JESUS today YOU will SAVE me.
Eat This Book
Read Proverbs Chapter 24
2 Chronicles 12
1 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.
2 And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord,
3 With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.
4 And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.
5 Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.
6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous.
7 And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.
9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
10 Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king’s house.
11 And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.
12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.
13 So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.
15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.
The POFW Daily Bible Reading 
8. But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers. NLT
When we’ve had it so good for so long, and we no longer appreciate what God has done for us, He has to remind us what He delivered us from to get our hearts back to serving Him. We owe Him everything for His mercy in not destroying us when we deserved it.
Verse 7-8 MSG “When God saw that they were humbly repentant, the word of God came to Shemaiah: “Because they are humble, I’ll not destroy them—I’ll give them a break; I won’t use Shishak to express my wrath against Jerusalem. What I will do, though, is make them Shishak’s subjects—they’ll learn the difference between serving me and serving human kings.” Matthew 6:24 AMP says “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].”
Amen!
Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous. And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.
2 Chronicles 12:6-7, 12 KJV
http://bible.com/1/2ch.12.6-12.KJV
Psalms 138:6
Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off
6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous.
7 And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
It’s amazing what some humility and repentance will do. These men were princes and kings but when they humbled themselves God’s anger and wrath turned and they had mercy shown to them even when they didn’t deserve it. God’s love is everlasting and his mercy endures forever. If we will ask!
7 And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the of Shishak.
1 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him…
6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous…
14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.
True repentance is not just asking forgiveness, but turning from sin and seeking after God and his righteousness.
2 Chronicles 12:1 & 14
1) AND it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had stregthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.
14) And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.
Rehoboam forsook the counsel which the old men gave him (chapter 10), he forsook the law of the LORD, and his heart was not prepared (fixed) on seeking, serving, worshipping or honoring the LORD.
Yes, for a moment in time, he did humble himself before the LORD (because he was in trouble), but he was never really sincere about the things of God.
We see this to often in men, when trouble arises in their life, they humble themselves before God, but once God has delivered them, they go right back to their old ways without any desire to seek or serve God.
We must have a “Prepared, Fixed, Souled Out, Made Up Mind” (heart) to seek, serve, worship, and honor the LORD.
My heart is fixed, my minds made up
No room, no vacancies, I’m all filled up
His Spirit lives in me and that’s the reason I’m souled out.
As we come to “A Call To War” this week, my our hearts be prepared to seek the LORD!
iLove to Grow in the Word
12Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the lord’s anger was turned away, and he did not destroy him completely. There were still some good things in the land of Judah.
God loves a humble spirit. Rehoboam was an evil king. (14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord). It doesn’t matter if the person is pagan or evil or righteous, there is something that attracts God to humility. Wow, what a great Bible lesson to really study out. And by the way, prayer is a great act of humility.
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Let this be a week of humility as we humble ourselves with a week of prayer.
The proud and humble – what a difference
12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.
Humility is defined as the quality of having a low view of one’s importance, a lowliness of mind, or a sense of one’s own unworthiness through imperfection and sinfulness. Pride is defined as a high opinion of ones self, an unreasonable conceit of one’s own superiority in talents, insolence or arrogance of demeanor, and that which excites boasting. From my perspective these two are the polar opposites of each other. Both of these are extreme. While one should humility we should not be humble all the time and not too many people enjoy being humiliated.
Not too many people care for prideful people. However, a little pride is why we clean ourselves, comb our hair and wash our car/clothes. Taking a portion of pride in one’s appearance is expected. Is there a common ground between the extreme prideful and extreme humble? I believe it is modesty. To be modest is to be moderate in your self-evaluation, free of any exaggerations that either over-inflates (pride) or deflates (humility) your worth.
James 4:6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, God opposes the proud but favors the humble.
Nevertheless they shall be his servants
11 And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.
12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.
Everyday we need to humble ourselves before and ask for his forgiveness. There’s not a day where we don’t need God’s saving grace.
1 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.
How sad to have such an inheritance and turn away from God. Not only himself but all Isreal with him. To become blinded to what God has given and walk away from it. But God always leaves room for a repented heart. Later in the scriptures the king and the people humbly cane before God and God recognized their humility. We must continually come before Him. Humbly bowing before Him. Sometimes it will be the most difficult thing to do publically to humble yourself to say I was wrong. You may feel weakened but remeber strength and courage will come forth as you make your way humbly back to where God wants you. He is waiting. So be bold be strong and humbly come to Him!
BACKSLIDE BOULEVARD
14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.
LIFE, FAITH and SALVATION are WORTH the FIGHT. The most successful battle is the battle that we have prepared for. Rehoboam failed in this critical opportunity. We must win the Battle with self before we can win any battle for the LORD.
The battle with self is discipline, the denying of our flesh and its will. We must prepare our heart to seek the LORD by turning off all lustful desires and humbling ourselves to seek the LORD and his will for our lives, our purpose and even our day.
Righteousness doesn’t “just happen”, we must PREPARE tor approaching JESUS. As we learned in Sunday PM message we are born fighting for the salvation of our souls.
To avoid evil we must prepare our heart through Prayer and the WORD of GOD to seek the LORD with our whole heart.
iRepent
iPraise
iPray
iWork
iGive
iReap
7 When God saw that they were humbly repentant, the word of God came to Shemaiah: “Because they are humble, I’ll not destroy them – I’ll give them a break; I won’t use Shishak to express my wrath against Jerusalem. 8 What I will do, though, is make them Shishak’s subjects – they’ll learn the difference between serving me and serving human kings.”
5 Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.
6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous.
7 And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Mark 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Matt 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
Repentance unites us back to God. Humility and Servitude keeps us in Him.
7.When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of a remnant [that escapes]; and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak. 8 Nevertheless they will become his slaves, so that they may know [the difference between] My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.” AMP
You know if we humble ourselves we can escape the wrath of the lord because we serve a merciful God. It doesnt meant that we wont still have to pay for what we done because there is always consequences for our actions. Our decision that we make always affect ones around us.
14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.
The king just saw how humbling himself changed God’s mind and his kingdom wasn’t totally destroyed and yet he doesn’t follow through. He had such a great inheritance from his father and grandfather, Solomon and David, and loses it all. Half heartedness does not make it.
Stay humble.
12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.
As in most people’s cases. We tend to be less humble then we need to be. Humility is not weakness but a strength. And we know that. That is why when someone shows Humility, we tend to get offended by it. Because we know we are lacking that. But if we would humble ourselves to God. Oh, how much could he use us for his kingdom. Be kingdom minded and stay humble.
1 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.
2 And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord,
3 With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.
4 And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.
5 Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.
Unfortunately we see this same attitude today. People serve the Lord and then when He blesses them, promotes them they go do their own thing, like they got there by themselves.
Humility is one of the biggest factor in success. We must always remember it’s not about us, it’s about Him. If the light is always shined on us, and what we accomplished, what we did, then we need to humble ourselves and let the Lord be lifted up in our lives.
We need Jesus. We are nothing without Him.
7 And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
When we humble our self and repent confessing ourselves. Jesus show mercy
1 But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel followed him in this sin.
2 Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign. (NLT)
Rohoboam opened the doors and gave way for the enemy to attack his life, for sin to overcome him and all those who followed him. It’s one thing for an individual to backslide, but when one leads others to the same doom. It’s shame and double shame. Thank God though, we have opportunity to receive grace, IF we humble ourselves and realize it’s no ones fault but our own. Reveal to us, to me God, areas in our lives we may not be allowing you full control so we may completely humble ourselves before you.
1 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.
Some people can’t handle the blessing.
It was after rehoboam had established the kingdom and strengthened himself that he forsookthe Lord. That tells me he walked with the Lord in some way until he thought he could do life without him. He had a kingdom and was strengthened, why should he need God? As a leader his people followed his example, all of Israel with him forsook the lord. When they were under attack it wasn’t until the king and another leader humbled themselves that Gids wrath was turned. And though there were consequences to their previous actions God spared them from destruction because they humbled themselves. He didn’t wait until every Israelite humbled themselves, it was the leaders change of heart that touched God. Followers will follow their leaders so it is up to the leaders to lead them in Gods direction.
7 And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.
v14 And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD.
We must be careful who or what influences our hearts.
We should allow our godly influence to effect righteous change in other’s lives according to the wisdom of GOD.
14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.
Let’s prepare ourselves to seek after the Lord. Repent
v14 And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD.
We must be careful who or what influences our hearts.
Allow godly influence.
Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is right in doing this to us!” When the Lord saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 12:6-7 NLT
http://bible.com/116/2ch.12.6-7.NLT
This is why as leaders we need to learn to be humble because when we make mistakes not only does it affect us but also the ones we are leading.
1 But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the LORD, and all Israel followed him in this sin.
Many people will mimic the actions of their leader. The leader sets the example so others will follow. So be careful who you follow and obey. The leader may just lead you away from God.
“Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.” The word of God (Jesus) records “continually”. The real problem was they seen the people as just that only people, and not as souls; therefore they were the true cause of their deaths. The Creator (Jesus) did all for souls (creation) and in a non-coercive manner, which too be Christ like, would require the same. Dear God, let us see as you see. God Bless America, Israel, Jerusalem, and you all in Jesus name, Amen!
“And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.” The Lord’s wrath was lessened because they were sincere in their hearts, which the Lord is the only one that truly knows the heart. Much could be resolved if we would first be true with self, and then with others; whereas the opposite is just as true. God help us see too self as you do, in Jesus name.
1 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.
This is what happens when someone gets blessed and the next thing you know they are backslid. We cannot let blessings be a wedge between us and God.
2 Chronicles 12:14 (AMPC)
14 And he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek (inquire of, yearn for) the Lord with all his desire.
No one just stumbles into heaven by accident. There isn’t a lottery for eternity. It takes real determination and endurance to make it through the pearly gates.
Jesus said to sell all and take up your cross and follow him. He said that we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, all our mind, and all our strength.
Rehoboam did evil because he didn’t prepare his heart to seek God. He didn’t make an attempt, plan, or effort to put God first. And in so doing the enemy took advantage of him.
If we refuse to inquire of and yearn for the Lord with all our desire then we will be captive to a different desire of the flesh or the enemy.
7 And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance;
Wht it all comes down to, is are we willing to humble ourselves. God is not surprised by our actions not our mistakes…he isn’t taken back by the fact we got haughty or prideful…he has sought to let out vengeance on his children. It always comes down to a broken and contrite heart for the things of the Lord
7 And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
What else can we say….being humble goes a long ways. The Lord knows our hearts and will cover us because of the obidience and humbleness in our hearts. Let’s not be arrogant because at the end we don’t own anything. Just like God gives God takes!!!!!!
7 And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
We serve a merciful God. I am reminded of Lamentations 3:22, “22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.”
2 Chronicles 12:6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said , The Lord is righteous.
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
5 Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.
God doesn’t not move just because, every action causes a reaction. If we leave the light we will abide I darkness. Simple stuff. If ye have forsaken me, and therefore I also left you.
This throws the “once saved, always saved” out the window.
7 And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak
Time and time again we see throughout the scriptures that God is moved from his wrath when we humble oursleves.
14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.
Through the years I’ve often heard people make the statement “even if I was in the world I wouldn’t do…” yet, the reality is that you don’t know what you would or wouldn’t do. When people make the choice to not serve God, their hearts turn evil and if you give the devil a inch he will go endless miles; if you do not desire to turn your heart back to God.
1 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.
Rehobboam seeked the Lord.
Just because we repent doesn’t mean we won’t suffer consequences from bad decisions. God may forgive us but sometimes things remain that we have to deal with.
Others cannot save you. Repentance is essentially the beginning of a relationship with a God who is forgiving, but it is our choices from then on that determine whether we want more of God or more of ourselves…
1 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.
Rehoboam forsook the law of God and soon to strengthen himself. Instead of trusting in God he put his trust in himself and the power of this world. It’s a dangerous place to go uncovered from the Lord into position vulnerable of the attack of the enemy. That pride of life not only effects Rehoboam but the entire nation. This is why we have to pray for our nation leaders and those who are up for election because their decisions in office will effect all of us.
“Rehoboam did what was evil. That’s because he hadn’t worshiped the Lord with all his heart.”
2 Chronicles 12:14 NIRV
The Lord is wanting wholehearted children and not halfhearted saints.
2chronicles 12:6-7
When we realize that we are not “all that and a bag of chips” that The only reason that we are gifted in some way is because it’s God in us. The voice I sing with is God’s voice not my own. These hands I sign with are not mine they are his. The moment I decide that I have a beautiful voice and that you can’t replace me, I’m one of a kind! <- well that might be true but, there is always someone who can replace you and follow God in ways you wouldn't.
We realizing the only way to keep going is by following God is my way of being humbled.