Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Turned Into Another Man Pt.5

Ron and Terra arrived safely back in Africa so we praise God for their safe journey and thank God for the time that they had coming being refreshed, and both men back home ready to work and be diligent about the task that Father's sent them to. We got a great letter from Tony:

"Greetings in the Lord Jesus. [We] continue to look forward to the Lord for His sufficiency day-by-day and for the good work that's before us. We had an outstanding service on Sunday. The sanctuary was packed out with only about three or four seats remaining. I was preaching on spiritual slumber in relation to the need for preparation in such an ever-increasing evil day. The anointing of God fell upon us all in an unusual manner. A number of people began to break down at different points in the service. The Holy Spirit was breaking hearts and drawing men back to the Lord. The altar was filled afterwards with backsliders repenting, people convicted of their sins, and a number of them seemed completely broken, crying out with tears and repenting. We've seen also a number coming as a result of the crusades that we've been preaching. The ministry afterwards, going on to the visitors and the fellowship of the brethren, lasted for hours. It was a few hours after the service and we had well over 70 that were still in attendance as they were just fellowshipping around the Lord following the altar service, and so this was a great time.

 

We went right from the meeting to the crusade ground and everyone pitched in to set up, then groups of the folks went around the crusade grounds fellowshipping and interacting. We sent them forth to invite people to the crusade and some good ministry took place in these times. The reports that came back were that people were pleading for us to stay for another week or even two weeks in that area. Roger preached the final night of the crusade and a very good crowd of folks was there and was ministered to. We're developing a system now to follow up on those who have given their lives to the Lord in the meetings. What a marvelous time! The people's zeal for the ministry and growing unity in the vision is a great joy to us. When we get back out evangelizing like this, the results show immediately.

We're also continuing on working on fabricating more speaker stands etc. etc. I'm moving also in preparation to move to South B; our iron security gate is just about finished. [That's not just the gate to the community nor the armed guards but the gate that's on your front door is being finished. They're really happy about how safe this place is that they're in and so it's exciting; it's not like here. Continue to pray for them and to hold them up.] Karen's excited about the new place being closer to where I can see her more often. Also, we're praising the Lord as Karen's health is improving. The breathing problems are completely gone. She hasn't taken any of the numerous medications that she brought and has not had even one breathing attack since we've arrived back in Africa."

Praise God for that, Amen? Just continue to hold them up in prayer and believe God to strengthen them for the task that's at hand. It's exciting and we just want you to continue to be in intercession and we'll see that Father will finish the work in our midst.

Let's turn back to Samuel and continue on our study here as we're contrasting the two kingdoms: The kingdom of darkness, the kingdom of light; the kingdom of Satan; the kingdom of our Lord Jesus; the kingdom of Saul and the kingdom of David. Two men that were overseeing the same group of people but had very different results, especially as it pertained to their own lives. Isn't it amazing, as we look--those of us that are the heads of our homes--our children may turn out differently? God's grace is very evident in all of our lives to bring us to greater victories than we ever deserve, yet so often we miss the need as the head of homes, as leaders in a fellowship such as this, to make sure that our own lives are in order, to be able to give God the glory through our faithfulness to the call that He's placed upon us in placing us in positions of oversight. God is looking for character, not ability. He's looking for faithfulness, not just an just outward zeal or natural effort. He's looking for humility and weakness that He can show himself strong. He's looking for men after His own heart, such as David, that we saw were individuals who would seek the glory of God first, regardless what it cost them personally.

That's what we're emphasizing in the teaching. Saul was a man who wanted to be honored before the people, and David was a man who wanted God honored before the people, through his obedience, through his commitment to the Word of God, even at the cost of his position, though it was a great struggle even at the cost of his own family. As he lay dying--even at the cost of his own friends--as he counseled Solomon to kill Joab, one of his mighty men who offered up cities for his own purpose and his own glory. Joab, a man who began faithfully serving David, a man of ambition, but a man that seemed to control his ambition as he gave the glory to David and to God, but in the very end, sadly, Joab defects. Joab is a traitor to the kingdom. Joab went the way of so many in the flesh to seek his own way, because he didn't quite understand what David was up to. David was not living up to Joab's expectations so he betrayed him. We're talking about humanity. We're talking about the flesh that every one of us wars with on a daily basis. Paul said, "lest having preached to others I be cast away." Aren't you interested in finishing this thing? Yet there's a trap laid for every one of us. Satan knows our weaknesses and he's seeking every opportunity to destroy you and yours, but the good news tonight is this: Though Satan desires to sift you as wheat, Jesus is praying for us! Amen.

We rejoice in that and we know that the Lord ever lives to make intercession but, beloved, unless these days were shortened the very elect aren't going to make it. We're coming into a war that we need to be serious about in our preparation for the hours that are ahead. You may have been faithful all these years but like a Joab you can defect from, in the last days, this kingdom that you've so faithfully served. As we search our hearts and we identify our own tendencies in the flesh--the ambitions, the weaknesses, the appetites--we need to take up daily a cross of humility and willfully subject ourselves to the daily crucifixion, to where it's no longer we that live but Christ that liveth in us, that we can die and be crucified with Him, (Romans six) that we might be raised in the power of His resurrection, that we might be conformed to the humility of His suffering. If we're going to know the power of His resurrection we need to know the humility of the death: self will, ambition, allegiances to the natural and to the flesh that must die as we recognize our mother and our brethren: those who do the will of the Father.

David was that kind of a man. We're not going to study a lot about his failures. We'll make reference to them, but David was a man that was paradoxical. A man that embraced the love of God and was able to, because of his love for Jonathan, show the faithfulness to a Mephibosheth later on that would have liked to have killed him. And yet he could be so ruthless as to take one of his own faithful mighty men's wife and commit adultery with her while he was out on the field fighting. And then when this man came home in all of his integrity, David sent him to be killed because of his own cowardice to face the sin that had so easily beset him. David never got in trouble when he was on the front lines in war; it's when he began to enjoy the affluence of the victories that he had won. You're not going to sin when you're on the front lines of battling for your own holiness and your righteousness, and you're praying, and you're fasting, and you're out sharing. It's when all of the prosperity comes, the ease of the victories that have been won, and we begin to take a little bit of time for ourselves that we could get ourselves in trouble. As we contrast the kingdoms, it becomes very obvious the man that wanted to be exalted before men and the man that who wanted to exalt God. But as we then focus on David it becomes a little tougher to look into the heart of this individual and find out how is it that this man can be an adulterer and a murderer, and at the same time the sweet psalmist of Israel, the man after God's own heart. We saw his natural tendencies as his brothers talked about him being a naughty individual, full of pride. We understand the physical prowess of this man and his ability to do war. David was a bad dude being able to take on lions and bears single-handedly, yet he was a man we find also hiding in caves, wondering what his own fate might be as Saul sought him. In the midst of this exile is where we want to pick up a little bit tonight and learn some more about David in 1 Samuel 23.

We know the story how David has been to the palace and sung songs. David's been to the battlefield and killed Goliath. David's come into the city and heard the song, "Saul has killed his thousands and David his tens of thousands." David has faced the jealousy of Saul; the javelins have been thrown at him. David's heart's been knit with Jonathan, and Jonathan chooses a man after God's own heart over his own earthly father. He saw Saul for what he was and chose David to cut covenant with him, to offer him his very life. As Saul's looking to kill David, David's in exile, and God is dealing with the heart of this young man.

We pick it up in chapter 24. The Scripture says that as Saul is in pursuit of David, David is in the cave in En-gedi. "And the men of David [Verse four] said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. ["It's here. He's been put before you." We know the story how David then is able to come into the camp and there's Saul before him. He's able to take his life now and finally be delivered from the trials, from the persecution. He can now receive his rightful place on the throne. Yet the Scripture tells us that when this was put into David's hands he was able to do what seemed good to him.] Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. [Verse four] And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way."

What do we find about David here? David is a man after God's own heart. David is a man, at this particular juncture in his life, that's exhibiting the mercy of God. He's a man that isn't moving in vengeance toward his enemies. You know, we're living in an ugly world; these people hate us, they hate our God. And yet we're to do good to those that persecute us, we're to bless those that say all manner of evil against us; we're to love our enemies. As we go down this final stretch, beloved, we can't let resentment, we can't let vindictiveness, and we can't allow a spirit of retaliation to enter our hearts. There is no vengeance that belongs to us because vengeance is what? The Lord's. If you're going to be a man after God's own heart you're going to have to be a man that lets God settle things--The relationships that we find ourselves involved in. Now what was it that smote his heart?

Turn over with me for just a second if you would to Numbers, the 15^th chapter. In Numbers, chapter 15, take a look at verse 38. It says that Moses spoke to the people, "and [he] bid them that they make fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring." What is it that smote the heart of David here? David's saying, "How can I judge this man? How am I going to judge this man guilty and say he's not one that's keeping the commandments of God when he's the Lord's anointed?" David was a man that understood that you reap what you sow. David was a man that wanted to leave justice up to God. It's amazing, as his heart was smitten at this particular time, that he puts Saul in the perfect place: In the hands of God.

Those of you that are the heads of your homes, are you going to be able to absolutely turn it all over into the hands of God and let Him be the judge? When things seem to be going against you or against your family, are you going to let God be the judge? There's no place for us to retaliate against the government. There's no place for us to retaliate against other Christians. Now we don't need to make the distinction here, but I'll take just a moment here and do it. We're not talking about protecting ourselves against attacks like when in the Bible Jesus spoke and He said, "If a man smites you on the cheek turn the other also." That's talking about an insult. It's talking about your ego and your pride being hurt. It's talking about a natural challenge. It's not talking about somebody assaulting you. It all has to do with our heart condition as to whether we can humble ourselves and let God be the one that vindicates us and exalts us.

David's heart is being shown here as someone that can trust God. It's an amazing thing to have your enemies put in your hands. During the song service I was looking for a passage that I hadn't looked at for years and years, and I couldn't remember exactly where it was. I finally found it. God spoke to me very clearly one day as men had betrayed me, and men were trying to destroy me. As you heard--as those men heard Larry Thomas speak the other night, where one of these people that were trying to destroy us spoke to him and said, "Listen. You choose who you're going to go with us or him because we're running him out of here." These were people that had become our enemies and I couldn't understand why, and I was examining my own heart and wondering what it was that I could have done. And without any knowledge at all I received a letter from Willard Cantelon, September of 1985. I have it written here in my Bible. The little note I have written here, "September '85. Lord spoke to Willard about my condition."

I received this letter from Willard and he said, "Read these verses. (Psalm 109) For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. [I was searching my own heart and I thought; "Lord is what they're saying about me true? I know what my natural tendencies are; I know who I am." I don't know about you but whenever I'm in conflict I always search my own heart first. I look and say, "Am I the cause of this thing? What am I doing here that's causing this kind of a reaction in these people?" I was searching my own heart and I was asking the Lord, "What is it? Where am I?" As he writes this passage to me it says,] For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. [Verse four he emphasized numerous times] For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. [For my love for them and their families and just telling them the truth, and just telling them what God said they became my enemies. Like Moses did when he was approached by Korah and Dathan, and in numerous other times, you do the only thing you can do at a moment like this, you just fall on your face.

We're going to see that about David here in just a moment. A man after God's own heart; a man that refuses anything that's not given to him by God. As the judgment was coming upon the people, you remember David by the threshing floor of Araunah, and the Scripture tells us at that time that he wanted to offer it up, and David said, "No. I'm going to pay you for it because I'll not offer anything to God that hasn't cost me." There are a lot of people today want to offer a whole bunch to God that's worthless that hasn't cost them anything. Do you have a heart like David that says, "I'm not offering anything to God that hasn't cost me? My praise is going to cost me. My praise is going to be at the price of staying up late, of studying, of using my energy to make sure that God's exalted." A man after His own heart. As I read this passage he said, "Continue to read and you'll see what God's going to do to your enemies." As I listened to the words of this old prophet of God who spoke in my time of need, I began to read these words] And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. [And I was reading this,] When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few; and let another take his office. [These were all elders] Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. [I literally fell to my knees as I read that passage, and I began to weep, and I said, "God, don't take their lives! I'm not worth them dying over, and I'm asking you for their children and their households." And I read on in this passage] Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places. Let the extortion catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children. Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out. [Verse 16] Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart. As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

As I began to intercede, the Lord spoke to me and He said, "I'm the Judge of all the earth," and my response to Him was, "And you'll do right." What's your first response when God says, "I'll put your enemies in your hands and what ever you want me to do I'll do to them?" We're looking for men after God's own heart. We're looking for the spirit. Now, we're not talking about the extreme case that David was in here, but I'm talking, men, about in your houses. How do you respond to conflicts in the home, conflicts with your wife, conflicts with your children? What you're going to see here is that there needs to be a spirit of humility and intercession, but at the same time there needs to be an acceptance of the justice of God. We don't administer the judgment, and we don't stand between the judgment of God and those that He is wanting to love. That's the lesson that David was learning.

We see that as David had cut Saul's skirt off, it smote his heart and he said, "How in the world--Who am I to touch the anointed of God?" Now David had already been anointed king, it just hadn't transpired yet, but doesn't the Scripture say that it's the Lord that raises up and He brings down? Amen? You know, all these people over the years that tried to bring me down, they would have been a whole lot better off to leave it up to God. When you think of yourself more highly than you ought to think--You see, these are people like Korah and Dathan that put themselves in positions that God had not called them to. I'm talking to some of you youth and some the wives as we relate to the order of God. We're talking about how we identify this spirit of a David to where we'll absolutely trust in God's integrity, His justice, and the fact that He wants to do us good and bless us all the days of our life.

We see this aspect of David's heart as David is fleeing for his life, but there was something that happened prior to that. We know the story about David, then being exiled and being driven out. Let's turn over to the second book of Samuel here for just a second and look another passage here about David, and see as he exhibits the same reliance in God's integrity when he's now the man that it appears the hand of the Lord is upon. It's a very interesting Scripture as you're studying these out and David's heart's being revealed. The Scripture speaks toward the condition of his life, and it's very interesting. As he's fleeing Jerusalem he commits himself to the justice of God. In chapter 15 of second Samuel we read these particular words. As David's fleeing Jerusalem and Absalom his son is rebelling against him, Ahithophel is getting ready to give him the counsel to mock his father and take the concubines that were left behind and proclaim himself king. David a warrior; David, that man that his brothers spoke toward, this proud man that refused defeat now finds himself humbly crossing over that brook Kidron as he begins to meander up through the Mount of Olives. Those of you that went on the trips with us, can you see it in your mind?

As he's fleeing verse 24, "And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God..." Now it's very interesting because you see getting the Ark into Jerusalem was quite an ordeal. In fact, go back to the sixth chapter of this book for just a moment and let's refresh ourselves again in who this man David is, and this will help you appreciate his refusal to let the Ark accompany him out of the city. You remember the story as David is recognized as king and he understands the need for this presence of God to be there in the midst of the kingdom to establish his rein, and so they send for the Ark of God, chapter six, verse three says, "And they set the ark of God upon a new cart... [Verse five] And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments.And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it for the oxen shook it. [It says in verse seven, then,] God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased...and he was afraid of the Lord that day...[verse nine]."

It's an amazing thing. When you're walking out of order--and we're going to see that's what caused this judgment of God, that order had been broken here and they weren't operating according to the principles that God had established. They were doing things in their own strength. They were trying to honor God they built a brand new cart to set this thing on. I'm sure they had the best oxen that they could find. They were wanting to honor God but they were giving to God out of their own resources. They were doing what they felt would honor God and God had already told them how the Ark was to be transported, didn't He? It was to be transported on the shoulders of the priest not on a new cart by sanctified men. Many of us are trying to honor God through our own works and He's looking for obedience to the spiritual mandate, not the sacrifices of service. Not trying to make up for our habitual failures, but an obedience that will finally take those besetting sins and defuse them, and cause them to be defeated in our lives so that sin no longer has dominion over us. He's wanting to bring us to a new day, beloved, of sanctification that's not only based upon grace but faith that causes us to be victorious. Thank God for the grace that causes us to accept His mercy and His forgiveness! But a day when it can bring glory to God, as that grace is partaken of and faith mixed with it to where we live lives of victory that God can be honored in the due order of our obedience.

Here's Uzzah, and he puts his hand up to stabilize the Ark. Uzzah is an interesting name; those of you are interested in these kind of things, you'll enjoy this part of it. It literally means, "To be stout, to be hard or to be bold." This is a guy that was trusting in his own ability his own strength. He reached up to help God. "I'm going to stabilize God." How many of you know the Lord doesn't need any propping up, Amen? It's only when you get Him in the arena of your own works and the new cart that you would assume that God would need your stabilizing presence. The power of God kills this man. A lot of people have trouble really understanding how it is this would manifest. Chronicles tells us let's take a second and go over to Chronicles 15. I wasn't going to do this, but let's do it it's interesting for our time of study anyway.

1 Chronicles 15, you find out why this judgment of God came upon Uzzah, and what caused this set of circumstances to come about. When they finally decide to make another attempt to bring the Ark to Jerusalem--because the Scripture says here that David was afraid, and they just bailed on the Ark and left it at the house of Obed-edom for about three months, and then came to David's house and said, "Look, Obed-edom is being blessed the presence of God's in his house, and God's blessing him continually, and everything that pertains to him because of the Ark." That's the 12^th verse of the sixth chapter of second Samuel--you don't have to go back there. David says, "Well, because of that we need to get the Ark up here the kingdom needs the presence. But we experienced of judgment of God what did we do wrong?" Verse 11 here in Chronicles tells us in this 15^th chapter. "And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests...And said unto them, [Verse 12 look at this] Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.For because ye did it not at the first, [verse 13] the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we [say it with me] sought him not after the due order." There's a right way to do things folks.

You know, we've just had people leaving our presence here. You can't just do what you want to do if you're part of the kingdom. You can't just pick up and leave when you want to leave. You can't just judge the anointed of God. You can't just make your own decisions on biblical doctrine. God has not called you to that. We talked the other night in the panel and some of you laughed, but we said, "Why don't you come and bring the Word and show us where wrong." And the response, and we've had people respond this way, "Well we can't do that because you guys [talking about the pastors] know more of the Word than we do." You know when you sit myself down, and Chuck, and Richard, Steve, and Jeff, and Tony, and Ron, and Jim and Rob, we know a little bit of Word. When you come and say that you know more than all of us put together, you're out of due order. You're moving with the worldly wagons and despising the sanctified shoulders of the priests that God's called to bring the anointing, the presence, into our midst.

How do you just make these kinds of decisions and judge yourself in order with God? The Lord's merciful and there's not always an immediate manifestation where an Uzzah is smitten or an Ananias and Sapphira experienced the judgment of God, but the judgments there. I think it's interesting that David says this: look, he said, you are the chief of the fathers. We don't give God just our crumbs, we give him our best, Amen? When God's going to manifest Himself in our midst, you'll find that it's usually through those that He's placed the chief among us that will usher that Presence in. The due order. Verse 14 says, "So the priest and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel. And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders...[And it fulfilled, then, the mandate that was giving as to how the Ark was supposed to be transported. You can read that over in Numbers and begin to see, then, in Numbers, chapter three, that it was the mandate that it be born upon the shoulders of the priests. Then the singers went before him and the Scripture says in verse 22,] And Chenaniah chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song because he was skilful." You know there's some of us here that make a joyful noise to the Lord and then there's skillful among us, Amen? Thank God for the skillful. Those of you who are making joyful noises, make them quietly. God can hear. It's amazing to me how some our worst singers try to sing the loudest. (Just thought I'd throw that out there for your edification.)

God is looking for skillful worship. He's looking for those that He can gift and cause for His name to be exalted in our midst. This is what brought the judgment of God. Go back to the second Samuel passage in chapter six. So, now they're moving the Ark according to due order verse 13. "And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a line ephod." So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and leaping, verse 16 tells us, and dancing before the Lord. Michael, Saul's daughter, seems him and despises him, the Scripture says. A man after God's own heart. How many of us are willing to take our kingly garments off--what we've wrapped ourselves with, the image that we try to carry and impress everybody with--and lay those things aside, and adorn ourselves in a linen ephod of worship, and dance before God and be willing to be fools for Jesus in our praise and our worship? I don't just mean the singing in the song service here, and I'm not talking about just dancing and twirling in a sanctuary like so many people like to do. There's nothing wrong with that; there's a place for that. But I'm talking about before the eyes of the people; I'm talking about worshiping God at work. How about that other group of religious people that lay their mats out?

We were up at DMV the other day waiting for a period of time--Not near as long as Lou. She went up there and stood in line for the longest period of time, spied out the land (thank God), and then called us and said, "Come on up you shouldn't have to wait too long now." We met up there and we're standing there and we're in line, and I look out the window and there's this guy rolling his mat out outside the DMV praying, (many people were praying that day.) Had his mat turned toward Sterling, best I could tell. They're not ashamed to worship their god in public, their false god. Depending on who's around some of you aren't either, but how about when it's the big shots in business that are there? Not just the people you're around all day, but how about when the big brass is in town? Do you then pray your headache prayers over lunch? I don't know that we have to be as demonstrative as Smith Wigglesworth, but it probably wouldn't hurt. We know the story. He was out one time for lunch and one of the fellows was going to pray this little prayer, and kind of one of the little headache prayers, and he said, "Dear God, Man! If you're going to pray, pray!" He just started praying and everybody in the place bows their head.

That's what happened that time; I've shared the story with you, up in Maryland when I was praying for that Jewish jeweler there. The store was packed out; it was Christmas time. Little Jewish fellow and somebody had told him that we had a relationship with Father, and his mother was dying. He said, "I'd like to help you, but," he said, "I have to rush off," he said, "my mother's sick, and dying, and she's not expected to live for the next couple of hours." I said, "I can pray for her and Jesus will heal her." He looked at me and he said, "Really?" This is a Jew. I said, "Jesus will heal her." "Really?" "Yeah." "Would you like me to pray?" He said, "Yes." I think he was just expecting just the typical thing. I said, "Okay." I reached over the counter grabbed this guy's hand and I said, "Father, in the name of Jesus we come against this spirit of death..." Next thing you know everybody in that place (it was packed), everybody's got their heads bowed, and I'm praying, came against death, and sickness, and disease, and rebuked it. His eyes were about that big when I looked up. I said, "I'll be back next week and you can tell me what God did." Of course, you all know the story. I came back the next week and he said, "You'll never believe it!" I said, "Yeah I will. Tell me." He said, "I went to the hospital he said, they said she wouldn't live for just a few more hours," and he said, "I got there and she was sitting up in bed, and she was well, and she came home with me." I said, "Isn't Jesus good?" and that little Jew says, "Yeah! Praise God!" Isn't the Lord good?

He said, "I have something I want to give you." I said, "What's that?" "It's just a little token, but I'd like you to have this ring." And he gave me a ring that had a three caret solitaire diamond in it with a carat and a half of trim diamonds, and about a pound of gold. It was so big I couldn't wear it; it was so uncomfortable. Every once in a while I'd wear that ring. I was in New York holdings meetings one time and I told that story, and this person came up to me and was weeping afterwards, and said, "Pastor Scott I want to ask you to forgive me," and I said, "For what?" He said, "Every time you've come up here, and I've seen you wear that ring a few times, and I just thought, 'Who does he think he is, and why is he spending all of God's money on jewelry like that, etc., etc?' I just want to ask you to forgive me."

Due order. Don't touch God's anointed. Recognize callings and gifts. This is the spirit that David operated in. David was the king! But he knew his place. He was a child before God and he danced and sang, and was despised of his wife because he didn't act dignified enough, didn't meet her standards. Thank God that it's not the case in our fellowship where we have born again spirit-filled women, but I want to tell you something. Most women's perception about you guys is this, "I'll straighten him out after we're married." They have--Have you seen the four spiritual laws, "God has a plan for your life?" They have a plan for your life. Family pressures want you to attain a certain status and to have a certain image, whether it's in-laws, out-laws, whoever it might be, whether it's your wife, or your parents, or whoever it is. I want to tell you something, and this is some to you young people right now: your parents might have certain standards that they want you to live up to, certain positions that they might want you to be able to occupy, a certain status. Don't you worry about kingly robes; young people, prove yourself worshippers in the linen ephod of God, and let the people look down on you, and you may be a plumber, you maybe a carpenter, you maybe a car wash technician. (Got to put technician on it. That's the guy with the rag down there.) But can you worship God? The Scriptures that's speaking here talks about David's humbling of himself. Saul wanted to be honored in the eyes of the people, and David wanted God honored in the eyes of the people. Whatever it took to honor God, the worship that was due Him, David was found in the middle of it. And when it was brought to his attention he said, "Woman, let me tell you something, [Verse 22] you think this was bad, I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight... I'm going to take it up another notch because God's worthy. My commitment to God bothers you? Watch this." Whenever anybody comes to you and says, "You're too fanatical, you've taken it too far," say, "You haven't seen anything yet, Man. Dear God, I'm just getting started! I'm so carnal I can't believe it, but I've got even more to die to. I'm going to become more vile yet in your eyes as God becomes more glorious in mine." A man after God's own heart--the sweet psalmist who became king, who was able to return back to his roots: worship of God, the primary thing.

Father, we thank You for the Word tonight and we just ask that You would continue to strengthen us in our praise and in our worship. That we would have the heart of David and be willing to be despised in the eyes of those around us that You might be glorified. That we would humble ourselves and let vengeance belong to You. That we would pray for the deliverance of our enemies because You do make Your rain to fall upon the just and the unjust. Those enemies that we're speaking toward are the pagans, not those who have defected from us. You treat people who have defected and say they're Christians and are living contrary to the Word in a whole different way than you treat the pagan. The epistles of John tell us you don't bid someone who says they're a believer and not keeping the doctrine of God, you don't bid them "God speed," you don't say, "God bless you." There's a whole different requirement to the way we treat those who are rejecting the Word of God who call themselves believers, and those who are ignorant and unlearned and pagan. But with both we deal with humility.

With both classes we deal in love. Because, like David, we say, "How can I judge them when I'm a man just like them, and it's only Your grace that sustains me? How can I cut off their fringe when my righteousness is as filthy rags in Your sight and I am in such need of forgiveness and mercy? I'll only say what You say. I'll only speak the Word. I commend into Your hands my very soul." The humility of David, the humility of the seed of David: "Into Your hands I commit my spirit," said the son of David, our Savior, our God, the King. There's no other way to rule than the spirit of David, the spirit of Jesus, the spirit of humility, the spirit of submission, obedience and worship of our heavenly Father. Let us, Father, be men after Your own heart we ask in Jesus' name, Amen.

Let's stand before the Lord. As Gary plays for us, we just review in our hearts the principles that we've looked at tonight. Saul, wanting to be honored in the eyes of men; David, wanting to honor God. He honored him by recognizing the anointed and not taking things into his own hands, just trusting God to do what's right. "Bless God, I've got my rights I'm going to take..." No, just let God exalt you. Humble yourself, and in due time the Lord will exalt you. "I just want God in our presence; I want revival in my home!" Then do it with due order. Don't try to set your own standards. Don't compromise for your family and present a new and better method, but do what the Word says: Honor God. Do it God's way. Sanctify yourself and bring His presence in on the shoulders of the priests. You don't have a better idea, there's not a better method. Oh, strip yourself of all of your image, and dance before God with all of your might! Then purpose to be even more vile as we humiliate ourselves in our dependence upon God, in our worship of our God, in our thanksgiving for His goodness. And the world mocks us and despises us, and we count it all joy! A man after God's own heart. And of His kingdom there shall be no end. You want to get your kids to heaven? And of His kingdom there shall be no end. You have the right heart, God will save your remnant. Let's sing it together. Oh, thank You, Jesus! Be exalted, Lord! Oh, just sing it one more time and bless Him as you love Him tonight! Oh hallelujah! Just tell Him you love Him tonight. Take a moment just worship Him thank Him for His goodness. Hallelujah! Just worship Him in the due order, as you set your heart before Him, as you purpose to do it His way! There's no better methods, there's no other way to do it. It's by prayer, it's by fasting, it's by the daily cross, it's by denying ourselves; there's no new method. It's by seeking first the kingdom. It's by counting all loss and dung, as we press toward the mark, the prize the high calling of God. It's not by appeasing the masses; it's by committing to faithful men who are able to teach others also, because few there be that find it. We thank You for the call. We thank You for the privilege of serving. We thank You for the enabling by Your grace, by Your presence, and we ask that we could honor You, Father, in word and in deed, in Jesus' name, Amen. Before you go turn to somebody next to you say, "There's a due order." Amen. Go in peace. God's love go with you.

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