King David was a man who loved God. He was anointed King of Israel and ruled as a fair and just king. He loved the Lord. He still lived in a fallen world where things go wrong. David had a large family, and his son, Absalom, was very rebellious. He certainly didn’t honor God, nor did he honor his father; he set about taking the kingdom from David. David was chosen to be king by God, so when Absalom came against David, he also came against God. Absalom put on quite a show; the majority of David’s body guards turned against him and followed Absalom. There were only 600 faithful servants who stood by David. It was dangerous to stay in Jerusalem, so David decided to flee.

“And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee, for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword” (2 Samuel 15:14).

It’s nothing new for evil men to usurp political power. David was the rightful king anointed by God, yet Absalom, who was full of pride and hatred, temporarily took control of the kingdom. Not only was David disheartened by his countrymen turning against him, but he must have been especially hurt that his son could be so cruel. Even at the worst of times, David’s heart was turned to the Lord. Psalm 63 was written during this time of living in the wilderness.

“[[A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.]] O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary” (Psalm 63:1-2).

David faced his trials and challenges by seeking God. First, he wasn’t ashamed to declare that he loved God, even in bad times. He assured himself and anybody who reads this psalm that God was his God. David didn’t just give lip service to God. He actively sought after the Lord. His love for God wasn’t superficial for a show, but David earnestly sought to please God. The wilderness he traveled through wasn’t filled with running water or any other comfort, but that dry and thirsty land was a picture of David’s need for God. God’s power and glory can manifest anywhere, and David longed to see that power.

Today, the entire world is going through trying times. Evil governments, wars, and plagues make us feel as if we are running through the wilderness like David. Do we lament over our plight, or do we seek God? If Christians would quit bellyaching, and seek God and obey His words, we just might feel strengthened and actually sing God’s praise.

“Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name” (Psalm 63:3-4).

Life is temporary, but God is eternal. His love far exceeds anything this world has to offer.

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14).

God’s lovingkindness is without bounds. Even when life seems to be too difficult? Even when heartache and fear plague our minds, hearts, and souls? Especially in those times. We can’t see God’s full plan, but we need to trust Him and praise Him. He has given us everything, and Christians are the only people who have hope. Our hope is in Christ. No matter what we face, salvation is ours. That salvation is only found through the shed blood of Christ on the cross, and His resurrection. He gave everything to save us from an eternity of separation from Him; now that’s worth remembering in times of trouble.

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

While we live in this life, we should lift up our hands in the name of Jesus Christ and praise Him.

“My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches” (Psalm 63:5-6).

David was king and had the best food possible. In the wilderness, he wasn’t served with the finest meat. Instead of prime rib cooked to perfection, he ate jerky! This fact didn’t discourage David. He was in a place where there were no comforts at all, but by setting his thoughts upon the Lord, he allowed himself to feel the satisfaction of knowing comforts of the Lord.

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4: 11-13).

Too many people today think they need the best of everything in order to praise God. What if those comforts are suddenly taken away? Do you blame God? There is much evil in this world, and as each day passes, we draw closer to the Rapture. What a glorious event that will be for Christians! The people who have rejected Christ won’t be so blessed. Things will be worse than can be imagined. Worse than the wilderness in which David traveled. There will be a few people who will realize that they should have placed their faith in Jesus and will turn to Him. They are known as the “tribulation saints.” It will be difficult to raise their hands in praise and sing His praises. Their faith will bring death.

It’s challenging today to praise God and not be mocked, or find censorship. Don’t be discouraged, but keep singing His praises and standing upon His truth in spite of the world trying to silence our praise. Satan is behind all the evil we see around us, but God is with His faithful.

“Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice” (Psalm 63:7).

God was David’s help, and He is our help today. David sought after the Lord with all his heart. Even though he sometimes failed in his walk with the Lord, he earnestly repented and started again. David lived long before Jesus died on the cross, but he still looked forward to the coming Messiah. He saw all the ways God had blessed him and helped him, and was able to rejoice in the Lord because he knew God wouldn’t let him down. Today we can look back and see the sacrifice of Jesus and know that our eternity is safe. We can be certain that whatever wilderness we travel through, God is with us.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Like David, we should rejoice.

“My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes” (Psalm 63:8-10).

David didn’t just give God an hour a week of praise and worship. He gave his all to seeking after the Lord. Even in the wilderness, David knew that his strength was found in the Lord, and he didn’t doubt God’s protection. His enemies, even his own son, would die and be food for the wild things. Absalom was filled with pride. One of the things he took pride in was his hair. His pride would bring his death.

“And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away” (2 Samuel 18:9).

Pride will always destroy a person, but the Christian who seeks the Lord diligently will find strength and the courage to face the world in humbleness. God will be our strength in all situations. Praise God!

“But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped” (Psalm 63:11).

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a king, president, prime minister, or other government leader who would rejoice in the one true God? What a different world it would be. Today, world leaders are full of lies, deceit, and bow before the evil power of Satan. One day all liars will be silenced. One day everybody will bow before God.

“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11).

That is quoted from Isaiah 45:23. Until that day, let’s just keep singing praises to God. He deserves our praise.

When life gets rough, we have two choices. We can sit around having a pity party, or we can lift our hands and voices in praise of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. I choose to praise Him.

God bless you all,

Nathele Grahams

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

 

The history of Israel found in Scripture is a very important study. We can see what worked out well for Israel, but we can also learn from mistakes. Israel is a nation that was chosen by God, but they didn’t always behave properly towards Him. When they rebelled against Him, they were judged, but when they walked in obedience to Him, they prospered. In Old Testament times, God chose certain men, known as prophets, to speak His words to His people. Prophets like Ezekiel and Daniel told exciting prophecies of what’s happening today. Among other things, Ezekiel told of dry bones coming together, which foretold that Israel would come back to life, and in Daniel, we read prophecies about the coming Messiah, the Tribulation, and much more.

God had given His chosen people the land we now call Israel, and when they entered it under the leadership of Joshua, God blessed them. Israel was a nation intended to be under the authority of God; He gave them His Law, but they wanted a king like other nations. God gave them Saul, a man who proved to be an inferior king. Saul wasn’t the king God had desired for them but is an example of running ahead of God with selfish desires. After King Saul committed suicide in battle, David became king. David was the one God had chosen, and from his lineage, the Messiah would be born.

David ruled well, but many years after David died, war divided the nation. The Northern Kingdom, known as Israel, turned to idolatry. They were ruled by very evil leaders, especially King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, who led the nation into idolatry. This didn’t surprise God, who had the prophet Hosea speak to the nation. God knew that it was the shepherds (the priests) who were to blame, not the sheep (the people). The priests allowed idolatry to invade the places of worship. Idolatry and worship of false gods would destroy the Northern Kingdom.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I also will reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me; seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children” (Hosea 4:6).

It was the religious leaders who didn’t stand firm upon God’s laws and allowed Ahab and Jezebel to force their pagan ways, including child sacrifice, upon the nation. God knew that if the shepherds had been true followers of the Lord and strong leaders of the people, evil wouldn’t have been an issue. History shows that the Northern Kingdom did fall; they were taken captive by the Assyrians. Allowing evil leaders to legalize sin and idolatry can only cause God to bring judgment.

The Southern Kingdom didn’t practice the level of idolatry that the Northern Kingdom did, but they did forsake God. Even a little idolatry is evil. These people didn’t learn from the mistakes of their northern brothers, and they neglected God’s law. Once again, God had a prophet speak to them and point out that it was the shepherds who allowed the sin. This time it was the prophet Jeremiah who spoke for God.

“My people hath been lost sheep; their shepherds have caused them to go astray; they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place” (Jeremiah 50:6).

Jeremiah obeyed God and did all he could to turn the people and the religious leaders back to the right path of God, but his words weren’t heeded. Because they turned from God, the Southern Kingdom fell to the Babylonians. Once again, it was those who should have been standing upon God’s word and leading the people in His ways who were to blame.

“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:1-2).

Instead of following the Law, they began compromising and cutting corners. Soon God allowed them to be taken captive to Babylon. History repeated itself. Those who should have stood strong for God failed in their leadership.

The nation of Israel was created by God when He called Abram (Abraham) out of the pagan life that surrounded Him.

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee” (Genesis 12:1).

He had to leave all pagan ties behind in order to serve the Lord, and that’s true today. It may not be easy to break ties with family and friends, but if those ties hinder your walk with the Lord, they will stop you from serving Him. God further promised Abraham (Abram) that he would be the father of a great nation.

“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3).

Indeed, in his old age, Abraham fathered Isaac, who in turn fathered Jacob (renamed Israel), who was the father of twelve sons… the 12 tribes of Israel. Israel became a great nation. In spite of struggles, the entire world is blessed because of Israel. Jesus Christ was born from the tribe of Judah, and anyone who places their faith in Him will have eternal life. Don’t get the idea that God has turned His back on His people, Israel.

Other prophets of God spoke prophecies, making it clear that Israel will be reunited and re-established in their God-given land. That miraculous rebirth of the nation of Israel began in 1948. Since then many, many prophecies regarding Israel have been fulfilled, and more are on the verge of fulfillment as we watch Russia gaining military strength and nuclear power in the hands of Israel’s enemies. We are swiftly moving to the final stage of earth’s history, and it will take the Tribulation period to bring Israel around to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is their Messiah. He will fight their final battle. Of course, He wins.

Prior to the Tribulation, Christians will be called Home in the Rapture. If you study prophecy, you’ll understand just how close we are to that long-awaited event. Does the shepherd of your congregation teach about that? If not, then you need to do your own study.

Just as in the days of the Northern and Southern Kingdom, many shepherds of today are failing in their leadership. Christians are turning to pagan ways, such as Yoga. In the name of tolerance, pastors seldom speak out against sin, withhold Biblical knowledge, and false doctrine enters into congregations. Most pastors are happy to obey the pagan laws and keep silent on “controversial” issues, such as abortion and sexual diversity. God’s word isn’t silent, but pastors can’t run the risk of jeopardizing the tax-exempt status by speaking God’s truth and standing against evil. The shepherds of today seem to be the same as the shepherds of the Kingdoms of Israel.

Peter followed Christ, but when Christ was crucified, Peter hid. After the Resurrection, Jesus met with the disciples on the shores of Galilee and fed them a meal of fish and bread. After they ate, Jesus talked with Peter.

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs” (John 21:15).

Peter needed to feed the flock the word of God. Twice more, Jesus put that question to Peter and told him, “Feed my lambs” (John 21:16). Lambs need to learn to turn from the ways of the world and serve the Lord. “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). Peter was not the first pope; he did obey Jesus and fed the flock. Sheep need to be fed on the deeper things of God to keep them strong and healthy. Many preachers today don’t get past feeding lambs. God’s words through Hosea were, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6a), and many pastors today are OK with that.

It’s a great calling for a man to be called as a preacher, but it’s a great responsibility. Scripture must be taught in truth and in its entirety—line upon line and precept upon precept. Too many preachers teach the ideas of the particular denomination they serve, even if those ideas aren’t consistent with Scripture. When asked about the end of the age, Jesus warned about deception. “And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4). The shepherds need to feed truth to the flock, but the sheep need to study God’s word in order to be properly fed and to recognize false teachers.

What’s missing in our pulpits today? The Gospel truth. It seems more important to keep the pews and offering plates full than to feed healthy food from Scripture to the congregation. The Apostle Paul could have saved himself a lot of trouble if he would have compromised and tickled ears rather than spreading God’s truth. He chose straightforward truth. In his farewell talk with the elders of Ephesus, he had a clear conscience.

“And now, behold I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears” (Acts 20:25-31).

Paul was driven by the purpose of sharing the Gospel. If the shepherd of your flock is driven by any purpose other than Scriptural teaching of God’s truth, then he isn’t feeding the sheep with nutritious food. The Holy Spirit inspired the men who penned Scripture, but that’s not true of most of the books written by men. Paul declared the Gospel and therefore had done what was asked of him. He didn’t use gimmicks to share the Gospel; he just spoke God’s truth. If people rejected it, at least Paul had declared it.

In his second epistle, Peter assures us that signs and wonders are nice, but the word of God in prophecy is a light that shines in the darkness. We need to learn from the past and study Scripture. Remember, it was the shepherds (the priests) who allowed the downfall of both Kingdoms of Israel.

There were two kinds of prophets. God’s prophets are true prophets, “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not” (2 Peter 2:1-3). Those blasphemers are working their evil today.

Jesus warned against false teaching, as did the men who wrote the epistles. If false teaching is coming from the pulpit, how can the flock know God’s truth? Study Scripture yourself. All Bibles are translations, but not all translations are true to the meaning of the original language. Use a good concordance in order to understand what the original language means. Jude wrote about contending for the faith and spotting false teachers.

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 3-4).

Even when Jude was alive, there were false teachers who perverted Scripture. Many of the false prophets of today write books that become bestsellers because they tickle ears.

“Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities” (Jude 8).

I remember when I was researching a best-selling author, I learned that one Thanksgiving, he had his flock host a dinner where Muslims and Mormons were the honored guests and were served with turkey and all the trimmings. Really? In his second letter, the Apostle John warned the “elect lady” not to invite anyone in that does not confess the doctrine of Christ. Muslims and Mormons agree that someone named Christ walked the earth, but they have far different doctrines than those taught by Scripture. Jude also addresses this.

“These are spots in your love feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees without fruit withereth, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever” (Jude 12-13).

Beware of false teachers, even from your own pulpit.

The congregation in Corinth was being taught many false doctrines, and that concerned Paul. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is Christ. For if he that cometh preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).

Some false doctrines of today include: a different Jesus preached than what is found in Scripture, a different spirit than the Holy Spirit, and a different gospel than the Gospel of Truth. Mormons and Muslims may talk about Jesus, but they don’t worship Christ as God incarnate. Some shepherds promote “holy laughter.’ That isn’t the Holy Spirit leading those poor deceived people. Christian Yoga? The same Old Serpent, Satan, who deceived Eve, is deceiving many people today. Woe to the shepherds who lead the sheep down these paths.

If sound doctrine isn’t taught, deception will run rampant. Paul’s words to a young pastor named Timothy are important today. “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:2-3).

The flock may want to feed on junk food, but woe to the shepherd who continually feeds them popcorn and chocolate. Unlike Paul, who spoke God’s truth no matter what, many shepherds today will have the blood of the congregation on their hands because they won’t teach truth. As time goes on, things will get worse. Paul warned Timothy, “But evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). Be careful who you follow.

God didn’t blame the sheep but held the shepherds accountable for the fall of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel. What deception and idolatry are the shepherds feeding the flock today?

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men will be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:1-7).

We are living in the last days. Be a wise sheep, even if the shepherd is a poor leader.

Where are the shepherds? Many are frolicking with the wolves. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Make it your goal to be a part of His flock.

God bless you all,

Nathele Grahams

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.