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When
the prophet Samuel was looking for the man most suitable to
succeed Saul as King of Israel under Divine guidance, his
choice settled upon a youthful shepherd named David. At the
time Israel and the Philistines were at war, the Philistines
had as their champion a super giant who stood 9 foot, 3 inches,
and carried a 1153 pound load of armour. What a man! He was
also endowed with a stentorian voice to bellow defiance to
the Israel host, which sent the surrounding landscape ringing
and the Israelites scampering to their tents quaking with
fear and trembling. For forty mornings and evenings this pantomime
went on in the same contemptuous scorn, just as today, some
clergy and professors of educational institutions say of those
who believe in their Israelitish identity, in effect. "Who
are you anyway, you little runt. You're just a group of nomads
who claim to be descendants of the lost ten tribes of Israel.
You're lost all right no doubt about that. You have no leaders
amongst you or scholars such as our universities and seminaries
have. Why, you haven't even got a church edifice. Bah.”
In more boastful and barbarous terms Goliath taunted David:
"Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls
of the air, and to the beasts of the field." To this
jibe David replied: "I come to thee in the name of the
Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Whom thou hast defied..."
I Samuel 17:45.
After David had made several experiments with armour proffered
to him he rejected them all, but chose five smooth stones,
and the two champions took up their respective positions for
a showdown. David didn't hedge or dawdle a mite, but RAN to
meet his enemy. With a whirl of his sling he sank a stone
in the forehead of his adversary, which ended the dual then
and there and put the whole Philistine army to ignominious
rout, and victory with its spoils to the Israelites. I Samuel
17:49.
Had we in this evil age the faith and courage of David we
could scrap all our costly armaments of astronomical billions
and go forth to meet this modern Goliath Antichrist that troubles
us, just as Jehoshaphat met the three powered confederacy
of Mount Seir, Moab and Ammon when they invaded Judah, and
with the same result, only in this case they destroyed one
another completely none escaped. Read this true stranger than
fiction thriller in the 20th chapter of II Kings. It is a
classic par excellence.
Even today, with the world rocking in fear and uncertainty
of what the future holds, we COULD have another miraculous
demonstration of God's power. It could happen this century,
this year, this month and even tomorrow that some catastrophic
disaster could strike with the suddenness of the earthquake
foretold in Revelation 16:18, and described as "a great
earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth so
mighty and so great." That event is as certain to happen
as this evening's sunset.
"See, says the Almighty, "I have given you the tool
you need, but you don't seem to want it; at least you don’t
show any disposition to use it. Why will you be so stubborn?
How can you expect to win without it, and why will you suffer
needlessly?
That puts us squarely on the spot and calls for an early answer.
It also condemns us as rebels for aiding and abetting the
enemy. Also it indicts us for putting our trust in fallible
man when we are commanded NOT to do so, but to put our trust
in Almighty God.
Yes, the Bible is full of God's promises and guarantees to
deliver us from any situation, however seemingly impossible,
if we will comply with His most gracious conditions stated
in II Chronicles 7: 14. Demonstrations have occurred many,
many times and God has never failed us.
Is it the trumpet tongued challenge of the Goliath Antichrist
that smothers the heart rending bleatings of the lost sheep
that "makes cowards of us all" that we refuse to
adopt the GUARANTEED SURE COURSE OF DELIVERANCE and break
the yoke of Babylonic bondage which we have brought upon ourselves?
It is "because we have rebelled against God's commandments;
have contemned the counsel of the most High" and, as
just punishment, "are bound in affliction and sit in
the shadow of death" (Psalm 107: 10 19). Here is the
promise of deliverance "Then they cry unto the Lord,
and He saveth them out of their distress."
I submit that a militant manifesto be issued by our highest
authority for a campaign of national repentance, for we are
God's chosen people; His servants; His battleaxe and weapons
of war. Let us make ourselves worthy of the preferred name
of Israel (ruling with God). We are no longer Conductor of
the international world orchestra, but have been relegated
to the second fiddle desk.
There is a strong under current of desire for NATIONAL REPENTANCE
and INTERCESSION running through the nation, but we lack an
organization under proper leadership.
Let us ask God to supply this need.
- Richard
Jackson, an astute political reporter, in an article concerning
one of the many crises that have disgraced the Federal
Government, says, "The English have lost their country
politically, and, so far, are too dumb and uncaring to
know it." Precisely. How accurately he describes
us as a nation!
-
That excellent writer, Patience Strong, says "We
must mount an offensive, for which we are in the best
possible position to do... because we have the backing
of God's Word, which is positive and dynamic."
-
Shakespeare "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our
stars, BUT IN OURSELVES that we are underlings."
-
Almighty God the Supreme Arbiter, states the conditions:
"If My people, which are called by My name, shall
humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn
from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven and
forgive their sin and will heal their land." II Chronicles
7:14.
Here is a directive founded on wisdom. When we wake up, if
ever, to the shocking discovery that we have betrayed our
divine stewardship, and lost the pearl of great price (The
Kingdom) by default, there will be such a weeping and gnashing
of teeth too horrible even to contemplate. (Matthew 8: 11,12.)
Through the inspiration of God's Word, the Bible, let us hasten
to accept His most gracious offer and implement its directions
to choose a leader to organize a campaign for repentance and
make that our target. |
