A Break

Give Absalom a Break

2 Samuel 13:39

"And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead."

In our attempt to defend our heroes, we often make villains out of people who reacted in a wrong way. Yes, their reaction may have been wrong, but their reaction was caused by what someone else did. If we are not careful, we will destroy a person all because we are trying to defend our heroes.

Absalom is one of those people whom everyone seems to pile on. What Absalom did to his father is defenseless. What he did was absolutely wrong! However, if you read the whole story, you will see that Absalom responded the way he did because David did not deal with sin like he should.

Absalom's rebellion happened because his sister was raped by his half-brother, Amnon. Amnon's sin was not just a sin of uncontrolled passion, but his sin was thought out to exactly how he would defile his own sister. His sin was evil! When David heard what happened, he did not deal with the sin; however, it was Absalom's sister who was raped. Absalom expected his father to deal with this in a proper manner only to see him let Amnon get away with his sin. David's inaction of dealing with sin in a proper manner led to bitterness in the heart of Absalom. That bitterness led to Absalom turning on his own father and eventually he lost his life in the whole thing. All of this would have never happened if David had dealt with the sin like he should have. I believe we ought to give Absalom a break and lay much of the blame on David. Though Absalom was responsible for his own actions, it was initially David's inaction that caused the whole mess.

Leaders must be careful about letting sin go unpunished. As I travel, I frequently preach in conferences with other men of God. This allows me to hear other men of God preach, which I always enjoy. One of the common themes I hear coming from the mouths of preachers is the sinfulness of disloyalty to their pastor. Truthfully, I am one hundred percent behind what they say; however, I never hear a preacher mention that many times disloyalty is caused because of how a leader dealt with sin. When people see sin go unpunished, many times it will drive them to disloyalty. Unpunished sin will cause many to become frustrated with leadership. They often know that if they were to do the same thing, they would not get away with that wrong, which will eventually lead to bitterness. Their bitterness often comes out in the form of disloyalty. Though disloyalty is a sin, we must remember that the leader who doesn't properly deal with sin is the initial cause of the wrong.

When someone does wrong, they must be punished. It doesn't matter whether or not they are related to you or are a part of your church staff, their sin must be dealt with in a proper way. Sweeping it under the carpet is as wrong as the sin itself. God never sweeps sin under the carpet. God always punishes sin. If, as a leader, you can't deal properly with sin even when it is someone close to you, then you need to give that authority to a person who will deal with it in a proper way. Just like a judge must recuse themselves from a case because of personal ties, if you must recuse yourself from dealing with a sin because of heart ties, then do it so that unpunished sin won't lead to disloyalty.

Finally, if you have a leader who swept sin under the carpet, be careful that you don't allow it to make you disloyal. The leader's sin does not give you a right to sin. You must simply continue doing what you are supposed to do and let God deal with it. God always deals with it and will make sure that it is dealt with in a proper way. Don't become an Absalom because of a leader's improper action. Ask God to help you keep the right attitude so that you don't do something you will regret for the rest of your life.

Not Divided

Not Divided

2 Samuel 1:23

"Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions."

It is interesting that the verse above says that Saul and Jonathan were not divided. If I recall correctly, there were times when the Scriptures clearly show that Saul and Jonathan were not on the same page. You will recall when Jonathan and his armor bearer fought the Philistines, that Jonathan ate some honey against Saul's commandment. Jonathan plainly told the people that his father made a mistake commanding the troops not to eat anything. Then there was the relationship between Jonathan and David. Saul clearly had a problem with Jonathan being so close to David. They disagreed so much so that one time Saul threw a javelin at Jonathan because he was so angry over the situation.

So, what does it mean that they were not divided? It means that they didn't let their disagreements divide them from their purpose. Sure, Saul and Jonathan had disagreements, but they did not let their disagreements keep them from working together for the purpose they both agreed upon.

I think of Paul and Barnabas who could have learned this truth from Saul and Jonathan. Paul and Barnabas both agreed upon their purpose, but they let a disagreement over John Mark divide them. A team that was so strong together was separated over a disagreement. One could only imagine what could have been accomplished if they would not have allowed their preferential disagreement to divide them from their purpose.

The key to every relationship is to not allow your disagreements to divide you from your purpose. In every relationship there will be disagreements because no two people will agree on everything; but, you must not allow your disagreements to divide you over your purpose of what you are trying to accomplish. If you will learn in your relationships to set aside your preferential disagreements for your purpose, then you can accomplish great things together.

Marital relationships must be careful not to allow preferential disagreements to divide their marriage. Let's be honest with each other, you are not going to always agree with your spouse, but you can still stay happily married. You must be careful that you don't let your preferential disagreements divide your marriage and cause a divorce.

In work or business relationships there are going to be preferential disagreements. If you want a business partnership to work, then both sides of the partnership are going to have set aside the preferential disagreements for the cause of succeeding in business. Certainly you will disagree with how some things need to be done, but you can't let that distract you from your original purpose of why you went into business with each other.

Likewise, we must be careful about allowing preferential disagreements to divide us in Christianity. I am not talking about compromise, but I am talking about allowing methods and personalities to divide us from the purpose of getting the Gospel out to a world. In our independent, fundamental Baptist world we are so easily divided over preferential disagreements that we are splintered. Let's be careful not to fight over preferential disagreements. Let's not let these disagreements divide us from the purpose of our cause.

Always remember that everyone will not always do things like you do them, but don't let that divide you from each other. Disagreements are a part of every relationship, but division does not have to come because of them. Learn to set aside your preferential disagreements and work together on that with which you do agree. This is how relationships last a lifetime.

A Youth Leading

A Youth Leading Men

1 Samuel 18:5

"And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants."

You rarely find a youth who is mature enough to be in any leadership position, much less leading men into war. The verse above says that David was"set...over the men of war." You must understand that David just killed Goliath. That feat may seem to be something that is worthy of promotion, but David was only seventeen years of age when he defeated Goliath. So, here is a young man who was given position to lead men into war at the young age of seventeen.

The amazing thing about this position that was given to David was that the men accepted his role as their leader. You often see young people given position at a young age, but rarely do you find that these young people are accepted by those whom they lead, especially those who are much older than they. I often see in the ministry pastors give their children a position in their ministry, but the people are not accepting of this leadership role. Though they won't tell the pastor their feeling, it can be seen in how they truly follow that person. We find in this story that there were two things that caused David to be accepted in this leadership role.

First, he earned the right to lead by killing Goliath. A person needs to earn the right to be given position. Position should never be inherited; it should be earned. The men of Israel accepted David's leadership role because he accomplished something. If a person doesn't have something that they have accomplished, then they should not be given a leadership role. Accomplishment is like a college degree to a position. Accomplishment validates that a person deserves the right to hold that position. If they have never accomplished anything, then they should never be given a leadership role.

Furthermore, the degree of the accomplishment should determine the degree of the leadership role. David didn't just kill anyone, he killed someone that nobody else could kill or even tried to kill. If a person wants a high ranking leadership role, then they need to accomplish something that nobody else has ever done.

Second, David behaved himself in a wise manner. Though he was a youth, he didn't act like a youth. I have watched people hold leadership roles who didn't behave themselves as was becoming to their position. If a person doesn't behave themselves rightly before they have position, then you can be guaranteed that they won't behave themselves wisely after they acquire a leadership role. Leadership is not a right, it is something earned. You partly earn that role by doing right in front of people and when they are not looking.

Finally, David did not look for a role of leadership. People who want leadership roles don't deserve it. The best way for you to acquire a leadership role is to do right because it is right to do. Don't seek to be a leader, just do what you are supposed to do. You will find that when you do what you are supposed to do and accomplish things that others are not able to accomplish that leadership roles will find you.

Hills

Helpful Hills

Psalm 121:1

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help."

The Psalmist said that he would get his help from the hills. Hills are often a place of refreshment. They are often hard to climb, but once you are at the top you can find the refreshment that you need. When I look in the Scriptures, I find there are several hills that every Christian needs to climb.

First, there is the hill of Golgotha. Golgotha is the place where our sins were paid. The first hill we need to climb is Golgotha, and you climb this hill by accepting Christ as your personal Saviour. The Word of God is of no value to you without the hill of Golgotha. Have you experienced this hill in your life? Has there been a time when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour. This hill is helpful because it is the hill that allows us to skip Hell so that we can go to Heaven.

The second hill that you need in your life is the hill of Mt. Sinai. This is the place where Moses received the first five books of the Bible. In other words, you get your help everyday by spending time in the Word of God. This hill is what will give you your spiritual nourishment for the day. This hill is where you find the answers for your life. Without this hill you will become spiritually undernourished. Christian, you must visit this hill everyday of your life so that you can let God's Word guide you throughout your day.

The third hill that you need in your life is the hill of Mt. Carmel. This is the place where Elijah prayed fire down from Heaven to consume the altar. This is the hill where the four hundred prophets of Baal were killed. Every Christian needs the power of God. You don't get this power from man, but you get it from God. You will never be the Christian God intends for you to be without having His power on your life. How do you get this power? Elijah saw it through prayer. You must spend time daily in prayer if you want the help of God's power on your life.

The fourth hill that you need in your life is the hill of Mt. Moriah. This is the place where Abraham took Isaac to give him as a sacrifice to God. In other words, every Christian needs a time in their life when they will be willing to sacrifice everything they have for the cause of Christ. There must come a time when there is nothing in your life that God cannot have. Have you experienced this hill yet? This is the hill when God becomes number one in your life. When God becomes the One Whom you seek first, then you will see God's blessings in a great way. Christian, you must visit the Mt. Moriah of your life and be willing to give God anything He wants if you want God to use you.

The last hill that you need in your life is the hill of Transfiguration. This is the hill where Jesus was transfigured into His glorified body in front of the three disciples. You need the hill in your life where God changes you into His image. It is on this hill where God begins the great works through your life. Though you will still live in your body of flesh, you need God to transfigure you into His image so that this world can see Christ through you.

Have you visited these hills? It is at these hills where you get your help for the Christian life. Instead of lifting your eyes to the world and man to get your help, lift your eyes to these hills to get your help. These hills are where you will find the help you need to live the Christian life on a daily basis.

My Shepherd

My Shepherd

Psalm 23:1

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

David personalized the fact that the LORD was his shepherd. You will notice that he did not call the LORD our shepherd, but he called Him "my shepherd." David understood that the LORD is a personal God. He understood that unless He made the LORD a personal God, then he would not allow Him to guide him into the right places.

Christian, let me ask you, is the LORD your shepherd? I know it is easy to say that He is, but when I look at Christianity I see that the LORD is not the shepherd of many Christians. Often, these Christians who audibly call the LORD their shepherd live in such a manner that depicts that they have another shepherd. Let me help you determine whether the LORD is your shepherd.

If the LORD is your shepherd, then you will feed in His pastures. I find many Christians are going to other pastures to be fed. The LORD is not your shepherd if you are feeding from the trash of the world. Don't tell me that the LORD is your shepherd when you would rather emulate the world more than living the life of Christ. If the LORD is truly your shepherd, you will want to live no other life than the Christian life. The pastures that you should feed from are the Christian life. You can always tell who a sheep belongs to by seeing in whose pasture they are feeding. If the LORD is truly one's shepherd, then they will unashamedly live in the pastures of the Christian life. They won't try to hide the fact that they are a Christian. They will dress and talk like a Christian because they live in the pastures of the LORD.

If the LORD is your shepherd, then you will drink from His waters. What is it that refreshes your soul? Do you find yourself drinking from the waters of the liberals? Do you find yourself drinking the waters of liberal authors? Do you find yourself drinking the waters of the internet? Unless you go to the water of the Word of God to be refreshed, then the LORD is not your shepherd.

If the LORD is your shepherd, then you will walk in the paths of righteousness. One of the tale-tale signs that the LORD is one's shepherd is when you see them living a righteous life. Your lifestyle will ultimately show whether the LORD is your shepherd. If you're walking in the paths of adultery, the LORD is not your shepherd. If you are walking in the paths of gossip, the LORD is not your shepherd. If you are walking in the paths of liberal Christianity, then the LORD is not your shepherd. Christian, it is important that you choose the right paths to walk, for those paths will determine if the LORD is your shepherd.

If the LORD is your shepherd, then you will eat at the table He has prepared for you. Sometimes you may not like what the LORD prepares for you, but you will eat from it. Sometimes He will put an easy life to eat, but there will also come times when He puts hardships for you to eat. It isn't always pleasant to eat what the LORD puts in front of you, but if He is your shepherd, then you will eat it for you will understand that it is best for you.

What is the benefit of the LORD being your shepherd? The benefit is that you "shall not want." In other words, if you will allow the LORD to be your shepherd, he will make sure that you will not lack in any area of life. He will provide all of your needs. Let me encourage you to let the LORD lead you in every area of life. Let Him be your shepherd and you will find that you will never lack in any area of life.

God's attention

Grabbing God's Attention

Acts 10:31

"And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God."

There will come a time in everyone's life when you will need God's attention to get a prayer answered. It may be a health issue that you are facing, a serious situation that you are facing in your life, a financial calamity or a family situation. In times like these, it would be good to find out how to grab God's attention so that you can get His help. I find in the Scriptures there are some things that grabs God's attention and if you will do them it will help you in your time of need.

First, praying grabs God's attention. You will notice in the verse above that Cornelius prayed. God says in James 5:16, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Nothing grabs the attention of God like prayer. Daniel prayed and got God's attention. Elijah prayed and got God's attention. Hezekiah prayed and grabbed God's attention. The publican prayed and got God's attention. You will NEVER grab God's attention without prayer. Prayer is the avenue God uses to give us what we need. If you have a need, then you must go to God in prayer to grab His attention.

Second, giving grabs God's attention. Not only did the prayers of Cornelius grab God's attention, but his giving helped God to remember him. If there is any reason for you to give, it is so that you can grab God's attention when you need it. We are reminded in Luke 21:2-3 that giving grabs God's attention when it says, "And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:" You will notice it was not the amount that grabbed God's attention, but the sacrificial amount that she gave. You don't have to have a lot of money to give to get God's attention, but you must be willing to give sacrificially to grab God's attention.

Third, helping children grabs God's attention. Genesis 21:17 says, "And God heard the voice of the lad;..." This was the cry of Ishmael when Hagar was thrown out of her house. God has a special place in His heart for children. One of the reasons it would be wise to be involved in a church ministry that helps children is so that you can grab God's attention when you need it. When a church is aggressive about reaching children, I believe they will be able to grab God's attention. Likewise, when a Christian will be involved in helping children, they will find that God's ear is more open to their prayers.

Fourth, soul winning grabs God's attention. Psalm 126:5-6 says, "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." The heartbeat of God is to reach the lost for Christ. When a Christian is aggressively trying to reach the lost, they will find that God will do His part is helping them in their time of need.

One of the mistakes most people make is to wait till they need God's attention to start doing these things. Christian, don't wait till you need God's attention to start doing these things, but start doing these things before you need His attention. If you have God's attention before you need it, then it will be easier to get from God what you need in your time of need. Find a way to do these things on a daily basis so that you can daily get God's attention.