2020-01-05 Perseverance by Position

Revelation 3:14–22 (NKJV) The Lukewarm Church 14 “And to the 9angel of the church 1of the Laodiceans write, j‘These things says the Amen, kthe Faithful and True Witness, lthe Beginning of the creation of God: 15 m“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither 2cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, n‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—18 I counsel you oto buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and pwhite garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 qAs many as I love, I rebuke and rchasten. 3Therefore be 4zealous and repent. 20 Behold, sI stand at the door and knock. tIf anyone hears My voice and opens the door, uI will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes vI will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 w“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”1 2 Chronicles 20:1–30 (NKJV) Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir Defeated 20 It happened after this that the people of aMoab with the people of bAmmon, and others with them besides the cAmmonites, 1came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from 2Syria; and they are din Hazazon Tamar” (which is eEn Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set 3himself to fseek the Lord, and gproclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask hhelp from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. 5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not iGod in heaven, and jdo You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and kin Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not lour God, who mdrove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham nYour friend forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9 o‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your pname is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ 10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You qwould not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but rthey turned from them and did not destroy them—11 here they are, rewarding us sby coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not tjudge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but uour eyes are upon You.” 13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord. 14 Then vthe Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: w‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, xfor the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the 4brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 yYou will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, zfor the Lord is with you.” 18 And Jehoshaphat abowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high. 20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: bBelieve in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, cand who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: d“Praise the Lord, eFor His mercy endures forever.” 22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, fthe Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they 5had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, gthey helped to destroy one another. 24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the 6dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. 26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of 7Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had hmade them rejoice over their enemies. 28 So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. 29 And ithe fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his jGod gave him rest all around.2 Psalm 23:1–6 (NKJV) 1 The Lord is amy shepherd; bI shall not 1want. 2 cHe makes me to lie down in 2green pastures; dHe leads me beside the 3still waters. 3 He restores my soul; eHe leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of fthe shadow of death, gI will fear no evil; hFor You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You iprepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You janoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will 4dwell in the house of the Lord 5Forever.3 2 Chronicles 20:15–17 (NKJV) 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: w‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, xfor the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the 4brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 yYou will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, zfor the Lord is with you.”4 Isaiah 40:30–31 (NKJV) 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who bwait on the Lord cShall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.5