God Remains Faithful

I may have shared this one but it’s so good I decided to share it again!

• May. 11th, 2012 at 6:09 PM

 

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011]

The only thing that can abort God’s wonderful purpose for you is the sin of
stubborn pride. We see this in the life of King Saul.

Scripture tells us that God’s Spirit was on this man from the day the prophet
Samuel saw him coming down the road. God had called Saul and He was using him,
but something in Saul was emerging quickly — an arrogant pride. Saul would
not confess or admit his sin. Instead, he blamed others to justify his actions.
He was more concerned with keeping up appearances than with what God thought of
him.

Beloved, the difference between David and Saul was pride. Think about it. David
sinned as grievously as Saul did — Saul never killed another woman’s husband
— but David quickly repented of his sin. When Nathan pointed out his grievous
act, David didn’t justify it. Rather, he immediately cried out, “God, don’t take
Your Holy Spirit from me! All I want is to please You. I know I have failed You
but please forgive me. Cleanse my heart.” (See 2 Samuel 12:13 and Psalm 51.)

When Saul was caught in sin, however, he grabbed hold of Samuel’s skirt and
cried, “Don’t take my kingdom from me. Please stand with me so I won’t look
bad in front of my people.” (Read 1 Samuel 15:22-35.) Saul was more
interested in what the people thought about him than in having grieved the Holy
Spirit.

Beloved, it is pride — a haughty, immovable spirit — that brings men down.
A broken heart, a contrite spirit, captures the heart of the Lord. It does not
matter what you have been through or how you have failed God. If you run to Him
and weep it all out after you have failed, He will stand with you. He always
stands with those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

We all fail the Lord; no one in His church is perfect. Yet every time we are
unfaithful to Him, He remains faithful to us.

Holy Desperation

By Carter Conlon


You and I are living in what I call “an hour of holy desperation.”

Our society is degenerating very rapidly, and horrific crimes are occurring so
often that we are becoming dulled to it all. The abnormal is becoming normal;
evil is becoming good. As you look around perhaps you wonder, “How do I fit
into this moment in time? What can God do through my life? And if He is going
to do something, why is it that my prayers, that I know are according to His
Word, have not yet been answered?”

To help address some of these questions, let’s look at another time in
history when a desperate hour came upon a nation. The book of First Samuel
speaks of a season when there was no clear word or vision. The priesthood that
was supposed to represent God was instead deeply compromised (see 1 Samuel
2:22-24, 3:1). God’s character, purpose, and mind were hidden from the
people, leaving them without answers to the questions in their hearts: “What
is happening in our society? Where are we going?”

This situation was very similar to the day in which we live when it seems as if
the presence of God—His power and provision that we have known throughout our
history—is suddenly gone. It appears that the enemies of God now have the
upper hand, dictating to us when we can pray, what we can teach our children,
what is right and what is wrong. As a result, a deep cry is beginning to form
in the hearts of the people.

Psalm 107 speaks of these seasons of holy desperation that recurred throughout
history. The psalmist describes a people who were wandering, hungry, fainting
and held captive. It was a time marked by a foolish handling of the truth of
God. Yet it is in these very moments of desperation that the general population
begins to cry out to God, as is beginning in our day. There is a cry rising in
this generation—a cry not necessarily heard by the natural ear, but God hears
it. It is like the time He came to Moses and said, “I have heard the cry of
the people and I have come down to deliver them” (see Exodus 3:7-8). In other
words, I have heard their groans of hopelessness. Today the Lord hears the cries
of those whose dreams have been shattered, of parents whose children have gone
astray, of those who ask, “What happened to us?”

“I have surely seen the affliction of my people . . . and have heard their
cry” (Exodus 3:7).

 

Carter Conlon joined the pastoral staff of Times Square Church in 1994 at the
invitation of the founding pastor, David Wilkerson, and was appointed Senior
Pastor in 2001. A strong, compassionate leader, he is a frequent speaker at the
Expect Church Leadership Conferences conducted by World Challenge throughout the
world.
 



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I Will Fix My Eyes On You!

B

King Jehoshaphat on a 17th century painting by unknown artist in the choir of Sankta Maria kyrka in Åhus, Sweden. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

y David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011]

After Samuel anointed Saul as king, he escorted him to the edge of the city and
said, “Stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God” (1
Samuel 9:27). Imagine! Israel‘s king was commanded to stand still rather than
act.

Samuel was saying, “Saul, I have just anointed you, and already your mind is
racing. You’re thinking, ‘What is God doing? How can I know His voice, His
will?’ Stop striving, Saul! Do you want to hear from God? Then stand still and
listen and I will give you God’s word.”

This perfectly illustrates the principle I want to emphasize here: The word of
the Lord — the voice of direction and deliverance — is given to those who
stand still before God.

Judah was being invaded by a coalition of mighty armies and Scripture says that
King Jehoshaphat “feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a
fast throughout all Judah” (2 Chronicles 20:3).

The people began to pray, “In thine hand is there not power and might, so
that none is able to withstand thee? . . . For we have no might against this
great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes
are upon thee” (verses 6, 12).

Once again, we see that there is nothing wrong with being afraid. God is
longsuffering toward us, and He does not hold our fear against us. In fact, we
are to pray the same prayer that Jehoshaphat prayed: “Lord, I’m frightened! The
enemy is coming in like a flood, and I don’t know what to do. But I know that
You have all power and might, so I will do nothing, Lord, except pray. I will
fix my eyes on You.”

The Spirit commanded: “Be not afraid nor dismayed . . . for the battle is not
yours, but God’s. . . . Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set
yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you” (verses
15-17).

The phrase set yourself means “take your position; do not waver in this
matter.” In other words: “Take a position of faith. Be convinced that it is the
Lord’s battle to fight — not yours!”

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God Remains Faithful

David and Saul. Stained glass, Paris, 15th century (some 13th century elements used again). From the Sainte-Chapelle of Paris, opening B (Kings). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011]

The only thing that can abort God’s wonderful purpose for you is the sin of
stubborn pride. We see this in the life of King Saul.

Scripture tells us that God’s Spirit was on this man from the day the prophet
Samuel saw him coming down the road. God had called Saul and He was using him,
but something in Saul was emerging quickly — an arrogant pride. Saul would
not confess or admit his sin. Instead, he blamed others to justify his actions.
He was more concerned with keeping up appearances than with what God thought of
him.

Beloved, the difference between David and Saul was pride. Think about it. David
sinned as grievously as Saul did — Saul never killed another woman’s husband
— but David quickly repented of his sin. When Nathan pointed out his grievous
act, David didn’t justify it. Rather, he immediately cried out, “God, don’t take
Your Holy Spirit from me! All I want is to please You. I know I have failed You
but please forgive me. Cleanse my heart.” (See 2 Samuel 12:13 and Psalm 51.)

When Saul was caught in sin, however, he grabbed hold of Samuel’s skirt and
cried, “Don’t take my kingdom from me. Please stand with me so I won’t look
bad in front of my people.” (Read 1 Samuel 15:22-35.) Saul was more
interested in what the people thought about him than in having grieved the Holy
Spirit.

Beloved, it is pride — a haughty, immovable spirit — that brings men down.
A broken heart, a contrite spirit, captures the heart of the Lord. It does not
matter what you have been through or how you have failed God. If you run to Him
and weep it all out after you have failed, He will stand with you. He always
stands with those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

We all fail the Lord; no one in His church is perfect. Yet every time we are
unfaithful to Him, He remains faithful to us.

Simply Obey

Today God Is First By Os Hillman

“But Naaman went away angry and said, ‘I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy'” (2 Kings 5:11-12).

Naaman was an army general who needed healing from Leprosy. A young servant girl of the king’s house suggested that the prophet Elisha could heal him. He followed her advice and Elisha sent a message to him to do the following: “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed” (2 Kings 5:10). However, when the instruction came as to what he was to do, it seemed ridiculous to him.

Like many of us, Naaman expected God to perform his miracle through Elisha in a dramatic and “religious” way. Sometimes we fail to recognize that God can work through a simple act of obedience that seems unrelated to the problem. God told Joshua to walk around Jericho seven times to win the battle. He told a man to put mud on his eyes to be healed. He told Peter to catch a fish to get a coin to pay his taxes.

There are other times God calls us to use the natural to receive a breakthrough. Sometimes we simply need to change our diet or go see a doctor to see a breakthrough in our health. Sometimes we need to change the way we are doing our work to get a breakthrough in our careers.

Samuel the prophet told King Saul that obedience is better than sacrifice. Learning to listen to the Lord and following His instruction is the key to success in God. Sometimes God chooses the dramatic and sometimes He chooses the ordinary. In either case, both are miracles because God is the God over all creation.

Ask Him what steps you are to take for your breakthrough.

When Insecurity Turn Evil

Image by Matt N Charlotte via Flickr

Today God Is First By Os Hillman

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.Romans 12:15

Saul was the King of Israel. David was in Saul’s army and beginning to build a reputation as a great warrior. One day when David came back from a battle, the women danced and sang: ” ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’ ” (1 Sam. 18:7).

Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” (1 Samuel 18:8)

This statement caused something to snap in King Saul. From this point on, Saul was never the leader God intended him to be. He allowed insecurity to drive his every decision. Insecurity leads to the need to control people and circumstances. The need to control leads to anger once we realize we are unable to control the circumstance. King Saul could not accept, much less rejoice, over David’s success. David’s life would never be the same, because Saul sought to kill David every chance he had. Saul had a choice; he could have seen David as an up-and-coming general in his army who could have become an important part of his team and made the kingdom of Israel even stronger. Instead, he looked at him as a threat. When you hear good news about fellow workers or associates, do you rejoice with them? If you find yourself comparing your life’s circumstances to others and don’t feel you measure up, recognize that this is one of satan’s greatest ploys to destroy you.

Christ has given you all things in Him. He has a unique plan for you that cannot be compared to another. He alone is your security. Trust in the purposes He has for your life. And remember, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus“ (Phil. 4:19 KJV).

The Need to Control

Image by Achara42 via Flickr

The Need to Control
TGIF Today God Is First By Os Hillman
Monday, October 03 2011

“You acted foolishly,” Samuel said…. 1 Samuel 13:13

The prophet Samuel had anointed Saul the first king of Israel. Saul was now 30 years old and was leading the nation in battle against the Philistines. The Philistines had gathered at Micmash to come against Saul and his army. The Lord was directing Saul through the prophet Samuel. Samuel instructed Saul to go ahead of him to Micmash, and he would follow in seven days. He would then offer a burnt offering on behalf of the people of Israel.

The pressure began to build as the Philistines gathered around Micmash preparing for battle. The people of Israel grew fearful and began to scatter throughout the countryside. Saul was also afraid. Samuel did not show up on the morning of the seventh day. Finally, Saul, fearing the impending attack, took it upon himself to offer the burnt offering. After he had done this, Samuel showed up.

…”You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command” (1 Samuel 13:13-14).

Saul believed he needed to take control of the situation. Whenever we try to take control of a situation out of God’s will, we demonstrate that we are led by fear. Many a boss is so driven by fear that he attempts to manage by over controlling his people. This results in codependent relationships in which the employees are fearful of making the wrong decisions, and are driven to please the manager at all costs. This results in loss of respect for the manager. Many times the employees make poor choices just to please their manager; as a result, resentment begins to build among the employees due to the manager’s over control.

Do you see any signs of over control in how you relate to others? Can you allow others the freedom to fail? Do you find yourself changing directions in midstream when you see something you don’t like? Are you fearful of failure? These are all symptoms of a Saul-control spirit. Pray that God will allow you to walk in the freedom of trusting in Him and those around you.

The Patient Path

1 SAMUEL 24:3-7; 26:8-11 

Do you desire God’s best for your life? Unfortunately, many people miss out on blessings because they are unwilling to wait for His timing. Scripture encourages believers to be patient.

David was a good example of this virtue when he chose not to use violence to take the throne that he knew would eventually be his. King Saul had become envious of the shepherd’s ability, anointing, and possible future royalty, so he planned to murder the young man. Twice, during this time of pursuit, David had been in arm’s reach of Saul, easily able to kill his pursuer. But in both instances, he chose to wait for God’s timing. He was unwilling to take matters into his own hands, even though ending Saul’s life would have provided much relief.

Thankfully, David was patient. Notice the attributes that allowed him to wait for the Lord’s timing. First, he had strong faith and believed that God would gain victory in the right time and with the right method. Second, he had the correct values; killing a king would violate his conscience. Third, discernment helped him realize that assassination would mean stepping out of God’s will. Fourth, strength played a role in this decision. How difficult it must have been to resist taking the action that would result in freedom and possible royalty.

Patience is refined in trying times, when you’re frustrated with the waiting and tempted to act outside of God’s will. Always seek His wisdom, and follow the instruction you receive. Remember that “those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength” (Isa. 40:31).

Dr. Charles Stanley

Walking in The Anointing

Image by pixelsandpaper via Flickr

 Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman

“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power….” 1 Samuel 16:13

Has the Spirit of the Lord rested on your life? Can you cite the time when God‘s Spirit began demonstrating His power through you?

David knew the day the Spirit of the Lord began a special work in him. That Spirit was different from most leaders. Instead of seeking power and control, he led in response to a need. Instead of being a perfect person, he learned from mistakes and acknowledged them among those he led. Instead of placing confidence in his own abilities, he sought wisdom from the only real Commander in charge. David never lost a battle through his many years of leading Israel. He failed God by sinning with Bathsheba and by numbering the troops, but he learned from those failures, and he had to pay a price for them. However, God’s Spirit never left David. He never left because of David’s willingness to keep a soft heart toward God, even when he failed.

God wants to do the same in you and me, but He will not allow that Spirit to rest on us if we seek to control outcomes and manipulate out of our need for power. Servant leaders know that they are only a tool in the Master‘s hand. They do not value themselves more than they ought. David’s heart was fully the Lord’s. Is your heart fully the Lord’s to do with what He wills?

Becoming a Mighty Man

Image via Wikipedia

Today God Is First  By Os Hillman

“All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.”– 1 Samuel 22:2

Have you ever felt that you could accomplish a whole lot more if you had more talented people around you? Perhaps you are in an office and think that some of your fellow workers don’t quite measure up. Imagine what David must have thought in the years following his anointing by the prophet Samuel as the next king of Israel. He spent the next many years running from King Saul. Now God was beginning to bring men to support David. But what kind of men? The down-and-out. God gave David not the elite or the sophisticated; He gave him those who were in debt and discontented with life. David turned those men into the best fighting men of their day. In fact, David never lost a battle during his entire reign as king of Israel-quite a feat for a bunch of no-name, lowlifes! Some of those men became an elite group known as David’s Mighty Men. These were the elite of the elite, the Navy Seals, the Few Good Men, the Green Berets. Whatever you call them, they were exceptional warriors.

Jesus took a few men who weren’t exactly the cream of the crop either. He built His life into these men, which resulted in 12 men who turned the world upside down. Are you one of God’s mighty men or women? Are you investing your life to build other mighty men or women? David and Jesus set the example of what can be done when we invest in others. God does extraordinary things through men who have an extraordinary God. Ask God to use your life to be a mighty man or woman for a cause greater than yourself. He delights in such prayers.