A Picture of Hell

# 233 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. Saul, having rejected God as evidenced by his persistent disobedience, is now rejected by God. The Holy Spirit which had been given to Saul by God, is now removed. What a frightening experience for Saul. All the good things we talked about yesterday, yes and even more are all removed. No longer able to outwit the enemy, no more protection from affliction, no more obstacles for the enemy to overcome, he now has free access to Saul. But even then, the enemy is only allowed to go as far as God allows. The enemy is never allowed to supplant the eventual good and perfect will of the Lord. Later on we will hear of Saul's lament over this departure of the Holy Spirit when he says in 1Sa 28:15b, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams.” It is a terrible thing to be cut off from the living God! And the distressing spirit that came upon Saul from the devil absolutely terrified him. No wonder David pleaded with God after he was caught in sin with Bathsheeba, Ps 51:11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. This section of Scripture serves as a grave warning to all who will hear. All who reject God in this life, will be rejected by God in the next. Jesus said in Lu 9:26, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.” The terror of Saul caused by the lack of anything good and the absence of God, will be owned for eternity for those who reject His Son. Ps 73:19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. Therefore repent! Come back to Jesus and be spared the terrors of hell.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

# 232 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 16:12,13, “So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!" 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. (1 Sam 16:12,13) He was ruddy. That's a term you don't hear very often. It basically means he was a redhead. This was a big day for the shepherd boy. It was the day the Holy Spirit came upon him to equip him for the tasks that lay before Him. I don't care what you believe about when the Holy Spirit arrived in your life....it's a big day for you too. Because you too become equipped for the tasks that lay before you as a member of the Body of Christ. Listen to what the Holy Spirit says about this day in Ps 89:20-24, “ I have found My servant David; With My holy oil I have anointed him, 21 With whom My hand shall be established; Also My arm shall strengthen him. 22 The enemy shall not outwit him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. 23 I will beat down his foes before his face, And plague those who hate him. 24 "But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, And in My name his horn shall be exalted. God promises strength through the Holy Spirit. He promises guile to outwit the enemy who comes at us with his weapons of doubt, accusations, and lies. He promises protection from affliction, (the devil can only afflict as far as God allows) God will let His Holy Spirit filled people experience victory over the devil, and set up obstacles in the enemies attacks. (Oh if we could but see the spiritual battles that God takes up on our behalf! Thank You Jesus!) The Holy Spirit brings God's faithfulness and mercy and strength with Him. What more do we need? This same Holy Spirit desires to work in all believers. Thank God for this wonderful gift! Don't grieve Him! Work with Him, don't neglect Him. Foster your relationship with Him through hearing and doing the Word of God.

Not One Will Be Missing

# 231 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 16:8-11, “So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these." 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all the young men here?" Then he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here." (1 Sam 16:8-11) Jesse had eight boys. It was only natural for him to leave the youngest at home to watch the sheep while he and the rest of the boys went to the sacrifice. Samuel's instructions from God was to anoint one of Jesse's children to be the new king of Israel, but lo and behold none of the first seven are chosen by God. So Samuel asks, “Are all the young men here?” And the implication of Jesse's answer is that the one left behind would probably not be a candidate for kingship. I can't help but think of Jesus' words, “but many who are first will be last, and the last first.” The true meaning of this statement, is that many who appear to be first in line for the kingdom, will actually be excluded because all they cared about was looking good on the outside. Meanwhile the humble, quiet servant of the Lord with a true heart will be the one included. And Samuel says, go get him, we will not sit down at this feast until he is present!” Oh what good news! When the Lord comes again to take His humble servants to heaven, not one will be missing. Not one who perseveres in the faith till the end will be excluded. This is one of the great messages of the Book of Revelation! In the end, the Lamb standing on Mt Zion with the 144,000. This number symbolically represents the complete church, with the Father's name written on their foreheads. None will be missing! “Blessed are those who (like David) are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” (Rev 19:9) God has called and is calling you? How will you respond?

Beware of Hypocrisy

# 230 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 16:6, 7 “So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him." 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Sam 16:6,7) Samuel evidently has clued Jesse in on God's plan to anoint one of his sons as the new king of Israel and Jesse begins to parade his sons before Samuel. He starts with his eldest son Eliab. Samuel is immediately smitten by his looks and stature. He definitely looked like king material. But wait a minute Samuel. Haven't you learned either? Saul was chosen as king because of his great physical characteristics and look how that turned out! God, immediately corrects Samuel's line of thinking and reminds him that God looks at the heart of a man, not at outward appearances. Don't miss the truth found in God's correction of Samuel, because it is just as true today as it was back then. “Man looks at the outward appearance,” It's what we do. It's what sells magazines and cars and everything else in this world....outward appearance. It even sells false Christianity. So easily duped by outward appearances, Aren't you glad that we're not in charge on Judgment Day. God is! He sees the true condition of a man's heart, and the hypocrite, who has counted on his outward show of religion will be found wanting, and will be weeded out. This truth was brought home in the parable of the wheat and the tares. While growing, he two plants are virtually indistinguishable, but God sees, He knows the difference between the two, and the tares, (the hypocrites) will be gathered by the angels on the Last Day and tossed into the fire. This is why it is vital that we continually examine our own motives in connection to the Body of Christ. Is looking good more important to us than being real? The answer to that question will go a long way in determining the condition of our own heart.

Calming Your Fears

# 229 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 16:4 So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" 5 And he said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice. I find it interesting that the first question the people ask Samuel is “Do you come peaceably?” The response to that question quells two separate fears. First of all the fear of the people concerning Samuel's visit. A prophet didn't usually pop in at Bethlehem and the elders feared that they had done something to raise the ire of God. Samuel immediately calms their fears when he answers, “Peaceably I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” Secondly that answer ought to ring a bell with Samuel because the Lord had told him that when people asked him what he was up to, he was to tell them, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” The very question of the elders, gives opportunity to Samuel to calm his fears. God is in this all the way because the answer is word for word as God said it would be! Samuel has nothing to fear from Saul, the Lord is with him! Take this and run with it my friend, for it proves again, that nothing that happens to you today is going to catch God by surprise. God is on top of your situation. He is not up in heaven wringing His hands in worry over what may befall you today. And remember this: Ro 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The same God who walked ahead of Samuel with His love, walks ahead of you. He calmed Samuel's fears and the fears of the people, allow Him to calm your fears as well.

One Thing At A Time

# 228 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 16:2 And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' 3 "Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you." I mentioned last time that Samuel was likely in the midst of a personal pity party and look at his first response to God's charge to snap out of it and go to Bethlehem to anoint a new king. He reaches into his excuse bag. If that isn't typical, I don't know what is. We don't like to leave our pity parties do we? I love the Lord's response to Samuel. He doesn't say, “aw don't worry, He won't kill you.” No, He makes no such promise. He just gives him some preliminary instructions, some steps to take to show God that he is all in. But even in these instructions we find the promise that God will be with Samuel until he gets the job done. “you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.” So, here are God's simple instructions to Samuel. Go to Bethlehem, take a heifer with you. If anyone asks what you are up to, just say you are going to sacrifice to the Lord. When you get to Bethlehem be sure to invite Jesse and his family to the sacrifice. If I'm Samuel. I'm asking, “Then what?” But there is no, then what. Only a “do these things, and then I will tell you what.” Samuel, was a man of faith, and a man of faith doesn't need the whole story to act. A man of faith knows that all he needs to do is to take care of what God puts on his plate at the moment, one thing at a time. God will take care of the results and provide further instructions when necessary. This is a good thing to know and a great way to live. The Levite and the priest left the man in the ditch because they had other things on their plate, and they missed the morsel that God had placed before them. The Good Samaritan didn't. Look for those little morsels of opportunities to be obedient in your life today, and then take them.

A Holy Slap In the Head

# 227 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 16:1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons." God delivers a mild rebuke to Samuel, who had returned to Ramah and spent his time mourning for Saul, and running a school for prophets. This school was given an off-hand mention in 1Sa 19:19 Now it was told Saul, saying, "Take note, David is at Naioth in Ramah!" 20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. You, know, it seems like Samuel was having a little bit of a pity party. I recognize the symptoms far too well. First of all the people had rejected Samuel's leadership when they demanded a king, then the king the people wanted turned out to be a real dud. Samuel probably had enough, and cloistered himself away from the world, concentrating on raising up men of God. Of and by itself, that's not a bad idea, but with the inauguration of the first king, the duty of Samuel to anoint another was inescapable. It's time for Samuel to give up on the pity party and get on with the business of anointing a new king. Thanks for the holy slap to the head God! “Now Samuel, fill your horn with oil, be filled with the Holy Spirit and leave the walls of the church, I have a job for you!” Samuel's job was to anoint a new king! Go, and get on with it! Are you in the midst of a pity party right now. Things haven't gone the way you would like and now you have pulled away, cloistering yourself away from interaction with the church? With the world? How long will you mourn? Receive this holy slap in the head, fill your horn with oil and follow where the Lord will lead you. Pity parties are downward spirals to dead ends! Breakout! Rediscover joy as you do the Lord's bidding.

Your Soul Matters To God

# 226 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel. (1 Sam 15:34,35) For the second time in this chapter we read of the Lord's regret over making Saul king of Israel, and Samuel's mourning as well. (See 1Sa 15:11) This repetition should cause us to consider the importance of this event. This is a somber moment in heaven itself as God sighs deeply over the lost condition of Saul. The word “repent” here means “to sigh deeply.” I think we've all heard that sigh at one time or another, it is usually associated with extreme disappointment over something we did or didn't do, and is a precursor of action that must be regrettably taken by someone in authority over us. God does not take glee over the death of the wicked but “that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?' (Ezek 33:11) Just as there is great glee in heaven over every sinner who repents, so there is also great sorrow over those who don't. Your soul matters to God! As God sighs over what He must do to the unrepentant Saul, Samuel also mourns and I am reminded of the tears that Jesus shed over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41-44, “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 "For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 "and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation." Jesus weeps over the lost! Your soul matters to God! Repent! Turn to Jesus and live!

Abel's Blood For Vengeance Cries Out From the Ground

# 225 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:33 “But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. (1 Sam 15:33) This is an example of justice being rendered. As the sword of Agag made women childless, so now his mother was being made childless by the sword. But let's not get caught up in the method of the sentence carried out against Agag, but rather let us consider the obvious. To say that God does not take kindly to the killing of children and the spilling of innocent blood would be an understatement. We learn of His disdain for the slaughter of innocents early on in the book of Genesis when Cain slew his brother Abel: Ge 4:10 And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. Later in De 12:31, He warns the people against the practice of child sacrifice, calling it an abomination, "You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.” And in Pr 6:16 we read, “These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. Many in the church are tired of hearing about this issue and have put it on the back burner. I caution against this since it made the list of things that God hates! We must talk about it! God has not changed His mind about the sanctity of life. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He hates the killing of innocents! We must all confess this national sin, begging God's mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. The blood of over 55 million unborn child cries out to the Lord for vengeance, how much longer will He wait before He brings judgment to the land?

Pray For the Abortionist

# 224 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD. 32 Then Samuel said, "Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me." So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." 33 But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. (1 Sam 15:31-33) What's going on here? First Samuel tells Saul he won't return with him (v26) and now he does indeed return with him. Samuel has pronounced an irrevocable judgment against Saul. The kingdom will be stripped away from him, but it has not been stripped away yet, the new king David) has not been anointed. So Samuel returns with Saul for the sake of the people. Saul is still their king. But Samuel also has some unfinished business to take care of with King Agag. Since Saul failed to do his duty in this regard Samuel would now take care of it. King Agag is not happy to see Samuel and he approaches him as if walking on eggs, and says in effect, “Let's let bygones be bygones.”. But Samuel says, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." and he hacked Agag to pieces. This seems unnecessarily brutal to you and I, but it was done for effect, that you and I might know the horrific judgment of hell that awaits the unrepentant. Samuel is a type of Christ and when Jesus returns He will deal with the unrepentant, casting their souls to hell, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth forever! I can't help but think about the abortionist here. Those who today, engage in making women childless by the sword. I have no idea of what their final judgment will be, but the picture of Agag given to us here is very frightening. Pray for those involved in the killing industry of abortion. Unless they repent, their end is gruesome to say the least, and remember there is no sin, that Jesus did not pay for on Calvary and He promises forgiveness and eternal life to all who come to Him with a contrite heart. Come to Jesus. He forgives and heals.

God-pleasers Rather Than Man-pleasers

# 223 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:30 Then he said, "I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God." (1 Sam 15:30) Saul's use of the word “yet” makes his confession of sin ring hollow. He was not so much concerned with God's honor as he was with his own. Oh that we would love God so much that all our actions and words would be aimed at receiving the praises of God, rather than the praises of men. Listen to the words of Jesus in Joh 5:44 "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? And in Joh 12:43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. I confess that I love hearing the praises of men. I think we all have a part in us that yearns for recognition and affirmation from our fellow human beings. The problem, according to these verses is when we get so enamored with seeking our own honor we neglect to seek the honor that comes from God. Or when we love the praise of men, more than the praise of God. There ought to be a yearning in our heart to hear the words of Mt 25:21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' It's not that our stewardship of God's grace earns our salvation, it's just a simple matter of demonstrating our love toward God in grateful appreciation for what He has done for us. Therefore we seek to honor Him by the way we speak and live. The problem we often run into is that which pleases God does not please our fellow man. The Apostle Paul ran into this problem as he sought to preach the gospel. His message was not always well received, but he said in Ga 1:10, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” Father, help us to seek to be God-pleasers, rather than man-pleasers.

Like A Navigational Star

# 222 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:27 And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 "And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent." ( 1 Sam 15:27-29) Saul in a final act of desperation seeks to keep Samuel by his side by grabbing his robe, but the robe rips. Samuel uses the ripping of his robe as an object lesson for Saul. Today was the last straw for Saul, and his kingship has been torn away from him and given to another. Saul of course would continue as king for a while, but God was telling him that the day was coming just as sure as He is the Strength of Israel. Nothing could stop it. His decision was final, irrevocable. The Strength of Israel is an interesting term, and commentators have come up with all sorts of definitions. It comes from a Hebrew word for glitter, and thus many define this Strength as Glory. Zodhiates defines it as a goal, splendor, glory. I like to think of it as a constant bright light in the distance which one shoots for as a destination. The goal, the glory doesn't move, it remains firm constant, like a navigational star. Just as the truth of God's Word is constant and helps us navigate through life. Never forget this truth speaking strength of God. It is vital to your hope! Listen to what the Scriptures say: Nu 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Eze 24:14 I, the LORD, have spoken it; It shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not hold back, Nor will I spare, Nor will I relent; Tit 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, God's Word is certain, and through trust in His Word, which speaks of salvation through faith in Jesus, you can be certain of a bodily resurrection and eternal life.

The Wrong Road of Nicey Nicey

# 221 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 "Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD." 26 But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." At first glance, Saul's confession of sin seems more than adequate, but is it? Notice how he blames the people for his actions. True confession, doesn't seek arguments to justify our sins. When David was confronted by Nathan with his sin concerning Bathsheeba, he didn't use excuses. He simply said, ”I have sinned against the Lord.” Saul then asks Samuel to return with him. This is the equivalent of saying, “let the people see that you are still hanging out with me, that way I will still look good in the eyes of the people.” But Samuel says, “I will not hang out with you! I will not give the impression that all is well, when it isn't.” The Lord has rejected you because you reject His Word!” This episode in Samuel serves as a reminder to the church today, to practice proper church discipline with those who reject God's Word. We are not to let unrepentant sinners hang out in the congregation. It sends the message that all is well when it really isn't, and if you truly love that person, then you will seek to confront them using the principles found in Mt 18, praying for their restoration and reconciliation. This is a painful process to be sure, but a responsibility that Jesus has given to His church. He said in Joh 20:23 "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." Samuel was informing Saul, that his sins were being retained, because he lacked true repentance. The question is, do we have enough love for the Body of Christ and our erring brother to do the same? Or will we continue down the road of nicey nicey that leads uncorrected sinners to hell?

Peer Pressure

# 220 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:24 “Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.” (1 Sam 15:24) Saul has just been informed that God is stripping him of his kingship and in desperation he makes a confession of his sin. He agrees that he did not follow God's orders to utterly destroy the Amalekites. But his confession seems a little tainted as he tries to divert the blame to the people. We are often guilty of the same thing aren't we? We fear what others may think of us and join in with their sin rather than obey the voice of God. We fail to take a stand in the face of injustice. We fail to confront sin in our midst, because people may think we are prudish or intolerant. Our silence in these matters puts our stamp of approval on them. And as we read in Ro 1:32, “who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” The Bible has much to say about this matter of what we call “peer pressure.” Ex 23:2 "You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; Pr 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe. Isa 51:12 "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass? Saul's problem, and often ours, is misplaced fear. We fear man more than we fear God. Jesus sought to set us straight in this matter in Lu 12:5 "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

Running Out On God

# 219 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." Samuel has named the sins of Saul. Rebellion, that desire to be your own authority, to pick and choose what you will believe and obey. Rebellion that is likened to witchcraft, a capital offense. Stubbornness, that persistent refusal to obey God, which is like iniquity, (panting after sin) and idolatry (panting after other gods) Now Samuel spells out the justice associated with his crime. Because Saul rejected the word of the Lord, God has rejected Saul as king. The word rejected means to melt, to run out as candle wax or lava. Because Saul ran out on God's Word, God would now run out on Saul. What a scary thought. Yet one we should pay very close attention to. 2Ti 2:12 says, “If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.” To reign with Christ is to be a God-appointed king, but if we deny Him, He will deny us on that Last Day, and our kingship will be revoked. This incident with Saul is akin to what Jesus said in Mr 8:38, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." Ashamed of what? Jesus and His Words. How we approach the Word of God really matters. Joh 12:48 says, "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. Saul had a cafeteria style of Christianity. Stubbornly picking and choosing what he chose to believe and obey and it cost him his kingship. Isn't it time you and I got serious about God's Word? Isn't it time we earnestly asked God the Holy Spirit to rise up in us so that we would pant after God and His Word, rather than sin and idols?

Human Woodpeckers

# 217 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." We've talked about rebellion, now let's talk about the idea of stubbornness being as iniquity and idolatry. The word “stubbornness” in the Hebrew, means “to peck.” My first reaction to that is....what? What has pecking got to do with stubbornness? Let's see what Merriam Webster has to say about this. To be stubborn is to be “perversely unyielding” Ah, now we are getting somewhere. Not just unyielding, but perversely unyielding. That definition ties into the concept of iniquity very nicely. Observe the birds, whether they are pecking on the ground for food, or the woodpecker incessantly tapping on a tree, they are relentless. They peck until they find what they want. This is the story of those who refuse to yield to God. They are persistently disobedient, and to stubbornly continue to seek their own way is iniquity and idolatry. What about iniquity? Iniquity is defined as “panting to exert oneself to sin.” When we are being stubborn, we will wear ourselves out seeking justification for feeding our fleshly nature. We will peck here and peck there seeking gratification and security in anything and everything other than God. These anythings and everythings are idols. Oh beloved, do you see how silly we must look to God? Human woodpeckers and birds looking for seeds and gnats to satisfy our soul, when the God of the universe wants to fill us with Himself. Ac 17:28 says, "for in Him we live and move and have our being,” this is where true fulfillment comes from. Quit your stubbornness and yield to Him today.

Still Want To Pick and Choose What You Will Believe and Obey

# 217 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:23a For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft," (1 Sam 15:23a) The Holy Spirit likens the sin of rebellion (picking and choosing what you will obey and believe from Scripture) to witchcraft. This sin of witchcraft was an abomination in the sight of the Lord and those who practiced the black arts were to be put to death. Le 20:27 says, “A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.'" And in Ex 22:18 we read, "You shall not permit a sorceress to live.” And in Dt 18:10,11, “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 "or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. The penalty for practicing these things was death. Now please, before you run out to pick up some stones, remember things have changed in the New Testament. Never forget the words of Jesus to those who were about to stone the woman caught in the act of adultery (another capital offense) "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." (John 8:7b) Jesus will do the final judging of sinners, not you or I. Our job is to warn and (when necessary) put biblical church discipline into practice. Remember too that these things in the Old Testament were written for us to serve as examples or types, and this stoning was a type or an example of the end of those who practice the black arts. Stoning served as a picture of God's eternal punishment for unrepentant sinners. In the end, it is God who will do the stoning, not you or I. Re 16:21 says, “and great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.” With that and mind, is it really wise for us to “pick and choose what we will do and believe in Scripture?

In the Service of Demons

# 216 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:23a For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,” (1 Sam 15:23a) Last time, we defined the sin of rebellion as resisting authority to the point of wanting to be your own authority. The Holy Spirit likens this sin of rebellion to witchcraft. The biblical commentator Paul Kretzmann calls witchcraft “the service of demons in any form.” We better let that sink in a little. When you and I determine what is right and wrong, we are in reality serving demons! What does the Bible say about this sin of witchcraft? De 18:9-12 "When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10 "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 "or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 "For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you.” Witchcraft is an abomination. It, and all these other things are detestable in the sight of God. Sacrificing children (abortion) an abomination. Engaging in or practicing any of the black arts, an abomination. Ouija boards, seances, physic hotlines, horoscopes...all of these things put you in the service of demons. Oh come on Duane, what harm is there in reading your horoscope? Well, let me ask you this, “Who is behind that horoscope? Who is behind those tarot cards? Who's really on the other end of the hotline? It's the demons telling you what you want to hear, and isn't that exactly what we do when we set ourselves up as the ruling authority in our own lives? We read the Scriptures through the lens of picking and choosing what we want to believe and obey. No wonder the Holy Spirit calls the sin of rebellion witchcraft! It's the same thing! The solution? Same for all sins. Confess them, take them to the cross, receive God's forgiveness, and turn from them.

The Sin of Rebellion

# 216 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." (1 Sam 15:23) This is one of those passages that I feel is useful to break down into language you and I can understand. Words like, “witchcraft, iniquity, and idolatry,” are often passed over when we read scripture. We read them, they register in our brain, but we don't consider what they mean to us in our own day and age. The sins of Saul cost him dearly and it would be wise for us to learn from them, and if we are guilty of them, then we must confess them as sin, and flee from them. The first sin mentioned is rebellion. What is rebellion? Simply stated it is resisting authority to the point of wanting to be your own authority. It is the audacity of a anyone making themselves out to be God. This was the sin of Satan. He wanted to be his own authority. It was the temptation he placed before Eve in Ge 3:5 "you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Which is another way of saying, “you will determine what is right and what is wrong. You will be the authority.”) It was the prevailing sin of the people in the book of Judges where, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Ju 21:25) and the Holy Spirit warned us in 2Ti 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” Beware the sin of rebellion beloved. Beware of cafeteria Christianity, where you pick and choose what you will obey and what you will believe. You are a rebel. Beware of using excuses like Saul did, “others are doing it,” or “I'm not all that bad,” Every act of willful disobedience is an act of rebellion against God. The solution? Take your rebellion to the cross! Confess your sins, turn from them immediately and purpose in your heart to yield to the authority of God and His Word in all things.

Second Fiddle To Obedience

# 215 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:22 Then Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. (1 Sam 15:22) Samuel asks Saul a rhetorical question to which the answer is no. The Lord does not have as great of delight in a worship service as he does in children who obey and heed. You may have the finest pipe organ, the grandest liturgy, the most amazing choir, a phenomenal soloist, a worship team that seems to usher you into the very presence of the Lord week after week after week, but as good as all that stuff may be, it always plays second fiddle to obedience. In this day and age where people seem to be searching different churches to find the greatest worship experience, perhaps we should let this passage sink in. If you have found a church with a great worship experience, congratulations, you have found a church with the second best thing. The real question is how are you and your church doing with obedience. Which is the higher priority? Worship or a desire to be compliant to God's Word? Oh come on Duane, that's legalism! That's Christianity with nothing but rules. Well, it may seem like that, and it certainly can turn into that if one is not careful. But let's be clear here. The kind of obedience that God seeks is the kind that flows from grace and gratitude from what He has done for us through Jesus Christ. It is not obedience to earn salvation, but rather obedience from thankfulness for salvation. We love Him because He first loved us, and Jesus said if we love Him we will keep His commandments, that is, we will treasure them, and if we treasure them, we will desire to obey them. Living a life that says “Lord, Lord, is more important than just saying “Lord, Lord.”

A Testimony Against Hypocrites

# 214 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:22 Then Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. (1 Sam 15:22) Every time I read this passage I think of one of Keith Green's songs called “To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice” Here are the lyrics: To obey is better than sacrifice, I don't need your money, I want your life And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon, But you act like I'll never return Well you speak of grace and my love so sweet How you thrive on milk, but reject My meat And I can't help weeping of how it will be If you keep on ignoring My words Well you pray to prosper and succeed But your flesh is something I just can't feed To obey is better than sacrifice I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights Cause if you can't come to Me every day Then don't bother coming at all To obey is better than sacrifice I want hearts of fire Not your prayers of ice And I'm coming quickly To give back to you According to what you have done According to what you have done According to what you have done.” Keith was never one to mince words.....and neither is the Lord. This passage from Samuel can be simply restated as follows: “Doing church is good, but obeying My words is better.” Some people make a mistake and say, “I don't need to “do church,” I just need to be obedient.” But read the passage carefully. The Lord has great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifice (doing church) but He just happens to delight even more in obedience. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water! This passage is not a testimony against organized religion, rather it is a testimony against hypocrites. Sadly, there will always be hypocrites in church, but to allow a hypocrite to keep you away from something the Lord delights in and commands, (“not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together) (Heb 10:25) makes you just as big a hypocrite of the ones you despise in church.

He Bought A Mirror

# 213 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:20,210 And Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 "But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal." (1 Sam15:20,21) Call it self-deceit, or self-justification, the fact is, it's something we all have to struggle with. Saul truly believes he has done what the Lord asked of him. First he says, “I went on the mission didn't I? I brought back proof of my total victory in the person of King Agag didn't I? As far as the livestock goes, well that was the people not me, and there intention was to offer it up to God as a sacrifice. What's wrong with that?” So full of excuses, yet God's command still stands, “utterly destroy them.” Anything less is disobedience, and the presence of Agag and the animals serve as witnesses against Saul. Saul wanted to be known as a great king. He wanted that more than He wanted to serve God. It's why he built a monument to himself after his victory over the Amalekites, and it's why he carried King Agag around like a trophy. And by the way, great kings always swooped down on the spoil don't they? Yes, in his own eyes, Saul would be like all the other great kings. I heard a spot on the radio the other day where a man was shopping for a god that would work for him. After discarding several different feel good gods offered by the clerk he finally settled on the god he would serve. He bought a mirror. De 10:12 says, "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” This is the God we must love and serve, and we can't do that when we yield to self-deceit to justify our disobedience.