Hello and welcome to
another edition of Faith Chapel.
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My name is Terry Shelton.
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And I'm gonna
bring you a message
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today that is in
entitled witch altar.
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I like to ask you to bow
with me just for a moment
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as we invite the
Holy Spirit to be with us.
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Heavenly Father,
we just thank you Lord
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for giving us life
today and we are about
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to open and study
your word now Lord.
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And we know that
your word has a message
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for us and
lessons for us to learn.
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I just pray father
that you would open our eyes
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and our ears to
receive your word with
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gladness in Jesus name Amen.
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Witch altar, you
probably think what is
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that mean, witch
altar, I would like
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to look today at two
kings of the Old Testament.
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The first king we
are going to look at
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is named
Jeroboam, King Jeroboam.
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Please look at
first Kings Chapter 12,
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First Kings
Chapter 12 and beginning
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with verse 26 we are
going to read several
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scriptures in a row.
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And Jeroboam said in his heart,
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"Now the kingdom
may return to the house
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of David: If these
people go up to offer
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sacrifices in the house
of the Lord at Jerusalem,
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then the heart of
this people will turn back
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to their Lord,
Rehoboam King of Judah,
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and they will
kill me and go back to
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Rehoboam King of Judah."
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Therefore the king asked advice,
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made two calves of
gold, and said to the
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people, "It is
too much for you to
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go up to
Jerusalem. Here are your gods,
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O Israel, which
brought you up from the
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land of Egypt!" And
he set up one in Bethel,
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and the other he put in Dan.
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Now this thing became a
sin, for the people went
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to worship before
the one as far as Dan.
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He made shrines
on the high places,
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and made priests from
every class of people,
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who were not of
the sons of Levi.
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Jeroboam ordained
a feast on the 15 day
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of the 8th month, like
the feast that was in Judah,
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and offered
sacrifices on the altar.
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So he did at Bethel, sacrificing
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to the calves that he had made.
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And at Bethel he
installed the priests
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of the high
places which he had made.
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So he made
offerings on the altar which
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he had made at
Bethel on the 15 day of the
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8th month, in the
month which he had devised
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in his own heart.
And he ordained a feast
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for the children
of Israel, and offered
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sacrifices on the
altar and burned incense.
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What was Jeroboam
trying to accomplish
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here. Well he was
worried, he was worried that
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if the people were to
travel this long distance back
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to Jerusalem to offer
sacrifice that they would
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just decide may
be to just stay there
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and next thing you
know his kingdom would
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fall apart. So, what did he do
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Jeroboam plunged the
entire nation of Israel
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into national
apostasy. Blatant idol worship
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you think how can
something like this be,
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how can, how can
a man even a king
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do something like this
institute a national form
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of worship.
Different then what God has
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specified for they
were worshiping two
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golden calves, two
false images, two false Gods.
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I'm gonna look today at
this thing we call idolatry.
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Now, what is idolatry,
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I looked up the word idolatry
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and I found two definitions,
the first is the worship
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of a physical object as a God.
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These people were
practicing idolatry.
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They were bow and down
to worship, worshiping these
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calves, these golden
calves, as if they were the
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God who had brought
them out of land of Egypt.
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Well you know
something like this just
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God just couldn't let it go.
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God could not just
sweep this little thing
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under the rug. So
we continue to read
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in First Kings now
chapter 13 verses 1 to 3.
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And behold, a man of
God went from Judah to
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Bethel by the word of
the Lord, and Jeroboam
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stood by the
altar to burn incense.
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Then he cried
out against the altar
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by the word of
the Lord, and said,
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"O altar, altar!
Thus says the Lord:
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'Behold, a
child, Josiah by name,
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shall be born to
the house of David;
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and on you he shall
sacrifice the priests of
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the high places
who burn incense on you
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and men's bones
shall be burned on you."
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And he gave a sign
the same day, saying,
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"This is the sign
which the Lord has spoken:
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Surely the altar
shall split apart,
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and the ashes on it
shall be poured out."
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Here was Jeroboam
sitting so proud over this
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national apostasy,
this natural form of worship
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that he had setup
but on come, on the scene
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comes a man of God, a
prophet when I told his
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name just a man of
God and all of a sudden
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he pronounces a
curse on Jeroboam.
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And he prophesize
the coming of one named
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Josiah a king who
would destroy the false
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altars made to
the heathen God's.
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Oh! As you could imagine
Jeroboam weren't too happy
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about that this is
something that he had done.
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He had built it up
and he didn't want anyone
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speaking against it.
He didn't want anyone to
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say this is not the will of God.
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How do Jeroboam respond
we continue on with verse 4.
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And he came to pass
when King Jeroboam heard
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the saying of the
man of God, who cried out
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against the altar in
Bethel, that he stretched out
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his hand from the
altar, saying, "Arrest him!"
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Then his hand, which he
stretched out toward him,
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withered, so that he could
not pull it back to himself.
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The altar also was
split apart, and the ashes
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poured out from the
altar, according to the sign
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which the man
of God had given by
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the word of the Lord.
Then the king answered and
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said to the man of
God, "Please entreat the
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favor of the Lord
your God, and pray for me,
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that my hand may
be restored to me."
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So the man of God
entreated the Lord, and the
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king's hand was restored to him,
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and became as
before. See Jeroboam
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decided that he was going
to silence his man of God,
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he was gonna stand for
such blasphemy against himself,
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he was gonna sin
for this type of talk.
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So, he decided to take
the man of God into custody.
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However Jeroboam
received an instant judgment
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from God. Instant
judgment, the thing with his
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hand; withered hand
and of course God and
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his mercy when the man
of God entreated and prayed
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for him; the man
of God prayed for him
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and Jeroboam was restored.
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Well, you would
think; you would think that
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something like this
might cause Jeroboam to
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maybe have a change
of heart, maybe to think
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about this path
that he was headed down.
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This path that he was
leading God's children down
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a path to destruction.
Did Jeroboam change his ways,
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no. For in verse 33 we
read that, After this event
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Jeroboam did not turn
from his evil way, but
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again he made
priests from every class of
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the people for the
high places; whoever wished,
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he consecrated him,
and he became one of the
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priests of the high
places. And this thing was
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the sin of the house
of Jeroboam, so as to
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exterminate and destroy it
from the face of the earth.
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Did Jeroboam change his ways?
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No. He did not,
he was unwilling,
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he was unwilling to
bend to the will of God.
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This form of
worship that he had set up,
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he considered it
of at most importance.
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And he was not willing
even to listen to the man
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God who had
pronounced such a judgment.
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Now we skip
ahead about 300 years
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and sure enough
just as was prophesized
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a king by the name of
Josiah came on the scene.
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Lets look at that in
Second Kings Chapter 22,
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Second Kings Chapter
22, beginning at verse 1
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it says, Josiah was 8
years old when he became
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king and he reigned
31 years in Jerusalem.
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His mother's name was
Jedidah the daughter of
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Adaiah of Bozkath.
And he did what was right
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in the sight of the
Lord, and walked in all
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the ways of his
father David; he did not
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turn aside to the
right hand or to the left.
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Josiah you see was a
faithful servant of God
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and a faithful
king to his people.
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Now think back
with me in your mind
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what was Josiah
famous for, what is
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Josiah known for in
scripture. Perhaps our
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children have learned
it in Sabbath school class.
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Josiah was the king
who had a burden for the
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temple to see
the temple rebuilt.
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It was falling
apart, it looked disgraceful
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and so he gathered
together the treasury.
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With the treasury he
said I want to rebuild
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the temple to make it
good and strong again.
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We continue that
as we find that Josiah
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commissioned the
rebuilding of the temple
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and one day something happened.
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Some other guys
have been working down
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in the basement
may be and they found
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something. Let's look at that
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Second Kings 22 and
verse 8. Then Hilkiah
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the high priest said
to Shaphan the scribe,
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"I have found
the Book of the Law
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in the house of the Lord."
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And Hilkiah gave the
book to Shaphan, and he
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read it. So Shaphan the
scribe went to the king,
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bringing the king word, saying,
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"Your servants
have gathered the money
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that was found in the
house, and had delivered
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it into the hand of
those who do the work,
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who oversee the
house of the Lord."
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Then Shaphan the scribe
showed the king, saying,
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"Hilkiah the priest
has given me a book."
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And Shaphan read it
before the king. Now it happen
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when the king heard the
words of the book of the law
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that he tore his
clothes. What do you think
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possibly Josiah was
thinking, can you imagine
00:11:37.32\00:11:42.62
the king sitting there
and he is sitting maybe
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on his throne and the
scribe comes to him and
00:11:44.80\00:11:47.23
says we found a
book, the book of the law,
00:11:47.26\00:11:50.34
one of the books of
Moses. We want to read it to you
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king. The king Josiah
sits and he listens with great
00:11:53.98\00:11:59.56
intent, all of a
sudden maybe you see a tear
00:11:59.59\00:12:05.36
begin to roll down
his cheek. Maybe he begins
00:12:05.39\00:12:10.90
to squirm in his seat
a little bit. The things
00:12:10.93\00:12:16.11
that they were reading
were not pleasant things.
00:12:16.14\00:12:18.41
They were judgment
that God had pronounced
00:12:18.44\00:12:21.42
upon his people
because they had loss side
00:12:21.45\00:12:25.51
of him because
they had disobeyed time
00:12:25.54\00:12:29.47
and time and time again.
What was Josiah's response,
00:12:29.50\00:12:34.59
did he take the words
lightly? No he rent his
00:12:34.62\00:12:38.18
clothes, it made
him sad friends. However
00:12:38.21\00:12:43.59
at that point he kind of made
a little resolve in his mind.
00:12:43.62\00:12:46.86
See the king discerned
in his volume a treasure
00:12:46.89\00:12:49.87
of knowledge, a powerful
alloy in the work of reform
00:12:49.90\00:12:53.42
he is so much desired
to see wrath in his land.
00:12:53.45\00:12:56.55
He resolved to walk in
the light of its councils
00:12:56.58\00:12:59.21
and also to do all in
his power to acquaint his
00:12:59.24\00:13:02.49
people with his
teachings and to lead them
00:13:02.52\00:13:05.05
if possible to
cultivate reverence and love
00:13:05.08\00:13:08.36
for the law of
heaven. Well, he wanted to
00:13:08.39\00:13:11.85
know are the things
in this book, are they
00:13:11.88\00:13:15.09
really going to
happen. Is that really going
00:13:15.12\00:13:17.91
to happen the
destruction coming upon
00:13:17.94\00:13:21.07
God's people is it
really going to be as it says.
00:13:21.10\00:13:25.39
So, the first thing he
did was he sent his man
00:13:26.46\00:13:28.28
to go find a
prophetess by the name of Hulda.
00:13:28.31\00:13:30.56
She was known to have
a relationship with God
00:13:30.59\00:13:34.58
and she spoke for
God from time to time.
00:13:34.61\00:13:36.63
And he said to find out
were these things really
00:13:36.66\00:13:40.31
going to happen, were
the things going to happen
00:13:40.34\00:13:43.80
to his people was
there anyway out of it.
00:13:43.83\00:13:46.47
We read her response
in verse 15, it says,
00:13:47.37\00:13:53.07
Then she said to them, "Thus
says the Lord God of Israel,
00:13:53.10\00:13:55.66
'Tell the man
who sent you to Me,
00:13:55.69\00:13:57.93
"Thus says the Lord:
'Behold, I will bring
00:13:57.96\00:14:01.82
calamity on this
place and on its inhabitants
00:14:01.85\00:14:05.41
all the words of the
book which the king of Judah
00:14:05.44\00:14:08.04
has read because they
have forsaken Me and burned
00:14:08.07\00:14:11.29
incense to other Gods,
that they might provoke Me
00:14:11.32\00:14:13.92
to anger with all
the works of their hands.
00:14:13.95\00:14:15.78
Therefore My wrath
shall be aroused against
00:14:15.81\00:14:18.19
this place and
shall not be quenched.
00:14:18.22\00:14:20.90
"But as for the king of Judah,
00:14:20.93\00:14:24.34
who sent you to
inquire of the Lord,
00:14:24.37\00:14:26.35
in this manner you
shall speak to him,
00:14:26.38\00:14:28.97
'Thus says the
Lord God of Israel:
00:14:29.00\00:14:30.38
"Concerning the
words which you have heard
00:14:30.41\00:14:32.55
because your heart was
tender, and you humbled
00:14:32.58\00:14:36.05
yourself before the
Lord when you heard what I
00:14:36.08\00:14:38.27
spoke against this place
and against its inhabitants,
00:14:38.30\00:14:40.62
that they would become
a desolation and a curse,
00:14:40.65\00:14:43.25
and you tore your
clothes and you wept
00:14:43.28\00:14:45.69
before Me, I
also have heard you,"
00:14:45.72\00:14:50.87
says the Lord.
Surely, therefore, I will
00:14:50.90\00:14:53.65
gather you to your
fathers, and you shall be
00:14:53.68\00:14:56.18
gathered to your grave
in peace; and your eyes
00:14:56.21\00:15:00.12
shall not see all the
calamity which I will bring
00:15:00.15\00:15:02.04
on this place." So
they brought back word
00:15:02.07\00:15:05.06
to the king. This
prophetess she confirmed
00:15:05.09\00:15:10.79
all that the Lord
had spoken would come to
00:15:10.82\00:15:14.73
pass. There was no way
around it, no getting out
00:15:14.76\00:15:17.70
of it, it was going to
happen. However because of
00:15:17.73\00:15:22.26
his dedication to
God it would not happen
00:15:22.29\00:15:25.64
in the lifetime of
Josiah and his kingdom would
00:15:25.67\00:15:28.72
see much peace. I
guess it must have been
00:15:28.75\00:15:32.97
a blessing for Josiah to
hear this that he wouldn't
00:15:33.00\00:15:37.04
have to see the
destruction of his people.
00:15:37.07\00:15:39.78
So, what did he
do, what did Josiah do,
00:15:41.56\00:15:44.26
did he just sit
back and enjoy life
00:15:44.29\00:15:47.02
and decide let
things go as they were.
00:15:47.05\00:15:49.60
No, if you read the
enter book of Second
00:15:49.63\00:15:53.27
Kings Chapter 23 you
will find that Josiah
00:15:53.30\00:15:56.48
went on a holy quest
to destroy all the heathen
00:15:56.51\00:16:00.58
worship places. All the
false altars, the false God's,
00:16:00.61\00:16:04.64
false things. In fact it
says that, he went throughout
00:16:04.67\00:16:11.08
the land, knocking down
altars and burning everything
00:16:11.11\00:16:15.89
that he could. In
verses 14 and 15 we find that
00:16:15.92\00:16:19.19
he actually did what was
prophesized 300 years ago,
00:16:19.22\00:16:24.82
he broken pieces of the
sacred pillars and cut down
00:16:24.85\00:16:27.41
the wooden images,
and even destroyed the
00:16:27.44\00:16:29.37
high place that
Jeroboam had setup.
00:16:29.40\00:16:31.80
He fulfilled this
prophecy that had been foretold
00:16:31.83\00:16:35.85
300 years ago. I wanna
look at this story if we
00:16:35.88\00:16:40.05
wrap it up in a
nutshell a little bit.
00:16:40.08\00:16:41.91
How do this story go,
first of all we find that
00:16:41.94\00:16:44.72
when Josiah read the
word of God that he felt
00:16:44.75\00:16:48.06
his own guilt and his
own shame and ashamed of
00:16:48.09\00:16:50.38
his people and he
brought him to his knees.
00:16:50.41\00:16:53.04
It should be the
same with us friends.
00:16:53.07\00:16:56.94
When we read this word,
this word will point out
00:16:56.97\00:17:01.23
our failures and
where we have let God down,
00:17:01.26\00:17:05.31
if we are not living in
accordance with his will
00:17:05.34\00:17:09.43
then this word should
bring us to our knees.
00:17:09.46\00:17:12.38
Should point out
where we have failed God.
00:17:12.41\00:17:14.90
Well after
hearing the word of God
00:17:14.93\00:17:19.59
from the prophetess,
he resolved in his heart
00:17:19.62\00:17:23.47
to make a change for
his people. He decided
00:17:23.50\00:17:27.65
that things weren't
going to continue on as they
00:17:27.68\00:17:29.98
were that the people
were going to continue to
00:17:30.01\00:17:32.53
worship these false
God. He was going to send his
00:17:32.56\00:17:34.70
people throughout the
land and even go himself
00:17:34.73\00:17:36.86
and destroy these false
idols. Destroy this form
00:17:36.89\00:17:42.55
of national
apostasy. His chief concern
00:17:42.58\00:17:47.26
was this idolatry
that was being practice
00:17:47.29\00:17:50.17
by his people
and he did this why,
00:17:50.20\00:17:53.37
because of conviction.
Conviction that reading
00:17:53.40\00:17:57.36
the word of God
had brought to him.
00:17:57.39\00:17:59.70
Have you ever
been convicted of some
00:18:01.29\00:18:02.86
practice in your life,
has the Holy Spirit ever come
00:18:02.89\00:18:07.24
to you and said you
need to let this go.
00:18:07.27\00:18:09.72
You need to do away with
this practice in your life.
00:18:10.91\00:18:13.87
What was your
response? Did you cover away and
00:18:13.90\00:18:16.96
said no I must have this,
I must hang on to it or did
00:18:16.99\00:18:20.62
you say, yes God, I give
it to you, I give it to you to
00:18:20.65\00:18:24.22
do with what you
will. How did you respond?
00:18:24.25\00:18:27.83
Is it possible that
God's people today might still
00:18:30.18\00:18:34.10
be practicing
some form of idolatry?
00:18:34.13\00:18:37.06
You see brother how can
that be, how can that be
00:18:38.00\00:18:40.25
we don't bow down to
golden calves anymore,
00:18:40.28\00:18:42.77
no that's true, we do
not, but it's a possibly is a
00:18:42.80\00:18:46.60
possible that we could
be practicing idolatry in a
00:18:46.63\00:18:49.56
different form today.
I would like to look at
00:18:49.59\00:18:52.54
our second
definition of idolatry.
00:18:52.57\00:18:55.12
Our second definition
of idolatry says this,
00:18:55.87\00:18:58.47
immoderate
attachment or devotion
00:18:59.45\00:19:02.39
to something or
someone. Immoderate attachment
00:19:02.42\00:19:07.18
or devotion to
something or someone.
00:19:07.21\00:19:10.92
What are you
attached to today friend.
00:19:11.71\00:19:13.62
I have a paragraph I
would like to read to you,
00:19:14.79\00:19:17.29
it's a bit long but
we're gonna get through it
00:19:17.71\00:19:19.66
because I think
there is some important; an
00:19:19.69\00:19:21.97
important message here
that we need to hear today.
00:19:22.00\00:19:25.21
It's from a little
article call the Home Missionary
00:19:25.78\00:19:27.81
it's dated December
1st 1894. The sad thing in
00:19:27.84\00:19:33.07
our churches
today, is that Jesus is
00:19:33.10\00:19:35.52
misrepresented by in
the character of those who
00:19:36.08\00:19:38.68
profess to be his followers.
Many claim to believe in
00:19:38.71\00:19:43.84
and love Jesus, while
they do neither. They advocate
00:19:43.87\00:19:48.54
the law of God,
but are transgressors
00:19:48.57\00:19:51.05
of its precepts. The
first four commandments
00:19:51.08\00:19:53.99
require supreme love
to God. Parents, children,
00:19:54.02\00:19:57.95
wife, husband, houses,
lands, or any other earthly
00:19:57.98\00:20:02.10
treasures whether of
friends or property are not
00:20:02.13\00:20:05.54
to be loyal loved selfishly
and thus become an idol
00:20:05.57\00:20:10.05
to divert the mind, the
time, the service, from God.
00:20:10.08\00:20:14.69
He that loves and
serves mammon, cannot love
00:20:15.54\00:20:18.13
and serve God
supremely. When friends and
00:20:18.16\00:20:21.02
relations are loved
with inordinate affection,
00:20:21.05\00:20:23.24
they are talking the
place in the heart, where God
00:20:23.73\00:20:26.15
should be. "Ye, therefore,
beloved, seeing ye know
00:20:26.18\00:20:29.15
these things before,
beware lest ye also being
00:20:29.18\00:20:32.36
led away with the error
of the wicked, fall from your
00:20:32.39\00:20:34.57
own steadfastness." Love
not the world, neither the
00:20:34.60\00:20:37.81
things that are in
the world. If any man love
00:20:37.84\00:20:39.71
the world, the love of
the father is not in him. "
00:20:39.74\00:20:43.26
Know ye not that the
friendship of the world is
00:20:43.98\00:20:45.71
enmity with God?
Whosever therefore will
00:20:45.74\00:20:47.92
be a friend of the
world is the enemy of God."
00:20:47.95\00:20:50.71
Here idolatry is
plainly revealed, as existing in
00:20:51.58\00:20:55.59
those who claim to worship God.
00:20:55.62\00:20:57.79
The pure, refined
ennobling love is buried
00:20:58.69\00:21:01.49
up by the love of
carnal things. This is the true
00:21:01.52\00:21:05.07
witness represents as a
fearful loss inexperience
00:21:05.10\00:21:09.06
and character building
the loss of the first love."
00:21:09.09\00:21:11.92
Remember therefore
from whence thou are fallen,
00:21:12.87\00:21:14.62
and repent and do the
first works; or else I will come
00:21:14.65\00:21:17.35
unto thee quickly,
and will remove thy
00:21:17.38\00:21:19.45
candlestick out of his
place except thou repent."
00:21:19.48\00:21:21.88
The true Witness
sends forth this warning.
00:21:21.91\00:21:24.76
Mercy and the
love of God are the
00:21:24.79\00:21:26.65
attributes of his
throne. While claming to be the
00:21:26.68\00:21:28.94
subjects of the kingdom
of God, and yet refusing
00:21:28.97\00:21:31.57
to be converted from
their selfish love, their stern,
00:21:31.60\00:21:34.99
iron will, their own
perverse ways, many are
00:21:35.02\00:21:39.29
constantly bearing a
false testimony of Jesus Christ.
00:21:39.32\00:21:43.38
You see today I'm
wondering if there are
00:21:44.49\00:21:48.83
other forms of
idolatry that might be grabbing
00:21:48.86\00:21:53.29
a hold of us. You see
the Satan wants to, he wants
00:21:53.32\00:21:57.87
to throw anything at you
that he can that will keep
00:21:57.90\00:22:01.58
you from spending time
with God, things that he
00:22:01.61\00:22:05.86
can throw at you that
will keep you from doing the
00:22:05.89\00:22:08.73
work of God, things
that will keep you from
00:22:08.76\00:22:12.03
spending time in Bible
study or in prayer, things
00:22:12.06\00:22:15.43
that will keep you
from attending services at
00:22:15.46\00:22:17.97
church, from attending
things like prayer meeting
00:22:18.00\00:22:20.52
and morning worship
service, things that will
00:22:21.08\00:22:24.16
keep you from
spending time with God and may
00:22:24.19\00:22:28.44
be witnessing and
sharing, things that will
00:22:28.47\00:22:31.33
keep you from
doing the will of God.
00:22:31.36\00:22:34.06
You know A.C. Nielsen
reports that the average
00:22:36.51\00:22:40.73
American watches more
than 4 hours of television
00:22:40.76\00:22:44.29
everyday. This is the
average American okay.
00:22:44.32\00:22:47.80
In a 65 year lifespan
that's about 9 years of TV
00:22:48.85\00:22:53.00
watching. In the
year 2001 U.S. consumers
00:22:53.03\00:22:57.63
spent a record $19
billions in home movie
00:22:57.66\00:23:01.77
rentals and sales. Now,
I'm I saying the TV is bad
00:23:01.80\00:23:06.07
no of course not, if you
are watching this program
00:23:06.10\00:23:08.46
you probably watching
TV possibly on the Three
00:23:08.49\00:23:11.80
Angels Broadcasting
Network. Now I'm familiar with
00:23:11.83\00:23:15.31
those who lead
out at Three Angels
00:23:15.34\00:23:17.47
Broadcasting
Network. And I think that they
00:23:17.50\00:23:20.14
would never tell you
that you should put this book
00:23:20.17\00:23:22.88
down and watch 3ABN.
You believe that, I don't
00:23:22.91\00:23:26.11
believe that you would
ever hear them say just
00:23:26.14\00:23:27.62
put this book down
and watch 3ABN, no.
00:23:27.65\00:23:29.70
Those who lead out in
this ministry would tell
00:23:29.73\00:23:32.05
you study this
book. However, how many
00:23:32.08\00:23:35.95
hours in a week's time
do we bow down at the altar
00:23:35.98\00:23:39.23
of the television
instead of spending time in
00:23:39.26\00:23:42.11
studying God's
word. A pole taken in 2005
00:23:42.14\00:23:48.15
shows that 35 percent of
American adults log on to
00:23:48.18\00:23:52.19
the internet at
least once each day.
00:23:52.22\00:23:54.57
What's on the internet can be a
00:23:56.64\00:23:57.85
blessing or it can a
curse. Now am I saying the
00:23:57.88\00:24:01.75
internet is bad? Of
course not there are ways of
00:24:01.78\00:24:03.92
reaching people with
the gospel that possibly the
00:24:03.95\00:24:06.30
internet is the
only thing they have.
00:24:06.33\00:24:08.20
These third world
countries, where they are
00:24:08.90\00:24:10.48
able to turn their
computer on and receive
00:24:10.51\00:24:12.76
the three angels
messages, receive the
00:24:12.79\00:24:15.63
good news of the
gospel, right there on their
00:24:15.66\00:24:17.77
computer that's
wonderful and I'm not trying to
00:24:17.80\00:24:20.55
discount that, but if
we spend too much time
00:24:20.58\00:24:23.68
sitting at the computer,
instead of time in prayer
00:24:24.31\00:24:27.35
are we bowing down at
the altar of the computer
00:24:28.33\00:24:31.19
instead of spending time
alone in prayer with God?
00:24:31.99\00:24:35.63
I read a study that said
30 percent of adults in North
00:24:38.91\00:24:42.93
America suffer from
compulsive overeating.
00:24:42.96\00:24:46.07
How many times have we
bowed down the altar of
00:24:47.03\00:24:49.63
the kitchen table
instead of maybe denying our
00:24:49.66\00:24:53.45
bellies a little more
sort of food, so that may be
00:24:53.48\00:24:55.83
we might have a
clear mind and be able to
00:24:55.86\00:24:58.33
discern the Holy
Spirit speaking to us.
00:24:58.36\00:25:01.45
How many times
have we done that?
00:25:02.14\00:25:03.58
Have we ever
neglected the church service.
00:25:05.08\00:25:08.35
Have we ever
neglected the Bible study group,
00:25:09.13\00:25:11.68
have we ever
neglected the prayer meeting
00:25:12.29\00:25:14.15
service because we
wanna spend time with
00:25:14.18\00:25:16.44
friends or family.
Friends, I'm not saying there
00:25:16.47\00:25:20.11
is anything wrong
spending time with
00:25:20.14\00:25:22.12
friends and family, but
don't neglect the worship
00:25:22.15\00:25:25.02
service, don't
neglect the prayer service,
00:25:25.05\00:25:27.71
don't neglect the Bible
study service in order to
00:25:27.74\00:25:30.67
just glad to have fun
with friends and family.
00:25:30.70\00:25:33.11
These things not ought to be.
00:25:33.83\00:25:35.05
I recently was listening
to 3ABN radio and I was
00:25:37.21\00:25:41.35
listening to a sermon
by Pastor David Asscherick
00:25:41.38\00:25:44.04
and Pastor Asscherick
made this point that there
00:25:44.68\00:25:48.53
was a time in U.S.,
I guess he is talking
00:25:48.56\00:25:52.36
about the United
States probably the world.
00:25:52.39\00:25:54.50
There was a time before
Christian television; there
00:25:54.80\00:25:57.66
was a time before
Christian radio, there was
00:25:57.69\00:25:59.99
a time before the internet,
where the gospel is being
00:26:00.02\00:26:03.25
preached that God's
people actually spent time
00:26:03.28\00:26:06.39
studying their Bibles.
Has that time come and gone
00:26:07.18\00:26:11.60
or we contend to just
pop in a good Christian video
00:26:12.34\00:26:15.17
and let it take the
place of studying the word for
00:26:15.20\00:26:18.98
yourself or we contend
to just listen to his sermon
00:26:19.01\00:26:22.40
on the internet instead
of going into our knees and
00:26:22.43\00:26:25.50
spending time with God
in prayer or we contend
00:26:25.53\00:26:29.39
to go and sit down at the
kitchen table and feed our
00:26:30.53\00:26:33.56
stomachs and then later
on find out that there was
00:26:33.59\00:26:37.34
no time for God.
There was no time to spend
00:26:37.37\00:26:40.88
in prayer; there was no
time to spend in possibly
00:26:40.91\00:26:44.75
fasting and seeking
God's counsel. I'm not saying
00:26:44.78\00:26:50.16
there is anything wrong
with any of these items.
00:26:50.19\00:26:52.88
But, my question today is
who comes first in your life.
00:26:53.90\00:26:57.47
Which altar do you
bow down to at a regular,
00:26:58.64\00:27:01.51
at regular times,
at a constant basis?
00:27:01.97\00:27:05.22
Who is the top priority
in your life? Where is your
00:27:05.86\00:27:11.13
devotion, where is
your time mostly spent?
00:27:11.16\00:27:14.67
Satan loves to have us,
he throws so many things at
00:27:16.00\00:27:18.73
us that keep us busy
all the time. And the next
00:27:18.76\00:27:21.54
thing you know the day
is gone and we have not
00:27:21.57\00:27:23.78
spent anytime in
prayer. We have not spent
00:27:23.81\00:27:26.16
anytime in Bible study.
We are not spent anytime
00:27:26.19\00:27:29.26
in witnessing. We have
not spent anytime in quiet
00:27:29.29\00:27:34.60
devotional time.
Friend today I would hope that
00:27:34.63\00:27:39.37
as you get up each
morning that you would
00:27:39.40\00:27:41.02
bow down at the altar of
the God of heaven instead
00:27:41.05\00:27:44.15
of the altar of so
many things that come at us
00:27:44.18\00:27:47.43
from one side of the other.
00:27:47.46\00:27:48.95
Bow down to the altar
of Jesus today and know
00:27:49.17\00:27:52.57
that he longs to
save you in his kingdom.
00:27:52.60\00:27:55.38