II Chronicles & Ezra

It is July 20th today.  Hard to believe the summer is passing so swiftly.  The weather has been very good.  This morning is overcast so it will be much cooler though yesterday was sunning and very nice.  I am reading in the Chronicles and Ezra, and here are some thoughts: 1) A FAIRLY GOOD KING- II Chron. 13- I never realized that Abijah the son of Rehoboam was a fairly good king.  When the mass of Israel's army came against him with twice as many soldiers, Abijah tells Israel not to do it, but cause they have forsaken the LORD and Judah is still following the LORD.  In verse 10 he says: "But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him.."  in verse 12 he says:  "fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper."  Wow!!  He said it straight!!  Israel did not listen and came against Judah with the huge army of 800,000 men, but when Judah saw they were surrounded by the enemy, they cried out to God, and vs. 16- "God delivered them into their hand."  That day, 500,000 men of Israel died in battle!!  God gave the victory.  God is still in the victory business!!  Whatever trials you are facing today, God still has the answers.  Don't despair.  Don't fall apart, just kneel down and seek His face.  God is still on his throne!! 2) WHO ARE YOU HANGING AROUND??  It does make all of the difference, as Jehosphat found out.  Again I mention this as I did in II Kings, but it is so important.  In II Chron. 18:1, he joined affinity with Ahab.  "affinity" is much stronger than just friendship, it is a partnership.  (it is yoking together).  In chapter 19, Jehu, the seer, says: "Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD?" (vs. 2) and in chapter 20, when he joined with Ahaziah king of Israel in a joint venture to build ships, they all were destroyed in a storm.  vs. 37 says: "Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works.  And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish."   God has a way of correcting us when we make bad associations!!  Don't do it! 3) SET IN ORDER- II Chron 29:35 says: "So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order."  It is a constant task to "set in order" the things in the house of the LORD, and the local church.  Sunday School Teachers, Children's Church Workers, Nursery Workers, etc and etc.   A constant effort must be made to recruit and train workers for the church to go forward for God.  I hope you will think about where you can serve in your local church. 4) BUILDING INSPECTORS- I was reading in Ezra 4:5, and Zerubbabel was building the temple and the people of the land did not like it so they "hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose".  I laughed when I read that because I thought to my self: "These were the first building inspectors!"  They were hired to frustrate their purpose!  So many times it seems that this is what they try to do, instead of help you in the process of building. My time has come and gone.  May God bless you today!!  Pastor Mike Mutchler