Tuesday, March 28, 2017

THE SWORD OF GOLIATH

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 21-22

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

This sword is on display in the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth in Greece. Here you can see the blade and the guard.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verse: 1 Samuel 22:2

And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.

David’s men, a collection of those who had suffered at the hands of Saul and his government, gave their loyalty to David. Each one may have seen the opportunity to improve their conditions by serving David and by helping to make him king. All were fugitives whose lives were in constant danger. The exception was their spiritual leader, Ahimelech. He could have remained secure under Saul’s reign, but he chose David. It cost this priest and his family very dearly. Ahimelech gave back to David the sword of Goliath, the symbol of David’s greatest triumph (21:9). To fight the fight of faith we need an Ahimelech to provide the Sword of the Spirit, which is, according to Ephesians 6:17, the Word of God.
We can probably identify with these people. We, too, are in danger from the “kingdom of darkness” (Colossians 1:9-14). To fight our spiritual enemy, we need the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Colossians 1:13 points out that “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” We are all needy people. Paul describes all who follow Jesus in 1 Corinthians 1:26-30. There is a humility here born of the recognition of our need. What a great comfort to know that “God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27b). This is who we are. We rejoice that God has chosen us to be His own.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, I choose You as my King. Grant that I may humbly follow You, whatever it takes. I’m Yours! Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I watch, from time to time, a very interesting man on the Fox News Channel whose name is Bill O’Reilly. He has written several books, among which are, Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy, detailing the historical events leading up to their assassinations. More recently he has written a new book…Killing Jesus. This got my attention. I’m reading the accounts of Jesus’ death from the four Gospels leading up to Good Friday. I feel compelled to pray for Bill. He’s touching the very heart of God in this new book. He’s also touching God’s ancient people, the Jews. I’m putting a copy of my email to him below.

Yours for giving allegiance to Jesus,

David

P.S. Here is my letter I e-mailed to Bill O’Reilly…

Dear Mr. O’Reilly,

Mel Gibson was made out to be anti-Semitic because of the way he portrayed the events leading up to the death of Jesus. I’ve done national TV across Canada for over 50 years. Before the release of “The Passion of the Christ,” I wrote Mel a letter like this one. After the release of the movie I was on TV with three Rabbis discussing their concerns of anti-Semitism. I pointed out that I believed that Mel was ill-informed in some respects, and that this was the reason for the anti-Jewish charges. I consider this to be an open letter which I’ve placed on my daily blog, 100words.ca.

First of all, Pilate’s judgment hall would’ve held a maximum of about 300 people. Jesus was brought before Pilate shortly after the 6.a.m. sacrifices. Almost all those present would have been on the payroll of the High Priest. In no way did they represent the average Jewish person when they cried,”Crucify Him” and when they said, “His blood be upon us and upon our children.” They were under instructions from the High Priest whose office was highly political as well as religious. This has been twisted by anti-Semites in the church and beyond to indict all the Jewish people. What a tragedy!

Secondly, Mel Gibson had only three women weeping when Jesus was carrying His cross to Golgotha. Yes they were weeping, but so was a great multitude. Again this represents the blame some want to put on all the Jews. The facts are found in the Gospel of Luke 23:27 which says, “A great multitude of the people followed Him and women who ALSO mourned and lamented Him.” “Also” shows that thousands of the Jewish people, who were now up and in the city for 9 a.m. from a night in their tents outside the city, were mourning for Jesus.These were the pilgrims there for “Passover.” They had been exposed to the ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem, in Galilee and elsewhere. These people represented the Jewish people, not the paid lackeys of the High Priest. This fact is backed up in Luke 23:48 & 49, “And the whole crowd who came together to that site (Golgotha) seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood nearby.

I pray that you will have this passed on to you by your team members. I can hope for your eyes to see this. As you can tell I think this is very important for you, the “No Spin” man. The Jewish people are suffering because of the “Spin” of the 3rd and 4th centuries.

I watch you often and have read several of your books. I respect highly all you are trying to accomplish.

David Mainse

15 thoughts on “Tuesday, March 28, 2017

  1. Wonderful to see (with understanding) the Truth of the leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. False news these days also cause much misunderstanding. The Jewish people are the Apple of God’s eye and Israel belongs to them.

  2. Well stated letter, Rev. Mainse. One certainly needed in this time period to convey the high probability of the historical facts and truth. Hopefully, this will give light to the love and admiration many Jews felt for Christ leading up to His crucifixion, death and resurrection.

  3. When ill advised men of noble intent who have many followers,give an nonfactual ‘opinion’ they can lead the many astray who take that opinion as being fact.Such is the case throughout history to the delight of the enemy.
    You would like the movie,Son Of God which gives your perspective of the truth.

    https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi_3bGKofnSAhVJzIMKHRnnDNcQtwIINzAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DWcIXCok9HPg&usg=AFQjCNFmVE0tz3QIpTWG86dijfZBR6_Gtw&sig2=fLT0SIndT3rTvrBfKJDinA&bvm=bv.150729734,d.amc

    Your email is very well written and gentle.Let’s pray that Mr O’Riely reads…and understands it.Thanks again David.God bless

    In A Poet’s Mind

    They opened my flesh to the bone,
    Harder still when they heard no moan,
    As meat was torn from my ribs;
    For my clothes they claimed dibs.

    As the cross was still on the ground,
    A mother’s sobs were the only sound,
    My body ached in so much pain,
    From the whips that fell like rain.

    They drove the spike through my hand,
    As my Father’s shadow covered the land,
    Then they raised the cross up high
    To where my body would soon die.

    Each breath then came in bolts of pain
    As Satan sought this world to regain.
    But he knew I would do it again
    Just to break his worldly reign.

    That is why I broke the serpent’s sword
    And became your loving,willing Lord,
    For to step down off the cross,
    The world then would be My loss.
    GW (Bill) Marshall/(2011~2012)

  4. Just a quick clarification —Mr. Riley’s book came out in 2013 and a TV movie based on the book came out in 2015 and was shown on the National Geographic Channel The email mentioned was written in 2013 (check archives of the blog Mar 28 2013)

  5. Looked at your photos from yesterday and it was good to see your smiling face again Pastor David. This blog keeps me faithfully reading the Word each day. Appreciate you sharing the truth about Christ’s death and His people’s love for Him by showing up at the cross. Blessings!

  6. People just love to play the blame game. My belief is that my sin took Jesus to the Cross. I now have a relationship with my Saviour. Not of this world while on earth means for me belonging to a Kingdom which is His Heaven and I carry the intent of His Heaven while on earth to live out my life in that truth.

  7. Praise God for your boldness and obedience Pastor David for presenting the truth within the letter you wrote to Mr. O’Reilly!!

    The distortion of news and evidence is so prevalent, and causes much unnecessary pain to the innocent, particularly the Jewish people.

    Once again, a marvelous photo Reynold, thank you!!

  8. David, this is just a convenient excuse for anti-Semitism. If ALL Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death, ALL Canadians could certainly be held accountable for the murders of 6 million unborns here. Many who have made no effort to end the killing will be, but certainly not those who have spoken out against it. The fact that there has been no attempt to blame ALL Canadians for those murders makes clear the falsity and the devious intent of anti-Semites. As you detail, those actually responsible were the politically-motivated who feared erosion of their power and position. God bless you for your letter. Hopefully, God will prompt Bill O’Reilly to report accurately your concerns. Blessings

  9. Re: 100words blog – I haven’t received any blogs since March 20th. Can someone check on this. I will register again today…

    Continuing to pray for you David. Nice to see the photo and your wife on the blog yesterday.

    Great letter to Bill O’Reilly. I refuse to entertain ‘any slight’ towards the Jewish People whether they be jokes or comments. It is amazing how anti-semitism is growing again around the world. Christians need to stand up and be vocal in these instances. I do thank God for the Jewish People, for Israel and for Jerusalem. As someone once said, “if you want to know what God is doing in the world, keep your eye on Israel”… Let us continue to pray for the Jewish people and the fulfillment of God’s perfect plan.

  10. I am not an antisemite. I love the Jews. They still have a place of blessing in God’s future plans when Jesus returns and sets up His millennium kingdom.

    I am not discrediting David’s letter to Bill O’Rielly because he is right on. BUT remember Peter’s sermon to the crowd on the Day of Pentecost when Peter said to the crowd of Jewish men,”Him . . . he have taken, and have by wicket hands have crucified and slain: . . . Acts 2:23. Again in Acts 2:36 Peter speaking to the Same Jewish crowd said, ” whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. This accusation caused that crowd to be, “pricked in their heart” and the asked Peter and the rest of the apostles,”Men and brethren, what shall we do?” I can only conclude from this that this crowd felt some type of collective quilt. However I also agree with David that there were were very few Jewish people who where agreeable to the “killing of Jesus.”

  11. Yes, thank you for your wisdom of historical biblical facts, David, and for directing a letter to both Mel Gibson and Bill O’Reilly. Misinformation is such a dangerous thing that becomes so misconstrued. God’s blessings dearest saints.

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