ICEMANforChrist

1 Samuel, Chapter 20, Verse 21 I will then send my attendant to recover the arrows. If in fact I say to him, ‘Look, the arrow is this side of you; pick it up,’ come, for you are safe. As the L ORD lives, there will be nothing to fear . "The sages characterized the relationship between Jonathan and David in the following Mishnah: “Whenever love depends on some selfish end, when the end passes away, the love passes away; but if it does not depend on some selfish end, it will never pass away. Which love depended on a selfish end? This was the love of Amnon and Tamar. And which did not depend on a selfish end? This was the love of David and Jonathan. (Avot 5:15)" Rabbi Shimon ben Tzemach Duran (Spain, North Africa 14th-15th century) delineated the significance of this mishnah: “Anyone who establishes a friendship for access to power, money, or sexual relations; when these ends are not attainable, the friendship ceases…love that is not dependent on selfish ends is true lo...

Let those who fear the LORD say, "His mercy endures forever." 1 Samuel, Chapter 18, Verse 29 So Saul feared David all the more and was his enemy ever after. David was pursued by Saul but David never returned the enemy status to Saul. No, David knew our only enemy is anything that opposes the love of God. Saul was seduced by the world, the flesh and the devil. These are our enemies. Love brings unity in its truest form. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not three but one and one in Love. This unity of love is reflected in the married life and the life of the religious. Easter Friday was a favorite day for pilgrimages in many parts of Europe. Large groups would take rather long processions to a shrine or church, where Mass would be offered. Easter Friday Meditation [1] Easter reminds us of these fundamental requirements of the Christian life: the practice of piety and patience. Through piety we live detached from human frailties, in purity of mind an...

1 Samuel, Chapter 18, Verse 15 Seeing how he prospered, Saul feared David. Insecure people spend a lot of time in job justification. Think about it how much time do you or people you know spend in justifying rather than striving to break free of fears and be all God has envisioned them to be? Often insecure people are trapped in a cycle of fear that retards their ability to give power and grace to others. The law of Empowerment [1] Saul was insecure. The Law of Empowerment says that only secure leaders give power to others . But what does it mean to be secure? Using the analogy of personal finance, let’s look at what’s missing from the lives of insecure leaders. This will help us better understand where security comes from and why it matters. ·          Paupers, debtors, and hoarders lack the real or perceived financial security necessary to give generously to others. Paupers have no source of income aside from the financial a...

1 Samuel, Chapter 18, Verse 12 Saul then began to fear David because the LORD was with him but had turned away from Saul. To this David writes psalm 27: The L ORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The L ORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, these my enemies and foes themselves stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart does not fear; though war be waged against me, even then do I trust. One thing I ask of the L ORD ; this I seek: to dwell in the L ORD ’s house all the days of my life, to gaze on the L ORD ’s beauty, to visit his temple. For God will hide me in his shelter in time of trouble, He will conceal me in the cover of his tent; and set me high upon a rock. Even now my head is held high above my enemies on every side! I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and chant praise to the L ORD . Hear my voice, L ORD , when I call; have mercy on m...

Let those who fear the LORD say, "His mercy endures forever." 1 Samuel, Chapter 21, Verse 13 David took note of these remarks and became very much afraid of Achish, king of Gath. One wonders why was David so afraid. According to David Roper this was David’s testing. Just about the time I think I've got it all together, some unsightly emotional display, some inappropriate reaction, some other embarrassing behavior blows my cover and I have that horrible experience of being found out. It's humiliating! But humiliation is good for the soul. Through it God deals with our self-admiration and pride. Without it we could never make the most of our lives. The trouble with us is that we want to be tremendously important. It's a terrible trait, the essential vice, the utmost evil. It's the sin that turned the devil into the demon he became. Obscurity and humility, on the other hand, release God's greatness. It is the basis of our life with God and ...

See, the eyes of the lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. 1 SAMUEL, Chapter 15, Verse 24 Saul admitted to Samuel: “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the command of the L ORD and your instructions. I feared the people and obeyed them. There are three lessons we can learn from the life of King Saul. First, obey the Lord and seek to do His will. From the very start of his reign, Saul had the perfect opportunity to be the benchmark by which all future kings could be measured. All he had to do was to seek the Lord wholeheartedly, obey His commandments and align his will with that of God’s, and his rule would have been a God-honoring one. However, like so many others, Saul chose a different path and strayed away from God. We find a perfect example of his disobedience in the incident where God commanded him to kill all the Amalekites, but Saul kept the king and some of ...

Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. 1 Samuel, Chapter 14, Verse 24-26 24 Even though the Israelites were exhausted that day, Saul laid an oath on them, saying, “Cursed be the one who takes food before evening, before I am able to avenge myself on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. 25 Now there was a honeycomb lying on the ground, 26 and when the soldiers came to the comb the honey was flowing; yet no one raised a hand from it to his mouth, because the people feared the oath. Saul was unfaithful and weak and therefore led his warriors by fear rather than by inspiration. His main concern was keeping and holding power. Hum…some things don’t change. There was no humility in him; only hubris. “I” was the first word in his life rather than saying and living the word of God. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your Heart, and with all your soul, and with your entire mind, and with all your stre...