The Call Of God

So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 2 Samuel 5:20

Every one of us has a call of God for our lives. You are called by God to do something specific for Him. There is no useless person in life and you should not be drifting through life without a sense of destiny or purpose. From David’s experience in 2 Samuel 5, you can learn five important lessons about discerning God’s calling for you:

(1) What word or rhema have you received from the Lord? That word will be a good indicator of your calling in life. David had a word from heaven that he shall be the shepherd and ruler of Israel (5:1-2). Faith comes by hearing that rhema. Without that rhema revelation, you won’t have the faith to obey.

(2) What are you gifted and anointed with? David was anointed three times in his life: by the prophet Samuel, by the men of Judah, and by the elders of Israel (5:3). An anointing is an impartation of ability by the Holy Spirit. God never wastes His anointing. What He has gifted and anointed you with is often indicative of your calling.

(3) What does other trusted leadership see in you? The reason elders chose him was because the gifting and ability of kingship in David were already clearly evident to all (5:3). God works through spiritual protocol. A calling upon your life should be evident to the mature, spiritual leadership God has surrounded you with. Let them confi rm your calling.

(4) How are your enemies opposing you? If you are not walking in your calling, you will never be a threat to Satan. But the moment you step into your destiny, you can be sure he is not going take things lying down. He will be very agitated and start hindering you (5:3). Sometimes, an unprovoked attack could be an indication that you are walking in your calling.

(5) What breakthrough has God provided you with? When David went to the Valley of Rephaim, God provided a way for him to attain resounding victory over his enemies. He renamed that valley Baal Perazim, which means “Master of Breakthroughs”(5:20). God often speaks to us through an open door. When you receive a breakthrough in an impossible situation, it is a good sign that God wants you to walk through it. That is your calling from the Lord.

Faith To Live By

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17

Four times the Scripture declares to us that the just or righteous shall live by his faith (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38). For it to be repeated practically word for word that many times shows that the subject of faith must really be important. In fact, by the proclamation of this truth alone, a tiny minority managed to change the course of world history.

In 300 years, it brought the whole of the Roman Empire to its knees. Another 1,200 years later, this same revelation empowered Martin Luther to dislodge the power of Roman Catholicism and started the Protestant Reformation. Likewise, if we can comprehend and apply this simple truth by faith today, it can revolutionize our individual lives and our ministry in the kingdom. Let’s look at Romans 1:17 again. In the original text, the word “live” connotes the idea of a sustaining force. As such, faith is the sustaining force that keeps your entire life going in the Lord. Faith is what makes life a never-dull adventure. The word “live” covers all areas of the human experience-the spiritual, mental, physical and material. It even covers basic activities like breathing, thinking, speaking, working, sleeping, etc. For any person to be accepted as righteous by God, all these activities must be motivated and controlled by the one great principle of faith.

Consider the trivial matter of eating. “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23). God expects you to have faith to the extent that even your eating must proceed from faith. But what does it mean to eat from faith? 

(1) You acknowledge that God is the one who provided you with the food that you eat. 

(2) You thank God that your food is now blessed and sanctified. 

(3) You acknowledge that the health and strength you receive through your food will be used for God’s service and glory. 

Imagine that God expects faith in you even for such a trivial activity like eating! The converse of eating in faith is to “eat in darkness” which will result in sorrow, sickness and frustration (Eccl. 5:17).

Consider another trivial matter-sleeping. Many people struggle with sleep because of fear, worry and anxiety. David was a man who went through many troubles and dangers, but in the midst of them all, his faith in God sustained him: “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me . . . I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety” (Ps. 3:5; 4:8). If God expects such trivial matters like eating and sleeping to be done in faith, what about the rest of life’s activities? Start living by faith in every area of your daily existence!

Personal Pentecost

Acts 9:18….. Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again.

Saul of Tarsus hated Christians. He hunted them down and persecuted them, even to death. He was a self-righteous Pharisee who learned his theology at the feet of the famous Gamaliel.

On the road to Damascus he was struck blind. There followed a dramatic sequence of events that led to his sudden conversion, the cure of his blindness at the hands of a Christian disciple Ananias and his baptism. Saul became Paul and eagerly accepted his commission to preach the gospel of Christ first to the Jews but mainly to the Gentiles.

Paul was not among Jesus’ disciples when Jesus lived on the earth. After his spectacular conversion leading to personal insight and revelation of the Gospel, he became one of the most zealous early Christians. His missionary letters comprise almost one-third of the New Testament.

Paul had a personal pentecost experience that was every bit as powerful as the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. As a result of which he was completely changed. Surely this is what conversion literally means.

Every Christian needs this experience. We all need our own personal pentecostal encounter with the Holy Spirit. It is only the beginning of our salvation journey to meet Jesus at Calvary, but after Easter comes Penetecost and with Pentecost comes the power to change.

Christians cannot fully function in a Christ-like lifestyle until we have been set on fire by the power of the Holy Spirit; this fire that ignites an unquenchable passion for Jesus.

Have you had your own personal penetcost? Why don’t you ask the Holy Spirit to change you today?

Lord Jesus, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to baptise us with power from on high. Amen. 

Hope And Restoration

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 1 Samuel 30:6 (KJV)

The time in Ziklag was one of the darkest hours in David’s life. One day, when David was out of the city, the Amalekites invaded and burned it to the ground. David’s family and children were taken captive, and all his possessions were totally destroyed. By now, David had spent 10 years as a fugitive from Saul and he was already battle-weary. The anguish was so great that he and his men cried “until they [had] no more power to weep” (1 Sam. 30:4).

The men around him were so emotionally grieved that they turned against him and wanted to stone him to death. A Ziklag-type circumstance is where most Christians forsake their faith and give up on life. But God is the God of restoration. He can turn your setback into a comeback!

(1) Decide to regain what you have lost. Restoration happens only when you really, really want to regain what you have lost. David wept before the Lord. God always honors a broken spirit and a contrite heart.

(2) Seek after God. In the midst of all the confusion, “David encouraged himself in the LORD his God” (30:6). There will be moments when you have to go to God’s presence all by yourself to find strength in Him. David started seeking the face of God to know His mind in the midst of his difficult situation.

(3) Surround yourself with strong believers. David had 600 men. But at Brook Besor, only 400 were left as the rest were too weary to continue with him. Strength is absolutely vital in restoration work. Surround yourself with believers who have the spiritual stamina to last the

distance with you.

(4) Gain knowledge of the situation. David needed knowledge. An Egyptian provided him with valuable information concerning the secret hideouts of the enemies (30:11-16). Strength comes from a position of knowing.

(5) Persevere until total victory is achieved. Never become complacent. Although David and his men were exhausted, they fought the Amalekites until the latter was totally subdued (30:17).

(6) Be serious to take back all the spoil. David recovered all that the Amalekites had stolen away (30:18-20). You need to take stock of all the losses Satan has infl icted upon your life and have an unshakable desire to recover them. What do you want to see God restore to you? Ziklag is a powerful reminder of one truth: that in your darkest hour of loss, there is always hope and restoration in God.

Vision

“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” Acts 26:19

One of the main reasons God pours out His Spirit is so that we can all see visions and dream dreams (Acts 2:17). Visions and dreams are the substance for life’s great achievements. “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18). Martin Luther King was a black pastor growing up under severe racism in America. On August 28, 1963, he led a march in Washington, D.C. and gave one of the greatest speeches ever in human history. Reverend King said, “I have a dream that one day, my four little children will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character!” Racism policies in America started to change. King’s vision became a reality.

William Carey was the first missionary in modern history. He wanted to go to Burma to preach the gospel at a time when church leaders were saying, “If God wants to save the Asians, He can do it all by Himself-without us!” But Carey had a vision for mission outreaches. His motto in life was “attempt great things for God, and expect great things from God.” His vision eventually came to pass.

There is no such thing as a great person. We are all ordinary people committed to great dreams. And when what we dream happens, that dream makes us great. You may think that you are developing a dream. The contrary is true: your dream is really developing you. Dr. Yonggi Cho, the pastor of the world’s largest church, once said: “You don’t make a vision, your vision will make you!”

There are five types of people in the world:

(1) Those with no vision. You will live out your life in boredom, frustration and regrets. One day, you will look back and wonder about the what-if’s of your life.

(2) Those with low vision. You are afraid to step out in faith and believe God for a great dream. You want to play everything safe. But without faith, it is impossible to please God.

(3) Those with wrong vision. Make sure you know where you are heading. Make sure that you don’t climb up the ladder of life, only to realize at the end of your life that your ladder is leaning against the wrong wall. Don’t pledge first class allegiance to second class causes.

(4) Those with vague vision. You want to do something great with your life but you don’t know what you really want.

(5) Those with God’s vision. Paul had a heavenly vision from God and he was absolutely obedient to fulfill it. When you are living out God’s vision, you will experience the most exciting and meaningful life possible!

The Fool

“Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.” 1 Samuel 25:25

Nabal was an arrogant landowner and successful shepherd in Carmel (1 Sam. 25:2-3). He held a feast for his sheep shearers while David was hiding from Saul in the wilderness of Paran. David and his 600 men were camping near the town of Maon and, during his time there, he protected the livestock and property of Nabal. When David heard about Nabal’s feast, he requested some food for his hungry men. In his drunken state, Nabal refused the request of David and insulted his 10 messengers.

The name “Nabal” literally means “fool” and by dishonoring David, he was, in every sense, a fool. In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus talks about a similar rich “fool” who lived to amass and enjoy riches. He put his trust in his riches and gave his entire soul totally to them. But in his complacency, he forgot that he owed all his blessings to God-even his very breath!

Eventually, his life was cut short by the Lord and he slipped into eternity unable to take any of his possessions with him. To Jesus, a fool “is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (12:21).

The spirit of Nabal was also evident in the days of Malachi when Israel dishonored God by robbing Him of their tithes and offerings. The little they gave to the Lord were offerings they themselves had despised-the blind, the lame and the sick. For their lack of honor toward Him, God allowed the devourer to destroy the fruit of their ground (Mal. 3:8-11). The result of foolishness, ungratefulness and dishonor is always loss and a destiny cut short.

In anger, David determined to kill all of Nabal’s household. After Nabal became sober and heard about David’s plans to kill him, he had a heart attack and died about 10 days later (1 Sam. 25:37-38).

Nabal had a wonderful wife, Abigail. She anticipated David’s reaction and immediately loaded a convoy of donkeys with food to feed all of David’s men. As soon as she met David, she impressed him with her beauty, humility, praise, and advice (25:32-33). Abigail is a beautiful picture of the Church. Nabal is a picture of the nonbeliever or backslider. David is the picture of the soon-coming King. When you minister to Jesus, you are being wise like Abigail. You will be accepted and loved by Him. When you reject and dishonor Jesus, you are being foolish like Nabal. Jesus is coming back for His Abigails. Be one today!

Touching God’s Anointed

And he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.” 1 Samuel 24:6

In 1 Samuel 24, something very interesting happened. Saul had gone into a cave to ease himself. Sensing a great opportunity, David’s men “prophesied” to him, saying, “This is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you’” (24:4a). Every prophecy needs to be judged, and in this case, David’s men-with all their good intentions-were way off the mark.

In the natural, David was given a golden opportunity to ambush Saul. After all, God had promised him the necks of his enemies and Saul was right there, ripe for the picking. Every natural indicator pointed toward the killing of Saul. But God didn’t instruct David to do that. We must always walk by the leading of the Holy Spirit and not by our own clever human reasoning. Unfortunately, there is always the temptation to “help God out” when our vision is not forthcoming.

Although Saul was a terrible man, he was nonetheless David’s anointed king, father-inlaw, and mentor-albeit a bad one! The Bible says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves” (Rom. 13:1-2). We must not come against those God has ordained.

David had the good sense not to listen to his men. But in his heart, he wanted to teach Saul a lesson. He wanted to shame Saul openly. So, “David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe” (1 Sam. 24:4b). That was an arrogant act designed to let Saul know that he could have killed him if he wanted to. In the natural, to David’s own men, his cutting off a corner of Saul’s robe was an act of mercy. But to God, it was an attitude of gross dishonor. God was so upset that He smote David’s heart (24:5). David had touched His anointed.

Our attitude determines our altitude. Very often, it is not just what we do or don’t do, it is the attitude we project; the signals we give. And to God, those signals are more important than our words and deeds. If David could not honor the authority God had ordained in the nation, he had no right to exercise authority over others. Therefore, David said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD” (24:6). May we never touch the anointed servants of God in His kingdom.