Sunday, August 28, 2016

David in Hall of Faith

1 Samuel 24
David was on the edge of the Dead Sea hiding in a wilderness cave trying to survive. That's where his faith was formed encountering God. Psalm 57 is his wilderness song.
http://bible.com/72/psa.57.1.hcsb
Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in You. I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings until danger passes.

http://bible.com/72/1sa.24.8-10.hcsb
After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called to Saul, "My lord the king! " When Saul looked behind him, David bowed to the ground in homage.   David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of people who say, 'Look, David intends to harm you'? You can see with your own eyes that the Lord handed you over to me today in the cave.  Someone advised me to kill you,  but I   took pity on you and said: I won't lift my hand against my lord, since he is the Lord 's anointed.

Saul has ruined David's life. David should have killed Saul but David's faith kept him from murder.
How do we define beautiful? Do I see things through the eyes of God?
It takes a long time to shift our eyes from society's perspective to God's. It requires an active response. Let go of things that blind me. We grow up seeing people in certain kinds of ways. Love your neighbour and your enemy.
www.One88.org is an outreach to inner city. A hard to deal with fellow is disrupting things. Should he be banned? Chase him away? Can we see the image of God in him? Can we look at him with a different lens?
When we encounter such a person what should we do? Who are you following? Is my god agreeing with all my responses? Jesus changes things. When you lose yourselves you can find yourself in Jesus.
Allow the Spirit to give you a new vision.
Jesus went to the cross so we can find love and grace in him. Jesus died on the cross to healed us. Isaiah says http://bible.com/72/isa.53.5-6.hcsb But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment  for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for  the iniquity  of us all.

Communion. Participate in the Lord's Supper as a reminder of what Jesus did.

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