Psalm 78

How does the story of your life read?

As we read this Psalm recounting the history of Israel with God, I believe we have a tendency to wonder how they could have ignored so great a testimony of His love, His power, His divine intervention that was so frequently manifested? Then, the conviction comes, so do we.

James 1:22-25 so eloquently compares reading Psalms like 78 and not allowing it to be a reflective moment, seeing our own story in the mirror of the truth of His Word, we as James puts it, "deceive ourselves." So much of the accounts in Scripture are not just for a history lesson but for the benefit of our own history, our own history with God.

How has God made Himself real to you? How have you found Him to be real in the lives of people you know and trust? Are you still holding a passion filled, life defining, moment by moment governing relationship with Him at arms length?

Let Him in!

Pastor Fred

1 Chronicles 10

Verse 7 reads...

"When all the men of Israel in the valley saw that the arm had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them."

This for me is a powerful picture of the spiritual state of humanity. There is no vacant "city" of the immaterial part of who we are, the "inner man" as the term so often found in the Epistles, or my favorite, the "hidden person of the heart."

Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 12:43-45

43 "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation."

There is no such thing as spiritual neutrality. Unfortunately, Hollywood has shaped our beliefs about demonic influence in people's lives rather than Scripture. I will leave the "possession vs. oppression" distinction to far more intelligent people than myself. The simplest way I know to say it is that everyone's "will" (the part of our inner man that chooses) has a dominant spiritual influence. The seat of influence within you and me is never empty. And even once the enemy has been evicted and the Holy Spirit fills that seat when are born again (John 3) through a vow of devotion to Jesus (Romans 10:9-10), we should not be so naive to believe that the enemy is not continually posturing to regain his seat (1 Peter 5:8)!

Who occupies your cities within?

Pastor Fred

Psalms 81/88/92-93/104

We were at Busch Gardens recently and our oldest is turning ten this summer and is able to ride some roller coasters that were previously beyond his reach. He was on Apollo's Chariot with some friends of ours and turned around to tell them how awesome the ride had been (they were sitting in the row behind him) not realizing that around that last turn was NOT the end of the ride but rather another huge dip. You should have seen our friends re-enacting his expression as the car began to drop unexpectedly!

These Psalms are the spiritual equivalent of Apollo's Chariot...just when you thought things were calming down! There are times we feel so full of faith that we are ready to try and cast that mountain into the sea (Matthew 21:21). And, there are times when we feel as though we are despairing of life itself (Psalm 22:1 and Matthew 27:45-46)...and sometimes, they are all in the same day!

I would certainly say that such swings should not characterize our lives, meaning that such swings should not define our lives as a fully devoted follower of Christ. But when they come, and any student of Scripture cannot deny that they will, we must have a plan, as David did, even as Jesus did, to settle ourselves.

Psalm 104 is the settler. Immersing ourselves in who He is, what He has done, all that He is capable of, and realizing that He will leverage all the power of heaven for one child, you, me...peace floods our soul, calm is restored, all is well...until the next turn!

Pastor Fred

Psalm 84

verse 10a and 12...

Better a day in Your courts

than a thousand anywhere else...

Lord of Hosts,

happy is the person who trusts in You!

Pastor Fred

Psalm 49

verses 6-7...

They trust in their wealth

and boast of their abundant riches.

Yet these cannot redeem a person

or pay his ransom to God --

Has your ransom been paid? Have you been redeemed? If you have not had your desperation revelation (I am separated from God) and the subsequent desperation revelation (There is nothing I can do of my own ability, my own power to be with Him) then Jesus is waiting for you. Accept His offer, embrace His gift...in my vow of devotion to Him, He becomes my atonement (at one with God), He becomes my redeemer (rescues me)...I am now a child of God, with which all the riches of this world cannot compare, the treasure of belonging to Him.

Pastor Fred

Psalm 44/73/77

These three Psalms are great companions for us when we are having feelings of being abandoned by God. Psalm 44 gives a wonderful, permission giving example to voice our complaint to God, 73 and 77 are a picture of how the sentiment of our heart begins to change as we inevitably find a restoration of hope in His presence, and of what we are to do in the aftermath, give witness!

Psalm 44 are some of the strongest words we find in Scripture of a prayer of complaint towards God, even expressing the feeling that maybe God has forgotten Israel, has become inattentive, even sleeping! If we are feeling this way, the one to whom we should take these feelings is God...He does not want us to be guarded with Him. It is in the freedom and authenticity of our expressions in prayer that we take the first step toward our hope being restored.

In Psalm 73:15 we are admonished to be careful though about venting these emotions to others. If they are people who look to us for leadership, we may be over-burdening them, possibly even spreading our dismay. We must be wise with whom we are emotionally vulnerable. Clearly we need people in our lives to whom we can go to share such sentiments. I love the New Testament example that was first pointed out to me at a Promise Keepers rally years ago during a session on discipleship, that we must have a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy in our lives -- someone as a mentor, someone as a peer, and someone we are in turn mentoring. Our mentors and sometimes our peer are the safe place for us to air our grievances so as not to harm others.

So many people make the mistake of justifying the revelation of their feelings to everyone with no regard to the impact it may have on the recipient. That is selfishness, not honesty. Ephesisans 4:29 lays down the ultimate standard as being whether or not our words are edifying or build up the person with whom we are speaking. People say, "Well it's true isn't it?" Maybe you have said that in defense of yourself. But truth is not the only benchmark for our outbursts. There in that same chapter, Paul admonishes us that we must speak the truth in love. In love also means with the right people! How do we know this, because the context of this statement is made within the explanation of how the family of God is rightly connected to one another.

Psalm 73 and 77 begin to give us some of the wise steps we take to find our hope restored. We need to put ourselves in an environment where we are awakened to His abiding presence. One of Rob Bell's most impactful insights on me came from his book Velvet Elvis. I don't fully endorse every one of his positions but may that never stop us from embracing the wisdom of others where we can! He talks about how our language betrays our beliefs. If we believe that God is everywhere all the time, why are we continually inviting Him and His Spirit into our gatherings...isn't He already here! For me, and our church, we now pray, "God, help us to be awakened to your abiding presence, we know you are here, waiting for us, Holy Spirit, help us to hear Him, see Him, sense Him..." What awakens you? Worship music, reading, a walk in nature...find that place, discover His presence, He is there waiting on you!

Next, the Psalms talk about how we are to reflect, meditate on who we know God to be through the revelation of His Word, the history we have with Him, the testimony of others...remind ourselves just who He is. Why? Because truth trumps circumstances! We see in these Psalms too where we are to praise Him, celebrate Him, recommit our trust in Him. Reflect on where possibly we have been disobedient and reaffirm our covenant vow of devotion to Him.

Then, we are to begin to prophesy over our own circumstances. Remember, the foretelling of the future from a supernatural revelation given to us by God is only one part of prophecy. Prophecy is also declaring God's promises over our future and our present, long before the circumstances of our situations have begun to change.

Finally, we are too begin to share with others our journey, where before we are admonished to be careful with whom we share our pain and doubt. Now however that our pain and doubt have given way to faith and hope...who doesn't need to hear that! Tell your story! Share your journey! It might just be that your journey is just what someone else needed to hear to not give up as they are still stuck in Psalm 44.

Take some time to read these three Psalms and see if you can identify some of the steps noted above as you read and prayerfully reflect on His Word!

Pastor Fred

1 Chronicles 1-9

You life touches every generation that comes after you, what kind of touch will that be?

Pastor Fred

Psalm 8-10, 14, 16, 19, 21

As you read through these Psalms, ask yourself which person you are. Are you the enemy of which someone else speaks? Are you the person who thinks that your disobedience to God will never catch up to you? Are you the one who cannot stop singing God's praises? Are you the one who struggles with doubt? Are you the one celebrating victory over you circumstances? Are you one praying humbly to your God? If we are honest, there is something of all of these in us at times...may it be that we are more often these that follow...

16:11

You reveal the path of life to me;

in Your presence is abundant joy;

in Your right hand are

eternal pleasures.

19:14

May the words of my mouth

and the mediation of my heart

be acceptable to You,

Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Pastor Fred

Psalm 6

⁸ Away from me, all you who do evil,
for the LORD has heard my weeping.

⁹ The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;
the LORD accepts my prayer.

I love these two verses! Have any enemies? If you do, you have probably experienced that often they are not interested in what you have to say which is usually for your good because typically the emotions in our heart are not such that we should be talking to them yet anyway! So what do you do with all the words building up inside you? Get them out in prayer...there is no safer audience than your Father!!

Pastor Fred

2 Samuel 1-4

I have a tendency to forget this portion of Israel's history. I always remember picking up with chapter 5 and David become the king after Saul. This is a great example of why we never stop reading! It also helps us understand how the kingdom united under David so easily fractured with Rehoboam and Jeroboam, so few generations after David. Solomon inherited the throne from his father David and Rehoboam from his father Solomon.

I want to focus in on three deaths that seem to be unfair, unjust. The Amalekite who brought Saul's crown to David, Abner who was killed by Joab, and Rechab & Baanah who found a similar fate in the hand of David as did the Amalekite.

First, it would seem that the Amalekite would have been rewarded by David for recovering the crown and the arm band of Saul which should have been handed to his successor, who we know to be David. In addition, the Amalekite appeared to do Saul a great service so as to keep him from being tortured by the Philistines. But I believe that the Amalekite was an opportunist. He was not not noble. He was not compassionate. This is an important lesson to us that even if we do what is right, we are only credited based on the motivation of our heart. And that the seed of our motivation is what produces a harvest through reciprocity. The Amalekite's death was because he took pleasure in killing the anointed of God to find favor with man and advance his own station in life.

Now Abner. Here he comes in good faith, on a promise from David that no harm would come to him. He had every reason to believe that all of David's agents would be subject to this pledge. Joab knew this would be Abner's assessment and used it to betray him and take revenge for his brother's death, Asahel whom Abner had killed justly on the field of battle. But after Saul's death, Abner took Saul's son, Ish-bosheth, and made him king. But did he do this to honor Saul? No. He did this to set up a kingdom where he could be enriched. In chapter 3, verse 6 we find Abner's true motivation, "...Abner kept acquiring more and more power in the house of Saul." In addition, once Abner and Ish-bosheth were at odds with each other, Abner was readily willing to give his allegiance to David and confessed he knew that David was the rightful king chosen by God. Verse 18 of chapter 3, Abner confesses that the Lord had spoken that David was to be king. Yet, even still, Abner gave his support to Saul's son. He disobeyed the expressed will of God for his own material and influential gain. As Joab's knife sank in, Abner was no innocent.

Finally we have the Beerothite brothers. Note to self, learn from the mis-steps of others...namely an Amalekite, the account of which they would have surely known.

What are your motivations? Even in the good that we do, may our motivations be pure.

Pastor Fred

Psalm 121, 123-125, 128-130

This is a compilation of verses taken from these wonderful Psalms...

I raise my eyes toward the mountains.

Where will my help come from?

My help comes form the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

I lift my eyes to You,

the One enthroned in heaven.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

Those who trust in the Lord are

like Mount Zion.

It cannot be shaken;

it remains forever.

How happy is everyone who fears

the Lord,

who walks in His ways!

Since my youth they have often

attacked me,

but they have not prevailed against me.

I wait for the Lord; I wait,

and put my hope in His word.

Pastor Fred

Psalm 18

Verse six reads,

I called to the Lord in my distress,

and I cried to my God for help.

From His temple He heard my voice,

and my cry to HIm reached His ears.

In that first line, insert Psalms 11, 59, 7, 27, 31, 34, 52, 56, 120, 140-142, 17, 35, 54, and 63 (chronologically referenced) as these are his psalmic prayers of distress that are referenced in verse six.

I wonder sometimes if we would see more results from our prayers if we pursued God in greater earnest as we see here with David as opposed to a flippant, half-hearted expression that resembles a leaking mind more than the stalwart, faith filled prayers of David, prayers that rise to the standard of James 5..."effectual and fervent."

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 31

If you do not use a cross-reference study Bible, invest in one. Cross-references are notes that take certain verses and connect them to similar verse throughout the Bible. One of my favorites is the Thompson Chain Study Bible. In addition, you should develop the discipline of doing your own cross-referencing. When you read a verse that reminds you of another verse or find connection of some sort, make a note in both places that will aid you in referencing it in the future.

Here we find a fantastic one. In this chapter the men of Jabesh-gilead are mentioned. I will continue with some notes taken from New Unger's Bible Dictionary...

It's inhabitants wee severely punished because they did not respond to the call against Benjamin (Judges 21:8-14), every man being put to the sword and 400 virgins being given to the Benjamites. The city survived the loss of its males and is next heard from as being beseiged by Nahash the Ammonite...they appeal to Saul, whose raises a large army and defeated the Ammonites. This service was gratefully remembered...

If you don't have a copy of New Unger's Bible Dictionary, it is a great resource. I would add to their note that we shouldn't forget that Saul is from the tribe of Benjamin and that he had an ancestor who survived the tribe of Benjamin almost being completely obliterated (Judges 20 & 21). This ancestor would have married one of the virgins from Jabesh-gilead so we gain some insight as to why Saul came to their rescue and why they in turn risked themselves to recover his body after his death in the battle described in this chapter.

What do we gain from all this? In Judges 21 we read about a city whose leaders believed that they could remain neutral and not respond to an egregious injustice of their day. Ultimately, their neutrality was their destruction. Here in 1 Samuel 31, we see this same city's men transformed, seeing a cause and embracing their call.

Is there something that you have been avoiding? Is there a situation in a relationship or your community that you know God is asking you to lovingly confront? If you think that by choosing to not engage you are safer, remember the city of Jabesh-gilead.

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 29-30

God is always at work! Even when our circumstances are such that we are being denied something that we desire, remember Paul's words to the church of Rome, "...all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes..."

Here, we see that David was not allowed to enter the battle, one that he most certainly assumed would secure his throne over Israel. But God knew that his family and the families of his men were at risk from the Amalekites, and if David and his men had joined the fight, it is very likely that they would have lost all that was most precious to them.

Remember, even in momentary disappointment, look for God's ultimate good.

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 28

This is a study note out of the Apologetics Study Bible...

Did the medium of Endor really conjure up the dead prophet Samuel? Though scholars disagree on this question, the Bible suggests that she did. The Law of Moses sternly forbids consultation of mediums (Lv 20:27; Dt 18:10-12) but never says that communicating with dead people is impossible. Saul was seemingly able to speak with a figure that not only accurately repeated key themes from Samuel's previous private conversations with Saul, but also correctly predicted the deaths of Saul and his sons. This suggests that the king was indeed speaking with Samuel.

Occult practices are very real, and very dangerous which is why God expressly forbids them. Satan can in fact convey supernatural power and at first it seems as though we have been given a great gift...until we discover that these abilities came at the expense of spiritual bondage. He owns those who have taken from his hand.

If you have partaken in occult practices and have never been delivered from the agreements you either made willfully or naively, find a church that is equipped to walk you through a prayer of deliverance, a church that will often have a ministry operating like Cleansing Stream.

Pastor Fred

Psalm 17/35/54/63

Psalm 35:11-15

Malicious witnesses come forward;

they question me about thins

I do not know.

They repay me evil for good,

making me desolate

Yet when they were sick,

my clothing was sackcloth;

I humbled myself with fasting,

and my prayer was genuine.

I went about grieving as if

for my friend or brother;

I was bowed down with grief,

like one mourning a mother.

But when I stumbled, they gathered

in glee;

they gathered against me...

We find in these Psalms as David is on the run from Saul and those who seek his destruction a beautiful Old Testament precursor to the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus. Did not Jesus proclaim that we should love our enemy? This command is not just about His demand that we turn the other cheek, that we not respond to their provocation, that we not be drawn into a conflict, but also that we not resign to inaction. Jesus taught, and these Psalms did as well since they are all authored by the same Spirit, that we in fact act in response to contentious posturing against us, with love.

Paul exclaims in Romans 12:21 that we are not to be overcome by evil but to overcome evil with good. Notice that the text does not read that we are to avoid being overcome by evil by retreat but rather with a different sort of advance than one would expect, an advance of goodness, active, intentionality that brings a tangible, measurable gracious response.

Often this is confused with allowing ourselves to continue to be a victim. This is not the case. The Holy Spirit will lead us into acts of goodness and graciousness that maintain appropriate boundaries so that we are not vulnerable to the unscrupulousness of others. In addition, this does not mean that we do not pursue justice. Remember, God Himself disciplines those that He loves. Sometimes loving our enemy means holding them accountable for their actions. But there is a vast difference between holding someone accountable with a loving spirit, a gracious heart, a kind countenance and a cathartic pursuit of vengeance. The former seeks the betterment of the offender, the latter the satiation of a sadistic, ungodly desire that takes pleasure in their pain.

What do we do with the feelings that will surely come, especially in the face of egregious offense, feelings that tend to motivate us toward an ungodly response? We do what we do with all else, we bring those feelings to God. When Paul in writing to the church of Philippi exhorted that we should not be anxious about anything but in all things through prayer...he really meant in all things! Sometimes the "all things" are feelings we know are dangerous and the only antidote is expression, expression safely released in the audience of Him. If not, they will take root in our hearts and bear fruit that is unbecoming of a citizen of The Kingdom, a friend of Jesus.

In reading Psalm 17, 35, 54, 63...can you relate to these cries? One of the lessons we are continually working on with our children is that the misstep of someone else is not a permission giving moment for you to respond in kind. May we love our enemy and give our hurt to the only one who truly heals and in doing so, discover the wonder of both the offender and the offended being made whole.

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 25-27

In chapter 25, we find a picture of how people are the benefactor of God's grace unaware. Nabal, his men, his flocks, his possessions were all protected because David and his men were encamped in the area. Thieves, neighboring enemies, even wild animals were deterred from harassing Nabal because Daivd and his men numbered about 600 and had a reputation for being a formidable foe. But Nabal, which means "fool" (who would name their child that!) arrogantly believed his good fortune was his own doing... dangerous.

As we progress into chapter 26, we find the plight of the one who arrogantly dismisses the truth their safety and prosperity is their own doing. Saul, in the very center of his camp, his most trusted generals beside him, and yet David and Ahimelech are standing right next to Saul! God had caused them all to fall into a deep sleep. What a powerful picture of how truly vulnerable we are a part from God.

Then finally, in chapter 27, we find two men showing us how exactly we find ourselves taking the first step out of our utter dependance on Him. In verse 1 the text reads, "David said to himself..." and then in verse 12, "So Achish trusted David, thinking (to himself)..."

May we forever first say to Him, think toward Him...seek Him...and then we will forever be in the grip of His grace!

Pastor Fred

Psalm 56/120/140/141/142

56:10-11, 120:1, 140:13, 141:3-4, 142:5

In God, whose word I praise,

in the Lord, whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

In my distress I called the Lord,

and He answered me...

Surely the righteous will praise Your name,

the upright will live in Your presence.

Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;

keep watch at the door of my lips.

Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing

or wickedly perform reckless acts with

men who commit sin...

I cry to You, Lord;

I say, "You are my shelter,

my portion in the land of the living."

Pastor Fred

Psalm 27, 31, 34

We must never forget the context of time. Many of us are familiar with the concept of context as it relates to hermeneutics, the interpretation of the Bible. We have all heard some claim, "Hey, you are taking that verse out of context." Reading through the Bible in a year with a chronological reading plan, as I am doing this year, brings such rich insight into these life giving, eternal texts!

These Psalms were written as David was hiding out in the caves of Adullam and other various other locations has he stayed on the run from Saul and his agents. This sort of context is deeply instructive to us because we see that David's declarations of faith are not in hind sight. He is still in crisis. The outcome has not yet become history. They are truly expressions of faith...as the writer of Hebrews would one day write, "...the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen."

Psalm 34 is an all-star line up of truth!

"...blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."

"...but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."

"...and His ears are attentive to their cry..."

"...He delivers them from all their troubles..."

"...no one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him."

As well Psalm 27 ends with some of the best advice we can ever remember in times of trouble.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Pastor Fred

Psalm 7

Shiggaion. It is a term that translates "to reel about through drink" meaning emotion that rivals drunkenness. Feeling can be so powerful that it becomes disorienting, our expressions exaggerated, loud, disturbing. This is also found as a description of a prayer in Habakkuk chapter 3.

At our church, we are trying to stop using the term "contemporary" because the more we pour through the Psalms we realize that our style of worship is ancient! The ancients worshipped God with deep, deep feeling. They were expressive, often celebrative, jubilant and yes, if in crisis, shiggaion.

Let your heart be loud toward Him! In both celebration and sorrow, feel!

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 24

We find here a wonderful example of the complexity of people. We see Saul, a conflicted man, a person who I believe genuinely meant every sentiment expressed to David. There is a vast difference between a person who is deceptive, duplicity, insincere and one who is conflicted. Both are a broken existence and leave a wake of destruction behind. Saul loved David but he also loved his throne, his prestige, his power. He was conflicted.

Ultimately, there is only one sentiment that can break both deception and confliction and that is a love for God. Sadly, that is one love Saul had lost...so too he became, lost.

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 23

providence, providence, providence!

1 Samuel 22/Psalm 52

Verse 2 reads, "In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader."

As leaders we must never forget that it is our calling that secures our success and never our resources. Thankfully, for me personally, I cannot relate to David as we are walking with God's best!

Verses 11-23 speak loudly to us, that it is better to perish with our integrity and enter eternity with our character in tact than to prolong this temporal life or try to enrich it with fleeting pleasures resulting in our forever being in jeopardy. If we see the citizens of Nob as the victims here, we mis-read the text. Doeg is truly the one who is accursed in this account.

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 21

Our faithfulness in the present becomes the provision for our future. Verse nine reads, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, is here..."

Slay your giants and store something up for your tomorrows!

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 20/Psalm 11 & 59

In verse 19 of chapter 20, we find the word Ezel, which translates departure. It is hard to "depart" from a fight when we are right, when we are the innocent. But may we remember that sometimes providence asks us to posture in a manner that may appear to the rest of the world as surrender, as cowardice but may we always remember that we trust God's direction, even if it means suffering public shame, always choose destiny, destiny that is possessed only through the guiding hand of providence. David had already been anointed as king. He had the support of the people, the support of the king's son, and the ability to win. Yet, he retreated out of obedience to God. How many times have we postponed our future because we were over committed to the moment?

Psalm 59:17 reads, "To You, my strength, I sing praises, because God is my stronghold - my faithful God."

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 19

May it be unto us, who can resist His presence! And may it be unto us, unlike Saul and his agents, that we would yield to transformation, a life that reflects our proclamation.

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 17-18

In verse 7 we read, "Saul killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands." We must not celebrate one's successes by demeaning the successes of others.

In verse 25, we read something shocking. But before we think we have far progressed from the barbarism of the ancient world, may we ask ourselves how brutal rejection is, how brutal betrayal is, how brutal prejudice is...we have far to go still.

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 16

Here is a great insight from the study notes in the Apologetic Study Bible on verse 14.

Scripture passages such as this seem to indicate that God sometimes behaves in demonic or evil ways (Jdg 9:23; 1 Kg 22:23; Jb 12:16; Ps 18:26; Is 45:7; Ezk 14:9; Mt 6:13; Lk 11:4; 2 Th 2:11). Such passages must be understood within the overall framework of the Bible's teachings about God. Scripture affirms that God is completely righteous...hates evil (Zch 8:17) and never does anything unjust (Rm 9:14). At the same time, God created a universe with built-in rewards and punishments that reinforce divine moral law. For example, when people disregard His moral order and abuse their bodies...they predictably experience health problems. Such problems can be interpreted as warning signs motivating us to give up bad behavior and do what is right.

Saul had lived a life of chronic disobedience to God, and therefore had opened himself to demonic oppression. While it was a form of punishment, because of Saul's disregard for God's moral order, it was also intended to drive him to repent and turn back to the Lord. God, Who is Master of all the created order, will use even demons, against their will, for redemptive purposes.

I would add to this note, remember that Saul's torment resulted in David being invited by Saul into his own court, his successor, unbeknownst to Saul, was training his successor to be king! Come on Lord, He orders the steps of the righteous! We should also remember that Satan himself had a prominent role in the redemption of the world by bringing Jesus to the cross...there is no power that exists that is not subject to His sovereignty!

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 15

"Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look, to obey is better than sacrifice..."

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 14

"Do what is in your heart. You choose. I am right here with you whatever you decide."

There are no greater words a leader can hear. And they are only inspired with the character of a leader like Jonathan whose faith is...

"Come on...Perhaps the Lord will bless us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."

Another lesson for leadership is found in verses 24-26. Rash thinking and impulsive decisions always lead to trouble!

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 13

Although Saul reigned for 42 years, what some historians estimate to be just two years into his reign, his arrogance and lack of regard for God's sacred instructions, he lost his reign as he faced the Amalekites.

This raises the question of why God made him king? As we read further, God even expresses regret in having appointed him (which by the way is a source for a theological perspective called Open Theism which I do not support as I have written before, God's expression of regret does not give question to His foreknowledge but rather speaks to His passion, even in knowing, He still emotionally responds as if He did not, a deep, deep heart, a heart we should expect in divinity) as king.

I believe because God is seldom meeting the need of today but rather propelling history forward toward the culmination of His grand plan, a New Heaven and a New Earth where we will live with Him forever. We must not lose site of the eternal in understanding the temporal. Saul met a momentary need Israel had for courage, so they would not perish at the hands of their enemy who was committed to their destruction. This nation was destined to survive, as Paul says of his own ethnic origin, in Romans 3:2, "entrusted with the oracles of God." The Words of God needed to be preserved for each successive generation. An not only so, but to also give the Universe our blessed Savior!

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 12

Verse 15 tells us why David refused to dishonor Saul in any way, even when Saul did not deserve deference. The diatribe that so many Christians enter into with politics always disturbs me. Where is the respect for those in authority, not because they necessarily deserve it but because God allowed their ascension to power for a reason. When we disrespect them, we curse ourselves.

Too, in verse 23, we are reminded of James 4:17, that for the person who knows to do good and doesn't do it, it is a sin. I believe this is one the signs of spiritual growth, that our sins shift more and more out of the commissive category and into the omissive category.

So let us ask ourselves, to what sin do we need to give our attention to today?

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 10 - 11

In both of these chapters, we find a phrase that states the Spirit of God "took control" of Saul. We must remember that the Bible must be understood in light of itself. Meaning, that one interpretation of one verse cannot be held in contradiction to another verse. This means we have the wrong interpretation. I always loved those precious arguments with each of my children as they began to dress themselves. "Hey, your shoes are on the wrong feet." They would inevitably say, "No they are not." They had yet to recognize the blatantly obvious cues to mis-fitted shoes. We must not continue to fail to recognize the blatantly obvious cues of mis-fitted interpretations, the first of which is a contradictory verse elsewhere.

In 1 Corinthians 14:32-33, Paul exhorts the Corinthian church that the spirit of the prophet is always in the control of the prophet. So the next time someone says they couldn't help their outburst because they were in the grip, control of the Holy Spirit and reference 1 Samuel 10 and 11, lovingly take them to 1 Corinthians 14:32-33. This phrase "took control" I believe means that the Spirit of God was the dominant influence of their will, with no competing allegiances. So often our competing allegiance wins which is "what will people think of me" or "God has never used me in this way before" or "I'm not worthy of such a supernatural encounter" and etc.

Come one, let's be in His grip, for Him to take control of us, to be the most dominant influence on our will...but never out of control as that satisfies both texts!

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 9

Here we read that Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. Stop and re-read Judges 20:47...only 600 men survived the battle, almost an entire tribe obliterated, so many genealogies ended, yet not Saul's, providence! When you read verse 21 of 1 Samuel 9, we understand why he said this of his tribe, it truly was the least, because of its history of treachery that had almost resulted in its abolition.

There is something else to be gleaned in this chapter. Listen to the description of Saul: "He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man. There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else." This gives us insight into why Samuel had so much reluctance when following God's lead in choosing a successor to Saul among Jesse's sons. He was looking for another "Saul" in physical stature.

We must remember that while God's timeless truths do not change, His methodology often does. Not understanding the difference between doctrine and methodology will lead to either legalism or permissiveness.

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 8

What's wrong with these fathers?! Neither Eli nor Samuel succeeded in transferring their deference and love for God to their sons! For shame! May none of us be guilty of this sin. If find Samuel's farewell speech somewhat distasteful because he failed in his most sacred ministry, his ministry to his family.

May it be that at the end of our days, our greatest legacy will the passion in the hearts of our children for God.

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 4-7

We must not confuse the Ark of the Covenant with a talisman, which is an object that possesses magic powers with the assumption being that those powers are conveyed to whomever possesses the object.

The Ark of the Covenant conveys no power to a person or a nation but rather the covenant in ones heart with God, of which the Ark was a symbol is where the power presides. The Israelites found courage in facing insurmountable odds when the Ark was in the camp, not because of magical powers but because they were reminded of the covenant they had made with God and that covenantal relationship was the motivation behind God interceding supernaturally on their behalf.

In this portion of the text, we see they lost the battle in spite of the presence of the Ark. Why? Because they had broken covenant with God. No covenant, no favor, no power.

Nor was Samuel's prophetic abilities hindered by the Ark's absence during all its years at Abinadab's house. Why, because it was Samuel's covenant with God that mattered. Did David want the Ark back from Abinadab's house when he became king? Absolutely. Did it matter? Absolutely. Why? Not because it was a talisman but because it was a reminder to the people that they were in a covenantal relationship with God. It was their wedding ring. My ring has no power a part from my promise but my ring reminds me of my promise and it is in our promises that we are well postured for the favor of those with whom we covenant.

Are you keeping your promises? To your wife, your children, your calling, your God?

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 3

Are you telling your children that of all the things they have to wait for in life, privileges that only age brings, knowing the voice of God is NOT one of them?

Pastor Fred

1 Samuel 1-2

This is a striking contrast between Hannah and Eli's sons. It is better to suffer with less and remain righteous than to satisfy our appetites at the expense of God's ways and our right standing with Him. Hannah kept her promise, gave up Samuel, with no guarantee that should would ever have another child, but ended up with 5 children ultimately! While Eli's sons lacked for nothing but ultimately perished and even more, forfeited their family's cherished priestly privileges.

If ever violating what we know to be right seems expedient, do not be fooled, never reach for immediate gain, righteousness always pays a higher dividend, even unto eternity.

Pastor Fred

Judges 20-21

The thread in this story that speaks to me is the sacredness of vows. I fear that we use God's grace permissively, against the Apostle Paul's stringent warning (Romans 6:15). Marriage, taxes, business contracts, financial commitments, even our promises of devotion to Jesus are all vows that should not be so easily forsaken. May we as a society recover a collective consciousness that cherishes the sacredness of vows, the blessing of a vow kept and the cursing of one broken.

Pastor Fred

Judges 19

In Judges 17:6, we read that everyone did what seemed right in their own eyes, or as another translations renders, whatever he wanted. This chapter, 19, reveals to us the nauseating vulgarity of a life with no regard for God and His ways. We might say, I would never do anything so repulsive. But what we forget, is that the most humanly palatable moment of disobedience is to God as repulsive as Judges 19. Of that which we are dismissive, still condemned Jesus to the cross.

Pastor Fred

Judges 17-18

In chapter 17, we see God giving ministers a direct warning to never let their need for support to compromise their calling to speak to people about sin. We also see a warning to the church to not just employee a minister who will accommodate their sin.

Chapter 18 continues with warnings to both the minister and the church. To clergy, to be wary of the temptation to improve their vocational position and forsake their calling to certain a church in a certain city. Meaning, clergy should not move from church to church, from town to town as if the ministry is a career for the purpose of advancement. Clergy is a calling, not a career. By the same token, a church should not be so quick to rob a sister church their leadership simply to benefit their own house, insensitive to the leadership void left behind. When either disregard calling for selfish motivation, they should not be surprised that suffering soon follows...we cannot out run reciprocity!

I also want to point out a connection with these texts with Revelation 7:4-8. Here in Revelation, we see a listing of tribes represented in heaven, but both Dan and Ephraim are missing. We find why in regards to Dan here, they abandoned God's ways, embracing idolatry, forsaking Him. Is this a reference to Dan's sin causing them to loose their salvation or the loss of their place of honor within heaven? I will leave that to wiser theologians, but for me, I do not want to risk either!

Pastor Fred

Judges 16

Why would he tell her? Doesn't his willingness to reveal his secret to her, after she has clearly demonstrated that she is going to betray him, look like complete insanity? Yes, until we see Samson's true sin. I believe Samson revealed his secret because he did not believe his secret held the power of his strength any longer. I believe he told her because he did not believe he was taking any risk at all. I believe Samson was guilty of an egregious sin, the sin of self-reliance. Samson had come to believe that he was his own source of strength, the very sin that cast Lucifer out of the heavens. Samson was not surprised that Delilah had schemed to have him captured; he was surprised that he had actually lost his strength.

We all live a life between the pillars ultimately, it is just a matter of which pillars they will be. In the end, we see Samson between two pillars (Judges 16:29). I believe this is a prophetic reference to the two pillars between which he was supposed to be living, the two he had forsaken. I say prophetic because the two pillars of which I speak had not yet been built. In 1 Kings 7:21 we read that God instructed Solomon to place two massive pillars at the top of the temple steps, named Jachin and Boaz. "He will establish" and "In Him is strength" respectively. Interesting parallel isn't it given Samson's anointing, as a judge, to establish Israel with strength. Samson forgot the "He" and "Him" of his calling, an utter dependence upon God.

Which pillars are you between? Just as we read in Joshua 8:34 and Joshua 24:14-15, so too we must choose. Life or death, blessing or cursing, which pillars, which path, which life?

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, Jachin and Boaz, He will establish, In Him is strength. We will wait upon the Lord!

Pastor Fred