Thursday, December 6, 2012

Doing right in the sight of the Lord

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

Hezekiah began to reign when he was 25 years old ... II Chronicles 29 ... And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. 

3He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. 

4And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, 5And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. 

6For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs.  7Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel. 

8Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.  9For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. 

10Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.

It is so exciting to me to read of the cleansing of the house of God and of the setting in order the Levites who were appointed by God to care for the house of God in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament, after Jesus arose, He gave to the church, to care for the church, ...Eph. 4   And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:   14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:  16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

There is a call of God for some for these offices of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastors and teachers.

We do not "achieve" to these offices by learning.  We who are called of God are taught by God and we end up fulfilling the call because it was of God.

Some, however, put themselves into these offices by their own will.  We read about them in Jude ... 17But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18How that they told you there should be mockers (imitators) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

All the works of God are done by the Spirit of God and unless the Spirit of God is there the work will be futile, being only a copy of the real thing.