ARE YOU READY FOR WAR?
It seems that God was having a
hard time getting the attention of his church. So some years ago, God
began talking to the Hollywood folks. I
suppose He just figured someone would eventually get hold of his heart as it
related to his intentions for planet earth today. So Hollywood began to in many ways produce some pretty
“prophetic" stuff for us to view on the big screen.
God
has all kinds of ways of talking if we'll just listen to Him. I've
learned that what goes on in the natural, is quite often a picture and runs
parallel to what God is up to in the spirit. There is one thing in the
land of America and around the world that seems to overshadow anything, and
everything else. The talk and notion of a potential WAR!
Let me clarify. Not all things that happen in
the natural point towards what the Lord may be up to. But it may be to
our advantage to pay attention to what is happening today with the issue of
war.
“And it came to pass, after
the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David
sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel: and they destroyed the
children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at
Jerusalem." II Samuel 11:1
I have just a few thoughts about this scripture I'd
like to share with you today. First off, we, the body of Christ, are
going to war. Here's the good news: Jesus is leading this campaign.
I am not saying that we need to be on guard because
the devil is after us. He's been after us for years; ever since the
cross. I'm not saying that we haven't been in a war. I'm saying
that this season we are moving into right now – is the time that God has
determined that He is going to pull down some of the enemies of the soul that
we've battled against for a long while. In short, we're goin' to
war… and it's Gods idea!
It's quite possible it was his idea in vs.1 of II
Sam. 11. Let's look at one word that is an amazing word: TIME!
“And it came to pass, after
the year was expired, at the TIME when kings go forth to battle..."
The Hebrew word is pronounced Ayth. This word
has a Greek equivalent. This word is Kairos. Let me give you the
Greek definition that is equivalent to the Hebrew word Ayth, which is
TIME.
This word is not just a succession of moments.
Kairos implies: “that which time gives opportunity to do.” It
implies: “not the convenience of the season, but the necessity of the task
at hand, whether time provides a good, convenient opportunity or not.”
Kairos means: “seasons or times at which certain foreordained events take
place or necessary accomplishments need to take place.”
IN THIS CASE,
WHAT WAS NECESSARY WAS WAR!
There were two campaigns a year: spring and
fall. Summer was to hot and winter to cold. This was a designed,
set-aside, foreordained time for battle, and for our study today, more
specifically for kings to go to battle. David should have been in that fight; instead,
he was home taking a nap.
A couple of thoughts:
1. If you're going to live an A-level Christian LIFE, you've got
to have the spirit of a warrior.
2. If you're going to live an a-level Christian life, you've got
to have a sense of personal destiny and the ability to read your own design.
You have got to understand the way God has wired
you. David was not wired to sit back in the palace and have someone feed
him grapes and wine. He was a man of war! He was wired for
battle! He had no business doing something outside of the way he was
wired. And even more dangerous, he had no business being outside of a season
that was preordained by God. It was a season of war - but David chose Jerusalem.
The name means "Peace."
So, let's look at this picture: It was a
designated time of war. That's where David should have been; right in the
middle of the place and the season that God had intended for him.
Instead, he opted to remain in Jerusalem. THE PLACE OF PEACE. If we're not careful, we'll do the same
thing!
God in heaven is calling us to war; that's where
He's going, and that's where we need to be - especially when He is there!
It is better to be on the front line with a sword in your hand and Jesus at
your left, than in the palace of peace and quite - with no sense of the
presence of the living God.
Church, if God is going to battle… SIGN ME UP!
Wherever He's leading - is where we need to be going.
I'm sure if Israel knew some of the places that God
would lead them using the cloud by day and the fire by night, they wouldn't
have been nearly as excited to go. God did lead them into some pretty
weird stuff; but all for their growth and maturity.
You may not like the sound of battle, but remember
these two things:
1. This battle
is not yours but Gods; and He is able to give strength over all the enemies’
hat rear their head against Gods chosen.
2. It's dangerous to get caught in Jerusalem, when Jesus
is on the battlefield; the peace you may gain is only temporary.
While war was going on, David was in Jerusalem,
outside the will of God. We've got that; but listen to this: Jerusalem
was home, and home is safe, comfortable, secure and familiar. The
temptation for us will be to retreat to some place, someone or even something -
in hopes to gain peace, rather than to strap on the boots and go to battle.
That's when Bathsheba comes along!
When I am deliberately outside the plan and
season God has ordained me to be in, Bathsheba can be whatever I'm vulnerable
to. Yes, satan does know my weaknesses, and he's always happy to send them my
way when I'm not where I'm suppose to be.
VS. 2: This all happen at "eventide." It means
"dusk." What are the two most dangerous times to drive a car?
1.
When the sky
is clear, and
2.
When the sun is
out.
Why Dawn and Dusk? Because your vision is
obscured!
This all happened in the natural at dusk. In
the spirit David was blinded by this whole situation. His vision for his
future and the future of the kingdom was obscured. He wasn't where he was
supposed to be - so he was blinded.
David
was distracted, and took to himself the thing that was appealing to the
flesh. There was a intimate connection. Seed was sown, impregnation
happened, and the result of this whole thing was death (II Sam. 12:14).
The child never lived.
I
bear fruit when I'm doing God’s will. I'm made into His likeness when I'm
with Him, walking in His will, not mine. I reproduce life and strength
when I'm doing it His way, not mine.
Proverbs 16:25 "There
is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it is the way of
death."
The word "right" is the English word
convenient. I've been doing this long enough to know that there
is very little in the life of a Christian that's convenient; but we still
love to take the easy way out. It often leads to death.
If Jesus says war, let's go! Don't cave
in! Don't run and hide, get in this fight! And watch as our Lord
kicks the ever livin' snot out of our enemies! We'll party when all
the dust has settled, and every knee has bowed, and every tongue has
confessed His Lordship.
Let Him reign in you today beloved. Let Him
lead on. And God give us faith to follow.
God bless you,
