Some people think accusations are based on lies, and some are… but not always. The woman caught in adultery was quite literally caught in the very act of adultery (cheating on her husband). When the Lawyers came before the Just One to bring her to trial for her ACTUAL offense, His JUDGMENT was to show her mercy, but what he said to her concerning the Lawyers shows an insight into the nature of our adversary, the devil.
When they all left the scene of her JUDGMENT the Just Judge asked her, “Where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” The accusation was HER ACTUAL OFFENSE, not a made-up charge. She ACTUALLY cheated on her husband and under the penalty of the LAW she was to be condemned to die.
Satan uses the ACTUAL offenses contained in the LAW (knowledge of good and evil) to accuse you. Sometimes it is not a made-up offense it is our actual offense that he will use. Then what happens is we become alienated from God in our minds because our crimes have been elevated to a point where we think that God’s love and mercy cannot not reach… or worse we try to justify ourselves instead of submitting ourselves to the One who justifies the ungodly. <<<—This is a bad place to be<<<—
A Fool For A Client
If we’re busy trying to justify ourselves, receiving mercy is hard. There is a saying that used to be popular that states, “A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.” This is so true for us when we try to be our own representation. Because if we are being honest with ourselves we know that we are guilty.
“Now we know that what things soever the law says, it says to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:19-20
This is what Jesus did to the Pharisees when they tried to condemn the woman who was caught cheating on her husband. He used the law to shut their mouths so that they would understand that they too were guilty before God by their own laws. And every one of them dropped their stones and walked away.
In their zeal for God, they condemned a woman. But their zeal was not according to the knowledge of God. Their zeal was according to the works of the law, which is what it means when it says, they were trying to establish their own righteousness. They were trying to justify themselves instead of submitting themselves to the mercy (or righteousness) of God.
Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes.
Romans 10:1-4
Submission Is The Key
Jesus said, “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary delivers you to the judge, and the judge delivers you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.”
Matthew 5:25
When the accuser comes in trying to accuse you don’t get caught up trying to justify yourself and fighting on his terms. If he comes in like a flood accusing you about how terrible you are turn to him and agree, “Dang, devil, you’re right. I am a sinner above everyone else. Praise God that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. Let’s go see what God has to say about this…” We all know how that court case turned out in the Old Testament when the devil WAS allowed to be in the courtroom of heaven (reference Zechariah 3) now he’s not even allowed in there (reference Luke 10:18).
We Have A Better Representative: His name is Jesus!
Look, we don’t fight the devil on his terms in his court! We submit to God. We submit to the righteousness of God. He decided to come here and save sinners. He decided that all who put their trust in the righteousness of His Son Jesus shall be saved. He made those judgments.
Let’s submit ourselves to the righteous judgments of our Father and realize our salvation does not depend on us. It is completely dependent on Him. No more justifying ourselves and trying to live by our righteousness. Let’s live by HIS. We aren’t here to fight the devil on his terms. We’re here to submit to God and live by His terms. And this is the terms that we have with Him whoever calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved!
Love you guys!
Our FATHER loves us! He is a Just Judge and He delights in showing mercy, mercy triumphs over Judgment. When we enter into judgment with our accuser we are not coming in trying to defend our righteousness (testifying in court of our own innocence). We are coming in submitting to the righteous Judgment of our Savior!
One day as I was talking to the LORD, expressing my devotion to him. I said to him, “My love and my life are yours! Consume me!”
What I meant by that is he could use me and do with me whatever he wanted. You see I have suffered and been persecuted a lot by people. And after all the hurt and pain and my soul feeling crushed, in a moment of ecstatic bliss with King Jesus I was laying my life on the altar again declaring to my King, “You can have it all. If you want me to be run down and beaten then my life is yours to do with what you want. And if you want me to pour out my love on people who will be ungrateful and despitefully use me then King Jesus it’s yours to do with whatever you want!”
Do you know what his response to me was? It wasn’t, “Oh, my wonderful servant! I love your exclamation of devotion towards me!” Nope, not at all. What he said to me was, “No! My LOVE and My LIFE are yours. Consume me!”
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
ESV, John 6:53
That was the response he gave to me. An emphatic NO. Then he began to show me where true Love and Life is found. It is found in his sacrifice. How he gave his body to be run down and beaten. How he poured out his love on people who were ungrateful and despitefully used him.
Not long after he told me that I went out and bought the elements of communion (the bread and wine). And began to take communion with my family more often. I would say, “Lord you told me, “My LOVE and My LIFE are yours. Consume me!” So that’s what I am doing eating your flesh and drinking your blood. Please teach me what you mean when you said to eat your flesh and drink your blood.”
Lessons Learned
I am still learning this lesson. I ask him what he meant by that often and I believe he has given me some answers, but I am still unpacking this. Some of what I have received I will give to you.
First, He was telling us to remember his sacrifice.
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me
Luke 22:19
Second, he was talking about the New Covenant.
Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you
Luke 22:20
He wants us to remember his sacrifice. What he did to have us back to himself again, and how sure and steadfast that is. How he gave up his body to be broken for our healing, and how he poured out his blood for our redemption.
The next thing he was conveying to me was, that it’s not about my devotion to him. It’s about his devotion to me. Now, full disclaimer, I am not saying that we should not be faithful to Jesus. What I am saying is that we are unable to be faithful to him through our own strength and we need to rely fully on his promise to make us and keep us faithful to him. I will tell you this is a hard lesson to learn at times and I will explain in more detail below what I mean by this.
Our Devotion Or His?
If Jesus was looking at our devotion to him he would have respected Peter’s exclamation towards him before he took the cross. When Peter expressed to the Lord, “I will go with you wherever. I am willing to die for you!” (paraphrased from Luke 22:33). Little did Peter know that when he was relying on his devotion to the Lord he was trusting in his own strength to take him to the cross and not in the Lord’s devotion and strength to bring him through it.
You see that’s where a lot of us fall. We rely on our own love and devotion to take the cross and not on God’s love and devotion to see us through. But when you’ve been humbled by your own lack of strength, and you know that you can’t make it on your own. That’s when the words of Jesus ring so loud and true,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
Matthew 5:3
Poor In Spirit
It’s to the poor in spirit that Jesus said they were blessed and that the kingdom of heaven was their possession. But what does it mean to be poor in spirit? When we hear verses like: “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (ESV, Psalm 34:18) what exactly comes to our mind? Is it a person whose spirit cannot be broken and full of strength? I will tell you right now that is not a person who has poverty in their spirit.
When I think of the poor in spirit a glaring example that comes to mind is Naomi in the book of Ruth. She was so crushed and broken that she ended up changing her name to Mara (bitterness). Bless God for Ruth and her faithfulness! Because of Ruth’s faithfulness to Naomi God’s salvation came to her. I also think of David when he was on the run from Saul in the wilderness. When he said in his heart, “I know that one day Saul is going to kill me. It is better to go live with the heathen so that I won’t die by his hands” (paraphrased from 1 Samuel 27:1).
In both of these examples, they were both crushed in spirit and had no strength left to give. That’s when God’s grace stepped in and elevated them out “from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory” (NKJV, 1 Samuel 2:8). With David, not long after he said that in his heart he received the kingdom. And Naomi after she called herself empty she became the mother (through Ruth) of kings! The lineage of David and Jesus came through her!
The poor in spirit are the ones that the New Covenant belongs to. Those who have finally come to the end of their self and realized, I cannot make it without you King Jesus. Please help me! This is the whole reason why the New Covenant was formed because we could not do it by ourselves.
Drinking The Cup of Old Wine
It was because of our insufficiency that Jesus took the cross and fulfilled the Old Covenant for us. I remember when Jesus was asking the Father to allow this cup to pass from him in the garden of Gethsemane:
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.
ESV, Matthew 26:39-42
Do you see the subtle difference in what he prayed? At first, he was asking the Father if at all possible to let the cup pass from him. Then when he saw his disciples sleeping he returned and said, If this cannot pass unless I drink it then your will be done. When he found his beloved friends asleep he realized unless I drink the cup of this Old Covenant then they will not be able to drink from the cup of the New.
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will spill, and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants new, for he says, ‘The old is better
BSB, Luke 5:37-39
Our Father has shown me that not only while Jesus was fulfilling the Law and the Prophets (drink the Old wine for us), they actually gave him old sour wine to drink right before he died. Look at how amazing God is!
“And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink”
ESV, Matthew 27:48
So prophetic! God is so awesome at showing examples of things in the spirit by performing them on this earth.
A New Covenant For A New People
The Old Covenant is all about our devotion to him. While the New Covenant is about believing in his devotion to us. If Jesus was looking for our devotion to him then the Old Covenant would have been sufficient, but because there was an insufficiency with us that’s why he made another covenant.
For if that first Covenant had been without fault, no place would have been sought for a second. But God found fault with the people and said:
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the Covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt— a Covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the Covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”
By speaking of a New Covenant, He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
That Old Covenant based on our devotion to him is obsolete and aging and will soon disappear. But this New Covenant which is based on faith in him (i.e. believing in his steadfast love and devotion toward us) is growing brighter and brighter.
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day”
NASB, Psalm 4:18
That path of the righteous is the one our savior made through his blood. Thank you, Jesus! God bless you Son of God. I no longer have to trust in my own strength to see me through to the end. I can trust in God’s love and life to see me through. I can trust in the power of His Spirit!
Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
ESV, Zechariah 4:6
I am so grateful that he decided to find me and call me to himself. Thank you for increasing the power of the weak! I am so grateful to you, God, for giving strength to the powerless. Bless him forever! As I come to a close I just can’t help but exclaim how grateful I am for this new and living way Jesus has made for us!
By his death, Jesus opened a new and [living] way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.
NLT, Hebrews 10:20
I love you all and thank you for reading! I hope this is informative and helps bring understanding to what kind of Covenant we have with our God. So thankful that it’s no longer about me, but all about him! Take a deep drink of God’s faithfulness today and rest in the finished work of Jesus! He is our Sabbath!
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
James 3:14-15
First, I want to clarify why earthly wisdom is a doctrine from devils. The wisdom of this world denies its Creator. It leaves your destiny in your own hands. The wisdom of this world is all about self. It’s your promotion and what you can do to achieve your potential. me, Me, ME. That’s what it’s all about, self… For greater clarification of the wisdom of this world being demonic in origin, I will take you to Jesus’ rebuke of Simon Peter.
From that time forward Jesus began to show unto his disciples, how that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, "Let these things not come near you, Lord: this shall not happen to you."
But he turned, and said unto Peter, "Get behind me, Satan: you are an offence to me: for you do not savor the things that be of God, but those that be of men."
(Matthew 16:21-23).
What was his offense towards Peter? That he thought and dwelt on the things of this world. What was the topic that Peter was addressing? Jesus’ torture and death. We want our family and friends to live long and prosperous lives so why is this an offensive mindset? Because it’s all about this earth, and getting the most out of this earth. Peter was rebuked and called Satan because his thoughts (at that time) were steadfastly on the affairs of this earth. This is why earthly wisdom is demonically inspired.
Subtle Lies From Demons
“Surround yourself with prominent people in your community and you will go higher in that community…”
Demonic Rhetoric
I have heard this and similar expressions come from Christians. Honestly, it disturbs me. Isn’t this the same thing the children of this world do? It seems to me that it is.
“Surround yourself with well-to-do people and you will also rise to the top with them.”
More Demonic Rhetoric
This mindset has held the church back from being the city on a hill the Lord has called us to be. We need to get back to the teachings of the Bible.
But the wisdom from above is first pure…impartial, free of hypocrisy
“My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: did God not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you have been called? If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators.”
Holy Inspiration, James 2:1-9
It’s the disregarded that many Christians cast to the side that God is after. Stones disallowed indeed by men (see 1 Peter 2:4). Seeing how our messiah was an outcast and chose a bunch of outcasts it’s a wonder this kind of teaching gains speed in the church.
I’m so glad our Father chose the foolish, the poor, the disregarded, and the children to confound the “put-together” people of Jesus’ time.
“I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.”
Jesus the Son of God, Matthew 11:25-26
And he will do it again. Remember his word,
“For this reason also, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill, and some they will persecute.”
Jesus the Messiah, Luke 11:49
Final admonition
We need to wake up and smell the broken. Jesus is here for them, but instead, we turned Christianity into a networking club about who you know… it’s a shame really. I wonder how often the Lord or one of his angels has come into a church as an unrefined person and sat there in the service waiting for people to receive him?
“For if you love them which love you, what credit is that to you? for sinners also love those that love them. And if you do good to them which do good to you, what credit is that to you? for sinners also do even the same. And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
Our primary call in life (as Christians) is to believe. BELIEVE, not perform, Believe. Many people have been duped into thinking that our call in life depends on our performance. That’s an old covenant mindset. The new covenant is all about believing.
“And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”
1 John 3:23
Interestingly love is described in this manner:
“Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, DOES NOT KEEP AN ACCOUNT OF A WRONG SUFFERED, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it BELIEVES ALL THINGS, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…”
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
If we love one another we would believe in Christ which is in each other. We would not keep an account, measuring each other up to see if we fit the mold of a child of God. Love believes in a person before the person’s exterior looks like a child of God. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7) and “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh” (2 Cor. 5:17).
Surround yourself with people who believe, and try to limit your time with those who do not. Performance-based Christians will only make you feel heavily burdened (see Luke 11:46), but those who believe will lighten the load by pointing to Jesus. Surround yourself with people who believe in Jesus in you, not those measuring you by your performance.
“…which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”
Colossians 1:27
It was while we were yet sinners that God gave his son (see Rom. 5:8). He wasn’t waiting for you to measure up to a standard. He believed in you (that is Christ in you) before you even knew a standard. Remember he is the one that justifies the ungodly (see Rom. 4:5), and the same one who calls those things that be not as though they were (see Rom. 4:17). He calls and he qualifies (justifies). Surround yourself with those who believe in the God who is at work in you, not those who are more concerned about your performance than your trust in the Creator.
Trust in Him, Jesus is the salvation of your soul. God bless you all! Our Father loves you!
De Oppresso Liber is a motto that the United States Army Special Forces has adopted. It means, to liberate the oppressed. They know in order to liberate the oppressed that they need to take out those who are the oppressors. So they must utilize tactical violence to liberate those who are in oppression. This is just in a carnal sense, but let’s take a look at this in a spiritual.
Jesus said, “…the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (from Mat. 11:12). We know that Jesus is not saying to get violent with men. Because mankind is not our enemy, but there is violence involved in the kingdom of heaven. This violence is directed toward our true enemy, the devil (Eph. 6:12).
“…the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Jesus the Messiah)
When Jesus began his ministry he began with these words,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are [oppressed], To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Luke 4:18-19
Jesus said he came to liberate the oppressed, but who are the oppressed?
The bible declares sin as bondage (John 8:34). A type of bondage that keeps people enslaved to unhealthy desires. How many of us have done things that we are not proud of? And how often have we gone straight back to those things even though we know they are not good for us? This is what I am talking about. We know that it is wrong. We regret it every time we do it and yet we keep going back to it. No matter how many times we have tried to stop we just can’t seem to stop. This is oppression from the devil!
“…For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, so that he might destroy the works of the devil” 1 John 3:8.
And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God… And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
from Luke 13:11-16
There were times Jesus would heal people and attribute it to bondage from the devil. So, not only is sin bondage, but the effect of sin is bondage as well. When I say the effect of sin I mean anything in the category of death (i.e. separation from God). Sickness, disease, and mental affliction all fall under the category of separation from God. They are works of the devil and we know that the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). These works are the true enemies of God. And the Bible declares that “the last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26).
Tactical Violence!
But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder.
Luke 11:20-22
In order to set the person free, Jesus utilized violence against the true enemy. The devil or the works of the devil that held that person in bondage. And it wasn’t a difficult task. He said that he cast out devils with the finger of God. This actually reminds me of a dream the Lord gave me:
In the dream was in a subway station. There were these two guys that were following me and I saw Jesus so I went up to him. When I got to Jesus one of the guys came up to Jesus and punched him in the face. Jesus stretched out his hand and put his index finger on the man's forehead. It did not seem like a very violent act. But as soon as Jesus' finger touched the man's head, the man was launched back with so much force that he hit this tile wall. The wall dented in and the tiles cracked and started to fall. It was truly amazing to see. The other man who was following me ran off. Then I realized these two guys were devils.
For God, casting out a devil is as simple as extending His finger. It’s effortless. But the action against the devil is extremely violent, you can believe that!
How Should We Judge?
In Luke chapter 10 Jesus shared a story about a man falling among thieves. The man asked Jesus who is my neighbor? And Jesus told him the story about a man falling among thieves. Found in Luke 10:25-37. When I read this story with my wife I thought about how many Christians look at homeless people and ask themselves, What has this person done to get in this place? And then withhold their mercy from the person because they are on drugs or alcohol.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (Jesus the Messiah)
I will tell you what that person has done. They have fallen among thieves! The thief has come to destroy their life and sometimes we pass by them on the street. And justify ourselves by withholding our compassion from them because they did something to allow this to happen to them. What a shameful mentality that the bride has adopted. We have all done something to destroy our life, but our King has been merciful to us!
We forget that they are like sheep with no shepherd. That they are blind needing the redemption of our savior. Even Jesus when he was hanging on the cross told our Father, “Forgive them for they do not know what they do” (from Luke 23:34). They murdered someone that they knew was innocent. And while he was hanging there in misery they mocked him. And Jesus said they were ignorant of what they were doing?!?!
Why? Because we do not war against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces. The people were not Jesus’ enemies; the demonic spirits that manipulated those people to do those things were the real enemies.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places
Ephesians 6:12
True Righteous Judgment!
We need to change our perspective on our neighbors who have fallen prey to thieves. They are not in that position because of what they have done, but because the enemy saw that they had something of value and is stealing it from them. They are dearly loved and valued by our Father and the thief has come to kill, steal, and destroy; but, we have come in the name of our Lord Jesus to give life and life more abundantly.
Love you guys. If God hadn’t stepped into my life I would be dead. But God in His great love and mercy pierced through the lies of the devil and allowed me to hear Him. I am forever indebted to our King who has shown me so much grace. This is why I want to raise an army who will not be lawyers trying to figure out what people have done to deserve what they have received but will follow the order of our King: Liberty to the Oppressed!
He has proclaimed liberty to those who are bound in addiction. To those who are wounded by the devil, Who had their ears closed to the truth, Who satan has blinded their eyes. He has proclaimed healing and freedom to ALL that satan has held in oppression.
We are the lawyers that need to get our minds right. Our King says mercy triumphs over judgment. Our King says it’s his delight to show mercy. Our King says he is not holding the Earth’s sins against them but is calling them to himself.
I love you guys, but I love the LORD more and he loves judgment. True righteous judgment! The kind of judgment that is covered in mercy. That restores the broken, not casts them to the side. The judgment that has proclaimed LIBERTY TO THE OPPRESSED! DE OPPRESSO LIBER!
On Thursday night’s bible study we went through King David’s life while he was on the run from King Saul. This is found in 1 Samuel chapter 19 thru chapter 31. We selected a few verses out of this portion of King David’s history with the LORD.
1 Samuel 21 verse 10 thru chapter 22 verse 3
David flees from Saul in fear and then acts like a crazy person in front of Achish the king of Gath. Achish was the king of this Philistine city, Gath. The Philistines were enemies of Israel and yet David fled into their territory. David was so scared at this moment in his life he acted like a crazy person just to stay alive.
David was anointed by God to be king over Israel. He had defeated Goliath and led Israel to victory in different battles, but at this point of time in his life, not many people would have thought much of him. He was drooling out of his mouth and letting it run over his beard. Many people would have been ashamed to even be associated with him, but it did not change the fact of what God had called David.
Circumstances Do not change God’s call
How often have we been in a circumstance and acted poorly because of fear? I know I have. There have been moments in my life that are very debasing, but it does not change the fact that God has called me and anointed me. Just like David here, we can go through very humbling circumstances and act in ways that are unflattering but it does not change what God has said about us or his call on our lives.
After this, he heads to a cave, and a bunch of outcasts of Israel begins to flock towards him. The people who came to him were poor and in debt, bitter, and in complete distress. Not people of great influence, but the people society would deem “less than”.
From the outside looking in, David was a renegade. The people of Israel would have not known that Saul was at fault and chasing him down because of envy. They only knew that David was on the run from the king and now he was the captain of a band of outcasts that he ended up taking into enemy territory to live there.
Peoples Perception Does Not Change What God Says
Here it is good to mention that David’s life is a prophetic resemblance of Jesus Christ. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day rejected him and were constantly against him. While the scourge of society was receiving him. The poor and the broken, the oppressed, and the outcasts were the ones who flocked to Jesus. Not the people of great influence.
1 Samuel Chapter 23 verses 1 thru 12
David and his men deliver this city from enemy invaders and David enquires if the people of Keilah (the city they just saved) would deliver him into Saul’s hand. The LORD tells him they will. So he leaves the city.
How very human this story is. One minute you are their champion who saved them from destruction then circumstances change and they will deliver you over to be executed. Many scholars believe that some of the people who championed Jesus into Jerusalem shouting, “Hosanna in the highest” were the same who cried out, “Let him be crucified.”
People can turn on you even if you’ve been good to them
Personally, I believe that this was what happened. I have seen firsthand how quickly public opinion can change based on the unmet expectations they have for someone. The expectation they had for Jesus was that he was going to come as King over Israel beating the nations into submission and bringing about a physical eternal Davidic kingdom. But he came to bring a spiritual kingdom and set up its eternal rule on earth from heaven.
The opinion of how they believed the word of God was supposed to be fulfilled blinded them to its fulfillment. When they thought the kingdom was going to be a physical one and their expectations did not get met they wanted him to be killed. They also had other false “Christs” that had come to them too, so they were wary of messiahs who did not fulfill what they believed to be the scriptures. The problem was they were looking at it from a carnal (worldly) perspective and not from a spiritual.
Expectations Can be Dangerous
I know I have been guilty of this. I thought God’s word to me was going to be fulfilled a certain way and when it wasn’t fulfilled the way I expected it to I got angry, discouraged, and hurt. But the truth was he never told me how certain things were going to happen he just said they would happen. Expectations can disappoint you if you are not grounded in the character of God.
1 Samuel chapter 25
We did not read this section here we talked about it. If you would like to know more about how this section of scripture is a prophetic resemblance of Jesus Christ and his church please take a look at The Throne of David.
David did good to this wealthy man named Nabal, but Nabal did not recognize his kindness or repay it. As a matter of fact, Nabal actually accused David of deserting his master Saul (vs. 10). It is evidence of the public’s perception of David, a renegade.
Afterward, David ends up sparing Saul’s life again and is in despair. David says in his heart, “I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul…” (from 1Sam. 27:1). Many biblical scholars believe that David was on the run from King Saul for about ten years. Ten years of being looked at like a renegade, of people thinking the worse about him, of him living in wilderness areas and among the enemies of Israel. Ten years of having nothing to rely upon except a promise God made to him, being anointed king over Israel when he was still a child. I think he started to lose hope a little, but this one thing he did, he turned to the LORD over and over again. He found his strength in the LORD.
Placing your eyes on people will discourage you, Put your trust in God
During this time period, David wrote many of the Psalms among these is Psalm 22.
My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Why are you far from helping me, far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I call by day and you do not answer, and by night but I have no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted you; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; they trusted you and were not ashamed. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by humankind and despised by people. All who see me mock me. They open wide their lips; they shake the head, saying: "He trusts Yahweh. Let him rescue him. Let him deliver him because he delights in him." Yet you took me from the belly; you made me trust while on my mother's breasts. On you I was cast from the womb. From my mother's belly you have been my God. Do not be far from me because trouble is near; because there is no helper. Many bulls have encircled me; mighty bulls of Bashan have surrounded me. They open their mouth against me like a lion tearing and roaring. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is melted within me. My strength is dry like a potsherd, and my tongue is sticking to my jaws; and you have placed me in the dust of death. Because dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has encircled me. Like the lion they are at my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; they gaze, they look at me. They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, O Yahweh, do not remain distant. O my help, hasten to help me. Rescue my life from the sword, my only life from the power of the dogs. (Psalm 22:1-20)
He felt like a worm who was not worthy of salvation, but he continued to look to God for his mercy. And because he put his hope in the LORD he was not put to shame! “Indeed, none who wait for you should be put to shame…” (from Psalm 25:3).
Hold fast to the word that was preached to you
I am fully persuaded that anyone who is called by God goes through periods like these, and the purpose for these times is to produce character in us. As long as we remain believing in Jesus Christ abiding in him then God will use it to produce fruit. God’s attributes, so that when we get to the place that he has called us we will be able to keep it. When I say keep it I mean having the quality of character that will be able to rule well.
"You rejoice in this greatly, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. These trials are so that the true metal of your faith (far more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire) may come to light in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of [Jesus the Messiah]." (1Peter 1:6-7).
Hey guys thinking about the Potency of God’s seed today. God’s seed is so potent that in the very beginning He impregnated the void with his word and the void gave birth to everything!!! How amazing is our Progenitor! He called light out of the darkness. Formed all the stars through the vapor of his breath. Then breathed his Spirit into man and birthed a living soul!
Think about that for a second in the beginning of this physical realm there was nothing. Then God spoke his Word and created everything. His word is so full of life that it literally impregnated nothingness and gave birth to everything that we see!
He shows us over and over again that it does not matter how broken or void a thing may have become, but he is able to birth Christ in us regardless. It does not matter if Sarah’s womb is barren, or if Mary is a virgin. It doesn’t matter how broken, how empty, or how dark a situation is God can call light out of the darkness with the mention of His word. I am in awe of the only wise Potentate our magnificent Father who impregnates the darkness with light! Holy is his name!
God bless you guys, our struggles do not compare to the awesomeness of his power. He is able to subdue all things unto himself by the working of his power. Listen to what he tells Israel through the prophet Isaiah,
For I know how stubborn and obstinate you are. Your necks are as unbending as iron. Your heads are as hard as bronze. That is why I told you what would happen; I told you beforehand what I was going to do. Then you could never say, ‘My idols did it. My wooden image and metal god commanded it to happen!’ (New Living Translation, Isa. 48:4-5)
He knew Israel was rebellious and yet he still called him and chose him. There is a Misty Edwards song called, I Knew What I Was Getting Into. I highly suggest that you listen to this song. Because our Father is singing it over us.
The gist of the song is he knew everything about you and still chose you. In Ezekiel 36:27 it says, “… I will put my Spirit within you, and CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Do you think you are able to withstand God’s Spirit causing you to walk in his statues? No, he is able to subdue all things to himself! It does not matter how rebellious you think you are HIS SPIRIT is GREATER!
"[Jesus] shall change our vile body (rebellious flesh), that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to SUBDUE ALL THINGS unto himself" (Php 3:21).
If he can ride a donkey that no one has ever ridden, then he can definitely tame our rebellious nature by the birthing of Christ in us. He is our Hope and Glory! Much love. He is for us! “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14).
Today I was reading from one of my memories on Facebook. The post read:
“If we only knew the great worth we are to God then we would not treat each other like refuse.”
This provoked so much thought in me…
Last night I encountered this young man who said he has experienced the love of God but didn’t accept Jesus. As I listened to him the truth started to come out. He had been misused and burned by people who said they represent Jesus, you know “Christians.” I just loved on him didn’t judge him. His walls started to come down and he shared.
I love people. They are so treasured by God, but the thing is I have encountered these people over and over again. They could be satanists, witches, atheists, etc. and when the walls start to come down they all share a similar thing with me; that people who claim to know Jesus have treated them like trash.
If we knew the incredible value God sees in others we would not treat them like garbage. People have value. People are worth it. People are worth investing in! God invested his Son in humanity! People have value. People have destiny. People are loved and cherished by God!
“But woe unto you, Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs and pass over judgment and the love of God: these you ought to have done, and not to leave the other undone”
Luke 11:42
We have disqualified the broken, when God is saying mend the broken and make their path straight (easy to walk on). We have laid on them a standard of righteousness that we ourselves were not able to uphold. “Loading men with heavy burdens grievous to be born, but not lifting a finger to help them” (paraphrased from Luke 11:46).
I love you guys. We need to get a hold of God’s love and value system. Everything that we are building on this earth will be burned away, but if we invest in souls it will last forever. It was his love who gave up everything to receive us to himself again. People are worth it. Invest in eternity and pour out yourself into them and watch the miracle of God break out in the broken.
“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to deal your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor that are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you hide not yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth as the morning, and your health shall spring forth speedily: and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rere-ward. Then shall you call, and the LORD shall answer; you shall cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If you take away from the midst of you the yoke [religous burdens], the putting forth of the finger [casting judgement according to the law, accusations], and speaking vanity [speaking according to the eyes of the flesh]; And if you draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall your light rise in obscurity, and your darkness be as the noonday: And the LORD shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and make fat your bones: and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of you shall build the old waste places: you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in”
Isaiah 58:6-12
This promise is to me and my seed. This is something that I know my house will walk in. But this promise is also unto you and everyone who our God has called. “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:39).
God bless you guys! I love you! Our Father loves you! Jesus loves you! Now go out and love others. Pour out your soul to the broken and hurting and see the salvation of our God break out in the midst of you. Much much LOVE!
The biggest takeaway from Christianity is: God is good; mankind is evil; God is faithful; mankind is unfaithful; God is righteous; mankind is unrighteous; God justifies the ungodly; mankind is unable to be godly without God.
If your theology points toward human effort and the establishment of your own goodness (especially that over God’s) then you are wrong. Everyone wants to try very hard to be righteous through their own effort, but never really trust in the righteousness of God. I will be as direct and honest as I can be. MOST Christians believe that they have good standing with God by their own merit. Now most Christians would argue and say that they do not. But, a good portion of Christian teaching is how the recipient of grace must behave himself to be in good standing with God.
Do you want power? Fast, pray, and live a holy life then maybe God will send it. Do you want fellowship with God? Fast, pray, and live a holy life then maybe God will talk to you. Do you want anything from God? Well, you must live according to how a “good” person lives, and then God will give it to you…
The reason why sinners and publicans enter the kingdom of God before the “righteous” is because they rely on God being morally good over their own moral goodness. Many will declare their acts of love and devotion toward God (i.e. prayer, fasting, religious works), but I WILL ALWAYS DECLARE GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS!
The God who is light in whom there is no shadow of turning. The God who, despite myself, loved me and gave me new life. The God who has remained faithful even when I was unfaithful. The God who believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. The God whose devotion toward me has far surpassed any feeble devotion I have shown him. I will DECLARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!! I will declare him to my brothers! Jesus is LORD and I have found favor in him!
All those who trust in anything besides the righteousness that is the LORD’s will fall.
A desire for all the nations of the earth to be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. 