* When some one that is dear to us dies, we often go through a major crisis.
* When the car motor blows up and we don't have the money to fix it.
*When they turn off the electricity and you can't come up with the money. *When someone that we care about, abandons ship.
!!!WE MAY NOT ALL GO THROUGH THE SAME THINGS BUT WE EACH HAVE OUR MOMENTS OF CRISIS!!!
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Hezekiah went through three major crises in his life;
#1. We already spoke about; THE CRISIS OF CHOICE.
This is; WHEN WE HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN DOING WHAT WE KNOW IS RIGHT OR DO WHAT WE KNOW IS WRONG.
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#2 . The midlife crisis. Many people go through this ( the women go through menopause and the men go through el cuarenton o la cuarentena) THIS IS WHEN SOME MEN TURN INTO DON JUAN AND WOMEN INTO DR.JECKIL AND MR.HIDE.
*Some men use this as an excuse to tramp around. All of the sudden they think for some strange reason that they are God,s gift to women.
*You catch them looking in the mirror and blowing kisses at themselves.
*You know they are going through a crisis when they change their hairdo to look like Elvis Presley.
*The women when they are going through their mid life crisis. They have sudden changes. One minute they are happy and the other they are crying.
*The air conditioning can be set at twenty and they are still hot.
*A woman going through amid life crisis with an iron in her hand is dangerous.
A. When Hezekiah was 39, the king of
- Hezekiah decided not to pay tributary money to the king of
- The king took it as an insult and tried to intimidate Hezekiah.
- Hezekiah had made allies with
- They though that the images that he broke was the God of Hezekiah.
- They thought that the altars that he tore down, was were the God of Hezekiah lived.
- The image that religion has given the world is who they think our God is.
- Likewise the image that you give people of who God is. Is who they think your God is.
- The image that they have of God is of a man hanging on a cross.
- They see God as this God that is far away in heaven somewhere in a place where He can't hear you or see you.
- Many have their own concept of God. To some, like in the days of Hezekiah, THE SUN IS GOD, OR GOD IS AN IMAGE THAT CAN'T MOVE(A PIECE OF WOOD OR STONE) THAT THEY KEEP IN A SHELF AND MANIPULATE WITH CANDLES AND WORTHLESS OFERINGS.
- The bible says that; "THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE (those who carry about) their wooden idols and keep on praying to a god that cannot save"(Isaiah 45:20).
- "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man's hands. THEY SPEAK NOT.THEY SEE NOT.THEY HEAR NOT.THEY SMELL NOT.THEY HANDLE NOT.THEY WALK NOT.NEITHER DO THEY SPEAK THROUGH THEIR THROAT"(Psalm 115:4-8).
- ARE THEY GOING TO BE SURPRISED ONE DAY WHEN THEY FIND THEMSELVES STANDING IN FRONT OF A REAL GOD WHOME THEY NEVER KNEW !!!
B. Hezekiah did two things; #1. HE RESPONDED, BY GOING BEFORE THE LORD. (Look at chapter 19:1-4)
- He sent his servants to the prophet Isaiah to seek God's counsel (LOOK AT VERSES 5-7).THE RESULT WAS THAT; That very same night, the angel of the Lord came into the camp of the Assyrians and killed 185000 men and when the king of Assyria found out, he ran to and took shelter in nineveh, where his two sons killed him as he was worshiping in the temple of his god, nisroch (2 kings 19:35-37).
#3) THE CRISIS OF SICKNESS
was the third crisis that he went through..
*He had contacted a terminal illness.(READ IT IN CHAPTER 20:1FF.)
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#4)We find several things in the life of Hezekiah that are sure to get us through any crisis;
#1.He clung to The Lord. (The bible declares in verse#6 that; "HE CLAVE TO THE LORD, AND DEPARTED NOT FROM FOLLOWING HIM, BUT KEPT HIS COMMANDMENTS WHICH THE LORD COMMANDED TO MOSES".
- "HE CLAVE TO THE LORD", as a little boy would cling on to his father. God has to be your source.
Men " " " "
Ladies " " " "
Young people " " " "
HOW DOES ONE CLING ON TO THE LORD???
John
- to follow Him is to cleave steadfastly to Him and to conform to His example in living and if need be in dying.
- To cleave is to attach oneself to something or someone as with a sharp object.
- To seek Godly counsel and attach ourselves to it as Hezekiah did with (Isaiah).THAT HOW!!!
- He chose to follow a good role model like Hezekiah did with (David).
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#2."AND HE DEPARTED NOT FROM FOLLOWING HIM".
"JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, IF ANYONE DESIRES TO BE MY DISCIPLE, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF (it means to disregard, loose sight of, and forget about your own interests) AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME". (again it means to cling steadfastly to Him and to conform to His example in living and if need be in dying).Matt.16:24
Steadfast= means steady, unwavering, continues, firmly fixed or established.
*When things got a little rocky, he didn't waver in His faith. But he stood firm in the word.
*He didn't blame God,(But took responsibility for his own actions) He said; "I HAVE CUT OFF LIKE A WEAVER MY LIFE",(Isaiah 38:12).
*He didn't take matters into his own hands but let he the Lord fight the battle for him and he was victorious. He stood firm with God.