I'm Following Jesus – Page 2096 – Mark 8:34 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.

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Chapters: II Chronicles 29-31, Psalm 48
Message: Jesus Qualifying His Chosen

Hello My Friend,

I have a job interview today, and let me tell you, I know it was not me that even thought I would qualify to be interviewed for a position like this, I know this came from God Himself. It is said, that God does not choose the qualified, He qualifies the chosen. As Christians, we do not understand the impact that working for God does for us, in fact, many of us wonder why God even chooses us to begin with since we are just sinners saved by grace. However, God does, in fact, qualify His chosen to not only serve Him in His work, but out there in the world as well. Remember, we are not to be a part of the world, we are to be the light that shines Jesus in the midst of it. Jesus Himself said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” – John 15:16.

After Hezekiah saw what the Assyrians did to the rest of Israel he was not about to let the same thing happen to them in Judah, it was time to put away the false gods and return to worshiping only the LORD. In the first year of his reign he had the priests and Levites not only clean up the temple, but clean themselves as well.

“He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense. And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron. Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof.” – II Chronicles 29:3-5,10-11,16,18.

“for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him,” You see, Jesus does indeed qualify His chosen. How does He qualify them? First, He cleanses them by not only redeeming, but removing sin all together, casting it into the water the second we receive Him as our Saviour. Being saved does not mean that Jesus will choose us to serve Him, of course, He will save all who come to Him, but not all are willing to go beyond that so He only chooses those who will be fruitful to serve Him. As soon as Hezekiah got word that the temple was cleansed he did not hesitate to get things back the way they were when David reigned, when all would gather and worship.

“Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD. And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets. And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel. Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings. But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.” – II Chronicles 29:20,25-27,30-3,34.

“for the Levites were more upright in heart” Since God created man, there have been more corrupt leaders in the church than in the congregation. Ministry leader or not, there are things we ought to be doing that are common sense, we need to clean ourselves up, remove the things from our lives that hinder us from seeing God’s full potential in our lives. Once the temple was cleansed and the priests and Levites were getting things in order Hezekiah sent letters all over the country in hopes that everyone, Jew and Gentile would come to Jerusalem for the first true Passover since Solomon was king.

“So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written. So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.” – II Chronicles 30:5-7,25.

“and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel,” When Hezekiah became king did not waste any time getting Jerusalem back to a godly nation. In fact, he did not just want people in Jerusalem to come to God, he wanted all of Israel, including the stranger to come to Him as well. Jesus does not care what family we come from, He cares that we turn to Him. Jesus did the hard part, He became the Passover lamb that would save us from eternal death, the hardest part is to admit we have sinned. All the people were singing and praising God, and this was one of the Psalms they sang.

“We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple. According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” – Psalm 48:9-14.

“he will be our guide even unto death.” God truly is gracious and merciful toward us when we come to Him, it doesn’t matter what we have done, He’s always there waiting for us to return to Him. After the Passover there were so many people stirred up for God that they came together to rid their homes, business, and even the streets of the wickedness and corruption in Judah.

“Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities. Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD. And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the LORD their God, and laid them by heaps. And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.” – II Chronicles 31:1,4-6,20-21.

“he did it with all his heart, and prospered.” Many people will get saved and go on living the lives they live unknowing that the Holy Spirit is working in them, they will face affliction and challenges to get them to go beyond just receiving Christ as their Saviour, but will never truly see His blessings beyond that. However, those who take that extra step to let the Holy Spirit direct them will day by day, eliminate the habits and idols that corrupt them. Jesus will qualify anyone who has a willing heart to serve Him in the calling that He has given them, and He actually prays for us. “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” – John 17:18-21.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.” – II Chronicles 30:18-19.

Today’s Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for giving Your life that I do not have to give oodles of sacrifices to be redeemed and atoned for my sins, my simple faith in You is all that is necessary. I will never forget the day that I got baptized and decided that I wanted to dedicate my life to You, and I know You have chosen me to do a great work in You, which for the life of me I still do not understand, but whatever it is that You want me to do I will do. I know we all have flesh and are capable of falling into sin when our heart is not right with You. Lord, prepare my way before You, give me Your power, wisdom, and guidance to serve You with all my heart. Give me the strength to stand by Your word at all times. In fact, let me be the holy example that You need me to be so that others would see You beyond salvation for their souls. In Your name Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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