April 22 – The Prayer to God Greater than Physical Power

April 22 – The Prayer to God Greater than Physical Power

What a prayer of faith and trust in God. The Army of Asa was 580 thousand. He faced an army of a thousand thousand. The Ethiopian army stood at one million men. The Ethiopian army was about twice as large. For the average man, there is no sense in fighting this battle. The odds were too large. It was sure destruction.

Have you ever considered a missionary that went into a new field not knowing anyone but simply has a calling from God to be in this place and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone that would listen? The missionaries are outnumbered. They are one feeble light in a great mass of Darkness. The Lord’s Church is outnumbered by the ones that are preaching untruths and causing many at death to descend into the pits of hell. Look at those Church members engaging in telling others about Christ. The work of the true Church has many enemies that are fighting against the truth. Salvation does not come through good works, baptism or Church membership. It comes through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That work He completed on the cross. Paul told the Ephesian brethren that salvation is a free gift.

Listen, when God is with us, who can be against us? Just as Asa triumphed through pray and the might and strength of God, we must rely on God to defeat the enemy. We must pray for the help of God because He has the power. He can defeat the enemy. He can overcome every obstacle Satan puts in our way.

We have the victory through Christ our Lord and God the Father.

APRIL 19 – Listen, Pay Attention

APRIL 19 – Listen, Pay Attention

II Chronicles 20:15  And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 

What would we hear if we would listen to God? I mean that in reading His inspired Word that He has given us we would really see the message that God has for us. We often fight our battles without the help of the Lord. We are alone and on our own battling others and situations in a weak manner because we have made this battle, this altercation, this misunderstanding a battle that we personally take on.

Judah, Jerusalem and the king were in dire straits. Enemies had come up against them. Several enemies were aligned against God’s people. Because of fear, Jehoshaphat sought the Lord and proclaimed a fast in Judah. This brought Judah to the altar to seek the Lord. Here are the people admitting to God that they did not have the might to defeat their enemies. We need to learn to admit that we are powerless against the enemies that face us. We do not need to face them alone. We need to call upon God for help. We need to turn our eyes, our hearts, and our minds upon the Lord from whom we have salvation.

This is where the Lord said, “…the battle is not yours, but God’s. What peace we will have if we turn these things over to God. There are times I have worried and paced over a problem or situation and did not find an answer or peace and simply turned it over to the Lord. Then peace came because God always has the answer.

What God did is such an amazing thing. God won the battle without involving Israel. He turned the enemies against each other. They destroyed themselves. Israel sang praises to God during the self-destruction of their enemies. They among the dead and gathered the spoil and the riches of the fallen.

Here is what God said: You don’t need to fight, stand still, see the salvation of the Lord. Jehoshaphat said to the people, “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.”

We need to learn the battle is the Lord’s. Give it to Him. We need to learn to witness and allow God to convict. The Battle is the Lord’s.

MARCH 10 – Are we prepared to do battle.

MARCH 10 – Are we prepared to do battle.

1Sa 17:37  David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. 

David did not go into battle unprepared. He had faith in the deliverance that God would provide. How did David know about God’s deliverance? Many hours with the sheep and pondering the ways of God. He came prepared. His faith was only a partial preparation. We need to see the rest of his preparation. We know his weapon was a sling and he was very familiar with it. We know as he crossed the brook he took 5 smooth stones. Outwardly that was his only preparation.

He had his helmet of salvation. This had already been provided as a free gift of God. We find in Psalm 51, he cried unto the Lord to restore the JOY of THY salvation. He wore the helmet of salvation into the battle. His loins were girt about with truth. This could be what we are missing today. Minimizing some truths and emphasizing others. David knew there was one true God. We find in Davids writings much of truth that we would call doctrine. Timothy was exhorted by Paul to teach others what Paul had taught him. II Tim. 2:2. Paul did not lessen any truth. We are called to study. The Great Commission says to teach them all things. These are defensive weapons.

Our help in conflict or battle is the Lord and the shield of faith. David did not have a physical shield but the Lord went before him. It is called the shield of faith. He had faith the Lord would deliver the victory. This faith was buttressed with pray. In my mind’s eye, I can see David as darkness begins to cover the land and the sheep start bedding down. The quietness that descends and soft simmering glow of the stars as they start shining and the moon filters down with its gentle shining. David sitting and gazing at the great and grand expanse of heaven and the beauty of the mountains that were outlined. The prayers that would proceed from those youthful lips for a safe that was had. Prayers for tomorrow. The prayers that would be utter for his nation and his family. No doubt, David spent much time talking to God.

He was prepared for battle. May we as children of God become bedrock anchored in the love of God and His truth. May we drive new converts to bedrock in truth and include our youth.

MARCH 2 – A ready answer

MARCH 2 – A ready answer

1Sa 17:32  And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 

I will fight! That was David’s answer to the great challenge that was presented to Israel. We as a people must make up our mind if we are really for the Lord. We must decide if we love the lost enough to fight for souls. We must make up our mind if we are going to stand against sin. Let us break this down. What is sin? Have you noticed it is easy to say we are against sin and yet it is difficult to name the sins.

Lying is a sin. Stealing is a sin. Adultery and fornication is sin. Coveting is sin. Gossiping is sin. If God is not the most important person in your life, it is sin. Now there are many more sins that could be listed, such as not giving the first day of the week to the worship of God. It seems as if we cower before the enemy and that enemy is called sin. We cower before the lost and they are sinners.

We fondly say there is no problem that is too big for God and we live as cowards, not willing to fight the battles for the Lord. We proclaim how much we love the Lord and refuse to serve Him. We need more Davids. David did not see a problem with the Giant. He saw the victory of the Lord. Would to God, we as people of God saw the victory instead of experiencing the fear.

Dare to be a David and see victory in every battle. Let us be triumphant for the Lord.

JANUARY 27 – GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN

JANUARY 27 – GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN

Joshua 14:12 – Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.

At the age of 85 years old, Caleb makes a request of Joshua, “give me this mountain.”

There was no DOUBT and no back up in Caleb. He was confident in the Lord. He wasn’t expecting the Lord to do all the work by sending fire down from heaven or opening the earth and swallowing all the people that lived on that mountain. Caleb was a doer. We need to turn our doubt into doing. We need to yoke up with the Lord by prayer and ask the Lord to give us this mission field, this field where our Church is. We need to exercise our faith in the promises of the Lord that if we will go weeping, bearing precious seed, we “shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves” with us.

Caleb said to Joshua, I am as STRONG this day as the day I was sent. Then he said his strength is for war. It is truly a battle we are engaged in. Often the thought is present that if we will present ourselves in a way that is appealing to the world, the people will flock to our door. Caleb knew he could not offer cookies and milk to entice these people off the mountain. He knew there was not one appeal that would cause these people to depart. We are in the same situation. We have a battle before us, not to entice the lost to Christ, but to battle the evil forces of darkness by the strong application of the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to convict. Only the Holy Spirit can win the battle and the war. Our purpose is to speak the Word of God.

There was no FEAR in Caleb. He first saw the Anak as a spy for Israel. He saw they were giants. Yet there was no fear. He came to the mountain and with God on his side conquered the great walled city of Hebron. The scripture says that the cities were walled. No doubt the taking of the city of Jericho had proven that God was able to take down walls and give victory. We often fear the field that we are in. We make excuses about how hard and difficult the field is. I have no doubt about difficult fields. But is anything too hard for God?

Let us without DOUBTINGing STRENGTHEN ourselves in the Lord and as FEARless warriors take on the sin of the world.

 

174 — June 23 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

When Medley Found Harmony With God

 

Samuel Medley, who had been born on June 23, 1738, at the age of sixteen when war broke out between England and France in 1755 was glad at the thought that he might be able to finish out his apprenticeship in the cloth trade in the British navy. Thus Samuel found himself in the famed Battle of Cape Lagos.  He was wounded as the battle raged, and the greater part of the calf of one of his legs was shot away. The leg did not heal, and in time, the ship’s surgeon told him that gangrene had set in and amputation was imperative. Young Medley was filled with horror, and the doctor granted one more day before surgery. Medley began to think of his godly father and grandfather and remembered a Bible in his trunk. Sending for it, he spent the night reading the Bible and praying. The next morning when the surgeon returned, he was amazed at the healing that had begun, and no operation was necessary. Rather than being led to repentance, Medley rejoiced in his good fortune and turned again from the Lord.

 

Having to convalesce before continuing to pursue his aspirations of advancement in the navy, Samuel Medley went to his grandfather’s home in London.  The elderly gentleman witnessed to and warned his grandson, but young Medley was unconcerned. Then one Sunday evening the grandfather chose to read Medley a sermon by Dr. Isaac Watts, and the Holy Spirit brought conviction and worked a wonderful transformation in the young sailor’s life. What a change resulted! Day by day Samuel Medley studied in his grandfather’s library. He was twenty-two years old now, and there was no time to lose. He was baptized in December of 1760 by Dr. Gifford. He learned both Hebrew and Greek and prayerfully studied the Word of God.

 

Medley’s usual day began in the study soon after his 4:00 A.M. rising. Private devotions and study were observed until ten o’clock, and then the various pastoral responsibilities among his people took place. He loved to witness to the sailors in his seaport city, and he had a keen interest in youth. The pastor loved music and wrote much poetry that found its way into useful hymns.

 

The man of God approached death in his sixty-first year, and on his deathbed he said, “ ‘I am now a poor shattered bark, just about to enter the blissful harbour: and O, how sweet will be the port after the storm.’…His last words were, ‘Glory! Glory! Glory! Home! Home!’ He died on July 17th, 1799,”and thus ended a glorious journey in the grace of God.

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart:: Adapted from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I. (Thompson/Cummins) pp. 257 – 258.

 

 

William Andrew Dillard HEBREW HONEYCOMB BATTLING THE BEAST

“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
Often, an overcome saint is the result of the war with the beast ( evil esp. in government), Rev. 13:7. An interesting consideration is: has this happened before? Is there a precedent that could possibly prepare one for that possibility? Consider the following:
The terms “discourage” or “discouraged” appears only a few times in the Bible. Most of the appearances are in the Old Testament with one in the New Testament. They are all directed to or about God’s people. It is also interesting to note that usage is few, but employs several words to cover the idea’s spectrum. The Hebrew terms so translated are.
“Qatsar,” in Numbers 21:4. The word means primarily “to be short; hence, impatient, vexed and or grievous.” Here it depicts the reaction to hardships in the way of the Hebrew journey from Egypt. They were not discouraged because of the way, but in the way due to so many obstacles as well as the absence of the few conveniences of life afforded them in Egypt.
“Nuw,” in Numbers 32:7, 9; this term is primarily meaning “to hinder, forbid, disallow, refrain, or frustrate.” It depicts the state of the Hebrews after the evil report of the spies, turning them away from entering the Promised Land.
“Macac” is translated “discouraged” in Deut. 1:28 and means “Dissolve, melt, drop off.” It describes the heart of the Hebrews upon the report of the giants being in the Land of Promise.
“Chathath,” in Deuteronomy 1:21. This means “shattered, dismayed, broken, afraid.” It was used here in the negative as an admonition of encouragement for the Hebrews to take the Land of Promise.
Collecting the meaning of all these words, one finds that the Bible warns God’s people to NOT be impatient, vexed or grieved; to NOT accept hindrance, forbiddance, frustration or restraint from doing God’s Will; to NOT be shattered, dismayed, broken or afraid in heart and spirit; to NOT dissolve, melt or drop off in service and faith in Him.
Does the going get a little rough sometimes? You bet it does! Does Satan use the above named tactics to discourage, dissuade and negate one’s discipleship? You bet he does! But to Israel, the Promised Land was still there and God’s victory was theirs for the claiming. To those who are standing for the Lord and His Word today, the reward of faithful service is still there and the Captain of the Host of the Lord is still present to give the victory. So, let us all be aware of Satan’s tools of discouragement, and in the words of the beloved apostle Paul, “Let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Gal. 6:9. The battle with the beast and its outcome is every Christian’s war, and there are tremendous blessings for the Christian victor. In Christ you will be such a victor!