Did I tell you to do that?
You’ll be happy to know that the Lord has released me from I Samuel and now He has me in II Samuel. As I was reading in the 4th Chapter the Lord started to speak with me concerning these passages.
It is just after David is anointed King. Turn to II Samuel chapter 4 1 When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost heart, and all Israel was troubled. 2Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of troops. The name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. (For Beeroth also was part of Benjamin, 3because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)
4Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
5Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon. 6And they came there, all the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain. 8And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, who sought your life; and the LORD has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants."
9But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all adversity, 10when someone told me, saying, "Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag--the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. 11How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and remove you from the earth?" 12So David commanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.
This is what the Lord shared with me. Do you think that as born again Spirit filled Christians it pleases me to hear you belittle those who are not spirit filled? We tend to think that if someone is not spirit filled they are the enemy of God and so we poke fun or ridicule their beliefs. We call them the frozen chosen , because they are less animated or they don’t dance or wave banners.
The Lord said that they are My children as much as any of you are, and if you think that you are doing something grand by lifting their heads up to me in ridicule, then you better take a hard look at these scriptures. You are in essence shedding innocent blood and you will be held accountable by Me. And you my conservative children, do you think by calling my Pentecostal Believers devil talkers you honor Me? You will be held accountable for coming against My Holy Spirit, not man! Look Lord I bring you the head of a Baptist! Look Lord I bring you the head of a devil talker!
I want you to start a new practice. First, repent for demeaning those Christian brothers and sisters that you thought were less than you or less informed than you, and then preach the good news of Jesus Christ not what you think is important. We get so caught up in the gifts of the Spirit that we lose focus on what is really important. Do you recall when the Disciples came back from the mission Jesus sent them on? They went on as we do, about the miraculous things that took place on our mission trip, talking about who was healed in a most miraculous way, who was set free from bondage, whose heart was healed by the Holy Spirit. Listen to what the Lord said about all of this after the return of the 70 disciples who He sent out two by two into the land to preach the good news
The Seventy Return with Joy
Luke10:17-20 The seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name! 18And He said to them, I saw Satan falling like a lightning [flash] from heaven. 19Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. 20Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are enrolled in heaven.
Verse 19 Serpents and scorpions are symbols of spiritual enemies and demonic influence, over which Jesus has given His followers power.
Even though Christians may rejoice in Charismatic operations realized through the name of Jesus, a greater occasion for rejoicing is the registration of their names in Heaven.
Sometimes we see other denominations as less than ourselves because they do not exercise the gifts of the Spirit, or because they do exercise the gifts of the Spirit. but according to the word that is not where our focus should be. We should not be judging others for what they do or do not do, but judge our self by the word of God and rejoice because our name is written in The Lambs Book of Life.
Each time someone came to the King saying I destroyed your enemy the King had them beheaded, so before you pray against another denomination thinking the Lord will reward you for killing another of His servants with your heart and words, you better remember II Samuel Chapter 4.
If you have to err, then err on the side of love. We need to love all of our Christian brothers and sisters no matter what denomination they attach themselves to. Let us see with the eyes of the Lord. Let us see what is important to Jesus instead of trying to tell Him what we think is important.
You never know who you are messing with, so it is prudent to honor everyone you meet. Sometimes God will send an angel to rattle your cage so you can see what is in your own heart. Sometimes they will irritate the last nerve you have to see how you will react.
It is very difficult to re-assume the position of a born again Spirit filled Christian when you have just let loose on someone who cut in front of you, or slipped into that parking space that you had been waiting on for five minutes while the person was adjusting their mirror, buckling their seat belt, and dialing a number on their cell phone.
In 1968 I worked with a nurse at Bethesda Naval Hospital who told me one day after I had just lost it with a co-worker. “You know you are only as big, as the things you let bother you”
Although I wasn’t in the mood to hear it at that time it did impact me. However she didn’t respond much better when I reminded her of her wonderful saying after she lost it a few weeks later. I guess timing is important as well.
We do not glorify God by putting anyone down whether it be a different denomination, a cult or who ever we see as an enemy of God. God is truly big enough to take care of Himself; as He did when the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines in I Samuel Chapter 4. Don’t look for a reward from the King by doing harm to His enemies.
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God.
Don’t judge those around you, bless them and show mercy toward them. Be the first to humble yourself and you will be called the sons and daughters of God.
