Sunday 14th July 2013 - Contending for the Kingdom - Martin Kedian

KLC 14 / 7/ 2013 1. SAMUEL 17 V. 38:::51 CONTENDING FOR THE KINGDOM I SPEND MANY NIGHTS WITH GOLIATH HE IS THERE IN MY THOUGHTS HE WANTS TO INVADE MY PRIVACY TO INTIMIDATE ME HIS FAVOURITE PHRASE IS WHAT IF OR HAS GOD SAID RECENTLY LIFE HAS BEEN TOUGH AND THE OTHER DAY I WOKE EARLY AND HE WAS THERE HE VIES FOR THE BEDSIDE POSITION HOPING TO BE THE FIRST VOICE YOU HEAR HE WANTS TO WAKE US WITH WORRY AND STIRS US WITH THOUGHTS OF STRESS YOU AIN'T GOT WHAT IT TAKES YOU COME FROM A LONG LINE OF LOSERS I TURNED TO FACE HIM AND SAID THIS BED IS NOT BIG ENOUGH FOR THE THREE OF US. AND WE'RE NOT LEAVING RECENTLY I HAVE GLIMPSED HIM ACROSS THE VALEY USING HIS FAVOURITE WEAPON INTIMIDATION COME AND HAVE A GO IF YOU THINK YOUR HARD ENOUGH. IT'S TIME HE FELL WHAT ARE OUR GIANTS TODAY FEAR UNEMPLOYMENT ABANDONMENT ABUSE A MISTAKE BUT TODAY IS THE DAY TO STAND NO INTIMIDATION. THE LORD HAS WON THE VICTORY RAISE THE BATTLE CRY AND SING THE VICTORY SONG WHO IS ON THE LORDS SIDE A SLENDER YOUTH KNEELS BY THE BROOK HE SEARCHES FOR SMOOTH STONES FIVE IN NUMBER THAT FIT PERFECTLY IN A SHEPHERDS SLING STONES THAT FLY STRAIGHT AND TRUE INTO THE HEAD OF A LION OR A BEAR OR IN THIS CASE A GIANT GOLIATH TOWERS ABOVE THEM ALL NINE FEET NINE INCHES TALL AND SNARLING LIKE A LION THIS DAY I DEFY THE RANKS OF ISRAEL GIVE ME A MAN AND LET US FIGHT EACH OTHER WHAT ARE THE ODDS FOR THE YOUNG CONTENDER PERHAPS BETTER THAT THE ODDS YOU PLACE ON YOUR SELF FOR VICTORY OVER YOUR GOLIATH OUR GOLIATH DOESN'T CARRY A SWORD OR SHIELD BUT HE BRANDISHES THE BLADES OF UNEMPLOYMENT ABUSE DEPRESSION ETC HE DOESN'T PARADE IN THE HILLS OF ELAH HE PRANCES THROUGH OUR WORKPLACE OUR OFFICE OUR BEDROOM OR CLASSROOM GOLIATH WAS AN ANCIENT FOE OF THE ISRAELITES JOSHUA DROVE THEM FROM THE PROMISED LAND 300 YEARS EARLIER SAULS SOLDIERS SAW GOLIATH AND MUMBLED NOT AGAIN HOW LONG HAS HE STALKED YOU I STLL SEE FAMILY TRAITS IN MYSELF DIVORCE IS AN EPIDEMIC IM MY FAMILY NO ONE OWNES THERE OWN HOUSE PERHAPS YOU HAVE SPOKEN THESE WORDS I AM BECOMING A WORKAHOLIC I AM JUST LIKE MY FATHER IS THIS EVER GOING TO STOP GOLIATH IS BACK ON THE SCENE WHEN SAULS MEN HEARD OF THIS PHILISTINES CHALLENGE THEY WERE TERRIFIED REMEMBER THAT THE COMMANDER OF THE LORDS ARMY IS WITH US SO LETS LOOK AT THE FIVE STONES OF SUCCESS WE ALL KNOW WHAT DAVID DID YOY PICK UP FIVE STONES AND YOU MAKE FIVE DECISIONS 1/ THE STONE OF THE PAST GOLIATH JOGGED DAVID'S MEMORY WHILE EVERYONE ELSE WAS AFRAID DAVID REMEMBERED GOD HAD GIVEN HIM STRENGTH TO WRESTLE A LION AND STRONG ARM A BEAR HE WOULD DO THE SAME WITH THIS UNCIRCUMCISED PHILISTINE GIANT OR NOT A GOOD MEMORY MAKES HEROES A BAD MEMORY PRODUCES WIMPS REMEMBER THE MARVELLOUS WORKS HE HAS DONE LIST HIS FAVOURS HAS HE NOT WALKED YOU THROUGH HIGH WATERS PROVEN TO BE FAITHFUL HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY MORNING HE HAS MADE ROADKILL OUT OF YOUR ENEMIES WRITE YOUR WORRIES IN THE SAND CHISEL YESTERDAY'S VICTORIES IN STONE PICK UP THE STONE OF THE PAST 2/ THE STONE OF PRAYER BEFORE GOING HEIGH DAVID WENT LOW BEFORE ASCENDING TO FIGHT DAVID DESCENDED TO PREPARE DON'T FACE YOUR GIANT WITHOUT DOING THE SAME DEDICATE TIME TO PRAYER PRAYER SPAWNED DAVID'S SUCCESS AS HIS KNEE WAS IN THE BROOK MUDDY AND DAMP WISDOM GREW IN HIS HEART HE STRENGTHENED HIMSELF IN THE LORD HIS GOD ISAIAH 26:3. YOU WILL KEEP HIM IN PERFECT PEACE WHOSE MIND IS STAYED ON THEE FIX YOUR MIND ON GOD NOT JUST PEACE BUT PEACE WHOSE QUALITY IS PERFECT UNDILUTED UNSPOTTED UNHINDERED PEACE TO WHOM TO THOSE WHOSE MINDS ARE FIXED ON GOD PEACE IS PROMISED TO THE ONE WHO FIXES THOUGHTS AND DESIRES ON THE KING 3/ THE STONE OF PRIORITY OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY IS GODS REPUTATION DAVID JEALOUSLY GUARDED IT DAVID FOUGHT SO THAT ALL THE EARTH MAY KNOW THAT THERE IS A GOD IN ISRAEL FOR THE BATTLE IS THE LORDS DAVID SAW GOLIATH AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GODS GLORY TO BE MANIFEST DID DAVID KNOW HE WOULD LIVE NO BUT HE WAS WILLING TO GIVE HIS LIFE FOR THE REPUTATION OF GOD DO WE SEE OUR GIANT IN THE SAME WAY OUR LACK IS GODS OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW HIS PROVISION OUR SIN IS GODS OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE HIS AMAZING GRACE YOUR STRUGGLE IS HIS OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM TO DECLARE HIS POWER SEE OUR STRUGGLE AS GODS CANVAS ON IT HE WILL PAINT HIS MULTICOLOURED VICTORY 4/. THE STONE OF PASSION DAVID RAN TOWARDS HIS GIANT NOT AWAY ON ONE SIDE OF THE BATTLEFIELD SAUL AND HIS COWARDLY ARMY GULPED ON THE OTHER SIDE GOLIATH AND HIS CHUMS SCOFFED MOCKING GOD IN THE MIDDLE DAVID RAN ON HIS SPINDLY LEGS WHO BET ON DAVID WHO PUT MONEY ON THE BOY FROM BETHLEHEM NOT THE PHILISTINES NOT THE HEBREWS NOT DAVID'S BROTHERS OR DAVID'S KING BUT GOD DID. HE KNEW HIS MAN AND SINCE GOD DID AND DAVID KNEW GOD DID HIS LEGS BECAME A BLUR OF PUMPING KNEES DO THE SAME PROBLEM PONDERING HAS NEVER WON VICTORIES LISTING HURTS WON'T HEAL THEM ITEMISING PROBLEMS WON'T SOLVE THEM CATEGORISING REJECTIONS WON'T REMOVE THEM DAVID SEVERED THE GIANTS HEAD FROM HIS BODY HE DEALT WITH HIS GOLIATH BY EMPHASISING THE LORD LETS LIFT JESUS HIGHER THE FINAL STONE 5/ THE STONE OF PERSISTENCE IT IS SAID THAT GOLIATH HAD FOUR BROTHERS YOU CAN DISCOVER THIS IN 2 SAMUEL 21 THE OTHER FOUR STONES WERE FOR THEM IF THEY SHOULD SHOW UP DAVID WAS READY FOR THE FAMILY IF NEEDED IMITATE HIM NEVER GIVE UP ONE PRAYER MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH ONE DAY OF FASTING AND PRAYER MIGHT NOT SUFFICE YOU MIGHT GET KNOCKED DOWN A TIME OR TWO BUT DON'T QUIT I GET KNOCKED DOWN BUT I GET UP AGAIN KEEP LOADING THE STONES KEEP SWINGING THE SLING DAVID TOOK FIVE STONES HE MADE FIVE DECISIONS DO THE SAME PAST. PRAYER. PRIORITY. PASSION. AND. PERSISTENCE NEXT TIME GOLIATH WAKES YOU UP REACH FOR A STONE ODDS ARE HE WILL BE OUT OF YOUR ROOM BEFORE YOU CAN LOAD YOUR SLING DAVID WROTE THESE WORDS IN PSALM 121::v 2 MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD THE MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH AMEN AMEN