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Worship: For Heaven’s Sake The influence we wield every day in every circumstance leads others to God or away from Him. (Read more below.)
Wellness: For Health’s Sake Pastor Flemons, a doctor of biblical wellness emphasized the healing power of the fig. (Read more below.)
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Worship and Wellness: Money, Money, Money, Money! Hezekiah and the Ambassadors from Babylon
TOPICS THIS WEEK – April 9 – 15
Worship Sunday – The Assyrian Captivity; Monday – Destroyed for Lack of Knowledge; Tuesday – The Call of Isaiah; Wednesday – “Behold Your God!”; Thursday – Ahaz; Friday – Hezekiah; Saturday, the Sabbath – The Ambassadors From Babylon
[All topics per Prophets and Kings by Ellen G. White.]
Wellness Sunday – Saturday, the Sabbath – Diseases of the Skeletal System from a Biblical Wellness Perspective: Sunday – Arthritis; Monday – Osteopenia and Osteoporosis; Tuesday – Rheumatoid Arthritis; Wednesday – Bone Cancer; Thursday – Why Drugs Will Never Cure Disease; Friday – LGBT Marriage, Good for Your Health? – Sabbath – Money, Money, Money, Money
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Words of Encouragement
Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Isaiah 54:4-5 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
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For Heaven’s Sake…
Hezekiah had been miraculously healed of boils, which were symptoms of a deadly illness. The news of his healing brought ambassadors from Babylon to visit him. They brought letters and a gift from Merodachbaladan, son of the king of Babylon.
“The visit of these messengers from the ruler of a far-away land gave Hezekiah an opportunity to extol the living God. How easy it would have been for him to tell them of God, the upholder of all created things, through whose favor his own life had been spared when all other hope had fled! What momentous transformations might have taken place had these seekers after truth from the plains of Chaldea been led to acknowledge the supreme sovereignty of the living God!PK 344.4
“But pride and vanity took possession of Hezekiah’s heart, and in self-exaltation he laid open to covetous eyes the treasures with which God had enriched His people. The king ‘showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.’ Isaiah 39:2. Not to glorify God did he do this, but to exalt himself in the eyes of the foreign princes. He did not stop to consider that these men were representatives of a powerful nation that had not the fear nor the love of God in their hearts, and that it was imprudent to make them his confidants concerning the temporal riches of the nation.PK 344.5″
Hezekiah’s failure to be a faithful witness for God led to the loss of everything to Babylon. God sent the prophet Isaiah to warn him. The prophet promised Hezekiah, however, that it would not be in his lifetime. Although Hezekiah repented and humbled himself and was accepted of God, the consequences of his actions affected all of God’s people for generations.
“The story of Hezekiah’s failure to prove true to his trust at the time of the visit of the ambassadors is fraught with an important lesson for all. Far more than we do, we need to speak of the precious chapters in our experience, of the mercy and loving-kindness of God, of the matchless depths of the Saviour’s love. When mind and heart are filled with the love of God, it will not be difficult to impart that which enters into the spiritual life. Great thoughts, noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth, unselfish purposes, yearnings for piety and holiness, will find expression in words that reveal the character of the heart treasure.PK 347.3
“Those with whom we associate day by day need our help, our guidance. They may be in such a condition of mind that a word spoken in season will be as a nail in a sure place. Tomorrow some of these souls may be where we can never reach them again. What is our influence over these fellow travelers?PK 348.1
“Every day of life is freighted with responsibilities which we must bear. Every day, our words and acts are making impressions upon those with whom we associate. How great the need that we set a watch upon our lips and guard carefully our steps! One reckless movement, one imprudent step, and the surging waves of some strong temptation may sweep a soul into the downward path. We cannot gather up the thoughts we have planted in human minds. If they have been evil, we may have set in motion a train of circumstances, a tide of evil, which we are powerless to stay.PK 348.2
“On the other hand, if by our example we aid others in the development of good principles, we give them power to do good. In their turn they exert the same beneficial influence over others. Thus hundreds and thousands are helped by our unconscious influence. The true follower of Christ strengthens the good purposes of all with whom he comes in contact. Before an unbelieving, sin-loving world he reveals the power of God’s grace and the perfection of His character.PK 348.3
(This study is based on chapter 29, “The Ambassadors From Babylon” in Prophets and Kings (PK), by Ellen G. White.)
For Health’s Sake…
In the story of Hezekiah, the prophet Isaiah directed that a lump of figs be laid on the boil. The instructions of the prophet were followed. “Figs,” says Pastor Flemons, “pulls out toxins and nourish.” Hezekiah recovered from the deadly sickness.
He had been given a death sentence from God through the prophet Isaiah. But he prayed and begged the LORD for life through tears and with a broken heart. Immediately, God granted his heart’s desire and used natural means to heal Hezekiah. (Read 2 Kings 20:1-7.)
Mercola’s Food Facts provides indepth information about figs. “Figs,” they say, “are high in fiber and a good source of several essential minerals, including magnesium, manganese, calcium (which promotes bone density), copper, and potassium (which helps lower blood pressure), as well as vitamins, principally K and B6.”
“Traditional medicine around the world has made use of figs as poultices on tumors, warts, and wounds. The fruit and leaves have been pulverized and gargled to relieve sore throats. Fig extracts and dried figs have been found to contain ingredients that protect the heart, regulate kidney and liver functions, lower blood pressure, lower incidences of macular degeneration, and inhibit some cancers, specifically post menopausal breast cancer.”
The Bible does not name Hezekiah’s sickness. We only know that it was a boil. But we do know that God could have healed Hezekiah with just a word. Instead, He directed that the fig be used to bring about the healing.