{"id":268,"date":"2023-04-05T15:26:37","date_gmt":"2023-04-05T15:26:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/?page_id=268"},"modified":"2025-12-15T20:10:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T20:10:43","slug":"pursuing-gods-presence","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/pursuing-gods-presence\/","title":{"rendered":"PURSUING GOD\u2019S PRESENCE!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>PURSUING GOD\u2019S PRESENCE!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2 Chronicles 34<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, it seems \u2014 we are living in an <strong>age of revival.<\/strong> Right? I mean, it appears the <strong>passion level for God\u2019s presence<\/strong> (across our nation and around the world) seems to be at an all time high for this generation. It\u2019s not unlike what has happened in other generations \u2014 but for us, it\u2019s new and fresh and wonderful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And, as a <strong>follower of Jesus<\/strong>, <strong>I celebrate it<\/strong><strong>.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But as a <strong>pastor<\/strong>, <strong>I want to champion it<\/strong>. Because, with revival comes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An <strong>emphasis<\/strong> on <strong>Jesus<\/strong> (Acts 2:36). &#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>wave<\/strong> of <strong>repentance<\/strong> (2:37-38). &#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>return<\/strong> to <strong>prayer<\/strong> (2:42). &#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>hunger<\/strong> for <strong>God\u2019s<\/strong> <strong>Word<\/strong> (2:42). &#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>burden<\/strong> for the <strong>lost<\/strong> (Acts 2:40). &#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An <strong>increase<\/strong> in <strong>salvations<\/strong> (Acts 2:41, 47). &#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>focus<\/strong> on worship\u2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And, an <strong>increase<\/strong> in <strong>those<\/strong> <strong>called<\/strong> <strong>into<\/strong> <strong>ministry<\/strong> (Acts 4:20).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, the concept of <strong>REVIVAL<\/strong> isn\u2019t a new idea. It\u2019s not a modern theme.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, <strong>one of the greatest revivals ever recorded<\/strong>, took place nearly <strong>700<\/strong> <strong>years<\/strong> before <strong>Jesus<\/strong>. It took place in the <strong>southern kingdom<\/strong> of <strong>Judah<\/strong> during the reign of a <strong>King <\/strong>named<strong> Josiah.<\/strong> His story is told in several places in the Bible \u2014 but we\u2019re going to look at how it\u2019s told by a <strong>priest<\/strong> named <strong>Ezra<\/strong>, from his book \u2014 <strong>2nd Chronicles.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <strong>Ezra<\/strong> tells us, <strong>Josiah<\/strong> was the <strong>last of the godly kings<\/strong> who ruled over <strong>Judah<\/strong>. He was the grandson of <strong>King <\/strong>named<strong> Manasseh<\/strong> (who was a tough guy \u2014 and harsh king)\u2026mostly known for his <strong>brutality<\/strong> and <strong>godlessness<\/strong>. But, late in his life \u2014 before his <strong>death<\/strong> he cried out to God in faith.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As he did, <strong>he changed his ways<\/strong>\u2026abandoned his pagan ways and honored God. But in time, he died. And in his place, his son \u2014 Amon became king. But he was evil. He didn\u2019t learn from the sin and failures of his father \u2014 but instead, rejected God and became even more ungodly. In time, he <strong>reversed<\/strong> all the good his dad had done. And <strong>brought pagan worship back into the nation<\/strong>. This included <strong>idols<\/strong>, <strong>pagan<\/strong> <strong>altars<\/strong>, <strong>child sacrifices, Asherah poles <\/strong>(place of sexual perversion and worship of a pagan goddess), and more. Eventually, the nation decayed and suffered greatly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But eventually Amon was overthrown and killed by his own men. And in his place, they crowned his son, <strong>Josiah. <\/strong>At the time, he was just a boy (only 8 years old). But, he <strong>became the king! <\/strong>And even though he hadn\u2019t been brought up in faith \u2014 he had a heart for God and a desire<strong> for<\/strong> <strong>His<\/strong> <strong>presence.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>And it was his pursuit of God\u2019s presence,<\/strong> that ultimately <strong>led his nation into a revival! <\/strong>A revival so powerful \u2014 that <strong>God<\/strong> chose to recorded for <strong>ALL TIME <\/strong>in Scripture! <strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>And it\u2019s his heart for <strong>God\u2019s presence<\/strong> that I want to talk with you about today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, if you\u2019ve got your <strong>Bible<\/strong>, turn with me to <strong>2 Chronicles chapter 34.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>MESSAGE:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we consider this incredible <strong>revival <\/strong>that<strong> <\/strong>altered the<strong> <\/strong>nation\u2014 I want to make observation of <strong>four practical lessons or habits that we would do well to embrace.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These come straight out of <strong>Josiah\u2019s story<\/strong> \u2014 and the first is this.<strong> If we want to have our lives marked by God\u2019s presence<\/strong> \u2014 and<strong> experience a life-altering REVIVAL<\/strong>, then we must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. \u200bSeek God PROMPTLY!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What I\u2019m really saying is \u2014 <strong>don\u2019t delay!<\/strong> There\u2019s no time like the present<strong> to seek after God<\/strong>. We must not put off <strong>the pursuit of His presence<\/strong>\u2026not for anything.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In<strong> verse 1<\/strong>, <strong>Ezra <\/strong>says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>1 <\/em><\/strong><em>Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. <\/em><strong><em>2&nbsp;He did what was right <\/em><\/strong><em>in the eyes of the Lord and <\/em><strong><em>followed the ways of his father David,<\/em><\/strong><em> <\/em><em>not turning aside to the right or to the left.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2 Chronicles 34:1-2 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, <strong>Josiah<\/strong> became a king at the <strong>age of eight<\/strong> and he was a <strong>good kid<\/strong>. He lived a <strong>good life. <\/strong>He must have<strong> treated people well<\/strong>\u2026showed <strong>respect <\/strong>to others. He must have <strong>exhibited character qualities <\/strong>like: <strong>honesty<\/strong>, <strong>dependability<\/strong>, <strong>faithfulness<\/strong>, and <strong>determination<\/strong>. But <strong>being good<\/strong> is never enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And so, in <strong>verse 3<\/strong> it says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>3&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, <\/em><em>he began to seek the God of his father David.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2 Chronicles 34:3 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So,<strong> at 8 years old<\/strong>\u2026<strong>he did good. <\/strong>But, <strong>8 years later,<\/strong> at the<strong> age of 16,<\/strong> <strong>his life changed. And he went from doing GOOD \u2014 to seeking the one who IS GOOD.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, <strong>Ezra<\/strong> doesn\u2019t elaborate <strong>on the details<\/strong> \u2014 he doesn\u2019t tell us how, or why this change. But, whatever <strong>the contributing factors<\/strong> might have been, what is clear is that <strong>at age 16,<\/strong> <strong>Josiah<\/strong> started following God.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>And I bet some of you can relate.<\/strong> Maybe that\u2019s your story. Many times, it\u2019s during our adolescent years, during our teenage days, that we have an encounter with <strong>God<\/strong> \u2014 that changes our lives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the saying goes, <strong>\u201cStrike when the iron is hot.\u201d <\/strong>That\u2019s Paul\u2019s point in <strong>2 Corinthians 6:2, <\/strong>when he says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Look, now is <\/em><strong><em>the right time<\/em><\/strong><em>! <\/em><em>Look, <\/em><strong><em>now is the day of salvation<\/em><\/strong><em>!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2 Corinthians 6:2 (CEB)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There may be no better testimony than that of a child who trusts in the Lord. I wonder how much pain and sorrow we miss out on when we trust in Jesus as children?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Listen, that\u2019s why we have ministries designed for children \u2014<strong> NOT JUST TO KEEP THEM BUSY <\/strong>while we are gathered to worship\u2026but <strong>TO LEAD THEM TO JESUS! <\/strong>\u2028<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We believe everyone has the right to a presentation of the gospel at their level of understanding. So we have <strong>CHILDREN\u2019S<\/strong> <strong>PASTORS<\/strong> that seek to do that. And, we have <strong>YOUTH<\/strong> <strong>PASTORS<\/strong> that seek to do that!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <strong>Solomon<\/strong> says in <strong>Ecclesiastes 12:1<\/strong>,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Remember your Creator <\/em><strong><em>in the days of your youth<\/em><\/strong><em>\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Ecclesiastes 12:1 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you haven\u2019t done that yet \u2014 do it today! Surrender your life to <strong>Jesus<\/strong> today! If you give your heart to <strong>Christ<\/strong> <strong>now<\/strong> \u2014 and your live the rest of your days for Him, I promise, <strong>you\u2019ll never regret it!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And<strong> if you\u2019ve already trusted in Jesus<\/strong> \u2014 then <strong>SEEK HIM like Josiah did<\/strong>. Don\u2019t be satisfied with your <strong>past<\/strong> <strong>encounters<\/strong>. LONG FOR HIM MORE. SEEK HIM MORE. And don\u2019t delay Because\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>We\u2019ll never long for REVIVAL \u2014<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>until we first long for GOD\u2019S PRESENCE.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, let\u2019s commit to <strong>seeking God promptly!<\/strong> Secondly\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. \u200bhonor God FULLY.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, at <strong>age 8,<\/strong> He did good. At <strong>age 16,<\/strong> he began to seek God\u2019s presence. But, the Bible tells us when he was <strong>20 years old<\/strong>, <strong>Josiah<\/strong> got busy HONORING GOD! And the way he did it was to purge <strong>Judah<\/strong> from all of its <strong>idols.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He became like <strong>a warrior against false God\u2019s<\/strong> and <strong>pagan worship<\/strong>. He wasn\u2019t just satisfied with looking good\u2026he wanted to make sure <strong>everything under his care honored God.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And so, in <strong>verse 3<\/strong> it says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>3&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>\u2026In his twelfth year he began to purge <\/em><strong><em>Judah<\/em><\/strong><em> and <\/em><strong><em>Jerusalem<\/em><\/strong><em> of <\/em><strong><em>high places,<\/em><\/strong><em> <\/em><strong><em>Asherah<\/em><\/strong><em> <\/em><strong><em>poles<\/em><\/strong><em> and <\/em><strong><em>idols<\/em><\/strong><em>.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2 Chronicles 34:3 (NIV)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like <strong>Josiah<\/strong>, let\u2019s decide now to <strong>honor God (completely).<\/strong> Let\u2019s <strong>honor Him<\/strong> by eliminating everything in our lives that doesn\u2019t point to <strong>Jesus<\/strong>. Let\u2019s give careful attention to the <strong>things we say <\/strong>\u2014 the <strong>places we go<\/strong> \u2014 the <strong>people we hang with<\/strong> \u2014 the<strong> thoughts we have<\/strong>\u2026and <strong>the way we live.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like <strong>Josiah<\/strong>, let\u2019s clean out the junk \u2014 it\u2019s <strong>SPRING TIME,<\/strong> let\u2019s do some <strong>SPRING CLEANING OF OUR LIVES!<\/strong> Let\u2019s empty our lives of everything that seeks to put us first \u2014 and return God to the throne of our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For most of us \u2014 <strong>idolatry doesn\u2019t look like it did in Josiah\u2019s day. <\/strong>For us, idolatry comes in other forms. Things like the pursuit of stuff, or image, or wealth, or perfection, or sexuality, or popularity, or really \u2014 anything that we tend to love more than we love God!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like Josiah, let\u2019s seek to <strong>HONOR GOD FULLY<\/strong>. Not just when it\u2019s convenient or on <strong>Sundays<\/strong>. Let\u2019s put <strong>God first ALWAYS!&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>As the story continues, we learn that the worship of Josiah eventually moved into the Temple. Becasue, it wasn\u2019t enough to just eliminate the junk in His kingdom \u2014 He also had to make WORSHIP a priority in life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, <strong>Josiah<\/strong> ordered his servants to repair the TEMPLE. To empty it of anything that didn\u2019t belong\u2026and to <strong>REFRESH<\/strong> the practice of <strong>HONORING GOD TOGETHER!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <strong>verse 8<\/strong>, we\u2019re told,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>8&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>In the eighteenth year of Josiah\u2019s reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan\u2026to repair the temple of the Lord his God.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2 Chronicles 34:8 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This reminds us of the importance of <strong>CORPORATE<\/strong> <strong>WORSHIP<\/strong> in our lives. We must not abandon the habit of coming together to honor God. Josiah knew that if the nation was to experience <strong>REVIVAL<\/strong> \u2014 it would begin by making worship a priority in His life, and in the lives of His leaders\u2026and in the lives of His people.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Listen, if you want to see <strong>REVIVAL<\/strong> sweep our nation \u2014 it won\u2019t come by us abandoning our practice of worship. We must become even more relentless to <strong>GATHER<\/strong> <strong>AND<\/strong> <strong>WORSHIP<\/strong> <strong>GOD<\/strong> <strong>TOGETHER<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Make the commitment today to protecting your time to worship together. Do whatever it takes to put the priorities of your life in order.<strong> GOD FIRST ALWAYS! <\/strong>That was Josiah\u2019s practice \u2014 and because of that\u2026He and His nation experienced a <strong>REVIVAL<\/strong> that shook their generation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&nbsp;If we want to have our lives marked by God\u2019s presence<\/strong> \u2014 and<strong> experience a life-altering REVIVAL<\/strong>, then we must <strong>SEEK GOD PROMPTLY<\/strong>, <strong>HONOR GOD FULLY<\/strong>\u2026and lastly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. \u200bVALUE SCRIPTURE HIGHLY!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This may have been the most powerful point in this story. For Josiah (and His nation), God\u2019s Word changed their lives. It altered their world. It reshaped who they were (their identity), what they did, how they thought, what their lives would look like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is really the key that sustained the <strong>REVIVAL<\/strong> among the people of <strong>Judah<\/strong>. More than an emotional experience \u2014 it was the interaction with <strong>God\u2019s Word.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Oswald Chambers <\/strong>once wrote, \u201cIf the average believer truly understood what would happen if he used the Bible more often, he would use it more often.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why? Because all the other books in the world were given for our information \u2013 this Bible was given for our transformation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So if you see a Bible that is falling apart, it usually belongs to someone who is not.\u201di&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Judah, it had been<strong> 57 years<\/strong> since <strong>they <\/strong>had been led by a godly leader. <strong>King<\/strong> <strong>Hezekiah<\/strong> (Josiah\u2019s great grand-father) was really the last <strong>good King<\/strong> <strong>Judah<\/strong> had known. And since that time \u2014 they failed to practice their faith and honor God. But all that changed when they found God\u2019s Word. One day, as <strong>Josiah\u2019s<\/strong> men were putting the temple in order, they found<strong> God\u2019s Word.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2 Chronicles 34:15<\/strong>, says,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>15&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, \u201cI have found <\/em><strong><em>the Book of the Law <\/em><\/strong><em>in the temple of the Lord.\u201d He gave it to Shaphan\u2026<\/em><strong><em>18&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, \u201cHilkiah the priest has given me <\/em><strong><em>a book.<\/em><\/strong><em>\u201d And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.<\/em><strong><em>19&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes.<\/em><em>&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2 Chronicles 34:15, 18-19 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rediscovery of<strong> the Word <\/strong>set the nation up to <strong>be blessed <\/strong>and to<strong> experience the presence of God<\/strong> in a powerful way. Their lives were put back together \u2014 through the power of<strong> God\u2019s Word.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>As your pastor \u2014 one of my greatest desires for you is that you become PEOPLE OF THE WORD! <\/strong>Because the <strong>Word<\/strong> creates life. Genesis tells us that it was THE WORD that put stars in the sky, and create life. And it still does that today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Word of God still brings life where there is death. <strong>That\u2019s why we believe in preaching the Word&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Understand, one of the key marks of a genuine revival\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>will be the valuing of God\u2019s Word.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So refuse to take it for granted. <strong>Don\u2019t<\/strong> <strong>neglect<\/strong>. Instead, <strong>read <\/strong>it. <strong>Cherish<\/strong> it. <strong>Value<\/strong> it. <strong>Esteem<\/strong> it, highly!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When <strong>King<\/strong> <strong>Josiah<\/strong> at the <strong>age of 26<\/strong> heard the words of <strong><em>\u201cthe Book\u201d <\/em><\/strong>\u2014 the scriptures tell us, <strong>he<\/strong> <strong>tore his clothes.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In that culture tearing your clothes was a sign of <strong>humility<\/strong> and <strong>grieving<\/strong>. So, the <strong>King<\/strong> humbled Himself \u2014 and changed the way he thought, ruled, worship, and lived.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <strong>verse 29, <\/strong>it says,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>29&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. <\/em><strong><em>30&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites\u2014all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. <\/em><strong><em>31&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord\u2014to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>32&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2 Chronicles 34:29-32 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What a moment that must have been.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2014The Word was found.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2014The Word was read.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2014Then the King and the nation made a promise to chose to live according to the Word.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Listen, that\u2019s <strong>REVIVAL<\/strong>!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reading of God\u2019s Word changed everything in <strong>Josiah\u2019s<\/strong> <strong>generation<\/strong>. And, I just wonder, what would happen if we began to VALUE GOD\u2019S WORD THAT WAY? Would the power of the Word of God bring BLESSING upon us the way it did them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>YOU BET IT WOULD!<\/strong> Absolutely! Because the <strong>Word of God <\/strong>is powerful! As the writer of <strong>Hebrews s<\/strong>ays in<strong> Hebrews 4:12<\/strong>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>12&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Paul <\/strong>said in <strong>2 Timothy 3:16<\/strong>,<em>&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>16&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a reminder of why <strong>we<\/strong>, <strong>as a church<\/strong>, have such a high value of reading <strong>God\u2019s Word <\/strong>together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>John Bunyan <\/strong>that famous English preacher once said it well:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis Book will<strong> keep you from sin <\/strong>\u2014 or <strong>sin will keep you<\/strong> from this Book.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you will meditate on God\u2019s Word and commit it to memory, God will use it to keep you from sin. Even if you don\u2019t retain it and think you\u2019re wasting your time in reading God\u2019s Word, you\u2019re not.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The late, <strong>D. L. Moody<\/strong> once said,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe only way to keep a broken vessel full is by keeping the faucet turned on.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And, when we keep <strong>the faucet <\/strong>of <strong>God\u2019s Word<\/strong> running into our hearts and minds, we will be sure to <strong>flush out the garbage <\/strong>and keep us <strong>living our lives for Christ<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because there\u2019s nothing like the WORD OF GOD!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>APPLICATION:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And just to be clear \u2014 the<strong> WRITTEN WORD<\/strong> <strong>of God <\/strong>will always lead us to the <strong>LIVING WORD of God \u2014 in the person of <\/strong><strong>Jesus<\/strong><strong>!&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <strong>John<\/strong> said in His gospel \u2014 the<strong> Word of God <\/strong>(and His gospel specifically), was written that <strong>WE MIGHT BELIEVE<\/strong>\u2026and that by <strong>BELIEVING<\/strong>, we might have <strong>LIFE in JESUS\u2019 NAME!&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, value the Word \u2014 and allow it to always lead you deeper in faith with Jesus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Will you do that? Will you <strong>cherish<\/strong> it, <strong>read<\/strong> it, and <strong>live<\/strong> it out? And let <strong>Christ<\/strong> \u2014 <strong>THE<\/strong> <strong>LIVING<\/strong> <strong>WORD<\/strong>, dwell in you richly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>CONCLUSION:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, as we close today\u2014I want to again challenge you to pursue <strong>God\u2019s<\/strong> <strong>presence<\/strong>. May your heart be open to the work of the Holy Spirit, and to the possibilities of <strong>REVIVAL<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Let\u2019s SEEK GOD NOW! <\/em><\/strong><em>\u2028<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>L<\/em><strong><em>et\u2019s HONOR GOD<\/em><\/strong><em> with everything within us.\u2026not allowing our hearts to be distracted by anything else.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>And, let\u2019s VALUE THE WORD OF GOD <\/em><\/strong><em>above all!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PURSUING GOD\u2019S PRESENCE! 2 Chronicles 34 Well, it seems \u2014 we are living in an age of revival. Right? I mean, it appears the passion &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-268","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=268"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2640,"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/268\/revisions\/2640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chuckhilltoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}