The David Alliance

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

[email protected] 

 

Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com

 

Have you ever eaten something so hot that your mouth loses all sense of color and your eyes can’t breathe anymore? And you say Garth that doesn’t make sense…. well thats where we are going today

 

There are a lot of things that don’t make sense? 

God doesn’t make sense

There is no existent evidence of God… You can’t see him, touch him, taste him, hear him, feel him…

And in fact do we really know what A God is… how to define him? Do we really understand the concept of God. Oh we have volumes upon volumes of writings on the images, concepts and ideologies of who God is… but do we really know what we are defining or talking about or debating until wee hours of the evening… we might as well be jabbering over why squirrels are like the planet Venus. It makes no sense. There is just no proof, no facts. 

If God is the idea or concept of what we think of as God.. and yet our concept is still limited.. then we should have so much more illumination as to what and who he is. But we really don’t. Even if we take every word from every bible translation and from every Christian writer and file it under total recall… we still will not know God, or much about him. Again in light of what a God concept means.

And for that matter does anyone or any religion really know God or a God or anything truly about God. 

 

Look lets say there is a God… that doesn’t really help us much… because then it only leaves me with 29.3 million more questions.

If there is a God… why evil.

If there is a God… why not just show up and prove yourself

If there is a God… why don’t you answer my prayers

If there is a God… Why not kill all the bad people

If there is a God why did my sister die of alcoholism?

If there is a God why am I poor?

If there is a God why won’t you make my relationships better.

Why do the people who don’t believe in God seem to do so much better in life than me???

 

The concept of God just doesn’t make sense… it just doesn’t. Let me be very clear, I am a die hard, all out, 100%, bought by the blood, all in, sold out, on fire follower and disciple of Jesus Christ… THEE GOD!

 And yet I am telling you it doesn’t always make sense… most times not much at all… and I am ok with that. Why?

 

I do know for a fact that he loves us… This Jesus God/man in history is a proven fact. He was a real person, and wether you believe him to be God or not, he did in fact die on a cross because he loved us. And even if you think the concept of him dining for our sins is ludicrous - you gotta admit that he did do it because he loved us… God or not, thats pretty radical. 

 

I also know that 

I don’t have to understand him to know him… Do you think the friends of Einstein were as smart as Einstein? Einstein was quite a ladies man… do you think his girlfriends wore thick glasses, greasy frizzy hair, and read huge books… not for a second, but they were intimate with him. 

 

But here is the big reason, the main reason the maximum reason Im ok with God not making sense…

Yesterday I had an electrician come to our church and we met outside back in the property… 

The electrician opens up a huge electrical box, that says Danger, high power, high voltage, you might die, you are an idiot to tamper with this….and I find some calm gratitude that I do not need to know anything about this.. Rather someone much smarter will do what only he can do, and in a few hours we will have power and light. 

I was glad I didn’t have an electrician the same intelligence as me… or we all would have died… 

Im glad I don’t have a God the same intelligence as me… 

I find a deep satisfaction that I do not have a God I can figure out… for if I could, he wouldn’t be much of a God.

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

[email protected] 

 

Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com

 

I will be honest, I am friends with drug dealers, gang bangers, liars, murderers and more… but I truly have a hard time being friends with one particular kind of person… wanna guess who that is?

 

 

but I truly have a hard time being friends with one particular kind of person… wanna guess who that is?

 

Pastor John Beehler, of Bethel Presbyterian Church, once gave a sermon in which he said, “You all know that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Do you know what he did on the eighth day? He started answering complaints.”

Whiners are all over the bible, grumblers, complainers… 

  -  laborers in the vineyard whining about wages (Matthew 20:1-16), 

  -   the scribes and Pharisees complaining about the disciples eating and drinking with sinners (Luke 5:30), 

  -  Martha about laboring in the kitchen while Mary sits and listens to Jesus (Luke 10:38-42).

  -  The father complaining that the disciples could not heal his son

 

there are mainly three Hebrew and two Greek words that are translated into the English for “complain,” “grumble,” “murmur,” and “whine.” 

 

What does God think of whiners? 

God hates one who sows discord (Proverbs. 6:19). 

Proverbs 16:28A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

Proverbs 22:10Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

 

In fact this is exactly what God tells us in his word to do… Let us follow the things which make for peace and let all things be done for enlightenment (Romans 14:19; 1 Corinthians 14:26)

 

 

Did you know that most complaining and whining can be examined and categorized by the nature of the dissatisfaction and by our motivation for expressing it. 

Complaining involves voicing fair and legitimate dissatisfactions, concerns and insights with the goal of attaining a resolution or remedy. 

Hey I think we have all complained at a restaurant about service, food or noise or even my wife’s favorite… the temperature… but is typically done in a fashion to make things better.  

 

When we voice legitimate dissatisfactions but do so without the goal of attaining a resolution we are merely venting, grumbling- And when the dissatisfactions we voice are trivial or inconsequential and not worthy of special attention, we are whining.

Whining is simply pointing out what we think is not fair with no other resolution than to have others pity us and serve our selfish needs. 

 

KEY POINTS

Complaining involves voicing legitimate dissatisfaction, while whining is about something trivial, self centered.

Complaining, venting, and whining have different effects on a person's psychology and emotions. I can complain and a person can actually be gracious and thankful that I did so. 

And in fact a persons ability or means to respond in an empathetic way mostly depends on wether or not they heard us whine or simply voice a sincere complaint. 

 

 

Eph. 4:30,31 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. 

 

bitterness - harshness, acidity, anger, resentful 

rage - means a selfish outburst

Anger - we want someone punished for this.. its not fair

outcry - to shout, clamor or be against someone

Slander - Abusive or scurrilous language, blasphemy. From blasphemos; vilification.

Malice - bad language, depraved or to malign someone 

 

What happens when we do these things? We grieve the Holy Spirit and we lose intimacy with him.

 

Maybe you don’t experience the presence of God the way you want to because you simply whine too much. 

So as Paul says… get rid of it. This aint no bible verse

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

[email protected] 

 

Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com

 

 

Romans 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Psalm 27:10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.

Matthew 5:11-21 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ...

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

 

Ask yourself 3 questions

Were you asking for it?

Look if we are honest, yes it hurts to have people hurt us… but many times, generally speaking we may deserve it. Not that anyone should hurt someone on purpose, but you know what I mean. If you have a trashy attitude and someone gets upset and cusses you out at work and your boss tears into you… well, uh… I am not saying that is the right way to handle it- but you gotta understand that it was coming at some point.

 

As Dave Mustaine said “if every day you run into 3 buttheads… you are one of them”.  (and he didn’t say buttheads… but thats the word Im using) 

 

Remember you reap what you sow in every area of life. 

 

Do you want to be like them?

Remember they hurt you, and that is never right… so why would you want to hurt them and then be just like them. 

When I want to change something about me, or when I want to make doing the right thing easier I many times think of people who really irritate me and that honestly I have a hard time respecting… and I ask myself “do I want to be like them?”

If I smoke, chew or date girls that do…. well thats what Billy Bob does and he’s a whack job- I do not want to be like Billy Bob. Would I ever have an affair? NO, but I gotta admit its not just about the moral aspect of it, its not just about disappointing God -  I just don’t want to be like a lot of men I don’t respect who have had affairs. 

 

I wanna be free, I want to be like the men who forgive others and let it roll off their backs… revenge is for God. 

 

 

 

Is it worth the weight?

If you have ever packed for a long hike, especially over a day or two - you ask yourself this question again and again… is it worth the weight. Yes its great having a fluffier sleeping bag and pillow, but is it worth the weight? Yes I could pack extra water, beef jerky and snacks… but is it worth the weight? Yes I would carry a bigger knife, more matches, more ammo, more socks, a second pair of shoes, some suntan lotion etc… what ever it is- is it worth the weight of the journey.

 

In life I have alway felt like the key is to keep it as light as possible. I don’t want to carry around your hurt, or my bitterness. It took a long time to learn this. But I finally realized- it is easier to laugh at people who hurt me and think to myself “not taking on that weight” than it is to carry it.

People are going to hurt you… even some good people, even family, even your spouse. Forgive and laugh and move on.

Now if someone makes it a habit… then they have proven just how poorly of a friend they are - and cut them off.

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

[email protected] 

 

Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com

 

 

I think we can all relate to the STAPLES commercial years ago where they introduced the easy button. You just pushed it and life became easier. EVERYTHING FELL INTO PLACE… Now life is not that simple, but there is a way to make things easier in your life.

 

5 things you need to have in your foundation to make life easier

 

Engineer called to look at a crack in a skyscraper… the building manager finds him the lowest level of the parking garage. 

 

 

 

 - 1  You gotta be a healthy.

1 Cor. 6:19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Glorify - give it esteem, honor it

 

 

Physical health is the first step to mental and emotional health. 

 

Physical health is the key to energy fro everything else in your life. You need to have energy to read and pray, work and play. You need energy to put into relationships.

 

 - 2  Know how to handle your money.

 

The plans of the diligent lead to profit (Proverbs 21:5)

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

 

Provide for your household (1 Timothy 5:8)

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

 

Spend less, save invest, have 2 incomes or more.

The greatest stress in life is your choice… but the one thing that makes that stress a thousand times worse is lack of money.

 Tithe, you gotta plant your seed. 

 

  -  3 Find out your gifts, passions and talents and not only use those in the church but get a job using those. 

 

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

 

My buddy Roger says most people work until they have enough money to retire… then they go and do what they want and are good at. I am already doing what I want and I am good at…so I am retired and I get paid for it. 

 

 

 

  - 4  Don’t try to have a lot of friends. Just have 3 really good ones. 

 

Though one may be overpowered,two can defend themselves.A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

A friend loves at all times,and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Proverbs 17:17

 

Notice most verses in the bible that talk about friendship talk about “A friend” NOT lots of friends. 

 

Make friends quickly and cut them away even quicker.

Know the best judge of wether or not a person would be a good friend is asking yourself this question.   Do you want to be like them in life right now? Their attitude, their relationships, their finances, the way they treat other people.

 

Remember you will never have a great relationship with others if you don’t have a great relationship with yourself. If you are toxic in your attitude you will be toxic in other friendships and you will blame others.

 * If you run into 3 buttheads in a day, you can be certain you were one of them. 

 

  -5  Remember in all things: Money, friends, skills, talents, intelligence…

You attract who you are becoming.

 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed, by the renewing of

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

[email protected] 

 

Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com

 

You gotta ask. He may simply be waiting for you to just ask.  The needs not the problem. we all have them… it is simply going against the crowd, going against the loudest voices in the room and asking… even begging!

 

Luke 18:35 Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. 36 And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. 37 So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

39 Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

40 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, 41 saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”

42 Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

 

This seems like such an odd scripture… almost like Jesus shares some insight into a personal test he is wanting us to see. 

What do we know about this blind man.

He was blind, had a need, thought Jesus could heal him… and now is his chance. Jesus is walking by…

 

but from his perspective and from the story Jesus is not walking to him or near him in order to heal him - Jesus is just on his way into town. 

DO YOU THINK.. Jesus knew he was there? Yes, do you think he knew he was blind? Yes, Do you think he knew he wanted to be healed? Yes. So why is he just walking by?

Let’s switch perspectives… Did the people know the blind man was there… most likely - and if not this man they did live in a culture where they were used to the blind and needy on the street begging. Did they think he wanted to be healed.. obviously. But did THEY want the blind man healed? NO. 

In everyones eyes at this point Jesus is just simply this endless source of power to meet their needs. Feed me, teach me, wow me with miracles, heal me and free me from the Roman government… 

No one cares about anybody else in the crowd except for themselves… sounds much like today. Its a huge crowd, but with no other purpose than each one wanting what they want… they are not there concerned about the crowd, this is no movement, its just needy people (with all different types of needs) wanting to connect, and be on the inside… get their fix if you will. Jesus was the rock star and everyone was trying to connect- get his autograph and hope to get front row tickets and maybe a photo op so others can be jealous. 

 

And Jesus is ok with it… he knows these same people are going to cry crucify him in a little while. But what does he respond to…? Does he respond to those who are out to take from him, those who will kill him, those who misunderstand him… does he point this out to them and set them straight? NOPE. 

He responds not to the need of the blind man, he responds to the blind mans crying out, You may have needs and you are waiting for God to meet your need… but he does not respond to the need, he responds to your calling out to him. 

The crowd does not care about your need. They are out for themselves… The disciples do not care about the blind man. and it seems as if Jesus does not care about the blind man… but what he is actually doing is setting up a lesson for us to learn from. Jesus listens to those that are desperate and crying out. 

The blind man doesn’t listen to the crowd.. which would be an actual form of peer pressure… it actually spurs him on to yell louder and beg more. 

There is one more thing to catch in this story… The bli

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

[email protected] 

 

Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com

 

 

Luke 14:25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

 

Hate: GK Love less, or esteem less, to put under as a priority.

 

It is best understood as a renouncing of ones highest value of one thing over another. 

My value of following Christ is of greater value than my family, my wife, my husband, my kids, my parents and yes even my own life. 

 

 

But the point is you must be willing to count the cost of being a disciple. When I count the cost i think of a few things that I must be willing to do and be prepared for. 

  - I must be healthy enough to do the job

eat, work out, sleep, 

 - I must have the proper input to be ready for war. What goes in my eyes, my ears, my heart, my mind

 - I must be willing to give tithes and offerings. I need stuff to grow in my life if I am going to have the harvest to pull this off. 

 - I must surround myself with the right friends who will help keep my pumped up, accountable, strong and pray for me.

 - I must keep my family life from strife. I must protect the peace. 

 - I must live below my means and stay out of debt.

I have no credit cards, I have no loans other than my car and my house.

 - I must know my gifts and talents and how to best use them as being a disciple. 

 - I must be willing to not care about what others think of me or my ministry. I must only care about what God thinks and does it work. 

 - I must daily read, pray and obey.

 - I must be willing to live by faith, take risks in all areas of my life. Witnessing, giving, praying, spiritual gifts etc…

 

And finally I must daily and weekly ask myself - am I not only counting the cost but am I paying it. Have I put my money where my mouth is. 

 

 

When you talk about counting the cost and paying the price, it may sound like arrogance… but only to those who are not counting and not paying!

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

[email protected] 

 

Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com

 

Conviction

 

In sales if someone objects to your price ask them this, would you trust me more if I lowered my price? The same can be true when preaching a hard sermon to your congregation. You can ask them would you like my message more and trust me if I made it easier and watered it down?

 

When we witness to those who need Jesus as their Lord and Savior we simply preach the gospel and let the Holy Spirit convict! 

 

i.e. we preach that people need Jesus, we don’t preach against their sin. Oh we can say all have sinned, but don’t waste your time telling them what they are doing is wrong. Simply point to Jesus and let him do the convicting. 

 

The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin (John 16:8). To help us understand what the conviction of sin is, we can look at what it is not. 

First, it is not simply a guilty conscience or even shame or feeling bad or even knowing what we did was wrong. Such feelings are naturally experienced by almost everyone. But this is not true conviction of sin.

 

Second, conviction of sin is not a sense of trepidation or a foreboding of divine punishment. “Im going to hell”…  These feelings, too, are commonly experienced in the hearts and minds of sinners. But, again, true conviction of sin is something different.

 

Third, conviction of sin is not merely knowledge of right and wrong; it is not an assent to Scripture’s teaching about sin. Many people read the Bible and are fully aware that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). They may have grown up in church, gone to Sunday school, baptized, confirmed you name it… Yet, for all their knowledge, they continue to live in sin. They understand the consequences, but they’re far from being convicted of their sins.

 

 

The word convict is a translation of the Greek word elencho, which means “to convince someone of the truth; to reprove; to accuse, refute, or cross-examine a witness.” The Holy Spirit acts as a prosecuting attorney who exposes evil, reproves evildoers, and convinces people that they need a Savior.

 

To be convicted is to experience an utter dreadfulness of sin. Our attitude toward sin becomes that of Joseph who fled temptation, crying out, “How could I do this great evil and sin against God?” Or when Paul said woe is me, I am the greatest of sinners.

or David who cries out to God regarding his sin

 

Titus 1:9 “Holding to the faithful word according to the teaching, that he may be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to convict those contradicting it.”

Notice this verse does not say we are to call out sinners and their sin, but rather preach and teach with encouraging sound scripture and to convict those who oppose it. How many times do we see people spend endless conversations telling people they are sinners and what they do is sin…

Just tell them about Jesus and let the Holy Spirit convict. 

 

Again John 16:8-9 the GS comes to convict, our job is to preach the gospel

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

[email protected] 

 

Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com

 

I just got back into bow hunting after a short 37 year lay off. how much did things change in 37 years? Everything… 

In fact I just bought my son a bow… we are both now in the learning curve… but even in a few weeks I have learned a ton. Dan McCarthy and his youtube videos have been a God send. 

What’s a spine?

What’s a nock

Fletching

shaft

Now if you are into this you are probably thinking what a nob… this is easy

 

Same thing with cooking. I had no idea other than how to make toast.

I watched my wife for years, I asked a lot of questions… she at first would get mad… I wanted to learn.

Now I make some great meals. I especially make some amazing sauces, including my own green sauce or salsa verde… my own recipe. I watch cooking shows, I watch cooking videos, I subscribe to cooking youtube channels. 

 

The learning process in shooting, or cooking or even brain surgery is doing with the learning. 

 

How do you get to be a specialist in your faith walk? Well lots of learning. again I read books on spiritual disciplines, I listen to podcasts of theologians and preachers and teachers, I subscribe to youtube channels, I read dozens of different translations of the bible, I have a few theology degrees and I hang out with other smart driven faith followers… but I do as well as learn. 

 

Scripture is pretty clear in how to grow in our faith. 

Jn. 15 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

 

 

 - Study - Plug into the vine, Gods word, his spirit

  - persevere - Remain… there will be tests, bad weather, lots of fertilizer and insects… but you must remain. 

  - Grow/ mature in the faith -if you don’t mature, grow in the faith you will die. You will in fact be cut off. 

what does it say in verse 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

 

We are doing… yes doing while plugged into him, but we are doing. We are not just simply learning or going to church but we are doing.

 

Yesterday in church God told me to pray for someones arches… nope, at the end of service I need to pray for someones arches… nope. I wasn’t thrown I am learning by doing… and after service a man came up to me and said hey thanks for praying for my arches… i just didn’t want to come up.

STudy

Persevere

Grow

And I might add NOW!

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

[email protected] 

 

Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com

 

Oscar Wilde was quoted as saying “I can resist everything except temptation”. But the thought still remains… how does one resist temptation… It might be easier and weirder than you think. 

 

What to do when you are tempted?

Run away like Joseph and Potiphars wife… sure

Pray? ok, thats a good one.

Confess to a strong Christian brother? not a bad idea

Block and stay away from the temptation… again smart move…

But what if I said there is another way that might seem a little weird?

 

Eph. 5:3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 

 

And Again in 

17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

What is temptation? 

Its wanting something, its a craving, its a sinful desire, its a deep pull.

Well yes but it goes much beyond that. Temptation is about what you want. Its is a selfish, greedy, self centered want.

Temptation is simply “all about you”. 

Temptation is me me me me

 

So when Paul says if you are facing all kinds of temptations give thanks it sounds weird until you realize that Thankfulness is selfless. it takes your focus off of you. You almost never hear anyone tell themselves how thankful they are for themselves. You never thank yourself because it just sounds self centered and honestly Pompous! 

You thank others for what they did. You thank them with words that go out of your ME ME ME ME zone and into a world of how they feel. I am giving thanks to make you feel good, to encourage you, to lift your spirits up. I am giving thanks to others, to God and Jesus for what they did. True thankfulness has nothing to do with what I want or what I did. 

The very nature of thankfulness destroys temptation because it changes your focus off of you and onto others. 

Its hard to be tempted when I am thinking about others. 

Are you feeling tempted? Start to practice thankfulness especially to God and watch how quickly your focus changes and how fast the temptation will die!

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

[email protected] 

 

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WE assume David killed Goliath because of some supernatural ability or some God given secret…

 

So David was good with a sling. So were 700 other men in scripture. They could toss a rock at a hundred yards and hit a target.

 

Well David had a great family upbringing - uhm no! His Dad forgot about him. He didn’t even recognize him. He put him in the last place possible to even gain any recognition. 

 

David had a great job and preparation… uh no and no. 

 

Well i got it. David was anointed King so that is why he was able to kill Goliath. Hold on skippy, King Saul was anointed King and was in fact KING! If simply being anointed was all it took then he could have killed him.

 

Why did David kill goliath? he was a singer first and then a slinger. He was intimate with Jesus. he spent his time as a shepherd writing poetry about God, singing about God, talking to God.

 

What is funny is in this story it says hat the soldiers of Israel were getting up every morning and chanting their war cry… and it meant nothing. But while they were busy chanting David was busy Chasing God. He was a man who was After Gods heart. he went after him… are you a man AFTER Gods heart. I hope so, because that is the secret to victory.