Brandie Kennington…

1 Kings 22:34 

Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor.  So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

 The first thing I notice in this verse is “a certain man drew a bow at random”, not aiming to hit the king but to hit whatever man was placed in the path of the arrow.  The King had been warned Verse 17-28 that he would fall.  He placed himself in the line of fire.  The prophesy was very clear of the outcome verse 17 Micaiah said “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd.”  But Ahab refused to listen to the prophesy.

We may not have a prophet standing in front of us at every turn, but we have the Spirit of our Lord dwelling in each of us.  We must be decerning with our decisions.  We are quick to blame the enemy, but maybe we need to step back and see where we have placed ourselves in the line of fire.

Let’s look at the history of Ahab.  He married Jezebel, and provoked the Lord to anger more than any of Israel’s kings. He surrendered to the influences of idolatry by constructing a temple for Baal (1 Kings 16:32)  But also we see that he frequently consulted with God’s prophets (1 Kings 20:13-14,22,28)  But the influence of Jezebel in his life overshadowed any influence the prophets of the Lord had in his life.  He has become a prime example of  God’s people.  We stand wounded from the battle because of the decisions, because of the  influences in our lives. 

God’s is looking for a remnant who is ready to fight the good fight.  The battle will come…and you will be wounded……but never turn around and come out of the battle. God has equipped you to persevere.

Deuteronomy 4:9

Take heed to yourself and diligently keep yourself lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren.

In this world filled with video games, TV, ipods, and cell phones our children have been set up with a broad sort of idols in their young lives. I was taught a valuable lesson today from my ten year old son. I questioned him on how long he played video games vs reading his bible. He was honest and said I never read my bible except on Sunday’s. I asked him was our God just a Sunday God or was He a everyday God? He slowly and quietly answered “He’s an everyday God.” I had to ask myself the same question, my answer of course was the same. He’s a God of everyday.

In this verse Moses is commanding the children of Israel to follow the statues of the Lord. The instructions are “heed (pay close attention) to yourself, diligently ( constantly ) keep yourself so you won’t forget what you have seen (learned). What a warning! We must pay close attention to what our flesh is doing. Constantly -because the enemy can slip in and before you know it we aren’t reading our word like we used to, or worshiping in truth. Consumed with the idols of this world. Busy Bees are what we will become. Working for the Lord, not with the Lord. There is a difference by the way. When we work for the Lord we are doing in our selves —-hint—-you will become tired quickly. When you are working with the Lord you are doing it through him not yourselves—–hint—–this produces joy and hunger for more.

So my question for you is “Is your God just a Sunday God or is He an everyday God?”

Brandie

When Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit, the bible says He was led to be tempted by the devil. The dictionary describes the wilderness as a wild, uncultivated land, inhabited only by wild animals. But Jesus wasn’t alone. He had His Father. It’s those times when we are in the wilderness that we need our Father the most.

While in the wilderness Jesus fasted for those forty days, and the word says that afterward “He was hungry.” We have to understand at this time Jesus was weak in His flesh, but strong in His spirit. For those forty days in the wilderness He didn’t focus on the wilderness. He was focusing on His Father.

God will allow us to go through wilderness seasons of our lives, because sometimes the only way we will listen is in the wilderness. I thank God for the wilderness seasons because even though my body and mind are weak, my spirit is being prepared for what is around the corner.

Matthew 4:3
Now when the tempter came to Him, he said “If you are……….”
I didn’t finish this verse because the Lord began to show me that when the tempter comes, his job is to make you forget who you are. Satan knew well who Jesus was, and Jesus surely knew who he was. But the tactic of the enemy was to make Jesus second guess himself.

Now I will finish the verse “If you are the son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Isn’t it funny that the devil not only tried to make him second guess who He was, but tested Him in His weakest area at that time.

The devil knows our weaknesses, and will always use them against us. Your job in the wilderness is:

1. Focus on the Father, not on the wilderness.
2. Know your weaknesses.
3. Never forget who you are.

Brandie

There I was, standing on the edge of the diving board, at the age of 5. Looking down, it seemed as if I were miles away from the water. I would stand looking, wanting to jump, but not having the courage to do so. The longer I stood and thought about the jump, the more afraid I became. The water was so deep. I was so small.

At the age of 35, I am standing on the edge of life. I want to jump, but I don’t have the courage to do so. The longer I wait, the more afraid I become. The world is so big. I am so small.

At 5, standing on the edge of that diving board, my dad swims over. He reaches out his hands and says, “Jump. I will catch you.” So, closer to the edge I come. I close my eyes, and jump into the arms of my dad. Suddenly, there is no more fear, only joy! I have overcome my fear so I can enjoy the water.

Matthew 14
Verse 28 Peter said “Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
Verse 29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

At some point in our walk with Christ, we just have to have the faith to come out of the boat. Jesus is commanding each of his children to “Come.” 

At the age of 35, standing on the edge of life, Jesus says “Come.” I walk a little closer to the edge. I close my eyes, and I jump. Immediately, Jesus stretches out His hand, and catches me.
Brandie