When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder...

"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come."  And let the one who hears say, "Come". And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost." (Rev. 22:17).

Hey gang:  Many years ago I had the privilege of attending the Shepherd's Conference in Kansas City where more than three thousand shepherds/pastors from around the country assembled to worship and be taught.  On the day, after the conference began, the Kansas City Newspaper came out with headlines: “Three thousand shepherds gathering at the Conference Center”, and they tacked on the line, "I did not know there were that many sheep-herders in the country.’

One series of messages called ‘The King and His Army’ was especially powerful and remains with me yet today.  Pastor Ern Baxter, now gone to be with the Lord, was often referred to as a ‘preacher’s preacher’.  The theme of his messages was based on First and Second Samuel. Pastor Baxter compared the days of Samuel, Saul and David with our country at that time (mid 80’s)

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The people of Israel, who had been ruled by God's anointed kings, were in rebellion and demanding to have a king just like everyone else.   You see nothing has really changed, when life’s clinkers begin to fall our human nature tends to drive us to seek answers in all the wrong places.   Israel certainly chose a road that they have paid dearly for since the day they threw the towel in on the Lord's leadership, and sought a worldly king. 

God's response to Samuel, “Give them what they want, they are not rebelling against you but against Me.”  It is interesting that God gave them a king that Samuel described as a ‘head and shoulders’ man.  In other words, he was tall and handsome and had great strength - in essence he was a ‘head and shoulders’ man.  Saul's problem- he was a "Do it my way" sort of chap. Does that sound a wee bit like many of the people who expound great so- called wisdom in our world today?  Meanwhile, our world is rapidly putting all its energies into placing the One who can solve our rapid decline, in the closet.

Saul was king but, after several decisive acts of rebellion against God, God removed the anointing for Saul and send Samuel to anoint David as King of Israel.  His point, Saul was king by world standards, but David was the King under God's anointing. 

Soooo. What was his point?  Today, in the world we have world governments.  I might add most, if not all, are tragic examples of mans compulsion to do it their own way.  But, at the same time, God neither slumbers or sleeps and continues His plan unabated.  Can you say ‘Amen’ with me?  "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." (I Thess. 4:16).  

As John Poole once said, "Somethin's fixen to happen and I'm fixen to be part of it!"

Blessings,