Words for Life Articles

1 Samuel 14:1

This chapter of the bible emphasizes the victory of the Israelites over the Philistines but the story itself starts with a young man who had the faith and courage to do the unthinkable.

This is the history of a group of discouraged, frustrated, outnumbered and inadequately armed soldiers. With no hope of victory, no hope of escape. Their leader King Saul has run out of ideas and in hiding.

Yet the bible says in verse 23 of chapter 14 …23 So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle shifted to Beth Aven.

What happened? What was it that changed their situation?

Ecclesiastes 12:13

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Solomon was a wise King; he was a man gifted with wisdom from God. A man who enjoyed life to the fullest. Solomon wrote about variety of things and issues including birds, plants, animals, you name it. This man was blessed with wisdom.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon gives a picture of life and how meaningless it is. He goes from talking about vanity, to emptiness of life, he talks about drinking, feasting, enjoying labour and seeking God, yet he concludes the book of Ecclesiastes with this most interesting statement:

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

In conclusion Solomon realises despite his success, wisdom, his gifting and the women, that the whole duty of man is to fear God. This is man’s obligation.

John 14: 25 - 26

25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Many believers today fail to understand or even grasp the fact that the Holy Spirit is the closest we have to being with Jesus.

Believers today do not realise how much the Holy Spirit longs to come alongside us and help.

Jesus had been with His disciples for 3 and half years, now He is going back to His father and His disciples are worried and scared.

The book of Revelation is probably one of the few books of the Bible that most of us hardly read. We see it as a very hard and complicated book.

It is however one the most enlightening books of the Bible if one allows the Holy Spirit to help.

The book begins with a statement from John who was exiled in the island of Patmos.

Revelation 1:1

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

Key Scriptures

2 Cor 13:5-6 (NLT) - 5 Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you ; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. 6 As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority.

2 Cor 13:5-6 (KJV) - 5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

This month we are looking at spiritual MOT. What is spiritual MOT?

Before looking at the theme of Spiritual MOT, I want to look at a physical MOT that happens – The Car MOT.

Many times, most Christians are comfortable with doing what they want to do rather than doing what God has asked to them to do.

Love those we want to love.

Forgive those we want to forgive.

Live our lives the way we want to.

When Samuel made this statement to Saul, it was to address his partial obedience. Partial obedience is still disobedience.

1 Samuel 15:22

22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

Saul had been asked by God to go to the Amalekites and destroy them, destroy the whole city, animals, kings, everyone no one was to be spared.

In the book of beginnings, Genesis, Jesus is introduced to us with the Father and the Holy Spirit, as co-creator of heaven and earth. He is the seed of the woman who bruised Satan's head.

In Exodus, He is the Paschal Lamb, whose blood was sprinkled on the lintel of the Israelites' houses, averting God's judgement and securing their salvation from Egyptian bondage. By implication, His blood secured both our salvation from sin and eternal salvation in heaven.

In Leviticus, He is presented as the Lawgiver and the High Priest who pleads our cause before God and makes atonement for our sin with His precious blood.

In Numbers, He is portrayed as the Serpent of Brass lifted up in the wilderness for the Israelites bitten by the fiery serpents to look upon and me saved.

He is the Pillar of Cloud by day and Fire by night providing guidance through the wilderness journey.