The Spirit of the Lord Came Upon Him, Part II :: By Randy Nettles

Published on: June 6, 2021 by RR7

Saul was still king of Israel, as David’s anointing by Samuel was mostly a symbolic act between God and David. However, in God’s eyes, it was a done deal and was only a matter of time before David would become king over Israel officially.

The Philistines were still Israel’s greatest enemy during this time. In about 1020 BC, the armies of Israel and Philistine gathered together to do battle in Judah. An army sometimes avoided great losses and bloodshed by pitting its strongest warrior against the strongest warrior of the enemy. The winner of the fight was considered the winner of the battle. The nation that lost the battle would forfeit the contested land and become slaves to the victor nation.

“And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had a helmet of bronze upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor upon his legs, and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.

^“And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are you come out to set your battle in array? Am not I a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then we will be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall you be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:4-11).

“And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” And the people answered him, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel” (1 Samuel 17:25).

“And when the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, You are not able to against this Philistine to fight with him: for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

And David said unto Saul, Your servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Your servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with you” (1 Samuel 17:31-37).

David, the young shepherd boy, was the only one brave enough to fight the gigantic giant. Saul offered David his armor and sword, but David refused them for he was not trained to fight in that manner. As with the lion and bear, David chose only to use his sling as his weapon of choice. He picked up five smooth stones and put them in his pouch and met the giant on the battlefield.

“And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

^“Then David said to the Philistine: You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into mine hand; and I will smite you, and take your head from you; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17: 43-47).

As they met on the battlefield, David took a stone out of his pouch and placed it in his sling and slung it. The stone hit the giant in the forehead and he fell upon his face to the ground. David ran and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword and killed him; and cut off his head. When the Philistine warriors saw their champion was dead, they fled; and the men of Israel and Judah arose and pursued the Philistines and killed the host of them.

The outcome of the fight and subsequent battle was exactly as David had foretold to Goliath and the army of the Philistines. The battle belonged to the Lord! God had used a mere boy to defeat a 10′ giant (with armor and sword) and win the battle for his people.

The Bible doesn’t mention it, but I believe “the spirit of the Lord” must have come upon David in a powerful way, giving him almost supernatural strength and precision. At that point, it was not Goliath against David; it was more like Goliath against God. God forcefully guided the stone into the only unprotected part of Goliath’s body, his forehead. Goliath never knew what hit him.

Why did God use a young unheralded shepherd boy to defeat the giant and save Israel instead of a mighty warrior like Samson? If the battle had occurred approximately 35 years earlier, Samson would have represented Israel as their champion. He would have been the one to fight Goliath. Can you imagine mighty Samson and the giant Goliath in a fight to the death?

Samson armed with the jawbone of an ass fighting against Goliath with his sword and armor! What a fight that could have been… but never was. The Bible story of Samson versus Goliath never happened. God had something much better in mind for his people to witness.

If they had fought, I believe God would have given the victory to Samson, even though he didn’t always give God the glory for his strength and success. God wanted Israel to win and to rid the idol-worshipping Philistines from the land. He always accomplishes his objectives by whomever and whatever means He chooses.

He will use the weak as well as the strong; the young as well as the old. He especially likes to work with those who have a humble and contrite spirit. One thing is certain… he will always use those that have faith and put their trust in Him.

After Saul sinned greatly against the Lord, Samuel conveyed this message of the Lord to Saul: “And Samuel said to Saul, but now your kingdom shall not continue: the Lord has sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be captain over his people, because you have not kept that which the Lord commanded you” (1 Samuel 13:13-14).

David was a man after God’s own heart. He constantly thought about God and put all of his faith in Him. David loved the Lord with all of his heart, and for this God abundantly rewarded and protected him. As long as David sought the Lord, he was successful.

God chose David to be his representative/champion to fight against a pagan evil people and their champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, for possession of the Promised Land. He deliberately chose a young shepherd boy with no military training to fight against the great Philistine hero.

There was no great warrior/judge like Samson left in Israel who had the courage to go up against such odds…. not even Saul, their king. There was, however, a young shepherd boy named David, who did have the necessary courage to respond to the giant’s challenge.

David had honed his skill with a sling and stone to protect his father’s sheep from animal predators. Although becoming quite proficient with this primitive weapon, he ultimately relied on God to make sure his aim was perfect. He always had the faith that God would deliver him from death, and God always did.

By sending a boy to do a man’s job, God made sure the Israelites realized where the victory was truly coming from. The victory was the Lord’s and the Lord’s only… not some great renowned Israelite warrior (although David did become one later). These are the words of David, moments before he met Goliath on the battlefield: “And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47).

Armed with this kind of faith, David couldn’t lose. Goliath never had a chance against God’s young man. David was a man after God’s own heart. No other person in the Bible is given this description or attribute, not even Noah, Abraham, Moses, or Joseph.

David wasn’t perfect by any means, as later in life he would commit horrific sins. Once he forgot the Lord and relied on his own power, he committed serious crimes for which God punished him and thus his family and Israel. David realized his sins and begged God for mercy and forgiveness. Not only was David a great warrior, but he was also a great prayer warrior. Psalm 51 is a plea for mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing that David prayed to God.

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness: according unto the multitude of your tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me, thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence; and take not your holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation; and uphold me with your free spirit” (Psalm 51:1-4).

God forgave David, as He does for every believer who sincerely asks for it. Sin committed will always have consequences. You will reap what you sow, but God will forgive you no matter how great your sins are.

God sent David to deliver Israel from a life of slavery to the evil Philistines. However, He sent one much greater than David, namely Jesus, to deliver us from our sins and a life of slavery to them. Believe in Him as your Lord and Savior, and become a man/woman after God’s own heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to take control of your life and live victoriously, even into eternity.

“For you see your calling, brothers, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen; yes, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence.

^“But of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption: that, according as it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

Randy Nettles

nettlesr@suddenlink.net

Tribulation Chronicles Part 5: A Brief Pause :: By Alice Childs

Published on: June 6, 2021 by RR7

A Brief Pause to Introduce You…

If you are still here and have so far managed to survive to continue reading these letters, then you will know that in the loose chronology of coming events that I’ve been relating, where I left off was giving to you a very broad, generalized overview of events that are recorded in Revelation chapter 6 through the opening of the 5th “seal judgment” thus far.

As I’ve already told you, there will be emerging onto the global scene (perhaps remaining behind the scenes for a while) a man who will “confirm a covenant” between Israel and “many” others. Remember, I told you that this man will come onto the world scene using “peace” as his platform. As a result, he will be able to do that which hasn’t been done as yet – that is to bring about a “peace” that will allow for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple.

I’ve told you that these final 7 years will be divided into two halves of 3 1/2 years and that the first half will:

(1) bring the rise of this global leader to power. This man will be THE Antichrist.

(2) thrust the tiny nation of Israel into the very center stage of end-time events.

(3) see the world, on a global scale, suffer catastrophic upheaval from the aftermath of the “great vanishing,” which is the rapture of the Church.

(4) eventually bring about a global war that will cause widespread destruction, from which will ensue famine on a global scale, after which will follow:

(5) pandemic diseases and widespread death from an exponential increase in violence, rape, murder and animal attacks.

(6) see the arising from Jerusalem of two men who will be special emissaries sent directly by God (the Bible calls them God’s “two witnesses”). They are also metaphorically called the two “olive trees” of God. These “two witnesses,” as the Bible calls them, will bear powerful testimony to the Jews of the Most High God and His Son, Jesus Christ, who is and always has been Israel’s Messiah. These men will be given supernatural powers from God as well as protection for a period of time. Their ministry will last for exactly 3 1/2 years, or the first half of the 7-year Tribulation period. Their preaching and proclamation of Jesus Christ as Israel’s true Messiah will bring MANY Jews to belief in Jesus Christ as their Savior and long-awaited Messiah.

The testimony and impact of these two supernaturally anointed men will have global repercussions. It will result in the reaching of and bringing to salvation millions upon millions of people from every kindred, nation, tribe and tongue. The 144,000 Jewish virgins, who will be saved and sealed, will be the “first fruits” of the two “witnesses,” and from there, the number of converts will multiply into all the world.

Remember too, I told you that at the very midpoint of the last 7 years, God will allow the AC (Antichrist) to kill these two men; their dead bodies will lie unburied in the streets of Jerusalem, where the entire world of unbelievers will see and celebrate their deaths via satellite TV and social media. Then, 3 1/2 days later, God will resurrect these two men. He will, in full view of the entire world, “catch them away” back up into Heaven.

All of this takes place during the first half of the last seven years of human history under a fallen creation.

What I want to do now is to give a recap of those who will be the major players during these last 7 years. As you study the book of Revelation and as you live through it (for as long as the Lord allows you to live), you will meet these men in the pages of Revelation. As time goes on, you will recognize them in the reality in which you now live. The impact they will have will be enormous. Some will become great servants of God working on behalf of the coming Kingdom of God. Others will be unholy and will bring chaos, death, destruction and the wrath of God down upon all of the “Earth dwellers,” as the Bible calls those who continue to willfully reject God – those who willfully choose to follow and to worship these enemies of Almighty God.

So, who belongs to this end-times cast of characters? We meet the first group of them in Revelation chapter 7. In verse 4, you will be introduced to a group of men whose impact for God within these last 7 years will be incalculable. They are men, and they are all Jews. These men come to salvation in Christ most probably as a result of the powerful witness of God’s two emissaries. The distinguishing characteristics of this group are their number and their ethnicity. The Word of God is very precise, exact, and specific in identifying this group and their calling. Here is the listing of end-times groups and people of whom you need to be aware and prepared:

#1 – The Two Witnesses: possibly the Old Testament prophets of Moses and Elijah (although they are never named in Revelation, so we can only speculate on their identities). You will, however, easily recognize them by their singular appearances and supernatural abilities when they appear in Jerusalem, Israel, after the rapture of the Church. (Read about these two extraordinary men in Revelation chapter 11).

#2 – The 144,000: These are all men – all Jews – all virgins, and there are 144,000 of them in number. God has (will have) sealed these men for His service, 12,000 from each of the 12 ancient tribes of Israel, as listed in Revelation 7. God will seal in their foreheads some type of mark that will identify each one of these 144,000 Jewish male virgins as belonging to Him.

God will use this group of Jews to do that for which He had set the nation of Israel aside to do from the beginning. These men will finally fulfill the mission that Israel herself failed in doing. They will go out into the entire world as God’s missionary emissaries. It is by their testimonies and preaching that the greatest evangelical effort of all time will result in the greatest number of converts to salvation in Jesus Christ that has ever been. Perhaps you yourself will be won to Christ as a direct or indirect result of the testimony of these 144,000 Jewish end-days evangelists.

These men will be supernaturally protected by God from the horrors of the judgments that He will be bringing upon the earth, for they will be His missionaries who will proclaim the way of salvation to those left behind after the Church has been removed.

Be very careful how you treat these men. Jesus, in speaking about this 7-year time period (in Matthew 24–25), calls these men “MY brethren.” To those who look after, harbor, give refuge and aid to these Jews, Jesus will liken your treatment of them as if you were doing the same to Him. In other words, Jesus identifies with these men; and whoever helps or mistreats them, it will be for them as if it were Jesus Himself in their place.

#3 – The Antichrist: You have already been introduced to the man who is the Antichrist. As you remember, I told you, according to the scriptures, that it will be he who “confirms a covenant” between Israel and “many” other countries. That “confirmation of a covenant” is what lets you know this man’s true identity and purpose. I will tell you more about this man, Lord willing, in coming chronicles.

#4 – The False Prophet: There is yet one more person of whom you need to be made aware. This man is (will be) a renowned religious leader who will bring together, under his leadership, a merging of all the world’s religions – an “ecumenical uniting of all “religions.”

This man will be satanically inspired and controlled, but he, like the AC in the beginning, will give the appearance of being a humble “man of peace” as well. He will appear as a great uniter of “faiths.” He will come across as having the meekness of a lamb, but will in truth, have the heart and ruthlessness of a “dragon.” He will be utterly consumed by and be a worshiper of Satan himself.

This “religious leader” will be allowed by God to be granted from Satan great power, along with abilities to perform dark, supernatural acts. This religious leader will align himself with the Antichrist; it will be he (this global religious leader) who will put into place a global religion that will mesh with a global government, all controlled and enforced by a global military power. The Bible calls this man the FALSE PROPHET. You can read about this imposter in Revelation chapter 13. Watch out for him.

He may appear to be humble, wise, and benign in the beginning; however, he is anything but benign. He is wicked and deceptive to the core, and his outreach and influence will be vast.

As I write this letter pre-rapture, I have my suspicion as to the identity of this man, but I cannot know for sure, and even though I feel fairly confident in what I think, I will not speculate. You will know for certain who he will be. This is because, in the following letter, I will tell you more about these two evil men (the Antichrist and the False Prophet) who will both do something that will finally and fully identify them with absolute certainty. The acts that they will do will bring horrendous cataclysm upon mankind and direct judgment from Almighty God upon all who are left alive on Earth.

From this point forward, you will have moved into the 2nd half of the last 7 years. From this midpoint, you will now be entering the time period Jesus Himself called “great tribulation” – a time that is unprecedented in all of history – a time that will be unlike anything ever seen upon the earth in all of Earth’s history, including the time of the global Flood of Noah’s day.

So, to recap, the prominent end-times cast of characters are these:

The RIGHTEOUS ONES

(1) God’s Two Witnesses (possibly Moses and Elijah).

(2) The 144,000 young, Jewish, male virgins sealed by God as His worldwide missionaries.

(3) God’s Holy Angels, including Michael the powerful Archangel, who fights for and stands in defense of God’s people Israel.

The UNHOLY ONES

(1) Satan: the fallen cherubim identified in the Bible as “The Dragon,” along with all of his demonic hordes and fallen angels.

(2) Gog: the “Chief Prince” (leader) of Magog, which is, in fact, modern-day Russia (Vladimir Putin almost certainly).

(3) The Antichrist

(4) The False Prophet

Hold on Tribulation Saints, for though the worst is yet to come on Earth, there is great hope and glory beyond your imagining for all of you who become believers in Christ and who remain “faithful unto death!”

Read on… (Part 6 to come).

alice.joan.childs@gmailcom