9-13-2015 weekly message
Meditation of the week: psalms 13:1-6
Main scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Subject: Changed life and the glory for them that are filled with the Holy Ghost
                 When Saul, the anointed as the first king of Israel disobeyed the word of God, the Spirit of God departed from him, and a evil spirit from the LORD trouble him. The LORD God decided to let him down from the throne of king, he sent Samuel to the house of Jesse so that he might anoint one of his sons as a new king of Israel. Samuel anointed David. Then, the Spirit of the LORD came upon David; a evil spirit came upon Saul at the same time.
                     The LORD God had chosen David, the smallest son of Jesse to be the second king of Israel. And God sent Samuel, and asked Jesse to be sanctified as well as his sons so that they might sacrifice unto the LORD. Jesse brought forth all his sons except David. David was not interested by his father to be considered for sanctification. When seven sons of Jesse were passing by Samuel, Samuel tried to find out who is the one to be anointed as the king. The LORD God spoke unto him not to anoint any one of them. Samuel asked Jesse whether any other son. Upon hearing from him, Jesse remembered David, Jesse said unto him saying, “There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.”
Samuel asked Jesse to fetch David; for they will not sit down till he come hither. When David was brought in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, arise, anoint him; for this is he. Even though Jesse knew the beautiful countenance of other sons, and their goodness as well, but not of anything of David. David always stayed in the field to take of the sheep of his father in all his heart with all his life.
                    Then the LORD said unto Samuel saying, “Arise and anoint him for this is he.” As soon as he anointed him, the Spirit of the LORD came upon him.
When Samuel was trying to anoint Eliab saying, Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him, the LORD said unto him saying, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”(1Sam. 16:7)
After David was anointed, Israel was in the midst of the war with Philistine; the army of Israel feared to fight with Goliath so that no one volunteered to fight with him. David volunteered to Saul to fight against Goliath; but Saul refused his request saying, he is but a youth, and Goliath is a man of war from his youth. But David said unto Saul boldly saying, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.”(1Sam. 17:34-36)
                 Yeah! David emptied him as Christ to be the form of the servant; and did his best to take care of the sheep of his father with all his life. The LORD God had already seen David who was trying all the sheep of his father with all his life. The people of Israel were the sheep of the LORD God. God was looking for the one that shall keep his sheep with all his heart. Asaph, the wither of Psalms testified of the sheep of God:
O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?… And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generation.”(Ps. 74:1; 79:12,13)
               Upon seeing the LORD God was with David after he was anointed, Saul tried to do all kind of evil against David. The young man killed Goliath only with a stone; and he killed Palestinians much more than Saul did. Women sang to praise David saying, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”(1Sam. 18:7)
Thereafter, Saul planned to murder David.
                Whenever king Saul tried kill him, David prayed unto the LORD, and trust only in Him. Passing through the valley of death, he prayed unto the LORD. Even in the midst of severe tribulations, he trusted in the LORD to the end saying, How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.”(Ps. 13:1-6)
               Since the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost came to the earth after the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins and buried and rose again the third day, God is looking for them that are to be anointed with the Holy Ghost. In the days of the Old Testament, the LORD God was looking for them that are to be anointed to the king of Israel; but nowadays in the days of the New Testament, he also looking for them that are to be the kings to reign with Christ in the Millennium kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ when he come back to the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. As the time of the Old Testament, God is still searching into he heart of man not the countenance at all. Even though the brothers of David never paid attention unto David when he was keeping his father’s sheep alone with all his life day and night, the LORD God was looking into his heart, and he called him when the time was come to anoint him so that he might keep the sheep of Israel.
                Apostle Paul testified of the Christians that are anointed by the Holy Ghost as Christ was anointed:
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to
be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”(Rom. 8:29-32)
                   Yeah! The children of God that are born again of the Holy Ghost are not only justified, but also glorified. To be glorified is to be glorified with the Lord Jesus Christ that suffered and died and rose again in the day when he establish his kingdom in the earth. Apostle Paul testified of this in more details:
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”(Rom. 8:16-18)
                   As Davis was attacked by Saul without ceasing, the children of God that are anointed with the Spirit of God are persecuted until the day of the departure from the earth; for the present world is now under the rule of the Antichrist. The evil spirit was the spirit of the Antichrist. Therefore, when the children of God that are anointed by the Spirit of God to be the royal priests hold fast this hope, they are able to overcome all kinds of tribulation. In the confession of Apostle Paul who had pursued after Christ, and ran the race to run completely, we are able to understand what kind of life to be run for each of us. He testified of the life to be taken by us:
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”(Rom. 5:1-5)
Whenever the children of God are persecuted living in the world under the rule of evil spirits; and David and prophets and the apostles and old saints prayed unto the Lord; the LORD God poured his Spirit on them. When we are abundant with the love of God in the Spirit of God, we are able to rejoice even in the midst of infirmities and reproaches and necessities and persecution and distresses for Christ’s sake. The thing that given unto us is the fullness of the Holy Ghost. The fullness of the Holy Ghost is manifested as the fullness of love. Let us listen to the testimony of Apostle Paul:
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”(2Cor. 12:7-10)