Bad reps are hard to overcome!  New to the community, Randy and I began to get to know the people in the neighborhood that surrounded the church he was called to lead as pastor.  We had spent a few weeks getting the know the people inside the walls of the church before going outside the church.  It was interesting what many of those we met related to us.  When you want to know how to reach the needs of the community; it is quickest to just ask them!  However, the most often heard statement made was; “Oh yeah, I know that church, I used to go there but…” Then they would relate what the church did that disappointed them and hurt them deeply.  (Sigh)

From the outside this church had everything going for it—beautiful worship center, more than enough parking, well cared for, with a great location!  It was a “church on a hill” that you could not miss!  But on the inside the people gossiped wildly, demanded their own ways, worshiped tradition more than God Himself!  They did “good things” to look good to each other and to the community. They confused holiness with previous traditions of being a busy church, handed down by their parents. They insisted in doing things in the same way even though it was not successful in outreach.  They wanted a preacher who would merely be their chaplain who maintained the status quo. 

It was a rough assignment for us.  The reputation the church had created was hard to overcome.  The evil within had to be rooted out and seen as evil.  We sought God’s will and plan continually for this place at that time.  As the prophets of God before us, we never gave up but did grow weary until God said to move on. 

But nothing is impossible with God! If only His people, called by His Name, come and humble themselves before Him and ask what HE wants for His church who are commanded by Him to go and tell—not sit and stew.  We are commanded to teach disciples, baptizing them in His Name for His glory as their witness of a changed life—not gossip about who is not good enough to enter the doors of His church!  This was years ago, in a time long ago, but I relate this past experience so that we may all take stock and evaluate our hearts often.

The kings of Isreal were many and could not hold their positions for long. Their reputation according to God’s Word; “they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” God commanded His people through Moses; “You will have no other idols before Me.”  (Exodus 20)  Israel’s kings set that commandment aside along with many others to build shrines to accommodate their desires to do evil.  How our Enemy must love that…(sigh)

Before we read and judge, we recall that we are not always perfect as believers who love God back. But we are perfectly forgiven. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” However, “God showed us his love in this way; while we were yet sinners Christ died for our sins.” God’s kindness, love, mercy, and grace lead us to repentance of our sins!  (Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8, Romans 2:4)

We cannot be and do what God wants as His best for us without His help.  God knows exactly who we needed—a part of Him living in us!  We are given the gift of God’s Holy Spirit to help us with each step of our journey with Him.  God requires us to “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him” according to Micah, the prophet. But how?

Jesus teaches us how to walk with God.  He is the Word made flesh to show us how!  Jesus commands us to seek God first, be still before Him, turn all of our attention to Him, seek His will, ask for His wisdom, then listen intently to Him before doing anything of significance in His Name! 

I don’t know about you, but I pray that at the end of my life, Jesus will say, “she had her Father’s eyes.”   (A song of my past by Amy Grant that still touches my heart of hearts today.)  We avoid, at all costs, being known as a people of God “who did evil in the eyes of the Lord” and worse yet, caused others to sin, too! Yikes! 

1 Kings 16

Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani concerning Baasha: ² “I lifted you up from the dust and appointed you ruler over my people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to arouse my anger by their sins. ³ So I am about to wipe out Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. ⁴ Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and birds will feed on those who die in the country.”

⁵ As for the other events of Baasha’s reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ⁶ Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son succeeded him as king.

⁷ Moreover, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger by the things he did, becoming like the house of Jeroboam—and also because he destroyed it.

Elah King of Israel

⁸ In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.

⁹ Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the palace administrator at Tirzah. ¹⁰ Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.

¹¹ As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha’s whole family. He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend. ¹² So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu— ¹³ because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.

¹⁴ As for the other events of Elah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Zimri King of Israel

¹⁵ In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town. ¹⁶ When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp. ¹⁷ Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. ¹⁸ When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, ¹⁹ because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

²⁰ As for the other events of Zimri’s reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Omri King of Israel

²¹ Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri. ²² But Omri’s followers proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.

²³ In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. ²⁴ He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.

²⁵ But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him. ²⁶ He followed completely the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.

²⁷ As for the other events of Omri’s reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? ²⁸ Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.

Ahab Becomes King of Israel

²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. ³⁰ Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. ³¹ He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. ³² He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. ³³ Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.

³⁴ In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The author of 1 Kings recounted the lives of seven evil kings. Only one king, Asa, did what was right in God’s eyes. God blessed him with long life.  King Asa undoubtedly faced opposition as he tore down his nation’s idols. He made unpopular decisions but continued to do what was right.  While Israel is playing “king of the hill” with many kings coming and going; King Asa of Judah is quietly but boldly leading, “doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.” Even though there is less land area to manage, King Asa makes treaties to maintain peace over Judah. Do we see the difference God makes in lives?

Max Lucado writes;

As long as you are stationary, no one will complain. Dogs don’t bark at parked cars. But as soon as you accelerate—once you step out of drunkenness into sobriety, dishonesty into integrity, or lethargy into compassion—expect the yapping to begin. Expect to be criticized. Expect to be mocked. Expect to be persecuted.

So how can we prepare ourselves? Simple. Imitate the disciples. Linger long and often in the presence of Christ. Meditate on his grace. Ponder his love. Memorize his words. Gaze into his face. Talk to him. Courage comes as we live with Jesus.

Are you willing to stand up for your faith? Think about the people and circumstances that might challenge your standards of humor, entertainment, or activities, and plan how you can respond.—Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible

Lord, I’m yours and I’m listening. In Jesus Name, Amen