Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Stuff We Learn from Jehoshaphat

Text: 2 Chronicles 20:1-30

Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of Judah and the son of Asa. As one of David's descendants, he had a lifestyle of devotion to God, seeking God, crying out to God, and instructing people in the ways of God. 2 Chronicles 17:3-6, 18:4, 31, and 19:9, 10 give glimpses of this.

Here are seven things we learn from Jehoshaphat's life, particularly during an impending war described in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.


1. WAR WILL ALWAYS COME UPON YOU (v. 1-2)

Life is a battlefield between two kingdoms -- the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of God. Whether you seek it or not, ask for it or not, expect it or not, some other "kingdom" will always want to come and invade your life.


2. MAKE A HABIT OF GOING TO GOD FIRST (v. 3-4)

Jehoshaphat made a lifestyle of seeking God and inquiring of Him, which is a good thing to do because He knows the best way out of a tight situation.


3. MAGNIFY GOD, NOT YOUR PROBLEM (v. 5-12)

When Jehoshaphat started praying to God, he recalled all the mighty things the Lord had done for him and his people in the past. He focused on the size of his God, not the vastness of the army coming to attack him.


4. WHEN YOU SEEK GOD, YOU WILL FIND HIM (v. 14-17)

The king called a fast over the nation and they sought God. The Spirit of the Lord filled the prophet Jahaziel and he spoke the Lord's counsel over the nation. They got instructions from God because they asked for it. When we pray and asked the Lord for wisdom, guidance, etc, we should have expectant hearts to receive His answer.


5. WHEN YOU GET A WORD FROM THE LORD, YOU WILL BE EMBOLDENED TO MOVE FORWARD (v. 20)

Getting a word from the Lord, especially a word of instruction, gives us courage to go forth and do what it is that God calls us to do. In this case, God's counsel gave Jehoshaphat the boldness to encourage his army and go to the battlefield.


6. WHEN YOU TRUST AND OBEY GOD, HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR ENEMIES. (v. 22-24)

God keeps His promises. Always. He promised the people of Judah they won't have to fight this battle and that they will see their deliverance; He did just that. He took care of their enemies and He will take care of our enemies if we put our trust in Him and obey His commands and instructions.


7. THE VICTORIES GOD GIVES YOU, PAVES THE WAY FOR HIS NAME AND FAME TO BE KNOWN (v. 27-30)

When God delivers you and takes you through your battle, reports of it point the glory to God and lifts up faith in others.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Resurrection Power


John 12:24 Verily, Verily, I say unto you except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Bill YountIt's as though these Seeds were Shouting, "Our Season of Death is Over!"

In the Spirit I am hearing a sound I have never heard before. It's a sound from seeds that God had planted through us that have died inside the stony hearts of many people. There had been a long season when these seeds were not heard from at all. They were silenced by death. But in spite of death, these seeds now were beginning to groan as though death itself could not keep them any longer. The very life of Christ within these seeds was now beginning to overcome death and I saw a sprouting taking place that seemed to begin to shake the gates of Hell off its hinges! It's as though these seeds were shouting, "Our season of death is over! Hallelujah, we are now coming alive!" Seeds that had died with unfulfilled dreams of God inside of them were now beginning to come alive, worshiping their Creator, as they were beginning to sprout.

"Fields of dreams" were coming true! Seeds that were planted many years ago up to this present day were beginning to germinate. Seeds we had sown of the Word of God, acts of kindness and even smiles were bringing in a harvest as germination was taking place inside of many for whom we had forgotten and given up hope.

Pregnant with God's Dream!

Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Both of our daughters are expecting our first two grandchildren a month apart this year. We have been saturated with ultrasounds. Ultrasounds are amazing to look at. You begin by seeing something so small at first, and then the little members of the body begin to grow. We can't figure out how that happens, but it's the seed that makes it all happen! I believe this year will be a year of record-breaking germination taking place in the wombs of many women...even a year of surprise babies!

To germinate means "to begin to or cause to grow, or sprout." When a seed falls into the ground and dies it looks different as it begins to sprout and surface. Many ministries, jobs and dreams that have seemingly been terminated will begin to germinate and spring forth suddenly, appearing different with new dimensions this coming year. The enemy is not cutting anything away from you, but God is pruning us all to look to Him for everything.

Don't focus on your dead dream, dead job or dead ministry; listen to that seed that is now groaning to come forth in newness of life. Some jobs that have been terminated in one place will germinate in another place. Your gift will make room for you. Your gift has outgrown the room you were in! You will now need a larger room for your gift. The place where you get pregnant with God's dream is not always the same place where you give birth to it.

Seeds Have Died Forever (so you thought)!

Many seeds that have been planted inside of us by the Holy Spirit and have seemingly died forever (so you thought) are now beginning to make a noise and groan. Even things that we "thought" God had told us were over...aren't.

Twenty-five years ago I had co-written a song with a brother, which was recorded by several people, and was a blessing to many. After several years the song seemed to have finished its course of being heard. Once in a while I would type in the name of the song to see if its season was really over. I became convinced that the song had a certain season and that was it. Just two months ago, I typed in the name of the song on the iTunes store and up came the song "It's All Taken Care of, Thanks to You" just recorded by Claudelle Clarke, the queen of Reggae Gospel music from Jamaica who has been singing for forty years now. I contacted her, and since the publishing company I had signed with closed down fifteen years ago, she was unable to find the authors of the song. Sometimes when our name is overlooked or forgotten, God often uses a seed we planted to cause others to reap blessings where they did not sow and to take it further than we ever could.

In 1 Corinthians 3:6, Paul says, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase."

Galatians 6:9 "And let us not become weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

I am learning it's when I feel like fainting—is when I am actually doing well from God's point of view, and that a seed that I have sown is beginning to groan and sprout somewhere in some place, or in somebody, or in some nation!


Bill Yount
Blowing the Shofar Ministries

Email: theshofarhasblown@juno.com