Worship

“Tear Off the Roof” by Brandon Lake

Scripture

“The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all. Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. So Samuel said to all the Israelites, ‘If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.’ So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.” -1 Samuel 7:2-4

A Call to Prayer for Gospel Work

I leave today for South Asia for two weeks. Please pray for a massive harvest of souls in a 98% Hindu area. We will be trekking through the Himalayan mountains to areas unreached with the gospel. These opportunities are such an honor as we release the presence of Jesus and bring His salvation and power. I can think of nothing else more worthy of my life.

Learning from Israel’s Revival

The ark of the Lord—the very presence of God—was in their midst for 20 years. He was wooing hearts and patiently drawing His people back to Himself all 7,300 days. Finally, they were ready for what God had planned: a time of repentance and revival. They threw off their idols and recommitted their lives to Him. Can you picture their tears and their joy? Samuel shepherded, as a prophet, the very heart of God to the people of God. And we read that at that time they “served the Lord only (1 Samuel 7:4).” What a beautiful picture of the heart of revival in the presence of God. Can you imagine the awe and the peace they were experiencing as they threw off bondage and strongholds and idol worship and agreement with the enemy? I can imagine them longing to just live in His presence and being captivated with His love.

And just like that, here comes the enemy to knock God’s people back into fear and trauma and chaos. The enemy came to steal what God was depositing deep in His people. He wanted them back in captivity, pummeled and defeated, destroyed by the Philistines, anchored to bondage and despair.

“When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. They said to Samuel, ‘Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.’ Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.” -1 Samuel 7:7-9

Three things to consider in a season of revival and returning:

• The enemy will come to steal everything God has freed you from.
• Repentance and returning to the Lord is the open door to peace and protection.
• The Lord is near and roaring over you in this consecrated time. He will protect what has been deposited.

Samuel stood in the gap for Israel. He cried to the Lord, and the Lord answered him immediately with salvation and victory.

God’s Mighty Intervention

“While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.” -1 Samuel 7:10-11

I wonder if the Israelites had  maintained a hard heart and continued in their idolatry and disobedience whether they would have heard and seen the deliverance they saw. I rest in the mercy and grace of God, but I also believe their repentance and returning set the stage for both their spiritual and physical deliverance from their enemy. Both Satan and the Philistines wanted them captured and destroyed. But the Lord came near.

God moved on their behalf. He roared from Heaven. He routed the enemy and sent them into confusion and chaos. Then the people of God rose up in courage and the tables turned. The enemy was the one slaughtered and destroyed. Humility and dependence ushered in a great victory for the people of God!

From Victory to Recovery

On the journey from repentance to recovery was this monumental moment of victory. But that was only the halfway mark in this story. When the people repented and hungered for God’s presence, the enemy came taunting and triggering like he always does. But the people got low and cried out and turned their hearts to the Lord in the middle of their crisis. God showed up and gave His people great victory. But in the abundance of who God is, it didn’t end there. They got to recover all.

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’ So the Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.” -1 Samuel 7:12-14

All that once belonged in enemy territory was restored back to Israel. They gained even more ground to occupy! Peace was established in the land and among Israel and her neighbors. God stretched out their place of habitation and ownership. And it all began with their hearts returning to the Lord.

“Power is perfected in weakness. There is only one direction in ministry: lower then lower still. God, then, picks you up like a paintbrush and paints a picture for all the world to see. The angels gather round in awe and wonder; the nations bow in His presence. His masterpiece is on display for all eternity. He is the Artist; you are His instrument of choice. Your unique tints and hues merge with the colored strokes from other brushes. A portrait of His Kingdom emerges glorious and divine—a striking reminder of His great love for humankind.” -David Joannes, “The Mind of a Missionary”

Application for Today’s Believers

When the Lord brought this passage to me this morning, it had implications for God’s grafted in ones. We have no time to waste in His presence, maintaining idols and strongholds, disobedience and worldly pursuits. It’s a season of repentance and returning to the Lord with our whole heart! He’s inviting us to this place in His presence so we can experience peace and protection, victory and deliverance from the hand of our enemy. On the other side is the bounty and increase and expansion of Christ’s life in you, the hope of glory to a dying world.

The other part of this passage is a call to intercession for Israel in this hour. May the Lord use this time of suffering and great trauma to draw people to Himself. One man, Samuel, cried out on behalf of Israel, and the Lord heard him. The Lord answered the cries of just one man for God’s deliverance for Israel. So may it be for those of us interceding for Israel and the Jewish people in this hour! The Philistines in those days are the Hamas today. Pray 1 Samuel 7:10-14 for Israel. Pray for the Lord to throw the enemy into confusion and for God’s people to move with divine strategy and protection. Pray for the innocent to be invisible and hidden behind the hosts of angel armies. But the greatest thing we can pray for is that this causes the Jewish people and others in the region to seek Jesus and come to know Him. May He use this to open their eyes in this hour! Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the salvation of all of Israel.

Brothers and sisters, our time is short. History is speeding up. Jesus is coming soon. Please tell someone today about your Jesus and how He set you free. There’s a desperate world in need of hope, and you have Him living inside of you!

A Few Key Notes

• Explore how God is speaking to you in your dreams, discover how much the Scriptures talk about dreams, and model how we can decipher God’s messages to us in our dreams. Sign up for the Biblical Dream Interpretation Class in Plano beginning October 25.
• Love your neighbor and join us in sharing about Jesus during Dallas Harvest Day! We will teach you how to share the gospel and then go and evangelize together. Join us on the first Saturday of each month. Meet at La Victoria, 1605 N. Haskell Ave., Dallas, TX 75204, at 9 a.m. for the next Harvest Day on November 4. Tell us you’re coming by emailing [email protected].
• Sign up for the Holy Fire Study to learn who the Holy Spirit is; His role in God’s plan; how He operates; and His work to transform, empower, and activate Christ followers to fulfill the hope of God globally and individually. The study will be led by me and Tracy Edwards, and it happens at 7 p.m. on Mondays (in person and over Zoom) from November 6-December 11 at The Hope Center, 2001 W. Plano Parkway, Ste. 3000, Plano, TX 75075. Email me at [email protected] to register.
• Save the date for the Arise Christmas Luncheon at The Hope Center in Plano. Join us on December 12 as we hear from Safeeya Schnaufer, who will share stories of women who risk it all. Early bird tickets and table sponsorships are available now!