In order to win? 1 Samuel 4:1-11

1 Samuel 4:3 When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

Israelites thought that they were not able to defeat in the battle against Philistines because they did not have the ark of the covenant.

However, the reason of the failure was not at the ark of the covenant, but was in their disobedience.

The ark of the covenant is the symbol of God’s presence. That is not a charm that people who believe in superstition use.

Israelites should look upon the ark of the covenant and obey God.

Just because we carry the Bible, that doesn’t mean we can be victorious. Just reading the Bible doesn’t mean we can be victorious. Obedience can make us victorious.

Be close to God. Lean your ears to His words. And obey.

You will be victorious. Shalom and God bless!

Live before the Lord! 1 Samuel 2:18-26

18 But Samuel was ministering before the LORD -a boy wearing a linen ephod.

Samuel who was dedicated to God wore a linen ephod and participated in the work of offering.

The life of Samuel and the two sons of Ellie who despised the sacrifice of the Lord were very contrary.

Though they lived in the same place, Samuel served before the Lord (verse 18) and grew up before the Lord (verse 21) and received much favor from the Lord and people.

However, two sons of Ellie didn’t know God and despised the sacrifice of the Lord and even slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.(22) And finally they died in a war. (4:17)

Though many congregation members are serving the Lord in the same church, their lives can be different.

Serve before the Lord like Samuel, grow before the Lord and live a life that receive much favor from the Lord and people.

Shalom and God bless!

The wicked who do not know the Lord 1 Samuel 2:12-17

1 Sam 2:12 Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD.
17 This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.

The sons of Eli were the wicked men. Because they had no regard for the Lord.

When the people gave sacrifice and before burning the fat, they took the sacrifices. They were only interested in feeding their physical greed, but had no interest in spiritual matter.

Therefore, they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt. This is caused by their having no regard to the Lord.

“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6)

God doesn’t want superficial worship but an authentic one. And he wants acknowledgment of God.

Shalom and God bless!

The process of a leader 1 Samuel 1:19-28

27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.
28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.

God heard Hannah’s prayer and remembered her. (1:19) So Samuel was given birth.

When we go through difficulties, if God the Almighty remembers us, our problems can be solved. Therefore, we always need to have a humble attitude of asking God’s mercy.

After the birth of Samuel, Hannah raised him until the boy was weaned and according to what she had vowed, she gave his life to God. The small Samuel was entrusted to Eli and lived a life of worshiping God.

God’s plan to close Hannah’s womb, the education of a holy family and spiritual training and so on, through these, a great leader was born. I hope that in this spiritually dark era which resembles the era of judges, many holy leaders would be raised through each family.

Shalom and God bless!

Entrusting the mission

Luke 24:50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.
51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

This is a great scene that as the resurrected Jesus went up to heaven, He entrusted mission to His disciples. Jesus lifted up His hands and blessed them. That scene was deeply engraved in disciples’ heads and hearts.

Disciples went back to Jerusalem with great joy and always stayed in the temple and praised God. Disciples who were afraid and weak became new ministers.

We need to become ministers. Let the mission given by Jesus to His disciples become our own mission.

Then Jesus’ blessings who blessed disciples will be with us and God’s will will be fulfilled in where we are.

Shalom and God bless!

The hope of resurrection (Lk 24:1-12)

5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?
6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:

Women who saw the death of Jesus went to Jesus’ tomb with fragrance in the early morning on the first day after Sabbath with despair.

However, they heard the news of Jesus’ resurrection there and had a new burning hope in their hearts. They told all these stories to the disciples, but they considered it as nonsenses.

Believing in Jesus not only means that we believe in him died for our sins but also believe in him who was resurrected again. That faith gives us living hope and gives us new strength in whatever difficulties we are in.

Jesus was resurrected. We will be resurrected, as well. This story is not nonsense. We have the eternal hope that will never fade aways. That is the resurrection.

Shalom and God bless!

Correct value (Lk 23:50-56)

50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man,
51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

Because Joseph was the one who waited for the kingdom of God, his life was different from others. When other members of the Council made Jesus death sentence, he said their decision was incorrect.

And when all of Jesus’ disciples ran away, he risked his own safety and went to Pilate and asked for the dead body of Jesus to place it in a tomb.

People who put their value in the world, they use the opportunity for their own benefits and their hearts change, but those who put their hope in the kingdom of God would live a good and upright life and would even dedicate their lives for a true value.

We should place our value to the kingdom of God where we will eternally dwell and live a life that act upon the Truth.

Shalom and God bless!

Correct value (Lk 23:50-56)

50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man,
51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

Because Joseph was the one who waited for the kingdom of God, his life was different from others. When other members of the Council made Jesus death sentence, he said their decision was incorrect.

And when all of Jesus’ disciples ran away, he risked his own safety and went to Pilate and asked for the dead body of Jesus to place it in a tomb.

People who put their value in the world, they use the opportunity for their own benefits and their hearts change, but those who put their hope in the kingdom of God would live a good and upright life and would even dedicate their lives for a true value.

We should place our value to the kingdom of God where we will eternally dwell and live a life that act upon the Truth.

Shalom and God bless!

Correct value (Lk 23:50-56)

50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man,
51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

Because Joseph was the one who waited for the kingdom of God, his life was different from others. When other members of the Council made Jesus death sentence, he said their decision was incorrect.

And when all of Jesus’ disciples ran away, he risked his own safety and went to Pilate and asked for the dead body of Jesus to place it in a tomb.

People who put their value in the world, they use the opportunity for their own benefits and their hearts change, but those who put their hope in the kingdom of God would live a good and upright life and would even dedicate their lives for a true value.

We should place our value to the kingdom of God where we will eternally dwell and live a life that act upon the Truth.

Shalom and God bless!

The curtain of the temple was torn (Lk 23:44-49)

45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

In Jerusalem temple, between the most holy place and the holy place, there was a curtain. Even the high priest can only enter once a year on the day of atonement to atone people’s sin.

However, through the death of Jesus, that curtain was torn and now anyone can go to God and pray whenever he or she wants.

In order for us to receive this amazing grace, God became human and was ridiculed and flogged and was spitted and slapped. He was hang on the cross for 6 hours, suffered and eventually passed away.

This was to forgive our sins and lead us to God. If we become lazy in going in front of God, we are making Jesus’ death vain. Go before God right now.

Shalom and God bless!