Breaking the divine order (part1)

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. [2] Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer-sheba. [3] And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. [4] Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, [5] And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. [6] But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. (1sam8:1-6)

Throughout history, God has always  exhibited that he is the God of order and a master in divine patterns in the execution of his plans for man on the earth. The Spirit realm is structured in a manner that clearly displayed decorum and order. We want to study in a brief way what happens when men step out of such structures and how God responds to them.

Let's look at Samuel. There few issues about Samuel we must see before we fully via into what we want to study.

If you study the book of 1st and 2nd Samuel, you will discover both the natural and spiritual background of the man Samuel. Permit me to say that why I used the term "the man" Samuel is that the present church in our time has developed a way of adoring men and idolize them to the point that their true identities are no longer known. I want to stress again that no matter how big a man is in God's hand, he is still called a "man" of God. He is still a man. Meaning he hasn't translated yet, and as long as he is here, you can Dance and cheer him all you want, he is human. Wise men who understood this have saved their soul from untimely death and ministerial dismissal. In our time now, we see ministers from the stage of colorful lights but no bearing of where they are coming from. This is a correction some ministers need to make. If this is done it also means that we can trace his route and learn from his life as a person. Even the Lord Jesus can be traced to a humble home of Joseph the carpenter.

Samuel was a child lent to the Lord even before his birth (1sam1vs28). Before he could even be allowed to make decisions for his future, his destiny was already mortgaged. His life was to be used for temple service. He was already marked out for priesthood ministry.

Secondly, Samuel grew in a dispensation. The Eli dispensation!  A young samuel wearing a linen ephod, young and naive grew amongst hophni and Phinehas. The Bible called them "sons of belial". Reprobate men without conscience. Funny enough they also grew in the temple. I suspect that they were maybe about Samuel's age or slightly bigger. Samuel must have endured such great persecution from them to compromise to their ways but he refused..

Samuel also grew under an established priest, Eli. But an old one. So old that he could not correct his sons after the ways of the Lord. There are few contrasts about Eli's ministry which we might have overlooked due to the mere fact that we see him always in the light for the wrong reasons. Let's look at these below....

1. As a priest, he made proclamations which God answered. In chapter 1 of 1st Samuel, verse 17. After Hanna made her request open to him he blessed her and Hanna conceived. In chapter 2vs20, when Hanna had dedicated samuel to temple service, Eli prophesied more fruitfulness in child bearing to replace the position of Samuel and the Lord granted it.

2. He had a poor spiritual discernment. He mistook Hanna's utterances made out of a broken heart for drunkenness (1sam1:13). He also couldn't discern that it was God that was calling Samuel and it took him a 3rd repetition by God for him to know (1sam3:8).

3. He lost his domestic authority to correct his children after the ways of the Lord. He knew the implications of priestly transgressions from what he said in verse 25 of chapter 2.

4. Eli used to sit by the temple post when he was introduced to us in the Bible as stated in chapter 1vs9,  but in the time of battle, at the time when his priestly ministry was required for intercession for Israel, he now sat by the wayside (4vs13). He has moved from the temple post to the wayside.

This was an order God was determined to break. This was a dispensation that God urgently needed to bring to an end. The seed of Eli cannot and must not be allowed to judge or rule further (2vs25b). Isreal was headed for a dismal end if this lineage was allowed to continue.

And God stepped in! (3vs4)....

"that the Lord called Samuel and he answered here am I".....

Eli had judged Isreal for forty years but, even before his death, his ministry was already hijacked and transfered to a young samuel. While the lamp almost left the temple, the voice of God distilled upon a young Samuel. A Samuel who despite growing up in this ebbing and failing contraption, chose to remain on the side of God.

You can be a young minister like samuel in a failing dispensation, will you chose dainty meat, greed and filthy lucre of the times or rather chose to stand by the lamp stand of the temple and strong by the side of God?  May the failing dispensation surrounding you not sweep you away with God's judgement.

Man of God, you may have discovered that the Eli story may not be far from your situation. Are you now spiritually old that you have lost track of the scheme of things in the spirit? Has the Holyspirit chosen not to speak to you again cos of your disobedience and you still have failed to repent and go before him? Have you resorted to counterfeits in place of the genuine manifestation of the Holy Ghost in your congregation? Are you like a God now amongst men that they cannot access his divine majesty. You might also have discovered that there's a young Samuel waiting in line to replace your failed system(3vs19-21). Dear Bishop, will you chose to redirect a young but naive Samuel to the voice of his master and save a generation from plundering into darkness and forgetfulness or rather chose to subdue him by all means and blind him with your cloak of compromise? It's a pity cos Jesus won't have been born if the Lineage of samuel followed the way of Eli. That divine interjection was divine and timely.

In the part 2, of this series. We will look further into the manner in which the divine God initiates a divine exchange.

God bless you all richly.

Trials: The broken spirit

...... "I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted" . (ps77, 1-2)

......."Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known". (vs19)

Trials and temptations are common place in our everyday life. But its gets harder when we get caught up in its resultant effect of depression and should I say (as I read psalms 77:1 to 20)... A case of oppressive depression. In the verses of this chapter we see David reeling from depressive situation. He was so depressed to some limits probably experienced by some of us today....

He was depressed to a point of.....

1. To the point of no comfort (vs2b). Have you been there when no matter the Preaching in church or exhortation you receive you Still feel empty, dry,  and without comfort.

2. To the point that he couldn't speak (vs4b). This is more common. Has some situations made you so dumbfounded that you lack words to even express your situations and more often  you just watch as a spectator cos you are dazzled and puzzled on the goings on around.

3. To the point he started comparing the past and the present events (vs5&6). Not surprising when we engage the comparison spirit. Trying to do all the maths of why things that happened before are no longer happening now and we compare and contrast.

4. To the point where we question if God has not only abandoned us but his personality changed (vs6-9). This is more harsh and very oppressive. Which in turn leads us to asking the 6 crucial questions of a broken spirit which are as follows....

Has he casted us off forever?
Is he no longer favourable?
Has his mercy gone forever?
Has his promises failed forever?
Has he forgotten to be gracious?
Has he out of anger closed his tender mercies to me?

Maybe someone reading this has been in this same situation that David was going through and is also bothered with the same crucial questions. So what is the solution? How can one rise above this challenges and be free and fly with vigour and strength through the unfavourable circumstances of life.

How to break free from an oppressive depressive state......

1. "This is my infirmity" (vs10). Recognise and admit your weaknesses. When you complain and compare events of your life, it's a sign of a weakened spirit. Same as questioning his faithfulness to you. Identify all these mannerisms as a sign that you are weak and have acted out of an oppressed mind. Accepting this is the first way going forward.

2. "And I said" (vs10a). You must use your words. In situations such as these never keep quiet. You can close your destiny and give expression to the enemy from your depressed position if you close your mouth. But the manner of speaking has been highlighted by David.

He said....

I will remember.  Vs10. Someone needs to go before God that speaking of his remembrance boldly.

I will meditate. Vs12. Right meditation is very crucial. Wrong meditation brings up hurts and regrets. Right meditation floods your mind with God works and wonders.

I will talk. Vs12b. Engage the power of positive confession and aggressive testimonies.

I see you rise above the overwhelming waters of your situation. I see your clouds pour down waters. I see your broken arrows healed and released abroad. I see the lightening of God's thunder lightening your world. May The Almighty God guide you in his ways in the midst of your great waters and may He lead you like a flock from now henceforth in Jesus name. Amen.