II SAMUEL & I KINGS

This morning, after reading, I could not get my internet to come up, so I'm having to do this at Church.  Of course, once I get to Church, I have people to meet with, letters to read, activity to oversee, and .... but now I have twenty minutes to myself, so let me tell you what I read.  It took a long time to read this morning, because I was studying out somethings that I had never noticed before and making so many notes in my Bible.  I can only share a few things, so let me pick and choose: 1) ALWAYS MORE GIANTS!  In I Samuel, chapter 17, David was used of God to kill Goliath.  The giant of Gath.  The warrior of the Philistines.  But now later in the life of King David, he faces more giants in II Samuel chapter 21.  In verse 15, King David was in the battle, and it says David "fought against the Philistines:  and David waxed faint."  But one of David's men, Abishai (his newphew), fought against Ishbi-benob, which was the son of the giant (Goliath).  But... that is not all.  In verse 18, Saph, son of the giant was killed by Sibbechai (one of David's men), and then in verse 19, Elhanan slew the brother of Goliath, and in verse 20, Jonathan slew "a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant."  Finally in verse 22 we read:  "There four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants."   Now in all these giants getting killed, here is the moral of the story.... there are always more giants to face!  Every life, and every generation, and almost every year there are giants in your life you must face.  Don't run from them... trust the LORD, and face them and know the victory that comes from charging ahead with God.  There are always more giants! 2) HOW DOES GOD SEEM TO YOU?  2 Samuel 22:26-27  "With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.  27  With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury."   People tend to see God as they are themselves!  God responds to us based upon our actions.  If we are kind and gentle, then He treats us kind and gentle... etc.  Think about this when we want to judge God for the way He is treating us.  We might ought to think about how we are acting. 3) TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT-  How amazing that would be if God asked us to tell Him what we wanted.  This is exactly what God told Solomon.  In I Kings 3:5 "In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night:  and God said, Ask what I shall give thee."   John 16:24  "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."   James says we have not because we ask not.  God still today is saying:  "Tell me what you want."   What would you desire for God to answer?  What is it that you would ask of the LORD?   Ask! 4) FILL THE CHURCH LORD- Yes, that is my prayer.  In I Kings 8:10,11 we see that the temple was complete and when the priest came out of the holy place we read  "that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, (11) So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud:  for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD."   Wow!  God's presence filled the place!  Oh how we need that in our churches throughout the land.... God's presence to fill the place!  Make it happen LORD! Well, more to write, but my time is gone... took me forty minutes because I only had to meet with one person who came into the office and only one phone call to receive, but now I'm done.  Praise God... I've enjoyed it.  Hope you have a blessed day!     Pastor Mike Mutchler