Lions and Bears

Pastor Mike gave a wonderful message today concerning “strong faith” that has given me another perspective on the issue.

The story opens with David, when he was just a young boy, had spent many hours in the presence of his heavenly Father. These precious hours over the days and years grew their relationship to a level that the current world had not known. This depth of relationship had been read about in their forefathers, and demonstrated in the prophets of their time. It had not yet been spread into the people’s inner being. Their hearts had forgotten this relationship to such a point that the King and the whole army of Israel cowered before one, so called, giant on the battlefield.

When David discovered the situation his army had been facing, an unrestrained rage filled his heart and took over his words,

“What's in it for the man who kills that Philistine and gets rid of this ugly blot on Israel's honor? Who does he think he is, anyway, this uncircumcised Philistine, taunting the armies of God-Alive?”

David knew this Philistine stood naked without a covenant in that field of battle. In David’s eyes, Goliath was as good as a wounded limping animal being lead to his imminent demise.

David went to the king and gave his testimony,

"I've been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I'd go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I'd grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I'll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.”

Revelation 12:10-11 says,
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.“

The word of our testimony is strong and is put side by side with the blood of the Lamb that justifies our relationship with God Almighty.

In John 16:33 Jesus says,
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

In our life we must count the “Lions and Bears” that God has delivered us from. Then, when we face the tribulation that Jesus himself said we would go through, we will have assurance and “know in whom we have believed” and that He is faithful to bring us through to the other side.

God is not interested in us avoiding all trouble and trials in this world. His goal for this life we currently live is not comfort and pleasure.

Romans 12:1-2 says,
“So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

He is developing “well-formed maturity in you.”

The question may be, “Why is he developing this in me?”
I believe the answer is in David’s response to Goliath:

“You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel's troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I'm about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there's an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn't save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—he's handing you to us on a platter!”

So that the whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God…

God, since the beginning of time, has had a plan, THE plan, to bring all of humanity into relationship with himself.

The conclusion of this matter is: 1) Cultivate strong faith by relationship with our heavenly Father, 2) Strengthen your faith and overcome by the word of your testimony, 3) Declare it to the world so that the whole earth will know there is an extraordinary God.

It seems to me…
The point of our faith being developed cannot be for our own personal gain, pleasure, and purpose. It has to exist to declare God’s works to the world, and to bring others into the fellowship and family of Christ.

If it is all about “me” and “my needs” and “my prosperity” and “so God will bless me” … then I stand here disillusioned by “Christianity” and what it has become.