ROYAL PERFORMANCE

“For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images" (2 Chron. 34:3 NKJV).

One of the best kings of Judah was Josiah. In fact, he was the last of the good kings. After his death, all the kings that followed him were bad, helped cause the demise of the kingdom of Judah. On the other hand, Josiah performed gallantly. Our verse talks about some of his royal performance - his pursuing of God and his purifying for God.

Pursuing of God - “In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David.” Josiah was eight years old when he became king. His pursuit of God began when he had reigned eight years; this meant he was only sixteen. Young people often say they have plenty of time to seek God and so do not pursue spiritual things. And people in high positions in government often claims they are too busy to seek God. Politicians are not known for being religious. But Josiah was different. Though sixteen and a sovereign, he earnestly sought after God. Youth and high position are no excuse for not seeking God.

Purifying for God - “In the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images.” Josiah engaged in spiritual reform which was desperately needed in Judah. It is instructive to note that this reform occurred after Josiah first sought the Lord himself. If we are going to lead others on the right path, we must first get on the right path ourselves. We must get right with God if we are going to help others get right with God. A corrupt government will not improve the nation’s character. Corrupt politicians will only corrupt the character of a nation, not improve it.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“He who abandons himself to God will never be abandoned by God!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Distort (pervert)

In Gal. 1:7 we read, “which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ” (NASB).

Distort (pervert) is the Greek word metastrephō (μεταστρέφω = met-as-tref'-o). It is made up of two words: “meta” which means change, and “strephō” which means to twist. Thus the word means to turn about or turn around, transform into something of an opposite character, corrupt, pervert, reverse. The idea is to turn something (here the true Gospel) to it opposite state, so altering it and causing it to be different. Metastrephō was also used as a political term, with revolutionary action in view.

Further, metastrephō is the aorist tense indicating a complete and thorough change or perversion of the true Gospel of Grace! The intent of the Judaizers was to pervert Paul’s message of grace by adding salvation by works instead of by faith alone.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – The Messiah would be a stone of stumbling to Israel (Isa. 8:14-15)

New Testament Fulfillment – 1 Peter 2:8

Bible Facts

Animal and plant extinction explained (Jer. 12:4; Hosea 4:3). According to evolution, occasionally we should witness a new kind springing into existence. Yet, this has never been observed. On the contrary, as Scripture explains, since the curse on all creation, we observe death and extinction (Rom. 8:20-22).

Bible Quiz

According to Proverbs 15, what “are in every place, beholding the evil and the good?"

**Answer to last week’s trivia: When Christians suffer because of their faith, how are they to react? By praising God (1 Peter 4:16).

That’s in the Bible

"Divide the spoil”

“You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil?” (Isa. 9:3 KJV).

“Divide the spoil” - The expression “divide the spoil” mean to split up goods amongst others. Isaiah continued the theme of light and darkness by announcing, “The gloom will not be upon her who is distressed” (v. 1). The Redeemer will come and bring to the world the dawning of a new day. But Isaiah was even looking beyond the first coming of Christ to His second coming and the establishing of His righteous kingdom (Isa. 9:3-7). One of the great blessings of the Lord is joy. The joy is compared here to the “joy in harvest” and when men “divide the spoil” after winning a battle in war. Jesus gives the greatest joy a person can have.

Did You Know - Christian History

Melvin Ernest Trotter was born May 16, 1870 in Orangeville, Illinois. He was a former alcoholic who founded and directed the Grand Rapids, Michigan City Rescue Mission for more than forty years.

Mel Trotter was an alcoholic. Again and again he promised his wife that he would give up drink for good. He and his wife had only the one child. After one of his period of drunkenness, he returned home and discovered his two-year-old dead. He put his arms around his wife and swore on the baby’s coffin that he’d never touch another drop. Two hours after the funeral, he staggered home blind drunk.

Hopping a train, he landed in Chicago in January 1897 where he sold his shoes to buy another drink. Unable to break his habit, unable to keep his promises, he wanted to die. Drunk, broke, and shoeless in the snow, Trotter was staggered inside the Pacific Garden Mission, where he was converted after hearing the testimony of its director, Harry Monroe.

Three years later, Mel Trotter was asked to head a rescue work in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Within a few years, Trotter had the largest rescue mission in the United States. The Mission Sunday School soon had an attendance of 300-500 children, who were often fed and clothed as well as evangelized. By 1913, the mission held twenty-three meetings a week, and the building was in constant use twenty-four hours a day providing food, clothing, and lodging. Trotter had prison services, Bible classes and street meetings.

Trotter went on to found a chain of missions throughout the United States to help men like himself who could not escape the slavery of alcoholism. In 1935, Bob Jones College conferred an honorary doctorate on him. In 1939, Trotter suffered a severe heart attack and died at his summer cottage near Holland, Michigan in 1940. The mission he founded, Mel Trotter Ministries, is still operating today.

A Little Humor

The new preacher at Dry Gulch Community Church was so nervous that he could not sleep for several nights. This not only caused tiredness, but he had difficulty remembering his sermon outline. Now in Bible school, he’d been taught that if a lapse of memory occurs, it is wise to repeat the last point. And so he quoted: “Behold I come quickly.” His mind was still blank. After trying a few more times, he stepped back, made a lunge towards the pulpit, shouted out, “Behold I come quickly,” tripped and fell in the lap of a little old lady in the front row. Flustered and embarrassed, he picked himself up and apologized profusely. “That’s all right, young man,” said the kindly old lady. “It was really my fault. You did warn me three times that you were on your way down. I should have just gotten out of your way.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Christ believed is salvation received!”