II Chronicles 13

Israel’s army doubled Judah’s armyverses 1-3

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah

to reign over Judah

He reigned three years in Jerusalem

his mother’s name also was Michaiah

the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah

And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam

and Abijah set the battle in array

with an army of valiant men of war

even four hundred thousand

[400,000] chosen men

Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him

with eight hundred thousand [800,000] chosen men

being mighty men of valor

Abijah has message for Jeroboamverses 4-7

And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim

which is in mount Ephraim

and said

Hear me – you Jeroboam – and all Israel

Ought you not to know that the

LORD God of Israel

gave the kingdom over Israel

to David for ever

even to him and to his sons

by a covenant of salt?

Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat

the servant of Solomon the son of David

is risen up

and has rebelled against his lord

And there are gathered unto him vain men

the children of Belial

and have strengthened themselves against

Rehoboam the son of Solomon

when Rehoboam was young

tender-hearted could

not withstand them

Abijah has message regarding false godsverses 8-9

And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD

in the hand of the sons of David

And you be a great multitude

and there are with you golden calves

which Jeroboam made you for gods

Have you not cast out the priests of the LORD

the sons of Aaron – and the Levites

and have made you priests after the manner of the

nations of other lands?

So that whosoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock

and seven rams – the same may be a priest of them

that are no gods

Abijah has message regarding TRUE GODverses 10-12

BUT as for us – the LORD is our God – and we have not forsaken HIM

and the priests – which minister unto the LORD

are the sons of Aaron

and the Levites wait upon their business

and they burn to the LORD every morning and every

evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense

the showbread also set they in order upon

the pure table

and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof

to burn every evening – for we keep

the charge of the LORD our God

BUT you have forsaken HIM

and behold – God HIMSELF is with us for our CAPTAIN

and HIS priests with sounding trumpets

to cry alarm against you

O children of Israel – fight you not against the LORD God of your fathers

FOR you shall NOT PROSPER

Abijah cried out to the LORD for helpverses 13-15

But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them

so they were before Judah – and the ambushment was behind them

And when Judah looked back – BEHOLD – the battle was before and behind

and they CRIED to the LORD

and the priests sounded with the trumpets

Then the men of Judah gave a shout

and as the men of Judah shouted – it came to pass

that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel

before Abijah and Judah

TRUSTING in the LORD gave victoryverses 16-19

And the children of Israel fled before Judah

and God delivered them into their hand

and Abijah and his people slew them

with a great slaughter

so there fell down slain of Israel

five hundred thousand [500,00] chosen men

Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time

and the children of Judah prevailed

BECAUSE they relied

on the LORD God of their fathers

And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam – and took cities from him

Bethel with the towns thereof

Jeshanah with the towns thereof

Ephraim with the towns thereof

Abijah was strengthenedverses 20-21

Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah

and the LORD struck him – and he died

BUT Abijah waxed mighty – and married fourteen wives

and begat twenty and two sons – and sixteen daughters

Record of Abijah’s reignverse 22

And the rest of the acts of Abijah – and his ways – and his saying

are written in the story of the prophet Iddo

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 5 Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? ( 5769 “forever” [‘owlam] means eternity, everlasting, long time, duration, an indeterminate and unending time going on into the future)

DEVOTION: Here is Abijah claiming a promise gave to David regarding his children. The LORD had promised that if they were faithful to HIM, HE would provide a king from his family in the future.

When the LORD promises something, HE keeps HIS promises. The problem was that the LORD made the promise as long as David’s descendants were faithful to the LORD. Rehoboam was not faithful to the LORD at all times during his reign over Judah. Here is his son coming to the throne and claiming the promise of the LORD.

The LORD honored his request when they called to the LORD for help when they are trapped by Jeroboam with troops surrounding him. The LORD gave a great victory because of their dependence on the LORD. HE answered their prayer.

We have to realize that God honors HIS promises to those who are faithful to HIM. If we are sinning, and expecting the LORD to save us from the consequences of our sins because we claim to know HIM. We are wrong!!! Our salvation is based on our relationship with Jesus Christ. We can have a relationship with Jesus Christ can be genuine but if we are in a backslidden condition where we are not confessing our sins to HIM daily HE will allow us to face the consequences of our actions. If we confess our sin HE will be faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all of the unrighteous acts we commit.

Does HE always take the consequences away? NO!! There are times that HE knows that we will not learn our lesson if HE takes all of the consequences away. So HE allows us to suffer the consequences of our sins but most of the time only partially.

HE wants us to practice faithfulness to HIM regularly. HE doesn’t expect us to be sinless but HE does want us to sin less and when we sin confess them to HIM to reestablish our fellowship with HIM. Our salvation is based solely on our commitment to follow Jesus Christ.

Genuine salvation will not be lost but our fellowship is in question each day. This requires our confession of sin and turning back to properly follow the LORD, so that, our fellowship with HIM can be sweet.

CHALLENGE: Remember God’s promises are based on our faithfulness. HE will chasten us otherwise.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 8 And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. (3942 “withstand” [liphnay] means the presence or proximity of someone understood in terms of the face, with the implication of being before or in front of them, to turn one’s face)

DEVOTION: Jeroboam had set up the worship of golden calves throughout the ten tribes. He had sent the Levites and priests out of the country because he didn’t want the people to be worshiping Jehovah.

Abijah was reminding the people that his nation was honoring the LORD and they were not. They were worshiping the only TRUE GOD and the ten tribes of Israel were worshiping false gods. So they were better than them according to their practice of worship.

We need to remember that the LORD wants us to worship HIM only in spirit and in truth. Our attitude needs to be one of worship from the heart and not just with our mouth.

The LORD honored Abijah because he called on the LORD for help. Jeroboam didn’t call on the LORD at all and lost half his army to the battle and never recovered from this battle. He never turned to the LORD and the LORD judged him for his actions.

Everyone has an opportunity to turn to the LORD. The majority reject the opportunity. We need to be sure that we have taken the opportunity to become a genuine follower of the LORD. HE doesn’t just want our mouth but HE wants our heart as well. HE looks at our heart to see if we are genuine.

Victory is promised to those who are genuine believers who are faithfully counting on HIM to help them during each battle they face. Are you a dependent believer or are you trying to fight your battles alone?

CHALLENGE: We are surrounded by an army that wants to defeat us even today.

: 11 And they burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the showbread also set they in order on the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening for we keep the charge of the LORD our God: but you have forsaken HIM. (5800 “forsaken” [‘azab] means to leave, to leave behind, abandon, to loosen bands, to desert, to depart from, neglect, or apostatize.)

DEVOTION: There is a conflict between Jeroboam and Abijah. Abijah comes to confront Jeroboam for his rebellion against Judah and the LORD. He thinks that the LORD is supposed to be over a united kingdom rather than what was happening now.

However, the LORD had told his father that the division was of HIM. The LORD allows things to happen that sometimes we don’t understand. HE wants us to trust HIM to make things right in HIS own time.

Here Abijah says he is doing everything right in the eyes of the LORD while Israel is worshiping false gods.

He had the Temple and the priests and so thought that everything was going well and that the other tribes should come back and join him. This was not going to happen because the split was of the LORD.

Sometimes we don’t understand what is happening in our world. We think that because we know the LORD everything should go well all the time but that is not what is happening even in the church today.

There are many conflicts that happen because people what to worship their own way and not the way that the Bible sets down as the right way to worship the LORD. So there are different theologies taught in the seminaries that confuse what is right and wrong.

We need to continually go to the LORD and the HIS Word for direction concerning the proper teaching of HIS Word. There are so many scholars that teach different things depending on the denomination they follow and how they face the world with the truth of the Word of God.

Abijah was right that he was king over the city of Jerusalem where the Temple was build and the priests were serving but even with all those facts there could be false worship going on even in the kingdom of Judah.

CHALLENGE: We need to make sure we are worshiping the LORD in Spirit and in truth. This can only be done with a close relationship with the LORD daily. This is done with the proper studying of the Word of God and prayer.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. (6817 “cried” [tsa‘aq] means called, call for help, make outcry, appeal, summoned, shout or yell)

DEVOTION: Surrounded doesn’t sound too nice when you are in a battle against an enemy. Here we find Judah surrounded by the ten tribes of Israel under the leadership of Jeroboam.

What do you do when you are surrounded in battle? If you are a believer you call to the LORD for help. This was the prayer of the army of Judah. They called to the LORD for help and HE gave it to them. They won the battle against an army that was double their size. With the LORD numbers mean nothing. HE is able to defeat a thousand men with one man who is faithful to HIM.

This battle is another proof that with the LORD nothing is impossible. HE can give victory where there is no hope of victory without HIM. We can have victory in our life as long as we call on the LORD for HIS help and don’t try to do it on our own. HE wants us to be dependent on HIM for each of our battles. We need to be like Judah and cry out to HIM in prayer and HE will be there for those who are faithfully following HIM.

Today the battles are different. We are not fighting against flesh and blood but against evil angels working for the devil who want to discourage us each day. So, each day we have to turn to the LORD in prayer with the full armor of God on and ask HIM to help us defeat our enemy the devil and his angels.

God knows what is going on in our life but HE wants to hear from us. Are you calling on the LORD for help each day? Are you claiming the promises HE has given to us and the church for victory over the enemy? Are we marching out to battle with our armor on? All these are necessary for victory.

CHALLENGE: The LORD knows our weaknesses and knows we need HIS help each day to have victory. Go to HIM in prayer and ask for the victory with HIS help.

: 18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers. (8172 “relied” [sha‘an] means to support oneself, lean, trust, depend, lie, position of reclining, rest or stay)

DEVOTION: We sing a song called “Leaning on Jesus.” We have to decide who we are going to trust in each day of our life. We can trust in ourselves. We can trust in our friends. We can trust in our family. We can trust in our money. We can trust in our job. We can trust in a lot of false gods.

Ahijah gave a quick history of what happened between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. In the history, he told of God’s covenant with David. He believed that the LORD wanted David to reign over all twelve tribes.

He believed that he was right because he had the priests and the Levites and the city of Jerusalem. They were ministering before the LORD each morning and evening. They were offering sacrifices to the LORD

He knew that Jeroboam had set up false gods and a false priesthood. He had allowed anyone with the right price to become a priest. He had made two golden calves to be the gods of Israel.

However, Jeroboam was a wise fighter. He planned an ambush on the army of Judah. He had them trapped between two of his forces. The army of Judah was surrounded. Their enemy was in front of them and behind them.

They cried out to the LORD for deliverance. HE sent deliverance. The reason Judah prevailed is because they leaned on the LORD. They knew want to do in a crisis. They prayed to the LORD and HE answered them right away.

Who are we leaning on for support? Abijah seemed to be relying on his promise from the LORD, the fact that the priests were in Jerusalem and he was right. When he was surrounded by Jeroboam – he prayed – the LORD answered the prayer with deliverance.

We need to rely on the LORD and show it by our prayer life. Do we sometimes think that we can fight our own battles without the LORD? Do we realize that we are surrounded by evil every day? Has our prayer life matured with our age in the LORD? Sometimes we can meet people who have been followers of the LORD for many years but their prayer life is only one year old.

We need to be sure that we are not overconfident in our relationship with the LORD. Some people teach “name it and claim it” belief regarding the LORD. God only gives us victory when we are in a proper relationship with HIM. We are not to presume that the LORD will give us victory just because we think HE should. Our relationship to HIM matters.

God has given us a NEW covenant. Under this NEW covenant we can to HIM in prayer with confidence. Our present relationship with HIM matters to HIM. If we are out of tune with HIM, HE will not respond in a positive manner. The Bible says that if a husband is out of tune with his wife the LORD will not hear our prayers. Those who are not followers of Christ will not receive answers to prayer except their prayer of repentance. Too often people think that God is waiting for them to pray and HE will give them anything they pray for. That is not true. God knows what is best for us and will only give us the best from HIS perspective.

CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD for proper guidance in your prayer life. Lean on the LORD. Be in a position of reclining on the LORD. Depend on HIS mercy!!! Then we can come BOLDLY to HIS throne of GRACE!!!

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Story of the prophet Iddoverse 22

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Army of Judah cried out to the LORDverse 14

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

Priests of the LORDverses 9-12, 14

Minister to the LORD

Sons of Aaron

Sounded the trumpets

Aaronverses 9, 10

Levitesverses 9, 10

Wait upon Priests business

Burnt sacrifices morning and eveningverse 11

Shewbread on pure tableverse 11

Candlestick of good with the lampsverse 11

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 5, 8-12, 14, 18, 20

God – Elohim (Creator)verses 5, 10-12, 15, 16, 18

LORD God of Israelverse 5

Kingdom of the LORDverse 8

Priests of the LORDverse 9

LORD is our Godverse 10

LORD our Godverse 11

God himself is with us for our CAPTAINverse 12

LORD God of your fathersverses 12, 18

God smote Jeroboamverse 15

God delivered Israel into Judah’s handsverse 16

LORD struck Jeroboamverse 20

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Rebelledverse 6

Vain verse 7

Children of Belialverse 7

Golden calves [false gods]verse 8

Set up false priesthoodverse 9

Forsook LORDverses 10, 11

Fight against the LORDverse 12

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Covenant verse 5

Consecrateverse 9

Minister to the LORDverse 10

Wait upon the LORDverse 10

God with usverse 12

Prosperverse 12

Prayerverse 14

LORD smote enemyverse 15

LORD deliveredverse 16

Prevailverse 18

Rely on the LORDverse 18

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Jeroboam – king of ten tribesverses 1-20

800,000 men of war

Rebelled against David

Set up golden calves: false gods

Caused an ambushment

500,000 killed by Judah

Jeroboam died

Abijah – king in Judahverses 1-22

Reigned three years

War between him and Jeroboam

400,000 men of war

Stood up on mount Zemaraim

Told soldiers of Jeroboam that the

LORD had given the kingdom to David

Saw ambushemnt before and behind

Relied upon the LORD God of their fathers

Took cities from Jeroboam

Davidverses 5, 8

Received the kingdom as a covenant of salt

Rehoboamverse 7

Solomonverse 7

Children of Israelverse 12

Story of the prophet Iddo verse 22

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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QUOTES regarding passage

15 So “God routed Jeroboam,” though whether this was through direct supernatural intervention, or through the courage of his embattled people as they saw themselves surrounded by the enemy, is not stated. (Payne, J. B. (1988). 1, 2 Chronicles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 482). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

Jeroboam is presented as the more able general and the one who deserves to win the battle. But God responds to Judah’s faith, however insincere it may be, and gives the victory to Judah and Abijah. This victory is limited; Israel remains the stronger of the two kingdoms. With Abijah’s death, a period of religious and secular decline ends, and a necessary revival begins. (Bowling, A. C. (1995). 1-2 Chronicles. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 283). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)

Ver. 16. And the children of Israel fled before Judah, &c.] Were in such a fright and consternation, that they could not stand their ground, or engage at all; but took to flight immediately: and God delivered them into their hand; to be taken and slain by them. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 59). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

16–19. The event was truly awful. This slaughter is the greatest that we ever read of in sacred history. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: 1 Kings–Esther (Vol. 3, p. 476). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

The two armies of Judah and Israel faced each other; Abijah had 400,000 men and Jeroboam 800,000. There is no reason to doubt the accuracy of these figures, as some critics have done. Both sides were confident of victory. Jeroboam had twice as many men as Abijah, and they were “mighty men of valor.” He trusted in his superior number. It was different with Abijah, King of Judah. Before the battle began the King delivered a remarkable address in which he expressed his confidence in Jehovah. The Lord had given the Kingdom to David and to his sons by a covenant of salt, said Abijah. The covenant of salt refers to a very ancient custom. When a guest had been entertained in a tent and partaken of salt with his host, the obligation of the latter towards his guest was one of inviolable sanctity. The covenant of Jehovah with David was like a covenant of salt, that is, inviolable. Abijah believed in that covenant. Then he mentioned Jeroboam, whom sarcastically he calls “the servant of Solomon,” his revolt, his idolatry, his opposition to the priesthood. He closed his address with a confident statement. “Behold, God Himself is with us for our captain, and His priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you.” Then the warning: “O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.” Abijah won the battle. When they were encircled by the enemy they cried to Jehovah in their hour of need, and He was faithful to His own Word (Numb. 10:9). When the priests sounded with the trumpets, when they shouted, no doubt in faith and anticipation of Jehovah’s interference, then God smote Jeroboam and all Israel and delivered them into their hands. They had prevailed because they relied upon the Lord God, and so shall we prevail if we trust in the Lord. With that battle Jeroboam’s strength was broken. The wicked King, whose awful idolatry was the ruin of Israel, never recovered his strength. The Lord struck him and he died. (Gaebelein, A. C. (2009). The annotated Bible: Joshua to Second Chronicles (Vol. 2, pp. 436–437). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

13:13–19 This battle report echoes older OT narratives in which God fights for and with his people (cf. v. 14 with Josh. 6:20). Judah’s reliance on God (2 Chron. 13:14, 18) is the key factor in its success. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 760). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)

FROM MY READING:

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

Za˓aq is perhaps most frequently used to indicate the “crying out” for aid in time of emergency, especially “crying out” for divine aid. God often heard this “cry” for help in the time of the judges, as Israel found itself in trouble because of its backsliding (Judg. 3:9, 15; 6:7; 10:10). The word is used also in appeals to pagan gods (Judg. 10:14; Jer. 11:12; Jonah 1:5). That za˓aq means more than a normal speaking volume is indicated in appeals to the king (2 Sam. 19:28).

The word may imply a “crying out” in distress (1 Sam. 4:13), a “cry” of horror (1 Sam. 5:10), or a “cry” of sorrow (2 Sam. 13:19). Used figuratively, it is said that “the stone shall cry out of the wall” (Hab. 2:11) of a house that is built by means of evil gain. (Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.)

According to the Pew Forum’s U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, 57 percent of self-identified Evangelical Christians agreed with this statement: “Many religions can lead to eternal life.” Think about the staggering implications of what you just heard: 57 percent of Evangelicals believe that many religions can lead to eternal life! (Chuck Colson) [There is only ONE WAY to heaven and that is through JESUS CHRIST. All other ways lead to HELL FOR ETERNITY. These people are following FALSE PASTORS OR LEADERS]

This article is an excerpt from my book, The Prayer that Turns the World Upside Down: The Lord’s Prayer as a Manifesto for Revolution, by Al Mohler.

We long for revolution. Something within us cries out that the world is horribly broken and must be fixed. For centuries, the word revolution was scarcely heard, buried under ages of oppression. The word itself was feared and speaking it was treason. And then, revolutions seemed to appear almost everywhere.

Some historians have gone so far as to identify our modern epoch as “The Age of Revolution.” Is it? Perhaps it is more accurate to refer to our times as “The Age of Failed Revolution.” Looking across the landscape it becomes clear that very few revolutions produce what they promise. Arguably, most revolutions lead to a worse set of conditions than they replaced.

And yet, we still yearn for radical change, for things to be made right. We rightly long to see righteousness and truth and justice prevail. We are actually desperate for what no earthly revolution can produce. We long for the Kingdom of God, and for Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are looking for a kingdom that will never end and a King whose rule is perfect.

This is why Christian’s pray the Lord’s Prayer. This is the very prayer that Jesus taught his own disciples to pray. So, Christians pray this prayer as a way of learning how to pray and what to pray – as Jesus teaches us to pray.

The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer that turns the world upside down. Are you looking for revolution? There is no clearer call to revolution than when we pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” But this is a revolution only God can bring … and He will.

This short prayer turns the world upside down. Principalities and powers hear their fall. Dictators are told their time is up. Might will indeed be made right and truth and justice will prevail. The kingdoms of this world will all pass, giving way to the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ.

It all comes down to one of the shortest prayers found in the Bible. The Lord’s Prayer takes less than 20 seconds to read aloud, but it takes a lifetime to learn. Sadly, most Christians rush through the prayer without learning it – but that is to miss the point completely.

Perhaps this is part of a larger problem. Gary Millar, who has written some enormously helpful resources on prayer, goes so far as to argue that “the evangelical church is slowly but surely giving up on prayer.”[i] The statement is shocking, but the truth of his assessment is even more shocking. Why are evangelicals giving up on prayer?

Millar suggests that life is easy for most evangelicals – perhaps too easy. Some of us lack the desperation that most Christians have experienced throughout church history. Desperation leads to prayer. We are also incredibly distracted and busy. Both are enemies of prayer. But giving up on prayer is not only a sign of evangelical weakness. It is disobedience.

Jesus did not only teach his disciples to pray – he commanded us to pray.

I think there is another big reason behind the fact that so many Christians do not pray. Many Christians simply do not know how to pray.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us how to pray.

We remember Martin Luther as the great Reformer, nailing his famous 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517 and leading the Reformation of the church. What we do not so often remember is that Martin Luther was also a man who regularly needed a haircut. We should be very glad that he did.

Luther’s barber, Peter Beskendorf once asked Luther for advice on how to pray. Luther responded by writing instructions on prayer he called “A Simple Way to Pray, for Master Peter the Barber.”

Luther pointed his barber to the Lord’s Prayer, and he offered this incredibly helpful advice:

“So, as a diligent and good barber, you must keep your thoughts, senses, and eyes precisely on the hair and scissors or razor and not forget where you trimmed or shaved, for, if you want to talk a lot or become distracted thinking about something else, you might well cut someone’s nose or mouth or even his throat.”[ii]

We get Luther’s point immediately. We must learn to pray, and to resist distractions in prayer. Advice about cutting hair or shaving is easy to understand. A distracted barber is a dangerous barber. Luther applied the lesson well: “How much more does a prayer need to have the undivided attention of the whole heart alone, if it is to be a good prayer!”[iii]

We have much to learn about prayer, and the Lord’s Prayer is the right place to start. This is no tame prayer for safe times. This is the prayer that turns the world upside down.

So, let’s learn to pray, taught by Jesus.

1 Chronicles 29

Just before his death, David blesses Israel and gives his blessing to Solomon.

INSIGHT

How we spend our money is a powerful reflection of our value system. If we have strong spiritual values, we give our money generously to spiritual things. If we have primarily temporal values, we resist–and perhaps even resent–giving to spiritual things. After completing the temple, the Israelites rejoiced, “for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD” (v. 9). Where are your values?

1 Chronicles 29
Just before his death, David blesses Israel and gives his blessing to Solomon.
INSIGHT

WHAT HAPPENS IN REVIVAL? PART 1

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Acts 2:1-2
Consciousness of a power and of a presence is sometimes physical, as it was here in the “sound…of a rushing mighty wind.” But what believers are always conscious of is the sudden awareness of a glorious presence in their midst, such as they have never known before—a sense of power and a sense of glory. Sometimes this sense of power and glory is so great that people are prostrated to the ground by reason of it. As you hear of people literally fainting when they suddenly get a piece of good news that they have not expected, so when men and women experience this glorious presence, sometimes it is too much for their physical frame. We must not stay with these things, but they do emphasize the sense of God, the presence and the presidency of the Holy Ghost.
In any record of great men of the church who have given an account of how they have passed through times of revival, you will always find that what they experience is that they no longer merely have a belief in God—God has become a reality to them. God has come down, as it were, into their midst. In revivals the meeting is sometimes taken out of the hands of whoever may have been in charge, and the Holy Ghost begins to preside and to take charge, and everybody is aware of His presence and His glory and His power. That is what happened on the Day of Pentecost. That is what happens, in some measure and to some extent, in every revival that the church has ever known.
A Thought to Ponder: They no longer merely have a belief in God—God has become a reality to them. (From Revival, p. 204, by Dr. Martyn Llooyd-Jones).

Abiding Words
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7)
In order for the words of the Lord really to abide in us, it seems clear that we should commit as many of them to memory— not only in our minds but in our hearts—as we possibly can. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart,” the psalmist said, “that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).
There are many promises of blessing to those who have God’s Word in their hearts. “For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips” (Proverbs 22:18). “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;…Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:1, 5).
Both the apostle Paul and the apostle Peter have noted the importance of Scripture memorization. Paul says: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
Peter’s exhortation is as follows: “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets [i.e., the Old Testament Scriptures], and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour [i.e., the New Testament Scriptures]” (2 Peter 3:1-2). The words “be mindful” mean essentially “recall to mind.”
Since the Scriptures cannot be recalled to mind unless they’ve first been installed in the mind, and since they cannot abide in our hearts unless we first hide them in our hearts, it is surely pleasing and honoring to God that we learn “by heart” as much of His Word as we can. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

Sol Ibarra writes (Mexico): History repeats itself from generation to generation. God has already executed judgment on perverted nations, beginning with the flood. Also Sodom and Gomorrah. They did not repent and were exterminated Not just from the face of the earth. Also from the presence of the Lord for ever. The Lord is still extending His mighty arm, His love and mercy. Keep extending your invitation to get back on the right track. Let’s learn from the people of Ninive. They heard the warning and repented. God forgive them and draw them to their family. God keeps inviting repentance and offering salvation to those who repent from heart and return to the Good Way. To the Only Way that leads us directly to the heart of God.

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