Recover All

1 Samuel 30:8 “So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

Have you ever wondered why the church has not recovered all that the devil has stripped away from it over the years? I believe the answer lies in three areas.  

-Churches are constantly complaining about and fighting against one another instead of seeking unity against our common enemy. 

We all want our individual church to grow in attendance and finance, but we all fight the same devil. He doesn’t care what it says on your church sign.

-The church has forgotten the identity of its source of power. 

The true death of the church is a lack of prayer and dedication.  As a result we have failed to develop the character and the discipline required to carry out the calling of God that was placed upon the church.

-The church has followed too many agendas in going out to battle the devil that simply do not render results. Complacency and making excuses has caused many churches to miss their calling or commissioning to do something great for God.

God requires a sold out individual through which to channel His glory and His power.  This person does not have to be perfect, just sold out and fully committed to live like Christ in every way with no excuses  I believe that it’s time to get the Lord’s battle plan for the church so that we can operate in full kingdom authority. In other words, I believe it’s time to go recover all the devil has taken from us.

-God was preparing David for the victories to come.

Habakkuk 2:3 “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

David was anointed to be King at the age of thirteen and did not become king until he was 30 years old.  During this 17 year process God was shaping David to be the King.  Even then he only got a portion of the promise when he was anointed king over Judah only at age 30.  It was 7 years later that he was anointed King over all Israel.  Therefore, the promise took 24 years of preparation before he could carry out his calling and fulfilling his commission.  

a. God sets the time limits on preparation.

b. God implants the boundaries and the goals.

c. God fulfills His calling in His timing and His timing only.

-When God is ready for us to act then we must act.

Romans 11:29 “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” 

Once the battle plan was in hand David acted without hesitation.  David did not wait a week or a month to act.  He acted immediately.  The very next verse starts off with, “So David went, he and six hundred men that were with him.”  David got up and went off to execute the battle plan.  God gives out battle plans that may cause you to suffer or endure hardship, but he offers a full guarantee in that you will not fail if you be obedient to it.

Failure is not an option with God’s battle plan for your life.  I Samuel 30:8 declared that you will not fail if it is the battle plan of the Lord.  God waits until the appropriate time before He builds. Being the master builder and the potter He does not go to work until we are ready.  David was ready to see the victory of the Lord.

-Go and recover all.

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

It is time for the church to rise up and put the plan in place that God has given us to work.  Our church is impotent when compared to the first century church.  

-God is seeking to restore the church back to its position of power and preeminence.  

a. This restoration move of God will bring back the Apostle and Prophet Ministries of old.

b. There will be a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church.

c. A hunger for revival will begin to build up within the congregation’s hearts and minds.

d. Healings and miracles will become common place again in the church.

e. The ministry of witnessing and sharing Jesus will find preeminence within our hearts again.

-Ziklag was David’s place of final preparation and His launching pad for the calling and anointing on his life.  God’s decree of, “Go and recover all” is our battle cry today. 

a. God wants His ministry to be full, complete, and have solid foundational preparation.  

b. The body of Christ as a whole is converging upon Ziklag and the call to order is being made.  

c. The church of America has been burglarized of her supernatural power and we must inquire of God as to how to recover it from the enemy.  

-How will we achieve God’s standard once again within the church?

a. We must call the church to arms against a lack of prayer and dedication and challenge her to go and recover the pure truths of God’s Word.  

b. We must set up a new standard against spiritual compromise. 

c. We must be sure the stuff being recovered is the supernatural power of the Spirit of God in operation where signs, wonders, and miracles are manifested and not the gossip, backbiting, and slander that stole it in the first place.

What Would You Do On Your Worst Day Ever?

1 Samuel 30:6b-8 “But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

Life is full of setbacks and heartache. The difference between unsuccessful people and successful people often comes down having mental toughness, intestinal fortitude, and simple faith. You can be someone just like David who lets failure derail you, feel like a victim, and tell “your story” of defeat to everyone you know.  Or you can do the most difficult and healthy thing of all: move on and try a different approach to accomplish your goals.

The psychologists of our day say there are three mental tricks you can use to feel better when you want to give up.

-Give someone a genuine, massive compliment.                                  

The reason this technique works is that it takes the focus off of your self.  It’s easy to become self-centered and overly focused on your own problems until you realize that everyone is insecure about something. Doctors say that one of the most therapeutic things you can do is make someone’s day and to tally out of the blue, give them a massive, genuine compliment.

-Be thankful for what you’ve learned. No matter how bad it is, no matter how much it hurts, no matter how much money you lost the lesson you learned from it is far more valuable, even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time. Even if someone totally took advantage of you or did you wrong, take a minute to actually thank them in your own mind or out loud.  You can bet it will feel strange and it will go against every instinct in your body, but thank them for teaching you such a valuable lesson.  It will make you that much stronger next time.

-Read some quotes from the greats. When you’re feeling down read some quotes from some of the most successful people of all time.  This is a great reminder that everyone must face setbacks.  In fact, it is a pre-requisite for success.  There is no record of anybody accomplishing anything (even in the Bible) without many setbacks and failures along the way. Remember always that setbacks let you know that you’re making progress.

This was David’s worst day ever. His family was in captivity or dead, his possessions stolen, and his men who had sweated blood for him now stood in opposition and wanted to take his life. 

(1) David returned to what he knew was right!                                                   

Verse 6b-8 “But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?”

When David heard the news he told the resident priest to go get him his prayer cloth and the Bible says that he strengthened himself in the Lord his God. The difference between what he was doing and what his 600 mighty men were doing is the determining factor that brought David face to face with his destiny. David praised and sought God for a plan of action that would bring restoration to himself and to those left in his charge.  

(2) David discovered that he could not stay in Ziklag any longer.            

There are two things you need to realize just as David did:

-Every single high achieving man or woman has been a person who has thrown off the natural tendency to play it safe and stay within their comfort zone. They continually try to exceed their previous levels of accomplishment and realize that only by moving forward can those goals be achieved. You cannot hide from your destiny. It will find you and what you do with depends on your faith in the Lord.

-Every single important accomplishment in the history of man has come from men and women who have had the courage to take the risks. These are the one that step out on faith even though they have no guarantee or assurance of success.

Psalm 91:1-3 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.” 

(3) David discovered on his worst day ever the true power of fulfilling his destiny.

Verse 8b “And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

In studying the lives and stories of the most outstanding men and women of all of history, we find that every single one of them has been a great failure. David learned four important lessons in his Ziklag experience.

-He learned that people do not always understand the importance of failure in achievement. In his worst moment on his worst day ever, he remembered the Lord.

-He also learned that it is impossible to succeed without God help. Great success is often preceded by great failure because we try to do things our way rather than listen to the Lord. 

-He realized in that moment that every single person who has tried to accomplish something outside the ordinary has suffered setback, obstacles, defeat, adversity, disappointment, and heartache over and over again as they have moved toward their goal unless God is on their side. 

-David understood at this crucial moment that the main difference in achieving ultimate success in battle was inevitable as long as he kept on pressing toward his destiny.

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Satan’s Plan To Steal Your Destiny

1 Samuel 30:1-6a

Many bible scholars overlook Ziklag and it is seldom preached, yet this obscure passage of scripture marks the end of David’s state as a fugitive and the beginning of his reign as King. These few verses of scripture contain a simple, yet remarkable revelation of the personal and spiritual triumph that liberates David from his fears, frustrations, and insecurities and places him just where God wants him to be. It was the beginning of the end for David in Ziklag. A new man was about to rise out of the ashes of defeat-a man who remembered God and was his destiny was to be!

 

Verse 1, 2 "And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way."

Satan’s purpose was to prevent David from entering into the place God had ordained for him.  This final destination or personal destiny of David was the office of the King of Israel.  David’s battle began at the tender age of young boy when the Prophet Samuel anointed him.  It was from this day forward that the battle for his destiny began. So often in our lives we are beset by the devices of the enemy that try to wipe us out before we come into our purpose, calling, and destiny.  The adversary is always at work to this end and has many tricks and traps and may even work through and operate in people around us to throw us off course. In David’s case it was listening to what he thought was best for himself and deceiving himself into believing he could live a lie in the enemy’s camp and get by with it.

In the book of I Samuel 16:23 we discover that Saul was driven by an evil spirit that entered into him as a result of his own rebellion and this spirit sought to kill David.  It is important for us not to mistake flesh and blood as our true enemy when we encounter the opposition that stands between us and our destiny.  Saul was operating under demonic influences from the moment David was anointed as a young man.  While God puts one in position and gives him the anointing to do a thing at the same time God removes it from another who had failed at the task. I am sure many would agree that they have experienced attacks similar to this when true destiny is near.  The enemy increases the fight when he recognizes the destiny of the called believers.  Therefore, if you are a man or woman of God with problems and adversities in your life, rest assured that it is because of your awesome destiny in God.  The enemy wants to keep you from your appointment with destiny and it could be through a Ziklag experience.

 

Verse 3 "So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives."

Ziklag was given to David as a place of refuge from Saul and separation from the Philistines that still considered him the enemy. Ziklag was originally given to the tribe of Judah according to Joshua 15.  The name Ziklag means “winding as in springing from a fountain”. Satan can use a place like Ziklag to attack you before your destiny can unfold. While David was dealing with King Achish and the ruling of the princes of the Philistines the Amelekites invaded Ziklag.  The Amalekites ransacked his home base and took off with all his stuff, including his family.  Can’t you imagine the sense of loss that David and his 600 men of war felt when they saw the smoke rising above the walls of the city? All had been lost, including his family and the wives of his 600 men or war.  Smashed by the devastation, David and his men cried until they had no more power to cry.  David was looking at his entire life’s worth in ashes. This kind of devastation will bring you to your knees and cause you to wonder if God is alive.

 

This situation is very much like what has happened to our nation.  We have gone about with the mind set of “business as usual” and have not realized that the enemy has made off with our stuff and has left this nation in ashes.  The power and the wonder of our land have been ransacked by the enemy. Things we thought would never fail us have left us empty and broken. There is no place of safety outside of God’s grace and mercy. God used this Ziklag experience as a means to get David’s attention. To David, Ziklag was a hiding place from Saul and a refuge from the truth.  However, to God it was a place of transition, a place of regeneration, and a place of preparation. It was a place of transitioning David from a zero to a hero, of regenerating the right spirit within his heart and a place preparing him for his destiny to be claimed and fulfilled.

Verse 4 "Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep."

David and his men cried until they had no more tears to cry. Have you ever wept at what the enemy has taken from you and accepted the lie of the enemy that you will never get your breakthrough?  Have you ever just felt that all was lost and your stuff was gone and that it will never be recovered?  Isn’t that just like an enemy; what could not be carried off is burnt up to add insult to your injury. 

Verse 6a "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters:"

The 600 men that followed David during his time on the run wept until there were no more tears to cry. However, once they stopped weeping they were ready to fight.  They just didn’t know who to fight so they turned their anger on the one they loved.  The Bible says they spoke of stoning David.  These were men who trusted David and honored him as their leader and followed him even into the camp of the Philistines who were the enemies of Israel for hundreds of years.  These were men that had trusted their lives unto David and they now wanted to kill him.  Have you ever had someone you loved and trusted turn on you in the heat of struggle?  It seems like when things can get no worse our loved ones and trusted friends often turn on us and want to walk away; or worse yet stone us for their misery. Doesn’t that sound just like people you deal with today?

 

What Are You Doing Here

1 Samuel 29: 1-4 “Then the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel. And the lords of the Philistines passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish. Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years? And to this day I have found no fault in him since he defected to me.” But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; so the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he reconcile himself to his master, if not with the heads of these men?”

David, like so many of us, finds himself in a place he thought he should be, but not the place God wanted him to be. It is at this juncture in David’s early life that God intervenes in a way that only God can do. There are some things that happen in this simple chapter that reveal a major turning point in what God has in store for David. How many of us have found ourselves in a place we shouldn’t be only to have God through divine revelation or conviction bring us into the place He wants us to be?

David found that although you may camp with the enemy, you will not always be accepted by the enemy.

The princes of the Philistines watched hundreds, even thousands of troops march by, but they immediately recognized David and his men as the enemy. David was still the giant-killer to them and still the champion of Israel even though he was in their midst. David may have convinced himself he was in the right place, but he couldn’t hide who he really was from those that knew him. David’s reputation had preceded him and it was more than his enemies were able to accept.

David found that his so-called defection had convinced Achish of his loyalty. To defect means to “go to the opposite side”. David not only was a talented musician under God’s anointing, but he was also a good actor in his own right. He had completely convinced Achish that he was on his side even though he had been playing him from the beginning. God has a way of dealing with those who defect from the faith. He does not force them back home or to return to Him, but He does place situations in their path to get their attention and make them remember who they are and where they should be.

David was forced to go back to his appointed place. Ziklag was the place that Achish had appointed for David and his men to dwell in. This was many miles away from where the Philistines destination was to be and the angry princes wanted as much distance between themselves and the warriors with David. They were afraid that in the heat of the battle against his own kinsmen that he and his men would turn on them, execute them, and remove their heads. They thought in their minds that this was a perfect scenario to get back on the good side of Saul.

David lost the favor of the enemy. Achish is convinced of the sincerity of David, but the other rulers are not. Somehow or another, they sensed that David was not all that he appeared to be. David, continuing the charade he has for many months, appears to be upset they would not trust him in battle. He questions why, but God had other plans to get David’s attention on the horizon that he was not aware of.

When the light comes on, you will have to move.

Verses 9-11 “Then Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are as good in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ Now therefore, rise early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.” So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines.”

Three things are significant in this passage:

-First, God would not allow David to go to combat against his own kinsman. He had faked it before, but God would not permit him to do so because he had bigger plans for David when he finally came to himself.

-Secondly, when the light came on David had to leave the camp of his enemy. He did not leave in darkness, but he left early in the morning when the sun arose or when the light came on. When God turns on the light you cannot stand the darkness. You will have to move from the darkness because darkness cannot tolerate the light. 

-Thirdly, he had to depart from the presence of his enemies, yet he still returned to a land that he did not belong in. You will continue to go to the wrong places if you do not give everything to the Lord that He asks you to give.

Living A Lie

1 Samuel 27:10-12 “Then Achish would say, “Where have you made a raid today?” And David would say, “Against the southern area of Judah, or against the southern area of the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of the Kenites.” David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they should inform on us, saying, ‘Thus David did.’” And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines. So Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever.”

A motto to live by: "You don't have to remember what you've said if you've told the truth."

Everybody has told a lie at one time or another in their lifetime. Lying starts at around age 4 to 5 when children gain an awareness of the use and power of language.  This first lying is not malicious, but rather to find out, or test, what can manipulated in a child’s environment. Eventually children begin to use lying to get out of trouble or get something they want. White lies, those concocted to protect someone’s feelings, are not a big deal at all to them or to many adults for that matter. 

Liars usually are lumped into two categories. A pathological liar is a person who seems to feel compelled to lie about both the small and large stuff. They lie to protect themselves, look good, gain financially or socially and to avoid punishment.  Quite often the person who has been deceived knows that this type of liar has to a certain extent deluded him or herself and is therefore to be somewhat pitied. A sociopath is a part of a much more troubling group who knowingly lie a lot for personal gain. These people may have a diagnosis called antisocial personality disorder and often get into scrapes with the law. Lying often gets worse with the passage of time. When you get away with a lie it often impels you to continue your deceptions. Also, liars often find themselves perpetrating more untruths to cover themselves. 

Why do we dislike liars, especially sociopaths, so much? It’s a matter of trust.  When a person lies, they have broken a bond, an unspoken agreement to treat others as we would like to be treated.  Serious deception often makes it impossible for us to trust another person again. Because the issue of trust is on the line, coming clean about the lie as soon as possible is the best way to mend fences.  If the truth only comes out once it is forced, repair of trust is far less likely.

You wouldn’t think that David could go any lower or get any farther from God, but he does. He begins to use lying as the means to cover his tracks and justify his behavior.

(1) He lied to gain the enemy’s favor.

When Achish would ask of David the territory he had raided on that particular day David would answer, “Against the southern area of Judah.” David didn’t lie to Achish because he was ashamed of what he did. He lied to gain favor with Achish. He knew that this Philistine leader would be pleased to hear that David raided his own people of Israel.

 

(2) He covered his lie by taking no prisoners.

David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath and tell the truth to Achish about his raids. In his raids, David killed all the men and the women, so his lie to Achish would not be exposed.

 

Much later in his life, David has a far more notorious season of sin with Bathsheba, and ends up killing Bathsheba’s husband Uriah to cover his sin. Though that later event is far more famous, the root of sin that nourished it began way back in 1 Samuel 27. Here, many years before David killed Uriah to cover his sin, he kills these men and women in his raids to cover his sin. The roots of sin must be dealt with or they come back with greater strength.

 

(3) His lies accomplished what he desired at the time-a place of escape.

The Bible says, “So Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever.” Achish felt he was in a good place. David was trapped in a web, and Achish was the spider. Achish believed that David had burned all his bridges with the people of God. On the other hand, David felt that he had found a place of escape from reality by living in this fantasy world that he had created. As long as Achish felt David was no threat to him, David could hide away from the reality that was life. However, no matter how fall he had fallen David had not - and could not - burn his bridge with God.

 

(4) However, a lie will come home to roost.

1 Samuel 28:1, 2 “Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.” And David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.”

 

Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.” David had lied to Achish, telling him that he raided the people of Israel. But now, David is forced to live the lie he gave to Achish. David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.” Here, David seems completely surrendered to the ungodly Achish. He will fight for the Philistines, against Israel! We might wish that David was really operating as a “double agent,” and he planned to turn on the Philistines in the midst of battle. But the text gives us no reason for such an optimistic perspective. David has come to a very low place.

 

(5) We all have to face the truth about our spiritual condition.

I want to remind you again to remember the roots of David’s condition. It was when he experienced a genuine crisis of faith that he turned away from God and back to himself. When David started trusting more in what he said in his heart than in what God said to him is when he turned to the dark side. David really believed that living a lie made him safer with the world than he was with God.

 

To some degree, most every Christian at some point has almost been where David is at in this back sliding state. We can understand what David is doing and even attempt to justify it; but it is still wrong and very dangerous.

 

Could this really be the man after God’s own heart? 

Being a man or a woman after God’s own heart doesn’t mean that you will never sin, do wrong, or make a mistake. It does mean that when you do sin, you come to see it, deal with it and then move on. The Bible is honest enough to show is that even its heroes did not go just from one level of glory to the next. But this account of David was given for our instruction, so that we might avoid some of the traps he fell into.

 

God did not bless David where he was at this time in his life. However, because of His mercy, God didn’t take away David’s calling or destiny to be the next king of Israel. God gave to David some of the same mercy that David showed to Saul.

 

If you lie all the time, even about unimportant things, you are likely to have a problem that will eventually, if it hasn’t already, cause you real relationship, financial or legal troubles. Figuring out what is driving you to lie in the first place will help heal this self-destructive behavior. You can’t live a lie and be happy, but the Truth (Jesus) can and will set you free.

Becoming Your Own Worst Enemy

1 Samuel 27:5-7 “Then David said to Achish, “If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. Now the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was one full year and four months.”

You are your own worst enemy. Not the devil, not your mother in law or your neighbor down the street. The only individual who can control things like anger, lust, hatred, greed, sloth, envy, gluttony and pride is you. Only you can make decisions that either benefit you spiritually or lead to your downfall. The devil can try and try all he wants, temptation after temptation, but you can deny it all. 

You can blame people and circumstances for influencing your decisions, but you have the power to say yes and no to anything that can compromise you spiritually. It is the lack of exercising that power that causes your own spiritual demise. It is when you give in to these and other pitfalls, that you become your own worst enemy. 

James 4:7 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

1 Peter 5:9, 10 “Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

David became his own worst enemy because of three factors in his life. These experiences caused things to unravel all around him.

David said to Achish, “If I have now found favor in your eyes.” When did David care about finding favor in the eyes of a Philistine ruler? What a change in David! David then said, “Let them give me a place that I may dwell there”.  In David’s mind, this isn’t just a visit to the Philistines. He may say to himself that he will someday return to Israel, but he isn’t planning on a short stay among the ungodly. He wants to dwell there, and he did for one full year and four months. David also said, “Why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” Why did David want his own city? Because he needed freedom to operate his own independent policy without being observed too closely. The Bible says, “So Achish gave him Ziklag that day.” Now David, his 600 men and their families lived in a completely new situation. They lived in a fortified city, a formal place of defense. No more finding refuge in the wilderness, but apart from God, they aren’t safer in the city.

 

Verses 8, 9 tell us “And David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt. Whenever David attacked the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish.”

 

David and his men went up and raided: The Hebrew word raided comes from the verb to strip, with especially the idea of stripping the dead for loot. David would attack these villages or encampments, kill some of the men, strip their bodies for treasure or armor, and rob the people of the village or encampment. Is this a way of life for a man after God’s own heart? David hasn’t totally turned against God and His people. For now, he only attacks the enemies of Israel. This probably gave David some comfort, but it is a small consolation to know that you aren’t as bad as you possibly could be. Even though he is attacking the enemies of Israel, David is nothing more than an armed robber and a murderer. He kills all the people of the village or encampment he attacks, takes all the spoil, and does all of this without the approval or guidance of God. He now fights wars for profit instead of God’s honor.

 

How do you stop yourself before you become your own worst enemy? 

Make sure somebody’s at home!

Matthew 12:43-45 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Don’t listen to what everybody says is right-know what is right!

Ephesians 5:6 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”

-Let what would Jesus do be your life’s philosophy!

Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

A False Sense of Hope

1 Samuel 27:2-4 “Then David arose and went over with the six hundred men who were with him to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow. And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.”

Loneliness is not the same thing as being alone. Many people have times when they are alone through circumstances or choice. Being alone can be experienced as positive, pleasurable, and emotionally refreshing if it is under the individual's control. Solitude is the state of being alone and secluded from other people, and often implies the individual having made a conscious choice to be alone. 

However, loneliness does not require aloneness and is often experienced even in crowded places. It can be described as the absence of identification, understanding or compassion. To experience loneliness is to feel overwhelmed by an unbearable feeling of separateness at a profound level. This can manifest in feelings of abandonment, rejection, depression, insecurity, anxiety, hopelessness, unworthiness, meaninglessness, and resentment. 

If these feelings are prolonged they may become debilitating and prevent the affected individual from developing healthy relationships and lifestyles. If the individual is convinced he or she is unlovable, this will increase the experience of suffering and the likelihood of avoiding social contact. Many are victims to low self-esteem, which will often trigger the social disconnection which can lead to loneliness.

Loneliness can be summarized as falling into these categories:

-Situational or circumstantial loneliness is created by the loss of a relationship, a move to a new city, or an abrupt change in life.

-Developmental loneliness is the need for intimacy balanced by the need for individualism.

-Internal loneliness, which David himself felt, often includes feelings of low self-esteem and vulnerability.

Loneliness can evoke feelings that 'everyone else' has friends, and that one is socially inadequate or socially unskilled. A lonely person may become convinced there is something wrong with him or her, and that no one understands his or her situation. Such a person will lose confidence and will become reluctant to attempt to change or become too scared to try new things for fear of further social rejection. In extreme cases, a person may feel a sense of emptiness, which may become a state of clinical depression. Loneliness can also cause people to create a false sense of hope.

We see through the heart of David what loneliness and fear can do to good people who find themselves in a serious situation. David allowed fear to blind his vision of God and block God’s blessing on his life. It was that fear and loneliness that led him into the enemies’ territory and caused him to develop a false sense of hope concerning himself and those he had influence over. 

When we develop a false sense of hope we often put our own lives at risk because a state of loneliness becomes our companion. Loneliness places confusion at the forefront of our minds. It causes us to make decisions that we would never make if we felt contentment in our lives, but it can also create the illusion that we are better off if we don’t let anyone into our personal space. Loneliness creates the atmosphere that my decisions only affect my life and no one else will be affected by what I do.  Loneliness manifests a void that causes irrational decisions based on the belief I’m okay even though there is emptiness inside.

David would have never dreamed of living in the enemy’s territory before. It was only after he had sunk into his pit of discouragement and despair that he made such a drastic move that almost cost him everything.

 

A false sense of hope begins just as it did with David when we began to reason our destiny rather than trust in the Lord.

Psalm 38:19 “Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous.”

You can develop a victim’s mentality. David did by thinking he could never escape the pursuit of Saul within his heart. You can allow your imagination to run rampart. Again, David did by allowing his fears and frustration separate him from the bigger picture of what God had in store for his life. You can permit little things to become large things. What was destiny in the hands of God for David became an insurmountable mountain for David. Only by going to the side of the enemy did David think he would find relief.

 

A false sense of hope can put many lives in jeopardy.

David arose and went over with the six hundred men that served him. David’s discouraged and despairing heart didn’t just affect his life but also these six hundred men. They were lead out of the land of promise and over to live with the ungodly. David’s defection to the Philistines touched even more than the six hundred men. It also touched all of their families because they went with them. It directly touched David’s household also, because Ahinoam and Abigail were with him. Many times we get out of God’s will and miss his direction because we think we know better. The next time you are tempted to listen to your own voice rather than the voice of God remember how many others could be affected by your decision. 

 

A false sense of security causes you to forget your first encounter with the enemy.

1 Samuel 21:10-15 tells us that David had briefly gone over to Achish of the Philistines, believing there might be a place of refuge for him there. God allowed that experience to quickly turn sour and David pretended to be a madman so he could escape. In his discouragement and despair, built upon what David said in his heart, David will go down a road of sin he has been down before. This time though his false sense of security has convinced him it’s alright to do what you have to do to survive.

 

Why does Achish receive him this time, when he would not in 1 Samuel 21:10-15?  First, it is clear now when it wasn’t clear before that David and Achish both share the same enemy, Saul. Secondly, now David brings with him 600 fighting men, whom Achish can use as mercenaries.

 

A false sense of hope causes you to flee from one enemy into the camp of another with both results being disastrous!

The Bible said that “it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.” 

David accomplished his immediate goal, because now Saul has stopped pursuing him. But now David is in a place of compromise that will leave him worse off than before. He is actually submitting to a Philistine master. When did selling out to one enemy become the easy way to get out of danger from another? One enemy is just as bad as the other. However, when you are convinced in your mind what you are doing is right, personal reasoning often overpowers the plan of God for your life.

 

(6) What happened when David’s experience brought him this false sense of hope?

He lost the anointing of God. We have no record of any Psalms that David wrote during this time. There is very little mention over this time period of David’s life that indicates he communicated with God or heard his voice speak to him. His safety became more important than God’s Will. David left Israel and went among the ungodly because he badly needed a sense of security from Saul’s unrelenting attacks. But where was David more secure-in Israel and in God’s will, or among the Philistines and out of God’s will?  David lost for the time being the clear vision of God which had made him strong against Goliath and the Philistines in the past. It was that vision that enabled him to take out the lion and the bear while shepherding his sheep. Without it, he developed a false sense of security by justifying what was wrong as right for his own sake.

What do we learn from this? It’s pretty simple. It’s easy to be lulled to sleep by the enemy and become convinced that your own judgment is greater than the Lord’s in many areas of your life. 

 

Heart Trouble

1 Samuel 27:1 “And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.” 

When it became all too apparent that Saul was sooner or later going to kill him if he remained within reach, David chose to flee into the land of the Philistines and joined with the Philistine leader Achish. David’s decision was based on what he said in his heart.

“And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.”

 

The sad story of 1 Samuel 27 begins with something David said in his heart. He may have never said it out loud or to anyone else. In fact he may have never said it to God, but David said it to himself in his heart. What we say in our heart has a tremendous power to shape our thinking, our actions, even our whole destiny.

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

 

If someone says in their heart, “God doesn’t care about me,” it will make a difference in their life. If someone says in their heart, “I deserve better than this,” it will make a difference in their life. If someone says in their heart, “I come before others,” it will make a difference in their life. By the same principle, if someone says in their heart, “God loves me and I don’t have to earn His love,” it will make a difference. If they say in their heart, “I am grateful for every blessing I have,” it will make a difference. If someone says, “Others come first,” it will make difference in their life. What we say in our heart has great power for good or evil, for blessing or cursing.

David suffered a spiritual heart attack. He allowed discouragement and despair to enter his heart and completely block out the spirit and power of God. Those two emotions turned his faith from God to himself and the beginning of a very critical time in David’s life.

 

What did David say in his heart that caused him to suffer this heart attack? 

(1) “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul.” 

That was a word of discouragement, coming from a heart that was tired of trusting God for His continued deliverance. God had protected David so many times before, so why wouldn’t He continue to protect him from the hand of Saul? However, in his discouragement, David forgets God’s past deliverance and begins to plot his own course.

 

(2) “There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines.”

David is actually telling himself to leave the land of Israel and go live among the idol worshipping Philistines. In this, David tells himself to do what he feared in 1 Samuel 26:19: “For they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.” 

This temptation, these words in David’s heart, had been working their way in for quite a while. Now, David considers something he would have never considered before which was leaving the land of God’s people, the land of promise, and to go and live among the Philistines.

 

(3) “Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.”

Beforehand David trusted in the Lord to protect him from the hand of Saul. Now, David gives up trusting in the Lord, listens to his heart, and decides to leave the land of promise, the people of God, and find “protection” among the Philistines, who were his enemies.

 

David’s decision did not affect Saul. Is Saul going to despair because David leaves the land of promise? Will Saul despair if David forsakes the people of God and joins the ungodly? No, Saul will rejoice because he has forced him out of the country! It is David who is in despair and that despair will lead him down a path only desperate people take.

 

David is at a place that many find themselves at some point in their lives. He says, “I give up. I can’t take this anymore. I am tired of fighting this battle over and over. The stress of trusting God is too much, and I have to find protection somewhere else.” 

 

Saul could never drive David to the Philistines. In fact, if Saul were to tell David, “You must leave the people of God and go live among the Philistines,” David would never ever bow to it. But discouragement and despair are more powerful enemies than even Saul was. Discouragement and despair will drive David to do something that Saul could never make him do.

 

All of these are reasons to deal with what we say in our hearts, to deal with discouragement and despair instead of simply ignoring them. When we don’t try to deal with them, they can build up a wedge between us and God and drive us to far worse places than we ever thought possible.

 

It was at this point, that David looked only at Saul as an obstacle and not at God as a solution. David listened to himself, to what he was saying in his heart, and not to God. Remember, this will always end in trouble.

When your heart’s not working right bad things can happen!

(1) We question God on why our enemies prosper and we struggle!

Psalm 73:3-5 “For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men.”

I had supper with a man one time who mentioned that something was really bothering him. "I really don't have a problem with the fact that sometimes bad things happen to good people. I understand that God gives man free will and that sometimes those choices, even good ones, have bad results. I'm actually OK with that." "Then what is bothering you?" I asked. "Well, I don't understand why good things seem to always happen to bad people. Why do criminals get away with crimes? Why do corrupt politicians have their sins exposed and yet see their popularity rise?" He continued on with this final thought by saying, "And why is it that an atheist famous for calling Christians a bunch of losers is allowed to accumulate fame and wealth beyond imagination? Why has he been so blessed?" "Well, let's see," I began. "You know this man is an atheist that has had several marriages break up?" He nodded. "So here is a man with a miserable family life and unless he changes his views on Jesus Christ will never see heaven. And you call him blessed?" I continued. "Let me ask you something. Despite his fame and riches, would you trade places with this man?" "No way, not even for a second," he replied. 

We must remember that we will all give an account some day. There’s no one that will escape the final judgment of God. We don’t understand everything about life that we want to, but when it seems we are always struggling and the wicked are prospering the devil will do all he can to invade and destroy our faith. That’s when we must refuse to let our heart fail us because we are trusting in a God that will make things right one day and is in total control of our destiny.

(2) We want to challenge God on every direction He places in our life!

Proverbs 21:1-3 “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” 
      

When our priorities get all out of sorts with God, we start listening to the wrong voices and go in the wrong direction. Jesus spoke of this in

Matthew 6:21 when he said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

We cannot let our hearts fail us in this hour-the end of days is at hand!

Psalm 112:6-8 “Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established; He will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies.” 

Many people have a destiny that is yet to be fulfilled. They have seemingly fought the same enemy over and over and have become emotionally and spiritually exhausted due to the heat of the battle. Yet when you have gone as far as you can go you must never allow your heart to be turned by the enemy. A righteous person will refuse to listen to their own words of defeat when they know they are trusting in the promises of God. So what should we do when our heart begins to attack our spirit and our faith?

(1) We must remember that our hearts must be steadfast and not filled with fear! 

Isaiah 35:4 “Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”

(2) We must also believe that our hearts are established in trusting in the Lord no matter what! 

Psalm 27:3 “Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.” 

         

A Man That Could Play Well

1 Samuel 16:14-17  "But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me."

Some of the most difficult passages in scripture are those that show God using the devil or evil spirits for His purpose. We know that God is not the cause of wickedness, so it goes against our understanding to think of Him sending evil spirits hither and yon to do His bidding. Yet, we examine scripture and there they are. Let us see if we can make sense of this biblical teaching.

-First, we must understand that God is not the source of wickedness. The "evil" He creates in Isaiah 45:7 refers to bad things like earthquakes and floods, not to sin or wicked acts.

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."

The Bible teaches that sin originates from the devil in 1 John 3:8:

"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. "


-Second, though God is not the source of wickedness, He often uses the wicked to perform His own purpose. 

Psalm 76:10 "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." 
Here we learn that God will take man's wrath toward Him and turn it into praise. That wrath which is not to be turned into God's praise will be restrained.

But how can God use the devil and evil spirits to do His bidding? 

-On one hand, God is clearly the cause of death. 

Deuteronomy 32:39 "See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand." 

Certainly, God is in charge of taking life.

However, on the other hand, Hebrews 2:14 says, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil..."


Christ came to die on the cross that He might "destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." The next verse say that the devil holds the lost in bondage through the fear of death. But the problem is clear. If God is in charge of death, how can the devil have the power of death? The answer explains a lot about how God uses the world of the wicked to do His bidding.

a. The devil by nature is a murderer  according to John 8:44. His rebellion against God changed his character and has made him a force that naturally kills and destroys all that comes under his power. 

b. In Revelation 9:11 he is called Abaddon and Apollyon. Both names mean Destroyer. 

c. Paul understands that someone may be delivered "unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh" in 1 Corinthians 5:5.

d. When God turns Job over to Satan the second time, He states, "Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life" in Job 2:6. If God had allowed him to do so, Satan would have killed Job. Earlier in the story, God did allow Satan to kill the sons and daughters of Job (Job 1:18-19).

So, who killed the children of Job? You say, Satan. But even this is not so easy. After they were killed, Job said, "the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" in Job 1:21.


He gave God the credit for taking his children (also the cattle and other possessions). And, if we reflect on it, we can see that both are true. Satan killed Job's children but God was responsible for allowing them to be killed. He took them away.

So, what about the sending of evil spirits by the Lord? This may be more common in scripture than you think. 

Psalm 78:49 "He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them." 

Judges 9:23 "Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech..."


1 Kings 22:22 "And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persude him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so." 


God sent a "lying spirit" in the mouth of the false prophets to send Ahab to his death. 

In my text tonight God removed His Spirit from the disobedient Saul. This opened the door for an evil spirit to come and torment Saul. Though in this passage, it is only the servants of Saul that said the evil spirit was from the Lord, in other passages what we see in the rest of Saul's life follows a pattern. When God removes His protective hand, he often turns the person over to Satan for destruction or to an evil spirit for torment. The devil and the evil spirits do the work, but God has allowed them to do what come natural to them for His own purpose. I know that some will have trouble with this concept, but it is thoroughly established in scripture. God does not commit wickedness, but He uses the wicked for His purpose. In the end, God will have His glory. How much better it is for us to submit to Him and obey Him willingly.

-A man that could play well.

Verses 16-18 "Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him."

Three things happen here in these verses.

-First, as I have already mentioned, the servants of Saul recognized his troubles came from an evil spirit allowed by God to torment him.

-Second they knew only one source of comfort and that was the anointed power of spiritual songs.

-Third, they knew just the right man for the job-a man who could play well and was very versatile in many areas- David. 

Verse 23 "And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."

David was a man who played well.

-His music was so anointed that it caused the evil spirit to stop tormenting Saul.

-His playing was so refined that he never missed a note.

-His life was marked by the music he played, sang, and wrote.

-Nothing about his life was ordinary because he was a man after God's own heart.

God is still looking for warriors who can play well.

-Those that are prayed up.

-Those that are prepared.

-Those that are pliable to the Master's touch.

A 63 Word Prayer That Changed A Nation-Part 3

When we exercise our faith in God and take our stand we will see God come through for us. The reason we don't see this kind of miraculous display of the power of God can be attributed to two great failures on the part of God's people. First, many fail to separate themselves from the world and from the apostasy that surrounds them and God cannot bless. Secondly, many refuse to exercise their faith in God and God doesn't move in response to doubt.

I want you to know today that when you as an individual and we as a church body reach the place where we are willing to stand for the Lord alone and we are willing to exercise our faith in Him, then God will not leave us hanging out there to flap in the wind. When we take our stand for Him, He will take His stand with us. If you don't believe me, just try it and see.

Verse 39

We will have to give these people credit. They said they would honor the God who answered by fire and when He did, they did. He answered the prophet by fire in their very presence. There was no denying the reality of what they had seen. After this moment, it wasn't just some stories about God told by gray-haired men, it was reality. They had seen it and they responded to it.

There is no other way to know God than to experience Him in a personal way. When men meet the Lord they are changed. When they just go about some religious form they are led and motivated by the flesh. Meeting God will change you forever. You will be different and the Lord will bless the difference.

When Israel sees the Lord move in such a miraculous manner, they fall on their faces before Him in genuine humility. This signaled a desire on their part to worship and honor the Lord God of Heaven. This is the greatest indicator of change. They are singling God out as the sole object of their worship.

When we come to the place where we are willing to separate ourselves from all the other gods that compete for our attention and yield to the God of Heaven, then we will find ourselves drawn to Him in true, heartfelt worship. Nothing in this world is more precious than a heart that is aflame with love for the Lord and a heart that burns with a desire to see God glorified, whatever the cost. The last sound the Baal prophets and priests heard as they were being led away to their deaths was the sound of the people of God shouting praises to their Lord.

Nothing in this world is quiet so liberating as finding yourself focused on God and on Him alone. When He has your attention, your affection and your allegiance, He will be satisfied and so will you. Nothing liberates the saint more than knowing you are in a place in your walk with the Lord that pleases Him and that there is nothing between you and God. When you get there, God can and will bless you with gladness of heart and joy of soul. 

A 63 Word Prayer That Changed A Nation-Part 2

Verses 25-38 

All day long the prophets of Baal prayed and cried out to their god, but there was no response. Elijah mocked them and this sent them into a frenzy. When the smoke had cleared and the dust had settled, Baal was still as dead as he had ever been and they stood humiliated and defeated before the lone prophet of God.

This will be the experience of every person who attempts to follow the false gods of religion and of this world. They are all dead and can do nothing for those who cry out to them. I am sure that many who are caught in this trap feel that they are right and that men who cry out for change and separation are fanatics and are people to be pitied. However, I would like to remind anyone who feels that they can hook up God with worldliness that they are doomed to failure, no matter how right they think they are. 

When this thing is over and the dust of this life has settled, God will still be God and His way and His Word will still be right and everything else will still be wrong. 

After the prophets of Baal had finished with their rituals, Elijah stepped forward. Looking at what he did is very interesting. 

First, he repaired the altar of God.

Then, he chose 12 stones to remind Israel that they were one nation in the eyes of God.

Then he had 12 barrels of water poured over the sacrifice and the wood and the altar. He did this final thing to remove all doubts as to who was to get the glory for that which was about to happen. Then, He stepped forth and prayed a simple 63 word prayer and the fire of God fell from Heaven and consumed every part of the sacrifice, the altar, the water in the trench and even the dust round about. God answered in a spectacular display of power in response to the faith of His servant.

It takes faith to be an Elijah. He had already see God do the miraculous. He knew that this little thing was nothing for the Lord. He was willing to put his life on the line because he believed that he served a God who moves in response to His people's prayers. We need that same faith tonight if we are to take our stand with the Lord and do what He leads us to do. We need to exercise faith in the Lord God of Heaven. God responded to the cry of His servant and gave Elijah just what he asked God to do.

The liberal crowd can attribute this event to anything they would like. When all is said and done, the fact is that God honored faith that honored Him. Elijah stepped forward and said, "My God can!" God always responds to that kind of faith!

A 63 Word Prayer That Changed A Nation-Part 1

1 Kings 18 

The people of God have for the most part turned their backs on the Lord and have gone after the Canaanite god Baal. It is against this backdrop of apostasy and idolatry that the prophet Elijah strolls onto the scene. He is introduced in 1 Kings 17:1. When he makes his appearance, he comes with a message from the Lord. It is a clarion call for repentance and for a renewal to loyalty to Jehovah.

In chapter 18 things have come to a head. On the one hand there is Ahab, Jezebel, the prophets and priests of Baal, and a fallen nation. On the other, there is Elijah and God. The odds may looked stacked in the favor of evil, but the truth is that one plus God is a majority.

4 things come to mind concerning our world today in comparison with this scripture:

-There is a desperate need for spiritual heroes today who will stand against the tide of heresy and apostasy.

-There is a need for the people of God to gage their allegiance to the Lord and to determine where we really stand when it comes to being on the Lord's side.

-There must be a willingness to flee the evil that surrounds us and be a separate people for the glory of the Lord.

-There must be a desire to renew our commitment to the Lord and place Him above all other pursuits, interests, and loyalties.

Verses 21-24 

Israel enjoyed their name as God's people, but they loved the sensual, fleshly appeal of Baal worship. They were torn between two ideas and as a result they were at a stand still. Baal was the principle deity of the Canaanites. He along with Ashtoreth were worshiped through human sacrifice and sexual immorality. In some places, women were forced to serve as prostitutes in the temples of false worship.

God's people had fallen a long way from the nation that had entered and conquered Canaan hundreds of years before. Now they were a politically divided and apostate nation. Whether we like to admit it or not the church today is in the midst of apostasy and waywardness. However, the Lord said that things would be this way before He returned. When we see denominations and churches grapple with issues like abortion and homosexuality or we see them turn from the proclamation of the truth and begin to produce error isn't it plain to see that we are living in an age of apostasy?

Elijah's admonition is direct and to the point. He tells them that they have to make a choice. Elijah tells them that they must choose which side they will be on since they cannot serve 2 gods.

Although hundreds of years have elapsed since Elijah faced the Bail prophets on Carmel many things have changed. Culture is vastly different now than it was then, religious practice has changed, the world itself is nothing like it was back then. However, one thing remains the same, God. If a man is going to be right with God, then he must take his stand apart from the world. No one can have both. It is either God or it is the world. There can be no compromise.

Preach It-Part 4

-What do we preach?

2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine." 

a. It reveals the hearts of men, the nature and will of God, and the way of salvation through faith in Christ. 

b. It is authoritative and persuasive because it is based on the Inspiration of God.

c. It is foundational and harmonious with truth.

d. It is simple, practical, and reveals the whole counsel of God. 

e. It proclaims and clarifies God’s intended purposes  and will for His people. 

Romans 1:16"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation-to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

Preaching the Word provides the power of God to save them that believe. Man may consider preaching the Word foolish and he may ridicule the one preaching it, but it is God's power to save man. Man must put self behind, discard his human wisdom, humble himself at the cross and accept the preaching of the Word-the cross, that he may be saved.

-I may trust in my wealth, but it cannot save. 

-I may trust in my wisdom, but it cannot save.

-I may trust in my popularity, friends, prestige and station in life but they cannot save. 

But God can save, and He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

  

He wants all to be saved, but His power to save is in and through the Preaching of the Word.

1 Timothy 2:4 "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

Preach It-Part 3

Why do we preach?

2 Corinthians 5:11 "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences."

-Preaching the Word means the proclamation of the authoritative/persuasive news of God’s sovereign grace. 

-Preaching the Word is the exposition, illustration, and application of God’s authoritative, inspired Word to daily living. It involves proclaiming the living Word of God by those called of God and controlled by the Spirit of God. 

-Preaching the Word isn’t just about information, but transformation through illumination and conviction which leads to repentance by faith. 

-Preaching involves an attempt to persuade individuals to change their lives.                                                                     

Acts 26:28 " Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."

-Preaching the Word doesn’t consist in Excellency of speech, human wisdom or worldly power, but it involves the testimony, wisdom and power of God transmitted through His Word and Spirit. 

1 Corinthians 2: 1-5 "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

Preach It-Part 2

The preaching of the Word was regarded as foolish and absurd by worldly minded men. 

Acts 4:13 "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."

The world esteems it as foolish. Who can believe that we can live or have life through one who died? That we can be blessed forevermore by one who became a curse? That we can be justified by one who was Himself condemned? That we can be saved by one who could not save Himself? That is foolishness to many who think they know better.

Not many of the men of wisdom and eloquence were employed by God, just a few unlearned and ignorant fishermen. Yet the power of deliverance they preached about was not in man's ability, but in the message and the one from whom the message came. They had been with Jesus. They could not be discounted as just ignorant and unlearned men. Even the elite of the day marveled and took note of them.

Many still today scoff at the gospel of Christ, ridicule the preachers, and disapprove the precepts of God's Word. However, once they see the beauty of the cross and understood the delivering power of the Word of God it changes their perspective.

Preach It-Part 1

1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."  

1 Corinthians 1:21 "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." 

These are very beautiful verses indeed because they show God's power and His wisdom in the carrying out of His plan in spite of man. 

Man has always prided himself with his wisdom. That's why the learned men of Paul's era, the philosophers of the day, with all of their investigations and experiences, knew not God. 

a. Some denied His very existence. 

b. Some represented Him under some idol form showing that they had no real acquaintance with the true God.

The same is still true today. Our society is almost education mad. We pride ourselves with our greater learning. We think we know so much that we are self-sufficient. To many the Bible is outdated and useless. They say it was fine for the ignorant people of times past, but not for our enlightened age." Men are still denying God or mocking Him even today.

God chose His plan and He is well pleased with it. It is simple. This, of course, involves His only begotten Son, who left the riches of heaven and made Himself a little lower than the angels and became as man to suffer and die the cruel death on a Roman cross. All of this because you and I were sinners, and this was God's means of saving us from our sins. 

It involves the teaching of God's Son, that is recorded for us to read and understand and then do, so that we may be pleasing to the One who loved us so much and gave His grace unto us. It may not be like man would have done it, and man may think he can improve upon it, but it is according to the wisdom of Almighty God and it pleases Him. Therefore it should please us as we hear the Word of God preached.

A Dying Church and A Dying Faith-Part 2

Jesus gives an urgent command in Verses 2-4:

“ Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.”


-Be watchful.

Jesus wants the church to be vigilant about spiritual death among Christians. Apathy, laziness and indifference result in spiritual death. Believers need to stay awake.

Foreign armies had captured the city of Sardis twice in it history because of its failure to watch. These believers now have an opportunity to avoid a parallel spiritual destiny.

-Strengthen. 

The works of the church appeared wonderful to those on the outside, but they were not complete in the sight of God. Jesus does not accuse them of heresy, but neither had they offended the Romans or unbelieving Jews. They were not being persecuted, but they had offended God by emphasizing formality over reality.

-Remember. 

Part of the remedy was for this church to remember its glorious past, when it had been spiritually alive. When the believers at Sardis were first converted, they had received something important. Not only had they received salvation, but life in the Holy Spirit. They had forgotten to obey the Spirit’s prompting and the command to be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18



-Hold Fast.

The church at Sardis knew what it took in their past to get to where they once were with God. It was not because of a man or a ministry, but a deep hunger within their hearts to see a move of God and to reach a lost and dying generation with the gospel of Christ. Jesus calls for them once again to stabilize their faith and not just go through the motions of having church.

-Repent.

Jesus had threatened to judge the unloving church at Ephesus by removing its lampstand if they did not repent. He promised to judge the heretical teachers in Pergamum by fighting with his sword against them if they did not repent.

 Now he threatens to judge the lifeless church of Sardis by coming against them like a thief at an unexpected time. Spiritual deadness gives people a false sense of security. 

Thieves come when we do not expect them. They don’t call ahead and make an appointment. In the same way Jesus will come unexpectedly and believers out of fellowship will be totally unprepared.



Repentance is more than just turning around. It is coming to God with a submissive heart. Repentance is more that emotion. It is a change of attitude. Repentance is more than fire insurance. It is the transformation of one’s life.

 Now, is it possible for a dead orthodox church to change?

In the case of Sardis, the answer is yes, because a few people had remained faithful. They had not soiled their clothes by not assuming that the appearance of religion was a substitute for the real thing. Jesus does not ask these faithful to leave the majority, but to maintain their presence as a witness. They will have a difficult time doing it, but He commends them as worthy of special praise. These believers will appear dressed in white one day, revealed as truly righteous. Their righteousness was based on Christ’s death for them, which resulted in righteous living.


A Dying Church and A Dying Faith-Part 1

Revelation 3:1-6 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.  He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

 

Churches are dying daily in America, closing at the rate of 14+ per day. In the past 4½ years it is estimated that over 10,000 American churches have closed due to the lack of attendance, lack of young parishioners and families, a lack of finances, and a general lack of confidence in the relativity of its necessity. Many believe the church must yeild to modern culture and society or it's no longer social acceptable to attend or support.

Well, let me tell you about a church that had the appearance of being a great church. They had at one time been a dynamic church on fire for God, but something changed and when it did spiritually the church begin to die. The Bible says it was in a town known as Sardis.

Sardis was about thirty miles south of Thyatira, at the foot of Mount Tmolus that rose about 1,500 feet above the valley of the Hermus River. The Turkish town of Sart now occupies the site.

 Sardis had been a great city. Seven hundred years before this letter was written Sardis had been one of the greatest cities in the world. It was the capital of the kingdom of Lydia. Its wealth was legendary, even the river that flowed through the city was said to be lined with gold.

 Croesus was the most famous Sardian king. He built the city to the point that no one thought it was vulnerable. In 546 BC Cyrus, king of Persia, laid siege to the city and captured it. His men had watched one of the Sardian guards come down and pick up the helmet he had dropped. That night Cyrus’ men went in through the breach in the wall and found no one on watch.

 Three centuries later, the army of Antiochus III used the same tactic to conquer the city and again no one was on watch.

 Excavations have unveiled much information about the city. They found an ancient Christian church building next to the temple to Artemis as well as the largest synagogue ever found with seating for 1,000 people.

Did you know that the light from the polar star takes thirty three years to reach the earth. That star could have died thirty years ago and its light would still be pouring down on earth. It would be shining today as if nothing had happened, living off the light of its past. That’s the story of Sardis.

Verse 1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”

Jesus declares to the church in Sardis that He holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. The seven spirits is simply another designation for the Holy Spirit. The seven stars are the seven pastors of the churches.

The lifeless church in Sardis desperately needs the life giving power of the Holy Spirit. What could be more exciting than for the Lord to bring his hands together so that the churches today are overflowing with the Holy Spirit.



Two things we must see about the church at Sardis.

-There are those in the church that have remained faithful, but the church is not complimented at all. 


-There is also a lack of persecution from outside sources because it apparently was more concerned about being fashionable rather than taking a stand.



The complaint Jesus lodges against this church is that its reputation is faulty. Evidently, others regarded the church at Sardis as a lively church. This church had gained a reputation for being an outstanding church, but it had lost its spiritual punch. The Sardis church is spiritually dead. Even today churches can be full of ministries and activity and have a reputation as a spiritual giants, while at the same time be spiritually dead inwardly. Harvard and Princeton stated out as Bible Schools., but do we hear from the men and women that graduate from these schools biblically today? 

How about your church? Is there spiritual power there?