1 Samuel 14
1 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.
2 Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, 3 among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.
Here is Saul and his men sleeping under a tree. They don't know what to do because they are outnumbered and they don't have any weapons, so they decide to take a nap. Here's Jonathan, sitting around with his armor bearer, and they're thinking about the situation. Since Jonathan and his armor bearer are really just kids, it's pretty safe to say that they weren't masters of war strategy or anything. But, they know that something has to be done! They know that sitting around napping isn't going to solve the problem. They can't win the battle by sleeping better the other guys. Jonathan looks at his armor bearer and says, come on dude, we've got to do something, I just can't sit here. So they sneak off without anyone knowing they are gone.
If you skip down to verse 6, you see where Jonathan tells his armor bearer to come on...and PERHAPS THE LORD WILL HELP US! This is a big time lesson for all of us. Jonathan didn't know what to do, so he did the only thing he could think of...then he asked the Lord to help them. I think too many of us spend our lives "waiting on God" to show us what we're supposed to do. Perhaps God is saying, "just do something! Then maybe I'll come and join you!" I think "waiting on God" is an excuse that we use when we're too lazy or afraid to do something. Besides, how slow do we think God is? Are we ever ahead of God? NO!!! We're waiting on God, when God is ahead of us jumping up and down and waving His arms yelling, "dude, I'm right here!"
If God shows you a need, it's because He wants you to meet it! If He shows you something that needs to be done, it's because He wants you to do it! Stop waiting on God, and start doing something and ask God to help you!
Jonathan didn't let fear or uncertainty or his youth or lack of weapons or anything else stand in the way. He knew he had to do something, even if he wasn't sure it was the exact thing that God would have him do. He did something! You may be asking yourself, "Which of these things does God want me to do?" Easy answer...WHATEVER! God is screaming, "I don't care if you teach Sunday School or feed the homeless or fix your neighbors porch, etc...just do something!"
Tomorrow, we're gonna move on to another of my favorite passages. Keep reading this one over and over, I'll bet God shows you more things that you can get out of it. And maybe we'll revisit this passage again soon.
Tomorrow, we're going to move on the another favorite passage of mine.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Jonathan and his armor bearer pt1
This is one of my favorite parts of the Bible! If you attended Sharing Life for very long, you probably heard me preach on this passage several times. There is sooooo much stuff to learn from this passage. I think I'll take the next few days and talk about some of the stuff from this passage.
I Samuel 13:16-14:14
16 Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. 17 Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, 18 another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness.
19 Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. 21 The price was two-thirds of a shekel for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.
22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
23 Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Mikmash.
1 Samuel 14
1 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.
2 Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, 3 among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.
4 On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. 5 One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba.
6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”
7 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”
8 Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands.”
11 So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” 12 The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.”
So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel.”
13 Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. 14 In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.
When you look at the verses from Chapter 13, it points out a few things. It points out where they were compared to where the others were. But it also points out the fact that all the blacksmiths were gone! This is a problem for Israel. They can't get any swords or serious weapons made because of the blacksmith issue. Instead, they made due by sharpening their farming instruments.
You may be thinking that it isn't that big of deal...but would you want to go to battle with no sword? I wouldn't! I would have probably ran the other way. But Israel was a little more resourceful. They took their farming instruments and made them into weapons. They did the best they could with what they had. They were going into battle with only Saul and Jonathan having swords.
Now, you need to understand a couple of things about this situation. Jonathan at the time of this battle is around the age of 16. He's just a kid. He's got an armor bearer...a guy who carries his sword until it comes time for him to use it. The armor bearer is probably around 14 years old at this time. Here's a couple of kids out in the middle of a battle that it doesn't look like there's any way they can win.
As a side note, anyone wanna sign up to be an armor bearer? This is the guy who carries the sword until it's time to use it, then you gotta give up the sword to the guy you're following around. WHAT? Are you crazy? I gotta carry your sword until you need it, then I get to stand here with nothing to defend myself? No thank you! I'm not signing up for this job!!
But guess what, this goofy kid signs up to be his armor bearer. There must be something wrong with this boy. Both of these boys. Just wait, it gets worse!
As you begin looking in Chapter 14, you see that Saul and his men are sleeping under a tree and Jonathan gets a bright idea. He says to his armor bearer, dude, let's go over to the philistine guys and see what's up. Maybe God will help us. Nothing can stop God from saving regardless of the number. And guess what his armor bearer says, you got it bro, I'm with you heart and soul.
I told you those two boys were crazy! They've lost their minds. They're headed over to the enemy alone with only one sword! Then it get's worse...because they aren't just gonna go spy on them.
Jonathan says, ok dude, let's go over there and let them see us. If they say to stay where we are, we will stay there and not move...but if they tell us to come up there, we will climb up because it will be our sign that the Lord is gonna help us.
They go over to the enemy and guess what. The enemy tells them to come on up and fight. So Jonathan says, come on dude, God is gonna show Himself big time.
Guess what? God showed Himself! The passage tells us that Jonathan and his armor bearer climbed up and the Philistines fell in front of Jonathan and his armor bearer followed and killed them. They killed about 20 men in half an acre.
There are a gozillion lessons we can learn from this passage. Tomorrow, we'll start trying to figure out what they are. Some of them will be obvious, others not so much. But I can promise you one thing, it'll be fun.
I Samuel 13:16-14:14
16 Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. 17 Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, 18 another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness.
19 Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. 21 The price was two-thirds of a shekel for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.
22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
23 Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Mikmash.
1 Samuel 14
1 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.
2 Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, 3 among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.
4 On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. 5 One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba.
6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”
7 “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”
8 Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands.”
11 So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” 12 The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.”
So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel.”
13 Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. 14 In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.
When you look at the verses from Chapter 13, it points out a few things. It points out where they were compared to where the others were. But it also points out the fact that all the blacksmiths were gone! This is a problem for Israel. They can't get any swords or serious weapons made because of the blacksmith issue. Instead, they made due by sharpening their farming instruments.
You may be thinking that it isn't that big of deal...but would you want to go to battle with no sword? I wouldn't! I would have probably ran the other way. But Israel was a little more resourceful. They took their farming instruments and made them into weapons. They did the best they could with what they had. They were going into battle with only Saul and Jonathan having swords.
Now, you need to understand a couple of things about this situation. Jonathan at the time of this battle is around the age of 16. He's just a kid. He's got an armor bearer...a guy who carries his sword until it comes time for him to use it. The armor bearer is probably around 14 years old at this time. Here's a couple of kids out in the middle of a battle that it doesn't look like there's any way they can win.
As a side note, anyone wanna sign up to be an armor bearer? This is the guy who carries the sword until it's time to use it, then you gotta give up the sword to the guy you're following around. WHAT? Are you crazy? I gotta carry your sword until you need it, then I get to stand here with nothing to defend myself? No thank you! I'm not signing up for this job!!
But guess what, this goofy kid signs up to be his armor bearer. There must be something wrong with this boy. Both of these boys. Just wait, it gets worse!
As you begin looking in Chapter 14, you see that Saul and his men are sleeping under a tree and Jonathan gets a bright idea. He says to his armor bearer, dude, let's go over to the philistine guys and see what's up. Maybe God will help us. Nothing can stop God from saving regardless of the number. And guess what his armor bearer says, you got it bro, I'm with you heart and soul.
I told you those two boys were crazy! They've lost their minds. They're headed over to the enemy alone with only one sword! Then it get's worse...because they aren't just gonna go spy on them.
Jonathan says, ok dude, let's go over there and let them see us. If they say to stay where we are, we will stay there and not move...but if they tell us to come up there, we will climb up because it will be our sign that the Lord is gonna help us.
They go over to the enemy and guess what. The enemy tells them to come on up and fight. So Jonathan says, come on dude, God is gonna show Himself big time.
Guess what? God showed Himself! The passage tells us that Jonathan and his armor bearer climbed up and the Philistines fell in front of Jonathan and his armor bearer followed and killed them. They killed about 20 men in half an acre.
There are a gozillion lessons we can learn from this passage. Tomorrow, we'll start trying to figure out what they are. Some of them will be obvious, others not so much. But I can promise you one thing, it'll be fun.
Sometimes we just make it too hard
This is an oldie that I've tried to live my life by...but it's great to have a reminder every once in a while to make sure we don't forget it. Sometimes we get a little too focused on ourselves, and we forget even the easy things that God has taught us.
Matthew 22:34-40
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
I think sometimes we make being a Christian too hard! Jesus puts it pretty plainly here...we are supposed to love God and love people. I believe if we do those two things, everything else will kind of fall into place. We'll study our Bible more if we really love God, because we'll want to spend time with Him. We'll minister to people if we love them, because we won't want to see them hurting and we'll want them to experience the love of God like we are. We'll share the Gospel with people if we love them...not to mention that God has commissioned us to do so.
What I'm saying is this...stop trying to make it so difficult. Show God and the people around you a little love! Do it and see what happens. It might change your life.
Matthew 22:34-40
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
I think sometimes we make being a Christian too hard! Jesus puts it pretty plainly here...we are supposed to love God and love people. I believe if we do those two things, everything else will kind of fall into place. We'll study our Bible more if we really love God, because we'll want to spend time with Him. We'll minister to people if we love them, because we won't want to see them hurting and we'll want them to experience the love of God like we are. We'll share the Gospel with people if we love them...not to mention that God has commissioned us to do so.
What I'm saying is this...stop trying to make it so difficult. Show God and the people around you a little love! Do it and see what happens. It might change your life.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Hebrews 5:11-6:3
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[a] and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites,[b] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.
This passage of scripture talks about being a spiritual baby or being spiritually mature. When you dig into the passage, you will find a few things that show us whether or not we're still a spiritual baby. 1. We're slow to learn or lazy when it comes to learning. 2. We can't feed ourselves spiritually, we rely on others to teach us. 3. We can't handle anything other than the basic spiritual lessons. 4. We don't know right from wrong, or are not strong enough to do what is right.
But guess what, there is hope! :) Here are 5 things to help you grow. 1. Read the Bible! (duh) 2. Use what you learn in the Bible. 3. Pray constantly. 4. Find a mentor. 5. Find a fellow disciple to share with and support each other.
1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[a] and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites,[b] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.
This passage of scripture talks about being a spiritual baby or being spiritually mature. When you dig into the passage, you will find a few things that show us whether or not we're still a spiritual baby. 1. We're slow to learn or lazy when it comes to learning. 2. We can't feed ourselves spiritually, we rely on others to teach us. 3. We can't handle anything other than the basic spiritual lessons. 4. We don't know right from wrong, or are not strong enough to do what is right.
But guess what, there is hope! :) Here are 5 things to help you grow. 1. Read the Bible! (duh) 2. Use what you learn in the Bible. 3. Pray constantly. 4. Find a mentor. 5. Find a fellow disciple to share with and support each other.
John 13
I was reading in John 13 and one particular verse stood out to me. I know the passage well, and have even preached it a few times.
1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Verse 9 speaks very clearly to us about 4 things that a servant must have.
1. A servant's feet
2. A servant's hands
3. A servant's eyes
4. A servant's heart
When you think about these 4 things, they seem so obvious. If you don't have a servant's eyes, you'll never see the needs of those around you. If you don't have a servant's hands and feet, you'll never do anything about meeting those needs. If you don't have a servant's heart, you'll never care enough to do anything even if you see the needs or you'll do it for the wrong reasons.
When you look at your life as a servant...which we all are if we are followers of Jesus...do you have these 4 characteristics? Unfortunately, many people have 1 or 2 of them, but not the others, so they end up never meeting those needs that are in front of them.
Here's a tough question that will bother many of us if we examine ourselves closely. How are you serving the Lord in your life? How are you serving others?
1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Verse 9 speaks very clearly to us about 4 things that a servant must have.
1. A servant's feet
2. A servant's hands
3. A servant's eyes
4. A servant's heart
When you think about these 4 things, they seem so obvious. If you don't have a servant's eyes, you'll never see the needs of those around you. If you don't have a servant's hands and feet, you'll never do anything about meeting those needs. If you don't have a servant's heart, you'll never care enough to do anything even if you see the needs or you'll do it for the wrong reasons.
When you look at your life as a servant...which we all are if we are followers of Jesus...do you have these 4 characteristics? Unfortunately, many people have 1 or 2 of them, but not the others, so they end up never meeting those needs that are in front of them.
Here's a tough question that will bother many of us if we examine ourselves closely. How are you serving the Lord in your life? How are you serving others?
New blog
I've decided to post the things that God is showing me in the Bible, through sermons, others, etc. I think it might be good for me to be able to go back over these and see what God is saying. I hope that maybe it will be beneficial to some of you out there as well.
Feel free to comment or ask questions if you'd like.
Feel free to comment or ask questions if you'd like.
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