God calls everyone who is in Christ, whether they be a butcher, baker, candlestick maker, or a king, to the ministry of reconciliation.

The American concept of being persecuted differs greatly from that of the early Church Christ followers and of that of many Christians around the world today.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God...and all can receive forgiveness, just as David did, by looking to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

God made a commitment to David, to Israel, and to any who choose to follow God.

Although he wasn't the first to say it, Forrest Gump may have been drawing on some Godly wisdom when he uttered this phrase.

Sometimes we forget that our nation was founded based on a belief that God has given all humanity unalienable rights and those rights are worth fighting for and worth uniting for...every single day.

Whilst the book of 1st Samuel ended with a tragic loss and no hope for the people of God the book of 2nd Sameul starts with an age old lesson: love your enemy.

As we close out the book of 1st Samuel we see one of the most God honoring friendships in all of Scripture set against the backdrop of one of the worst father figures in all of Scripture.

You can say a lot about King David's character, his choices, and his mistakes. But no one could question His faith, which led to him being the most popular King of Israel in all of history...and a friend of God.

The most important thing that God expects from those in the kIngdom is that they live like they are a part of His Kingdom.