09 Jun Happy Birthday!
It’s the King’s Birthday long weekend…and I reckon that implies we should wish His Majesty a blessed turning of the calendar…given his precarious health at the moment, maybe we should also be mindful of praying for him too. I’ve been reading Kings & Chronicles in my yearly read-through-the-Bible devotions…So I am aware of the fragile nature of being king…especially when it comes to faithfulness to God. God’s people found their kings to have more than feet of clay. More of them were unfaithful than faithful, so the faithful ones really stand out. For instance…
Hezekiah, as we meet him in 2 Chronicles 29, was a good king. He came to the throne of Judah after his father Ahaz died, & witnessed the destruction of the Northern Kingdom, Israel, by the Assyrians. He re-opened the Temple & re-dedicated it for worship. (His father, Ahaz, had shuttered the Temple & instituted pagan ritual & idolatry in the Temple courts & buildings.) He also re-consecrated the Levites & priests for the offering of sacrifices & celebrated the Passover as called for by Moses. It’s that renewed celebration that caught my eye…We’ll pick up the story in 2 Chronicles 30. Remember…this was the first Passover Celebration in many years & the people had forgotten what was required, so many weren’t prepared & even the priests were learning all the requirements for the first time.
Here’s the part that is important: Since many of the people had not purified themselves, the Levites had to slaughter their Passover lamb for them, to set them apart for the Lord. Most of those who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, & Zebulun had not purified themselves. But King Hezekiah prayed for them, & they were allowed to eat the Passover meal anyway, even though this was contrary to the requirements of the Law. For Hezekiah said, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon those who decide to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors, even though they are not properly cleansed for the ceremony.” The Lord listened to Hezekiah’s prayer & healed the people.
Hezekiah knows God’s goodness AND that the intent of the Passover was to bring people closer to God not push them away. So he appeals to both of those in his prayer for his people. Worship is what God intends for us. His goodness draws us near, not our worthiness or our intents or desires. Worship is for God to operate his grace in us not a performance from us for God’s benefit. Worship is also such a critical piece of God establishing & fulfilling our relationship with him that he fits us for the purpose of worship even when we seem unfit. With regard to worship, God says, “Just come.” Worship is not to be missed for any reason.
Then an amazing thing occurs…Eventually the celebrations come to an end & as you read, & know from your own experience of worship, you’d think after a 2-week celebration folks would be in a hurry to get home…like how quickly the carpark clears on say Christmas morning so folks can get home for a roast lunch! 😉
But that’s not what happens here… When the festival ended, the Israelites who attended went to all the towns of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, & Manasseh, & they smashed all the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, & removed the pagan shrines & altars. After this, the Israelites returned to their own towns & homes. It’s a hard & fast rule: “What matters most is NOT what happens IN worship, BUT what happens AFTER worship.” God’s goodness & the experience of his restoring presence has wrought a transformation in the people who worshipped. They were renewed in their faith & then went in faithfulness as agents of wholehearted trust & obedience to Yahweh. They went to their communities & removed the pagan worship symbols from their midst. Every week we ask ourselves about what we’re going to do now. I am serious about that. If you can’t come up with a practical “Take it Home” response please ask me to help you discern one. Pray before you come to worship that God would show you where you can be an agent of God’s grace & transformation in your coming week. For the next few weeks we’re also going to end worship praying together: Father prepare me for whatever you require today and lead me in faith wherever you call me to go. In Jesus’ Name…Amen. You’re also going to hear me repeat frequently as a prelude to that prayer what I wrote earlier: “What matters most is NOT what happens IN worship, BUT what happens AFTER worship.” It’s after where we take the faith we profess & allow the Holy Spirit to translate it into a lively active faithfulness throughout the coming week. Part of what that looks like is right here…
So…for the days ahead…like I have mentioned a couple of times, we have a full calendar for June…
- Zoom Bible Study Catch-up
Friday 13th June 2025 @ 1:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting — https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89674789066 — Meeting ID: 896 7478 9066
- Ladies Fellowship
Thursday 12th June @ Kay’s House – 1 John 3:1-10
- LWF Annual Bonfire @ High Valley (Jeff & Norma’s Country Bungalow)
Saturday 14th June…Arrive any time after 2:00 p.m. Bring afternoon tea to share & there’ll be sausages and other goodies for dinner provided, This is always a great afternoon fellowship event with food & lots of joy. Bring a friend or three! (Just please let Jeff & Norma know you’re coming so they can make arrangements for food.)
- Soup & Safe Church after worship
Sunday 15th June – again…This is regular opportunity to take time as a faith family to review how we make Living Water an open & welcoming fellowship & learn together how loving one another is done in a God-honouring way that is also encouraging & open-heartedly hospitable for guests. We’ll have a soup & bread lunch together while we learn & grow as a family of disciples.
- Living Water’s 12th Birthday! Have we really been serving God this way for 12 years? WOW! God is good all the time!
Sunday 22nd June – What’s your favourite Living Water moment or memory? Remember, it’s not just about us, but how God has used us uniquely for his Kingdom.
- EQUIP Women 2025 – Saturday 21st June – 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Wagga Baptist Church – $25 for the day including morning tea & lunch
Sign up & you can pay by direct deposit in advance OR on the day in cash. Any questions between now & then…please talk to Leonie.
- THANK YOU! We’ve had some wonderful “secret servant saints” over the last few weeks give the Hall a good sprucing up! The floors got deep cleaned for the first time in a long time & the fibreboard panels have been covered up so the outside stays outside. Well done y’all! Thank you! These were much needed and are much appreciated!
God bless you & keep you warm as Winter sets in in earnest!
See you along the road somewhere this week!
John
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