Don’t listen to Eliab!

In the battle of David and Goliath, we see a little brotherly spat between David and his oldest brother Eliab. The Israelites had been ‘having words’ with Goliath for 40 days on either side of the mountain. It paints quite a funny picture for me – they would approach each other, Goliath would shout something intimidating and the Israelites would shrink back in fear. Scripture says that the Israelites were “dismayed and greatly afraid.” 1 Samuel 17:11

In walks David – he was just so great, wasn’t he? I love this guy. What I adore about David in this scene is that he could not understand what all this standing around was about. For him it was simple.

“For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

Like, ‘I don’t get it – what are you standing around for? How dare he -get him!’ That faith. The unquestionable power of the living God. The lack of fear because he knew God was with him.

Eliab becomes irate. “Eliab’s anger was aroused against David” (v28). Why? Because David was a meddling little brother? Not quite.
Look at what Eliab says,
“I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”

These men were terrified of Goliath. What they could not do in forty days, David was willing to do then and there. So, the pride in Eliab’s heart caused him to judge David’s heart incorrectly. He was seeing his own heart, not David’s. Also, I think Eliab knew David was right! That must have stung. Classic projection – Psychology 101.
Intimidation through words – Goliath intimidated Eliab with his words; while Eliab tried intimidating David with his own words!

What Eliabs do you face today? Do you have something burning in your heart to carry out for the Holy Spirit, only to be told by someone that you’re not good enough, you don’t know anything, it’s your “pride”, or you only serve tea at church, so how could you possibly carry out what you think God has asked you to do? Or is the voice of Eliab your own?
I almost got sucked in badly by this once. I had to consistently take it to the Lord in prayer and the first verse He led me to was,

“For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day” 2 Timothy 1:12

We will suffer for the things Jesus has pressed on our hearts to do, no doubt; but you do not have to be ashamed by peoples’ doubts of you or become intimidated by it! If the Holy Spirit has put it on your heart to do something, do it! Don’t be put down by the Eliabs of the world, those who judge you out of their own issues. David never walked away at Eliab’s harsh accusation – he stood his ground!
“Is there not a cause?” (v29)
You have a cause and purpose for the Lord and you know who you believed – Jesus, not man. When you commit your good works for the Lord to Him, He will keep it for you.

Don’t be put down by others, friend. That pressing from the Holy Spirit is undeniable. He wants to use you! It is up to Him – not other people and what they say or think.
Stand your ground and fight for the Lord!

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Be encouraged, Champion!

Photo credit to http://bnboomer.com

Clarke’s commentary says that the word champion comes from the Hebrew word, “a middle man, the man between two.”
In his battle with David, Goliath stood between two armies and fought as a representative of his army.

Jesus is our the chief, perfect mediator and our ultimate Champion.
In addition, being God’s representatives on earth (2 Cor 5:20), we are fighting as representatives of His army – we stand with Christ as joint heirs, fighting for the army of light against the army of darkness!

Be encouraged and fight the good fight – today, you are His champion!

Electricity can’t match the power of our Living God!

I love to hear of testimonies that show how powerful and great our God is!
I have been blessed to grow up in a family that is saved and given their lives to Christ, which enabled me to be saved from a very early age. Everyone on my mother’s side of the family is saved, so to get to fellowship together and tell of the latest and greatest that God has accomplished in our lives is one of my favourite treats!

I would like to share a testimony with you from my cousin, Kylah, which definitely demonstrates the power our God has, and the authority available to us in Jesus name!

One morning after church, my cousin’s husband Antonie, received a phone call from one of the staff members that works with them. She was hysterical and asking them to please come over as her husband was trying to commit suicide.

On their way to the house, my cousin prayed for her husband and herself, asking the Lord to send His angels before them for protection (Psalm 91). They took up the armor of God (Ephesians 6), and prayed for boldness, and that the Holy Spirit would lead them in this trying situation. 

When they arrived at the house, the little 5 year old girl came running towards my cousin– screaming and crying, telling her that she loves her daddy, but that he was busy killing himself! Kylah just took her in her arms, and told her that everything was going to be okay and that the Lord Jesus was going to help them.
Kylah’s heart went out to the little girl, but asked her to take them to her father. She led them to the back of the house and there they found him- he had tied himself with electric wires to a transformer box, and only had to switch on the switch in the box and he would be electrocuted!

His wife was standing next to him, pleading with him to untie himself, pleading with him to think of the children.
Their little two year old boy ran up to his dad and started pulling on his leg and saying, “Come daddy, come!” 

As Kylah stood there she could almost not believe what was happening before her eyes. She recounted how she really felt like David who had been faced with this giant Goliath!

Kylah stood back for a while, whispered a prayer and asked God to lead her.

Kylah asked his wife to take the kids and go inside. She then walked up to the husband, put her arm on the box and her other hand on his shoulder. At first Antonie wanted to stop her from touching him or the box in fear that she would get shocked herself; but she wasn’t scared. She said that she did not come with worldly ways, but with the power of God! 

She prayed and spoke to him for about 30-45 minutes – but she said that the way Holy Spirit was leading her in her prayers and her chats with him was just amazing!

He then told Kylah to call his wife. She went back down to go and get his wife. When they  came back up, the wife went and stood closer to him and Kylah and her husband stood back. 

His wife started pleading and crying again, and he just did not want to budge. Kylah’s husband started talking to him and she praised the Holy Spirit for leading him and giving him words of wisdom. 

At that stage, Kylah just knelt down and just kept on saying, “I command that electricity not to flow in the Name of Jesus!” 

He went ahead and put on the switch 3 times!!
But our faithful God intervened with His own hand of power and not an ounce of electricity flowed! After the 3^rd attempt to electrocute himself, he just stood back, looked up at Kylah and Antonie, ripped the wires off his wrists and fell to his knees in tears! 

PRAISE THE LORD THE ELECTRICITY DID NOT FLOW!!!

 And afterwards they did switch it on and there was electricity flowing!!

Antonie was with him for a while praying for him, and Kylah went back to the house and comforted his wife and children. 

The police then arrived and Kylah went out to meet them – they advised her that the negotiator was on his way, but she told them, “you can tell your negotiator to turn around and go home, JESUS NEGOTIATED FOR US TODAY!!”

Be blessed, Readers, be bold, we serve a MIGHTY GOD!!!!