“But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the LORD’s temple.”
– 2 Chronicles 24:21
Hi James and Ellen,
What do you think that your lives would be like if you never join a fellowship of Christ-follower guys and gals to hear interpretations of Biblical truths by a Bible school educated guy or gal? What do you think that your lives would be like if you never study in classrooms where the teachers are committed Christ-follower guys and gals and where the Bible is central to everything that is taught? What do you think that your lives would be like if you do not have a dad and ma who are Christ-followers and who proactively find ways to ensure that you have the living words in the Bible infused into your lives? What do you think that a life of a guy, gal or kid is like who has yet to formally bask in God’s presence? What do you think that a life of a guy, gal or kid is like who knowingly surrounds himself or herself with guys, gals and kids who positively do not want to have anything to do with God? What do you think that a life of a guy, gal or kid is like who purposively refuses to accept counsel from a Christ-follower guy, gal or kid to have God central in everything that he or she does? Do you think that is good for kids – when they are still young, to have Biblical truths explained to them? Your grandpaa is scheduled to fly next month to Guatemala with nine high school age guys and gals. This group of young guys and gals is an Adventures in Missions Ambassador short term ministry team. Your grandmaa and grandpaa have been missionaries with Adventures in Missions for the past couple of years. The kids who have decided to go on an Adventures in Missions Ambassador ministry team trip to one of the different countries where Adventures in Missions are having Adventures in Missions Ambassador ministry team trips go will first meet each other in Gainesville, Georgia – which is where Adventures in Missions headquarters is located. Before heading out for his or her desired country, each young guy and gal – who has been accepted by Adventures in Missions to go on an Ambassador short term ministry team trip, will be for four days exposed to some rather intensive teaching and training which is overtly geared to help each young guy and gal to better understand himself or herself, to better communicate his or her faith to others and to better serve in a team context. Your Uncle Chris has his fingerprints all over the teaching and training schedule. Your Uncle Chris teaches and leads many of the teaching and training modules. Your grandmaa is at times asked to teach on something specific during a teaching module. While your grandpaa is in Guatemala with his Ambassador short term ministry team, he will implement a nonnegotiable discipline – which will happen either in the morning, afternoon or evening, which has the young guys and gals on your grandpaa’s team getting together to be debriefed about what the day or the next day looks like, to celebrate what took place that day or the day before and to reflect on a Bible passage. Because there will be kids on your grandpaa’s Adventures in Missions Ambassador short term ministry team who enjoy singing, there probably will be times when the young guys and gals will do some singing songs to God. Your grandpaa’s Adventures in Missions Ambassador team’s primary ministry focus while it is in Guatemala will be to get young Guatemalan kids together at local churches where the young guys and gals who on your grandpaa’s Ambassador ministry team will put on a happening including playing games with the kids, singing songs to the kids, presenting skits or dramas in front of the kids, doing handwork with the kids, telling the kids a Bible story, having the kids memorize a Bible verse and talking to kids about having a born again relationship with Jesus Christ.
Do you think that it is good for high school age guys and gals who have decided that they want to go on an Adventures in Missions Ambassador short team ministry team trip to have an old geezer like your grandpaa be their team leader? Do you think that it was good that a seven year kid had a one hundred plus year old guy be his spiritual mentor? The kid’s name was Joash. Jehoiada was Joash’s spiritual mentor. Joash – 2843 years ago, became the ruler as king over the guys and gals who lived in Judah’s land area. Jehoiada was a priest in the temple of God that was in the city of Jerusalem. Joash was king for about 40 years. Jehoiada lived to be 130 years old. The guy who authored the Chronicles Books reports this information in 2 Chronicles 24. While Jehoiada was alive, Joash put God first in whatever he did. After Jehoiada died, Joash’s officials encouraged Joash to stop going to the temple of God that was in the city of Jerusalem. Joash’s officials pushed Joash to worship idols and Asherah poles. When Joash complied with the wishes of his country’s officials, God got really upset with Joash. God sent Zechariah – who was Jehoiada’s son, to tell Joash and His specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah that they were not going to prosper because they had turned their backs on Him. Verse 21 reports what happened next to Zechariah, “But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the LORD’s temple.” A small Aramean army within a year invaded the land area of Judah – killing the country’s leaders and wounding Joash. Zabad and Shimrith finished off killing Joash because Joash and his officials killed Jehoiada’s kid.
Your grandpaa believes that a kid who asks old guys and/or gals to teach him or her about God that he or she is pulling a Josiah while a kid who does not ask old guys and/or gals to teach him or her about God is pulling a Joash?
2 Chronicles 24 (995)