MESSAGE FOR KING ASA

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded" (2 Chron. 15:7 NKJV).

After becoming king, Asa instituted a number of reforms and cleaned up much of the corruption in Israel. In our verse, the prophet Azariah gives him a message of exhortation: be strong, be faithful, and be assured.

Be strong – “You be strong.” Here Asa is exhorted to do the work of reform with great earnestness. We will not accomplish much for the Lord if we are not fervent in our work. We will not defeat temptation if we are not strong in our resolve to live a holy life. The desire to be physically strong have caused many folk to be earnest in their exercise routine. In the same way, to be spiritually strong, we need to exercise earnestly in the Word of God and in prayer. This way we will be able to do more for the Lord. We need to remember that whatever we do for the Lord, we need to do it with all our might.

Be faithful – “Do not let not your hands be weak.” The word translated “weak” here means to abandon, to let go, to release, to slacken the hand, to cease, to relax. So the prophet is exhorting Asa not to quit his efforts to clean up the land but to be steadfast. Many times in our work for the Lord we become discouraged and want give up and quit. But we must not stop; we must not quit our efforts. Most of the time we often quit when we are close to victory. The closer a runner gets to the finish line the more tired he becomes, but it is then that he must give his best efforts. So do not quit in your work for the Lord. Keep at it to the finish.

Be assured – “For your work shall be rewarded.” For Asa, this promise was a great encouragement. This is also a great encouragement for all those involve in the work of the Lord. When the road gets rough and the going gets tough, we often wonder if all the effort is worth it. Are you serving God in an obscure place today or is your service unappreciated? Do not quit; the Lord sees and “your work shall be rewarded.” According to the apostle Paul, our “labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Christians may become weary in God’s work but never weary with His work!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Disgrace (reproach)

In Luke 1:25 we read, “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men” (NASB).

Disgrace (reproach) is the Greek word oneidos (ὄνειδος = on'-i-dos). It means reproach, disgrace, censure, rebuke, blame, insult. Further, the word means taunt and carries the idea of loss of standing connected with disparaging (derogatory) speech.

In Classical Greek, oneidos means reproach, disgrace, or insult. In the Septuagint, the word means reproach, blame. The only occurrence of oneidos in the New Testament is here in Luke 1:25. Elizabeth, after becoming pregnant in her old age, felt that her “disgrace (reproach)” had been removed. In that day it was considered something of a public embarrassment not to have children. However, God was waiting for the right time to encourage her and take away the disgrace. Elizabeth realized that in this impossible pregnancy, God had performed a miracle. She praised God for taking away her disgrace of having no children.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – That God would provide Himself a Lamb as an offering (Gen. 22:8)

New Testament Fulfillment – John 1:29

Bible Facts

The Bible warns against eating swine (Deut. 14:8). Not so long ago, science learned that eating undercooked pork causes an infection of parasites called trichinosis. Now consider this: the Bible forbid the eating of swine more than 3,000 years before we learned how to cook pork safely.

Bible Quiz

What two men cursed the day of their birth?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: According to Revelation 3, what city had Christians in it who were described as being “neither cold nor hot?” Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-16).

That’s in the Bible

"Bound hand and foot”

“And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44 KJV).

“Bound hand and foot” is another way of saying tied up at the hands and feet. In John 5:28-29, the Lord Jesus said that men would hear His voice and come out of their graves. Here in 11:43 the Lord shouted only three words: “Lazarus come forth!” Immediately, the dead man came out. Since Lazarus was bound in strips of linen, a special work of God’s power must have brought him out. Jesus’ directive to “Loose him, and let him go” enabled Lazarus to move on his own and at the same time gave evidence that he was alive and not a ghost. This event is a marvelous picture of the Lord Jesus bringing life to the dead. He will do this physically at the Rapture for church saints, at His return for Old Testaments saints, and for Tribulation saints

Did You Know – Christian History

Peter Cameron Scott was born in 1867 in Glasgow, Scotland. He was a Scottish American missionary and founder of Africa Inland Mission. He and his family later migrated to the United States and settled in Philadelphia. Being Christians, Peter’s family refuse to allow him to enter the field of opera. Instead, at twenty-two, he joined the Christian Alliance Training Institute in New York. This was one of the works founded by A. B. Simpson, which became part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

However, Peter was too impatient to finish the course. To him, Africans were dying without knowledge of Christ. He gathered seven eager young men and they sailed for the Congo. Peter’s brother John soon joined him. But within a few months, Peter buried him because John had contracted one of the dreaded diseases of the Congo.

After serving two years in the French Congo, Peter himself got sick with malaria and had to return to Britain in 1892 to recuperate. While there he read about the missionary work of others. Weak and depressed, he knelt before the tomb of David Livingstone in Westminster Abbey and read these words: “Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring.” Rising with renewed determination and hope, he returned to America and founded the Africa Inland Mission. When he went back to Africa, it was with a new team. He pressed inland to plant missions and share the gospel. His efforts were heroic. However, few Africans turned to Christ. Peter eventually contracted the deadly blackwater fever. He died on December 8, 1896.

After his death, his teammates also died one by one. Others came to replace them, some carrying their supplies in coffins! Such dedication eventually opened the hearts of the Africans. In time, several African nations became largely Christian. Kenya is one of those. With less than 1% Christians in 1900, it is 79% Christian today. Peter Cameron Scott helped plant the seeds for that church growth.

A Little Humor

The postman had just delivered Reverend Smith’s mail. As the cleric opened envelopes and pulled out letters, he was surprised to unfold a sheet of paper that bore just one word, “Fool.” The next Sunday he announced, I have known many people who have written letters and forgot to sign their name. But this week I received a letter from someone who signed his name, but forgot to write a letter.

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“There is a way to stay out of hell, but no way to get out of hell!”