Today’s Reading:  2 Sam 19:1–43, 2 Pet 3:1–13, Ps 145:1–21

Today’s Theme: Knowing your position

Today’s theme is about us knowing and staying within our position in Christ, the church and the world. We will also look at God’s position toward us.

2 Samuel 19:1–43

Speaking out of position

Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, 2 Samuel 19:5 (ESV)

Joab was again completely out of line, he had no right to come so boldly before the king and rebuke him. This all goes back to Joab’s sedition which had him thinking of himself more highly than he should have, causing him to lose perspective on his position and so speak out of turn. Romans 12:3

David listens to Joab in wisdom, but later in the same chapter, replaces Joab with Amasa.

Paul warns that we should not rebuke those who are older than us and in higher positions of authority than us, in 1 Timothy 5:1. He goes on to give further instruction in 1 Timothy 5:19.

We must not allow ourselves to be caught out by our emotions or an unbalanced view of ourselves or our leaders. We need to know ours and their positions before God, and so walk in humility and not the hot headed folly of Joab.

Do not rebuke those in positions of leadership in your life, don’t even do it in your mind as you will allow seeds of sedition to be planted, which is your own undoing.

Do not speak out of turn, know your position and behave in accordance with that.

No insecurity

But David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?” 2 Samuel 19:22 (ESV)

King David did not suffer from the same insecurities as Saul.

Insecurity is often a hiding place for pride so do not nurse insecurity, reject those thoughts and feelings in Jesus’ name.

We must have the same attitude as David, we do not need to prove anything to anyone else or ourselves, we need to know who we are in Christ and walk in that confidence.

Paul encourages us in Ephesians 5:8 “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Mediate on that fact today, to dispel the clouds of insecurity.

Our position before God is secure in Christ.

Know your calling and place

Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you.” 2 Samuel 19:37 (ESV)

Brazillai was no opportunist, nor was he insecure, he had a pure and loyal heart. He did not get caught up with the superficial aspect of the King’s kind offer, he knew his position in life and before God, so knew how to say no.

We need to be able to (like Brazillai) say no, even to the good offers that are made to us, which are not in God’s will and plan for us.

God has placed us in certain positions and places in life and we need to know the place and scope of our calling.

As you seek to emulate Brazillai’s balanced attitude and thinking, consider these verses from the New Testament; Acts 17:26, 1 Corinthians 12:18 and 2 Peter 1:10.

It is significant that our youth retreat has come to an end and that Brazillai sought to give the king’s opportunity to his young servant. We too must have a heart to see the upcoming generations used to the glory of God.

Quarrelling and arguments

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. 2 Samuel 19:43 (ESV)

James said in James 4:1, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”

Paul mentions quarrels at that start of his letter to the troubled church at Corinth, in 1 Corinthians 1:11, “For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarrelling among you, my brothers.”

We should not be fighting over positions, and living to feed the appetites of our flesh or pride, as this will lead to quarrels and fights.

We must confidently live in the position we have in Christ and not be green-eyed little monsters, always wanting what someone else has.

The tribes of Israel are on the brink of entering a pointless battle over where the king should live. We all have King Jesus, let us not be tricked by the enemy and go to war with each other in pride.

Avoid foolish arguments today, be confident in your position before God.

2 Peter 3:1-13

The King will return

that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles. 2 Peter 3:2 (ESV)

It is amazing that we read in the OT today, about King David returning to his kingdom and now we read about the return of The King, Jesus.

As a church, we must always be in a position where we are ready for the Lord’s return.

We do not need to get caught up in signs of the times, although they are important. We should instead aim to have our hearts focused and expectant of the Lord’s imminent return, or of His decision to call us home.

Live in a ready position for the return or call.

God’s salvific stance

The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)

God’s position before the world is a salvific one, He stands and offers salvation to all and does not desire that anyone should be lost, but that all should repent.

The atonement is sufficient for all and effective for God’s elect. The sacrifice Jesus made on the cross is sufficient for anyone to be saved and is fully effective for those chosen by God, who repent and put their faith in Jesus.

This is why we need to maintain and confirm our position as the heralds of His kingdom, bringing the good news of the gospel to everyone, calling all to repent.

Psalm 145:1–21

Take time to read over and mediate on this psalm today. The following are just two points from a very rich psalm, which includes verses relevant to praying for our youth in light of our recent youth retreat.

God’s kingdom

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.] Psalm 145:13 (ESV)

God’s position is as a merciful King, showing goodness to all. He has called us into His everlasting kingdom. Mediate on your position in God’s kingdom today and more importantly, on God as your King.

God’s near position

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 (ESV)

God has positioned Himself near to all those who call on Him in truth, call upon the Lord in truth today.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on 2 Peter 3

Today’s Reading:  2 Sam 18:1–33, 2 Pet 2:12–22, Ps 144:1–5

Today’s Theme: The Bondage of Vanity

Today’s theme is about the bondage of vanity, we will see how Absalom’s vanity left him trapped. Joab’s vanity made him seditious and Ahimaaz wasted time and energy. The theme carries over into the New Testament, where we read about the vanity of greed and the vanity of man, in the Psalms.

A definition of vanity (in the context we will look at it this morning), is that which is empty of meaning, purpose, or content and in general just empty, worthless, or futile. Vanity can also speak of pride and conceit.

Something does not gain value because we treasure it. We cannot add quality or substance to something that is empty and meaningless, instead like a black hole, the vain areas of life will suck meaning, purpose and worth from our lives.

2 Samuel 18:1–33

Trapped by vanity

And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. 2 Samuel 18:9 (ESV)

The fact that Absalom was vain is quite obvious when we consider the fact that he tried to take his father’s kingdom by force. We also read in 2 Sam 14:26, that Absalom had long hair and would cut and weigh out his hair each year.

It is likely that Absalom became trapped in the great oak tree by the asset he was most vain about, his hair. You can imagine the scene now, his long hair getting caught up and tangled in the branches.

The vain things that we place most pride in, are the things we are likely to be trapped by. These things can cause us to stumble and hinder our walk.

We read in Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Whatever the vain thing is in your life, that you hold closely must be cast aside or you will get entangled, trapped, stuck and be left open to the cruel attacks of the enemy.

The vanity of sedition

Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak. 2 Samuel 18:14 (ESV)

Joab was so often driven by his own sense of what was right and wrong, and in his proud and vengeful vanity, showed contempt for David’s command and so walked in open sedition.

We must not let the emptiness of an elevated view of ourselves, cause us to walk in sedition and blatantly disobey the Lord or our leaders.

Paul tells us in Romans 12:3, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”

The vanity of thinking of ourselves above others and walking in rebellion to authority, will not only eventually cause us great harm, but will bring pain and death (spiritually and even physically), to those around us.

What we do also affects those looking up to us, Joab’s armour bearers all got involved in his murder and sedition.

Don’t run in vain

“Come what may,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite. 2 Samuel 18:23 (ESV)

Ahimaaz was a man who was loyal to David and he demonstrated his devotion by risking his life to bring a message to David and his men, in the previous chapter.

However in this case, we see vanity in his act rather than in him as a person. The text makes clear that this is a pure man who loves the Lord and his king.

God wants us to use wisdom, He does not want us to act in vain and run unnecessarily like Ahimaaz, who came to the king with only half of the facts.

We must not run in vain, we must not waste our time or energy on missions and work that the Lord has not called us to, or equipped us for.

Paul mentions in Galatians 2:2, “I went up because of a revelation and set before them… the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain.”

He also wrote in Philippians 2:16, “holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labour in vain.”

2 Peter 2:12–22

The vanity of sin

They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 2 Peter 2:14 (ESV)

The appetites of sin are vain. The definition of the word includes empty, worthless and meaningless; this is the essence of sin, it is empty.

The false teachers are children of the devil, they have an insatiable thirst for sinful experience and lust after married women.

The false promise of the heretics and the empty promises of sin go hand in hand.

Our souls must be steady, filled with the substance, worth and meaning of God’s word and the Holy Spirit. This is the only way to guard against the vanities of sin and heresy.

The greed and covetousness that drives sin can never be satisfied, it is just vanity upon vanity, no amount of having or buying will ever satisfy, the void just gets deeper.

The strange vanity of greed

Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing. 2 Peter 2:15 (ESV)

As just mentioned in the last note, greed is a strange thing, it presents itself as a desire for more but because it is vain (empty and worthless), it adds to our emptiness and takes away from the worth of what we already have.

Our culture teaches us to be greedy and to keep aiming for more, but the more we do this the less satisfied we become.

We should avoid the vain spirit of Balam, which is driven by greed and seeks to make an unrighteous profit from a gift or ministry that God has given us.

Let us learn to be content and have a godly sense of “enough” and generosity.

The vanity of walking on the borderline

For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 2 Peter 2:18 (ESV)

We are called to live godly lives and to pursue God and His ways, we should not be borderline Christians, barely escaping the enemy.

Borderline Christians are always asking how far they are allowed to go and they walk as close to the border as possible, sometimes slipping over into no-man’s land.

If we live in or close to compromise, we make ourselves susceptible to being picked off by heretics and devils.

Don’t live an empty, worthless Christian life on the borderline, come inland and be a part of the kingdom. Let us live our lives filled with God’s purpose, not living in the gray lines but walking in the light.

The slavery of vanity

They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 2 Peter 2:19 (ESV)

Whatever we allow to overcome us will enslave us, this is the enslavement of vanity.

Vanity will drive us like a slave master, it will crack the whip for us to pursue empty sin and greed.

We must stay in the freedom which Christ has won for us and not turn back to the vanity and enslavement of sin.

Psalm 144:1–5

The vanity of man

O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? Psalm 144:3 (ESV)

Man is worthless and empty in comparison to the awesome majesty of God. Outside of Christ, everything about man is vanity.

This makes it all the more amazing that God is thinking of us and has visited us in the person of Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and save us for eternity.

Jesus defeated the vanity of sin on the cross and gave us a full and meaningful life. Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on 2 Peter 2

Today’s Reading: 2 Sam 16:1–17:29, 2 Pet 2:1–11, Ps 143:1–12

Today’s Theme: Characters in trying times or the different characters you may meet in trying times.

God has shown me today’s theme a little differently. We will be looking at the different characters and types of people you may face or interact with in trying times. Some of these characters are enemies, while others are friends.

This reminds us of the characters which Pilgrim met on his way to heaven, in John Bunyan’s Pilgrims Progress.

2 Samuel 16:1–17:29

Ziba – the Opportunist

Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.” 2 Samuel 16:4 (ESV)

In 2 Samuel 9, David showed kindness to Saul’s house, he asked Ziba if any of the children of Saul’s house were still alive. It is notable that Ziba knew about Mephibosheth but kept the riches of the house of Saul for himself.

David told Ziba in verse 9-10 that the house of Saul would belong to Mephibosheth and that Ziba would serve him. It is likely that this did not sit well with Ziba who had enjoyed the estate of Saul, before David called Mephibosheth back to the kingdom.

Now we see Ziba taking the opportunity to be manipulative, he lies to David that Mephibosheth was being an opportunist when in fact, it was his own scheme to regain the estate of Saul. We read later in 2 Samuel 19:24-30, Mephibosheth’s side of the story which is quite different and his response to David shows that his heart was right.

David judged too quickly in this situation because he was going through a difficult trial, which meant his powers of discernment had dulled.

We need to be aware of the opportunist around us when we are going through a difficult time, they will smell blood and make a plan like Ziba, to benefit themselves through our impaired judgement. See 2 Corinthians 11:13 and 1 Timothy 6:5

Ask God to guide you and give you supernatural discernment in trying times so that you can spot and not be fooled by the opportunists.

Shimei – the Accuser

It may be that the LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing today.” 2 Samuel 16:12 (ESV)

When we go through trying times, there will be those who come to accuse and mock us, these can be either people or demonic spirits. Revelation 12:10

David recognises the sovereignty of God, even over his accuser and enemy. We must realise too that there is not a single enemy that has free rein to do whatever they want to us, they can only do what God allows and God will never let us go through more than we can bear.

Paul encourages us in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

We are called to stay faithful under trial. If we do stay faithful, God will reward us. David knew this and so he willingly endured the accusation and mockery of the enemy. See James 1:3 and 2 Corinthians 13:5

Know who you are in Christ, do not take the accusations, conjecture, lies and gossip of people or the enemy, to heart. Encourage yourself in the Lord today. See Colossians 3:3 and Ephesians 2:6

Ahithophel – the Traitor

Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom. 2 Samuel 16:23 (ESV)

Ahithophel was a man driven by the vain worship of his own gift, a man concerned with position, prestige and performance.

He has a touch of the opportunist in him, but is worse. This man is a traitor, playing both sides of the fence to suit his needs, like Judas Iscariot. He betrays those who trust in him.

Notice the similarity between Ahithophel and Judas, they both betray their king and go on to commit suicide. Don’t be a Judas, it will end with your destruction.

At the height of his treachery, he advises Absalom to take David’s concubines and then gives him the advice that would have seen him defeat David.

Traitors are the most dangerous characters we encounter in the difficult times of our lives, they can be people who are close to us or who we trust in, they know us intimately and so can cause more damage than the average adversary.

If you are betrayed in a trying time, remember that Jesus was betrayed too but got the victory in the end.

One way to prepare for betrayal is to put all our trust in God. David and Absalom probably put too much faith in the counsel of this man, making him like an idol. We must remember that even the most gifted people are only human.

Hushai – the Advocate

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring harm upon Absalom. 2 Samuel 17:14 (ESV)

In our trying times, God will send advocates who will speak up for us, defend us and defeat the enemy’s schemes. Our ultimate Advocate (legal counsel) in difficult times is Jesus.

John encourages us in 1 John 2:1, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

God gave Hushai great wisdom as an advocate for David, by countering the wise counsel of Ahithophel. If we are seeking to be advocates for others when they are going through hard times, we need to ask God to give us wisdom and favour like He did for Hushai.

We can advocate for our brothers and sister in the persecuted church around the world, through agencies like Open Doors and CSW.

Advocacy takes us beyond prayer to taking action, God can use His people powerfully if we boldly stand up against injustice.

If you are going through a difficult time, keep your eyes open for the advocates that God will send to defend you and even if you don’t see them, know that God is working it all out. Romans 8:28

Jonathan and Ahimaaz – the Counsellors

 After they had gone, the men came up out of the well, and went and told King David. They said to David, “Arise, and go quickly over the water, for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you.” 2 Samuel 17:21 (ESV)

In trying times God will send counsellors to give you guidance and advice. The ultimate counsellor is God the Holy Spirit, John 14:26.

Jonathan and Ahimaaz, the sons of the priests, put their lives at risk to bring news to David from Hushai.

If we are going to be counsellors to those going through difficult times, it will cost us personally, it will cost time, money and energy. We need to be willing to take the risk to help others, knowing that God has equipped us to be ministers.

God has called us to encourage one another, spur one another on and warn one another of danger. See 2 Corinthians 13:11, 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11, Hebrews 3:13 and 10:25.

Even if we see a brother going off and seek to restore him, James tells us in James 5:20, “let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

Ask God to help you identify the counsellors who come to help guide you in difficult times.

Sobi, Machir and Barzillai – the Carers

brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.” 2 Samuel 17:28–29 (ESV)

God will send carers in difficult times, to meet spiritual and physical needs.

One of the things that might happen in a difficult time is that we do not feed on the word as we should, so become hungry and do not rest in the Lord because of fear, anxiety and oppression and so become weary.

God has given us Pastors who feed us the word of God, in good and bad seasons. We should give God thanks for our Pastors who like Sobi, Machir and Barzillai, bring food to God’s people in the wilderness.

Jesus is our ultimate source of satisfying food and rest. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus also encourages us in John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

Share the word of God with those going through difficult times and pray that they will come to Jesus, to drink from Him.

We are called to physically help those in actual need of food too, you can do this through Child Sponsorship with Compassion. When we feed the needy, we are feeding the Lord. Matthew 25:35

2 Peter 2:1–11

False Teachers (Heretics) – the Exploiters

And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 2 Peter 2:2–3 (ESV)

Heresy is a BIG problem in the church today and because of the relative thinking in our culture, the only heresy today seems to be to call something heresy.

Peter is warning us that the church will be plagued by heretics bringing in destructive false teachings, driven by sensuality, greed and a callous desire to exploit God’s people. This has been true throughout church history.

Today’s heretics include those who form cults like Mormonism and Jehovah Witness.

The Heretics which are most dangerous, are those posing as Christians, like the health and wealth gospel proponents on TV.

These new heresies call men gods and say that our goal should be riches in this life. In reality, these false ministers are building their own kingdoms and becoming millionaires, while those who are naive and going through hard times are exploited.

Keep your eyes open to the false prophets that will come to exploit you in your hard times, your defence is the word of God and submission to your own loving Pastors.

God – the Rescuer

then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 2 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

God is the greatest and most important person we meet in our trials, God is the one who has the ability and wisdom to rescue us from our trials.

God knows how to use everyone else we meet on the journey, to bring about our deliverance.

God’s past and present ability to rescue the righteous, while bringing judgment on the unrighteous, is the key theme in verses 5–7 and is now summarised in this verse.

Notice God doesn’t just deliver anyone, He delivers the righteous, those who devoutly live rightly before Him, even under trial. If you know you belong to the Lord then call out to Him in the trials, to help you, because He will.

Be sure to come face to face with God in the middle of your trial, He will deliver you from the schemes of the opportunist, the accusers, the traitors and the false teaching of the exploiters.

God may use you to help rescue one of His people, have your heart in a place to be used by God as an advocate, counsellor, carer or in some other way.

Psalm 143:1–12

The Holy Spirit – the Teacher

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! Psalm 143:10 (ESV)

God will lead us back to level ground by His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the most important person in our lives, we need Him in the midst of life’s trials to help keep us on track, to guide us and to lead us back out to the steady ground, from the rocky road that our trials will have us travelling on.

God the Holy Spirit is our teacher, He will be teaching us in our trials, through our trials and in light of our trials.

Jesus said in John 16:13–15 “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that He will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Praise God for our teacher, the Holy Spirit. As you go through trials, continue to be led by the teacher, the Holy Spirit.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on 2 Peter 2

Today’s Reading:  2 Sam 14:1–15:37, 2 Pet 1:16–21, Ps 141:1–142:7

Today’s Theme: The allure and danger of sedition

Today’s theme is about sedition which is undermining and usurping authority. This is a dangerous thing, mostly for the offender but it disrupts the work of God, His kingdom and people. We have been called to be humble, to submit to the authority of God’s word and our leaders. Satan was the first one to express sedition.

A definition to help us think this through is “Sedition – conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of a state or other lawful government” – Nelson’s new illustrated Bible dictionary.

2 Samuel 14:1–15:37

Manipulation and discernment

In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth.” 2 Samuel 14:20 (ESV)

Joab’s subtle sedition seems to be filled with good intent, but that is the allure of sedition. Often the one undermining authority thinks they are doing something worthwhile.

One of the elements of sedition is manipulation. The one usurping or undermining authority has no real authority of their own and so uses manipulative methods to put forward their case and achieve their goal.

Jesus warned us against being manipulative in Matthew 5:37 “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

God has given us Himself in the person of God the Holy Spirit. By Him and the clear revelation of God’s word in the Bible we can exercise discernment to see through manipulative and seditious schemes.

Here are a number of verses to help us think about discernment:
Romans 12:2
1 Corinthians 2:14
Ephesians 5:10
Philippians 1:9
Hebrews 4:12
Hebrews 5:14

Let’s ask God to help us sharpen our discernment today.

The battle for hearts and minds

Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 2 Samuel 15:6 (ESV)

We are in a battle for hearts and minds. There are so many false stories being told to allure our people into bad ways of thinking and trying to distort the revelation of truth in the Bible.

We need to guard our minds and hearts, we do not want to be won over by the sedition of the devil or one of his proxies.

Paul encourages us that our hearts and minds can be guarded by God’s peace which Jesus left with us in Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Paul also warns us in Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Loyalty vs Sedition

But Ittai answered the king, “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” 2 Samuel 15:21 (ESV)

The attitude of this man and the priest in later verses shows their loyalty to and love for their king.

Rather than showing sedition to those God has put in positions of authority in our lives we should instead show them our loyalty in Christ. More importantly we should show allegiance and loyalty to God.

The author of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

2 Peter 1:16–21

The true story vs myths

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 1:16 (ESV)

At our 2014 youth conference we dealt with the false story of our origins called evolution pointing our youth to the truth of the Bible’s account of creation. You can see the video on our website here

The Gospel is not a fable, fantasy or fiction it is the one, ultimate true narrative, God’s great story of creation, redemption and consummation through Jesus the Christ.

We have eyewitness accounts in the New Testament which stand up under the scrutiny of any courtroom.

Have confidence in the record or the scriptures today.

The Bible was inspired

knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20–21 (ESV)

We should submit to the word of God as the ultimate authority. Our private interpretations are worthless, we need to submit to the churches’ agreed interpretation of the scriptures and the teaching and guidance of our own pastors.

The Bible is the inspired, inerrant word of God. It is not just the words of men or just a good book. The Bible was written by God the Holy Spirit through the prophets and apostles.

Do not allow your own ideas and the opinions, ideals and philosophies of this world to usurp the authority of the Bible in your life. Do not be seditious to God, submit to His revealed word with joy today.

Psalm 141:1–142:7

Watch your mouth

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Psalm 141:3 (ESV)

Like David says in this Psalm we need to ask God to help us to guard the things we say. Our mouth can get us into a world of trouble and it is often with our mouths that we are insubordinate and express sedition and rebellion.

James warns us about the tongue in James 3:6 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”

Let’s be slow to speak today and watch what we say. James 1:19.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on 2 Peter 1

Today’s Reading:  2 Sam 13:1–39, 2 Pet 1:9–15, Ps 140:1–13

Today’s Theme: The Assurance of Salvation

Today’s theme is only taken from the New Testament and is regarding the assurance of salvation we can have in Christ. In the Old Testament we look at the issues of rape and sins of omission.

2 Samuel 13:1–39

The evil of rape

Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up! Go!” 2 Samuel 13:15 (ESV)

Amnon raped his own sister driven by the madness of lust. Lust blinds the eyes of reason and sense leading it’s captive into unthinkable depravity if given free reign.

This precious girl who was obedient to her dad and only wanted to help her deceitful half brother was abused and violently raped.

In ancient Israel if a man was found to have raped a virgin he was to marry her without the possibility of divorce. However the overwhelming and self centred lust that drove Amnon to rape his half sister is demonic and now takes the violence of rape and channels it into contempt for the victim.

This is the cycle of sexual lust for those bound by it. Once the sexual act of violence occurs they feel disgusting and blame the victim or object of lust.

We need to pray for the victims of rape in our day, that God would bring healing and destroy the lies that it is their fault. Let’s also pray for those in bondage to the slave master of sexual lust. Ephesians 5:3.

Sins of omission

But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar. 2 Samuel 13:22 (ESV)

Amnon’s sin is similar to David’s sin against Bathsheba which was also essentially rape. This sin opens the door to a time of pain and suffering for David’s family which was itself judgment for the murder of Uzziah.

David failed to discipline Amnon or comfort his daughter or Absalom. In this sense David was not a good father.

The sins we commit can have an impact on our families. Sins of omission also have a bad affect on those around us. A sin of omission is something we should do but have neglected to do like discipline our own children.

Let’s thank God today for the provision Jesus has made to deal with our sins and let’s also ask God to open our eyes to sins of omission.

2 Peter 1:9–15

The assurance of salvation

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 2 Peter 1:10 (ESV)

This is the conclusion to the list of virtues we need to make an effort to pursue which were outlined in yesterday’s reading.

God knows who His elect are and has secured us eternally (Romans 8:31-39). However as believers we don’t have any indicator to confirm to us that we are truly God’s elect other than the fruit of a transformed life and the assurance of the Holy Spirit.

The fact that we want to pursue the 8 virtues is evidence that our nature has been changed. The fact that we persevere is evidence that we have been secured and chosen by God.

So we should be diligent about living godly lives and godly lives that grow, which is proof of eternal life and eternal security.

If we confirm our calling and election in this way then we will never fall into the despair of doubt regarding our eternal destiny and security.

Psalm 140:1–13

God, our shield

Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men, who have planned to trip up my feet. Psalm 140:4 (ESV)

We can ask God to shield us from the schemes of wicked and violent men today. Let’s remember this point as we pray for the suffering church today.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on 2 Peter 1