14
God pointed to the coming of Christ as the sign of His faithfulness. Be encouraged today! Jesus is still God’s sign of faithfulness towards us. Although you may feel as if the enemies that you are facing are going to overwhelm you, God says, “It will not take place, It will not happen.” But you must stand firm in your faith, if you hope to stand at all.
Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
Isaiah 7:9b
I was gripped during my devotion, earlier this week, by this verse found in the book of Isaiah. In the passage leading up to this verse, Judah had come under attack by Rezin- King of Aram and then again by Pekah- King of Israel. Both armies tried and failed to penetrate the walls of Jerusalem and destroy the City of David. Ahaz, son of Jotham, was King of Judah at that time and managed to keep the imposing armies at bay.
Then word came to the king that Aram & Ephraim (Israel) planned to join forces and try again to overpower them:
“Now the House of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.”
Isaiah 7:1-2
Have you ever been shaken? Like Judah, we can usually face opposition and trials, with a measure of confidence, if they come at us “one” at a time. However, when “more” than one comes at us at once we often become gripped with fear. Ahaz faced his opposition successfully when they came at him separately, but now they were coming at him at the same time. Trouble always seem to comes in pairs. We never really face one problem at a time, but usually we get bombarded from many different directions.
In the midst of this, God spoke to Isaiah and told him to go to the king and give him this message:
“Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm, and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood.”
Isaiah 7:4a
Judah’s enemies wanted to invade them, tear the city apart and divide it among themselves, but God had the final word:
“Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “It will not take place, it will not happen.”
Isaiah 7:7
God promised Judah that within sixty-five years Aram and Ephraim would be too shattered to be a people. He told them to stand firm in their faith and trust Him! If they did not stand firm in their faith, they would not stand at all! He told Ahaz to ask Him for a sign that would signify His faithfulness. Ahaz refused to ask, so the Lord gave Him a sign:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14
God pointed to the coming of Christ as the sign of His faithfulness. Be encouraged today! Jesus is still God’s sign of faithfulness towards us. Although you may feel as if the enemies that you are facing are going to overwhelm you, God says, “It will not take place, It will not happen.” But you must stand firm in your faith, if you hope to stand at all.
Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
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