Lion of Grace

Q4. (1 Samuel 28:7-14) Why do you think God condemns occult practices of communi-cating with the dead and channeling spirits of the dead? How might such practices open Christians to victimization and oppression by evil spirits? What should you do if you’ve been involved in such practices in the past? God condemns such practices because He wants us to go to Him in all things. He wants us to be protected from any kind of medium that satan could use to mislead us. We are of the light, not the darkness of the world of the dead. We can be open to becoming victims of satan. If we don't as Gd about everything, who is good and loves us, then we are open to being deceived and drawn into things that are not good for us and may even suck us into the dark world of satan. Before I was saved, I did some of these things. I was reading Horoscopes and consulting mediums about my future. Even as a child, it was considered "fun" to go to a seance and see what would happen. I had to repent of these practices and ask to be freed from what ever strongholds I had allowed into my life because of them. I had to ask God for forgiveness for not trusting Him as my sole provider and for not trusting in His guidance day by day. I look back now and think the whole thing was pretty creepy and dark and a false sense of security. I wonder what I EVER was thinking to want to see anybody come back from the dead! I'm very sensitive to rebuking anything like that that even comes near me! Even adds over the inter-net or horoscopes to read. I just want to steer as clear of any of that as possible! It is not from God and if it's not from God....then we know who is behind it!

Q3. (1 Samuel 25) What do we learn about David’s character in this incident with Nabal and Abigail? What do we learn about Abigail’s character? Nabal’s character? Why do you think this story was included in 1 Samuel? What important knowledge does it add to our understanding? I learned that David's character wasn't perfect. That he, as a human was prone to quick judgments and emotional decisions as well as pride and indignation. What I also learned though, was that he was a listener. His initial reaction was to move forward into a devastating blunder but when confronted with wisdom, he was willing to hear it and think his own reaction over more clearly. He was humbled and humble. Abigail is known for her wisdom. Her character is pristine. She's in a difficult marriage with a fool for a husband. She and her family are threatened because of his foolish actions. She is strong and courageous. She is quick to think on her feet and not only devises a plan to give David all he had asked for, she humbled herself at his feet and "reasoned" with him. What an intelligent woman! She had all points covered. She appealed to David's pride by giving him the provisions he asked for. She appealed to his compassion by throwing herself at his mercy, she appealed to his mind and his thought processes and she appealed to his spiritual conscience and she did it all cool as a cucumber! Nabal to me is one of the biggest fools in history. He had no compassion. He was selfish, conceited and biased. To me, he seemed like a bully who knew the "little" guy didn't have any backing so he could swagger and control all he wanted and he did just that. He didn't think of his family or their safety and he was just extremely prideful and arrogant in all he did. He sounds to me like the kind of guy who's brave to pick on the weak. If David had become King the next day and Nabal hadn't died, I bet he would have been sucking up to David then! The word "weasel" comes to mind when thinking of Nabal. I think this story was included as a life lesson. Quite a few of them! Some of these lessons for us today are: Don't let emotion rule decisions. Remain in your own personal christian integrity and live by that standard. Don't be foolish, selfish and prideful. Handle situations with wisdom in calmness and thought out strategy based on the word of God. Keep in mind the guy on the bottom today may be at the top tomorrow. Treat each person no matter what station in life with wisdom and dignity, being kind and helpful. Listen to others, don't be afraid to be humble, reverse decisions made that were wrong and make it right. Live by God's principles. Don't jump on bandwagons...people are fickle and come and go and are raised up and brought down by the will of God. Don't bank on "people." And lastly, don't think God isn't watching situations on Earth. Make sure our actions are pleasing to Him so as to reap a reward and blessing and not His wrath.

Q2. (1 Samuel 24:12) How do we apply the principle of not lifting a hand against the Lord’s anointed in our day? What provisions are there in 1 Timothy 5:19-20 for calling leaders to account. What do you think God will do to those who slander, persecute, and martyr his appointed leaders? We can apply the principle of not lifting a hand against the Lord's anointed in our day by showing respect for them. We may not be in agreement with them and we may even see them caught up in sin or immaturity, but we don't have to make a public show of it by gossiping about them or slandering them. We can pray for them and remind ourselves of the good in them that most likely outweighs the one issue that has become a root for bitterness in ourselves. Most areas that people get upset with their leadership about, are really areas that aren't that important. If the problem though is severe and the sin MUST be addressed, then we have instruction on how to go about that. Hopefully, other Godly leaders will take an honest look at the complaint and won't have blind loyalty to any particular leader. Hopefully like David, they will inquire of God and seek His will in it. The instruction from 1 Timothy 5: 19,20 are to have two or three witnesses to what the leader is to be accused of. Those leaders who continue sinning are to be told they are wrong and they should be told in front of the whole church so others will be warned. God's instruction on what will happen to those who slander and persecute leaders is clear. "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm." (Psalm 105:15; cf. 1 Chronicles 16:22) Jesus taught his disciples: "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." (Matthew 10:40-42) "He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." (Luke 10:16)

Q1. (1 Samuel 24:1-15) Why doesn’t David kill Saul when he has the chance? What motive do he and his men have for killing a king who is trying to kill them? What is David’s rationale for sparing Saul? What does this tell us about David’s character? About his faith? What does it say about David’s leadership ability that he is able to dissuade his men from killing Saul? David doesn't kill Saul because he knows Saul, up to this point, is God's anointed. He is respectful of God's will in it, God's timing and God's authority. He is obedient to God though Saul is making life miserable for him. He recognizes that doing harm to Saul would be evil. "From evil doers come evil deeds." He is proclaiming his goodness while exposing Saul's evil. The motive that would have tempted David would have been fear and survival I would think. David though, put his trust in God and in God's promises to him. He is trusting Yahweh to mete out justice and does not let that come from his own hands. In fact, he cries out in despair that Saul is chasing one like a flea! He sees himself as pretty small in the face of his circumstances! The other men though, the ones who had been in rebellion to Saul before this, would have had different reasons. Rebellion and evil would have been continued in their hearts, while hoping to use David the great warrior to help them accomplish getting rid of their oppressive king. David's rationale for sparing Saul is that he would be disobedient to God if he killed the Lord's anointed. This shows us that David's character is commendable! His heart is right in it by being obedient to God. He desired in his heart to remain innocent of crime against God and His anointed and he trusted God to take care of him and fulfill His promises to David in His own time. It takes a lot of character to be in circumstances like those and remain in faith in God. He cried out many times in the Psalms questioning God so we can assume it was hard for David to understand why God wasn't fulfilling his promise and why Saul was permitted to practice such evil for so long. David's faith was strong in God. It takes faith to wait on God and that's what he was doing in the midst of severe circumstances. David's leadership abilities must have been profound! He not only had to convince people who had a Godly standard to not kill Saul and wait on God, but he also had rebels and men who would not have understood that. To get them to follow him indicates to me gifted leadership qualities. In weak leadership, there is grumbling and division. He had a way to reach all of them to be united and follow his lead even when he could have easily ended their suffering but chose not to! A person would really have to trust in leadership to not get mad about that! Can you imagine that in some circumstances today? There are major splits over issues WAY less important than that!

Q4. (Psalms 18, 34, 54, 56, 58, 59, 142) In these ascriptions to these psalms, how many celebrate happy occasions? How many arise from struggles? What does this tell you about David’s relationship with God? What does this tell you about his faith during trials? Which is your favorite among these psalms? Why? Most of the Psalms listed do not subscribe to happy times. Most were written in desperate situations where David cried out to the Lord for help! This tells me, that David's relationship with God was very intimate and trusting. David knew he was in desperate need of God's protection, guidance, love and comfort. He cried out to the one he was SURE could help him. This tells me his faith was very strong. He "felt" desperate in his situation, but he had "faith" that God could set things right. He knew that God could protect him and help him. Usually he cried out to God in alarm, but then you can see his faith rising up in most of the Psalms. He starts to praise God in his storm. An ever present help in time of trouble. From there he sometimes gets very vocal about what he "thought" God should do to his enemies, but then gives way to submitting to who GOD is an HIS righteousness in the situation. David was humble before God and that demonstrates much trust. One of my favorite Psalms (among many!) is Psalm 63. I love it because it shows David's heart for seeking God. It shows his complete dependence on God and his longing for his presence. I love the verse, "Because your love is better than life, I will praise you." He sought God with all his heart. "I remember you while I'm lying in bed; I think about you all through the night." He rejoices in God and the relationship they have. "You are my help, because of your protection I sing. I stay close to you; you support me with your right hand." He laments about his enemies, but the lament quickly turns to joy! "But the King will rejoice in his God! All who make promises in his name will praise him, but the mouths of liars will be shut!" When I'm going through hard times and I'm on my bed unable to sleep....I remember this Psalm and draw strength from it. I can bring those troubles to God, knowing He is my help. I can praise God remembering all His past faithfulness and experience joy in turning my complaints to praise! I too can be comforted and lifted up and say, "But I will rejoice in my God and I know I'll be praising His name because He will set things right for me!" It's just such a strengthening Psalm!

Q3. (1 Samuel 23:14-18) Why does Jonathan visit David in the wilderness? What risk is there for David? What risk is there for Jonathan? What do you think it meant to David? Have you ever received a visit from a friend when you needed it most? Jonathan visits David to encourage him. To help him find strength in God. David was at a low point here and to have his friend come to support him (especially in the Lord) must have been refreshing. The risk to David was being found. Saul could have tracked Jonathan to find David. I can't help but think also, how Jonathan, as Saul's son, would have been received by others in the camp. I can imagine some grumblings and suspicion surrounding that event. The risk to Jonathan would have been from his father. Saul had become totally immersed in darkness by this time and Jonathan's disloyalty would have put him in a dangerous situation. I'm sure he was at risk from some of David's men too, just because he was Saul's relative! I'm sure David was overwhelmed and grateful for Jonathan coming to see him. David was hounded and in a destitute situation. Jonathan's presence and assurance must have meant a lot to him. To be encouraged in the Lord and reassured of the throne by Saul's son was probably very refreshing. To experience the loyalty of his friend Jonathan and the risks he took to see David and to renew their covenant must have been a revival of his spirit. Have I ever received a visit from a friend when I needed it most? Yes. I had a very loyal friend in my life and enjoyed great companionship with her until her untimely death. I could count on her to be there in any circumstance and she was there for me the times I needed someone the most. I've never had a friend on earth like her since and I know I was grateful for her when she was here with me and I honor her after she has passed. I look forward to seeing her again with joy. I can't go on though without saying Jesus has been that kind of friend to me. Always faithful, always true, always loving and available. I thank Him for being so close in any circumstance and I praise Him.

Q2. (1 Samuel 22:20-23:12) What did Abiathar and the ephod have to do with “inquiring of the Lord?” Why did David inquire of the Lord? What huge advantage does the person have who seeks God’s will before acting? How can you find God’s will at key points in your life? Abiathar was the only High Priest to survive the slaughter commissioned by Saul and carried out by Doeg the Edomite. He fled to David with the Priestly garment, the Ephod that carried the Urim and the Thummin. These were a pair of lots that were used to inquire of the Lord. David inquired of the Lord whether he and his men should go and fight the Philistines who were robbing the people of Keilah. The advantage to seeking God before acting on anything is to inquire of God who knows exactly the best thing to do! David knew it was God who was going to be able to give the victory, so he inquired if it was God's WILL to move forward in protecting the city of Keilah. In battle, we must be sure we are in God's will and in His timing, not moving forward without Him! I can find God's will in the key points of my life first, by slowing down! I have learned to have patience in waiting for clear indications of his will. Once I have been still and inquired of Him and I'm sure of His direction, I can move quickly in obedience, but even then, I have to stop and slow down to listen for next steps. I need to be in prayer and I need to sit and listen. I wait for confirmations all the while being in the Word. I have faith God is in everything even if direction doesn't come right away. I trust He is doing everything I need to lead me into a correct situation. He goes before me, beside me and is my rear guard! Also, in the process of waiting on God, I have time to exam my own motives in what I seek to do. Most times that irons out my own things I may bring to a situation that could undermine God's will. We just have to open our hearts to Him and let Him move by the Holy Spirit. Then we are walking with Him. Not ahead of Him.

Q1. (1 Samuel 22:2) Why were David’s men attracted to him? What did they have in common? What kind of men were these? What difficulties do you think David probably had in leading them? I believe David's men were attracted to him for different reasons. His family members were of course family and would have the belief that he was to be King someday. There probably was family loyalty involved with them and they had turned from Saul who treated David horribly. The "outcast" or "fugitives" were probably drawn to his reputation as a great warrior. One who had even "outdone" Saul. They were at odds with Saul, so they chose to side with David, probably hoping to ride on the coat-tails of a new regime that they hoped would come. What they had in common was Saul. He was their common enemy. They were all fugitives because of him. I imagine these men were rough men. Some probably had criminal backgrounds, some were rebellious of Saul's authority. Some I'm sure were very capable men overlooked by Saul. Most probably had a vendetta against Saul. David's family was with him too, so many were loyal and loved David. I think David probably struggled with uniting the group for God's cause. When so many personalities come together, but are uniting with their OWN motives or vendettas in mind, it is hard to win each one over to have a Godly motive. Some were their because they loved David. Some were there for his protection. Some were rebellious characters or hardened men with their own objectives. It would have been imperative for David to unite them for God's cause and win their respect and to establish his God given authority.

The nature of the covenant is friendship, based on love, trust and loyalty. David receives Jonathan's oath that he will be loyal to David. Jonathan could have rightfully received the throne after Saul, but he knew that David was God's chosen King, so he swears the oath for all of David's enemies be defeated. That would include his own father, Saul who was David's foe. He is relinquishing the throne to David. In return, Jonathan receives a promise that his descendants will not be destroyed when David becomes King. It was common practice when a dynasty was overthrown to kill all of the family members insuring that the threat of them ever coming to power again was gone. Who benefits the most? I think both. David is assured the throne as God has willed, but Jonathan's whole family is spared! I don't think the covenant was self serving. These two men had a great love for each other. It must have been hard to be in line to be King, yet know that your friend is going to receive your seat. If it was selfishness on Jonathon's part, I'm sure he would have fought against David as his father was doing! Jonathan really, in essence gave it all away for David. His family loyalty, his throne and ultimately separation from his beloved friend. David also, did not have to spare any of Jonathan's family. He was going to be King. He could do whatever he wanted. Saul had mistreated him. He could ultimately have full revenge by killing the entire generations of Saul's family. But David loved his friend Jonathan and had compassion on him, promising to even take care of Jonathan's family. That was not an act of someone only thinking of "self" it was an act of compassion for his friend and one of giving. The significance of God being a witness to the covenant was to make it binding. Both men had great respect for God. Because they respected God, they would honor this oath taken in front of Him.

Saul didn't really have faith at this point. The Spirit of the Lord had left him and he was living in darkness. There was no fear of God, so pursuing David even in the Temple shows how far Saul has fallen and at what lengths he would go to in disrespect for God. People prophesy when the Holy Spirit comes on them because the Spirit of God moves in and through them for God's purposes or message. This incident is in relationship to the day of Pentecost because the Holy Spirit came and manifested Himself causing those He came upon to speak in tongues and prophesy. The Holy Spirit shows in both cases that He is in ultimate control of all things even our own bodies.

Wow! Hard question! My first inclination was to say "obedience to Saul's desire" knowing that though David always served the Lord, he often did so by respecting Saul's position. There were times he could have killed Saul himself, but refused, because he saw Saul as rightful King until God removed him. (Chap 24:6-7) Did he ultimately marry Michal merely because it was a request by the King? I thought twice about embracing that as my answer and ruled that out because if that was the case, he would have married Saul's oldest daughter when that first request was put out. Both times, David's reply is that he is too unimportant and poor to be a relative of the King. I thought maybe that was a clue, but both times the price for the bride is low. The first time, he only has to remain in service to Saul and " fight the battles of the Lord." The second time, the price is "100 Philistine foreskins." With that, David is "pleased to become the King's son-in-law." I noted here, that he wasn't pleased to become "Michal's husband" and nowhere else is she mentioned, except to say SHE loved David, so I don't think love is the motive....but desire is another thing and David is known for letting desire take control of his life on other occasions! So, why did David agree specifically after the price of Philistine foreskins was set? The first offer for Saul's older daughter was at the price to "Serve me (Saul) faithfully and fight the battles of the Lord," but he didn't accept then. Only when the Philistines were involved did he accept and not only do the job, but he doubled the amount of foreskins to be brought back! Obviously, he had a lot of pride in his military prowess and put an exclamation point on what he could really do! But, did he enjoy killing Philistines? Going back to Goliath, I don't think to say David enjoyed killing "Philistines" is really correct, but to say David enjoyed killing "God's enemies" is. But, if this was to be considered a "chief" reason for David to marry, he would have married the oldest daughter when Saul offered her at the price of "Fighting the Lord's battles." After considering all this, I believe that David merely succumbed to his own pride in his military prowess for the most part, but there were other factors contributing in his decision to marry Michal.

Why does Saul send David into battle? Saul sent David into battle because he was jealous of him. He sent David away so he wouldn't be around Saul and with the hope that he would be killed in battle. What was the result? David had victory everywhere. He was very successful in his battles and as a leader. Many soldiers under him loved him. His popularity grew. Saul feared him. To what does the narrator attribute David's success? David's success was because the Lord was with him. * If God is for us, who can be against?

We often forget the battle is the Lord's because from the day we are born we are taught what we should expect in life and how we are to act and what we need to achieve to get it for ourselves. This of course is all set on a worldly standard. We set out to "conquer" and "win" and submitting to anything other than our will is rare. To know the battle is the Lord's is to be submitted to HIS will, not our own! This is an about face to all we have learned. Our pride has to go along the wayside and "our" plans are given over for "HIS" plan. We give up the control and accept God's sovereign state. Once we learn that, then we can humbly wait on Him to win those battles in life we face or to get clear direction for His will in our lives. His will becomes our will and we have a GREAT advocate in that, that nothing can come against! We can avoid arrogance in trying to pull God into our battles (God is on my side) by first, not assuming we know everything. We need to be prayerful for direction and we need to be humble in receiving it. We need a clear understanding of God's Word so our thoughts are aligned with truth. But I think it imperative we don't "march forward" with our own views. We need to WAIT many times and see where God leads things because we often times want to hurry to get from point A to point B in our finite vision but God is also bringing other areas to completion before the wholeness of His infinite will is to be realized!

"Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." David's explanation here of his combat experience also expresses his faith. He doesn't take great credit for his own victories. He credits the victory as God's victory. He is a lethal warrior in that he is turning over the victory to God who can't lose! Saul allowed David to go into battle for political reasons and for psychological reasons for the soldiers. It was not a faith issue for him but a battle strategy for the morale of the army. I think Saul's faith was in worldly knowledge, not in God. He used David in that....but David's victory came at the hand of God and because of his faith in Him!

Why is David upset about Goliath's taunts? Because Goliath is taunting the armies of the living God. That was a direct insult to God's power and His very character as I AM. David was angry God had been insulted! Why is Eliab, David's brother upset with David? He was convicted that his "shepherd" brother had the courage to want to stand up to Goliath while he, the "warrior" brother was doing nothing! When people are convicted sometimes...they become angry at who or what convicts them. What does this teach us about David's faith? That he was strong in faith! His main focus wasn't on what he "saw" but on the power of His living God! What does this teach us of Eliab's faith? Just the opposite! He was weak in faith. All he saw up to the point of David arriving was this huge giant that seemed as though he couldn't be defeated. He walked by sight! Even when David came and showed a proper response, he didn't support David or change his attitude, he became jealous and tried to tear him down!

From Saul's perspective, why is David summoned to court? Saul had been sent an angel of judgement and he was in constant misery. I believe his mind was given over to darkness and he was given over to the things of darkness. Deviant thoughts, fear and paranoia. His physicians prescribed music for comfort and David was brought in to play instruments and sing for Saul as this soothed him. From God's perspective, why was he there? To learn the in's and out's of governing. I'm sure he learned many things to help him in his future reign as King, but more importantly what NOT to do that caused Saul's downfall. What keeps us from learning from God in our circumstances? I think pride is a major area that keeps us from learning. We are raised to be self sufficient in the world and we carry that into adulthood. Living a life of faith in God though, is living dependent on Him. We don't like being dependent and we love being self made. I also see trust in God as an issue once we do decide to be dependent. We know we "ought" to be obedient and go with God, but we fear what He is doing or leading us into. Only as we grow in knowing His character and trustworthiness and faithfulness, do we learn from Him a better way to do things in our circumstances. What might make us more teachable? Being in prayer for humbleness and having a willingness to learn more about God. We need to be God chasers. Hot in pursuit of Him. He will not only reveal himself in our own lives, but remind us of His faithfulness for generations! When we see how faithful He has ALWAYS been from the beginning, we can begin to see that His truths are the way to go and we embrace them and live them and see the benefits of them.

What is the significance of Samuel anointing David? Samuel had the authority from God to anoint David as God's chosen King for Israel. This wasn't just any "political" move. This was a decree from God who had specifically chosen David to be set apart for a special service. What is the significance of the Holy Spirit coming upon David? The Holy Spirit came upon David to guide him into God's will for the Nation. It wasn't "David" reigning so much as the Holy Spirit reigning though him. This wasn't a typical "who's next in line". This was a specific work of God. How does this explain his success? David was obedient to listen to and follow the counsel of the Holy Spirit (most times). He sought after God with passion and was obedient to do His will. Going with "God's" plan and not "our" plan is always 100% better! David was successful when he did stay within God's counsel because God is never wrong! He suffered the times he stepped out of the Holy Spirit's wisdom or boundaries. Why is the Holy Spirit vital for our success? Same reasons. We need His counsel. We are foolish if we think we can go on our own. To have the anointing of the Holy Spirit insures us of His constant presence, but we have free will to take direction or leave it. He is all knowing and with the greatest wisdom and truth so we really should be seeking Him every day. I love the song. I Need Thee Every Hour. For everything and in everything, we need Him every second! To be disciples, we must follow HIM. Not ourselves or the world. To go out, we need His wisdom and truth in teaching others. It's imperative we listen and are true to the truth.

How does this story teach us the importance of carefully listening to God's voice? Saul did not listen to God and His instructions. We should be learning from the mistakes Saul made. He became disobedient by running ahead and doing things his own way and then justifying his own actions. He eventually became so displeasing to God that God would not honor him anymore. Saul had become not trustworthy. Those same things could happen to us if we are not carefully listening to God and seeking His direction. We need to act on His direction and stay in His will. He knows best what to do and where to go and who to be around. We also can learn from Samuel who was quick to judge with his human reasoning. This is very prevalent even in churches today. We think we "see" someone of importance and act on that while God's choice may be overlooked because we judge so much by a worldly standard. We need to listen carefully when we discern about others. What "looks" good or is popular is not necessarily within God's will. What is our instinctive way of discerning? By what society labels as good, successful, pleasing or what generally "looks" good. How is God teaching us to discern? How do we listen to the Spirit? God teaches us to be in communion with Him and prayerful when we need to discern about anyone or any situation. We also need to learn the truth of what is in the Bible. That is our handbook. A person can't just look good or sound good. They need to be living a true faith walk. The more we know the Bible, the easier it is to discern those moments when what "sounds" good doesn't really line up with truth. God also teaches us what and how to discern when we rest quietly with Him and listen for His voice. We need to be prayerful. Sometimes He speaks through others too. Our Pastors, Elders, mentors or other true Christian based teachings. Most often though, He has required me to WAIT! If I'm not hearing on what I've asked direction for, I know I just need to wait. Sooner or later, in His timing, doors open or close and He directs a straight path. And He is ALWAYS faithful! If we ask....our eyes will be opened and our ears will hear and we will recognize the voice of our Master.

What is rebellion? Rebellion is going our own way instead of being in obedience to what God has asked us to do or has shown us what is right to do. How is rebellion as bad as witchcraft or occult practices? Witchcraft/occult practices are forms of idolatry. They are the practices of putting anything in place of God or above God. When we are in rebellion, we place ourselves above God. When we do what "we" want to do instead of being in obedience to what God wants us to do we in essence are saying we know more than God. We put "self" above God. What does rebellion have to do with arrogance? When we are arrogant we are prideful and we elevate ourselves in our own minds. Being arrogant leads to rebellion because we become self absorbed and full of self. We loose sight of the fact that we need God as our source and direction. We can become blinded and start to act in "our" will instead of God's will. What can we do when we find rebellion against God in our hearts? We should get on our knees and confess our rebellion and ask forgiveness. We should seek God's mercy and His help to become humble once again and ask Him to lead us back into His will. What happens if we do nothing? I believe we become more and more hardened in our hearts and we succumb to falling deeper into darkness and stray farther and farther from God. We lose our way and fall prey to more and more of satan's lies and to the ways of the world. We lose dependence on God's wisdom and believe in our own foolish minds.

The Israel of God today is all who believe that Jesus died for their sins, rose from the dead and have faith in Jesus for the salvation of their souls. Who is excluded? Anyone still under the law who does not accept Jesus as their righteousness and Savior. Romans 11:17-25 reminds Gentile believers that the Jews who did not accept Christ were cut away for their unbelief. They were once a favored nation, but they rejected His Son and paid a penalty for that. Under the new covenant, Jews and Gentiles alike were accepted through belief in Jesus, but the warning is to not become proud. If He cut away His beloved Israel for unbelief and grafted in the Gentile because of faith, then they were not to boast. If God didn't spare the natural branches, He would not spare them either if they fall away! They were to consider God's sternness (as shown to the Jews) and His kindness (as shown to the Gentile) Only those who continue in His mercy and kindness through Jesus remain. We are mere branches....He is the root that sustains us.

The characteristics of the "new creation" is the fruit of the Spirit because we are born of the Spirit. The "old creation" is still living under the law and of the flesh. It's worldly living. No faith. The old creation lacks the Holy Spirit inside. The new creation has the Holy Spirit. To be "born again" you must be born into the Spirit. We are all born at one time into the world of flesh. We were blind to things of the Spirit because we were not yet born into the Kingdom of God. Once we are "born again" the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to things of the Spirit and we grow by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why we are a new creation. We are no longer of the world, we are of the Kingdom of God and our lives are transformed into something entirely new!

We become weary because we give so much of ourselves like a drink offering and sometimes that can go on with no encouragement or with no apparent results. We weary because we long to see some fruit from our labors but none seems to come. This is tiring and discouraging. We can become so tired, that we lose hope altogether and start looking around at the evil that the world is rewarding and that's a dangerous place to get to. We can become bitter to the point of dropping out. What does Paul promise in 6:9? That in due time we will reap a harvest. Why start with the family of God? Because we need to be unified and strengthened together. Doing good to each other keeps our focus off self and on to others and it gives us a chance to practice the fruit of really giving to each other....not just some always taking and some always giving. Also, it's a good witness to unbelievers when they see Christians actually getting along. We show we truly care for each other.

To sow to the flesh means to please self and to follow after the world and the **** of the flesh and the **** of the eyes and the pride of life. It means if it feels good looks good and is all about "me".....then do it! We gratify our sinful natures. What does it look like? It looks like sin and a lot of it! In this text it is as stated: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, orgies and the like. To sow in the Spirit, according to Paul is to be led by the Spirit. We will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature, we will not be under the law and we will keep in step with the Spirit. Sowing in the Spirit, in a congregation looks like a manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit. There will be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. There will be unity with each other for a common purpose. The Kingdom of God and salvation of souls. The result of a congregation sowing in the flesh is disunity, fighting, immorality, slander and gossiping. There is competition and lack of integrity. There is jealousy and agendas to push through. There is no common goal because each one is looking out for themselves. Our eyes get off of Jesus and our purpose and we become inwardly focused. Everyone does what is right in their own eyes and truth is lost.

Being caught in sin by a believer is backsliding. We all sin and we all overcome sin, but sometimes the temptation to sin sneaks up on us and we fall momentarily in that trap. Restoration for a brother or sister caught in sin again, would be for them to turn from that particular sin in their lives and repenting of it. It would mean receiving God's grace and forgiveness and the forgiveness of the community of Saints. It would be going forward renewed again into a life of Godly living. Who restores this person? Ultimately the Holy Spirit restores, but we can be a vessel used by God to help restore them. The restoration process should be done with kindness, gentleness and humility on our part, knowing we get caught in sin ourselves. It should not be done in arrogance, cruelty or self righteousness or by anyone who does not have an understanding of the situation or the truth of the circumstances. I see the "sin hunters" in churches who think their job is pointing out sins in others, mostly in ignorance of the circumstances a person may be in. Their main objective is to "get rid" of the person in sin. Not to RESTORE them and help them out of compassion and wanting a better way for them....God's way! If it isn't about restoration....then I question the motives! The result of trying to restore without humility is engaging in sin ourselves! Arrogance is sin. Judging is sin. Considering ourselves better than others is sin. Turning our backs on a person who is on God's heart is a sin. Having a mean spirit is sin. Slandering is sin. Pride is sin. All these attributes come out when we refuse to be humble in our own lives and the realities of our own sins and what God requires of US towards others. Micah 6:8 He has shown you O man, what is good. And what does He require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

To crucify the flesh with its passion and desires is to turn away from the sin that entangles us by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are born again, we no longer desire things of the flesh but seek for the things of the Spirit and set out to understand the things of God's Kingdom. I really came to abhor the sins I was caught in and repented of them asking for grace to move forward into what I knew (and longed for) that was right and true. Giving up those sins were healing for me. Can a person be a Christian without crucifying the flesh? Not really. How can we say we are disciples of Christ and not follow Him? How can we "believe" something we refuse to live? If we don't live it, that proves we don't really believe what we may be "saying". It is a process though. I wouldn't want to "judge" anyone in their walk. Sometimes what "we" think a person should be overcoming is not the work "God" is presently doing in a life being sanctified. How have we produced a crop of lukewarm Christians? By watering down the whole Bible! So many use grace as an excuse to do whatever they want. They even accuse others of being legalistic when the truth is told. We are held to a higher standard and to run a race of excellence. But I think the core issue is that some Christians have not understood or taken into their hearts the cross of Christ. They have not understood the love that was shown to them. They don't understand REAL grace because unless you see the magnitude of OUR sin that put Him there, you can't really cry out in repentance of sin.....and then find the grace that is free to US but was a horrible cost to Jesus. That's what changes hearts. To fall in love and with the deepest gratitude that you WANT to change and honor the one who did so much to call you His own. I loved, because He first loved me and I'll never be the same! His Holy Spirit inside us can change EVERYTHING! He can redeem anything or anyone! I know because I have experienced it. You just have to call on Him and He'll help. Every time.