Lord

Discipleship: A Call to Serve

If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, no doubt you’ve learned about discipleship or at least have heard the term. We read about the disciples of Jesus– both the chosen Twelve and other faithful followers– in the Gospels, and learn from their examples, and yes, mistakes. As I’ve been reading through the Gospels again, the Lord brought to my attention what Jesus said to His disciples before the feeding of the five thousand. In the context, Jesus had just learned of John the Baptist’s death and went in a boat to a secluded place, but the people followed Him on foot (Matthew 14:13). When He arrived at the shore, Jesus had compassion on the people and healed them (v. 14). In Mark’s Gospel, he writes that Jesus “felt compassion for them because they were like a sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34). Let’s look at what happened in Matthew 14:15-20:

“When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, ‘This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!’ They said to Him, ‘We have here only five loaves and two fish.’ And He said, ‘Bring them here to Me.’ Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets.”

“You give them something to eat!” In Mark’s Gospel, the disciples ask, “Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat?” (Mark 6:37). A denarius was about a day’s wages so that would be at least 200 day’s worth of food! How often do we think of worldly issues over what God tells us? At this time, Jesus’ chosen Twelve had been with Him and witnessed many miracles, yet instead of thinking about the people’s needs first, they wanted them to go and take care of themselves. Now, this doesn’t sound unreasonable. A crowd full of 5,000 men (not including woman and children- see v. 21) would be quite overwhelming. But Jesus doesn’t say, “I’ll give them something to eat.” Rather, He presents it to the disciples as their responsibility. Jesus is teaching them what it means to be a disciple of Christ. It is not meant to be a lofty position but one of service.

 “He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” After Jesus prays over the meager amount of food, He doesn’t hand out the food but gives it to His disciples to share it with the people. They not only physically served, but they had to have faith that the food would continue to multiply. The amazing miracle is that they had even more leftover than when they started! As disciples, we are called to be servants to those God calls us to and trust that if God asks us to do it (this is important to note), He will meet us there and provide. Jesus didn’t always feed every crowd, but in this case, He not only taught His disciples that the Lord can supply physical needs but spiritual ones as well. 

In John’s Gospel, the people who were fed followed Jesus and His disciples the following day to where they were ministering (John 6:22-25). Jesus used this opportunity to teach the people about Him being the bread of life. While food is important, it is only temporary; however, the Bread of Life provides salvation leading to eternal life. He later makes this incredible statement in vv. 53-55, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.” Just as Jesus was teaching the crowd, He was also teaching His disciples, separating the true followers from those who would go astray for they sought the temporary rather than yearning for spiritual truth and understanding. John writes in vv. 66-69:

“As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘You do not want to go away also, do you?’ Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.’”

Being a true disciple is focusing on the eternal. If people are given food, but their soul is going to hell, what benefit is it? If we are worried about the temporary issues of life, how do we expect God to do miracles? The people that were fed didn’t just eat a little. They ate and were satisfied! How much more will we be satisfied if we eat and drink the truth of His Word and understand who the LORD- Father, Son, and Spirit- truly is? What if we were dialed in to what the will of the Lord is that we were able to use the spiritual gifts God has blessed us with? 

When Jesus sent out His disciples to the cities to preach and perform miracles, He didn’t sugarcoat the trials that would come. He said things like, “I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16). He continues in vv. 21-23:

“‘Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.’”

If we think that this was only for the Twelve, we are mistaken. Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane right before death about His current disciples and the disciples who had yet to come: 

“‘I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.’” John 17:14-21

Being a disciple is accepting that the world hates you. It’s a matter of light versus darkness, flesh versus Spirit. As a person who has sought man’s approval my whole life, this is an area of struggle for me. I don’t like to be disliked or hated. But if I am doing everything that a disciple ought to be doing (and this is an ongoing process of growth), then that hatred is cause to rejoice because I am following the Lord. 

As stated earlier, being a disciple is not one who holds himself or herself in high esteem but rather is humble. Jesus’ disciples had to understand this as well. Luke writes in Luke 9:46-48:

“‘An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, and said to them, ‘Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.’”

Discipleship is the opposite from what the world teaches: wealth, fame, superiority. Is it wrong to be wealthy? Contrary to what some may teach and preach, the answer is no. Wealth becomes an issue when it comes before God and is sought after like an idol. The question is, if God asked us to give it up, would we? In Jesus’ response to His disciples, He uses a child to demonstrate who the greatest is. A child is the very image of humility and dependence on those in authority over them. Therefore, as disciples, we also are supposed to be humble and rely on our Heavenly Father.

Jesus also set the example of staying in communication with the Father. Throughout the Gospels, the writers convey that Jesus would often find a secluded place after being with crowds in order to pray. Sometimes He would take His disciples, but other times He went alone. Even though Jesus is God, He demonstrated the importance of talking with the Heavenly Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked the Lord to remove the cup of suffering from Him, “‘Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will’” (Mark 14:36). He prayed this three times demonstrating to His disciples (including us) that we can ask the Father for anything, but it must be in line with His will. The Father didn’t take the cup from Jesus, and He suffered as no one ever has. Yet, it was for His glory and for our salvation. As disciples, we have the blessing to approach the Lord before His throne and ask anything, but we always need to have a heart that desires His will. 

Scripture is full of examples of what discipleship should look like, but the main criteria from the passages discussed are: servanthood, faith, focus on eternal and spiritual truth, humility, and a lifestyle of prayer. There are more qualities to add to this list, but this is a challenging start. As we are about to enter into a new year full of possibilities, let us pray for our lives to become more like the disciples of Christ He desires for us to be. May we set ourselves apart for His service and glory so that those who are lost may be found in Him. 

~~~

Father, we thank You for another new year and all the blessings You’ve given us. We also thank You for being with us through the hardships. Help us to keep our focus ahead to eternity and live humble lives in service to You. Let us have ears to hear Your voice and minds to understand Your will and truth. May we live to gain Your approval alone. Thank You for your patience and grace You give us each day, even when we fail You. Thank You that You are a Father who never fails. We love You and pray for a wonderful year ahead. May Your will be done. Amen.

Having a Heart Like David

King David is remembered for many things such as killing Goliath, contesting with Saul, taking Bathsheba and murdering her husband, and winning wars. But above all else, David was a man after God’s own heart as Paul attests in Acts 13:22 where he proclaims in the synagogue, “After He (God) had removed him (Saul), He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all my will’” (see 1 Samuel 13:14). What made David a man after God’s heart wasn’t that he was perfect. He made some costly mistakes as humans do, but David was contrite before the Lord. There was not a king like him in all of Israel, and the Lord chose for the Messiah to come through his lineage.

While the world tries to sensationalize David’s life through TV shows and false drama, his life really was sensational in its own right. The Old Testament is full of amazing history that demonstrates God’s character, love, power, and righteousness in a fallen world. The world expects great leaders to come from noble families and for those leaders to have obvious outward appeal. Even the prophet Samuel expected this when he was commanded by God to anoint a son of Jesse as a new king in place of Saul because of Saul’s disobedience. When Samuel saw Eliab, David’s older brother, he thought that Lord was going to anoint him because of his stature, but God said to Samuel, “’Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart’” (1 Sam. 16:7). How often we look at the outward appearance and expect great things only to be misled or disappointed by the truth that lies beneath. But thankfully, we serve a God that sees the character and soul rather than the outward appearance. David wasn’t even present when Samuel met with Jesse and his oldest sons; rather, he was the youngest son tending sheep (1 Sam. 16:11). It is a pattern in Scripture that God chooses the younger son above the expected firstborn to do great things in His name (ex: Seth, Jacob, Joseph, Solomon). Imagine what that must have been like to be the youngest son, coming in from the field after being with sheep, and standing before your family to be anointed as the king of Israel. One would expect David to be smug or assume his kingship right away, but that is not the case. “The Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward” as it says in 1 Samuel 16:13, but David continued to be a shepherd for his father. He did not get ahead of God’s timing, but God worked to bring David to the forefront.

When the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, an evil spirit was terrorizing him so his servants said that someone who was skilled in playing the harp would help soothe him. So when Saul commanded for them to find someone with this skill, one of the servants knew about David who was not only a skilled musician but was also “a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him” (1 Sam. 16:18). David’s character spoke for itself, and God brought him before the king where he not only played for Saul but became his armor bearer (1 Sam. 16:21). Again, David did not usurp Saul but followed the Lord’s direction. Although David served Saul, he also traveled back and forth to help his father tend the flocks (1 Sam. 17:15). When David’s oldest three brothers went to battle with Saul against the Philistines, Jesse sent David to his brothers with rations and to check on their welfare (1 Sam. 17:17-18). At this point the Israelites had been standing off with the Philistines for 40 days, listening to the taunting of Goliath who challenged Israel to send a man to fight him. While all Israel was afraid, David stood courageous and told Saul that he would fight Goliath. David was not being proud, but rather, he knew that whoever would defy the LORD God would be defeated. He shares with Saul that he has defeated both lion and bear when defending his flock, and he will kill Goliath “since he has taunted the armies of the living God” (1 Sam. 17:36). This story gives me chills every time I read it because David’s faith and devotion to the LORD radiate off the page. It’s not only David’s fate that weighs in the balance but the entire fate of the nation of Israel. Yet in David’s heart, there is no outcome but victory because he knows the LORD God is on his side. What he says to Goliath is so powerful because it was not just for the Philistines to hear, but for Israel as well:

“You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:45-47

David gave all credit and glory to God because he knew that Israel belonged to the LORD, and now the rest of the world, including Israel, would know it. With a sling and stone, David killed Goliath and cut of his head with Goliath’s own sword. From that day forward, David stayed with Saul and his son Jonathan (1 Sam. 17:49-18:2). Again, David was anointed to be king, but he was obedient to Saul and served him wherever he was sent. God blessed David who prospered and won the hearts of the people to the point where they sang that “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Sam. 18:7). This saying marked the turning point of Saul’s love for David as Scripture says that “Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on” (1 Sam. 18:9). Saul even tried to kill David while David was playing music for him, but David escaped. Saul knew that the LORD had departed from him and was with David so he made him a commander of a thousand where David prospered all the more (1 Sam. 18:10-14). Even when Saul plotted against him in David’s marriage to his daughter Michal, the LORD allowed David to succeed and Saul’s daughter loved David, thus making Saul more afraid. Throughout the rest of 1 Samuel, Saul continues to seek David’s life while David lives for awhile on the run from Saul along with many mighty men who remain loyal to David. As we read in the Psalms written by David, he had inner turmoil during this time, but he always came back to his devotion and faith in God. Even when David had the opportunity to kill Saul and assume his rightful place as king, he did not kill him, saying to his men who encouraged him to seize the opportunity, “Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord (Saul), the LORD’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed” (1 Sam. 24:6). David was a mighty man of God not only in faith but in physical prowess, yet he did not consider himself to be above God but gave vengeance over to the LORD. When Saul realized that David could have killed him, he stated in front of all David’s men and his own, “Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. So now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s household” (1 Sam. 24:20-21). As future king, David could have wiped out Saul’s family, but he makes a covenant with Saul that he would not destroy his name or his family. David also spares Saul’s life again as recorded in 1 Samuel 26 even while knowing that Saul will not give up trying to kill him. While David seeks refuge with the Philistines, Saul seeks a medium, rather than the LORD, to find out what he should do in regards to the Philistine army. This becomes the last act of Saul before his downfall in the battle against the Philistines. Saul’s disobedience led to his death whereas David’s obedience led to a kingship that reigns forever in Jesus Christ.

What we learn about David before he was anointed king before Israel was that he was humble, devoted to the LORD since his youth, and while he was capable of defeating predators and giants, he sought the LORD to win every battle rather than relying on his own physical strength and wisdom. David passed all the tests thrown at him before being established as king. Who would he become as the king of Israel?

In learning of Saul’s death, David didn’t do what the world would expect. He didn’t celebrate the death of Saul, but he mourned him and chanted a lament for Saul and his son Jonathan, with whom David made a covenant in his youth. David even killed a man who claimed to kill Saul at Saul’s request, thinking that he would win favor with David (2 Sam. 6-16). Rather, before killing him, David said to the man, “’How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?’” (2 Sam. 6:14). David took no pleasure in Saul’s death even though Saul pursued David incessantly in order to kill him. David entered his kingship with a heart turned to the LORD, and he was anointed king over the tribe of Judah in Hebron (2 Sam. 2:1-4). During this time, Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, made Saul’s son Ish-bosheth king over the rest of Israel (2 Sam. 2:8). David prospered in Hebron with more wives and children while Saul’s family weakened.  Eventually Ish-bosheth was murdered by his servants who brought his head to David thinking they would gain favor. Yet, like before, David viewed Ish-bosheth as anointed by the LORD and even called him “a righteous man” before killing the servants for their wickedness (2 Sam. 4:5-12). Again, David didn’t take matters into his own hands concerning Saul’s family but let the LORD handle it. All of Israel then made David king saying, “’Behold, we are your bone and flesh. Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a ruler over Israel’” (2 Sam. 3:1-2). The youth who was shepherd for his father’s flock, who protected them from the bear and the lion, became the shepherd of Israel, protecting his people and leading them to safety and security in the LORD.

In 2 Samuel 7, the LORD reestablishes his covenant with David after David seeks to build a temple for the LORD. Rather than David building a house for the LORD, the LORD declares that He will build David’s house saying, “’Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever’” (2 Sam. 7:16). Regarding a house built for Him, the LORD says, “’When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Sam. 7:12-13). This promise is fulfilled through Solomon who builds the temple with the supplies that David prepared for him. Even after all that David has been blessed with, he continues to remain humble before God saying,

“’Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far? And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And this is the custom of man, O Lord God. Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God! For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know.’” 1 Samuel 7:18-21

After this, David continued to have great success in every battle, but he was about to be tested at home. 2 Samuel 11 conveys the account that when David should have been out to battle in the spring, he decided to stay in Jerusalem. David was on the roof of his house one evening, and he saw a woman bathing. He was attracted to her and asked who she was. Even though he learned that she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David’s mighty men, he decided to take her and lay with her (vv. 2-4). When Bathsheba told David she was pregnant, David tried to cover up the situation by inviting Uriah back to Jerusalem under the false pretense of inquiring about the state of the war in hopes that Uriah would go home and have relations with Bathsheba. However, Uriah was so faithful and loyal that he didn’t think it appropriate to take liberties while the rest of the men were fighting and sleeping in tents (vv.6-13). Seeing that his plan didn’t work and making matters worse, David wrote a letter to Joab, the army’s commander, to place Uriah where the fighting was intense and withdraw from him so that he would die (vv.14-15). Unbeknownst to the contents, Uriah delivered his own death sentence, which was carried out. When news came back to David, he waited until Bathsheba’s mourning was over and then took her into his home to be his wife where she bore him a son. Scripture clearly states that “the thing David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD” (v. 27). Despite what some preachers and teachers may try to argue, the LORD God does not tolerate any sin, and David’s actions not only fall on him but his whole family.

The LORD sends Nathan the prophet to share a message with David, but instead of telling David about his sin directly, he uses a parable. Nathan shares about a rich man who had many flocks and herds and a poor man who had one lamb that he cherished and was part of his family. A traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man didn’t want to provide for him out of his own flocks so he took the poor man’s precious lamb and prepared it for the traveler (2 Sam. 12:1-4). When David heard the story, he was so incensed that he proclaimed that the man must die for his actions, and that “He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion” (vv. 5-6). Then Nathan declares to David, “You are the man!” (v. 7). The Lord declares that He gave David so much, including Saul’s house and wives as well as all Israel, and He would have given him more (v. 8). He continues,

“’Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’” 2 Samuel 12:9-12

Upon hearing the word of the LORD, David confessed his sin before God, and the LORD says through Nathan, “’The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die’” (vv. 13-14). What is so powerful about the message in verse 13 is that before David made any sacrifices to God because of his sin (as required by the Law), the LORD had already forgiven David after his confession. Psalm 51, written by David, demonstrates his contrition before the LORD in regards to his sin of adultery and murder. Psalm 51:16-17 says, “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken spirit and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Yet even though he receives forgiveness, there are still consequences for his sin, which he and his family pay dearly. First, David’s son dies as the LORD told him would happen. Before his child’s death, David fasted, prayed and lay on the ground for six days in hope that the LORD would change His mind and allow his child to live (2 Sam. 12:15-19; 22). But when the child died on the seventh day, “David washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate” (v. 20). David didn’t act out of anger towards God for his son’s death, but rather he sought Him first and worshipped the LORD. He accepted God’s punishment because He is a just and righteous God. When David comforted Bathsheba and lay with her, she bore another son to David who was Solomon, and the LORD renamed him Jedidiah, “beloved of the LORD” (v. 25). While David was blessed with another son, who would one day be ruler of Israel as proclaimed by the LORD, the troubles in David’s family were only beginning.

In 2 Samuel 13, Amnon, a son of David, was in love with his half-sister Tamar. Instead of approaching her respectfully and asking David for her to be his wife, he took her by force bringing shame upon her and causing a family feud that ended in death and betrayal. Tamar’s brother Absalom was enraged by Amnon’s actions, and although David was angry, he didn’t punish Amnon. Absalom waited two years to seek his revenge, and he had his servants kill Amnon because of what he did to Tamar (vv. 28-29). Absalom fled for three years and even though David mourned for Absalom and wanted to go to him, he wouldn’t. Joab was able to help David see his error and convinced him to bring Absalom back to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 14:1-21); however, David would not see his son for two years. When Absalom finally came into the presence of the king, he conspired against his father by winning the heart of the people and staging a coup, making it appear that the people of Jerusalem made Absalom king in Hebron (2 Sam. 15:1-12). When David heard it, he fled along with his household and 600 faithful men, leaving ten concubines behind to keep house (vv. 13-19). When Absalom returned to Jerusalem as proclaimed king, he listened to the counselor Ahithophel’s advice and openly lay with the ten concubines left behind in order to show the people that he had become odious to his father (2 Sam. 16:20-23), thus fulfilling the LORD’s words spoken through Nathan to David. Yet the LORD was with David, and He provided another counselor that would thwart Absalom’s efforts by convincing him that Absalom himself should go out to battle against his father and his men (2 Sam. 17:7-14). Even though David charges his men not to kill Absalom, Joab ignores this instruction and kills Absalom while he is hanging from a tree (2 Sam. 18:9-17). When David hears of his son’s death, he mourns for him rather than celebrating that his men had won the battle, but Joab rebukes the king saying that he has brought shame upon his servants and family “by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you” (2 Sam. 19:5-6). David had a weak spot for his family, and particularly for his children. As king, he was responsible for putting the good of the kingdom above all else, but as one can imagine, David must have felt guilty for what was happening in his family, knowing that the consequence of his sin was the cause of family strife as foretold by the LORD.

After the incident with Absalom, David was restored as king and won more battles in the name of the LORD. But another sin that displeased the LORD was that David instructed Joab to number the people of Judah and Israel (2 Sam. 24 and 1 Chronicles 21). The account in 1 Chronicles explains that “Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel” (1 Chron. 21:1). Joab knew that this command was not right so he did not number Levi and Benjamin with the rest of Israel (1 Chron. 21:6). God struck Israel because of the census, and David confessed his sin; therefore, the LORD gave David three options to choose from as a consequence. David chose three days of the sword of the LORD, including pestilence, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout Israel. The result was the death of 70,000 men so David beseeched the LORD for His reprieve, asking for the consequence to fall on him and his household and not the people of Israel. The angel of the LORD stopped, and David was instructed to build and altar and offer sacrifices to the LORD. The LORD responded and ended the suffering in Israel. While David was a righteous man after God’s own heart, he still faced temptation, even by Satan himself. No one is impervious to the temptations of this world, but what matters is what we do when we fall into temptation. The consequences were grave for Israel, but had David not repented and sought the LORD, it could have been worse still. His mistakes and repentance are examples for us that we should inquire of the LORD first and to heed godly counsel when provided so that we don’t fall into sin. But when we do fall–and we all do–we should repent and make ourselves right before the LORD so that we and our family can be restored back to God.

In David’s final days, he didn’t rest as he could have, but made every effort to prepare supplies for the future temple of God that he knew his son would build. While some want to argue that Nathan and Bathsheba conspired to make Solomon king in 1 Kings 1 since Adonijah, David’s older son, sought the throne, 1 Chronicles 22:6-11 puts that theory to rest:

“Then he (David) called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel. David said to Solomon, ‘My son, I had intended to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me. Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’ Now, my son, the LORD be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the LORD your God just as He has spoken concerning you.’”

These words from the LORD were shared with David through Nathan the prophet in 2 Samuel 7, and the Chronicles account gives us more detail concerning what was said to David. Therefore, Solomon was always meant to be the next king of Israel, and he was destined to build a house for the LORD. This is further confirmed in 1 Chronicles 28:5-7 where David is speaking to the officials, princes, commanders, overseers, and mighty men of Israel: “Of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a father to him. I will establish his kingdom forever if he resolutely performs My commandments and My ordinances, as is done now.’” Then David directs instructions to Solomon, summarizing what he has learned about the LORD and His dealings with humanity:

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act.” 1 Chronicles 28:9-10

David knew he couldn’t build the house himself, but he made every effort to make preparations and help his son. He also gave Solomon the plans for building the temple as well as the divisions of priests and Levites and the weights of the gold for utensils and constructed pieces, after which David said, “All this the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern” (v. 19). David shared all that was prepared and provided for building the temple, and then in front of all the people, He prayed a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving to the LORD, including the following words:

“Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name. But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You. For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours. Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You.” 1 Chronicles 29:12-17

Although Scripture provides just a snapshot of the life of David, we can learn important truths from what the LORD has decided to share with us. Being a person after God’s own heart doesn’t mean that we have to be perfect. No one can be perfect and everyone sins. But as David did, we must begin with humility. While being anointed king, David remained a shepherd and let the LORD elevate him to his promised kingship. He placed himself under Saul’s direction and leadership until it was clear that Saul intended harm; yet even in those moments on the run, David sought the LORD and did not extend his hand against his enemy. Even when Saul died, David did not rejoice over his fate, but mourned him as the LORD’s anointed. When David committed sin, he repented and accepted the consequences for his sin, not straying from his allegiance and faithfulness to the LORD. He sought to raise up children dedicated to the LORD and did everything he could to prepare Solomon to fulfill his God-given task. His Psalms demonstrate a raw and open-hearted relationship with the LORD that always ended in rejoicing in the LORD because He is the all in all, Creator of heaven and earth, and the Rock of our salvation (Psalm 18). May we have a heart like David–repentant, dedicated, and worshipful before the LORD.

©Lauren Demuth

Culture’s War on the Biblical Family

It’s time to get real. The enemy has been in the business of causing division and strife within the family since creation. Eve, knowing what God had said about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was still deceived and ate from it, believing that she would be like God in wisdom. Adam, also knowing the word of the Lord, still ate when Eve offered him the fruit. Thus sin entered the world, and Adam and Eve were removed from the perfect Garden of Eden to face the consequences of their actions. Then we read about Cain and Abel where Abel gives an offering pleasing to God, but Cain’s offering was less pleasing than Abel’s so Cain murdered his brother. Jacob and Esau were rivals since birth, yet Jacob, being younger, gained Esau’s birthright and become the father of the nation of Israel. Skip ahead to the modern age and now we have homosexual and transgender families paraded around our culture as lampposts for the modern family. Divorce has become expected rather than being the exception. Movies, television shows, schools, social media, businesses, and news media have normalized these kinds of families to where we have become numb, or even worse, afraid to speak out. We have become complacent and think that this is just how life is supposed to be. What we forget is that mankind, since creation, has had the gift of free will.

Eve chose to eat the fruit knowing God’s warning, and Adam chose to follow his wife instead of God. In Genesis 4:7, Cain was warned by God that sin was at his door desiring him, and he must master it. But instead Cain chose to kill his brother. In Genesis 25:23, the Lord revealed to Rebekah that she had twins in her womb—two nations—and the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). As they grew up, Esau became the hunter, but Jacob was peaceful. One day Esau came home famished and desired the food Jacob made. Jacob asked Esau for his birthright first, and Esau swore it to him (Gen. 25:31-34). Therefore, Esau had no regard for the blessing given to him. He chose to give away what was his over his temporary desire for food, and in the end he became the nation of Edom, separated from Jacob’s family, the nation of Israel. In everything, there is a choice. As the church, we can choose to remain silent about what has happened to the biblical family, or we can stand up for what is right, knowing that it can cost us dearly on earth. As Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Do we treasure the spiritual well-being of our home and the church over the riches and stature given to us in this world by remaining silent?

The main problem is that the church does not know how to defend the biblical family because it doesn’t know what the family is supposed to look like. We spend more time engaging with the world and its message rather than the truth of God’s Word. The average Christian can quote John 3:16, Jeremiah 29:11 and Philippians 4:13, but can he or she recall what Ephesians 5 says about marriage? Will a Christian woman say that a wife is commanded to submit to her husband as the church submits to Christ (Eph. 5:22-24)? Will a Christian man say that a husband is supposed to love his wife as Christ loved the church, giving Himself up for her (Eph. 5:25-30)? Will a Christian woman adhere to Paul’s instructions to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:9-15?:

“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.”

In addition, after writing about the proper order within church gatherings, Paul instructs the church in Corinth (a letter that would have been read at other churches as well) about women: “The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church (1 Cor. 14:34-35).” If we say we adhere to Scripture, why do we overlook these passages? These passages also imply that husbands should understand the Word of God in order to be able to provide answers when asked. In 1 Corinthians 14:37-38, Paul makes an important statement: “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.” He is referring to everything written to the Corinthians about the proper order in the church, including his instructions about women. Although Paul writes the letter, the message is from the Lord and is a commandment to be obeyed.

Will leaders in the church adhere to Paul’s message to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:4-7?:

“He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

How many times have we heard of pastors’ kids going off the rails or becoming estranged from their parents? Scripture tells us that if a leader in the church cannot manage his own home, he should not be a leader. And that brings me to probably the most controversial point—there is no mention in Scripture of female leadership in the church. Older women should teach younger women (Titus 2:3-5) and mothers should teach their children (Proverbs 1:8), but Paul is clear that a woman should not teach over a man (1 Timothy 2:12). It violates the order of submission within the church and home. The church has become disobedient to the Lord in that area, which has led to many women trying to be the spiritual leaders of their own homes. Yet there are plenty of roles for women in the church. Scripture talks about spiritual gifts being given to all members of the church, including women. We also know of prophetesses in Scripture such as Anna in Luke 2:36 and women who supported Jesus’ ministry and early church ministry (Matthew 27:55; Luke 8:2-3; Luke 10:38-42; Acts 16:13-15; Romans 16:1). The Lord created men and women and loves both equally; however, each one has his or her proper roles in the home and in the church.

The enemy knows all of these things and has used our culture to normalize what is not from God. He has caused the people of God to fear man more than fearing God to the point where not only has marriage been targeted but also our children. Innocence has been stripped away to normalize sexual behavior and deviance among children. If we cannot get our homes straight and back on the spiritual track to obeying God and His Word, the church will also fall apart. Each home is a mini church where the husband/father leads the home in truth, and the wife submits to him out of obedience to the Lord, and the children submit to their parents out of obedience to the Lord. The world will hate us for it, but Jesus already prayed to the Father on our behalf even before we decided to take the name of “Christian”:

“While I was with them (the disciples), I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that Scripture would be fulfilled. But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them in the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” John 17:12-23

Jesus spoke these words to the Father right before He was arrested and later crucified to take away our sins, even the ones we are now committing in the church. If we, as the church, want to be presented to Him as holy, spotless, and blameless when He returns (Ephesians 5:27), we must ask for forgiveness and remove the sin that we’ve allowed in the church. We must ask God to help us restore our families and our churches according to His Word and His order for how can He work through us if we have chosen to follow the world? It is our time to choose.

©Lauren Demuth

Worthy of Our Calling

As I continue to read through the New Testament, and especially in Paul’s letters, this particular phrase keeps popping up: “Walk in a manner worthy of your calling.” What does that mean? Let’s look at some verses (NASB translation) with this instruction:

Ephesians 4:1-3 – “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Philippians 1:27-28 – “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.”

Colossians 1:9-12 – “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 – “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”

2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 – “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.”

2 Thessalonians 1:6-12 – “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed. To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Lord is so good to us that He doesn’t leave us wondering what “walking in a manner worthy of your calling” means. First, this command is given to the church as a whole. As the body of Christ we should be walking in a manner worthy of our calling in order to glorify God in this world. Second, it is also an individual command because as you read in each letter, not everyone is acting as a Christian should. Each Christian should examine oneself to see where his or her standing is with the Lord and make the changes needed to be worthy of the calling of being a believer in Christ. In each of these passages, Paul explains how we should live. Sometimes it’s easier for me to take it all in with a list so here’s a list based on what we’ve just read:

A Christian walks in a manner worthy of his or her calling by:

  • Demonstrating tolerance for those within the church in love, humility, gentleness and patience
  • Diligently preserving the unity of the Spirit in peace
  • Standing firm in one spirit with believers
  • Striving with other believers in one mind for the faith of the gospel
  • Trusting in God rather than being afraid of opponents of the gospel
  • Bearing fruit in every good work
  • Increasing in the knowledge of God and His will
  • Strengthened with God’s power to be able to attain steadfastness and patience
  • Joyously giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be part of His kingdom
  • Accepting exhortation and encouragement from those with spiritual wisdom and discernment
  • Persevering in the midst of trials for the sake of the gospel
  • Having faith in the midst of trials for the sake of the gospel
  • Suffering for the gospel knowing that God will deliver retribution at Christ’s coming

We could easily add to this list with other passages from Scripture, but notice how all of these actions are important as a BODY of believers. The love we have for one another and how we treat one another should be a testament to the world. But if church looks like the world, what distinction is there? Are we willing to be set apart for God’s kingdom knowing that it may make us a target of suffering in one way or another? 1 Thessalonians 2:12 struck me where it says “so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” Not only are we called into a kingdom beyond anything we can imagine, but we are also called into God’s glory. The God who created all things with a word calls us to share that glory. The God who came down to a sinful world to save His people as only He could calls us to share that glory. The God who died and took every sin upon Himself as the perfect sacrifice calls us to share that glory. The God who raised Jesus Christ from the grave to give every person the opportunity to spend eternity with Him calls us to share that glory. It feels impossible to be worthy of such a calling. How can we be? And that’s just it. We can’t. On our own, we are unworthy. But the love and sacrifice of our amazing, incomparable God has MADE us worthy because HE IS WORTHY!!! What other god would give itself to meager people? What other god would allow those people to share its glory? NONE! That is why Yahweh is the Lord of lords and King of kings who created humanity–because of LOVE. He WANTS us to be with Him even after all we’ve done. Even after all the slander to His name. Even after all acts of disobedience and defiance. He is still worthy above it all. He is still glorified above it all. He is still love above it all. He is still forgiving above it all. He is still extending His hand above it all. But make no mistake, God is a jealous God who will not tolerate lukewarm devotion. We cannot love God and be friends with the world (James 4:4). If we say we’re willing to give it all, we need to mean it with our lives because He is worthy of it. And as Paul indicated in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, we want to be counted by God as worthy of our calling when Christ returns so that the name of Jesus will be glorified in us and us in Him. On that day, we will no longer be able to ask these questions: Did I diligently study God’s word of truth to know Him and understand His will? Did I treat brothers and sisters with all humility, gentleness, peace and love to build them up and be an example to the world? Did I persevere in faith in the midst of trials? Did I stand up for the Lord when everyone else around me fell silent? Did I put the Lord first above all else in my life?

Sometimes all of these questions and thoughts seem overwhelming. How can we ever achieve them? One thing that the Lord has reminded me lately is that He’s already overcome everything. Everything we have faced, are facing, or will ever face, the Lord has overcome it with His death and resurrection. He will return, and He will reign, and we will forever be with Him if we are faithful believers. What happens in our lives until then will either glorify God or not. We are not perfect so we will have difficult moments and failures and setbacks. But then instead of getting down on ourselves and getting stuck in a pit, we have the choice to ask, “How can I glorify the Lord in this?” In other words, we can choose to take the eyes off of ourselves and circumstances which is just a moment in time and focus on the God who is eternal.

Let’s encourage one another and exhort each other as the body of believers so that we can glorify the King of kings in a world that desperately needs to know and understand the love of our Savior. May we demonstrate that love to each other so that it overflows into every aspect of our lives, bringing others to the saving grace that God has given as a gift for them.

©Lauren Demuth