Year: 2017

Time Budgetting

What is more valuable – our time or our money?

Most of us would agree that time is more valuable than money, right?

But how many of us – even of those who actively budget our money – actually budget our time and evaluate on a regular basis where our time is being spent?

I’m not saying this to condemn you for not doing this in the past. No, what I’m encouraging you to consider is whether or not there might be some benefit in have a budget and a plan for where your focus and attention should be. Most of us know that an active set of guidelines to reign in our desires when it comes to our money is valuable. Doesn’t it seem like an occassional budget review, assessment, and planning for our time would also be helpful?

Now before we get started, I’m not advocating that you steal all of the joy at your life by placing yourself behind prison walls of a schedule that you must keep without wavering. No, what I’m suggesting is a guideline that helps you:

1. Get the most out of your time
2. Align your “spend” with your actual “values”
3. Identify areas where you aren’t investing adequately
4. Identify changes over time that may indicate a new direction you are headed in life

I’m going to show you my basic time budget for the last 3 years.

This was my “Time Budget” for much of 2015:

This was my “Time Budget” for much of 2016:

And this is my current “Time Budget” for 2017:

And to give you an idea of how I use this budget to evaluate the effective use of my time, here is how I currently have my time budget totalled out based on this calendar:

For the actual totals at the bottom:

I consider that YELLOW (which is about my personal relationship with God) is the sum of the YELLOW items (praying, studying, etc on my own) plus the RED (ministering and outreach to others with the Word of God) plus the PURPLE (which is ministry that we do as a family). This is because if I am sharing, I should always be seeking to learn with and through others – not feel like I’m the one bringing what is holy to a bunch of dogs that have nothing to offer me – that would be foolish and prideful. I must remain teachable and in relationship with the LORD. For me, I would say that YELLOW is the most important, because if I am not “IN CHRIST”, if I am not “WALKING IN SPIRIT”, if I am not “ANNOINTED and OVERFLOWING” myself, what good am I going to be to anyone else? And if I say this is the most important thing, shouldn’t my time “spent” prove this out? So I examine myself to see if my life aligns with my claims or needs adjustment.

GOD gets 45.25 hours in my time budget

I consider BLUE as the next most important (investment in my family), because the Word of God tells me that if I forsake my family then I am worse than an unbeliever. For the total in blue, I consider dedicated family time (BLUE) along with time spent doing ministry together as a family (PURPLE).

My Family gets 43 hours in my time budget

My next target is RED, which is outreach to others with the Word of God, with the Good News of the Gospel. I say that this is extremely important to me, so I also want to examine myself to see if my “spent” time demonstrates my claims. The RED items are ministry that I do without my family, but the PURPLE items are family ministry which also count for the same purpose.

Outreach and Service gets 30.5 hours in my time budget

And for now, I have to work to provide the monetary resources necessary to accomplish all of these things, because I have never accepted payment or gift in return for preaching, teaching, or evangelism in the past because I didn’t want any hinderance or question to exist about why I do these things. Not because I care what man might think about me myself – but so that there is one less hinderance/excuse that a man might use to ignore the truth that I share. So as a necessary funding of the above three, I have a full time job that provides for me to spend time with God, that provides resources to sustain my family, and that provides the means for us to reach out, help and serve those in the community of faith and those in need.

An investment of 40 hours finanically supports the priorities in my time budget

You might ask, “What good does all of this do?”

Well, first off, it helps me identify any idle time that has been wasted. Idle time can just be idle and not profitable, or it can lead us into things that are dangerous like temptation, etc. With a time budget, I don’t allow myself room to get caught up in awkward situations. My wife doesn’t have to wonder what I’m up to – she knows my schedule, knows where I am, how to reach me, etc. She also recognizes the value and purpose of my time, so there aren’t a lot of squabbles about what I am or am not doing to contribute, etc. If there is a time need, we figure out a way to budget for it, and boom – no more arguments.

Secondly, it offers me accountability to see if what I’m saying is important to me really is important to me. For example, right now, I’ve been looking at my current time budget and realizing that I don’t have dedicated, one on one time blocked out for me and my wife. I have Saturday mornings carved out for my daughter, but nothing dedicated to my wife. Knowing that Biblically, my wife is supposed to be closer to me than my daughter or I risk spoiling and ruining my child and damaging the strength of my marriage and household – I can see that this is something that I need to talk with my wife and us work together to make sure there is an appropriate focus in that area. Just a little bit of adjustment now can prevent a lot of troubles down the road.

Another way it benefits me is to recognize what direction my life is moving by comparing previous time budgets to today’s. Where is life taking me? Does that give me any insight into my current season, etc.?

But probably the most important thing that it does for me is it acts as guardrails in my week to week, day to day, moment to moment life. If I find myself creeping outside the bounds of this plan, that is not necessarily bad. We aren’t to remain in the same place forever, because we are growing and changing, we are gaining new assignments, and being sent out to be used in various different ways in our lives. But if I’m drifting from the plan, I need to know why. If I’m continually not sticking to a certain part of the plan, is it because of fleshly desires and worldly enticements? Or is it a movement, a tug, a call from the Holy Spirit to move me in a different direction. It’s much easier to identify the complacency of getting distracted and neglecting time in prayer or the Word that is clearly a flesh issue – than it is to understand why doors have been closing in one area of outreach/ministry while a tug is coming from another area of need. But if I’m paying attention through a disciplined schedule, it can at least be a little easier to grasp and wrestle with.

I’m not heaping up a burden for you to have to carry as a prison sell keeping you from the joy of living life to its fullest. No, I’m asking you – have you examined your time spend? Are you actually living life to the fullest, or is some of your time being wasted in idleness or mismanaged on things that really aren’t “the most important to you”. I encourage you to go through the exercise of tracking your time and adding it up to see where it is actually being spent. It might just tell you something that you didn’t already know. Many of us are deceived about where our time is really going until we actually measure it and examine it closely.

And if you saw value in what you learned from that one time experience, ask yourself if an occassional review might just be worth the time invested, in order to get the benefit back in a life truly lived to the fullest.

May the LORD bless you in some way from this.

 

PS: If you feel like this type of thing is unmanageable on your own and could use some help, message me or call me.

Deliverance

​And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. – Acts 12:7 ESV

This is an example of divine deliverance. This is an important message for each and every one of us,  because whe there we are in a season of discovery, trial, growth, or victory – there is deliverance that needs to take place in us or through us. 

Let’s examine this situation a but closer, a but more intimately. Let’s draw close to the Word of God…

Peter was in jail, facing death at the hands of Herod. And it wasn’t until the very night that Herod was going to bring him out that the LORD intervened. How embarrassing this must have been for the enemies of The Way, for Herod himself, for this to happen in such a visible way that would be hard to cover up and spin for their own purposes. Sometimes God’s timing make not make sense to us as we are Peter sitting in our own personal jail. Sometimes God’s purposes don’t make sense when we are the believers praying together in hiding from our oppressors and it seems that any knock on the door might be an enemy come to kill us or deceive us. But how amazingly and divinely perfect His timing is when we can see it from a clear place of perspective and discernment outside the confining walls of our own circumstances. 
Many times it is easy for us to look into the situations and circumstances of others with a clarity of understanding that we might find is cloudy when examining ourselves – because we allow the familiar too much leeway in influencing our examination instead of relying completely upon who we are told that we are in Christ. We forget to trust fully in the LORD and walk by faith not by sight. 
What walls have you allowed the enemy to build up around your mind? Around your heart? 
Or what walls might you have put up yourself out of fear of what others might think if that thought, that act, that sin, that idol was brought out into the light? 
But don’t we see how the messenger of God delivered Peter?

1) an angel of the Lord stood next to him

2) a light shone in the cell

3) He struck Peter on the side and woke him

4) He said, “Get up quickly.” 

5) And the chains fell off his hands.

This is the story in human terms and perspective, but what does this allude to spiritually? 

1) a standing messenger

2) a revealing light/truth shone forth

3) a blow of correction/stirring woke the sleeping soul

4) The Word of God sent forth commanded,  “Arise”

5) Deliverance
There are two parties here,  the one bringing the message (that delivers) in power – and the one in need of deliverance. 
This is true of every one of us. If we believe ourselves to be standing in power and victory, isn’t it so that we can set the captives free, isn’t it so that we can go forth and share this powerful Word of God that sets men free from their bondage? 
Or if we believe ourselves to be imprisoned by our circumstances, are we eagerly awaiting the messenger to show up, for His light to shine forth, for the touch to come, for the trumpet to shout, “Arise”? Or are we barely still clinging to hope, even to that last moment when it seems that it might be too late for anything other than God himself to rescue you? 
Those moments when all other doors have been shut, when nothing in the way of the world or the power of mere man could possibly rescue us,  they are an amazing opportunity for God to be revealed in our lives and do the miraculous so that He gets all the praise and honor and glory – as it should be in all things anyways,  right? 
Too many of us sit grumbling about our circumstances and situations to Good and to each other instead of resting on the peace knowing that He is on His way to deliver us EVEN FROM THIS TRIAL! 
He is the one that is faithful and true. He delivers. And when He does, it is so that we who were resting can receive the touch, can stand upright, and go to proclaim deliverance. Disciples making disciples. The power of the Holy Spirit of God going forth through His messengers to set the captives free. 
Are you walking in power and victory? Then whose life do you need to shine light into? Who needs a touch? Who needs life spoken into them? 
If you don’t know who,  if you don’t have a call, a purpose,  and a direction that the LORD is sending you out to make disciples of the nations – maybe it is YOU who needs the deliverance? Maybe you have allowed complacency,  distraction,  worldliness, sin, doubt, shame, guilt, unforgiveness, or bitterness to plant a seed in your life that has grown up into weeds that are trying to choke out your faith, your walk, your purpose, your calling. Well, I have Good News for you, friend. 

It is not too late.

You have not strayed so far away that you can’t turn back. 

That darkness had no power over you, Child of God!

Do you believe? Have you confessed Jesus Christ as your LORD and Savior? Have you come to realize the high price paid for you at the cross, the high gift confirmed for you by His resurrection, the free gift of God that is yours?

Get up! Quickly!

Your sins are forgiven!

Your chains are no more. Walk in freedom,  for he who Christ sets free is FREE INDEED! 

THE ENEMY IS A LIAR! HE HAS NO HOLD ON YOU! STAND UPRIGHT, WALK STRAIGHT FORWARD, WITH YOUR EYES SET UPON THE PRIZE! 

Go and tell the nations!

Is Jesus down for 420?

Some things to meditate upon –

Is it really a choice between:

​Humbly fall on the stone and be broken = stand up free indeed 

Or:

Proudly stand for being broke and stoned = take a costly fall from weed 

The question in some people’s minds who want their Jesus brand fire insurance from the scary stories about hell, but who just want to be able to live life their own “natural” and “spiritual” way is, “Is Jesus down for 420?”

#IsJesusDownFor420

I’d love for you to read and consider some of the items below and leave feedback so we can discuss this. Do you agree or disagree with the article below? On what basis, if you are a Christian? 

SUMMARY OF RELATED ARTICLE FOLLOWS: 

Christians are under a universal mandate to respect and obey the laws of the land (Deuteronomy 17:2; Ecclesiastes 8:2-5; Matthew 22:21; 23:2-3; Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17; 2 Peter 2:9-11). The ONLY instance in which we are allowed to disobey the laws of the land is when the laws violate any divine imperatives (Daniel 3 and 6; Acts 5:29). There are no other exceptions to this rule. Contrary to popular belief, simply disagreeing with a law does not constitute a license for breaking that law.
Many have argued that marijuana does not warrant prohibition. They contend that smoking pot in defiance of the law is justifiable on these grounds and in light of (what they perceive to be) the hypocrisy of outlawing weed while allowing nicotine and alcohol consumption. Those who argue this point may be sincere in their conviction, but they are mistaken nonetheless. Heartfelt disdain for the law does not justify impunity towards it, as our Lord Himself made clear. While rebuking the Pharisees for turning the Law of Moses into an excessively oppressive yoke, Christ still required His disciples to submit to their unfairly harsh demands (Matthew 23:1-36, especially 1-4). Dutiful submission to authority and patient perseverance through unjust suffering and/or perceived unfairness (1 Peter 2:18-23) is God’s high standard for us – even if that means having to abstain from marijuana in compliance with “unfair” legislation. 
Not only are we to submit to authority for submission’s sake, born-again Christians are further constrained by a mandate to live above reproach for the sake of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 10:32; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 6:3; Titus 2:1-8; 2 Peter 3:14). Needless to say, criminality is highly reproachable.
Another biblical principle concerns our susceptibility to deception. As fallible creatures we are prone to delusion. And since we are the objects of God’s intense affection, His enemies are our enemies. This includes THE enemy, the Devil, the father of lies (John 8:44), a most formidable and determined adversary. All of the apostolic exhortations to remain sober-minded and alert (1 Corinthians 15:34; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8) are designed to remind us that we must be vigilant against the wiles of the Devil (1 Peter 5:8), who seeks to ensnare us through deception. Sobriety is also important for prayer (1 Peter 4:7), as is obedience to God (Isaiah 1:10-17). 

TLDR? Is “your Jesus” one of justice or injustice, one of holiness or rebellion, one who is bent to your will or one who teaches you to do His will?

Christians are all required to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us, regardless of our national identity (Matthew 25:13-30). This includes our earthly bodies. Unfortunately, illicit drug use is an extremely effective way to destroy your health, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

Beyond stewardship, as Christians, our bodies are not our own. We “have been bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), not “with perishable things like silver or gold . . . but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:17-19). Having bought us with His own life, Christ has delighted to create in us something entirely new, something somewhat bizarre. By indwelling us with His Spirit, He has turned us into organic temples of sorts. So now, caring for our health is not just a matter of good stewardship. It is a matter of reverential piety. To pollute or harm our bodies is to desecrate the House of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). This is both wondrous and terrifying.

As for drug addiction, not all illicit drugs are physically addictive. Nevertheless, they are all psychologically addictive. While most people are familiar with physical addiction – the progressive condition whereby the human body becomes physically dependent upon a drug in order to function properly – psychological addiction is less well-known. Psychological addiction is an enslavement of the mind, often characterized by obsessive tendencies and a lack of desire to quit. While physical addiction brings the body into subjection, psychological addiction brings the will into submission. Users tend to say things like, “I could quit if I wanted to, but I just don’t want to.” This attitude tends to ensure a long-term pattern of drug use whereby users become devotees in defiance of a very poignant biblical principle. The fact is, no one can wholeheartedly serve two masters (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). Any time spent kneeling before the god of drugs is time spent with your back towards the God of the Bible. 

TLDR? Is your body and life yours to do with as you please, or bought with a price at Calvary?

In summary, the Bible teaches us that “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world” (Titus 2:12).

REF: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.gotquestions.org/amp/sin-drugs.html

What does the future hold? (Video)

Construction Projects

Do we not like criticism because we’ve convinced ourselves that we don’t need to change?

#LoversOfSelf #2Timothy3.2 
Or is our hesitancy because we aren’t sure of the source or intent behind it? 

#TestAllSpirits #1John4.1
And when we offer criticism, is it good for building up, fit for the occasion, and does it give grace to those who might hear? Is our speech a soft, wise answer to a question — or an unprompted, harsh, foolish, word pressed upon others? 

#RightlyDivide #SoftWiseAnswer #NotHarshFoolishWord #Ephesians4.29 #Proverbs15.1.2
Are we more interested in our own opinions, feelings, and interpretations being exalted, or in proclaiming the Word of God and trusting it to go forth and accomplish what it is sent to do? #HonorOfMen #2Timothy3.16
We must remember who we are in Christ, and even these things pointed out should hurtle us deeper into our Father’s arms —
As we cry out, “Do you hear what he is saying about your children? Do you hear what he accuses us of, father? I cannot plead innocent or I would be proven a liar! I cannot plead guilty or I might blaspheme against the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross! So I plead the Blood of the Lamb, I walk upon the only narrow path of salvation and sanctification. I fear and trust in you alone! It is finished!” 

Rule Over It. Choose Life.

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” – Genesis 4:7 NKJV

“Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord , you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” – Deuteronomy 30:15‭-‬20 NLT

Your laws are wonderful. No wonder I obey them! The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. I pant with expectation, longing for your commands. Come and show me your mercy, as you do for all who love your name. Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil. Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your instructions. – Psalms 119:129‭-‬136 NLT

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. – Romans 6:14 NLT

O death, where is your victory? 

O death, where is your sting? ”

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:55‭-‬57 NLT

Lord , you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance! I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. – Psalms 16:5‭-‬11 NLT

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. – Ephesians 1:4 NLT

The Battle is the LORD’s

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord  does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord ’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

I Samuel 17:45‭-‬47 NKJV

Young David faced a giant named Goliath. What giant do you face today? Addiction? Bitterness? Unforgiveness? Lust? Gossip? Worldliness? Greed? Complacency? Depresssion? Anxiety? Confusion? Sickness? Debt? Temptation? Trial? Grief?Suffering? Loneliness? Pain? Isolation? Doubt?
Do not think that this is your battle alone. These things defy the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who tells us that He has won the victory over sin and death – that on the cross He declared,  “It is finished!” 
We can stand, like young David, with our feet planted firmly upon the foundation of Jesus Christ risen victorious over sin and death and proclaim,  “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.”
We are not meant to live defeated, Child of God, but victorious!

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who  live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to  be  compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. – Romans 8:1‭-‬18 NKJV

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. – II Timothy 1:7 NKJV

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 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. – Romans 8:35‭-‬39 NKJV

Go, live victorious in Christ, Child of God. Let your enemies see that they are defeated by the Blood of the Lamb, by your testimony, and by the fact that you do not live your own lives but love God, because He loved you first. Amen.

An Army?

​David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who  was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who  was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. – I Samuel 22:1‭-‬2 NKJV

I want to look at something closely,  friends. Let’s look at what the Word of God says about this man who was after God’s own heart and the kinds of people that were gathered unto him:

“everyone who  was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who  was discontented gathered to him“.

And let’s see what the Word of God says about Christ:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 NKJV

If there is a crowd gathering around us, what kind of crowd is it, friends? Is it a crowd of needs?

Do we realize this is the “type” that God builds armies from?

Let’s see what the LORD does with these 400 distressed, indebted, and discontented men:

Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.” Therefore David inquired of the Lord , saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.” But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 

[Note the truthfulness about their own fear – these are not outwardly proud men who are truly cowards inside. No, these men have taken true and honest assessment of their own abilities.] 

Then David inquired of the Lord once again. And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. – I Samuel 23:1‭-‬5 NKJV

Do we realize that a leader does not need an army that is mighty and unwavering when the leader INQUIRES OF and is OBEDIENT TO THE LORD? Do we realize that victory rests in the true power of the LORD, not in the deception of the perceived strength or weaknesses of mere men? 

And David doesn’t just expect victory,  He continues to inquire of the LORD:

Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand. And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will deliver you. ” So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.

I Samuel 23:6‭-‬13 NKJV

I’m sure David might have wanted to just speak victory and see it come to pass, but doesn’t the LORD tell him what would come to pass if he stayed. David wasn’t intent on speaking his own will into existence. No, both his experiencing unexpected victory with this band of unlikely soldiers,  and his escaping a sure defeat came from him “inquiring of the LORD”. He didn’t say, “LORD, you must give me victory for your name’s sake!” But instead, He sought to know and obey the will of God, giving God all the glory and all the credit for both the victory over the enemies of his neighbor, and the deliverance from his own. 

David didn’t grumble about why he was having to run from his own enemies while the LORD was using him to overcome the enemies of others. No, he was seeking to trust in the LORD and walk in obedience,  whatever the apparent cost of the moment, He knew that God’s plan was greater and more perfect than His own best of intentions. 

Yes, when we bear one another’s burdens, when we build up and equip one another for the work of the Kingdom, when we look past our own selfish desires, concerns, and anxieties to be used to serve the needs of those around us, we can see these dead bones rise up as a great, redeemed and restored army:

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load. Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. – Galatians 6:1‭-‬10 NKJV

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord , and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there  were very many in the open valley; and indeed they  were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God , You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord ! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord .” ’ ” So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there  was no breath in them. Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God : “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God : “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord , when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord , have spoken it and performed it, ” says the Lord .’ ” – Ezekiel 37:1‭-‬14 NKJV

https://g.co/kgs/ULWsBh
My sheep do not need long horns of their own, 

For the trumpet of the LORD is their horn,

Christ alone Cornerstone is their standard, 

The Most High God and the name lifted above all names is their banner, 

And they shall not see defeat, 

Because their leader, their teacher, their LORD,

is King of Kings and LORD of Lords,

And He is the Word of God,

And He shall go forth to accomplish everything He is sent for, 

And all things shall be made new, 

The old shall pass away, 

And the new is revealed, 

HE IS RISEN!

HE IS ALIVE!

HE IS VICTORIOUS!

THE ENEMY IS DEFEATED! 

HE SHALL RULE OVER THE NATIONS WITH AN IRON ROD! 

FOR HE IS HOLY!

HE IS MIGHTY! 

HE IS WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE, GLORY,  AND HONOR! 

AND WE ARE WHAT WAS ONCE HIS SMALL, RAG TAG ARMY, 

BUT THAT IS WASHED BY THE BLOOD,

FED BY THE WORD, 

STRENGTHENED BY THE SPIRIT, 

AND RESTORED TO ALMIGHTY GOD’S PURPOSE AND CALLING.

RISE UP.

EQUIP YOURSELVES. 

SEE HIS MIGHTY POWER AT WORK IN YOUR LIVES, CHILDREN OF GOD!