Mark Hunnicutt

"Honoring Pastors" - Funny stuff from @coryhoneycutt

1 Samuel 14:1–23 – A Kingdom war strategy requires DEPENDENCE not just DEFENSE…

Scripture

6 "Let's go across to the outpost of those pagans," Jonathan said to his armor bearer. "Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!" 7 "Do what you think is best," the armor bearer replied. "I'm with you completely, whatever you decide." 8 "All right then," Jonathan told him. "We will cross over and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, 'Stay where you are or we'll kill you,' then we will stop and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, 'Come on up and fight,' then we will go up. That will be the Lord's sign that he will help us defeat them."

12 Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, "Come on up here, and we'll teach you a lesson!" "Come on, climb right behind me," Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "for the Lord will help us defeat them!" 13 So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them.14 They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre.

15 Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified. 18 Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, "Bring the ephod here!" For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites.19 But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, "Never mind; let's get going!" 20 Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere.21     Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites.22 Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away.23 So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.

Observations

• Jonathan advanced the Kingdom
• Perhaps the Lord… COURAGE
• It is not about our power it is about His power
• Armor bearer reply is the model of subordination
• Jonathan asked for a sign
• Their strategy was DEPENDENCE not DEFENSE
• CONFIDENCE + DEPENDENCE = God's PRESENCE

Applications

• My fight is not reactive but proactive
• COURAGE! What I'm I attempting that takes God size courage?
• Be this type of Armor Bearer and surround myself with this type of people
• God show me!
• Have more confidence in God than my strategy

Prayer

God, I'm convicted by my lack of courage. I'm convicted of staying in my comfortable camp and strategizing about war instead of taking the fight to the enemy. Help me to understand that obedience is acting and doing not thinking and feeling. I turn from my way and seek Your way today! I love and praise You!!!

1 Samuel 13 – May my physical situation never overshadow the proper spiritual steps…

Scripture

7 Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead. Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. 8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn't come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away.9     So he demanded, "Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!" And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself. 10 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 11 but Samuel said, "What is this you have done?" Saul replied, "I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn't arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle.12 So I said, 'The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven't even asked for the Lord's help!' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came." 13 "How foolish!" Samuel exclaimed. "You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command."

Observations

• Saul had huge obstacle in front of him
• His men were afraid
• His men were unprepared physically and he was unprepared spiritually
• Without patience he panicked
• When God says 7 days 6 ½ will not work.
• Instead of waiting he manufactured and manipulated
• He let his physical eye outlook his spiritual eye
• He did not do the last thing God told him to do
• His head got bigger than his heart

Applications

• Stand and wait instead of manipulating situations
• Listen and look to God instead of listening and looking to people
• Don't let the physical situation over shadow the spiritual steps
• Equip people with the proper tools
• Faithfulness is being obedient to the last command not fighting current circumstances
• Don't let what I know effect Who I know

Prayer

Jesus I love You! I praise You for my past and what I've seen You do in my life and the lives of those around me. I hate the fact that I rely on my experience and education my than I rely on You. I repent of that and ask a fresh anointing for what You are doing now in my midst. Lord, help me to stand waiting and watching Your deliverance over obstacles in my life. God, check my heart and keep it in check with Your heart. I want my heart in tune with You not the people around me.

1 Samuel 3:1–21 – Religious routine didn’t bring revelation, stillness did…

Scripture

7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before.8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. "Here I am. Did you call me?"

Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy.9 So he said to Samuel, "Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, 'Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went back to bed.

10 And the Lord came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."

11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, "I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel.12 I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end.

15 Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacle as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said to him.16 But Eli called out to him, "Samuel, my son."

"Here I am," Samuel replied.

17 "What did the Lord say to you? Tell me everything. And may God strike you and even kill you if you hide anything from me!"18 So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn't hold anything back. "It is the Lord's will," Eli replied. "Let him do what he thinks best."

19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.20 And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord.

Observations

• Revelation equals relationship not religious routine
• Eli complemented what God was doing in the life of Samuel
• Listen to a pursuing (called several times!), passionate God!
• The message was now had a relational connection. The 1^st prophet was unknown, Samuel was like his son.
• Samuel still was faithful to routine but now with relationship
• Samuel first sermon was full truth!
• God grow Samuel and gave him influence to carry His message

Applications

• Praise God for revelation!
• Do not complicate God's process of speaking to the younger generation
• Listen to God in the stillness, create stillness
• Listen to those close to me
• Relationally work my routine, God is with me
• PREACH TRUTH – it is what people want to hear
• Ask God for influence to spread His message

Prayer

Thank you God for reveling Yourself to me! My mind can't understand why You made such a clear call on my life but I thank You for the men that didn't complicate that call. I ask that You empower me to bring clarity to what you are saying to the next generation. I ask that You help me not to grow complacent with religious routine but that I would gain influence to spread and speak Your truth!

1 Samuel 2:1-36 – May I need a bigger “leadership” coat this time next year. Great verses on how to gauge growth!...

Scripture

2:1 Then Hannah prayed:

"My heart rejoices in the Lord!

The Lord has made me strong.

Now I have an answer for my enemies;

I rejoice because you rescued me.

11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.

12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord

18 But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. 19 Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice.

22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

26 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.

27 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: "I revealed myself to your ancestors when the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt.

30 "Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.

Observations

• God turned Hannah's grief into rejoicing
• She testified to God's power and plan
• Elkanah and Eli were both complacent leaders that brought complications
• Samuel was a boy but served the Lord
• He grew physically stronger v.19;26, relationally with the Lord v.26, intellectually through education v.18 & socially with people v.26.
• Nameless prophet brought a message to Eli concerning his sons and legacy

Applications

• There is no room in my heart for depression when it is full of praise. PRAISE HIM!
• Testify and talk more of God's power and plan than problems
• Don't grow complacent with the sin from leaders around me
• Age has nothing to do with effectiveness in Kingdom math
• Check gauges physically, relationally, intellectually and socially
• Listen more to ALL people

Prayer

God, thank you for this amazing example! I ask that I praise like Hannah, serve and grow like Samuel. I want to listen to You before I lose my legacy and not overlook sinful practices because of complacency. God may I need a bigger coat next year because I've grown physically (health), relationally with You, intellectually through education and socially with people.

1 Samuel 1:1-28 – God’s plan is always bigger than my pain…

Scripture

27 I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. 28 Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life." And they worshiped the Lord there.

Observations

• Period of time after the Judges
• Huge longing for leadership
• Elkanah – husband and Samuel's father
• Family went to temple out of routine
• Hannah's prayer = deep anguish and desire to have a son
• Hannah's prayer matched up with God's plan
• Several years' later family went to tabernacle to worship!
• Eli = Samuel's mentor

Application

• Evaluate my activities to make sure I'm not in a ritualistic routine
• Fill the leadership vacuum
• When my pain matches God's plan cry out to Him
• Make more of an investment in God's plan instead of my own plan

Prayer

God, I'm blown away by Your plan and the people you use. The kingdom needs leadership and You provided a way but used Your people in 1 Samuel. I'm humbled by that! Today I ask that you take my pain and use it in your plan. I cry out to You to birth a vision to bring You more glory and growth to Your Kingdom. May my actions and activities fill and fulfill leadership vacuums around me.

S.O.A.P. 6 Week journey through 1 Samuel, join me?

S.O.A.P. Bible Study Method

http://www.divinementor.com

Click on the link and watch intro video and steps to the S.O.A.P. method.  Pay careful attention to the "how to" S.O.A.P. Sample

S = Scripture
Type out the verse or verses that stood out to you. 

O = Observation
What is that verse saying?

A = Application
How does that verse apply to you today?

P = Prayer
Type out a prayer that expresses your heart to God

Set a goal to SOAP it up weekly 5 out of 7 days.  Use the other 2 days to review, catch up and personally journal your growth goals.

1 Samuel

The two Books of Samuel were originally one volume in the Hebrew text. Upon its translation into Greek (the Septuagint), Samuel was joined with the Book of Kings, and the total work was called "The Books of the Kingdoms." In order to keep the work from becoming too voluminous, it was divided at that time into the four divisions now found in the English text. The first two divisions bear the name of the prominent character Samuel—prophet, priest, and anointer of kings.

 Author:

The Book of 1 Samuel is anonymous. Jewish tradition claims that the prophet Samuel wrote the Books of Judges and Samuel, while the prophets Gad and Nathan supplied supplementary information concerning the years following Samuel's death (25:1). Nevertheless, there is no reference to an author in the book. The biblical text does indicate that Samuel made some written records (10:25) and that prophetic figures (Samuel, Nathan, and Gad) chronicled many of the acts of KingDavid (1 Chr. 29:29).

 Date:

First Samuel deals with the period of time between the birth of Samuel and the closing days of Saul's reign. It begins in a premonarchical setting of a loose, tribal organization and concludes with the death of the deranged King Saul, who ends his own life in the heat of battle with the Philistines. If the birth of Samuel (1:20) is dated c. 1120 b.c., and if David ascended the throne of Judah c. 1010 b.c., then the book covers more than a century of Hebrew history.

 Theme:

The book describes the growing desire for a king, the differing opinions that accompanied that desire, and the roles that various individuals played in the beginning and continuing days of Hebrew kingship. The materials depict kingship as a theological rather than a political matter. The God of Israel continues to be the true King of Israel. The earthly king would represent the nation before God and would be ultimately responsible to Him. Indeed, the book clearly reveals that the success or failure of the anointed king would be determined by his obedience or disobedience to the Law and his commitment to the will of God. At first glance, it appears that the views of God and Samuel toward kingship were not the same. In two references the monarchy was rejected as a repudiation of the existing theocracy (8:4–9; 12:19). However, in other references, God yielded in His resistance (Hos. 13:11) to Israel's demand for a king and directed Samuel to anoint Saul as the divine choice (9:16, 17; 10:1). Harmony of these apparently conflicting views comes when one understands what God desired in kingship, as contrasted to how the popular mind conceived it (cf. Judg. 8:22, 23, note). For God, the king was to be a Spirit-led national leader who adhered to the Law of God and recognized the Lord as the true King of the nation. It was this concept of kingship that God ordained. Such a person is referred to usually as "commander" or "ruler" rather than "king" (9:16; 13:14; 25:30; 2 Sam. 5:2; 6:21; 7:8). On the other hand, the popular idea of kingship had been influenced by Canaanite thought. The people were asking for a despotic ruler who was answerable to no one. This was a king "like all the nations" (8:5, 20), one that was objectionable to both God and Samuel (8:10–20). This apparent contradiction, like so many others, is resolved by a careful reading and handling of the text (cf. 17:56, note). Parallel reading in the Books of Chronicles also helps clarify certain passages in Samuel (e.g., 2 Sam. 24:1, note). – Adapted From Believer's Study Bible

 

James 5:7-12 – Look inward = sad / look outward = mad / look upward = glad…

Scripture

7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

9 Don't grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!

10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.

12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.

Observations

• Christ is returning!
• Have courage because the rescue is coming
• Don't grumble as you gaze
• Job!
• Suffering is only for a short time
• V 12 3 part conclusion/

Applications

• Constantly look up!
• Walk with courage today!
• No need to grumble about small stuff, don't!
• Follow the models gone before me
• Again, live like this isn't my home

Prayer

Forgive me God for not think about my future! You ARE coming and it is going to be soon. I need to walk and talk with courage in this world that I'm passing through.

James 4:13–17 – When I have more than I need and don’t help those with need, holistic hurt follows…

Scripture

5:1 Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven's Armies. 5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

Observations

• Finances provide for the temporal
• James wants people to see riches through an eternal lens
• Riches aren't a foundation and want stand with you in eternity
• Selfishness and greed hurt others
• When I have more than I need and don't help those in need, hurt follows
• Hope leads when I use my excess for eternal things

   

Applications

• Budget, budget, budget
• Have an eternal perspective of pay then plan instead of vice versa
• Give, give, give
• Look and listen for needs that I can help with

Prayer

Jesus, we are the eternal model! You lived with the end in mind. That same power is supplied to me. God it is hard to discipline and dedicate myself to others before myself. I ask that my first reaction would not be how this affects me but how does this effects eternity.

Mark 12:30 - When did love become unmoving? Worship Wednesday video blog post...

via www.youtube.com

Today, go "all in" with Jesus!