[notes taken by Arlene del Socorro from Pastor Jerry Berenguer’s preaching Tuesday, July 8, 2008]
We had the privilege of still having Pastor Jerry with us to share God's Word in tonights' revival meeting, and we basked in the river that night. It was soul-refreshing and mind-renewing. But so you understand what I mean, I am sharing with you my notes from Pastor Jerry's preaching that night and I pray God's living Word will become a "rhema" to you and bless you.
1 Samuel 30:3-10 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David's two wives had been captured — Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue." David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Ravine, where some stayed behind, for two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the ravine. But David and four hundred men continued the pursuit.
1 Samuel 30:18-19 David recovered everythingthe Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back.
Trouble's EFFECT in our Lives:
1) Troubles in life can wear us out, and it doesn't matter if we are faithfully serving in the ministry or not. When troubles come, they can wear us out. David was a man after God's own heart and yet trouble came upon him. The enemy weighs us down with troubles so that we are unable to move and accomplish what God has called us to do. David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep, much more do what God has called them to do.
2) Troubles can take away our focus and make us blame and fight one another. At every sight of trouble, the Israelites blamed Moses whom God used to lead them out of bondage in Egypt. David's men were bitter for their loss and blamed David who led them in many victorious battles and thought of stoning Him.
3) Some people become bitter in their spirit when troubles come. A lot of couples find themself in this situation and their marriages break because they have allowed the enemy to confuse them into blaming and fighting each other. When we allow bitterness to cloud our decisions, we lose because we cannot fight the enemy in the condition of bitterness.
How do we RECOVER?
1) Don't give up. David did not give up when trouble came upon him. Giving up is easy - staying on is the hard part - it's going to require everything we've got. God has a great plan for you and me (Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.). But we have to be moving on in our journey to discover His plan. If we are to recover everything the enemy took from us, we must not give up. Jesus is seated on the throne beside the Father - we are victorious and more than conquerors in Him.
2) Remain focused on what God wants you to do. David knew who his enemy was, and it wasn't his men who were threatening to stone him. We must get to the source of the problem for the enemy wants to destroy our life. Let us not allow bitterness to settle in our heart like that which happened to David's men. Bitterness ruins relationships and splits them up. We must be focused on our goal and the plan of God in our life. Instead of looking at our troubles, let us look on what God wants us to do at that particular time.
3) Find your strength in the Lord. In the face of trouble, David turned to God, not man. He knew who could restore him.
Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalms 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail ,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Nehemiah 8:10 ...Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength .
We should not go out and try to do something ourself - let us find our strength in the Lord - He is our best encourager. The devil will weigh us down with troubles and will even use loved ones against us but the LORD IS OUR STRENGTH.
4) Pray and seek the Lord. David prayed and sought the Lord instead of taking a position of revenge. When we just run after, we make mistakes and fall because we have not inquired of the Lord. David asked for the ephod (a sacred garment worn by a priest when he comes before the Lord) instead of his armor, and went before God's presence to inquire of the Lord what he should do. Troubles cloud our decision and we make mistakes when we react and just go after. God tells us to call upon Him.
Psalms 50:15 ... and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
Jeremiah 33:3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'
When we inquire of the Lord instead of going in our own knowledge, God reveals things to us when we come before Him. We need to hear the Lord because His Word will bring victory, breakthrough and confidence to go and pursue.
5) David pursued. After praying, move - do something. We must focus on what God has called us to do and take back what the enemy has stolen. David fought till evening and recovered everything. When you hear from the Lord, go and pursue and take back everything. God caused David to win even with fewer men, 400 instead of the original 600 with him. David heard from the Lord and he acted on it and God gave him victory.
Have you ever lost something in your life? in your family? Have you lost peace and joy over something? Because I lost them for a time... but praise be to our God and Father who is in the business of restoring everything to us through Jesus Christ. Dominion, power and authority, which have all been stolen from us through Adam, has been restored to us through Christ. If God has restored these to us, how much more is He able and willing to restore whatever was stolen in our life? He has restored to me joy and peace and freedom in worship. He is in the business of restoring and He wants to restore what has been stolen from you. Don't give up - set your eyes on the Lord - strengthen yourself in Him - pray and seek His face - then when you hear from Him, go and pursue! God bless you richly.
Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine , according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
We had the privilege of still having Pastor Jerry with us to share God's Word in tonights' revival meeting, and we basked in the river that night. It was soul-refreshing and mind-renewing. But so you understand what I mean, I am sharing with you my notes from Pastor Jerry's preaching that night and I pray God's living Word will become a "rhema" to you and bless you.
1 Samuel 30:3-10 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David's two wives had been captured — Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue." David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Ravine, where some stayed behind, for two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the ravine. But David and four hundred men continued the pursuit.
1 Samuel 30:18-19 David recovered everythingthe Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back.
Trouble's EFFECT in our Lives:
1) Troubles in life can wear us out, and it doesn't matter if we are faithfully serving in the ministry or not. When troubles come, they can wear us out. David was a man after God's own heart and yet trouble came upon him. The enemy weighs us down with troubles so that we are unable to move and accomplish what God has called us to do. David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep, much more do what God has called them to do.
2) Troubles can take away our focus and make us blame and fight one another. At every sight of trouble, the Israelites blamed Moses whom God used to lead them out of bondage in Egypt. David's men were bitter for their loss and blamed David who led them in many victorious battles and thought of stoning Him.
3) Some people become bitter in their spirit when troubles come. A lot of couples find themself in this situation and their marriages break because they have allowed the enemy to confuse them into blaming and fighting each other. When we allow bitterness to cloud our decisions, we lose because we cannot fight the enemy in the condition of bitterness.
How do we RECOVER?
1) Don't give up. David did not give up when trouble came upon him. Giving up is easy - staying on is the hard part - it's going to require everything we've got. God has a great plan for you and me (Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.). But we have to be moving on in our journey to discover His plan. If we are to recover everything the enemy took from us, we must not give up. Jesus is seated on the throne beside the Father - we are victorious and more than conquerors in Him.
2) Remain focused on what God wants you to do. David knew who his enemy was, and it wasn't his men who were threatening to stone him. We must get to the source of the problem for the enemy wants to destroy our life. Let us not allow bitterness to settle in our heart like that which happened to David's men. Bitterness ruins relationships and splits them up. We must be focused on our goal and the plan of God in our life. Instead of looking at our troubles, let us look on what God wants us to do at that particular time.
3) Find your strength in the Lord. In the face of trouble, David turned to God, not man. He knew who could restore him.
Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalms 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail ,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Nehemiah 8:10 ...Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength .
We should not go out and try to do something ourself - let us find our strength in the Lord - He is our best encourager. The devil will weigh us down with troubles and will even use loved ones against us but the LORD IS OUR STRENGTH.
4) Pray and seek the Lord. David prayed and sought the Lord instead of taking a position of revenge. When we just run after, we make mistakes and fall because we have not inquired of the Lord. David asked for the ephod (a sacred garment worn by a priest when he comes before the Lord) instead of his armor, and went before God's presence to inquire of the Lord what he should do. Troubles cloud our decision and we make mistakes when we react and just go after. God tells us to call upon Him.
Psalms 50:15 ... and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
Jeremiah 33:3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'
When we inquire of the Lord instead of going in our own knowledge, God reveals things to us when we come before Him. We need to hear the Lord because His Word will bring victory, breakthrough and confidence to go and pursue.
5) David pursued. After praying, move - do something. We must focus on what God has called us to do and take back what the enemy has stolen. David fought till evening and recovered everything. When you hear from the Lord, go and pursue and take back everything. God caused David to win even with fewer men, 400 instead of the original 600 with him. David heard from the Lord and he acted on it and God gave him victory.
Have you ever lost something in your life? in your family? Have you lost peace and joy over something? Because I lost them for a time... but praise be to our God and Father who is in the business of restoring everything to us through Jesus Christ. Dominion, power and authority, which have all been stolen from us through Adam, has been restored to us through Christ. If God has restored these to us, how much more is He able and willing to restore whatever was stolen in our life? He has restored to me joy and peace and freedom in worship. He is in the business of restoring and He wants to restore what has been stolen from you. Don't give up - set your eyes on the Lord - strengthen yourself in Him - pray and seek His face - then when you hear from Him, go and pursue! God bless you richly.
Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine , according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
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