UPDATE: 12/08/2021
With everything that is happening around us, it is my prayer that people finally recognize truth and turn back to GOD. If there ever was a time for repentance it is NOW!! Who knows maybe if enough of us truly turn from our wicked ways and bombard heaven with prayer and fasting, GOD may lift judgement and spare us.
If you are up on what is happening in Australia you know that things down there have gone from bad to worse. Disaster, following disaster. But, I have heard from a friend who lives in Australia that GOD is moving in Australia. People are turning their hearts back to GOD as evidenced by their calling for a National Day of Repentance.
Are you familiar with the story of King Josiah of Israel? If not stay tuned there is a good message in it for us today!
LET US ALL JOIN OUR HEARTS WITH BELIEVERS IN AUSTRALIA AND
SEEK THE HAND OF GOD!
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Check out the website Caldron pool australia and a recent article about a lady called Evelyn Rae who spoke at one of the covid mandate protests, she lifted up the lord and people are seeking a new connection with God through his word.
National Day of Prayer & Repentance for Australia: Saturday 11 December 2021
The vaccinated and unvaccinated will join together in a ‘Day of Prayer and Repentance for Australia’ on Saturday, December 11.
The Zoom event, hosted by The Canberra Declaration, is planned to kick off at 9am and finish around 6pm (AEDT).
Organisers said that despite the “short notice, they believe the situation is urgent.”
People can join at any time between 9am and 6pm on Saturday via the Zoom link.
Those who cannot make the Zoom event are encouraged to ‘pray on the day in whatever way they can, whether individually or by organising or joining a corporate event’ of their own.
The event is a call to prayer and repentance. This is a request for the ‘gift of repentance’, lamenting the downgrade of freedoms in Australia, including the erosion of values, particularly those which aim to affirm life.
Australia is fast becoming a nation of socio-political excess.
The termination of both the dying and the unborn is being embraced as “healthcare.”
Abortion up to birth is not just legal but celebrated. Euthanasia is encouraged over against palliative care.
Add onto this the one-eyed ideological totalitarian takeover of the academy, clergy and bureaucracy; corruption and nepotism in university, church and government.
As Jeremiah, the prophet proclaimed:
“They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; Everyone deceives his neighbour, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity. Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit, they refuse to know me, declares the Lord.” (Jer 9:3-9, ESV)
John Calvin’s admonishment of the condition of Israel in Jeremiah’s day reminds us that “false gods were counted as fathers and authors of salvation by the people.”
Some of the practical benefits to come from a National Day of Prayer and Repentance is unity, solidarity and equality; the putting of both citizen and Ceasar before the Lordship of Christ the King, not above it.
In his 1938 sermon, theologian Helmut Gollwitzer responded to the horror of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) with a call to repentance.
He declared: “Those who cannot admit their guilt before God can no longer do so before men and women.”
Gollwitzer then stated, “Thus begins the insanity of persecution that seeks to make the other person into the devil in order to make themselves into a god.”
Leaving the best for last, Gollwitzer admonished the German people, saying: “Where repentance stops, inhumanity begins; there all common bonds shatter even while one tries to strengthen them through tenacious self-justification and self-pardon.” [i]
There is no greater act of freedom and responsibility than life-changing repentance.
To be raised from a place of brokenness where we tell the world that it does not own us, because, in Jesus Christ, God has graciously liberated us from the World’s false claim upon us.
The good book summons us in Proverbs 3:7-8, to live: “Not wise in our own eyes, [but] to fear [trust] the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh, and refreshment to your bones.”
In the words of Jewish liturgical lyricist, R. Yehudah ha-Levi of Spain wrote in the 12th Century,
“Extract us from sin, He Who dwells in the heavens.
As the sun sets, call to those who pass through fire and water.
Next Year in Jerusalem.”
Specific Bible verses for this Saturday’s National Day of Prayer and Repentance are Numbers 14:17-19; Acts 5:31 and 2 Chronicles 7:14.
The event will coincide with but is not connected to national #Reclaimtheline protests planned for the December 12 at 11am.
People are encouraged to join The Canberra Declaration and prayer networks around Australia, for the National Day of Prayer and Repentance, any time between 9am and 6pm on Saturday via the Zoom link.
An A4 downloadable poster has also been provided FREE for anyone interested in promoting the day, and the Zoom gathering: An Appeal to Heaven.
Dr. Justin Imel, Sr.
Expository Sermon on 2 Kings 22-23 | The Work of Repentance
The Work of Repentance (2 Kings 22-23)
Repentance plays an important role in God’s plan for saving man. Jesus said that unless one repents, he will perish (Lk 13:3, 5). Before Peter told the crowd at Pentecost that they needed to be baptized, he told them to repent (Acts 2:38). After falling into sin after he became a Christian, Simon needed to repent (Acts 8:22).
Repentance is hard work because it involves the heart.
Josiah provides a good example of repentance. Josiah was a good man (2 Ki 22:2). Josiah instituted reforms in his nation, and by so doing he teaches us about “The Work of Repentance.”
The Work of Repentance Involves Changing Knowledge, 22:8-13
Josiah was having the temple rebuilt. Josiah sent Shaphan, his secretary to give Hilkiah, the priest, money which people had brought to rebuild the temple. Hilkiah told Shaphan that he had found the book of the law.
The book of the law had been lost. From Josiah’s reforms, we believe Deuteronomy was the book that was found. We don’t know for sure if this was the only copy of the law or not. We do know from the reaction of the people that they hadn’t heard it before. The people had been so careless as to lose the book of God.
Shaphan came and read the book to Josiah. Josiah tore his clothing—this was a sign of mourning. He sent men to a prophetess to inquire of the Lord. Josiah knew God’s wrath would be great. So, he wanted a prophetess to inquire of the Lord on his behalf.
In order to be able to repent, Josiah needed to know Scripture—if the book of the law had not been found, he wouldn’t have known he needed such vast reforms.
In order to repent, we need to know Scripture. We need to know what we’re doing wrong before we can change it. Scripture provides such information. Matthew 22:29. Hebrews 4:12.
This has two implications:
- Those in the world who don’t know Scripture will be lost.
- We who know Scripture need to examine it and examine our lives in light of it.
The Work of Repentance Means Changing Thinking, 23:1-3
Josiah called all the people together. He went up to the temple and read the book of the law. He then made a covenant to follow the Lord with all his heart and all his soul—not half-heartedly.
If we are to repent, we must change our thinking. Colossians 3:1-2. Romans 12:2. Our minds are a powerful force—Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself with what the king ate (Dan 1:8).
Until we make up our minds to change our lives, we won’t.
The Work of Repentance Means Changing Actions, 23:4-14
Josiah instituted many reforms. He ordered all the idols to be taken out of the temple. He deposed of the idolatrous priests. He broke down the houses of the male temple prostitutes. He defiled places of idolatrous worship, i.e., made them unfit for worship. He tore down idols throughout the country.
His repentance was not complete until he instituted these reforms.
Our repentance is not complete until we change our lives. Matthew 3:8. Until we, like Josiah, change our lives, repentance is not complete.
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Josiah – became king at the age of eight years, yet he was possibly the wisest king to ever reign in Israel! I pray that we all might follow his lead!
2 Chronicles 34
1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
4 And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
5 And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
6 And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.
7 And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.
9 And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.
10 And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD, to repair and amend the house:
11 Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
12 And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.
13 Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.
14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.
15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.
17 And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen.
18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
19 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.
20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying,
21 Go, enquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.
22 And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect.
23 And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me,
24 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah: 25 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.
26 And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard; 27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD. 28 Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.
29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.
31 And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.
32 And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
33 And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.
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