School is back in session! These words excite some, but more often than not, they create a sense of dread in many. The smell of a well-used pencil sharpener, the firmness of a hard seat in the classroom, the blotting of erasable ink (the genius who developed this ingenuity should have received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry), and square hamburger pizza—there are those who love, and others who despise, this delicacy. Now you may ask yourself, “What does square pizza have to do with God?” On Sunday morning we found the connection as we examined the life of Samuel.
Samuel’s mother fervently sought God’s favor for a son (I Samuel 1:10-20). When God answered this prayer of Hannah, He knew her love for Him and desire to obey Him would lead to something grand—the life of Samuel. In fact, because of her obedience to God, He blessed her with 5 more children, “…May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord” (I Samuel 2:20). Talk about tithing the first fruits! God took Hannah’s gift and developed a strong spiritual leader for the Israelites. But let’s get back to how God wants us to learn from His Word, and apply that knowledge and understanding with the first of the school year (keep the phrase “first fruits” fresh in your mind).
All the while that Samuel was under the tutelage of Eli, Eli’s sons were committing wicked deeds in the tabernacle of God; everything from stealing God’s offerings to sexual immorality with the women who served at the entrance of the tabernacle. These acts of contempt for God were not missed by the Israelites, Eli, Samuel, or God. With all the sin that was going on about Samuel, one verse regarding his life should give us insight and strength for our lives at school or work. “And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men” (I Samuel 2:26). Even with the evils of life going on around him, Samuel followed his mother’s example of humbly seeking God’s favor and being obedient to Him. Samuel wasn’t hindered by the sin that encompassed him in the “temple”, and we shouldn’t either. If we seek and follow God’s perfect will for our lives, the arrows of the enemy will bounce off of our armor and the traps the enemy places before us will be prematurely tripped, allowing us to grow in the Lord’s favor.
At the conclusion of the morning service, we had special prayer for all of our high school students and our school teachers at God’s altar. A number of our students approached me after service and told me how much they appreciated the special prayer for them at the altar (one of our students told my wife that she had to catch her bus at 7 a.m.). As my wife and I awoke at 5:30 a.m. Monday morning, we prayed for her and all of our students (pre-K to 12th grade) and our school teachers.
To those students out there I offer a challenge. Take your first 2-3 weeks of school to live a Godly life. Include prayer and reading of the Word when you first wake up, arrive at school early, be in class on time; essentially, do things that will honor God through your life. It could be something complex involving helping a friend, or something as simple as picking up trash off the floor and throwing it away (without having to be asked to do so). If you give God this “first fruit”, I guarantee He will bless you somehow. By the way, “first fruits” are the only fruits that do not spoil.
Sunday evening we covered 2 chapters in our study of the book of Revelation (chapters 15 and 16). We see the completion of God’s wrath on the world through the pouring out of the seven plaques on the earth. If things weren’t bad enough on earth, they just got worse with the seven plagues—even heaven is respectful of God at this time (chapter 15, verse 8). As the seven plagues are poured out upon the world, affecting those who worship the beast, people know from where the plagues are coming, but they continue to curse God and refuse to repent and glorify God. Their hearts are so hardened and seared, that they willfully deny God; they will have a change of heart later on in our study of Revelation (see Philippians 2:9, 10). At this time, those who have been martyred for the cause of Jesus Christ have been avenged (Chapter 16, verses 5-7). Finally, the stage is being set for the battle of Armageddon. A battle started by the inhabitants of a physical and natural world against Jesus Christ, whom God the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth—this battle is in chapter 19, and will be over in less time than it takes to read about it.
Once again, this is not a good time to be on the planet. It is avoidable for those who have given their hearts to Jesus Christ. If you make Him the Lord and Savior of your life, you will be in heaven with Him during the events that are taking place on the soil of this earth. It doesn’t take special words or ritualistic speech. It just requires open honesty from you to the Creator of the universe; He knows you inside and out—He designed you before there was time. Just tell God you know you’re a sinner; that He gave His only son, Jesus, over to men; man crucified Him on a cross; but Jesus rose from the dead and gives us eternal life because of His resurrection. If you believe this in your heart and confess it with your mouth, you will be saved!
As the pastor of Eastpoint Family Church, one of my prayers is that the Holy Spirit would manifest Himself in our services. In the form of prophecy, tongues and interpretation, healings, you name it; I desperately seek the presence of God within our Church Body. On Sunday evening, we were visited by the Holy Spirit with a tongue and interpretation at the end of the service. God wants us to know that the events of Revelation are not the fantastical ramblings of some old man on a penal island, but that they are true and are coming sooner than people suspect. God’s greatest desire would be for all humanity to meet Jesus Christ in the air at the time of the rapture. Unfortunately, we know from the Word that this scenario will not happen. However, we are to do everything we can to teach others about Jesus Christ and encourage all Christians to desperately seek God’s face—there’s nothing more He would like better.
Have a God-filled week and weekend,
Pastor Claude
