AND SAMUEL GREW ON

1 Samuel 2:26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.

And Samuel grew on...

Dear fellow reader and found child of the living God. The call to proper growth and maturity is being made and is truly burdened for every life of a disciple today. I don't mention the title "disciple" as one who just simply believes in Christ, but as one who daily walks in relationship and joint covenant with Him, obeying His voice and postured to mature before and in Him. Here are some truths the Lord has been speaking to me that I would love to share with you in hope to encourage your walk, your commitment, your life in Christ.

In today's era, the term Christian and Disciple are strangers, and this ought not be. I personally have fellowshipped with many of my own generation who love the Lord, but don't personally know Him, but just know of Him. Many who I have come across that call themselves Christian but yet don't live the life style as a Disciple. One could go to a group of believers, perhaps their own church and ask the congregation to raise their hand if they are a Christian. I am sure many, if not all, would. Then ask, " raise your hand if you are a disciple". How many would raise their hands? Hopefully all. You see, the term "Disciple" seems to carry a more definite meaning of a deeper and to obtain a more consecrated life style before the Lord. Sad to say, but by the majority shown through common displayed fruits, the position and identity of "Christian" does not really give much thought to one's mind of a deep consecrated walk with Jesus. This obviously shouldn't be, nor is this scriptural.

Acts 11:26 And when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

As we see Saul and Barnabas was named "Christians". However make note, they were FIRST Disciples. These men, these disciples were not ones to have just given their heart to Jesus and eventually got baptized. These were part of a apprehended and arrested type of people who gave their LIFE, not just their heart, but their LIFE to the call and covenant in Christ and I'm am sure, were IMMEDIATELY baptized to seal the deal! Quickly baptized in the sense that they did not nor were they allotted much time to think about weather they "feel" to get baptized, it was a SUDDENLY decision. Today in my generation, it is not seen here in the U.S. or really by a large scale within the church.

In I Samuel 2:12-26 there is the mentioning of Samuel as a young boy serving in the House of God, but also the mentioning of the Priest named Eli and his sons who knew not God, as the Bible records. Eli's son's are in sin, influencing Israel to transgress against the Lord, taking meat from the House of God. These young immature and lost sons were having there own way, even over their father. Eli does address it but does nothing about it. Eli speaks the truth to them but puts not action to his words. Eli doesn't even act like a father, but just a priest.

The Bible says that the sons would not listen to their father, because the Lord would slay them! Totally opposite of honoring their father to inherit a promise of long life (Ephesians 6:1-3).

But through all the perversion that was taking place in and around the house of God at that time, the Bible says, "And the child Samuel grew on..." (I Samuel 2:26).

When I fellowship with many young people of my generation that indeed love and know of the Lord, some of the most common discussions that come out of their mouths is the problems in the church today. The problems they personally witness of others in the church not living a sold out life for Jesus or about how the church is not as effective in America and so on and so on. This for the most part is true. WE all are aware of the issues in the house of God, and guess what...so is the world. The conflict with the bride and the groom has been exposed through the children! So much talk of these issues eventually should make the heart of a true lover of Christ sick.

Proverbs 13:12...Hope deferred makes the heart sick...

The word DEFERRED means to on a delay, to postpone, to put off. So in other words, Proverbs can be saying that Hope that is put off, it makes the heart sick!

I believe that when we engage in only conversations dealing with the true and deadly issues within the church, we can bring on a spirit of deferring hope! I'm speaking about only talking about the problems and leaving out the solutions! Such continual talk can lead us to believe and even advertise to the world that there is no hope in Jesus found in His church! It is a witness against ourselves, as we are the church.

I am not talking about neglecting the truth of wickedness that is hidden in the house of God, but I am talking about revealing the truth of righteous posturing that should be hidden in the House of God! I am talking about obtaining the place as a true love sick disciple that would say, " I know there are some problems, I discern so and so is not living they way they ought to but I will NOT let these issues remove me from the place of prayer, from the posturing of righteousness, I will let the heart of Christ be put into action and pray for the restoration of His house hold!" And Samuel grew on...

You see, Samuel was exposed to the problems in the house of God. He could have said in his young zealous self what many are saying IN the church today..." Well, IF I was the Pastor I wouldn't do that, or IF I was this, or I don't do that, and so on and so forth." The truth is, even though Samuel as a young boy may have wore the ephod to minister, like the Priest, and though God used him as a prophet in such a crucial hour, the boy did NOT remove himself from the posture God has called him to be in! The Bible says that Samuel ministered before the Lord, NOT before the priest, not before man, not to gain other's attention, but before the Lord!

We need to take these issues to a place of prayer and keep a high regard for the House of God and the authority He has placed there. Even our conversation ought to be before the Lord. After Jesus asked His disciples for the report of what the people say who they think Jesus is, Jesus then asked His Disciples, " BUT who do YOU say that I am?" And as we know the rest of this conversation, Peter confesses to Jesus that He is indeed the Christ and in return of the proclaimed revelation Jesus gave a promise to His disciples that upon that rock, upon that true foundation, that is where Christ will build His church, the gates of death won't prevail against it and the keys of the Kingdom will be given, that whatsoever the holder of these Kingdom keys will bound on earth it will be bound in heaven and loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven! (Matthew 16:13-20).

I hear the Lord say, "But who! But who do you think I am?"

I just encourage us all that in our conversation, in our mediation, our discernment, our observation of the Church, to always keep her in high regard! When we bathe these things in prayer, when we pray for our leadership, our elders, OUR church, always know WHO Jesus is and what He has enabled us to do with our Kingdom keys! Don't let the situations steer you off or out of the position of growing before the Lord in and by His word! When we dwell upon these things, as truthful as they are, may we dwell upon it prayerfully!

Perhaps you are the very blessing that God sent to your church, to pray and continue to obtain a Kingdom life style before the Lord! To be one that encourages the brethren yet does not cease to pray for them and pray according to what the Holy Ghost is showing you to pray for! For the spirit groans and makes intercession.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

But BE of good courage that God DOES have for Himself a remnant! A people who stayed hidden in the house of God like Samuel! A people that are only focused upon growing before the Lord and living for Him! We got to keep our eyes on His remnant! You are not the only one, as Elijah argued with God when in the cave hiding and sulking in his depression.

Samuel could have said in his young zealous self, "well Eli is a lousy Priest, his sons are in sin, I could do a better job..." or "hey look at me, God used me as a prophet, and I even wear the ephod like a priest and minister before the Lord too..." No, Samuel did not let the situations deteriorate his walk with God! How so? Simply because Samuel knew and stayed his place in the house as a SERVANT of God. He did not verbally advertise it! He obediently submitted to it! This was not only his process for personal destiny but this was his opportunity to be possessed by purpose! This was it! Though Eli did die and so did his sons, the circumstances are the same today and the same opportunity awaits us all to lay hold of! The opportunity to grow on before the Lord!

Proper growth needs to engage in proper application! IN other words, part of proper growth isn't just reading the Bible, but applying it to our walk. Not our former walk, but our born again walk!

So again, I just encourage us all today and from now on to maintain a high regard for the church! Observe the present situations, learn from it, let the word position your walk, and war in prayer over the House of God! War in prayer for your Pastor, for your church, your house, your family, your walk, your government, your country, your own life in Christ! Prayer is the most important place and ministry that all believers are called to engage in first and foremost! Don't just address the issues, but lay hold of your Kingdom keys and beginning to loosen things in the heavenlies onto this earth and bound things that must be bound up! YOU are the church, so become the solution! I'm telling you, this is a fight worth fighting for and Christ stands victorious! Let us, His bride, His church stand victorious with and in Him!

Proverbs 13:12...Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when desire cometh, IT IS a tree of life!

God Bless