Day 4: New Year's Resolution

I didn't get this post typed up yesterday.  Between church, taking the Little shopping so they could spend their Christmas $$  from their Aunt Jacqui, coming home to play games, and enjoying our first afternoon with the Mr. who just started 1st shift yesterday!!! As an officer, he doesn't get the holiday's off like the rest of us, but as we tell everyone, the bad guys don't take time off...LOL!

Instead of finding a writing topic from one of my Pinterest lists, I thought I would share with you the notes I took at church yesterday.  It was an amazing service filled with an abundance of tears and 'amens'. I just love when you can feel the Holy Spirit move a room.  It is a blessing I wish everyone would feel and/or acknowledge.

Naturally, the message was centered around the new year, resolutions of a sort, and becoming all that God designed you to be.  The verses the message was centered on are from the Old Testament - 2 Samual 23:8-12 & 20.  If your Bible is like mine, there are sub-headers to each chapter, kind of giving you a brief, what's what for the words you are about to read. The header for this portion of scripture is "David's Mighty Warriors" and the passages are:

These are the names of David’s mighty warriors:
Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.
Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, 10 but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.
11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. 12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.
 20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.

 Now, if you are anything like me you get a wee bit lost and confused in some of the Old Testament stories.  I truly admit context is a BIG helper for reading ANY portion of scripture.  Meaning, you have to read all of it to understand what is being said, not just cherry pick the words that meet your opinion.  I digress. Below are the notes I took during the message:

  • What is my spiritual well-being before God?
  • Even though the warriors in the passage fought the battle, the victory came from the Lord.
    • The warriors were in service to King David
  • We are all living our lives in service to a king.
  • Josheb was commander over Eleazar - a man who stood his ground and fought until his hand froze to his sword. - basically, his hand cramped around the handle!  (Can you imagine fighting for something so hard?!) *They did the work, but God brought the victory!*
  • TRUTH:  There is no amount of good works you can do that will impress God. It is only through grace we are saved. 
    •  Eph. 2:8-9 -> For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
  • MISCONCEPTION: because there is no work to come to Jesus, there is no work needed to follow him = this leads to a shallow faith and cheap grace
    • James 2: 14 -> 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?
    • Phil. 2:12 -> 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
  • Just because you are "tight" with the King, doesn't mean you get to "kick back" like the king.
  • IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT GOD IS CALLING YOU TO DO -> ASK!!!
    • We need direction to serve, to grow, to become = we must ask God for this
  • We have a choice to make on what we are going to do when it comes to battle; do we stay and fight or run away?
    • Because I stood, because I fought, God brought about a great victory
  • Despite circumstances, emotions, and others around you, take your stance
    • Eph. 6:13 -> 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
  • Read Chase the Lion by Mark Batterson (I think I bought this a while ago and never read it...I do that with books!)
  • Have a BHAG - Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal
    • What thing is God calling you to do in 2017?  Is it a battle to fight, a dream to grasp hold of, a relationship to mend, a lion to slay...WHAT IS IT?
    • Go to God.  Give it to God. Ask Him for guidance.

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