Month: May 2015

Distressing Spirit

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1 Samuel 16:14

“But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.“

1 Samuel 16:16
“Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”

The word distressing that describes Saul’s condition could also be translated as bad, evil, sad, or even as being in a state of misery. The writer wants us to understand that King Saul was being plagued by his emotions. The chapters leading up to this reveal that the cause of Saul’s condition was his disobedience to the Lord. Pride, self will, and fear of man, have been the driving forces behind Saul’s actions, and he is now reaping the consequences of a life lived contrary to the ways of God. In an attempt to be helpful, his friends gave him some very bad advice. They suggested that whenever he started to feel bad, he should distract himself with music. This remedy might have helped Saul feel better, but it in no way cured what actually ailed him. What Saul really needed to do was change his behavior, not his radio station. 


Saul is not alone in being plagued by guilt, fear, discouragement, or depression, caused by bad behavior. Sadly, we often receive the same counsel Saul received; we are encouraged to change just about everything, except the behaviors that are actually causing the problem. Often, the only cure from being plagued by a distressing spirit is repentance. 


Acts 3:19

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”


It was the kindness and mercy of God that allowed Saul to suffer with a distressing spirit. It was designed as a wakeup call to turn the king back to following the Lord. Instead of allowing his condition to lead to repentance, Saul sought distractions. Sadly, this resulted in his never coming out of the condition in which we find him. As the story continues to unfold in the life of the king, things will grow increasing worse. 


Not all bad emotions are caused by bad behavior, but the ones that are, can only be cured by turning to the Lord and away from the actions that are displeasing to Him. 


Pastor Jim 

  




True Fools

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Psalm 14:1 
“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

A modern dictionary defines a fool as, “someone who lacks judgment,” or “a deranged person lacking in common powers of understanding.” As a form of illustration, this sentence was used: “You would be a fool to believe what he tells you.” Often, the Christian is portrayed as a fool, and sometimes, belief in God is treated as folly. More commonly, believing God is looked at as foolishness.

When the Christian is facing a trial and chooses to cling to the unshakeable promises of God, instead of the shifting sand of modern science, he is treated like a fool. Or, when determining how to handle a relationship, the child of God clings to the teaching of Scripture, rather than the immorality of the day, he finds that he is looked at as a simpleton or a prude. It has become common place for the one who trusts in the living God to be thought of as the fool.

The Psalmist is giving us a totally different look at folly. He declares it is not the one who believes in, or follows after God, who is the fool, but the one who doesn’t. Essentially, the Psalmist is declaring it is folly not to believe in God. Why is a person being foolish not to believe God? It is foolish not to believe God because He has clearly revealed Himself to man.

Paul wrote, “Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them” (Romans 1:19). In other words, our own conscience speaks to us of God. We know within ourselves, there is more to life than what we see. The scientific mind can find abundant empirical data to support Paul’s claims. All over the world, and throughout time, man has been driven to look up, realizing there is something bigger than himself; he raises his hands in worship. Not all of this worship is appropriate, or even directed at the true God, but it is evidence of man’s need for worship, because he has been created to cry out to God. Not only has God revealed Himself in man, He has also revealed Himself to man.

The Psalmist sang out; “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalm 19:1

All around us, we see nature speaks to us of God. While science can explain many things about creation, it goes against the basic framework of science to think of design without a designer, or creation without a creator. When looking at the majesty of the sunset, or the miracle of child-birth, the heart of man calls out to worship. Because of what he sees around him, he knows that there must be a God. I heard a man recently declare, “I don’t know if I believe in God, but on that day when I saw the beauty of the ocean waves, I knew there must be something.” God has not left us to guess at who He is and what He is like. While creation calls our hearts to worship, the Word of God tells us who and how. To remove all confusion, God has given His eternal Word. If you are having trouble believing God, don’t be the fool who ignores God, be the one who looks into the pages of God’s Word, to find out what God is really like.

Allow me to share one final thought. It is also foolish not to believe God because of the benefits of believing. The Bible declares that eternal life is given to the one who believes that God sent His Son to redeem man. That, and that alone, is the way to prepare for death. The Bible also declares, the one who believes in the Son of God will see his life transformed as he follows God. Again, empirical data supports these claims. History is filled with people who have put their faith in Christ and found Him to be true to His promises. We don’t have to go far to find these examples; we all know people whose lives were transformed once they began to follow Christ. Instead of taking someone else’s word for it, why not look up, call out to God, then look into the pages of His Word and let Him prove Himself to you.

Pastor Jim

Psalm 14

  1. There are a lot of places we can go to find definitions. This verse contains God’s definition of a fool. How is the fool defined?
  2. Why is it folly to not believe in God?
  3. Why is it folly to say “there is no God”?
  4. Verses 2-3 are heaven’s estimation of humanity. After reading those verses explain why all people need a savior.

 

 

Sing To The Lord 

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Psalms 13:6

“I will sing to the Lord,

Because He has dealt bountifully with me.”


As this psalm begins to unfold, we find David facing some pretty difficult times. He describes himself as feeling forgotten and being overcome by sorrow. Without giving details, he describes his enemy as threatening to prevail against him. Yet, in all this, he wrote of singing to the Lord. It is the song of triumph that will often lead to release from despondency. Instead of waiting for circumstances to change, David determined to worship in the midst of trial. As he took his eyes off his suffering and fixed them on the grace of God, he soon found himself rejoicing rather than complaining. 


Whatever we are facing, we have to choose whether we will focus on the difficulty or on the Lord. When we keep our eyes on the problem, it seems to only grow and it won’t be long before we feel as though it will surely do us in. When we choose to focus on the goodness of God and His faithfulness, we will find ourselves overcome with hope, faith, and even a sense of expectancy. We learn to trust that He will not only carry us through our trying time,  but will accomplish his purposes in the midst of it all. 


Whatever you are facing, take some time to look up and worship God. If you cannot think of anything worthy of worship, how about looking at the cross, where the Son of God paid the ultimate price to save us from the punishment of sin.


Pastor Jim 

  

It Happened One Day 

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1 Samuel 14:1
“Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, ‘Come, let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.’”

There is no doubt, while all of the Bible is inspire by God and “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (Titus 3:16), there are certain passages that stand out to us. They seem to strike a chord in our lives, or present a truth that is so profound, it will transform our living. This is one of those passages. The scene is set in the previous chapter. The Philistines had been oppressing Israel for years. The weak, scattered tribes of Israel were no match for the immense army of the Philistines. They had been defeated time and time again by the Philistine raiders. All weapons had been confiscated from Israel, leaving them incapable of mustering a resistance against the Philistine lords. With all his effort, the best Saul could do was muster a six hundred man standing army that was no match for the enemy.

This is the backdrop when we are introduced to one of the greatest stories ever told. It’s underlying truth withstands the test of time, and is as powerful today, as it was then. Jonathan, the son of the king, and his armor bearer boldly step out, confident in the ability of God, and lead Israel to victory. There are a few key lessons we can draw from their story.

“It happened one day…” the significance of this day was not that it started differently than any other day. The enemy still lurked in the distance, the armies of Israel remained weak and scattered, and the sun rose as it did every day. What made this day different, is that Jonathan chose, on this day, to trust the Lord and step into service. If we are waiting for the colors of the sunrise to change, or our circumstance to alter, before we step into service of the Lord, we will find ourselves waiting forever. On an ordinary day, their world was forever changed.

1 Samuel 14:6
“For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”

Confident, not in himself, but in the Lord, Jonathan trusted in the promises of God. He was willing to look at the circumstances he faced, in light of the Lord. Suddenly, the innumerable army of Philistia, paled in comparison to the great power of the true and living God. That kind of triumphant confidence does not remain alone for long. Immediately, his armor bearer joined Jonathan in this bold crusade, and before the days end, thousands in Israel were battling at their side. Confidence in the promises of God, and the boldness to step out in faith, will always be accompanied by others who want to be a part of the work of God.

Too often, we are waiting for something dramatic to change in life before we will step out and serve the Lord. In other cases, we are waiting for someone else to go, when all the while, God desires that we would trust His Word, and go forth in faith. Perhaps today is the day that God wants to use you to impact your family, friends, co-workers or acquaintances for the kingdom of God.

Pastor Jim

 

Good Or Bad

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1 Samuel 15:9

“But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.”

In many ways, the Old Testament serves as a picture book to illustrate New Testament principles. That is not to say  the events recorded are not factual, but that they were designed to bring out Biblical principles in living color. The story of Saul and his battle to defeat the Amalekites unfolds like a motion picture, illustrating the battle we face with our own flesh. It does not take long for every Christian to realize, we struggle to resist some of the things that God has forbidden. Overcoming the ungodly desires within us is the daily struggle of the believer, and the story before us helps to unveil one of the secrets to success.


Saul was instructed to destroy all that was plundered when the armies defeated Amalek. Instead, we read that Saul kept “the best” and “that which was good”, even though God had rejected all of it. Saul is doing what we often do, he is using his own standard of good and bad, rather than allowing the word of God to set the standard for him. When we begin to redefine sin, it will not be long before we are making compromises and justifying our ungodly behavior. The secret to success in the struggle with the flesh is to recognize what God forbids, and to stay away from it. 


Sadly, the end of Saul’s story is a tragic one. His compromises will ultimately lead to his death and that of his son Jonathan. In the end, it will be an Amalekite who will take Saul’s life. What he refused to remove ultimately cost him greatly. 


Take a quick inventory and see if there is anything in your life that needs to be removed. If so, don’t wait another day, lay it before the Lord and ask for His power to help you never pick it up again. 


Pastor Jim 

Help! 

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Psalm 12:1

“Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases!

For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.”

 

Have you ever been in a situation where you were forced to cry for help? A good friend of mine told me a story of a time when he was cutting tree branches to make some extra cash. He leaned his extension ladder against the tree, climbed to the top, reached up and cut a large branch. As soon as the branch was cut, the tree shifted and the ladder fell. Reacting quickly, he was able to grab another limb to keep himself from falling. However, he found himself hanging twenty five feet above the earth’s surface. Knowing he would not be able to remain there for long, he began to cry out for help. Sadly, no one could hear him and after his arm strength gave out, he was forced to let go and fall to the ground. Fortunately, he was not seriously hurt. 

 

This Psalm is David’s cry for help. He is not hanging from a tree branch or going under for the third time. His cry for help is due to the fact that godliness seems to be on the decline. His nation is filled with people who are claiming to be followers of God. They keep the Sabbath, bring offerings to the Temple and even sing the Psalms, but their lives remain unchanged. Things have not changed so much since David’s day. People remain very religious. Every Sunday morning churches across our nation fill with with people who sing songs, give offerings, and remain unchanged. 

 

How about you? Has your Christianity changed your living? Since you began walking with Jesus, have you changed the way you treat your spouse, your children, your parents, you neighbors and your co-workers? Or do you just enjoy a good sermon and some contemporary worship music? When I look around, my heart cries out like David’s because, although church attendance may be on the rise, it seems that the godly men are decreasing.

 

Let’s determine today to be those who not only profess faith in Christ, but live it. 

 

Pastor Jim 

Psalm 12

  1. As we grow we learn that sticks and stones don’t hurt nearly as much as unkind words. How did the loose tongue seem to affect David? How is it affecting you?
  2. In contrast, how does He describe the Word of God?
  3. Take a few moments to write your own praise of the Word of God.

 

  

 

 

Compelled 

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1 Samuel 13:12

“Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”


As the second year of king Saul’s reign began to unfold, the nation of Israel was in trouble. The Philistines who occupied the southwest portion of the land were seeking to expand their territories by defeating Israel. When Saul’s army saw the Philistines approaching, they began to hide in caves, and many deserted. It did not take long before his three thousand soldiers were reduced to six hundred men. Understandably, Saul was overcome by emotion.
Unfortunately, he let his emotions make his decisions for him, and these decisions would prove to be very costly.

Saul decided that what he and the people needed to do was to offer a sacrifice to God. While this might sound like a good and even noble idea, it was actually a form of disobedience, since sacrifices could only be offered by the priesthood. Saul was showing his impatience, lack of trust, and his unwillingness to submit to the word of God. The driving force behind this decision was his own emotions.


“Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”


I wonder how many times our emotions have compelled us to do something the Bible forbids? Emotions cannot be the driving force behind our decision making process. Feelings must always be governed by a higher law. When we feel unloved, we must allow the Bible to remind us of the great love God has for us. When we feel tempted, we must allow the word of God to guard us against falling into forbidden actions. When we feel upset at another person, we must let the Scriptures guide our actions and show us the proper way to behave, and to resolve conflict. 


Whatever you might be feeling, keep in mind that feelings come and go, but the principles found in God’s word are unchanging, and will prove to be a reliable roadmap through the journeys of life. 


Pastor Jim 




  

It Stands To Reason 

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1 Samuel 12:7
“Now therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did to you and your fathers . . .”

After a great battle in which the men of Jabesh Gilead were rescued from certain destruction, the nation of Israel gathered in Gilgal to inaugurate Saul as their king. As part of the process, Samuel the prophet, now an aged man, stood before the people to persuade them to continue to follow the Lord. To influence their decision, he did not seek to stir their emotions, but to incite their reason. He suggests that it is reasonable to believe in, follow after, and serve the Lord.

Webster defines reasonable as, “not extreme or excessive”, or as the use of “sound judgment.” Some words synonymous with reasonable are – rational, logical and sensible. Essentially, Samuel is suggesting the most reasonable thing a person can do is trust in, and follow after, the Lord. We might go a step further and say it is unreasonable not to do so.

Using a telescope to examine the vastness of the universe, or a microscope to uncover the intricate details of nature, it is unreasonable to conclude that such design could exist without a designer. Looking at the words of Christ and His impact upon humanity, it is unreasonable to conclude that He is anything but “other worldly”. Looking at the lives of those who have surrendered to Christ and been transformed by Him, it is unreasonable to conclude He will not do the same for you, if you surrender your life to Him. Looking at His love, mercy, grace and righteous acts, it is unreasonable to do anything short of offering yourself to Him, as a living sacrifice.

Romans 12:1
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

As you consider Christ, use your intellect, consider Him, His Words and His ways. Take the time today to look at the promises of Christ and determine to give your all to Him.

Pastor Jim

 

Trust

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Psalms 9:10
“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

A few years back I was teaching in a Bible school in Ghana on the subject of trust. I invited one of the students to come forward and asked him to put his arms at his side, close his eyes, and face the class. He had no difficulty doing what I asked until I added, “now remain stiff as a board and fall backwards.” He immediately opened his eyes, turned around, and looked at me as if to say, “No way!” I assured him that I would catch him, and asked him to face the class again. I counted to three and told him to fall back. To his credit, he tried, but once he began to lean, he stepped back to catch himself. The remaining students erupted in laughter as their friend was afraid to fall back.

The simple fact was, he did not trust me. He did not believe I was able to catch him when he fell. He was not my first victim in this twisted experiment. I had done it many times before with my children. They would close their eyes and fall back without hesitation. There were even times when they stood on a table and fell back. They looked forward to the opportunity to entrust their lives into the hands of Dad. Why would my children trust me and this young man be so frightened?

I believe the simple answer is, my children know me a whole lot better than he. David is declaring that same truth here, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You.” Trust is something that grows out of relationship. The longer you walk with God, the more you get to know Him, the more you know Him, the easier it becomes to trust Him. If you are having a difficult time trusting the Lord in your current circumstances, the key is to spend time getting to know God better.

Paul wrote. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

In other words, our faith in God will grow as a result of reading about Him. The Word of God is filled with examples of people who are facing trials much too big for them to handle; yet they find God is completely trustworthy. We read of God parting the seas, providing water from rocks, knocking down walls, defeating giants, curing diseases, and even raising the dead. God has not changed, He is still in the business of providing aid to those who trust Him. If He was able to calm the seas with a word, don’t you think He is able to deliver you from the trial you are facing? Instead of cursing or questioning God, perhaps it would be better to follow the example of David and seek Him.

“For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” After all, David knew what it was to face difficulty. We are told this Psalm was sung to the tune of “The Death of a Son.” I cannot imagine a trial greater than that, yet,even then, God proves that He will catch us when we fall.

Pastor Jim

 

Selective Service

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1 Samuel 10:6
“Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.”

Saul was first chosen by God, then equipped for service. This seems to be a pattern. Saul, along with Moses, Jeremiah, and Peter, all resisted the idea of being selected for service by God. Their objections stemmed from a realization of their own shortcomings. What they failed to realize, was God would equip them for whatever He called them to do.

We often have the same objections. We size ourselves up, and limit the ways God can use us. Then we sense a stirring from the Lord to serve in a capacity in which we have no gifting or experience. Right away we begin to come up with the excuses. “I can’t do that, I am not a …”

It is so important to remember what God did with Saul. After selecting him, God poured His Spirit on Saul and “turned (him) into another man.” Saul, before the call of God, was definitely not qualified for the task. However, after the call, Saul was equipped with everything he would ever need.

Whatever God calls us to, He equips us for. Don’t resist the call of God out of fear of failure. Instead, trust in the power of God to transform and use you.

Pastor Jim