God is With You

God is With You

I wonder whether you have ever had this experience: you are talking to a friend about your faith and they are looking back at you with a blank stare. They have no idea what you are talking about. When you talk about a relationship with God or about knowing Jesus, to them it is like you are speaking about an 'imaginary friend'. It makes no sense to them at all.

The apostle Paul makes the point that you can only understand spiritual truths with the help of the Holy Spirit. The person 'without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned' (1 Corinthians 2:14). When God is with us by his Holy Spirit he gives us understanding, 'that we may understand what God has freely given us' (v.12).

'God with us' (Immanuel) is one of the titles the New Testament uses for Jesus (Matthew 1:23). He is always with you. In the service of Holy Communion the minister says, 'The Lord be with you,' to which the congregation replies, 'And also with you.' These are momentous words. That the God who created the universe should be with you is not something to be taken lightly. It is an extraordinary and wonderful promise. To experience God with you by his Spirit is life changing. 

Psalm 91:9-16

1. With you in trouble

In the difficult times, 'in trouble' (v.15), you may sometimes feel that God has left you. In these times listen to God's promises over and above your feelings and emotions.

This psalm is all about God's protection and encourages you not to be afraid:

'If you make the Most High your dwelling -
even the Lord, who is my refuge -
then no harm will befall you,no disaster will come near your tent' (v.9).

This might appear to be the recipe for a trouble-free life. However, the psalmist goes on:

'"Because you love me," says the Lord, "I will rescue you;
I will protect you, for you acknowledge my name.
You will call upon me, and I will answer you;I will be with you in trouble"' (vv.14-15).

It is clear from this that those who love the Lord will not avoid trouble. God does not promise a trouble-free life. Rather, he promises that he will rescue you and protect you and answer your prayers. More than that he promises, 'I will be with you' in trouble. This is what makes all the difference. Even in the darkest times, he is with you. You are never alone.

Thank you, Lord, that you are with me in times of trouble. Thank you for your rescue, deliverance, protection and answers to my prayers.

Lord, today I call upon you again…

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

2. With you by his Spirit

Through the Holy Spirit, God is with you in the most extraordinary way - he is actually in you. It would be impossible for God to be with you any more fully than he is through his Spirit.

In this passage Paul explains some of the extraordinary benefits of God being with you in this way: 'Spirit can be known only by spirit - God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit' (vv.15-16, MSG).

Like the psalmist, the apostle Paul expounds on all the wonderful things that 'God has prepared for those who love him' (v.9, see also Psalm 91:14, 'Because you love me… ').

Paul compares God's wisdom to the 'fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so' (1 Corinthians 2:6, MSG). God's secret wisdom has been revealed to us (vv.6-10) - the wonder of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. The rulers of the world did not understand it. If they had, they would not have crucified Jesus: 'The Lord of glory' (v.8).

God's secret wisdom is amazing. 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' (v.9).

In his book, True Spirituality, Vaughan Roberts notes that there is a four-fold process in which the Holy Spirit reveals God's wisdom to us.

• The Holy Spirit knows
  He knows what no human being could otherwise know - the mind and thoughts of God. 'The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows the thoughts of another human being except that person's own spirit within? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God' (vv.10b-11).
• The Holy Spirit reveals
  The Holy Spirit does not keep his knowledge of the wisdom of God to himself, but he reveals it to those in whom he dwells. 'We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us' (v.12). You have received the Spirit who is from God. He is with you. He enables you to understand the secret wisdom of God, though of course we could never fathom the depths of God. As Paul says later in this letter, in this life 'we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror', not yet 'face to face' (13:12).
• The Holy Spirit inspires
  Paul was inspired by the Spirit to pass on the wisdom of the gospel to others. 'This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words' (2:13). The Spirit similarly teaches you what to say so that you too can express 'spiritual truths in spiritual words', generally through the Spirit-inspired words of the apostles recorded in the New Testament. You can share words in line with Scripture that point people to Jesus.
• The Holy Spirit illuminates
  Without the Holy Spirit you simply cannot understand spiritual truths: 'The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned' (v.14). When God is with you by his Spirit you can actually understand the mind of the Lord. Indeed, you 'have the mind of Christ' (v.16).

Lord, thank you for this amazing truth that you are with me today by your Spirit. May I have the mind of Christ. I pray for spiritual words to express spiritual truths. I ask for your wisdom in all my decisions and conversations.

1 Chronicles 22:2-23:32

3. With you in success

'Have you ever been disappointed when someone else was given the privilege of doing something in ministry that you wanted to do?', writes Joyce Meyer. 'Rather than be frustrated or discouraged, follow David's example in 1 Chronicles 22:6-11. Bless the efforts of others; pray for them that they might have wisdom; and encourage them to keep following the Lord in all they do, that they might prosper. God will be faithful to honour you.'

David had really wanted to build the temple himself. Now David prepares for his son, Solomon, to succeed him. He gets everything ready for him. He has a great succession plan setting Solomon up for success.

It was David and Solomon who together made possible the building of the temple. David himself could not carry out the work as he had 'shed much blood' (22:8). Solomon is the one who will actually build the temple.

David says, 'Now, my son, the Lord be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would. May the Lord give you discretion and understanding… Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave to Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged… Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you' (vv.11-16).

The Lord wasn't only with Solomon: 'Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. He said to them, "Is not the Lord your God with you?"' (vv.17-18a). God was with them also. He granted them 'rest on every side' (v.18b). He told them, 'Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God' (v.19).

They had success and rest 'since the Lord, the God of Israel, [had] come to dwell in Jerusalem forever' (23:25).

This is a cause for great rejoicing, thanksgiving and praise. The Levites were to 'stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening' (v.30).

Long-term success comes from God being with you. Life may not be easy, but Jesus promised that if you abide in him you will bear fruit that will last (see John 15).

Lord, I can never thank you and praise you enough for your presence with me. Thank you that you promise me long-term success and rest. May I thank and praise you from first thing in the morning until last thing at night

Six Characteristics of the Person Jesus Uses

Six Characteristics of the Person Jesus Uses

 

Rod Denton has served as a pastor and as a teacher in the development of emerging leaders in Australia and nine different countries across Asia with Asian Access. He now serves as a consultant for Rod Denton Equipping The Next Generation. Rod also serves part time as the Mission’s Resource Consultant with the Salvation Army.

website: http://healthyleaders.com/author/roddenton/

From the time I left the business world to enter full-time ministry, I had a conviction that to grow a church I needed to focus on growing leaders who would grow the church. Or as Paul Scanlon has said, “To grow a big church, focus on growing big people.”

This led me to a very important question, “Who is the person Jesus uses?” For I wanted to be a person Jesus could use and I wanted to raise up a generation of people that Jesus could use.

Good leaders know what and who they are looking for and consequently have a better chance of achieving their ultimate goal. Take, for example, the Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who placed the following advertisement in a London newspaper:

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.”

Shackleton and his men did return to their homes safely, and were given honor and recognition.

Jesus was another person on a mission. In the early days of His public ministry, His influence grew rapidly and there came a time where He took a strategic step to bring together a team of emerging leaders to train and raise up to serve with Him and ultimately to take over from Him. Perhaps the main reason why many churches remain relatively small today is that their leaders are either incapable or unwilling to take this step.

So, who is the person Jesus uses? Can we draw some conclusions from the way He went about calling men to join Him and follow Him? I think we can, and it was when I reflected on His calling of four fishermen in Luke 5:1-11 that I saw some key qualities identified in the lives of those Jesus called.

Robert Coleman in his timeless classic The Master Plan of Evangelism, comments on the men Jesus called:

What is more revealing about these men is at first they do not impress us as being key men … For the most part they were common laboring men, probably having no professional training beyond the rudiments of knowledge necessary for their vocations … Most of them were raised in the poor section of the country around Galilee … they were impulsive, temperamental, easily offended, and had all the prejudices of their environment. In short, those men selected by the Lord to be His assistants represented an average cross-section of the lot of society in their day … yet Jesus saw in these simple men the potential of leadership for the kingdom. They were indeed “unlearned and ignorant” according to the world’s standard (Acts 4:13) but they were teachable.

It is of interest to note that Jesus did not recruit His men from Bible Colleges or Universities or the political arena. He largely found ordinary men in the marketplace, men with certain qualities. And we see in the calling of these four fishermen an important principle; He tested them to approve them and then to entrust them with responsibility. How did He do that? Let’s follow the story.

Jesus comes to the Sea of Galilee and is looking for a vantage point from which He can teach the large crowd that is following Him. He sees a few tired fishermen cleaning their nets. They had been out fishing all night and failed to catch anything. Jesus imposes on Simon Peter and asks him to put out a little from the shore so He could sit down and teach the people. In this testing moment we see the first quality that is revealed: a servant heart.

1. Servant Heart
For Jesus asked Simon to serve when:
• he would not have felt like serving;
• he was already busily occupied;
• he was asked to do something quite menial;
• he wanted to go home to catch up on some sleep.


This incident reminds me of a person who said, “I don’t mind being called a servant. What I do mind is someone treating me like a servant.” Jesus looks for and uses people with a servant heart. Speaking of Himself He said that He came “not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Further, He gives great importance to the one who is willing to serve when He says,” whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant…” (Matthew 20:26).


1. Obedience or a Teachable Heart


The second quality Jesus identified in this encounter with these four fishermen is the quality of obedience or a teachable heart. When Jesus finishes teaching the crowd He asks the fishermen to do something that on the surface seems quite illogical. He tells them to put out into deep water and put down their nets for a catch. This call would have tested their willingness to obey Jesus because:


• He (a carpenter) asked them (fishermen) to do a task in which they were far more experienced than He was;
• He asked them to lower their nets after they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing;
• He asked them to do something when they would have been far from feeling like doing it. They were tired and disappointed.
• It was important for Jesus to ensure that these men would pass the test of obedience before He called them to follow Him, even to the point of offending their minds to reveal their hearts. His philosophy was that a person needed to become a follower before they would be entrusted with a position of leadership. He who cannot obey, cannot command. Authority is given to those who come under authority.


To the astonishment of these fishermen we read that they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. Simon Peter’s reaction indicated another quality that would reveal the person Jesus uses. We read, “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.’ ” Suddenly Peter recognizes who Jesus is and he humbles himself in the presence of Jesus. Here is the third quality Jesus is looking for: humility.


1. Humility


The humble people are people who are aware:
• of their sinfulness and the grace of Jesus;
• of their inadequacy and their total dependence on Jesus;
• that if they have Jesus and nothing else, that they have everything.


Jesus spoke of the importance of humility when He said, 
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. And he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).
Humility is the one characteristic that attracts the presence of God above all others. In Isaiah 57:15 the Lord provides us with his address where he lives: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him/her who is contrite (meaning crushed or broken) and lowly in spirit…” In other words, God uses broken people.
So far so good in regard to the leadership selection interview. Jesus moves the interview forward when He says to Simon, “Don’t be afraid, from now on you will catch people.” Here Jesus mentions the job description He is calling these four fishermen to undertake. Here we find the fourth quality of the person Jesus uses, that of having a heart for people.


1. Having a Heart for People


The person Jesus uses will go through life leaving behind a trail of lives that have been transformed in Jesus name. They will be consumed with how they can continually be adding value to people. Their hearts will be broken by the things that break the heart of Jesus who, “when He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
I have been surprised at times to find leaders who don’t seem to like people. This is not so with the person Jesus uses and so I continue to look out for people who display this deep quality of compassion and are willing to invest their lives in things that are eternal, people.
So we come to the climax of this encounter and wait to see if these four fishermen will display what is perhaps the greatest of all qualities that Jesus requires. And we are not disappointed, because we go on to read of these men, “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed Him.” The fifth quality of the person Jesus uses is availability.


1. Availability


One of my favorite axioms is this : “Jesus uses ordinary people who make themselves available to Him, to do extraordinary things.”
Jesus uses people with great availability more than those with great ability. Jesus wasn’t afraid to make big demands on people, for it is only then that He would get big responses from people.
The founder of the Salvation Army, General William Booth, once said,
The secret of success for me has been that God has had all there was of me to have. There may have been men with greater opportunities: but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart, and a vision of what Jesus Christ could do, I made up my mind that God would have all there was of William Booth. If there is anything of power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has had all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will and all the influence of my life.
That’s availability.


The story of Jesus calling of the four fishermen to join His team ends there. But there is one more quality that is vital. I am going to add five more words to the response of the four fishermen: “So they pulled their boats up on the shore, left everything and followed Him” and never stopped following Him
.
1. Faithfulness


The sixth quality that Jesus demands is the quality of faithfulness, of never giving up, of finishing well. The test of any person is what it takes to stop him/her. Unfortunately, studies show that few leaders finish well.
One final thought. Will you notice that all of these qualities have nothing to do with a person’s IQ, but everything to do with a person’s heart. So you can qualify, if you are willing to pay the price and leave everything to follow Jesus. And what a great epitaph to write on a person’s tombstone and to have recorded in heaven for eternity; “Here is a person Jesus used.”
And don’t forget, Jesus tests to approve to entrust. In what way might He be testing you right now in the specially designed leadership emergence program He has mapped out for you?

10 Declaration Promises to Help Heal Our Nation

by Steve Backlund

There are many things believers can do to help heal and bring life to their nation (e.g. evangelism, prayer, releasing the supernatural, love, finding our specific assignment, etc.). Besides these, one of the most powerful things we can do is speak life to the dry bones of our nation (Ezekiel 37; Proverbs 18:21). When we declare God’s truth, it increases the likelihood of that spiritual reality manifesting in our nation. And as we begin to possess a Mark 11:23 belief that we can have whatever we say, we will see the mountains of racial disunity, lawlessness, poverty, corruption, secularism, violence, family breakdown, and hatred be removed.

Here are ten powerful declarations to declare: 

1. My prayers are impacting my nation in incredible, positive ways (Mark 11:24; James 5:16-18).
2. My prayers for my national leaders are bringing peace, safety, and radical conversions to our land (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
3. God is raising up men and women of courage, righteousness, and supernatural favor to guide us into a great season of blessing as a nation (Judges 6:12ff).
4. The presence of the righteous in our land protects it from disasters, plagues, and poverty (Genesis 18,19).
5. There is an increasing amount of people that God is strategically placing in government, media, entertainment, education, and other key parts of society (Daniel 1).
6. In a single day, whole cities and regions are being transformed by the love and power of God (Acts 8).
7. Radical conversions are happening all across my nation, with people forsaking sin, coming to Jesus, getting water baptized and becoming powerful leaders in my nation (Acts 19:1-20, Acts 9).
8. “For such a time as this,” I am being raised up to save my nation (Esther 4:14, Revelation 19:10.
9. I am part of a massive amount of people in my nation that God is baptizing with a fresh Spirit baptism to shake our nation (Acts 1:8).
10. My hope level determines my influence level, and my hope is growing for what God is doing and will do in my nation (Ezekiel 37).

Declarations Raise Expectation for Tomorrow

                                                        By: Steve Backland

 Read this excerpt from Steve Backlund's book Declarations about raising our expectation for tomorrow.

THE SCRIPTURE 

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). 

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9). 

“One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (Philippians 3:13). 

THE DECLARATIONS 

• Tomorrow is going to be one of the best days of my life. 
• I will wake up with strong faith, strong love, and strong hope in my heart. 
• I will exercise, eat right, drink much water, and laugh frequently tomorrow. 
• God’s Kingdom will advance everywhere I go and in everything I do. 
• I will be extremely effective in my work tomorrow. 
• I will have life-changing, secret place times with the Lord tomorrow. 
• My past prayers will be working mightily tomorrow in every situation that concerns me. 
• Right now, I demolish double-mindedness and a lack of enthusiasm I have about any activity, appointment, or meeting I have tomorrow. 
• I will reach forward tomorrow to the things that are ahead of me. 
• I will be victorious in everything I face tomorrow. 
• I will make great decisions tomorrow in every situation I face.

THE BREAKING OFF OF AGREEMENT WITH THESE COMMON LIES 

• I will need to wait until tomorrow to determine how I feel in order for me to know if it is going to be a good day. 
• Making declarations today will not affect the quality of my tomorrow. 

THE WISDOM TO ADD TO DECLARATIONS 

Build faith through very specific declarations — We can release great faith for everything we do tomorrow by declaring over each activity we plan to do. As we make declarations, faith will rise in our hearts toward what you will do. This faith will cause greater impact to occur.
Take time to plan — Five minutes of planning for tomorrow will dramatically increase the likelihood of success for the day. As we plan, we can make sure that we have included in our schedule the activities that really matter and prepare accordingly.
Learn from today — During your planning and declaring for tomorrow, ask God this question: “What did I learn from today that will help me have a better tomorrow?” He loves answering that question!

BIBLICAL REASON #2 

Hebrews 11:3 (Declarations frame our future).

Your Troubles Do Not Have the Last Word...

George Matheson was born in Glasgow, the eldest of eight children. He had only partial vision as a boy. By the age of twenty he was completely blind. When his fiancée learnt he was going blind and that there was nothing the doctors could do, she told him she could not go through life with a blind man. He never married.

He was helped by a devoted sister throughout his ministry. She learnt Greek, Latin and Hebrew in order to aid him in his studies. Despite his blindness, Matheson had a brilliant career at the Glasgow Academy, University of Glasgow and the Church of Scotland Seminary.

When he was forty years old, something bittersweet happened. His sister married. Not only did this mean that he lost her companionship - it also brought a fresh reminder of his own heartbreak. In the midst of this intense sadness, on the eve of his sister's marriage, he wrote one of the most popular and best loved hymns of the Christian church - 'O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go'. He completed the whole work in five minutes and never edited, corrected or retouched it. 'This came,' he wrote, 'like a dayspring from on high.'

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

Troubles are part of life. Jesus faced trouble and so did the apostles, David and all the people of God. In each of the passages for today we read about lots of troubles. However, as Matheson's hymn beautifully articulates, troubles do not have the last word.

Psalm 71:19-24

1. Restored after many troubles

God does not promise you an easy path. Life at times can be extremely hard. The psalmist has seen 'troubles, many and bitter' (v.20). His troubles, pressures and worries were not occasional or trivial. They were numerous and serious. He gives you a model of how to respond in these circumstances.

• Keep trusting
  It is easy to trust God when things are going well. The challenge is to keep trusting in the midst of troubles. The psalmist does not stop believing in the goodness of God: 'Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you?' (v.19).
• Keep hoping
  Your troubles will not last forever. In the midst of troubles, there is hope: 'You will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honour and comfort me once again' (vv.20b-21). God will use your troubles for good. He will shape your character through them. As a result he will increase your honour. He will comfort you through them so that you can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:4).
• Keep worshipping
  Keep on praising God in spite of the troubles: 'I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you - I, whom you have redeemed' (Psalm 71:22-23). The presence of God in worship brings us peace and solace, especially in difficult times.

Lord, thank you that though I may see troubles many and bitter, you promise to restore my life again. I praise you for your faithfulness. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you - 'I, whom you have redeemed.'

Acts 6:1-7:19

2. Rescued from all his troubles

There is sometimes a temptation to idealise the life of the early church - as if they were the perfect church and had no problems at all. We need to read the idyllic picture of the church in Acts 2 alongside the events of Acts 6 and, of course, not forget all the troubles of Paul in his letters. The early church had plenty of troubles. Do not be surprised by any of the following in the church today:

• Complaining
  Good leaders pick their battles carefully. They do not get involved in everything, but they do take responsibility for everything. The apostles faced a justified complaint that 'widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food' (Acts 6:1). Yet they needed to concentrate on their main task: 'prayer and the ministry of the word' (v.4). The solution lay (as it does so often) in effective delegation.

The apostles dealt with the issue by setting aside a group of people who would 'wait on tables' (v.2). They chose people 'full of the Spirit and wisdom' (v.3). As a result they kept their focus and 'the word of God spread', and the number of disciples increased dramatically (v.7). Good leaders delegate and release others into their God-given gifts and ministries.

• Stirring
  A group of opponents of the church 'stirred up the people' (v.12) and 'produced false witnesses' (v.13). They twisted Stephen's words and said, 'This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law' (vv.13).
• Fear of change
  Some of the opposition came from a fear of change. They said, 'We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us' (v.14).

They found they could not keep their eyes off Stephen, whose 'face was like the face of an angel' (v.15). He gave his defence. He recited the history of the people of God and cited the parts of history that were particularly relevant to his own situation. He said of Joseph, 'God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom…' (7:9-10), just as God was clearly giving Stephen wisdom (see 6:10).

Stephen's own rescue came only in martyrdom. He 'saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God' (7:55), and Stephen was rescued for all eternity.

Lord, help me not to be put off by troubles but rather, like Stephen, to be full of faith and the Holy Spirit. May we see the word of God spread and the numbers of your followers increase more and more each day.

2 Samuel 15:13-16:14

3. Refreshed in the midst of troubles

David's own son Absalom has turned against him, and David is told that the 'hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom' (15:13). This must have been devastating news. David, a great man of God, a king for God's people and a 'type' of Christ (indeed, an ancestor of Christ), faced many troubles in his life. If you face these kinds of troubles in your life, do not be surprised by them or think that you have done something wrong. Sometimes troubles come simply because you are doing something right.

• Tears
  We see just how upset David was. He 'continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot' (v.30). All the people were also 'weeping as they went up' (v.30). Indeed, 'the whole countryside wept aloud' (v.23).
• Disappointment
  Not only did David's own son turn against him but Mephibosheth was also disloyal to him even though David had gone out of his way to help him. He stayed in Jerusalem because he thought, 'Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather's kingdom' (16:3). Disloyalty is always so disappointing.
• Criticism
  Shimei shouted insults, threw rocks and cursed David. David does not seek revenge. Rather, he chooses to leave the matter in God's hands (vv.11-12).
• Exhaustion
  David 'and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted' (v.14). We often say that we are 'exhausted'. However, we probably don't know the meaning of the word. When we read of what David went through it is not surprising that he was genuinely 'exhausted'.

The Christian life is never without troubles, tears, sadness and disappointments. However, what distinguishes the people of God is their relationship with God.

In the midst of all his troubles, David prays, 'O Lord, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness' (15:31). His prayer is answered - but not in the way he expects. Ahithophel gives good advice, but it is rejected. So God answered the spirit of the prayer (see 2 Samuel 17:14).

In the midst of his exhaustion, David 'refreshed himself' (16:14). As The Message puts it: 'There they rested and were revived' (v.14). Sometimes you just need to take a break and rest to be revived and refreshed physically, spiritually and emotionally. We are not told how David did this exactly. However, if the psalms are anything to go by, we know it was through his close relationship with God that he found refreshment.

No doubt David was emotionally refreshed by the loyalty of his friends Zadok (15:24 onwards), Hushai (v.37), Ziba (16:1-4) and Ittai, who said to him, 'Wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be' (15:21).

Lord, thank you that there is no trouble that this life can bring from which you do not rescue me, ultimately with eternal life in your presence. Thank you that, in the middle of my troubles, I can pray to you and be refreshed by the presence of God (Act 3:19).

Sounds from Heaven!

On the day of Pentecost they heard ‘a sound like the blowing of a violent wind’ that ‘came from heaven’ (Acts 2:2). In today’s passages we hear other sounds going to and from heaven.

Psalm 69:29-36

1. Sounds of worship

The Bible is realistic. There are times when we are ‘in pain and distress’ (v.29). David doesn’t try to ignore the problems he faces. Yet, he still chooses to worship God in spite of his circumstances. Even in the depths, you can still be sure of who God is and worship him – whatever your circumstances.

This psalm ends with the sound of worship: ‘I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving… Let heaven and earth praise him’ (vv.30,34). Worship goes on not only on earth, but also in heaven. When you worship, you are joining in the sounds of heaven. Here, we see three aspects of worship:

• Worship involves the will
  
  David says, ‘I will praise God’s name’ (v.30). You may not always feel like worshipping God but it is a decision you make; it is an act of the will.
  
  
• Worship pleases God
  
  ‘This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs’ (v.31).
  
  
• Worship affects others

    ‘The poor will see and be glad – you who seek God, may your hearts live!’ (v.32). I have noticed     how those ‘who seek God’ on Alpha are often moved by the worship, and as a result their ‘hearts live’.

Lord, whatever my circumstances, help me to praise your name in song and glorify you with thanksgiving. May our worship have an impact on all those who hear it.

Acts 1:23-2:21

2. Sounds of the Holy Spirit

This is for you and me. The experience of the day of Pentecost is not just an historic event; it can become a present reality for you (Acts 2:29). As Joel prophesised: ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all’ – men and women, old and young, rich and poor (2:17–21). That definitely includes you and me!

• Seek the experience
  
  The experience of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost involved three things.
  
  

First, it involved power from God. They heard a gale. This was not an actual gale. It was ‘a sound like the blowing of a violent wind’ (2:2). It sounds as if it may have resembled a heavy tropical rainstorm. This is the mighty invisible power of God. It was the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual reality.

The Hebrew word ‘Ruach’ literally means ‘breath’ or ‘wind’. Ruachis used in the Old Testament for the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of God. The day of Pentecost was the fulfilment of when Jesus had breathed on the disciples and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’ (John 20:22).

Supremely, the experience of the Holy Spirit is an experience of God’s love for you (Romans 5:5). It is the way in which you feel God’s love for you, so that you can say with the apostle Paul, ‘the Son of God… loved me and gave himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20). As Rick Warren says, ‘to feel loved by God… is the starting point for every ministry, every revival, every renewal, every great awakening.’

The Holy Spirit is the one who provides the power for all revivals, and he does it supremely by enabling the people of God to feel, experience and know in their hearts the love of God. It is the kind of knowledge that travels from your head to your heart.

Second, it involved fire from God. They saw fire. Again, this was not an actual fire: ‘There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed and which were settled on each one of them’ (Acts 2:3, AMP). This was an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual reality. The fire of God’s love represents the power, purity and passion of God.

Wherever there is an experience of the Holy Spirit, he brings a new fire and passion to your life.

Third, it involved languages from God: ‘All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them’ (v.4). These were languages they had not learnt. The languages were recognised, and the whole known world was represented (vv.5–11). This was a reversal of the chaos and disunity of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9).

The experience of God’s love through the Holy Spirit brings unity to the church. As we recognise that the same Holy Spirit is at work in Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants and Pentecostals of whatever church or denomination, there is a healing of division and a visible experience of unity.

On the day of Pentecost there were three reactions (all of which we see today to the ministry of the Holy Spirit). The first reaction was amazement. Some were ‘utterly amazed’ (Acts 2:7). The second reaction was perplexity. ‘Perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”’ (v.12). The third reaction was ridicule. ‘Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine”’ (v.13).

• Study the explanation
  
  Peter explained what was happening (v.14f).
  
  

First, he countered a false explanation (v.15). Some were offering a natural explanation for something supernatural. It may have looked as if they were drunk because they were so exuberant and had lost their inhibitions. However, this was not intoxication with wine but the sober intoxication of the Spirit – the only kind of intoxication that leaves you without a hangover!

Then, he offered the true explanation (v.16f). Peter began his speech by pointing out that this is biblical (we will see the rest of the explanation tomorrow). Some people draw a false dichotomy between the word and the Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is himself the author of the word of God. The Old Testament – that is, the word of God – points towards this outpouring of the Holy Spirit (vv.16–20). Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, goes back to the Bible. The Holy Spirit brings a hunger for the word of God.

Lord, I pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. May the fire of God descend upon me and on the church again with power, passion and purity. May the gift of tongues be spread more widely. May there be mutual understanding, love and unity in the church.

2 Samuel 5:6-6:23

3. Sounds of celebration

Before we look at the sounds of celebration, it is worth noting that there is another mention of sound in this passage. When David enquired of the Lord whether he should go on the attack, the Lord first answered, ‘Go’ (5:19). Then, the second time he enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered, ‘Do not go straight up, but… As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly’ (vv.23–24).

It is not clear exactly what this means. However, it is an evocative expression. Perhaps, it means that as soon as we hear that God is on the move, we should act quickly.

God gave David victory, and this led to a great celebration. ‘David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals’ (6:5). It must have been extremely noisy!

David danced and worshiped God in a very demonstrative way: ‘David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might…’ (v.14). David’s wife, Michal, was embarrassed and ‘despised him in her heart’ (v.16) for his display of passion.

David replies that he will continue to worship even more passionately and boldly than before: ‘David said to Michal… “I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this”’ (vv.21–22). Here, we see a biblical example of loud and uninhibited celebration. There is a warning in this passage against looking down or despising the way others express their worship to God (v.23). Of course, we must avoid exhibitionism. But David’s exuberance came from the heart and was a genuine act of celebration.

We need to be sensitive to those around us – especially, for example, in the early weeks of Alpha when there are lots of people around who are not used to exuberant worship. However, generally you should feel free to express your worship to God as passionately as you want, not worrying about what other people might think of you.

Lord, help us to recognise the sounds of heaven – the sound of worship, the sound of the Holy Spirit and the sound of celebration. May the churches again be filled with the sound of worship and celebration. May every Alpha Weekend be filled with the sound of the Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit. May this further increase the sound of worship and celebration to the glory of your name.