FORGET THE ALAMO, REMEMBER ZIKLAG !

I love stories.  I love to read stories and to tell stories.  I guess that proves I'm getting old.  My Dad loved to tell stories too. I got a lot of the stories that I tell from him.  Jesus loved stories as well.  Much of what He taught was at least predicated by a story. 

Even though in "teaching" school they tell you NOT to use "war stories" or personal experiences, I still find that this is a way of getting your audience to listen and to relate to the truth that you are trying to get across to them.

I guess this is the reason I love teaching from the Old Testament so much.  The Old Testament is full of stories.  The one I will share with you now is one of my favorites.  It is full of truth and encouragement, which I hope is what you get from this little writing. 

It is found in the book of I Samuel, the 28th through the 30th chapters.  I hope you will read these portions of scripture and then you will understand what I'm getting at a little more clearly.

David had be pursued by Saul for some time.  He had been hunted like a rabbit throughout all of the land of his birth.  So in desperation, he took 600 followers, men who would fight with him and for him, and ran into the country of the Philistines.  He was befriended by a king named Achish. 

Achish gave David a small place in which he and his men and their families could live.  The name of the town was Ziklag. All went well here, they were out of the way of the Philistine king and they were out of the country and away from Saul.  And even though it wasn't home, it would do.

One day King Achish went to war with the Children of Israel. His men left their homes and gathered together to go into battle with the Israelites.  David and his 600 warriors also left their home in Ziklag and met with the king's men to fight.  But the princes of the Philistines refused to allow these runaway Israelites to join them in battle.  They reminded Achish of the song sang by the Israelites a few years back, "Saul has slain his thousands but David has slain his ten thousands".  Those ten thousands were "us" they said.   So David and his men were forced to return to Ziklag and not allowed to go into battle with the Philistines. 

When they returned home they were met with a devastating site.  Their city had been ransacked and burned.  Their cattle and possessions had been taken and their families kidnapped.  They did what any red-blooded warrior would do.....they sat down and cried.  In fact, the Word tells us they cried so much that they could not cry any more. 

But David went to the Lord.  He determined that he would not take this lying down and asked the Lord to help him.  With God's blessing he pursued the "bad guys" and took back the things that had been stolen.  All the families, cattle and possessions were restored.

Which leads me to ask you, "Have you been ripped-off"?  I bet if you are honest you will admit that your spiritual life right now isn't what it use to be.  I bet that somewhere along the way your happiness has been hijacked, your righteousness ripped-off, and your peace plundered. 

Just stand in front of any given congregation on Sunday morning and look at their faces.  Even more, look at their faces on Monday morning. It's as though someone has broke in at some point in their life and taken advantage of the "five-fingered discount" of their Christian desire.  Their joy has been "jacked", their power has been "pinched" and their excitement extricated. 

And so we do what David and his mighty men did....we sit down in the ash heap and cry.  We complain and moan and mumble and look forlorn.  You can say "amen" now if you'd like or "oh me".  Because you've been there and done that just as I have. 

But what should we do?  It's obvious.  We should follow David's lead.  We should return to God and ask His direction.  We should buckle on our "war gear" and hunt down the rascal that took our belonging.  We should fight for our rights. 

God didn't save you so you would be cowed down and pushed around by Satan.  He did not give you His Holy Spirit so that you would be the Devil's "whipping boy".

Do the words "You shall receive power", not mean anything at all to us anymore? 

I'm not a big fan of Albert Einstein, but I like something he said once.  Hear this quote from him, "The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything". 

I know you are under the guns.  I know you have been attacked and the things you valued have been taken away.  But do not sit idly by and just take it.  Get up, load your guns and by the help and grace of God, take back what the enemy has taken from you. 

Read what the Word says about David and his men, "And David recovered all....and there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, ....that they had taken.  David recovered all".   (I Samuel 30: 18-19)

In the Texas Revolution of 1836 brave volunteers were slaughtered in the battle of the Alamo as they defended that little spot against Santa Anna's army.  Latter, as Sam Houston led his men in the Battle of San Jacinta against the Mexicans they were heard yelling "Remember the Alamo".  It was a phrase used to remind those shoulders of what happened at the Alamo and encourage them to fight harder. 

Even thought I admire those men who fought and died at the Alamo, remembering them and following the lead of Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and William Travis will do us very little spiritual good.  What I would encourage you to do is remember what happened at Ziklag and follow the leading of David.  If you recognize that the Devil has taken something from you, call out to God and fight for what is yours.  Don't sit by and cry over your loss, pick up what you have left and pursue the enemy.  Take back what has been stolen from you.

REMEMBER ZIKLAG !

HAVE SOME BREAD

Sunday morning came and I was to teach a Sunday school class on "The Bread of Life".  I had studied the lesson and decided to spice it up a bit.  I asked Buddy to cook us a loaf of bread.  My wife called up "Cakes and Candies" and ordered another couple of loaves. 

So as everyone gathered around the tables for the lesson, we placed the hot, wonderfully smelling, bread before them.  The coffee was prepared and we were ready to go. 

But guess what.  Some people didn't want any bread.  We had homemade chocolate bread and homemade orange glazed bread, we had banana nut bread and peach bread but some folks didn't take any. 

Why would people not want at least a little slice of confectionery delight on a cold Sunday morning? Here some of the excuses.

• I ate a pop tart for breakfast and I'm full
• I ate a good breakfast of bacon and eggs and I'm full
• I didn't see that you had bread for us, so I missed it
• I don't like bread

That was OK with me because I got to take some of it home with me and I like bread. 

But the excuses made in regards to the Sunday morning bread are about the same excuses made by people toward the "Bread of Life".

• Some won't try "The Bread of Life" because they are so full of "junk".  These folk fill their mental and spiritual "bellies" with so much useless filler that they don't have place for The Bread of Life.  Isn't it a shame that when they could have the peace and joy that comes from knowing Christ that they will settle for T.V. shows, movies, computer games, video games, you name it.  It's all just filler and there is nothing good about it. 

• Others miss the Bread of Life because they are full of "good stuff".  They fill their lives with helping others, community projects, charity events, religion, even church activities.  These people sacrifice the Best for the good.  They are so full of good stuff that they have no place for The Bread.

• Some can't see the Bread.  This is a sad situation.  We are suppose to be the ones who deliver this Bread, we should distribute it to our friends, neighbors and family.  But when they look at us and our lives they don't see the Bread.  They can't see the Bread because there is too much of "us" in the way.  There is so much of me in my life people can't see Jesus.

• And some simply exercise their freedom of choice.  They see The Bread, they even have plenty of room for The Bread. They have seen how The Bread looks in the lives of others.  They have smelled it's aroma in the lives of Christians but they have made a conscious choice to reject The Bread.  God gave them that choice.  He allows them to make that choice even though it is not the choice He has planned for them. 

I hope you are hungry this morning.  The Bread Himself once said, "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled". This Bread is a free gift made especially with you in mind.  Eat up.