Below are some articles that Mark has written

also published on

SOUTHWIND BLOG

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I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror - The wide brown land for me! -

This seminal poem is well remembered by those who grew up in Australia in the 60,s & 70’s. written by Dorothea Mackellar and published in the ‘sixth book’ in the Victorian readers series, it sums up well the extremes that are part of the Aussie way of life.

With thousands of Queenslanders thrown into absolute turmoil as their homes and way of life have been overrun with water it exemplifies the severity of living in our great nation. 

Whilst this disaster has unfolded in front of our eyes, we have watched helplessly from our lounge rooms as street by street the water has consumed our beloved Sunshine state!

Whilst this, and other recent disasters throw us into chaos I believe that our nation was actually born to overcome these types of things.

Australia had our genesis with people being sent against their will to a seemingly god forsaken land to try to survive - having to eke out an existence against a backdrop of natural disasters, such as fires and floods and long droughts. However this forged the Australian soul and set a resilient and steadfast spirit within us as a people.

Is by chance that within this great southland there are plants that lay dormant for years that only a flood can release the new life that has been kept locked in a seemingly dead husk.

Or is it a random freak of nature that within this great nation there are over 60 species of plants, such as wattles and banksias that need to be burnt in order to germinate?

Could it be that the Creator placed in this harsh climate these characteristics within not only many species of plants but within the spirit of the people! That in the harshest and most difficult times the outer husk of hardness and inflexibility is broken away to release the seeds for an emerging generation.

Within the midst of this horrendous and trying time in our nation we have seen such nobility and sacrifice released. This is the Australian spirit!

One of the endearing things that set Aussies apart in an increasingly global world is the level of support and camaraderie to each other that we affectionately know as ‘mateship’.

A 'mate' is more than just a friend. It's a term that implies a sense of shared experience, mutual respect and unconditional assistance!

This identity that was forged in hard times in Australian life is very much the spirit that has risen during this crisis in our nation.

It is even interesting when one looks at the reaction of other nations to similar crisis and it seems that this truly is a unique disposition that in the midst of what could spell a national disaster can ultimately turn to a national triumph as people plumb within and find a spirit of generosity and gratitude as they cast their own need aside to stand by their mates.

Paul Sheehan, in Among the Barbarians, wrote:

In the [Japanese POW] camps the Australians discarded their differences and became a tribe, a tribe which was always the most successful group. The core of this success was an ethos of mateship and egalitarianism which not only survived the ultimate dehumanizing duress of the death camps, but shone through as the dominant Australian characteristic.

I believe the Creator has made this nation for overcoming. Yes this disaster will affect us and pull us back but we need to recognize that within us is a seed that is released in these times that brings us back to life. That releases the next generation to rise again and come back for more.

The Queensland Premier well said that these floods might be breaking our hearts but they haven’t broken our will  - we need to not let our natural grief blind us to the significant of the purposes of these times.

This flood, which now ranks as the worst natural peace time disaster that has ever hit our nation, and even the devastating black Saturday fires that struck Victoria, perhaps has released a new and fresh discovery of the Aussie spirit of mateship that needed to be defined for the current generation.

There has been an interesting phenomenon that has emerged over the last few years as Anzac day rolls around each successive year to see the thousands of young men and women who make a pilgrimage to the shores of Turkey to remember their heritage. The majority of the pilgrims are too young to remember the conflict that Gallipoli and indeed the other Anzac memorials represent, but, that each year, more and more of this current generation find themselves drawn to participate signifies a shifting of values and a seeking after a true and lasting heritage.

As the gathered crowd listen as tributes are delivered to those who paid the ultimate price, it is evident that as the stories of heroism and mateship are rehearsed, the younger generation are absorbing the values and the triumphs of their forebears.

Could it be that these disasters have set a spark that will in time set a generation on a fresh and ultimately far more significant path!

Australia is at a time of shift and perhaps the fires and indeed the recent floods that have ravaged our nation in these last weeks are a harbinger of that shift and a hinge through which a new generation may emerge with fresh emphasis and renewed vision. One can only hope!

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Stone the Revivalist

I love reading the history of revival - real revival - Every one (bar none) was rejected by the religious community - often the very ones that think they are waiting for a move of God

In Wales, which arguably was the greatest move of God we have ever seen, God used a young man whose name was Evan Roberts to head up and give direction to this mighty outpouring.

Evan was not a eloquent man, some would even say unusual, to the point that people around him started thinking he was mentally unbalanced in the prelude to this great move of God.  His family actually considered having him committed to psychiatric care prior to the outpouring hitting that nation. This mighty move of God literally saw the nation of Wales so changed that entire football teams were disbanded as people lost interest in football, judges were handed white gloves, indicating that there was no cases to try and policemen were literally unemployed. This was truly a move of God.

One successful and popular pastor invited Evan to speak in his church. As Evan got up to speak and struggled with his words and fidgeted, this pastor, Peter Price, got up and stopped him and said publicly 'this revival is a travesty of the real thing’ - I am sure he thought ' how could God use such a buffoon'!

Whilst this was bad enough! He then started writing articles in the secular paper that criticised Evan for everything, his style and his theology and 'the emotionalism' of his meetings. History has a wonderful way of recording these events. Evan Roberts has gone down in the pages of God’s wonderful scarlet thread of redemption and the weave of His amazing plan though the centuries.

I am sure Peter Price knows he was wrong now, and will live with the Lord and rue the day he said such things, but the damage was done. His comments brought to an end Robert's part in the Revival, and contributed eventually to his nervous breakdown. The great Welsh revival soon came to an end!

I am sure God, in his infinite grace still loved Peter Price but in truth he single handedly threw the stone that toppled one of God’s generals.

If we don't learn from history we are bound to repeat it! It is easy thing to criticize what we don't understand. This is based in fear. When God chooses to use people that we think are 'wrong' or don't fit our understanding it is an easy thing to become a critic. 

With the invention of Blogs and the ease of communication it is no longer necessary to write articles in newspapers, we simply write our opinions and send them to the world - however we must be so careful that that we are not found with the spirit of Korah, who stood against the work of God, he used his human logic to declare what Moses had been given to do, was not from God...

In his foolish rebellion he led many astray. It is a sad thing thing that we somehow think the Father is pleased when we criticize and pull down his children. The reality is He loves us in our weakness and our foolishness - He still chooses the weak and the foolish to shame the strong.

Judge Not!

We are entering a tremendously important time in the kingdom and the Lord is hovering in new ways and there is an expectation of those that are standing in places of authority in the body to speak that which is true and strong for the body of believers.

It has been revealed recently that Evangelist Benny Hinn’s wife has decided to end her marriage to Hinn. She has filed for divorce. Whilst many believers will be shocked, perhaps we should learn some things from relatively recent church history.

Some years back (The late 80’s) the body of Christ went through a significant shaking that was precipitated by the defrocking and public humiliation of Marvin Gorman, Jim Bakker and ultimately Jimmy Swaggart.

Both Swaggart and Bakker were the face of the American church in their hour and the entire world would listen as they spoke, yet both were caught in a place of want. The lesser known Marvin Gorman had also been a respected television evangelist, but had also been exposed as having been involved in several affairs.

Jim Bakker led the now infamous Heritage USA – a Christian themed amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina – at one time the time the third most visited site in the US aside from Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

Swaggart, a gifted preacher, the cousin of singer, Jerry Lee Lewis, was renown as a the darling of the church as he preached forthright messages seeing thousands brought into the kingdom.

The melee that precipitated their fall from grace was in part initiated by Swaggart who in his preaching started to take the high moral ground about the problems in the church in the US.

He based a lot of his messages at that time on a book called ‘The seduction of Christianity – A book that ostensibly exposed the enemy’s strategy against the church, but ultimately it criticised many of the things that were happening in the church in that season.  Ironically it was written by an anti Pentecostal whose theology was the foundation for his penmanship. It was one of the first of a unfortunate sub-culture that has now risen in the church that empowers people to criticise what they don’t either understand or agree with.

There is now a plethora of books and web sites that see it as their mission to criticise and expose what is happening in the church – a very dangerous and ultimately a very arrogant practise. Many of these are written by hurt and unhealed Christians who are easily deceived. Thinking they are exposing error, their actions rather demonstrate a far more serious sin of judgement.

In the midst of Swaggart’s tirade against others in ministry in the nation, Swaggart started to name names and finally came out and exposed Marvin Gorman as having failed morally. Initially his influence in his denomination gave him a strong voice and they acted on his accusation.

Sometime later he also declared that Bakker was ‘a cancer on the body of Christ’ and should be removed.  His history with Bakker was in some manner based on jealousy as Bakker had a powerful voice in the American Television Church at that time – a place Swaggart sought for himself. He had discovered that Bakker had entered into a payment to a young lady, with whom he had fallen morally, to cover his tracks. Swaggart used his considerable influence to disclose his adversary’s sins.

Ironically all three were members of the same denomination – the Assemblies of God.

Later, encouraged by an ever-present voice that finds criticism a positive thing, he continued his tirade until he himself was uncovered as having visited with prostitutes.

Ironically Marvin Gorman staked out Swaggart and photographed him going into a brothel, in retaliation for his own exposure!

Swaggart’s confession, with him weeping , quickly spread across the world as he was exposed in his own moral dilemma. Quoting from David’s Psalm of repentance – Ps 51 – the world watched as he prayed ‘Take not thy Holy Spirit from me’. He also prayed  "I have sinned against you, my Lord, and I would ask that your precious blood would wash and cleanse every stain until it is in the seas of God's forgiveness.”

Swaggart had been renowned as a voice for reason in the church and wrote much on the disciplining of ministers and the place of discipline in the church. However in his own situation he was unwilling to comply with the requests of his movement – the Assemblies of God, to step aside for a season for restoration and rehabilitation.  He was thus defrocked and stubbornly continued in his ministry as an independent.

His fate however was sealed and he quickly disappeared from the public view and much of his influence and power dissolved and his huge television audience quickly deserted him.

Ironically Swaggart continued and in fact continues today to run his church, however in a far less influential way.

Marvin Gorman’s ministry quickly faded and with some irony he later successfully sued Swaggart for destroying his ministry!

Bakker however was incarcerated for money issues relating to his ministry and spent some years as a guest of the US government as a prisoner. Finally released in 1994 after serving 8 years of a 45 year sentence, he wrote several books admitting his failure, the most prominent being – ‘I was wrong’, – a blow by blow life story of his journey and ultimate failure. Bakker however remarried after Tammy Faye, his equally famous wife ran off with one of his former supporters. He today runs a small television ministry with his new wife in Branson, Missouri.

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Swaggart fell upon a powerful principal that is imbedded in our foundation as Christians.

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matthew, 7,1-2)

The very manner that he entered into judgement over Gorman & Bakker was measured to him – as the scripture declares!

Whilst it is evident that Gorman & Bakker were in the wrong and ultimately paid for their own mistakes but the reality is that Swaggart blindly thought that he could judge others whilst he was dealing with his own internal struggles?

The Bible declares that the Lord covers our sins (Rom 4:27)  – we are forgiven and cleansed as we confess our sin to him (1 Jn 1:9) – we have an amazing God who chooses to use us in our weakness and foolishness.

Many have fallen at this hurdle in their Christian walk – we are saved by His grace and it is by His grace that each of us stand. When we come to a place of thinking somehow that we have earned a place or obtained a higher status we enter into deception.

Whilst it is a sad fact that Benny Hinn’s wife has now filed for a divorce, there are most likely many issues they both now face. It is a sad reality that this will now effect his ministry and his ability to continue to be a voice for the church.

Recently Benny Hinn took it upon himself to speak a series of messages about deception in the church and in the midst he declared a fellow preacher as deceived and wrong.

Whilst not actually naming Todd Bentley, his tirade, against not only his style and theology at the now quite infamous Lakeland outpouring, made his position very clear.

Whilst Bentley has had many critics and his style is at best, very unique. The fact that his marriage fell apart during the Lakeland outpouring was a point that was not lost on Benny Hinn.

Bentley was uniquely used of God during that season of visitation and many people received healings and miracles that surpassed the ministry of Benny Hinn, a fact that I am sure grated in Hinn's heart.

Whilst Bentley’s demeanour and tattooed body and at times outrageous claims makes him a perfect target for critics, it is dangerous place to go to enter into judgement.

Benny Hinn will now go through a challenging season and perhaps will survive and still in some way be voice in the church; however I suspect that his future is determined by his own decisions regarding these issues.

Benny Hinn has been the subject of much criticism himself and has undergone attacks from many from within the church. He has weathered much of this criticism and perhaps learnt many things, ironically as has Todd Bentley.

However as Luke says in his gospel in 12:38 From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

1 Corinthians 10:12 - So that let him that thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

A lesson here needs to be learnt – perhaps the next generation of leaders will not fall at this very prominent hurdle.

With the invention of the internet and the ease of publishing ones views on any subject it is a sad reality that many with a spirit of religion use to attack and deride people with whom they disagree. However the credential of those who criticise is very rarely brought into focus.

I suspect the Lord will use this new medium as a filter that ultimately will disqualify many who dare to point fingers at and malign his children.

The amount of vitriol and venom that is often pointed at others is perhaps a sign of the times as we enter into the final days.

Whilst we are called to discern and be watchful, the Lord is continually looking at our hearts. The hearts of those that dare to speak with such venom against his sons and daughters bring many of them into judgement – a place I would never want to be.

David - A Heart After God

I guess one of my favorite characters in the Bible is King David.

The thing about David was that he had a heart for God – he fell into sin and he was human – in fact the things that we can look at about David that show us that he was very human.

However the very fact was that God found in Him something that was pleasing to him.

The bible says  - in 1 Sam 13 ;14 the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people,

The people had called for a king - they wanted to be as the other nations - they wanted a human leader - this was never God’s desire – he wanted them to be a people that were different – that had Him as their leader – the Lord as the head over that nation.

He had appointed priests to stand in on behalf of the people - to offer sacrifices for the people’s sin that they might be able to approach God. And he appointed prophets to speak on His behalf. So the people had their human leaders – those that in a sense were extensions of God Himself. But they demanded more and asked Him for a King. Samuel the prophet was indignant at the people for calling for a human leader but God spoke to Him and said

1 Sam 8:7 And the LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.

He appointed them their king  - 1 Sam 9: 2 …… whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

A man who was strong in the area of his human ability and his talent – the very thing that the people wanted! But it did not take long for this man to show his true colours   - the first charge that was to simply wait 7 days for Samuel to come down to offer the sacrifice and to show him what to do. Saul however took matters into his own hands because Samuel seemed to be late in coming and did what he was not qualified to do and offered up the sacrifice before the people

This was the task of the priest  - not the king – and he acted foolishly  - just as he was doing his thing Samuel arrives and says  - what have you done..

But Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash,

1 Sam 9: 12- 14 therefore I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the LORD.' So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering." And Samuel said to Saul, "You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.”But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."

The Amalekites

The second task given to Saul was to wipe out the Amalekites. These people give us a picture of the devil – they were an evil race that would pray on the weak. Their tactics were to pick of the stragglers and to kill them. a picture of the enemy of our souls. That Jesus role was to destroy the works of the enemy – for this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the evil one. Saul - who seems to always think he knows better takes matters into his hands and rather than destroy the Amalekites. His charge was quite straight forward - destroy everything - do not let anyone or any thing survive.  person or even animal. Saul however killed the majority of the people but kept the animals and even allowed the king of the Amelakites to live.

Thinking he had done a real good job he comes back to the prophet Samuel and reports on all that he had accomplished. Samuel however is not impressed and says that powerful scripture - 1 Sam 15: 22 -23   And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king."

It didn’t take long – this human leader to fall back on his own abilities and talent -  he made a decision that seemed plausible  - that seemed reasonable to him  - that he should keep all the good stuff – after all God is reasonable..

There was a good reason why the lord wanted to destroy this evil people and Saul had failed. Ironically it is ultimately an Amalekite that takes Saul's life and reports it to David. This man Saul - even though he was obviously a strong leader was not a leader that the lord could use.

God looks for people who have a submissive and humble heart –

To obey is better than sacrifice – religion always wants to give sacrifice. Religion thinks that God is impressed by our displays or our efforts – but he is looking for obedience…

Saul in many ways speaks to us a human government that relies on ability and strength - interestingly the human attributes that he had – he was a head and shoulders taller than all the other people. This guy was a big fellow - his head speaks to us of his mind being strong and his shoulders of human strength.  Even though he was God’s leader - he was firmly in charge.

Yet God found a man ‘after His own heart’. David - even as a young man when the Lord first found him he found this David someone that pleased him. What were the attributes of David – what was it that God found that was after his own heart. As I said earlier he had his flaws – he was very human yet there was something different about David. God so honoured him that Jesus was called the son of David. Even as a young man when the lord first found him - there was tenderness toward the lord … he would sit in the meadow watching his father’s sheep and play on his harp before the Lord.There is a connection between music and God..  In the book of revelations we see the angels around the throne of God singing and worshipping. Even Lucifer himself was created by God to be the worship leader in heaven…  I believe God is attracted to worship – he is attracted to those that want to come into His presence and worship him

Worship – Greek   proskuneo, pros-koo-neh'-o; mean. To kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand; to fawn or crouch to, prostrate oneself in homage - do reverence to, adore

David from youth was an interesting man…

1 Sam 16:18 "Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him."

As a young man he had a longing to sing and make music ….

David as a young man learnt that his expression of love toward God through music was a fundamental thing - an important part of his developing passion. All through David’s life we find him penning songs to the Lord - expressions of his heart to His heavenly father. in good and bad times. David would express his love for the lord through his music…

Music is powerful medium - for Good and for Bad. Often the Music that you enjoy, is a reflection of what is in your heart. Music can be a rebellious force that the enemy will use to coerce people to be filled with rage and hate… or it can be a force that can bring tremendous peace and joy.

Many of the early composers understood the power of music.Many of them were Christians that would write music that glorified God and even today as you play their music it will bring a sense of calm and peace.. Handel - for instance was a lover of God - His messiah was a reflection of his love for God – it s very inspiring piece of music. You can often tell the level of a person’s spiritual development by the music they listen to.

When I was first saved I went from very heavy rock & blues to Fisherfolk – an acoustic band from the UK that sang fairly soft gentle music…  because I fell in love. When you are in love you will want to hear things that speak of that love… even in the world – when someone is in love music is often a vehicle to express that love. 

I have heard it said that music is Amoral – in other words neither good nor bad – yet the closer we are to the lord – the more we will want to listen to music that attracts Him and his presence…So David was able to express his heart to the Lord through his music and song.. He had learnt the power and passion of worship. Scripture gives us a wonderful picture of David when the ark of the Lord was returning to Jerusalem – he danced before the Lord and before the people - with the sounds of trumpets and shouting. The ark of God represents in scripture - the presence of God – so David as he danced and worshipped bringing the presence of God back to the city.

A heart after God

What were some of the other attributes of this man after the heart of God?

The philistine giant Goliath was continually intimidating the people of God and mocking them - because of his great size he thought he was invincible. But along came a very young shepherd boy - David who asked a very simple but telling question. Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that dares to taunt the armies of the living God? He didn’t see his size or his stature and even listen to his taunts but simply he understood that he was a part of the family of the living God… and this philistine was the enemy of God.

We find David overcoming the giant – not with amour or skill but with a faith that nothing is too hard for God. He had an unshakable understanding that he and God were a majority – that it didn’t matter how high this man was  - or how big he was  - He could overcome him through God…It was not the stones that he threw that overcame Goliath but his faith that God would be there..

One of the attributes that David had that attracted God to him was that he simply believed him. He understood that God had promised victory and he was acting on that promise. He didn’t look at circumstances or his abilities he simply looked to God.

Circumstances will come and they will go – there is nothing surer - but if we take the Lord at His word and trust in the promises that He has given to us we cannot fail.

It is impossible to fail. The only reason we do fail is we resort to our rational thinking and we look at the circumstances and we see the giants and we see the obstacles and they are stronger and bigger to us than the promises.

David - had sight that few of us have – but all of us should and can have. He saw that God is able. The thing that attracts God to a people is when He sees that they really believe in his promises and they have not resorted to their own thinking and their own understanding.

If we contrast this to Saul who had a very substantial word from God and yet he resorted back to his own understanding.

If you have the word of the Lord and you are believing him - tests will come – in fact everything might look like he has forgotten you - or that the thing he has promises cannot come to pass - but if you are truly believing in the Lord He will do just as He said he will do.  When we believe in the Lord -it is always by faith - that we get what we believe for…

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This man – or rather this boy who had a heart after God saw a great victory for Israel - yet never do we see David saying hey look at what I did!

Another attribute that attracted God was that he considered himself nothing – many of us would race out and build a ministry Giant killers international…   with a logo and letterhead... But David understood that this victory belonged to God… and all glory is His alone. He was not driven by a need for recognition or a need to affirm his status as a man - rather we find David simply returning to the sheepfold. Until he is summoned by Saul

The lord sees fit to place young David as this man’s minstrel – to play for him and I am sure to learn by watching Him. The Lord had already said to David that He was to be the king - Samuel had prophetically declared it so - yet this did not cause David to seek this position but rather - it humbled him and he simply became as a servant.

Even as we see Saul losing the plot and becoming more and more unstable and ultimately trying many times to murder David in jealous rages… we find David never lifting his hand against the king.

He was not about to undermine him either politically or literally … He was loyal even in the face of threat and possibly death - he knew that if this was God’s choice for His life then the Lord would make a way. He understood the principle that says ‘He makes a way where there is no way

But the Lord chose to use these obstacles and people as a training ground for his servant. He had big plans for David and all the things he went through - God allowed to get him ready to reign.

It is so easy to see within the church those are trying to build their kingdoms or their reputations with their abilities.

But the bible says unless the Lord builds the house we labour in vain….

If we build it or obtain it with our natural strength or skill – it will take all our skill to keep it… Humility is one of the characteristics that attracts God -  1 Peter 5:5 says

Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

Humility is not about feeling lowly or rejected but is all about us having a good and proper perspective of ourselves. And seeing that others are more important than we are…  Jesus was the Son of God yet he surrendered his life for humanity

Phil 2: 6  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!

He shows us that true humility is a surrendering of ourselves - and becoming a servant.

I believe that a principal that is found in scripture

Phil 2:3 3  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;

Is the whole pattern of humility…?   I have seen people try to seem like servants - try to look humble - but true humility is considering others

Even the lowly - the least – the no ones - the rejected - even the horrible as more important that you. If the church literally would start to do that the world would be transformed – because people would see Jesus. The thing that drew people to him was that he was humble in heart - he loved them – he cared for them   - they sensed his sincerity...

People can tell when you’re faking that you like them – they can tell when you tolerate them – especially the lowly - they can see a phony at 20 paces… David was found at Adullam running from King Saul who was trying to murder him. At Adullam we find 400 men attach themselves to David.

But these were no ordinary men – the bible says 1 Sam 22: 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

These were basically 400 misfits!  The Hebrew words for distress and debt and discontented could also be translated disabled in debt and bitter. So we have a group of Disabled, indebted and bitter of heart men gathering around David Men that were fugitives from the law – who were running from their responsibilities and their actions and looking for a place to belong.

And David - because of his heart transformed some of these very ones to become what scripture calls David’s mighty men. Men that were devoted and loved him – because they knew that he really loved them. True humility and compassion will always attract the presence of the Lord.

It is interesting that God chose to put his man, David with the broken and disfunctional to train him for the role he was headed for. The journey to the throne will always go through the poor!

As we worship Him and seek to humble ourselves – He will come and fill this temple. I believe that the Lord desires to come and visit our nation – He desires to push aside our barriers and our blindspots and welcome his presence.

With His presence comes refreshing and invigorating peace. Peace that passes all understanding.