DELIVERY ROOM DANGER

Have you ever received a promise from God only to see that it never comes about? I think most of us have experienced that in some measure or another. Why are things promised to us yet we don't seem to see the answers? Why are we not able to see the fulfillment of promise?

Our scripture from Isaiah 37:3 is helpful for us in this regard.

They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭37‬:‭3‬ ESV)

Have you ever been to the carnival and seen the strength test? Ring the bell to win a prize. You want the prize but just cant seem to be able to muster the strength to ring the bell. Sometimes life is like that, if that is you, this message is for you.

I will explain the background to this scripture text in a minute. But for now, I want you to think about the critical moments of pregnancy. The process of giving birth is incredibly tiring, stressful, and to be frank it can be very dangerous. If you are a woman reading this - you can relate to the childbirth experience of being long, exhaustive, and where you just didn't feel as if you had the strength to go through the process.

I want to talk about giving birth, but not of a child, but of a promise or destiny which God has for us.

Some people when it comes to the word of God have a spontaneous abortion. Jesus talked about that in Mark 4, saying the devil steals the sown word. I wonder how many people have had a destiny or God's purpose for their life aborted?

Some people will never carry God's promises to term because their womb won't accept a promise.

Possessing your promise, is like pregnancy. The joy is not in getting pregnant, pregnancy is the difficulty, rather the rejoicing is in giving birth. Just like there are people who get pregnant but are never able to deliver successfully in the natural, there are a lot of people with glorious promises who will not successfully give birth.

The text we read is part of a communication from Hezekiah King of Israel when the King of Assyria entered Israel and began attacking and overtaking many cities. He sent word to Isaiah and said tell God what's going on here, and specifically tell him that we are in danger of losing this child (our destiny, our nation, the promise of this land), we are at a critical moment, I sense it could be the time for the birth of something wonderful, but we are completely out of strength to deliver the baby.

This message today is for those who have been pregnant with a promise and you sense there is a danger of losing the baby. Hezekiah had been brought to the brink of despair, maybe that is you today.

It is also a warning to those whom God would stir up with a promise that hell is always seeking ways to abort everything God wants to give birth to.

Back to our Bible story:

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭36‬:‭1‬ ESV)

One by one the cities of Israel fell into his hand, finally he gets to Jerusalem, and instead of attacking he offers them the idea of surrendering. His speech was very intimidating as you will see, before we get there I want to talk about one of the types of strength that Hezekiah realized he no longer had.

There are several types of strength that you can run out of in labor:

Physical
Mental
Emotional
Spiritual

But in chapter 36:1the type of strength that I think Hezekiah lost was community strength.

Notice that Hezekiah was living in a day and age when he saw bad things happen to his fortified cities.

Even the believers were under attack.

Hezekiah felt abandoned, he felt alone, he felt like he was the only one left carrying the shield of faith, and he sends word to Isaiah, "I don't know if I can keep this up."

The fortified cities had fallen, Jerusalem was alone. People that Hezekiah thought were pillars, were captured by the enemy, and he realized that the protection of being in a group was gone. He was on his own and he was fearful of his ability to make it.

What is interesting is that when the Assyrians come to Jerusalem instead of attacking with military might they attack instead with words. Some people all they have to have is a little intimidation and they will run for the hills. Let me very clear about this, if you are going to live for God and stand on his word, you are going to have to face and learn to deal with intimidating words spoken by the enemy (Isaiah 36:11-12)

The military officers who were better educated, better trained, and also spoke multiple languages, and also probably war experienced were concerned the rank and file who weren't as well prepared would melt in fear so they tried to get Sennacherib's men to speak only to the leaders. They were trying to shield the people from intimidating words. The strong ought to protect the weak, but the truth is that a faith that can't stand intimidating words is not a very good faith.

Sennacherib's men respond: "Shouldn't the guys who are going to eat there own dung and drink their own urine hear what we have to say?" In short we cannot protect people from intimidation, everyone has to face it and learn to overcome it. Our kids will face it in the classroom and on the playground. We will face it on the assembly line and in the boardroom. You will have to deal with it in community meetings and in your prayer closet. There will always be voices to challenge your faith in God.

Another area of attack was that it was the weakest part of the line that was under attack.

All the real attacks you will have in life, will be in your greatest area of weakness.

The enemy always attacks your weakest flank. We tend to ignore our weakest flank.  Our General however, sees the need to strengthen the line in that area, and that is why he allows skirmishes along that flank.

How many times have you thought that you would much prefer an attack in an area you were emotionally better prepared to handle?

If I was your enemy I would scan your lines for your weakest flank and attack there. God knows our weakest flanks and the most often used way to build up that flank is to allow it to be attacked so that we become better warriors in that area. The flu shot is a little sickness to able us to handle a big one. So are life's trials.

How do you think the rank and file took those words. The men will eat their own dung and drink their own urine? Those words were not said in a vacuum, Sennacherib's army was there to back them up. Those were scary words. Scary words will make you run from your promise or to God, which have you been doing?

So we see Sennacherib sent his field commander to Jerusalem to intimidate Judah into surrendering. The enemy often invades our lives to taunt and test our trust in the Lord. He does it with disturbing words and or thoughts.

There have been countless destiny abortions because of scary thoughts.

"God is not going help you, if he was you wouldn't be where you already are in this situation."

"You are not going to make it."

"It's too late."

Now I know that at this time Sennacherib was just using words, but the words were backed up by his massive standing army.

Words alone won't get you to quit or give up, it is when they are conveyed and you can see just on the horizon the build up of enemy forces.

This was a very real and dangerous battle for the very life of the Jewish nation.

This is the story of the do or die battle we often find ourselves in.

It is the story of the enemies continual attempt to abort everything God has and desires for us.

Whether it be a promised future. A calling. A healing. A breakthrough. A turn around for your marriage or your business. A restoration of a relationship. For your children to serve God

Bringing to birth God's promises is often akin to warfare. It is a fight often with armies with superior forces. The bible says we are not fighting against flesh and blood! There are powers of darkness, spiritual wickedness in high places. Whenever you are troubled by the thought of who you are fighting against, calm yourself by reminding yourself of who it is on your side in the fight with you. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

Here are some helpful thoughts to help you when facing enemy of your soul.

1. When the enemy gets in your face. Turn your face from him towards God. 

Hezekiah went to the temple and then sent word to the prophet Isaiah and he sought a word from the Lord.

As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭37‬:‭1-2‬ ESV)

That same sentiment is offered up by the prophet Habakkuk and I love his wording: (Message version)

What’s God going to say to my questions? I’m braced for the worst. I’ll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon. I’ll wait to see what God says, how he’ll answer my complaint. (‭Habakkuk‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ MSG)

When you get in a mess, get in the Word and don't leave it till you feel God has given you a promise of some comfort that will help carry your through.

2. Realize that before God gives victory He often gives a postdated check that you must wait before cashing.

Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord : Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’” (‭Isaiah‬ ‭37‬:‭6-7‬ ESV)

Sometimes in life God gives us an answer that is like a post dated check. In other words we have a promise but don't know when we can cash it in.

So He gives us an answer but doesn't tell us when we get what we want.

So don't be surprised in life, when God's answer is trust me it will be all right. I will take care of it, everything will be Ok, stop worrying, rest in Me. The check is post dated. We have the answer, but we don't know when it will be accomplished. Till then we have to walk by faith. It is amazing how many people who are supposed to live by faith, fall apart when God asks them to walk in faith. We are a microwave society, and sometimes God seems to move at a glacial pace.

The whole events of Isaiah 36, 37 is a long unfolding story. The fact fortified cities fell, doesn't mean they fell overnight. There would have been a siege and some would have held out for quite some time. The trouble took time to mount and rise to dangerous levels, it was a process. The answer would be the same.

So Hezekiah get this word and nothing changes from his perspective. After a while Rabshakeh leaves, but his army stays, he goes back to his master Sennacherib, whom he finds has moved from where he thought he was to someplace else. He tracks him down, and somewhere in this process he withdraws his troops. This may have been over a period of weeks or months.

What I am trying to say is this, sometimes God's answer to us is, "trust Me it will be alright." And it will.

-You can trust Him, because He is trustworthy
-You can trust Him, because it is impossible for Him to lie
-You can trust Him, because He loves you.
- You can trust Him, because if anybody's check is good, His is!

The baby will be delivered, but the labor may last a little longer than you wanted.

Trust Him is the word Isaiah sent back, and it is the word of the Lord for some of you today.

Sermon inspired by Maurice Mccarthy

WHEN THE ROOF CAVES IN

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” (‭Isaiah‬ ‭35‬:‭3-4‬ ESV)

A number of years ago our family experienced a number of tragedies in a short amount of time that sent us all reeling to deal with devastating results. Namely, my brother and I were both in two separate serious car accidents and I had an appendectomy surgery - all within a 3 week period of time. On top of that - my brother was told that he would never walk again.

My dad, a pastor of a large and growing church was trying to be strong for his family, his church and for himself and his family. I remember clearly as he spoke on a Sunday night "What To Do When The Roof Caves In." It was a sermon to encourage people to trust in a Sovereign God and to keep praising him - no matter what.

Feeling as if everything is falling apart is what all of us experience or feel at one time or another.

I. WHAT TYPICALLY HAPPENS WHEN THE ROOF CAVES IN?

A. Weak Hands

As we were reeling from two accidents and a surgery - our hands felt weak.  Our faith felt weak.

The word weak as it appears here means slack, not busy or active, remiss, neglectful.

When everything is caving in around us in an area of our lives, if we are not careful, the first thing to suffer is our service to Christ. I can’t tell you the people that I have invited to church that tell me, “Well preacher, things are pretty messed up in my life right now. But if things ever get back to normal, I’ll come pay you a visit.”

It’s difficult for me to understand that. It is in the house of God where they will be able to get things together. Christians do the same thing. We suffer a setback and the first thing to go is the ministry we are involved in at church.

Why is that? When things start caving in, we tend to get weak hands.

B. Feeble Knees

My dad, in his latter years was barely able to walk. His knees were very wobbly and could not hold his body weight.

The word feeble means to totter or waver, to falter, stumble, faint or fall.

When the roof caves in on us they may happen to us as well. Especially if we allow it to keep us out of church. We begin to question the things we once just took as a given. We begin to question God’s care for us. Our faith can certainly be shaken.

C. Fearful Heart

I don’t need to tell you the fear that struck our family during that time. Ironically, my brother and I were in the hospital at the same time in the same room. Then, on top of that, I had to have my appendix removed.

The word fearful here carries with it the idea of being hasty or headlong.

When things start caving in - fear is the knee-jerk reaction. We begin to wait for the other shoe to fall.

On September 11, 2001, the bottom fell out on America. Many now live in fear as to what will happen next. They are waiting for that other shoe to fall.

II. WHAT IS NEEDED WHEN THE ROOF CAVES IN?

Again, the formula is clear from the word of God. There are three things that are absolutely necessary during times when the bottom falls out from under us.

A. Encouraging Hands

The word strengthen here means “to make bold, to sustain, or to encourage.”

Someone said once, “Encouraging is pouring courage into someone who needs it.”

When the bottom falls out there is nothing more helpful than encouraging hands.

If we know someone on whom things are caving in - we need to have encouraging hands.

That’s what this body of believers is all about. Looking for those around us who may be going through a particularly difficult time, and seeking for ways to encourage them.

The easiest thing in the world when things are caving in is for us to sit and feel sorry for ourselves.

Get up and find someone else to encourage. And you’ll discover a wonderful thing. While you re trying to encourage them, you’ll find yourself encouraged.

B. Circumspect Knees

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, (‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬ ESV)

Be on the lookout for Satan and his devises. Determine not to be a target.

The NKJV uses the word "circumspectly." To walk circumspectly mean to walk diligently looking all around not leaving a stone unturned."

We need to bold, alert, courageous. We need to be wise or circumspect.

Difficult places and hardships like we all go through help us for the future stuff we have to go through and help us teach others who are going through their own difficulties.

Rest assured that Satan is not going to relent in his battle against the souls of men and in his effort to knock the feet out from under the child of God. We must be circumspect and be courageous.

So, we are to avoid being knocked off our feet when the roof caves, we had better have.

1. Encouraging hands
2. Knees of courage

And...

C. Courageous Heart – vs. 4a

“That’s easy for you to say, Preacher!” 

“You don’t know what I’m going through right now!” 

“The bottom has already fallen out on me and I feel like I’m lying flat on my back on the pavement!” 

“To be quite honest, I don’t feel like having an encouraging heart. My knees have already buckled. And I certainly don’t feel very courageous right now.”

If God were requiring us to achieve all these things on our own, you would have a point.

So…

III. HOW IS THIS ACCOMPLISHED?

-How am I to have encouraging hands even when my world is crashing down around my ears?

-How am I supposed to have circumspect knees when I’m flat on my back?

-How am I supposed to have a courageous heart when I don’t know where to turn next?

All these things come only as God intervenes.

Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” (‭Isaiah‬ ‭35‬:‭4‬ NIV)

“Your God will come.” What a tremendous promise!

But wait a minute! Observation: Don’t expect God’s intervention if he isn’t your God.

We see three things about God’s intervention.

A. It will involve revenge

The word vengeance in vs. 4 carries with it the idea of revenge.

It would be like a mother bear intervening for her baby cubs. She would stop at nothing to protect her cubs and inflict vengeance upon whatever predator that comes her way.

B. It will involve rewards – vs. 4

“with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

There are rewards awaiting the child of God.

Are we focussed on the difficulty, or are we focused the rewards we will receive as we respond in a Christ-honoring way.

If anything is clear in the word of God it is the fact that God rewards faithfulness.

The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. (‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭8-9‬ NIV)

Their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. (‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭13-14‬ NIV)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭23-24‬ NIV)

If there was ever anyone who could have said that the roof caved into his life was Moses when he chose to serve God. He was in line for Pharaoh’s throne, yet he chose to serve God. One day he was powerful, wealthy, and influential. The next he was fleeing for his life. He could have easily been put out with God.

But listen to the Word of God in Hebrews 11:24-26...

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. (‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭24-26‬ NIV)

Curtis Hudson said, “You can take a lot on the trip, if you know what’s at the end.”

We get so wrapped up in today’s injustices and unfairness that we forget how the story’s going to end.
When God intervenes, it will involve - Revenge and it will involve Rewards.

Thirdly,

C. It will involve rescue.

Look at the end of verse 4 - "he will come to save you..." We have a promise of a rescue.

There is a story of the two men on a desert inland with no food, and no hope of rescue. One wasn’t concerned. The other couldn’t understand why. He said that he made $100,000 per week and he tithed off of that. His Pastor would find them.

We have an assurance of a rescue. No matter how bad things may look, we have a God that will rescue us.

Maybe not in the way we could imagine or in the timing that we would hope. But rest assured, when the roof caves in - the rescue is coming.

If things are falling apart in your life and the roof is caving in -

- He wants to strengthen your weak hands.

- He desires to confirm your feeble knees.

- He longs to comfort your fearful heart.

Cory Ten Boom said, “There is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still.”

Outline Inspired by Bruce Howell

HOW DOES GOD SPEAK TO YOU?

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭30‬:‭21‬ ESV)

Does God really talk to us? Can we really hear God's voice? We often doubt if we are hearing from God until we learn to recognize the ways God speaks to us.

Wouldn't it be great if God decided to use billboards to talk to us? Just think, we could drive down the road and God would simply choose one of a zillion billboards to get our attention. There we'd be with a mapped out message straight from God. Pretty cool, huh?

I've often thought that method would certainly work for me! On the other hand, he could use something more subtle. Like a gentle rap on the side of the head whenever we veer off the course. Yup, there's a thought. God smacking people whenever they don't listen. I'm afraid we'd all be walking around in a daze from all that rapping "activity."

Hearing from God is a learned skill.

Of course, you could be one of the lucky ones like Moses, who was walking up the mountain, minding his own business, when he stumbled upon the burning bush. Most of us don't have those kinds of encounters so we find ourselves looking for skills to help us hear from God.

How Can I Tell if God is Talking to Me?

Here are some common ways God talks to us:

1. His Word

In order to actually "hear" from God, we have to know some things about God's character. We have to develop an understanding of who God is, and the way he does things. Fortunately for us, all that information is available in the Bible. The Book goes into a lot of detail about how you can expect God to react, what kinds of expectations he has for us, and most specifically, how he expects us to treat other people. It's actually a pretty good book, given its age.

2. Other People

Many times God will use other people to try to get through to us. It's possible for God to use anyone at any time, but I find more messages coming from people who are practicing Christians than non-practicing ones.

3. Our Circumstances

Sometimes the only way God can teach us something is to allow circumstances in our life to lead us to and through the very thing we need to discover.

4. The Still Small Voice

Most of the time God uses a tiny voice inside us to let us know when we're not on the right path. Some people call it "the voice of peace." Whenever we're contemplating something and we don't have peace about it, it's a very good idea to stop and carefully look at the options. There's a reason you don't feel peace about it.

5. The Actual Voice

Sometimes we're able to "hear" something in our spirit that sounds to us like an actual audible voice. Or all of a sudden, you just know you heard something. Pay attention to those occasions because it is very likely God trying to tell you something.

Here's a basic principle: When God Talks, Shut Up and Listen.

God uses lots of things to talk to us. But actually hearing from God isn't so much a matter of if he's talking, but rather, whether we're listening.

The bottom line, as Pat Robertson has said for years, is that "big decisions take big prayer." In other words, as we humble ourselves before the Lord, seek His guidance in our lives, the Good Shepherd will be faithful to lead us, "…in paths of righteousness for His name's sake" (Psalm 23:3).

My prayer for you today is: "May Your heart be drawn to the very quite voice of God in your life and may you hear as He speaks direction and guidance for the details of your life."

6 THINGS FOR A BREAKTHROUGH MIRACLE

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, “Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. (‭2 Kings‬ ‭20‬:‭1-3‬ ESV)

Have you ever had your back against a wall? Have you ever been to a place where you didn't know where to go or what to do? Have you ever had a need to pray the biggest prayer that you've ever had because you are facing the biggest need of your life?

I'm sure that all of us have been there and done that. It's a given in life - not everyday is going to be perfect and some day will be more challenging than others.

Hezekiah was sick and was about to die. Hezekiah then prayed a BIG prayer asking God for healing from this disease. Eventually God brought a miraculous healing - adding 15 years to his life.

Let me give you some of the principles that Hezekiah applied to his life to bring about a victorious miracle in his life.

6 Things For A Breakthrough Miracle

Go to 2 Kings 18.

Hezekiah = Yahweh strengthens.

Hezekiah is story of a young man who needed a breakthrough. He needed a miracle in his life. God gave him some principles for him that would guarantee breakthrough. Principles that would ensure revival and make room for the miraculous.

There is nothing deep here - it is very simple.

I hear a lot of people who say "I can't." It will never happen to me. But I want to encourage you with "God can. You can. He will."God will be faithful to His word.

1. He Trusted In The Lord - vv. 5-6

He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. (‭2 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭5-6‬ ESV)

He trusted in the Lord (v.5)- and the result was… there was never another king like him in the land of Judah. He remained faithful (v.6) and he carefully obeyed (v.6) He did what God asked him to do.

It starts here - Can you trust God enough to give him your total heart?

2. Be Willing To Break The Mold - vv.2-3

He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. (‭2 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭2-3‬ ESV)

Do the math. He was a young man and reigned until he was 54. He was willing to do things differently.

His father was a corrupt man. He was bound up in sexual immorality. He was a murderer. 

Hezekiah was willing to stand up against his fathers counselors. He was willing to stand up for that which was different and break the mold.

3. Be Willing To Destroy The Idols In Your Life - v. 4

He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). (‭2 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭4‬ ESV)

What are your idols in your life? We must be willing to lay our idols down if there is going to be a fresh anointing in our lives.

So… Hezekiah got his heart right. He broke with tradition and He tore down the idols.

4. Refuse Bondage - vv. 7-8

And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city. (‭2 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭7-8‬ ESV)

Judah was sandwiched between two world powers, Egypt and Assyria. Both wanted to control Judah and Israel because they lay at the vital crossroads of all ancient Near East trade.

The nation that controlled Judah would have a military and economic advantage over its rivals.

When Hezekiah became king, Assyria controlled Judah. With great courage, Hezekiah rebelled against this mighty empire to whom his father had submitted.

He placed his faith in God’s strength rather than his own, and he obeyed God’s commands in spite of the obstacles and dangers that, from a purely human standpoint, looked overwhelming.

He said, “We won't pay anything to the enemy.”

Don't give the enemy anything to work with.

Gal. 6:1 – “Stand fast…”

5. Stand Firm - 18:9- ch. 21

Stand firm when hell breaks loose.

When he withstood the kings of Assyria - The next three chapters tell how ugly it got.

The Assyrians came and surrounded Jerusalem. They promised the people of Israel that they would end up eating their babies and drinking their urine.

"YOUR GOD CAN'T PROTECT YOU. IN FACT… YOUR GOD TOLD US TO COME AND DESTROY YOU."

When we are contending for a miracle – often – Satan will come and try to destroy you.

Hezekiah calls a fast. The Bible tells us how tearful he was and how frightened he was. He tore his clothes and cried out to God.
 

He did what all of us should do - just be steadfast - stand firm.

There are areas that are in my life that I’ve had to stand firm in prayer. Some things take a long time with much prevailing prayer.

Hezekiah stood firm when all hell was breaking loose against him.

6. Be Driven To Prayer - Chapter 20

He was driven to prayer because of his personal circumstances. He was told that he was going to die. God reversed the decision.

Not only did he reverse the decision – He made the sun dial reverse itself as a sign for him.
 

God can do that in your life also. You might be facing a difficult place or wall in your life. Begin to shape and align your life into God's order. Take God's principles and apply to them to your daily life. Allow God to shape and build your faith. Trust Him always - even when it gets hard.

Sadly, Hezekiah allowed pride to get come into his heart in his later years. He didn't continue with a grateful heart. His last few years were filled with bitterness and stress.

Yes, you can a miracle today but your heart must be firm on the things of The Lord. Don't forget that there is power in your prayers and continue to believe God for your miracle.

HOW TO EXPERIENCE PERSONAL REVIVAL IN YOUR LIFE

In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem... And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord... (‭2 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭1-8‬ ESV)

As I was in my morning prayer this morning I was using words like "refresh," "anoint," "fresh oil," "restoration," "healing," "favor," "blessing," "strength," etc. These words became a theme that was expressed over and over either for myself or to the person's that I was praying for. Then, as I sat down to my devotions I began to read about how one man experienced a great revival in his life and how it spread to a nation.  

It is the story of King Hezekiah who "did what was right in the eyes of The Lord" (2 Kings 18:1-8). What was it about Hezekiah’s reign that found favor in God’s eyes and led to revival?

As you read this passage - there are three very specific things in this eight verse summary of Hezekiah’s reign that give us a clear indication of what it was about Hezekiah that pleased God. The first is in verse four, and it is His complete...

1. Turnaround

He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). (‭2 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭4‬ ESV)

Previously, King Joash, failed to tear down the high places. He wasn’t willing to make the effort to confront those strongholds of sin and idolatry; and the consequence was that the momentum toward revival was overcome by the evil of those strongholds, both in the nation and in Joash himself.

Hezekiah on the other hand doesn’t fool around in his turnaround. He takes reform all the way to the hills. He confronts the pagan priests and idolators. He says, there is no room for this kind of activity in my kingdom, because my kingdom is really God’s kingdom. There aren’t going to be parts of this kingdom that don’t bow down to His authority--He will be Lord of All.

If we want to experience revival in our lives, in our homes, in our church, in our community we’re going to have to make the same bold stand. We cannot afford to have holdouts. We cannot allow the high places of sin to escape the Lord’s authority. We can’t say "Lord you can have all of my life except--my finances, my relationships, my entertainment, my future plans."

Historically revival has come to the church when people have allowed the Holy spirit to take the jackhammer of repentance to the strongholds of their lives and once those barriers are broken, the river of revival comes crashing through.

Yes the river sweeps through with blessing, and the story of Hezekiah’s reign demonstrates that, the enemies of God’s people are overcome, but the first step is repentance--simply put, the first step is TURNAROUND.

The second thing about Hezekiah that pleased God and led to revival was his complete...

2. Trust

He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. (‭2 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭5‬ ESV)
Hezekiah, the Bible says, trusted in the Lord and note that it is this trust in the Lord which leads the author of the biblical record to comment that there was no other king like him among all the others before and after who had sat in that throne.

Hezekiah’s forefather, David declared "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm (Ps. 20:7-8).

It must be easy for a king to trust in the resources of His kingdom, to try to devise a way to solve their problems with weapons or wisdom or wealth, the way that Joash did, but Hezekiah trusted in the Lord.

Without faith, the Book of Hebrews says, it is impossible to please God. But as we see here, with faith, trust in the Lord, God is genuinely pleased.

If we are ever going to please the Lord, He will require of us the same that he required of Kings of Judah--Repentance and faith--Turnaround and Trust.

There is one final thing about Hezekiah that the Scripture is careful to note and I think it’s an important point for us too. The last thing about Hezekiah that pleased God and opened the way for revival was Hezekiah’s...

3- Tenacity

For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. (‭2 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭6-7‬ ESV)

Hezekiah stuck to it. It wasn’t that he never faced difficulty, he did and we’ll see some of that in the next couple of weeks, but unlike Josiah who when faced with a crisis surrendered what was sacred, Hezekiah plunged forward with unwavering commitment, He continued to trust and he continued to do what was right even when confronted by the world’s only superpower of his day, even when he saw the neighboring northern kingdom of Israel defeated and sent off into exile, he continued to serve God in faith and righteousness.

And if we are genuine in our desire to see God moving in our lives in a new and a fresh way, if we long to see His blessing, we must exhibit the same kind of spiritual tenacity.

If I had to guess the number one reason why revival doesn’t come at times and places where it seems as if revival is likely I would say it is the lack of tenacity. I have seen time and again and perhaps you have too, people who are anxious for God to move in power, people who earnestly desire to have a new vision and deeper understanding of the majesty and holiness of God, people who are anxious to see the lost come to faith, people who believe they have a God given vision for revival, people who have begun special prayer meetings to ask God to send revival but who never seem to get there, Oh I don’t mean to say nothing happens--there is always spiritual fruit when people desire to draw closer to the Lord. But you know what I mean--the outcome never quite lives up to the expectation.

Why does that happen? I don’t know for sure--perhaps part of it is simply our inability to box God and to define what revival is going to look like. But I suspect that part of it is the lack of this one thing on our part: TENACITY.

After a few weeks the attendance at prayer meetings begins to dwindle. After a few times inviting our friends and neighbors to church, we quit asking. After a few days of resisting temptation we give in. We have not yet, as our NT text today said, resisted to the point of blood.

In 1913 in the French Alps, because of careless deforestation, the mountains around Provence, France, were barren. Former villages were deserted because their springs and brooks had run dry. The wind blew furiously, unimpeded by foliage.A simple shepherd named Elzeard Bouffier, took it upon himself to do something about it. Each night he meticulously sorted through a pile of acorns, discarding those that were cracked or undersized. When the shepherd had counted out 100 perfect acorns, he stopped for the night and went to bed. By 1913, the 55-year-old shepherd had been planting trees on the wild hillsides for over three years. He had planted 1,100,000 trees, 20,000 of which had sprouted. Of those, he expected half to be eaten by rodents or die to the elements, and the other half to live.

By the middle of the century something incredible had happened: there was a veritable forest, accompanied by a chain reaction in nature. Water flowed in the once-empty brooks. The ecology, sheltered by a leafy roof and bonded to the earth by a mat of spreading roots, become hospitable. Willows, rushes, meadows, gardens, and flowers were birthed. Where there had been only ruins now stand neat farms. Little by little, the villages have been rebuilt. (Hal Seed, Oceanside, California, Leadership, Spring, 1993, p. 48)

What brought about the transformation? It was the tenacity of one simple farmer. To choose life we must choose to Turn Around, and Tear Down the high places giving God sovereignty over every part of our life, leaving no breeding ground for temptation and sin. And we must choose to Trust in Christ alone, both for salvation from sin and it’s penalty and for all that matters in our lives. And it cannot be just a temporary decision we must choose to follow hard after the Lord with Tenacity.

Sermon outline shared by Guy Caley

THAT ELUSIVE THING CALLED PEACE

In the midst of much doom and gloom in the Book of Isaiah is a verse that pushes out of the harsh ground like a flower bursting open to the rays of sunshine.  It is from Isaiah 26:3-4:

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3-4‬ ESV)

THE WORLD NEEDS PEACE.  Gustave Valbert wrote in the Moscow Gazzette that "From the year 1496 B.C. to A.D. 1861 in 3358 years there were 227 years of peace and 3,130 years of war, or 13 years of war to every year of peace. Within the last three centuries, there have been 286 wars in Europe. He added that from the year 1500 B.C. to A.D. 1860 more than 8000 treaties of peace, meant to remain in force forever, were concluded. The average time they remained in force was two years." 

FAMILIES NEED PEACE.  Sometimes, the real battlefield is in the home. Four-year-old Susie had just been told the story of "Snow White" for the first time in her life. She could hardly wait to get home from nursery school to tell her mommy. With wide-eyed excitement, she retold the fairy tale to her mother that afternoon. After relating how Prince Charming had arrived on his beautiful white horse and kissed Snow White back to life, Susie asked loudly: "And do you know what happened then?" "Yes," said her mom, "they lived happily ever after." "No," responded Susie with a frown, "they got married." 

ALL OF US NEED PEACE. But the greatest need for peace is found in the heart of those who need to be at peace with God. You can’t be a peacemaker until you have the peace of God in your heart. As we look at this promise, we can be assured that when we are trusting in God even in the midst of a troubled world, we can have a perfect peace. 

God promises in these verses to give us "perfect peace." God’s peace is not always the removal of troubles in our lives but it is His presence that gives us a freedom on the inside of our soul. Thus even in the midst of sorrow, sickness, and sadness, we can have peace. 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬ ESV)

If I am in tune with Jesus, He produces his fruit in me through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And one of these is the fruit of peace.

Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. (‭Psalm‬ ‭119‬:‭165‬ ESV)

The word “stumble” means to “Disturb.” When a person gets into the Word of God, nothing shall disturb them, for they had find a peace only God can give.

Corrie ten Boom, author of the 'Hiding Place', writes in her book, "The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the Word of God". No matter how black and dark your circumstances may become, as you choose to focus on God and his promises, his Word to you becomes bright and beautiful in your life. But this is a matter of choice."

Someone said if you look to the world, you will be distressed; if you look within, you will become depressed; but if you look to Christ you will find rest. As you focus your attention on God, on Jesus Christ, then you will find rest and peace. 

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ESV)

Peace doesn't mean that we will be removed from problems and difficulties but that in the midst of them - God will give us peace.  If peace has been elusive from your life - may I point you to the Sovereign God who sees the big picture and still controls this universe.  I admit that there are many things i don't understand or "get" in life.  There are things that just don't make sense to me. I admit freely that peace has often eluded me because I put my trust in man and not God.  God's promise is true to us in every way and His promise of peace is something that we can all obtain by just trusting and believing God for.

My prayer for all of us is this:

 The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (‭Numbers‬ ‭6‬:‭24-26‬ ESV)

HOW DO YOU HANDLE STRESS AND PRESSURE?

In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the Lord —this same King Ahaz. 2 Chronicles 28:22 ESV). A number of years ago Denise and I took the Meyers Briggs Temperament Analysis Test that helps a person define the type of temperament that is part of their DNA. Basically - there are four quadrants of personalities with different levels in each quadrant. Not only did the test reveal things about us personally but it also showed us things about our marriage where we were alike, and yes, different in many ways. One of the interesting statements that was made to us was the fact that when we are living life in stress we have a tendency to go to the exact negative opposite of our positive gifts which can be harmful in life and relationships. So, it with interest that I read this statement this morning "in the time of his distress he became more faithless to The Lord." This is the story of King Ahaz who did not walk in the ways of The Lord. In fact, he did just the opposite. Look at what 2 Kings has to say about him... Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done, but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree. (2 Kings 16:2-4 ESV) Ahaz took the throne at the age of 20 years old after his father Jotham passed away. Not much is said about Jotham except that he was a good man. Ahaz’s reign causes the people to lose all restraint and to become completely corrupt in idol worship. Clearly, we can say that Ahaz may know about God, but he doesn’t know him. 1. What would cause a person to close God’s temple? - v.24 Ahaz seemed to view worship as a way of getting something you wanted. Perhaps, God failed to be at his call? He seems to have become deceitful in his sin and hardened to the point that he doesn’t want to worship God and doesn’t want anyone else to either. Some people may worship for the wrong reasons: a desire for power or to be like others. Ahaz was following the example of the pagan kings around him instead of his father. One of the early church fathers known as Augustine once said, “Idolatry is worshiping anything that ought to be used, or using anything that ought to be worshiped.” 2. What would cause this same person to put an idol on every street corner? - v.24 Perhaps some would say a longing for God or a desire for meaning in life. For some this is true. Still others see it as a way of getting things. His motive is clear from v.23 “I’ll sacrifice to them so that they will help me.” We may have a hard time relating to Ahaz’s desire to worship idols, until we realize that many things can be an idol. For Israel there was the Baals. For us there is the gods of Sex, Money and Food, Pleasure, Possessions or Position. For some - it could be Football, Family, etc. The list could go on and on. During this time, Judah is referred to in Isaiah 1:21-23 as a harlot; murderer; rebellious rulers; companions of thieves; lovers of bribes; chases rewards; doesn’t defend the cause of the defenseless. God reached out to Ahaz in his early reign. We see that in Isaiah 7. God gave Ahaz a free will and allowed him to walk away from him and there were many consequences to his actions. So, what are the results of Ahaz’s actions: 1. The Lord humbles Judah v.5,19. Israel killed 120,000 soliders of Judah because they had forsaken God v.6 The Lord handed over Ahaz to the King of Aram. God took the protection he had been giving Judah away. Obed the prophet in v.9 says “The Lord God of your ancestors handed Judah over to you in his anger.” 2. The Assyrians he trusted in would turn on him. Ahaz had to bribe the king of Assyria to help him. Now, Assyria is going to act like a parasite asking for more and more tribute from Judah to keep from attacking them. They are going to rob them of their wealth. 3. He brought about a lack of restraint. v.19. His unfaithfulness led to a great moral and religious decline. There is evidence that corruption had been taking place for years, but Ahaz acclerated it. Judah never completely recovers from Ahaz’s reign of idolatry. Jesu warned against becoming a stumbling block to others. Matt 18:6-7. What do you do when your life is under pressure People have all sorts of negative things they end up doing. Like - eating the wrong stuff and too much, they drop the disciplines in their bodies, they go back to their crutches of substance abuse, they go negative in their thinking, and they go back to their bad habits. The list could go on and on. Perhaps your actions are not as drastic as that of King Ahaz but they can have the same devastating results. When David came back from one of his raids he found that his village had been burned, ramshackled and his family had been taken away. I'm sure that his stress level was at high levels. I'm not exactly how I would have responded in that situation but David's response is always a reminder of how I am to handle my life in time's of stress... And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. (1 Samuel 30:6 ESV) May God give you grace in your life as you deal with every place of stress that comes your way.