....A man after my heart....

I was reading this morning and again came across another treasure from God's precious word. It is found in the midst of the Apostle Paul's teaching while he and Barnabas were in Antioch in Pisidia which is found in modern Turkey today. They made their way into the Synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down to hear the reading of the Law and Prophets (Old Testament). When the leaders heard that they were in the congregation they asked did they have a word of encouragement for the people. Little did the leaders know how much of a word of encouragement they had when they asked. Paul stands and begins to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ....from the Law and the Prophets! It is during this public preaching that God speaks so powerfully...and the following is one of those treasures....read on!!!

.....he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, "I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will." Acts 13:22

While preaching through the Jewish scriptures, Paul is recalling the history of Israel and how God has worked through various men to reveal His loving mercy to them. When he gets to David he gives a glowing testimony of David, a testimony any of us would love to have said about us. In fact what he says is actually from the book of 1 Samuel. Read it with me...

....the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people....1 Samuel 13:14

Now, what does your mind do when you read such a passage and know the testimony of David. While many things enter my mind.....David, a fearless young man... remember his first encounter with the Philistines and his notable defeat of the great, massive Philistine giant Goliath......David, a mighty warrior for Israel...remember the comments from the people regarding his exploits in battle....Saul has slain his thousands but David his ten thousands! David, a man of faith... Remember his words to the Philistine Giant...Who are you to defy the army of the living God!...

While many notable things come to mind, many of which were match the testimony of 1 Samuel and Acts regarding him. However, there are many other things that also come to mind to cause me to question the assessment given in those passages. David, a lustful mind and heart... Let me say this, in his sin with Bathsheba, we must acknowledge that he lost another battle before he actually sinned WITH Bathsheba...the battle in his mind/heart....You see, no battle is lost only physically, it is first lost mentally. David had a lustful mind and heart and that is why he was on the rooftop that fateful evening.....David, an adulterer...One thing is that David is often remembered for is his sin with Bathsheba..... when he should have been out with his soldiers, he was at home and ultimately found his way to a roof top first to look in lust, then to "send" for his prize to fulfill his own desires.....hardly a man after God's own heart.....David, a deceiver...now to make matters worse, once he finds out she is pregnant with his child, he seeks to cover his sin by sending for her husband hoping that indirectly this man will help David in his coverup...but thankfully God's providence prevails....Uriah shows the greater character here...David, a murderer....Now to make matters even worse he now conceives a plot on how to "eliminate" the secondary problem, kill Uriah. Once his mission is accomplished, he then takes Bathsheba into his "harem" to help somehow soothe his conscience.

Now, hardly any of us would be able to say, he is a man after God's own heart, now would we. In fact, this dear King of Israel would not even be considered for any position with in the local church. But how and why would God say such a thing regarding David? Did HE (God) not know what horrible sins David would commit in the future? Of course HE did! Then how could God call him (David) a man after His own heart....well now, here is where the treasure is....let's look first at the surrounding verses...Read 1 Samuel 13....here we begin to see the bigger picture...

Saul had been Israel's king, in fact the king they desired so much. Big, strong, powerful, but one thing we see about Saul, he was NOT a man of faith. He far too many times relied only only his wisdom, strength and resources. Here again he had violated the clear teachings of God because HE SAW instead of HE BELIEVED....

So God sought out a man, not a perfect man, not a man that would be without sin, but a man who would believe, who would trust, who would confess sin and who would repent of sin. David was that man. His life was dotted with both seasons of extreme faith and extreme failure. Powerful demonstrations and political downfalls. But one thing is constant, when David sinned, which he did many times, he acknowledged and confessed his sin before God. Here are some quotes from this sinners pen memorialized in God's word....Psalm 51

"Have mercy on me, O God"..... "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin"... "my sin is ever before me"... Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight"... "Create in me a clean heart, O God"...."and renew a right spirit within me"

 The beauty of this passage is that God was not looking for a perfect man or heart, just one that was willing to acknowledge truth. We are sinners. We cannot have a relationship with God with active sin in our lives. God see's those who so desire a relationship with HIM, that they will DEAL with their personal sin issues by acknowledging, confessing and forsaking them, as men and women after God's own heart. We so want HIM, His plans, purposes, to be fulfilled in us that we are willing to die to our own selves, our own lustful desires, our sin.

Is that true of you my precious brother or sister? Do you quickly acknowledge your sin? Confess it and forsake it for HIS glory? Are you willing to die to your selfish desires just because you love HIM more.  He is not looking for perfection, just devotion. Children that lovingly follow His truths, principles and commands not out of duty but more out of love and devotion. Calvary has that kind of effect now doesn't it!!!

So, are you a man after God's heart? A woman after His heart? Get real, be honest, deal with those sin issues that so easily hold you back.....
You'll be glad you did....
Blessings
Bruce

...they had been with Jesus

Have you ever seen the power of God transform a life? Now I am not speaking of His miraculous power healing a sickness, (though I do believe He still heals today!). But I am speaking of seeing Him transform someone from a meek, mild individual to a bold and effective witness for His glory. It does happen and it still excites and blesses those who know and love HIM and confounds those who don't.

Our treasure today is found in Acts (big surprise there) where Peter and John have just recently come from the upper room and their new found power is pulsating through their veins. They are experiencing and enjoying this wondrous boldness that the Spirit has brought them. In fact, this boldness and power had gotten them in trouble with the religious crowd. They were headed into the temple for prayer and encountered a crippled man about 40 years of age. He usually spent his time near the gate where worshippers came through heading to and from the temple as that is where he found a productive place to beg, receive funds and help because of his situation.

One fateful day, Peter and John passed by and he saw them and called out to them. Now, normally if he could get someone to stop and notice him, listen to him and hopefully talk with him, he might receive a little cash to help him along the way. But this day was going to be different. Today, he was going to get far more than he could ever imagine. When he called out, he could not fathom how these two rather normal looking worshippers would be used to change his life forever. I will give you Peter's response....

And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
Acts 3:4-8

Wouldn't you like to have been there? To have seen this incredible miracle take place? Watch the cripple rise up, walk and go leaping and shouting into the temple praises to our God??? Man, what a sight that must have been. Now there have been a few times where I myself have felt this way as well. Just overwhelmed by His incredible grace, it does make us want to jump and praise HIM....now doesn't it?

While this is a rather notable miracle, I challenge you to look a little deeper into this whole passage and series of events it triggered. I believe there is an even greater miracle that has taken place. One that is still taking place today.... can you see it???? We have to go a little further into the text to see it but here we go....

IN Acts 4:13-14.... Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 

As a result of the miracle the religious "authorities" and I use that term loosely....came to them to confront them regarding their teaching the people....What right did they have to teach the people, to cause such a stir in the temple complex? Just who did these "nobodies" think they were. Well, Peter and John, both now filled with the promised Spirit (John 14, Acts 1) spoke rather boldly and powerfully the words of the living God. So much so that the response of these leaders is astonishment.

Now remember Peters former testimony.....denial and sleeking away into the darkness.....John, what little we read of him is him just living in obscurity after the death and burial of his Lord....BUT NOW....since the coming of the Holy Spirit.....Acts 4 says their testimony was one of boldness....This created quite a stir in the minds and hearts of the religious crowd. There was no "human" explanation for their boldness. Look at the passage above...."they perceived that they were uneducated, common men....." Education can give you courage or boldness, but they were NOT educated men. Your position or prominence can give you courage......but here again they were just "NORMAL."

The religious leaders were astonished at this disparity. There was no real justifiable, human reason for their boldness and shall we say power that had been and was being demonstrated. A truly notable miracle had taken place. The weak, fearful, uncertain, confused, struggling disciples had been transformed. Bold and powerful was now their testimony. How could this be? What is their secret?

It too is hidden in plain sight for all of us to see and consider..... "And they recognized that they had been with Jesus." WOW, there it is, the secret of their boldness and power. The secret of their miraculous power. They had simply, been with Jesus!

Yes, my beloved, that is the secret, hidden in plain sight. Spending time with Jesus is our source of hope, strength and courage. He takes the weak, fearful, struggling and confused and infuses them with HIMSELF to make life transforming instruments of HIS power. John 15 clarifies this by saying HE is the vine and we are the branches, without Him we can do nothing! SO TRUE... 1 Cor. 1 teaches that HE chooses the weak to shame the strong. GOD uses us in all our weakness to accomplish HIS wonderful purposes. HE is our source of strength & wisdom. All we need to do....is spend time with Jesus. Time in prayer, time in His word, time in HIS work, time in HIS worship.....spend time, lots of time with HIM...

So now here is the million dollar question, can the lost around you tell that you have been with Jesus? Is there evidence of His presence filling your life as it was Peter and John? Whatever is hindering good, quality time with Him, remove it, change it, quit it, do what ever it necessary to prioritize HIM! May the world around us be able to tell.......we have been with Jesus!

You'll be glad you did!
Blessings
Bruce