CHAPTER 7: ACCEPTANCE 2024
In the Book of 2 Kings, written between the times of 852-560 BC, (long time ago) there is here a story of King Josiah. Because of the assassination of his father, he took the throne, at eight years old, and reigned thirty one years in Jerusalem. Before Josiah there is a history of horrible, disobedient Kings of Israel and Judah, both factions of God’s people had forgotten and forsaken the Book of Moses and had lead God’s people into serving false gods and general debauchery in the eyes of the Lord. Now, oddly, as scripture goes, the future again is revealed in prior pages of 1 Kings 13:2, 300 years before King Josiah was born, that this child, named Josiah, would be born and bring a healing to God’s people.
1 Kings 13:2
New International Version
2 By the word of the Lord he cried out against the altar: “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’”
In Chapter 7, Acceptance 2024 we investigate some findings of just such a happening in history, hopefully learning from the power of the Word and accepting the gift of the Holy Spirit in the understanding and acceptance of God as himself. This “happening” has actually transformed the lives of people in an instant, people who have little or no knowledge of God, backsliders, hard headed or just plain people like you and me. Transferred from an unknowing, ungodly person into a new creation in Christ by simply realizing God, by His power, wholly and completely in just one simple moment. Can it happen? It has happened and it does. The world for now has forgotten about God, the book, the Bible. We hope that history repeats itself and the world rediscovers God, like the Israelites so many thousands of years ago, having actually lost misplaced/lost the book for hundreds of years, then were re-born by the reading of the words written by Moses according to the Lord.
2 Kings 22:8-14
New King James Version
8 Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.”
13 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”
2 Kings 23:25
New King James Version
25 Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him.
The hearing of God’s word did a spiritual work in King Josiah. It was not merely the transmission of information; the hearing of God’s word had an impact of spiritual power on Josiah. He tore his clothes, the tearing of clothing was a traditional expression of horror and astonishment. In the strongest possible way, Josiah showed his grief on his own account and on account of the nation. This was an expression of deep conviction of sin, and a good thing.
Now, I have a couple of examples of the same thing in the 1800’s. Why would I do that? The 1800’s, that’s a long time ago. Well, because frankly it’s not happening right now, in our day and age, revival doesn’t exist very often as it has in the past. We should remember that, and do what we can to share the good word. Let’s get to some example, albeit from a some years ago.
Dr. J. Edwin Orr, in The Second Evangelical Awakening in Britain, recounted some examples from the great movement that impacted Britain and the world in 1859-1861:
· “At the commencement of the prayer-meeting, a sturdy looking man (who had been coming to the chapel every night but going away hardening his heart) jumped on to a form, and speaking out before all the people, said, ‘Do you know me?’ The praying men answered, ‘Yes.’ ‘What am I then?’ he said. They replied, ‘A backslider.’ ‘Well, then,’ said he, ‘I will be a backslider no longer; all of you come to Jesus with me,’ and he fell in an agony of prayer for God to have mercy on him; indeed the anguish and desire of his soul was too much for him, for he swooned away on the floor before us all. His wife was one of the first converted the previous week, and only that evening had sent up a request that God would save her husband, who was a poor miserable backslider. About thirty that night professed to obtain mercy…”
· In the town of Coleraine, Northern Ireland, a schoolboy was under so much conviction of sin that he couldn’t continue on in class. The teacher sent him home in the company of another boy, who was already converted. On the way home the two boys noticed an empty house and stopped there to pray. The unhappy boy found peace and returned to the classroom immediately to tell the teacher: “I am so happy: I have the Lord Jesus in my heart!” His testimony had a striking effect on the class, and boy after boy slipped outside the classroom. The teacher peeked out the window and saw boys kneeling in prayer all around the schoolyard. The teacher was so convicted that he asked the first converted boy to minister to him. Finally the whole school was in such a state that the administrators sent for pastors to come and minister to the students, teachers, and parents, and people received ministry at the school until 11:00 that night.
· A high-ranking army officer described the conviction of sin in his Scottish town: “Those of you who are at ease have little conception of how terrifying a sight it is when the Holy Spirit is pleased to open a man’s eyes to see the real state of heart… Men who were thought to be, and who thought themselves to be good, religious people… have been led to search into the foundation upon which they were resting, and have found all rotten, that they were self-satisfied, resting on their own goodness, and not upon Christ. Many turned from open sin to lives of holiness, some weeping for joy for sins forgiven.” This conviction of sin is the special work of the Holy Spirit, even as Jesus said in John 16:8: “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin.”
Let me tell you something very interesting, a fact of the Bible.
Phlegon, a Roman historian who wrote: “In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was an extraordinary eclipse of the sun: at the sixth hour, the day turned into dark night, so that the stars in heaven were seen; and there was an earthquake.” That happens to be the calendar day of Christ’s crucifixion. That is a historic note, written by a person who is an eye witness account of the weather on that day. Now let me quote you scripture as well.
Mark 15:33-41
New King James Version
Jesus Dies on the Cross
33 Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
The sixth hour, as written in scripture is matched in history. Coincidence? I think not. I googled the question, “how many historical facts are proven in the Bible?” The answer is as follows. I’ve given two entries.
“ … the historical books of the Old Testament are as accurate historical documents as any that we have from antiquity and are in fact more accurate than many of the Egyptian, Mesopotamian, or Greek histories. These Biblical records can be and are used as are other ancient documents in archaeological work.”
(Second entry) Virtually unchanged (99.5% accuracy rate) over the centuries, the New Testament can be deemed reliable and accurate.
Atheist does not believe in God, agnostic isn’t sure there is a god, and a believer believes in God outlined in the King James Bible, trusts God and works with God — a “casual believer” finds that the work of God is inconvenient, time consuming and the whole concept is outdated, needing some adjustment. That is a false representation of the one True God. Why do I want the correct analysis of God in my life? Because I want the truth, and the promise.
Romans 3:23-26
New Living Translation
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.2 Peter 3:3-7 ESV
Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
What do you accept? Let me give you some real world examples. Do you really understand the critical profit report of your company? Do you know how to calculate cash flow, the sweet spot of your company? Do you know the difference between diminishing returns, negative cash flow, profit vs positive cash flow, could you explain in three sentences or less? If you don’t know that, nor do you take the time to understand that, how then will you pursue the gospel, the Word, the one true God?
Do you leave these matters in the hands of others to your own end? Do you listen to what others have learned without learning it yourself? Do you take shots at what others have taken the time to read and study, as if coming from a place of knowledge. Knowledge from where, one might ask? Do you make decisions without a full knowledge and understanding, feeling that you know enough to proceed? For all that you have been given, is it time to recognize things needing adjustment in you.
Acts 17:30-31 ESV
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
Acceptance is understanding key elements in the building blocks of God’s plan. Without the information, or worse — re-formatting misinformation to fit popular culture! Chaos, in such cases, is the Pied Piper. Do you accept that the end times are real and that the only way to avoid the coming calamities is in Christ? In the end, the Lord promises to save His elect from what is surely coming. Isn’t it worth investigating, at least for the sake of your children?
Mark 13:32 ESV
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Raising the mind requires teachers, unselfish nature, gratitude — based in God’s word and manifested in our daily lives for all to see, bringing hope to the hopeless. Make ready for the day of His return.
James 5:20
New International Version
20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
God is a verb, relationship is a verb, study is a verb, growing emotionally is a verb, love is a verb and showing up happy, grateful,
loving and willing is a verb. Fighting sin is a verb. Giving thanks to the Lord EACH AND EVERY DAY — for all I have been given and all that I don’t deserve — IS A VERB. Acceptance, well is that a verb or an adjective to describe what you have accomplished?
Ungodly, selfish and false hope, it’s all waiting for each of us through the invitation of the Black Forest. Before making any mis-steps, consider the following. Are you a thermostat or a thermometer? Do you change the temperature in the room, or simply note the temperature in the room?
The Tale of Three Cities: Pay attention, try to stay out of the first two they do not pay well.
- The city of It’ll Do Lou: “It’ll do Lou”, pretty self explanatory, the “I’ve done enough” mindset, plenty of people feel this way, unfortunately.
- The city of Nowhere-ville: People start projects and never finish. Always talking never learning. Thusly “the city of Nowhere-ville.”
- The city of Fiduciary: the only one of the three worthwhile. Accept what needs to be done and do it. The key element is consistency, all the time.
Ephesians 2:10
New International Version (NIV)
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Our buddy, C.S. Lewis quotes: “It is not your business to succeed, but to do right. When you have done so the rest lies with God.”
Rest, eat and prepare, fight the good fight everyday, pray for strength…
Matthew 25:23-24
New King James Version (NKJV)
23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.
Enter into the joy of your lord.’
In closing I say do you accept Truth as it stands or are you constantly adjusting your beliefs. In the name of God, which one do you want to be, a thermostat or a thermometer? If you are a thermostat, only truth will allow you to change yourself and effect those to whom you are responsible. If you are a thermometer, without truth, how could you judge the temperature of the room or the state of others?
Philippians 3:1
New International Version
3 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
Chapter 7 Acceptance 2024 God is God, and you are not, the Word is Truth and without it, how effective, can you truly be? For those who do not believe in the God of the bible, I would challenge them to read it, first. Just because you don’t understand it, doesn’t change the truth.
Amen…
