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| Pastor Ologunaye-Jacobs |
TOPIC: THE NEEDED REFORMATION
TEXT: 2 Chronicles 15:1ff
1. Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.
2. And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
3. For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law;
4. but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.
5. And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands.
6. So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity.
7. But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!"
8. And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of the Lord that was before the vestibule of the Lord.
9. Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who dwelt with them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for they came over to him in great numbers from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
10. So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11. And they offered to the Lord at that time seven hundred bulls and seven thousand sheep from the spoil they had brought.
12. Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
13. and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
14. Then they took an oath before the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams' horns.
15. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.
16. Also he removed Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed and burned it by the Brook Kidron.
17. But the high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days.
18. He also brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and utensils. 19 And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.
Who was Asa? Asa whose name means Healer was the son of abijam, one of the kings of Judah who is the father of Jehoshaphat. And who was reigning at the same time with Jeroboam, king of Israel. You see, God’s blessing was upon him due to his affiliates with those who removed the Canaanites customs and restored the levitical order of worship. What a plus! He was rewarded with remarkable and outstanding victory over a large and powerful army which invaded from the south. This sign of God’s pleasure boosted king Asa’s morale to continue his reforms with greater boldness in taken away the sodomites out of the land and the remover of all idols made by his father and because of his mother’s misdemeanor; she was also been removed as queen as seen in 1 Kings 15:9-15.
However, it’s a pity, king Asa trusted in outside help instead of trusting in the living God; the God of Israel. He displeased God and was rebuked by God through His prophet.
The later part of verse two reads: The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. You see friends, throughout year 2021, you have had several successes, which are a remarkable proof that God’s blessing is obvious on you, your victory has been the reward of your faith and if you steadfastly adhere to the cause of God, there is every tendency for you to continuously be enjoying His favor; but if otherwise, you will reap the bitter fruits of apostasy.
The bible says in Ephesians 4:20-24 that: But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Friends, I encourage you to earnestly strive to be the preferred of the Lord this year 2022 in conforming to the image of His dear son; Jesus Christ living a life that is encouraged by Jesus Christ and be rest assured of total security in Him
I pray for you, strength to follow Jesus Christ all the days of your life be released on you now in Jesus’ name.
Reading from verse 7, which happens to be the watchword of my church; Christ Apostolic. But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!"
Friends, as you journey through this year 2022, I made bold to tell you that, Great resolution and indomitable energy would be required to persevere in the face of the opposition your reforming measures will encounter. Note this: What you do in the cause and for the glory of God will assuredly be followed by the happiest results both to yourself and your subjects.
Of course, Year 2022 shall be filled with all kinds of things that are necessary to weigh you down but let your resolve be: Though he slays me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Job 13:15.
If this is your anchor as you go this year, surely you shall arrive at fare-haven.
I pray for you today, you shall not dissert God and God shall always stand by you in Jesus’ name.
I decree, strength to journey with God with your life, your time, and your possessions this year be released on you in Jesus’ name.
I decree, no distractions shall come your ways this year in Jesus’ name.
I decree, the power of the Lord to walk and not be tired, run and not faint, rest upon you now in Jesus’ name.
I decree, this year, you shall experience exponential increase on all good sides as you desires to be reformed in other to be transformed in Jesus’ name.
Before I round off, let me say happy New Year to all the fathers in Christ Apostolic Church. Under the leadership of our amiable President, the teacher of teachers, Pastor Samuel Olusegun OLADELE, I say happy New Year to you sir. The General Superintendent; Pastor E.O. ODEJOBI, grace found Prophet of our time; Prophet Hezekiah Oluboye OLADEJI, articulate secretary; Pastor E.E MAPPUR, Ever Accurate finance Director; Pastor J.F OMITINDE, and non-tiring Director of missions; Pastor C.S FASUYI, I say happy new year sirs. To all regional superintendents, I say happy New Year to you all. To all DCC’s and Zonal superintendents, national officers, District Superintendents, to all Pastors, Prophets, Evangelists, Teachers, all C.A.C secretariat workers, midwives, to all the men, women, youths and children of Christ apostolic church and the church of Jesus Christ at large, I say happy new year and more of God in your life in Jesus’ name.
See you next time God’s wiling, you shall experience an EXPONENTIAL INCREASE IN JESUS’ NAME.
Pastor Ologunaye-Jacobs
08038401553
Eaglejacobs2013@gmail.com