2 Kings 22:11 (KJV) O Lord, Guide Our Nation

2 Kings 22:11 (KJV)

And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

Israel had been a people for thousands of years. They had possessed the words of the book of the Law for a thousand or so. They had experienced great revivals and had known days of evil and spiritual darkness. Therefore, Josiah, the king, could not have known something of the Word of God. Yet when they discovered the Word of the book of the Law in the Temple, and read it before him, he rent His clothes and repented.

Some say that Christianity has reached its zenith, and it cannot have the impact it once had. They argue that, at least in the United States, its message has been told and retold until people know it and are immune to it. 

I say that Josiah repented not because he was so shocked at this message from God that he had never heard before but because God brought upon him a sense of conviction. 

That’s what we need today. That’s my prayer for America. 

“God, lead our leaders to ‘rend their clothes.’ O Lord, guide our nation to revival before You.”

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

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2 Kings 22:11 (KJV) O Lord, Guide Our Nation

John 1:5 (KJV) Let Men See Light

John 1:5 (KJV)

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

May I postulate a moment? Darkness need not comprehend the light. It need only flee from it. 

It is apparent that both this darkness and this light are unnatural. It is impossible in the natural world that darkness could ever overcome light. Even the smallest beams of light pierce the darkness. The darker it is, in the natural realm, the brighter that beam appears. 

The Light of the passage is clearly labeled. He is Jesus Christ. The darkness of the passage is not, as I understand it, unsaved men. It is rather the system that refuses to let men see the Light. It might be the world; it might be the flesh. It might be the devil. Likely it is a combination of the three. The devil saw the Light, knew the Light but rejected that Light. He now actively works to prevent men from coming into that Light. 

John came to bear witness of the Light so that all men might be saved. 

The same may be said of any Christian who truly understands His place in this world. 

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
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John 1:5 (KJV) Let Men See Light

2 Kings 20:2 (KJV) A Matter of Heart

2 Kings 20:2 (KJV)
Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,

Ahab turned in a sullen mood when not give his way.[1] Hezekiah turned perhaps on his bed, to pray in as private a manner as possible. Matthew Henry writes, “When we cannot be so private as we would be in our devotions, nor perform them with the usual outward expressions of reverence and solemnity, yet we must not therefore omit them, but compose ourselves to them as well as we can.”

There is no such thing as a time when a believer, one who loves the Lord, can’t find some means of communion with the Lord. Circumstances may be different for each of us. In different circumstances, how we find that private communion may take on its own character. The believer privileged with time, may have an hour or more alone. The prisoner may find they must be content in the privacy of their mind. One may find they have books, notepads, and other resources at their disposal. Another may find that they must rely on what has been committed solely to memory and that which the Holy Ghost recalls to mind.

It is a matter of heart and of spirit. Those who love the Lord will have a way, and find a time, to meet with the Lord.

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[1] 1 Kings 21:4 (KJV)
And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

2 Kings 20:2 (KJV) A Matter of Heart

2 Kings 18:4 (KJV) Remove It From Our Presence

2 Kings 18:4 (KJV)

He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

It is a very common practice in my day for statues and monuments, meant to memorialize great leaders or significant points of history, to be torn down and destroyed. 

Some of them, I think, ought to come down 
Those of Stalin and Saddam Hussein, for instance. 

Some of them are a tragedy to have them come down 

Statues of Robert E Lee and other Confederate leaders are a demonstration, not so much of their rebellion, but of our nation’s willingness to forgive and unite. Those tearing them down do not understand the significance of them to US solidarity. 

It is tragic that the serpent Moses had made needed to be destroyed 
From an historic point of view, it marked a major milestone in Israel’s history. But history is not our God. When an historical figure evolves into something more than an academic or moral lesson, it is completely appropriate to remove it from our presence. 

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

2 Kings 18:4 (KJV) Remove It From Our Presence

2 Kings 16:16 (KJV) Political Followers

2 Kings 16:16 (KJV)

Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.

God’s patience with northern Israel is one of the hopeful things I see in the Old Testament. They strayed so far from Him, rebelled so wickedly against Him. And yet, because of His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He was merciful to them. 

But there came a time when this compassion and mercy came to an end. Likely we could list several reasons why God finally cast them away. One of those major turning points was here, in this passage. 

Urijah, the priest, the man whose responsibility was before God, did according to all that the wicked king commanded. 

It seems to me that this is the final stroke for any people. When those who are called to be the spiritual leaders are merely political followers, a people are doomed. 

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

2 Kings 16:16 (KJV) Political Followers

2 Kings 14:12 (KJV) Put To The Worse

2 Kings 14:12 (KJV)

And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.

Amaziah, the king of Judah was a good man. Jehoash, king of Israel was not. Yet in this text, the Bible tells us that God gave Jehoash victories over Syria and allowed him then to put Amaziah to the worse. 

Amaziah, coming off a victory against Edom in the valley of salt, thought to take on his rebellious brethren to the north. Jehoash urged him against it, but Amaziah would not listen. He had right on his side.

• His brethren in Israel were in rebellion, worse
• Israel did what was evil in the sight of God

Amaziah had what most of us would consider just cause to believe God would give him favor. Even Jehoash’s prideful warning might be considered just cause to believe God would humble him. God did not. 

It is a hard lesson to learn that God does not always give right the victory. There will come a day when this is rectified, but in this current economy, evil sometimes wins over right. Just ask all those who have been martyred for their faith. 

• Does that mean God is somehow powerless? No it does not. 
• Does it mean that the Christians who fall in the contest fall short of the pleasure of God? Not at all. 
• Does this give cause for a professing Christian to become disillusioned and turn away from God? Absolutely not. 

What would faith be if there were no doubt for victory? Faith grows not in answers to every prayer and victory in every battle. Faith grows when, amid darkness, we still know God is our light. 

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

2 Kings 14:12 (KJV) Put To The Worse

2 Kings 13:23 (KJV) As Yet

2 Kings 13:23 (KJV)

And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

As yet.

It is a solemn consideration that God would be gracious to a people so far removed from Him. Israel’s rebellion, their idolatry, their wicked

kings; in all of it, the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them. He was not excusing their sin, nor was He overlooking their sin. God simply had respect unto them because of the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Bible says that because of that covenant, He would not destroy them or cast them from His presence.

As yet.

I am so happy that God’s mercy is new every morning and that His compassions fail not. I am so glad that, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our sins are buried and, when we have come to Christ, we are free to come boldly to the throne of grace.

But this grace must not be taken for granted. Those who fail to often come to that throne to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need will one day find their supply has run dry. Those who live wantonly and away from the Lord will one day weep over the consequences of their choices.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

2 Kings 13:23 (KJV) As Yet

Luke 21:13 (KJV) Your Testimony

Luke 21:13 (KJV)

And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

If this passage is interpreted in any other sense than a corporate one, it makes no sense. 

On the one hand
Vs 16
…and some of you shall they cause to be put to death

On the other
Vs 18
There shall not a hair of your head perish

Which one is it?

It is both because while some individuals within the body will be put to death, the body itself will survive unscathed. 

We, therefore, corporately have no reason to be terrified.[1] And we have every reason to be patient and trusting through the distress.[2]

The passage is in reference to the Tribulation period and is therefore relative to the nation of Israel, not to Christians who have somehow found themselves in the middle of that Tribulation.[3]

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[1] Luke 21:9 (KJV)
But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

[2] Luke 21:19 (KJV)
In your patience possess ye your souls.

[3] Because no current Christians will find themselves in that Tribulation. We will be raptured away before it begins.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Luke 21:13 (KJV) Your Testimony

2 Kings 11:1 (KJV) Had She Gone Mad?

2 Kings 11:1 (KJV)

And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.

It was Jehu who had killed Ahaziah. But that’s not all he had killed: 

• He killed Athaliah’s father, Ahab
• He killed Athaliah’s mother, Jezebel
• He killed Athaliah’s brethren, seventy of them
• He killed Ahaziah’s brethren, forty two of them

By the time Jehu had finished, Athaliah was just about the only one in her family left. She was the only one who had any experience on the throne. The only other people alive who had a claim to the throne and her reign were her own grandchildren. 

One could wonder if she had gone mad?

Could she not have had more influence over the reign of her grandchildren than to have them slain?

Perhaps she saw in him, whomever he was who would have been the next king, that he would lean to the Lord rather than to her. Perhaps she believed her only hope of living was to take the lives of her own flesh and blood. 

• So strong is the desire for life
• So strong is the lust for power
• So strong is the battle between flesh and Spirit

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

2 Kings 11:1 (KJV) Had She Gone Mad?