a version of it in the Philippines now. They do have a version of things we have here, but when you partake of it, you soon realize it's a very, very bad imitation. that's a commercial 2nd Kings chapter number 22 get my nerves down a little bit gets nervous when you get to preaching 2nd Kings chapter number 22 and verse number 13 I do want to thank publicly our church a great great sending church We're sent out with a great church. Appreciate all the financial help you've given us throughout the years. We've been in the Philippines now looking at it. In May or in March of this coming year, we'll be there eight years in the Philippines. And we couldn't have done it without our church. And we're excited to know that our dear brother Justin came and actually got to visit his work. I'm going to put a plug in for Justin here. He's doing a great work. God is using him. I'm jealous of some things he's doing. I wish I was doing. I don't know if I want to drive in his roads. We do Marco Polo a lot. That's the way I can get a hold of brother Justin or he can get a hold of me. I'm so bad. And I was driving one day and I said, sorry, but the bumps on the roads, there's no texting, no problem. The Philippines, you know, you can tax and drive and video yourself driving. So, uh, people are getting upset at us because like on the video, people came to me and said, you don't have any like child seat. Where are you at? Yeah, they don't have any child seat. But we've been there for eight years, so Abby has grown up in the Philippines without a car seat. She's still okay. All right? And Malika, and hopefully Phillip too. Now if you want to talk about car seat, you go to Papua New Guinea. Man, I thought our roads were bad. Then we got there and we said, I need a chiropractor every ride. Every ride you need one. I took a video. If you want to see it one day, I'll show it to you. I have a video of us going up the hill, and Pastor Seth is nonstop. talking and like be quiet we need to concentrate because we have a piano we have a piano we're carrying and he's talking away like blah blah blah and the piano is about to hit the door and it's gonna keep banging on the door it's like we need this piano to be safe and you hold on to the piano but we know pastor said you know we have to We have to let them do that kind of stuff or else other things happen. Anyways, you ask me, I will give you an update on that. No, just kidding, just kidding. I enjoy being in our church. I enjoy being with the people that have invested a lot in our lives, Pastor Cole, Pastor Seth. These are people that have greatly influenced my life personally, invested in our life. We can't do the things we're doing without these people. And I know sometimes they might rub you the wrong way, but sometimes you need rubbing the wrong way. All right, nobody said anything like that, I'm just gonna let that go. Now, this is a unique church because this is where we're from and we know people here, we love people here. Brother Justin talks to people here. He does a better job than I do, I'm jealous of that. He's very good in the social media. And he's talking to me about, you guys went on football and he was in touch with you guys. I miss some of those things because I'm not good in communicating. He is aware of what's going on here. And that's what we, as missionaries that are sent out, don't forget us, okay? We are connected to you, whether you like it or not. We are your arms, you're sent out of there. We talk about Faith Bible Baptist Church. I think there's people in North Cebu Baptist Church watches our services. So be careful what you say about us over there. I have spies watching Pastor Cole. There's people that listen to the preaching. They are aware sometimes more than I am. They said, you know your pastor preached this morning about this. Okay, brother. that's good i need to pay attention to that all right sometimes in the busy of life you don't get to hear everything but it is so nice to be here i enjoyed that time with brother justin i'm i'm glad that we got to see each other here we've been praying for them our church in cebu is praying for them in the situation with their dear daughter but uh i'm telling you mrs somera on Brother Mira, you guys raised an amazing young lady. She was eight months old, eight months pregnant, sorry, eight months pregnant. Forget my English, I was having a hard time at Hilltop this morning. It's not coming out right, I wanna say one word. But she was doing all this at eight months, bumping around. I'm yelling, ow, ow, ow, and she's like, and then she comes out, I'm like, are you okay? And Justin says, she's gonna give birth anytime. Yeah, I would. If I was pregnant in that kind of a road situation, I would. I gave him twins by this time. You know, it was rough. It was rough roads. But people got saved. I still remember Simon. I still remember Jeffrey. I still remember Felix. Men that are in my mind that I pray for. Got to know them. They gave me this little thing on my head. I looked like a Muslim afterwards. I took it to the Philippines, brother, and wore it. And they said, Brother Chris, Pastor, you look like a Muslim. Ah, I can't wear it, so I can't wear it. I look like a Muslim. And they plucked out some kind of chicken or whatever it was, and they gave me a bag with all this feather, the calamary, what's that? I can't say it, casuary bird. Yeah, by the lady that raised wild boar in the backyard. She came to me the last night, she said, I want you to have this from us. I was smelling it. Man, they were still alive probably this morning, this feather, you know? But we enjoyed the time. I don't know what time I'm supposed to quit, around noon right we're done okay you said that we're gonna go all right let's look at second kings 22 and verse 13 i'm glad we're here i'm glad we uh are able to be a part of the service uh we're in we're in a busy mode different churches were uh kind of showing presentation and different things so this is our time to spend with y'all we missed wednesday uh due to the weather so we're glad thank you for those that prayed that was a great uh Service yesterday. We were in ohio columbus area for my wife's grandfather. The gospel was preached pray that the message of the gospel Uh remain and would penetrate the hearts of the people that heard it. There's a lot of lost people there Yesterday and the gospel was preached soundly. Very good. So let's pray that souls will get saved second kings 22 if you're able to please could you stand for honor of the word of god second kings 22 and 13 i'll try to get you out of here by 12 I have an appointment at 1. I have to watch it. They're all bills. I don't get to watch them. So I'm not advocating them to you. Don't get upset. Let me dabble a little bit on the things I enjoy. We don't watch it in the Philippines. We don't get to watch it. So look at here 2 Kings 22 and verse number 13. inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah Concerning the words this book that is found for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us Because our fathers have not hearkened under the words of this book to do according to all which is written Concerning us. Let us pray lord. We come to you this morning Please guide us holy spirit work in the hearts of those that are here that is listening to the word of god Please guide my tongue Calm my nerves lord. I pray that you clear my mind use me this morning in your name. We pray amen And amen, you may be seated if you notice that the chapter is talking about verse 1 about Josiah who became the king when he was about eight years old verse 1 records that for us and here we find a great great a great example of someone getting personal revival he was the king at the time and so what he did was his personal revival that happened to him personally he tried to make it to the whole country now we find that when he died people did what he said until he died and when he died they went back doing the wrong things they were doing before But here we see a man's heart that found personal revival in the Word of God. The Word of God is a vital part of your Christianity. If you are not in the Word of God, you will be in big trouble. It is partly what gives you an idea on how you're doing as a Christian. All right, if you don't if you're not reading the word of god at all You're not listening to the teaching found in the word of god by somebody teaching you in sunday school or so forth or discipling you Or doing some kind of bible study with you or hearing it preached Or reading it yourself and letting the holy spirit work in your life. You will fail as a christian you will grow cold and you will die spiritually all right you need the word of god so much the bible says it is it needed to be esteemed more than our necessary food did you know that it's more important for you to be in the word than for you to eat that's how god said it according to his word he said this is to be esteemed to be put in a greater value to be put in more importance than it is for you to eat that is great importance and he says that this is above his name and his name is where we find salvation the Bible says in Acts 4 and verse number 12 there is no other name given among given to us whereby we must be saved but in the name of Jesus Christ and he honored his word above his name saying that what you find in this book is the most important thing you need in your christianity and if you have a problem with bible and your relationship with it you will suffer as a christian just like any marriage if the husband and wife are not agreeing are not finding uh harmony then they'll have a problem just like in a family the children and the parent they're having issues in life they're not communicating properly. God's way of communicating in our day and age is found in this very book. You want to know what God thinks about anything, you open up his word. The Bible said, some preacher said, when you open up the word of God, you open up the mind of God. You want to think about the things that God thinks about, then you need to be in the word of God. You want to know what God thinks about marriage? There's no other place to go but the Word of God. You want to know about child rearing? You don't have to go anywhere else but find it in the Word of God. You want to know how to handle your money wisely? Come and find it from the Word of God. The Word of God is a vital part of every Christian living today. If you neglect the Bible, you neglect God. Let me say it again. If you neglect the Bible, you are neglecting God. God says that this is the written word. He is the living word. They're one in the same. The Bible is alive because God is alive. And when the Bible speaks, it speaks of Christ. God, I was going to say it's a one word. It means And I lost the meaning, but it's just an expression. We say Gani winning. I don't need to explain it because I'm going to get lost. But even the Holy Spirit, the Bible says does not teach you anything. About himself or anything else, but he teaches you all about Christ. And that's why he is the guide in John 14, 15 and 16 of the word of God. He teaches you all about Christ. You know why you're struggling in your Christianity? Partly you're struggling because you have lost that love you have for Christ. And how do you lost the love that you have for Christ? You're not in his word. You don't know the promises of God. You don't know the warnings of God. You don't know the direction of God. You don't know the purpose of God. You don't know the will of God. You don't know the ways of God. And you will struggle as a Christian. If my wife and I remained in a relationship where neither of us can understand each other, we will not last long in that relationship. Can somebody agree with me with that? You know why you have a problem when the Bible is preached? Because you're not in it. you don't understand the precepts, you don't understand the philosophy, you don't understand God's agenda because you're not in his word and you complain to the preacher, the mailman, the delivery boy that teaches you all what is in the word of God and you question everything that's said from the word of God because you're not in the Word of God. It'll be mighty shocking one day when you read the Word of God and find out, huh, my pastor was right all along. Because you are a poor relationship with the Word. You know, people today would like the Bible to be in their language and to be read by them. But yet us America that have it, neglected the most. We neglect the very word of God that gave us the great foundation of our country and the blessings you enjoy right at this moment. Did you know the blessings you're continuing to enjoy is because men of men of God and woman of God in the early years of our history believe and had a great relationship with the word of God. by faith. When it was in the word of God, they did not argue, but did and obeyed what the preacher said. You know, there was an America at one point that way, when the preacher preached the word of God, they had an honor for the word of God. As long as it was found in the pages of the Bible, they need not question, but submitted to the authority of God and obeyed. And they found that their lives was blessed and their country was blessed and their children were blessed and their grandchildren were blessed after them. When you go away from the Bible, you will find a society that will crumble. We left the Bible a long time ago. We complain about public schools saying no to the Bible and no to prayer. The problem is not them. The problem is in our own home. As Christians, we have written up a bill that says the Bible is no longer welcome in our home. And because of that, it's becoming apparent in our church attendance. I'm letting you know, if you have a good relationship with the Bible, you will find church appealing. Let me say it again. If you have a good relationship with the Bible, you will find that your church that preaches the Bible will be appealing to you. You know why I know that people don't like the Bible? They don't like preaching. You know how I know? I look at them when I preach. Let's just be practical about this. There's only church that gives out water in this way. And I shall participate. Only church. A lot of them give you bottles. It's our only church that gives it on this cup for so long. I think they get this from the sink downstairs, right? Usher's, same? No, right here? Oh man, we changed. I was in Usher and we would get it in the sink down there. But anyways, I loved our church. I love our church. It's a great part of our life. And I'm telling you this, we need in our church a reviving in our relationship with the word of God. We need to love the Bible again. We need to find the Bible enough for everyday life. We need the Bible enough for raising children. We need to find that the Bible is enough for a good marriage. We need to find that the Bible is good enough as a teenager in the society we live. We need to find that the truth that's preached in this word is good for us and we can live by it. This is a society that needs to be proven. When you say something, they want proof. You can search it in Google. We're doing it ourselves. We're having conversation, and somebody will say something, and I'm there. Hmm, according to Google, that is not right. Right? You can't fib anymore or exaggerate anymore because you can find it on Google. It tells you exactly where that phrase came from, how that phrase developed throughout the years, and also and so forth. But in all of that, why do we neglect the greatest source of spirituality? In all of that mindset of our country being proven, everything has to be proven, why cannot we come to the Bible and prove it true? The problem is not the Bible, the Bible is still the same. The problem is not this church, they still preach the word of God. The problem is us. We don't have a relationship with the Word of God. It is neglected, it is put aside, and its opinions are regarded as not. This is an important book. If you want to continue and be a successful Christian, and raise generations of Christians after you, you have to have a relationship with this Bible. You have to, you cannot go by it any other way. Well, my pastor has a relationship with him, but he doesn't live with you Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. He doesn't sit there in the couch with you. He doesn't know what your children needs. You, the father need to know what your children needs. And the way you know that is the word of God. He's not going to be there at work with you. He's not going to go. Here comes pastor Cole today. I'm going to read you this verse. Listen to me. No, that's not going to happen. You have to have your own walk with God and a walk in the relationship with the word of God. This man says, in 2nd Kings 20 to 13 it says go ye inquire that they found the word of God they found the house of God in ruin they found the word of God I don't have time Hilkiah the high priest found the word of God spoke to the scribe and then the one that worked at the palace saw this and brought it to the king And look at what it says. Go ye inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah concerning the words of this book that is found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us because of our fathers have not hearkened unto the word of this book. To do according unto all that is written concerning us. He made it a personal matter. This book was about us and for us. Make that apparent in your life. Be a searcher of the truth. Search it for yourself, not for your neighbor. we like to do that when we've been in the church for long enough we know the preaching and wow that sounds good for so and so I'm going to give that to them let them hear that no search it for yourself search the scripture for yourself wanting to understand it yourself look at verse 18 of the same chapter verse number 18 but to the king of judah which sent you to inquire the lord thus shall he say to him thus say the lord of israel as touching the works as touching the word which thou hast heard he was personal with the word of God inquire of the Lord to understand it find understanding in what you're reading he was so so in his mind it was so important not just to find the word of God not just to hear the word of God read to him but he wanted to understand what it's saying to him personally search the scripture number one Be in searching the scripture. Search, number one. The Bible and you, a good relationship to have with the Bible is that you search it, number one. Number two, is that you have a soft, tender heart towards the Bible. Soft, tender heart towards the Bible. You can find the Bible, and then once you find it, you can have a hard heart towards it. You don't want it to affect your life, you don't want any influence of it, and it's not gonna help you. You need, number two, be soft. So the Bible and you search it. Number two, have a soft heart. Look at verse 11 of 2nd Kings 22 verse number 11. It came to pass when the king had heard the words of the book of the law that he rent his clothes. It was a sign of mourning. It was a sign that he was affected by the word of God. The preaching of the word of God affected him. I don't mind this morning if you go home upset. At least I know the word of God affected you. Not that that's my desire effect of the word of God, but if the word of God affects you that you're upset about somebody or something that was said by preaching on the brother of God, that means the preaching of the word of God is working. Did you know many people in Jeremiah's day didn't want nothing to do with Jeremiah's preaching. He was the whipping prophet, no convert apparently during his ministry. but we know that his words, God's word will not return void, it will accomplish its purpose and so when the word of God is preached, it either will upset you, it will encourage you, it will convict you, it will make you uh uh it will cost you to a point of decision it will make you change it will change you but look at this in second kings again verse number 13 so we see josiah he had that towards the word of god he was soft to the word of god it affected him he responded to it by renting his clothes a sign of mourning he said we have been wicked all this time and we didn't know it the word of god now that we heard has spoken to us and he said he rented his clothes in verse 11 now verse 13 go ye inquire the lord for me and for the people he said now that i heard the word of god i want more of it i want more of the word of god he made it personal applicable to him and his people look at verse number 19 2nd Kings 22 verse number 19 because thine heart was tender the Word of God records that Josiah's heart was tender to the Word of God it was soft because thine heart was tender and thou has humbled thyself before the Lord when thou heardest against the inhabitants when thou when thou heardest what I speak against this place and against the inhabitants thereof that they should become a desolation and a curse and has rent thy clothes and wept before me I also have heard thee sayeth the Lord verse 20 I preached this morning at Hilltop if you are rejecting the word of God God will not hear your prayer and we see we find here an example of a man wanting the word of God so much so that when he prayed God says I'm gonna pay attention you pay attention to me I will pay attention to you If you are finding that your prayer life is dull and your prayer life is stagnant and it seems like you're not getting anywhere It might be the reason one is that you're not in the word of god And you don't have a good relationship with the word of god. It will hinder your prayer life the bible says in hebrews 3 8 and 15 and then hebrews 4 7 warns us that when you hear the word of god harden not your heart there's a lot of hard people in christian churches today because they have developed an attitude of criticism to the preaching of god's word you know how i know that because it shows in their life do not do not ever reject the word of god when you hear it preach when you get convicted when the Holy Spirit speaks to you as the preacher is preaching pay attention and make the necessary changes if you need to and be encouraged. If you're in place of needing encouragement, you need to rise up out of that and say, I'm encouraged. Praise the Lord. I was in church. I heard from God today. That's something to be decided when you go to church to hear from God, not to hear another sermon, not to hear another message preached by another dude, but to hear God speak to me. Have you heard from God lately in your Bible reading? Have you heard from God lately in your devotion? If you are doing devotion, eventually God's going to say something to you. If you're not doing devotion, ain't going to happen son. He's not going to be able to speak if you're not giving them the opportunity. Be influenced by the word of God. Listen to preaching. Listen to the word of God somehow, someway. Internet is prevalent now. There's good preaching. Be careful on the people you listen to, but find good people to listen to and go and listen to them. Some of you drive an hour away from work. Why don't you listen to a preacher on the way to work? Guarantee you'll change your day. If you were not thinking about witnessing, if you listen to a witnessing sermon, it will cause you to at least think about the tollbooth person and say, hey, I got a gospel track for you. Why? I'm listening to preaching about going and being a soul winner. Okay, you just relax. Don't say a word. But you're not gonna stop me from being crazy up here. I'm just excited. Be excited by the word of God. Don't let it dull your life. There's dramatized versions of the Bible. Do you know that? They talk weird different times. I wish they had a version where they all made a mistake that there was a woman character and a man voice came in. I would love a version of that. I would listen to the Bible like that all the time. You can have a good time with the Bible. Don't let the world tell you it's boring. Nobody tells you to read it in a year. Who tells you to read it in a year? Well, we encourage you to read it in a year. Read it as you go. Read with understanding. Know your Bible. Know your Bible. Don't read a bunch of words that doesn't affect you. If you believe something, it will affect you. It will change your life. If you really believe the Bible, it will be seen by the way you live. by the way you give, by the way you sacrifice, it will just be seen. If you love the word of God, you cannot hide it. It will be seen in your life. Be in the word of God and be soft towards it. Time is slipping away. Point number three, if you search the scripture and you're soft to the scripture, it will produce number three, a sure change. Guaranteed change and oftentimes if not all the time for the better Josiah was a better man after they found the scripture and he let it affect him in the right way He became a better person. I don't have time to read you the entire account But let me read you 2nd Kings chapter number 23 verses 1 to 3 you should read 2nd Kings 22 2nd Kings 23 and 2nd Chronicles chapter chapter 34 and you'll find so many things he went berserk he was a Christian he went up to town and took off high places and groves and he just demolished it he took up people that worship at one point a false god and dug up their grave and burned their bones that's how much passion he had man these people were wicked I know they're dead for a long time but guys let's get all their bones up and we'll burn them That's what he did. He went from place to place. He was a participating president at his time or king. He was in their town. The people knew that something happened to Josiah. He came from town to town and cleaned house. He said, this thing's in my kingdom, get rid of it. Huh? You're worshiping who? He went from Baal and then to the next God to the next God. one after another boom he just cleaned house there was a sure change that happened to him look at this and the king sent and they gather unto him all the elders of judah and of jerusalem all the important people came and the king went up into the house of the lord where did they held the service in the house of god look at and all the men of judah and all the inhabitants of jerusalem with him and the priests and the prophets and all the people both small and great everybody was there and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the lord you find somebody that's in love with the word of god will speak about the word of god and you will find them in the church house the ground and pillar of the truth He gathered everybody in His influence and sat them down and said, I'm going to read you something that I read that affected my life greatly. America needs that again. Is the Word of God affecting you? Is the Word of God doing something in your life? Is the Word of God changing you? Then gather everybody you know without being a jerk, without being mean, without being weird, but genuinely concerned for their well-being and soul. Tell them about God. I don't want you to be weird. You don't have to dress funny. You don't have to sound obnoxious. There's enough of those people. Be genuinely wanting to help. And people know the difference. People know when you're soul winning and you're all about the Bible says Romans 3, 1, 2, 3. They know you know, but they want to know you care. And when you do that, the word of God comes alive when you speak it to them. That's what they need, my friends. They need us not to be silent because they're cold to the word. We need to be more excited and passionate about this book because they need it the most. they need it they need God in their life there was a sure change continue here in verse number two and the people he gathered them all and it was found in the house of God look at verse three and the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord he made a covenant a commitment a choice a conscious choice to change he says and to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandment and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book and all the people stood to the covenant he read the Bible to them and then said this what you heard is about us personalized it he searched it he found that he was soft to the gospel and then it made a sure change he made a declaration he made a covenant this is what we're gonna do because of what we heard when's the last time you did that at church When you heard the word of God preached, you said, that affected me. I'm going to make a choice. That's why we have altar calls, by the way, that's what they were about. You come to respond to what you heard. Now, I don't mind if you don't come here, but make a response and make your heart tender and make sure it changes you. Then lastly, we find that he had a strong stand. Josiah, the Bible and you, your relationship with the Bible, you should search it. Then you should be soft to it. It will produce a sure change in your life. And lastly, it will cause you to stand strong. Look at this four to verse number 28. I don't have time. I kind of illiterate earlier. What did he do? It let him change him so much so that he stood for right. And then one after another bail, the next God, the next God, he went and said, destroy that, destroy that, huh? We have high places there. Destroy that. But these whole people worship this, get their bones out and let's burn them for our testimony. what a stand Josiah took. And look what the Bible says in second Kings 22 and verse number two about him at the beginning. And he did that, which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the way of David, his father, and turn not aside to the right hand, nor to the left hand. Why? And how did he do that? He never let the Word of God die in his life. The Word of God became a very, very major part of his life. And as a Christian, God gave him a testimony. He never turned to the right nor to the left. He walked right with God all the days of his life. You want to be a successful Christian today? Don't neglect the Word of God. You want to be a successful Christian? Look for it. Find it. Get understanding. I'm sure pastor is not going to be shocked. If you come to him one day after you preach and said pastor, you said something in your preaching. Could I care? Could you care to explain that a little bit? Maybe a coffee with me someday. If you have time. That would just shock your pastor. He would just be like, huh? What do you want something? What do you need? Because it's not happening in our circle. It's not happening. Here's another question. When's the last time you talked to your pastor about anything? spiritual. You research things in a website about what is the nicest or the appropriate coat you should wear for this time of the season in this place. And you look and look and look and research it and research it. All of these different things. And you go to the right people that sell it. and you inquire of them, you ask them, is this gonna be like that? And you inquire and you buy the right one eventually after you inquire so many people. But you don't do that spiritually speaking. You don't do that at all. When's the last time you inquire about how should I raise my children? spiritually speaking when's the last time you searched it out from the word of God find the truth about it so that you can go about making the right choices in life when's the last time you did that you have never done that if you've never done that it's a good day to start you have a pastor that's willing to help you you have the word of God preaching this church is all over right there the word of God get a hold of one be in the word of God have a relationship with this book it will change your life guarantee it and it will keep you standing It will change your life and it will keep you standing. And if you don't, I might not see you the next time we come. By the way, I appreciate those that are faithful, that are still here, and new faces that I've not seen, but unfortunately there are some that I don't see anymore. That's just a fact of life, when you're not here for a long period of time. But I want to see you again next time. You're not gonna make it if you're not in the word of God. We don't make it in the field if we're not in the word of God. You ask him. If we're not in this book, you will not see us in the field. You know why he wants to go back after all this hardship that's going through their life? Because that man has a relationship with this book. You know why I know? I went there and saw it. Guys, the Bible is vital. You can't live without it. And it can change you, and it keep you strong. Lord, we ask, we've been here a little while this morning, but Lord, we are appreciating you and your word. And as I turn to the pastor. All right, thank you, preacher.