2026 will again be through the Bible chronologically selecting verses which attract my attention or questions or encourage me on the day. I pray it blesses whoever reads . . . My theological background is Salvation Army College and now Church of England. I love all Christian denominations.
Lord Jesus, I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Forgive me and help me turn from everything I know is wrong. Thank you for dying on the cross to pay the price and set me free from my sin. Please come into my life, fill me with your Holy Spirit and be with me forever. Thank you Lord Jesus. Amen.”
“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.” 2 Kings 21:1-2 NKJV
“The Lord said through his servants the prophets: 11 “Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. 12 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 13 I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; 15 they have done evil in my eyes and have aroused my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.” 2 Kings 21:10-15 NKJV
Lord of heaven and earth,
The people of Judah are certainly in for some of the promises of God. But not the ones for keeping the covenant. The ones for breaking it constantly and with purpose. This was no accidental slip say God’s Your prophets. Manassa and Judah have continually tested Your patience Lord, but now this is a step too far. Jerusalem will be wiped out, forsaken, looted and plundered. It will become a godless place of disaster.
Sin and its judgement. We like to concentrate on the deliverance from sin in church. Telling people about Your deep, wide, high all encompassing love God. How You sent Jesus to deliver us. We do not very often talk about Hell, the godless place for those who do not trust in Your Son. Godless and loveless. We cannot know what a person goes through in those last moments before they die. Do they meet with You and have a last chance to repent?
Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves of the choice at the cross. To enter death with Jesus and find life or to choose endless death without God or fellowship or love. Jesus spoke about outer darkness and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13). We cannot nice hell away. Knowing Jesus, and what we are saved from, that keeps us witnessing. As I grow older this also is a reason to be grateful, in anticipation.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Tuesday 23rd June 2026 A somber song but I like it and the lyrics are from many portions of scripture: Ephesians, Isaiah, Psalms, 2 Peter, 2 Timothy . . .
For our God spared not the angels When they sinned and fell astray, Bound for hell and chains of darkness To their doom on Judgment Day There the fire is everlasting And the worm will never die There the smoke goes up forever From their torment, day and night
Fear not them who kill the body But can never kill the soul Fear the One who can destroy you Soul and body both in hell In a lake of fire and weeping Where the cursed have sealed their fate Beyond all imagination Vengeance from the Lord awaits
We were dead in our transgressions Children of the wrath of God But the Father, rich in mercy Gave His Son to shed His blood Praise the God of our salvation For His love which took our place Sinner, tremble and adore Him Who has saved you by His grace
Lyrics: Abe & Liza Philip https://songsfromscripture.com/for-our-god-spared-not-the-angels
“Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done. In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. 4 Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them in the East Square, 5 and said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.” 2 Chronicles 29:1-5 NKJV
“And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel. 2 For the king and his leaders and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to keep the Passover in the second month. ” 2 Chronicles 30:1-4 NKJV
“Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and the altars—from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh—until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned to their own cities, every man to his possession. 2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 31:1-2 KJV
Father God,
Before we move on we need to see what the Chroniclers have to say about Hezekiah. They see the spiritual side of things and not just the facts. Here we see what Hezekiah did as a spiritual leader and King. He chose You as his God. He repaired the Temple, he called the priests, levites, Temple servants and singers back into service and rededicated them. He reinstated the passover and sacrifices and worship.
You God, granted him miraculous protection for Jerusalem when Sennacherib surrounded them. But he could not atone for the sins of those who had gone before. And sadly when he died his son did not follow his example. We are told Manassa was only 12 when he came to the throne but he overturned all Hezekiah’s reforms and rebuilt the offensive high places! We do not always understand why You leave such evil and sin in seats of power. But we have to trust You that the future is still in Your hands. The end of the Bible is our certain hope. A new earth and a new heaven (Revelation 21:1-4). And One King. You will restore everything good and true and pure and holy (Revelation 21:6-8).
Meanwhile Lord we thank you for good kings and rulers. We pray for those suffering under evil and that the evil will be overcome with good through You, God.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Monday 22nd June 2026
I indulge myself with a beautiful Salvation Army Hymn, because many are the things I cannot understand.
Written in Broadford Australia on April 11, 1967. The author said his inspiration came through seeing the beauty of the Australian night sky with the stars so clear. Psalm 8 coming to mind: ‘When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him?’”
Many are the things I cannot understand; All above me mystery I see; But the gift most wonderful from God’s own hand Surely is His gift of grace to me!
Higher than the stars that reach eternity, Broader than the boundaries of endless space, Is the boundless love of God that pardoned me; O the wonder of His grace!
When I came to Jesus with my sin and shame, And to Him confessed my deepest need, When by faith I trusted fully in His name, God’s rich grace was granted me indeed.
Passing understanding is His boundless love, More than I can ever comprehend; Jesus, in His mercy, left His throne above, All to be my Saviour and my Friend.
“Then the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh from Lachish, with a great army against Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they went and stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool, which was on the highway to the Fuller’s Field. 18 And when they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them. 19 Then the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: “What confidence is this in which you trust?” 2 Kings 18:17-19 NKJV
“Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 27 But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste with you?” 28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you from his hand; 30 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”” 2 Kings 18: 26-30 NKJV
“But the people held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.”” 2 Kings 18:36
Father God,
We know that there is power in the spoken word. When You speak, creation begins (Genesis 1:3,5,7,9), we know Jesus as the Word made flesh (John 1:14). You commune with Your creation and Your disciples (John 16:13). Your Word is miraculous.
Here Hezekiah is faced with Sennacherib’s mouthpiece Rabshakeh who stands at the aqueduct and speak to all the people of Judah watching from the walls of Jerusalem. He greets them using their own language. He uses words as weapons. Their own language used mockingly. Intentionally crude and offensive imagery about the defenders eating their own excrement and drinking their own urine (2 Kings 18:27). Trying to destroy morale and end a long siege. But Jerusalem stays silent and for once do as they are told. Because they trusted God they were defended. The angel of the Lord visited Sennacherib’s camp and 185,000 died overnight and they fled to back Nineveh (2 Kings 19:35-36).
There was no power in the enemies words. There was power in silence and trusting You God. Helps us to not argue with the enemy, the one who mocks, that old liar (John 8:44) but stay silent, speak to You and trust in Your Word.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Saturday 20th June 2026 I don’t like to give satan any attention but this is a great little song and God is all we need.
Satan is a liar And he’s whispering like mad Sin is always better God is always bad But Satan is a liar And he’d crush you if you could Sin is never better God is always good
You will face temptation But the truth will set you free Pray that God would give you Eyes of faith to see Satan is a liar And he’s heading for defeat Sin is never better God is all you need
Anger lust and bitterness Greed and pride and hate Sin and self or Jesus That’s the choice we make Be on your guard and ready Because Satan will attack Saying sin is always better And God has turned his back Let the word of God go deep No matter what the test Sin is never better God is always best
