May 29, 2006

• Happy Memorial Day, and a profound thank you to all those who gave their lives for our freedom, a freedom we so often take for granted. Thank you to all the families who also gave their loved ones for our country’s service. Words are inadequate.

  
  

  Because my husband is Catholic, we go to Mass on Sundays. I have been getting tapes of Pastor Don’s messages and haven’t always had a chance to listen, but now that Bible studies are on hold until the fall, tomorrow is our last Beth Moore study day, I am starting to catch up on tapes. The first one I picked up out of my tape basket is so appropriate for today that I thought I would share the notes on it with you. It was from the New Year’s service of 2006 and is entitled:

  
  

  God’s Army

  
  

  We are in the sixth day and God is raising up an army, an army like David’s army. David was a king in exile, and our King, Jesus has also been in exile, but soon will be coming to reclaim the Earth as His Kingdom. A reading of Matthew 24 will show how many of the events are occurring that Jesus predicted – and occurring simultaneously.

  
  

  What kind of Army was David’s army? If we study David’s army we will see what it is that Jesus is wanting with His army, which is us.

  
  

  This is not an army concerned about Me or Us but one that is concerned with advancing the concerns of Jesus. Right now the end times church is in disarray. According to statistics (Pastor Don doesn’t state the source but I would suspect it is Barna)

  
  

  84-85 % of people on the earth call themselves Christians. Of that 84-85%:
  only 60% give anything towards missions
  75% of people in the church don’t do anything but attend services, and often sporadically
  90% of people calling themselves Christians have never lead another person to Christ.

  
  

  God is looking for real soldiers to step forward, for KINGDOM DOMINION.

  
  

  What will this look like? To get a picture of the kinds of soldiers God is looking for we need to look at 1 Chronicles 12 – the Army of David – who was a picture of Christ.

  
  

  Verse 1: Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war.

  
  

  David was a fugitive, just like Jesus is a king in exile – for Adam and Eve gave over the Kingdom of the Earth to satan, and now God is taking it back, and the process of taking it back began with the sacrifice of Jesus, and soon Jesus will be coming in Glory to reclaim the earth.

  
  

  Verse 2: armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow, They were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren.

  
  

  satan thinks he has the battle all sealed up, but the army will be coming out of satan’s camp. The army will be those coming out of the occult, sinners, those who were backslidden, will be coming to serve God. I sure can relate to that for I came out of the occult. They were of Benjamin – Ben in Hebrew means son; Jamin – means God’s right hand. So these will become instrumental in helping to claim the kingdom. What are they armed with: Stones - stonew were used to kill heretics, liars, and those who violate the laws.
  Arrows – warfare from a distance. They are ambidextrous, and can fight any battle pitched at them.

  
  

  These people will be intercessors, bringing under conviction with the power of the Holy Ghost, so that those who are in violation of God’s laws will bow to the authority of God.

  
  

  Verse 8: Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains

  
  

  These mighty men of valor were trained for war, with shield and spear.
  The shield – if you look at the weapons of spiritual warfare in Ephesians is faith
  The spear – get in close and stab with a spear.

  
  

  The darts and arrows of doubt and unbelief and rebellion that satan slings at us will be blocked by the shield of faith. The evil one will have no effect on David and his army. They will not listen to the lies of the devil.

  
  

  The face like a lion (Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah) is intimidating to the enemy, it will freeze them in their tracks. And the swiftness of the gazelle on the mountain, going from mountain to mountain, challenges will not affect them, they will jump over them, not lingering in the valley of situation and circumstances.

  
  

  Verse 15: These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

  
  

  If you remember, Joshua and Caleb went out as two of the 12 spies (one from each tribe) and they came back to report on the Promised Land. All but Joshua and Caleb were intimidated by the giants in the promised land – the others rebelled and were forced to wander in the wilderness. God’s army are those Joshuas and Calebs who were brave enough to trust God in facing the giants of the land. In our case it could be the giants of the sins that we came to God with, drugs, alcohol, sexual sin, lies, unbelief. We face those and cross our Jordan Rivers – baptized in the water of life, to stand on God’s Kingdom, and face the enemies with the fellow soldiers of Christ, using the armor provided by God, and with the strength of God flowing in our being. We have all come out of our Egypts (which is a type of sin). We will put to flight those in the valley of the shadow of death, realizing that it is a shadow, for the only truth is God and the light of God will make the lies of satan flee. We know what evil looks like, for we were once aligned with evil, but now we have crossed over to the camp of God. We will not be deceived by the false religions so prevalent on the earth or by the false traditions of the Church.

  
  

  Verse 17-18 And David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgement. Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief of the captains, and he said, ‘We are yours, O David; We are on your side, O son of Jessee! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.’ So David received them, and made them captains of the troop.

  
  

  The army that God is drumming up is a Covenant army. We must have discretion about who joins because some are not joining from wanting to serve, but rather to detract, to put down, to pull down the believers. Some are coming from the camp of the enemy to tear down God’s army, so we need the Spirit of God to help us discern those who are part of God’s army. God is looking for an army of peace, a peace that will cross denominational barriers – that will realize that there is One God, One Spirit, One Christ, and that we are all part of the One Body of Christ. We can’t fight the outside battle if we are fighting battles between the denominations.

  
  

  Verse 19 And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, “He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads.”

  
  

  There are many churches that may try to join that are dead churches, where the Spirit of God is not moving. Those churches may want to partner with God’s Army, but not all of them will be acting in the Spirit of God, but within these churches are the remnant that can be brought into the army. They may be rough and not ready yet, but are teachable and God will use them.

  
  

  Verses 21-22 And they helped David against the bands of the raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor , and they were captains in the army. For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.

  
  

  God will take the remnant from the denominational churches and they will fight with David (Jesus), and begin to hone their battle skills. The battles may be the small, fringe battles, but in those battles spiritual muscles will be developed until they are formed into a great army – the Army of God. Little problems and differences cannot be allowed to ruin our army. We have to keep the focus on God, walk in holiness and righteousness.

  
  

  Verse 32 of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;

  
  

  The army is composed of those who understand the times, who know what must be done. This will not be church like usual, we will be fighting different battles in the end times. Right now one of the battles we are dealing with is tolerance. Tolerance has been turned on it’s head to make the church appear as if they are the intolerant ones, to make them be on the defensive. Those who scream intolerance the loudest are really the intolerant ones for they are not allowing the church to believe what it believes, to follow their beliefs. Just because a group of people follows a standard does not make them intolerant. But churches are caving into those who are claiming intolerance and altering the Word of God to try and fit all into the church. This leads to false worship, idolatry, and a world view. We are to be in the world but not of the world. We can love the sinner but not tolerate the sin. There is nothing wrong with the Ten Commandments. We cannot pick and choose the laws of God that we will obey.

  
  

  Verse 33 of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep ranks.

  
  

  These are big hearted people who can keep the ranks in the face of circumstances. When an army went out to battle they held their shields up to make an impenetrable barrier, and they would march forward, even in the face of great danger. They kept the ranks for the greater good of God, even when the odds were seemingly impossible. They used all the weapons of war, the weapons of Ephesians 6:13-18 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

  
  

  The Body of Christ must be prepared in these last days.

  
  

  Hoping this is an encouragement to you, and hoping your day has been wonderful.

  
  

  Heather

  
  

   

  • 6:36 pm
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