King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Chapters: II Kings 24-25, II Chronicles 36
Message: Not One Hair Shall Perish
Hello My Friend,
I am in a melancholy mood today, my oldest nephew will be going off to college tomorrow. I twisted my leg and have this pain shooting down my knee to my ankle. I am angered by all the garbage going on all over the world, and how quickly people sell out the ones with the morals for the sake of one big mouth who has none. And I am grieved that so many people are so lost that this is how is because it is all they know. If they could only know the Jesus I know then they would see the value of life, that it is not found in anything that the world has to offer, but only in Christ. Day after day, God’s faithful, in one way or another shine the light of Christ on them, and what do they do? They mock and shame them, they persecute and kill them. Mark the words of Christ, “And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.” – Luke 21:16-19.
“In your patience possess ye your souls.” We might be forsaken by the world, but we are not forsaken by Christ, He will deliver us from the most vilest of judgments, when He returns and claims all of His people, even from their graves (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). Amen! We have been reading through Jeremiah about the fall of Judah, the chapters we are reading today go into more detail about how He sent judgment upon them. If we should learn anything from this story it is that, every nation that turns on God will be destroyed, but if we trust Him, and wait patiently, He will restore everything better than what it was. This judgment started from Manasseh, who brought much evil into the nation when he sacrificed his own children. Josiah slowed things down when he reigned with his great reform, but as soon as he died they went back to their wicked ways, refusing to repent. We come to the time when Nebuchadnezzar comes in, carries king Jehoiachin into Babylon, and makes Zedekiah king.
“In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon. And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.” – II Kings 24:1-4,12,17.
“Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah,” All judgments come from God, He is merciful, and quite patient, but at some point, enough is enough, and judgment will come. Zedekiah had every opportunity to turn this around, and even went to Jeremiah a few times, but refused to accept that they were to be taken to Babylon. Not only did Zedekiah rebel, so did the priests, and many others, in fact, they mocked and tried to destroy Jeremiah, and the others who warned them over and over again.
“Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel. Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.” – II Chronicles 36:11-16.
“till there was no remedy.” Jesus Christ is the remedy. This nation does not have to fall into the hands of Satan. It does not have to become desolate of any form of morality, it does not have to become impoverished of any form of humanity, and it does not have to become a wasteland of any form of god. God does not want to destroy all the earth, but it is the only remedy, the second He tells His Son that it is time to return, we will hear those trumpets sound, and judgment will begin. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20:12-15.
“according to their works.” That is right, the dead will be judged according to their works! These are those who never heeded the warning of needing to call on Jesus Christ as their Saviour. The judgments we read about and the ones we see today are all warnings that unless we turn to Christ we too will be in the judgment. And there is no escape, but through Christ. As Zedekiah rebelled, and all those mockers tried to escape, the Chaldean’s came in, captured or killed them all, and destroyed everything, including the temple.
“And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king’s garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.” – II Kings 25:3-4,8-10,22.
“And he burnt the house of the LORD,” You know, they can destroy every church there is in the world, but they will still never destroy Christ. The true house of the LORD is not four walls with some windows, pictures, and pews, it is the saved souls of the LORD, Jesus Christ. Amen! We can always replace and restore material things, but a lost soul that never received Christ can never be, it will be cast into the lake of fire, and will burn there for eternity. Everlasting damnation it is called, and death is never final, we will end up living an eternity somewhere, please, let that be with Christ. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” – John 5:28-29.
Nations, once godly, have forgotten God, and cannot continue to go in the direction they are going and not face the wrath of God. I mean, come on, what happened to morality? You cannot even walk down the street without being exposed to their sin. I have been saying this since the first time it came to mind, sin is selfish, it does not think of anyone else, only itself. God has made His decision, judgment is coming, and we better get right with Him before judgment comes. He has had it with false gods, religion, and the shed of innocent blood. God did not cause all these things to happen, wicked, selfish, immoral, and religious people caused it, but He is finishing it. While God did promise judgment, He also promised restoration, and it is foretold again here.
“And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.” – II Chronicles 36:18-23.
“Who is there among you of all his people?” God is calling on you, He is depending on you. Are you going to stand up and help Him restore His house? God needs willing vessels, people who are not double minded, bot sell outs, not trying to be God, and strong in their faith. We need to stand true to Jesus, not fight with each other, love one another as Jesus loves us. Stop letting the devil hinder us from doing what we are to be doing, and leading the lost to Christ. “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” – I Thessalonians 5:15-24. Amen!
Jesus Christ Magnified: “And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.” – II Kings 25:29. Jesus sets us free, cleans us up, and feeds us with His bread, which keeps our soul alive eternally.
Today’s Prayer: God, It is so sad to see the world falling apart, even my own nation has forsaken You, and turned to wicked lifestyles, idols, and false religion. I know judgment is coming, and is in the works right now, we need a revival, a spiritual revival of all who know You, but are afraid to stand up speak the truth. A revival of faith, boldness, and passion to speak the Gospel, and not be shamed. Lord, give us Your power to get up and fight, the strength to keep going in Your truths, and the plan, wisdom and tools we need, to help You restore the Church before You do send Your Son, and we are out of here. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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