Sabbath is very refreshing.
Today at church the sermon was basically talking about how before the return of Christ there will be a time of revival among the people of God through which the gospel will be preached to the entire world. I believe this will happen and the latter rain of the Holy Spirit will come to God’s people. But we’ve been waiting for this since it seems like forever. Why haven’t we received the later rain?
Well today’s sermon touched a bit on this. The message was calling us to get rid of our ‘high places’. ‘High places’ in the bible refers to heathen worship. The israelites were instructed to get rid of all the foreign relics and heathen gods that were in the promised land when they entered into it. They however, did not listen to the instruction of God. They did not take down these ‘high places’ but instead left them and they even became a part of the temple of God. There are many verses especially in Kings that talk of this:
11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father David. 12 And he banished the perverted persons[b] from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 Also he removed Maachah his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah.[c] And Asa cut down her obscene image and burned it by the Brook Kidron. 14 But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless Asa’s heart was loyal to the LORD all his days.
1 Kings 15:11-14
41 Jehoshaphat the son of Asa had become king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43 And he walked in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
1 Kings 22:41-43
1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash[a] became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 But the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
2 Kings 12:1-3
1 In the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like his father David; he did everything as his father Joash had done. 4 However the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
2 Kings 14:1-4
1 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done, 4 except that the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
2 Kings 15:1-4
32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha[d] the daughter of Zadok. 34 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 35 However the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
2 Kings 15:32-35
So, why all this talk of the ‘high places’ not being removed? Well, all of these kings that were just mentioned happened to also be the good kings during this time. Can this apply to our lives? Yes, for even if we are followers of God and are faithful to His leadership we very well may have things in our lives that are such as these ‘high places’. Even faithful people need to reform.
We as God’s people need to live according to what we know is the way of God. Now many people may think that by doing so we will become legalistic but I agree with how the speaker today put it when he said, ‘legalism is not about what you do, but about the spirit you do it in.’ Living the life that God asks us to live is not legalistic. No, but rather it is a lifestyle of love to our Creator God who loves us with all that He is and has reasons for asking us to live this way because if we follow God’s plan we will be so much better off. God’s plan leads to contentment and a life of fulfillment, health and joy! Furthermore, the speaker today also but it like this ,‘the most conscientious value their relationship with Christ the most.’
What are the ‘high places’ that exist today that are keeping God from sending the latter rain? God wants to send it more than a little kid wants to open presents early the day before Christmas! It is not that he is holding out because He wants to, but He is waiting for us to show Him that we are ready!!
What are our ‘high places’ today? The speaker listed a few that he could see but admonished with a strong humble spirit, admitting that he also needed to work on these things.
1. Institutionalism: We as Seventh Day Adventists take pride in our institutions such as our schools and hospitals even if they are not run right. We need our sense of mission back! In our schools many teachers do not know how to lead their students to Christ and when asked things about the bible they send the students to the pastor. How sad is this when we confess to be believers of Christ? If we are truly believers, then we are also disciples and missionaries wherever we are! We should have the ability to tell others especially our students how they can have a relationship with our Savior! The laymembers of the church have a work to do and it’s perhaps even a greater work that the pastor. We can be giving bible studies to the people we know and should not feel that it’s ‘the pastors job’. As followers of God, we are called to lead others to Jesus. In our hospitals this is also the case.
2. Dramatic productions and Media: These things pull us from God. Instead of coming home from a day of work to relax in delving into the word of God, many relax in front their tv screens and computers trying to find the best programs they can. But these programs are still infiltrated with crudity and ungodly notions. We should put away our interest in the things of this world as they will only lead us astray. Some movies and entertainment may have good messages in them but there is always some tainted ideas within those that have an effect on our minds. We are to be a people of purity. Instead of looking for the cleanest of the filthy in order to fit in with the world, we should be running from these things in order to contemplate the things of God that He has given to us so that we may be ready for His coming.
3. Health: We have a health message different than many denominations true, but it seems as though we are content to stick where we have been for fifty years! Why are we complacent not seeking for the better? It seems as though perhaps the scientific world might pass us up when we have had the health message right in front of us far before what science has found to be true. Most Adventists are vegetarian yes, but why are we continuing to eat canned meats which are in many ways worse for us than actual meats? We need to strive for a life of pureness even in the things that we put into our bodies, searching out truth about what is healthful and unhealthful.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit[b]is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
Ephesians 5:8-11
Now, these were a few things that the speaker today mentioned. There are many more still. Things such as music, dress, conversation, and even our thoughts. As followers of God it is also my desire that all of us would earnestly seek out the way in which God want’s us to live. He has a plan for us. If we tweak that plan even a little bit, it is no longer God’s plan, but our own. The way in which God wants us to live is not going to make us unhappy, but rather more happy and content in Him. He is our everything, our safeguard. I am not saying that I have all of these things under control. I have many ‘high places’ that I need to tear down as well. It is my prayer that I can see what these are and can be free of them with the help of Christ working in my life.
If we are able to take down our ‘high places’ such as the things mentioned here and those not mentioned that we also know are in our lives then God will finally be able to send the latter rain which He so much wants to send. Then there will finally be the revival that is to come and the gospel will be spread and we can all go home! Finally, to be with our Creator, our best friend, our Redeemer, our Confidant, our one and only God.
So, the sermon today was very thought-provoking for me. My wish it to dig deep in to the word and to forget about all the distractions in my life. Will you too strive for this?
