In the news...

Bedbugs, cockroaches used as mascots for the 'Poverty Olympics'
Published: Thursday, January 31, 2008 7:27 PM ET
Canadian Press: THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER - Itchy the Bedbug, Creepy the Cockroach and Chewy the Rat don't sound like Olympic mascots, but they are - at least they're the mascots of the first annual Poverty Olympics.

Anti-poverty advocates say they will stage the games Sunday in Vancouver, including such events as the Welfare Hurdles, Poverty Line High Jump, and Long Jump over a Bedbug-Infested Mattress.

Wendy Pedersen of the Carnegie Community Action Project, one of several groups behind the poverty games, says Vancouver and B.C. suffer from what she calls world-class poverty and homelessness.

read more: http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/080131/K013108AU.html

Partners in Mission

Salvation is for here and now and Salvation is for the future.

This past week I had a great opportunity to work with some wonderful people in Saskatchewan around preparedness for an emergency. This has been a great ministry of the Lord's through which we, The Salvation Army, have been bleesed greatly. I was honoured and humbled to train along side the police and fire officials in our area.

A delicious analogy?

So two Sundays ago, the Lord poured the strawberry of The Salvation Army corps into the vanilla of White Fox Pentecostal Church and then added the chocolate of the Baptist preacher from Smeaton and the chocolate syrup of water baptism to Irving's spiritual sundae. This indeed was a glorious sundae. This sundae of Christian prayer and Christian unity was completed on that Sunday through the power of and to the glory of God. Praise the Lord in deed.

read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/01/i-thessalonians-512a13b-18-neopoliten.html

NE BS Friends: How's this for confirmation?

This is a topic that has been coming up in our study of the Bible a lot as we have been working through the NT together.

From army barmy:

Monday, January 28, 2008
January 28, 2008.Greetings in Jesus' name, friends.He is risen!"J O Y J O Y - that must surely mean 'Jesus first, Yourself last, Others in between.'" There are waves of trendiness that occasionally smash on the shore of a relatively small point, sometimes accurately and sometimes not (Prayer of Jabez is an example of the former and recent attacks on The Pathway of Duty are examples of the latter). The Pathway of Duty has been joined by J O Y as a target of such attacks. We're instructed that this song is theologically wrong in that Jesus is first but Yourselves, including family, is really next, followed by Others. Besides being out of line with The Salvation Army (try Booth family history, Railton family history, and so on, for evidence), it seems to run up against Micah (6:8), Jesus (Matthew 23:23), and Paul (Romans 14:17), each of whom mentions three keys, the last of each of the three dealing with Yourself.

verses:Micah 6:8 - He has showed you, O man, what is good.And what does the LORD require of you?To act justly and to love mercyand to walk humbly with your God.

Matthew 23:23 - "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Romans 14:17 - For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.----Admittedly, the whole presumption of a hierarchy lacks consensus in the Body and in real life. Generalisations following the preeminence of God fall down as soon as we start talking specifics (hat tip to Roberts and Strickland 2008, great book to be published very soon).

Don't get me wrong - family is important (heaven forbid that sensitive readers blogossip throughout the Salvosphere that we 'hate families' like we 'hate churches'). John 5:19 should be our guide on this question (and on most others). Let's apply that as our test from day to day.Why not think it over before you presume that God wants you to camp out on family before warfare, for example?----

Sundae Sermon: I Thess 5:12-18

1 Thess 5:12- 18 The Neopoliten Sundae of Christian Unity: http://www.sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/

Please send any comments, critiques, etc., to blog@sheepspeak.com

Nipawin Bible College, etc.

We had a great opportunity to speak to the students at Nipawin Bible College about the strengths of an organisation where the married clergy are married to each other. Double the covenent! Double the fun!

Sakatchewan, don't forget men's camp Feb 8-10.

Tisdale, don't forget to come and enjoy the Day of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Blog yah later...

DR Was for January 24

Click the scriptures and join us as we read through the Bible in a year. Visit www.sheepspeak.com/drwas.htm for more rations

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Exodus 9-11 and Luke 24

Mick the Galatian Chicken

One day at the McDonald farm there is a rumbling in the air; something is a foot. In the chicken coop - something isn't just quite right. The old farmer walks all around the chicken wire fence. It seems to be in tact. The barbed wire along the perimeter looks undisturbed. Everything looks fine as he locks up the hens for the night. But inside the henhouse on the top rung, something is stirring.it is Henrietta the Poultry Hen.

Now, as soon as Farmer McDonald closes the door to the coop, Henrietta, the Hen, speaks up: 'It's time.' Quickly Henrietta, Polly, Mick, - and all the chickens on the top rung - run to the southeast corner of the coop. They peck and they peck the ground in the corner like never before. Last night they had almost made it. Tonight would be the night. Finally - breakthrough! Henrietta and the other Chickens are free. They are free from the farmer's coop. They are free from the barbed wire and the chicken wire; they are free from the tedious ritual and routine. They are free!

They spend the next morning roaming around the yard, exploring the whole farm. They eat what they want, when then want. They can be near or wander far away: they talk. They talk and they talk some more; it's a hen's life. They spend that whole day walking around eating what and when they want and really enjoying the full freedom from the yard. At the end of the day, they perch on a branch of tree across the road from the farm and cuddle up the night. It is good.

They have a nice rest but in the morning when they wake up, they notice something on the road - - - it is Mick the chicken crossing the road. They wonder. Why did the chicken cross the road? (pause) Mick is walking back towards the farm.

Mick is walking back to the coop. She goes across the road, to the fence and through the same crack under the chicken wire fence. She walks around the corner and up the walkway onto her old bar in the farmer's small, confining chicken coop. The farmer then notices the crack in the fence and repairs it quickly. Mick is trapped.

Henrietta can't believe it. She sees the whole thing where she is sitting, still free, looking on from her perch on other side of the road. She sees Mick, of her own accord, trapped all over again on the farm.

Mick was free and then she just goes back to be trapped all over again and it is even worse then she thought at first - As Henrietta scans the farm and hears the noises: here a cluck, there a cluck everywhere a cluck, cluck. She remembers, Mick the Chicken is on McDonald's farm. The Mick Chicken is back at MacDonald's! And you know what happens to McChickens at McDonald's.[1] They get eaten. Mick is trapped.

And this is just like the Galatians we've been studying for two weeks here. In Susan's teaching last week and in our Bible studies so far we've looked at how some of the Galatians have become just as trapped by the Law as Mick the Chicken is by McDonalds. And Paul, Paul is quite concerned; after all as we read in Galatians 3, where Paul repeatedly calls the Galatians 'foolish', he says in verse 10, 'All who rely on the law are under a curse; for it is written 'cursed is anyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law (cf. Deut 27:26).' And it seems no one can do that.

Paul is then rightly quite concerned because it appears that there are some 'false believers' (Gal 2:4) who actually want the Galatians to be trapped by the law.[2] It appears that there are some here, in the Galatian churches, who are walking away from their freedom and in the process even walking away from the Gospel of Christ.

Rather than relying on Jesus, they prefer to return to the rules, regulations, feasts, celebrations and the Law (cf. 4:9,10) as if that can save anyone from our sins, as if we can possibly do anything to merit salvation and the resurrection - its not possible: All who rely on the Law are under a curse because they do not and will not observe and/or obey all the things written in the book of the Law (cf. Gal 3:10, Deut 27:26).

The people in Galatia here are at risk now of being trapped by the Law. Paul is desperately, in this letter, trying to point them to freedom again.[3] Are we in this century ever tempted to turn to something other than Christ as a means to Salvation? if so then we just like are Mick the Galatian Chicken returning to the confines of the coop of the Law (Gal 3:4, 4:9).

Pictures of Nipawin Yellow, the bell choir, and the Christmas play

The Law, Galatians Style

If the Law is something that traps us, as it is certainly explained in Galatians; if the Law is something that curses us, why did God give us the Law in the first place? Why did God write the Ten Commandments and hand deliver them to Moses? Did God want to trap us? Really, if the Law is so terrible, why were God’s own people expected to follow it for so long – hundreds of years. Why?[4]For me, as I was reading and re-reading Galatians this passed couple of weeks, this was a pivotal question that kept coming to my mind.

If the Law is so bad, why did God give it to his ‘chosen people’? I look at the historical role of the Law like this[6]: The Law is sort of like a storm cellar – remember the Wizard of Oz? It is a place to hide when the storm kicks up - a place of refuge. When humankind started sinning (Gal 3:19), sin entered the world like a tornado bringing death and destruction to everything in its path. It says right in verse 19 of Chapter 3 that the Law was given to us as a result of our transgressions (Cf. Ro 5:20).

There is this storm of sin and death kicking up out there. People are dying, literally, and so God builds this storm cellar, in the form of the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, for their own protection. He builds the Law as a shelter from this storm of sin and death and He gives it to Moses and says to him, “Here, in there, take everyone in with you. Quick. Hurry!”

Moses does and the people remain in this safe, albeit somewhat cramped and confining, shelter for a long time and then something happens…Jesus, through His death and resurrection, Jesus defeats Sin. Jesus calms the storm. It is is finished.

The storm is over and Jesus, through His death and resurrection, Jesus has freed us from the storm cellar as the storm is now finished. We no longer need to remain in this storm cellar of the Law. It kept us safe for a while but it is of no use to us now, sin and death – the storm – has been defeated.

So, while the storm is whipping around outside we are all very grateful if we can find shelter in the Law but who of us, after the tornado had passed wants to continue to live in a hole in the ground? No one…No one in her right mind anyway.

This is exactly what Paul is talking about in Chapter 3 of Galatians. And in Chapter 4, he goes on explaining the Law as if it were this servant guardian tutor of a small child. The guardian only has any authority until the child is grown, then the child has authority over the slave. We are no longer servants to the Law, customs and ceremonies… while we are grateful for the shelter God provided through the Law, we are especially thankful now that he has freed us from that hole in the ground.

Christ died defeating the storm of Sin and Death and freeing us from this hole. And you know what? He rose from the dead. Jesus rose from the dead. So, for those of us who are still trapped beneath ground in the storm cellar of legalism, for those of us who are sill underground, let’s rise with Christ. Let’s not remain in the ground, let’s break those chains that bind us and keep us back and - now let’s experience the freedom of life with Christ.

read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/01/galatians-319-25-dont-be-mcchicken.html

Praise be to God

Life on the Prairies is great here. In Saskatchewan there is still a freedom of religion unlike the reports from other parts of this country. I was at the Chamber dinner in Napawin last night and we had not only the many hard working business people in our community but federal, provincial, and municipal representatives present and a number of people from the podium gave glory to God! It is heart warming. I remember last Christmas in Winnipeg, Premier Gary Doer did the same thing.

Praise the Lord in word, thought and deed!

Congratulations Sarah-Grace!

Congratulations Sarah-Grace! Nipawin Yellow won the bronze in the soccer tournament and you played great.


Sunday's teaching: Galatians 3:19-25




Our most recent Sunday sermon offering is available on-line now at http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/ , Galatians 3:19-25: Don't be a McChicken.

Dig in!

Comments, questions, alternate understandings, e-mail me at blog@sheepspeak.com

Go Sarah-Grace!

Sarah-Grace has her big soccer tournament today in Tisdale!
Go Sarah-Grace Go!




Also - don't forget to read Galatians! Sunday's Sermon is on Galatians 3:19-25 - probably Bible Study as well.

And - Irving is being baptised by the Baptist pastor at the Pentecostal church in White Fox. Let's show our encouragement to our friend and brother in Christ tomorrow evening.

He's coming back

The other day I was dropping Rebecca off at school and she was asking me about one of the many bloody revolutions in history where people rebelled against their king so that the wealthy could do what they think is best in their own eyes...

After I dropped her off...she walked to the door of the school and then came running back to the van and pounded on the window...

"Daddy, Jesus is the King...and He's coming back! He's coming back!"

This is true. (-:

He's coming back. Are you ready?

The Week of Prayer is next week

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2008

Chosen Theme: "Pray without ceasing "

(1 Thessalonians 5:12a, 13b-18 )
But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters... Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ for you.

more info: http://www.geii.org/wpcu_index.htm and http://www.ccc-cce.ca/english/faith/week.htm

The Law

Sunday, we are looking at the Law as it represented in Galatians 3. You may wish to read ahead.

The follow related excerpt is from an article entitled, 'Paul's Understanding of the Role of Law as Reflected in Romans 2:12-16, 17-24, and 25-29'

The role of Law is to reveal how we are guilty of sin (cf. 2:1, 17-24; 3:19). One can neither rely on the Law (2:17) nor condemn others by it, as one will not stand justified before it oneself (2:2; cf. 3:19-20). It is the 'doing' rather than the receiving of the Law that reveals that one is justified (2:13-14,18, 25-26). Both Jew and Gentile, the latter not being recipients of the Law, are equally able to 'do' or 'not do' the Law (cf. 2:3, 14-15, 17-14, 25-26, 3:19-31). Further, if indeed it were possible for him not to transgress the Law (cf. 3:20), the Gentile would stand in judgement of the Jew who did receive it (contrast 2:1-3). At the conclusion of the second chapter of Romans, it is clear that the Jew and the Gentile stand on equal footing before the Law. The Law and "the works of Torah, that is, those practices which mark Israel out from among the nations, cannot be the means of demarcating the true covenant people; they merely point up the fact of sin (3:20, looking back to 2:17-24 and on to 5:20 and 7:7-25). Instead, the covenant faithfulness of the creator of the world is revealed through the faithfulness of Jesus, the Messiah, for the benefit of all, Jew and Gentile alike, who believe."[11]

read more: www.sheepspeak.com/NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm

Evangelism

Jesus' Great Commission for us is:

to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

The Salvation Army has a couple of great tools for those of us interested in accpeting this commission.

MMCCXX is looking for more partners in the ntework dream to see new outposts in 2,000 cities in 200 countries in 20 years (revolution@mmccxx.net).

The Hub is coordinating cells in different cities around the planet - if you are interested email revolution@mmccxx.net).

Join us.

 - Michael Ramsay

An Exciting New Creation on the Prairies.

When we were at the Prairie Officers' retreat in January we were blessed through hearing the Commissioner speak on the Jewish Fests of Leviticus 23 and how our knowledge of them can enrich our understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and indeed our collective worship experience.

 

It was exciting discussing the feast of first fruits and how indeed Christ's resurrection, appropriately - and not insignificantly - occurs on that feast day. Christ, of course, is the first to be resurrected for the Kingdom to come.

 

In our own lives, recently, we have been reflecting on all the firsts and all that is new in this past year. This most recent summer my wife and I became captains and we, along with our daughters, were appointed as the new officers to Nipawin and Tisdale, being privileged to be a part of the new circuit ministry with the Hoefts of Melfort. It is definitely exciting to be a part of the new Prairie Division with its new DC and we have already been blessed greatly through three new ACs and have really enjoyed serving alongside all of them.

 

It truly has been exciting to see all of this newness, this regeneration as it were, in a ministry that plays a long and important role in the Army's Canadian heritage. Tisdale was one of the two Canadian colonies in Booth's plan laid out in In Darkest England. It is an honour therefore to serve alongside the Hoefts and follow in the footsteps of the many fine Officers that God has greatly used in shaping and regenerating this area of NE Saskatchewan before us.

 

We, since arriving here in June, have already seen a renewed spirit expressed in the youth of Tisdale and indeed in some of the families whose members once came to Sunday school themselves as children. We have enjoyed also meeting new people, who have not set foot in this Army corps before, surprising us at some of our Sunday afternoon meetings.

 

In Nipawin, the Lord is using the Warrior's Song Café, which He established through Captain Melodie Routly, as a perfect setting to walk with some who would not have otherwise been attending a corps or church. It is a great blessing to meet people here, pray with them over a coffee, and see lives transformed into a new creation by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

New again to Nipawin and Tisdale are various youth programmes. There are a number of community children who were not involved with Christ in other ways, who have now come out to the corps in Nipawin to play floor hockey and be involved in 'Kids Klub.' In Tisdale the youth are becoming excited anew through the Friday night music programme. It has been invigorating to pray with and minister with these children and youth.

 

Our corps has further been blessed by hosting community meals in Nipawin on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day for anyone in the community who wished to attend regardless of age, race, socio-economic grouping or other classification. It has been exciting to pray and walk with members of the community; some of who were not in an active relationship with Christ before and some of who are now in an active relationship and are eagerly participating in the ministry here.

 

In Nipawin and Tisdale we also were privileged to see Christmas plays in our corps. Some parents who have not been involved with us previously in corporate worship of our LORD came to see their kids in Tisdale and Nipawin perform in these plays; it was also very encouraging to see the other members of the congregations support the children in their offerings to the Lord, in this our first Christmas in these communities of which we are newly a part.

 

It has been very exciting to see how the Lord has been transforming lives of people in the Bible studies in the communities within the NE Circuit. We are eagerly devouring the Word of God and many are coming out to our quickly growing Bible studies and cell groups. Bible study is powerful for renewing us all. After all, as Romans 1:16 remind us, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…"

There has been a lot of newness in our lives as we indeed are experiencing the blessing of the continued transformation and growth in our own lives; the Lord is indeed continuing to bring newness and regeneration to the corps and the community here. I thank the Lord for all that He is doing through The Salvation Army to make anew Tisdale, Nipawin, Melfort, Saskatchewan, the Prairies, Canada and the world, and indeed all of us who choose to accept His gift of eternal life.

It is truly an honour and a blessing to serve the Lord in this, His new creation on the prairies.

 

Worship Wars

The Role of the Song Book in the 21st Century?

Thank the Lord for everyone who helped out this Christmas Season

DR Was

Join us as we read through the Bible in a year: www.sheepspeak.com/drwas.htm

Genesis 27-28, Psalm 4, Luke 11



The Inn Carnation

Ha, ha, ha...this was forwarded to me

Recent findings

After having dug to a depth of 10 meters last year, New York scientists
found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the
conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than
100 years ago.

Not to be outdone by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed,
California scientists dug to a depth of 20 meters, and shortly after,
headlines in the LA Times newspaper read: "California archaeologists have
found traces of 200 year old copper wire and have concluded that their
ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a
hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers."

One week later, "Moose Jaw Times Herald", a local newspaper in Saskatchewan
reported the following:

"After digging as deep as 30 meters in sagebrush fields near Moose Jaw, Ole
Johnson, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely
nothing. Ole has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Saskatchewan had
already gone wireless."

Goldie

When I was a kid growing up, the area I lived in was mush different than that city is today. It was semi-rural. We had farmers' feilds all around us and in those days, dogs would often roam free without a lease or even an owner with them. Now sometimes there would be an aggressive dog in a neighbourhood and there would then inevitably be a dog fight of sorts.

We had a dog; his name was Tuffy. Tuffy was a little border collie/sheltie cross and he was a smart dog but every once in a while, of course, he would get into one of these scraps himself.

I remember more than once, Tuffy would see some dog on our block that doesn't belong there. He would charge them. It wouldn't matter how big is the dog. It doesn't matter how fierce is the dog; Tuffy runs at them. He's not afraid of them. He growls at them. He, completely without any fear, engages the intruder.

Now sometimes, like I said, the dogs are a lot bigger than Tuffy. Still Tuffy charges, teeth bared- no fear - he charges the giant intruder with full confidence and then when the large dog strikes back ... He runs away.

The other dog inevitably chases him and Tuffy runs right toward home. Tuffy runs faster and faster. As the dog gets closer, Tuffy - never afraid - runs to our next door neighbour's house. He bounds up the stairs to his deck. The dog comes flying after Tuffy and arrives on the deck where he is seemingly trapped and . there is Goldie.[3] Goldie is by far the biggest dog you have ever seen and Goldie and Tuffy are quite a pair. They really are the best of friends.

So now the pursuing dog, the dog chasing Tuffy - which until this moment seemed quite large - is all of a sudden dwarfed by the giant Goldie, surrounded, and trapped on our neighbour's deck.

So after a couple of very noisy minutes, the intruding dog finds a way out and runs away as fast as it can never to come back again, and there is little Tuffy standing at the top of the stairs -(if dogs could smile)- this little collie-sheltie cross was telling the much bigger dog, I'm sure, never to come back!

When Tuffy saw the intruder, he wasn't worried, he engaged him; he did not avoid a conflict. He was prepared; he was not afraid. He didn't worry about what could happen to him. His goal was to encourage his opposition toward Goldie and have Goldie take care of the rest.

Is this not what we should do as we meet oppostion, should we not lead them to Christ and let Christ take care of the rest. After all that is where our salvation [and theirs should they choose to accept it] comes from...

read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/



-this illustration is based on a true story

Are You Ready?

Read Sunday's Sermon On-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/01/philippians-1-be-bold-be-prepared-are.html

Sermon this Sunday: Philippians

Also - Don't forget to read your daily rations: http://www.sheepspeak.com/drwas.htm

Who will you serve?

Last week Susan walked us through the heart of Philippians. She let us know about the real significance of dying to self. It is impossible to put both yourself first AND to put Christ first. You have to choose.

I think It is rather like after the recent provincial election. With only two parties having any seats in the house, you won't have both of them ruling. It wouldn't work - so we should send the old party, in this case the Self party, packing and just serve the NCP, New Creation Party. We have to serve someone, let's serve God.

Sudden Death: Luke 16:1-13

When Rebecca was just born, I used to listen to hockey every Friday night. You see. Friday night was my night to be home with Rebecca and clean the house. So I would listen to the junior hockey games on the radio as I was doing the dishes, etc.

I remember this one game. I caught the 3rd period. The home team just dominated. It was three or even four nothing coming into the last minute of play. These players had worked really hard, just dominated and they started celebrating the winning of the last game of their season -(pause)- with one minute left to go. Then the other team scored. Then again; 30 seconds left. Then again; 10 seconds left. It was four nothing less than a minute ago - they were celebrating - now they are up 4-3 with only 5 seconds left and they aren't so confident - and now there's a face-off in their own zone. And you know what happens? The away team scores with less than a second left to force sudden-death overtime.

Our team squanders their lead and as a result they face sudden death.

If you'll turn with me back to Luke Chapter 16, the manager we read about also squanders from his position, and now faces sudden death - or sudden unemployment anyway: he is fired.

Jesus tells this parable directly to his disciples right after he tells the story of the prodigal son (cf. R. Alan Culpepper, NIB IX). Remember, the point of that parable? What happens when the son squanders what (the) God (figure) gives him? He is forgiven. The parable is about God's forgiveness of the son who squanders everything on wild (NIV) or dissolute (NRSV) living. As we return to God, He will forgive us whatever we have done.

But this parable raises a question. can we just keep sinning and it doesn't matter? If we are members of God's family, his household, can we just squander everything on 'wild living' and sin, like the son? After all, the father not only forgave him but also threw a big party in for him. So, why not keep sinning?

To find out the answer, according to Captain Michael Ramsay, read on: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/luke-161-13-sudden-death-overtime.html

Read other sermons by the Captain: http://www.sheepspeak.com/sermons.htm

And then he prayed...

As David is fleeing the popular revolt against him, it says in the scriptures, 2 Samuel 15;31, it says something happens. It says, David prays. David prays.

In our story of Absolam's rise and fall (2 Samuel 13-18) there has been no mention of people seeking the Lord’s direction. No mention at all. Not Absalom, not Amnon, not Joab nor Tamar, and not even King David who was a man after God’s own heart but now David is recorded as approaching God for the first time in five chapters. David prays…David prays that the Lord will turn Ahithophel’s council to foolishness and without dragging out my story for too many more pages suffice it to say that God answers David’s prayer.

As David returns to the Lord, the Lord returns the kingdom to David. David ceases to take matters into his own hands, but instead puts matters in the Lord’s hands and in the battle that follows because the Lord turns Ahithophel’s council to foolishness, as David turns to the Lord, Prince Absalom dies, the battle is called off and the Lord uses Joab to save David’s victory.

Prince Absalom is dead. David mourns his death for he loves his son even though his son hated him. At anytime had Absalom returned to the King, the King probably would have continued to forgive him.

It is therefore a sad note on which to end this story really, for David was a good man, a praying man, who often sought the council and leading of the Lord. He went through a period though when there is no record of that devotion and he went through this period in the formative years of his sons' lives and he paid the consequences - just as the prophet Nathan had said he would. And now, the child of the King whom the King loved, now Prince Absalom is dead; it is too late, he is not in his father’s Kingdom anymore.

Well, it’s not too late for us. If we are taking matters into our own hands instead of praying, if we are in rebellion against God and only relying on ourselves, we can stop and return to our Lord's palace because as long as we have breath in us, we can still return to God. Just as David loved Absolam even when Absolam hated his Father, our heavenly father will accept us back with open arms – so let’s lay down our arms before it is too late.

read the sermon in its entirety: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/11/2-samuel-13-18-taking-matters-in-his.html