An 8-year-old on the throne
Josiah became king of Judah when he was only 8 years old, yet even at age 8 we see godly leadership skills in the young king. The Bible tells us he “did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or the left.” (2 Chronicles 34:2). In verse three, we find that in his 8th as king (he would have been 16 years old) he began to seek God. Then in his 12th year, he began purging the nation of idolatry worship. In the 18th year of his reign, he began repairing the temple and in doing so, the book of the law was discovered. This could have been one or more scrolls containing the entire Pentateuch, which we know as the first five books of the Bible: Genesis to Deuteronomy.
Josiah understood that as king of God’s people, he had a leadership responsibility to lead his nation to follow God’s law. As a result, the nation saw a revival while Josiah was king and God’s judgement was delayed.
The Law of Moses Found
After being found, the scrolls were brought to the king. His secretary read what was written in them. As the king listened, he became convicted of the sins of the nation and overcome with dread as he realized Judah had not kept the word of the lord for a long time. He feared that God’s judgment was very likely. Josiah sent his royal officers to Huldah, a prophetess, to inquire of God to see what wrath the nation could expect. Huldah’s response was very grave, but God promised Josiah that because his heart was tender and he humbled himself before God, God would hold off His wrath until after Josiah had died. Josiah’s attitude of repentance and his willingness to obey God would bring a reprieve, but judgement was also inevitable. Josiah then gathered all the people together and restored true worship of Yahweh and the people kept the Passover.
A tender and humble heart before God
America desperately needs a leader like Josiah. We need a leader with a tender and humble heart before God. When leadership is based on a tender and humble heart before God, that leader will lead God’s people to repentance and true worship. We need for God to raise up a “Josiah” today – not as a king, but as a Godly leader in every community who has a tender and humble heart before God and an attitude of repentance and a willingness to obey God. Is God calling you?
The responsibility in leadership
Throughout all the kings who sat on the throne of both Israel and Judah, we find that each king is summed up as either doing evil in the sight of God or doing good in the sight of God. Either they led the people in idolatry or he led them to worship God. The people followed whatever the king did. People who are in leadership positions need to recognize the influence and responsibility they have on those whom they lead. Leaders do not just pioneer their teams to reach new heights. They do not only mentor and coach. There is more to leadership than training and setting teams up to succeed. The most important responsibility of a leader is whether you lead people to God or away from Him.
Romans 13:1 tells us that all authorities have been instituted by God. So whether you’re a king or president, congress person, judge, mayor, governor, sheriff, CEO, Executive Director, middle management, team lead, husband and/or father, pastor or deacon – you were placed in the role of leadership by God. Therefore, you have a God-given responsibility to lead others to Christ. Even if your leadership role is a secular position, your team and staff should be drawn to Christ because of how you lead. As a pastor, your congregation should see the Good Shepherd in how you shepherd the flock of your church. As a husband and/or father, you have the responsibility of leading your wife and children to knowing their Heavenly Father and to ensure they are growing spiritually. You can be assured that you will have to give an account to God one day for how you lead.
People who are in leadership positions need to recognize the influence they have on those whom they lead. Leaders are God-appointed, and God-commissioned to lead people to God and they will be held accountable to God for how they led.
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What is a Chronicle and why is it important?
A Chronicle is a factual written account of important or historical events in the order of their occurrence. In Bible days, such writings were used to record history and because of them, we have the History of Israel and Judah. Second Chronicles covers the time from Solomon’s ascension to the throne (971 BC) until the southern kingdom of Judah was finally carried into exile in Babylon in 586 BC. The focus of 2 Chronicles is on Judah. There are parts of it that is just name after hard-to-read-name and the long lists of genealogies can get monotonous and boring.
However, God has a purpose for these Chronicles to be included in His divinely inspired Word to us today. If we care to study both the sin of Judah and God’s judgement that is the result of their sin, we can learn from them. We can see how dangerously close America is to repeating Judah’s sin of deserting God. We can learn that the fate of an entire nation rest in the leadership hands of their king. Unfortunately, we mostly choose to think of this as something that happened in history and we do not apply it to our world today. Just as God had enough of Judah’s sin, there is coming a day when God will have enough of our sin in America.
How would you be summed up in a chronicle written about your life?
If someone wrote a chronicle about your life, would it be summed up as doing “evil in the sight of God” or doing “right in the sight of God”?
If someone wrote a chronicle about your life, would it be summed up as doing “evil in the sight of God” or doing “right in the sight of God”?
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Following the Leader
With the exception of a few Godly kings mixed in, most of the kings turned away from God to worship false gods and idols. They led their entire nation into sin that would eventually bring the destruction of the nation as God’s judgement on them. Some even sacrificed their own children in the pagan worship practices. The price of ungodly leadership was they lost the Promised Land. Assyria conquered them and sent the people into exile.
For centuries, America was known as a Godly nation, but sadly, we too have seen a falling away of Godly principles and teachings. Those in leadership power have changed laws so they can live the way they want without having to feel guilty. As a result, crime is higher than ever, the value of human life is rapidly declining. Divorce is rampant. There are so many children in foster care that there are not enough good homes to place them in. Domestic violence, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, drug and alcohol abuse, and abortion are everyday occurrences. There is no shame in an unwed pregnancy or in being a homosexual. We even have people who seem to be “confused” about their gender. Prayer is banned from schools. God’s name is used as a cuss word rather than a blessing.
Some have tried to exonerate their guilt by removing the Ten Commandments from our court rooms, but doing so does not erase God’s laws. Sin is still sin. God is still God. And as God judged Judah and Israel, he will also judge America, unless the people of God humble themselves, pray, seek God’s face, and repent of their sin – including the sin of complacency.
Removing the 10 Commandments from our court rooms will not erase God’s laws. Sin is still sin. God is still God. And as God judged Judah and Israel, He will judge America today.
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Why voting matters
As Christian Americans, we have a great responsibility every time we go to the polls to vote. How we vote makes a difference in the course of this nation. Voting is not about getting your party’s nominee into office. It is about ensuring that as we prayerfully seek God’s will, we entrust our nation to men and women who will boldly stand up for God and lead our nation to be “One nation under God.” We have the responsibility to do the research on each and every candidate. And the first thing you ought to seek to know about them is their relationship with Christ and does their leadership to this point demonstrate they are a Christ-follower? Christians must play a bigger role in politics and in the polls before Christianity becomes something just found in our history.
Will God Judge America?
I don’t think the question should be will God judge America, but how much will God judge us? Is COVID-19 a judgement from God? It could be – or it could be a natural part of living in a broken and sinful world. The question we should be asking is, “how much more will God judge Christians today who have sat back and looked the other way?”
We’ve stayed home when the polls were open. We’ve stayed inside our comfortable church walls instead of winning our communities for Christ. Instead of being a light of Christ to the world, we’ve become like the world. Our complacency calls for our guilt. Little by little Satan has chipped away at the Godly principles of America until we really don’t look much different than Judah – and we as Christians have allowed it. If God judged Judah as harshly as He did, how much more so will he judge America when He gave us the history of Judah as an example and we have ignored it?
Praying for a revival in America
Under Josiah’s leadership, Judah experienced a revival and the people returned to worshiping God. Our world needs a revival today. It is time for us to inquire of God for our nation and the nations of the earth. It’s time for us to return to valuing God’s laws and to keeping His commandments. If we do not, the time is coming where God’s wrath will be poured out on us.
A Call to Prayer for God’s People
On Sunday, July 5th, we are spending the day fasting and praying for our nation. We’re inviting Christians and churches who are burdened for the state of America to join us. If you will join us, will you post it in the comments and let us know? Be sure to share our call to prayer in your social media and invite your Christian friends and family to join us in a nation-wide day of prayer and fasting. Will you be a leader in your church that will organize and lead your church in fasting and praying with us? God is looking for leaders with a humble and tender heart – is that you?
Our world needs a revival today. It is time for us to inquire of God for our nation. It is time for us to return to valuing God’s laws and to keep His commandments. Join us for a nation-wide day of fasting and prayer on July 5th for God to send a revival to our nation.
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Will you pray and fast with us and lead your
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2 Chronicles 20;12
“For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
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In this series of blogs, we breakdown why people in ministry need to practice self care. We explain the differences between stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. Drawing from both psychology and Biblical principles, we teach self-care to keep ministry servants living out God’s call as a missionary, small group leader, worship pastor, nursery worker, facility/maintenance staff, religious non-profit staff, or any other ministry staff, volunteer, or lay-leader. Regardless of the ministry service God called you to, self-care is crucial to continuing God’s work.
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What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?
This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage. As you work through the various activities, you will strengthen your relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:
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