God had done great things for King Asa and Judah, but yet they were a feeble folk. Their feet were very tottering in the ways of the LORD, and their hearts very hesitating, so that they had to be warned that the LORD would be with them while they were with Him, but that if they forsook Him He would leave them. They were also reminded of the sister kingdom, how ill it fared in its rebellion and how the LORD was gracious to it when repentance was shown. The LORD's design was to confirm them in His way and make them strong in righteousness. So ought it to be with us. God deserves to be served with all the energy of which we are capable.

Acts 20:30 "Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."

AH! How many times have we all seen this in the churches over the last thirty-plus years? Mankind in love with themselves, and in love with a preacher that fills their hearts with much earthly joy. They all love to go to church and hear the Pastor tell a good joke, hear a little man-boasting music, hear the Pastor say how much God want’s to bless them with abundance, and have an invitation and go away happy. OH! What a church service! After words they can all go to their favorite eating place and boast on the church services for that morning. Paul said "Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things" I do not know about you but it sounds a lot like what Paul was talking about here.

Oh how sad of time we are in today. I wonder if Spurgeon, Gill, Edwards or any others who taught and warned so much about these times ever thought it would be this horrible before the Lord’s return. Look around and see how much damage Satan has done to the Lords churches simply because Christians refuse to pay attention to the word of the Lord. Warning after warning they refused to hear God’s warning and was caught up in Satan’s web of heresy. All that these people want to hear from the pulpits today is "what is God going to give me today". It sounds like a political campaign instead of a church service. "Hey come on over here and I’ll tickle your feet more than the church over there". It doesn’t matter because Satan has also convinced them that doctrine doesn’t mean anything either. Since there is no doctrine then what is the message about? Uh? Uh? Oh it is about me! Paul said that is "perverse things" Paul also said in Acts 13:10 "And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?" This has always been Satan’s goal. It was before the flood when the Lord only found eight righteous in the earth and today when there are still just a few that still serve the Lord in righteousness. Satan continues to pull folks away from the Lords churches and it is because of one simple reason, they just will not heed the warning of the Lord. This is the question for us all, will we be the next to be pulled from the Lords church, and are we like the virgins that failed to buy oil for their lamps? Folks let’s get our minds off of earthly things and focus on the word of God before we live to regret it.

The "prescriptive will of God" is God’s will expressed as a standard for man’s conduct. It is God’s will set down in the Scriptures as commands, standards, or principles which govern what we do or do not do. It is God’s prescriptive will that we do not steal, lie, or worship idols. It is likewise His (prescriptive) will that we love Him and love our neighbor. God’s "permissive will" includes those events or actions of men which are, in and of themselves, sinful. They are contrary to God’s preference and to His prescriptive will. Nevertheless God uses sin to accomplish His will. God used the sinful actions of Joseph’s brothers to bring the entire family of Jacob (Israel) to Egypt, thus fulfilling His will (see Genesis 15:12-16). He used the opposition of the scribes and Pharisees, the treachery of Judas, and the political cowardice of Herod and Pilate to bring about the sacrificial death of our Lord:

"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-- this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. "And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power" (Acts 2:22-24).