In 1 Samuel 15 we read the account of Saul being rejected as King. He is commissioned to be God’s agent of judgment upon the Amalekites and while he does go to war with the Amalekites, He does not carry out the directives of God. As a result Saul is rejected as the King of Israel. Samuel in confronting Saul says, “Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft” (v23) . Rebellion divides, and destroys, and yet we see this manifested not only in America but globally. Rebellion is not just manifested in total rebellion, but is seen in the partial obedience of Saul. We must understand that partial obedience is still disobedience! Saul’s sin of rebellion not only affected his status before the Lord, but it changed the role of his son, Jonathan, and created disunity in Israel. We must understand that the battle with rebellion is not an ancient battle that we do not face, but is a temptation that we battle every day. The key to overcoming is learning to be obedient to the Word of God.… READ MORE

Because we do not talk much of Jesus’ ascension we have for the most part ignored the significance of that event. We understand that because Jesus was crucified, our sin is paid for, if we repent of our sin. Because Jesus rose from the dead, He can grant us eternal life, because of his victory over death’s power in our lives. But the Ascension is proof that the work of Salvation is complete because Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father to be our High Priest. Hebrews 1:3 says, “Who being in the brightness of His Glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right Hand of the Majesty on High.” The picture of Christ sitting demonstrates that the Work of Christ is finished in the ascension and applied at Pentecost. Knowing that the Lord makes intercession on our behalf as His children, should give us the comfort and power to live the Christian life in victory. May we choose today to live in that victory.

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As we consider the Sovereignty of God, we need to remind ourselves of a few cautions:1. We should never use God’s sovereignty as an excuse for our own shortcomings. I should never say simply that, “God wanted me to do that because that is how He made me.” God has never promised to work in the heart of others just to make up for our struggles. I must continue to work to learn and grow.2. We should not allow God’s sovereignty to cause us to respond passively to the actions of other people that affect us. We should take all prudent steps within the will of God to protect and advance our situation.3. We must never use the doctrine of God’s sovereignty to excuse our own sinful actions or decisions. We must understand that God will hold us accountable for our harmful decisions and sinful actions. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Our duty is to obey the “things which are revealed” that is the will of God as revealed … READ MORE