Restoration Revived

And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of Jehovah, 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: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of Jehovah. And the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book: and all the people stood to the covenant.

2 Kings 23:1-3

King Josiah of Judah was an encouragement to all who serve the Lord. His heart and actions are those which push us to love the Lord our God, both in word and deed. 2 Kings 22:8-13 details the circumstances that led to the restoration of Old Testament Judaism in the land of Judah. To understand Josiah, we must understand that he was a restorer, not a reformer.

Restoration Requires Repentance

When Shaphan the scribe brought word to Josiah about the ongoing restoration work on the temple, he also included the fact that they had found the book of the Law of the Lord. Shaphan read the book to Him. Josiah responded. He did not respond with his ideas of how the Jewish religion could be reformed to be better in his own eyes. He did not look for ways for religion to be more appealing to the masses based on consumer reports. He did not incorporate elements from the religions of the world to make the worldly Israelites more interested in Jehovah. No, he tore his clothes. The first act of seeking restoration is to recognize we are guilty and in need of restoration to God's approved way. The problem with reform is that all reforms came out of denominational churches. However, when a reformer looks at problems in Christendom, he seeks to just modify the practices of unapproved churches to meet what the Bible says and also what they perceive to be right. Josiah was different. Josiah recognized the need for restoration and not reform.

Restoration Requires Returning to God’s Word

For Israel to be right in the eyes of God, Josiah knew that he needed to heed the word of God, so he sent Shaphan and others to enquire of the Lord. Josiah, upon hearing the response of the Lord, knew what needed to be done. First, he gathered together the people of Judah, and the Law was read. After the reading of the Law, the king made a covenant with God before the people. His covenant was one of restoration. His commitment was to keep all of God's Word with all his heart and soul and confirm the words of the covenant written in the Book. The people agreed with Josiah.

New churches usually start because someone is unhappy with where they are at or someone believes they know more than God. Restoration to the church of the New Testament requires a recognition that God's truth is only found in the Word of Truth. Faithful preachers have said before, "If it's new, it isn't true, and if it's true, it isn't new." Josiah knew that the only source of being right with God was restoring his heart and the nation to obedience to the law of the Lord. God established a pattern that He intended all men everywhere to follow. We all are judged by the Word of Christ (cf. Jn 12:48).

Restoration Requires Messengers in Every Generation

Josiah did not lack good morals. The book of the Law of the Lord was brought to him by a project on the temple. He was trying to do the best he could. Morality, however, does not equate to faithfulness to God. Many people are disenfranchised by the churches in which they have grown up. They look at the doctrine and practices and cannot find authority for those things. To be right with God, one must look for the New Testament church. The Gospel of Christ is the only source for the restoration of a soul to God the Creator. To be the church of the New Testament, we must seek to restore the things commanded by God. Josiah sought to restore Old Testament Judaism, not reform Judaism. May we be restorers of New Testament Christianity always. For this is the mark of a people who love their Lord with all their hearts and souls (cf. John 14:15).

Grace and Peace,

R.D. Beavers

Can a Christian Celebrate a Secular Christmas?

Can a Christian celebrate a secular Christmas? This is a good question and one that deserves an honest answer. This week I read the following, “If you don’t talk about Jesus at Christmas time, you miss Jesus. If you do not sing those scriptural songs focusing on Jesus, you miss Jesus. You might have grown up in a church where “Christmas” was a “Jesus-free” day.” These were some accusations leveled against some brethren by a well-known preacher in our brotherhood. In this article, I wish to set the record straight on how it is rather simple to celebrate a secular Christmas and it not be a “Jesus-free” day. I contend that no day is “Jesus free” for a New Testament Christian. First, this brother accuses the church “of not knowing what to do with Christmas. They celebrate it in their homes, but avoid it at all costs in church.” I contend that the preachers who preach the whole counsel of God know what to do with Christmas. Preachers must correct false notions, including

A Year Ago Today

We left Ceredo, WV (where I was preaching at the time) after services Wednesday night, July 27, 2022, on our way to Hot Springs, AR where we intended to spend our 15th year wedding anniversary. My wife is so special to me and she has blessed me with 5 beautiful children. This was going to be a special time for us. We have never really celebrated like this before, nor had we ever gone anywhere for an extended period of time without our children. I was driving through the night that we could drop the kids off with my in-laws (Tim and Robin Kidwell), and then on to enjoy some time with just my wife. I was so excited as I was driving. Originally I had planned to leave that Thursday and drive us there, but I was too excited to wait. A few days before we decided that I would drive through the night. This was always nice as children slept I could catch up on listening to podcasts and books that I have great interest in. Everyone was sleeping except for me. I had

Are You Uncomfortable With Sin?

Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying, I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. — I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer. To sum up this thought, if we want to get someone out of poverty, we need to make them uncomfortable with it. Think about it. If someone is in relative comfort, being taken care of by everyone else and not doing for themselves, then they will remain in poverty. If on the other hand, they have to rely more on themselves to get out of their situation, they may get the proper motivation to get out of their poverty. People are Comfortabl

Ironworks

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