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Beloved David battled with divine strength. He slayed the giant because he was in right standing with the Almighty. So, we can conclude that this man after God’s own heart battled from the only position of strength – that which is grounded in Christ! (Acts 13:22)

His brothers, though fancied for their physical prowess, were powerless against the giant. They were not true worshippers as was their younger brother whom the LORD chose to take out the enemy. David was a worshipper and therefore the LORD used Him as a warrior! See 1 Samuel 17.

“And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 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.” 1 Samuel 17:34-37 

David was first and foremost a worshipper and then a warrior. We can only be used of God to do His will, to win wars, as we are first His worshippers. God’s power worked mightilly in and through David by way of His relationship with the man after God’s own heart (John 17:3; Acts 13:22).

“A man after mine own heart”

“I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.” Acts 13:22 

The LORD is saying here that only “a man after mine own heart” can “fulfil all my will.”

David was able to do the will of God because He sought God – “continually” (1 Chronicles 16:11). Successfully doing the will of God requires having a heart after Him!

The LORD is calling His people to an unrelenting fervency in worship – a people who are forged in the fires of trials, tribulations, and seasons of testing that only God can bring them out of, as was the case with the three Hebrew children who were thrown into the fiery furnace (Daniel 3-4). They counted not their lives dear to themselves, they loved not their lives unto death (Acts 20:24; Revelation 12:11).

Of the man after God’s own heart, David, sister Karen writes:

“Amen! The key is David sought God’s heart not his own! He sought after all the attributes of God. He was done with self! He wanted God to permeate his whole being. All through the Psalms you can read the cries of David, pleading with God for forgiveness, mercy, protection, strength, and for His presence to come because many times he was weary. In Psalm 69:3 his senses were failing him but he still sought God. He poured out his whole heart to God in all honesty. This is why he was the only man who God said “was a man after my own heart”. Many modern Christians could learn from him. Do we seek God with all our hearts or do we worship self more?”

It’s “through faith and patience (abiding perseverance)” that we “inherit the promises” of God (Hebrews 6:11-12).

“In your patience possess ye your souls.” Luke 21:19 

David penned these amazing words which you should memorize:

“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11 

The LORD only rewards those who “diligently seek him.”

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 

Here Holy Scripture defines trusting God by faith as that which requires continuing diligence in seeking Him no matter what comes our way. True faith, born out of true worship, does not faint. Those who stop worshipping – praying and seeking His holy face – will faint, will fall (Luke 18:1).

Lukewarm cruise control con men prayed a prayer for salvation and thought that was it, that they were ‘one and done’. Yet, Scripture assures us that those Jesus saves and who do not “endure to the end” will not be “saved” into Heaven (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Hebrews 3:6, 12-15; 10:26-39; 2 Peter 2:20-21, etc.). They will be cast upon the heap of hell with all other rebels (Revelation 21:8). They hate the notion of personal accountability, of daily dying, because they are full of self, they worship the god of self like lucifer, they are rebels at heart, they love darkness rather than light and refuse to truly repent, lay down their lives in this fleeting world, and truly follow, obey Jesus (Matthew 7:21;29; Luke 9:23-24; 14:33; 17:33; John 3:19-21; Titus 1:16; James 1:22; 1 John 2:3-5; 3:1-10, etc.).

God’s enabling grace was the key to David’s strength and that grace was dispensed to David as He sought the LORD.

God requires that we be faithful in worshipping Him right where we are, in each season, no matter what is happening to us.

“His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matthew 25:23 

Are you faithful to meet and commune with the LORD daily?

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:6

The LORD has things to do inside of you and so allows trials and tribulations according to His wisdom. Will we trust Him?

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:10-11 

As children of the LORD, as we suffer various trials in this brief life on earth, He is using this to keep His roots in us…. by

  • Perfecting us,
  • Stablishing us,
  • Strengthening us,
  • Settling us!!

“The pressure in your life right now has a purpose. It’s not crushing you, it’s pushing what’s on the inside of you out. It shows you who you are.” unknown

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4

“It would seem strange that God, who professes to love the children of Israel, would lead them into a desert without food and water. But love led them there that they might learn the desperate unbelief of their own hearts and the unfailing faithfulness of God’s Heart. Only in a desert could God reveal what He can be to those who trust Him. (Exodus 17) Do you trust Him in your desert?” Jeff Thomas

Job chose to trust the LORD no matter what happened – and we know a lot of bad things fell upon beloved Job (Job 1-2).

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Job 13:15

God’s grace was sufficient for Paul in his sufferings as it will be for you also as you are faithful to God whereever He allows you to be. Paul was afflicted and like David, as he sought the LORD, as he stayed upon the LORD, God’s grace was sufficient.

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 

“The surf that distresses the ordinary swimmer produces in the surfer the super joy of going clean through it. Apply that to our own circumstances, these very things—tribulation, distress, persecution, produce in us the super joy; they are not things to fight. We are more than conquerors through Him in all these things, not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. The saint never knows the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. “I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation,” says Paul.

Undaunted radiance is not built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can alter. The experiences of life, terrible or monotonous, are impotent to touch the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Oswald Chambers

Those who “stay upon” God, who relentlessly seek, love, worship, and trust Him, will be brought forth in the victory He alone can win and grant!

“Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” Isaiah 50:10

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I come to You here and now in the name of Jesus Christ by whose blood You bought my eternal soul. Right this instant, I declare afresh that You LORD Jesus are my Master and Savior. I am not my own but rather bought by Your precious blood. Please help me dear LORD. Break and use me. Bless me to be truly poor in spirit, humble, teachable, pliable, and ever-worshipping You with a heart filled with thanksgiving. Please multiply Your grace in my life and teach me Your ways. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Prepared to be Used of God 

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Articles

The Gracious LORD will Abundantly Pardon [podcast]


“Abundantly Pardon”

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7

The repentant thief on the cross next to Jesus called Him “Lord” and simply asked, believed on Christ. Where is he now? “paradise”

“Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 42 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:41-42

God’s pardon is paramount to being in paradise with Him and His saints. When we cry out to Him, the LORD will freely forgive us. That’s why He came and what He desires to do. Yet we must never forget that we shall reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8). If we choose to sin, there will be dire consequences and while we can be forgiven, those results must be reaped.

How many people does God desire to perish? Not one (2 Peter 3:9).

Matthew 5:3, 6, 8

“Jeremiah’s message was never meant to leave the heart in despair. Every warning from God carried an invitation to return. The Lord does not expose empty religion to shame His people, but to heal them. Repentance is not the loss of hope, it is the beginning of hope. Christ still receives every soul that comes with humility, and He gives living faith where there was only habit, peace where there was only fear, and joy where there was only emptiness. The call remains the same today, to draw near to Him with a sincere heart, trusting that His mercy is always greater than our weakness.” Dan Blincoe

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:6-10

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” Acts 3:19

Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?” Joel 2:12-14

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

YOUR PRAYER TO GOD: Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, please break me! Please crush me dear LORD. YOU are my Potter. Pour the water of Your Holy Spirit and Word upon this life You made and saved for Your glory, not mine. I love You Jesus! Let this heart be broken, contrite, and let tears flow from a poor and pure heart that hungers and thirsts after Your righteousness. In the name of my LORD Jesus, amen.

“God has a multitude of mercy (Psalm 5:7), is “plenteous in mercy” (Psalm 86:5), “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4), and has “abundant mercy” (1 Peter 1:3). Wow! And I need all of that! But the real test is since He gives me all that mercy, do I extend mercy to others? If I don’t show mercy to others I will not receive mercy from God. James 2:13.” Karen Cochran

FORGIVE “from your hearts” or go to hell. That’s your choice (Matthew 18:21-35).

It becomes easy to forgive when you look in the mirror honestly and see all your own sins (Mark 11:25-26). Repent now.

“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in SINCERITY and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.” Joshua 24:14

“God specializes in taking broken vessels and molding them, shaping them, and making them vessels of honor fit for His use!” Karen Cochran

Woman taken in the act of adultery. What about the man? Selective mercy, judgment?

Yes, we are to “Go, and sin no more” and yet “IF (not when) any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father.” Right? We can confess our sin in repentance and be forgiven (1 John 1:6-2:2).

It seems, from the whole counsel of God’s Word, that Jesus is more likely saying “You are now forgiven, saved, and grace empowered and do not need to live in sin any longer.” Surely His mercy and grace didn’t “run out” the first time she was redeemed, rescued. God is a merciful God and YES He 100% requires that we repent whenever needed, re-turn to Him and confess all sin. Yet when we do, is He not merciful? See Lamentations 3:22-23; Psalms 51; 103:10-12; Luke 22:31-32, etc.

The point intended here is that the “Go and sin no more” seems to be isolated by some…. first Jesus forgives/redeems her as she was obviously repentant. Then He says “Go and sin no more.” Did that mean “You better not sin again or it’s over, no more mercy, no chance of you ever returning to Me!” OR, did He mean that she is now redeemed, is a temple of the Holy Ghost, and empowered by divine grace to live free from sin and so she no longer has to be under it’s dominion”? See Romans 6:14; Titus 2:11-12.

“She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:11

For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” Psalms 86:5

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” Psalms 86:15

HOW can God possibly use me to show His mercy to others if I am not walking in His mercy toward others?

IF YOU DEAL mercilessly with others, undiluted harsh judgment is coming upon your own life. That’s a divine promise:

“For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” James 2:13

Read that again. Memorize it.

YOU set the measure of the judgment/mercy coming upon your life from God by how you show such to others.

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5

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Abiding

“If God be For Us Who can be Against Us?” [podcast] 


WHO is God truly “with”?

“And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and IF YE SEEK HIM, he will be found of you; but IF ye forsake him, he will forsake you.” 2 Chronicles 15:2

What happens when one of His children deny Him?

It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:11-13

Those who reject Him shall be rejected by Him. OSAS/eternal security is a fairy tale espoused by the moral cowards who refuse to serve God on HIS stated terms – repentance, faith, true worship, obedience, holiness, the crucified life, etc.

“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15  Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.” Matthew 10:14-15

Persecution and the Disciple of Jesus

1 Peter 4

“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

9  Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

10  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

11  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

Suffering as a Christian

12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.

16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”

Romans 8

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

God’s Everlasting Love

31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“Romans 8:29: For whom he did foreknow, etc. – “In this and the following verse the apostle shows how our calling is an argument that all things work together to advance our eternal happiness, by showing the several steps which the wisdom and goodness of God have settled, in order to complete our salvation. In order to this he first gives us, in this verse, the foundation and finishing, or the beginning and end, of the scheme of our redemption: For whom God did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. To foreknow, here signifies to design before, or at the first forming of the scheme; to bestow the favor and privilege of being God’s people upon any set of men, Rom_11:2. This is the foundation or first step of our salvation; namely, the purpose and grace of God, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began, 2Ti_1:9. Then, he knew or favored us; for in this sense the word to know is taken in a great variety of places, both in the Old and New Testaments. And as he knew the Gentiles then, when the scheme was laid, and before any part of it was executed, consequently, in reference to the execution of this scheme, he foreknew us. This is the first step of our salvation, and the end or finishing of it is our conformity to the Son of God in eternal glory, Rom_8:17, which includes and supposes our moral conformity to him. When God knew us, at the forming of the Gospel scheme; or, when he intended to bestow on us the privilege of being his people; he then destinated or designed us to be conformed to the image of his Son; and, as he destinated or determined us then to this very high honor and happiness, he pre-destinated, fore-ordained, or pre-determined us to it. Thus we are to understand the foundation and finishing of the scheme of our salvation. The foundation is the foreknowledge, or gracious purpose of God; the finishing is our being joint heirs with Christ. Now, our calling or invitation (see on Rom_8:28 (note)) stands in connection with both these.” Adam Clarke

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Apostasy

The Book of Jude Narrated [podcast]


The Book of Jude:

Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the  Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to  present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. 

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