SCRIP-BITS

Ezekiel 20:7.    Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
 
Oh Friends, Thanksgiving Day is over in the north country, but not the giving of thanks, which must be a perpetual action. I hope we didn’t overdo the celebration, and gave much thanks for the good life we have. It’s time to go back out and labour, so let’s remember to put on our spiritual armour, with our trusted shield and sword ever at the ready, before going out to do a good job, one most worthy of our Saviour. We’ve had a long weekend, which means a short work week, so be exceedingly grateful. Anyway, let’s continue with this Bit that I never envisioned would hold forth for so many days. But as I am reminded every day, God does move in mysterious ways. The Lord told Israel to: ‘Cast ye away every man the abominations of (which were before) his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’ Now on several occasions they didn’t listen and continued a whoring after other gods. But as we saw yesterday, under king Asa, they did make some godly changes, and today we’ll continue that story. Having destroyed most of the pagan places of worship and their man made idols, Asa and Judah turned to building walled cities, and they prospered because they had changed their evil ways. Another example of Asa’s obedience and faithfulness occurs when a huge Ethiopian army came against them. And in those days Friends, it wasn’t no joke war nuh! Hear the kind of army Asa had: three hundred thousand foot soldiers, and two hundred and eighty thousand archers. Now listen to the size of the force Zerah the Ethiopian brought to fight them: a host of one thousand thousand, that’s a million, and three hundred chariots. Wow! Even way back then they did some serious fighting mih breddren! And though Judah seemed to be overwhelmed by the Ethiopian invaders, Asa was not cowed, he did the right thing. ‘And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. So the Lord smote (struck down) the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.’ (2 Chr.14:11-12) Yes Friends, that’s the way to do it: turn to the Lord Jehovah and ask His help whenever the enemy comes against us! For as Bruh David so rightly told Goliath before they fought: ‘for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.’ (1 Sam.17:47) Luckily for Judah, at that time there was prophetic vision in the land, per Cousin Sol’s warning: ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov.29:18) And that prophetic vision in Asa’s time fell to Azariah, the son of Oded. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, he approached Asa and said: ‘Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.’ (2 Chr.15:2) Now that is an everlasting truth my people! Whenever we sincerely seek the Lord, we’ll always find Him. But if we ignore Him, then He’ll simply ignore us too. And Azariah continued his speech to Asa: ‘Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations (turmoil) were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of (by) nation, and city of city: for God did vex (trouble) them with all adversity.’ (2 Chr.15:3-6) Oh my people, doesn’t that sound just like our world now? There doesn’t seem to be any sincere teacher, no true prophetic vision, and if there is, then the leaders aren’t listening. Our world is definitely in great turmoil; nation is destroying nation, and the Lord is certainly troubling us with much adversity through both natural and man made disasters. When are we going to learn eh mih breddren? When are we truly going to do as Azariah told Asa? ‘Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.’ (2 Chr.15:7) And that for sure it will be my Friends when we stand strong in the Lord and obey His will, which Asa did, through Azariah’s encouragement. That’s why it’s ever so important for believers to encourage each other my people! ‘And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed (restored) the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord. And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell (came over) to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with them.’ (2 Chr.15:8-9) Yes Friends, after Azariah spoke to Asa, his courage and faith in the Lord increased and he undertook a further purge of pagan activities, even against his own grandmother, Queen Maachah, who had made an idol in a grove. Asa cut it down, crushed and burnt it in the brook Kidron, then demoted her from being queen. Unfortunately though, the high places were not taken out of the sister kingdom of Israel. (2 Chr.15:16-17) Unfortunately too my brethren, time and space have run out for today. Tomorrow however, God willing, we’ll continue with Asa’s story because they’re some real important lessons that we can learn from it. Till we meet again then, please walk safely and steadfastly with the Lord. Much LOVE!…as Uncle Charles says…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…