Saul… Chose To Embrace His Hypocrisy…

Hypocrisy has been practiced by man since the beginning. It reveals his sinful nature. Here we have King Saul, having been abandoned by God, desperately searching for signs in order to comfort himself. War is pending with the Philistines, and he is not getting any responses from God through dreams, casting lots, or through any of the prophets. He has outlawed psychics and mediums, but yet reverts to seeking one out in order to get a sign about what to do. He even swears an oath to God to not harm this medium from Endor. Saul bans the practice of sorcery and witchcraft, then seeks a witch out, and takes an oath to God not to punish her for using her evil practice. Does this not sound exactly like the life of our current politicians in America? “Do as I say, not as I do”? “We will write legislation that we are not accountable to (healthcare)”? “Stop the completion of the border wall, but yet still have a barbed wire fence around the capitol building”? I could go on and on. Hypocrisy runs deep in sinful man’s nature. It’s in us all. The question is, “what do you do about it?” Do you confess it? Do you repent? Do you defend yourself? Do you ignore the call of your conscience? Do you even recognize it? Saul, in his desperation, chose to embrace his hypocrisy.... look where it got him.

1 About that time the Philistines mustered their armies for another war with Israel. King Achish told David, “You and your men will be expected to join me in battle.”2 “Very well!” David agreed. “Now you will see for yourself what we can do.”Then Achish told David, “I will make you my personal bodyguard for life.”3 Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.4 The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear. 6 He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets. 7 Saul then said to his advisers, “Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.”His advisers replied, “There is a medium at Endor.”8 So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men.“I have to talk to a man who has died,” he said. “Will you call up his spirit for me?”9 “Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?”10 But Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord and promised, “As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.”11 Finally, the woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?”“Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, “You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!”13 “Don’t be afraid!” the king told her. “What do you see?”“I see a god coming up out of the earth,” she said.14 “What does he look like?” Saul asked.“He is an old man wrapped in a robe,” she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.15 “Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?” Samuel asked Saul.“Because I am in deep trouble,” Saul replied. “The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won’t reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do.”16 But Samuel replied, “Why ask me, since the Lord has left you and has become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done just as He said He would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David. 18 The Lord has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites. 19 What’s more, the Lord will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The Lord will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.”20 Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel’s words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.21 When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said, “Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life. 22 Now do what I say, and let me give you a little something to eat so you can regain your strength for the trip back.”23 But Saul refused. The men who were with him also urged him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch.24 The woman had been fattening a calf, so she hurried out and killed it. She took some flour, kneaded it into dough and baked unleavened bread. 25 She brought the meal to Saul and his men, and they ate it. Then they went out into the night. 1 Samuel 28:1-25

Are You Asking The Right Questions?

We currently live in a divided nation. We have those with very liberal views promoting actions that Bible-believing, true disciples of Jesus would call evil. These liberals think that they can eventually build a Utopian type of society. They think socialism hasn’t worked in history, because it hasn’t been done correctly. They think man’s nature is essentially “good”. They think that if God-fearing people are silenced, and along with having no rules, they can develop a society that resembles paradise. Jesus knows this type of “world view” is inaccurate. He knows man is sinful. That’s why He didn’t put any trust into human beings. He created man, so He knows the human heart. He knows how evil and corrupt it is when left alone. Proof of this can be found in observing human interaction. Watch any child interacting in a group on the playground at recess. Watch any higher educational institution as they allow people to “freely” speak about topics, not addressing the detrimental effects those topics. You will learn in a heartbeat that man is selfish, proud, and will do most anything to get his way. Ask yourself this question, “who taught you how to be bad (misbehave) when you were a child?” Did your parents or teachers sit you down and say, “little Johnnie, today I’m going to teach you how to steal, cheat, lie, covet, and hate your classmates”? You’re laughing right now aren’t you? It’s funny because you know the truth; no one needed to teach you these things because your nature is sinful and corrupt. It’s why a utopia isn’t possible, at least not for more than 5-10 minutes. Sooner or later Pride will revolt. It’s been proven in many other countries. Jesus didn’t trust the people that witnessed His miracles, because He knew their hearts were corrupt. He knew those that truly believed in Him, and those that just pretended to know Him. Jesus knows our hearts better than we know our own hearts. So knowing Him helps us know ourselves. Knowing ourselves, our true nature, should lead us to accepting His grace. It’s the only remedy for our problem. Jesus is the Answer to the world. The dilemma is, are you asking the right questions?

23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in Him. 24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because He knew human nature. 25 No one needed to tell Him what mankind is really like. John 2:23-25

How Much Pride Dictates Your Life?

We are all proud, some more than others. The repentance a believer goes through at his transformation into a new being, starts the humility process. It’s continual. For those who have never repented, pride continues to dominate their lives. It influences every decision they make. As the God makes clear throughout scripture, Pride goes before the fall. The fall involves punishment. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. No one will escape the consequences of sin. You will either repent and be covered by the blood of Jesus, or punished because your pride refused the only known remedy for sin, Jesus. How much pride dictates your life?

5 The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished. Proverbs 16:5

The Stairway To Heaven…

There are many analogies for Jesus in the Bible. For example, He is the “Bread of Life”, or “Great Physician”. He’s called the “Author of Life”. Here in John chapter one we get an example of Jesus being the “Stairway” between Heaven and earth. Think about that for a second. A stairway leads you to another place. It can be up or down. It makes the path possible to arrive to its destination. Jesus bridges the gap between sinful man and the Perfect God. If it weren’t for Him, there would be no way to get to God, gain access to His presence. We would stand on one side of an enormous canyon at the precipice staring at God on the other side with no hope of ever getting there. Jesus provides us with access to God. He is the Stairway to Heaven. Thank Him today for making it possible for us to be forgiven, to be made right with God.

50 Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 Then He said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the One who is the stairway between heaven and earth.” John 1:50-51

Why Do Some People See…

In today’s times, I’ve always wondered why some people understand situations while others don’t. Why do some people see evil practices and others don’t? Why do some people know right from wrong while others don’t? Why do some people see underlying truth and others don’t? The answer is simple: some have the Holy Spirit, and others don’t. If you have a relationship with God, through faith in Jesus, then you have the Holy Spirit living inside you, and thus you have light shining in you exposing the darkness of evil. This is the reason two people can witness an event and yet have two different explanations of what happened. We see this everywhere today. It’s critical to have truth in our lives, without it, we’d be stumbling around, trying to feel our way in the dark. The Holy Spirit is the light that lights our path. He gives light to see in the darkness that surrounds us. Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would lead them into all truth. He is what separates us from the rest of the world. He is the difference between understanding things from the right perspective. He is the difference between living life, and just existing, doing everything to numb the pain. The next time you have a conversation about a current topic, actually listen to the responses you’re getting. If they involve truth found in scripture, you’re most likely chatting with a fellow believer. If it contradicts the truth in the Bible, then it might be a good idea to share the truth with that person, because most likely they are lost. Without the Holy Spirit, man cannot understand or grasp truth. It’s only through Him that we can see God, and begin to have a relationship with Him, experiencing Him on a daily basis.

In the beginning the Word already existed.The Word was with God,and the Word was God.2 He existed in the beginning with God.3 God created everything through Him,and nothing was created except through Him.4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,and His life brought light to everyone.5 The light shines in the darkness,and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:1-5

If People Can’t See The Relevancy….

Who says the Bible is irrelevant for today’s time? When you read these words of David, written over 3,000 years ago, it bridges the gap of time, fusing generations of people half way around the world into the same category. Times change, but the nature of man remains the same. If people can’t see the relevancy of these words, maybe it’s them who are out of touch with reality.

Justice–do you rulers know the meaning of the word?Do you judge the people fairly?2 No! You plot injustice in your hearts.You spread violence throughout the land.3 These wicked people are born sinners;even from birth they have lied and gone their own way.4 They spit venom like deadly snakes;they are like cobras that refuse to listen,5 ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers,no matter how skillfully they play. 6 Break off their fangs, O God!Smash the jaws of these lions, O Lord!7 May they disappear like water into thirsty ground.Make their weapons useless in their hands.8 May they be like snails that dissolve into slime,like a stillborn child who will never see the sun.9 God will sweep them away, both young and old,faster than a pot heats over burning thorns. 10 The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged.They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.11 Then at last everyone will say,“There truly is a reward for those who live for God;surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.” Psalms 58:1-11

A Simon Experience…..

There isn’t 100% proof this is the same people but when I read this section of Luke I can’t help but think of the impact Jesus’ encounter with Simon had. Simon most likely was a converted Jew. He was from Cyrene, a town in Libya, Africa. He brought his two sons (Rufus and Alexander) with him to celebrate the Passover. As he arrived, Jesus was unable to carry His cross, so the Roman soldiers grabbed him and forced him to carry Jesus’ cross the rest of the way to Golgotha (the hill in which He was crucified). Imagine, Simon’s experience? Walking alongside Jesus. He saw the pain and suffering Jesus was enduring. He probably rubbed up against Jesus’ bleeding and beaten body. If he was familiar with Isaiah chapter 53, he would’ve seen the suffering servant, beaten so badly, He was unrecognizable. Imagine the conversation? Whatever happened, it changed Simon. It says in Acts that on the day of Pentecost, the people from Cyrene were some of the first to believe. It could’ve meant Simon and his two sons. He probably returned home and began to wonder what he experienced. Whatever the case he most likely became a follower of Christ. His son Rufus is mentioned in Romans chapter 16. The entire point here is the encounter Simon had with Jesus that day set into motion a chain of events that lead many people to faith in Jesus. Simon’s encounter with Jesus was a divine appointment. Carrying Jesus’ cross forever changed a man for the better. Jesus has the ability to do that. Are you carrying His cross? Are you being the “Jesus with skin on” to the world? It just might make a difference to someone desperately needing to hear the Gospel today, and be infused with hope. You never know where your obedience to God will lead you. It just might be a Simon experience.

26 As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. Luke 23:26