Scripture: "And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel's sake." (2 Sam 5:12)
Good morning! Let's invite the Holy Spirit into this moment. Come Holy Spirit and break open the Word of God for us that we may be changed, encouraged, inspired, and transformed into living words of Jesus, our Lord.
This morning king David is our teacher. This guy is fascinating. What characteristics do you think of when you think of David? I think of the kid who learned who God was when he had hours and hours alone as a young shepherd. He grew deeply in his faith when he was having to defend sheep against some scary beasts. He developed an intimacy with His God early on. He learned that He was faithful to shelter and defend him. He learned that He was all good, all holy, all mighty, and worthy of all his praise. By the time Goliath came on the scene, David intended to defend His God at all costs. If he perished, he perished, but not even a giant would shake his faith. But what an interesting picture today's Scripture paints for us. I am grateful for a wonderful book by Dale Mast, And David Perceived He Was A King. He shares some incredible insights that will be very important for our study today.
David had been king of Judah for over 7 years when Israel's elders came to him and anointed him king of Israel. He was winning conquests and being heralded as the king of Israel by his people, but he apparently still wasn't completely aware of the depth of his own anointing. This guy who had astounded his people with his courageous leadership apparently hadn't yet made the shift from little king, (Judah) to big king (Israel). Why is that important? It has much to do with how we view ourselves and our own anointings. And in this shifting season when the Lord is inviting us into a new level of intimacy with Him, it is critically important. Miracles, healings, signs and wonders and every gift of the Holy Spirit come from intimacy. We must first know who HE is, but then we must know who He says We are. And then it's OUR turn to realize it and act on it. "And David perceived he was king." (2 Sam 5:12)
"Why did David struggle to perceive that he was king? What caused him to shift? What helped him to shift into his new season will help shift you into yours. It took faith for David to defeat Goliath. Yet, identity was required to take the throne. Faith brought David victory, but identity would be needed to fulfill his destiny. Faith believed what GOD could do...identity believes what God can do through YOU... God brings peace---that's our faith in His ability. But can He bring peace through YOU? That's identity!" (Dale Mast, And David Perceived He Was King)
This, my friends, is key to becoming people of Ballistic Breakthrough. We carry the living God. I don't carry a bigger portion of the Lord than you do. But don't we all think of ourselves as carrying "less than" someone else? And it is true that some have special gifts, but Jesus' commissioning is to EACH believer, not just some. And the saddest thing is to carry latent gifts, very real anointings, and not to develop them and use them. You've heard me say we need to become a "show and tell" Church again. What do you do with John 14:12? "I assure you that whoever believes in Me will be able to do the same things I do; and you will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father." Do you pass that Scripture aside as not applicable to you? (I see some heads nodding!) Remember that each Word, each promise of God is a solemn oath to us, not just a casual remark. This is not only our inheritance but our command. Read Matthew 10:7-8 "And as you go, preach saying, 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. (it's accessible, close enough to touch) Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." Nowhere in there does Jesus ask... It is issued as a directive. GO DO IT. We tend to measure what we think is the truth or power of His Word according to our personal experience. As Bob Newhart says in one of my favorite You Tube videos: STOP IT!
New seasons(and surely this is one), are meant to bring us to new levels with our Lord. It's time for each of us to "perceive" that we are kings. Pray to be hungry for more of Him. Do the work of pursuing Him whether you feel like it or not. Desperation is a great gift, and this season just may give us that gift. We no longer have the luxury of being casual believers. We can, in fact, choose to lay low and leave all this to others so much more gifted. But I'm going to tell you...It's not about YOU, and it's not about ME. It's about our risen Lord who died so that we wouldn't have to be like the Israelites being led by a cloud in the day and fire at night. When the Holy Spirit busted up the lock down party at Pentecost, He brought that FIRE to live IN us! They too were in the midst of a "shelter in place!" And look what God did. Today let's pray that the Holy Spirit explodes our "shelter in place" party too! I am suggesting that we use this precious gift of lock down as time to grow in intimacy, to seek more of Him, to ask for our own fresh Pentecost, and to EXPECT IT! We can also pray for fresh and creative ways to reach out and stay connected. I'm looking into GoToMeeting or Zoom as ways that we could connect. Let's not stop praying. Jesus is on the move and no doubt His creativity has only had time to grow in these past 2000 years! Isn't this an amazing time to be alive?! No more excuses for any of us. If you want Ballistic Breakthrough, then PERCEIVE that you are king!
"So, Jesus asked them, 'Do you believe that I have the power to restore sight to your eyes?' They replied, 'Yes Lord, we believe.' Then Jesus put His hands over their eyes and said, 'You will have what your faith expects.'" (Matthew 9:29)
Declaration: Jesus, we praise You that the FIRE of the Holy Spirit is living in us and guiding our every step. We thank You that we are MORE than conquerors in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:37) Christ in us is our hope of glory, (Colossians 1:27) and we daily we are being called, chosen, and anointed to bring good news to the poor and afflicted and to set the captives free. We praise You, Lord, that no weapon formed against us will prosper and that we are becoming bodies wholly filled and flooded with God Himself. (Ephesians 3:19)
All glory to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. May every grace and blessing be multiplied to you.
Love and prayers to each of you,